Who is Tony Mabee? 20 Revealing Questions with East Bays Most Intuitive Tattoo Artist
- 2 days ago
- 10 min read
When you step into a tattoo studio, you aren't just paying for ink on your skin—you are trusting someone with your body, your pain, and your stories.
A tattoo is a permanent bond. So, who is the artist behind the machine?
To give you an unfiltered look at who I am, what drives my art, and the life lessons that brought me here, I put myself through a raw, 20-question interview. No filters, no industry jargon—just me. Whether you're a long-time client or thinking about booking your first session, here is everything you need to know about Tony Mabee.
🌅 Part 1: Mornings, Chaos, and the Altamont Pass
1. What is the absolute best part of your day?
For me, it’s all about the morning. I'm blessed with a great view of the sunrise, and watching the morning light and energy fill my room while the birds start chirping is everything. I take those first moments after waking up to do a quick meditation, then head outside with a warm cup of coffee to watch the day blossom. I recently started a garden, so I always make it a point to check on my plants and say good morning to them before the madness of the day starts.
2. If you weren’t a tattoo artist, what career would you have ended up in?
Honestly, I’m not entirely sure, but it definitely would have involved art and engineering. I’ve been drawing literally since the day I was born.
The second I could pick up a pen, I was scribbling on absolutely everything—walls, floors, windows, and yes, even the back of the toilet seat.
Looking back, I call it a "head injury enhancement"—I swear I must have been dropped on my head when I was little! It’s both a blessing and a curse. To perceive things when most people can’t even see them is a truly gnarly way to experience life. You get used to having this extra sixth sense, like the movie, but you don’t really know how to use it other than to recreate and portray it the best you can in hopes that whatever it is, it will help the others who see it. If I wasn't tattooing, it probably would have been some other, much less profitable form of art where I could channel that sense. I feel incredibly blessed that the Lord gave me the specific mindset and drive to apply it to tattooing.
3. What is your ultimate comfort food or drink after a grueling 8-hour session?
In reality, I don’t often get what I want, but I get what I need! In an ideal world, I’d head home to a warm, home-cooked meal. But after a grueling 8-hour session, reality usually looks like hitting the brakes in rush hour traffic over the Altamont Pass from Livermore to Tracy, settling for whatever quick gas station food I can grab on the way. It’s not glamorous, but it gets the job done!
4. What is one song or album you could listen to on repeat while tattooing?
I used to be obsessed with curating music, but I’ve actually let that go. My Spotify collection is massive now, and I can vibe with pretty much anything—country, rap, metal, or classical. But if we’re talking about my absolute favorite zone to tattoo in? It’s classical remixes with a trance or techno flair. The lack of lyrics combined with complex beats, rhythms, and flows keeps my brain perfectly entertained while I chug along on a piece.
🎨 Part 2: Tony Mabee's Tattoo Industry Hot Takes
5. What is a hot take or controversial opinion you strongly hold?
I have plenty of hot takes, but let’s stick to the industry. I think most tattoo artists spend their entire careers trying to impress other tattoo artists because they view them as their peers. In reality, they should be focusing 100% of their energy on impressing their clients. A lot of people in the industry might not agree with me on that, but my priority will always be the person sitting in my chair, not the guys looking at my Instagram.
6. Do you have a tattoo on your own body that you totally regret or have covered up?
It’s hard to say, because even the ones I might look back on and question still hold memories—and that’s what I really cherish. They take me right back to the exact moment and chapter they happened. At 42, I feel like I’ve already lived at least three different lifetimes, and I appreciate every line and shape on my skin because they map out that journey. Sure, there are a couple I wish I had thought a little harder about, but do I regret them? Not a single one.
7. What is the most physically painful tattoo you’ve ever received?
I can handle most spots, but my sternum was a completely different beast. There’s absolutely no padding there—just skin right on top of bone. It’s a sensitive area to begin with, but when you have a tattoo machine railing a needle into your chest 60 times a second, it gets incredibly heavy to handle. I’ve literally jumped out of the chair before. Every touch of the needle feels like hooking jumper cables to your nipples and shooting electricity straight through your entire core.
