The world feels upside down lately. And while we’re still creating, still building, still grinding—it’s impossible to ignore the weight so many of us are carrying.
It’s difficult to talk about. Scary, even. But it has to be said.
A World That’s Changing, An Industry Under Pressure
As a father, an artist, and a business owner, I’ve been feeling it from all sides.
One minute I’m in Vegas taking care of my mom. The next, I’m being pulled to another state, trying to keep things stable while I juggle studios in five different cities. The economy’s shaky, politics are wild, people are afraid—and the tattoo industry isn’t immune.
We’re seeing it everywhere. Shops closing. Clients cutting back. Families being torn apart. It’s hitting the middle class, the working class—the people who built this country and this industry from the ground up.
And for a lot of us, especially those from immigrant families, it hits even harder. It hits too close to home. I stand with the families who are feeling the weight of today’s policies and the fear they bring.
I know what it’s like to grow up with that pressure. To watch your parents sacrifice everything just to give you a shot. To carry their struggles with you while trying to create something better for the next generation.
That’s the energy I’ve been moving lately. That’s the reality we’re living in. But in the middle of all this chaos—something powerful is finally taking shape. Something that’s been more than three years in the making.
Merger Ink is LAUNCHED.
And it couldn’t have come at a better time. Let’s goooooo!
We Didn’t Come This Far to be Cut Out
Tattooing has always been about resilience. About grit. About carving your own path when no one else will open the door.
From the beginning, this industry was built by outsiders—immigrants, street artists, ex-convicts, outlaws—people who used art as a form of expression, and a second chance on life.
No matter what’s come our way—recessions, pandemics, regulation—we’ve adapted. We’ve survived. We’ve kept going.
And right now? A lot of artists and studios are stretched thin.
The market is oversaturated. The economy is unstable. Overhead is up.
With global competition and corporate takeover pushing costs higher, we’re feeling the pressure from both sides. It’s not about who’s to blame; it’s about how we fight to keep ownership in the hands of people who built this industry.
We give everything to this craft. Our wrists, our backs, our eyes, time with family. We mentor, we invest, we bleed for this industry—and still, so many talented artists are just barely getting by.
And that’s not because we don’t have what it takes. It’s not because we’re not hustling, day in and day out at the studio. It’s because the system wasn’t built to take care of us.
It’s time for us to change that.
From Struggle to Solution: Why Merger Ink Exists
Merger Ink was created for one reason: to put the power back where it belongs—in the hands of the artists. The ones who built this culture. The ones who kept it alive.
Skin Design Tattoo artists Lynn Hoang and Jake Ingersoll
We’re the heart of this industry. The ones showing up early, staying late, finishing sleeves and back pieces with care and dedication. We’re connecting with the incredible clients who make it all possible, guiding the next generation, and investing back into the communities that raised us—all while navigating a world that’s constantly shifting.
The tattoo industry has attracted serious business over the years—from supply manufacturers to investment groups—and that’s no surprise. There’s value here.
We’re not here to tear anything down. We’re here to make sure artists and their shops aren’t left out of the conversation along the way.
That’s where Merger Ink comes in.
This isn’t about slapping our name on some product and calling it a day. This is about ownership. It’s a platform where leaders of our industries unite and come together. Where artists have the opportunity to join.
We’re building something that lasts—something we can pass down to the next generation of artists. Not just an LLC or a brand name, but a legacy.
Award-winning Skin Design Tattoo artist Christina Cho
We’re showing up for our seat at the table. For all of us.
Because we can’t control the industry or what people do.
But we can stay on top of it.
We can shape an industry that reflects who we are—and where we’re going.
The People Behind Merger Ink
Merger Ink isn’t about one person. It’s about the tattoo industry as a whole, and the voices behind it. Coming together—across cities, across generations, across backgrounds—to claim what we’ve earned.
Industry giants Big Sleeps, Fernie Andrade, and myself are the core founders of this movement.
We come from different walks of life, but we’ve all built tattoo empires off grit, talent, and a relentless belief that tattooing can be more than survival. It can be a foundation for something greater.
For the past three years, we’ve been building this from the ground up. Quietly, behind the scenes, aligning visions, facing setbacks, and pushing forward, even when it felt impossible.
And let me be real: artists don’t always agree. We’ve all got strong voices, big dreams, our own ways of doing things. But that’s what makes this so meaningful. We put in the work to find common ground.
We stayed committed to what matters most: protecting the craft, elevating the artist, and creating something that stands the test of time.
Because we’ve all seen the same thing—this industry has given us everything, but it’s not giving back to the next generation the way it should.
So we decided to stop waiting for change.
Merger Ink: A Legacy Worth Fighting For
Merger Ink isn’t just a company. It’s a movement. A commitment to the artists who deserve a voice in the future of their industry.
We’re stepping up, together, with unity, vision, and the courage to lead.
My daughter and Skin Design Tattoos artist—Reena Pho
For my daughters, emerging artists of their own. For their future. For their children. For the next generation picking up a machine for the first time. For the communities that shaped us, challenged us, and kept us grounded.
It’s such a rewarding feeling, artists coming together, putting aside their past and their egos to work toward something greater than any name on the wall.
We’re not just shifting the narrative—we’re reclaiming it. And we’re just getting started.
