The Enigma visits Havasu as tattoo studio sets to ‘show the love’

A well-known extreme tattoo and body modification advocate, The Enigma, visited Lake Havasu City’s newest tattoo studio, Living Art Studio Tattoo, Wednesday. Why? — Because the new owner and staff asked him too.

Living Art Studio Tattoo opened Dec. 31 with a “mission to rock the local tattoo sub-culture in town by striving to regularly give back to the community.”

Living Art owner Duece Daniels, of Havasu, along with his studio manager/apprentice artist Jimmy Riggenbach and in-house tattoo artists Megan Hobson and Jae are pushing to “show the love” to Havasu’s less fortunate animals and children as well as show appreciation to others.

For example, during the week of Feb. 7-14, the studio will recognize an in-house animal appreciation week. The business will donate 15 percent of its profits to Western Arizona Humane Society. Also, Feb. 6 has been deemed the studio’s in-house officer appreciation day.

“Any officer who comes in and flashes a badge, they will get one hour in the (tattoo) chair for free,” said Riggenbach.

In expressing their local mission and extending an invitation to The Enigma, a visit was booked, according to the studio manager.

During an interview with the Today’s News-Herald, The Enigma said his head-to-toe blue jigsaw puzzle body art is the work of 250 artists from around the globe.

The extreme tattoo and body modification enthusiast said the idea to alter his body to such an extreme began in 1991. By January 1993, the majority of the outlined puzzle pieces were in place. The wish of transforming himself to be entirely blue was just another part of his plan.

The plan was to improve his act as a musician and sideshow talent. However, the plan is deeper than what lies on the surface.

“I am a puzzle. I don’t answer with a yes or no … I try to make people think,” The Enigma said.

The Enigma’s facial and body piercings; implants to create horns on his head; facial art achieved by clamping and removing the skin to create a design through a scar-type method; and body modification including notched ears only complete the package.

He claims it is his artistic performing arts roots that have brought him to live the life he was destined — to entertain.

“I was raised in the back seat of a car with comic books and casseroles on the way to and from music lessons, tap dance lessons, ballet lessons, flute lessons and piano lessons. The X-Men were my peers,” The Enigma said.

The Enigma’s new 2010 traveling sideshow “Show Devils” includes sideshow talents Serana Rose and Rajanaga. The Enigma said the show was “zest of a musical, a history of vaudeville with the smell of the circus.”

The group works together to awe crowds as Serana Rose swallows long-stem roses and inserts a sword through a slit in her tongue or Rajanaga performs acts of danger and lifts things with his piercings,

The trio’s next stop is Los Angeles where they will be performing Saturday.

For more information visit www.showdevils.com.

Living Art Studio Tattoo is currently preparing for the third annual Lake Havasu City Tattoo Show scheduled Feb. 19-21 at the Aquatic Center. The Enigma has prior engagements and he and Show Devils will be unable to attend this year.

The three-day show will include tattoo artists, sideshow acts, midget wrestling, contests, human suspension and vendors, according to the event’s Web site www.havasutattooshow.com.

Admission is $10 per day (cash only at the door) or $20 for a weekend pass, free admission for children 12 and younger.

Living Art Studio Tattoo is located at 2156 McCulloch Boulevard No. 11 in the Toombs Building in Havasu 928-230-1044.

You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.