10 Best Zits Comic Strips That Are 10/10 Perfect

Zits has certainly enjoyed particular eras of acclaim and recognition heaped upon writer Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, and for good reason. Despite the times rapidly changing even from the late 1990s into the present day, from texting, to everybody having cell phones, to the prevalence of search engines, Jeremy has remained fundamentally the same. It doesn't hurt that plenty of Zits comics playfully mock other comic strips including iconic Peanuts gags. Jeremy's a lovable, lazy teen who shirks responsibilities, ignores calls and texts from parents, and just can't get things straightened out with his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Sara.

Whether it's parents scanning the paper for Jeremy's latest antics, or younger audiences finding it more directly relatable, everybody's been a teenager once, with Zits having a comic strip for every occasion. Below are some of the strongest over its immense, decades-long run.

10 "You'll Be As Tall As Me!"

First Published: November 2, 1997

Jeremy is known to be quite savage when the right occasion rolls around, and that includes the unfortunate verbal evisceration of family friends like Mr. Pitts. It's a near-universal experience for kids growing up to get generic small-talk from adults, like "you look just like your dad did at your age" or nudging them with the classic wedding line, "that'll be you someday!" But in his earlier days, Jeremy nudged back.

While not quite the level of vicious wordplay like using the "that'll be you someday" line at a funeral, Jeremy turning the common grown-up buzz phrases on their head by using them against Mr. Pitt is a sight to behold. Instead of the original intent of making conversation, it quickly comes off as hilariously condescending, with Jeremy now taller, Mr. Pitt now older, and Walt regretting having his friend talk to an unfiltered teenager.

9 "Original Work"

First Published: March 6, 1999

While Sunday is usually the main event for Zits comic strips, starting on October 5, 1998, weekday installments became a prevalent addition with original, episodic storytelling often somewhat shorter and simpler. They occasionally had compelling story arcs, like competing love interests vying for Jeremy's attention, or in this case, the anxiety of it being late at night, with an essay due in the morning, and the temptation to cheat. It's a universal experience that some people never even grow out of.

Jeremy went through the motions all week for this particular story, trying first in vain to give himself pneumonia, and then facing the temptation of paying to get his homework from online, something that's unfortunately not changed with the advent of modern AI and LLMs. This particular moment was the ending of the story arc where, after a cliffhanger where Jeremy found the website, he's shown to have stayed up all night to write his essay, with his shoddy, handwritten work being all the proof his teacher needs to see. Jeremy may have failed that assignment, but he kept his integrity in a pretty great Zits moment.

8 "Dear Santa Claus"

First Published: December 15, 1999

Knowing when to respect boundaries is something commonly taught to kids at a young age, but parents often need to review it themselves from time to time. It's perfectly normal to want to check on the well-being of one's kid, especially with internet access and to make sure they're not concealing harm or cyberbullying. But Connie, despite her honed instincts in-series as a child psychologist, has no such noble intents in this case, instead falling to the temptation of snooping on her kid.

Jeremy knew this, and set up the perfect trap for his mom: leaving open a "letter to Santa Claus" that proceeds to lay down some raunchy innuendo, before perfectly leading into cheekily confirming it was all a message for his mother. It's something plenty of teens growing up wish they'd have thought of doing, whether with notes left in their pockets during laundry day, or journals being left open. It's not about keeping secrets from family, and more about just having space solely for oneself to sit undisturbed.

7 "Relationship Cues"

First Published: April 11, 1999

When young and in love, it might be tempting to imitate what is shown on TV or movies in order to relive iconic moments, which turned out to be a mistake Jeremy regretted in real-time with his girlfriend, Sara Toomey. It's clear to any readers that Sara is having a day, merely wanting to feel heard. But Jeremy, in what turned out not to be his finest moment, trying the "shut up" kiss in a bid to both show affection and make Sara's day better.

Turns out, this was not the move, with Jeremy immediately regretting "taking relationship cues from Dawson's Creek." But the late, great James Van Der Beek and the rest of his cohort are far from the only participants in antics like this trope, influencing misguided teenage boys and even young adult men to try the same move well into the current decade. It might break the flow in a spontaneously charming way, but don't be surprised if the girl sees things in a very different way.

6 "Your Cellular Mitosis Tickles"

First Published: October 28, 2006

Virtually every teen can relate to the uncomfortable visual of two peers being absolutely enamored with each other to a truly nauseating, codependent degree. Featuring the recurring couple utterly on the same page to a worrying degree, even their names are never apart, with this comic in particular directly mocking how they're not just attached at the hip: they're now one organism.

