CRACKER JACK TATTOOS

A few years ago I became obsessed with the Cracker Jack tattoos of my childhood. In the 70's and early 80's - back at a time when Cracker Jack prizes didn't suck like they do today - the small booklets of vegetable dye tattoos were perhaps the best prizes one could hope for. And among the tattoos, the skull and crossbones and the pirate ship were by far the coolest. Last year, unable to find any decent images of old Cracker Jack tattoos online, I broke down and bought several original packs of them from an online antiques dealer.
Last Summer I made an epic salute to my own childhood - I had REAL TATTOOS done of my two favorite Cracker Jack tattoos: the skull and crossbones and the pirate ship. The tattoo artist did a great job of matching the vegetable dye colors and offsetting the inks, just like the real thing.

And my contribution to any other potential lunatic interested in getting a tattoo of a Cracker Jack tattoo: here's the set of Cracker Jack tattoos I purchased last year (they are all in mirror image in the original booklets) [click to enlarge].