Wicked City Tattoo History

Back in 2007, Wicked City Tattoo opened its doors in the strangest little nook tucked into an abandoned hospital up in Jerome, Arizona. I swear, that place had more eerie energy than a horror movie set — peeling paint, weird echoes down the hall, and more than a few “did-that-just-move??” moments after dark.

Cody Brundage and another artist looked around and basically said, “This is it.” It was tiny — like, barely-big-enough-to-breathe tiny — but somehow it felt perfect. That was the vibe we were after: raw, unfiltered, and totally ours. Most of the time we were tattooing by daylight, but man… the nights? Let’s just say we developed an appreciation for outdoor voices and creaky floorboards real quick. It was less studio, more medium-sized paranormal experience.

But that claustrophobic grind didn’t last long. After a few too many run-ins with our own shadows, and some fairly convincing night terrors, we figured our ink deserved a less… haunted breathing space. So we packed up and moved.

Next stop: Old Jerome High School. This place had views that made you feel like you were tattooing in a postcard — sunlight streaming in, desert landscapes pulsing through massive windows, the whole nine yards.

But being beautiful didn’t make it comfortable. In the scorching Arizona summers, it was like tattooing inside a convection oven with a single window unit valiantly trying not to die. And winters? Let’s just say thin glass + heater switch in another room = unfortunate medical side stories and very cold clients. Spring and fall were the only real winners here — the sweet spot when the place behaved like a real studio.

The shop was quiet, calm, and scenic — until we started packing in more artists. Suddenly it felt like a clown car: three people tripping over gear, music bumping, laughter ricocheting off those high ceilings. It was cozy… almost uncomfortably so.

We didn’t wander far — just shifted into a bigger spot right next door. This place was like a tattoo studio on steroids: three platforms, more room to breathe, and enough space to throw events that made most people go, “Wait, this is a tattoo shop?” We’re talking live music, fashion shows, art jams… it was classy in the way a punk-rock opera is classy. We shared the space with the worker bees from Puscifer. Split space, they had their side with screen printing and sewing machines  And we had our side with tattoos and half naked humans.  It was a delight.  

But at some point we had to face reality — space doesn’t automatically equal foot traffic. Sure, people knew we existed, and sure, they liked to hang out… but they weren’t coming in with money in their pockets. Plus, half our crew lived “down the hill,” so rounding them up every day started feeling like herding cats.

We loved the chaos, but business isn’t a party (even if it feels like one). Time to rethink.

So we made the jump to Old Town Cottonwood — right where the foot traffic, the cafes, the wine lovers, and the weekend explorers all mingle. The goal? “Let’s get seen. Let’s get tattooed.”

And yeah — the vibe was totally different from Jerome. We saw all walks of life stroll past our windows: wine-glass in one hand, phone in the other, eyeballing designs like they were pieces of street art. But there was a running joke: these folks will spend hundreds on wine, then tell you tattoo money doesn’t exist. Dedicated, right?

We did grow — added another artist, handled more clients, and soaked up the Cottonwood energy. But leases end, towns evolve, and opportunities call. When our time there wrapped, it felt like time to evolve too.

And that brings us to where we are now: the heart of Cottonwood, just down the hill from where this whole wild ride started. No ghosts, no furnace-like windows, no mystery heater switches. Just real people, real art, and a place that finally feels like home.

We’ve been through spots that were hot, cold, small, big, haunted — you name it. But this one sticks. The energy’s right, the clients love the vibe, and the artists? They make this place more than a shop — they make it a family.

Sure, we’ve had a couple bad apples in the mix over the years, but those stories just add texture to our journey — and remind us why we stick with the people who get it. At the end of the day, Wicked City Tattoo isn’t just where you get inked — it’s where stories get woven into skin and every session feels like a chapter in a bigger book.