Buddy Bradley, Vol. 1: Hey, Buddy!

Buddy Bradley #1

by Peter Bagge, Petri Griinari (Translator)

If there could be such a thing as grunge comics, this is it. In fact, even Seattle Weekly said, "Twenty years from now, when people wonder what it was like to be young in 1990s Seattle, the only record we'll have is Peter Bagge's Hate." Hey Buddy! collects the first five issues of Bagge's Hate, a hip account of the life of Buddy Bradley. This book is a must for the coffeehouse crowd.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor, Fiction, Comic Book, Comix, Graphic Novels Comics

116 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Peter Bagge is an American cartoonist known for his irreverent, kinetic style and his incisive, black-humored portrayals of middle-class American youth. He first gained recognition with Neat Stuff, which introduced characters such as Buddy Bradley, Girly-Girl, and The Bradleys, and followed it with Hate, his best-known work, which ran through the 1990s and later as annuals. Bagge’s comics often exaggerate the frustrations, absurdities, and reduced expectations of ordinary life, combining influences from Warner Brothers cartoons, underground comix, and classic cartoonists like Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, and Robert Crumb. Beyond satire and fiction, Bagge has produced fact-based comics journalism, biographies, and historical comics, contributing to outlets such as suck.com, MAD Magazine, toonlet, Discover, and Reason. His biographical works include Woman Rebel, about Margaret Sanger, Fire!!, on Zora Neale Hurston, and Credo, on Rose Wilder Lane. Bagge has collaborated with major publishers including Fantagraphics, DC Comics, Dark Horse, and Marvel, producing works such as Yeah!, Sweatshop, Apocalypse Nerd, Other Lives, and Reset. He has also worked in animation, creating Flash cartoons and animated commercials, and has been active as a musician in bands such as The Action Suits and Can You Imagine. Bagge’s signature art style is elastic, energetic, and exaggerated, capturing movement and comic expression in a way that amplifies both humor and social commentary. His personal politics are libertarian, frequently reflected in his comics and essays, and he has been a longtime contributor to Reason magazine. Bagge’s work combines biting satire, historical insight, and a relentless visual inventiveness, making him a central figure in American alternative comics for over four decades.

Reviews

[Jan Philipzig · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Buddy shows the reader round the cheap Seattle apartment he shares with two roommates, works in a second-hand bookstore from which he steals on a regular basis to develop his personal collection, is inconveniently visited by his violent younger brother, picks up a freebie from a grumpy old comic-book collector, briefly considers launching some kind of fanzine or making a movie with a camcorder, tries to have dinner with his girlfriend, and finally annoys and offends the few friends he has while getting drunk. Classic!

[Baal Of · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a good number of years back, and I am re-reading the entire run, since I had missed a couple volumes. I had forgotten how wordy Bagge's comics are, but that's not a bad thing, since the dialog is so dead on with its nastiness and misanthropy. The characters are ugly, obnoxious, and frequently stupid, but oh so reflective of many real people. Ultimately the whole thing is funny as hell, and Bagge's ability to hold a dirty mirror up towards society is undeniable. Just don't expect to feel very good about humanity after putting this down.

[Chris Browning · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the cartooning but the whole tone of the thing leaves me cold, pretty much exactly in the same way Joe Matt does. Clearly a brilliant artist but I do not enjoy in any way what he has to say here

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following my reading/review of The Bradleys I snatched this down off the shelf for a quick re-read.

Moving on from the magazine sized NEAT STUFF, Bagge decided to focus an ongoing book - HATE - on the ne'er-do-well elder son of the Bradley clan and his adventures after ditching his NJ home. So here he is, settled in Seattle as the the "Seattle Scene" (grunge, Starbucks, heroin) was coming to a head. This was a timely move to a well-chosen setting - although because of the small size of this collection (these issues HATE 1-5, iirc, were repackaged into larger volumes of a more complete run selection), not a lot of those "Seattle-isms" are heavily "in-story" yet (we get a house-party, pretty much).

