It is a Discovery Channel spinoff of the original hit “Miami Ink” on TLC and, like the original, it follows five tattoo artists as they go about their work.

The Rio Ink artists include:

Lucio Tattoo - the passionate artist and shop owner

CH2 - an artist known for his graffiti/hip-hop style

Lia - the only female artist, known for more feminine designs

Daniel - an artist skilled at transforming existing designs

Magathi - an experienced artist with years of experience

The tattoo parlor “Banzai Tattoo” is located in the heart of Ipanema. The series captures the unique energy of a beachfront Brazilian tattoo parlor. The show provides a background on the customers and their reason for getting their tattoo. One of the featured tattoos in the Rio Ink series is a tribute to the Afro-Brazilian deity Iemanja. Another patron paid tribute to his favorite soccer team by getting the symbol of the Flamengo soccer team tattooed on him.

Just as Miami Ink calls it quits, Rio Ink hits the screen. The pilot airs on October 28, 2008 on the Discovery Channel People & Arts channel in Brazil.

For more info on the latest tattoo reality TV show, Rio Ink, visit the official website here.

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 Núñez opened up down the street in Miami: Love Hate Tattoos.

After filming ended last year, Ami and Núñez declined the offer from Discovery Communications, TLC’s parent company, to film more episodes of the reality show. “We weren’t happy with the way we were treated,” said James.

Premiering in June of 2005, Miami Ink was a breakout, genre-setting series that followed the daily events of a tattoo shop in South Beach. Co-owned by James and Núñez, the shop featured tattoo artists Chris Garver, Darren Brass and apprentice Yoji Harada. Kat Von D was brought on for the first season and “left” at the end of season two, after months of fighting and a final showdown with James.

Miami Ink featured some brilliant artwork and razor-sharp talent, but the show’s ultimate success came by altering the perception of tattoos; particularly who has tattoos, who gets tattooed and why. Due to its widespread popularity (since its premiere, the show has aired in over 160 countries), the demand for more tattoo-related programming exploded.

And then came the spin-offs. Shortly after Von D left Miami Ink and moved back home to Los Angeles, she nestled in with LA Ink, and since then London Ink, Rio Ink, and Inked on A&E have all stepped up to the plate. But not all of these shows are scoring.

Where Miami Ink, and LA Ink respectively, offer an insider’s peek at folks sharing colorful, often touching stories behind their tattoo choices while exceptional artists apply their talent to their skin, shows such as Inked take the focus off of art and concentrate on the not-so-interesting lives of the artists, much like a Gen-Y soap opera.

Shot at the Hart and Huntington Tattoo Company in the glammy Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, episodes include the receptionist deciding whether or not to get bigger tits, the show’s resident artists running amok and behaving like pussy-hounds on the Strip, and one artist who breaks up with his girlfriend because she parties too much. There is little to no tattooing, and the owners often discuss trying to expand the shop into a franchise, opening another in a Miami Harley dealership. Inked provides empty commentary on tattoos as art and instead revels in tattoos as capitalism. And so it goes.

It is rumored that Ami James and Chris Núñez have other TV projects on the table, but for now they are back to what they love and kick righteous-ass at doing: creating sick designs and tattooing … with the cameras off.

Miami Ink, RIP.

The reality show craze of the past five years has sparked a movement within a movement – reality shows centered on tattooing. Our two favorite tattoo reality shows, and TV’s most popular, are TLC’s Miami Ink and the spin-off LA Ink.

While many shows on TV portray talent-less characters searching for love or money or attention, these two shows center on truly talented artists. And despite all the drama, some damn good tattoos and surprisingly poignant stories are captured on film.

Wouldn’t it be perfect if we could simply watch talented artists master their craft all day long? For us? Yes. For the mass public? No way. These shows would not be popular if it weren’t for the tears, fights, and hookups. You know, the drama – and each show has its main character, tattooer, and director of drama. Meet Miami Ink’s Ami James and LA Ink’s Kat Von D who battle it out for TV’s tattooing title.

Round 1: The Art

Both Kat Von D and Ami James are known for their intricately beautiful tattoo designs as well as their bold personalities and looks. But as in any competition, someone has to have the upper (and better) tattooing hand. Kat rocks it out every show with her stunning black and white portrait designs that look scarily similar to the photographs she models them after. On the other hand, Ami’s designs utilize bold colors to creatively complement his Asian inspired pieces.

