I'm getting a tattoo in memory of Ryan Davis

Do what'chu gotta do, homie. If people on the internet are capable of dissuading you from getting it done, you probably weren't fully committed to the idea in the first place.

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

Who the fuck cares what we think?

I have tattoos as well. Jack Skellington, a Red Mushroom being eaten by Mario. The Letters T.C.L.K on my arm as well (Initials for Dad, Mom, Sister and Sister)
If I had listened to anyone other that myself and what I felt I wouldn't have gotten any one them. Thing is, you'll never bump into any of these assmunching clowns from the forums in real life so what do you care?

If you like the design and you feel it's the right thing to do then go through with it.

Also, don't ever listen to the "Ryan would think that..."-crowd.
As if any of these wannabes actually knows what the fuck Ryan would've thought about it. Nobody knew him on a personal level, why do you think everyone felt so useless when he died?

That's a really neat tattoo, I always thought it was cool. There are very few really smart tattoos like that.

I always thought his mom binary tattoo was really cool. If you're going to honor Ryan Davis, then get that. That way when people ask about it you can be up front about it, instead of making up a story about it or awkwardly telling people it's in honor of a guy from the internet.

010001000110111100100000011011100110111101110100001000000110010001101111001000000110100101110100

Do what you gotta do.

That's a cool idea. Though, I agree with some people that getting your own version of Ryan's tattoo would be cool. That way, you can both connect with Ryan while also honoring your mother as he did. To me, it makes for a better story and tribute.

But, hey, regardless of what you end up doing, I hope you'll be happy with it. :)

You said you'd never tell!

In reply to OP: People will always tell you to think twice when it comes to getting a name for a tattoo because it is such a personal thing, but then aren't all tattoos supposed to be personal and mean something to the person who has it? If Ryan had such a positive impact on your life and this is how you want to show your respect then that's fine and it shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks. But on that note, maybe if you're asking for people to give their opinion it means you're not 100% sure and with a tattoo I think you should be certain, without a doubt, that you want it. If you do get it done, make sure you post up a pic. =]

I said I would tell everyone, you never listen.

And the rest of the stuff you wrote out is exactly what a tattoo is about.
Doesn't matter what you get on your body, the only thing that matters is the why. The story behind it.
I know a chick who has a "Connect the dots" puzzle on her back. If people ask her what it's about she gives them something to draw with and while they're connecting the dots she tells her story about how much she loved her father. And when they're done it's a fantastic looking portrait of her father and her.

I wouldn't get that tattoo, but that's just me. Like others have said, a better, less awkward way of honouring Ryan through a tattoo would be by getting his mom tattoo. And if not your mom, then get a binary tattoo of someone else that's personally close to you. Two birds, one stone, and people will get it.

Anyway, that's my advice...And remember, think long and hard about it. I can't stress that enough. Ask yourself if you'd still appreciate the tattoo several years down the road and won't regret it. In fact, wait a few months. If you still really want it by then, then go for it.

Get one that says:

"Those hard swings."

01010100 01101000 01101111 01110011 01100101 00100000 01101000 01100001 01110010 01100100 00100000 01110011 01110111 01101001 01101110 01100111 01110011 00101110

He loved saying that, the little rascal. Oh, Ryan.

Oh shit, now that's a tattoo. Hey, OP. You should get a tattoo like that! :D

Forget all the people telling you how bad tattoos are or how they are forever, if you are getting one you already understand that, its kind of the point. If you feel strongly enough about it then go ahead, i dont know that Ryan would be all that bothered myself, he would probably tell you its dumb but go ahead if you want it.

I think it's ok. If someone asks, you can just tell then it's the name of a friend who past away. No need for deeper explanations if you don't feel like it.

I don't think it's a good idea to get Ryans name tattoo'd on your arm. I'm no assmunching clown but I just think there are better ways to honor him than that. He had mom tattoo'd on his arm, the woman that gave birth to him, you'll have Ryan on yours, the guy who played and talked about video games on a website. Between those two choices one of them will lose significance over time.

@bones8677 said:

By no means am I some tattoo expert, but I'm almost certain this is more about extremely thin lines. The most minor skin change would become apparent in a free-standing thin line, but the design here is rather bold and thick, so I wouldn't think it would be very noticeable.

At that length, it'd be best to shorten it down by getting it in hex: "54:68:6f:73:65:20:68:61:72:64:20:73:77:69:6e:67:73:2e", you probably start to lose the point in tetrasexagesimal though: "FQ0G85mUQGg".

