Twenty-nine-year-old Meriden native Brennan Freemantle has something in common with more than 70-million Americans. He has a tattoo – several of them in fact. The co-owner of “Plan 9 Tattoo” on West Main Street got his first tattoo when he was 16-years-old.
“My mother came with me, signed for me, and then proceeded to make fun of me the entire time,” reflects Brennan. “It was a dragon going down most of my left forearm.”
Since then, the self admitted “movie freak” has added several more tattoos including Freddy Krueger, Heath Ledger, and Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars.
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“That obviously isn’t all of them,” says Brennan. “I have plenty of room left and plans for many, many more. My goal is to eventually tie everything together into one large tattoo that covers most of my body.”
Brennan and his father, Scott, opened Plan 9 Tattoo in November 2006. Brennan, who has always had a creative side, is the sole tattoo artist on site, but says he’s looking to hire another one to join him full time. Scott runs the day-to-day operations of the business. They also have a full time piercer who does body piercing.
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When Meriden Patch stopped in for a visit Brennan was busy touching up a cupcake tattoo for a customer. Once he was done with the touchups, he moved on to creating a new tattoo—a large cotton candy. We asked Brennan how he got into tattooing.
“I’d been interested in different forms of art as far back as I can remember. My parents tell me I was constantly drawing as a child. As a young adult tattooing just seemed like a natural progression as far as wanting to continue making art a career,” Brennan said.
Other than “does it hurt?” (which the answer is yes) Brennan says he’s constantly asked about the name “Plan 9 Tattoo.”
“Plan 9 From Outer Space is the name of a movie from 1958. As far as why I named the shop after the movie, it had a nice ring to it and sounded fun – which is what we try to be," Brennan said. The film – a campy sci-fi flick involving Bela Lugosi, aliens, zombies and vampires – is beloved in many circles for how bad it is. It's often called the worst movie ever made.
If you thought tattoos where only for bikers and rockers, you’d be mistaken. Brennan says all types of people come into his shop looking to get inked.
“Tattoos aren’t just for just one type of person. It’s open to all walks of life, just as art in general is.”
A 2007 study by The Pew Research Center found that 38 percent of people between the ages of 18-29 have tattoos.
If you do decide to get a tattoo at Plan 9 Tattoo, there are age restrictions: You must be at least 18 years old to get a tattoo on your own, and have a valid state issued I.D. Minors must be at least 16 years old with a parent or legal guardian present, and must also bring along identification.
For more information on Plan 9 Tattoo, visit them online:
