Growing up in Tel Aviv, Israel, tattoo artist and
Miami Ink star
Ami James knew that he would someday serve in the Israeli Army, and naturally dreamed of becoming a soldier. He also developed an affinity for playing with action figures, particularly GI Joe, but such toys were not available in his homeland. He instead had to get his GI Joe figures and equipment from his grandparents who lived in the United States.
"In Israel, you usually just play with marbles, so for us to have GI Joes, it was pretty cool," James told Brian Truitt for
USA Weekend. He also admitted to having blown up some of the figures with firecrackers. "I always used to do it to my friends' GI Joes. Definitely not mine."
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Several years later, Ami James enlisted in the Israel Special Forces, serving the military from the time he was 17 until he was 20.
"We had three or four days where you just go and hang out on a base, and they show you how the tanks run. It's very close to playing with GI Joe characters,” he told Truitt.
After serving in the military, he made Miami, Florida his permanent home and began developing his career as a tattoo artist. He started working out of his house, and soon became an apprentice to a man named Lou, who he claims “used to smack me in the face in front of the customers while I was tattooing.”
Despite his clear talent in tattooing, James says he never went to a formal art school to hone his skills.
“I have never been to art school, but I've always been drawing and that led me into tattoos,” he said in response to a fan query on the
Miami Ink website. “When the opportunity came by, I found a way to make money and enjoy what I do for a living. I learn every day more and more; the day I stop learning is the day I will stop tattooing.”
On
Miami Ink, a tattoo-centered reality series that debuted on TLC in 2005, James, 35, is known as the tough guy. He co-owns the shop where the show is set with fellow tattoo artist
Chris Nunez. Other tattoo artists featured on the series include
Darren Brass,
Chris Garver and
Yoji Harada.
Miami Ink returns to the small screen this fall.
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: TLC, USA Weekend
(Image Courtesy of TLC)