19/08/2024
Flo is out of the office but she wanted to express her condolences to the families of Dick Goldman and Rand Johnson. It’s so very hard to lose beloved members of our tattoo family.
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National Tattoo Association originally started as the National Tattoo Club of the World . The Dec. 1976 issue started to list the nicknames of our members.
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NTA FACEBOOK DOES NOT PROMOTE ANY SALES OF ANY KIND...WE ARE AN INFORMATION DRIVIN AND OUR DESIRE IS TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU...
PLEASE VISIT OUR ONLINE NEWSLETTER https://ntanewsletter.com/ The owners of National Tattoo Supply started the club back in early 1976 as an unregistered organization. There were no dues to join because the National Tattoo Supply Company paid for everything. You did not ha
ve to be recommended to join; you did not have to send in photos of your work, etc. Whoever bought from National Tattoo Supply automatically became a member of the club. April 1976 was the release of our first newsletter, and back then it was a 3 page stapled letter. The second issue had a few black and white photos of tattoos and stepped up to 8 pages. Our fourth issue (Oct. 1976) was the beginning of the Featured Artists sections of our newsletter. Our first featured artist was Jerry FLY Colewell from East Patchogue, NY. August 1977, the 9th issue, was the newsletters' debut in the form of a magazine. April/May 1978, the 13th issue, was the last free issue of the newsletter. This issue featured the Skuse Family and the Amsterdam I.T.A.A. (International Tattoo Artists Association) Convention. The actual start of The National Tattoo Club of the World as a True Organization really began in 1978. When I.T.A.A. started to flounder Peter Tat2 Poulos and his wife Dianne called National Tattoo Supply to say they would help I.T.A.A. put on their conventions. Flo Makofske, one of the owners of National Tattoo Supply, called the president of I.T.A.A. with Peter and Dianne's offer. The I.T.A.A. declined the offer. A few days later Peter and Diane called back and said why not make "The National Tattoo club of the World" a non-profit organization. It was talked over, and ground rules and regulations for joining were implemented. The owners of National Tattoo supply went to a lawyer and set it all up. The officers were then named: Philadelphia Eddie-President, Don Makofske - Vice President and Flo Makofske - Secretary/Treasurer. The by -laws were set up for a five (5) year term running from June 1978- May 1983 with no officers receiving any salaries. It was also set up that you would need to be recommended by two (2) Artist members to join and that we would cap the membership off at 1,000 members as we were looking for quality not quantity in our membership. Dues were set up to be $15.00 a year at that time. It was also set up that the Board of Directors, which just consisted of the officers, would form a quorum that would be able to change any of the by-laws at any time. The first National Convention was set up for Denver, Colorado March 23rd - 25th, 1979 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The officers of the N.T.A.(National Tattoo Association) sat down with Peter, Dianne, and Larry Romano, as they were going to be in charge of the security and negotiating with the hotel and such, and discussed the rules and regulations of the contests, the dinner, the welcome party, having suppliers there, etc. This was to be a Convention to promote tattooing and only Tattooing. After the Convention in Denver it was discussed which, if any, rules and regulations should be put into the by-laws. Since we weren't quite unanimous in some of the subjects we sent out a questionnaire for the entire membership to vote on. We asked if they wanted conventions to continue, Should the Press be invited, should there be tattooing, if yes 1 day, 2 days, the entire convention?, Should awards be given out, and for which catagories?, How should they be voted on and by whom?, If no convention would they like a vacation meeting, what type of resort, summer or winter?, What month?, etc. Should suppliers be allowed to pass out catalogs and or sell their equipment? What would you like included or eliminated from conventions?, Should clubs continue?, Should newsletters continue?, Should Fans be allowed to join?, what qualifications for fans to join? Same for Artists?, Any other comments you'd like to say, etc. The outcome was that you wanted conventions, every year. You wanted contests and wanted them judged by all attending. You wanted the club to continue along with the newsletter. Fans could join only if they were already members. If new ones wanted to join they had to be recommended by 2 tattooists in the club and have at least 4 tattoos, send in photos of themselves and the name or names of their tattooists. Artists who were already members could remain members any new tattooists wishing to join had to send in photos of their work, their business card, photo of themselves in their studio or the studio they worked in and they needed to be recommended by 2 artist members.
