WICKER PARK — A tattoo artist's latest creation — a female foot inked with "The Dude" from "The Big Lebowski" movie, along with a severed pinky toe as an added touch from the cult classic — created a stir on social media over the holiday weekend.
"Some people are saying it's gross; others think it's cool," said Derek Mullins, owner of Metamorph Tattoo Studios, 1456 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park.
On Saturday, Mullins posted a photo of the (fake) foot with the Lebowski tattoo on his shop's Instagram page.
Mullins said he staged the photo's angle in such a way that at a quick glance, the foot would look real.
"People think it is an actual person who actually had their toe cut," Mullins said.
In "The Big Lebowski," which is one of Mullins' favorite movies, Tara Reid's character is believed to have been kidnapped, and a pinky toe is sent to her rich husband in an effort to scare him into paying ransom.
No actual toes were harmed at Metamorph, though Mullins pointed out that some people are into that sort of thing. And no, don't ask him or any artist at the shop to do that.
"I would laugh [at the request]," he said.
Mullins said he bought "a bunch of hands and feet" from A Pound of Flesh, a vendor that makes life-like synthetic body parts so artists could experiment with them.
"It's another outlet for tattoo artists like canvas or paper," Mullins said, adding that the fake foot "doesn't bleed, doesn't swell up and there is no complaining."
If you're a big fan of "The Big Lebowski," Mullins said he's willing to sell the foot for at least $500.
For his next practice session, Mullins plans to create a tattoo inspired by the Japanese mafia, or the Yakuza, where members are required to chop off part of their left pinky finger to atone for crimes.
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