Ol Poop & Rudy's Tattoo - Jackalope Enterprises - Notorious Ed - Mike Burford - Ed Potter RIPOFF apprenticeship program dishonest Bryan Texas

The website and majority of the links associated with this business/school are now defunct. I'm going to assume most of the information is also outdated. None of the links to the actual tattoo shops are active and info on all of the students is also outdated. I tried filling out the info sheet as I was interested in learning more, but again, the link is down. Does anyone know if they are still even in business?

The only thing that we accept full responsibility for is the out-dated info on our old web-sites from when we were in Austin, Texas. We admit that we waited far too long to up-date these sites, and now, after considerable re-working by our over-worked Web-Master, the new sites are finally up, and running. These new sites for the Apprenticeship Program, the International Institute of Tattoo, are:

internationalinstituteoftattoo.com

All of the details of this program are laid out in detail, including info on Bryan / College Station, other related educational opertunities avaible locally, and a Courese Curriculum. You can also take the test for the Texas Dep. of Health Services Tattoo Regulations on-line. and respond to the Tattoo Apprentice Questionaire.

myspace.com/instituteoftattoo

You can meet the other apprentices on-line. They will be glad to discuss their participation in the program, and will be glad to answer any of your questions.

Please go to these sites, read over the info, talk to the other students, and make-up your own mind. If you are truely serious about becomming a professional tattoo artist, we think that you will agree that this is the only program of its' kind, and is probably one of your best, (if not the only), way to go.

Thank you for your time,
Notorious Ed, Master Tattooist
International Institute of Tattoo
Ol' Poop & Rudy's Olde School Tattoos
Bryan / College Station, Texas

You cannot come to this program with alcohal, or drug abuse problems, and expect to suceed. You cannot over-dose on illegal drugs, be sent to a State Mental Institution for three weeks and expect to continue in our program. You cannot be a hard-core alcohalic, and come to work drunk and expect to still have a job.
In the 15 years that we have had this program, the only problems that we cannot, and will not deal with are alcohal and drug abuse, and the problems that come with them. During this time there have been less than 6 instances in which we have had to force anyone from our program, and the root problem in all of these incidents was drugs, or alcohal.
Because of this, we now require that all applicants first meet with us in person so that not only can we determine whether they are right for our concentrated, and intense course, but also so they can see for themselves just what they are getting into before making such a serious commitment.
I have problems with the credibility of sites like this where anyone with a personal axe to grind, or a chip on their shoulder can post anything they want with out proof. I suppose you put the right label on it yourselves, "Revenge". One only has to look at the orriginal posting, written by Johnny's dad, and then the completely contrary rebuttal from his mother, (who actually paid for it), as well as rebuttals from former apprentices to see the inequity of it.
I will not respond to this pathetic character assination any longer. We stand by our program, and invite anyone who is interested in the truth to call either of our studios in Bryan / College Station and talk to anyone of our current apprentices, ask them anything that you want about the program, or how they think they are being treated, how much they have learned, their successes, whatever. Come to Bryan/ College Station, meet us, and decide for yourself.
The phone numbers to our studios are:
Ol' Poop & Rudy's Olde School Tattoos and Professional Piercing - (979) 823-4500

Pinky's New School Tattoos & Exotic Piercing - (979)691-0634

or you can go to to the following sites:
www.olpoopandrudysoldeschooltattoos.com
www.pinkystattoo.com
or you can check-up on our current apprentices at
www.toontownetattoo.com

Mike Burford
President

I was hired as a General Manger by Mr. Burford and his wife Cindy. I also was in charge of luring unsuspecting new apprentices into the $10,000.00 ripoff classes (I got a cut) I told Mike Burford it was all wrong and he fired me and locked me out.. I lost all my customized Equipment (I had been tattooing for over 10 years) Also he stole a brand new color copy machine, Ultrasonic cleaners, Over 150 bottles of ink, 100's of colored designs, Tubes and needles galore, powersupply, Hundreds of photos of my previous work, Portfolios and allot more.. And then he terrorized my family to the point we had to flee TX.. THIS MAN IS DANGEROUS AND IS A CON-MAN!!

I saw him rip people off daily and he was proud of it.. His daily routine Every morning go to the graveyard by his house and smoke a joint.. That would get his head together to face the day... I KNOW MY FAMILY LIVED WITH HIM AND CINDY FOR A WEEK OR TWO!! I KNOW THE WHOLE OPERATION AND THE ENTIRE CON-GAME!!! I was shown and I was told..

many apprenticeships are free,clear the cobwebs off your shop door and get out once in a while.the alliance of professional tattoo artists and piercers is a joke,anyone can join with a receipt of equipment thats a certain date old,so johnny scratcher gets his tattoo kit and has an "apt" sticker. now hes a pro?the little informative sessions at seminars and conventions are merely added tidbits of info for already established artists.you act as if this is still 1967.it aint and you aint in kansas no more dorothy.times have changed and will continue to do so with the free flow of information provided by the net,the hands on bit is learned thru apprenticeship if done proper.but many great artists have made it without.Old schoolers hate losing money to new artists and new shops so they want to keep all the info private and charge a ton for teaching some kid.they probably even think teaching them about crosscon is extra fee

farmer here, in regards to all the name dropping and code of silence,secret art,masters,-save it for the stencil monkeys at your shop dude. no matter how you look at it-10,000 is too much. ive been tattooing long enough and have been around the whole united states to know these guys are rip offs. in texas you can let your apprentice go home with his machines.if you think they will scratch out of their kitchen,why did you take on someone like that in the first place. anyone can research most tattoo forums and verify what i am saying about the cost and everyone knows that the artists personal artwork is his own creative property and no one else can own it unless it was sold.paying for an apprenticeship doesnt constitute selling your portfolio or getting robbed of your equipment. apprenticeships dont always work out for many reasons-attitudes mostly and tattoo artists have plenty.so the best thing is to give the apprentice his crap and let him go find another shop he might do better in.if he scratches with it,i guess thats on him. shops cant be responsible for that.and the equipment-he can buy garbage at superior or unimax.its better if he had the better stuff he made or was given

Response to Ted (1st Posting)

Your son did indeed come to us in 2004. He was represented to be an art prodigy of National standing, whose work had been featured in the Smithsonian Gallery, but who was not able to be financially successful, (in fact he had never been able to support himself). Being from the Alternative (Punk) Culture he was sure that in tattoos he had found his medium. Except for 2 small (Quarter size) Radio Head logos, he had no experience on either side of the Tattoo Needle.

He had a couple of small problems; He was Dyslexic, had ADD, was on medication, and had a nervous condition that would sometimes cause his hand to shake so violently that he could not hold the Tattoo Machine without dropping it.

Even though there would be many obstacles to be overcome before Johnny would be able to realize his dream of being a Nationally Recognized, and successful Professional Tattoo Artist, we agreed to take him on, and give him a chance.

Mr. Burford grew up on the Carnival Midway, (his Dad, Henry Valentine, owned the 4 largest Sideshows, and Human Oddities Exhibits in the world), and he has seen what extraordinary things can be accomplished by these disadvantaged, and severely handicapped people through Desire, Discipline, and Positive Re-Enforcement; Artists without arms, or hands, who learn to use their feet and toes, or their mouths do what their limbs could not, accomplish amazing feats that would stop ordinary people in their tracks. But helping talented and special people accomplish their dreams when no one else could, or would is what Mike Burford does.

I have overcome many hardships, and disabilities, myself to get to where I am now. I have had both hands broken more than once, one of the shot, and more orthopedic injuries than I care to list. Each time, I had to re-learn the most basic functions of my hands in order to have the control, and flexibility to effectively use the Tattoo Machine. I also had to deal with neurological problems due to an auto accident as a child, so, if I could do it, Johnny could do it as well, if he wanted to as bad as I did.

But Johnny's parents, Ted and Audie, didn't have the money, so we negotiated a deal (what was it you said about negotiating Ted?); they would pay down, with the remainder to be paid in $1,000 installments. We normally don't do this as we have found to our dismay that young people of today are not particular about honoring commitments, but we believed in their sincerity, and if Johnny was half as good as he was presented, and Johnny were to complete his apprenticeship, it would be a home-run for all of us.

Initially, Johnny made good progress, and Ted and Autdie were thrilled and impressed at the changes that our program had produced in him. So impressed were they that they wanted to help others to be able to have the same opportunity that their son was getting. Audie was familiar wit many Govt. Programs, and Educational Alternatives, having to make use of them for Johnny's special educational needs, and Ted had a Teaching Degree. But although Ted had extensive knowledge of Academics, he had no knowledge of Tattooing what so ever.

