Zits is a comic strip written by cartoonist Jerry Scott and illustrated by Jim Borgman about the life of Jeremy Duncan, a 16-year-old high school sophomore (previously a 15-year-old for the life of the comic). The comic debuted in July 1997 in over 200 newspapers and has since become popular worldwide and received multiple awards.[1] As of 2010, it continues to be syndicated by King Features and is now included in 1,500 newspapers.[citation needed]
In 1996, Jerry Scott was drawing Baby Blues, a comic strip about raising children he co-wrote with Rick Kirkman.[2] He realized, however, that his profession as an independent cartoonist was limited to whatever joke he could conceive next.[3] A friend suggested he begin a strip about a teenager. Scott heeded the proposition but was unsatisfied with his characters sketches, finding them similar to those of his existing strip. After Scott discussed the issue with his artist friend Jim Borgman, the two corresponded with one another over the next few months and eventually collaborated on the characters that would become the Duncans. King Features, already distributing Baby Blues and Borgman's editorial cartoons, began running the new comic strip in 1997 with Scott writing and Borgman drawing.[3]
Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman's popular comic Zits , the story of a teen and his parents trying to coexist (with humorous results), debuted in 1997 and has been running strong ever since. Pulitzer Prize winner Borgman collaborated with Scott after working as a cartoonist with the Cincinnati Enquirer, while Scott continued work on his other popular comic, Baby Blues. Both minds behind Zits carry on multiple projects in addition to their collaborative work, which have earned them both multiple recognitions both together and on their own. The comic is now syndicated in over 1,300 newspapers nationwide, and has won the National Cartoonists Society's top prize for Newspaper Comic Strip in both 1998 and 1999. Subscribe to the award-winning comic Zits, and receive daily installments by e-mail.