Personally, I'd wait at least a few months first to gauge, to some extent, your certainty in the design. I'd also consider getting it in the same style, but to a very significant person/word in your life, as many have suggested here. Maybe Ryan is that person for you, and I won't try to convince you otherwise, but again I'd say to give it a few months to make sure first; the wounds are still relatively fresh here, as it's only been a couple of weeks. It's pointless to say he's "just a guy that played video games on a website", because he could have had a much deeper impact on your life for other reasons, we don't know. I can't imagine explaining the meaning behind a tattoo would never be a concern of mine either, but I don't have any so I can't say for sure I suppose. I also can't say how long is long enough for you to know. Even though I said personally I'd sit on it for at least a few months, I'd imagine people with other tattoos would have a better sense for how long they'd need to wait. Even if you don't have other tattoos, you know you better than anyone else does. The only thing that worries me is you ended, "surely this is a good idea" with a question mark, not a period, and that says to me you should give it a little time.

I'm of the mindset that unless you get something really dumb(usually extremely generic or meaningless to you) or you have it done in a dumb place(like the inside of your bottom lip or something), then there shouldn't be much to regret. The funniest/saddest posts in this thread are the ones where people are effectively saying, "tattoos are too mainstream now bro, don't get one 'cuz they're no longer rebellious and cool". You should know you the best, and you should know what you need to do to make sure if you're really serious about this or not.

I dont get why so many ppl are telling him to think about it, his skin, his moneys ( i assume), why on earth would he think what other ppl have to say about what he has tattooed on him?

If thats what youd like to do OP, go for it.

If I ever met you, and asked, what does that tattoo mean? I would buy you a beer and few other things.

While Ryan's death impacted all of us, some of us (me included) very deeply, in ten years you will not think about Ryan Thomas Davis at all unless you are specifically reminded of him. A few years ago, two close friends suggested we three get our first initials tattooed on our shoulders. The three of use haven't seen or talked with each other in the years that passed since.

Skin is the largest organ of the human body and your only barrier to disease. I'm very glad I passed through the body modification stage unscathed. But when it comes down to it, it is your skin.

Because he or she is specifically soliciting our opinions about it.

Get "BALLER TIME" tattooed on your eyelids, so that every night when you go to sleep, it'll be baller time.

Awkward....

Looks great, you only live once.

I don't get why some people think it's a bad idea to get game tattoos or stuff like this, when you think about it, every possible tattoo is just a thing that either inspired you, looks nice, or influenced you in some way or another.

This is all of the above

I'm sure that in 32 years, when no one will remember who was Ryan Davis and what Giantbomb was, you'll be proud to tell the story of your favorite video game reviewer.

I don't think Ryan himself would look favourably upon this. Think about it.

It's Tuesday would also be a good choice.

Reminds me of the time I carved Michael Jackson's face on my chest with a knife.

I'd say wait about 6 months and if you're still into the idea after that time has passed then go for it. There's no time limit for getting the tattoo so you might as well wait a while and see if it's something that you really want.

What would Ryan say about this idea? -That's what I would use.

0100111001101111

Do it. Fuck the h8ers. I had no idea Ryan's said "Mom". I thought it was some sick binary rip off of tribal tats just for kicks.

Even though it would be difficult to explain to people what it means and if you're not gay why its a guy's name that's on you, I'd go for it. Plus, how many people would think it means anything anyway, part of the reason Ryan got his.

Have you considered taswell instead?

Good thing people don't read binary and you could probably just say it means "mom" or that it means nothing because it just looks like a bunch of lines...

Thinking of that, who is going to look at the 1's and 0's that resemble geometirc shapes more than numbers and think right away "that's binary."

I would just say, if it makes you happy then do it. But you can still pay tribute to him, even if it doesn't necessarily have his name on it, perhaps another person's name or even your own?

@roborobb: guessing you didnt go through with it?

Ryan's worth it. Do it.

In twenty years, he'll probably be upgrading to bionic arms anyway.

@levio: And we'll be reading threads about inscribing our augmentations.

Dude, that's pretty sweet.

To the people judging GET THE FUCK OVER YOURSELVES, offering an opinion is one thing, but belittling someone who wants to honour someone that they cared about in a meaningful way is just showing a gateway into your own insecurities.

When I first read this thread, I was prepared for OP to put Ryans face on his arm or something, but this seems more appropriate. You should totally do it, hell, every GB fan should do it

SEKRIT KLUBB!

Aye if it looks good to fit you then get it, just make sure it's free of typos & figure out where it should go. GLHB!

You know what I hate? Anti-tattoo people telling someone not to get a tattoo.

Get the tattoo if you want it. I think it's a rad idea.

A lot of you make me kind of sad. "Getting a tattoo for him would set a dangerously low precedent on what you'll do to your own body for people you've never met." So you're saying that I shouldn't get a tattoo of Johnny Cash? I fucking love Johnny Cash. If I want to get a tattoo of Johnny Cash, I'll goddamn well get a tattoo of Johnny Cash. Ryan Davis is the Johnny Cash of the video game journalism industry. I fucking loved that duder, and if I wanted to get a tattoo that somehow memorialized him, I'll fucking get it. There is no "dangerously low precedent on what you'll do to your own body" involved in ANY of that, and if anything, I find that insulting to Ryan overall.