Ted and Audie would try to organize the Apprentice Program, converting it to a structured, and accredited course of study so that prospective Apprentices could apply for Student Aid. Audie would research the various Student Grants, and their requirements, noting which ones might be receptive to Tattooing. Ted would revue the various skills, and instruction, turning them into codified classes and semesters to produce a Syllabus. He would also review our Reading Lists, and required teaching aides, and compile them into a Course Catalogue. We even provided them with a computer to use to compile the Syllabus and Catalogue at home.

For the first few months, things went well for Johnny. We were able to teach him ways to stay mentally focused on what he was doing, and to control his nervousness and anxiety, and to steady his shaky hand. We taught him to review what he was preparing to do, and to do everything a couple of times in his mind, before committing himself to the skin. We taught him how to analyze a design, to see the relationship of the lines, to plan his strokes in advance so that he could go smoothly from one to the other. We taught him to look through the stencil, drawing the lines in the skin, instead of blindly tracing the lines, his un-sure hand shaking as his mind attempted to follow. It was never easy, but he eventually caught on, but inconsistency was his constant nemesis.

Whenever he became emotionally distraught, his mind would wander off, or seize-up, forgetting the drills and routines that formed the basis of good, sound technique that is as essential to the Tattoo Artist as it is to a Classical Musician. He would stumble, and fumble his way through the tattoo, desperately trying to force the tattoo into the shin. The end result was inconsistent work, totally un-acceptable for a professional Tattooist, though not a problem in the medium from whence he came (he could always start over, or paint over the mistakes before, but Tattoos are a performance art, and are done live, so they've got to be done right the first time). It took almost 3 months before Johnny made the Up-System, the right to tattoo on regular customers for money.

After Johnny's first 6 months, his consistency had improved significantly; sand we began to expand his repertoire, allowing him to start doing limited custom tattoos, (designs of his own, drawn to the clients order). Though Johnny was one of the most artistically talented, and schooled Apprentices that we have ever worked with, he had difficulty adapting his ideas and visions to the Tattoo Medium. Although almost any style of graphic designs imaginable are currently being done, to varying degrees of success, art that is drawn for a specific location and surface, as well as the tools, and methods that will be used to produce it will look better than one drawn with no regard other than art for art's sake. Johnny was never able to make the jump from gallery, or framed art to designs specifically drawn for Tattoos. Less than 25% of the designs that Johnny created were appropriate as tattoos, and we are still trying to catch up on all of the commissions that he accepted, but did not complete.

After about 6 months, peculiar things began to happen concerning Ted and our program. Things were not going down, and there were many delays accompanied buy explanations that didn't quite add up. We were later to learn that Ted had been compiling a private file folder on all of our files, and creating a Syllabus of his own in order to start an Apprentice Program of his own, with Johnny as the Instructor, by-passing Mike and myself. Johnny didn't want any part of this, and so informed us of Ted's plans. We immediately removed Ted of any connection with the program, and barred him from our studios. Though we removed Ted, Audie stayed, and continued to support the program, and Johnny's participation in it.

Soon after this, Ted began to send e-mails to us stating that as far as he was concerned, Johnny had already gotten his education, and that further participation in his Apprenticeship was no longer necessary, Johnny was ready to embark on a career of his own. At this time, Johnny still owed several thousand dollars on his Apprenticeship, so terminating Johnny would, of course, be an excellent way to get out of paying the balance of his tuition. It was time, Ted said, for the two of them to get on with their lives, and start making some serious money of their own. We showed these e-mails to Johnny, and asked him if this was what he wanted to do. He replied that he didn't want to leave, and e-mailed his Dad to stay out of it, and to mind his own business.

All of this drama, and bickering over Johnny's future eventually destroyed Ted and Audie's marriage. Ted filed suit, and forced Audie out of her home, and used Johnny like a football, trying to separate him from his mother, and his Apprenticeship. The strain of all of this caused acute personal problems for her, and eventually forced Audie to quit her relationship with the Program.

As time went on, all of this stress began to pull Johnny apart, sending him into periods of depression, and wild mood swings, causing the consistency of his work to deteriorate to the point that we had to remove him from the Up-System, and to bring him back to the main shop for remedial supervision until he could recover his skills.

We started to involve Johnny in the management side of the studios to help him to stay focused, raise his self confidence, and to prepare him for the time that he would open a studio of his own. This seemed to help, and he would have his good days, as well as his bad days, but sometimes the stress became too much for him to handle. The constant drama that Ted put him through continued to cause him great emotional pain.

The constant emotional stress caused him to retreat into the Alternative, or Rave, Culture, and drugs to ease the pain in his life.

