FROM TEENY-BOP PRINCESS to bona fide pop-punk icon, Avril Lavigne's ascent to stardom has been rapid. And though she hails from Canada, her connections to Atlanta go even deeper than her collaborations with sometime Atlantan Butch Walker. As she comes to town this week in support of last year's chart-topping "The Best Damn Thing," she took a moment to talk about Atlanta, tattoos and her blossoming acting career.

Mark Liddell (ENLARGE)
Avril Lavigne, performing at Philips Arena, has a permanent Atlanta connection: 'a tiny little star' by a local tattoo artist.
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Aside from working with producer Butch Walker, I understand you also have a tattoo by Atlanta tattoo artist Phil Colvin.

Yeah, one time I had a day off when Butch was on tour with me and we went and got star tattoos together. It was a tiny little star.

That seems to be a common theme for your tattoos.

I have a ton of little stars. My first tattoo is on my left wrist and it's a star, which was the logo from my first record. I don't have any big ones. I have a little star on my back and on my hips and things like that.

You're also now the star of a manga series called "Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes." Are you creatively involved with that?

Yeah, like, there'd be different stories and I'd pick what one I liked and what I didn't like about it and change things like images and stuff. Nothing ever comes out without me approving it.

I have a huge following in Asia and manga is big there. So when the opportunity came my way, I said, "OK, sure. That'd be cool." A lot of the younger fans like that.

You also provided your vocal talents in the animated movie "Over the Hedge," which is similar to being in a comic book.

Yes, that was a lot of fun because I wanted to start doing some acting and that was a cool movie because it was by DreamWorks. Then I did "Fast Food Nation" and I'm currently reading more scripts and hoping to get off tour and work on a really cool project.

How do you like acting in comparison to music?

Well, it's something new and something that I think would be a bit of a challenge for me. I think it would be another way for me to express myself. I was acting growing up, before I had a singing career, so I look forward to going back to that. Working on a movie is kind of a major thing and you want to make sure it's the right project. I don't want to just throw myself into something, so I've been quite particular. I just have to make sure it's something that when I read it I go, "Oh, my God. This is perfect for me. I'm going to do this."

What can fans expect from this weekend's show that they may not have seen at previous performances?

This show is very upbeat and a lot of fun all the way through. My last show was more mid-tempo, there wasn't a lot of fast songs. This one I play songs off all three records. I play all my singles that everyone knows. I have a new band and I have six dancers that are on the road with me who come on for a few songs when the moments are really big. There's a lot going on and it's just more of a show and I'm taking it to the next level. It's a lot of fun for me and all the performers onstage with me.

• THE 411: Avril Lavigne and Boys Like Girls. $24.75-$54.50. 7 p.m. April 18. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, downtown Atlanta. 404-878-3000, www.avrillavigne.com, www.philipsarena.com.