Tattoos

Just had lunch with my friend Chris Shepherd, who is an extremely talented animator/director. If you've never heard of him, check out his multi-award winning animation short of last year - Dad's Dead - at www.dadsdead.com (I think, I'm typing this in an internet café).

His production offices (Slinky Pics) are in the Truman Brewery right by Brick Lane and behind Spitafield market (near Liverpool Street station for our overseas readers). As I was walking along to meet him, the place was heaving with trendy east end folk having lunch and looking gorgeous dahling. The market was alive with colour, sound and smell and it reminded me that I really must get out of the house more. What was most striking was the hundreds, literally, of brawny bikers queueing (sp?) for a Tattoo Convention! Don't know what a Tattoo Convention means exactly but judging from the bulging muscle and elaborate tattoos everywhere you looked, it certainly made for an interesting stroll.

Lunch was lovely, a no-nonsense east end caff, and I hadn't seen Chris in ages, so it was great to catch up. He's been beavering away for ages now on his animation projects (he's written, produced and directed dozens) but is taking the steps towards live-action films at the moment. The industry became very aware of him last year with the success of Dad's Dead but he's still had to rely on himself, on his own vision and drive to get his projects off the ground. And it got us both talking about how difficult it is, how no-one's going to hand you anything or do you a favour, and that it's a daily onslaught of rejection and resilience.

What tattoo would best represent that I wonder?