14/08/2024
Drop a note to Ronda.....
View Richard (Dick) Goldman's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.
13/08/2024
My friends on FB may have seen this on my wall but I want to pass the sad news on to all NTA and others, we lost long time member Dick Goldman last week. At 87 he went to bed and left us in his sleep. Dick was a quick wit with a million dollar smile. If he was your friend he WAS your friend. He always volunteered on many levels at NTA, doorman, es**rt, lecturer. This photo is Dick and his good buddy, Sting (another onery one!) He was devoted to his beautiful daughter, Rhonda, and shared her passion for hockey (the woman PLAYS!). Peace to you, dear man, Peace. (more will follow when Rhonda shares his funeral plans)
24/06/2024
The battles many went through to get you where you are today.
21/06/2024
A GIANT shout out to Flo and Don as they celebrate their 66th wedding anniversary!
14/06/2024
07/06/2024
Once again we have been alerted to jerks who demand a $200 'donation' to NTA in order to fulfill a deposit and tattoo. Under NO circumstances is this authorized nor accepted by NTA. If you are approached this way, take a screen shot of the communications and message it to us.
23/05/2024
Lady of Cao’s tattoos. Lady of Cao, who might have been a high ranking priestess or even a Moche ruler, died in c. 450 CE when she was in her mid twenties, possibly of complications due to pregnancy or childbirth. Cao Museum, Peru
13/05/2024
Take note: Instagram scam where they are posing as an Asian tattooer going on a world tour and after getting a $$$ then state they must have a $$$ donation the National Tattoo as well. NOPE, not true!
24/01/2024
Judy got nailed by the flooding......she's always been there for NTA and tattooers around the world. It's our turn to pay back!
Hi, my name is Jane and I’m fundraising for my sister Judy Parker. She is a tattoo artist and o… Jane Fonda needs your support for Judy Parker’s Flood Damage
14/01/2024
Rest in Peace, Jerry.
16/11/2023
Aweeeesome movie!
Jonah Hex (2010) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
21/10/2023
Flo and Don are great grandparents again!!! Beautiful Samantha and her husband welcomed a healthy baby boy this week!!!! Seems like just yesterday she and her sister were just kids hanging out with us at the shows, huh?! (Privacy is a priority…no photos, last names, etc).
27/09/2023
HAPPIEST OF DAYS TO THE ONE AND ONLY MAGNIFICENT
FLO MAKOFSKE!!!
17/05/2023
Welcome
Flo’s Two Bits – May - June 2023
Well, it’s been a long, long time since I wrote my column for the NTA Website. The last one I wrote was for the NTA March – April 2021 online newsletter. A lot has happened since then. Red had to put the NTA membership on a hiatus due to many reasons. First he had us booked on a cruise to Cuba for 2019 but then it wound up being cancelled because Cuba was closed once more and US citizens could not go there so Red quickly called Brian Everett and asked him if he would give us a space for the NTA family at his Albuquerque Convention in July 2019 so we could be there and hold our own little meeting and decide where to go from there. Brian so graciously did just that and that was good. It worked perfectly because so many NTA Members were already going there anyway. So, 2019 was OK. We got to meet a lot of members there. So… then Red booked a Cruise to the W Caribbean Islands for 2020 but we had to cancel that because then the worst of all happened… the world got hit with COVID 19 in 2020 and of course the cruise was cancelled. Covid wound up causing many businesses to shut down. But worse than that, people all over the world died from it. Members were not thinking about rejoining the NTA as they had other priorities at the time – like feeding their families and keeping a roof over their head. IT was tough and so Red said – let’s hold up for a while – not give up – but hold up… So, he tried again and booked a cruise to Alaska for 2021 and guess what? – Yep you got it - too soon for cruises with COVID still hanging around threatening us all so that cruise was also cancelled on us. And so… rejoining the NTA membership was not on any one’s minds then and so Red was glad he put us on a Hiatus. But… he didn’t give up he was now hanging on for dear life trying to keep us (The NTA Family) alive and booked another cruise – this time for the spring of 2022 to Iceland and Greenland. Sadly, COVID was still hanging around and so only 6 went on it but those 6 are a big part of the backbone of the NTA Family. They help all day and night at the NTA Conventions at registrations, counting ballots, selling 50/50 tickets, I could go on and on. My Thanks Again to Lori & Pierre St. Arnault, Amber & Joeri D’Hondt, and Vicki & Armadillo Red for all they do for the NTA. And from all the stories they told me I am so mad that we didn’t go – but we were afraid of the damn COVID that was still lurking around.