What you do get is a returning few characters ("Stinky", Butch Bradley) and a new cast. Roommate George Hamilton (nerdy, shut-in black guy), crazy ex-girlfriend Lisa and more mature/careerist new girlfriend Valerie. And Buddy is still Buddy - slowly entrenching his alcoholism & defeatist character traits while nurturing his growing taste in his areas of interest (music, cartooning), And Buddy is still off-handly racist and homophobic (included here is the excellent "Guys, Gals, Gays & Buddy Bradley" as Buddy finally gets called on some of his shit - sadly, the excellent cover of the original issue, a sozzled Buddy having red-painted himself into an angry, insulated corner in retreat - is not here, except as an insert under the contents page - but still a great image). Also included here is the painful "Buddy Bradley Is Not His Brother's Keeper", featuring the problematic return (and exit) of little brother/perpetual target of humiliation Butch from THE BRADLEYS series - now a hulking military type with triggery anger problems and no-love-lost for his former sibling tormentor - a very nice payoff to early BRADLEY work and a strong indication that the series was going to take its characters more seriously as people. Also included is the scathing "Whatever Happened To Babs Bradley?" which traces the further, depressingly predictable life of Buddy's sister - suburban bad girl gone wrong ("I told you not to ask" we're told by the gossiping informer in the last panel).

This is all solid work, great writing and cartooning. If I had an reservation it's that the shift from magazine page to comic page, while it might have sharpened Bagge's focus (not too many explosions of cartoonish slapstick any more) make his artwork/dialogue a little exhausting to read on the compacted, smaller page. The back-up "Prisoners Of Hate Island" is a nice "behind the scenes" short.

[Ian Hrabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man, I love me some cynicism and it's really nice to be able to relate to Buddy Bradley on one level and be totally thankful I'm not nearly as bad as he is. But I guess that's the point. To point out the snobby, nihilistic monster in all of us and also make said pointing out hilarious and hinting at some universal truths that stretch far beyond the gruge-era 90s. The perfect comix series for my mid-20s, for sure.

[Oliver Hodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hate is right! What a compelling concoction of self and otherwise loathing of people. Like a few books that you read on uncomfortable topics, you appreciate the artistry and skill but maybe don't love what it's saying. What a constricted bunch of people!

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

HATE is probably THE seminal American alternative comic book to arise from the '90s, selling an upwards of 30,000 copies per issue. The series follows the life Buddy Bradley - a more episodic continuation of the serialized strip from Neat Stuff - where we observe him settling into a small, dingy apartment in Seattle and getting acclimated to the "Seattle Scene". Bagge provides a focused lens into Buddy's life as a means of satirizing and commenting on various elements of the Seattle life that interests him, including but not limited to grunge music, comic books, drugs and the overzealous liberalism of the populace. Buddy's supporting cast includes his roommates Leonard "Stinky" Brown and George Cecil Hamilton III, both of whom are polar opposites in personalities and supplement Buddy's slacker tendencies well. This first volume also introduces Buddy's first girlfriend in Seattle - Val Russo - through whom much of the "Seattle-isms" are explored.

Stories in HATE can largely be considered as episodic, whereby each issue presents a new situation and can be read in isolation. There is still a developing story throughout, with major events in Buddy's life having a major ripple that can be felt issues later. It's that perfect blend of drama, comedy and slice-of-life that made HATE such a revolutionary title.

What always stands out from any issue of HATE is the wittiness of the writing. Bagge's scripts are filled with juvenile gags, but they're balanced out by astute observations of contemporary (for the '90s) cultural phenomena and often cynical musings. There's an underlying slapstick tone to it all, matched to perfection by Bagge's expressive illustrations filled with great visual gags. Despite the fact that many of the panels are simply people conversing with little to no action, Bagge finds a way to retain an inventive layout to keep it all interesting.

A true classic of American comics.

Individual reviews of each story contained in "Hey, Buddy!":
"My Pad and Welcome to It!"
"Hate at First Sight!"
"The Enigma that is George Cecil Hamilton the Third!"
"Buddy Bradley is not His Brother's Keeper"
"Guys, Gals, Gays...and Buddy Bradley"

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason I was expecting a stoner comedy but this is way more than that. We follow Buddy as a young 20s man living with 2 roommates. He works at a bookstore and starts dating. Buddy is loosely based on Bagge as a younger man. This was pretty insightful and is a wonderful time capsule for being 20s in the 90s.

Issue 1 - My Pad and Welcome to It
We get Buddy breaking the fourth wall giving us an MTV cribs tour of his apartment. He lives like a typical 20 year old in a cheap place - messy but he drinks fancy beer! We meet his roomate Leonard AKA "Stinky". He's similar to Buddy but a bit more of a loser.

Issue 2 - Hate at First Sight
Buddy at just 20 something is already falling apart from neglecting his body. Lack of exercise and too much beer. We meet his other roommate the introverted conspiracy-theorist enthusiast George. George is also black but doesn't fit in with that cultural group. Buddy goes to a hangout at a pool hall in the hopes of meeting a girl and gets asked out by Valerie. The first date ends in disaster as Valerie lives with Buddy's ex Lisa who told Valerie about some of the freaky sex they've had in the past. Later at his house party Valerie gets smashed and ends up in the hospital where Buddy visits her and they have sex in the hospital bed.

