Show Notes
Corey is well known worldwide—he’s been tattooing for over 40 years, and his technique and experience are widely respected. Over the course of his long career, he has reached significant personal milestones and professional accomplishments. You might remember him from LA Ink, tattooing James Hetfield, and working closely with legendary artists like Bob Roberts, Jack Rudy, and Mark Mahoney.
What stands out as the main theme, though, is his deep connection with people—a pattern I’ve noticed both in my own journey and in the stories of other seasoned artists. Once you reach certain professional and artistic goals, you realise it all boils down to the most basic, meaningful things: friends, family, people.
Corey’s experience and progressive attitude can inspire us to keep our heads up during turbulent times, overcome obstacles, and honour the responsibility we carry as tattooers. Follow Corey on Instagram News, mentoring and shop: stefbastian.com
More from TATTOO TALES
Rachel has been tattooing for over 20 years, and she’s one of those people I really enjoy talking tattooing with. She has a lot of experience, a strong point of view, and at the same time a very relaxed, unpretentious way of looking at the craft. In this episode we talk about her beginnings in Australia, the people who influenced her along the way, running Black Throne, and the challenges of being both an artist and a business owner. What I particularly enjoyed about this conversation is Rachel’s approach to creativity and finding your own voice. We talk about how easy it is, especially today, to overthink everything — style, technique, originality, what you’re supposed to be doing — and how sometimes you need to relax, follow what genuinely interests you, and concentrate on doing good work. A really enjoyable conversation with someone who has been doing this for a long time, but still approaches tattooing with curiosity and without taking herself too seriously.
Alejandro Monea is an incredibly talented artist, a prolific painter, a great draftsman, and, on top of all that, a very sweet human and a friend. I’ve always had a lot of admiration for people who can really draw, and Alejandro is definitely one of those artists who keeps me motivated to get better simply because there’s something to look up to.
Today I sit down with Lil B to trace the global journey, artistic evolution, and mindset shift behind his achievements. From his roots doing graffiti in France and learning fine-line Chicano black-and-gray at the legendary Low Rider Tattoo, to completely reinventing his career in Japan, he shares the grit it takes to start over and establish himself as a respected practitioner of traditional Japanese tattooing and Tebori techniques. In this episode, we dive into:
As the owner of Truly Yours Tattoo in Mannheim, Germany, and organizer of the Truly Yours Tattoo Fest, Clemens is a tattoo artist respected for his bold, powerful, and creative designs. The convention he organizes quickly rose to international fame among artists and audiences alike as one of the best events of its kind.
In this open conversation at Chica Pantera, a new landmark for tattooing in Barcelona,I got to know Rafa a bit more. The creative sources he taps in for his countless projects, his progressive view on styles and shop relationship, and his deep sense of organic contribution. I’m sure you’ll leave this conversation as inspired as I did leaving the shop. Follow Rafa on Instagram Chica Pantera Pull Wave Masters