Milo "Mr Lucky" Marcer

I was once told, "If you want loyalty, get a dog" I have a dog, and there are but a few who measure up, and that is the shame of it all. As a species we don't measure by even a dogs standards, it seems we have become so self absorbed and self promotionally greedy that it matter not who, or what we trample to get our own way or get slightly ahead of the next. It's no wonder we find ourselves in perpetual conflict, as people, races, religions and regions. I watch my tv and I see ads where children tell adults to stop worrying about them and worry more about their children having a future, and it's obscene on so many levels I feel my head exploding, and if I need to explain why that's obscene on so many levels then we are truly lost. I guess I'm melancholy because of yesterdays news that Robin Williams took his own life. I suffer depression as do many people, and if a man like Robin Williams, with all the wealth at his disposal can't get help, then what ...

I feel depressed today, infact the malaise has followed me most of the week like a turd stuck to the bottom of my shoe, no matter how hard you get rid of it, you can always smell it there. Today we bury Nelson Mandela, I don't call him Tata, or any other term of endearment, I never met him, or had selfies done with him, or even got close to him, but if you live in South Africa, you sure have felt his presence. It's sad cause I don't mourn the man, as I know that as one, he had he's shortcoming as we all do, but the passing of a way of thinking and behaving, the passing of menchkite. I feel that people can be judged by the way they treat those unable to protect themselves, and if anyone stood for those most in need, he did, but that's not why I'm depressed, I'm depressed that after such a great example, we have learnt sweet fuck all. When last did you reach out to someone or something in need, done something selfless? When last did you not put yourself, or...

It’s been a while since my last post, but I’m not going to bore you with bullshit post every second day. I have been meaning to get some stuff out, but have refrained, but some stuff just has to come out. Firstly, I have plugged a restaurant called “Orinoco” in Bree street, great value and authentic South American food, I’m afraid to say, no longer, I took Nicci for dinner and two ridiculous portions of poorly cooked food, cost over R480-00, I’m sorry, but that’s just retarded, and had the food been of an epic standard, it would not have pissed me off so much, but this is just fucked up. I complained to the owner, and the best she could do was shrug her shoulders, well that’s blown it for me, they certainly will not see me there again, and I would suggest you stay away too. It is just amazing how the odd little magazine article and a little plug here and there can give people such an attitude, Bob said it best, “Be good to the people you meet on the way up, cause you’re b...

As a tattooer, I find that our industry has become exactly that, Industry, and that the craft and it's roots and traditions is falling by the way side. As more artists market themselves well and reality shows aggrandise many, I feel that where we come from, and who we are? is easily forgotten. I was tattooing a paratrooper, here we call them "Parabats" and what I was tattooing to his chest was the "Bats" insignia, something they in their day were not allowed to do, something not new in many armed services. As I'm sitting tattooing, the fact that I'm carrying on a very long tradition in tattooing, and Sailor Jerry Collins came to mind. Tattooing in Hawaii through the 2nd World War, Sailor Jerry and those men and women in uniform that frequented his studio before leaving for the Pacific Sector, created such iconic images. Though unaware at the time, this is a body of work that has become such a large part of the strong tradition in western tattooing. I fe...

I'm not playing it safe any more. I'm gonna take it right to the edge. And do pirouettes. - What are you talking about? Pirouettes, you dumb fuck. And if I fall, well, so be it. You know. Who gives a shit? "Oliver Platt in Funny Bones" and so I have, pirouettes baby, I woke from a dream, and I was shaved clean, my face that is, and there were tattoos creeping up onto my face from my neck. This is the first dream I remember in I don't know when, I never remember anything while awake let alone while asleep, a little gift left from too many hard knocks against my head. So after 25 years in this industry I got completely immersed, I have had visible tattoos for quite some time now, but my face, well I always thought I would never go that far, and you know, I just felt it was time, and the dream, though it had no real direction, had an impact. The problem was I just couldn't remember what the shapes were that crept up on my face... and while doing some...

