The Complete Hate Volume 1

by Peter Bagge

Peter Bagge, along with the Hernandez brothers and Daniel Clowes, is one of the primary architects of the alternative comics genre that exploded in the 1980s and 1990s. His compelling and best-selling comic book series Hate chronicled the exploits of Buddy Bradley and his gang of lovable losers through the rise and fall of the grunge era, and beyond. Going beyond mere satire, Bagge’s observations helped fashion the aesthetics and attitudes of the only significant youth movement to emerge from the Pacific Northwest. A contemporary review by Bruce Barcott in the Seattle Weekly stated, “Twenty years from now, when people want to know what it was like to be young in 1990s Seattle, the only record we’ll have is Peter Bagge’s Hate.”The Complete Hate is a new paperback series that includes the original 30-issue run from 1990–1998, the nine subsequent Hate Annuals, and tons of other Hate-related comics, illustrations, and ephemera created for books, magazines, comics, toys, and other merchandise. Bagge combined his cartoony drawing style with uncomfortably real Gen X characters, and the comic books resonated with readers. Vol. 1 collects the first major arc of the series, (Hate 1-15), focusing on young Buddy Bradley's travails in early 1990s Seattle, with a lengthy introduction by Bagge. Each volume contains new covers, endpapers, title pages, and other surprises by the author.

348 pages, Paperback

Published August 5, 2025

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

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh … how can I explain the appeal of Peter Bagge's work, this specific book in particular?

Is it funny? Sometimes, sure. Bagge's got a great cute/ugly drawing style that won't quit. His characters do and say the most outrageous things. Sometimes you're laughing at them; sometimes you're laughing with them. And sometimes you're squirming with discomfort and even identifying with them though you wish you weren't.

Buddy Bradley and his family and friends grew out of Bagge's previous series, Neat Stuff. The Bradleys were only one of several features that appeared in NS over the course of its run. A suburban New Jersey family, they were notable for their dysfunctionality and cartoonishly exaggerated violence. But the writing grew more sympathetic and the characters became more nuanced. When Neat Stuff ended, Bagge proposed spinning the Bradleys off into their own title. He aged his cast, and moved Buddy to Seattle since he (Bagge) was living in Spokane at the time. The title Love & Hate was proposed. But Fantagraphics felt it would be too similar to Love & Rockets, one of their flagship titles, so it was shortened to just Hate.

Whether canny marketing, or simply a case of right-time-right-place, Buddy Bradley's new Seattle-focused escapades appeared just as the nation and the world at large were discovering the grunge music scene. Hate became a decent-sized hit, and remains one of Peter Bagge's best-known creations.

As the title says, this is volume one of a three volume series reprinting the complete run of the comic books–including the 2024 Hate Revisited comics. Will it make you nostalgic for the Grunge Era? Only one way to find out … highly recommended!

[Zoran Herceg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen so much bodily fluids per page of a book.

[Sal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't need characters to be likable for me to enjoy a story but this is testing that principle. Outstanding cartooning, however.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping to get a snapshot of 90s grunge scene Seattle..what I got was a snapshot of patriarchal NONSENSE and untreated mental illness. Overall it was sad and gross but interestingly drawn and the characters were empathetic even when they weren’t likable. I also enjoyed the pre-internet media, there used to be SO many “zines” and book stores/record stores!

[Jed Haas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely just a comic about a bunch of people who really suck, but they all suck in their own ways, and that’s what makes ‘em interesting!

[Sergio Otaegui · Rating 5 out of 5]

comforting to me