I love this place because Spyder (nee Jethaniel) is a genius. The ferret skeleton tattoo he did for me is incredibly detailed and I get compliments on it all. the. time. Like it's actually annoying how often people want to talk to me about that tattoo. I'll be back for some more excellent work by our local artist!
Review Source:I went in with a friend so he could get a tattoo. We were a walk in. Ulyss Blair was able to get him in. the tattoo was beyond amazing. unfortunately it couldnt get done all in one day. Ulyss impressed me so much i came back the next day to get a tattoo. Once again the tattoo is beyond amazing. He's extremely artistic and award winning. His lines are awesome. The shading is masterful. the lobby and working area is very clean. I will be going back for another tattoo and my friend will also be going back.
Review Source:I got my cat tattooed on my left calf by Jack, it was perfect, looked just like her. It took six hours, and I thought I wasn't going to make it. That is the longest I've sat for ink. He gave me a good discount, I gave a huge tip. It was worth it. My other two were cheap, and they show it. When I can afford it I'm going back to him for covers ups on both. As an artist I can't put a $ value on it, good art is worth good money. When I went they only accepted cash, but I didn't mind.
Review Source:Jack did an excellent job with a black-greyscale forearm tattoo based on a concept I had in my head with no image to show him. Â I just said, a Moses-like dude holding up tablets, surrounded by a massively awesome swirly cloud scenario. Â That was all he needed to create a really beautiful, highly artistic tattoo for me. Â I would recommend him to anyone. Â He is hard to schedule, so give yourself half a year if you are aiming for something sizable. Â And he is a down to earth, real, and nice guy. Â Big plus.
Review Source:Okay. Can we talk about how fucking fantastic this shop is? Seriously.
While Apocalypse in general and the people who run it / work at it are all top notch, I swear by this place mainly because of the skills of Jeremy Justice -- after going into a huge backpiece with him that we are still working on a little bit at a time (I can't seem to sit for more than about ninety minutes at a clip), I'd be hard pressed to go to any other artist.
PS, I hear that Jack totally kills it too. AND I sent some friends there to... Kristy, I think? On zero notice with no consultation, and she took really good care of them.
A+!
I got my forearm done here by a dude named mike. Good traditional artwork and a generally nice dude. doesn't overcharge or anything. On the other hand, the receptionist is a pretentious jerk who thinks she is the only one allowed to talk about music in the universe. Killed my beer buzz.
Review Source:I had work done at another local shop late last year/early this year and the artist in question moved to Apocalypse. I had seen the shop but never been there.
I went in on the same day as the last very poor review of 1 star. I had the opposite experience- pleasant staff, very accommodating. I was caught in traffic and called to let them know, and there were no issues.
The shop itself is small- if you are claustrophobic, this place will make you nuts. But it is clean and well-lit, and has a good vibe for ink.
I'll be going back for more work. So far, my experience has been good. The only major downside is that there's no parking anywhere that isn't tricky. I advise being dropped off or taking a cab, because you will spend eons trying to find a spot.
Stopped in with $$ in my pocket and knowing what I wanted. Was greeted by a civil but not at all friendly, albeit attractive, young woman who frankly made me feel like I'd interrupted something important. In which case she should have said so and I would have come back later.
These guys came highly recommended and I told her so. Â Granted the woman couldn't give me a quote because that would be up to the artist after he/she saw what I wanted but... come on, if you're having a bad day don't try to pass it on to the next person.
My money and I are going elsewhere.
A week ago I went in to Apocalypse to get my first tattoo. I've known exactly what I wanted to get for years, but was frankly too nervous and anxious about the process to ever follow through.
I found Apocalypse based on Yelp ratings for customer service and decided to push myself to go and get a consultation.
The staff lived up to their reputation and more. I was incredibly impressed with the casual professionalism evidenced by everyone I encountered. I felt like I was participating in a routine procedure (in a good way) and that I was respected as an individual.
