Ink Master 2012
“Which generation will conquer the competition?”
What is Ink Master?
Ink Master is an American reality competition television series that premiered on Spike on January 17, 2012. The program features a group of creative and skilled tattoo artists from across the country who compete in a series of challenges designed to assess their tattooing and related artistic abilities.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 2012
- Status
- Returning Series
- Episodes
- 227
- Runtime
- 42 minutes
- First aired
- Jan 17, 2012
- Last aired
- Dec 17, 2025
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- US
- Networks
- Spike, Paramount Network, Paramount+
- Genres
- Reality
- Updated
Where to watch
Stream
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How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 227 episodes and an average 42-minute runtime.
Trailer
No official trailer is available for this title yet.
Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
Ink Master is an American reality competition television series that premiered on Spike on January 17, 2012. The program features a group of creative and skilled tattoo artists from across the country who compete in a series of challenges designed to assess their tattooing and related artistic abilities. Throughout the competition, participants work on living canvases who donate their skin to be permanently marked. The artists face elimination as they strive to prove their skill and grit in an adrenalized environment. The ultimate winner of the competition receives a prize of 100,000 dollars and the title of Ink Master. The first season of the series concluded on March 6, 2012, after airing a total of 8 episodes. The show is hosted and judged by Dave Navarro, a guitarist for Jane's Addiction. He is joined by series regular judges and accomplished tattoo artists Chris Nunez and Oliver Peck. The series has continued to air, with production credits spanning from 2012 through 2025.
Should you watch it?
“Tattoo artists compete for a cash prize and the prestigious title of Ink Master.”
- high-stakes artistic challenges
- skilled professional contestants
- high-pressure elimination format
Watch it if you enjoy watching artists perform under extreme pressure to create permanent designs.
The program features permanent tattooing and intense interpersonal conflict among contestants.
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Cast
Episode guide
Season 1 · 8 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide →- E1 Fresh Meat Jan 17, 2012
- E2 Botched Head Tattoo Jan 24, 2012
- E3 Pasties and a Cameltoe Jan 31, 2012
- E4 Ink Disaster Piece Feb 7, 2012
- E5 Game On Feb 14, 2012
- E6 Permanent Mistakes Feb 21, 2012
- E7 Picture Imperfect Feb 28, 2012
- E8 Ink Master Revealed Mar 6, 2012
Season 2 · 13 episodes
- E1 Tattooing the Dead Oct 9, 2012
- E2 Semi Nude 911 Oct 9, 2012
- E3 The 80 Year Old Virgin Oct 16, 2012
- E4 Tattoo Her What? Oct 23, 2012
- E5 Trick or Freak Oct 30, 2012
- E6 Half Naked and Fully Loaded Nov 6, 2012
- E7 Star Wars Forever Nov 13, 2012
- E8 Holy Ink Nov 20, 2012
- E9 Buck Off Nov 27, 2012
- E10 Blowing Chunks Dec 4, 2012
- E11 Better Than Words? Dec 11, 2012
- E12 The Bigger They Are Dec 18, 2012
- E13 Ink Master Live Dec 18, 2012
Season 3 · 13 episodes
- E1 Baby Got Back Jul 16, 2013
- E2 Thrills For Grills Jul 23, 2013
- E3 Tattoos And Lace Jul 30, 2013
- E4 Elysium Challenge Aug 6, 2013
- E5 Baby Beat-Down Aug 13, 2013
- E6 Animal Instinct Aug 20, 2013
- E7 Monumental Mistakes Aug 27, 2013
- E8 Baby Don't Go Sep 3, 2013
- E9 Skulls And Villains Sep 10, 2013
- E10 Eyes Of The Beholder Sep 17, 2013
- E11 Heroes & Heads Sep 24, 2013
- E12 Enduring The Pain Oct 1, 2013
- E13 The Epic Finale Oct 8, 2013
Season 4 · 13 episodes
- E1 Earn It! Feb 25, 2014
- E2 Bug Out Mar 4, 2014
- E3 Tatt Ganged Mar 11, 2014
- E4 Nude & Tattooed Mar 18, 2014
- E5 X-Men's Hugh Jackman Mar 25, 2014
- E6 2 on 1 Tat-Astrophe Apr 1, 2014
- E7 Artist Slaughter Apr 8, 2014
- E8 Ink Master Explosion Apr 15, 2014
- E9 Fighting Dirty Apr 22, 2014
- E10 Tag Team Tatt Apr 29, 2014
- E11 Karma's a Bitch May 6, 2014
- E12 Fight to the Finish May 13, 2014
- E13 Ink Master Live May 20, 2014
Season 5 · 16 episodes
- E1 Inking With The Enemy Sep 2, 2014
- E2 Pin Up Pittfalls Sep 9, 2014
- E3 Head to Headache Sep 16, 2014
- E4 Geishas Gone Wrong Sep 23, 2014
- E5 Glass On Blast Sep 30, 2014
- E6 Cheek To Cheek Oct 7, 2014
- E7 Three's A Crowd Oct 14, 2014
- E8 Ink My Oosik Oct 21, 2014
- E9 Virgin Blood Oct 28, 2014
- E10 Cold Blooded Nov 4, 2014
- E11 Up In Smoke Nov 11, 2014
- E12 Heads Will Roll Nov 18, 2014
- E13 Painstaking Portraits Nov 25, 2014
- E14 Firing Squad Dec 2, 2014
- E15 Fight To The Finale Dec 9, 2014
- E16 Ink Live Dec 16, 2014
Frequently asked questions
What is the prize?
The winner receives one hundred thousand dollars and the title of Ink Master.
Who are the contestants?
The show features a group of skilled and creative tattoo artists.
What is the format?
It is an elimination-style competition where artists tattoo living canvasses.
What is the goal?
Contestants compete to prove their skills and earn the title of Ink Master.
What are the challenges like?
Artists must perform permanent tattooing on living canvasses under high-stakes conditions.