Tattooing Is Who I Am

Tattooing isn’t just ink — it’s lineage, rebellion, discipline, and history carved into skin long before social media ever touched the culture. For JT (loyal_coil), tattooing has never been a trend or a career move — it’s identity. Born and built in Reno, JT has spent over two decades working the machine, watching tattoo culture evolve while staying rooted in the traditions that shaped it.

From growing up surrounded by American Traditional imagery to carrying forward the legacy of one of Nevada’s longest-running tattoo shops, JT represents a generation that learned tattooing through respect, mentorship, and lived experience — not algorithms. In this Q&A, we talk culture shifts, family legacy, authenticity in an increasingly commercial scene, and why understanding tattoo history might be the most important lesson for anyone thinking about picking up a machine today.

You’ve been tattooing since 2003 in Reno — what’s changed the most in the culture, and what’s something you’re proud has stayed the same?

Tattooing in Reno for 23 years now, the biggest thing that I’ve noticed change the most in tattoo culture is the new culture not caring for the HISTORY of tattooing. But what I’m proud that has stayed the same in Reno is BODY GRAPHICS TATTOO is still open and is the longest running shop in all of NEVADA today..!! Opened in 1976 started by the “Picture Machine” family the “Martynuiks” having that history in my town is something that’s always kept me tattooing in RENO..

Being both an artist and a brand ambassador, how do you balance staying authentic to your craft while working with apparel and ink companies?

The best way for me to balance my craft for my Art and being a brand ambassador is making sure the brands I’m working with are “Tattoo” or “Art” related. All the brands I work with are also a collaboration. I make and send in art for future T-shirt designs.

What was the moment you knew tattooing wasn’t just something you did — it was who you are?

I’ll never forget the moment I knew tattooing wasn’t just something I did but it was who I am, I had recently done a few months in a juvenile detention center at 16 years old. It was the first time I was away from tattooing since I was 13 and I was devastated. Tattooing was all I could think about. I was court ordered to leave the state of Nevada for a few months and had to live with my dad in Oregon.. my dad who hated tattoos and who I hadn’t seen in years drove to Reno to pick me up. The first 3 hours of the ride was silent… then he asked me. “What do you wanna be when you grow up” I said a “Tattooer” he laughed and said OK. We got to Oregon and I gave my dad is first tattoo.. I knew right there “TATTOOING IS WHO I AM”

How has working alongside family (Apprentice & Daughter) shaped your perspective on legacy and responsibility in the industry?

When I first started tattooing I heard of the “Picture Machine” family Pat & Guy Martynuik a father and son tattoo team who started the first tattoo shops in San Francisco and Reno (both shops still open today) Pat taught his son Guy and Guy taught his son Jesse. They were the ONLY tattoo family I ever heard of, and seeing the legacy they created for the future of tattooing and their family name I knew that’s Exactly what I wanted to do.. And thankfully when my daughter was 13 she asked me if I would teach her to tattoo..!! She’s now been apprenticing for 7 months and she is also friends with Dylan Martynuik the 4th generation of the Picture Machine family (Jesse’s son)

What’s one tattoo style or subject you feel most connected to right now — and why?

The biggest connection I have to any style of tattooing is “AMERICAN TRADITIONAL” when I was 5 years old I saw my first tattoos. They were on my Grandfathers feet..!! it was a pig on his right foot and a rooster on his left foot. Which are tattoos Navy Seamen would get on their feet so they don’t drown at sea.. my grandpa was in the navy in the late 40s and early 50s so he was COVERED in tattoos and I was FASCINATED with them, he always talked about this guy Jerry who did his tattoos and he was a BIG DEAL and his friend.. he passed away when I was 9 he left me this old Letter with a Acetate tattoo stencil inside, with a letter from an old friend.. that letter was from sailor Jerry sent to my grandfather..

For someone trying to break into tattooing in 2026, what hard truth do they need to hear before they pick up a machine?

HISTORY!!!

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After more than two decades behind the machine, JT (loyal_coil) isn’t chasing trends — he’s preserving something bigger than himself. From honouring the deep roots of tattoo history to passing knowledge down to the next generation, his story is a reminder that tattooing has always been about legacy, respect, and community.

In a culture moving faster than ever, JT stands as proof that authenticity still matters. The machines change, the industry evolves, but the foundation remains the same: know where tattooing came from, respect the craft, and earn your place in it. If the future of tattooing depends on artists who understand its past, then the culture is still in good hands.

Support artists who live the craft, not just wear the aesthetic — and keep tattoo history alive.