You see them on arms, legs, faces, and every other part of the body. From familiar cartoon characters, heartfelt messages, to the most sophisticated and intricate art work, the tattoo industry is booming, with artists generating an impressive $1.5 billion in revenue at thousands of studios across the nation. Tattoo fashion is widespread among millennials, with 40 percent of this generation sporting ink on their skin. In the college town of DeKalb, where Northern Illinois University is located, Proton Tattoo has stood out as the premier destination for ink since 2002.

Co-owned by Chris May and Jon Bowman, Proton Tattoo is more than a place for customers to get stories on their skin; it is a creative hub that reflects the studio’s identity.

“What makes Proton Tattoo unique is it’s a place for more than just tattoos,” explained Chris. “It is a true studio in the sense that we make artwork. We make music, we make videos, and we do tattoos here. It’s like the ultimate creative outlet.”

For Chris, tattoo art has been a lifelong passion. He has been working in this profession for 30 years.

“I work with like-minded people, and you become good friends with them. I like to come in here and be comfortable and happy. This is my second home. That’s one of the most rewarding parts about it. You get to be creative,” Chris said.

“There’s the thousands of people you talked to over the 30 years that you’re sitting with for hours at a time,” noted Chris. “You learn a lot about the good and bad in folks. That’s probably one of the cooler aspects of it.”

The studio’s name itself carries a thoughtful backstory.

“When we started, there were so many tattoo shops, like Blue Flame, Iron Dragon, and Scratches Den,” recalled Chris. “We thought it’d be cool to do more of a sci-fi kind of feeling. We liked ‘proton’ because it has the word ‘pro’ in it, and the proton is the positively charged aspect of the atom. It’s also the same number of letters as ‘tattoo.’ When they were stacked on top of each other, it looked good. So that was pretty much the gist of Proton Tattoo.”

What seems to distinguish Proton, in a city where there are several competitors, is its dedication to custom artistry.

“There are a lot of different tattoo shops these days,” noted Chris. “I think the thing that sets us apart the most is we’ve always been more of a custom shop. We prefer to draw everything for where it’s going on the person. We’ve been doing it a long time, and so we understand the longevity of a certain design. I would have to say that we are artists that just so happen to work in retail.”

Drawing on a vision

Chris’s fascination with tattoos started with a youthful impulse and a little rebellion. He got his first tattoo when he was 17 years old. “I went with my mom. I took out a loan from the bank for $500 bucks because my mom wanted me to be fiscally responsible as well and build credit,” Chris recalled with a playful laugh.

“My first tattoo was a tribal sign on my shoulder because it was the ‘90s, and I thought I was a Red Hot Chili Pepper,” stated Chris, giving a nod to one of the decade’s most respected rock bands.

That early spark eventually led to something bigger. Along with his lifelong friend, Jon Bowman, Chris founded Proton Tattoo in 2002. Chris said it was a venture born from hardship and loyalty.

“We have been friends since kindergarten,” recalled Chris. “We started it all (Proton Tattoo) in 2002. I was in a bad spot. My sister had died in a car accident relatively close to that time, and I wasn’t doing anything. Jon was busting his rump in some crappy no-name (tattoo) shop in the burbs. Fortunately, he stockpiled a good chunk of change, and he said, ‘Let’s open our own shop.’ And I was like, ‘I have nothing to offer right now.’ And he replied, ‘Don’t worry about it. Let’s do it.’ It all worked out because here we are.”

Proton Tattoo’s early days were far from glamorous according to Chris.

“This place has evolved quite a bit over the years,” reflected Chris. “When we first started, we were in a small town just outside of this town called Cortland. It was illegal to tattoo in the city of DeKalb, but not in DeKalb County. We found a spot in Cortland. It was small and used to be the old post office, a really tiny building, probably as big as this whole lobby,” observed Chris looking around his shop.

But talent and dedication quickly turned their young business into a local sensation.

“We got very popular quickly, and as a result, we’re growing. The need was getting bigger, so we brought on more people,” explained Chris. Their success even helped change local laws in DeKalb, which had banned the practice in city limits.

“Eventually, we got to the point where we worked with the city of DeKalb to allow tattooing in DeKalb. The reason DeKalb has tattooing is because of Proton Tattoo. Essentially, we are pioneers.”

Beautiful ink

For Chris, running a tattoo shop means full immersion into the artistic side of the business.

“I know there are a lot of people that own tattoo shops that don’t tattoo, and that’s not my cup of tea,” said Chris. “I think you need to be there with the people that you’re working with. You can’t just show up and be like, ‘Hey, I ordered some paper towels. Go make money for the shop.’ That just doesn’t work like that for me. I’m right there next to them, tattooing with them. I think if it’s any other way, it’s not a shop I would go to. But I’m also biased because I’m a tattooer.”

