And lo, as foretold, when the end times near, there shall be a man named Buddy Bradley who reappears.
Which is to say, Peter Bagge’s iconic slacker Buddy Bradley is returning in HATE REVISITED a 4-issue monthly comic series that lands in June. Buddy, Lisa, Valerie, and the gang are back, reliving their 90s grunge era heyday and doubtless attempting to understand the world of the Terror-filled Twenties with the same tenuous life skills they’ve always shown. The story finds Buddy finally dealing with the suicide of his best friend. Stinky, finding closure for a three decade storyline.
HATE was one of the flagship alternative comics of the 90s, published by Fantagraphics. It brought Bagge’s manic social commentary to the life of Gen X loser Buddy, a New Jersey transplant landed in the wonderland of 90s Seattle, where he proceeded to stumble through every life situation possible. These tales are completely inappropriate by today’s standards…but that doesn’t mean they weren’t truthful, scathing and often hilarious.
Bagge has been turning out biographies of influential Libertarian women and doing satirical comics for the last few years, while occasionally returning to the Hate cast, mostly via the HATE ANNUAL, which ran for a while. And now he’s back:
“While it was suggested to me that I revisit the old HATE cast, once I got started on it I was more than happy with the results,” he explains. “This stuff writes itself! I’m also glad I decided to split it between the present day as well as flashbacks to the ’80s and ’90s. This was especially true with Stinky. I forgot what a loose cannon that character was!”
“When Peter first floated the idea of a new HATE series, I was immediately thrilled. But the results have far exceeded my high expectations,” says Fanta VP/Associate Publisher Eric Reynolds. “HATE REVISITED not only captures the humor and anarchy of the original series, but adds a layer of emotional gravitas as Buddy and Lisa and co. are confronted with the consequences of some of their youthful indiscretions.”
With Gen Xers suddenly in a societal spotlight – caught somewhere between saying “Nuh uh, we didn’t do it!” to Boomers, and “What the hell do you mean?” to Millennials – I can safely say there has never been a better time for Buddy Bradley to return.
Peter Bagge returns to the series that defined a generation with this all-new, four-issue monthly miniseries! Buddy and Lisa, now middle aged with a free spirited young adult of their own, confront their own poor decisions as young people in the grungy 1990s. Expertly shifting between the present day (in full color) and their Gen X heyday (in glorious, crosshatched B&W), we learn for the first time the story of how Buddy met Lisa, Stinky, George, and Val. Meanwhile, Buddy is forced to come to terms with the tragic — and covered-up — circumstances of Stinky’s untimely death (way back in Hate #27). Hate Revisited expertly showcases Bagge’s inimitable humor and knack for character, and the generational shift lends an unexpected gravitas to their lives. This is the must-have comic of the summer!
HATE REVISITED will be available from Diamond and Lunar and goes on sale June 4th.
