eric jones

The gun is loaded, blood will flow, a buzz will pierce through ears, moans of pain will be heard and tears may even drip. But in the end, Eric Jones will have branded you will a one-of-a-kind tattoo.
Jones has not even hit 40 and has already made his mark in the tattoo industry. Between maxing out his credit cards, dealing with various city officials and spreading the word about his brand new tattoo shop, Jones sometimes barely makes it though the day without passing out from excitement or exhaustion. His secret: pure passion, of course.
“I believe we are all put on this earth for one thing,” said Jones. “If mine isn’t tattooing than I don’t know what I am doing here.”
Jones was born on November 17th 1972 in Carmel Valley. The first 18 years of his life was spent moving around Northern California; Monterey, Davis, Sacramento and eventually he landed himself in San Francisco in 1990.
When he was 18 years old he got his first tattoo and fell in love with the needle right away. A few months later Jones decided he wanted to get into tattooing and began practicing drawing and did his first tattoo on himself using Lincoln logs and sewing needles to create a make shift tattoo gun. At 20 be began his first apprenticeship at Craven Images in Redwood City.
“Originally I thought tattooing was reserved for old school biker dudes but then I noticed some younger artists starting and knew it would be a really cool job,” said Jones.
Today Jones is completely covered from his neck down to his feet in tattoos that he has collected through the years from various artists across the states.
Although Jones never went to college, he had always excelled in the arts growing up. Before entering the tattoo world, Jones had a wide variety of jobs from working at music stories to health food store. His mother, a social work college professor, never gave him a hard time for not going to college and eventually came to terms with his choice of careers.
“At first she wasn’t so into the idea of me being a tattoo artist but over time she became very proud of me once she began to see how much hard work and dedication I put into my job,” said Jones.
The long hours, sketch after sketch and stress of developing his art was all worth it when Jones
Jones’ first real full-time tattooing gig was at Anubis Warpus in San Francisco. He has also worked at Incognito in Pasadena and East Side Ink in New York. Eventually he landed back in San Francisco and started work at Mom’s Tattoo on Haight Street where he would spend the next eight years of his life.
“He is such a talented artist and in the past few years has become one of the best artists in the city,“ said former co-worker Jesse Palmer. “He is going to go very far in life.”
During those eight years Jones was able to improve as an artist, build relationships with his clients and get fed up with bosses just enough to motivate him to quit open his own shop where he can do things his way.
Later this month Jones’ will open the doors of his shop, Let it Bleed, to the public. Yes, the name is a Rolling Stones reference. The shop is located in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco at the corner of Polk Street and Post Street.
“To be honest, I really have no desire to own my own shop but I just don’t want to have a boss anymore,” said Jones. “My biggest fear once the shop opens up and employees start is that I will end up becoming a shitty boss that everyone hates.”
Jones financed the shop completely on his own. Luckily, he has very good credit and was able to pay for everything between a few credit cards and selling valuable personal items such as old guitars and various other vintage items he had lying around his apartment.
So far Jones has got everything he needs signed off by the city plumbing department, fire department and health department. The only thing he is waiting on now is the official business license.
“It was a nightmare dealing with the city and all its different departments but the worst part is done now,” said Jones.
Jones is aware that there is going to me some tough competition with other tattoo shops in San Francisco that already have some kind of special reputation. Goldfield’s Tattoo in North Beach is the oldest shop in the city. Black and Blue in the mission is the only all female tattoo shop. And of course there will be pressure to exceed his success at Mom’s Tattoo.
“It’s going to be hard being the new shop on the block but I am designing my shop to me a mix of a custom shop and a street shop,” said Jones. “There is going to be a lot of original hand painted flash work… and not the corny typical flash you see at those shops that attract a bad clientele. We aren’t going to be specializing in tribal tattoos, that’s for sure.”
Jones is also planning to eventually give his employee’s health insurance, something that is almost unheard of in the tattoo industry. In addition he is going to strive to give back to his friends and the community.
Danny Smith, a former co-worker, recently found out he needed over $10k work of dental work done. Smith does not have insurance and has been trying to come up with the money. When Jones heard about it he immediately offered to hold a fundraiser doing tattoos of teeth for only $30 at his new shop. All proceeds would be given to Smith to help him get the denial work done.
“It’s situation like these that makes Eric stand out,” said Smith. “He has got it down when it comes to being a great guy, both personally and professionally.”

