Sailor Jerry, the spiced rum brand named after tattooing pioneer and U.S. Navy veteran Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins, will mark the 48th anniversary of the legendary artist’s death and honour his memory through the work of today’s leading traditional tattoo artists.
To uplift his legacy of traditional tattoo craftsmanship, Sailor Jerry has commissioned five prominent traditional tattoo artists from around the world to paint their own versions of their favourite Sailor Jerry flash.
Henning Jorgensen (Royal Tattoo, Denmark), Andrea Giulimondi (Riverside Tattoo, UK), Rosie Evans (Five Points, NYC & Marlett Tattoo, LA), Phil De Angulo (Memorial Brooklyn Tattoo, USA) and Marcus Yuen (59 Tattoo, Hong Kong) have collaborated to create a limited edition Norman Collins inspired tattoo flash sheet that pays homage to Collins.
Prints of this collaborative one-of-a-kind flash sheet will serve as prizes in a number of international social media competitions across both influential tattoo-related IG accounts and through Sailor Jerry’s own channel.
In addition, three of the tattoo artists, Andrea Giulimondi, founder of London’s renowned Riverside Tattoo, Phil DeAngulo, tattooer and owner of Memorial Brooklyn Tattoo and bi-coastal tattoo artist Rosie Evans of Five Points in NYC and Marlett Tattoo in LA, will each offer one palm-sized Sailor Jerry tattoo, as well as 12 limited-edition flash sheet prints to their followers.
The competitions will run for 24 hours beginning 12th June, 2021.
“Norman Collins’ work has left a lasting legacy not only on the arms of those tattooed by him, but his iconic designs have become famous worldwide and continue to inspire and influence the tattoo culture and appreciators of his craft to this day,” says Gemma Kane, Sailor Jerry Global Brand & Cultural Ambassador. “His work was bold, inspiring and timeless and pushed the boundaries both technically and creatively — we’re honoured to work with these incredible artists to celebrate his legacy with a new generation of Sailor Jerry fans around the world.
“Sailor Jerry was not a fictional character; he was a real man that lived life and defined success on his own terms. His life’s work and philosophy inspired the brand and it’s important to us to continue to keep his legacy alive through authentic and credible collaborations — this has been a great way to do just that.”
Sailor Jerry is an icon in the tattoo world. His designs have had such a big impact on this whole industry
From speaking to the artists involved it’s clear how much Sailor Jerry is revered in the industry. Henning Jorgensen, owner of Royal Tattoo in Denmark which opened 38 years ago in 1983, said: “Sailor Jerry is an icon in the tattoo world. His designs have had such a big impact on this whole industry.
“If you get a traditional tattoo, it’s likely the artist has drawn inspiration from Sailor Jerry. Sailor Jerry has also inspired some of the biggest names in the industry, it’s not for nothing that Sailor Jerry is called the ‘grandfather’ of tattooing. Any shop that’s into traditional tattoos would have his books in their library.”
DeAngulo, adds: “Sailor Jerry has become one of the best reference points for modern tattooers in my opinion. His ability to create designs that are simple, yet bright and bold, easily set them apart while making them very recognisable. He’s become one of the strongholds of the traditional tattoo community in modern tattooing.”
Evans, comments: “Sailor Jerry has had a profound effect on the progression of tattooing in the past 100 years. He developed a greater range of pigments, and the quality of his drawing style generally was just so much higher than his peers and that really set him apart. The proportion and style of the pin ups he drew is so fantastic and I reference them regularly. I think the inclusion of his Eastern influences as a result of his travels in the Navy are also really important as a part of his aesthetic and the blend makes something really unique.
“The design I chose to recreate, the snake charm pin up I feel perfectly embodies those two elements. It’s also one of the first larger scale designs I was asked to tattoo many, many years ago when I first started tattooing and it will always be special for that reason.
Jorgensen, explains his flash choice: “I have chosen this demon head of Sailor Jerry’s flash – it’s a piece that has always stood out for me. I just think it has such a strong impact and I love it”.
“For my painting I chose a classic lady head, this one in particular due to the simple yet intriguing pose. The design is awesome. From the rose in her hair to her glance over the shoulder, this one always catches my eye.” DeAngulo, adds
