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CAP SZUMSKI IS STILL CRANKING 'EM OUT!
by John Dekkers
Photos courtesy of Cap Szumski
From the June 2004 issue of Prick Magazine.
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 Tattoos by Cap Szumski. |
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It's been nearly two years since we checked in with one of Atlanta's Big Dogs - Cap Szumski. Although word on the street
is that he's retired, for the record, Cap is still tattooing up a storm. For the last two and half decades, he's built a reputation for
quality, almost surreal black and grey work which has been an inspiration and standard that others continue to strive for. The game
has changed and evolved since his early days out on the west coast at Magic Castle Tattoo in Newhall, Calif., but, then again so has
Cap. These days he can be found tattooing large Asian-inspired color pieces.
Although he hasn't been seen much on the convention circuit lately, he continues to go to the same four or five conventions
he's been going to for the last 15 years. "I would just rather stick around home," says Cap. He still tattoos one appointment a day,
anywhere from three to eight hours, but he doesn't have to pull the long shifts anymore. "I don't have to. I have a group of excellent
artists here and that's really nice. Rarely does that happen, every once in awhile, and right now at this time, that's what's happening
in the shop. I'm watching them progress and get better. It's a pleasure to be around them and I know everybody is in good
hands with them." On Wednesdays, Cap can be found at Pain and Wonder in Athens, Ga., his second shop which has a look and
feel all its own. "Pain and Wonder is made up of a great crew also. Radar has been there from the beginning; he's been like a rock
in that place," continues Cap.
For all of us younger kids that might not know any more about Cap Szumski's early days than we can remember about last
Friday night, the story begins in Palmdale, Calif. where the young hoodlum met his destiny. A friend, as Cap recalls, "had gotten
these stupid gang tattoos in juvi and his father paid to have them covered with an eagle that looked just fantastic. It covered all
the crap. That's what spurred my first interest, aside from seeing those old military guys with their wrinkled up tattoos. I thought
it was cool then, but when my friend got his, that just drew me in. The guy who did that cover up, California Ralph, actually did
one of my first tattoos."
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At age fifteen, I made a little jail house machine. I only tortured myself with it by tattooing all these skulls on my feet that are
still there. I did that until I learned professionally. I moved to Newhall, Calif. and that's where I met JR of Magic Castle Tattoo. I had
this '60s Chevy truck and he said 'hey, give me that truck and I’ll teach ya.' So, of course, I gave him the truck. It was a great experience.
I sometimes feel I didn’t give JR enough credit for his abilities and now looking back on it, I know he was great and also a
terrific teacher because I was such an arrogant kid," Cap confesses.
Cap had already come to
know Brian Everet years before so when Brian called him one day and asked if Cap could come work with him out in New Mexico
at Route 66 Tattoo, Cap packed everything on his motorcycle and went to work with Brian for six years. "That was a great experience,"
recalls Cap. "Brian shed a whole new light on tattooing for me. He helped me become more professional.That place was
like tattoo boot camp. Brian wasn't a guy that was afraid of my success; I try to do that for the people who work with me. I want
them to have the same opportunities. I want them to get better and I want them to succeed."
Cap also met his wife of 14 years, Bethra, in Albuquerque, who is an accomplished piercer and tattoo artist in her own
right. "As president of the APP, Bethra makes sure that the piercing business is taken care of, that it doesn't get run over by a
bunch of legislation and crap. I admire her independence. I couldn't have done anything without her; she has been a rock in
my life," he adds.
From Route 66, Cap moved to Atlanta, Ga. "It just happened that way, we ended up stopping here to visit with Tony Olivas,
who I had been friends with for a while. We met cutting up at conventions," explains Cap. "I liked that Atlanta was a big city and
that people still had time to talk. I loved that and I still love that today. No matter how busy anybody is in their life, if you can stop
them, they'll talk to ya for a minute. Nobody is in that
big of a damn hurry."
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"I was concerned about opening up in the same
town as my friend, but I talked to Tony and he said it
would be good for both of us. He was so understanding.
The location was just dumb luck. I just thought, well,
either I'll succeed or I'll fail. It was really scary," Cap
recalls. Nine years later, Timeless Tattoo is still up and
running like a like a well-oiled machine in the same location
Cap found by chance. "I worked for other guys for
15 years, and thank God for that. I wanted to make sure
I had enough knowledge and skill to be able to
approach any situation that came up rather than just try
to wing it and taking a chance of screwing somebody
up," Cap continues. "I stayed pretty busy from the start
from the exposure I already had in magazines, etc."
I've talked to so many artists who have mentioned
Cap Szumski as a major influence on their art. His own
influences span a lifetime. As he says: "Everybody has
been an influence in their own right, it's hard to give
credit to all the people who have been helpful to me and also I don't want to sound like a name
dropping fool. There are just so many people that have been beneficial to my career. Damn near
everyone had something to teach me, and I still feel the same way today. The day you stop learning
is the day you ought to hang it up. That's what keeps it interesting and keeps me involved.
That's why I still enjoy tattooing. I don't ever want to lose that fire that I have. Tattoos have always
been such an important part of my life."
Although Cap is known for his black and grey portrait work - "I like the black and grey look.
There's a resonance about it" - lately, he's been "getting into bigger oriental stuff and that has
been really exciting. I started doing Asian-type tattooing in my early years, but my skill level just wasn't up to par at that point. Now after 25 years of tattooing, working with so many needle
configurations and different line variations, shade and values of color, I'm just more capable of
getting a look that I like now," says Cap. But he enjoys "doing everything, it doesn't matter," he
adds. "I don't care what it is,
really. I'm a tattooer; I never
all of a sudden became
some snob that wouldn't
tattoo. I do small tattoos
on people, little roses and
names. It's fun and it's
always important and
means something to the
person getting it."
You can get that next
big Japanese tattoo you've
been wanting or a portrait
of your loved one from the
amazing Cap Szumski, who
can be found in Athens at
Pain and Wonder on
Wednesdays and at his
home base Timeless Tattoo
in Atlanta for the rest of ya.
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Timeless Tattoo
2271 Cheshire Bridge Road
Atlanta, GA 30324
404-315-6900
www.timeless-tattoo.com
Pain and Wonder
285 W.Washington Street
Athens, GA 30601
706-208-9588
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