Wonderul experience. John Sabin is a dream to work with. I will never go anywhere else now that I've found this place. The other tattoo artist that were in the shop were also really cool. The atmosphere in this place is fabulous. Â Very clean and bright with great pieces of art to keep your mind entertained while getting tattoo'd.
With 6 tattoos under my belt I have come to hate paper towels. With that being said, John is so gentle with the dreaded wipe of a paper towel. He also uses the best soap solution to clean you up at the end. I've been in for two sessions and I've healed up so quick. My tat looks great so far! His portfolio is really diverse. He can do all sorts of different concepts all very well. I'm getting a half sleeve so I have a few more sessions to go. I look forward to posting a pic when it's finished!
I've been telling all my friends to come here. I can't wait for them to see John.
My husband got a tattoo done not too far from us, but since then that tattoo parlor has closed. Â So I turned to Yelp to find a new place. Â After researching what people had to say around town (and MAN are there a lot of tattoo spots in San Diego...hello military town!) I found Propaganda Tattoo. Â I checked out their website, reviewed the artists' galleries and liked what I saw. Â So last Saturday I had the day off and decided to take a chance and did a walk in to see if they had open spots. Â I never recommend doing that as a general rule, but this time even I made an exception. Â
I was immediately greeted by Brad. Â He was very nice and told me he didn't have an open spot that day, but he called up Travis who was available 90minutes later. Perfect! So we kicked around Point Loma killing time and came back. Travis sketched up my idea I wanted after I showed him a picture. I picked out a design for a Ogham tattoo and I really wanted to make sure it looked like brush strokes, and he really nailed it.
Another kudos to Travis, it's like he knew when the pain was getting intense for me because right as I was about to say ok that's enough, he would let up for a moment. It may just be the timing of adding ink to the tattoo gun, but never was the pain too intense. Thank you Travis for my lovely new tattoo!
He had another free spot after me, so my husband also got his tree of life tattoo done. Travis once again took his time and made the tattoo look fantastic. Very happy with the results of both our tattoos.
Good price, friendly staff. The parking lot has practically no spots but I won't hold that against them. That's all of Point Loma short of Liberty Station.
Heads up to anyone looking for a smaller and simple tattoo, this place is $100 minimum. Â Also, Â you must be 18 with ID to get inked here. Â No exceptions (I'm talking to you 16 year old with parent's permission...)
About a year ago I got a tattoo by David. It was a great experience start to finish. I was combining 4 different elements into one piece on my forearm. Dave took my ideas and created something awesome, I couldn't be happier. Â I'll admit my forearm was a little angry after 6 hours, but the time flew by with some great conversation. Â I highly recommend the shop for fair prices and great work.
Review Source:have not gone in yet but called to get a price quote and the guy was super nice and helpful. will rate again after my visit this evening! (bonus points that its way close to home)
Ok so here's the low down, was quoted 35 maybe 40 over the phone for lobe piercings. I get there and it's 40.....for one piercing...60 for two which is a bit much considering how easy a job lobe piercings are. Travis was nice but only had hoops which isn't a huge deal but not the selection I'm used to. Overall the job was fine but not exactly a deal...probably going to go a head and find a diffrent spot thats a little more reasonable (let's be honest folks it's 10$ tops worth of jewelry and 30seconds of work...60$ it way overpriced for 2 holes in your ears) I really wanted to like this place but it's just not gonna happen for the price
Straight up, I will be coming here for all my future tattoos.
I was recommended to come here by a friend on FB.