It's the 30th, I have worked my ass off this December, and I'm really super grateful to all my awesome clients, no friends, because if you spend as much time with them as I do they do they become friends. This year however has caught up with me, I feel like I have kinda been through the ringer and though I live in the moment, I am looking forward to the new year. I do have to say that I'm a little annoyed at the insensitive twats out there, that feel like they have some kind of ownership of my time because they want a booking when they want it. I would never turn anyone away who wanted a piece from me, I am still old fashioned enough to be honoured by the patronage I receive, and don't play the "tattoo rock star discovery channel" wannabe, I was at this before them and will be at it long after they are no longer the flavor of the month. So for the one or two I have disappointed, I'm truly sorry, and hope that you can forgive me, I will however say "C...

So I got back Monday evening from Johannesburg, knowing that Tuesday morning I had a doctors appointment to have my blood pressure checked out... as I get older these things, well you gotta keep an eye on them. So at 09H15, I'm on my Vespa, and into town, off to Chris Barnard hospital to see Dr Ramjee... mmmm I get there and believe me my Dr is a good guy, he listens and gets what I deal with, and my health, so I go to him here and that's it, even if it's out of the way. Tuesday however, he caught me by surprise, he checked my blood pressure, and all's good, then he said we need to chat, "how are you doing?", "how are you feeling?" "when last have you had an EKG stress test? and when last did you have your prostate checked?" to which I replied, well its been a few years, surely we can just do a blood test for the prostate and a quick EKG while I'm here.... "No Mr Marcer, you need a prostate exam, and as you said while you are here,...

I just spent 6 days working in Johannesburg, and had a blast, besides the odd niggle, and the pollution, a lot hasn't changed since I left 5 years ago. I arrived Tuesday, and after popping into Randburg Motorcycles, an experience that has left a bitter taste in my mouth, Rob and I went to his place and set up the studio, awesome place, in a beautiful garden, everything set up right, perfect and in the evening I did a cover/clean up of a piece. Wednesday saw us make a quick tour of some of the studios in the northern suburbs, and found one has moved into my old premises in Greenside.... rather funny, popped in to see Thys, and Jen at Fallen Hero's before Sek's arrival and we then started his forearm Then at 6 Pippa arrived for her session, but we stopped for a bite, the Veda and Deon arrived and My brother Sandy and his Girl and there daughter, so the house got crazy. My hostess Michelle whipped up a dinner for the ever increasing masses, and buy 9 I had to grab Pippa...

1  a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to  happen ,  without proof :  they made certain assumptions  about   the  market  |  [ with  clause  ]  :  we ' re working   on   the   assumption   that  the time of death was after  midnight . I was amused at assumptions made by what I had posted, and it came to mind that people making assumptions say a hell of a lot more about themselves and there characters and motives. Assumptions are made without fact, or proof, so already this sets the scene for disaster,  assumptions are just mere mental conjectures that do not thrive on reason ability and are therefor, questionable. An extreme and overt reaction, made by some one on an assumption, says something very clear about them, the reaction is that the issue pertains to them in some way, (the assumption) but if it didn't then that extreme reaction only underscores the guild or involvem...

I had a long blog written about someone I once cared about, but I just realized, I don't care... how fucking awesome is that.......haahahahahaa So onto more fun shit, I am going up to Johannesburg for a week to work, and I; looking forward to seeing old friends and of course how much the city has changed. Just got Adsl, it's awesome uncapped means I am loving all the info I can get my grubby little paws on. Found the new Edie Brickel, and I'm loving that.

