ComicWorm Speaks!- A Zits Guide

ComicWorm Speaks

A Zits Guide to Living With Your Teenager

by Jim Borgman and Jerry Scott

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Acquired: Amazon.com

Series: Zits (Book 23)

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (April 13, 2010)

Hardcover: 80 pages

Language: English

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The Story: An indispensible and entertaining manual for parents on the verge of having a teenager, by America’s favorite cartoon team.

In their award-winning comic strip Zits, artist Jim Borgman and writer Jerry Scott have succeeded in creating one of the most poignant, realistic, and funny portrayals of a teenager found in any medium today. Parents themselves, Borgman and Scott have learned a thing or two along the way in their creative and family lives. The result is A Zits Guide to Living with Your Teenager.

The Review: This pocket-sized anthology of selected Zits comic strips spanning its almost thirty-year history are depictions of the various challenges that a parent will face when they come into contact with a most vexing animal: the teenager. 

It’s interesting…ComicWorm had been reading Zits as a teenager and now as an adult. In a lot of ways, he can still relate to the sixteen/seventeen-year old Jeremy Duncan. The feelings of confusion, isolation, and wariness about the future are just as relevant to a twenty-something as to a teenager. Those feelings never really go away, you just develop better techniques at handling them. 

This may also explain the rise of Young Adult fiction and why so many adults read it. Those books, as well as this comic strip, deals in themes that are relatable, no matter what side of the adolescent bridge you are on. 

Also because the comic strip is just so darn funny! The artists never miss a chance to take full advantage of the fact that this a cartoon and utilizes it to the fullest potential. Exaggerated faces,  exaggerated proportions, exaggerated scenarios…a whole lot of exaggeration to be honest. That is what makes the whole escapade so darn entertaining. Funny enough to laugh at but still grounded enough to add some solace. To let the reader shake their head and say: “been there…”

The biggest flaw ComicWorm has with this book is that honestly…it is far too short. Some of the first books ComicWorm has ever owned have been newspaper comic anthologies and there are among his favorites. What ComicWorm especially likes are the little snippets of creator commentary that are found in special editions. While not precisely built in that same manner, there are still many nuggets of insight that enrich and add a little subtext to the comic strip.  

Final Verdict: People have long written off newspaper comics as pointless drivel devoid of meaning. They fail to recognize the incredible wisdom and wit that can be found in admittedly bite-sized portions of art and writing. This little book can serve as perfect gift for a parent of a teenager or someone who just loves comic strips. 

Four Jeremy Duncan’s out of Five

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