Latin Kings Tattoos: What the Symbols Mean
The five-pointed crown, ALKN, the crowned lion, black and gold. What each Latin Kings tattoo signals, and why members now remove them.
Jason Howie 5 min
Tattoo Meanings
12 articlesDecode the symbolism behind popular tattoo designs. Cultural meanings, traditional symbols, and the stories ink tells across cultures.
What U.S. Prison Gang Tattoos Mean — A Visual Guide
Prison gang tattoos are coded languages worn on skin — signals of rank, affiliation, and loyalty. This guide decodes the most common symbols.
Jason Howie 12 min
Tibetan Tattoos: The Sacred Meaning Behind the Ink
Tibetan tattoo symbols like the endless knot and dharma wheel carry real meaning. Here's what they say, and how to do them justice for clients who want them.
Jason Howie 5 min
Aryan Brotherhood Tattoos: Symbols, Meanings, and What to Know
A plain breakdown of the shamrocks, swastikas, SS bolts, and 666 that mark Aryan Brotherhood members, and why these tattoos work as gang ID inside prison.
Jason Howie 6 min
Vor v Zakone Tattoos: The Secret Language of Russia's Thieves
What the eight-pointed star, the Madonna and Child, and tattoo placement actually told other inmates inside Russia's Vor v Zakone.
Jason Howie 5 min
MS-13 Tattoo Symbols: What They Mean and Why They Matter
MS-13 tattoos started as bold gang branding and have quietly shifted toward hidden codes as police learned to read them. Here's what the symbols actually signal.
Jason Howie 6 min
Celtic Tattoo Symbols: The History Behind the Knots and Crosses
What the Trinity Knot, Shield Knot, Celtic cross, and Tree of Life actually mean, and why clients keep asking for them.
Jason Howie 5 min
Ötzi the Iceman Had 61 Tattoos. Here's What They Meant
A frozen mummy from 3300 BC carries 61 tattoos placed over his bad joints. Here's how they were made and why researchers think they were treatment, not decoration.
Jason Howie 4 min
Sailors' Tattoos: What European Mariners Wore and Why
Anchors, hearts, and religious figures inked by hand on European sailors, and the meanings behind the designs that still fill traditional flash sheets today.
Jason Howie 5 min
Yakuza Full-Body Tattoos: What Every Symbol Means
Dragons, koi, tigers, and the tebori needle: what the full-body irezumi suit actually says about the person wearing it.
Jason Howie 6 min
Triad Tattoo Symbols: What They Mean and Where They Come From
Three-part tattoos like the triquetra and the alchemical triangle carry old meaning. Here's where the symbolism comes from and how clients use it today.
Jason Howie 4 min
MS-13 Facial Tattoos: How They Evolved and What They Mean
How MS-13 face tattoos went from coded badges of loyalty and fear to marks people now pay to remove or rework into personal art.
Jason Howie 6 min