Issue 3 - The Enigma that is George Cecil Hamilton the Third
We see more of George and his introverted conspiracy theorist ways. It turns out he's actually a bit of a phony and likes McDonalds and trash TV as much as the rest of us.

Dinner for Two
Valerie and Buddy are now dating but Valerie wants to have a romantic dinner with Buddy - easier said than done in an apartment with 2 other male roommates. There's a pretty hilarious scene with Leonard completely naked coming in and eating some of the spaghetti they've prepared. Later at Valerie's place Lisa admits she still has feelings for Buddy.

Issue 4 - Buddy Bradley is Not His Brother's Keeper
Buddy's younger brother - now a big right-leaning gun-carrying man - comes to town and wants to crash at Buddy's. He ends up getting into all sorts of trouble at a local party.

What Ever Happened to Babs Bradley
My introduction to Babs - she had a series of abortions then babies and a terrible marriage.

Issue 5 Guys, Gals, Gals... and Buddy Bradley!
Buddy and Leonard go to a collector's house and talk about comics. The collector is a huge fan of Walt Kelly but doesn't like Kurtzman so Buddy and he don't see eye to eye. At Valerie's Lisa got a really embarrassing haircut which starts a big fight between Buddy and Valerie.

[Đenis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Prvých 7 príbehov o vandrákovi, budižkničemovi o tom, aké strašné je žiť v Seattle s parťákmi. Vlastne žiť s parťákmi. Vlastne žiť. Nič dokopy nemá, pracuje v antikvariáte, chlastá, hulí, spí s otravnými ženami, kradne, podvádza a klame. Vraj undergroudoví predchodcovia Simpsonovcov. Nezdá sa mi. Každý ďalší príbeh si dám újsť.

[Nik · Rating 4 out of 5]

One man's tea is another man's poison.

[Jez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revisiting my late teens/early 20s, when I was obsessed with underground comics, comics as art and cultural touchstones.

It's great coming back to Hate, it wasn't perfect and some of it feels dated now, but it's still cracking stuff. It really captures that misanthropic sense of young adulthood. Adrift from mainstream society, trying to find your way and resist the pull of 'responsible adulthood'. The hobbyists, musicians, artists, addicts, posers and abusers. Bagge captures the beauty of listless, unanchored scuzzy, damaged 20 somethings. Warts and all.

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Bagge, Hey, Buddy! (Fantagraphics Books, 1993)

The first collection of Buddy strips from underground zine Hate, Hey, Buddy! is probably not what you're expecting if you're new to Peter Bagge and unfamiliar with Hate (which is far less about, well, hate than one would expect). Buddy sits around, annoys his roommates (who annoy him in return), has a relationship that's failing more than it's succeeding, etc. Mildly amusing, but most likely a “you had to be there” phenomenon ultimately (Wikipedia notes that the Hate was popular in grunge culture for being a satire of it). Feels a great deal like memoir, so if you're fond of those, it's worth a whirl. ***

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historia original y bestial como ella sola. En cuanto a la edición argentina: linda encuadernación, muy buena traducción, pésima periodicidad, todavía estoy esperando el tomo 2. De todos modos me salió muy barato así que tampoco me quejo con demasiado énfasis. Si algún día se digna a salir el #2, espero animarme a darle una chance.

[Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is where the story starts. Peter Bagge made a great character out of Buddy Bradley, who can be at any turn of the plot despicable, sympathetic, incredibly stupid, unfortunately smart and always guardedly cynical. What a dumb review this is. The pictures are really funny.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It largely is what it is - early Bagge work, good characterization, unique art. It's very much a product of its time, and that's not a bad thing here, especially since I was 10 around the time being discussed.

All and all a good read. I'll be happily grabbing the next Hate volume.

[Vida Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these comics when they came out in the 90's, and they were spot on then. I miss comic artists who can really draw expressively. I've read a lot of cartoonists/graphic book authors, a and for my money, Mr. Bagge is still the best

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Matt and I read aloud.
The art in this book was interesting, but I didn't particularly like, well, anyone and thus was happy when it was over. Nice slice of life of early 90s Seattle, though, if you are interested.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hate lies somewhere between Bugs Bunny, The Simpsons and The Young & The Restless. If it had a soundtrack, it would be by one of those arcane, forgotten 90's grunge bands like Tad.

[Bria · Rating 3 out of 5]

These comics stress me out, and make me hate myself. Well done!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!

[Variaciones Enrojo]

Edición argentina de Hate que no prosperó.