Toxic Avenger Tattoos Are The Only Good Thing To Come From New Jersey

I sure talk a lot of shit about my current living situation in the state of New Jersey. Not to rehash it, but this place sucks. However, there is one glimmer of hope, one point in which I can take pride in as a temporary New Jerseyan. And that’s the fact that the first superhero from New Jersey is one of the best ever created in a world that has way too many superheroes. I’m speaking, of course, about the Toxic Avenger. It’s high time we did an article praising Toxie and unleashed a nice collection of Toxic Avenger tattoos upon the eyes of our readership.

Released in 1984, The Toxic Avenger was an independent film by Lloyd Kaufman. This low-budget superhero spoof followed the adventures of lowly nerd Melvin Ferd. After landing in a vat of toxic waste, Melvin is transformed into the Toxic Avenger, a grotesque superhero with bubbly green blobs over his skin. He then begins a life of fighting crime after moving to a dump (though when you’re in New Jersey, everywhere’s a dump).

The film became a cult classic and is now referred to as the film that built the house of Troma, Kaufman’s b-movie studio that has been turning out a slew of other gross-out cult classics since. So popular was the film that it spawned three sequels and an animated children’s show, which makes no sense given the highly adult nature of the source material. The movie features exaggerated violence and gore coupled with endless jokes written to appeal to only those with the worst tastes.

I don’t have a list in front of me, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say The Toxic Avenger is the best movie ever made in New Jersey. Kaufman shot the flick in Jersey City, Boonton, Harrison, and Rutherford, all of which no one in their right might would choose as filming locations for a movie in 1983.

It’s nice that there is one good thing about New Jersey, and no, it’s not Bruce Springsteen. In honor of the first superhero from New Jersey, here are some really sick Toxic Avenger tattoos. Ole Toxie somehow looks just as good on flesh as he does on the silver screen.

These Toxic Avenger tattoos just make us hungry for more Troma tattoos. Keep your eyes peeled, as we may just have to circle back to round up tattoos of lesser known Troma films, such as Sgt. Kabukiman or Class of Nuke ‘Em High.