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Heretica Tattoo

east valley tattoo studio

Specializing in nerdy color tattoos

What I Do

I specialize in pop culture, gaming and fantasy tattoos with vibrant color

Local & Inclusive

All bodies welcome! Tattoos are for everyone.

Nerd Focused

I am proud to create tattoos for people who are as passionate about their fandoms as I am.

About Heretica Tattoo

Meet Your Tattooer

Hi! Im Jess. I have been tattooing in Phoenix and the surrounding areas for 10+ years. I have a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from Cornish College of the arts with a focus on figure painting and drawing.

I have tattooed and been licensed in both Washington and Oregon and currently reside in Gilbert with my husband and daughter.

I’m an avid MTG player and gamer. Some of my favorite franchises include WH40k, lord of the rings, dungeons and dragons, and madhouse inc animation works.

I love my clients and have been incredibly privileged to work with some of the most amazing tattooers around the valley in the last decade and look forward to this new chapter here in the Gilbert/Chandler area.

If you see me slingin’ cardboard at the LGS come say hi!

Contact

Get in Touch

Thank you for your interest in booking! I DO NOT accept DMs for any inquiries or questions. Please do not send them.
 
In-person consultations are by appointment only and free of charge. I require an in-person consultation for work that is larger than hand-sized, cover-ups, or areas of potential concern, such as over scars/skin irregularities. Anyone is welcome to schedule a consultation regardless of the size of their project.
 
While I primarily focus on color pop culture and gaming subjects I am flexible. If you like my work but don’t find the exact style you’re looking for in my portfolio we still could be a great match. Please schedule a consultation so we can talk about it.
 
Pricing for tattoos is based off my hourly rate of $200 an hour. All tattoos are unique to the individual and the project and hourly pricing allows my clients and I the flexibility of custom sessions and fair pricing.  I prefer to work in 2-6 hour blocks, but every project is unique, so a consultation is highly recommended. 
 
I require a non-refundable deposit for ALL booked appointments at time of booking. The first session deposit is $200, and each appointment deposit after that is $100 per session until your tattoo is finished. These deposits act as credit towards your tattoo and are redeemed at the time of service. You will lose your deposit for any appointment if you no-call/no-show, show up more than a half hour late, or give less than 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Three reschedules are permitted before requiring a new deposit to re-book.
 
If you have a budget in mind for your tattoo, I would be happy to try to work within your budget if possible! Please let me know at your consultation when discussing your project.

Pricing

Rates & Deposits

My rate is $200/hour with a minimum appointment time of one hour.

I base all my pricing off my hourly rate. Session pricing is usually broken up into half day (3 hours) at $600 and full day (6 hours) at $1200. Flash pieces that are posted with a set price are for placement on arms and limbs only at that price, other areas of the body may incur an additional charge. I will be happy to book you for any amount of hours between 1-6 hours of tattoo time so please let me know at your consultation or before your appointment if there is a specific amount of time you would like to work for.

Deposits are required to book any tattoo appointments but consultation appointments are free of charge and can be helpful in determining the scope of your project.

If you are working with a certain budget let me know and we can discuss your options, preferably during your consultation.

Deposits are required at time of booking and will act as credit toward the final cost of your tattoo. Deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE.

Reviews

Client Love

MJ

Tonight I had a first. My blood sugar dropped and I nearly passed out. Jess was amazing! She remained calm, kept me lying down, got me the trash can in case I threw up, gave me candy and water. The way she stayed so professional and calm was incredible!! You can definitely see that she has a lot of experience, knowledge, and wisdom. Have been going to Jess for over 2 years. I will never go to anyone else.

Kendra

Jess is not only a phenomenal artist, but such a wonderful person as well. She has completed two fantastic pieces for me so far, and we are currently working on a third large-scale piece (my chococat and in-progress Ebondeath are pictured here). Jess created all three designs custom for me, and I could not be more thrilled with them!! I always have a great time getting tattooed by Jess, because she goes out of her way to ensure her clients’ comfort

Crystal

Jess was incredibly sweet and professional. She is a super talented artist and did an amazing job on my tattoo! She was also very thorough with aftercare instructions. I appreciated her being so accommodating. She has been incredibly diligent and cooperative in the process creating every custom design. She takes great care to ensure that I’m getting the tattoo I want every time.

Dustin

Just finished my second session on a thigh piece and I'm absolutely in love with the work that Jess has put into it so far. She has taken my vision and is making it a reality and I can't wait to finish it up over the next few sessions! She's been a joy to talk to during these long sessions. I have never felt as comfortable and confident with a tattoo artist as I do with Jess. Unfortunately for her, I now have her locked in for the all of my current and future tattoo projects haha!

Susana

Jess is a wonderful artist! I got the line work done so far in my first session and my tattoo already looks so amazing. I can't wait until I get the color done! She was so patient and understanding of my low pain tolerance and that really made my appointment go so smoothly. Highly recommend booking with Jess!

