Here is another cartoon from this week in 2001. Apparently, Gene was going through a phase about then. This week in 2001 notwithstanding, I did fewer comic strips featuring Gene as he became a teen. I was aware of this at the time, and there was a reason. I had no teens in my own household at the time I was advancing Gene. There’s a universality and innocence about childhood that enable one to write about children at any time. Even one’s own distant childhood can serve as a source of events and emotions. Teenagers live much more in the moment, like totally. If you’re the least bit out of sync, for example using old catch words like “totally,” they’ll call you out in a minute. I guess if you want to read about teens, you’ll have to go to “Zits.”