At Proton, the artists operate as independent contractors, fostering a collaborative space in which to work. There are currently six tattoo artists and one body piercing artist at the shop.

“The way it works is that everybody that works here is an independent contractor. They make their own hours and their own schedules,” Chris explained. “The biggest prerequisite is be good at tattooing.”

That approach creates a dynamic workspace where creativity thrives, according to Chris.

“You feed off of each other when you’re working with other folks in this environment. You’re drawing, and then your friend will come and say, ‘Hey, that looks cool. I like how you did this,’ or ‘Maybe you should try changing this and putting this there.’ You’re lifting each other up constantly. It keeps it fresh and motivates you to get better, even after doing it so long. It’s easy to become stagnate and be stuck in your ways. That’s why it’s nice having a good group of folks that want to keep elevating you.”

A little fame, big payoff

Chris and his shop got a major boost when he competed on the cable TV show Ink Master more than a decade ago.

“I was picked to be on season three of the show Ink Master, which was 14 years ago,” Chris recalled with a proud smile. “I think that was pretty surreal. I wasn’t ever expecting anything like that to happen. They get the best from around the world to compete for $100,000. I was pretty stoked to do it, not because I thought I’d win $100,000, but I wanted to see how a TV show was made. More than anything, I thought it would be a really good commercial for what we do.”

Chris told us that even though it has been years since he had been on the show, people still want to talk to him about his appearance on Ink Master almost daily.

“I didn’t even really do all that well on the show. I made it like halfway through,” Chris said. “I tattooed on the finale. It was it was really good for the business as far as getting our name out there and being seen.”

Storytelling through ink

Chris’s passion for tattooing has not faded over his three decades as a tattoo artist.

“I’ve always loved tattooing,” explained Chris. “I always pay attention to what’s going on and new technology that comes out. Because the technology evolves, and it’s fun to evolve with it. I’ve always loved to draw, even before I was a tattooer. I would hope that never goes away.”

Chris told us that his favorite tattoo styles are akin to book illustrations that tell a story.

“The tattoos that I like putting on the most are illustrative things. I like to make it look almost like a little scene from a storybook,” said Chris. “The subject matter looks like it’s moving or doing something. It’s not just sitting there, static and stuck. I like it to almost feel like you can tell yourself a little story.”

One of a kind design

Unlike traditional retail, the work at Proton Tattoo is deeply personal and permanent.

“This business is different than any other kind of retail because we’re truly custom,” explained Chris. “We make our product for you and you alone, and it’s backed up by our experience. It’s not something that’s just going to break in six months and be like, ‘Well, you didn’t buy the extended warranty, so I can’t help you out.’ You know within two months if your tattoo needs a little touch-up. We do it. No questions asked.”

Chris and his business partner, Jon, take a lot of pride in the artistry and quality of the work done at Proton.

“What I love most about working in retail as a tattoo artist is, we’re in the same spot for so long, it’s like we are definitely a part of the landscape here,” Chris reflected. “We are just as recognizable as the water tower in town. Without a doubt. Everyone in DeKalb knows Proton Tattoo.”

Keeping the ink flowing

When it comes to running a successful tattoo shop or any retail business, Chris swears by one rule and it is the rule of keeping everything as simple as possible.

“Don’t bloat yourself with unnecessary things. If someone’s calling to sell you credit card machines or anything, just tell them to leave you alone. Don’t even bother with that stuff,” advises Chris. “Keep it simple. Keep your inventory simple. Don’t put a bunch of crap on yourself that you don’t need right out the gate.”

Chris also thinks that being fearless and taking chances is one of the best ways to find success.

“The biggest piece of advice that I would give anybody starting out is don’t be afraid to fail,” added Chris. “Don’t get mad when little things don’t work out. Don’t be scared when you’re signing papers, getting loans, or paying your taxes correctly. Once you have all that stuff down, it bolsters your confidence. Then, you can show up every day and not be dreading all the background noise of taxes and loans and the responsibility of keeping the lights on every day.”

Walk into Proton Tattoo and instantly you know you have entered a world driven by creativity and comradery among true artisans.

“What makes me the happiest as a tattoo artist is, honestly working with my friends every day and getting to draw,” observed Chris. “When I was a kid, I said, ‘when I grow up, I want to have a job where I draw.’ And growing up out in the middle of nowhere, with corn and cornfields, you almost feel like that’s not quite a possibility. I’m thankful every day that I get to draw and I make money creating art.”