I cannot recommend Apocalypse Tattoo enough for anyone who has worries or anxieties (like myself) about the process. I will be back again, the experience was awesome and I am so pleased with my tattoo.
I used Yelp to search the majority of the tattoo shops in the city. Next, I looked at each artists' portfolio online. I carefully narrowed it down to two. I met with Jack, and another person at Slave to the Needle. I met with the guy at Slave first, gave him my ideas, and waited a couple weeks to see the design. Still, I had not met with Jack. After meeting with Jack, I knew he was the artist for my tattoo. Jack, far more than the other, seemed like an artist and not just a dude that tattoos.
Plus, Jack is super cool, but that is just a bonus. The detail and originality of his work makes him special. We met briefly, and had more correspondence through emails. Knowing that Jack is an artist, I let him take control. After seeing the design, I asked for one slight altercation, and he handled it with ease. Â I have never seen a tattoo like my own (anywhere...not even online). Â Seven months later, I haven't had the slightest bit of regret for this tattoo (my first). The only problem I see is that I moved down to CA, and Jack is in Seattle. I will likely go back....
***Oh yea, and if you are going to get a tattoo, especially from a place named Apocalypse, you should pay with cash. This place doesn't take cards. I dig that.
I've been a customer at Apocalypse for almost 4 years now, and can't say enough good things about them! Â This past week, artist Jeremy Justice finished about 33 hours of work on my full back tattoo. Â I initially brought him a few illustrations that conveyed the idea of what I wanted done, and the artwork he prepared was exactly what I had in mind. Â This design required an open-minded artist with a good sense of humor, and Jeremy was perfect for the job. Â If you're going to spend that many hours under the needle, you need to have an artist you can trust, and while Jeremy's many awards provided a groundwork for that trust, each of my ink sessions gave me more reason to be amazed at the fantastic work he was doing. Â I'm eager to work with him on my next large-scale tattoo project, and frankly, I wouldn't dream of going to another artist for it! Â The staff at Apocalypse is friendly and welcoming, and ready to accomodate the full range from first-time nerves to long experience--before you know it, you're being treated like famiy. Â Hygiene and sterile conditions are clearly top priority in all work areas. Â As for piercings, Troy is a real master of all things related to piercing, whom I can trust with ANYTHING I would ever want pierced.
Review Source:I went here to get my lip pierced and I loved it! Troy was so pleasant and helpful, he literally talked through the whole process and made sure I understood everything he was doing as he was doing it! Unfortunately, Troy will be leaving in about a month. But the front desk is super helpful and they always seem to be able to make time for you. I'm not a fan of how small the studio is but it seems to work for them so I can't complain since the piercing area is separate and clean. I used to have another piercing place but they stopped piercing and are focusing on tattoos so I found this is a great substitute for them. I've been here with friends getting piercings and can honestly say they have consistent service and a pleasant attitude...not pretentious like certain tattoo/piercing shops on Capitol Hill.
Just as a heads up...I was here at the beginning of April and they DO NOT accept credit or debit cards so make sure you have cash!
Hands down some of the best artists in the city. No bullshit attitude "I'm so cool cuz I'm a shitty tattoo artist" here. The best don't gloat or over promote themselves, they let their work stand for itself.
I get stopped on a daily basis with people asking me about my work. It's kind of annoying but at the end of the day there are worse things in the world I could get stopped for. At least I'm not that guy who has to push his nuts around in a barrel.
Oh, and if you see Jack in a bar buy him beers and tequila. It's funny to watch him drink too much!
I wanted to get my first tattoo and spent a ton of time researching and visiting different studios in town. I visited with the staff at Apocalypse and felt immediately comforable! I also really liked that the tattoo chairs were in a separate back room so that there was some privacy.
I scheduled my session with Coyote, put down a deposit, and was ready to go! The day of was a piece of cake. Coyote scaled out my drawing and was super patient and calm while explaining the process to me (I was excited but super nervous - first piece and on the ribcage!). He started off taking breaks every few strokes to give me an idea of "what getting a tattoo" feels like. He was done within 1.5 hours and was really great about checking in with me; the girl working in the front even checked in and offered me water, etc.
