Ames’ Main Street is home to a shop quite dissimilar from the majority of shops found in the city. In 2010, Scott Mumper and Hugo Kenemer opened Heroic Ink on Douglas before moving to Main Street six months into 2020.
Mumper also opened Heroic Hair with his wife, Megan Mumper, under the name My Salon in West Ames before relocating and rebranding it alongside Heroic Ink.
Mumper spoke on why he and Kenemer went into business together.
“Hugo and I have been tattooing in Ames for 30 (Kenemer) and 25 years (Mumper),” Mumper said. “We started so long ago, I can hardly remember why we started. I do know we decided to open Heroic Ink because we wanted to have a tattoo shop where people are all treated the same, and with respect.”
Mumper then talked about where the name came from.
“We had a few names that we were thinking of, but they all sucked,” Mumper said. “Then one day Hugo and I were talking shit, and Hugo said something like we need to be the heroes of the tattoo world, and it went from there. We have always offered tattoos and piercings and at times we have had clothing. We are going to start carrying a line of custom shop hats.”
Mumper shared how Heroic Ink interacts with the Ames community.
“We try our best to offer a pleasant experience for anyone entering our location, and due to that and the work we do, we do have many regulars as well as new clients,” Mumper said. “We often participate in the community events on Main Street. Over the years, I’ve grown to believe that if you take care of people the right way, they’ll come back. Treating everyone like a human being, like they’ve been heard, ends up being just as important as a kick-ass tattoo.”
Mumper explained what the move to Main Street was like, the goal of the renovations, and the kind of space they wanted for their clientele.
“We purchased the two buildings on Main Street just before COVID, seven days before lockdown,” Mumper said. “We remodeled both buildings and moved into them about six months later. We renovated them with the idea of open spaces where artists and clients can all talk with and get to know, not just their artist but the whole shop, over the course of just a visit.”
Larry Orey, the shop manager at Heroic Ink for seven years, spoke on how he feels the shop has felt the same.
“We moved locations from Douglas to Main Street, and over seven years we’ve had a few artist changes, but at the core of things it really hasn’t changed,” Orey said. “I think that’s why people love coming to Heroic Ink. Regardless of who’s here or our location, you know what to expect, and it feels comfortable.”
Orey talked about the artists currently working at the shop.
“I don’t tattoo or pierce, but we have five tattoo artists,” Orey said. “Hugo and Mump (owners), James (12-15 years with Heroic Ink), Parker (seven years), and our newest member, Megan Wickham (apprentice). They are all very diverse in the style of tattoos they can provide, but they also have favorite styles.”
The artists have places where their work can be seen before scheduling a time with them, as well as their own favorite tattoos.
- Parker does traditional color tattoos but has a strong black-and-gray portfolio..
- Megan does traditional and neo-trad.
- Hugo, Mump, and James’s work can be seen on their site, heroictattoo.com, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.
- They also have three piercers: Kara Ferguson, lead piercer at Heroic Ink for eight years; Lacey Westberg, with Heroic Ink for seven years; and Jessi Garrett, manager at Heroic Hair and a piercer with Heroic Ink for five years.
Wickham, an apprentice at Heroic Ink for the past six months, shared their journey to working there.
“I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in art & illustration back in 2008, and wanted to be a tattoo artist back then,” Wickham said. “In January 2026, I was finally able to make that dream a reality, with the help of Heroic Ink. I started tattooing on fake skin, but started on people at the end of March 2026. I love being a tattoo squire, our fun word replacement for apprentice and I become more passionate about it each day.”
Wickham shared their favorite tattoo from their career so far.
“My favorite tattoo that I’ve done, at this point, is a cat wizard that I drew for a best friend,” Wickham said. “It was my second tattoo on human skin. He trusted me to draw and tattoo this memorial tribute to his cat, which had recently passed away. It was emotional for me; trust and honor. It was also incredibly fun to do.”
Heroic Ink is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
