Hate (1990 1st Printing) comic books

"My Pad and Welcome to it!" continues the hilarious, highly deranged saga of Neat Stuff's Buddy Bradley, a drinking, smoking, comic book and record collecting slacker who has moved from New Jersey to Seattle and now lives in a filthy little apartment with two friends of questionable repute: a paranoid nerd (George Hamilton) and boorish, self-centered party animal appropriately named "Stinky." The issue also contains "Prisoners of Hate Island," a semi-autobiographical piece that actually stars cartoonist Peter Bagge and Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.00.

"Hate at First Sight" introduces Buddy Bradley's extremely neurotic, quick-to-anger girlfriend Valerie (who he ends up sleeping with in a hospital bed, of all places), along with her weird roommate Lisa. Buddy's pathetic physique, George's nebbish behavior, and Stinky's increasingly obnoxious ways are all on display, further cementing these characters as hopeless losers. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.00.

Add to cart Fine $6.00

"The Enigma that is George Cecil Hamilton the Third" focuses on Buddy's nervous, socially inept roommate, who corresponds with people of like mind through the mail but seemingly has no interest in actual living, breathing human beings. In "Dinner for Two," Buddy and Valerie "enjoy" an ill-fated spaghetti supper. Also, Hate's always lively "Letters Pages" begins. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

"Buddy Bradley is not His Brother's Keeper" features a mean and angry Butch Bradley who has grown up (literally, but not necessarily emotionally) in the interim between his appearances in Neat Stuff and his reintroduction here. "Whatever Happened to Babs Bradley?" catches up with Buddy's sister, a divorced, destitute, highly dysfunctional mother of two. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

"Guys, Gals, Gays...and Buddy Bradley" finds Buddy and Stinky over at a collector's house, rummaging through his comics, fanzines, magazines, and books, arguing over the merits of Harvey Kurtzman, Betty Page, and the like. Later, Buddy's homophobic tendencies are given the spotlight, as is Lisa's new "Bride of Frankenstein" hairdo. Like most issues of Hate, this one is talky, but very funny. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

"Valerie's Parents" switches the setting from the Seattle slacker scene to the outlying suburbs, where Buddy meets Valerie's folks and gains some insight into why she's so screwed up. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

"Paranoia Rules Supreme!" once again focuses on George Hamilton, Buddy's pseudo-intellectual roommate who, astonishingly enough, agrees to go on a date with the sexually aggressive Lisa. Naturally, the outing is a disaster, especially when they get back to Lisa's place. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

"Follow that Dream!" parodies the '90s grunge scene in brilliant fashion as Buddy and Stinky co-manage a rock and roll band. Bagge's highly stylized art, with its rubbery legged, bug-eyed character designs, fits the tone of this issue (and this series in general) perfectly. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

"Follow that Dream" Part II continues satirizing the music industry, in part by exposing its hypocritical nature. Meanwhile, Buddy does a bad thing in cheating on Valerie, but wises up later in the issue by leaving Stinky to his own rock and roll devices. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

Add to cart Very Good $4.00

"The Nut" describes Valerie's ex-roommate Lisa, who gets a job at the bookstore where Buddy works. Naturally, it ends in failure, so much so that she ends up shaving her head and donning a potato sack as "an act of total self-degredation." The depressing, disturbingly funny nature of this series continues unabated. (The cover photo is of Jon Horne, winner of the "Buddy Bradley Lookalike Contest.") Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

Add to cart Fine $6.00

In "Slumming with Buddy and Lisa," George moves out because he just can't stand living in the same house anymore with Lisa (who moved in three months prior). Lisa cleans up her act (literally and figuratively), but it's not enough to keep her and Buddy from fussing and fighting. "Let's Give Fascism a Chance!" is a three-page backup story that pokes fun at suburbia. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

Add to cart Very Good $4.00

"Collector Scum!" finds Buddy and Lisa peddling merchandise at a comic book convention. Collectors and dealers alike will find that Bagge's brilliantly satirical skewering of the industry hits a little too close to home. "Stinky Brown, Super Star" is a one-page backup in which Stinky can't remember his lines in a porn film. If you haven't figured it out by now, this series is strictly for adults. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

Add to cart Fine $6.00

"In Search of the Enigmatic George Cecil Hamilton the Third" finds Buddy mad at his ex-roommate (who now lives with an actual female) for painting him in a less than positive light in his self-published magazine, "Zygote." Stinky, broke and alone, stars in the amusingly titled "I Left My Stash in San Francisco." Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

"The Old Flame" refers to Buddy's ex-girlfriend Valerie, who is back from France. The story illustrates how a relationship, even a thoroughly dysfunctional one like Buddy and Valerie had, changes with time. Buddy is especially turned off by Valerie's pretentious new friends. In "Stinky Does Gotham," the Stinkster auditions with a band. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

Add to cart Fine $6.00

"My Pad (Revisited)" brings the core cast together for the last black-and-white issue of the series. Valerie plans to move in with Buddy and Lisa, but Buddy has already promised the room to Stinky. George returns as well, leading to lots of screaming and shouting. "Return to Hate Island!" is the sequel to the backup story found in issue #1. Hate #15 is the end of an era. Buddy leaves Seattle, and the series would never again be quite as sick or as twisted (or as good). Written and Drawn by Peter Bagge. Cover price $2.50.

