By Colleen E. Grecus

Bugz Forbes, tattoo artist extraordinaire for over thirty years, has become a Radford institution in an industry few would expect. Born Hampton Edward Forbes IV in the state of Delaware, Bugz’s parents dropped all the extra syllables when he was a child and gave him a nickname that has stuck to this very day.

What also stuck was his childhood interest for art in every available medium. By the age of fourteen, inspired by the likes of Franklin Paul Rogers, father of American tattoo, Bugz developed a habit of drawing on himself.

In 1985, a fifteen-year-old Bugz became so fascinated with the art of tattoo that he would often skip school and venture across town to Endicott, New York. There, he would frequent a tattoo parlor owned by Ski Liner, an artist who took good-natured advantage of the young man’s unbridled enthusiasm by having him run errands in exchange for mentorship. Despite his fascination with tattooing, however, he soon recognized that he was uncomfortable in the atmosphere of the place. Many who visited tattoo parlors in the 1980’s were not necessarily the best crowd, and even at fifteen, Bugz knew he’d prefer different company.

Still, he stayed on with Ski for a little over a year, learning all he could. Eventually, he was able to find another apprenticeship back home in Deleware, with Ernie Carafa at Tigers Eye Tattoo in Newark. In addition to learning cleaning and sterilization techniques, Bugz also began learning how to run a business.

It would be three years under Ernie’s tutelage before Bugz was allowed to put needle to skin. In the meantime, however, there was still a lot to learn. In those days, there were no convenient supply houses for tattoo equipment. It would also be a couple more decades before internet retail was common.

Bugz tells us he spent a great deal of those three years learning how to make and build all the tattooing equipment, including the needles! Every piece and every part had to be built from scratch. Not only did Tigers Eye Tattoo build their own equipment, but they even built and sold to others. It was an excellent, foundational education that would help Bugz as he continued down the path of tattoo art and business ownership.

Eventually, however, he did perform his very first tattoo. Because it had been his long-time hobby, and because he already had several years of apprenticeship under his belt, neither Ernie nor the customer had reason to worry. Bugz was a quick study.

By 1991, Bugz had obtained his license and Ernie was ready to sell the shop. Along with occasional employee, John Brooks, Bugz was helping Ernie to load the truck on closing day. When he asked Ernie, “What’s left to do?”, Ernie replied that rent and electricity had been paid up enough to last one more month.

“Gimme a dollar,” Ernie had told him.

And that’s how Bugz Forbes came to own his very first tattoo parlor…for the price of a dollar!

In addition to helping load the truck that day, John Brooks had worked occasionally at Tigers Eye, and he was an artist Bugs had grown to respect. They also knew each other is social circles. When Bugz quickly asked John to be his partner in the new business, the two became great friends.

Despite many challenges, including trying to operate in a rough part of town, Bugz and John maintained that location for another year. When the lease was up, they moved to White Marsh in Baltimore, Maryland. John knew people there, and though the area was still pretty rough, he felt they could make more money with a slightly lower chance of being robbed.

In the ‘Charm City’ of Baltimore, they opened Thinkin Ink in 1993 and continued tattooing. The partnership, however, would not last much longer.

Bugz had family in Virginia, and he’d heard from them that there had been a loss. At the urging of his relatives, Bugz journeyed southwest to visit far flung family, and to see where his father had come from. Truth be told, however, he’d also been wanting to get out of Baltimore for a while. It was the old story. As much as Bugz loved the art of tattoo, he just wasn’t comfortable in the atmosphere that usually came with the business.

He began spending more time in Virginia, and eventually made Southwest Virginia his home. Still, he would frequently return to visit John and to do some work at Thinkin’ Ink. That is, until John’s untimely death in 2002.

Bugz first settled in Covington where he met a man named Jed Dill. Together, Bugz and Jed opened a tattoo studio called Living Color. This business was successful for a time, but the stigma surrounding tattooing was still prevalent in the area. Eventually, Bugz began seeking opportunities in other local cities.

His search led him to Ancient Art Tattoo, where he helped to open a branch in Blacksburg for the Roanoke-based company. He worked for Ancient Art from 2002 to 2008, after which he and longtime girlfriend, Donna, relocated to Radford. Not only was Radford an affordable place to live, but Bugz felt strongly that the area needed consistent and reputable tattoo studio.

There, he worked with Black Diamond Tattoo Studios for three years. Not too far from Black Diamond had been a tattoo studio called Lew’s Custom Tattoos, run by Lewis Lebris. Bugz and Lebris had become friends, and it was through that friendship that Lebris came to know that Bugz was interested in going back into business for himself. In 2011, when Lebris left the tattoo business to be a teacher, he sold all his equipment to Bugz and wished him the best. It was like an echo from the past. This time however, it was a bit more than a dollar. Bugz signed a lease with Bart Castleberry, and Soulsign Gallery Tattoo was born.

