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Occult Vibrations

@occultvibrations.com
119 followers 19 following 78 posts

Exploring tattoo culture through the mysteries of history. occultvibrations.com

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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 07/06/2026
Happy Pride Month yall. This is David- Suit by Cliff Raven. He’s seen here at a queer tattoo gathering that ran parallel to a major tattoo convention. Con during the day, party at night. It gave a safe space to the gay tattoo crowd that might not be as free to express themselves in mixed company.
Tattoo and piercing fan David. An Asian man, shirtless, covered in black and grey tattoo work that looks like armor. He’s wearing a leather “Muir” hat in the style of leather men. His septum is pierced with an oversized ring.
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Tattoos by Doug Hardy @tattoosbydoughardy.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Happy Pride, I love you
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 17/04/2026
I see what you're saying, but it's important to remember that Donald Trump habitually shits his pants.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 17/04/2026
I find that pace is most important to me now. Being able to keep it consistent. Sometimes I run like Im being chased and burn myself out... keeping a more even pace is the way!
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 25/01/2026
Stuff.
A page from a zine.
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Old Tattooed Hippie ☮️✌️ @sauchellibot.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Tattoo Artists Cliff Raven And Sailor Sid Diller 1970s Or 80s... #tattoo #tattooing #cliffraven #sailorsid #tattooartists #1970s #1980s
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 13/12/2025
Lyle Tuttle, traditional Samoan tattooing, 1970s. Photo by Robin Ryan sacreddebbris.com
Tattoo Artist Lyle Tuttle being tattooed in the traditional Samoan way, 1970s. Photo by Robin Ryan
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 13/12/2025
Just a perfect cast. Perfect eps. I love it.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 11/12/2025
Have you been watching Strange New Worlds? Im generally not a Trek fan (movies, yeah, but not as much the shows) and I'm absolutely in love with SNW. Sad that it's coming to a close.
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Sacred Debris @bodymodificationarchive.com · 02/12/2025
www.blurb.com/books/125078... In August I gave a lecture on the under-documented influence of queer tattoo artists & collectors in modern (1950s-1980s) tattooing. This book covers the introduction & tattooer/pornographer JD of TRASH fame. It's 25% off thru Dec 11th with code GIVINGTUES25
book cover for INDELIBLE IDENTITIES 01: A QUEER HISTORY OF TATTOOING. it features a tattoo design of a swallow (bird) and heart, with the word QUEER in the banner. The author is Shawn Porter. 
Page from book featuring a tattooed man.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 18/11/2025
Underground queer tattoo shop, 1970s. The artist was likely Ken Meyer (also seen spelled Meyers) and the client Bobby Mack. Filmed by Sailor Sid Diller. sacreddebris.com
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 16/11/2025
Im not sure it got a proper release; I think it was exclusive to HULU. But we made it happen ;)
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 16/11/2025
Prey on the big screen is pretty great.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 04/11/2025
That was the war criminal who shot a dude in the face, right? But what does this tell us about Biden's mental state??? You're dropping the ball, CNN.
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Nick Bergin @godspeedtattoo.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Made a new flash painting. I’d love to tattoo any of these 😍 #bayareatattoo #tattoo #flash #halloween #skulls
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 21/10/2025
Larry Copeland hosted a gathering of tattoo and piercing fans at his Hoboken, NJ residence in 1974/5. In attendance was Emil Gundelach who continued getting tattooed into his 90s, Tatu Scotty, Spider Webb, Dave Slack, Mary, and Ken Meyer (among other unnamed friends)
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 21/10/2025
filmadelphia.org/movies/frank...
filmadelphia.org
FRANKENSTEIN (BOURSE) - Philadelphia Film Society
Official Selection of PFF34! Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro reimagines Mary Shelley's classic tale of a brilliant scientist and the creature his monstrous ambition brings to life.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 21/10/2025
🤘🏻
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 21/10/2025
Dave Slack was a queer tattoo artist who worked in NYC in the 1970s/80s. He appeared in the legendary gay xxx video "NYC INFERNO" (playing a tattoo artist). This clip, recorded in approx 1974/5, also features Emil Gundelach, Larry Copeland, Key Meyer, and Spider Webb. sacreddebris.com
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 21/10/2025
It'll be playing in Philly. Well worth seeing on the big screen!
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Cassie DeBord @cassietattoos.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Real American Patriot Betty Boop at your service 🫡 #bettyboop #traditionaltattoos
A picture of a tattoo of Betty Boop. She is entirely comprised of bombs, swords, guns, pills and blood. All things the artist associates with America.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 12/10/2025
Im seeing it tomorrow. HUGE Tron fan, but yeah man- the Leto thing has me just hoping that it at least looks cool in 3D
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 12/10/2025
I was a bar GM for a decade or so and can confirm. After a long shift of babysitting annoying drunks, we'd always relax with a couple five cocktails.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 09/10/2025
Updates: Despite covering the nudity, this got a nudity tag here on Bluesky, and the uncensored pic was flagged on patreon as pornography. I appealed there and won, since it's NOT pornography, but since Bluesky's CEO is starting to go "full Musk" I'll likely not win the appeal here.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 07/10/2025
This is the length (heh) I go to to not get banned on Instagram again. Leg tattoos by Raven sacreddebris.com
A fully tattooed body with a banner blurring his penis reading NSFMeta
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 10/09/2025
Remind me to send you this video clip!!
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 10/09/2025
Underground queer tattoo shop, 1975. Ken Meyer (Florida) working on a homoerotic back tattoo. Screenshot from video. sacreddebris.com
a red screen that reads UNDERGROUND, FLORIDA USA 1975
blurry screen shot of a man tattooing another man, 1970shomoerotic tattoo, 1970s
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 02/09/2025
I think he released a fourth!
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 30/08/2025
I reckon a nice charcuterie plate, maybe a Mai Tai, and non-stop laughing.
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Sacred Debris @bodymodificationarchive.com · 24/08/2025
On Aug 16th, I gave the first in a series of lectures on the under documented history of Queer Tattooing. We covered a basic primer on some of the early (1960s-80s) queer tat pioneers, then dug into cruising culture documentarian/tattooer John Dagion. This book serves as a lecture companion...
blurb.com
Indelible Identities 01: John Dagion by Shawn Porter | Blurb Books
Find Indelible Identities 01: John Dagion by Shawn Porter at Blurb Books. Compiled as a companion to his August 2025 lecture at BMXNet in Berlin, Germany, this 8...
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Shawn Porter @thedocumentedbody.com · 03/08/2025
The finished tattoo.
A shunga inspired tattoo of a peach and a snake. Mostly.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 05/08/2025
I travel with a little monster called "Sailor Beebo" which isn't a bear but does make me sleep better in hotels.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 02/08/2025
Robert E. Roberts - Maddog Tattoo - 1990s. Slide building is going well on the Indelible Identities lecture on Queer Tattoo History.
Screen shot of a lecture slide; a bearded man with a t-shirt that says MADDOG TATTOO is being interviewed by a possibly drunk woman in a leather hatA letter from Robert Roberts to Shawn Porter, 1997.
The letter talks about their meeting at a tattoo convention, and a desire to talk via phone.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 01/08/2025
Every time.
A greedy cat holding a churu
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 24/07/2025
it's something.
"featuring the mutual tattooed penis admiration society"
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 23/07/2025
I recently imported that whole video. It’s amazing. At least two underground queer tattoo shops were documented - think around 1974
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Old Tattooed Hippie ☮️✌️ @sauchellibot.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Chicago Tattooist Cliff Raven And A Client 1972...Adults Only Photo Of Cliff And A Client... #tattoo #tattooed #tattooing #cliffraven #tattooartist #adultsonly #nsfw
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Sacred Debris @bodymodificationarchive.com · 23/07/2025
Pleased as punch to be invited back to Berlin by the fine folks at BMXNet!
Graphic advertising two lectures in August 2025; BMXNet Shawn Porter 
Indelible Identities 01- John Dagion and Evolution of a Subculture 03 Scar Wars
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 22/07/2025
Proof copy of our lecture guide arrived with a friend. PFIQ ceased publication with issue 50 but there was one last issue cued up. Jim Ward was finally able to complete the run. So exciting.
Two books.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 22/07/2025
Sure will. It’s more a companion to the lecture than a book proper- consider it a chapter in a larger project.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 19/07/2025
I have some photos of Dr. Orr with Lemmes and Preston. Such great suits.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 17/07/2025
Our friend @savagesal.bsky.social was kind enough to reimagine a Cliff Raven design to add a little razzle dazzle to my latest book - a visual companion to the lecture I’ll be giving on #queertattoo history in less than a month!
Cover of a book titled INDELIBLE IDENTITIES A QUEER HISTORY OF TATTOOING 01: John Dagion by archivist Shawn Porter