Brad was my tattoo artist. Amazing job he did with detail. After I met him, I checked out his info on their website and he specialize in "realism." Totally agree with that. I've never seen anything so beautiful. I love my tattoos in their own different way but the one that I got from him was extremely meaningful to me in so many ways. I'm not the one to describe emotion in art, but there was something about the shading and details in the feathers that made it perfect. I don't remember how long the whole thing took but I remember it being short for the amount of work he had done. I know he took his time with the tattoo cause I can obviously feel it, not rushed. Â Everything was on point. Brad, is a really cool guy. I really like his corner with all his work (and they are so amazing, and i'd be honord to pull off his art (particularly his flower or orchid work, F**KING outstanding) Â for a new future tattoo. I honestly hope this guy stays in San Diego. While i looked at his art and got my tattoo done, we talked about his family, how he got started - very easy to talk to guy. I like that because the other places where i got my tattoo done, the guys talked but it was so awkward. Sometimes intimidating. Not with these guys. They are open, they talk, they hear you out and how you want your perfect tattoo to be. Great service.
Year later, I still get many compliments on my tattoo (because it is visible), on how detailed it is, the work, no bumps, soft. "You had a good tattoo artist" Â
This is so far, my #1 Tattoo spot in San Diego.
"Is it real?" "That color is amazing!" "Who did your work?"
Its been only a week and a half and I've heard/answered  these questions everywhere I go.  Oddly enough,  I recently got my rental at a low rate because the landlord loved my tatts so much.  (Her words not mine)
Like Ryan G., I went to this shop after finding out Tacoma was losing a great artist to P.G. Recently moved to San Diego, John Sabin is a great addition to the shop. He is one of the most easy-going and creative artists that has done ink on me. Â Thankfully I am fortunate enough to be a mere 6 hour car ride to his new place (I stopped in while moving from Tacoma to Tucson) so he can continue working on my sleeve. Â He is definitely worth it!
That being said, tattooing isn't for wimps and John knows it. Â :)
Extra Extra read all about it! John Sabin moves into town and sets up shop in Point Loma's finest Tattoo shop.
I flew in from Washington to get an original tattoo finished by John and he went to work. He will work with any idea you have, whether you have examples or just descriptions. John is great at offering honest suggestions as to the feasibility and placement of a tattoo and will make sure that you get a great looking tattoo in the end. Worth every penny.
Went in to University location to have my front helix pierced. Piercer was nice but had no clue what a helix piercing was. Â After looking on google, she was confident that she could handle it. Â Very little pain and great experience that is until I went to a more experienced piercer to have my tongue pierced. Â The girl did the piercing too shallow and in the wrong location. Â I think that if you deem yourself to be a piercer, at least know how to do what you clientele ask for. Â If you want your ears pierced, AVOID COURTNEY at all cost.
Review Source:I came here for my first tattoo this last week and now that it's finished, I can happily say Propaganda went above and beyond my expectations.
I searched around for a while and looked at about 7 or 8 tattoo shops, but after looking through every artists' portfolio at Propaganda it was a done decision that I had to go with them.
And I'm incredibly glad I did. Travis was the artist who did my piece and he did an incredible job and took my tattoo to the next level, making the finished product even better than I had imagined.
All around, the guys in the shop are personable, friendly, knowledgeable, experienced, and definitely professional. I highly recommend Propaganda as I know they are from now on my go to guys.
Unassuming and modest little place.... could be a hidden gem. I live in the area and didn't know about Propaganda until I checked it out on yelp. I was not disappointed. Â The guys here are talented and friendly. Â I got some new ink and Dave also revised an existing tat. Â I'll be back for sure:)
Review Source:I got my first tattoo here and I'll probably get another here in the near future. Â I worked with Matt and he's definitely a great artist. Â I sent him a typeset version of the Chinese Traditional characters I wanted and he converted them into a more brush stroke look. Â We then worked on the placement with temporary ink. Â I got it on my delt, so the pain wasn't too bad. Â Matt showed me all this tools were new and straight out of the wrappers, so I felt assured that everything was clean. Â The guys here are definitely professional and definitely deserving of all the 5 star ratings they get.
Review Source:I got a couple tattoos here about a month ago with Quinn. He does amazing work and is a great guy. Really clean shop. All nice guys. Experienced, knowledgeable, professional. I think he'll be my tattoo artist for life. I don't want to risk going to anyone else when I know I can get great, quality work at a reasonable price right here at Propaganda.
