Peter Bagge turns his wit toward the comic-strip industry, and Randy and Don take an early look.
Randy:
Don and I occasionally get previews from a lot of companies, but I was surprised to find Sweatshop in my mailbox. Peter Bagge at DC was a big surprise, and I was amazed that I'd heard nothing about this title previously, but I was grateful to get this sneak peek, and Sweatshop is right in line with the kind of humor Bagge is famous for.
Don:
This isn't Bagge's first foray into the world of mainstream comics publishing, and I enjoyed his last one -- Marvel's The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man. Bagge and company offer up an offbeat workplace comedy, but the pace of the book struck me as being too frantic.
Sweatshop #1
written & illustrated by Peter Baggeadditional art by Stephen DeStefano & Bill Wray
scheduled for release April 23
Don:
Mel Bowling is an old-timer whose longtime syndicated daily comic strip -- Freddy Feret -- has kept him going for years. These days, he has a cluster of unappreciated assistants who pump the strip out for him, even though he gets all the credit. And he wants more credit... in the form of a Hammy, the pinncale of comic-strip industry awards. And in a couple of other stories, we meet the latest addition to Mel's team of assistants.
Randy:
I'm a latecomer to Peter Bagge's work, and I haven't read a great deal of it still, but I've loved the Hate Annuals that Fantagraphics has produced, and I'm always happy to discover his work in anthologies or whatever odd place it turned up. Still, I didn't expect to see Bagge on an ongoing series for DC, and I'm pleased that DC is producing something so edgy and unexpected. I'm even more pleased that Sweatshop #1 is so much fun, full of the cynical humor and wretched but still interesting characters that Bagge specializes in.
Don:
Well, it sounds like you're a much bigger fan of the book than I am. I appreciated the cynicism and political satire as well. Mel's politics are those of far too many White Men in Power, and Bagge's far from subtle lambasting of those folks is a welcome sight. But the storytelling and the characters are as loud as Mel is, and it just gets to be a bit much after a while.
Randy:
The first issue of Sweatshop introduces Mel Bowling, a right-wing jerk of a cartoonist who rides on the back of a long career, established reputation and an unappreciated staff that actually does all the work. It also introduces Elliot, the new guy in the office, who serves not only as a point-of-view character into the twisted world of Bowling's office but as an element to shake things up for the cast of characters who had gotten used to the run-of-the-mill insanity that has been their status quo.
Don:
Though overall, the book left me cold, I have to admit there are some strengths. Mel's crass nature eclipses the fact that deep down, he looks after those close to him. He respects loyalty, and even though he treats his assistants like garbage, he won't tolerate it if anyone else does the same. His odd relationship with Alfred, his chief penciller, is kind of touching in a disgusting way, and Elliot's integration into the inhospitable environment actually makes a lot of sense.
Randy:
Bagge uses a format that allows him to put several stories into the book, two that are more full-length and two that are little more than one-page strips. However, while there are four stories, they all serve a common goal; the two one-page strips illuminate other characters' reactions to Elliot's introduction in story number two, and story number one sets up the status quo that Elliot upsets. Each story also has a different artist, and while Bagge illustrates the first in his usual style, it falls to artists DeStefano and Wray to fill out the rest of the book. DeStefano's work is almost too similar to Bagge, so while his work is solid, it mostly looks like the story would have if Bagge himself had done it, making me wonder why another artist was brought in. The last two pages, however, are something completely different, a chance to look at the artistic styles of two of Bowling's staff, and the art is as indicative of who they are as the dialogue of their one-page stories is.
Don:
Bagge's style is a simple one, but his artwork here is remarkably busy and cluttered. His panel layouts are crowded and unfriendly to the eye. DeStephano's and Wray's contributions aren't hindered by the same quality, though, and I was pleased to discovery some variety in the visuals while consistency of design was maintained at the same time.
Randy:
Sweatshop is something quite unusual for DC, and they seem to have struck gold in these relatively unmined hills. Bagge is hilarious and the potential in these characters is enormous, and I hope readers give this foray into unusual territory a chance.
For more information about Sweatshop, visit
