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Jerry Scott
Jerry Scott
Jerry Scott
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Jerry Scott (born May 2, 1955[1]) is an American cartoonist and writer. He is known for co-creating the comic strips Baby Blues and Zits. He is one of only four cartoonists to have multiple strips appearing in over 1,000 newspapers worldwide.[2]

Key Information

Career

[edit]

Scott started cartooning professionally in the mid-1970s by submitting gag cartoons to magazines, and he sold one from his first batch to the Saturday Evening Post. In 1983, Scott was selected to succeed Mark Lasky (in the wake of Lasky's sudden death) on Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy. Scott modernized the strip to his own specifications, and eventually handed it over to Guy Gilchrist in the 1990s.

Scott became friends with Rick Kirkman and they created Baby Blues, a comic based on American family life with young children. Kirkman does the illustrations, while Scott does the writing. Baby Blues currently appears in over 1,200 newspapers in 28 countries and 13 languages. There are 43 Baby Blues collections in print.

Later, Scott and Jim Borgman collaborated to create Zits, which follows family life with a teenaged son. In Zits, Scott does the writing, while the drawings are done by Borgman. Zits currently appears in 1,700 newspapers in 45 countries and 18 languages. There are 37 Zits collections in print. Scott is one of four cartoonists in history to have two daily comic strips simultaneously syndicated in over 1,000 newspapers. As of 2020, Both Baby Blues and Zits are still in syndication.

Scott has received numerous awards, including The National Cartoonists Society's Silver Reuben Award for Best Comic Strip of the Year (1995, 1998 & 1999), The Adamson Statuette (Sweden), The Max & Moritz Prize (Germany) and the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year (2001).

He lives in San Luis Obispo, California with his wife and daughters.

References

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Jerry Scott

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Jerry Scott (born May 2, 1955) is an American cartoonist and writer renowned for co-creating the syndicated comic strips Baby Blues and Zits, which humorously depict family life and teenage experiences, respectively. Born in , Scott began his professional cartooning career in the mid-1970s by selling gag cartoons to magazines, including his first sale to . In 1983, he took over the long-running comic strip Nancy, where he served as writer and artist for twelve years, modernizing the characters and updating the strip's style to appeal to contemporary audiences. Scott's most notable contributions came through his collaborations: he co-created Baby Blues with artist Rick Kirkman, debuting on January 7, 1990, and focusing on the everyday challenges of parenting young children; the strip is syndicated in over 1,200 newspapers across 28 countries. In 1997, he partnered with artist Jim Borgman to launch Zits on July 7, which explores the life of a teenage boy and has grown to appear in approximately 1,500 newspapers worldwide. Baby Blues is distributed by and Zits by , with Scott serving as the primary writer. His work has earned him the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 2002, as well as wins for Best Newspaper Comic Strip for Zits in 1998 and 1999. Scott, who resides in , remains active in the field, contributing to collections and adaptations of his strips.

Early Life

Birth and Childhood

Jerry Scott was born on May 2, 1955, in . He has stated that he was born in nearby Elkhart and spent his early childhood there before moving to around age 13, where he grew up. Growing up in the Midwestern city of South Bend, Scott experienced a typical childhood marked by early responsibilities and simple joys. At age 11, he began delivering the South Bend Tribune by bicycle along pre-dawn roads, earning a modest three figures annually and gaining his first exposure to the newspaper industry. This routine introduced him to the world of print media, as he would eagerly read the Sunday funnies by flashlight before starting his route each week. From a young age, Scott showed an affinity for and humor in his Midwestern upbringing. In , he began illustrating short stories, earning a reputation as the "art kid" among his peers and teachers throughout school. These early creative pursuits, blending drawing with an innate sense of humor, laid the groundwork for his observational style, though they remained personal hobbies during his childhood. By the mid-1970s, these interests evolved into professional cartooning efforts.

Initial Interests in Cartooning

After graduating high school, Jerry Scott entered the advertising industry, where he developed foundational skills in writing and that later informed his work. In the mid-1970s, Scott began teaching himself by creating and submitting single-panel cartoons to various magazines, marking his initial professional pursuit of the craft. His first batch of submissions yielded a quick success when one cartoon was purchased by , establishing his entry into paid . Scott's approach to gag writing drew from classic comic strips he encountered during his youth, as well as the straightforward, relatable Midwestern humor prevalent in his upbringing, which emphasized everyday observations and dry wit. These elements shaped his concise, observational style in early submissions. Despite the early sale, Scott encountered numerous rejections and setbacks in his magazine submissions over the following years, experiences that cultivated his perseverance and refined his humor before he pursued syndicated opportunities in the early . His childhood delivery route, where he read by flashlight, had indirectly sparked his interest in the industry, providing a subtle foundation for this resilience.

