Fred Thornton was a prominent tattoo artist on The Pike in Long Beach, where he owned a shop at 3 Pacific Way. His influence extended throughout the local tattoo community; he eventually worked at Expert Tattoo alongside Bert Grimm’s rival, Capt. Jim Maloneson, and was also documented at 310 Windsor Place in the late 1960s. Thornton is particularly remembered as the artist who gave Phil Sims his first professional tattoo at the young age of 10, playing a pivotal role in the early career of a future industry legend.
