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Tattoo Underground was born into this world the day, a mild mannered stranger wandered into Doc Dogs’ Fabulous Las Vegas Tattoo Co., and met with some of the crew. Somehow or another the topic of reality shows came up, with many bad jokes about how ridiculous some television shows have become. You had everything form life in a motorcycle shop to life in a funeral parlor. But regardless, it’s a fact; people were hungry for anything involving a lifestyle different from the day-to-day, humdrum, norm. And so the idea was sparked, no one had done a reality show based around life in a tattoo shop. Lil Rat, of Macon Georgia’s “Beyond Taboo Tattoo’s”, and Doc Dog, (Old Friends and Partners) had an idea of capturing life in a tattoo shop and putting it on video. At the time, Doc was preparing to move to Tampa, Fl. and open his first east coast location, so Lil Rat took the initiative, and started shooting on his own. A few months later he would be the one to bring the world of tattooing to the TV audience, with his weekly show “Tattoo TV”, featuring tattoos, tattooing and the people who did them, and the people who got them. Though sadly the show had aired only 6 episodes, before it was finally shut down by the FCC. (Those evil TV people who have the final say on what you can and can’t see on TV) “Tattoo TV” was also under great scrutiny due to the nature of its’ content, and the fact they were centered right smack in the middle of the Bible belt, didn’t help much either (It seems the art of Tattooing still remains a truly taboo and shocking subject to some people) The upside to all this is, there was proof that even though “the powers that be” disapproved of Lil Rat’s show, it had gained a following, even in the tightest strictest ,conservative areas in the U.S. , there was an audience with a huge appetite for seeing ink being slung. And skin getting stained. This was where Doc had to pick up the proverbial “ball” and “run with it” And that time happened when the mild mannered stranger had wandered into Docs’ shop. Little did the stranger know, and little did Doc know, the 2 of them could put the pieces together in a whole new way, the mild mannered stranger was Marcus Koch, oddly enough, who’s background was centered in film and video, (talk about being in the right place at the right time) Over the next few months and hundreds of hours of raw footage collected, the final piece to the puzzle came to claim its place, Mike Parsons joined the crew. Slowly Doc and his team, focused the show, refined it, and the direction was found. Tattoo Underground was laying its own foundation as a new reality show unlike anything else. The ABC network came into play and Tattoo Underground was given the green light, set to start airing, on November 7th 2004, With radio ads pushing the show, and print ads circulating, a big buzz could be heard around town, and it wasn’t just a well tuned tattoo machine, people were getting anxious too see what the show was all about. And then the worst happened, after months of a full steady green light, 2 months of expensive radio air time, and print advertisement costs, the head executives of ABC and the FCC would shut the show down the night before airing Tattoo Underground’s first episode, said it to be “TOO RISQUE” and “too much for ABCs’ conservative audience” and so the plug was pulled. But Doc Dog, always with his poker face on, pressed forward, and didn’t throw in the towel. Doc kept the Buzz going, and that Buzz was heard loud and clear, because shortly after, the WB would be the Network to give the official green light and thumbs up for Tattoo Underground (Also might have a lot to do with the WB having a younger, less conservative target audience) and the rest is history, season one proved to be one hell of a success. With season one over, Doc Dog and His Las Vegas Tattoo crew, are gearing up for season 2 which starts Jan 6th starting their 2nd yr on air. And with perfect timing, seems the wave has already begun, tattoo collectors come from far and wide, to have work done by the ever impressive, always sarcastic Mike Parsons, the unpredictable K.C. Jones, and Doc’s own flesh and blood, Colt Baker. And on a rare occasion, those in the know, come out to see Doc Dog for a once in a lifetime moment, to be tattooed by a legend and have it recorded for the entire world to see on Tattoo Underground. Who knows you could be next. So if you Get the Itch, that needs to be scratched, there’s only one place to go Doc Dog’s Fabulous Las Vegas Tattoo Co. in Tampa Florida & in London (England) .