Anarchy Tattoo Parlor Shakes Up Portage

By Cait O'Leary

Two Portage Northern graduates opened a new business, Anarchy Tattoos, on Milham Road in Portage last week.

Anarchy co-owners Justin Weaver and Evin Anderson, both 21 years-old and friends from high school, are trying to reshape the image many have of a typical tattoo parlor by “Bringing Creativity to the Surface,” which is Anarchy’s motto.

The two have talked about opening a business together, using Weaver’s artistic talents and Anderson’s business sense. Talks of a tattoo parlor became serious in 2005, and took form one year ago when the friends started looking for a building and finalizing details.

Weaver and Anderson have discussed the ups and downs of economics, what will happen if the business flourishes or fails. “We’ve both really talked about this seriously for a very long time and we’ve talked about if the business did go under what would happen, so we’ve worked about every angle we could out of it. It will be a lifelong friendship,” says Weaver.

Weaver and Anderson agree that it will take time to earn a name and a reputation. Anderson says, “There’s a lot of competition. There are a lot of tattoo parlors in Kalamazoo County. We’re hoping we have customers who really appreciate Justin’s artwork and what we stand for.”

Both are confident that basing their business’ reputation on kindness, cleanliness, and hospitality, as well as exceptional artwork, will build a proper foundation to expand. Weaver and Anderson would like Anarchy Tattoos to be the place for people to come to support local artists by “selling art, playing live music and getting away from the stereotype that tattoo places are just dives. We want to bring them into the art scene,” says Anderson whose roll in Anarchy is promotions, marketing and public relations.

Having grown up in the area, Weaver and Anderson have an affinity with the culture and vibrancy of Kalamazoo. Weaver, the tattoo/airbrush artist, adds, “I like to do things for this community. This is where I live, this is home and there is no place like home.”

Weaver is excited to be involved in a Kalamazoo business and is grateful to his biggest supporters, “Everyone has really helped me out and pulled this together. This wouldn’t have been able to be accomplished without my family, my wife, my mom, and friends.”

Weaver’s sister, Gwen Dunning, has supported her brother’s art and remembers him as a boy, “Justin is an awesome artist, but he’s always been. All growing up, he’s been at the books.” She has multiple tattoos that her brother has done for her.

Weaver remembers his first time tattooing a friend, “One of my buddies had asked me to do a tattoo on him. I built my own machine; it was my first machine, and I gave him a tattoo. From there it was something I just really liked to do. Someone else is wearing my artwork on their bodies. It’s an amazing thing.”

Anderson is working on attaining a degree and believes that his real-life experiences through Anarchy will be his greatest education. He holds firm to the American dream, “I think the biggest thing for our business is that together we wanted to create something that would show that you can create something from nothing.”

Weaver is confident in his abilities as an artist and his drive to succeed, “I don’t think there is such a thing as failure. You try and try until you reach your goal.”
There have been a few technical bumps in the road, such as telephone troubles and website construction. Weaver and Anderson encourage people to come to the shop, either to get inked or just to come check out the new local business.