A mother who lives in Manchester, England is expressing her passion for Disney through her many wonderful fairytale tattoos.
Jodie Dunlop says she got her first fairytale design done in tribute to her beloved father, and has now spent thousands of pounds - and many hours - adding more and more Disney designs to her body.
When Dunlop, 32, lost her dad Graham to a heart attack at the age of 55, she had a tattoo of Baloo the bear from the Jungle Book tattooed on her right arm in honor of the cherished times they had spent together watching the movie.
She was so pleased with the outcome of the design that she booked another appointment on the same day - the start of a journey that has seen her spend up to 60 hours having a veritable gallery of Disney designs tattooed on her body.
“I had a few tattoos before I got my Jungle Book one, but they were all very small and subtle." Jodie Dunlop explained in a recent interview.
“I’d always wanted lots more tattoos, but worried that people would judge me a certain way, or that it’d harm my job prospects. Most people are positive, but some people do still stereotype you if you have visible tattoos.
“Losing my dad made me realise that life is short, so I just went for it.”
She added: “I’ve loved Disney all my life. It never fails to make me smile and the films show that there’s always something to look forward to. Despite all the obstacles, there will always be a happy ending of some sort.”
When she went through her father's things after he passed away, she found that the Jungle Book - a film that means a lot to her - had a special place in his heart, also.
“I was going through his Sky Plus and found that he had recorded The Jungle Book, ready to watch with the family at Christmas, which was just after he passed.
“The film had meant so much to me. I’d watch it on repeat with him as a kid. I even had one of the songs – Bare Necessities – played at his funeral.”
Over the course of her initial five-hour tattoo appointment, Jodie Dunlop had Baloo, Mowgli and King Louie from the Jungle Book tattooed onto her arm.
Since then, she has steadily added to her Disney-themed tattoo collection. Her left forearm is covered by a large picture of Bambi and Faline, and the skin on her lower right leg is covered in a Little Mermaid design, depicting Ariel, King Trident and Flounder.
Dunlop also has an image of Belle, the Beast, Mrs Pots and Chips from Beauty and the Beast posing in front of a castle on her left thigh, Bambi and Thumper on her hands and Marie from the Aristocats on her lower left leg. She explained;
“I’ve tried to group them all together by story, so I’ve got my Jungle Book arm, my Little Mermaid leg and my Beauty and the Beast thigh.
“I’m going to fill the lower part of my left leg with any other Disney characters I’ve missed out.
“There’s already no skin left between my knee and ankle on my right leg, but I’m hoping to have all four limbs completely covered in Disney designs. I think it’ll take about two or three more years of tattooing to get there. I also love Harry Potter, so I’m planning to dedicate my back to Hogwarts-themed tattoos.”
In 2014 – two years before she had any of her fairytale designs – Jodie went on an unforgettable holiday to Disneyland Paris in France, with her husband Jonny and daughter Caitlin.
“The magic of it all was amazing. I loved every second. We must’ve watched every parade, firework display and show going,” she said.
“Some of the best memories of my life were made on that trip, so the tattoos remind me of that too.”
