• 
• 
  What is the Black Tattoo?
• 
  Who is Sam Enthoven?
• 
  News
• 
  Fun Stuff

WIN The Unabridged Audio Edition of The Black Tattoo!

Have you seen the 'What the Hell...?' button at the bottom of each page of this site? Have you seen how the WebSphinx put this website's look together? With a digital camera, she took pictures of everyday items from farmers' markets, gardens and (genius!) her fridge, and manipulated their colours to create the glorious, gobsmacking, lurid skin/ hair/ blood-and-guts monster-texture backgrounds you see before you.

Well, how do you feel about trying it out for yourself?

You think you can do better? We want to hear from you! You feel like making a disgusting mess and taking pictures of it just for the Hell of it? We also want to hear from you!

We are running a series of competitions throughout next year, to find the best monster backgrounds made by you!

Round One: MISS K. DEEGAN wins!

See her winning entry: Monster Brains Congratulations!

Round Two: SKULLIAN wins!

See his winning entry: here Congratulations!

Round Three: SANA AND HINA win!

See their winning entry: Beetle in Honey Congratulations!

Round Four: SALMAN wins!

See his winning entry: Mouldy Cheese Congratulations!

Round Five: SKULLIAN wins! (again!!)

See his winning entry: Snakeskin Congratulations!

Round Six: XIAOYAO wins!

See his winning entry: Ear Congratulations!

Round Seven: JAMIE wins!

See his winning entry: Nectarine Congratulations!

Round Eight: Finishes Tuesday 27th January, 2009

The winning entry will be used on the site. They'll be credited ['Created by...'] however you like, of course. And you will also earn yourself a special Black Tat SHINY THING: John Lee's awesome 11-CD unabridged audio version of Black Tat (see What Is...? for details), ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Entry Requirements:

One: To enter, you must say what your monster-texture is really made out of.

Two: Don't kill anything in your picture. We're not here to encourage violence or cruelty, just to... (hee hee hee!) maybe imply it a little bit! Suggestion: while animal products like bacon or calamari are okay because of their interesting textures, what the WebSphinx found worked best was to approach this challenge with a bit of imagination. Actual steaks and so forth - oddly - don't look all that 'fleshy' when photographed. But textures such as hairgel, meringue, mud... now you're talking! Things like tree-bark and cheese-rind, which look "dry" in natural light, can suddenly take on extra visual gooiness or snakiness simply if you play with the colours a little. It's all about looking around, keeping an eye out, and using lateral thinking to guess how something might turn out.

Three: Websphinx's Digital Specifications
- Size: 1024 pixels wide x 600 pixels height
- Resolution: minimum 72 pixel per inch

Four: Send your entry (as an email attachment), along with your name and address, and details of what you have have made your background texture from, to nomonsterswereharmed@theblacktattoo.com

Competition Small Print: !!VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ!!
Only those directly involved with www.theblacktattoo.com have access to your personal details and we never pass them on to anyone else.

1. You must provide the www.theblacktattoo.com with the required details if you wish to enter a competition. www.theblacktattoo.com will only ever use your personal details for the purposes of administering this competition, and will not pass them on to anyone without your permission.
2. Multiple entries per person will be accepted, but an individual can only win one prize per round.
3. Entries must be submitted with the correct additional details (as stated) and sent to the correct email address. Entries submitted by any other method will be disregarded.
4. Unless otherwise stated, competitions run by www.theblacktattoo.com will not be restricted by age or location.
5. Entrants under the age of 16 must obtain permission from their parent or guardian before entering the competition.
6. Where a competition asks for some kind of submission (for example a story or piece of artwork) it must be entirely your own work and its originality will be taken into account by the judges. By contributing your work to www.theblacktattoo.com you agree to grant us the right to publish and use the material in all media for all purposes in connection with the competition. Please note that entries cannot be returned.
7. The competition winner(s) will be contacted personally. In the event of there being no reply from the phone number or address supplied www.theblacktattoo.com reserves the right to offer the prize(s) to a runner up or withhold it for use in another competition.
8. Prizes must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives.
9. www.theblacktattoo.com does not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.
10. Players must comply with all rules to be eligible for the prizes. Ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently will be automatically disqualified.
11. This competition is not open to employees or contractors of www.theblacktattoo.com or any person directly or indirectly involved in the organisation or running of the competition, or their direct family members.
12. Sam Enthoven and the Websphinx’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
13. www.theblacktattoo.com reserves the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control.
14. Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition.
15. This agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales.
16. This competition is administered by www.theblacktattoo.com.