Colby completed a year of Studio Art classes and began piercing in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2011. Two years later, he completed his tattoo apprenticeship in Lake Ozark, Missouri. Colby moved to Kansas City, MO in 2015. Since then, he has traveled the country to guest spot and participate in tattoo conventions from New York City to Seattle. In 2016, Colby boxed in Tattooed Gloves II (a charity match that was featured in the April 2016 sports issue of Inked Magazine), did live human suspension at the Villain Arts KC Tattoo Arts Convention, and was honored to be included in an art auction benefiting True South and an internationally published flash tribute book for Les Skuse, founder of The Bristol Tattoo Club.

Colby won his first awards for tattooing in 2018 at the Villain Arts KC Tattoo Arts Convention, taking 2nd Place Best Traditional, 2nd Place Chest Piece (featured in August 2018 issue of Pain Magazine), and 2nd Place Male Small Color. He also attended Lyle Tuttle’s Retrospective: 70 Years in Tattoo at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco, where he took seminars from some of the masters in the industry, including Ed Hardy.

In 2019, he brought home the gold belt from his bout in Tattooed Gloves IV, curatedHocus Pocus: The Magical Art of Tattooers at Golden Stag Gallery, did 100 Friday the 13th tattoos in a 24-hour “tattoo holiday” event hosted by The Austin Tattoo Co., had flash published in Flasher Vol. I, II, & III, took machine seminars presented by industry experts, and was included in several art shows and tattoo events around the country.

Colby was honored to be included in Body of Work: Tattoo Culture, an exhibition that explores the rich history and modern artistry of tattooing as a dynamic, ever-evolving artform, on display February - May 2021, at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle.

Colby takes pride in his collection of American tattoo history memorabilia and guarantees well-referenced designs and quality work. He is available by chance or appointment. You can find him locally at https://www.irontigertattoo.com/ in Columbia, Mo. Please see Instagram bio and/or Facebook upcoming Events for travel dates.

You have the same faculty as me, only you do not trust or cultivate it. You can see what I see, if you choose. William Blake