Mike Trike started tattooing early 1980 in West Mifflin , Pennsylvania , just south of Pittsburgh. He spent some time bouncing around the country tattooing at motorcycle ralleys back when tattooers where not a penny a dozen like they are now.
Mike eventually met National Tattoo Association , Tattoo Artist of the Year winner Dave "Zap" Zappia in Lost Wages , Nevada. Who with a bit of arm twisting from Don Nolan, took Mike under his wing and taught him how to be a real tattooer/artist. Dave was pretty hardcore about the traditions and history of modern electric tattooing and pounded that ethic into Mike.
To this day , Mike has the same Old School mentality concerning the Art and Craft of tattooing to the point of having total distaine , contempt and lack of respect for ANY so called tattooer/artist who calls a TATTOO MACHINE a gun.
"If my TATTOO MACHINE is a GUN , then YOUR MOTHER is a WHORE !", often gets quoted to the so called artist who does not have the respect to learn the propper name of the sacred instrument of tattooing. He don't care how many awards or magazine publishings an artist has under their belt . If an artist can't respect his/her chosen craft enough to call their tools by the correct name , but use gutter street terms instead , no kudos from Mike. (Man... what an asshole.) Anyhow...Over the years Mike has collected his fair share of awards and pics in magazines. All of witch are stashed away in a box in a closet somewhere. "They're a pain in the ass to keep dusted off and shiney and most people really don't give rat's ass how many awards or years of increasing one's skills and knowledge may be involved , just so they get a DEAL . Fuck them and the whore that brithed them. " Another infamous Mike Trike quote.
Back on topic here...Mike spent a couple of years working for Zap (who by the way, is probably one of the best unkown tattoo artist around. ) at Zap's shop in Balston Spa , NY and Lost Wages , Nevada , as well as traveling around the country with Zap in Zap's mobile studio.
Mike eventually went to Kalifornia to work for Fat Mike Tandy at Berdoo Tattoo in San Bernardino. Fat Mike was another of those old school guys with a colorful past , who turned Mike on to more knowledge and ins and outs of the business end of tattooing. During the four years Mike worked for Fat Mike , he also worked and managed Fat Mike's Ink Feaver Tattoo studio in Rubideux in Riverside county.
During Mike's tenure with Fat Mike , he had the oppertunity to work with some very top notch old school artists , always increasing his knowledge and skills.
Eventually it was time for Mike to move on. On Feb 14,1988 , Mike along with another artist opened what became the world reknown Empire Tattoo in Rialto , Ca. A short while after opening Empire they were joined by custom car painter Shawn Warcot. Shawn apprenticed at Empire where he became a top shelf award winning tattoo artist himself.
During Trike's time at Empire he and his partners opend shops in Riverside, Upland, Catheadral City and Redlands , Kalifornia. They also apprenticed a few artists who also became top shelf award winners as well. For a number of years Empire Tattoo was the place to sling ink and quite a number of kick ass tattoo artists spent time as guests or on staff at one or more of the Empire Tattoo Studios , with the parent shop in Rialto being the big feather in one's cap.
Mike eventually became burned out on the over crowding and increasingly third world conditions of what had become "mexifornia" , and in 2007 moved back to the United States and opened Keystone Tattoo Co. in Keystone (the hometown of Mt Rushmore) South Dakota. Where he is now located.