The amazing likeness of Kat’s tattoos to the people, animals, and photos she is tattooing from would impress any artist, and therefore round one goes to Kat Von D.

Round Two: The Look

While they are both tattooed literally from head to toe, Kat and Ami each have famous tattoos that make them easily recognizable to the public. The stars on Kat’s face combined with the large rose around her neck show her strong commitment to both art and tattooing. Ami’s beautiful snake design on his stomach is the focal point of his body art and is often visible due to his distaste for shirts.

The drastic and slightly harsh look of Kat’s face tattoo doesn’t compare to Ami’s powerful snake. Round two goes to Ami James.

Round Three: The Clients

Now that the tattoo taboo is shrinking, celebrities are opening up to the public in a different way – through body art. At the Miami tattoo shop, Ami tattoos an array of models, dancers, and beautiful women in general. He has also tattooed comedian Craig Ferguson and actor Johnny Messner. After leaving Miami Ink and moving to Los Angeles, Kat’s tattoo shop has become a celebrity hot spot. She has tattooed major celebs such as Eve, Jared Leto, comedian Margaret Cho, and Bam Margera.

Kat definitely takes round three.

Round 4: The Side Projects

Ami’s signature tattoo designs translated beautifully onto the Motorola Raz’r, providing the phone with a funky new look and an appeal to younger generations. Ami’s crazy clothing line DeVille has also been very popular nationwide thanks to his love for art and focus on detail. Kat designed a makeup line for beauty store Sephora which she based on her personal tattoos and individual style. Kat’s personal style is almost as popular as her art, which has made her makeup line wildly successful.

Round four has to go to Ami for his many entrepreneurial endeavors.

Round 5: The Big Picture

Kat Von D’s understanding personality, funky style, and huge celebrity following make her a star in her own right. Her move from Miami Ink to LA Ink launched her into the public eye and made her a favorite prime-time TV character. Ami’s killer looks and smooth ways with the ladies do not come close to overshadowing the fun antics and amazing talent of Kat and her LA crew.

And the winner is: Kat Von D with LA Ink.

Check out why we think Kat Von D is one of the hottest females in Hollywood here: Top Five Hottest Female Tattoos in Hollywood.

A new age is upon us and it’s a permanent one. While cultures around the world have endorsed the use of the female body as a canvas for centuries, only in the last decade has Hollywood begun to see a very literal unveiling of both new and old ink.

Celebrity female tattoos continue to make their premier on the ankles and inner-arms of the red carpet today. But, if mainstream media culture is ready to see skin, why are so few of these tattoos actually good?

Historically an accessory for rockers and musicians, tattoos have come a long way from burly barbed-wire armbands and butterfly tramp stamps, to mile markers of life events and literal works of art. The Dixie Chicks chart gold and platinum albums with chicken footprints on their feet while Angelina Jolie commemorates the birth of her children by tattooing the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates of their birthplaces on her shoulder.

Despite an increase in tolerance for permanent body art and modification, however, it would seem that pop culture isn’t quite ready for full sleeves and back pieces to be gracing the pages of People and Us Weekly. Instead, appearing frequently on actresses and socialites, are the tiny “vacation trinket” style female tattoo designs of hearts, stars, and things with wings (butterflies, dragonflies, faeries, ladybugs) in predictable locations: the ankle, the foot, the small of the back, and the inner wrist or forearm.

Such tiny allotments of space don’t allow for much artistic license, and, while they may be easy to cover up for film shoots, the final product suffers. The media, however, doesn’t seem to mind that beautiful women have poorly placed or unseemly, albeit tiny, tattoos. In fact, fluent socialites and fashion critics seem to refer to female tattoos with a reverence akin to accomplishment or self-sufficiency. The female celebrity with a tastefully discreet or meaningful tattoo is admired for asserting her individuality and therefore personalizing and owning her own body in the midst of constant social scrutiny and media consumption.

In exposing their ink, female celebrities seem to make themselves more human, advertising themselves as more than just the movies or music they make. Still, with all the commercial tattoos taking up body space on screen, are there any truly hot tattoos? Definitely. Check out the top five hottest female tattoos in Hollywood.

