They're writing the book on Black Flag tattoos

Four local guys are gearing up to travel the country for their photo book of people who have tattoos of the logo of legendary hardcore punk band Black Flag.

Stewart Dean Ebersole, who played in Railhed and now works for the Department of Recreation, is the chief architect and writer of the book. Ebersole, 42, says the idea came about as a joke when he and a few friends realized that most of the Black Flag tattoos they saw, including their own, looked pretty lousy. Matthew Smith, formerly of the band Rain on the Parade, is handling layout and design,; Todd Barmann is editor, and Jared Castaldi is taking the photos.

The guys may even travel the world to gather photos and interviews of people with the tattoo honoring the California-based band that many know for having Henry Rollins as one of its many singers. Here's a Rollins-fronted Flag performing "Six Pack" and "Rise Above" in 1982 at the East Side Club (1229 Chestnut).

Ebersole has not interviewed Rollins or Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn, who also ran the group's label SST, but they spoke with singer/guitarist Dez Cadena, now playing with the Misfits, and arranged to talk with many other members of the group, which had its share of line-up changes over its career, 1977-1986. Last month, there was a local photo shoot of people with the logo, or "the bars" as its usually called, at the appropriately named Tattooed Mom (530 South).

Anybody with the tattoo who wants to be photographed can contact Ebersole through the book's MySpace page.