What We're Seeing: Big Tattoo Problems in Little China

Ever since I first saw Jack Burton throw a combat knife at the forehead of the evil sorcerer Lo Pan and blurt out, "It's all about reflexes," I've been secretly in love with Kurt Russell. Not quite like Goldie Hawn in Overboardbut let's just call me a fan. I even support his performance in Soldier, in which he's mostly dogshit on steroids, but still I prefer my action heroes to be rough. It turns out that many people share this penchant for the square-jawed heartthrob, as evidenced by all these Big Trouble in Little China tattoos that are so good your head will explode like a balloon filled with rage.

Big Trouble in Little China is one of John Carpenter's best contributions to film (although I'm more of a supporter of Thing, which also starred you know who). This critical acclaim has a lot to do with Russell's portrayal of Burton, whose lion's mane mullet is tattoo gold in itself. Given his lack of social grace, it's hard to explain what makes Burton so charismatic, but his charm is undeniable. He is one of those heroes who proves that having muscles and not having brains is not necessarily a bad thing. In the spirit of those times when he's a mouthful but still saves the day, many fans have received portraits of him in all his picaresque glory, even as Henry Swanson. 

For more homage to the cult classic, and maybe even a few portraits of Russell in different roles, check out these tattoo artists' Instagram. If you are an ardent fan Big Trouble in Little ChinaAnd you also know that old Jack Burton always says what the hell, go get a new tattoo.