The Tattoos of Sylvester Stallone

Have tattoos gotten so trendy they appeal to seniors? Are they the next hip expression of defying old age? Or are they something that people pursue when they are secure enough to not care what anyone else thinks? In any of these cases, the answer could be yes if you are talking about actor Sylvester Stallone. You heard me right... Rocky Balboa, aka Rambo, now has tattoos.

The portrait of third wife Jennifer Flavin which adorns Stallone's right shoulder and upper arm is the work of Mike DeVries, owner of MD Tattoos in Northridge, California, a tattoo artist known for his specialization in portraiture. The portrait was done in July of 2007. Around Jennifer's face are three brightly-colored roses (one purple, one gold, one red), which symbolize Stallone and Flavin's three daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet, each of whom bears the middle name "Rose." The 60-something-year-old actor decided to get the tattoo in honor of his and Flavin's tenth wedding anniversary. Stallone has said it took about twenty-five hours of chair time to complete. The tattoo on his right shoulder was expanded into a full sleeve and chest panel sometime in late 2007 or early 2008, adding a tiger to the mix.

The large picture you see here is a production still of Stallone from his upcoming film "The Expendables," which he's written, and will be both acting in and directing. It's an action piece, and will co-star a who's who of other actors: Eric Roberts, Jason Statham, Jet Li, 50 Cent aka Curtis Jackson, Mickey Rourke, and a cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger. None of the ink is makeup: Stallone has expanded his tattoo work to two short sleeves with chest panels.

The work on his left shoulder was done by famed tattooist Mario Barth. A Las Vegas newspaper reports Stallone was spotted inStarlight Tattoo located at the House of Blues in the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas in July of 2008, going over some new designs with artist Mario Barth. Barth's personal web site shows a picture of him working on Stallone. The designs include some eyes on the chest, a very busy background swirling up over the shoulder and some sort of large image on the left upper arm that I've not seen a clear picture of yet.