Jeremiah Griswold is founder and co-owner of White Whale and has been tattooing for more than a decade. He specializes in linework, pointillism, blackwork, and woodcut styles. He holds degrees in Literature and Theology in addition to his art training.
Becki Griswold is the co-owner of White Whale and a graduate of University of Cincinnati. Becki manages the shop and the booking and runs a tight ship in hopes to provide the best tattoo experience for all of our guests. Becki takes photos and writes poetry in her spare time.
Jaclin Hastings is born and bred in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2010 she moved back to the Queen City after living in Savannah, Georgia where she studied Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. With ink and watercolor she masters in fantastic landscapes and objects of extreme personal symbolism, as well as the occasional light-hearted imagery. Her unique approach translates beautifully to tattooing and makes for an unprecedented style of tattoo art. Forever creating and inspired by experience, her path will always be aligned with handcraft.
Annie Bone is a graduate of DAAP at UC with a degree in graphic design. Annie is marvelously talented at everything she does, from pop art to portraiture. "Drawing is my passion and what got me started as an artist, I’m super stoked to perfect this medium." When she's not in the shop, she's enjoying time with her husband Corben and their son Brooks.
Zack Mueller (AKA Zapmeister) is an award-winning graphic designer & illustrator in his second year as a professional tattooist, where he enjoys using his design background to create truly unique designs for his clients. Zack is a graduate of UC DAAP, with a BS in Design. He began his career in branding, where he led creative efforts & contributed breakthrough design thinking for several international brands. Zack’s work has appeared in Communication Arts, Graphis and The Dieline. He lives in Covington KY with his wife Sherry, their son Charley & their cats Lemon & Storm.
Emily Sites Karns is a born maker, creator, and explorer. Emily received her BFA from the Design, Architecture, Art and Planning program at the University of Cincinnati with a concentration in metal working and printmaking in 2010. She has since been producing and sharing public works of art from murals, to installations, to painting. Along side of her own craft, she also curates and works hand-in-hand with printmaster, Mark Patsfall, at the Clay Street Press publishing works of art from all ends of the earth. Emily is an avid adventurer, always on the hunt for the little things that speak loudly to the creative spirit in us all.
Cici Newman (AKA Lynx) studied Fine Arts at the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program with a focus in classical painting, sculpture, and body art. She started tattooing professionally in June of 2017, and is already producing the quality of work of a veteran tattooist. Her favorite styles of tattooing include reproductions of fine art, fine lines, pointillism, illustration, realism, and portraiture. In addition to tattooing, Lynx also enjoys other mediums including oil painting, airbrush special effects for makeup and body art, and airbrushing cars and motorcycles. She cites influences that include Salvador Dali and KiKi Smith, which are apparent in her tattoo and fine art including the femininity of surreal concepts with decomposing nature and animal elements. Lynx also loves traveling with her fiance and spending time with her fur babies.
TC Thomason is a self-taught artist from Russellville, KY. His visual art background spans many mediums and styles - charcoal, pastels, ink, and paint; portraits, pointillism, and line drawings. He organizes shows and events as both an artist and curator, emphasizing the role art can play in community-building, connecting people around beauty and meaning.
He has a degree in economics from Centre College, an MA in Arts administration from Ohio State, and lives with Betsy and a cat named Bill Murray.
Kevin Repoza (aka f u z z) is a self taught artist, designer, musician, and woodworker in his first year of tattooing. Heavily inspired by the design and print techniques of 60’s and 70’s commercial and advertising art, he began his career as a freelance designer in 2010, catering exclusively to the music and film industry—working with Adult Swim, NBC, and countless musicians. Based in Dayton since 2009, he returned to his hometown of Cincinnati in 2019 to work with the amazing crew of White Whale with his wife and two doggies.
Alexis Zappia is a self-taught artist born and raised in Dayton, Ohio.
With 7 years experience tattooing and a lifetime of making art, she specializes in ornamental design, cover-up work, botanicals, and an illustrative take on popular subjects like women, nature, mysticism and the occult.
In addition to maintaining a busy work schedule, Alexis remains active in her personal life. When she isn’t away on travel, or busy behind the desk, she can often be found in the comfort of her home with her husband and 2 dogs cooking, entertaining, or working on projects within the community.
She continues to create hoping to transcend outward - sharing her work in pursuit of experience, knowledge, & connection to all.