Junior and Other Losers

by Peter Bagge

Bagge's ( The Bradleys ) collection of misfits, nerds and assorted losers represents American satirical cartooning at its most inventively hilarious. He serves up the worst that American suburban "culture" has to offer. Junior is a simpleminded oaf who hates to leave the safety of his mother's house. When he does venture out, he ends up with a degenerate for a landlord (Junior finds his stash of Animal Lust magazine) and an unscrupulous conman as a housemate--an untoward experience which sends him quickly back to mom. But not all of Bagge's characters are geeks. Chet and Bunny Leeway, a quick, youngish couple living inexplicably in alienatingly bland suburbia, star in the most amusing stories in this collection. Their encounters with neighbors who are bigoted and proud of it, with radical castrating feminists and conniving artists and with their own engagingly neurotic personalities exemplify Bagge's ability to convey a sincere and subtle portrait of a happily modern relationship. Bagge's drawing is a masterpiece of cartoony realism--Hanna-Barbera meets the Ash Can Schoolwow, good line! --wildly caricatured with sharp detail and a wonderful range of expression.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor

126 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1990

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

[Al McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic P. Bagge.

[Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinda loved these losers, and all the Reagan/Bush-era anxiety was somehow comforting

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all of Bagge's work over the years. This volume is not as strong as the Hate material but it is worth checking out nonetheless. In my mind, his characters were the Pacific Northwest cartooning versions of the Slacker and grunge movements of the 90s.

[Gary Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giving up on this one....more a collection of gag strips than anything else. Not really my cup of tea right now.