Sure, there are lots of tattoo shops in Orange County. But for a beautiful work of body art, Classic Tattoo is tops. Inviting and timeless, the old-school parlor dazzles with intricate flash and vintage cigarettes, pinball and fortune-telling machines. A beautiful glass case encloses period photographs and tattoo needles. On the shop walls hang colorful American- and Asian-inspired designs by former owner/manager Eric Maaske, who died of a drug overdose in 2004, leaving behind a shop that maintains his spirit. Since his passing, his father, Dave Maaske, has kept the doors open and preserved the shop with the same enthusiasm and traditional tattoo aesthetic his son espoused when he purchased the shop nine years ago. If you want to get inked with a solid black-and-white or color portrait, religious-themed imagery, Bettie Page-style pinup girl, or Sailor Jerry-esque classic, artists such as Gabe Munoz, John Troeller and Joe Rouhana provide each patron with a reasonably priced tat, a smile on their faces—and a good story, to boot.
