Tattoos
#1 Native American Head
Johnny’s first tattoos is a Cherokee Indian chief for his ancestral heritage – on his right biceps. “I started getting tattoos when they were sort of verboten in Hollywood… 1983, 1984. I was 17 when I got the first one [a Cherokee chief, to honor] my Indian heritage.” (Inquirer.net, May 13, 2011)
#2 Heart & Betty Sue
His mother’s name “Betty Sue” is inside a heart with some tribal flourishing on his left upper arm. He got it on May 31, 1988.
#3 Wino Forever
His tattoo was once dedicated to his, at that time, girlfriend Winona Ryder with the words “Winona forever”, but later he laser edited it to “Wino forever” – the tattoo is on his upper right arm.
#4 Inverted Triangle
Over the heart with his mother’s name he has an inverted triangle. The triangle was originally drawn by Russian painter Ilya Chasnik in 1925. Chasnik was part of a group which embraced the Communist ideal of producing art for the benefit of the worker and arranged many public art projects – maybe this tattoo has political meaning for Johnny. There’s a photo of him posing next to the picture.