8. What is one tattoo style or trend you secretly wish would fade away?
As an artist, I appreciate all art as a whole, and I respect any attempt because it's a creative expression. But there are a couple of trends I’m not a fan of. First is the recent wave of pornographic tattoos; to me, it’s not showing off real art skills, it’s just aiming for vulgarity and shock value. The second is the ‘ignorant style’ trend. They look like quick little chalkboard doodles and scribbles, and it’s just not my preference when it comes to the craftsmanship of tattooing.
🤫 Part 3: Secrets, Pressure, and the Chipmunk Mentality
9. What’s the most bizarre or unexpected thing a client has ever said to you while in the chair?
I’ve had so many of these moments that honestly, almost nothing shocks me anymore. The tattoo chair has a funny way of acting like a confessional. I’ve had clients tell me about secret love affairs, and I've heard raw war stories about people being killed—just all kinds of deeply intense, traumatic, and gnarly stuff. At this point, the shock value has worn off, and I just view it as a privilege. My rule for processing that kind of information is simple: keep it in the absolute strictest confidence and keep your client close. Holding space for those wild, heavy stories really changes how you perceive humanity and teaches you how to connect with people on a much deeper level.
10. How do you handle the heavy pressure of knowing your art is on someone permanently?
When I was younger, this really got to me. People don’t realize how different tattooing is from other fine art. With a traditional painting, an artist might spend months staring at the piece, tweaking a line here and there over years until it's "perfect." In tattooing, you get one shot. The client is there, they’re in pain, and they usually want it done in that single session.
You are expected to deliver perfection right then and there.
By the time you look up from the craft, the project is over and they are out the door. It’s the only art form where the canvas gets up and walks away. I’ve heard it described as a performance art—like a live play that you perform once in a lifetime, and then it's gone.
11. What is the biggest risk you’ve ever taken in your life, and did it pay off?
As an entrepreneur, small business owner, and contractor, I feel like I am constantly taking risks. I look at it like this: being a traditional employee is like living in a cultivated garden. Your soil, sunlight, and water are all taken care of; your only job is to grow.
But when you step outside that fence into the wild, you’re like a chipmunk. You are constantly foraging, everything is high-tension, and you go out every single day at your own risk. Sometimes things don’t pan out, but I’d say Im successful about 70% to 80% of the time.
The freedom of the wild is worth the risk.
12. If you could give your 18-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
I’d tell him two things. First: while you’re young, leave the girls alone! Second: build as much as you can. Explore, create, invest, roam around, and travel. Use that youthful energy to experience the world. Then, once you hit your late 30s, bunker down, find your spot, and anchor yourself there. To me, that’s just the natural, healthy order of life.
13. What is a hard truth about yourself that you’ve had to accept?
Accepting that I am simply not built for this world. I've realized that if I fit in perfectly, the world would accept me with open arms. Because I don't, I often face rejection. It can feel like a pretty dark place until you finally figure that out. But once you do accept it? There is a strange, quiet power in knowing you aren't meant to just blend into the background.
🩸 Part 4: Regrets, Redemption, and a Tattoo for Jesus
14. Is there something you’ve said or done in your past that you totally regret in life?
Oh, man. There are plenty. I could have gone right when I went left so many times. But one specific moment that always sticks out to me happened years ago with friends. We had a huge group over for a big meal, and afterward, I made a massive stink and complained about having to do the dishes. See, when you live alone, you clean as you cook so everything is spotless by the time you eat. But when you're cooking for a crowd, it doesn’t work that way.
At the time, I thought I was totally justified. My good friend Danny, who had done the cooking, didn’t even argue with me; he just looked disappointed. Looking back with hindsight, I’m disappointed in myself, too. That moment taught me a massive lesson: I don't always have to be right; it’s far more important to be present and grateful. I heard a saying when I was young that a smart man knows what to say, but a wise man knows whether or not to say it. That dish incident completely changed how I speak to people moving forward.
