Frank Iero’s body art covers almost every part of him. The mix includes band symbols, hearts, family tributes, skulls, animals, jokes and short bits of writing.

He has had years to build it up. Frank has played in My Chemical Romance and L.S. Dunes, worked on solo projects and added tattoos as his life changed. His page in our musician tattoo archive is full of different kinds of ink.

This guide covers tattoos visible in photos or described by Frank and tattoo publications. Some older designs have since been covered, so photos from different years may show different versions.

Frank Iero’s arm tattoos

Frank’s arms set the scrapbook tone of his collection. Traditional shapes, portraits, lettering, filler marks and darker designs sit beside brighter work; no one style runs across the whole arm.

One visible piece is a portrait of his grandfather. Frank got it after appearing on LA Ink. In photos, the portrait sits among hearts, birds, stars, lettering and other small designs. The story behind it is warmer than much of the surrounding work.

A large winged figure and roses wrap around his wrist. Other pieces point to music and bands, including a Black Flag symbol; photos also show claws, animals and small filler icons. New tattoos often fill the spaces beside older ones.

The “Gigi” tattoo is one personal example. The simple lettering sits over an older, heavily tattooed area. The name is easy to read, but older pieces remain around it, making the sleeve look like it grew over time.

His head and neck tattoos

The head and neck pieces show clearly when Frank’s hair is short. They include a grim reaper on the side of his head, a scorpion, a cross connected to his solo work, and the Skeleton Crew logo behind one ear. A spider web covers part of the back of his head, though his hair can hide it.

Scissors and words on his neck include “Jinx Removing” and the date “2-5-07.” Together, they read like a dated note he wanted to keep.

The designs range from thick, cartoon-like outlines to small words and symbols. Together they change his profile when his hair is short enough to reveal them.

The big back tattoos

The back is packed: “Keep the Faith” across the top, a jack-o’-lantern, skulls with snakes around the shoulder blades, three horse heads, flowers, chains and crossed guns lower down.

The images cluster around darker subjects: death, horror art, damaged things, animals and writing. They make the back look like a patchwork that grew over time, rather than a single piece laid out all at once.

Snakes run down his sides, with cracks, skulls and small birds nearby. They’re easy to miss in a full-body photo; close-ups show how many separate pieces make up the back.

Frank Iero’s chest pieces

The chest has changed over the years. Older photos show “Hope” and “x Jamia x”; later ones show the large “I Am A Graveyard” piece and more heavy work across the upper chest.

“I Am A Graveyard” fits the gloomy wording Frank often chooses, but it also sits within a larger composition of bold shapes, color and black shading. Older lines remain visible beside or beneath newer tattoos, so the chest shows work from different periods.

Some tattoos are still easy to see; others have been partly covered or blended into newer work. That’s why the same area can look different in photos taken years apart.

Hand tattoos and the “Bookworm” trick

His hands hold several small tattoos. “Bookworm” is one of the clever ones: The word only reads properly when Frank puts his fingers together. It’s a small visual joke, not a design that needs a long explanation.

“Diet Coke” runs across his fingers, and a parachute with crossed bones sits on his palm. Another photo shows a Yankees logo on his thumb, with the number 13 below the nail. They’re easy to see when he holds a microphone or guitar.

His feet are tattooed too: “Doom and Gloom” across the toes, with a demon face on each foot. The title is as direct as the artwork.

Leg tattoos, hearts and strange little characters

His legs carry a panther on the knee, a Wu-Tang Clan logo, a barbed-wire heart, a bleeding heart, a Grim Reaper, a boxer, a Freddy Krueger glove, and a Joe Cool figure in a “Meh” shirt.

Some leg pieces are memorials; others are jokes. There’s a crossed-out cheese wedge, tiny bugs, a macaroni, a skull, “Kill’em all,” numbers and designs that look like running jokes between friends. The mix keeps the collection from becoming uniformly serious.

“My Blood, My Strength” surrounds a bleeding heart on his shin. The tattoo covers an older anatomical heart; Frank’s later work replaces it rather than leaving it untouched. The new image is brighter and easier to read, while the covered design remains part of the area’s history.

What Frank Iero’s tattoos say about his style

It’s hard to sort the collection into one style. Traditional hearts, band logos, horror images, family portraits, script, jokes and tiny symbols sit together. The tattoos look collected over time, not matched.

Some designs explain themselves; others need context. “Bookworm” is clear when you bring his fingers together; the grandfather portrait makes more sense with the LA Ink story. “Doom and Gloom” is direct. Other pieces may simply have looked good to him or fit a joke at the time.

There was no single plan. Frank kept adding tattoos he wanted to carry, then made room for the next one.

Watch Frank Iero talk about tattoos

This older interview shows Frank talking through some of his tattoos: