ARE WE OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY YET?

Zits Sketchbook Number 11

review by

Tony Nappa

ARE WE OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY YET? (ZITS SKETCHBOOK NUMBER 11)

by Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman

(Andrews McMeel Publishers)

Reader Appeal: All Ages

Genre: Humor / Cartoons

I am always really excited when a new Zits book comes out, and with Are We Out of the Driveway Yet? I was not disappointed! Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman have once again delivered an extremely entertaining collection of comic strips about middle-class American families.

Zits is a surprisingly accurate - and genuinely funny - account of a teenager and his parents. The main characters are Jeremy Duncan, a 15-year-old who seems to be continually struggling with his mom and dad. His parents are Walt and Connie Duncan. They are always trying to keep a firm handle on Jeremy but still want to give him some freedom. The strip also includes inventive characters like Jeremy’s best friends, Hector and Pierce. Hector is an Hispanic guy who, like Jeremy, is just trying to survive the pressure and stress that is the teenage life. Pierce is a wild, good hearted guy, but you have to get to know him to find that out. From his appearance you would think he is a some sort of freak, because he has multiple piercings (nose, ears, eyebrows, tongue…twice, and several others). There is also the key character of Jeremy’s girlfriend, Sara. That is Sara without the “h” at the end. (She hates it when people mispronounce her name and add the “h.” ) Plenty of other secondary characters add life and fun to the mix.

There are way too many highlights in this book to go into detail here, but some of the best strips are ones in which Jeremy and his band (Goat Cheese Pizza) are having practice and all sorts of things go wrong. Or they can’t decide on a name. Or Jeremy’s parents unintentionally insult him. Another funny, recurring storyline is that of Jeremy and Hector’s old VW van. This van doesn’t run, but they have a continuous dream of fixing it up and going on a cross-country road trip after graduation. But, of course, they never get around to actually fixing the van; mostly they just lay around in it and dream! These are just a few of the chuckle-inducing antics that can go on in this humorous setting.

While Are We Out of the Driveway Yet? might be overshadowed by some of the earlier Zits sketchbooks, it still is certainly is one that is packed with a lot of truth and laughter. This strip is constantly reminding my parents and me about things that we ourselves have done, or have seen my friends do. There are occasionally some jokes I don’t get, but nothing too huge, and I can always get the old folk (my parents) to explain it to me.

Overall this is a wonderful book full of good times and bad times, and one that at all times will make you laugh! So go pick yourself up a copy of it. Just be sure to share it with your kids!

FAMILYFANS RATING: A-

If members of your family like this book, then you may want to try…

-Zit’s Sketchbooks 1-10, Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, Humor. More fun shenanigans from the never dull life of the Duncan family.

 --TN