Pinky's New School Tattoos is located in the middle of the Northgate Entertainment District, home of all of the bars, and night-clubs, Party Central for all the students at Texas A&M University, absolutely the worst place for Johnny to be at this time in his life, so we took back his keys, and barred him from Pinky's. When he turned in his keys, he left the office, and didn't report for work for over 2 weeks. When I was finally able to contact him, and ask him if he was going to come back to work, he stated that since he was inconsistent, and couldn't be trusted at Pinky's, he didn't think that he didn't think he would be able to work for us at this time. At no time did we Fire, Dismiss, or Throw him out. We merely pulled him back for more supervision.

He hung out in Northgate for a couple of weeks, partying Hardy every night in the bars, and in his apartment, constantly complaining to anyone who would listen how bad he had been treated. He began to use crack cocaine, as well as other raver drugs, eventually resulting in an overdose in his apartment, requiring hospitalization in a mental health facility in Austin.

During this time, we constantly tried to get him to sit down with Mike and discuss his situation, but he refused to have any face to face contact with Mike, demanding instead that we return all of his tattoo equipment, drawings, and photos, so that he could open a studio with his Dad. We informed him of the No Competition clauses of his contract, and again tried to get him to face up to his obligations. He adamantly refused, claiming that he had been tricked, and that we had cheated him. We assured him that we would gladly discuss his professional future with him, and that a solution could be worked out if he would only meet with Mike face to face, but again, he refused.

Any one employed by an engineering firm, or chemical corporation, drug, or research facility would not be allowed to keep any formulas, designs, or patents that were derived from work done on the job. They were done at corporate facilities, on company time, and with company recourses, and as such would be property of the corporation. This has been established many times in court. As to photos, many of our Apprentices have digital cameras, or camera cell phones, and take pictures of their work all of the time, and are theirs to keep. However, Johnny's photos were taken with the company's camera, with film bought and paid for by the company, on company time, and developed at company expense for the purpose of tracking the progress of our students, and as such, the property of the company. This has also been established by legal precedent.

As to Apprentices taking tattoo equipment home with themselves each night, it has been our experience that they will use it at home, which is a clear violation of Texas Law, which makes it illegal to cause, or permit a tattoo to be done outside of a licensed Studio. Each new Apprentice is required to assemble, set-up, and tune a new machine out of selected components, they do not inherit a machine from a previous student who fails to complete the course. Several students who feel that they have accomplished their goals ahead of time, and who wish to return home to open their own studio, or to work at a studio nearer their home, and have come to us and explained their situation have been allowed to leave on good terms, as long as they do not attempt to do so within our competitive area. Johnny maintained that the equipment, and portfolios were his, and that he would tattoo wherever he wanted to.

Hey there, Farmer, out there in Arizona, how long have you been tattooing professionally, and how did you get started? I have been tattooing for over 40 years, and have been tattooing professionally since 1967. Tattooing has always been a Closed Profession, and was usually passed down through family affiliations; father to son, brothers, uncles, nephews, etc. Most established professionals would rather pas on their hard learned skills, and professional secrets to family, or some one with whom they have a great deal of trust, rather to some unknown up-start who would just as well go into direct competition once they have amassed a sufficient amount of technical expertise, as well as exposure to the studio's regular clientele.

When they do decide to bring in an outsider, they want to be sure that they can be trusted, and that they have received a reasonable return on their investment. The usual way that is done is to have the prospect become a shop hang-around, or go-for, performing any task that the regular staff doesn't want to do. This not only includes cleaning the shop, and doing all of the sterilization, and sometimes even cleaning the owners house, doing the laundry, washing his car, running errands for his wife, or girl friend, whatever. This prospecting can sometimes takes months, or even years before the owner decides whether the prospect can be trusted. Then, and only then is the new Apprentice taught anything directly involving tattooing, such as tattoo machine technology, needle manufacture, or appropriate needle configurations, pigment formulation, or is allowed to actually tattoo anything except Mr. Potato Head. Only then will the Master teach the Apprentice, making sure that he does not advance to a completive level to his Master until he is ready to move on down the road apiece.

Check it out, read some of the stories about Old-School Apprenticeships in magazines, such as SKIN & INK. Ask Tattoo Zeke Owen about becoming his Apprentice. He'll tell you to go get a job painting cars, or road signs, or anything else, but that there are already too many tattoo artists running around, and the last thing that we need is more of the same.