One might start with the Queen of Ink herself, Kat von D, originally of Miami Ink and more recently of High Voltage Tattoo on LA Ink. Self-designed and placed, Kat’s unusual eighteen-star cluster of stars around her left eye are a permanent part of the makeup masterpiece she applies daily, and only a fraction of the very personal and professionally designed ink that covers most of her body.

Philadephia’s home-bred rapper, Eve, sports symmetrical paw prints on the tops of her cleavage, a flirtatious warning for anyone who might try to cause her trouble. Like Eve, the tattoos can be softened up or become truly intimidating depending on what she’s wearing and how she holds her body. A really great tattoo seems to meld with an individual’s personality and remain flexible to them as a person.

Alicia “P!nk” Moore is a rabid fan of the tattoo gun, memorializing benchmark moments in her life, including ink for her first single and the passing of her favorite pooch. Sexiest of all, however is the solid black serpentine dragon on her upper left thigh. Very in tune with her body and how it draws strength from her mind, P!nk’s solid block of ink is assertive and sensual all at once.

Similarly, Christina Ricci’s sexy sparrow tattoo dives across the majority of her right breast, peaking out at the neckline of only the deepest plunges. In full color and rockabilly style, the ink is not only a classically foxy surprise, but a sweet contrast to her other linework.

Ani diFranco, on the other hand, sports a delicate tribal sprawl across her breastplate. The tattoo is both elegant and fierce, accentuating diFranco’s feminine bone structure but emphasizing her toned muscles and sculpted figure.

Some tattoos are inked with intense personal meaning behind them, others not at all. What each of these truly hot female tattoos have in common, however, is a disregard for discreet, and a true connection between the tattoo and the individual, so as to create a seamless projection that reflects its owner at all times. Each tattoo is personal in ways that assert the celebrity’s strength and scrappiness while simultaneously exuding mesmerizing femininity.

Celebrities aren’t the only females that rock tattoos. Read up on: Femininity in the Tattoo Industry, and check out the best female tattoo design photos.

You’ve seen Kat Von D as the celebrity, now check out Kat Von D as the celebrity tattoo artist.

What began as a veritable playground for a handful of girls and women who would otherwise be shunned by the more conventional-minded, has essentially blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon. Live shows and DVDs represent merely a fraction of the offshoots the site has given birth to, not to mention popularizing the modern tattoo trend as we know it.

Log on to the site these days, and the shock and awe of yesteryear is no longer prominent. Piercings, jet black hair, Betty Page bangs and, of course, the site’s trademark tattoos no longer elicit the same mystique and intrigue as when the world was first introduced to SG. Why? The answer is simple. Society has normalized and wholeheartedly embraced the look that once alienated a SG from the “normal” female.

One need look no further than, well, anywhere for that matter to find what many would deem that signature SG look.

Take a gander on the site itself, or browse the SG MySpace page and the realization becomes abundantly clear. There are even girls on the site these days that haven’t a lick of body ink anywhere to be found.

That’s not to say the girls aren’t still attractive or unique in a number of ways… rather the opposite. The women on the site remain as beautiful as ever… maybe even more so today than in years past. What once made them aesthetically exceptional, however, no longer distinguishes them from the crowd. Thus, it begs the question, “Where do they go from here?”

It’s hard to say when every 18-year-old and their mother are getting chest pieces and septum piercings, but perhaps the more “normal” women, which are rapidly becoming a staple of the site, are a sign of things to come. Maybe normalcy (whatever that term denotes), in the physical sense, is going to inadvertently become the new taboo.

It makes sense from a fundamentalist perspective, as life has long been considered to be cyclical. As the adage goes, “Trends come and go;” but even the expression itself blatantly hints at the notion of pop culture making a resurgence at some point in time. Maybe now is the time for normalcy to become the new abnormal. Wrap your head around that for a few… I’m off to go get more ink.

Do you think these RankMyTattoos.com users deserve to be Suicide Girls? Check out more hot female tattoos here and vote for the hottest SG look-a-like girls now.

Check out more extreme piercing photos here and sexy tattoo photos here.

