How to describe Peter Bagge's comic HATE, a multi-purpose work which sells as widely among hipsters in Germany as in Georgia? San Francisco-based author Kathy Acker (whose tomes fill its characters' bookshelves) says,
When it comes to capturing the a real picture of pop culture, he's got a totally unique way of doing it.London-based graphic artist Simon Emery puts it differently:
One new copy of HATE and you can cruise on thrillpower overload all night!.
"Calling my comic HATE was sort of an over-reaction. 'Neat Stuff' seemed like it was a little over-benevolent. Since the Fifties, lots of humour books have had one-word titles. Like MAD, Weirdo -- short and snappy and good for a logo."HATE has dealt with punk, grunge, race, friendship, work and sex. It is notorious for in-jokes and secret caricatures. In specific terms it features one character, Buddy Bradley, plus his girlfriend/s, satellites and enemies.
"He's sort of me but not strictly autobiographical. I add a lot of characteristics of friends of mine who tend to be more bitter, with more of a chip on their shoulder. If someone else likes anything, they abruptly stop liking it."
"They're the types everyone knows: people who think every band's first album was its best."
Bagge is most famous for his comic's hipster take on pop.
"Just about every cartoonist I know is passionate about music and is usually into specific kinds of music. I tend not to favour any single particular type of music. But (Bagge grins) I always loved the Beatles. So any band that sounds like that, I'm a sucker for them. Right now, it's the Posies, who're my favourite band."Bagge started doing T-shirts, then record covers, for alternative bands in New York and Seattle.
"I started out with alternative labels. Cause there's such a crossover: people who buy independent records very much buy independent comics."
Peter Bagge's HATE, including HATE hats, T-shirts, etc can be ordered in the States from Fantagraphics Comics, tel (US) 206-524-1967; fax (US) 206-524-2104 or in Europe (comics only) through Gosh! Comics, tel (UK) 71- 636-1011; fax (UK) 71-436-5033. The first fan to e-mail us the name of Leonard ("Stinky")'s band as featured in Peter Bagge's HATE comic was Dirk Vanderkuyp (US). He correctly identified the group as Leonard and the Love Gods and his free copies of HATE are in the snail-mail now. Congrats!
You may write Peter Bagge direct at emailbag@scn.org.
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