The first Oslo Tattoo Show poster was created by Jack Rudy.
It later became the final convention poster of his career.
Jack Rudy (Feb. 25, 1954 – Jan. 26, 2025)
For the first Oslo Tattoo Show in 2025, we were given something we never expected to hold: the last poster artwork Jack Rudy created for an event.
Jack Rudy wasn’t just a well-known tattooer, he was one of the people who quietly changed tattooing forever. Working out of Good Time Charlie’s Tattooland in East Los Angeles, he became central to the development of black and grey tattooing as we know it today. At a time when most tattooing was dominated by bold traditional flash, Jack Rudy and Charlie Cartwright were exploring softer shading, religious imagery, lettering, and portrait work influenced by Chicano culture and single-needle techniques.
He helped push tattooing from something decorative into something personal. Generations of artists learned from his approach. What is now considered normal in tattooing, fine shading, smooth gradients, black and grey realism, traces back to the environment around Tattooland. The shop became a meeting point, a school without calling itself one, and its influence spread far beyond California.
When we received the poster he made for Oslo Tattoo Show, we understood that it represented more than an illustration for an event. Our first edition was built around history, not nostalgia, but recognition. Tattooing didn’t appear fully formed; it was built slowly by people who dedicated their lives to it. Jack Rudy was one of those people.
It meant a great deal to us that his wife Carry Rudy and part of the crew from Tattooland joined us at the show, where together we were able to celebrate both his life and 50 years of Good Time Charlie’s Tattooland. For many visitors, it was a chance to connect the work they see today with the people who made it possible.
The 2025 Oslo Tattoo Show became, in part, a tribute not only to Jack Rudy, but to a generation of tattooers who worked long before tattooing was widely accepted, and who shaped the culture we now stand inside.
Some artists leave behind tattoos. A few leave behind a direction. Jack Rudy did both.
Artists 2025
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• Jack Rudy • Carrie Rudy • Stan Corona • Xiucoatl • Droo • Brandy • Tisha • Sammy Benites • Chummy Alexanian • Marius Meyer • MacTyre • Eva Plaza
• Valentina Lakali • Mike Suarez • Anthony Montemayor Sr. • Anthony Montemayor Jr. • Don Patton • Luca Led • Christian Melum • Micky Benavides
• Alex Rodriguez • HellaTatts • Marina Faran • Mari Pinto • Denis Fabris • Master Piece • Chrico • Abuelita • Buhu • HOP Oslo • Monolitt
• Max McAndreis • Alejo • Soren Lind • Janis Laaps • Element • Mina Amunda • Ate Wamz • William Juaska • Triple Cobra • Electric East • Japo
• Sonny Reyes • Gato Loco • Rostromaligno • Taco Joe • YGLI • Wild Tattoo • Mac Mur • El Tengu • Genistreker • Sugar Ink • Alana Hudson
Vendors:
• Tattoo Punisher • Hudson Supply • Nordic SkinLabs • VM Tattoo Supply • Zeitgeist • Safari Piercings • Pink Boneyard • Picky • Carl Bergsvik • Rimfrost • Nick Morte • Sano Klinikken • Ola Cola