Redwood News reporter Lauren Brenner sat in conversation with Henry & Sam at Sailor’s Grave Tattoo, to speak about how they got into tattooing, how long they plan to tattoo, and how age is nothing but a number.
Henry Kruger, Owner & Tattoo Artist, Sailor’s Grave Tattoo: I’ve been tattooing professionally this September 1st will be 30 years at tattoo shops. I started tattooing in 1987 and actually tattooed a tattoo artist, but no one was tattooing back then. It was like hundred miles between tattoo shops and I didn’t take it seriously.
Sam Cunningham, Tattoo Artist, Sailor’s Grave Tattoo: I tried to learn how to tattoo in the early nineties. It was a difficult time to learn back then because information wasn’t readily available. And so I did that for about a year and then I stopped and then picked it back up about ten years ago, and I’ve been doing it for the last ten years.
Henry Kruger, Owner & Tattoo Artist, Sailor’s Grave Tattoo: I’m always trying to learn. Like, you know, education is a lifelong thing. I opened the shop because no one else would take it this far. With tattooing.It’s not something you get into. Tattooing says tattooing is something you devote your life to.
Sam Cunningham, Tattoo Artist, Sailor’s Grave Tattoo: I see myself tattooing as long as I can. I mean, I’m not shaky. I’m getting up there and age, but I can still pull a clean line and do a clean tattoo. So, you know, as long as I can, I’ll do it maybe 20, 30 more years is there there’s no retirement age for tattoo artists, right? There isn’t.
Lauren: Are you going to do this for the rest of your life?
Henry Kruger, Owner & Tattoo Artist, Sailor’s Grave Tattoo: I have no choice. Yeah, there’s no retirement program in this. And that’s one of the downfalls is I don’t retire. But one of the plus sides is, you know, I kind of get to do what I want you know, in my life.
Sam Cunningham, Tattoo Artist, Sailor’s Grave Tattoo: Sometimes my body tells me I’m a senior citizen, but mentally I feel like I’m still in my twenties and I want to be able to ride a skateboard and do everything I did back then. I’m 61 years old.
Henry Kruger, Owner & Tattoo Artist, Sailor’s Grave Tattoo: growing old doesn’t mean you have to become a dull person.
Sam Cunningham, Tattoo Artist, Sailor’s Grave Tattoo: in regards to being old and don’t just give up and just sit on your couch, try to keep moving and keep doing things you know, just stay active.
Henry Kruger, Owner & Tattoo Artist, Sailor’s Grave Tattoo: When you think that you have to grow up or something and hell no, you don’t, you know, that’s live your life. Live your life to the fullest.
