BUDDY IN SEATTLE by Peter Bagge
Study guide written by Ben Towle
Introduction
In
reference to cartooning, the terms "underground" and "alternative" are often
used interchangeably, but in the case of Peter Bagge the moniker "alternative"
is particularly appropriate, for no other work of printed media is more closely
intertwined with the so-called "alternative" culture that emerged from the
Pacific Northwest throughout the nineties than his comics series
Hate,
which launched as that decade began and drew to a close thirty issues later as
it ended. Like his protagonist Buddy,
Peter Bagge moved from the East Coast to Seattle just as that city began to
emerge as a focal point of American youth culture. Through the characters of Buddy, Lisa, Valerie, George, and
Stinky, Peter Bagge continues the grand tradition of cartoonist as humorist,
social critic, and documentarian. In
striking parallel to the paradoxical assimilation of this alternative movement
into our current mainstream culture, Peter Bagge's
Hate became more a
part of mass media culture at the time than any cartoonist's work since that of
Robert Crumb, when similar social forces drew American culture to San Francisco
some thirty years previous.
Although
he is best known for
Hate, Peter Bagge's cartooning career began in the
early eighties with the publication of
Comical Funnies, a seriesin
which many of
Hate's main characters first appeared. He then spent three years as editor of
Robert Crumb's
Weirdo magazine before revisiting the Bradley family in
his series
Neat Stuff, which ran for 15 issues and concluded in the late
eighties. The most compelling character
from that series was Buddy Bradley, a semi-autobiographical twenty-something
slacker. With Buddy as its centerpiece
Bagge launched
Hate in 1990.
Peter
Bagge is part of the "second wave" of underground cartoonists; he, along with
creators like Chester Brown, Mark Beyer, Dan Clowes, Dave Sim, and the
Hernandez Brothers, was influenced by and expanded upon the stylistic and
narrative foundation of the original underground cartoonists of the late
sixties and early-to-mid seventies.
Eschewing the first generation's proclivity for self-indulgent personal
rumination though, Peter Bagge's
Hate employs autobiography simply as a jumping off point for its hyper
kinetic and hilarious tales of personal relationships and human nature gone
awry. No less manic than its
storylines, Bagge's artwork is a nonstop barrage of comic exaggeration and
movement. Like many of the second wave
underground cartoonists, Peter Bagge cites Robert Crumb and his contemporaries
as stylistic influences; unique to Bagge, though, is a combination of
influences as disparate as John
Stanley's
Little Lulu, Harvey Kurtzman's work for
MAD Magazine,
Bob Clampett's Warner Brothers animated films, the children's books of Ted
Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Charles Schulz's
Peanuts newspaper strip, and
Car-Toons magazine.
Although
Hate later expand its page count and appeared in full color, many regard
these first fifteen black and white issues collected here as some of Bagge's
finest work, stylistically and narratively showcasing the creator at his best.
Study
Questions
1. Peter Bagge's drawing style is often characterized as "cartoony"
as opposed to more realistically rendered action/fantasy comics. Would these characters and stories be as
interesting, as funny, if they were drawn in a more realistic style? Why or why not?
2. Often writers are
wary of making too many references to a particular era for fear that it may
"date" the work. Are you able to
identify with the characters in
Hate, which is so firmly rooted in its
time period, or do you find that their concerns are too different than your own
to be of interest?
3. Unlike many
traditional protagonists, Buddy Bradly often exhibits behavior that is not
admirable--as do a number of other characters.
Pick a character and write a defense of his or her behavior, as if you
were in a court of law.
4. At the end of the
book, Buddy is leaving Seattle with Lisa, whom he has chosen as a partner
instead of Valerie, despite the fact that Valerie would most certainly be a
more sensible choice. Is this a
realistic or unrealistic depiction of human behavior? Why?
5. How would you
describe the triangular relationship between Buddy, Valerie, and Lisa? What does this suggest about the author's
ideas about personal relationships?
6.
Hate has been often been described as
"cynical" or "depressing." Either
defend or refute this characterization of the work.
7. The term
"serious" is used to mean both "not funny" and "artistically valuable." Is
Hate lacking in artistic value
because it is a humorous work? Briefly
elaborate on the role of humor in art/literature.
8. What do you think
of George's lambasting of Buddy in his fanzine? Is this behavior warranted? Defensible? Would your answers be different if they were not roommates?
9. Is Buddy a
racist? A misogynist? Why or why not?
10. If you found out
that the events in
Buddy in Seattle were verbatim autobiography by the author would
it change your opinion of the work?
What about if you found out it was entirely fictitious? Why or why not?
Studio
Exercises
First,
have students attempt to convey the following emotional states using only a
single black line on white paper: anger, ecstasy, sadness, frustration, and mania.
For example, a thick jagged line might be used to denote anger.
Now,
divide the students into groups of two.
Have them trade off drawing each other in full body poses, attempting to
depict each of these states. Be sure to
emphasize body position, as opposed to simply facial expression: position of
arms and legs, arch of spine, angle of the hips.
These
first drawings will likely be somewhat realistic renderings for the most part.
Have
the students do the same exercise again, this time push them to really
emphasize and exaggerate. Tell the student posing to think of actors
in silent films, or mimes who have to convey emotional states without
vocalizing. Likewise, encourage those
drawing to push the pose and expression as far as possible--even if it seems
ridiculous.
Now have the students revise these drawings and push poses
to the point that they are uncomfortable with the degree of exaggeration. Refer them back to the original "single
line" drawings and encourage them to incorporate graphical elements from that
into their poses.
Download study guide in adobe PDF format
