Hey everyone! I'm in Columbus, Ohio right now and have been covering the fantastic events of the Hell City Tattoo Convention this weekend. I've met some amazing people, seen hundreds of awesome tattoos, watched some of the best artists doing what they do best, and witnessed one of the most amazing collaborative art projects ever. And it's not over yet! Stay tuned for a detailed article and pictures from Hell City later this week.

If you're anywhere near the Columbus area, I encourage you all to come down here and check it out. And if you see me, come say hello! Sunday is the last day of this event and the schedule is just as packed as the past two days. Here's what's coming up:

• 12 pm - Gates Open and Hyperspace Special Event/Art Gallery Opens
• 12-3 pm - Tattoo Competition Registration
• 12-2 pm - "Modify: The Movie" shown in the Sinema
• 1-4 pm - Nick Baxter's "Fundamentals of Oil Painting" Seminar
• 2-4 pm - The Art Fusion Experiment Show
• 2-3 pm - The Goodtime Engineers Perform Live
• 2-6 pm - Tattoo Wars - ALL EPISODES - Shown in the Sinema
• 3-6 pm - Tattoo Competitions
• 5-6 pm - Steve Haworth "Successful Surface Piercings" Seminar
• 5-7 pm - The LAST Art Fusion Experiment Show!
• 6-7 pm - Tattoo of the Day Competition
• 6-8 pm - Paul Booth's Art Fusion Experiment Documentary Shown in the Sinema
• 6-7 pm - Steve Haworth's Genital Bead Placement Seminar
• 7-8 pm - Steve Haworth's Successful Laser Brandings Seminar
• 7 pm - Tattoo Competition Awards Given by the Suicide Girls
• 8 pm - Gates Close and Hell City Tattoo Fest is Exorcised!

"Has anyone ever heard of leaving a deposit for a tattoo appointment, then not having it be applied towards the cost of the tattoo? My g/f and I just got new tattoos. I went in early in the week, made our appointments and left a $50 deposit. They quoted me a price of $100 per tat.

So this past Saturday we go in and get the tats, when I go to pay, they charge me $200 more. I questioned Eric (the guy who did our tattoos) and he said it is their policy to charge just for a reservation since they are so busy. There wasn't a single customer in the place at the time.

Just seems weird to me. So be forewarned, if u make an appointment at Tattoo City and leave a "deposit" it's actually a fee in addition to your tattoo. We do like the tattoos, just feel we were overcharged." -sharonM45458

Traci Hancock, featured on this site last year, has made some big changes! She has recently opened her own shop with her husband - Boomtown Tattoo - in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Since then, she's been slinging out even more superb tattoo work and has shared some of her latest pieces, which have now been added to her gallery. Check it out!

DIY Piercing Lands Teen in Hospital
15 year-old Zeke Wheeler is in the hospital with a severe case of MRSA after trying to pierce his own lip. He has already had to have multiple surgeries to remove infected flesh from his body. Now Zeke wants his friends to avoid making the same mistake and is advising them not to do what he did.

Tattoo Artist Suspected Child Molester
Michael Joseph Chavez, a tattooer from the San Diego area, is being sought by police on suspicion of molesting his two step-children. They are looking for any tips on the whereabouts of Chavez.

3rd Suspect Arrested in Murder
A third suspect has now been arrested in connection with the murder of Joshua Trobaugh, owner of Mr. Tank's Tattoos, last August.

Sydney (AU) to Ban Intimate Piercings on Minors
A new law is set to go into effect for minors in Sydney, Australia. They will no longer be allowed to get any intimate (nipple or genital) piercings and must have parental consent for any other piercings.

John Portik, of Niagara Falls, has been fined by the health department after 8 cases of skin infection (one being MRSA) were traced back to tattoos performed by him. Although he claims to have worked in a shop, the owners of Hardcore deny having ever heard of him - let alone employed him - and he did most of his tattooing via tattoo parties and in people's homes. His tattooing equipment has been confiscated and he's been told to stop tattooing, but anyone who has received a tattoo from John Portik since 2001 should be tested for blood disease since his methods of sanitation cannot be verified.

More Information:

Tattoo Clients Urged to be Tested

MRSA and Tattoos: What Are the Risks?