Professional Career

Work on Nancy

In 1983, Jerry Scott was appointed to take over the Nancy comic strip, succeeding Mark Lasky who had briefly handled it after Ernie Bushmiller's death in 1982. This marked Scott's entry into daily newspaper syndication, where he wrote and drew the strip for the . Scott modernized Nancy's visual style and humor to resonate with audiences, introducing looser, more expressive artwork that made the characters appear more energetic and cartoonish compared to Bushmiller's minimalist approach. He updated dialogue and scenarios to reflect contemporary life, such as emphasizing Nancy's spunky personality and redesigning Sluggo with a rougher, more dynamic look, while striving to maintain the core simplicity and gag-driven essence of Bushmiller's legacy. These changes aimed to refresh the strip without alienating its established fanbase, though they sparked some debate among purists who preferred the original aesthetic. Scott's tenure lasted through 1995, during which Nancy continued to appear in hundreds of newspapers, sustaining its syndication reach amid evolving comic page trends. In 1995, he handed over the strip to Guy and Brad Gilchrist, who shifted back toward a more traditional style. Reflecting on the role, Scott later shared that he had not been a fan of Nancy prior to the assignment—once criticizing it to editors as outdated—but accepted it as an opportunity to establish himself in syndicated comics. This experience honed his skills in managing a legacy property, blending innovation with respect for its roots.

Development of Baby Blues

Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman began collaborating on Baby Blues in 1988, drawing inspiration from their shared experiences as new fathers navigating the chaos of early parenthood. Scott, who had previously honed his syndication skills on the established strip Nancy, partnered with artist Kirkman to develop an original comic centered on the everyday trials and triumphs of raising infants and toddlers. Their idea took shape amid the sleep-deprived realities of diaper changes, midnight feedings, and first-time parental anxieties, transforming personal anecdotes into relatable humor. The strip officially launched in syndication on January 7, 1990, through , marking Scott's first fully original creation; it was distributed by King Features until January 2022, when it moved to . At its core, Baby Blues revolves around the MacPherson —parents Darryl and Wanda, and their children, including the spirited toddler Wren—capturing the humorous side of challenges like tantrums, mealtime battles, and the relentless unpredictability of life. The strip emphasizes universal themes of exhaustion mixed with joy, using exaggerated yet authentic scenarios to connect with readers facing similar milestones. Wren's antics, alongside her siblings, highlight the strip's focus on the wonder and weariness of young child-rearing, avoiding preachiness in favor of lighthearted observation. This approach has resonated widely, as the characters' dynamics mirror the relatable absurdities of domestic routines. Since its debut, Baby Blues has achieved significant syndication success, appearing in over 1,200 newspapers across 28 countries and translated into 13 languages, with more than 45 published collections amassing over 1 million copies sold. The strip's growth reflects Scott and Kirkman's ability to adapt content to evolving family dynamics, incorporating real-life parenting milestones such as phases, potty training, and rivalries as the MacPhersons' children age. In their creative process, Scott scripts the gags and dialogue based on observed family moments, which Kirkman then illustrates with expressive, detailed artwork that amplifies the humor through visual timing and character expressions. This division of labor has sustained the strip's freshness over decades, allowing it to evolve while maintaining its foundational appeal to parents worldwide.

Launch and Evolution of Zits

Zits debuted on July 7, 1997, as a collaborative effort between writer Jerry Scott and artist Jim Borgman. The partnership built on the model of Scott's earlier success with Baby Blues, focusing on a new strip centered on the experiences of a teenage protagonist named Jeremy Duncan and his family, inspired by Scott's keen observations of adolescent life. Jeremy, initially portrayed as a 15-year-old high school freshman living in suburban , navigates the daily chaos of growing up alongside his parents, Walt and , and his circle of friends. The comic's humor revolves around core themes of teen angst, budding romantic relationships, and intricate family dynamics, often highlighting the comedic tensions arising from generational differences between adolescents and their parents. Strips frequently depict Jeremy's internal struggles with identity, peer pressures, and parental expectations, such as his on-again, off-again romance with Sara or clashes with his more conventional folks, using exaggerated visuals and witty dialogue to underscore the universal awkwardness of youth. This relatable portrayal of high school life, social interactions, and emotional turbulence has resonated widely, making Zits a staple for capturing the essence of without resorting to stereotypes. Since its introduction, Zits has achieved significant syndication success through King Features Syndicate, appearing in more than 1,700 newspapers across over 45 countries and translated into 15 languages. The strip has spawned numerous book collections, compiling years of strips into treasuries that explore ongoing story arcs and character developments. Jerry Scott stands out as one of only four cartoonists whose two strips—Zits and Baby Blues—are each distributed to over 1,000 newspapers simultaneously, underscoring his prolific influence in the industry. Over the years, Zits has evolved to reflect changing times, including a pivotal storyline in where Jeremy aged from 15 to 16 on his birthday, enabling fresh narratives around driving, deeper friendships, and maturing responsibilities. This adjustment allowed the strip to explore advanced teen milestones while maintaining its focus on evergreen adolescent challenges. The series has also adapted to digital platforms, with daily strips available online via sites like Comics Kingdom and integrated into mobile apps and digital libraries for broader accessibility.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

