First of all, I sweat your shop so hard. The layout, the flash, even the name, are all perfect. How did it all come about? Was it something you always wanted to do?

I’m flattered that you think so and to have been asked to do this. I’m a huge fan of your work. To me, it strikes the perfect balance of simple but elegant that’s the hallmark of the best tattooing of the 20s and 30s. It is truly a pleasure to look at. As for the shop, we are definitely proud of it, and I am proud of the tattooers that work here and the work that went into making it and the work that comes out of it. I can’t take credit for the name however, Trophy was named by my pal Kyle who now owns Hotline in Toronto. Which is also a great name. He and I originally opened it together, with the intention of him ultimately running it, but his plans to move here didn’t materialize and he got burned out on the commute so he left. At that point Dave and Jon had already come aboard and the three of us made it into what you know it as now. We made the decision as a group to work towards both tattooing only actual traditional tattoo designs and also, of all trying to tattoo the same. Which is impossible in practice, but it achieved the goal of ensuring that any one of us could put a tattoo on someone and it would look like a Trophy tattoo. There’s lots of folks that come through with tattoos from all of us and even I can’t tell who did what half the time. And to me that’s how it should be. We’re all pretty different people, but the shop is the shop. Most decisions regarding Trophy are made as a team (aside from the day to day bullshit that keeps the gears turning smoothly) because everyone here is invested in the style and the overall feel of the place. It’s a very tight group and we’re all a little crazy, so we straddle the line between a family and a cult. I think that resonates with the people who choose to get tattooed here. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

What sort of stuff do you get into outside of tattooing? Sadly, we haven’t met, so I’m not too familiar with any of your hobbies or interests!

Trophy, and tattooing takes precedence over everything in my life because that’s the only way I know how to do it. I basically had no hobbies outside of tattooing for the first ten years or so. Before tattooing, I played in touring punk bands for about a decade, and recently I’ve picked the guitar back up. Dave and Jon have been playing in bands for years, so we started a garage band and have been playing together for about a year now. Other than that, I like tipping cans in old man bars or at the legion and I like to read.

You and Glennie are both amazing tattooers and according to the map, your shops are about an hour apart from each other. Who has the further commute? What’s life like in the Toronto area?

Glennie is an amazing tattooer, one of the best in the country. She can put them on quick and clean and they’re tasteful and not overdone or over drawn. They’re the straight goods and have the magic in a way that, more than any other Canadian tattooer, remind me of Jerry Swallow’s tattoos. They’re perfect. Not to mention her overall contribution to the trade, especially here in Canada. The Pearl is a masterpiece of a shop. It’s a landmark in both the city and in tattooing. Ask anyone who’s been there, been tattooed there or has tattooed there. It still blows my mind every time I set foot in it. I’ve learned a great deal from her over the years, and I don’t think there could have been a Trophy if there wasn’t a Pearl. And yes the shops are about an hour apart and I do the commuting. Toronto is (I think) the 4th biggest city on the continent and as such, commuting into it is a nightmare. It’s smooth sailing coming out this way for the most part.

Do you dive deep into history? I feel like a lot of tattooers who have a true traditional look to their work are always interested in military, fashion, automotive, and/or music history.

I’ve always been very much into history. It was a big thing in my family because my grandparents were Polish immigrants and had all been in labour, internment or concentration camps during the second world war. It was a constant topic of discussion growing up and it planted the seed I guess. I have an interest in the history of pretty much all of the things you asked about to varying degrees. I feel like they all have some crossover with tattooing. The least being automotive probably, but I do love a classic car. I own a 64 Mercury Montclair that once belonged to Bill Baker and has been passed down and sold to tattooers since. I work on it as much as I’m able, and in the few years I’ve owned it, I’ve learned more about the systems in automobiles than in the 20 odd years I was driving before that. Military history is a big one for me also, and I always thought I’d join the military after high school. I was in both Navy League and Army cadets as a kid, but ultimately music took over and I spent all of my teen years and most of 20s playing in bands and touring and obsessing. I’m basically just a fucking nerd.

Do you think you’ll tattoo for the remainder of your days?

My goal is to die in the chair.