There are also people that are saying "you should think very hard about this decision." Something like this isn't a fucking tramp stamp or some goddamn tribal. It's not some fuckwit-piddly-bullshit tattoo that you find people getting drunk, going to the parlor, and getting inked on them everyday. This has meaning to the individual person getting it. If you don't like it, tough titty said the kitty.

Last but not least, if you don't agree with tattoos, I would kindly ask you to go hang out in the corner over there with Leviticus while he combs his unrounded hair and untrimmed beard. I'm not saying you are all Christian Bible-thumpers looking to throw a fit because someone is marking their skin with the dead, but I am saying that Leviticus was a close-minded fuckstain like some others are being.

When it comes down to it, OP, do whatever the fuck you want to do. Go get a tattoo, go home afterwards, drop a line of coke, put on Hendrix, dance around your house naked, fuck a pillow. I don't care what you do. If you feel like it means something to you, do it.

Just don't infringe on the rights of others when you do it. = D

Do it, you can join a secret club that Ryan unknowingly started and I unknowingly joined.

Left is the addition since, right is a few weeks after I got it and saw Ryan at pax 11. Backstory: wanted a mom tattoo but wanted it to be subtle. Hadn't seen many people with binary tattoo's at the time so ran with it. Showed up at PAX 11, met Ryan, asked him what that tattoo on his arm meant and proceeded to have my mind fucking blown.

Duder was amazing, hope you one day go through with it. If pain is what is stopping you right now I wouldn't think about it too much. It stings but once it starts its nothing. Just make sure you really want it :)

**EDIT**

I'll tell you this much though man, there's a chance that wherever you go to get it done the tattoo artist might tell you its too close together. I was really stretching it at 16 digits, 32 might be too scrunched together so don't get too upset if they turn you away. Skin ain't paper and drawing it on doesn't really give an accurate representation of what the final product could be. If they say no, mess with it to make it work until it fits :D

@jakob187: He asked for feedback. Calm down.

That's really cool! I always thought Ryan's tattoo was just some cool chain design. A la Bioshock or whatever. Really stupid in retrospect, but I never thought about it much. But "mom" in binary is great.

And fuck it man, do that shit. It's really not a big deal, and Ryan was your friend. Not in the traditional sense of a friend, but one nonetheless. I'll probably get a similar tattoo when I turn 18.

Getting a tattoo of the name of a guy that you only met once a decade ago? I don't think that's such a good idea. I'm not saying you shouldn't get it, but really think about it. IS IT a good idea? While I could care less about these editor guys or whatever you call them, if they mean that much to you, then go ahead and do it. Also, do it because YOU want to, not to seek the approval of strangers. Hell, I have tattoos myself, so it'd be kind of hypocritical of me to tell you not to get it.

@roborobb said:

Hey! Should I get this tattoo?

Background info:

Ryan Davis drastically impacted my life, and specifically my career. I have been following Ryan, Jeff and the rest of the gang for over a decade now, and it has shaped what I do on a day-to-day basis. I was lucky enough to meet Ryan and Vinny about four years ago, and meeting them made me realise my life ambition to write professionally.

So, as you could expect, Ryan's passing hit me hard.

I have no other tattoos. I don't think I would get more than one. I've always considered getting one, but always couldn't find a design I liked. Well, I always liked Ryan's design, and even before his passing thought of copying his binary armband concept.

In light of his death, I am going to get his tattoo design, in the exact same place where Ryan had it, but it now reads "Ryan":

This isn't the final design, I need to give it to a proper artist to make it look more accurate in terms of the box and line dimensions. It might be upside down in that picture (I'll make sure it's the right way up if I was to get it).

If someone had such a profound impact on my life, surely this is a good idea? I've had someone draw it out on my skin and it looks pretty awesome.

Any feedback would be wicked-awesome. Love you Giant Bomb xoxo

So have you gotten it yet man?

I was going to get the same Binary "mom" tattoo that ryan has. However after we look at it further. The tattoo artist and I decided That it could not be done without looking like crap at one angle or when I move my arm. Ryan's arm is a lot more of a cylinder then mine. (No offence to ryan but he was a big dude). So it didn't work right. I still have the same design printed out and am trying to think of ideas for it to work on my arm. I would like an armband but if I need to have it go down my arm so be it.

I thought this was a poor idea because I imagined you'd get a portrait or something on your back.

But the binary thing is a cool tribute, and I always thought it looked bad ass. Because "binary" and "bad ass" belong in the same sentence.

You should tattoo a beard onto your balls.