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PAUL ACKER
by Max Brand
Photos courtesy of Paul Acker
From the October 2006 issue of PRICK Magazine.
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Over the last year, PRICK has bumped into a young man at a few conventions who, although quiet and humble, is making a name for himself in the world of tattooing. Fans of realistic and horror tattoos are taking notice of Paul Acker, owner of Deep Six Laboratory in northeast Philadelphia. Acker has been producing stunning renditions of popular horror characters along with other realistic works. At the same time, we've seen him rack up trophies at tattoo conventions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida. With Halloween right around the corner, we are taking this perfect opportunity to pick Acker's brain a bit, and showcase his horror-ific art.
Brand: Where are you from and what was life like growing up?
Acker: I was born and raised in the Frankford section of northeast Philly. I was pretty much a normal kid with a good family, I guess. I started drawing when I was three or four years old and discovered horror movies right around the same time. Horror has always been a huge influence in my life and art, even in childhood.
What were you doing right before you got into tattooing? Where and how did you get your start?
I went to a high school for art in south Philly, and I was already getting tattoos. I knew even then that it was something I wanted to pursue as a career. After graduation, I was doing odd jobs to make money and getting tattooed at the local biker street shop (not knowing any better). I always drew my own designs, which impressed them, and they offered me an apprenticeship. In reality, it was more like they handed me some machines, and I was tattooing full time in about two weeks. I've worked at a few other shops for a while, and then I opened Deep Six Laboratory in March of this year. I've been tattooing now for about 5 years.
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Did you want to try realistic designs from the start, or was that something you evolved into?
The first tattoo I did was a portrait of the crimson ghost from the Misfits, and the second tattoo I did was a portrait of Doug Bradley as Pinhead. So, I guess I knew from the beginning what direction I wanted to go.
How do you choose the content that you tattoo, and how much input does the client have?
I usually leave the subject matter up to the client. I never try and push the horror stuff onto someone who doesn't really want it. I'm pretty lucky though, and I get some really hardcore horror fans, like myself, who want some original and cool shit. It seems like nowadays there are so many people doing realism and horror stuff just because it's the cool thing to do, and not because they're truly into it. Also it's hard to make your piece stand out, which is why I like to approach each portrait more like a painting. I give the client my artistic interpretation of the subject, not an exact copy. Having a unique style and applying it to everything you do is what's going to separate you from the rest of the crowd, not just how well you can exactly reproduce a picture.
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After doing all those scary tattoos, aren't you afraid of the dark?
Nah, I probably couldn't sleep unless there were sounds of chainsaws and blood curdling screams coming from my TV, or my own house!
What do the tattoos that you wear mean to you, and how do you choose what to get, and who to get it from?
I like to get tattooed by anyone who I think has an original style and I usually just leave the subject matter up to them. I think all tattoo artists should get tattooed to learn new tricks of the trade and techniques in order to better themselves. Of course, you apply what you learn to your style and not just totally plagiarize it.
What do you like or dislike about Philadelphia, and what do you think of your local tattoo scene?
Philadelphia has a lot of tattoo history with a lot of really talented tattoo artists in the downtown area. Northeast Philly isn't so lucky, which is why I decided to open my shop in the northeast. I wanted to bring a new element of art to the area that I, and everyone at my shop (Mike Hill, PAST, and Eddie KES) grew up in. This is also why my shop includes a full art gallery not seen in a lot of shops in Philly. I just wanted to bring the standard level of tattooing up for northeast Philly, and try to get people away from the shitty biker style.
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What do you try to accomplish at conventions, and what do you think about the quality of art being shown these days?
I love going to conventions to get inspired by all the great artists that are out there. I'm also able to get my art out to the people who attend these shows and truly love tattoos. This being my first year of really hitting the convention scene I wanted to make sure my tattoos got noticed.
Thanks for letting us into the mind of Paul Ackers. I'm sure we've only scratched the surface. Is there anything else you want the world to know?
Well, you learn a lot about politics when you try and open a tattoo shop in Philadelphia. Not only do you learn how fucked up the system is, but even certain politicians. You also learn that anything is possible if you don't give up.
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Deep Six Laboratory
2483 Grant Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19114
(215) 332-4803
For more information, go to www.fixedarmy.com.
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