At points, Jeremy has lamented not having that same overt closeness with Sara, even when his best friend Hector would rightly point out that's an unhealthy role model, to say the least. In fact, decades later, movies like Together are exploring this exact type of visual but framed as body horror, to take a different approach to Zits' same message here about codependency.

5 "Self-Defense Against My Future"

First Published: May 8, 2000

A recurring theme of Zits is its grasp on surreal absurdity, including dream sequences, like in this case where Jeremy meets his future self, and doesn't like what he sees. Fight against it as he may, the young suburban Ohio resident met himself coming from 20 years later. Bad knees, comb over, wearing elastic pants with a suit and tie, the "lame dad Jeremy" flies against everything he wanted to be as an adult, namely, becoming a rock god.

Not everybody becomes who they wanted to be when they grow up, and Jeremy taking precautionary steps like dyeing his hair and changing his appearance is surface-level denial. Everybody wants a choice, though, and with the right determination and no small amount of privilege in many cases, Jeremy still has a chance, even among a sea of voices telling him that work should only ever be a miserable 9-5 chore.

4 "Hello World"

First Published: August 21, 2004

Certainly among Jeremy's most quotable and relatable strips ever, the message doesn't exactly cut deep in this case, but it perfectly encapsulates the Sunday funnies' lazy king himself. In this case arriving on a Saturday, it's the classic lazy teen impulse of waking up, having no plans, as it should be. All that remains is the pesky task of finding something to do, with cleaning his room at no point ever entering that list.

3 "Stupid Feelings, Strange Thoughts and Weird Stuff"

First Published: August 27, 2000

Jeremy and Sara's relationship is tumultuous to say the least. Zits has put their bond to the test on multiple occasions, from Jeremy's sudden infatuation with Tawny, to the dorky-yet-sweet Amber's unrequited crush, with Jeremy by and large keeping his eye on the ball. He's not exactly a gifted boyfriend, from poor kissing technique, to being frustratingly dense at times, but he's also the first to notice every nuance in Sara's face about what she's feeling or thinking.

This particular comic solidifies, quite early on in the overall Zits continuity, just how much these two, as many times as they clash, are meant for each other. It's a quintessentially angsty thought shared by the duo, in sync, without ever realizing that they're on the exact same page. It's not intended to be funny except in the pure sense that the two remain completely unaware of how much they mean to each other, as they mutually stare blankly into the sky.

2 "Just Be Yourself"

First Published: October 5, 1997

From 1997 to 2026, not much has changed at the core of Jeremy's youth. Everyone around him has inadvertently set sky-high expectations and he feels the pressure to meet them, either handed down by friends, family, or teachers. Even the attractiveness of TV doctor Noah Wyle, whether on ER or The Pitt, is still amusingly relevant nearly 30 years later. Growing up is hard, and seizing one's identity comes with daily choices and whether to listen to the voices of those around oneself.

Jeremy's relationship with his father, Walt, is strong throughout the series, even if many of his best moments are with his mother, Connie. Much of the time it's the typical teenage antics of him mocking his dad as a dinosaur when it comes to technology, or even lobbing the derogatory "boomer" label despite Walt confirming he's Gen X. But in moments of doubt like these, Walt comes through for Jeremy with the priceless advice, "be yourself," with other key lessons of self-awareness and cutting out bad habits being something he can come back for later.

1 "Small Things Count"

First Published: May 10, 2026

Zits rather reliably knocks its Mother's Day comics out of the park. Jeremy may value his privacy and persistently ask her to leave him alone, but he sure does love his mom and these are usually some of the best content, reliably falling on a Sunday every year. The saccharine part about this comic is, while Jeremy doesn't even realize it, his reciprocation, however small, is acknowledged by her in a moving display of parental love across every childhood milestone.

Jeremy may not realize that it's a touching expression of love and appreciation, thinking the small gift might not be seen as enough. But, with even her son once being very small, Connie knows just how precious the small things are, whether it's a newborn baby in her arms, or small moments carving the newest notch on the door frame, they all count, and are gifts unto themselves. The bittersweet part, however, comes with the fact that Zits confirmed it would end in 2026. But just like Connie, lifelong readers saw each small comic strip along the way as a gift to give them joy and laughter to face the day.