Syracuse Tattoo Shop on Ink Master

A Syracuse Tattoo Shop will be on the new season of Ink Master.

Classic Trilogy Tattoos is set to be featured on the upcoming season of Spike TV’s hit show “Ink Master," with opportunity to win the largest prize in the shows history.

The shop, on Brewerton Road in Mattydale, is owned and operated by local artist Thom Bulman who will be joined on Ink Master with artist Derek Zielinski.

"It was a pretty crazy experience," says Bulman. "One minute you're tattooing at your shop and the next minute you're getting a phone call saying lets get you on this TV show. It's one of those things you think it won't go anywhere and next thing you know you're getting a phone call that you're on."

This season they threw you for a loop. It's almost like tag team tattooing. You're representing a shop together. Usually it's just one artist vs one other artist. There's just a lot of curve balls. It's a lot of crazy, fun stuff you'd never do in your entire life

The process to get on the show has changed over the years. Bulman says the day of casting calls is over. It's not through referrals. "The girl who won last season, I use to work with her. She referred me. The guy that won 3 or 4 seasons back, he was the guy who taught me how to tattoo."

Bulman isn't just appearing on Ink Master, he's a fan of the show and says he's seen every season but this year it's something new. "I kinda knew what they were doing but this season they threw you for a loop. It's almost like tag team tattooing. You're representing a shop together. Usually it's just one artist vs one other artist. There's just a lot of curve balls. It's a lot of crazy, fun stuff you'd never do in your entire life."

The tattoo artists may be the stars of the show but Bulman says his respect goes to the canvases who volunteer to get the tattoos. "Everybody that's on the show is amazing but a lot of people aren't use to dealing with pressure. There aren't use to a clock ticking with a camera in their face. When you get in that predicament, there's a lot of people that make dumb errors. So I give it up the canvases because I don't think I'd be that daring to go on national TV and maybe get a good tattoo or maybe get a bad tattoo."

The grand prize this season is the biggest in Ink Master's history at $200,000 and Bulman says he already knows what he'll spend it on if they win. "We really want to buy a house so it'd make a good down payment."

In addition to the cash prizewinner will also receive an editorial feature in Inked and, for the first time in “Ink Master” history, the title of “Master Shop.”

Thom and Derek aren't the only New Yorkers on Ink Master. Jhon Campuzano and Babiery Hernandez from Thicker Than Blood tattoo parlor in White Plains, New York will also appear on the show.

See all the artists work at Spike.com.

The ninth season of Ink Master is set to air on June 6th on Spike TV.

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