Great experience, great shop, and can't wait to go back for more! Coyote has since moved on but I have no doubt the other artists will equally kick ass.
Heads up - they don't take credit cards for tattoes or for the deposit so bring cash! There's an ATM next door in the smoke shop and one directly across the street in a little mini mart.
I went to Apocalypse last Saturday to get my first tattoo. The place was clean, the receptionist was so nice, and everyone there seemed genuinely excited for me. Not what I would expect from people working on Capitol Hill... I brought in a picture of the font I wanted, had a stencil drawn up within about 5 minutes and I was out of there 10 minutes later. Jeremy was my tattoo artist, I couldn't have asked for someone better suited to do my first tattoo. He didn't give me attitude when I felt lightheaded towards the end and needed a quick breather (I realized I had been holding my breath... whoops!), and the receptionist even brought me a sucker and water! I felt welcome there, I would recommend this place to any one of my friends!!
Review Source:the credit card info on this page needs to be changed--they do accept cards now. Â I got my nose pierced by Spooky Robert last week--I'm a real chicken and had never had anything pierced but my ears (which caused me to almost pass out, they did it with curved scissors!), but Robert very calmly and patiently answered all my questions, then...pierced my nose. Â It was that anti-climatic. Â It barely hurt, and a second later, didn't hurt at all. Â I went back today because the stud I chose was bugging me--the inside hook was tickling my nose, and I kept almost pulling it out accidentally--and I wanted to replace it with a hoop. Â I had emailed him and asked about this (love that I could do that), and he said it was a little soon, but to come in and he'd look at it. Â He changed it out with almost no discomfort, told me the piercing was looking good, and said if I wanted to come back in a few weeks he could adjust the stud so it would be more comfortable. Â Really, this whole experience could not have been better. Â I am telling all my chicken-y friends to go to him!
Review Source:A lip ring and a forearm tattoo later, I'm still nothing but happy about the experience.
I've gotten a ton of compliments on the linework on the tattoo (by Coyote) and the lip ring was a completely smooth process, as was getting the replacement ring (going down to the proper size) a month later.
What do I look for when I step into a tattoo parlor? The way the shop is set up, the initial sanitized and clean vibe, or whether or not the artists look like pompous douchebags.
Apocalypse had satisfied me in all those three catagories.
I first walked in to inquire the price of something I was interested in getting, but the artist that day was booked up and told me to go back another day. And gave me a price range. When I came back, the price did not change, and I had Coyote do my work.
He was patient and friendly while I was selecting the font I want, and friendly even during the process.
As this was my only experience with this parlor, I have no complaints whatsoever. If I go back to Seattle and want another piece done. This will probably be the place.
It's all about Benjamin!!! He did my first piece about 7 years ago (yeah, I'm a *bit* late with my review, lol) and talk about artistry... it's a breathtaking work of art that gets serious props from everyone who sees it (even got complimented by my overly anal and ultra conservative primary care doc).
If you can manage it, wait for Benjamin to have an open schedule slot and he'll do your bodywork proud :).
All I can say is that Coyote was entirely awesome. Â He was willing to work with my and my boyfriend's ideas without being condescending. Â He was direct, but had a great sense of humor. Â My tattoo was on my inner arm (it hurt like a *****), and he was great about checking in on me and taking breaks. Â He even offered to grab me some coffee during one of them! Â What I wanted was fairly complicated, curvature wise, and he pulled it off beautifully. Â People are constantly remarking at the linework and how precise it is.
The place was very clean and trustworthy. Â The people are friendly, cooperative, and incredibly talented. Â What more can you ask for?
