Kat Von D

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Kat Von D

Kat Von D
Born Katherine von Drachenberg
March 8, 1982 (1982-03-08) (age 26)
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Residence Los Angeles, California
Other names Katherine Drachenberg
Occupation Tattoo artist

Kat Von D (born Katherine Von Drachenberg on March 8, 1982) is an American tattoo artist and television personality. She is best known for her work as a featured tattoo artist on the TLC reality television show Miami Ink. A subsequent TLC series starring Von D, LA Ink, premiered August 7, 2007 in the United States and November 11, 2007 in the UK.

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[edit] Biography

Born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Von D moved to the United States when she was four, settling in Colton, California.[1] Her father René von Drachenberg is of German descent and her mother, Sylvia Galeano has Spanish-Italian roots. Both were born in Argentina[1][2]. She speaks fluent Spanish and English[1]. She has a brother Michael and a sister named Karoline.

Growing up in the Inland Empire, she made her first tattoo in 1996 with a homemade rig at age 14, the skull logo of the punk band Misfits.[3]. In 1998, she began working in her first professional shop, Sin City Tattoo. This was a great period of growth in her work and led to her eventually moving to True Tattoo for a chance to work with Clay Decker and Chris Garver. This afforded her the opportunity to live and work in Hollywood, Los Angeles.[4] While working at True Tattoo, Von D met her ex-husband, Oliver Peck, and occasionally worked at his tattoo shop "Elm Street Tattoo" in Dallas, Texas.

[edit] Outside tattooing

Besides her tattoo career, Von D has also appeared in a version of HIM's music video for "Killing Loneliness".[5] She has appeared on such shows as Tom Green's House Tonight, Late Night with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Ellen Degeneres Show. Von D also appeared in both Viva La Bam and Bam's Unholy Union both of which were Jackass spin offs.

She is also sponsored by the soda company Jones Soda [6] and has worked with Vitamin Angels, a non-profit organization that fights child blindness caused by vitamin deficiencies.[7]

Von D has collaborated with professional skateboarders Bam Margera, Chad Muska, and Mike Vallely on their new skateboard deck graphics.

Von D started Musink, which is a collaboration between famous bands and tattooers alike. In February 2008 Musink opened for the first time at the Orange County fairgrounds.[8]

On her MySpace page, Von D announced that she is currently working on a book for HarperCollins Publishers called High Voltage Tattoo. The book will chronicle her tattooing career. Its release date is unknown.

Von D has also recently designed her own brand of makeup products, collaborating with Sephora.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Flatmo, Kore. Bio of Kat Von D. katvond.net (personal web site of Kat Von D). Kat Von D (self-published). Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
  2. ^ [1] "Though her father (Rene Von Drachenberg) is of German descent and her mother (Sylvia Galeano) has Spanish-Italian roots, both her parents are native Argentinians."
  3. ^ Tätowiererin Kat von D Sie geht unter die Haut - Panorama - sueddeutsche.de
  4. ^ k a t v o n d.net
  5. ^ YouTube - H.I.M - Killing Loneliness (Version 2)
  6. ^ Kat Von D: with Jones Soda Co
  7. ^ Claustro, Lisa (2008-01-18). ' Kat Von D Tattoos 400 People to Save 32,000 Children in 24 Hours for Vitamin Angels. Retrieved on 2008-03-04.
  8. ^ Musink, a celebration of tattoos and rock, comes to Costa Mesa (2008-02-21). Retrieved on 2008-03-04.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Persondata
NAME D, Kat Von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Drachenberg, Katherine von
SHORT DESCRIPTION Tattoo artist
DATE OF BIRTH March 8, 1982
PLACE OF BIRTH Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH