Leonard "Stoney" St. Clair was born in Virginia in 1912. He was confined to a wheelchair since the age of four, yet maintained a very active life. At age 15, he joined a traveling circus as a sword swallower, then later took up tattooing at the suggestions of artists he visited while on the road. After leaving the circus, he worked in various studios and eventually owned his own studio in Columbus, Ohio where he worked until his death in 1980. A documentary film entitled "Stoney Knows How" captures his later years.

August "Capt." Coleman was born in 1884 near Cincinnati, Ohio. He started tattooing in the port city of Norfolk, Viginia in 1918 and soon became a legend. He was known for incorporating heavy shading into the popular traditional designs of the time. As well as being a tattooer, he was a supplier of stencils, supplies and machines. He died in 1973.

Brooklyn Blackie was one of the original Coney Island tattooists of the 1950s. He had worked under Charlie Wagner and was responsible for training some well known artists including Spider Webb. Blackie was known for his speed, skill and respect for the traditional values of tattooing, as well as being a respected machine builder.