OK, so I didn't end up going here and maybe I don't deserve to write a review. Â But Apocalypse did have lots of great reviews so I checked it out when I was on my quest for a tattoo artist. Â I didn't choose this shop cause ultimately I chose an artist at Lucky Devil, but I can make a couple observations that I think are relevant to someone shopping around. Â First, they were friendly and actually checked on me more than once while I was looking through artists' books. Â They also had lost of awards certificates on the wall, which is a good sign. Â BUT, I didn't really like the space. Â It was a little dingy, and apparently all the chairs are in the back, which affords privacy, but seemed a little odd to me. Â Also, judging by the books, it seems like the specialty here is tats that look like wounds and scratches. Â Not my thing, but maybe it's yours.
Review Source:i got my ears stretched for the first time by robert, he got me right in without a wait, i also only had to pay for the jewelry and he did the piercing for free. i was really nervous but he made it quick and pretty much painless. i went from about a 22 ( i had pierced ears but never wore earrings) to a 10 and it hardly hurt at all. it's only been about 5 days and they don't even hurt anymore, are practically healed and look great! i love everyone who works here they're all amazing people
Review Source:I got kicked out for taking my insulin. Â The shop owner knew I was diabetic as we'd had a discussion about blood sugars and healing times. Â I was just taking my midday insulin while waiting for a friend who was getting a piercing. Â He told me I couldn't take my insulin in his lobby.
Sort of like telling someone in a wheelchair they can't sit in the wheelchair in the lobby, or someone taking pills they can't take their pills in the lobby. Â The only difference is without insulin I will actually die. Â It's a life-sustaining medication. Â His concerns were not hygenic. Â He made that clear. Â He just didn't want me taking insulin in his shop.
So I went out side and shot up on the street in front of his store. Â I'm not ashamed for having diabetes. Â But he should be ashamed of his intolerant and inappropriate attitude towards people with medical issues. Â Kind of ironic that someone who runs a piercing and tattoo shop would be intimidated by a little 30-gauge syringe full of insulin.
Oh, and in discussion blood sugars and healing times (because I have gotten several piercings from other shops over the years...places where I was allowed to take my insulin wherever I wanted, as needed) he insisted that blood sugars should run high because otherwise someone might "pass out" while getting pierced. Â Not only is that patently untrue, but it is plain bad advice since high blood sugar inhibits blood flow and increases the risk of infection. Â There is a LOT of documentation of this fact so that he would insist otherwise to me (and to his customers, since my friend getting pierced also has diabetes) makes him not just an ass, but also clearly more invested in power trips than the health of his customers.
My daughter and I got our tragus pierced by Robert who is SO great. He put us at ease immediately. He was very patient, not minding all of my questions about how they clean things, are they using brand new needles on every person, etc. He also changed his gloves often if he touched things while prepping everything and thought they got contaminated (I'm assuming). He explained everything step by step and made the experience enjoyable....(if that's possible). He also explained the after care very well and gives you his email address in case you have any questions. I ended up having questions so I emailed him and he got back to me right away.
I will go to him for any and all future piercings!!
I have five tattoos. The last one, the fifth one, I got done at Apocalypse tattoo. For three hours of work I ended up paying about $180 including a hefty tip. The tattoo itself is expansive, gorgeous, and my favorite of all the ones I have currently.
Unlike other places, they actually employee talented people that don't end up scarring your body. Mine, three years later, hasn't ever bubbled up from scar tissue or had any gaps in color start showing. They'll help you design something, like they did with me, and are patient with your dumb questions.
5/5 stars, high recommendations, I'm getting my work done here from now on for sure.
i would recommend these guys to anyone. i just got a tattoo done by coyote and he did a beautiful job. i chose apocalypse because the artists here have a great body of photorealistic/highly detailed work and my tattoo was going to be based off an etching, so i wanted it to still have that same delicacy in tattoo form. i brought in the image and talked to coyote about it. he gave me some good design advice and i made an appointment to get it two weeks later. well, it came out even better than i had hoped for. coyote got it. i didnt have to give him directions on what i wanted stylistically or anything... he understood it all from my design. considering that the style of it was just as important to me as the image itself, i dont think i could have asked for anything more. on top of that everyone here is incredibly friendly, professional, and enthusiastic. heck yeah, apocalypse tattoo.