Red tried so many different things to keep us all together though. And Red decided that he would host this NTA Family reunion this May. I don’t have the exact number of people there but… It was wonderful seeing you all again. Knew we missed you guys but didn’t realize just how much till we got there. And from what you all told me you all missed everyone too and said we have to do this again.
What we didn’t know was that on Saturday evening at dinner, Red set it up to be a tribute to Don & I for our part in creating this WONDERFUL NTA FAMILY. Don & I would like to say THANK YOU to all of you for your kind words – you made me cry (as my one granddaughter would say) “Happy Tears right Nana?” Yes Happy Tears for sure. Remembering all the good times and the not so good times like the food fight at the NTA’s first Orlando convention back in 1988. At that time my thoughts were, “OH NO!” I’m not going to be able to book us into any hotel after that one. But the following year in 1989 in Arlington, TX the hotel – while leery about us since we were having a BBQ out by the pool and all they could think about is if they do that here it is going to be one Hell of a mess to clean up – however, they were glad we were there and even happier because there was no food fight. They loved our group and wanted us to come back to their hotel again.
Yes, we had a few bumps in the road over the 39 conventions the NTA put on from the first one in Denver Colorado in 1979 – the last one in Orlando in 2018. But we got through them all.
Every hotel in the beginning really didn’t want to book us – not “Those Tattooed People” But every hotel we had – including the one in Orlando in 1988 - begged us to come back to them again and again. They all told me we were the best group they ever had in their hotel.
The first bump in the road was in 1984 at our first Philly Convention. We only found out about it around 2 weeks before the convention. It seems the hotel had two sales managers and neither one knew what the other had booked for the weekend we were going to be there. We were both booked for the same - one and only large ballroom - in this hotel. Us for tattooing and the other for a wedding reception. There wasn’t another ballroom big enough for each group. After a lot of hassling back and forth I relinquished that ballroom to the bride and groom but also got a discount from the hotel for making us squeeze into a little area for our tattoo booths. They knocked off the price of the large room rental and gave us double the amount of Hors’Doeuvres at no extra charge for our Welcome Party. So, it did work out for both groups and the Bride and Groom said they were so grateful to us for relinquishing that ballroom to them. It all worked out in the end but at the time I was so afraid it wouldn’t – so glad it did .
Unbeknownst to Don and me, our nephew Bill Funk did a slide show and talked about us while the slides were being shown – some were a bit embarrassing – but funny even to us – and some were down right hilarious like the photo Bill Photo shopped where he placed Don in his NYC Motorcycle police officer uniform that was designed after the German Gestapo hahaha And Bill put Don in a photo alongside of Hi**er and made a few funny comments about that uniform and the company he was with.
Bill also mentioned the wedding reception and the NTA being booked in the same ballroom and the infamous food fight in Orlando. Still do not know where he got all the photos he used for that slide show.
So many of you got up and said such nice things about us, but really - there wouldn’t have been an NTA Family if it weren’t for all of you who joined and came to the conventions when you could. Like I said, “I Just told you all where to go!” And… I am so glad you came.