Bugz has always strived for excellence in his work, but when he was able to call Soulsign his own, it truly became a labor of love. Most particularly, that love came in the form of creating a tattooing environment that was clean, approachable, comfortable, and respectful. The tattooing industry had never been particularly respected in America, and part of that was due to the come-and-go “parlors” catering to questionable clientele. “The reputation hurts us all,” he says.

Like any place dominated by open people, dynamic and frequent moves are seemingly common in the tattoo world. What’s less common, however, is how long Bugz has now managed to stay in the same place. It’s been well over a decade!

Bugz Forbes opened Soulsign in 2011 and has worked to build a strong reputation in Radford, both for himself, and his colleagues. In fact, Soulsign Gallery Tattoo is the only licensed, award winning, and published studio in the area!

He invests, not just in his art and his reputation, but in his impressive facility, as well. It feels more like a comfortable, clean home than a tattoo parlor, with relaxing alternative and folk-rock music to add to the ambiance. It is a literal art gallery, where local artists can display and sell their work on crisply painted walls. The collection is eclectic, but quality and ever-changing.

For Bugz, the other tattoo artists who work at Soulsign are independent contractors, rather than employees. One Soulsign colleague, Nathan Popp, acts as the gallery coordinator. Nathan is also an artist and professional custom framer with a strong online presence. Bugz’s other associates include the legendary Brian Johnson, who is also an artist, as well as James Babb. James, in particular, challenges Bugz as an artist. According to Bugz, James gets the credit for making him an even better tattooist.

The singularly cultured atmosphere and talented, independent staff are not the only things that set Soulsign Gallery and Tattoo apart from the rest. Bugz holds to a strict set of ethics for himself and his customers. He is honest about his limitations and abilities. Though he is beyond talented, and though he has seemingly never had a dissatisfied customer, if he feels he isn’t the best man for the design requested, he will defer to an associate he knows would be a better fit.

Because he is not in the business of inhibiting his customers’ potential, Bugz also declines requests for hand, neck, and facial tattoos, unless there is no other available space on the body. He doesn’t want anyone he tattoos to regret their decision one day. He has personal experience with this type of regret with one of his own tattoos. He wants to make sure nearly every customer becomes a repeat customer.

It’s safe to say ‘mission accomplished’, because many of Bugz’s customers refuse to get tattooed anywhere else! In fact, many have even brought in subsequent generations.

Though Soulsign has been very successful, the pandemic of the last two years has impacted the tattoo industry, just as it has most other small businesses. Considered ‘non-essential’, the gallery was shut down for over eight months. During this time, Bugz worked as a stone mason to make ends meet and to prevent losing the business for good.

Nevertheless, the present and future look good for Bugz, as well as the rest of the crew at Soulsign because tattoos are more popular and less taboo than ever! And they’ve come a long way. Despite a respected, cultural history that dates back thousands of years, tattoos in America have endured over a hundred years of ill repute. There were tattooed ‘freaks’ displayed in circuses and carnivals as cheap entertainment. Decades following that, tattoos became associated with lawless and violent motorcycle gangs, sailors, and other countercultural icons. Today, however, tattoos are wildly popular and a common expression of individuality.

There are many positive outcomes to this growth in popularity. Among them is the loss of the stigma that society placed on tattoos and the people who had them. With growing popularity also comes growth in the industry, offering more opportunities talented artists.

One drawback to a booming industry, however, is that the moment it starts booming, crowds of hopefuls try to get on board. The trendiness of tattoos has resulted in a too many prospective artists trying to find a place.

At Soulsign, however, Bugz ensures the best quality by recruiting only the most talented and experienced artists available. He has personally mentored several over the years, but only a few have stuck with it long enough to really make a name for themselves.

One of his mentees, Jeremy ‘Sandman’ Crummy, went on to start Dreaming Art, down in Jessup, Georgia. Another, Sam Myers, has found success in Portland, Oregon. It takes a certain level of commitment few people anticipate to carve out success in this business. Most are in it for the money and have no passion. These men, much like Bugz and his current crew, have that passion.

As for what the future holds for Soulsign, Bugz tells us, “We could all be gone tomorrow, but it’s been a hell of a ride.” On a more serious note, Bugz tells us he hopes to keep the business going, right where it is now, at 1104 Grove Avenue in Radford, for another decade or more. If his past success and keen decision-making are any indication, it’s safe to say he’ll absolutely do just that.

Soulsign Gallery • Bugz Forbes • SoulSignGrove@gmail.com
1104 Grove Avenue, Radford, VA • 540-633-2377
www.facebook.com/SoulsignGalleryTattoo