Complaint Review: Ol Poop And Rudys & Pinkys Tattoo Shops

They are only trying to help people out in the wonderful tattoo business. I'm sorry you feel this way; you should've known better because the tattoo business itself is a shady career... I have many tattoos from what used to be Pinky's. It is no longer open and these 4 out of my 11 tattoos happen to be the worst... I can feel them which is a big no-no, but I still love them no matter what. Mike is a big goofy man that really does have a heart and Ed is goofy as all hell as well, but he is older than most tattoo artists that have been around lately. He's GREAT at what he does though!! I love these people and used to consider them family especially when Henry, Mike's nephew was doing apprentice work there. He's the one that gave me my first four(4) tattoos. Sure they aren't the greatest but for being some of his first work it's pretty d**n impeccable!! Love these people, hope that the people reading this persons report doesn't use this against getting a tattoo from these bad a*s people
Thanks,
Jessika

To start out, it's hard to call me an ex-employee of Mike Buford. I did sign a contract, however I put forth no money to become an apprentice and I was taken under their wing as a piercer. Perhaps this makes me slightly partial. I did however front half of the cash for my best friend, who was an employee/apprentice for a good time. I don't remember specific dates, so some things may be hazy.

It started out we were looking for a place for my friend to learn how to be a tattoo artist. This seemed complicated at first and we were very happy to learn that there was a place so close that seemed professional. When we drove down to Bryan and met Mike. He showed us around and we took the bait. I say it was bait, but only because it wasn't as glorious as he made it sound. We went into it with realistic views though, and because of that we turned out fine. I found that by working the front desk and learning how to pierce, I ended up having a lot of confidence. With Nate, working as a tattoo artist and doing something he loved also gave him a lot of confidence.

In the end, we felt it was time to go back to school, and so we quit. I went first, mostly because I really wanted to tattoo and I knew I could not afford another 5000$. Then Nate left, as he was getting a little tired of the atmosphere, it tends to wear on one after awhile. I'm still unsure how much we owed them when we left, not much I believe. I spent many hours working there for nothing, and I know Nate had his pay check taken down to not very much.

So, that's our story, it was a success, we learned what we needed to learn, and although we don't work in the industry, it was a great experience. Don't give up on it because of the original post.

You are obviously an artist who is concerned for your students in a very caring way. I agree that it not your responsabality to instill ethics in students who have no interest in working for what they want.

I love your comparison to a Gunney in the military - what a great idea and smart business plan! I am more like your partner Mike, I tell the truth and some people don't want to hear that. I don't accept excuses and won't waste my time on matters which are not directly related to business. Clearly, that's why Mike did not bother to reply to this inane complaint.

I was suprised and refreshed by the candidness of your reply. You never failed to acknowledge that you may have you own faults - who dosen't. However, you clearly pointed out that the faults of the OP's son were much greater. 4 rules don't seem to be too many to follow, especially common sense rules such as yours. Who wants a coke-head to try and perform artistry on their body?

Good luck in your business enterprises Ed. Keep up the common sense attitude, common sense is becoming less and less common.

Sincerely,
Chris

You are obviously an artist who is concerned for your students in a very caring way. I agree that it not your responsabality to instill ethics in students who have no interest in working for what they want.

I love your comparison to a Gunney in the military - what a great idea and smart business plan! I am more like your partner Mike, I tell the truth and some people don't want to hear that. I don't accept excuses and won't waste my time on matters which are not directly related to business. Clearly, that's why Mike did not bother to reply to this inane complaint.

I was suprised and refreshed by the candidness of your reply. You never failed to acknowledge that you may have you own faults - who dosen't. However, you clearly pointed out that the faults of the OP's son were much greater. 4 rules don't seem to be too many to follow, especially common sense rules such as yours. Who wants a coke-head to try and perform artistry on their body?

Good luck in your business enterprises Ed. Keep up the common sense attitude, common sense is becoming less and less common.

Sincerely,
Chris

You are obviously an artist who is concerned for your students in a very caring way. I agree that it not your responsabality to instill ethics in students who have no interest in working for what they want.

I love your comparison to a Gunney in the military - what a great idea and smart business plan! I am more like your partner Mike, I tell the truth and some people don't want to hear that. I don't accept excuses and won't waste my time on matters which are not directly related to business. Clearly, that's why Mike did not bother to reply to this inane complaint.

I was suprised and refreshed by the candidness of your reply. You never failed to acknowledge that you may have you own faults - who dosen't. However, you clearly pointed out that the faults of the OP's son were much greater. 4 rules don't seem to be too many to follow, especially common sense rules such as yours. Who wants a coke-head to try and perform artistry on their body?

Good luck in your business enterprises Ed. Keep up the common sense attitude, common sense is becoming less and less common.

Sincerely,
Chris

You are obviously an artist who is concerned for your students in a very caring way. I agree that it not your responsabality to instill ethics in students who have no interest in working for what they want.

