California State University San Marcos

Evans, Greg and Karen. Interview March 25, 2025.

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00:00:05 - Introduction

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Segment Synopsis: Oral history interview of Greg and Karen Evans, March 25th, 2025, by Jennifer Fabbi, Special Collections Librarian, University Library, California State University San Marcos.

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00:01:08 - Summary of the “Luann” comic strip

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Segment Synopsis: Greg Evans summarizes the evolving story of “Luann,” how Luann has aged over time, and how the comic strip is about finding your way through life.

Keywords: Garfield; Peanuts; comedy; sitcom; teenager

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00:02:52 - Business model of “Luann”

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Segment Synopsis: Greg Evans describe the business model of “Luann” including how the creative process has changed with technology.

Keywords: Cintiq; digital; humor; syndication

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00:04:18 - Creative process of “Luann”

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Segment Synopsis: Greg and Karen Evans discuss the creative process of working on a comic strip and how they collaborate as they work on the strip together. Karen reflects on her perspective of Greg’s creative process when she was a child.

Keywords: For Better or For Worse; Lynn Johnston; Mary Worth; artist; childhood; collaboration; director; drawing; editor; family legacy; process; screenplay; writing; creative

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00:10:39 - Serious issues in “Luann"

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Segment Synopsis: Greg and Karen Evans discuss controversial content over the years.

Keywords: Zits; benign; cancer; censorship; drug dealer; educational; moderate; non-controversial; teenagers; period

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00:18:06 - Greg's creative experience before "Luann"

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Segment Synopsis: Greg Evans discusses his desire to be a cartoonist from an early age and other comic strip ideas he had before “Luann.” He also reflects on how his daughter, Karen, was his inspiration for “Luann.”

Keywords: Peanuts; Playboy magazine; career; cartooning; daughter; family; heart; ideas; magazines; Disney Studios

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00:23:40 - Karen’s early experience with “Luann"

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Segment Synopsis: The comic strip is loosely based on Karen’s life. Karen talks about her experience with “Luann” and the cartoonist community at an early age. Comic strip work is very flexible, which afforded the family to travel.

Keywords: Charles Schultz; Santa Rosa; Sparky; home; parents; travel

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00:29:30 - Interaction with fans

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Segment Synopsis: Greg and Karen Evans discuss how they have engaged their “Luann” fans over the years, including interactive content and contests. "Luann" celebrated its fortieth anniversary in March 2025, and Greg and Karen describe the fan interaction designed for this milestone.

Keywords: LuannFan; Luanniversary; National Cartoonists Society; San Diego Comic-Con; comments; community; engaged; fanbase; fashion show; voting; wedding; GoComics

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00:42:36 - Creation of musicals

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Segment Synopsis: Greg Evans discusses his creation of several musicals over the years.

Keywords: A Boy and A Girl; GarageBand; Quibbling Siblings; Wrinkles; musical; production; Luann the Musical

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00:48:32 - Jobs before "Luann"

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Segment Synopsis: Greg Evans talks about teaching and one of his early jobs, running MaXwel the robot.

Keywords: Australia; Colorado Springs; MaXwel the robot; Merced; San Diego Zoo; Seaport Village; teacher; television news; El Centro

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00:53:58 - Future of "Luann"

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Segment Synopsis: Greg and Karen Evans talk about how they see “Luann” playing out in the future.

Keywords: community; intellectual property; opportunities; television show; three dimension; graphic novel

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00:59:39 - Luann's journey to college

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Segment Synopsis: Karen Evans the interview discussing the development of “Luann” and other main characters in the later years. Luann’s journey to colleges was also an exhibit at the CSUSM University Library during summer 2016.

Keywords: CSUSM University Library; adult; exhibit; graduate; high school; teenager; college

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