HELP WITH ARTIST SIGNATURE ON BLOODS/CRYPTS CHICANO ART (THIS IS NOT FACTORY ART!)

I saw this at a local thrift store today and bought it - for $59.95 + tax (!); a big amount for me at a thrift store!
But it is so well done, so unusual, and chicano art (see pants worn way high on stomach!) that I gambled the artist would be known (plus, that Storage Wars tv episode where the tank top dad & son won a unit full of chicano art that was later appraised for over $200,000 did pop into my head!)
Does anyone recognize the artist's name?
Any thought on the artwork? I think they are bloods (red bandana on head) & crypts (blue bandana) and if I had to guess I'd say a crypt made it because even though the bloods cat has the knife & the crypt cat only his claws, he also has a claw injury to his neck while the other is unharmed?
I definitely appreciate any help with this.
PS - "LBC" in signature - Latin Black Cat(s)?

 

Think the artists initials are MP with an original artwork date of 07 as that’s what I see on the logo above LBC. Also I think the gang name is Crips? Maybe Maya Penjpalu, but could be Marja P.......... it’s a powerful picture, odd that the cat with the knife is more injured than the other

 

Dang, that is good!
FYI, I believe it's Crips, not Crypts.

 

LBC
Long Beach Crips.?

 

The Crips (blue) and Bloods (red) are historically African-American gangs, not Mexican-American, so not sure this is Chicano art.

Debora

 

The LBC probably refers to either the printing process or the edition. It is obviously some sort of digital reproduction (i.e. giclée or laser print).

 

Well the way they are wearing their pants all the way up to their belly button + the shirt only buttoned at the neck is definitely a So Cal chicano style?

 

You got me. Definitely Chicano. (Even though they're depicted as black panthers.)

Debora

 

That is done by Morgan Pennypacker!

 

http://morgwnpennypacker.com/store
Scroll down to see “fighting panthers”

Bravo and welcome @Mwoods17

 

For people trying to search Morgan Pennypacker - try MorgWn Pennypacker instead.

 

sniped by Kyratango. . .

 

Also, the Red & Blue is most likely MS-13 & Norteños. Blue being the color for MS-13 “uniform” and Red being the Norteños. Ms13 is mostly centered in LA (where I live) and Norteños is a Northern California gang, Bay Area & more inland like Fresno & Bakersfield.

 

No unfortunately - I sold it not long after the original posting

 

Bummer, not only am I amazed you found it at a thrift store, but also that it was so cheap. I’ve met Morgan before, and his art definitely ain’t cheap. I’m totally blown away that piece was in a thrift store, especially since prints and originals usually keep circulating in the tattoo world.

Figured I’d give you all a little background on tattooing art & culture, it may provide info in your findings when on the hunt for art in antique stores.

I’m not a tattooer myself, but I grew up in southern california and a lot of friends of mine are reputable tattooers in the scene. The tattooing world is an interesting “subculture” for lack of a better term. The tattooing you see on TV is garbage and not representative of the real world of tattooing. The real tattooing world has an old code of honor and ethics to the craft that has existed for ages, rules such as being allowed to tattoo flash belonging to another tattooer as long as you bought their print or original (not necessarily purchased from them, originals could be sold by other tattooers.) For example, I have a black widow on my hand tattooed by my friend J Medina. The design was made by Bob Roberts and J bought the original painting Bob did of this widow, and asked Bob’s permission to tattoo it. Bob said yes and weeks later posted on J’s Instagram that he loved it! Huge compliment coming from one of the most legendary tattooers. Not much long after, Bob asked if J wanted to tattoo at his legendary shop Spotlight. That’s the kind of unity found amongst reputable tattooers, they’ll give you respect, honor and take care of you if you show the same respect and honor for the craft.