The cover feature a traditional tattoo design of a swallow and heart with a banner reading QUEER, designed by Savage Sal.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 23/06/2025
Along with Ed Hardy & Don Nolan, Cliff Raven was one of a handful of Western artists responsible for popularizing Japanese influenced large scale tattooing to America. He was also an out gay man. Screenshot from 50+ year old video at an underground queer tattoo shop. Sacreddebris.com
A smiling bearded man tattooing a naked friend.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 22/06/2025
I feel like a one-trick pony lately. All of my archival energy is going towards the first lecture in the Indelible Identities series. This page is from the introduction essay on the history of Queer tattooing- the final image is from NYC's TRON - part of the future of queer representation in tattoo.
Page from INDELIBLE IDENTITIES 01: John Dagion
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 18/06/2025
Did you know that there were truck hawk conventions? I wonder if they gave out awards.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 18/06/2025
Just finished writing a footnote explaining to my readers what a "truck hawk" is. Is it worth going into glory hole etiquette or is that gilding the lily? I dont think the other tattoo historians have to make these choices, y'all.
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 18/06/2025
I did a lecture last year on museums and institutions that house tattooed human skin. 🤷🏼‍♂️
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 16/06/2025
1981 REAL PEOPLE episode excerpt. I for one think that tattoos + perversion is a rad combo. Full video is on our Patreon: Sacreddebris.com
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 15/06/2025
Fired up the VCR today for some conversion. This cassette is likely from 1981 and features Bill Mokry. Sacreddebris.com
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Occult Vibrations @occultvibrations.com · 15/06/2025
This is from the same director who, decades later, would make the full doc on Ed- Tattoo the World. I randomly ran into she and Ed in 2011. Small (tattoo) world.
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