After 20 years in the business, it is fair to say that Phat Joe knows a thing or two about tattoos. A predominant figure in the South Florida scene, Joe and his wife, Maytee, perfectly exemplify the dichotomy of a rock’n’roll family: artists, business owners, parents, friends, hellions—they have a hand in all of it.

Phat Joe began his foray into the industry in the late '80s, after he moved to Atlanta to attend art school and found himself apprenticing at the Electric Dragon Tattoo Studio. After a year of intensive training from some seasoned vets, he moved back to Miami to set up shop and make a name for himself. In 1993, he landed a chair in Silhouette Studios and seven years later, bought the business and renamed it Phat Joe’s Tattoo Parlour. These days, you can find Joe doing custom work at one of his two shops, taking his sweet time to live the good life and leave behind a legacy of epic tattoos.

Tell us the story of how Phat Joe got started in tattooing. When did you decide you wanted to be in the tattoo industry, where you got your training, and your first job.

After doing two semesters at the local community college, I decided it was time to leave the nest (Miami). I moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1987 to attend the Atlanta College of Art. I did a semester and a half at ACA and decided art school was not for me. I had a girlfriend at the time, so instead of running for the safety of home, I decided to stick it out and get a job. A Friend got me a job working at a packing company and I saved up the cash and got an apartment. It just so happened there was a tattoo shop up the road, The Electric Dragon Tattoo Studio, which was run by George and his wife Tammy. From the first time I walked in, I was hooked. The smell of the A&D ointment, the buzzing of tattoo machines, and all the art on the walls, I was like “Wow, this is amazing.” I walked in just to look with a friend and before I knew it, I was making plans to get a tattoo the next week.

George was a real hard ass. He was “Old School”. I know that term is way over used now a days, but he was hard core. George was half Lakota Indian (Sioux) who grew up on the reservation and did a few tours in Vietnam. He had traveled a lot and had his chest done in Singapore and had a great cat on his forearm by Miss Deborah, who at the time was married to Eric Inksmith. He had picked up tattooing here and there and was friends with Paul Rogers, Lou Sciberras (of Tattoos by Lou fame in Miami), and Eric Inksmith. After I got my first tattoo, from Tammy because George didn't tattoo the new punks that came to the shop, I started hanging around and talking art with the old guy. Eventually I started doing drawings for customers and helping out around the shop. Mind you— at the time I had a full time job at the packing plant, a part time job at a bar, and a girlfriend. I had no time for anything except work and tattoos. After about 6 months of this, even though he never came out and officially said anything, I was the apprentice.

Luckily for me, the shop was only open Wednesday through Friday from 4-10 pm and Saturday 12-10 pm, so I was able to keep my day job and the part time bar job (not so much the girlfriend). It was great for me. George would talk to me about all the old timers like Coleman, Paul Rogers, and many others. At the time I dint have a clue to who these guys where and there was no internet for me to look them up. There weren't too many books at the local library either. George lent me his Ed Hardy Tattoo Times books and I learned as much as I could from there.

I spent a year learning and then, in the fall 1989, moved back to Florida to start up a shop at the back of a local head shop. As much as I loved The Electric Dragon and George and his family, it was a small shop and there was no room for me to work. It was rough for me in my hole in the wall shop at the back of The White Rabbit (the name of the head shop). I was working alone with no one to learn from and would call George often to talk and get encouragement. I spent the next fours years stumbling alone. Back then, tattooing was not open like it is now. It was a closed community and “tattooing secrets” where closely guarded. Then in 1993 I got offered a chair at Silhouette Studios in Miami. It was a new shop, open only 6 months and they only had one artist and needed someone to help with expanding clientele. It was great working next to another artist, Vince Rodriguez, bouncing ideas off each other and going to conventions and learning new stuff. Vince and I grew a lot artistically over the next seven years before he moved on.

In 2001, I bought Silhouette from the original owner and renamed it Phat Joe's Tattoo Parlour. In August of 2007, I opened a second Phat Joe's and it's doing great. I have had the pleasure of having some exceptional apprentices, my wife included, over the years. I am proud to have had a little influence on each of them. This August makes 20 years that I have been tattooing.

How does the Miami scene differ from the rest of the country? Do you see a lot of people coming in requesting a particular style or is it mixed/eclectic?

If you go out to the touristy areas you get a lot of people wanting palm trees and stuff. Luckily today most tattoo customers are more knowledgeable and know what they want. Over the years tattooing has really grown and it’s amazing what can be put on skin today. My shop is a regular neighborhood shop. Just like most shops across the country, we get a lot of everything. Tribal, lettering, and small stuff pays the bills. My older employees and I have built up a good sized clientele and do a lot of custom work. I pretty much only do custom work now a days.

What’s your average day as a tattoo artist like?

At the moment I only work three days a week and do only custom work. After all the years I finally get to pick and choose my projects. Tattooing is fun for me now. I still learn new things and every once in a while I get to pass a few nuggets of knowledge along.

What inspires you?

Everything. I get inspiration from just about anything artistic. I love the old renaissance painters. Their knowledge of the human figure was amazing. I also love a lot of the old tattoo masters work. There are too many to list. Some of my contemporaries are very inspiring. Guys like Filip Leu, Paul Booth, Troy Lane, Danny Knight, Josh Ford, Jime' Litwalk and whole bunch of others, the list is way too long. I think once you get to the point where you think you know everything and believe you have nothing else to learn, you should hang it up. Art, especially in tattooing, is ever evolving. The thirst for more knowledge is still there for me. I hope I still have it 20 years from now.

What’s been your favorite (or one of your favorites) tattoo that you’ve done?

That’s a hard question. I don't really have one favorite. Every week I get to do something that I like more than what has come before. As far as style goes, I love black and gray work. Dark or religious imagery is at the top of the list. I am a heavy metal kid from the 80's, so I love all that stuff. Tattooing skulls never gets old, especially when a good customer comes in and says, “I don't care how you do it or how big, I just want one of your skulls on me.” That’s awesome that some one puts that trust in you and just lets you go off on them with your art.

Tell all of our PRICK readers about your smoking hot wife previously being a Hot Ink girl!

It's awesome. My wife is the best! She has been turning me on for the past 10 years. I’ve had a few people ask me, “How do you feel about knowing some guy is out there is drooling over her pictures?” I think it's great! At the end of the day she goes home with me. I’m still trying to figure out what she sees in my big, ugly mug. I guess I shouldn't ask that too much and just be glad that she does. I am just happy that after all the years of putting up with my shit she is still here to support me and be my number one fan. She is a very accomplished artist herself.

If you weren’t in the tattoo business, what else would you be doing?

Tough question. After 20 years I have no idea what I'd be doing with out tattooing in my life. Maybe a truck driver? At one point in my life, that was a career dream.

What conventions can we expect to see you at this year?

I really don't do that many shows. I will be at the Jacksonville show in November. I’m thinking about Atlanta in the summer and maybe one of the Texas shows. We'll see. I usually do them spur of the moment.

Is there anything else the readers of PRICK should know about Phat Joe?

I have two great kids. I love my work, friends, and family. I'd like to thank George and Tammy for taking me in all those years ago and sharing their skills with me. Also, all the people I have met along the way, in and out of the industry, who have influenced me in one way or another.