Review Source:Looked into getting a tattoo in San Diego while I was visiting, and found Propaganda Tattoo on Yelp. The reviews and ratings were great, so I decided to check them out. Originally set up an appt on Sunday, but decided Saturday worked better for me, and with just one call, they switched our appointments no problem. We emailed our images down to the shop, and everything was ready for us when we got there. Quinn was the one who did our tattoos and he was really great. Totally made us feel comfortable, made tweaks for us on the image size and placement, and just a really an all around good guy. Quinn did a FANTASTIC job on the tattoo and I am SUPER happy with it. Would def come back for more work......
Shop is SUPER clean, they have an ATM on site which is nice, and everyone was cool & helpful in the shop. Good prices too. Check these guys out!
I went to the point loma shop for my 18th birthday last week to get a tattoo on my left wrist. My friend came with me and the guy at the front seemed a little rude. However, Brad was my artist and was very helpful and explained the process very well. The tattoo ended up costing $100 and has been turning out great. It barely even hurt and he promised that if touch ups were needed that I could come back no problem.
I also found it a comforting environment, they were watching cartoons :) I was nervous and it was great to see a laid back attitude and the wall art was amazing and fun to look at.
Definitely will be going back for more, and I just moved down the street from the college area shop!
My fiancé and I came here to get tattoos for our engagement, and the experience was nothing but great!  Travis did our tattoos, and we were super impressed with his work. I would go back to him in a heartbeat.
  The tattoo was my first, and my fiancé's second. We decided to get each other's handwriting saying "sou seu" ("I'm yours" in Brazilian Portuguese) with a flowering palm branch.  I called ahead and they told me over the phone that on a Monday afternoon we wouldn't need an appointment. So, we came in without one and had no problem getting set up with Travis to do our tattoos.
  Travis was unfamiliar with the palm branch (a Brazilian new year's traditional flower) and all we could show him was a small picture on our phone.  He did some research online and came back with a beautiful sketch.
  He was patient and completely helpful as we tried a couple spots with his stencil, and then he started the piece on our ribs (a really painful spot for a tattoo, which I learned the hard way.) He had a good touch and most importantly his work was absolutely beautiful from start to finish. Travis is a really great artist. Looking at our pieces in the mirror afterward, watching them heal, and now seeing them on our side, I am 100% happy. Perfect 1st tattoo. Big thank you to Travis and propaganda tattoo.
I've come here on four occasions now to get inkwork - one 3 session piece and another single session piece, and have been delighted with all of my experiences.
Travis was my artist, and I will continue to keep coming back for his work. The first piece I had was a calf mural containing very important personal symbolism. I told him what I wanted and he drew it up perfectly. The transfer to my skin was exactly as I had envisioned it - I couldn't be happier with a piece that I've been waiting on for three years.
The other piece was a single color forearm mural that required great attention to detail, steady linework, and a lot of patience. Again, I couldn't be happier.
On top of it all, his customer service is great - funny, laid back, professional and warm simultaneously. The other guys in the shop are great too and are fun for conversation during long sessions.
I will continue to come to Travis for my work as long as I live in Southern California (I drive down from Los Angeles on the weekends for him). I couldn't recommend him high enough.
I didn't have a tattoo person or someone who was local that friends could recommend, so I Yelped local places and read reviews. I came across this place and actually read ALL the reviews since I was putting something permanent on me. Grizzly Joe was awesome! I went in with a tattoo that I'd gotten 23 years ago and wanted covered with one that meant something to me at this stage in my life. I emailed him the 6 pics I had on my phone and he pulled them up on his phone. We discussed options, price, and he quoted me $150 & requested a $60 deposit for the work up drawing that would go toward my final price. Two days later he sent me his rough drawing and was very receptive to the slight changes in size/shape I requested. He never even questioned my suggestions and within an hour sent the final version that was PERFECT! Â We scheduled a day, and he even took off $30 afterward because it ended up taking less time to complete than originally estimated! Who does that?!! I would have paid the $150, but I have so much more respect for him for being straight with me. I wouldn't have known any different. Thanks, Joe!!!
