BJ BETTS

Retraction: In the printed version of this article, Inked incorrectly published that BJ Betts was a Navy SEAL. Mr. Betts was an Operations Specialist in the Navy, he was never a Navy SEAL and has never purported to be one. Mr. Betts is very proud of his military service, we are beyond thankful for his contribution to the country and are woefully embarrassed that in the magazine we made it appear as if he answered a question in which we asked him about his time as a Navy SEAL. Some time between Mr. Betts being asked the question and it being published the word SEAL was inexplicably added to the question during the editing process. Again, for this we are ashamed. We ask the forgiveness of Mr. Betts, those in our military who hold sacred ranks and occupations, and you the reader. You can’t talk lettering tattoos without speaking the name BJ Betts. Having written four guides on the subject, Betts has become a household name in the tattoo industry-setting the standard for lettering and fonts across the globe. The former Operations Specialist in the United States Navy received a medical discharge and found the same camaraderie of military life in the tattoo community. Coming up under artists Bo McConnaghie and Zach “Havok” Domstead of August Moon in Bear, Delaware, Betts strived to learn as much as he possibly could about tattooing, even if his apprenticeship was a little informal. Hoping to become proficient in every style of tattooing, he tackled the task of perfecting his lettering after realizing that typography, as an art, was being overlooked by most artists. Having created an unknown number of fonts, it is safe to say that Betts has made his mark on the industry as a whole and it will be interesting to see how he will write the future of typographical tattooing letter by letter. INKED: Can you tell us about your musical background? BETTS: I started out playing the saxophone when I was eight years old and played a few other percussion instruments. Ultimately, my love of music led to me being a DJ. I started out helping a local DJ with wedding receptions, birthday parties and smaller stuff when I was 12, and stuck with it throughout my teen years. I deejayed some pretty decent-sized gigs with some pretty famous DJs like Cash Money, Cosmic Kev and Jazzy. Looking back at it now, it was pretty epic! You were in the military—what branch, how long, and what was your specialty? I was an Operations Specialist in the United States Navy for just under nine years. I operated radar and shipboard navigation, controlled ship communications for naval gunfire support missions, and reported on combat information. I ended up working in the Special Warfare community, but an injury stopped me from making it my career. At the time it was devastating, but it was one of those blessings in disguise. I really love where I’m at now in my career, my life and my journey through it. I would’ve missed so much of my daughter’s life growing up—the kind of stuff you can’t put a price on. Like, we were all told by our Commanding Officer, “If the Navy wanted you to have a family, they would’ve issued you one in boot camp!” How did you make the jump from the military life to tattooer? I received a medical discharge and had to start looking at other options. I wanted to do something I loved. I loved the travel and camaraderie of military life, but I really had no idea that tattooing would fill those needs and wants on a large scale. Tattooing has given me the opportunity to travel and meet so many people I consider to be life-long friends. Did you have a formal apprenticeship? If not, how did you begin your tattoo career? I didn’t have a formal apprenticeship, unfortunately. My good friend Jeff Godwin talked me into trying to make tattoos and I eventually made my first one on him. I really started tattooing while I was on active duty in the military because there was no shortage of people who wanted tattoos. Jeff landed a proper apprenticeship and he passed a lot of the stuff he was learning along to me… so it was like I had a secondhand apprenticeship of sorts. Definitely not the way I would recommend learning. I was just scratching along with little direction and no real idea of what the hell I was doing. I’m sure there are a few people walking around with some questionable tattoos they got from me way back when. When I got out of the Navy, I was on a mission to learn as much as I possibly could about tattooing. I started working full time at a shop named August Moon, in Bear, Delaware, the day after I was discharged and never looked back. When you first started tattooing who did you look up to? I worked with a great bunch of guys at the shop and looked up to them not only as fellow artists, but as daily inspiration. Bo McConnaghie and Zach “Havok” Domstead (rest in peace) were the guys at August Moon that I really clicked with and were the ones that had the biggest impact when I first started tattooing. There were also a few local Philly tattooers who were doing some amazing work that I developed a good friendship with. Dave Fox, Jason Goldberg, and Erik Reith, to name a few. They had only been tattooing a few years longer than me at that point, but it seemed like they were so far ahead. I also looked up to well-known tattooers like Jack Rudy, Freddy Negrete, Filip Leu and Ed Hardy. I have also been fortunate enough to work alongside some of the most inspirational people who have not only impacted my career, but have influenced my outlook on life and my understanding of the tattoo industry as a whole. People like Bert Krak, Grime, Mike Wilson, Dan Smith, Todd Noble, Scott Sylvia, Tim Hendricks, Mike Dorsey, Mike Rubendall, Henry Lewis and Shawn Barber. The list is long. You’re known for your lettering. Why did you decide to focus on typography? I always wanted to be proficient in every style of tattooing, including lettering. It was almost by default that it turned into what it is now. I felt that typography was getting lost in tattooing. You would see these amazing tattoos: solid color, perfect execution, but the lettering was terrible. It just ruined the tattoo. There were a few tattooers back then who were known for doing some great lettering, but it wasn’t their focus. Now there are tattooers who only do lettering. That’s awesome to me. How does typography fit into artistry? Typography is an art in and of itself. It just happens to be an art that is overlooked by a lot of people. There’s something really special about a crazy hand-style. You’ve really set the standard for lettering. How many styles have you’ve created? That’s a tough one. I can’t say with certainty. Is there a particular script that you think tattooers should retire? No. I don’t think that it’s up to the tattooers to decide that. I think the customers should dictate that. Plus, just when I think I’m tired of seeing a particular style, somebody just kills it and refreshes my outlook on it. Are there particular words that you refuse to tattoo (hate words, couples’ names, etc)? I don’t get down with any of the hate stuff. As for names? My rule of thumb is that if they want it bad enough and I don’t do it, they’ll just go somewhere else. I may as well do the tattoo so it’s done well. Have you ever made a spelling mistake in a tattoo, and if not, how diligent are you with checking? Nope. I’ve done a wrong date once, but it was the date that the customer gave me…I obviously had no idea when their grandmother was born. Where would you say is the most challenging area to tattoo? In Berlin, due to the EU ink restrictions. Just kidding. It’s particularly challenging to tattoo any part of the body where there’s loose skin, or parts of the body that are more sensitive because people tend to move around a little more.