Are you a fan of reptile-inspired ink? Our first herp tattoo contest was held in 2004, and it amassed more entries than we’ve received for any contest before or since. It may have taken four years, but the time has finally come to hold another. The REPTILES Tat Attack! contest is here!
Win Money!
Entries will be judged by the REPTILES editorial staff, and there will be first-, second- and third-place winners.
- First place wins $200.
- Second place wins $100.
- Third place wins $50.
Each of the three winners will also receive a certificate from REPTILES announcing them as the winners of the REPTILES Tat Attack! contest.
The winning photos will be published in the November 2008 issue of REPTILES, and winners will receive a check that month. Runner-up photos might be published, as well (sorry, no payment will be made for these). Contest photos may also appear on www.reptilechannel.com.
How to Enter
Send photos of your tats. Submit as many as you wish, whether that’s multiple photos of a single tattoo or photos of several tattoos. Tattoos must belong to the person entering the contest, and all tats must be clearly visible in your photos. By entering the contest you are verifying that you are at least 18 years old.
Your complete name, address and telephone number must be included with each entry along with a description of your tattoos, including where on your body they appear and the animal species that inspired them. Feel free to include any background info you wish (e.g., a pet inspired the tattoo, it’s your favorite species, etc.). Please remember that REPTILES is a family-oriented magazine. Entries that might be considered offensive should not be submitted. Use your best judgment in defining “offensive.”
Image Requirements
- Prints, slides or high-resolution digital images are best.
- Prints should be on photo paper, and sized 4x6 inches or larger. Do not send negatives.
- Slides should be 35 mm transparencies.
- Digital images should have a resolution of at least 300 dpi, sized to 5x7 inches, and saved as a jpeg file. If these specs mean nothing to you, digital images downloaded straight from the camera usually are OK; Web images are too small.
Sending Submissions
Photos may be mailed to REPTILES, Tat Attack!, P.O. Box 6050, Mission Viejo, CA 92690.
Sending digital images on CDs formatted for both PC and Apple computers is best.
You may also e-mail your submissions to: reptiles@bowtieinc.com. Type “Tat Attack!” in the subject field of each e-mailed submission. Remember, many e-mail systems will not allow you to send files the size we require. If you have multiple images, please consider mailing a disc of digital images to the above address.
Labeling is important. Entrant's name should be written on the back of prints, on slide mounts or in the image file name. This info should be easy to read.
Who Should Enter
Anyone 18 years of age or older with a terrific reptile or amphibian tattoo is eligible to win the contest. Tattoos based on actual herp species are great, but we also welcome photos of tattoos that use real species as a jumping-off point for their designs. For instance, two entries from the last contest included a salamander with skulls all over its body — not an actual species that I know of — and a snake tattoo that combined the body of a western diamondback with the coloration of a Biak Island green tree python.
Of course, plenty of snake tattoos didn’t bear any resemblance to an actual snake, but they were still entered into the running.
Contest Deadline
All entries must be received by June 30, 2008. DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JULY 20, 2008!
They become the property of REPTILES magazine and cannot be returned.
With the REPTILES Tat Attack! contest officially underway, we’re looking forward to seeing many outstanding herp-inspired tattoos.
—Russ Case
Good Luck!