Growth Spurt

Zits #2

by Jerry Scott, Jim Borgman

Is it any wonder that 15-year-olds feel caught in the middle? They're revved up with childhood energy yet trying to downshift to what they think is "adult cool." If their age group didn't already possess every morsel of knowledge in the universe, it could be downright confusing!

Zits is front and center on the comics scene, following the life of Jeremy Duncan, age 15, as he works his hardest to figure it all out. It's unfortunate that Jeremy has to live with those time warp weirdos some call his parents, but he tolerates them as long as they don't get in the way of his chief interests: music and hanging with his friends.

In Growth Spurt, Scott and Borgman hilariously illustrate the ups and downs of adolescence, particularly when, like Jeremy, you're cursed with an older brother who's perfect, burdened by your "do-I-have-to-admit-I-really-know-them" parents, and majorly handicapped by having to go to high school.

With his laid back outlook, Jeremy is making the best of it, even when it means lifeguarding the Aqua Aerobics for Seniors class with his friend Hector, or having a mom who doesn't even understand that she doesn't understand him, or inadvertently telling his girlfriend, Sara, that her freckles are nice because they hide her acne. Zits looks at the teenage years with charm and a healthy dose of warmth and humor.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Graphic Novels, Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Strips, Comic Book

128 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1999

About the author

Jerry Scott is an American cartoonist. He is the creator of Baby Blues and co-creator of Zits.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up on newspaper comic strips, so, a compilation like this is right up my alley. These strips brought back memories, and were great fun.

[Kelaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god I love this comic strip! Read number 1 and 2 and Random Zits so far...will read them all and ordered them all for our library! 15 year old's relationship with friends, girlfriend, college brother and parents. Love the father doing the laundry! and the mega pierced friend!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published in 1999 (with strips from 1998), this follows on directly from Book 1 as Jeremy Duncan further explores life with his friends and his parents. There is so much to love in this strip (it made me laugh out loud on several occasions) that I’m so pleased I found it and have so much history to delve into with it. Although some of the strips take a surreal turn, so much of it rang bells with me from both sides of the fence - parent and child! Jeremy navigates a major growth spurt, friendships, a blossoming relationship with Sara and does so with a lot of humour that made me think of myself as a teen and also the universality of the experience, as evidenced by my own teen son. Walt and Connie, his parents, also rang a lot of bells and were never less than believable, which made them all the more funny. An absolute work of genius, I loved this book and would highly recommend it - and I’m also looking forward to book 3!

[David Allen Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed the Zits comic strip, and I decided to buy and read all of the books in the series, and I am glad I did. Each one makes me smile and brings back pleasant memories of the strips. Growth Spurt, book 2, is one of the earlier titles. The drawing and personality of the characters is not as developed as in later books, but you can see the progress from the first volume. Zits takes a common-sense, but amusing look at the American teenager and 2 parent family. It is a very enjoyable strip that sometimes has stark moments, without being over dramatic or overly drawn. Every fan of the strip will enjoy this book!

[RKanimalkingdom · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

I LOVE Zits! When I was young, my Sunday morning ritual involved spending time reading the comic section of the newspaper. I loved reading: For Better or For Worse, Beetle Baily, Haggar the Horrible, Broom Hilda, Baby Blues, Garfield, Dilbert and so many more. I would even collect the comic sections of the Sunday newspaper whenever I could. They made a big impact on my world, and I continued to have a soft spot for the style of short panel comics. The ability to tell a story or joke that has depth but also causes one to smile takes real talent.

Review Continued Here

[Serendipity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing and relatable , at least to anyone who has raised teenage boys. This is an early collection and the artwork looks somewhat dated and less polished than more recent strips, but that doesn't detract from the humour.

[Jonelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know Jeremy had an older brother!! I love this comic strip, especially as a mother of boys!

[Narariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of some of the very early Zits strips, there are a few dated comics in it. But overall, it's a very enjoyable light read. I found it fun to see some of the changes the comic & the characters have gone through. Connie's haircut, Jeremy's struggles with Sara & romance (ok, those are still ongoing but seeing the early ones was neat) and a vista from Chad are all part of the adventures the Duncans deal with.

[Brigid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of these were spot on with our experiences with our son, and his pals. Of course I showed him the pertinent ones, like what to say if your mom asks for your opinion about a new hairstyle.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fun seeing the "old fashioned" technology in these old Zits comics. On to the next one!

[Pam Bales · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the Duncan family on display for the world in your newspaper every day if you are lucky enough to have it. I recommend all of them.