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Teenager BURNS a Pac-Man into his flesh
Jim Sterling07.03.08 - 9:41 PM 83 comments

Teenager BURNS a Pac-Man into his flesh screenshot

This is one of those stories you can file under "JESUS TITTING CHRIST!" A teenage boy has used a laser-etching machine to "brand" himself with an image of Pac-Man, burning the iconic arcade character into his skin.

The self-scourging Pac-Man fan modified an industrial etching machine to perform the dangerous deed, disabling its safety mechanism with a die and a magnet. He then used its searing hot laser to scar the image into his arm. He also "tattooed" a Space Invader on the arm and a robot on his hand, one that looks suspiciously like a relative of our very own Mr. Destructoid. 

Naturally, as with all young men who do stupid things, he filmed his escapades, and the video is embedded after the jump. It might not be for the squeamish among you, as it's quite painful to watch, both for the physical pain, and the outright lack of intelligence displayed. 

He's laughing now of course, but we'll see how funny it is when that Pac-Man design gets distorted ... from all the tumors bubbling up underneath it.

[Cheers, Rorschach]



MORE IN OUR STOOPID! SECTION

Latest comment by Crumpet Lips |view all 83 comments
When I grow up I want to be a fire engine and have lasered on tattoo's like this guy; my hero....



TheDreadHawk's Avatar
TheDreadHawk at 07/03/2008 21:41

Wow, this makes me a sad panda. Stupid kids.
The Bez's Avatar
The Bez at 07/03/2008 21:41

What.....
The.....
Fuck.....
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 07/03/2008 21:43

Pac Man will eat the cancer bubbles, it's all good!
jdub28's Avatar
jdub28 at 07/03/2008 21:43

why are the dots lighter than the pac or the ghost?
Respectable Gentleman's Avatar
Respectable Gentleman at 07/03/2008 21:43

That's hardcore
liam2015's Avatar
liam2015 at 07/03/2008 21:44

YOU ARE STUPID STUPID MAN
Shin Oni's Avatar
Shin Oni at 07/03/2008 21:44

I just ask....

WHY?
Aertyr's Avatar
Aertyr at 07/03/2008 21:45

O_O
MrSadistic's Avatar
MrSadistic at 07/03/2008 21:45

That's it. I officially hate this stupid "hipster-douche bag" generation. If he was so "hardcore", he should have gotten that design by scarification.
Shin Oni's Avatar
Shin Oni at 07/03/2008 21:49

anyone know the name of the song being played?
CypherVR's Avatar
CypherVR at 07/03/2008 21:59

@Shin Oni:
Beastie boys - Intergalatic

--

but, umm... yeah there are these things called tattoos they're safe and don't involve any harmful long term effects like cancer (small chance of AIDS but it depends where you go to >_>)
CypherVR's Avatar
CypherVR at 07/03/2008 22:01

the video: cool and stupid at the same time (i facepalm'd)
-PL-'s Avatar
-PL- at 07/03/2008 22:02

Beastie Boys - Intergalactic (I think)

huge song like eight years ago.
The Scientist's Avatar
The Scientist at 07/03/2008 22:07

THE BEASTIE BOYS - INTERGALACTIC.
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 07/03/2008 22:11

Haha, a kid burns Pac-Man into his damn arm, and all we can talk about is the music he used. :-D
Shin Oni's Avatar
Shin Oni at 07/03/2008 22:13

awesome. thanks much for the song response.

i'm still at a loss why you'd use a unmanned laser over a tattoo parlor. But then again, i'm not stupid and dumb all in one.
Clockwork-Zombie's Avatar
Clockwork-Zombie at 07/03/2008 22:15

Wow, that's crazy.
Also I think that the robot is the instructables mascot.
Aberrant Thought's Avatar
Aberrant Thought at 07/03/2008 22:21

Imagine if he had used that same energy and will-power into doing something productive, we might instead have a cure for the cancer he is assuredly causing!
kagai's Avatar
kagai at 07/03/2008 22:21

