Trad Stories, Reviewed. It's a Real Trip.

How about a psychedelic existential exploration of consciousness and entities which impact the physical plane on the universe's whim? Yeah, Trad Stories by Lex Lamb is a real trip.

With a surrealist story that feels like a Duncan Trussel guided Terance Mckenna fever dream with Douglas Adams and Alan Moore providing notes, this is a comic very much unlike any other. Offering a mesmerizing thought experiment experience, that was 35 years in the making, Lex Lamb's Trad Stories is a fascinating read of nine stories that deliver a smorgasbord of mindfulness exploration with an art style that just holds you. I’ll do my best to provide a concise context that might navigate this bonkers trip because this experience is well worth sharing.

So, let’s start with the art. Lex Lamb's style is as surreal as his storytelling yet somehow mundane and just the tip of the contradictory nature of this comic. There’s a real mesmerizing low key element to this style throughout. “Psychedelic TinTin crudeness elements” is the first impression note I made which sort of covers the character design. Sort of. I found while staring at Trad the same unsettling plainness that Moomins The Groke evokes. There’s Terry Gilliam or Salvidor Dali air of absurdist and abstract concepts in this style, that extends to lettering. This art somehow has a downbeat yet vibrant colouring that adds even more contradictory elements to this style. The lines are clinical crudeness that also holds great detail. There’s panels that hold straight-up educational textbook style studies, which all just heavily emphasises the dream-like vibe and adds to the strangely hypnotising overall emotion this art delivers. It really is like observing a lucid dream that manages to be equal parts, absurdist, clinical, jarring yet engrossing, unnerving and comforting. It sounds contradictory I know, but it’s a tangible effect offered in the art which perfectly suits the experience the story delivers. This art might not hold a particular wow factor, but it’s ethereal engaging art.

Ok, now a rather tricky thing to get across. Trad Stories is a real ride. What can be said with absolute knowledge, is that this story is about Trad, a cosmic entity, progressing through time and space in nine short stories. That’s almost all I know for sure. Other than Lex's own description of the story which we’ll get to later. That’s as much as I’m confident in, but I suppose its perspective is down to the observers' views on reality and the facets that govern the universe. Esoteric storytelling is not something I’ve experienced in comics, not in this way, but I’d be damned if anything hasn’t left me this beautifully confused. Lex describes this comic's theme as surrealist/dream logic. The surrealism is plain to see. The dream logic does a great job of defining the universal laws provided within as well as the narrative direction this story floats along. I didn’t realise cognitive dissonance could be an enjoyable and entertaining experience but Trad Stories provides it.

There is so much more going on here, I’ll try to unpack my interpretation. Lexs story description reads “electricity pylons, states of panic and fear, orbiting capsules, Modons, bass guitars, hydro-electric power stations, irrepressible urges, plane crashes, tunnels, tourists, tanks, accidental deaths, mysterious lights, pinball machines; within these nine stories, you can see and read about at least one of each of these things while you follow Trad's progress through the universe.” Technically accurate in every way, without telling us in any way what the story really is about. So let’s get into what could be a wildly inaccurate interpretation. The first of nine offers a good measure of this comics overall story. In four short pages, I experienced intrigue, sadness, dark comic relief, shock with borderline horror and redemption or resolution on some level. That’s your opening. Each story and indeed this whole comic kept throwing up moments of “well… ok… right, no, hang on” and had me re-consuming again and again. To pin the narrative of the story down in any complete way would be an exercise akin to trying to catch fog with a colander.

It must be understood that this is a really interesting comic that I thoroughly enjoyed, it’s just difficult to succinctly describe. The narrator's voice comes across like a children tv shows storytime but with cosmic spiritualism mixed with straight fact delivery. The themes and thought experiment elements of the story are incredibly diverse. I believe the overarching theme of this comic is the nature of purpose.

There are elements of the interconnectedness of all things. There’s the enigma of Trad. Is Trad a deity of cause, effect and consequences? Is Trad the embodiment of action and reaction? Maybe the very essence of “being”? Perhaps the entity of emotion and emotional reaction? Of course ultimately to find meaning in Trad could be an exercise in futility as the final story alludes. There’s also a wonderful outline of intrusive thoughts. So I hope it’s becoming apparent how much this comic has to offer. This is an experience. I found myself lost in the most interesting of ways reading this comic and have found great food for thought. Just try not to make a “Daskin” of yourself trying to figure it out. Although I could be a moron who has totally missed the point.

For fans of dreams, esoteric thinking thought experiments and the nature of the universe. Lex Lambs Trad Stories is something wholly unique. Psychonauts will most likely find this most illuminating. And I'm almost sure of some poignant lessons laid within. Regardless of meaning, buy the ticket, take the ride of this exceptionally different comic book experience. Get to www.tradcomic.com to turn on, tune in and drop out. Lex can be found on Twitter also @LambLex so follow to keep an eye on what comes next.

Review: 4/5