Tattooing has always been a subversive art form, but for LGBTQ artists in the past, it wasn't just about breaking away from societal norms – it was especially othering.
These artists faced not only the stigma of being tattooed but the added pressures of living authentically in a scene that largely refused to acknowledge or accept their identities.
These early LGBTQ tattoo artists laid the groundwork for an industry that, today, is more inclusive and diverse, but that didn’t happen overnight. Next year I'll be working on/presenting the first in a series of lectures highlighting gay tattoo pioneers whose presence is often overlooked in the greater conversation of both tattoo and LGBTQ history.
One of the artists we'll be talking about in the first lecture is JD; John Dagion. JD was the editor of the influential queer smut series TRASH (True Revelations and Strange Happenings) and a journeyman tattoo artist who got his start under Ernie White of New Jersey. We hadn't spoken since 2020, so I reached out today to check in on him; John was in his mid eighties and when the email I sent this morning bounced back...
John W. Dagion passed away in his Clermont, Florida home on November 8th, 2020, six months after the last emails we'd exchanged. JD was a difficult guy to like, but despite our differences I found him to be a gruff rascal, and the time we spent together was memorable.
More on John coming next year.
Photo:
L: Ed Fenster, John Fairy, Unknown.
R: Emil Gundelach, Kinsey Maxell, John Dagion, Merv Chapman.