Comics Introspective Volume 1: Peter Bagge

by Christopher Irving

Through a combination of original photography, multiple art gallery sections and an introspective dialogue with each subject, Comics Introspective is unlike anything being published. Volume One features Peter Bagge, whose unique, expressive work runs the gamut from political (his strips for reason.com), to absurdist and satirical (the Batboy strip for Weekly World News) and dramatic (Apocalypse Nerd). From his Seattle studio, Bagge lets journalist Christopher Irving in on everything from just what was on his mind with his long-running Gen X comic Hate!, to what's going on in his head as a political satirist. This debut volume features an assortment of artwork picked by Bagge himself, and is printed on deluxe glossy stock to maximize the impact of the art and photography -- all working to make it as breakthrough as the innovator it covers.

Genres: Comics, Biography

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extended interview with the alternative cartoonist's body of work, I enjoyed this first Comic Introspective although I have to admit that it feels somewhat slight. Irving gives a really nice overview of Bagge's career but for as long as the book is, I feel like there were certain aspects of Bagge's career that were sort of glossed over. In particular, I would have liked to have had more information about the work he did before he "hit it big" with Hate... and while the Hate section dominates, I wish it were a little more in depth into the actual issues rather than casting a broad focus over the entirety of the 30 plus issues of the book.

Maybe it's more an issue between what I expected this book to be (a long-format ramble about specific details in Bagge's work) and what it actually is (a retrospective of a career so far). That's not to say there's isn't a great deal to like about the book- there's some really interesting insight into some of the more autobiographical aspects of Hate and I really enjoyed reading Bagge's thoughts on his Marvel Comics' work... especially the unreleased Hulk special.

Also, lots of cool artwork.

[David Macpherson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like reading about the history and business of comic books more than I like reading actual comics. Reading about Bagge seemed like a good bet. I have a small piece of original art of his. Its in my office and I love the fluidity of the s lines. In other words, I dig it. The book is the sum of a weekend long interview between the author and Bagge and you get what is important to Bagge. There seemed to be a lot more about his opinions on the founding fathers and the legalization of marijuana than on what I am interested in, making comics. Early on in the book he went on a little tear about that there are not a lot of dedicated women cartoonists because they leave the field to have families or what not. Kind of an annoying thing to say and it really soured me from enjoying the book as much as I think I would

[Frank Reynoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read the intro and it looks to be good. looking for inspiration to keep doing these wacky comics.