Past their sell by dates: Meet the people branded for life with tattoos advertising websites that no longer exist


When dotcom companies were flushed with cash in the early 2000s the websites invested in their fair share of flesh.



But two decades later, the people that sold their bodies as billboards for a quick buck have been left branded for life, the logos lingering longer than the companies themselves.



Foreheads, forearms, hands and backs have all been marked by marketing stunts for defunct sites like 'SaveMartha.com' or 'CIHost.com' in lieu of lasting relevance.



Impression: When dotcom companies were flushed with cash in the early 2000s the websites invested in their fair share of flesh. Hostgator Dotcom is pictured

Vintage: But two decades later, the people that sold their bodies as billboards for a quick buck have been left branded for life, the logos lingering longer than the companies themselves

Choice: Foreheads, forearms, hands and backs have all been marked for life, covered in marketing stunts for the rest of their days. Joe Tamargo, left, is pictured left and Jim Nelson, right



Business: Joe Tamargo has 15 website tattoos all over his body. He claims he made more than $200,000 selling spots on his skin

'I just thought that would be the most visible place possible for people,' Joe Tamargo, a Rochester resident, told Buzzfeed .

He's covered in the logos of 15 different websites. He claims he made more than $200,000 selling spots on his skin.

'When I tell them the story, they're like, "Yo, that's pretty cool. I'm going to check out those websites,"' Mr Tamargo, 38, said to the website.



'And then they get there and there's nothing on the website.'

The first 'skinvertisement' was sold in 2003 on the back of the head of an Illinois man named Jim Nelson.



CI Host paid Mr Nelson $7,000 for the ink and the promise that he would leave the logo for at least five years.



If you guessed that the tattoo outlasted the company, you'd be right.



Cover Up: Karolyne Smith, now Williams, sold ad space on her forehead so she could finance her child's schooling. GoldenPalace.com paid her $10,000 to ink their logo above her eyebrows. She's since covered it with bangs Forever: Dotcom tattoos were briefly popular in the early 2000s

Trend: The online casino website bought skinvertisements on several other people, including Billy Gibby, AKA Billy the Billboard. Some of his other tattoos are pictured



Ink: 'I did it to make sure my kids wouldn't be homeless,' the father of five, who now goes by Hostgator Dotcom said

Mr Tamargo has a tattoo for SaveMartha.com, a site dedicated to keeping Martha Stewart out of prison. She's been free for a while, but he's not.



But not all skinvertisers were without scruples.



Mark Greenlaw told Buzzfeed that he agreed to tattoo Defyinggravity.com's logo on his neck so he could support his family.



He sold space on his body on eBay to the highest bidder.



'Basic training, you really don't make nothing, so I wanted to make sure that my wife and kids had money while I was off training,' he said.



Karolyne Smith, now Williams, sold ad space on her forehead so she could finance her child's schooling.



GoldenPalace.com paid her $10,000 to ink their logo above her eyebrows. She's since covered it with bangs.



The online casino website bought skinvertisements on several other people, including Billy Gibby, AKA Billy the Billboard.



'I did it to make sure my kids wouldn't be homeless,' the father of five, who now goes by Hostgator Dotcom said.



He has approximately 37 tattoos, most of them on his face.

Look: He has approximately 37 tattoos, most of them on his face Profile: The Alaskan boxer says he does it to support his five children Cause: The sale of flesh has slowed, however

A Pound of Flesh: The first 'skinvertisement' was sold in 2003