I want to THANK EVERY ONE of you who were members over all the years and all of you who were able to attend any of the conventions. It wasn’t just Don & me. It was all of us wanting an NTA FAMILY and from everything that was said in Orlando May 4-9th none of us want it to end. So, keep tuned there may be another reunion in the future… We’d like to THANK Vicki & Red for continuing to run the conventions for us and trying to keep us all together. And especially for giving us this reunion. And all of you who came, and all who wished they could have been there, and all the nice things you said about us, and for all the wonderful and not so wonderful memories because you all belonged to this wonderful NTA Family. WE sure do appreciate & love this NTA FAMILY. Again…
THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE AND MEMORIES
HOPE IT’S NOT OVER...FLO
07/05/2023
Just heard from Snake and he’s healing well! Sure missed him this weekend!
20/04/2023
It is with a heavy, heavy heart that we announce the passing of Max McGruder, Mr. Max to many. He was a talented tattooer, a gentleman, and devout 32 yr NTA member who always raised his hand at our volunteer meetings. He wasn't just a good man, but a great man on so many levels. Our condolences to the love of his life, wife Barbara. Sigh......
15/11/2022
Peace to you, Kate, peace.
10/09/2022
Heartbreaking to post that we lost a great one, folks,
Tony Olivas
So talented, so cool. As Bud/Flo would say, DANG. Sigh.
11/06/2022
Remember our roots
30/05/2022
Sailor Jerry rests in the 'Arlington of the Pacific', The Punchbowl Cemetery, Oahu, Hawaii.
26/05/2022
Another legend lost.
18/11/2021
JOY! JOY! JOY! So happy to announce Flo's granddaughter, Shannon, and hubby Ryan have brought into our world Wednesday a BEAUTIFUL baby girl, Freya! 6lb 6oz, 19" long! (sorry, no photos, the world is nuts anymore) Wasn't it just yesterday I watched her do her first tattoo in Seattle?? YIKES! But Mama, Papa, big sister Gaia are all doing fabulous!
04/11/2021
Our dear friend, Rand Johnson (Cherry Creek brand), lost his son. Our deepest condolences to Rand and his family
Share memories & support the family
20/10/2021
Dave and I are at the Doubletree Hilton in Orlando where NTA did conventions for a few years, and our final, last show. I have to say walking in the lobby choked me up…I expected to see our good buddies once again. Many of the staff remember us with glowing compliments! And a number of staff asked about ‘the lead lady’ (Flo)! They send their respects to the folks who attended!
27/09/2021
OK EVERYONE...TODAY IS FLO'S BIRTHDAY...
https://www.facebook.com/flo.makofske
27/09/2021
There are people who influence lives and then there are people who INFLUENCE lives! Imagine taking on an international organization founded in your basement, building it to sponsor conventions across America. Organizing (herding?) high spirited, talented artists to get together, to GET ALONG, and put forth the show of shows in tattooing. A person who could balance personalities and get these folks to pull in ONE direction. A person who knows secrets AND KEEPS THEM about soooo many in the trade. I can’t begin to count the careers she and NTA helped launch, ours included.
I was blessed to see a wee bit behind the scenes of NTA as we would arrive in our next location (which had been under organization for better than a year) and go into the stock room where 100’s of boxes, all numbered/named, would be stacked waiting for their appropriate volunteer to begin their end of the task of a convention. That never ceased to amaze me how it was done…and she will tell ya ‘we have great people’. Yeah, we do, but we have a GREAT LEADER to begin with. She did this with passion and love for the trade, for all of us involved. FOR 39 YEARS!!
Quick to laugh, quick to hug, quick to give THE LOOK if needed. There is but one Flo Makofske….a dynamo in a tiny package! Today is her birthday and I hope you all reach out to tell her what a gem she is! Sending you much love and respect, dear Lady! LOVES YA!
Peggy Sucher
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