Also, this shop was extremely clean and sterile...nothing like the last place I'd been downtown 23 yrs ago!
I drove to San Diego from Utah just to have Shaun Kyle tattoo me again. He's the greatest!! Not only as an artist but as a person... He will treat you right and give you all the information you need. He's funny and good to talk with! One of my all time favorite artists!
The shop was incredibly clean and friendly! The owner and artists were very friendly to my friends and me.. They even tried to help us find nearby vegan food!!
I will recommend Propaganda Tattoo to everyone and I will return!
Ask for Shaun Kyle.
It really is as good as it gets here.  To put it plain and simple, Propaganda makes you feel at home from the moment you walk through the door, till the moment you walk out (with that sick new tattoo under that bandage).  Ultra-professional, ultra-clean, no "I'm cooler than thou" attitudes, and top quality custom tattoos are what you will find here (among tons of crazy artwork and hilarious stories from the staff).  I know because I have gotten two of my favorite tattoos here, which I get compliments on every day (I wish I could take credit for them).  The guys that run the place really do care, not just about themselves but about the quality of the work they produce and about the community they live in  (Anyone here about what they do when the Charges go to the playoffs?).
Long story short, if you want quality tattoo work, done at a fair price, in a excellent environment, then Propaganda is worth a stop. Â Whether off the beaten path in the O.B./Point Loma area, or in the heart of the college area, they do it right at Propaganda. Â I'll be back, that's a fact.
I have put in many hours with Steve Martinez. I first found him on a whim and immediately formed a friendship with him. How can you not? He is one of the friendliest, professional, and artistically awesome people I know. I have such a trust in Steve that I have gone in and given him a loose idea of what I wanted, and I let him take creative control...the end result is always better than I had imagined. I am also such a fan that I have two of his original drawings tattooed on my body....I saw them in paint and said "I want that"! I can honestly say that a day doesn't go by that someone doesn't comment on how vivid the colors are in his tattoos...I have to carry his cards around, because that is always the next question.
Not only do I love him for the work he does on me, but also the work on my friends and co-workers.....he is definately the person that I refer my loved ones too.
My boyfriend found Propaganda Tattoo on a sXe messageboard back in 2005, and saw a post Marc left about his tattoo shop...so I decided to give it a try. Â My tattoo turned out perfect, and the people there were friendly. Â At this shop, I feel like I could get tattooed by any artist. Â Their work is definitely high quality. Â I had a cherry blossom tree tattooed on my shoulder by Zoger and it's the tattoo I get complimented most on. Â I have also been tattooed by Teer, and his work is awesome and he's a funny guy. Â I recently took my cousin and he got his first tattoo done by Andy and he's planning to go back. Â I have also referred my friend to get tattooed at this shop, and she was happy with Teer's work too.
I've also had my nostril pierced by Marc. Â Marc is one of the nicest guys I know..and I think he's a great piercer! Â The atmosphere in the shop is comfortable, they take their time with the sketching and the placements and the setting up.
Besides the talent at the two shops, Propaganda is spotless...it seems like every time I step in, someone in there is cleaning. Â I wouldn't want to get tattooed at a shop that had dust settling on counter tops and dirty floors...just sayin...
This is the first time an owner of a shop I was displeased with took the time to read Yelp, respond to my issue, and then act according to his promise. My last review was for a finger tattoo that I got 2 years ago. They guy who gave it to me is no longer working there.
I decided to drop by the shop after being assured by Marc that I would not be treated poorly because I was dissatisfied with my first nexperience. Marc wasn't there, and two of the guys kinda had a "Oh yeah? Neat story" attitude. However, Joe heard about my yelp review and immediately volunteered to honor his boss's word. He was a cool guy and didn't make me feel like a jerk for being there.