Jerry Scott has been married to Kim Scott since 1975, when she was 18 years old. The couple spent the first decade of their marriage childless, focusing on establishing their relationship amid Scott's burgeoning career in cartooning. After facing challenges, Scott and his wife turned to for their first child; Jerry's sister, Jo Ann Evans, served as the gestational surrogate, while Kim's brother, Ken Anderson, provided the biological contribution. Their , , was born in 1993 via cesarean section, marking a profound shift in their dynamics and introducing what Scott has described as a "blended " arrangement that emphasized close-knit support among relatives. In 2001, they welcomed their second , Cady, born on October 26, 2001, expanding their further. Kim has been a supportive partner throughout Scott's career, contributing to decisions like the process and helping balance the demands of creative work with home life. The couple's daughters have occasionally shared in family activities and provided unprompted insights that influenced Scott's writing, reflecting a collaborative household environment where experiences informed his strips. The arrival of Abbey, in particular, directly inspired the themes central to Baby Blues.

Residence and Lifestyle

Jerry Scott has maintained a long-term residence in the San Luis Obispo area of , particularly in Arroyo Grande, since the . This location was selected in part due to its environment, with the central coast's mild climate and proximity to extended family contributing to the decision, while the surrounding hills and rural landscapes provide creative inspiration for his non-comic artwork. As the writer for his syndicated strips, Scott's daily routine centers on scripting ideas at home, often starting with rough sketches before them to his collaborators—Rick Kirkman for Baby Blues and Jim Borgman for Zits—facilitating remote production without the need for in-person meetings. By 2025, this process has fully adapted to digital tools, relying on and file-sharing platforms for seamless exchanges, a method that predates but was reinforced by pandemic-era shifts toward virtual workflows in the comics industry. Scott's lifestyle emphasizes balance to sustain his career into his late 60s and early 70s, incorporating hobbies such as landscapes of local scenery, including hills, cattle, and coastal scenes, often sketched during outings. These activities, pursued without the pressure of deadlines, complement his writing schedule and reflect the restorative influence of California's outdoor environment on his productivity. Post-2020, amid broader industry transitions to hybrid models, Scott has maintained this equilibrium, with remote collaboration enabling continued output while allowing time for family and personal pursuits.

Awards and Recognition

National Cartoonists Society Honors

Jerry Scott has received significant recognition from the (NCS), the leading professional organization for cartoonists in the United States, founded in 1946 to promote the art form and honor outstanding contributions. The NCS awards, including the prestigious —named after —and its division honors like the Silver Reuben for best , are among the highest accolades in the industry, celebrating excellence in syndicated work and creative impact. Silver Reuben Awards for outstanding comic strip were earned by his strips three times: in 1995 for Baby Blues (awarded to co-creator Rick Kirkman); and in 1998 and 1999 for Zits, co-created with artist Jim Borgman. These division awards, selected by NCS juries from chapter nominations, highlight the strips' humor and relevance in depicting family and adolescent life, establishing Scott's reputation for witty, relatable writing in syndicated . In 2001, Scott received the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, a singular honor recognizing his dual success with Baby Blues and Zits as a testament to his versatility and influence in the field. This top prize, often called the "Oscar" of cartooning, was presented at the NCS annual Reuben Awards Weekend, underscoring Scott's standing among peers for advancing the comic strip medium. Beyond these, Scott garnered additional NCS division awards, such as the 2010 Newspaper Comic Strip honor for Zits, and nominations including a 2013 contender for the same strip, reflecting ongoing acclaim for his collaborative efforts. While specific committee roles are not prominently documented, these recognitions affirm his integral role within the NCS community, particularly for syndicated writers whose work reaches millions daily.