Kailee

Jess was such a pleasure to be around during my tattoo! She was so kind, funny and just very genuine when talking to me and I totally dig that! Her skill is phenomenal and precise, I’m in love with this tattoo and the details are fantastic!

Aafie

I booked with Jess over a year ago and the wait was absolutely worth it. She worked with me to enhance an existing tattoo idea. She really created a master piece that I am so in love with. Nothing feels better than having a piece of art on your body that makes you smile every time you see it. Jess is professional, easy to talk to and has a strong sense of artistic integrity. She's incredibly talented.

Phelicia

Jess does work on both me & my partner, it’s always a wonderful experience! I appreciate the detail Jess goes into, both my tattoos from her are beyond what I imagined they could be. I get so many compliments on her work!

Laura

Jess is amazing!!!! I had a tattoo done (not originally by Jess) that I liked at first but after a while, it just wasn't what I had hoped for and wanted to change or cover it up. I looked around for a bit and was so happy to find Jess. She was so easy to work with....she took all the info I gave her and made an amazing piece for me. I ended up getting a sleeve on my calf that runs down to my foot. This tattoo did take some time to complete as it was so large.....but sitting with Jess was super chill, she is way easy to talk to and is just an all around awesome lady!!! I can't wait to have more work done by her.

Jacob

I moved to the valley a few years ago and needed a new artist to get some large work done. After looking through a bunch of artists in Phoenix, I came across Jess’ work and thought it was amazing. I was not let down, she’s super professional, really nice, a great artist and fun to be around.

Dana

I got tattooed by Jess sometime ago, and she was amazing! Super professional, amazingly fast at getting back to me via email (I don’t know about you, but sometimes that’s a flaw with tattoo artists 😂), and above all, a wonderfully lovely human being! She is insanely talented. This is probably the only tattoo I have that honestly looks better healed than it looked fresh. I’m so happy and will definitely be back to get tattooed again! Thank you Jess for a wonderful experience!

Erin

Jess is by far the most talented and genuine artist I have ever worked with. When I got my first large tattoo I was extremely nervous, but her bedside manner and professional demeanor are second to none.

Chelsea

Started working on my sleeve project with Jess this weekend and I am pumped! Jess was great to work with and put together an amazing design and idea based on my concept and reference material. Amazing work so far and can't wait to see it come along! Shop is also just a super chill atmosphere to get a tattoo!

Colton

This was my first time getting a tattoo. Jess did an amazing job! The tattoo she designed for me was better then anything I could have imagined. It was perfect! She checked on me several times throughout my session to make sure I was doing OK. I will definitely be going back to have Jess do another tattoo for me.

Anna

I had an extremely good experience with Jess and I love my tattoo so much. She always is quick to respond to emails, is very flexible, and was willing to work with me and what I wanted for the design. I would gladly work with her again and again!

Marcel

I received two absolutely amazing tattoos from Jess Helfox. I am so incredibly happy with the turnout, and how they look. Jess was super caring and empathetic, she knows how painful tattoos can be. I don’t have the greatest pain tolerance, and she made great efforts to make me feel comfortable and to limit my pain as much as possible. The environment was super fun and professional. Jess’s work is so well done, and I recommend her to anybody looking for anime tattoos. She did two beautiful anime tattoos on my arms, and they exceeded my expectations.

Candace

Got a Tattoo by Jess Helfox and LOOOOVE it. She went above and beyond and created such a beautiful piece even doing extra hours of work she didnt charge for just to stiple it and make it age better. I will use her again when I am ready for my next one.

FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Just keep in mind I won’t copy another artist’s tattoo directly — every piece is customized.

Consultations are free and by appointment. They are required for larger projects, cover-ups, and tattoos over scars or irregular skin. For smaller pieces (smaller than hand sized) consultations are optional but encouraged if you want to discuss details in person.

Absolutely. These projects always require a consultation so I can see your existing tattoo and plan the best approach.

Thats great! My minimum is $200 and my hourly rate is $200 per hour. I base my pricing off of these numbers.

I am a flexible tattooer. If you're unsure if your project would be a good fit reach out directly via email and I'm happy to schedule a consultation and we can talk about it.

Of course! Please be aware space in the studio is limited but we can sit 1-2 extra people comfortably. Please do not bring small children or pets for safety reasons.

Tattoos are unique to the individual, placement, project and size. All of these factors and aftercare contribute to how long your tattoo can take to heal. Average healing time is usually 3-6 weeks but can be more or less time depending on these factors.

I require 48 hours notice for cancellations or reschedules before each appointment to keep your deposit for that appointment. Failure to do so can result in forfeiting that deposit. Deposits are kept on file for 1 full year from either your last paid session or date of deposit acquisition, whichever is most recent.