Spike's Tattoos Are Out of This World

Spike stopped and talked to me several weeks ago outside of Madison Square Garden.

His right forearm bore many different stars and his upper arm displayed the solar system.

I didn't get all the details that I wanted to, as there was a lot of information to process, but I filled in the blanks as best as I could to get a very loose interpretation of his star art.

This theme, in particular, was the most fascinating aspect of his tattoos, because his cluster of stars are all uniquely designed by different people, from children to friends.

This one was drawn by a five-year old:


Spike said he and the child's parents were fascinated by the inner design, and only later discovered he had been trying to replicate the NY logo of the New York Yankees.

I labeled each star in my notebook, but didn't get much elaboration.

Here's a star comprised of Star Trek logos:


And an atomic representation of a star:


I'm not sure about this one:


The Madonna star?

This star with sparks shooting out of its points was also drawn by a child, an eight-year old:


And this complicated one incorporated many symbols, including an ankh, a cross, and the circle revolving around the star is a peace symbol:


Spike did not identify the six-pointed star as a star of David, but as the symbol of Solomon:


And another:
And another:
I believe there were eight in all, and Spike acknowledged he would most likely add more if the right design came along at the right moment.

Here's part of the Solar System:


The Sun occupies the elbow and the planets revolve upward. Saturn can be seen near the shoulder. Here's a closer view of the Earth and her satellite, our Moon:


The two different sections of Spike's arm are unified under the celestial theme.

On his other arm, on the bicep, the theme becomes more fantastic:


What appears to be a space ship racing away from an exploding planet is precisely that.

The tattoo represents Superman as a child fleeing the exploding planet of Krypton.


Much of Spike's work was tattooed at Avalon II in the North Park section of San Diego.

Thanks to Spike for sharing his intergalactic tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Matthew's Celestial Neck Tattoo

To be completely honest, it was Matthew's arm tattoo that I noticed first - the black and grey lotus flower with the word "HAUNTED" inked below it.

But, as Fate would have it, Matthew's most meaningful tattoo is the piece on his neck, and there is a compelling story behind it, so that is what we have above.

The tattoo was inked in Florida, at a now-defunct shop called Body Language. It is comprised of two elements, the name "Celestia" designed in Matthew's own handwriting. The other piece is the planet, which looks a lot like Saturn. This part of the tattoo was based on a sticker he had found, and the tattooist gave it a water-color look, which is why it appears slightly drained.

The story behind the tattoo is even more fascinating. Matthew has a belief system, in which he not only thinks aliens exist, but that they live among us.

Matthew is also a huge supporter of the actress Ann Heche. Ann wrote a compelling biography several years back entitled Call Me Crazy: A Memoir, in which she publicly discussed her childhood, and the abuse she suffered.

Heche relates how she survived the trauma of her childhood by developing, or obtaining, depending on one's perspective, a split personality.

Her other self was named "Celestia" and this "alien self" helped her survive the destructive forces in her life.

Matthew admires Heche for her being an example of a woman who "could overcome abuse and live a normal lifestyle".

He, too, has suffered from abuse and trauma in his life, and he relates to Heche's belief system, and feels that he has survived by the grace of that part of him that's from another world.

This is a theme about which he feels very strongly and it manifested itself in this tattoo, which he carries with him and displays in a very visible location. It's not somewhere he can hide it, so he has it a constant reminder of his belief and his reason for survival.

Thanks to Matthew for sharing this very personal tattoo with us here at Tattoosday!