So, tell us all about where we can get this Free Apprenticeship. As to 2 5 K, the Tattoo School that is located in Chicago and Louisiana charges $5,000 for a 2-week course, of aprox. 80 hours, and $7,500 for the expanded course, 3 weeks, at aprox. 100 120 hours. The APT has paid seminars at their Tattoo Conventions, but you've got to buy a ticket to get in the Convention, and pay for each seminar, which lasts between 4 8 hours, and covers a limited amount of information. You can spend a lot of money apprenticing at Tattoo conventions, and you won't get much hands on instruction while you are there.

The facts are that nobody wants apprenticeships that are freely available to the general public, not the tattoo Associations, not the studio owners, not the Govt., or anyone else, except the star-struck wannabes who are on the Outside, looking In. So, Farmer, give us the name and phone number of your studio, so that we can all get on the bandwagon with you. I'm sure that you are more than happy to share the secrets of your success with all of us.

We always invite any prospective apprentice to come to Bryan, Texas, and meet Mike and I, check out our program for yourself. Bring your parents, family, or friends. Let them see what you are about to embark upon. This program is not easy, and is not for everyone. It takes a lot of dedication, discipline, and plain hard work. Tattooing is not just a job, it is a Life-Style, a Life-time Commitment, but for those that can go the distance the rewards are truly Out of this World.

So, come on down, and see if this is for you. If not, that's OK, but if it is, then get with the program, and let's Git- R- Done!

Notorious Ed
Mike Burford
Ol' Poop & Rudy's Olde school Tattoos and Professional Piercing
104 S. Texas Ave.
Bryan,TX
(979) 823-4500
&
Pinky's New School Tattoos & Exotic Piercing
113 Boyett St.
College Station, TX

I am currently enrolled as an apprentice underneath Master Tattooist "Notorious" Ed. I read this Rip-Off report BEFORE coming to Mr. Burford about this opportunity. I even brought a copy of it to show him and asked him to explain it to me.

I waited until I had been here long enough to form an educated opinion before responding, and this is what I have to say:

It is laid out to us before we ever sign the contract or even get 5 minutes into the initial interview that their are rules here and that failure to abide by those rules results in our termination from the course. Just like in ANY school. This helps to prove who actually has the desire and determination required to become a tattooist.

Well, let me re-word that, a GOOD tattooist. This isn't a job, it's not about making money, it's about learning a trade skill from a master and THEN getting out into the world and applying that skill. No one in college gets paid for sitting in class, which is the same as what we do here...we go to class to learn tattooing. If you do not have the genuine DESIRE to be a tattooist then you will feel like this program is a rip-off. BUT, if you share the same desire that I do, and view this as what it is: A learning experience, then you will see just how invaluable the opportunity is. When things get tough and you are forced to ask what is really important to you it is always easier to quit, even if you quit indirectly by violating a rule that get's you terminated, and go about your way blaming everyone else for your mistakes than it is for you to suck it up and push yourself through to the goal at the other end.

Once again this is about having the DESIRE to become a tattooist, not about someone putting a tattoo machine in your hands and "saying" you are a tattooist. If you have the genuine DESIRE to become a tattooist then this is an amazing opportunity. If you don't and you just look at this as a hobby to pick up for a while then I for one would rather you didn't waste our time contemplating whether or not it is worth it. TAttooing is a lifestyle, an artform...not a job.

I am a tattoo artist and would like to express this. Apprenticeships can be free and paid for. The latter ranging from $2-5k.Upon hearing $10,000 for an apprenticeship, I was extremely shocked. Apprenticeships can be hard to come by and I suppose if someone is willing to pay that much,then thats their choice,but there are easier ways and cheaper options.

Anyone interested in apprenticing should have a portfolio of drawings,some type of knowledge of the biz and the tools used.This can be researched online or by hangin out and getting tattooed. Be prepared to really bust your hump.Stay motivated and show a true interest.If you have what it takes,someone will take you on as an apprentice and im sure it wont cost you 10k.

As for the tools and portfolio not getting returned.The money paid out for an apprenticeship includes tools being used and is usually property of the person paying for the apprenticeship.I have never heard of anyone keeping an apprentice's tools that were either paid for or built by said apprentice.The portfolio is property of the artist also.This is this persons lively hood as it is a chosen career.You might be able to get it back or some type of solution thru legal resources. hope this helps

I too STRONGLY encourage you to investigate this RIPOFF program thoroughly!