15. What is your biggest fear or something that genuinely keeps you up at night?
The fear of failure. It’s something that constantly tries to plague my mind. Deep down, I know I’m not a failure, but if I let my thoughts wander late at night, they always drift toward doubt: Did I take the wrong road again? Did I make the wrong choice or take the wrong risk? Could I have made life easier for myself if I did X, Y, or Z? It definitely keeps me awake sometimes. But at the end of the day, I quiet those thoughts by saying a prayer to the Lord, knowing that He ultimately makes all things right.
16. What is the most meaningful tattoo you’ve ever given someone?
It was actually a very small tattoo for a client from a deeply oppressive background. This person was of Arabic descent and spent the first part of their life completely covered in a full-body dress where you couldn’t even see their eyes. They had been abused, hidden from the world, and stripped of any control over their own body.
Their very first act of autonomy and freedom outside of that old life was sitting in my chair.
They got a tiny, simple outline of a rose. To them, it represented the fact that every beauty deserves a chance to finally blossom. It was a powerful reminder of what a tattoo can actually mean—it’s not just ink, it’s reclaiming your own skin.
17. What is the biggest misconception people have about tattoo artists?
That it’s easy and that we just doodle all day. People don’t factor in the weight of permanence, and they don't factor in what it means to be a true artist. Like I mentioned earlier, having that "sixth sense" means navigating a lot of emotional and spiritual noise. When a client sits in my chair, I have to be fully present to channel that energy responsibly.
I relate it to Dante’s Inferno, where Dante has a guide to lead him through the rings of hell. Without that guide, he’d be trapped and stuck in the dark. The guide was there to show him what he couldn’t see and help him perceive what he couldn’t understand. That’s exactly where the true artist's calling comes in. Because we are wired to see the things most people filter out, we have a responsibility to act as that guide for our clients, helping them navigate and capture their own stories perfectly.
18. If you could tattoo anyone, living or dead, who would it be and what would you ink on them?
For me, this is the ultimate answer, even if it’s a bit controversial: I wish I could be the one to tattoo Jesus. Some people might call that heresy and argue that scripture doesn't condone tattoos. But I beg to differ. The Bible says that when He returns riding on a white horse, He will have a name inscribed on His robe and on His thigh. What if that inscription is a tattoo? And if it is, who gave it to Him? It doesn't say... so hey, maybe I still have a shot!
19. What do you hope your clients feel the moment they walk out of your shop door?
I view tattooing as a profound form of therapy. It’s a unique physical space where the body gets to release, filter, and strain out the stress and hardships of daily life. It’s a rare chance to not only let things out of your body, but also put things into your body. You aren't just trapping ink under the skin; you are trapping intentions, thoughts, and motivations. Because of that,
I make it a strict priority to always keep the energy positive, intentional, and grounded while we work.
20. At the end of the day, how do you want to be remembered as an artist and a human?
Every single morning, I say a blessing and a prayer for the clients I am tattooing that day, hoping they might find the Lord and ponder His ways. Ultimately, I want to be remembered as someone who used their craft to uplift people. When a client walks out of my shop door, I don't just want them to love their new ink—I want them to leave my chair feeling blessed, elevated, and filled with the courage to face the world again.
Ready to Start Your Next Story?
Tattooing is more than a transaction; it's a shared performance. If you are ready to put your intentions into code, release some weight, and walk out the door feeling filled with courage, let's build something beautiful together.
Hmmm, Interesting! Putting it out there for sure! You are very blessed, open, kind and great listener. I do believe you have had many many lives here. Your here to experience and learn on this big blue ball of life. We all are, "I don't know why I keep coming back, but I do" LOL! I think that's why I do vibe and connect with you. I gave you tons of refernces "gemini" in me, you gave it all to me😁. I know we spent 36 hours or more together over six months and I apperciate you listening as well as sharing. Even if half those hours we didn't talk, just jammed out, watched a movie, or I stared …
Thanks for sharing Tony! I'm inspired tp come back in and hang out for several hours 🤙
Nice job. ♥️. Blessed to not only be your client. But first a friend. Your an incredible artist. So thankful and grateful for all the time I get to spend with you. You have a true gift. Grateful you've shared that gift with me in the art I've received from you.
Keep up the amazing work ♥️