Luann: The Teens They Are a-Changin'

by Greg Evans

In this e-book original, The Teens They Are a-Changin', strips from the popular cartoon strip Luann reflect the ups and downs of being a teen-age girl. Luann’s transition into womanhood is interrupted by her friend Bernice’s unexpected makeover, which attracts the attention of every guy in school. Bernice, once jealous of Luann’s maturity, turns the tables, leaving Luann jealous of her once socially awkward friend’s newfound confidence. In an unexpected turn, the high school rumor mill churns out gossip that Luann is going to have plastic surgery, which Gunther misinterprets as brain surgery. After the rumor is expelled, Gunther, caught up in all the hubbub of appearances, dons a “manlier” look. Brad gets his head shaved at Diane’s request while Luann’s dad adjusts to his wife’s new look. Featuring funny and revealing behind-the-scenes commentary by creator, Greg Evans.Readers of all ages love Luann, a strip about the trials of becoming a young adult. Known for its rich characters and intriguing “what will happen next” storylines, Luann enjoys a reader loyalty rare on the comic page, consistently ranking among the top five in reader surveys. Greg Evans was voted Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 2003 by the National Cartoonists Society, partly for his efforts in holding up Luann as a fine example of the positive power comic strips can have. “My aim is to touch readers’ hearts as well as their funny bones,” says Evans, who’s humorously touched on serious issues such as peer pressure, drugs, alcohol and young love. “Adolescence is a very funny time—except when you’re in it.”

12 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 18, 2012

About the author

Greg Evans is an American cartoonist and the creator of the syndicated comic strip Luann. He received the 2003 National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award for the strip. He has been nominated four other times for the same award.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars only because some of the strips were funny. Really, this book was a big disappointment. Not too many strips in it, and too much commentary from its creator. It's nice to have a look behind the scenes--Jim Davis did that in the twentieth anniversary "Garfield" book--but this was just too much; there were well over twice the words in the commentary as there were in the actual strips! Fans of comic strip collections should stick to the "Garfield" or "Peanuts" books.