Honest Tattooer Podcast
Veteran NYC tattoo artists have unfiltered shop-talk conversations about the craft, money, culture, and longevity of their industry.
A shop-talk podcast for tattooers, by tattooers. The show alternates between long-form interviews with veteran artists about their careers and roundtable discussions based on listener letters about shop drama and business dilemmas. It digs into the unglamorous realities of the job, from the pre-internet DIY days of making your own needles to the modern pressures of social media and corporate tattoo chains.
“Unlike podcasts focused purely on artistic showcases, Honest Tattooer stands out by tackling the difficult, often-unspoken business and cultural issues: money, shop politics, burnout, and ethics. The 'Listener Letters' format provides practical, peer-based advice on real-world problems.”
Who hosts this show
Hosted by New York tattoo artists Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, and Gabe "G-Money" Pantoja, the Honest Tattooer Podcast offers an insider's look at the tattoo world. The hosts, who all started tattooing around 2006, bring decades of combined experience to conversations with industry legends and rising stars. They explore the realities of the business, from artistic craft and client relationships to the financial and cultural pressures facing modern tattooers.
Credentials & credits
- Jon Mesa: Co-owner of No Idols NYC, tattooing since 2006.
- Jon Mesa: Specializes in Japanese and traditional tattooing.
- Jon Mesa: Finalist on Ink Master Season 15.
- Matt Truiano: BFA from The School of Visual Arts.
- Matt Truiano: Neo-traditional specialist, tattooing since 2006.
- Gabe “G-Money” Pantoja: Versatile artist in traditional, realism, and Japanese styles.
Other ventures
- No Idols NYC (Jon Mesa's tattoo shop).
- Matt Truiano's fine art print business.
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Why Most Tattoo Apprentices Don’t Make ItJun 22, 2026 · 1h 30m
- 02Has Convenience Made Tattooing Better or Taken Away Its Soul?Jun 15, 2026 · 1h 44m
- 03Your Shop Has These Problems Too — We Read Your LettersJun 1, 2026 · 1h 07m
- 04How Corporate Tattoo Shops Are WinningMay 25, 2026 · 1h 22m
- 05Did Social Media Kill Tattooing’s Mystique?May 18, 2026 · 1h 08m
- 06He's Been Painting in Human Blood for 26 Years. Here's Why. | Vincent CastigliaMay 11, 2026 · 1h 31m
- 07
- 08“Tattooing Has a Fake Expert Problem (And It’s Growing)”Apr 27, 2026 · 1h 09m
Notable episodes
- 01Has Convenience Made Tattooing Better or Taken Away Its Soul?
A deep dive into the pre-internet, DIY era of tattooing with veteran artist Ses, who details making his own machines and supplies.
- 02Your Shop Has These Problems Too — We Read Your Letters
Introduces the 'Listener Letters' format, tackling common but rarely discussed shop management issues like artist promotion and workplace drama.
- 03He's Been Painting in Human Blood for 26 Years. Here's Why. | Vincent Castiglia
Features a highly unique artist to explore the deeper motivations behind art, pain, and creativity, moving beyond typical tattoo talk.
- 04A Dying Breed: The Tattoo Man with Gil "The Drill" Montie
An interview with a 50+ year veteran of the industry, offering a raw perspective on what it means to be a 'Tattoo Man' versus just an artist.
What you'll be asked on this show
The hosts favor a guided storytelling approach over a rapid-fire Q&A. They typically open with a broad question about a guest's origins to set the stage, then let the artist narrate long, detailed anecdotes from their career. The hosts interject with specific, clarifying follow-up questions to pull out concrete details about a particular moment or connection. They frequently share their own related experiences, creating a collaborative, oral-history feel rather than a formal interview.
The format is a casual, multi-host roundtable discussion that feels like eavesdropping on an after-hours shop conversation. Episodes are either deep-dive interviews or panel discussions on specific topics, often prompted by listener mail. The tone is unfiltered, direct, and grounded in the hosts' extensive experience in the NYC tattoo scene.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
7 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
3- Q.01
“Can you introduce yourself, where you're from, and how long you've been tattooing?”
This is the standard opening for every guest to establish their background and experience level for the audience.
- Q.02
“What was your first shop environment like?”
The hosts ask this to understand the guest's initial exposure to tattoo culture, whether it was a street shop or a private studio.
- Q.03
“Did you have any mentors or people willing to share information early on?”
This question explores the often-difficult path of learning the craft before formal apprenticeships were standard.
industry
1- Q.01
“Was it harder to get into tattooing when you were starting out?”
This question is used with veteran guests to contrast the pre-internet era of gatekeeping with today's accessibility.
backstory
1- Q.01
“Do you remember the specifics of that first [tattoo/drawing]?”
Used during an origin story to pull out a concrete, sensory detail about a pivotal early creative moment.
relationships
1- Q.01
“How did you make connections before the internet?”
A recurring question for older guests to highlight the challenges of networking in the analog era.
craft
1- Q.01
“When did you first hear the term 'scratcher'?”
This question serves as a starting point for discussions about the evolution of industry jargon and standards.
Signature segments
- · Listener Letters Segment
- · Standard intro: 'What's up guys? Welcome back to the Honest Tattooer podcast.'
- · Tattoo Critiques
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show books veteran tattooers with decades of stories and a strong point of view, as well as younger artists navigating the modern industry. Guests are typically working artists known for their craft and history, not just social media celebrities.
- Ceson Has Convenience Made Tattooing Better or Taken Away Its Soul?
- David (stay.drawlin)on Why Most Tattoo Apprentices Don’t Make It
- Vincent Castigliaon He's Been Painting in Human Blood for 26 Years. Here's Why. | Vincent Castiglia
- Phil Luckon Is Tattooing Losing Its Identity? Veteran Tattooers Speak Out | Phil Luck & Stevie Wells
- Stevie Wellson Is Tattooing Losing Its Identity? Veteran Tattooers Speak Out | Phil Luck & Stevie Wells
- JR Maloneyon 33 Years of Tattooing: Lessons from JR Maloney
- Gil “The Drill” Montieon A Dying Breed: The Tattoo Man with Gil "The Drill" Montie
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is sponsored by tattoo-industry companies like Tattoo Smart and Tattoo Armour, with hosts offering discount codes to listeners.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch this show
People also ask
- Who are the hosts of the Honest Tattooer Podcast?
- The main hosts are Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, and Gabe 'G-Money' Pantoja, all veteran tattoo artists based in New York City.
- What is the format of the show?
- The show primarily features two formats: long-form interviews with guest tattoo artists and roundtable discussions where the hosts answer listener-submitted letters about industry problems.
- Is this podcast only for tattoo artists?
- While its main audience is tattoo professionals, it's also highly recommended for serious tattoo collectors and anyone interested in the culture and business of the tattoo industry.
- Where do the hosts work?
- Jon Mesa is the owner of No Idols NYC, where Matt Truiano and other frequent guests also work.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast releases new episodes on a regular, near-weekly basis.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Meet Your Hosts - Honest Tattooerhonesttattooer.com
- [02]About The Podcast - Honest Tattooerhonesttattooer.com
- [03]Jon Mesa - Hush Anesthetichushanesthetic.com
- [04]Matt Truiano - Tattoo Smarttattoosmart.com
- [05]A Fresh Palette: Jon Mesa Creates Vibrant Japanese-Style Cover up Tattoos in NYCremovery.com
- [06]Matt Truiano - NYC Tattoo Artist Contactmatttruiano.com
- [07]Jon Mesa - Paradise Tattoo Gatheringparadisetattoogathering.com
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