Once a mark of hell-raising artists who undoubtedly enjoyed the finger it raised to convention, e.g. Janis Joplin and Lenny Bruce, respectively, celebrity tattoos are now a seemingly mandated, integral measurement of the “it” factor, much like pocket-sized dogs and monthly trips to rehab.

More than an expression of attitude and style, entertainers today are brandishing tattoos as a vehicle to front their beliefs-similar to that of a human billboard. Actress and UN goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie has “Know your rights” tattooed below her neck, among her 13 other tattoos. Porn star Jenna Jameson has “This is what I was born to do” tattooed across her back. Sweet.

Although it is encouraging to see headlining entertainers harbor such strong beliefs in something other than Botox, a prominent tattoo can often take center stage to a celebrity’s identity, and some artists are running the risk of never again being identified without their body art. Here are five Hollywood celebrities that seem to be upstaged by their own skin art.

Amy Winehouse: According to her tattoo artist, “Amy takes her inspiration from Bettie Page, and uses her body as an extension of her music.” Albeit her body may be an extension of her music today, she will have difficulty if she ever wants to be recognized for a different style, as her body is covered in dozens of Sharpie-esq, pin-up girl tattoos.

David Beckham: Posh Spice’s better half has been in the soccer spotlight for more than 15 years. Although it did not take him long to establish a bad-boy reputation, this is the reputation that Beckham counts on for publicity, and getting more and more tattoos (now at 16) has served this purpose well. But, body space does run out. Just ask Tommy Lee.

Angelina Jolie: Angelina is the undisputed Queen of celebrity tats. Gorgeous, rock-hard, mother of six and bedding down with Brad are wonderful for the résumé, but Angie’s bodily canvas is slowly turning into a PSA-notating everything from previously stated “Know your rights” to “What nourishes me also destroys me”-candidly placed in Latin above her crotch.

Steve-O: The newly-sober performer of Jackass fame rocks a full back self-portrait with “Yeah, dude, I rock,” among other notable etchings including “I have a small wiener” and four individual symbols that decode I-love-to-bone. As a clean man now interested in pursuing theatrical art, these tats may create problems if and when a nude love scene is called for.

Diablo Cody: Diablo is everyone’s favorite-stripper-turned-Juno screenwriter. Although the stripper-girl on her arm is her only visible tattoo, her association with this image is gonna be hard to break, as this tat has been seen front and center at every award show and event since her penned, pregnant Chatty-Cathy doll became famous.

Thus, under constant surveillance, tattoos as image enhancement can too often shift into tattoos as defining characteristics to those in the public eye. And changing that image may be the role of a lifetime. Now check out: Top Five Hottest Female Tattoos in Hollywood.

We idolize their perfect hair, those rockin’ bods, and their hot arm candy, yet one dirty secret of Hollywood celebrities leaves little to be admired: tattoos gone seriously wrong.

Tattoos have officially painted their way into mainstream culture with shows such as TLC’s Miami Ink and LA Ink and A&E’s Inked which showcase the lives of tattoo artists and their often-celebrity clientèle. What team are you on? See what went down in the showdown between Miami Ink and LA Ink.

Tattoos can be a way to commemorate a personal landmark, memorialize a lost loved one, or simply a way to illustrate personal interest and style. Though one thing Hollywood has taught us never to do is get a tattoo of our lover’s name, no matter how romantic or badass we think it may look. The following ten tattoo troubles from our favorite celebs should clearly prove this point.

Just In: Our favorite radio personality (and so much more) Howard Stern just married Beth Ostrosky in early October, 2008 at Le Cirque restaurant in Manhattan. Aside from celebrity guests (Sarah Silverman, Kelly Ripe, Jimmy Kimmel) and whacky entertainment, the talk of the wedding was Stern’s new “B” tattoo on his wedding finger, in honor of his new bride Beth.

Paris Hilton: Although we’ve seen her sans panties and watched with disgusted intrigue as she picked up cow patties on a rural farm, her far biggest mistake was getting “Nick” tattooed on her famous booty (after ex-bf Nick Carter). After their very short lived romance, the tattoo mysteriously faded into oblivion (along with Nick’s career).

Nick Carter: Commemorating their strong bond (of three months), he tattooed “Paris” on his wrist, which was later covered up with a friendly skull and the saying “old habits die hard.”

