The Indie Ink Runs Deep: Ryan W Bradley

I've been tossing around the idea of blogging a tattoo series for nearly a year now. I know there are websites and books out there that have been-there-done-that already, but I hadn't seen one with a specific focus on the authors and publishers of the small press community. 

After hoarding the photos and essays I've been collecting from these guys since July of 2012, and with the promise of spring peeking its deliciously sunny head out through all of this winter gloom, I decided there was no better time than now to finally unveil THE INDIE INK RUNS DEEP mini-series!

Today's indie ink is from a TNBBC favorite... Ryan W Bradley. Ryan has pumped gas, changed oil, painted houses, swept the floor of a mechanic's shop, worked on a construction crew in the Arctic Circle, fronted a punk band, and managed an independent children's bookstore. He now designs book covers. He received his MFA from Pacific University and his poetry and fiction has been published widely online and in print. He is the author of three poetry chapbooks, a story collection, PRIZE WINNERS (Artistically Declined Press, 2011) and CODE FOR FAILURE, his debut novel (Black Coffee Press, 2012). His poetry homage to Pablo Neruda, THE WAITING TIDE will arrive in 2013 from Curbside Splendor. He lives in Oregon with his wife and two sons.

I have been in love with Maurice Sendak's illustrations for as long as I can remember, especially the world and creatures of Where the Wild Things Are. I remember wanting tattoos when I was as young as 9. One of my earliest ideas was to get my favorite Wild Thing, Bernard, tattooed on me. The years passed and the idea never left, but got pushed off in favor of other tattoos. Then Sendak passed away. It made me immeasurably sad for the art the world would miss out on. I knew it was time to get my Bernard tattoo. I had him done holding Max's crown in remembrance of Sendak, who will forever be one of my favorite artists.

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Because Ryan is the cool dude that he is, he's also shared a sound bite of himself reading from Where the Wild Things are.. Take a listen: