About

Adam Hathorn a.k.a. Honkey Kong, is a prolific tattoo artist, illustrator, and fine artist based out of San Diego, CA. Well known for his clean-line vibrant characters he draws and tattoos, Adam also dabbles in spray paint to create larger scale versions of his work. He has left some memorable works with us, like the cartoon-like rat on the front of Warehouse1425 and the giant one inside the walls of SILO.

Originally from Boston Massachusetts, Adam studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design before eventually making his way to San Diego. Influenced by his older brother growing up on the East Coast, Adam’s introduction to art was through graffiti and graffiti came about through skateboarding. Although not a fan of being called by his nickname, Honkey Kong used the moniker (stolen from his brother) primarily so people would remember his website. A successful marketing tactic that has stuck with him ever since.

Adam’s work is often humorous and based on pulp culture and relevant social media topics. It’s clear he takes inspiration from old cartoons and traditional tattoo styles. He has been in the tattoo business for over eight years and currently holds shop at Guru Tattoo where he is surrounded by artist friends that continuously inspire him.  Outside of the office, Adam has some pretty artistically inclined friends as well and collaborates when possible. You may remember his collaborative piece with Ryker that was at SILO during El Henry.

Photos and article by Carly Ealey

Art independently curated by Chris Konecki. For more information on art in Makers Quarter™ contact: art@makersquarter.com