Welcome to Their Tat Talk

Photo courtesy of 1001 Troubles Tattoo

Local tattoo collectors and creators, listen up. If this guide is only the tip of the iceberg for your obsession, then you’re going to want to catch up on the appropriately titled The Inkaholics podcast on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts. Cohosts Fredd Chino and Michelle Carter — and co-owners of 1001 Troubles Tattoo in Warren — use each episode to chat candidly about everything from costs and etiquette to behind the scenes at the annual Providence Tattoo Convention. “It’s very silly and irreverent, just like after work shop talk,” Chino says. Take it from the tagline: “The Inkaholics is a darkly comedic podcast about bravery in the face of getting up in the morning, taking your meds, and scratching cartoons into the skin of well-paying customers.” Still, the two certainly know their stuff. Chino, an indigenous member of the Acoma Pueblo tribe in New Mexico, and Carter, a Massachusetts transplant, initially met while studying illustration at UMass Dartmouth before apprenticing at the same tattoo shop and then eventually teaming up to run their own in 2014. Its name comes from the business’ original location in Portsmouth, which once was home to an amusement park, and more specifically a house of mirrors attraction called 1001 Troubles, prior to when the hurricane of 1938 decimated the area. Chino not only liked the historical tie-in, but also thought it made for a good metaphor. “People come into our shop and they have a change in mind and to see those changes, they look in the mirror. There’s this idea of you’re coming out of our shop different — there’s a lot of self-reflection” he explains. “And the idea that tattoo is therapy in a way. It’s medicine. People come in and they leave their troubles at the door. People from all walks of life come in for the same reasons, whether they’re celebrating or they’re mourning or just felt impulsive and it’s all valid and it’s helped them get through.” The 1001 Troubles Tattoo of today is located in Warren in what both Chino and Carter call their “dream studio.” It hosts ten talented resident artists who all have distinct, yet versatile, styles (Chino and Carter, if you’re wondering, do a bit of everything but specialize in illustrative). The podcast, meanwhile, first came about during COVID while essentially facing an in-person ink drought and feeling the need to stay connected with their clients. “And it’s funny because I always think we’ve reached peak tattoo where it’s all old hat and anything we talk about is already out in the universe. But it’s interesting to see there’s a lot of stuff people still don’t know about tattooing in the industry as a whole,” says Chino. New Inkaholics episodes come out when the inspiration strikes (semi-monthly), but if you’re all caught up, feel free to stop by the shop in the meantime. “People can reach out anytime, but also we always do an open house during the Warren Walkabout [happening this year on October 19] — anyone’s welcome to come in, say hello, ask questions and hang out,” says Carpenter. “This career is so rewarding, getting to meet people with interesting stories and segue into creating these pieces of art on their skin. It enriches my life.” 464 Main St, Warren, 289-0105, 1001troubles.com