Dan Henk
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Dan Henk | |
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| Born | Daniel Jonathan Henk December 11, 1972 |
| Occupation(s) | Tattoo artist, writer, painter |
| Spouse | Monica Castillo |
| Website | http://www.danhenk.com |
Daniel Jonathan Henk (born December 11, 1972) is an American artist and writer, noted for his work in tattooing and painting. He has produced record-album covers, political cartoons, controversial articles, and a variety of other media.[1] Growing up a disaffected army brat, his early life revolved around a punk rock subculture that included bouts of homelessness and societal rejection.
Early life
His beginning career included a year and a half stint drawing political cartoons for Madcap Magazine and illustrating underground projects and fanzines such as Maximum Rock and Roll. In 1997, after struggling through a violent car crash and a knife fight with a crackhead that severed the tendon on his left thumb, he finally managed to attend art school. Receiving some commercial and local gallery acclaim for his artwork, he moved to New York City in an attempt to kick start an art career. Heavily immersing himself in the local hardcore scene, he produced artwork for the bands Shai Hulud, Indecision, Coalesce, Locked in a Vacancy, Beyond Reason, Zombie Apocalypse and various local record labels and venues.
Commercial success and tragedy
In 2000, he started tattooing, initially working on many musician friends. A year later, in September 2001, he was stricken with brain cancer and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Refusing to give up, he returned to his art projects with a vengeance.Three months later, he married fellow tattoo artist Monica Castillo. After a brief venture down south, that included owning a short lived tattoo shop that ended in disaster, he returned to Manhattan and applied himself to art with a renewed fervor. A productive period followed, with his work appearing in both a growing number of tattoo magazines and more fine art influenced outlets such as Aphrodesia, and The Tarot Project. Tattoo related books such as No Regrets: The Best, Worst, & Most #$%*ing Ridiculous Tattoos Ever and Inside the Tattoo Circus: A Journey Through the Modern World of Tattoos also took notice and included features on the young artist.[2] Tragedy struck again in 2007, as his wife of 6 years, Monica Henk, was killed in a motorcycle accident by a hit and run driver. Despite extensive coverage in the local media and vigorous campaigns by both the tattoo and motorcycle community, the culprit was never found.
A new start
He moved to Austin, Texas for three years, and re-evaluated his career. A heavy spate of activity followed. He started doing a regular comic strip entitled "Rollo & Me" for Tattoo Artist Magazine, as well as illustrations for Black Static Magazine, This is Horror, and Splatterpunk. His long in the making first novel, The Black Seas of Infinity, was published by Anarchy Books in 2011. A limited edition chapbook entitled "Christmas Is Cancelled" came out courtesy of Splatterpunk in 2013. Relocating yet again, this time to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and then two years later back to Brooklyn, New York he's currently writing, illustrating and tattooing. He's also writing a regular column for Tattoo Revue and Skin Art magazines. A reissue of his debut novel was put out by Permuted Press in April 2015, and a collection of his short stories entitled "Down Highways In The Dark...By Demons Driven" was released by Permuted Press in August of the same year. He's continued his work for independent magazines, recently doing work for Red Door Magazine, The Horror Zine, Litro Magazine, and a slew of books by the imprint Out Of Step.