72-year-old tattoo artist shares secret to successful career

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) - For nearly 50 years a local tattoo artist has been busy creating permanent art for people.

In 2005 Alien and Co. Tattooing established itself in the All Saints District in Sioux Falls.
But owner Steve Butterfield, better known as Alien, started his artistry well before then.

"I grew up basically doing a lot of art on the walls, which mom didn't appreciate a lot. But then I started pinstriping cars and painting signs and doing lettering on racecars and just doing a lot of different artwork," Butterfield said.

Butterfield served in the U.S. Navy, that's where he received his first tattoo and knew he wanted to pursue a career as a tattoo artist.
"The very first tattoo that I did is on myself and it's right here. That's through the teaching process. You learn that you do your first tattoo on yourself," Butterfield said.

Butterfield traveled to many states to shadow other artists when he started his career in the 1980s.
"I started making tattoo machines and then I bought my first commercial machine and saw and they're in a frame up front," Butterfield said.

His first studio was out of his home in Canton before moving to Minnesota and then back to South Dakota.

"I'm the last of the first is what it comes down to. I learned traditional tattooing in the beginning, and I still do traditional t...