After what seemed like a heat wave, which in all honesty is just summer, and after all the moaning I did about it, this morning I was greeted by my good friend the Mouille Point Lighthouse fog horn, the marine layer had come in and with it the wonderful moist drop in temperature. Those that know, know that the sound is my lullaby, and getting out of bed when all I wanted was to lie in and sleep to the cool moist breeze and the comforting sound of the foghorn. There was enough sleeping in and procrastinating so with all that it was just time to get my ass out of bed and get moving and face the day, then I got a message on my phone, it was a notification, that Maybelline is sold, the transfer has taken place and as soon as the funds are cleared into my account, she will be transported to her new owner. Bitter sweet, as it feels like a huge loss of a beautiful friend, but I do believe life is about movement. As she moves on the next project will begin and a rebirth of another vehicle...

So January has begun with a bang, and the workflow is good and I am most grateful to all my awesome clients. This month brings up two big things on both end of the spectrum for me, First is the annual SIX tattoo convention held here in Cape Town and I will be exhibiting of course, but the really awesome thing is I have great friends who are coming from upcountry and it always is a complete blast. So if you are in and around don't forget to come and visit at the BMW Pavilion the dates are 27th, 28th and 29th. The other is the second anniversary of the passing of my beloved Hymne, not a single day goes by still without thinking about her, so a very bitter sweet month. But I’m not going to leave you on that note, this is the year that is going to the end of the world, according to the Mayans. The Mayan calendar is divided into Seven Ages of Man. The fourth epoch ended in August 1987. The Mayan calendar comes to an end on Sunday, December 23, 2012. So having said that wha...

I just completed this tattoo yesterday on my great friend Tracey, I love tattooing her, she gets really interesting and challenging work and it looks awesome on her. So to Tracey and all those awesome clients of mine, thank you! Here are one or two more pieces I thought I would share

My wonderful friend Tracey came by to do the second session on the “Little Miss Chievious Thruxton” yesterday and it’s beginning to look amazing did 80% of the Thruxton, and in the next session we should complete it, I love what’s it’s looking like and here is a sneak peak. Now as I promised an update on the DATING site… what a pile of shit, really besides being a complete scam and needing to pay, which made me feel a little dirty, it just doesn’t work for me. Really, to be making a call on whom you would like to date, by purely looking at some photo, just seems shallow and wrong, and as some may judge me as shallow, I’ll stick with wrong. For me a woman I would like to see is more, it’s about style, grace, carriage, character, humor, taste and the things that just are not perfect, the quirky things, not some random photo, with a cheesy grin. Then there is the opportunity for complete disaster, what if she’s a stalker, a bunny boiler, a smother mother, an instant wife...

On Sunday I was visited by my long lost cousin and his partner, it must be about 16 years since I saw him, he had moved to Holland and due to typical Italian family bullshit some how we didn’t have much contact. After all that time it was fantastic to see him and see the man he has grown into, from that little guy we used to tease when they visited. He was very close to my Mum, and it was great talking about those days, and huge family lunches, with all my uncles and my Grandparents. The was sometimes 15 to 18 people at the dining room table and the conversation like the food, just kept on till late into the afternoon. Through rose tinted glasses, those were the best of days. He surprised me by asking me to tattoo him, something I never really thought he would get, I know my Uncle well, and so it did come as quiet a surprise but I never baulk at an opportunity to tattoo family, and piss the others off….lol I took enough condescending attitudes from some of my family, to really enjo...

We spent a long night tattooing this new piece for Robs other sleeve, it started out as a mermaid, but they have been done a lot, and i wanted to do something a little different, and it was that I came up with the Mermaid, Geisha, Shiva cross, with an emphasis on a very destructive mans ruin, and if that needs explaining, you will never get it. We started at at 16H30 and finished up at 02H30, a few breaks here and there, but all in all quit a session. I'm pleased with the outcome, we do however still get the ocean background in, a deep blue oriental inspired ocean and blend it into the Aum symbol on the shoulder I did 10 years ago. Tomorrow we finish up the other sleeve I started, based on his Grandad's experience of being shot down as a gunner in a Manchester Bomber in WW2, by a Meschershmidt  ME109 , and thats the image that will complete it. We went for a shave and hair cut at Burnet Fair today, and guys if you haven't been yet, it's well worth it a Visit,...