Margaret Cho has tattoos across her back, arms, stomach and legs, including colorful flowers, a crane and portrait designs. She has described building a large collection over time.
She began getting larger pieces in her thirties, found community in tattoo shops and has said she’d like a full bodysuit. Cho has called herself a tattoo collector, and she doesn’t give every design one fixed meaning.
Margaret Cho’s back tattoos are the biggest part of the collection
The scale of Cho’s back work is clear in stage photos. Flowers, ornamental shapes and darker shading spread across her shoulders and back, with different parts appearing to have been added over time.
Cho has spoken about getting a large amount of her body tattooed and wanting a full bodysuit. The back piece is part of that larger project, rather than a stand-alone design.
The colorful arm work includes flowers, a phoenix and a bird
Cho’s arms show pink peonies, leaves, a colorful bird and a phoenix-like design. The colors are bright, with fine lines that keep the pieces distinct.
One peony has been linked to artist Andrew Moore; other coverage connects parts of the sleeve to Nathan Kostechko. Cho has also mentioned getting several peonies, so the flowers are better treated as a group than given one shared meaning.
Her crane tattoo came from a Chris O’Donnell session
On her own site in 2007, Cho shared photos from a tattoo session with Chris O’Donnell. She joked about the pain and her expression in the pictures. The finished design is a crane, lighter in feel than some of her darker work.
The session photos show the tattoo being made, rather than just a small detail in a red-carpet shot. Cho’s post is casual and funny, in keeping with the way she has talked about the process.
Cho has tattoos across her stomach, legs and thighs too
Photos show tattoos across Cho’s stomach and legs, including portrait-style work on her knees and designs on her thighs.
One talked-about piece is a garter around her left thigh with a derringer pistol. Other portraits have been associated with Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. The collection mixes flowers, old-school flash, portraits and personal jokes.
Her tattoos are tied to family, community and self-expression
Cho has talked about growing up around tattooed people in San Francisco. Her father’s employee David Forbes, who was heavily tattooed, became an important figure in her life. She has also said that Ed Hardy did her first large tattoo, across her stomach and back.
Cho has described tattooing as a way to express herself and work with artists she admires. A design can honor someone, mark a period in her life or simply appeal to her visually.
Not every Margaret Cho tattoo has a confirmed meaning
Cho has shared plenty of photos, but not every design has a public explanation. Some online captions assign meanings she hasn’t stated herself.
The peonies, crane, phoenix and portraits are visible; the stories behind all the smaller details aren’t. Several pieces also appear to have been added at different times, giving the collection a more personal feel than a matching sleeve.
Why Margaret Cho’s ink stands out
Cho’s collection spans bright colors, traditional shapes, portraits and work from different artists. The photos show a busy collection that has grown with her, rather than one design built around a single trend.
She has also shared tattoo sessions and talked about the process with humor. For more comedian tattoos, visit the site’s comedian tattoo section.
Watch Margaret Cho talk about tattoos
In the short Tattoo Stories interview below, Cho talks about her collection in her own words.