The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Owner of new tattoo shop wants to evoke emotions

Michael “Matty McTatty” Matlock, owner of Peptide Tattoo, stands in his 779 W. Central Ave.  tattoo shop in Carlisle on Friday, Sept. 18. The shop offers professional tattoos and piercings and is open from 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 1 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Contributed photo by Jessica Uttinger Michael “Matty McTatty” Matlock, owner of Peptide Tattoo, stands in his 779 W. Central Ave.  tattoo shop in Carlisle on Friday, Sept. 18. The shop offers professional tattoos and piercings and is open from 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 1 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Local Focus: Cincinnati for May 25
New 10 min. ago 5/25/12
Local Focus: Warren County for May 25
New 11 min. ago 5/25/12
Local Focus: Butler County for May 25
New 11 min. ago 5/25/12
Male teachers are rare in elementaries
New 13 min. ago 5/25/12
Fewer taking time off work
New 18 min. ago 5/25/12
> More headlines

By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer 1:24 AM Saturday, September 26, 2009

CARLISLE — Matty “McTatty” Matlock doesn’t want to just give you a good tattoo, he wants it to evoke emotions “and hopefully all the good ones.”

The owner of Peptide Tattoo in Carlisle — named after the string of amino acids that affect human emotions — said he put as much thought into the appearance of his shop as he does the tattoos he produces. With teal and purple walls offset by international artwork, Peptide looks more like an office space than a tattoo parlor. With children and seniors constantly walking by, Matlock said he wanted to be “low-key.”

“I wanted it to be inviting, because there is nothing calm about getting a tattoo,” he said.

Even in a down economy, Matlock said he has always been one “to buck the system” and felt this was his chance to open a quality tattoo shop in a part of town that does not sport much competition.

The shop specializes in lifelike portrait tattoos, which Matlock has been doing for 13 years. The designs start at about $350 for a black-shaded tattoo and escalate from there for detail and color. The most popular portraits, he said, are people’s pets.

And while some shops compose tattoos from a series of pictures, piecing together a collage of stock images, Matlock said he prides himself on taking a customer’s idea and turning it into a completely custom work. He often takes his work home with him, spending hours on the couch drawing out a design and tinkering with it based on his client’s needs.

Pricing is based on the detail and time a tattoo takes. They also do piercings starting at $35 with the jewelry included. With two tattoo artists and one piercer, the shop prefers appointments but will take walk-ins. Matlock said they will work with clients on a budget, and stick to their price quotes.

“We are more worried about our reputation than our wallets,” he said. “We want people to think they are getting the best work for a fair price.”

Peptide is located at 779 W. Central Ave. in Carlisle. For more information, call (937) 550-9555 or visit peptidetattoo.com.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.

Share this article