Survey shows Canadians getting tattoos inspired by their favorite streaming shows

Alex Cheng works on a pop culture tattoo for client Cody Wilmot.

Streaming makes it easy to watch programs almost anywhere, and Netflix Canada and Abacus Data reached out to a number of Canadian tattoo artists to see how people are turning their favorite characters into something permanent through a personalized tattoo.

Calgary tattoo artist Alex Cheng specializes in pop culture tattoos and took part in the survey.

“One out of 10 Canadian Netflix subscribers actually have a Netflix-related tattoo,” he said. “So, the trend is definitely getting bigger and (having) a bigger effect on the tattoo industry.”

The survey shows the trend is especially strong among younger Canadians, with 16 per cent of adults aged 18-44 sporting a Netflix-inspired tattoo.

Men, at 11 per cent, are slightly more likely than women, at seven per cent, to wear their fandom.

Cheng says he works with clients on designs that include their favorite characters from various shows.

“That people would love to get that permanently on their skin is definitely a thrill for me,” he says. “But in a way I’m not surprised because nowadays it’s just so easy to get connected with different shows.”

Cody Wilmot enjoys Pokemon and One Piece and worked with Cheng to come up with a hybrid tattoo.

Wilmot says the shows and characters represent something he and his wife enjoy and bonded over.

“I got Luffy and Snorlax fighting over a piece of meat,” he said. “Snorlax is just a Pokémon that I’ve always enjoyed growing up, and Luffy is a character of anime—I’m sure everyone knows One Piece. I’ve watched all of One Piece, so I’m currently up-to-date on that one.”

Wilmot says now he’s looking at other art that he can get on his arms to complement what he’s started with.

“I’m probably going to do a bunch of anime, nerdy-type stuff on my one arm and maybe a little more serious (on the other), but probably going to be more anime nerdy stuff,” he said. “I love all of it, honestly—the artwork, the colour, Alex did a phenomenal job on all of it.

“It just reminds me of my childhood, reminds me of my wife and it’s a wonderful piece.”

Leah Anifowose, Jade and Dagger owner and artist, says there are 13 artists in the tattoo shop who all have specialties, with Cheng the go-to artist for pop culture tattoos.

She and the others are always on the lookout for new trends in the industry.

“You see a lot of new things come up, and we’re always learning about new things and people will tell us why it’s important to them and why they want to get it done, and it’s always fascinating seeing what moves people.”

Anifowose says pop culture tattoos are hot right now, but she says, like fashion, tattoos go in and out of style.

“I don’t know if they’ll ever really die out,” she said. “Maybe they’ll shift to different characters or different mediums, but I think pop culture always really moves people, so that’s going to be something we’re going to see for years to come.”

You can learn more about Alex Cheng’s work at jadeanddagger.com/alex.