Pamela Anderson: The on-and-off romance between Pam and Tommy Lee could only be adequately honored with a tattoo reading “Tommy” around Pam’s ring finger. After the divorce “Tommy” quickly became altered to read “Mommy.”

Tommy Lee: Pre-Pam, Tommy Lee was married to Heather Locklear (who has a tattoo problem of her own) and tattooed “Heather” across his chest. Enter Pam who forced him to change the tattoo, which now says “eather.” The Pam, Tommy, Heather love triangle is now dispersed, yet all three are left with the awkward remnants of their love gone wrong.

Heather Locklear: When married to Richie Sambora, she tattooed “Richie” on her hip which is now covered up with a rose. Now dating David Spade, she has a heart and the word “Finch” on her ankle, supposedly after Spade’s TV character named Finch.

Johnny Depp: Depp and Winona Ryder were once Hollywood’s favorite rebel sweethearts and to honor that, Depp tattooed “Winona Forever” on his bicep. After their breakup, Depp creatively removed the “na” so the tattoo reads “Wino Forever.”

Angelina Jolie: The whirlwind romance between Jolie and Billy Bob Thorton was commemorated not only by vials of each others blood worn on necklaces, but by Jolie’s “Billy Bob” tattoo on her arm. After their breakup and the adoption of her son, we watched the tattoo fade slowly away thanks to laser treatments and the support of boyfriend Brad Pitt.

Kathy Griffin: We thought our favorite “D-Lister” had finally found love when she and then-husband had their wedding rings tattooed on. Five years and a divorce later, the “ring” was quickly lasered off.

Alysa Milano: Milano tattooed the initials “SRW” for her husband at the time, and it is now reported that she tells people it stands for “Some Rad Woman.”

Denise Richards: Thanks to her new E! reality show, we now get full insight into Denise Richard’s bitter battle with ex-husband Charlie Sheen. It seems hard to believe that enough love ever existed between the two for Richards to tattoo “Charlie” on her ankle, which is now covered up with a dainty fairy (done by Kat Von D).

The public lives of Hollywood celebrities have taught us a lot about our own lifestyles, whether it be to always wear panties in public, never eat carbs, or get discreet plastic surgery, but the most important thing we may have learned is to think twice about sealing our bonds of love with ink.

Now check out who made the cut for the Top Five Hottest Female Tattoos in Hollywood. But, celebrities aren’t the only females with tattoos – check out more hot female tattoos here.

A&E Inked Cast Group

Finally it seems as though Dizzle has pulled himself together. But even though he successfully tattooed his friend’s foot, there’s still no way I would ever allow him to tattoo me. He just has such a weird attitude about it all….like he doesn’t really care.

Actions always speak louder than words. And he can cry his little heart out forever on how he’s really serious about being a tattoo artist and how he really wants to make it in the industry, and if they could just see what he’s all about he’d show them. But seriously - the dude seems like an idiot.

Maybe everyone should build a house once in a while…maybe that’s something that everyone should try once in their lives.

A&E Inked Cast Group

Personally it seems as though the other people in the shop are a bit jealous of her. Obviously she’s more beautiful than all the other ones there…and her art work is pretty awesome. And of course she’s going to be trying to keep in constant contact with her friends and family back home, because she just moved to a new city all on her own. She’s obviously going to be quite homesick.

She carries herself as a true artist…constantly drawing, taking the time to learn new skills.

I really hope she lasts…she has a great deal of talent. Honestly, she should be the one apprenticing at that shop instead of Dizzle!

As for Joey, on the other hand, he was worried as hell before he passed the test then he was super over-confident. It doesn’t really matter how good the dude is…if his attitude stinks then so does he.

A&E Inked Cast Group

I tried to imagine what it would be like if my parents ever met Dizzle. My mother would probably just stare him up and down and ask him a billion questions about his religious background and my father would turn to me and ask really loudly in his thick, Italian accent, “Why you want to go out with this boy? Why?”

When the girl’s parents asked him on the show if there was going to be liquor at the party she immediately started saying no, absolutely not while he sort of stumbled on his words saying, “Uhhh….not to my knowledge….” I think if I ever met Dizzle in real life he would irritate the crap out of me!

Anyway the girl was way too good for him and she probably just went out with him to get on the show. I mean what girl would actually go out with Dizzle?