What To Expect from Ink Master Season 9

Ink Master: Shop Wars just premiered on Spike. This ninth season competition promises fiercer than ever before battles as shops from hometowns all over America compete for the new title “Master Shop”, a feature article in Inked, and a huge $200,000 grand prize. The prize money alone has doubled since last season, and the coveted title is sure to bring distinction to the shop which wins it.

This new season features pairs of artists from shops all over America. They will represent their hometown shops in teams of two, rather than as single artists. It’s the first time in the history of the show that it’s been done, and the challenges are difficult. Each episode will test technical skills, creativity, different styles of tattooing, and original designs tattooed on real people. Only the strongest and best will remain standing at the end of the competition, as their masterpieces and mistakes are displayed for the viewers, and the judges.

This season’s judges include some tough celebrities:

• Dave Navarro; artist, filmmaker, musician
• Chris Nuñez; world famous and respected artist from Miami Ink
• Oliver Peck; Elm Street Tattoo’s world-famous artist

The artists include nine, talented, competitive pairs:

• Ulyss Blair and Eva Huber are co-owners of Allegory Arts in Florence, AL
• April Nicole and Dane Smith are artists from Artistic Skin Designs in Indianapolis, IN
• Carlos Rojas and Aric Taylor are artists from Black Anchor Collective in Hesperia, CA
• Thom Bulman and Derek Zielinski are the Owner and artists from Classic Trilogy Tattoo in Corland, NY
• Jessy Knuckles and Allisin Riot are artists from Pinz and Needles in Baltimore, MD
• Wes Hogan and Mike P are artists and a Co-Owner from The Marked Society Tattoo in McDonough, GA
• Jhon Campuzano and Babiery Hernandez are artists from Thicker Than Blood in White Plains, NY
• Bang and Danger Dave are artists from Tri-Cities Tattoo in Atlanta, GA
• Erin Chance and Doom Kitten are the Owner and artists from Unkindness Art in Richmond, VA

They are a stellar group, skilled in the different styles of tattooing. Though nine entered the competition on June 6, only one pair will be left to represent their shop by the end of the series. One team has already been eliminated, after facing the distinctive challenges of Episode 1 and the elite judging panel.

Here’s what happened in the first episode of the season:

Episode 1: “Fire & Ice”

There were two Flash Challenges:

Flash Challenge 1:

• Each team was allotted four hours to create an ice sculpture.
• Each team’s design was to represent their own shop.

Allegory Arts won Flash Challenge 1.

Flash Challenge 2:

• All shops, except for Allegory Arts, carved their shop logos
• All shops used their carved molds to make molten lava logos

Unkindness Art won Flash Challenge 2.

Elimination Tattoo:

• The shops created awesome tattoos using live animals as inspiration.
• Shops chose their own tattoo styles.
• Shop team members traded places once every hour to complete their tattoo.

Results:

• Artistic Skin Designs and Black Anchor Collective won Top Shops.
• Artistic Skin Designs won Best Tattoo of the Day.
• Thicker Than Blood, The Marked Society Tattoo and Tri-Cities Tattoo ranked Bottom.
• Thicker Than Blood was Eliminated.

The Spike website offers viewers plenty of backstories for each artist featured. There are artwork portfolios, artist introduction videos, biographies, and photo galleries. All season long there will be video clips and entire episodes. Joining social media conversation is encouraged too, at #InkMaster…plenty of news there about what’s happening on the series; and within current tattoo culture.

The hit show is already renewed for Season 10, and a spin-off special featuring all women tattoo artists, called Ink Master Angels has already been given the green light. Prompted by the spectacular Season 8 Ink Master series finale, which recorded 2.2 million viewers, the current season expectations include some of the finest artwork and heated competition so far.

What will happen next? It’s all up for grabs, as the challenges become even more creative and physically demanding. Each pair will have its artistry stretched beyond imagination and its technical skill and endurance pushed to the breaking point. Ink Master: Shop Wars is spectacular; and that’s certain.