Shanghai Kate Hellenbrand

"Shanghai" Kate Hellenbrand (October 29, 1943 – November 15, 2022) was an American tattoo artist. She worked in the industry for over 40 years and earned the title "America's Tattoo Godmother". She started drawing at the age of 4. After the exhibition, Rollo Banks began his own tattoo work at their studio apartment and later opened Catfish Tattoo where she originally helped him as a "hostess". Rudy gave her the nickname Shanghai Kate because she always worked at Chinatowns. She was passionate about preserving tattoo history as shown by how she frequently visited tattoo conventions, mentored younger tattoo artists (especially women), and gave talks about the evolution of tattooing. In 2019, Inked included her on its list of the "10 Female Artists Who've Changed the Tattoo Industry."