Buddy Does Jersey (Paperback)

~ Peter Bagge (Author)

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)
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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; illustrated edition edition (November 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560978376
• ISBN-13: 978-1560978374
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #609,402 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 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 (REAL NAME)

"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 (eureka, Calif) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!!!!

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jersey sucks, May 17, 2007

By	SarahK66 "Sarah" (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews

I was in NYC visiting from Houston. I was with an annoying person I did not want to be around. I got away from them, wandered around and found myself in the East Village on St. Marks Street. They have this great comic bookstore and I found this book. I used to read Hate when I was a teenager and I don't know where they all went. It was great to have this book though. I love Buddy and Lisa..they remind me of people I knew in college. This book kept me company so I didn't have to talk to the annoying person I was unfortunately traveling with.