On March 17, 1985 we met a 13-year-old ( a pre-teen?) Luann.
above: the first daily Luann – March 18, 1985
Over the the 35 years the strip has been around Luann has grown to be a young adult.
On the occasion of the anniversary Andrews McMeel Syndication interviewed creator Greg Evans.
What is your favorite Luann strip or storyline and why?
I’m most proud of the “Luann Gets Her Period” two-week story in 1991. It’s a huge thing in a teen girl’s life. My daughter was nearing the “event” and I wanted to do something in Luann first so as not to embarrass her. To keep newspaper editors calm, I had to avoid the words “period” and “menstruation.” So, I used a gimmick: When Luann tells Bernice the big news, she says, “I got my … (.)” Still, I was flooded with mail. Some critical (“The comic page is no place for such a topic!”) to supportive (“As a school nurse, I thank you. So many girls have no idea what’s happening to them.”). Letters like that go in the “Best Thing About Being a Cartoonist” file.
Read the full Greg Evans interview.