Add to cart Very Fine $8.00

Add to cart Very Good $4.00

The first color issue in the series (and the first issue in which Bagge hands over inking chores to Jim Blanchard), Hate #16 follows Buddy and Lisa to Buddy's old stomping grounds in New Jersey as they "Meet the Folks!" The introduction of color does coincide with a downturn in laughs-per-minute, but the series still has much to recommend, including Buddy's cranky parents and Babs, his deeply disturbed sister (who has equally disturbed children). Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Cover price $2.95.

Add to cart Very Fine $8.00

Add to cart FN+ 6.5 $6.49

Buddy's creepy friend Jay, who hadn't been seen since the days of Neat Stuff, takes Buddy on one of his buying trips in "Let's Get Serious." While on the road, they discuss opening a collectibles store. The savant of satire, Bagge takes shots at McDonald's, rock bands, and other elements of pop culture. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Cover price $2.95.

Add to cart Fine $6.00

Add to cart FN- 5.5 $5.49

Add to cart Very Good $4.00

"Brother Butch" finds Buddy and his pal Jay scouting around for a good location for their collectibles store, which will figure prominently in future issues. Buddy's brother Butch has a serious alcohol condition, leading to even more erratic behavior than usual. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Cover price $2.95.

Add to cart Very Good $4.00

In "Partners," Buddy and Jay celebrate the grand opening of their new collectibles shop (called B&J's Collector's Emporium), providing ample humor for (and skewering of) collectors and store owners alike. A druggy urinating into a Marvel Comics coffee mug exemplifies Bagge's depraved sense of humor and his cynical obsession with satire. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Cover price $2.95.

"Uncle Buddy" lives up to the moniker by spending the day with his sister's kids (who were supposed to be with their deadbeat dad). The play baseball, eat lunch at Burger King, and of course, scream and yell a lot. Pops Bradley stars in a forgettable black-and-white backup story called "Who Will Cut My Hair?" Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Cover price $2.95.

Add to cart Very Fine $8.00

Add to cart Very Fine $8.00

Add to cart Fine $6.00

Add to cart Fine $6.00

"I've Got Three Moms!" is a tale of Buddy and the doting women in his life, namely Lisa, Babs, and Mrs. Bradley. Initially, he resents their attention, but later on learns to tolerate (and even enjoy) it. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. New to the series is a Doofus backup strip by Rick Altergott. Cover price $2.95.

Add to cart FN 6.0 $6.00

Pops Bradley doesn't feel up to snuff in "Dear Old Dad," an issue that is in poor taste, even for this series. Virtually every issue of Hate is offensive in one way or another (usually to a hilarious end), but the conclusion of this story feels contrived. Backup stories include the black-and-white "King of the Airwaves" (Stinky returns!) and another installment of Doofus. Hate is written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Doofus is by Rick Altergott. Cover price $2.95.

Add to cart Fine $6.00

Add to cart Fine $6.00

"Bab's Ex" paints Lisa, a character who's hardly a saint to begin with, in an even more unflattering light. During lunch breaks from her video store job, she cheats on Buddy with his former brother-in-law (in grimy, graphic detail), but it's unclear why, even given her usual weirdness. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Cover price $2.95.

Buddy tells Lisa to go get help for her emotional instability in "Nothing that Twenty Years on the Couch Couldn't Cure." A lampooning of psychiatry, the story also has Buddy running into Tom Kaufman (a character not seen in years), who is now a police officer and a proud family man. The backup strip is a one-pager called "Lisa Leavenworth, at Your Service." Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Cover price $2.95.

Add to cart VF 8.0 $8.00

Add to cart FN 6.0 $6.00

Add to cart FN 6.0 $6.00

Buddy's girlfriend Lisa running off to New York to hook up with the underground scene is what had to happen in "It Had to Happen," a sub par entry in a series that is usually dead on funny. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Cover price $2.95.

Hate is notorious for its reprehensible characters that are marginally likable, but coke addict Jim Foley, star of "Let's Start a Crack House," has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. This new player, mullet and all, is upstaged by the return of Stinky to New Jersey. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Interestingly, the backup story in this issue is a 1970s era underground comic by Bagge's brother. Cover price $2.95.

"Buddy Cleans House" refers to Buddy separating himself from the bad influences in his life, but the main event in the issue is the tragic (yet comedic) suicide of Buddy's ex-pal Stinky, who was depressed and on drugs. The effect on Butch is truly touching (not to mention disturbing). Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. The issue also boasts a very funny parody of the comic strip Cathy, written by Bagge with art by R. Crumb! Cover price $2.95.

"A Day in the Life of Buddy Bradley" chronicles our hero's empty existence as a reclusive shop owner who mourns for lost loves Valerie and Lisa and panics when a cute girl who works at the Starbucks next door tries to get to know him a little better. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Backup stories include "De-Evolution of a Devo Slut" by P. Moriarity, "Shamrock Squid: Autobiographical Cartoonist" by Bagge and A. Tomine, "Chop Suey" by Kevin Scalzo, and the haunting "A Day in the Life of Butch Bradley" by Bagge. Cover price $2.95.

The penultimate issue in the series, Hate #29 finds Buddy trying to enjoy "The Single Life." Unfortunately, his blind date is an unmitigated disaster, prompting him to escape through a bathroom window. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. Cover price $2.95.

Add to cart VG 4.0 $6.00

"Brother Butch" wraps up this eccentric, terminally pessimistic series by reuniting Buddy with Lisa (who becomes pregnant) and having them plan to get married. Written and drawn by Peter Bagge, with inks by Jim Blanchard. A series of Hate annuals will follow. Cover price $3.95.