Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Asmus.
Hi Austin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been drawing, sketching, doodling. Always had an interest in creating art. I always gravitated toward the darker subject matter. I’ve always seen tattoos on people but didn’t think much of it. When I was younger, about 14 years old, I remember watching “Miami Ink” and was really intrigued. I started to notice tattoos more. I started thinking about what kinds of tattoos I wanted on my body. I entertained the idea of becoming a tattoo artist but I never truly dove in.
After working at UPS for a few years during college, a friend asked if I’d help him move to LA. What went from just helping turned into me moving there in short notice. So I’m the Fall of 2014, I left all my things except $1000 and a suitcase. We ended up in the San Fernando Valley. After skipping from crappy apartment to crappy apartment with a large assortment of roommates, I ended up working at a restaurant where I met some of my best friends to this day. I clicked with one guy, David, the most. He was covered in tattoos and we had similar tastes in music, movies, art. He kind of helped open the door to the tattoo community for me. We started getting tattoos pretty regularly from a friend of his named JP who was pretty new to the tattoo game.
Time went on and my time at this restaurant had run out. I felt like I was not living life to its potential. I moved back to Minnesota in the Summer of 2017 to get a welding degree and spend time with family. Through this period of time, I realized, “What am I doing? I don’t want to weld… I want to tattoo… and I always have.” So I called up JP and asked him, “what do you think about an apprenticeship?”
From that conversation on, I drew everyday for almost a year for him until I moved back to California in the Summer of 2019 to start my apprenticeship. There we many ups and downs to the experience but eventually I was on my own. Tattooing what I love to draw on some amazing clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some of the big struggles were having minimal income in such an expensive area. Living with strangers and getting into a lot of shenanigans along the way. Having to walk to a sweaty burrito restaurant 5 miles each way 6 times a week. Getting bikes stolen, getting drugged, witnessing a death in Hollywood….So many crazy stories. Living my early twenties in Southern California was a crazy experience to say the least.
When my apprenticeship started there were definitely a lot of ups and downs. A lot of successes and failures with constant knowledge being funneled in. It was only about a year and half long but it felt much longer.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So I do a style of tattooing called Blackwork. It’s all black. I love to do anything cryptic, gory, culty, morbid…
My Instagram handle is “Author Of Plagues” so I try to stay true to that. Drawing (writing) the plague. I try to get a reaction out of my artwork.
I don’t know what sets me apart from others but I strive to create beautiful pieces of art that appeal to the metal heads, the horror fans, the witches, and the ghouls of the world!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Some people come into the shop, I have this gory artwork behind me, I’m a tall guy who’s blasting death metal at full volume, but what they may not expect is I enjoy watching romcoms and listening to smooth jazz! I’m all over the board with music and movies! I guess people may assume I’m only into creepy things. That may be an assumption but I have heard it a few times.
Contact Info:
- Email: Authorofplagues@gmail.com
- Instagram: @authorofplagues
