Massachusetts Tattoo Shop Created the Most Fall River Tattoo Ever

Bruce Deslauriers (a.k.a. "Mr. Bruce"), the owner of Fall River Tattoo Company, sure knows how to put together a solid crew.

If you haven’t seen the tattoo out of Fall River that’s been making the rounds on social media, it’s absolutely brilliant. It’s one of those collaborations that nobody ever asked for, but the second you see it, you realize it was destined to happen.

After all, there are two things that are practically synonymous with the great city of Fall River: hot dogs and Lizzie Borden. Just like Captain Planet, when those two powers combine, they create "Glizzy Borden," (corny, yet rad '90s reference) perhaps the most unique, original and regionally focused tattoo design you could ever imagine.

Meet the Artists Behind "Glizzy Borden"

The masterminds behind the unforgettable mashup are none other than tattoo artists Fred Fitzgerald and Nate Teasdale. Fitzgerald has been with Fall River Tattoo Company for six years, joining shortly after the shop opened, while Teasdale has been there since the very beginning, celebrating seven years with the studio.

Massachusetts Tattoo Shop Created the Most Fall River Tattoo Ever

“This all started when Nate and I were going over things a few months back and started playing around with the idea of mashing up two regional entities: hot dogs and Lizzie Borden. It’s a very forward traditional tattoo, and figured locals would get a kick out of it," Fitzgerald said.

A majority of the crew hails from Fall River, so before the ink ever touched skin, the design already had the stamp of local approval. The woman who eventually became the canvas for the now-infamous "Glizzy Borden" tattoo walked into the shop without any idea what she wanted and simply gave the artists "dealer's choice." Since she already had similar quirky mashups and traditional-style pieces from being a regular at FRTC, the crew told her they had the perfect idea waiting in the wings, and she trusted them to run with it.

From iPad Sketch to Social Media Sensation

The finished piece now lives on the back of her calf: a traditional-style hot dog brought to life with tiny arms and legs, dressed in Lizzie Borden's iconic black dress, and complete with a blood-speckled hatchet raised high above its bun. A strip of ketchup and mustard runs down the center of the hot dog, and the entire design somehow manages to be equal parts creepy, hilarious and unmistakably Fall River.

Massachusetts Tattoo Shop Created the Most Fall River Tattoo Ever

The tattoo itself took about an hour and a half to complete, with both Fitzgerald and Teasdale adding their own touches to the finished piece. Like many modern tattoo designs, it all started on an iPad using the sketching app Procreate, where the concept was drawn and refined before being printed as a stencil and transferred onto the client. The customer, who is a frequent flyer and loyal supporter of Fall River Tattoo Company, was the ideal person to bring the one-of-a-kind creation to life.

What the crew didn't expect was just how much attention "Glizzy Borden" would attract once it hit the internet. The design quickly started making the rounds on social media, earning laughs, and plenty of shares.

READ MORE: Massachusetts Woman’s Pastel de Nata Tattoo Has a Sweet Story Behind It

"We had an idea that it would do well once posted on the internet, but not as well as we expected,” Fitzgerald said. The artists haven't had a chance to catch up with the client since she left the shop with her newest piece of body art, but they were told before she walked out the door that she was thrilled with the final result. Judging by the online reaction, she's not the only one.

The Most Fall River Tattoo Ever?

Honestly, it might be the most Fall River tattoo ever created, and if there was ever a place where a hot dog-wielding Lizzie Borden could become a local icon, it would be Fall River.