Bring on the 2009 circuses of INK! Whether you are hoping to see, be seen, or rub inked elbows with the most coveted professionals in the tattoo industry, we’ve picked the top 10 tattoo conventions of 2009 to keep you covered all year long.

Singapore Tattoo Show: January 9-11, 2009
Location: Singapore Expo Exhibition
Contact Information: admin@tattoo.com.sg
Website: www.tattoo.com.sg

The first annual Singapore Tattoo Show will gather famed tattoo artists from around the world, including show ambassador Chris Garver of “Miami Ink.” …

Oh, what some crazy cats will do for money.

This is Kari Smith, a mother from Bountiful, Utah, who decided that the most industrious and auspicious way to come up with ten grand for her young son’s education was to sell her forehead as advertising space to the highest bidder on eBay (it’s probably best that she stopped procreating after one child).

Smith’s auction attracted more than …

An employee who is heavily tattooed. Images likely to surface are that of a bouncer, mechanic, Carny, or a Mcdrop-out. Thanks to white-collar professionals who have white-hot bravado coupled with artistic balls, stereotypes surrounding tattoos in today’s workforce are not only being challenged, they are being altered.

A hat goes off to these 20 tattooed professionals who are making big figures, and a difference, in today’s corporate world:

Dave Kimelberg: Dave works as both a photographer and corporate lawyer in Boston. …

Tattoos are permanent, television shows are not. After three years of production, saturated toilet seats, infamous “Kat” fights, and a shitload of tattoos, Miami Ink is hanging it up.

Its fourth and final season is now airing on TLC, but the tattoo artists, and the shop itself, have already moved on. The famous studio has been converted into a gift shop, and customers still looking to get inked are directed to a new studio MI alumni Ami James and Chris …

Howard Stern and longtime girlfriend Beth Ostrosky were married in NYC on October 3, 2008. Ostrosky received a wedding band by A-list bling designer Suzanne Wilson, while Stern had the initial “B” (for Beth) tattooed on his ring finger.

There is a long line of celebrity tattooed wedded-ringers preceding Stern’s move: Tony Parker, married to Eva Longoria in July, had their wedding date (in roman numerals) tattooed …

Getting inked for the sake of your religious beliefs is a large cross to bear, if you will.

It is a commitment that subjects the tattooee to more judgment and possible controversy than any other tattoo choice. Wearing your religion on your skin takes resounding faith, unshakeable conviction, and yes, balls. But it is refreshing and in fact admirable in these days of the prolific slut-stamp and lifeless tribal sleeve to see folks stepping out of the ink herd and …

Not long ago, when tattoos had yet to sprout like crabgrass on the bodies of our friends and loved ones, publicized photographs of tattoos and tattooed folks were scant at best.

Tattoo magazines were few, the Internet was still learning to walk, and tattoo photos that did surface were typically flat and featured poorly inked, head-banging youth or old-school aficionados whose once discernible, pectoral sailor maiden had since turned into a smudgey, re-entry club stamp.

But times have changed. Sure, there are …

Designer John Galliano unveiled tattooed stockings for his spring 2004 collection for Christian Dior.

Lucien Pellat-Finet offers cashmere sweaters and diamond watches brandishing tattoo skulls in NYC for $1,200-$3,500.

The exploitation of a counter-culture, when its monetary value is discovered, is painfully inevitable - but, the sole blame is not always on the hoitey-toiteys. Legendary tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy said of designer Christian Audigier, “This guy is at ground zero of everything that’s wrong with contemporary civilization. However, if he …

For centuries, the tattoo industry has been dominated by men - for both the pitcher and the catcher, if you will. Body art has certainly undergone a modern renaissance, and some of the best tattoo artists in the world are now women. And many a tattoo collector attest that there is nothing sexier than having an incredible female artist penetrate your skin with her ink stick.

The following 25 women, in no particular order, are some of the most …

Celebrities may often be indifferent with whom they bed down, but who pokes their naked skin with a tattoo needle is a different story.

Famous (and infamous) tattoo artists around the world are personally sought out by celebs who want to get inked by them exclusively. While celebrity tattoo designs differ, the artists remain the same. Their artistry is undeniably airtight, their technique is bulletproof, but their status within the tattoo industry can also serve to boost/alter a celeb’s …