A raw reflection on how tattooing, punk rock, and underground art saved a generation. This is sacred preservation—not nostalgia. #DeadIdols

“I never wanted to be famous. I wanted to be free.”

Captain Don Leslie swallowed swords, lit his tongue on fire, sang ballads about circus life, and tattooed his story into skin. The Human Volcano wasn’t a gimmick — it was a life lived out loud.

This is a tribute to one of tattooing’s forgotten folk heroes.

INDIAN LARRY: MOTORCYCLE ARTIST, DEAD IDOL

Before the Pike and the flash sheets that defined a generation, Bert Grimm was tattooing river workers and soldiers in downtown St. Louis. This early chapter helped shape both his style and the American traditional legacy he’d leave behind.

We don’t always meet our heroes—but sometimes we meet the people who did. This is about presence, practice, and what remains after the work is done.

Two Shirts. Two Roads. One Legacy. George and Jeff Capps

Percy Waters built the foundation of modern tattooing. His machines, flash, and vision still mark the world today. Dead Idols honors those who left their mark.

“He didn’t chase the gallery scene or the big checks. He built a handmade world full of love, fire, and freedom.”

It all begins with an idea.