Ink & Dagger Artists on the Road- to HELL!
Our team took over Hell City Tattoo Fest in Columbus, Ohio.
This year’s Hell City Tattoo Fest in Columbus, Ohio was a huge success for the Ink & Dagger crew. We rolled deep with a double-sized booth featuring artists Michel Parisay, Lilith Jacobs, Chris Valencia, and David “Izzy” Irizarry. Jorell Elie held down a nearby booth, and Russ Abbott represented as a contest judge and workshop leader.
Backing us up were booth assistants Bryn Riihimaki and Harrison Knolle, who helped everything run smoothly behind the scenes.
Hell City has been going strong in Columbus for over two decades. It continues to attract world-class tattooers—and their dedicated collectors—to celebrate not just the art of tattooing, but also the vibrant community that surrounds it.
As Hell City founder Durb Morrison shared in a recent Canvas Rebel Magazine interview:
“My journey as a tattoo artist and businessman within the tattooing industry has always been driven by the desire to represent tattooing in the most positive light possible. From the beginning, I’ve been passionate about educating others, including the general public, about the art of tattooing. I strive to illuminate the rich history and cultural significance of tattooing, demonstrating that it is one of the oldest and most profound art forms on the planet.”
-Durb Morrison, from an interview in Canvas Rebel Magazine
That’s a mission we at Ink & Dagger proudly share.
L to R: Chris Valencia, David “Izzy” Irizarry, Jorell Elie, Harrison Knolle, Russ Abbott, Lilith Jacobs, Michel Parisay, and Bryn Riihimaki.
That’s why we grabbed our gear and hit the road. It took multiple flights—and one completely packed Chevy Tahoe—to haul everything: booth displays, custom flash, original artwork, and as much swag as we could carry.
Each artist was challenged to design a booth setup that reflected their own unique style—and they delivered. Watching attendees stop, admire the flash, and often sit down to get tattooed on the spot was a huge highlight of the weekend.
🏆 Most tattoos completed? Michel Parisay.
He spent the weekend cranking out small to medium-sized traditional bangers with machine-like efficiency and signature flair.
David “Izzy” Irizarry kicked off the weekend with an in-progress Celtic-inspired piece for one of his longtime clients—who normally travels to Georgia for sessions. He wrapped things up with a series of bold, fun flash tattoos, pulled straight from his custom sheets.
David “Izzy” Irizarry always looks sharp for a photo op.
Chris Valencia worked all day on a large bird themed tattoo, but it was a bit more than they could finish in one shot so we’ll have to wait for the final reveal. Here’s one of the tattoos he did snag a photo of:
Lilith Jacobs created several standout pieces, including one of her unclaimed ONE SHOT WALL designs from our recent flash event—an illustrative portrait of Shelley Duvall’s character from The Shining. It’s always a great feeling when a favorite design finally finds its forever home with a client who loves it.
Tattoos by Lilith Jacobs done at Hell City Tattoo Fest.
Meanwhile, Russ Abbott stepped away from the tattoo chair to focus on education. He judged the tattoo contests and led a workshop on digital tattoo design workflows. Artists in attendance learned how to render their designs on the iPad and apply them to 3D body models, a technique especially useful for planning sleeves, back pieces, and full torsos.
We left Columbus inspired, connected, and more motivated than ever to keep pushing our craft forward. Until next time, Hell City.
