Buddy Does Jersey (Hate) [Paperback]

Peter Bagge (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hate | Publication Date: November 7, 2007

Collecting the legendary Buddy Bradley stories that defined a generation.

At the end of Buddy Does Seattle, with his rock-impresario career in tatters, his friends dispersed, and his career opportunities at zero, Buddy had decided to return with his tail between his legs (and his neurotic girlfriend Lisa on his hands) to his native New Jersey.

Buddy Does Jersey collects all 15 issues of Hate describing the arc of Buddy's East Coast experience, including his launch as a small businessman (co-owning and running a nostalgia store with the dubious Jay) and his reintegration with his family (his sister now a harassed mom, his brother still pretty much a psycho, and his parents—well, wait and see). Also included in this volume is the shocking final fate of the exuberant Stinky—a story that caused jaws to drop in unison all around the world when it was originally released—and the riotous tale of Lisa's brief conversion to lesbianism and subsequent breakup with Buddy.

Originally released in color, the stories in Buddy Does Jersey will here be presented de-colorized in the pristine black and white of earlier Buddy stories, in order to better show off the crisp beauty of inker Jim Blanchard's linework. (Or as much crisp beauty as you need to delineate a row of partygoers setting fire to their own flatulence!)

Buddy Does Jersey will feature a long introduction by Bagge describing (for the first time) how the stories in this book reflected events in his own life, and a foreword by the inheritor of Bagge's mantle of hilarious grossness, Angry Youth Comix' Johnny Ryan. Black-and-white comics throughout

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The acerbic story of ultimate slacker Buddy Bradley from the pages of Hate concludes in this second compilation volume, originally serialized in color in the 1990s but collected here in black and white. Buddy and girlfriend Lisa leave freewheeling Seattle for Buddy's childhood home in New Jersey, where his father sits in a hospital thinking he has cancer, his mother frets loudly and his friend Jay stalks teenage girls and shoots heroin. Buddy and Jay soon hatch a plan to open a store selling junky collectibles to appeal to aging hipster nostalgia. Buddy's religious mother and Lisa get drunk while bowling, and Lisa spills the fact that she's had five abortions. An old friend starts selling drugs and driving around with an Uzi. The episodic tales veer through a lot of ground—the unexpected death of Buddy's father, Lisa's inexplicable infidelity, a friend's out-of-the-blue suicide—but always with a loud, frenetic, "life sucks, who cares" attitude reflected in the big loping swirls and exaggerated features of Bagge's illustrations. Fans of underground comics' brutal social satire and people with generally bitter dispositions will laugh out loud at virtually every seedy panel; other readers will find it a total bummer, dude. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Bagge's comic book Hate, chronicling the exploits of hapless, twentysomething, ne'er-do-well Buddy Bradley, captured the 1990s zeitgeist like no other alternative comic. In this second collection of it (after Buddy Does Seattle, 2005), Buddy and dangerously neurotic girlfriend Lisa retreat from his out-of-control slacker's life in Seattle to his family's home in New Jersey, where he is forced to deal with such real-life tribulations as dying parents, running a business, unplanned pregnancy (in Buddy's world, there's no other kind), and prospective matrimony. Buddy's sister Babs is now the single mother of two bratty kids, and his brother Butch, a violent alcoholic. Former associates, including ex-girlfriend Valerie, ex-roommate George Hamilton III, and rock-star-turned-drug-dealer Stinky, put in valedictory appearances. Bagge's hilariously rubbery characters become even more wildly exaggerated when angry or stressed, as happens often in their comically volatile lives. Nowadays Bagge revisits Buddy and Lisa, mired in domesticity, only occasionally. Their current misadventures lack the insane drama of the stories collected here, examples of one of alt-comics' most commercially and artistically successful titles. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books (November 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560978376
• ISBN-13: 978-1560978374
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #960,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An introspective journey to the center of Hell, AKA, New Jersey., August 1, 2007

By 

Robert B. Jaffe "Just a Guy" (Illadelphia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Buddy Does Jersey (Hate) (Paperback)

"Buddy Does Jersey" tells the continuing story of Buddy Bradley, something of a grunge icon, who leaves his beloved Seattle squalor for the comforting familiarity of New Jersey and family. There, with his girlfriend Lisa(somewhat grudgingly so on both counts), they make their stake in an emotional landfill, packed tight with dilapidated fathers, alcoholic mothers, psychotic brothers and general ennui found exclusively in every single small town ever.

Peter Bagge writes and draws "Buddy Does Jersey", compiled from the comic book "Hate". The first half of the Buddy stories is told in "Buddy Does Seattle", and in that work, Bagge found his footing telling stories of the single life and young American dreams, all with a sardonic edge that ran like a poison through his pen. Indeed, the abundance of cross hatching told in that black and white run spelled dark tales while the dialog remained simply sarcastic and bitter.

Bagge really ups his game in "Buddy Does Jersey", on both the art and emotional level for the characters. The insane amount of cross hatching is gone with a new inker (when originally published, these tales were told in color, though I personally feel little is lost) to make way for internal cross wirings which ring truer and more neurosis-y. Lisa shows increasing complexity as she begins to care for Buddy's sick father to almost obsessive degrees, and by the end of the book, it is arguable whether she's grown or devolved. Buddy too, finds himself doing something he never thought he'd do; working full time at a collector shop with his friend from way back, Jay. Buddy shows a dedication to that shop that's impressive for his character, but ultimately, it is questionable if he's matured from growth or necessity. In fact, it is a hard question whether anyone grows from the experiences here-in; much like life indeed.

In terms of why I rate this book good instead of great, I feel like the story (both Seattle and Jersey) could be told tighter. Bagge doesn't repeat himself often over these thirty or so issues, but there is a bit of wandering without many sights to be seen. It's an excellent character study in the end, so I do recommend the book for fans of darkly humored stories that take place in New Jersey, like "Happiness," "Clerks" or "Garden State". OK, the last one was a joke, but fans of that movie might like this book too.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars funny real life stuff, June 9, 2007

By 

Brian Townsend (OREGON COAST) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Buddy Does Jersey (Hate) (Paperback)

what can you say about bagge's humour is that it reminds me of my own past expirences. he takes regular life happening and lets you look at the awful funny side of it. the best part is the way it's drawn. if you want a good funny time this is it read all the way thru or read it over and over. sits in the bathroom so i can read multiple times. the best ever!!!!

3.0 out of 5 stars It's HATE and it's great. But I miss the colours, April 5, 2010

By 

Fudoh 101 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddy Does Jersey (Hate) (Paperback)

As the title reveals, this book collects the conclusive "Jersey-era" of the original Hate series. It's really nice to have it all in a single book, and readers unknown to Buddy Bradley's universe might find this more convienent (and economic) than the four smaller collections previously released by Fantagraphics.

However, while the stories are as excellent as always, I can't help but being bothered about the absence of the colours! Peter Bagge's choice of coloring the funnies has been debated over and over. He explains in the introduction that it really only was an appealing oppurtunity rather than any artistic ambition that motivated him. What he really cared for was the inking by Jim Blanchard.

That's what he says, and I can buy it. But it just feels like this artwork was made for coloring, and in b/w it just looks a little pale at times. Buddy's trademark shirt is gone of all things!

Another issue is some shorter stories that is missing. Especially one with Stinky and one with the old man. They weren't any real part of the chronology but would still be nice to have!

It's still small complaints and new readers should definately get it. But those who got the comics already in previous releases have no reason for a replacement either.