Tattoo Age is very proud to be featuring Thom deVita. Even though Thom has been tattooing and creating art for almost 50 years, there isn’t much information out there about him. He started tattooing in New York City’s Lower East Side in the mid 60s—when tattooing was illegal in the city—and quickly began to forge his own style.

Thom drew from a wide variety of influences for his tattoos, everything from Pueblo Indian designs to Lord & Taylor shopping bags. He also formed relationships with other American tattooers who were revolutionizing tattooing by bringing in influences that went far beyond the usual array of images found in most American tattoo parlors at the time.

We interviewed Ed Hardy, Nick Bubash, Clayton Patterson, Scott Harrison, Angelo Scotto, John Wyatt, Robert Ryan, and Bubba Reeves to help tell Thom’s incredible story. The second of five parts will air next Wednesday. Please enjoy.