Birthdays Take Two. (Patreon)

I don't really know anything about Astrology, but Ari and I both being born in August probably means something fancy. I'm not sure what, really, but I'm sure someone out there can figure it out. Something to do with cats, maybe.

We wouldn't be able to do what we do here at Sacred without Ari; sometimes it's front facing- check out the #bettersafethanari tag at the end of this post for his oral history interviews with current and retired piercers - and sometimes it's just keeping me engaged and encouraging me to keep digging, work on the zines, and not get lost under a sea of ephemera.

Either way, today is his birthday and I hope you'll all join me in wishing him a happy one, sending him some love, and thanking him for all that he brings to keeping body art history alive. 

Photo: Mike Natali (formerly of Silver Anchor Enterprises, Bravo! Body Jewelry, and piercing protégé of Jack Yount), Shawn Porter (me), and Ari Pimsler in Ybor City, Florida in 2015. Photo by Jay Nolan. 

Photo 2: Shawn and Ari at brunch, also by Jay.