I love your comparison to a Gunney in the military - what a great idea and smart business plan! I am more like your partner Mike, I tell the truth and some people don't want to hear that. I don't accept excuses and won't waste my time on matters which are not directly related to business. Clearly, that's why Mike did not bother to reply to this inane complaint.

I was suprised and refreshed by the candidness of your reply. You never failed to acknowledge that you may have you own faults - who dosen't. However, you clearly pointed out that the faults of the OP's son were much greater. 4 rules don't seem to be too many to follow, especially common sense rules such as yours. Who wants a coke-head to try and perform artistry on their body?

Good luck in your business enterprises Ed. Keep up the common sense attitude, common sense is becoming less and less common.

Sincerely,
Chris

It never ceases to amaze me how slanted a grain of truth can get when mixed into a concoction of sour grapes. The first slant came in the first paragraph. All of our web-sites are old, and we have been trying to get someone local to help us rebuild these sites, and they are indeed the same sites that we had when we were in Austin, TX. However, we require all of our prospective apprentices to come here to Bryan, TX to meet with us personally before we make any kind of commitment. Every one of our apprentices knows exactly where we are located, and exactly where they will study, and work.

We both met this student's mother after he had been with us for about a month. He had assured us that he could get his mother, and grandfather to come up with the money, so we let him sit-in while he arranged for the money. His grandfather refused to loan him any money for any reason, and his mother only came up with just over half of the full amount, $5,550. She apparently believed in her son's dreams a lot more than his grandfather.

Though the "canonization" of me is quite flattering, I can assure you that I am no "Saint", but a certified sinner, only recently reformed, and that Mike is no evil slave-driver, but the main instrument of my reformation. I am the instructor; Mike takes care of the business. Let's just say that we are not only business partners dedicated to the same goal, but are Brothers, committed to a lifelong pursuit of the same goal. We believe in what we're doing. There isn't enough money in all of the indulgent mother's, and father's bank accounts put together to make up for all of the time, energy, and heart-ache that it entails to bring just one of the successful students to completion. We do it because we believe in what we are doing, and in the positive impact that our students can make on the future of our profession.

I do consider myself to be a better than average instructor, who has the ability to make people "see" in their "mind's eye" what their eyes cannot, and to understand "why". That is because I've had to learn many different skills and crafts in my lifetime, and I have had a lot of personal "one-on-one" instruction for over 30 years of my life. I've had good instructors as well as bad instructors, and have learned from all of them. I have tried to emulate the ones who taught me the most, and have likewise tried to avoid the techniques employed by the bad ones. I have to interact on a daily basis with all of the different students in the program, and I can't do this on an "adversarial" basis. However, someone has to be the "hard-a*s" if anything is to get done. Everyone who has ever served in the Military knows this. This is where Mike comes in; he is the "Gunney" in our "Basic Training Unit". I must make this point perfectly clear, Mike is the sole reason that this Apprenticeship Program, and these studios exist, and that they are successful. I am not Mike's only "livelihood", the real truth of the matter is that Mike is my livelihood, and without him, I would not have these 1st class studios in which to tattoo, or to teach in. We are in fact a team, each with our own special qualities that make for a successful enterprise. Each of us depends upon the other. He has always been there for me, and I will always be there for him. That's the way life is.

Most of the negative reports that I have seen are, in fact, just like this one; an aspiring artist, with "extraordinary talent", (in their own mind, and possibly in the minds of their friends and family), wants to break into the Tattoo Business. With all of their talent, surely all they need is a "gun", and a couple of friends to practice on, and they'll be stars; featured in the magazines, and on the convention circuit. None of these aspiring Judson "wannabes" have a clue about what they are embarking upon, nor do they realize how much time it really takes to gain the experience necessary to even get in the same room with the artists regularly featured in the magazines, or on the Convention marquees. Nor do they realize how much discipline and dedication that is required to master the many different skills necessary to compete in this highly charged and competive arena. When they find out that they "jumped in way over their heads", or that they just weren't cut-out for the lifestyle that is Professional Tattooing in the 21st century, they start howling the "Sour Grape Blues". It is, after all, a whole lot easier to cry "I've been Ripped-Off! than it is to face up to one's own failings.

Whenever we take on an apprentice, we make it absolutely clear what is expected of our apprentices, and of the Company Policies. We have four "Cardinal Rules" that can get an apprentice expelled from the program; First and foremost, is Drugs. By "Drugs", we don't mean smoking a little pot. What we are talking about is Narcotics; heroin, cocaine, meth-amphetamines, "crack", "ice", "X", or Prescription Drugs such as barbiturates, tranquilizers, Zanax, Valium, Vicodin, Oxy-cotin, and other mood-altering drugs. You do one of these drugs, bring them on our premises, buy, or sell them from, or to one of our students, and you are OUT! On the spot, no excuses, ZERO TOLERANCE. The second is Stealing; we catch you stealing from the company, or any of the other apprentices, the customers, or anyone else in the community, and you're OUT! The third offense is un-ethical and un-professional conduct. You miss-represent the profession, the studios, or your fellow artists, or slander another artist, or studio, or participate in an illegal tattoo, and once again, you're OUT. Scratching is not only un-professional, and un-ethical, it is also Stealing. The last one concerns having personal (carnal) relationships with other apprentices, or tattoo artists. The prohibition against relationships also extends to artists outside of our studios as it constitutes a professional conflict of interests.