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the next President of the United States of America..."
Swizzler121's Avatar
Swizzler121 at 07/03/2008 22:29

good job instructibles, that's why you don't give laser etching machines to kids (they give them away in monthly contests)
Andrew5329's Avatar
Andrew5329 at 07/03/2008 22:32

Hope he posts a 2 days later picture when the burns are all scabbed over and are oozing puss =D
c0dek's Avatar
c0dek at 07/03/2008 22:33

why couldn't this kid have hung himself instead of the wii kid?
Teen Idol's Avatar
Teen Idol at 07/03/2008 22:33

Velt's Avatar
Velt at 07/03/2008 22:37

Man I want one of those machines NOW!!! I can tatoo something in my penis...
Druid_01's Avatar
Druid_01 at 07/03/2008 22:38

"JESUS TITTING CHRIST!" has this phrase ever been uttered before?

and dumb kid is dumb
Itchy's Avatar
Itchy at 07/03/2008 22:55

If this was truly hurting and burning the kid, he would pull his hand before you could say "DIAF". So, yeah, this is likely not to hurt (that much).
Rusty Ghia's Avatar
Rusty Ghia at 07/03/2008 22:58

Jim, little tip: dice is the plural of die.
DaedHead8's Avatar
DaedHead8 at 07/03/2008 22:59

When I was a kid we had to use safety pins and homemade ink to give each other tattoos. Kids these days have it too easy.
NightDehumidifier's Avatar
NightDehumidifier at 07/03/2008 22:59

THIS KID IS WICKED COOL!
ace of knaves's Avatar
ace of knaves at 07/03/2008 23:12

He will never ever regret this.
Bacchus's Avatar
Bacchus at 07/03/2008 23:25

that is dumb, but not that much dumber than dummies getting dumb tattoos

in closing, dumb.
Getouttadodge01's Avatar
Getouttadodge01 at 07/03/2008 23:28

Wait why are people down on this kid? I think this stuff is brilliant. But I guess I signed the diablo 3 petition so go figure...
nintendoll's Avatar
nintendoll at 07/03/2008 23:37

That doesn't look like it hurts any more than a tattoo, so I'm not impressed. Then again my tattoo didn't really hurt a lot (either that or I'm not a wuss) so who knows?
eternalplayer2345's Avatar
eternalplayer2345 at 07/03/2008 23:40

That looks amazing and utterly retarded at once!
NobodysDream's Avatar
NobodysDream at 07/03/2008 23:46

Both awesome and incredibly stupid.

But the real cool kids just cut off their hands and wear them like a necklace. Sure, you can never experience the joy of fingers again, but that is a small price to pay to be balls fucking hardcore.
VampireChrist's Avatar
VampireChrist at 07/03/2008 23:48

being a lover of pain and tattoos...
that looks like FUN!!!
Reeper's Avatar
Reeper at 07/04/2008 00:06

I dunno, if there becomes a way for this to be proven safe, or in the least no worse than an actual tattoo, those kids might be on to something. I mean, I could see this gaining a lot of popularity.

I wouldn't do it, but I sure know some people that would.
ghets's Avatar
ghets at 07/04/2008 00:52

Ive never understood the appeal of branding, if this even qualifies as branding.

"hey check out this unrecognizable blotch of scar tissue i got. i live for pain!"
SalvaPot's Avatar
SalvaPot at 07/04/2008 01:00

Now thats stupid... Kids like this one need help now.
Zero_armada's Avatar
Zero_armada at 07/04/2008 01:03

Dumb yet awesome. You gotta admit, even if that's stupid, it takes balls to do it.
darkair's Avatar
darkair at 07/04/2008 01:07

That was probably pain then a tattoo, well i don't know but it seems very painful not moving at all. I thought he would bleed also or probably leave a major bruise.
nintendoll's Avatar
nintendoll at 07/04/2008 01:37

@darkair

I don't understand your sentence structure.

To me this looks like it's only burning or etching or whatever through the top layer of skin. This is why the skin around it is red, but there is no bleeding. So while it may have hurt, I dont think it would hurt anymore than someone digging their nails into your skin.
angusm's Avatar
angusm at 07/04/2008 01:38

Man, if the kid doesn't get Cancer, then it was awesome.
If he does, then epic fail.

