Mike "Rollo Banks" Malone

Mike Malone led one of those lives that you read about in books. Mike was born in San Rafael, California April 25, 1942, to Francis Barnett "Mickey" Malone and Evelyn June Essex Malone. Mike grew up with an artsy mother and a man's man for a father and drawing and art came at an early age. After high school he studied ceramics, learned carpentry, became a licensed barber and did light shows for a 1960's rock ballroom. Eventually Mike found himself working as a photographer in New York City. A chance meeting with Thom de Vita awakened him to the beauty of tattoo art and it was not long before he was tattooing in his apartment in New York City.Thom de Vita introduced him to Paul Rogers and Malone spent a lot of time around Paul Rogers learning the ins and outs of machine building.

The thoroughly modern New York City still had a ban on tattooing that forced tattooists underground. Malone worked with the Museum of American Folk Art in New York City on their 1971 tattoo exhibition. From there he moved west to San Diego and worked with Zeke Owens at his Ace Tattoo shop. It is there working with Zeke Owen that Mike began to make his own mark in the trade. Mike credited Zeke for teaching him the technical and artistic side of the trade. Through Zeke, Mike would go on to meet Sailor Jerry Collins, Don Ed Hardy and many talented artists of the day.

Sailor Jerry suddenly died in 1973 and Malone had been handpicked by Collins to take over the legendary tattoo shop at 1033 Smith St. in Honolulu's red light district after his death. Actually Jerry's wife was instructed to offer it to Hardy, Owen or Malone and if they didnt want it he said to, "Burn it all!" Mike was working with Zeke at Ace Tattoo in San Diego at the time and he jumped at that chance, renamed it China Sea Tattoo Company and maintained that shop until 2001.

While on Hotel Street Malone carried on the grand tradition that Sailor Jerry started so many years before with good, solid, clean, creative tattooing. During this period Malone started his tattoo flash business that he called Mr. Flash and his t-shirt business, which he called Mr. Lucky. Both of these businesses were a big success; in fact, hi flash business changed the look of tattoo shops around the world. 

Although he was revered in Honolulu, where he hosted weeks-long visits from the biggest names in tattooing, including Don Ed Hardy, Bob Roberts, Miss Roxy and Paul Jefferies, Malone became bored with island life and relocated to Austin on a whim in 1984. First working with Dave Lum and then he established a second China Sea Tattoo Co. at 2712 B Guadalupe St. He continued his flash and t-shirt business there, did covers for the local underground comic books and did some of his best and largest tattoos while he was there.

Mike, as Rollo Banks, was involved in the Austin art scene and especially endeared himself to the "Austin Chronicle" with art,  features and cover art. In later years, Mikes work was on display at Chicago's Ann Nathan Gallery and the Honolulu Academy of Art. Malone was also a collector of art, Japanese toys, and antique carnival chalk figures.

Mikes' knowledge of tattoo machines was extraordinary and given his experiences with Paul Rogers, Zeke and others over the years it figured that he would pioneer and perfect, with Sailor Jerry, his Bulldog and Rollomatic machines. Highly sought after and copied machine designs even today.

"I am not really worried too much about my place in history. I mean, I guess I'll have a little place in the history of tattooing in this particular time slot. But that's not what gets me coming down here in the morning. I like the work." - Mike Malone