Colby began his first apprenticeship in Fremont, NE in 2006. He completed a year of art classes and began piercing in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2011. Two years later, he completed his final apprenticeship in Lake Ozark, MO.
In 2014, at Tattoo Ted's A-1 World Famous Tattooing, Colby had the honor of giving an 89-year-old Holocaust survivor his only other tattoo besides the one he received while in the concentration camp.
Colby moved to Kansas City, MO in 2015. Since then, he has traveled the country to guest spot and participate in tattoo conventions from New York City to Seattle.
In 2016, Colby boxed in Tattooed Gloves II in Austin, Texas (a charity match that was featured in the April 2016 sports issue of Inked Magazine), did live human suspension at the Villain Arts KC Tattoo Arts Convention, and was honored to be included in an art auction benefiting True South, and an internationally published flash tribute book for Les Skuse, founder of The Bristol Tattoo Club.
Colby won some of his first awards for tattooing in 2018 at the Villain Arts KC Tattoo Arts Convention, taking 2nd Place Best Traditional, 2nd Place Chest Piece (featured in August 2018 issue of Pain Magazine), and 2nd Place Male Small Color. He judged the tattoo contests at Seattle Tattoo Expo. He also attended Lyle Tuttle’s Retrospective: 70 Years in Tattoo at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco, where he took seminars from some of the masters in the industry, including Ed Hardy and Mary Jane Haake.
In 2019, he brought home the gold belt from his bout in Tattooed Gloves IV, curated Hocus Pocus: The Magical Art of Tattooers hosted by Golden Stag Gallery in Kansas City, did 100 Friday the 13th tattoos in a 24-hour “tattoo holiday” event hosted by The Austin Tattoo Co., had flash published in Flasher Vol. I & II, and attended tattoo machine seminars presented by industry experts.
Colby was honored to be included in Body of Work: Tattoo Culture, an exhibition that explores the rich history and modern artistry of tattooing as a dynamic, ever-evolving artform, on display February 2020 - May 2021, at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. He was also included in Flasher Vol. III.
Colby moved to Columbia, MO in 2020 and has since been included in several local group exhibitions through CAL, and Brews & Tattoos at Orr Street Studios in 2022.
In 2023, Colby won Bronze in Best of Columbia by Inside Columbia Magazine, and curated the tattooer art exhibition Steeped in Tradition at Golden Stag Gallery. Be on the lookout for more curatorial projects coming soon!
In 2024, he won another gold belt in Tattooed Gloves VII, and was a featured speaker/tattoo historian on Mind Your Business Monthly Meetup hosted by Jackpot Tattoo Community.
Colby takes pride in his collection of American tattoo history memorabilia and guarantees well-referenced designs and quality work. He is available by chance or appointment.
Colby regularly participates in art shows and tattoo events around the country. You can find him locally at Iron Tiger Tattoo and exhibiting at Columbia Art League in Columbia, MO. Please see Instagram bio and/or Facebook upcoming Events for travel dates.
You have the same faculty as me, only you do not trust or cultivate it. You can see what I see, if you choose. William Blake