Tattoo Mania is returning to Dallas for its second year

Tattoo Mania is one of the only homegrown tattoo conventions in Dallas.

Provided by Philip LaRocca

Dallas might not be the first or even tenth city that comes to mind when you think of people walking aroudn covered tattoos. Take it from Philip LaRocca, owner of Salvation Tattoo in Oak Cliff and founder of one of the city’s only homegrown tattoo conventions: Tatto Mania, returning for its second year at Four Corners Brewing Co. from Oct. 16-18.

“I hope I don’t get in trouble for this, but I think [Dallas] has room to improve,” says LaRocca. “Dallas has a growing [tattoo] collector’s market, if you will. People are hungry, and they’re interested, and there’s a good buzz going around tattooing. But unfortunately, I do think that there’s been sort of a lack of care in some ways with the Dallas scene.” 

Now he, and a handful of other shops in Dallas, are working to continue the city’s cultural legacy in tattooing.

“With the convention, I wanted to pull all these things that I loved about tattooing and try and, not reinvent the wheel, but just sort of re-influence the culture around tattooing in Dallas,” he says. 

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He’s doing his part with Tattoo Mania, a 50-artist convention hosted at Four Corners Brewing Co. and orchestrated by LaRocca. The venue is packed with as many artists as they can possibly fit, but they are still considerably smaller than the typical conventions that can see thousands of people leave with plastic-wrapped skin. 

Tattoo Mania and its 50 visiting artists will occupy Four Corners Brewing Co. for three days in October.

“I attended some conventions before I was a tattooer,” he says. “It’s such a cool thing. It’s very overwhelming. There’s a lot to take in and see. Being in the culture and around it and traveling and going to conventions, I find them to be a very crucial part of growing as a tattooer.” 

Per shop rules, no Dallas-based artists are invited to tattoo at the convention, offering the city’s artists and tattoo appreciators the opportunity to diversify their access. 

“You can get tattooed by us any time of the year,” he says. “But this weekend is specifically about learning and meeting new people and getting tattooed by guests that have come from Germany, from the UK, from Mexico, from Canada, and that I think is what really helps build and grow a tattoo culture in a city.”

The convention operates on day passes, and if you’re looking to get tattooed by a specific artist, it’s a good idea to book an appointment with them directly. But there are plenty of artists who accept walk-ins. The roster is carefully curated by LaRocca, with artists specializing in American traditional, fine line, traditional Japanese and more.

Tattoo conventions are not a novel idea. There are massive nationwide tours that bring hundreds of artists across the country to packed halls. But the corporation-owned conventions can be less scrupulous than LaRocca’s local effort. 

“Ultimately I felt like Dallas needed another convention that was midsize, that was run by people who love and care for tattooing. I think the biggest problem with like the corporations that kind of get involved in this is that they just see a bottom line and a dollar amount. They are guaranteed to make their money, but none of the tattooers are guaranteed to make anything at the end of the day.”

In 2025, the convention’s first year, the team produced a concert. This year, they’re trading the concert for an art show showcasing local artists’ work. 

The artist and shop owner was born and raised in Dallas, and after 10 years working in Austin and years traveling the world learning about the art form, he is committed to bringing diversity to a space that can still feel a little taboo in Dallas. 

“I hope if anything, [this] lights a fire under people’s butts,” he says. “But I think Dallas has a long way to go to become one of those destination tattoo cities. Part of that goes with getting out of your shop and traveling and going and getting tattooed by artists from all around the world.”

Tattoo Mania takes place from Oct. 16-18 at Four Corners Brewing Co. Tickets are available now.