Are Tattoo Parties Safe?

There aren't many artists I would feature here that are as green as Tim Phelps, but there aren't a lot of new artists with the prodigious skill he has, either. Hailing from a small town near Nashville, Tennessee, Tim Phelps is already one of the country's most skilled portrait artists, both in black and color ink. With more and more artists like him on the rise, the level of competition and the speed of the industry's evolution is astounding. Quoting one of his favorite artists - none other than the cheerfully eccentric painter, Bob Ross - Tim knows that the way to beat the competition is to learn from them. This humble and down-to-earth demeanor is quickly pushing out the wanna-be-rockstars many of us are so tired of in this business.

Last August, Joshua Trobaugh - owner of Mr. Tank's Tattoos in Denver, CO Read more...

"I have a small Egyptian related tattoo on my upper back and I want to add things to it...more hieroglyphs to it like a wall and to the sides I'll add Anubis and Bastet (two Egyptian deities). This will then be a pretty large tattoo, covering half of my back. But, on my lower back, I want to have a fairy. Both the Egyptian culture and fairies are very very important to me, but do you think they will not look good, seeing as they're such different things? I am concerned about aesthetics, I don't wanna have a back that looks funny." - estefmg

Dog Keeps Licking Tattoo
"I got a large tattoo on my wrist touched up a few days ago. That night I noticed my puppy was attracted to it. I thought it was just because it smelled all sterile and what not. But yesterday, she did it again, and tried to lick it. She is a licker, she really enjoys licking me but has never tried to lick my wrist, one of my friends pointed out that dogs do tend to lick their wounds, and I figured that makes sense. I thought it was pretty cute (I stopped her), but I was wondering if anyone else had ever had this happen to them?" - wallflower1687

Are you ever tempted to cover your body art, just so you don't have to deal with stupid people? A recent experience at the grocery store annoyed me so much, it almost makes me want to wear turtleneck sweaters in summertime.

As I was entering the grocery store, in a bit of a rush, this woman on her way out points at me and my tattoos and tells me she likes them. I politely say thank you and start to turn and be on my way, and this is where it gets ugly. She asks me to hang on, reaches out and grabs my arm, pulling it closer to her for a better look. Then, she hollers at her friend, who has already exited the store, to come back and look at my tattoos. The friend, pregnant and now puffing on a cigarette, tells her no. Fortunately, the woman releases my arm, but after screaming a few choice words at her friend and the kids making circles around both of us, she asks me how much my tattoo cost. Taken aback, I said, "Well, my artist charges $75 an...." and at this point, she's not even listening to me. She's cussing at the kids and her friend is cussing at her and I finally take my leave. I catch the eye of the door greeter and we both share an incredulous grin.

Apparently, this woman never learned the basic rules of etiquette when dealing with strangers with tattoos. So, in case any of you know someone guilty of the same thing, or if you just want to have a copy of "Da Rules" handy in such a situation, feel free to print out the following list!

1. Don't touch! Touching a total stranger is bad etiquette anyway - why do people feel the right to ignore this particular manner when people are tattooed?

2. Ask if I'm busy! I am many times in a hurry and I really don't appreciate it when people expect me to stop and chat about my ink and have no regard for the fact that I may not have time to kill.

3. Don't call your friends over for a look. I am not your personal freak show. I find it extremely rude when people start yelling, "Come here and look at this girl's tattoo!"

4. Do not ask how much my tattoo cost! That is absolutely none of your business. You can, however, ask how much my artist charges per hour.

5. Don't stop me, touch me, call your friends over, ask me questions and then ignore me when I try to answer you! If you don't intend to listen to the answer, then don't ask.

Got a similar story to share? Leave a comment below or email me at tattoo.guide@about.com.

Time is running out to make plans attend the 6th annual Hell City Tattoo Festival in Columbus, Ohio. Many local hotels are booked full and this fun-filled weekend starts in just 18 days! With over 130 artists on board, 75 booths, live entertainment and even fun stuff for the littlest hellions, the Hell City festival promises to be an excellent way to spend the weekend! (I'm even ignoring the Finger 11 concert also happening in Columbus on the night of the 17th - sorry guys, have to catch you another time!)