Oliver Peck (born July 29, 1971) is an American tattoo artist, restaurateur, and reality television personality. Along with guitarist Dave Navarro and tattoo artist Chris Nunez, he was a judge on the competition reality television show Ink Master for seasons 1 through 13. Known for his American traditional style tattoos, he is co-owner of Elm Street Tattoo in Dallas, Texas and owner of True Tattoo in Hollywood, California. His restaurant Tiki Loco was located in Deep Ellum, Dallas, before shuttering in early 2023.
Oliver Peck | |
|---|---|
 Peck at a Vans book release party in 2009 | |
| Born | July 29, 1971 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Ink Master judge |
| Spouse | |
Career
editPeck started giving himself and his friends tattoos at age 17.[1] In 1991, at age 19, he started professionally tattooing.[1][2]
In January 2012, the first season of Ink Master premiered, with Peck, Dave Navarro, and Chris Nunez as judges.[3] Peck continued on as a judge through season 13 in 2020. During season 13, photos of Peck in blackface circulated on the internet after gossip site TMZ published them. One photo showed Peck wearing "brown face paint, an Afro wig and a superhero costume with the letter "N" on it."[4] Peck announced on Instagram he would be leaving the show, stating, "The offensive photos of me which recently surfaced from many years ago can only be a distraction to the amazing show I have loved being a part of and its many talented artists."[5]
Peck is credited with creating the ritual of offering $13 tattoos on Friday the 13th. In 1995, he threw a tattooing party that lasted 24 hours to celebrate the day, and the trend took off. Peck stated, "I definitely wasn’t the first person to do it, the number 13 on the Friday the 13th", though he is credited with popularizing the event.[1] Elm Street Tattoo generally expects about 1,200 customers for the event each year.[6]
Peck broke the world record for tattooing the most tattoos in a 24 hour period in June 2008 when he tattooed the number 13 on 415 different people at his Elm Street Tattoo shop in Dallas. The record was previously held by Peck's ex-wife and fellow tattoo artist Kat Von D. The record was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.[7] Peck introduced "tattoo roulette" at Elm Street Tattoo in 2018 (a concept that has existed since as far back as 2007[8]), where a client picks a random flash tattoo from a gumball machine. Inked Magazine wrote, "Certainly we've gotten some arbitrary tattoos on a whim, but allowing a random machine to pick a design to be permanently tattooed on your body is just nuts."[9]
Tattoo reception
editIn 2015, Peck won "Best Tattoo Artist" in the Dallas Observer Best of Dallas contest.[10] In 2017, Pete Freedman of Central Track wrote Peck is "...an internationally renowned tattooer for years now..."[11] That same year, the OC Weekly wrote, Peck is "one of the most visible and respected tattooers in the world."[12] In 2018, Andrew Braca of the Waxahachie Daily Light called Peck "world-renowned".[13] That same year, Tattoo Journal wrote, "Oliver Peck tattoos are famous for their classic American style and theme and the attention to detail."[14]
Tiki Loco restaurant
editIn October 2018, Peck opened Tiki Loco, a "coffee shop and vegan restaurant hybrid" in Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas.[15][16] The restaurant, located on Elm Street, took over the space held by previous restaurant Zini's Pizza.[17] The restaurant is a combination of Hawaiian and Mexican, and serves coffee, fresh-pressed juices, shaved ice, smoothies, and vegan tacos.[15] The marinades and spice blends are both made in house.[18] D Magazine writer Catherine Downes characterized Tiki Loco as a "smash hit" and stated they have good food.[19] The leftover produce not used in the restaurant is distributed to hospitals in the area.[20] The restaurant closed because of increasing operating costs and decreased foot traffic in early January 2023.[21]
Personal life
editPeck resides in Dallas, Texas.[22] He married fellow tattoo artist Kat Von D in 2003. They divorced in 2007, with Peck stating, "She [was unfaithful] to me, got messed up and left me... I don't think anything with her will last."[23]
Peck enjoys riding and collecting Harley Davidson motorcycles.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c Weiler, Lauren (July 13, 2018). "How 1 Famous Tattoo Artist Started the Ritual of $13 Tattoos on Friday the 13th". Cheat Sheet. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Oliver Peck — Tattoo Artist in Dallas". November 28, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Trepany, Charles (January 7, 2020). "Oliver Peck leaves 'Ink Master' after blackface controversy; Paramount Network weighs in". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Burke, Minyvonne (January 8, 2020). "'Ink Master' judge Oliver Peck leaving show after blackface photos emerge". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Gempel, Natalie (January 8, 2020). "Oliver Peck Leaves Ink Masters After Photos of Him In Blackface Surface". D Magazine. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Grimm, Beca (October 13, 2017). "How Friday the 13th Became Black Friday for Tattoos". VICE. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Inkfest! Guinness record for Texas tattoo artist". Associated Press. June 15, 2008. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ https://goodvibrationsinkorlando.com/what-is-a-get-what-you-get-tattoo/#:~:text=Where%20did%20%E2%80%9CGet%20What%20You,the%20tattoo%20they%20just%20picked.
- ^ "Would You Play Tattoo Roulette?". Inked Magazine. August 16, 2017. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ "Best Tattoo Artist". Dallas Observer. 2015. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Freedman, Pete (June 30, 2017). "Oliver Peck Thinks Your Fave Celeb's Tats Suck". Central Track. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Chesler, Josh (May 23, 2017). "Oliver Peck Talks About His Harley Davidson Collab and Tattoos Going Mainstream". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Branca, Andrew (October 15, 2018). "World-renowned tattoo artist Oliver Peck to open retail store inside Odd Fellows lodge in Waxahachie". Waxahachie Daily Light. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ "Oliver Peck Tattoo – Great Master & Artist". Tattoo Journal. June 14, 2018. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ a b Ziots, Megan (September 18, 2018). "Celebrity Tattoo Artist Brings a New Coffee Shop and Vegan Restaurant to Deep Ellum". Paper City Magazine. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Wills, Lauren. "'Ink Master' Star Oliver Peck Opens Vegan Restaurant, Tiki Loco, in Dallas". Live Kindly. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Hostetter, Alaena (September 6, 2018). "Oliver Peck's New Vegan Destination Prepares to Open in Deep Ellum". Dallas Eater. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Weaver, Paige (February 21, 2019). "Fast-Casual Hawaiian and Tex-Mex Vegan Restaurant Arrives in Deep Ellum". Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Downes, Catherine (November 29, 2018). "Tiki Loco is Serving Stellar Vegan Food in Deep Ellum". D Magazine. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Monacelli, Steven (August 19, 2020). "Grassroots Organizations Come Together To Provide Food to Dallas Residents". Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Keomoungkhoun, Nataly (December 16, 2022). "News Bites: Deep Ellum Vegan Restaurant Tiki Loco to Close, Mister O1 Expands to Grapevine". D Magazine. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ Woodside, Nathan (August 30, 2018). "'Ink Master' Oliver Peck practices craft at Alton Tattoo Co". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Stardon, Anna (November 7, 2019). "Kat Von D: 20 Sketchy Facts Everyone Chooses To Ignore". The Things. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
External links
edit- Oliver Peck at IMDb