International and Industry Accolades

Jerry Scott's international recognition underscores the global appeal of his comic strips, building on his earlier honors from the . In 2002, he received the Adamson Statuette from the Swedish Academy of Comic Art, awarded as the Best International Comic-Strip Cartoonist for his contributions to Baby Blues and Zits, highlighting their excellence in humor and storytelling that resonates across cultures. Scott's work has also been celebrated in Germany through the Max & Moritz Prize, a prestigious award for outstanding comics. In 1996, Baby Blues won the prize for Best International Comic Strip, acknowledging its successful translation and adaptation into multiple languages, including widespread syndication in 25 countries. Similarly, Zits earned the Max & Moritz Prize for Best International Comic Strip in 2000, further demonstrating the strips' cultural adaptability and popularity in Europe through versions in over 14 languages. Within the industry, Scott achieved notable milestones that affirm his status as a leading figure in syndicated comics. In 2002, Editor & Publisher magazine named him Comic Cartoonist of the Year, recognizing his dual success with Baby Blues and Zits. He stands as one of only four cartoonists in history to maintain two mega-syndicated daily strips simultaneously, each appearing in over 1,000 newspapers worldwide. Scott's legacy extends to shaping contemporary comic strips focused on family dynamics and teenage experiences, with his relatable portrayals influencing the genre's emphasis on realistic, humorous depictions of everyday life. By 2025, Baby Blues has amassed 42 published collections, while Zits has reached 37, reflecting their enduring impact and commercial success in print formats.

References

  1. https://comicskingdom.com/creator/jerry-scott
  2. https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/scott_jerry.htm
  3. https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2022/01/13/baby-blues-signs-with-andrews-mcmeel-syndication/
  4. https://kingfeatures.com/2002/11/jerry-scott-named-comic-cartoonist-of-the-year/
  5. https://nationalcartoonists.com/awards/
  6. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0779319/
  7. https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/entertainment/arts/2015/12/06/south-bend-native-behind-baby-blues-and-zits/117103960/
  8. https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/news/local/2019/04/15/mishawaka-gets-a-mention-in-the-funny-pages/45934945/
  9. https://www.juneauempire.com/news/my-job-is-to-make-people-smile-comic-strip-creator-discusses-his-career-2/
  10. https://www.toonsmag.com/jerry-scott/
  11. http://www.nancyandsluggo.com/pages/about-nancy
  12. http://bakertoons.blogspot.com/2012/09/nancy-by-jerry-scott.html
  13. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicStrip/Nancy
  14. https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/10/16/cartoonists-in-the-news-jerry-scott/
  15. https://www.gocomics.com/babyblues/about
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  17. https://publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com/book/stink-eye/
  18. https://syndication.andrewsmcmeel.com/comics/babyblues
  19. https://www.simonandschuster.com/series/Baby-Blues
  20. https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2022/07/07/25-years-of-zits/
  21. https://animationscoop.com/book-review-20-years-of-zits/
  22. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/jul/06/zits-comic-strip-focuses-on-teen-angst/
  23. https://comicskingdom.com/zits
  24. https://www.toonsmag.com/zits/
  25. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Zits-Guide-to-Living-With-Your-Teenager/Jim-Borgman/9780740791680
  26. https://kingfeatures.com/2014/02/zits-creators-publish-their-second-illustrated-young-adult-novel-based-on-the-popular-comic/
  27. https://www.simonandschuster.com/series/Zits
  28. https://www.amazon.com/Zits-2026-Day-Day-Calendar/dp/1524898481
  29. https://kingfeatures.com/2009/08/coming-of-age-in-the-comics-jeremy-turns-16/
  30. https://play.usatoday.com/comics/zits/ZTS01
  31. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/12/01/drawn-from-life/7c472dc3-1348-4418-baaa-9cfb2a15c86c/
  32. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2003/02/02/baby-blues-grinning-through-the-baby-blues/
  33. https://comicskingdom.com/trending/blog/2020/09/09/an-interview-with-jerry-scott-and-jim-borgman
  34. https://www.sanluisobispo.com/entertainment/article39444039.html
  35. https://www.sanluisobispo.com/living/article39201006.html
  36. https://comicskingdom.com/trending/blog/2016/01/06/ask-a-cartoonist-national-technology-day
  37. https://www.instagram.com/jerryscott/
  38. http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/reubensum.php
  39. https://nationalcartoonists.com/awards/division-awards/
  40. https://kingfeatures.com/2002/05/king-features-cartoonists-honored/
  41. https://www.tomrichmond.com/reuben-awards-results/30/05/2010/
  42. https://www.antonemdin.com/blog/2013/03/ncs-reuben-nomination
  43. https://kingfeatures.com/2002/09/jerry-scott-receives-adamson-statuette/
  44. http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/max96.php
  45. https://www.amazon.com/Road-Trip-Baby-Blues-Collection/dp/1524890413
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