80s Cartoon Tattoo Ideas
Sloth from the 1980s classic "Goonies" is an iconic character definitely worthy of being inked permanently into your flesh.
80s Tattoo Ideas
Growing up in the 80s, we definitely didn't have the technology and plethora of options that kids have today. I regularly see my 12-year-old brother playing Call of Duty on his Xbox, chatting away with other gamers across the world on his headset, then pausing the game to pull up a YouTube walkthrough video on his laptop. I didn't have iPods or iPads or wireless internet or cell phones. Some of my best memories are of playing in a box. I had a garbage bag full of Barbies and another full of My Little Ponies, and they provided me with endless hours of entertainment using solely my imagination. I remember watching Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake on television while my mom teased her feathered hair in the room beside me. There are so many icons that are classic 1980s.
Movie Tattoos
I was five when I saw E.T. for the first time, at a slumber party at my best friend's house. It was the first movie to make me cry. Even at that tender young age, I remember being amazed that something that wasn't real could be that powerful. Years later I would go on the E.T. ride at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL, and feel the same flood of emotions over that adorable little extraterrestrial. Goonies, of course, is timeless. We had it on VHS (recorded it off of the TV, commercials and all, hell yeah) and I can't count how many times I watched it. Like most people my age, I still have all the lines memorized. And Labyrinth! A George Lucas production directed by Jim Henson and starring David Bowie sounds a little weird when I write it all out like that, but the fantasy world depicted in the film certainly blew me away.
80s Cartoon Tattoos
I was a cartoon junkie. My nickname as a little girl was Pucci (yes, we Italian-ized it), because of how devoted I was to the cartoon Poochie. Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, and She-Ra were other favorites, the standard fare for a little girl my age. However, I was equally obsessed with He-Man and Thundercats, and I loved collecting Transformers. Fraggle Rock, Scooby-Doo, Pound Puppies, Popples, Gummi Bears, The Jetsons- you name it, I watched it...religiously.
Video Game Tattoos
I was elated when the original Nintendo Entertainment System came out, because they quickly began producing games en masse, and many of them were based on television shows of the time. There was Pitfall, Duck Tales, The Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Donkey Kong, etc. I'm 29-years old and I STILL play the Super Mario Bros. series every now and then. I even invested in an FC Twin emulator so I could play my old school NES and Super NES video games as necessary. Megaman was the one game I never mastered, and it drives me bananas to this day. Super Mario Bros. tattoos definitely seem to be the most popular. People tend to go one of two ways: reproducing a pixelated image true to the style of how the characters first looked, or doing a crisp, new school tat in bright colors.
Gremlins Tattoos
Even though they can't be fed after midnight, and they certainly cannot get wet, Gremlins are still so freaking cute that they deserve their own section. Although my love for this 1984 American horror-comedy isn't so overwhelming that I'd get a Gizmo tattoo, many other people feel differently.
© 2011 Jaclyn Popola
Comments
tebo from New Zealand on July 09, 2011:
Some great tattoos there. Tattoo artists are indeed artists. Some of their work is very intricate. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful works of art. David Bowie looks cool.
Eiddwen from Wales on July 07, 2011:
A great hub from someone who is seriously thinking about having a tattoo done.
Here's to many more hubs to share.
Take care
Eiddwen.
angie ashbourne on July 04, 2011:
Hi! becauseilive Good Hub! I like the Gremlin Tattoo. Angie
Matt in Jax from Jacksonville, FL on July 03, 2011:
Definitely some awesome looking tattoos. I appreciate them, but don't see myself ever getting one for myself.
