Marshall's tattoos

Eminem has completed his tattoos, as you can see it on his recent picture from XXL magazine.

Eminem's life story can be read on his skin. He has ten tattoos :

- an Eminem tattoo on his right upper arm that represents his stage name. On his right shoulder Eminem has a Hailie tattoo that is his most recent tattoo. There is a picture of Hailie smiling and « Bonnie and Clyde » is written beneath. It reminds us of the great complicity between father and daughter. The roses are, of course, a symbol of his everlasting love for Hailie.
- on his right arm, you can read Hailie's name vertically. Eminem got this tattoo to honor his daughter when she was born, in 1995. You can see this tattoo very clearly on the book cover of Martin Huxley's book (Eminem : « Crossing The Line », St Martin's Press)
- on his left arm, there is a Slim Shady tattoo that is surrounded by the Ronnie R.I.P tattoo. The « Ronnie RIP tattoo » has been made, of course, as a tribute to his deceased uncle. This tattoo is very artistic : it is related to the ghetto life in Detroit. You can see a huge mushroom along with buildings and the eye of a whore.
- the « D » on his right forearm stands for Marshall's hometown, Detroit and also for the D12 group, representing « Dirty »
- the 12 on his left forearm represents « Dozen ». If you put both forearms together, in addition you have « D12 ».
- the gothic bracelet on his left wrist has no particular meaning, because Eminem forgot about the original meaning of the bracelet.
- On his right wrist, you can read « Slit Me » (maybe a reference to his suicidal tendencies from the past.)
- « RIP Kim » is located on Marshall's stomach : the « Rot In Pieces » tatoo is dedicated to Kim. It pictures all the troubles Marshall went through because of Kim, including their arguments. At this time, Marshall had broken up with Kim and he didn't intend to get back to her. « Rot in Pieces » also represents a grave with Kim's name. It had something definitive in the meaning, but it is also the expression of a great pain Eminem was unable to swallow.

So if you want to understand the man and his life story, read his tattoos first !

Mr Cartoon

His work is real artistry. Cypress Hill made him famous, Eminem put this man to the top. His business is blooming. Mr Cartoon lives down in the East of L.A. He elaborates the most beautiful pictures that he loves to improve for many artists in the music industry.
Mark Machado aka Mr Cartoon is a perfectionist.
The tattoos he creates are masterpieces of work. You only need to have a look at Eminem's tattoos to know it is actually true. The way he pictured Hailie's face on Marshall's right arm is admirable.

By exploring Mr Cartoon's website, you will be amazed by the numerous artists he has already tattoed. Among them: Eminem, B Real, Nas, Obie Trice, Bizarre, Eminem's « Stan », Pharell Williams, the notorious Dr Dre, Xzibit…

More facts about the talented Mr Cartoon

He was born in LA. Mark Machado has Mexican roots. His parents were Mexican-American. Mr Cartoon had a great interest in drawing since he was 5 years old.
Mr Cartoon's great passion for graffiti, airbrush on low riders has rapidly revealed his talent.
Mr Cartoon has always been attached to hip hop culture and he started specializing in tattoo art and magazine covers. Famous magazines such as Vibe, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and many more have featured Mr Cartoon.
Mr Cartoon has also done album covers for groups such as Cypress Hill and D12.

Why is his tattooing technique so special? Where does it come from?

Mr Cartoon's original technique comes from California prison. The prisoners had no access to colored inks, so they used watered down black inks to create shadows and depths. This particular technique is called « fine line tattooing ».
Mr Cartoon's work is precise. NPR reporter Michelle Norris describes the originality of his work:

« What sets (Mister Cartoon's) tattoos apart is the intricacy. Details so stunning they almost look like photographs – textures so finely drawn they almost appear to be three-dimensional.”

People who had a look at some of the most famous hip hop personalities tattooed bodies know that Mrs Norris' statement is perfectly true.

How much does it cost?

A tattoo from Mr Cartoon will cost you from $ 300 to $ 20.000.

What is the meaning of the old English letters many artists use?

Gothic letters have to do with authority and credibility. As Mr Cartoon points it out in an interview, newspaper titles are written in old English. So are birth and death certificates.

The first time Eminem entered into Mr Cartoon's shop

Funny fact: Marshall entered and told Mr Cartoon: « I wanna tattoo.. »
Mr Cartoon was surprised and asked him: « What do you wanna tattoo? »
Marshall replied: « I don't know… »
Then Mr Cartoon suggested Marshall to remember some events of his past, to consider what would never change in his life and Marshall came up with lots of elements that are now pictured on his body: mushrooms, life in the ghetto, girls in the city, his nickname etc…

Eminem is very proud of Mr Cartoon's work:

« He wears them like a badge of honor, showing them off with muscle shirts and flashing them on magazine covers. » (Michelle Norris)

Mr Cartoon about tattoos

« It glamouroses the way we look at life »

Tattoos- particularly Mr Cartoon's tattoos- are artistic and beautiful most of the time. Those beautiful drawings make us enter in a world of fantasy.
Tattoos which have a particular meaning make us feel unique in this world.
They also have the power to make us feel stronger.

You might not like them, but Mr Cartoon's art is worth checking out. You will learn more about him and his tattoos on his personal website:

www.mistercartoon.com/home.html