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James and Anthony Tex didn’t know the format of Ink Master had changed somewhat for Season 16 until they arrived on the secret set of the American reality series and cameras started to roll.
The father and son tattoo artists, who work together at Deadly Tattoos Inc. in Calgary, were contestants on the series, having been approached to appear by producers.
In Season 16, the competitors were divided into two teams based on how many years of experience they had. The OGs were the more experienced team, while the Young Guns would be made up of competitors with less than 10 years on the job. The first two episodes are focused on 16 competitors trying to win a spot on their respective teams.
“They don’t tell you anything,” says James, who started Deadly Tattoos Inc. 20 years ago and now works with both his son, Anthony, and daughter, Ali. “They kept us in the dark until they started filming. It felt real. You hear stories of it being scripted or it’s forced or whatever. But I can vouch for that: It’s real and it’s stressful.”
While the hungry rookies vs. veteran artists team dynamic may be new, the contestants are still ultimately vying for the top spot even if they may be on the same team. Because Anthony has been a tattoo artist for 14 years, he joined his dad on the OG team. It is the first time in the show’s history that a father and son have faced off against each other.
According to the commandments of reality TV, the two can’t reveal what exactly went down between them. They aren’t even allowed to say where the series was shot, only that it was filmed earlier this year at a secret location. But, going in, they were both in it to win.
“I thought they were going to put us on separate teams, father and son,” James says. “But, technically, in the end, we’re still trying to knock each other out. We said if we’re going on together, there’s no favouritism. We’re going to fight for it.”
“There has to be one winner in the end,” Anthony adds. “No helping anybody out. You have to figure it out.”
Season 16, which begins streaming on Paramount+ on Oct. 23, follows previous seasons in pitting 16 contestants against each other in the “shop” in weekly challenges that put their experience and skills to the test. The contestants will eventually be whittled down to the winner, the “Ink Master” who will pocket a $250,000 prize.
The trailer reveals there will be the usual catty snipping at each other and stare-downs by the judges. Hosted by Good Charlotte lead vocalist Joel Madden, the judges include three-time Ink Master champ DJ Tambe, Ryan Ashley, who was the first female artist to win the competition, and Nikko Hurtado, who is considered one of the world’s top colour-realism artists.
James and Anthony did not watch Ink Master until Season 15 when friend and fellow Calgarian Sydney Dyer competed. She ended up in 6th place.
James admits he was not particularly enthusiastic about going on the series at first.
“Initially, I didn’t think I was too fond of it,” he says. “We don’t like being in the limelight of any sort. But, in the end, we thought it was a unique opportunity for father and son to do together.”
James has worked more than 25 years as a tattoo artist, while Anthony has been tattooing for 14. So they were both confident in their skills. Nevertheless, the nature of the series is to throw contestants curveball challenges that take them out of their comfort zones with different styles and approaches to the craft, all of which must be completed under a strict time limit. So, it’s stressful and sometimes feels like more is on the line than just winning $250,000.
“As tattooers, we get comfortable in our own shops doing what we love to do in our own style that people come to us for,” James says. “But there, you don’t know what you’re getting at any given time, so it’s definitely frightening. I think a reason a lot of tattooers don’t want to do the show or wouldn’t want to do the show is that you’re putting yourself out there. You are going to get scrutinized and ripped apart, not only from the judges but from the people watching. Especially older guys like me, you are so set in your ways and it’s hard to adjust to a different scenario.”
“No one wants to ever show weakness,” Anthony says.
“But on a show like that they’re going to find it, that’s for sure,” James adds.
He says public perception of tattooing has evolved in the past 25 years, becoming more mainstream.
“When I started, it was not underground at the time but there were definitely less of us around and (fewer) kids getting full sleeves like they do nowadays,” he says. “I dealt with more of the judging when coming up in the profession. It was a lot harder when I was younger. But it’s more acceptable now. I tattoo doctors and lawyers, I’ve even tattooed a priest. Most of my clients come from outside of the country…
“It’s a serious profession. (Ink Master) may show a different side of that and different ways, but it also opens up a lot of people’s minds. All different walks of life are getting tattooed on that show and they all have really cool stories to show.”
James began tattooing at the age of 24 in Victoria when he was a young father of two. He needed to make money and knew he could draw, so figured it was a good profession. Before opening his own shop, he worked at Smiling Buddha and Eternal Image in Calgary.
Anthony approached his dad when he was still in high school about getting into the biz. He was 17 when he began working with his father and apprenticed for a year. While they both work at the Calgary shop, they also travel to shows which has boosted their reputations worldwide.
On Oct. 23, the two will be watching the first three episodes air with friends at Pinbar on 17th Avenue.
“We’re just going to go there and be laughed at by our friends, I guess,” James says. “You’ve got to own it in the end. It’s going to be hard to watch ourselves on TV and have people judge us or make fun of us. But most of them hopefully are our friends supporting us in some awkward way.”
Season 16 of Ink Master debuts Wednesday on Paramount+.