The ongoing battle between outraged citizens and corporate bigwigs trying to take control over this years Bay to Breakers festival was addressed once again at this months Board of Supervisors meeting.
Several citizens spoke directly to the board in order to gain support from their district leaders to keep the traditions and spirit of Bay to Breakers alive while improving safety and control of the large crowd the event draws. In other business, the board addressed new tobacco zoning polices and recognized local women who have worked to improve the city’s quality of life.
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi urged the adoption of collaboration between the organizers of Bay to Breakers, city agencies, neighborhood groups, race advocates and residents to develop a comprehensive plan that protects the neighborhoods while preserving the unique spirit of the race.
Public urination, public intoxication and disorderly conduct are at the top of the list of concerns for all organizations and citizens. There may be several solutions to these problems such as more port-a-potties, alcohol enforcement officers and more police on patrol during the event.
“The logistical issues will be an important thing to look at as the race approaches and we work out the details,” said Ed Sharp, member of Citizens for the Preservation of Bay to Breakers.
The issue was sent to committee for further discussion and will be addressed again at next month’s board of supervisors meeting.
“I think it’s really important that the council acknowledge that this is a San Francisco tradition and we need to keep hold of the traditions we have here,” said San Francisco resident Christopher Watson. “Letting corporations come in and set the guidelines and be the dictators of what does on in our city ends up taking away from all of the San Francisco traditions and makes it an ING tradition.”
In another order of business, a resolution, which will enforce more strict guidelines and operational standards for tobacco paraphernalia establishments in the Haight Street Neighborhood Commercial District, was adopted.
“This is just to supplement what is now a citywide law in providing for a conditional use in trying to regulate some of the tobacco and head shop paraphernalia stores with the concentration in the retail stores in the upper Haight,” said Mirkarimi. “There are approximately 16 within a four or five block region. We thought we could do a little bit better in regulating.”
Finally, Several women were recognized as leaders who have not only improved the quality of life in San Francisco but have also made a “green” impact on the planet.
The women were recognized as part of a celebration for Women’s History Month. Since 1996 the San Francisco Commission and the Department on the Status of Women have recognized the important work local women do.
Among the women recognized were Melonie and Melorra Green, residents of Lower Haight, who were recognized for their dedication to mending the gap between the artist community and the rest of San Francisco to help residents gain an understanding of what it really means to be “green.”
“Literally, their last name is Green,” said Mirkarimi.
The Green sisters have held several different events and demonstrations in order to teach people the easiest and cheapest ways to lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle. They are also owners of Infin8 Sync, an ego-friendly art environment, which provides a monthly networking and showcasing art event.
“Today is really about celebrating women living in their purpose,” Melonie Green said.

lions mouth

On a small round table in the corner of Whiskey Thieves, a smoke filled dive bar where Geary and Larkin meet, a stack of Lion’s Mouth magazines wait to be picked up by the local neighbor hood residents and bums. The Lion’s Mouth may not have an official office but this dark corner of the bar is considered home to local tenderloin magazine, which made it the perfect place to meet up with its founder. Every night more copies are picked up and the word spreads a little more about the hilarious yet extremely legit magazine.
A local resident named Rachel, who refuses to give her last name when asked, started the Lion’s Mouth roughly three years ago. Rachel, 30, just finally graduated college from San Francisco State University after twelve ridiculously long years of studying English Literature and Creative Writing. Sure, at first the magazine was just a random drunken idea a group of friends thought of one night at Night Cap Bar (see: dirtiest bar in San Francisco) but to Rachel and many others who have become part of the magazine’s family, it has become not only a second job but a first love to them. When asked about the magazines mission statement Rachel exclaims, “We actually have an anti-mission statement. Our role is not to try to write serious shit to fix problems, we are just trying to put everything out there and create awareness about the tenderloin via humor and human interest. It is also about having Lion Pride and loving our neighbor hood no matter how many zombies you see crawling the streets at 4am.” With the funny stories about crack pipes, local event coverage of sketchy street corner bum fights, random drinking mishaps at Whiskey Thieves, interviews with the tenderloin police chief and various other creative artistic forms, the magazine was an instant hit. The title of the magazine came from the San Francisco district it was created in, the one and only tenderloin. Although the streets of the tenderloin are most often covered in crack heads, tranny hookers and drunken hipsters it is very much an up and coming popular area in downtown San Francisco. Rachel has no plans of ever changing the name because it is simply a perfect fit for the magazine and it’s readers.
With the sixth issue just released, The Lion’s mouth has been published about every 3-5 months since its start up. Production times depend on the material they have collected or tabled and how long it takes them to put everything together. Rachel and her contributors all have regular day jobs and have been balancing their paying jobs and their fun magazine job very well so far. With their hard work and dedication they have been able to continue running the magazine. In fact, they have already seen a fair amount of growth in circulation. The first issue printed was 1,500 copies and now they are printing between 5,000-6,000 each issue.
As a non-profit magazine there have been some troubles with money in the past. Because they do not have much advertisement, by choice, the staff has been running the magazine with a lot of money out of their own pockets. They have considered more advertisement but for right now they are happy selling one or two $100 ads to local stores. Rachel ads, “I want to be able to print whatever I want and not have to be at the hands of advertisers.” The regular staff consists of self-appointed Editor-In-Chief, Rachel, and eight regular writers. They also have about 20 freelance contributors that submit articles when needed. In addition, in the latest issue they ran an ad for an Internship position at The Lion’s Mouth. Naturally the required skills included: answering phones, making coffee, gardening, photocopying and giving really mean blow jobs. A few weeks later, a very drunk man stumbling around Whiskey Thieves filled the position. I guess the staff will see how he works out.
Distribution has slowly spread throughout the city and now covers various bars, cafes, bookstores, clubs and music stores from the Castro to the Embarcadero. One of the best parts of the magazine is its price, totally free!!! Rachel hopes that whenever you see one around you are able and welcome to pick up one or two if you have a friend. The target reader is typically young adults in their mid 20’s-early 30’s who live or spend a lot of time in the tenderloin district. However, they do have a few older or non-TL resident readers as well. Because its writers are already paying for the magazine the recent economic changes really haven’t affected them much. The Lion’s Mouth is the only true local magazine in the tenderloin there is not much competition but there is a small about of competition with other small San Francisco publications such as Lo Card but the Lion’s Mouth is very confident in their magazine.
The future looks bright for The Lion’s Mouth with big plans for improvement including sweatshirts and various other forms of merchandise. They are also planning to finally update their website which has not been touched in about two years. They are also searching local bars, schools and cafes to look for new writers and artists to help with new material. When asked, Rachel says her favorite part of the magazine is simply “how real it is and how on point the writing about the local antics of the tenderloin is.” The Lion’s Mouth may not be the next 7x7 but it has sure put a mark on local magazine writing and looks to continue providing entertainment for the residents of the tenderloin.

