The ink is flowing this weekend at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis for the Villain Arts 16th annual Tattoo Festival.
There are artists from all over the world.
"Some of the best in the world here from Japan right now," says Dr. Carl Blasphemy. "We have Penny Boy downstairs and a whole bunch of people there from Italy. We have some people downstairs from France."
The question you might be asking is, why Minneapolis?
"Minneapolis holds the distinction of every year being the very first tattoo festival or convention happening anywhere in the world," Dr. Blashpemy explains.
So, you go to the convention. How do you know which artist to pick?
"You do your research and you do your homework. I mean, you wouldn't ask Picasso to paint a Rembrandt," Dr. Blasphemy says.
Indeed you wouldn't. And Marcus decided to go with Jordy from the show "Ink Master" for his first tat.
"Well, he's a professional, so smooth ride, you know," Marcus says.
The convention brings in over 1,000 artists from across the globe. Sonny Shank is from Fort Knox, Kentucky and says tattooing has changed significantly throughout the years.
"The evolution of tattoos has gone crazy with battery powered machines and the rotaries, the products, as far as inks, the pigments they were using," says Shank. "It changes every year. It's like, I referenced it to cell phones, how they come out with a new one every year. Tattooing is doing the same thing."
In addition to the ink, there are contests, sideshows, live suspension, and piercing's. The event runs the entire weekend until 8:00 p.m. Sunday.