In doing so you will not doubt wonder how in the world anyone could have successfully completed Old Poop's two year RIPOFF apprentice program in Bryan when the location there hasn't even been open for two years. Check the business license. My Son worked for poop for a little over a year having started in the Summer of 2004. That was only a couple of months after Poop opened the 1st tattoo parlor in Bryan. If anyone was already in the program at that time or nearly completing the entire program, I and my Son surely would have known or at a minimum heard of this person. Make no mistake, no such person currently exists.

Furthermore you will discover that the second location has been open for far less time than that. I should know because it was my Son that worked 80 hours a week, 16 hours a day often times for no pay at all to open that second location for poop.

If you still insist on signing up for this RIPOFF of a program, I strongly recommend taking the following steps before doing so:

Check out what the BBB of Bryan has to say regarding the business you are about to pay a whole lot of money to. Also check with the Attorney General's Office on Texas Street in Bryan. It's located just down the street from Poop's in Bryan.

After doing that, should you choose to continue, it's most important you hire a good attorney to review and amend Poop's contract before you sign it. I recommend Mr. Benn, hle@hle.com, in College Station. If Poop isn't negotiable, walk away as everything on the up & up is negotiable right?

Get the names & phone numbers of as many current & past graduates as possible for references and CONTACT them before shelling out any dough. Be sure they include the name Johnny who was an apprentice there from mid 2004 to mid 2005. Also ask for the same information on the many that were terminated "without prior written notice" which is required according to the contract and CONTACT a few of them also. Ask Old Poop if you can see a copy of their signed contracts and the dates they attended & completed or otherwise left the program. Check this information out thoroughly. Remember you are paying them, they are not paying you.

Make sure the contract allows you to keep everything you pay for in your possession at all times. You paid for it, it's your property not theirs despite what they may say. Take your equipment home with you every night. If necessary ammend the contract to do this if necessary. If the folks at Poops are worried about scratchers, they should go to work for the state. The real reason they will keep your machine is so they can pass it along to next unsuspecting student. This allows them to collect money for the same machine over & over. The Scratcher thing in my opinion is just another one of their smoke screens.

Eliminate the leverage they maintain over you regarding drugs by taking the following steps. Voluntarily take a drug test before entering the program. Insist that Mr. Burford keep a copy of the results in his file. Do the same when you end the program. Take additional tests periodically during the program for the records as well. I'm sure that MR. BURFORD & MR. POTTER BOTH WILL AGREE TO DO THE SAME. After all what's good for the goose..... If your currently doing drugs or plan on it while you're in this RIPOFF program, see a Doctor because you seriously need help.

Only agree to pay Poops fee in 24 equal monthly payments. Better yet make 104 weekly payments or even better yet 731 daily payments. This will minimize your loss when you or the student you're paying your hard earned money for is thrown out of the program for some bogus reason in order to make room for the next sucker. This will minimize your loss. Don't forget you will also risk all of the other out of pocket necessity & cost of living expenses that go with joining this program unless of course you happen to already live in Bryan.

Lastly, if you still insist on paying for this RIPOFF tattoo program don't forget that you were warned in advance. In that case you'll deserve whatever "POOP" gets handed out to you.

My son is a former student of the tatto apprentice program operated by Jackalope Enterprises, Inc. under the direction of Mike Burford and "Notorious" Ed Potter. The program is located at Ol' Poop and Rudy's Olde School Tattoo and Professional Piercing Studio in Bryan, Texas.

At the time my son attended, the program consisted of a two-year contract between Jackalope Enterprises and the student at a cost of $10,000.00. Various payment arrangements can be made based on the individual financial circumstances of each student. The contract stipulates that during the two-year program the apprentice will develop the skills required to work as a professional tattoo artist and body piercer. It covers every aspect of tattooing from health codes to operating your own studio. During this timeframe the apprentice is expected to work at one of the two studios owned and operated by Jackalope Enterprises. This allows the apprentice to obtain "hands on" experience while making some money to help cover living expenses.

The contract also stipulates that the student must pay an additional fee to purchase a tattoo machine to use while enrolled in the program. It is at Mr. Burford's and Mr. Potter's discretion as to whether the tattoo machine may depart with the student upon completion of the program. This allows them to retain control over tattoo machines that some students may attempt to illegally use in "scratching".

Students are allowed to enter the apprentice program only as openings arise. Openings occur when students complete the program, drop out of the program, or are terminated from the program due to misconduct such as drug abuse.

I strongly encourage you to investigate this program throughly. You will find there is not another program such as this offered in the United States at this time. If you are one of the rare individuals who truly desires to pursue a career in tattooing, you may find this is the perfect opportunity for you.