Troy Timpel misses the tough old days, when tattoos were anything but respectable. "I liked getting the dirty looks from the old ladies back in the early '90s and late '80s," says Timpel, one of the organizers of this weekend's Tattoo Arts Convention at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel. "It's no longer the lowbrow biker, sailor, convict kind of thing that it was 20 years ago. Sadly, I think it's become socially reputable."

Still, one suspects Timpel isn't all that upset. Almost in the same breath, he says he expects thousands of people to show up for the three-day convention — dedicated tattoo fans and the curious who have yet to commit their skin to the cause. The weekend, he promises without a hint of sarcasm, will be fun for the whole family.

"It draws a wide range of people who want to come down and check out the tattoo scene," he said. "There'll be a lot of interesting entertainment, a lot of interesting people, a lot of interesting artwork. … It's a real eyeful."