Jack Rudy (1954–2025)[1][better source needed] was an American tattoo artist notable for his development of the black-and-gray style of tattooing, including realistic portraits, and his use of a single needle for fine line work.
[2] After leaving the Marines in 1975, Rudy began his career as an apprentice at Goodtime Charlie’s Tattooland, in East Los Angeles.
[2] Under the watch of Charlie Cartwright, a friend he met while visiting the old Long Beach Pike, Rudy and Cartwright began to hone their craft of single-needle, black-and-gray style tattoos.
[2] As the client base of East Los Angeles began requesting this 'penitentiary-style', the pair decided to create a single-needle configured tattoo machine.
[5] He was the owner of Tattooland, an 'old school' street shop, located in Anaheim, California.