The film provides an inside view of American tattooing, focusing on Stoney St Clair's life and career. Besides being a master tattoo artist, Stoney is an extraordinary human being. Confined to a wheelchair since age 4, he left home to join the circus and travelled with them as a sword-swallower or tattoo artist for 20 years. A warm and vital storyteller, he tells of his myriad experiences and philosophies on art and life.