This cartoon is a bit dated. People besides sailors and prisoners were getting tattooed by the 80s but not as they have been the past ten years or so. The painful extravaganza described by the grizzled old tattoo artist would not raise an eyebrow today, although the tableau he describes might be thought of as a bit prosaic.

Speaking of tattoos, my generation when it was younger was very accustomed to the tattoos on our neighbors and fathers who had served in the navy during World War II. If you’re fortunate enough to have one of those old guys still around, you’ve probably noticed his tattoo is now a blue blob. Is that what all these modern tattoos are going to look like 40 years hence? I don’t raise this question to pass judgement on the tattooed, but I really have wondered this. Perhaps someone can enlighten.