In addition, reputable tattooers always apprentice, you see a lot of garbage tattooers on TV who say they’ve been tattooing for 3 years and never apprenticed...I wouldn’t be caught dead with their hands on me, and more often than not, amateur tattooers who don’t respect the craft and go around the rules of the trade are typically garbage artists who use iPads as their flash sheets. Totally lame. There’s ways technology can aid, but I met a “tattooer” who was a graphic design graduate, never apprenticed and bought a tattoo “gun” kit off eBay (it’s a tattoo MACHINE, not a gun)...that’s the kind of trash that is destroying the tattooing world, tattooing isn’t something that can be taught in a school, and there are people who are trying to make tattooing more mainstream by trying to advocate including it in art programs in private schools....basically allowing capitalists to try to cash in on a craft forged in tradition they should never ever be involved in. Little do those types of people know, there’s aspects and techniques to tattooing that you can only learn from other tattooers in the craft by apprenticing and tattooing for minimum of a few years if not longer.

This print isn’t technically “Chicano art” per se, the panthers aren’t objectively representative of anything since a panther is a very old school traditional image. This is more just a different take on traditional tattooing. A majority of great tattooers (living and late) typically start in traditional American or Japanese style of tattooing, and moving on to other styles of art they may enjoy or appreciate to mold their own style. American and Japanese traditional is essentially the platform to build from. Amateur tattooers who only stick to “neotraditional” or “realism/biomechanical” tattooing often don’t learn or care to learn the traditional techniques, the “real” tattooers learn the craft and then build their style from there. I know plenty of guys who may only tattoo Japanese body suits, but could bust out a Sailor Jerry flash tattoo that looks insanely perfect. That’s the sign of an artist who cares.

Many legendary tattooers grew in popularity from the 60’s-90’s living in east LA, they were influenced by LA culture & Hispanic culture, and prison culture, so that’s why you see a lot of vatos & cholos in paintings and flash sheets done by guys like Good Time Charlie, Jack Rudy, Bob Roberts, Mike Brown (who worked at China Sea formally owned by Sailor Jerry), Don “Ed” Hardy, Hanky Panky, Chuco etc. Those guys pioneered tattooing and totally set the stage for the future of “modern” tattooing by using techniques, modified machines to use single needle (thanks Jack Rudy), and the culture of the time to really do something that never had been done before.

Newer artists like Morgan Pennypacker, Mike Rubendall, Alex Snelgrove, Chuco Moreno, the guys who tattoo at Bob Robert’s Spotlight Tattoo in LA, guys who apprenticed under Jack Rudy and more, have a really cool take on those images from the legends. I saw the first ever gorilla tattoo flash when I visited Ed Hardy’s personal studio in SF. I wasn’t allowed to take photos of that and other iconic pieces he’s made because my friend who curates and archives in his studio takes pride in his job. That’s the kind of pride and respect that is prevalent in the tattoo world and it’s the same respect that these newer artists give by having their take on images of the old they’ve loved. I’ve seen gorilla tattoos for years, and the chance to see the first image those artists all drew inspiration from was incredible, as if seeing one of Michelangelo’s first pieces that the public is never allowed to see. It’s historical, and provides a road map for a culture and art that has become so popular that non-navy and non-prisoners have been getting tattooed more and more.

So when you see an old piece of flash, an old faded tattoo of a rose or a panther on a veteran, or a painting like Pennypacker’s, there’s a level of history and sociology that is engrained in that art that is unlike any other type of historical painting.

So if you’ve never been in a tattoo shop, take a walk in and just talk to an artist there, many great artists will be totally open to chatting about tattoo history.

Hope this has been helpful!

That painting by MP has been one of my favorites for over a decade now, and there’s plenty of tattooers who are creating cool pieces like this that will become timeless. And if you get a chance to be tattooed by one of these old or newer legends, I would definitely take advantage of it. That’s being said, hoping to get tattooed by Bob Roberts soon, can’t wait to have a piece of history on my body!

 

This above is pretty close to a 'Best Answer'!!!