Images and words inked into skin need not be serious, symbolic, or sentimental all the time. As tattoo styles have developed during the past two decades, so has the use of humor to illustrate personality and enjoyment in body art.

The time-honored stereotypes of rebellion, angst, and otherness have been joined by irony, satire, sarcasm, dark humor, and a great deal of fun as viable means of skin expression.

Funny tattoos, once accidental and often cringeworthy, now cross over into all genres of the art form and into popular culture as well. All it takes is a funny tattoo idea, willingness not to take things too seriously, and enjoyment found in poking fun at things while needles poke your skin.

Tattoos vary between individuals, a fact extending to humor in tattoos. A picture, phrase, or quote could have one person in stitches and leave another horrified or confused. The range in reactions is partly why funny tattoo ideas are a rapidly growing phenomenon.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to think, feel, and experience the emotions you pour into body art. Read on for 134 funny tattoo examples to make you laugh, chuckle, howl, or shake your head.

1. Funny Alien Tattoo Ideas

For women

This is a cool small tattoo. The use of white ink support for the simple image works well to add highlights.

This is a nicely etched black line tattoo; love the humor of an alien rocking stereotypical culture elements of smartphone, funny glasses, and self-deprecating ironic “blonde” tee.

For men

This is a crude yet funny tattoo of a cow being lifted into an alien spacecraft. There’s a lot of technical work needed to improve on the fun idea. The linework of tractor beams is messy and looks to have been drawn freehand. The cow, too, needs a touch-up to clean up the black ink fill. The tattoo on the right of the featured piece is a bit scary; it’s old, faded, and could do with a complete refurbishment.

For men & women

This funky pair of religious aliens is a great bit of 3D new wave tattooing. Love the color palette and solid fill, especially on the alien’s interior and the flower petals. It’s the type of image atheists would find hilarious but draw harrumphs from those of faith.

This small inner bicep funny tattoo rocks. It’s simple, ironic, and well etched. The use of fine black lines creates a simple image but one well suited to get the fun message across. The black zebra stripes of the turned-down coverlet are an excellent touch.

Hahahaha. Love the sentiment expressed by the care-worn alien smoking a butt; scratching itself absently is a testament to the translation. It’s a very human scene found outside corporate buildings worldwide.

Love this image. It’s definitely not the type of thing Alf would go in for. Again, it’s a simple, minimalist line tattoo that effectively matches the message with the tattoo art. For some reason, the forlorn look on the cat’s face cracks me up.

2. Funny Animal Tattoo Ideas

All this funny tattoo is missing are some party favors to get the ball rolling. The incongruence between the hat and the great white shark is a good piece of tactical trickery. The ink itself is well drawn, crisply lined with deft use of shade and shadow.

File these burlesque birds under: “things you can’t unsee.” They’re a classic pair of tattoos, well etched with hybrid shading and a good sense of fun. It’s also a good idea to fit a pair of human legs onto the body of a chicken – or is it a pigeon? Doesn’t matter, really! Also, like the added touch of a beret in the first image, you can’t touch this upraised wing in the second.

Okay, so let’s get weirder. I bet the Simpsons Troy McClure would have one or two tattoos like this one extolling his “love” for sexy fish. In funny tattoos, the small details set up the hilarity of the overall image. This effort combines knee-high bobby socks and an anchor tattoo for a good laugh. The splash of aqua/blue color is a realistic application for the piece that seems added purely to make the ink look stranger.

Banana Flipper? Okay. This is brilliant and zany. It’s a minimalist funny tattoo that only needs to get by on concept, which is unique and innovative. If you peel a banana and a dolphin pops out, I’d recommend seeing a licensed professional.