Not only did Judson not come up with the full amount, he also violated all of the Cardinal Rules; He was found in the possession of crack cocaine, which he purchased from a dealer that he solicited outside one of our studios, he falsified a work order to obtain money for the purchase, and he was caught smoking it just outside the back door to the studio. That takes care of #1 and #2. He let it be known that he could also do tattoos out of his residence. That's #2 and #3. Last, but not least, he carried on a sexual relationship with one of our female apprentices, partied and smoked crack with her, and after his dismissal, ran-off with her to New Mexico. That's #4, #1, and #3. Neither of these apprentices had paid their tuition in full, so we're back to Stealing, (#2), again.

It is for these reasons that we now insist in being paid in full, and up-front, and to all prospective apprentices to meet with us, as well as the other apprentices. We expect our apprentices to be doing limited "wall-flash" tattoos, and basic piercings on walk-in customers for money within 3 - 6 weeks, so they get their money's worth within the first 3 months. It's much too easy to get up and running, to get your foot in the door, and then leave as soon as you think that you know what you are doing, leaving us left holding the bag, than it is to suck it up", and complete what your obligation. If you don't have anything of your own invested, you don't have anything to lose when you quit, or get fired. But, when you have your own money on the line, then it behooves you to stay the course, and get the quality education that you paid for. Then, we get a well trained artist, holding down a chair at one of our studios. That is the whole point of the exercise; to have a well trained, dedicated, and professional staff to serve our clients. That is where we really make our money. The pittance that we charge wouldn't make a down-payment on what it is really worth.

As to the legitimacy of our program, we have been approved for job re-habilitation by the State of Kansas, and have just been approved by the Texas Veterans Administration for on the job training for veterans under the G.I. Bill, and are undergoing the process of becoming approved by the U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Commission for Student Visas for foreign exchange students. These government entities would not even consider our program if it were the Rip-Off, or scam that your site continually portrays so boldly, We have graduates all over the country that work in reputable tattoo studios, as well as own their own studios. All of these successful apprentices worked long, and hard for years to get where they are, and none of them, regardless of their talent, were instant successes. In our business, no one is!

And now, a word to all of the loving, indulgent mothers and fathers out there; Don't bring us your arrogant, egotistical brat who is out for as much as he can get, as quick as he can grab it, for the least amount of time, effort or money. We simply don't have the time to waste, nor do the other students need the aggravation that they contribute to. Don't bring us your spoiled, lazy, prodigies. If they won't get off their fat asses, and produce, they can't possibly succeed in this business. We are not baby sitters, and cannot be blamed for their personal failures. Don't send us your drug addicted kids who can't stay out of trouble, and who can't support themselves. We are not a 12-Step Program, and being a professional tattoo artist, (or piercer) is a real job, with real responsibilities, and this isn't Tattoo Camp, where they can go running home to mommy and daddy when they can't pull their own weight. The main problem with education today is the parent's refusal to recognize the shortcomings of their kids, and to blame it all on their teachers. The reason "Johnny" can't learn is because his teachers are afraid to teach him.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but if you truly want to learn how to tattoo in a modern professional environment, then come to Bryan, Texas, and see it for yourself. Meet us; talk to Mike, tour the studios, meet the other apprentices, hang out at the studios, and then make up your own mind. Yes, Mike is a hard man, but that is because he has to be. He's hard, but he is also fair. Sometimes, when you tell the truth, it comes out Rude. Our main studio is called "Ol' Poop and Rudy's Olde School Tattoos". I've been doing this for over 40 years now, so that makes me the "Ol' Poop". Mike tells the truth, so that makes him Rudy. We are as Old School in our approach to tattooing as you can get and still be consistent with all of the cultural, artistic, and technological advances of the 21st Century. That's who, and what we are; Ol'Poop & Rudy's Olde School Tattoos and Professional Piercing. Come to Bryan / College Station, see it for yourself, and then "Go to School" if you want to. But be prepared for the discipline that goes with it and to work long and hard for it. Nothing worthwhile is ever cheap, or easy and there ain't nothin' cheap or easy about or program. You get out of it what you put in to it. Is it worth it to you? It d**n sure is to us.

Notorious Ed
Master Tattooist
Ol' Poop & Rudy's Olde School Tattoos
104 S. Texas Ave.
Bryan, TX 77803
(979) 823-4500