THE HISTORY OF ROYBOY BOOK
These Biker Magazines had features on tattoos. Many Bikers were Tattoo artists and would get interviewed. By early 1986, The Biker Magazines ran features on tattoos from Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and other events each issue. Biker Lifestyle Magazine ran a feature issue on Tattoos called Tattoo Revue Magazine. This became one of the first of many Tattoo Magazines.
Roy Boy & Debra Cooper were part of all this. I was part of this because Roy Boy and Debra tattooed me and the photos ran in the Tattoo Magazines.
I was 16 years old. Tattooed myself with india ink at age 14. Got it covered at 16 at The Tattoo Factory in Chicago. Very little information about tattoos. If you wanted to see tattoo photos, you had to get Heavy metal music magazines. I heard about Roy Boy & Debra Cooper from Outlaw Biker Magazine Tattoo special #1. Huck Spaulding, Shotsie Gorman, and Sailor Moses, were interviewed. Sailor Moses did my Bodysuit. Shotsie, my thigh. Roy Boy & Debra redid my cover up tattoo, and did my early large tattoos. They showed me the direction in life I had to go. No Boundaires.
At age 16 to be in Outlaw Biker Magazine was the absolute coolest thing to happen. Then I was in The 2nd issue of Tattoo Magazine. Then in all the early magazines. It never stopped for me. Since back then in early 1986, I have been in the Media regularly. Everybody remembers me when I was a kid with this giant rib tattoo of a skeleton ripping out of my side. Then my calf tattoo Then my shin tattoos all done by Roy Boy & Debra. Back then, Roy Boy would do the outline and shading, while Debra did the coloring on some of the larger tattoos. They were very fast.
For my 1st tattoo, my Grandparents came down to give permission to tattoo me. Debra showed them the tigers and animals. Gave them a tour of this crazy world. They loved it! They never stopped me from going back. Never questioned it. Roy Boy and Debra changed their mind about tattoos being bad. Going there changed me. My family had just died unexpectedly. I was in a bad way with no direction before stepping into The Badlands of Gary, Indiana. Then I was in the early Tattoo Videos they made. Meeting all kinds of artistic people.
The World I stepped into in thee Early Days of tattooing and body modification was much different than today. It was secretive, hidden. No internet. No cell phones. Real film for photos. None of this electronic media. We wrote letters by hand. I was the 1st person in Tucson Arizona to have their tongue pierced. When I graduated High School, Roy Boy pierced my nipple. Only Bodysuits had their nipple pierced back then. We had to have a jeweler make the ring.
This book is a must for anyone into Tattooing and Tattoo History. It tells Roy Boy & Debra’s Story. The story of the early Tattoo Media that has evolved into today’s reality.
The website to order the book is: www.royboybook.com.
The book is available st many Chicago bookstores, and Book and DVD’s of all Roy Boy & Debra’s Movies at
Still Crazy Tattoos and Body Piercings
3844 Broadway
Gary, Indiana 46408