Joe ended up recommending that we just make a solid new tattoo over the old one. Conversation was good during the process, and when he thought it was done he gave me the opportunity to tell him I thought one part was crooked. He fixed it with no guff.
One thing that was questionable was the make shift paper towel bandage he sent me off with. 30 minutes later, it's now bleeding through the towel. I'm afraid to change it for a new one because the directions tell me to wait 2 hours.
Shaun is awesome. Â I went in last Sunday after reading yelp reviews (thanks to the yelp community!). Â He took the tiny, blurry picture I had and foreign looking Korean calligraphy and made a tattoo that I absolutely adore. Â He's soft spoken, but delivered one liners that kept me smiling and giggling throughout. Â He really had me at ease throughout the process. Â Thanks for the awesome ink Shaun
Review Source:I have gone to this shop and their other shop on multiple occasions. I absolutely love them and refuse to get a tattoo at any other shop. Sergio did a flower on my leg in Sept. 2008 and his wife recognized it when she was at my work (SeaWorld) about 6 months after I got it. Pretty awesome. They are very high quality, great price, everything is sterile. I encourage everyone looking for a tattoo to come here whether it's my family in Jacksonville, Florida or my friend down the street.
Review Source:I wanted a full sleeve done and decided to check this place out after reading great reviews. I walked in with my ideas and was immediately pointed to the best designer for my style of work. Joe was very professional and worked with me on creating my ideas into a tattoo design. A few days later he emailed me his drawings and we tweaked them a little back and forth.
We setup an appointment to get the outline done... really great work. He tattoos to the perfect depth and all my lines are crystal clear and it is healing amazingly.. no scabs, etc.
I haven't returned for the color yet but I'm looking forward to it.
The shop is noticeably clean and well-lit and all the staff seems experienced in their own area (some are better at Asian styles, others at photo-realistic, etc.).
Highest recommendation.
It had been 11 yrs since I had gotten a tat. I went in about Jan to get a Charger bolt done on my calf, met Shaun Kyle, he did mine and my GF's. It was her first one...great guy, made her feel comfortable and at ease...did a great job on both of ours. We have been back 3 times now for more ink. The latest pieces were custom pieces that he created from our concepts. Hers was 4 hearts intertwined and each had color for each of her kids birthstones. Mine was a tribal Sagittarius that I brought him the concept design and he made it my own...
He's a great artist, and we are already in the designing stage of our next pieces from Shaun.
All the guys there a friendly and the shop is located near some shops to eat if you have to wait for a design to be drawn up. Â I have and will continue to recommend Shaun and Propaganda tattoo to all my friends.
Love the shop!! Â The guys there are all amazing!! I was scared to get my first tattoo, but they made the experience very welcoming and relaxing. Â Love my first tattoo by Sergio, and before I knew it I was back for another. Â He was very professional and friendly, and was patient when I needed to take a break. Â Keep up the great work guys!
Review Source:I got 2 cover up tats done at Propaganda Tattoo with Johnny Blaze  and I am EXTREMELY satisfied. I had Chinese lettering on both shoulder blades and Mike did a wonderful job covering them up with beautiful peonies and lotus flowers. People can't even tell they are cover ups because he did such an amazing job! He is such a talented artist. Very professional and friendly. I took a lot of breaks because it was my first big tattoo, but Mike didn't mind, he'd have smoke breaks with me outside and made the entire process fun. Thanks Johnny!
Review Source:So I just got my first tattoo tonight! Went to Propaganda and had the best experience! The staff is so cool and really put me at ease with their awesome personalities. Joe aka "Grizzly Joe" did an amazing job!! He is so talented, I couldn't be happier!!! Absolutely love the fact that he is a vegan and could actually tell me that their ink was vegan too, which was a must for me! I will definitely go back to them for another tattoo down the road!!! Thanks guys for providing a shop with an awesome vibe and a great experience!!
