What we call Traditional is actually Western Traditional - since there are many tattoo traditions all over the world. Characterized by fat black lines and bright blocks of color, the Traditional Motto is "If it's bold, it'll hold", meaning it will still be well-defined and visible 20 or 30 years from now.
Western Traditional started with service men, particularly sailors, who wanted permanent mementos of the exotic locales they had visited (hula girls, parrots, panthers), symbols of their military vocation (anchors, screaming eagles, sailing ships), a reminder of home ("Mom", pin-up girls) or mystical protection (horseshoes, crosses). Every port town was set up to accommodate service men with cheap entertainment, bars, flophouses and tattoo parlors. It wasn't uncommon for a successful sea-side parlor to have anxious servicemen lined up from noon till 3 or 4 in the morning, waiting for their turn in the chair. The thick outlines, simple coloring and "flash" designs of Traditional work made them quick and easy to do - thus increasing profits.
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