Love and Hate Tattoo Parlor, Phoenix

The first tattoos ever created at Love and Hate Tattoo Parlor are nearly antiques by now—the shop’s been open since 1975. That longevity is due in large part to the staff, who revels in creating totally custom works of art, from elaborate, Day Glo–bright sleeves to masterfully shaded black-and-white pieces. Each inkmaster has a signature style: one co-owner, Danny Ross, specializes in multichromatic pop-culture pieces that could’ve been lifted directly from a modern comic book, while another co-owner, Meg McNeil, loves the bold lines and time-honored symbolism of traditional designs. The shop’s piercers go way beyond the basics, too, adorning just about any part of the body with gemstones and rings while keeping their work areas impeccably sterile and magpie-free. Both kinds of body-mod pros regularly take home top honors at competitions during festivals and expos.