Review Source:My only regret is not having my first one done here. Everyone was great. Mr. Shaun Kyle Superhero was my tattoo artist. I had a small purple heart done on my arm. Teeny lil guy (the tattoo), very discreet like a secret. The Superhero was very very sweet and patient. Thanks Shaun (and staff). Â :O) I love the artwork that hugs the walls and different media used by each of the artist. It's like a live portfolio. Print transfers are fun! I want to grow up like you. PS3!
Review Source:This place was great! Â I'd been thinking of getting a new tattoo for a while, and finally picked a day to do it. Â This was going to be my first tattoo in San Diego so on the morning of said day, I got on yelp to find a shop. Â I've never had an appointment to gt a tattoo and as I was searching through the reviews of San Diego's 9 million shops, I was surprised to see that so many places here require appointments. Â But I'm a fan of instant gratification and I really wanted it done that day. Â So I wrote down the names of three places that looked promising and headed to Propaganda first.
I asked if they had time for a walk-in and was so happy when the guy said that Chris did. Â I did have to wait a little while because Chris was busy tattooing a the state of California within a circle with a slash through it (?!?) on some guy who apparently has no taste in states. Â Once he was done, he had me email him the picture I had shown him and put it onto the paper. Â He had some really good input on placement and coloring and it came out beautifully. Â It hurt, of course, but not enough to make me cry.
This is the greatest tattoo shop I've been to. Â First off, there aren't a bunch of douchebags working there. Â Yes, they crack on each other a lot, and the humor can get a little salty, but it's all in good spirits and they don't have that too cool for school vibe that every single other shop in the world seems to have. Â You don't hear them talking bad about previous clients, or clowning your old crappy tattoos (if you're me anyway), etc. Â The focus is on what you're there to have done now.
Teer is the artist who did my tattoos, and he is f-ing AMAZING at what he does. Â His hand is steady, the work is clean and beautiful. Â His script designs are, in my opinion, perfect. Â The work of the other artists is comparable, too, but Teer's the man. Â You never know what you'll get music-wise, either, but that's cool. Â I've heard filthy hip-hop, Reagan Youth, Michael Jackson on different visits. Â It's a comfortable, friendly environment.
Alright, So this review should have happend awhile ago but since I just signed up for Yelp, I thought I could do it now. Â Propaganda Tattoo was great. Â Very nice people, all of them great artists and very welcoming. Â A friend of mine recommended the shop and told me to go to Candy(one of the artists), so thats exactly what I did. Â The shop was very clean and not intimidating at all. Â I walked in and handed Candy what I wanted and we made an appointment for the following week. Â This was my first tattoo so my BFF accompanied me, along with my friend Alan. Â I was rather nervous at first but Candy assured me that a tattoo really isnt as bad as it may seem. Â He was very gentle the entire time, making sure I was comfortable and cracking jokes to keep me entertained. Â His line quality is wonderful, very clean lines, really good at small details, and is awesome at coloring. Â I was more than satisfied. Â As a matter of fact, I am planning to go back very soon for another tattoo! Â I recommend Propaganda tattoo to everyone.
Review Source:Propaganda is one of the nicest shops I have visited in San Diego, very clean, comfortable, and a very funny staff. They were totally helpful and I worked with Zoger to have a custom design created, it's by far my favorite tattoo I have to date. I will definitely be coming back here again as soon as I can.
I had read several other great reviews on other websites and they were spot on, I couldn't have had a better experience. If you are looking for the best San Diego tattoo shop I'd definitely swing by and just check it out to see for yourself, you will be surprised at how nice the shop is and how friendly the staff is.
Its best to make an appointment but you can drop by and if they are slow or have an opening they will fit you right in, which is great for those spur of the moment decisions.
Compared to some of my other tats they were quite affordable. You can also check out each of their artists work on their website which helped me make a decision as to what artist I wanted to have design my work.
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