I wonder how long that shit'll last, like will his body just heal it up all funky and weird looking.
Projectexodus's Avatar
Projectexodus at 07/04/2008 01:48

HAI GAIS! TAHT GAI IN TEH VIDJO WAS ME, I TATTOOED MISTAR DESTRUCTOID TO IMPRESS U! U LIEK IT!?
Stahlbrand's Avatar
Stahlbrand at 07/04/2008 03:01

Hah! Its stupidity that will punish itself at leat.

Because one stupid fucking mistake woudn't be enough, lets do both arms and the back of a hand. Enjoy your infections and your wonderful future in unskilled labour (as a self-identified and labeled idiot, who would hire him for anything more?).
Hicksy's Avatar
Hicksy at 07/04/2008 03:19

hmmmmm y friggin pacman and space invaders tho? clearly this machine does well with 8-bit characters. so y not megaman? or a little contra guy making it's way up his arm in a full done part of level 1 now that would've been hardcore. pacman is too retro for this kid and he probably don't even know what atari is.
hjd_uk's Avatar
hjd_uk at 07/04/2008 03:57

"why are the dots lighter than the pac or the ghost?"
The darker/grey etched parts are scarring, the pale pink dits are where the top layers of skin have come off.

That robot is a graphic from Instructables

Looks like Mr Destructoid's obese nerdy cousin :)
hjd_uk's Avatar
hjd_uk at 07/04/2008 04:02

Why no edit comment ;_;. Dits = Dots.

And I believe the correct term is JESUS TITTY-FUCKING CHRIST.

I guess a tattoo would require being a certain age and £££. This is free!

Also, What a twat.
Attro's Avatar
Attro at 07/04/2008 04:31

Used to work for a place that made the tubes for these lasers. I've seen test units burn a hole through a cinderblock. Wonder what it would've done to my forearm.
Andrex's Avatar
Andrex at 07/04/2008 06:21

I'm feeling this is cool... at the same time i feel Confused
niacin's Avatar
niacin at 07/04/2008 06:53

Some days I think the there is hope for the human race, today is not one of those days.
Reaprar's Avatar
Reaprar at 07/04/2008 09:08

That's going to take alot of power pellets to fix.
BluFire's Avatar
BluFire at 07/04/2008 10:29

Whashoo doin stupid
naib's Avatar
naib at 07/04/2008 11:57

In all fairness I've got one of those dumb lighter smiley faces. I don't recall it hurting as much as a tattoo. At least not at first.

Silly ginger.
mix's Avatar
mix at 07/04/2008 12:22

I don't think it's that bad, if he would have gotten in as a straight tattoo no one would have gived a damn but since it's all Star Wars lasers and shit, people care.

"Damian Maguire of Gold Coast writes:

When I was young I burned a "smiley"face into my arm with a cigarette lighter. The same silly thing just 21st century."
Bizznet's Avatar
Bizznet at 07/04/2008 12:44

It was painful to watch, but now he has a flesh-coloured Pac-Man chasing a flesh-coloured ghost.
MPHtails's Avatar
MPHtails at 07/04/2008 14:32

Everyone and their mother has a tattoo, if you want to get something cool you need to charge your larzars.
Batthink's Avatar
Batthink at 07/04/2008 16:23

@ Jim Sterling;

I spent most of time I read on the article and comments laughing my head off from the last paragraph. XOD

Yes, it is both cool and stupid.
Icarus-Rising's Avatar
Icarus-Rising at 07/04/2008 18:56

I like how you can see his skin, literally, BURN, when it does the pac man close-up.
Leathersoup's Avatar
Leathersoup at 07/05/2008 03:39

Now what would be really cool is if he were to etch stuff onto his eyes!!! :P
elemental150's Avatar
elemental150 at 07/05/2008 22:12

I think it rocks, I've hard scarification done on the back of my right tricep this really isn't all that different, the scarification I had done was with a electric arc I also have a round branding on my right forearm from a small super heated coin with a design cut into it. Both hurt like hell but I don't see how this is all that crazy, a lot of people brand themselves
Moltar's Avatar
Moltar at 07/07/2008 15:40