MARCH 16th

Sitting outside an isolated bar in the Embarcadero a young and very nervous journalism student waits for Staff Editor of San Francisco Magazine, Matt Bloom, to show up. Upon arrive he shakes her hand and proceeds inside to order a cold beer. Half a beer later, a few laughs and some casual talk later the interview starts.
Matt Bloom’s height is just as high as his confidence level as he begins to speak about himself and his career. Sporting trendy oversized sunglasses which cover almost his entire baby face and button up plaid shirt, it is hard to not be attracted to this 25 year old from what he calls “strip mall heaven” right outside of Chicago. Upon leaving the suburbs he went to University of Montana where he double majored in Spanish and Journalism. However, it was a single magazine writing class that influenced his path after graduation.
Bloom got his first job in South Carolina at Columbia Metropolitan Magazine where he made some fast cash only to bail and spend the next six months driving across the country. Living out of his car, surviving off pizza and partying too much eventually landed Matt back at his parent’s new house in Half Moon Bay. In February 2007 Matt landed himself an internship at San Francisco Magazine. Right away he was put to work and sent out to interview some pretty big names including Bill Pullman who Matt claims was more nervous than him during the interview. A year and some change later, he is now enjoying his staff editor cubical in a colorful office off Vallejo Street.
As staff editor his main responsibilities are editing the web pages, uploading print content to the site, editing and publishing blog entries from fellow staff writers, travel pieces and various freelance pieces. The company has about 15 on the editorial side and a few more than 15 on the management/ advertisement side. Although no job is all glitz and glam, Matt claims, “It’s fun. It’s a fun job. Hell, I eat oysters and drink champagne three days a week.” On the other side, he lets me in on some of the negative parts of the job. “I hate to talk shit on the management but someone is making money off this magazine and it sure isn’t me. The money is really tough sometimes.” Matt says and then takes another swig of his beer.
With the recent economy and election battles it was inevitable the subjects would come up. Keeping the conversation positive Matt states, “I believe it can only go up from here. With the election coming up and things settling down in the near future things have got to get better. I guess it just hasn’t directly effected in my job enough to make me worry.” Magazines may be seeing the brunt of the problems in Journalism right now but with San Francisco Magazine’s parent company Modern Luxury, it is hard to imagine problems in the future. In fact, although most people do not have disposable income for lifestyle magazines right now, San Francisco magazine is actually the only magazine owned by Modern Luxury that is currently meeting its goals. The current circulation is 100,000 subscriptions and 300,000 published.
Perhaps this has to do with the amount of work put into the production of he magazine. During the beginning of the month Bloom will work between 25-35 hours a week and when deadlines approach at the end of the month weeks reach about 50-60 hours. Bloom adds, “A lot of the time I go home and bring work home with me. This business is about ideas more than grinding it out. When you think of something, you have to get on it.”
San Francisco Magazine recently started another quarterly magazine called “The Men’s Book” in which Matt Bloom serves as the San Francisco Managing Editor. In the first article Bloom wrote several articles on baseball. When asked about it, Bloom tells me he is a huge Giants fan but he would not want to be a sports writer because “it’s just dry sarcastic statistics from an insiders perspective.” However he says he would eventually like to get into the music field and write more true journalistic pieces with less fluff. In his spare time, Matt also enjoys sitting in Dolores Park, getting a drink with friends and freelance writing.
Matt hopes that in about a year or so he will be able to use his experience with San Francisco Magazine and move onto something bigger and better. It is very clear that there are good things in the future for this talented young man. And yes ladies, he is single and available.