: Lil' Tommy McCarter, Tattooist

Lil' Tommy McCarter was born in Spartanburg, SC on January 9, 1976. Shortly threrafter, he began to draw on himself and hasn't stopped since. Tommy grew up drawing as a means of self-expression and escape - just a hobby, but always a constant exercise. That is, until his uncle cam e home from prison with a small Star Tattoo on his leg. Once Tommy learned that this was a Permanent Artform, which his uncle has chosen to place on himself and carry with him throughout his life, he was infatuated. Tommy remained interested in art, and particularly tattooing through school. It was in highschool that Tommy took his first formal Art class. When assigned a written report on "A Career in Art", he (of course) chose 'Tattooist' and went about researching and writing a report he was proud of. However, seeing as how he was still living in South Carolina, and Tattooing is Illegal throughout the state, Tommy's teacher dismissed his work and gave his paper an "F".

This only proved to fuel Tommy's fire, as he went on to move to Greensboro after highschool and got a job shortly thereafter in 1994. The shop was called Living Arts, and that's where he met Little John Bury in 1995, at Little John's Infinite Art in Greensboro, NC. Tommy started spending more and more time around the shop - watching, learning. Tommy started working, just making himself busy around the shop, making needles, and doing anything else he could to help out around the shop. Little HJohn proved to be the driving force behind Tommy starting his career as a Tattooist, with encouragement and the sometimes-needed 'Kick In the Ass'.

7 years later, Tommy felt is was time to move on, and after working-out a full notice with Little John, Tommy hit the open road for some travel. Not long thereafter, he was fortunate to grab the open spot at ACE and the rest they say... Is the present.

Why "Little" Tommy? Ask his Dad - at 6'4" / 220 lbs he had no other choice!