Why not just get a normal tattoo guys? jeez
Twicky's Avatar
Twicky at 07/07/2008 17:34

That's awesome if he doesn't get cancer.
Justice's Avatar
Justice at 07/07/2008 18:52

That is way OTT.
NotGeoff's Avatar
NotGeoff at 07/07/2008 18:52

bleh, made me a little sick, watching his flesh BURN
moot button's Avatar
moot button at 07/07/2008 19:20

Don't try this with your bubblejet printer, and all you get is a big mess, and a frown.
Korolev's Avatar
Korolev at 07/08/2008 01:49

What a fool - as he ages, that picture is going to become distorted. His skin will also probably try to heal over it, which will further distort it. I'd be surprised if the picture remains intelligible after 5 or 10 years.

If he wanted it so badly, why not get a tattoo? Boggles the mind really. A tattoo would be more permanent, and more visible.

It just doesn't make sense. Really. It's like those kids who throw themselves down stairs and film it. It's just another example of how there is no limit to what humans will do to themselves. Rather sad to see.
Blue Ryd3r's Avatar
Blue Ryd3r at 07/08/2008 04:49

The laser is not going to give him cancer.
But he's not realling branding himself, just giving himself a partial thickness burn.
I'm reminded of that scene from Starship Troopers when Dude was getting his laser tattoo. Maybe these guys saw that movie too.
What I'm wondering is how the hell these kids got their hands on this peice of equipment. Stuff like that ain't cheap, and if that were my machine someone would be getting fired and everyone else would be forced to sit through a barage of safty meetings.
Kodgamer's Avatar
Kodgamer at 07/08/2008 10:14

Whats the big deal? It's only a laser, last time I checked, they weren't magic tumor generators. It burns, it's not radioactive or DNA altering.

Kids going to have a hell of a burn, his skin will swell and it will look dumb. If he's lucky after 5 or 6 years you'll barely be able to see the smooth scar tissue
PaperBowser0's Avatar
PaperBowser0 at 07/08/2008 12:17

holy....fuck.
Eschatos's Avatar
Eschatos at 07/08/2008 17:24

Fucking idiot. Too cheap to get a real tattoo?
DibbityDan's Avatar
DibbityDan at 07/08/2008 21:43

I believe that's the instructables.com robot.
keefles's Avatar
keefles at 07/09/2008 02:48

I believe your right.

THOSE ARE HORRIBLE FRECKLES BURNNN,wait... NOOO MUDKIP, EXTINGUISH!
nebones's Avatar
nebones at 07/09/2008 04:03

I think it looks good.
mistic's Avatar
mistic at 07/09/2008 05:28

it looks a lot faster then getting a tattoo...

my tattoo kinda hurt, but i didn't feel the need to scream from it like this kid did in the beginning... I'm just curious if this isn't burning too deep? as in fry several centimeters of his skin? Also since he's burning his skin, I supposed there will be healthy pusbubbles on it by now, probably destroying the whole design resulting in sever pain and discomfort common to burnvictims and leaving a scar that won't go...
JamnOnTheOne's Avatar
JamnOnTheOne at 07/09/2008 08:59

At least it's only scar tissue and can be cared for by a good demotologist.

Folks with tats gotta pay a ton to get their stuff removed. My buddy ended up paying just over $10,000 in laser treatments to get his $500 mistake removed.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 07/09/2008 10:45

Holy crap this kid is messed up. What an emo.
Cheezeitz's Avatar
Cheezeitz at 07/10/2008 01:45

Why.....why would you do this.
welkstar's Avatar
welkstar at 07/10/2008 08:33

Wow. That can not be good for your body...
LarkOhiya's Avatar
LarkOhiya at 07/12/2008 16:44

I'm charging my lazors right now!
coil1002's Avatar
coil1002 at 07/13/2008 20:03

So how the hell is a 808nm laser going to cause cancer ?
Crumpet Lips's Avatar
Crumpet Lips at 08/02/2008 08:56

When I grow up I want to be a fire engine and have lasered on tattoo's like this guy; my hero.

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