Spike TV's INK MASTER Returns Tonight, 10/9

Spike has more skin in the game going into season two of its highest-rated original series INK MASTER which returns tonight, October 9 at 10 PM, ET/PT, with back-to-back one-hour episodes. This season the ante is raised, now with 16 top tattoo artists from around the country battling it out in permanent ink for a $100,000 grand prize, an editorial feature in the preeminent tattoo magazine Inked and the bragging rights title of 'Ink Master.' Following the "Ink Master" double episode premiere, new episodes will telecast Tuesdays at 10 PM, ET/PT and culminate with a LIVE season finale in December.

Each week, the artists compete in various tattoo challenges that not only test the artists' technical skills, but also their on-the-spot creativity, where they must create and execute an original tattoo on a 'human canvas.' These 'human canvases' range from tattoo virgins to connoisseurs to those who want to cover up a prior tattoo misstep. The challenges focus on different tattooing techniques such as contrast, adaptability, balance and dimension as well as styles including New School, photorealism, American traditional and pin-up.

After every challenge the contestants face a tough panel made up of Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction), renowned tattoo artists Chris Nunez ("Miami Ink") and Oliver Peck (Elm Street Tattoo) and a roster of guest judges. Each individual artists' work is critiqued and one contestant is sent home. The masterpieces these artists create will last forever, but so will their mistakes.

The "Ink Master" Season Two tattoo artists are (listed in alphabetical order):

· Tray "Big Daddy" Benham - Owner and artist at Big Daddy's Tattoo in Radcliff & Elizabethtown, KY

· Clint Cummings - Owner and artist at Sparrows Tattoo Company in Mansfield, TX

· Nick D'Angelo - Owner and artist at The Black Pearl in Buffalo, NY

· Jamie Davies - Owner and artist at Tattooz Ink in Redding, CA

· Katherine "Tatu Baby" Flores - Self-employed tattoo artist in Miami, FL

· La Ron "Ron" Givens - Tattoo artist at Cat Tattoo's Elite Studio in Addison, TX

· Steven "Kay Kutta" Givens - Owner and artist at Kutthouse Tattoos in Fayetteville, NC

· Thomas "TJ" Halvorsen - Co-owner and artist at Foolish Pride Tattoo Co. in St. Petersburg, FL

· Cee Jay "Inky" Jones - Tattoo artist at Suicide Kings Tattoo Parlor in Canton, MI

· Mark Matthews - Owner and tattoo artist at Coastal Tattoo Company in Pacifica, CA

· Sarah Miller - Owner and tattoo artist at Wyld Chyld Tattoo in Pittsburgh, PA

· Sebastian Murphy - Tattoo artist at Wholeshot Tattoo in Berkley, MI

· Jesse Smith - Owner and artist at Loose Screw Tattoo in Richmond, VA

· Little Mike - Owner and artist at Addicted to Ink in White Plains, NY

· Steven Tefft - Owner and artist at 12 Tattoos in Groton, CT

· Lalo Yunda - Tattoo artist at Sacred Tattoo in New York, NY

Fans are encouraged to 'like' the official "Ink Master" Facebook page and join in the "Ink Master" conversation by following @SPIKETV on Twitter and using #InkMaster. Biographies, photo gallery portfolios videos introducing the contestants can be found on Spike's dedicated "Ink Master" destination online, inkmaster.spike.com. There users can also find full episodes, video clips and blog posts, which will be updated throughout the season. The latest in tattoo culture and show news can be found on the "Ink Master" Tumblr and Pinterest pages. For behind-the-scenes "Ink Master" photos, follow @spiketv on Instagram.

"Ink Master" is the highest-rated original series on Spike. Season One averaged 1.8 million viewers and dramatically broadened the audience in its timeslot, posting a +177% increase with Men 18-49 and +203% with Persons 18-49 compared to last year.

"Ink Master" is produced for Spike by Original Media, with Charlie Corwin, Jay Peterson, and Andrea Richter as Executive Producers of the series. Original Media currently has seventeen television series on air including the hit shows "NY Ink," "Comic Book Men," "The Rachel Zoe Project," "Swamp People," "BBQ Pitmasters," "Dual Survival" and "Mudcats." Headquartered in New York, Original Media is a subsidiary of Endemol USA.

Sharon Levy is Spike TV's Executive Vice President, Original Series and Chris Rantamaki and is Vice President of Original Programming for Spike TV and oversees production of "Ink Master."

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com.

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