Beneath the layers of ink, Richard Huff insists there is nothing extraordinary about his life: just school runs, family dinners, and a chaotic, love-filled home shared with seven children. His tattoos, now covering about 85% of his body, began as a teenage experiment and slowly evolved into an obsession with turning his skin into living artwork. What outsiders see as threatening, his kids see as familiar, even comforting. To them, he is not a monster; he is the man who makes breakfast and listens to their fears.
His wife, Marita, remembers being intimidated before she knew him. Over time, she discovered a gentle partner more present than any father figure her children had known. The internet, however, rarely pauses long enough to see that side. Each family photo becomes a battlefield of judgment and defense. Richard has learned to meet the cruelty with calm: their happiness, he says, is proof enough of the life they’ve built together.