Hate Is Alive And Kicking

One of my favorite memories about my time in Seattle during the 1990s was the comic "Hate".  20 or so years later, I can still conjure up the feelings of amped-up joy I got from walking into the now-defunct Fallout Records on Capitol Hill and seeing the latest issue on the shelves.

The comic, released from 1990-1998, followed Buddy's adventures as a beer drinking, junk collecting dirtbag and at the same time provided a painfully accurate and often sardonic look at what the Seattle 90s scene was all about.  I liked the idea that Buddy, like me, was a Jersey guy who moved to Seattle and then back again.  Since 2000, Bagge has been keeping us up to date on Buddy Bradley with the yearly-or-so “Hate Annual”.   Buddy is now a junkyard-owning Family Man with a shaved head and, inexplicably, an eye patch and captain's hat.

In “Hate Annual #9”, Buddy returns to Seattle to meet the dysfunctional family of his wife Lisa who he has never met despite having been with Lisa for close to 20 years. In a tension-filled 72 hours, Buddy is subjected to senile parents, criminals, and drug addicts. Each page is filled with the sardonic humor and high drama that are staples of Bagge's work. The short “Home Of The Brave”, appearing at the end of the book, allows Bagge the opportunity to cast his sarcasm towards our current political state.

Read this issue slowly because once you're done laughing your head off, you are sure to be sad that you'll have to wait another year to check in with one of the best characters of alternative comics.

Order it here or buy it at cooler comic shops near you.