It’s almost impossible to post work coming out the Swastika Freakshop without some readers getting up in arms about their use of swastika iconography, an argument that typically devolves into one side claiming that the symbol is offensive and should be abolished, with the other naming historical precedents of the swastika being used as a sign of peace, and that this current usage is indeed a means of reclaiming a valuable piece of history from the tyranny of the Nazis.
Truthfully, both sides have valid points. To some, regardless of the swastika’s pre-WWII history, it has been forever tarnished by its abuse at the hands of the Nazis, and it may be unrealistic to expect people to study and accept an image that, to them, has only ever symbolized a very particular and ugly moment in human history. At the same time, reclamation of the swastika is a valid and noble project, and one that, should it be successful, would have only positive results. Sometimes, though, it seems that some on the reclamation side are maybe not as patient as they should be with those people who oppose the swastika’s use, which is understandable to an extent; when one spends so much time working toward a specific goal, to have one’s work disparaged just by dint of its existence can be extremely demoralizing. But patience, in this instance, may be the difference between educating someone and turning them off for good.
We’re not going to reach any verdicts here today, but if there’s one thing we can all agree on, I think it’s that Marc’s Super Mario-themed tattoo on Rauschkind fucking rules. Two more shots, after the jump.
BME/News and Modblog highlight only a small fraction of what
I’m gonna be abroad in England next semester and I’m really hoping to get some work done there!!
The tattooing (very temporary) of the toenails was a nice touch.
i am a gamer , i have a collection of game tattoo’s butt i dont like this how its done. like the idea not the outcome
this is way cool. and i wish toenail tats were permanent 🙂
It took a bit of staring for me to figure out that was mario. I don’t like it though, it just looks sort of messy and bloby.
I don’t care what anyone else thinks.
It’s interesting!! It reminds me of Mario getting the flower, and being FireMario.
(Or crazy burned at the beach on his day off-Mario!)
🙂
already seen on a German homepage.
I think it looks like a child has taken a pen and painted something on her legs.
Nice work, but a litte bit to trashy (nothing against he quality of the tatooist) for me.
Nothing but awesome comin out of swastika freakshop. The marios a little rugged but i LOVE the rest!
I love it!!
i enjoy the fact that its rugged looking, not every tattoo has to be crisp and realistic
once again, amazing work from marc
So…is it just me, or does it seem like the POINT of the whole thing was for you to have to really look to see that it’s mario?
It’s pretty fucking awesome if you ask me. The bitey flower thing (not a gamer, sorry) on the other foot reminds me of the etching process in print making and as I just finished up with my own etching prints I really do love the style.
I saw Mario right away! Hahaha. I really like it though the sketchy piranha plant would be better in the same style? Sock tattoos… haha, nice.
I fucking love this.
the sketchiness of it and the black and red are gorgeous in my mind.
The plant looks awesome. other then that i don’t like it much, which is a shame because everything i’ve seen from Swastika freakshop is AMAZING. I think it’s the toe nails. they look really gross 🙁 and it’s just completely turning me off.
i saw this in the geek tattoos and was like OMFG!! stunning, and i dont even like super mario
Interesting how,after all Jordan said about reclamation of the swastika,etc,etc, all the comments thus far are about the tattoo!lol.Just an observation and all.
Anyway, I quite like it.And I love the pirahna plant!
I love this.
Re: swastikas, I’m all for the reclamation of the symbol — probably will never get any myself, but I’m not gonna complain if other people do. One hell of a conversation starter, I’m sure.
The freakshop is my guilty pleasure.
I will be giving a very large canvas to your art at some point.
unfortunately, wwII was only some 63 years ago..so i don’t think someone walking around with a big bold swastika on their t-shirt will fly any time soon. && to top that up, there are still very active hate-groups using the symbol for evil.
at first i thought it was supposed to be a ground up meat mario ;] i like the black work
Looks like pen and sharpie.
I am loving that sketchy style! I had to look a bit harder to see mario, but that piranha plant is amaaazing!
He’s So Good!
i just wish to have something from him some day…
Viva la Swastika
didnt get it was mario at first, ive only been up for 10 min. still kinda sleepy. But the Piranha Plant is fucking awesome. I really like the sketch look to it. I wish i had some work like that done on my legs.
p.s. feet tattoos sucks. my left foot its pretty much socked out, and i dont want to do the right one anytime soon.
permanent mario socks. love the style.
as far as the whole “swastika” debate, can we just agree that no matter what, it’s going to be really hard to reverse any cultural bias that has been put in place by the unfortunate use of the symbol in the past, no matter how old the symbol itself, or its meaning, is.
Personally, I know the meanings behind the original useage of the swastika but I still don’t feel that it should be reclaimed as it once was. I feel that the swastika is the single most powerful image in making people remember the horrific times of the holocaust and without that people will start to forget. Those who survived that time are few in number and will all be dead soon and it will make it even easier for people to forget. And once people forget, it can and will happen again.
thank you, bobbie. my thoughts exactly. people forget things far too quickly as it is.
IMO:
Death to nazis.
When they are all destroyed, then the Swastika can be free and positive again.
IMO:
if these freakshop people really want to reclaim the swastika they should spend their time fighting the resurgence in neo-nazis, etc. in Europe, instead of being trendy and fashionable.
untill then, i am lead to believe that they are giving support to neo-nazis and fascists everywhere.
these feet show off two of the best tattoos I have ever seen. YEAH!