May 29th-31st was the Hell City tattoo convention in Columbus, OH. This is hands down the best tattoo convention I’ve ever been to, and it continues to live up to it’s reputation in it’s 7th year.I was invited to judge the tattoo competitions, and with all the merch he now offers, Joe Capobianco needed some help running his booth. Katie and I volunteered and we were off to Killumbus!
Tattooing under Hope Gallery banners in our booth were artists, Joe Capobianco, Tim Harris, and Phil Young. Hanging his own banner in the booth was one of our favorite tattooers, Jime Litwalk from Hart & Huntington in Las Vegas, NV. Julio Rodriguez from the Hope Gallery was also in the booth. He opted to take the weekend off from tattooing and just work with us merch girls selling some of his new prints and hats. Check them out here: http://jrodsart.blogspot.com/
Here are some convention highlights in photos… You know what they say about a picture.
Tattooing in our booth... the usual suspects.
Jime Litwalk of Hart & Huntington showing us some Las Vegas love.
Robert Hernandez of Vittamin Tattoo in Madrid, Spain.
The often crowded convention floor.
Stopping by the booth- Tommy McCarter of Ace Custom Tattoo in Charlotte, NC.
Stopping by the booth- Jeff Solin, the greatest tat con MC ever! Jeff gets tattooed at the end of Hell City every year on stage while announcing the contest winners.
The Art Fushion Experiment. I like to call it "The Art ConFushion Experiment"
Katie from Pulse gets photographed by Bill DeMichele... do I smell an ITA cover in her future?
Fun at the bar- Robert Hernandez of Vittamin Tattoo in Madrid Spain.
On the left, Turnpike Tattoo Reunion, Gunnar & Julio. On the right, Gunnar & Nikko Hurtado.
Fun at the bar- Tony Romel of Tattoo Society Magazine.
Tattoo competition judges, Giovani of High Street Tattoo in Columbus, Chris Longo "Mayor of Tattooville", and of course, me. I swear I'm qualified!
Tattoo contest contestants & spectators.
Here I am trying to be objective.
Stopping by the booth- Dan Marshall of Tribulation Tattoo http://www.tribulationtattoo.com/
Katie from Pulse working the Joe Capobianco booth.
Jime Litwalk sketches inside his book "Creature Critter Circus" for a young fan.
One of our super healthy meals at the hotel bar.
Nachos for dessert? What? Sign me up!
Katie from Pulse and Joe Capobianco having a little cut-out fun. 
There was an entire room full of artists painting live side by side. A very unique way to observe the process.
Dan & Tim Plumley painting together.
Nick Baxter working on a very cool painting.
There were temporary tattoos for the kids at Heck City.
Kid Robot's own Toy Baroness, Nichole East and I "working" the Capobianco booth.
On Sunday, Phil Young of Hope Gallery got tattooed in our booth by Jime Litwalk of Hart & Huntington.
Our last dinner and the only meal we ate outside of the convention center all weekend was at an amazing steakhouse in downtown Columbus. Lucky for us, nothing else was open at 8pm on a Sunday night. We were a party of 11 and I think 10 of us had surf & turf. Check out Joe Capobianco's "just desserts"...
I wish this photo came out better! See you next time... in HELL.
GO TO HELL! http://www.hellcity.com/
Jime Litwalk of Hart & Huntington showing us some Las Vegas love.
Robert Hernandez of Vittamin Tattoo in Madrid, Spain.
The often crowded convention floor.
Stopping by the booth- Tommy McCarter of Ace Custom Tattoo in Charlotte, NC.
Stopping by the booth- Jeff Solin, the greatest tat con MC ever! Jeff gets tattooed at the end of Hell City every year on stage while announcing the contest winners.
The Art Fushion Experiment. I like to call it "The Art ConFushion Experiment"
Katie from Pulse gets photographed by Bill DeMichele... do I smell an ITA cover in her future?
Fun at the bar- Robert Hernandez of Vittamin Tattoo in Madrid Spain.
On the left, Turnpike Tattoo Reunion, Gunnar & Julio. On the right, Gunnar & Nikko Hurtado.
Fun at the bar- Tony Romel of Tattoo Society Magazine.
Tattoo competition judges, Giovani of High Street Tattoo in Columbus, Chris Longo "Mayor of Tattooville", and of course, me. I swear I'm qualified!
Tattoo contest contestants & spectators.
Here I am trying to be objective.
Stopping by the booth- Dan Marshall of Tribulation Tattoo http://www.tribulationtattoo.com/
Katie from Pulse working the Joe Capobianco booth.
Jime Litwalk sketches inside his book "Creature Critter Circus" for a young fan.
One of our super healthy meals at the hotel bar.
Nachos for dessert? What? Sign me up!
Katie from Pulse and Joe Capobianco having a little cut-out fun. 
There was an entire room full of artists painting live side by side. A very unique way to observe the process.
Dan & Tim Plumley painting together.
Nick Baxter working on a very cool painting.
There were temporary tattoos for the kids at Heck City.
Kid Robot's own Toy Baroness, Nichole East and I "working" the Capobianco booth.
On Sunday, Phil Young of Hope Gallery got tattooed in our booth by Jime Litwalk of Hart & Huntington.
Our last dinner and the only meal we ate outside of the convention center all weekend was at an amazing steakhouse in downtown Columbus. Lucky for us, nothing else was open at 8pm on a Sunday night. We were a party of 11 and I think 10 of us had surf & turf. Check out Joe Capobianco's "just desserts"...
I wish this photo came out better! See you next time... in HELL.
GO TO HELL! http://www.hellcity.com/ 
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