Review Source:I love Apocalypse!! Â J@ck is a fabulous artist. Â I brought in a design that I had drawn myself and showed it to him. Â After a couple of consults, we both knew exactly what I wanted. Â He told me what he was doing and why. Â He talked me through the whole thing. Â His is by far my favorite tattoo. Â The downside is that he's always booked out so far in advance!
The counter staff is friendly and helpful. Â The shop is clean without feeling like a hospital. Â (I get enough of that at work, I don't need to feel like I'm getting tattooed in one!)
Spooky Robert is a great piercer and I've had a few piercings done by him. Â I wish JJ was still piercing there though - he will always be my favorite.
Long story short, all of my experiences there have been awesome, I would - and do - recommend them to all of my friends.
For my 30th birthday I went to Christy to get a tattoo. Â She came highly recommended by a friend of mine who had several from her. Â She was great. Â I got one on my upper back and it barely hurt. Â She took the design I found and did a little adjusting to it. Â I was really pleased with the whole thing. Â The only downer altogether is that they are a cash only place and I never carry cash.
Review Source:I got my septum pierced at Apocalypse the day after Thanksgiving, and I couldn't be happier with the service and the result.
There was someone available to help me as soon as I walked in the door, and my piercer was really thorough with cleaning beforehand and explaining the procedure and aftercare. He was also very friendly, and helped keep my mind off of the impending pain (I'm a wimp).
Cash only, but there's an ATM across the street in the mini-mart.
Apocalypse has always had a friendly staff and even better is that they consistently do AMAZING work!
I was once in there while two beyond ditsy women who were getting there navels pierced, asking some of *the* most asinine questions, flirting horribly with the piercer, and he managed to be very nice and courteous to them. Least to say, I was trying very hard not to laugh.
My tattoo artist was Victor, but he's no longer there. He has got some talent, ridiculous talent! Check out their site, It definitely makes things clear as to how amazing they are.
My cousin and I were in Seattle for about three days at the beginning of January, and decided that making ourselves as uncomfortable as possible for the 15 hour drive home to San Francisco was a great idea. Â Therefore, we got back tattoo's at Apocalypse. Â Coyote helped us with the design. Â All we had was a printout of a basic design including the Celtic trinity, and lots of spirals. Â He helped us create something original, resize, re-resize, and redo the placement. Â He made sure everything was perfect. Â It's my favorite tattoo so far, and by far the most meaningful.
The rest of the staff was super friendly, and I love the guy working reception - we had a lovely conversation about Thai food and masochism while my cousin was getting hers done.
The pricing was fair, but this place is cash only. Â Luckily, there's a little liquor store across the street that has cash back and an ATM.
Wonderful establishment. Â I kinda want to make the trek from SF to Seattle again just to get another tat.
Also, Coyote is fuckin hot.
I was gonna do this first but brain beat me to it :P
It's hard to say but i do believe Bryan G. is the best artist there. It seems like all the other artist are good at one style and thats it. Bryan can do it all. If you're not sure what you want, but you have an idea. Just go in and talk with Bryan, he'll bring your idea to life.
I lived on Capitol Hill for 4 years and never once stepped foot inside Apocalypse Tattoo... pitty that, it's a great shop. Â I used to go into Apocalypse Clothing which was right next door (hey, whatever happened to that place? They had some great tshirts!), but just went to the tattoo shop for the first time recently to work out a sleeve idea with Bryan who is newly working there after moving over from Flaming Dragon. Â My favorite piercing artist, Robert, is also working there now (previously at Laughing Buddha, also on the hill)... so I definitely recommend going there for any tattoo or piercing as I've had great experiences with two of the artists there now.
I've been back several times and started work on a sleeve tat that Bryan is doing for me. Â Not a lot of time waiting to start work, always clean & safe, and great music playing during my appointment. Â I'm psyched about this sleeve and happy that I'll be spending more time at Apocalypse having it finished.
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