PreTeena
Encyclopedia
PreTeena, sometimes spelled Preteena, was a daily American
comic strip
written and drawn by Allison Barrows and syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate
from April 23, 2001 through May 18, 2008. It concerned the daily life of 10-year-old girl
Teena Keene, and her interactions with her family
, friends
, and teacher
s. Although Teena was the central character, focus often shifted for days at a time to the supporting cast.
Teena frequently played the role of the straight man in the strip's humor, seeming down-to-Earth compared to the odd characters around her, in particular her weird best friend Stick and ditzy sister Jeri. In many strips, Teena narrowed her eyes and placed increasing emphasis on her sarcasm
, only to have her meaning lost on the other party. Teena's identity as the apparently sole sane person in an insane world was underlined by her red hair
, a distinctive physical trait that set her apart from the others. Promotional materials from Universal Press Syndicate position the strip for its appeal to the preteen
market
, explaining in part the portrayal of a pre-adolescent as the most sensible character.
Professional cartoonist
Barrows based the strip on her unused concept for a children's book. She named the Keene family after her adopted hometown of Keene, New Hampshire
. Her artistic style varies in different perspectives, such as giving her characters circular eyes in close-up, but mere dots when drawn at a distance.
The strip ended its run following a sequence in which Teena relates a Dream to Stick. The primary characters have grown up. Stick is now a fashion model. Jeri is the best-selling author of the book Your Life is Worth Something (Even Though You're Not Me). Johnson is a hunky movie star who now has a production company and is directing his first movie. Goose has invented sophisticated spy technology that can also be used as x-ray specs. And Gordo and Teena, after dating in college, are married and live in a small town with their two kids.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
written and drawn by Allison Barrows and syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate, a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, is the world's largest independent press syndicate. It distributes lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Ebert and News of the Weird...
from April 23, 2001 through May 18, 2008. It concerned the daily life of 10-year-old girl
Girl
A girl is any female human from birth through childhood and adolescence to attainment of adulthood. The term may also be used to mean a young woman.-Etymology:...
Teena Keene, and her interactions with her family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
, friends
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
, and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s. Although Teena was the central character, focus often shifted for days at a time to the supporting cast.
Teena frequently played the role of the straight man in the strip's humor, seeming down-to-Earth compared to the odd characters around her, in particular her weird best friend Stick and ditzy sister Jeri. In many strips, Teena narrowed her eyes and placed increasing emphasis on her sarcasm
Sarcasm
Sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt.” Though irony and understatement is usually the immediate context, most authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony; however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony or employs...
, only to have her meaning lost on the other party. Teena's identity as the apparently sole sane person in an insane world was underlined by her red hair
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
, a distinctive physical trait that set her apart from the others. Promotional materials from Universal Press Syndicate position the strip for its appeal to the preteen
Preteen
Preadolescence is a stage of human development following early childhood and prior to adolescence. It may be defined as ending with the beginning of puberty or with the beginning of the teenage stage, the time frames in which adolescence is considered to begin. In terms of age in years,...
market
Niche market
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact...
, explaining in part the portrayal of a pre-adolescent as the most sensible character.
Professional cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Barrows based the strip on her unused concept for a children's book. She named the Keene family after her adopted hometown of Keene, New Hampshire
Keene, New Hampshire
Keene is a city in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,409 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Cheshire County.Keene is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England, and hosts the annual Pumpkin Fest...
. Her artistic style varies in different perspectives, such as giving her characters circular eyes in close-up, but mere dots when drawn at a distance.
The strip ended its run following a sequence in which Teena relates a Dream to Stick. The primary characters have grown up. Stick is now a fashion model. Jeri is the best-selling author of the book Your Life is Worth Something (Even Though You're Not Me). Johnson is a hunky movie star who now has a production company and is directing his first movie. Goose has invented sophisticated spy technology that can also be used as x-ray specs. And Gordo and Teena, after dating in college, are married and live in a small town with their two kids.
Main
- Teena Keene - A sensible and intelligent -- if excitable -- pre-adolescent girl, Teena is the central character in the strip. She is in the fifth gradeFifth gradeFifth grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The fifth grade is the fifth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 10 – 11 years old, and are preteens...
at her local elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
and a gifted math student, with a habit of wearing down her teachers by asking too many enthusiastic questions. Her hobbies include inline skatingInline skatingInline skating is a recreational sport practiced widely internationally. Inline skates typically have 2 to 5 polyurethane wheels, arranged in a single line. The in-line design allows for greater speed than roller skates and better maneuverability...
, playing with dollDollA doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
s or in the snow, and inventing elaborate personas with her frequent playmate Stick. She has shown an interest in journalismJournalismJournalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
as a possible adult career.
- Sabra Naomi "Stick" Klein - Teena's best friend, given her nickname because of her waifish figure. She is almost always unkempt and malnourished, having to take many vitamins and prescription medicationsMedical prescriptionA prescription is a health-care program implemented by a physician or other medical practitioner in the form of instructions that govern the plan of care for an individual patient. Prescriptions may include orders to be performed by a patient, caretaker, nurse, pharmacist or other therapist....
, and is afflicted with everything from hay feverHay FeverHay Fever is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Laura Hope Crews played the role in New York...
to myopiaMyopiaMyopia , "shortsightedness" ) is a refractive defect of the eye in which collimated light produces image focus in front of the retina under conditions of accommodation. In simpler terms, myopia is a condition of the eye where the light that comes in does not directly focus on the retina but in...
to asthmaAsthmaAsthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
. A stereotypical dork with her glassesGlassesGlasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
and braces, Stick is a social pariah with no other friends, and talks to herself. Though she is occasionally too weird for Teena, their friendship is based on mutual affection and the fact that Stick is sometimes the only person who understands Teena.
- Jeri Keene - Corrupted by teendom and almost always appearing with excessive makeup and jewelry, Teena's older sister represents what Teena could eventually become. Obsessed with boys, fashion, and shopping, 14-year-old Jeri regards Teena's youthful innocence with disdain, and the two frequently bicker over household habits such as bathroom access. She is portrayed as a stereotypical dumb blondeDumb blondeThe blonde stereotype, the stereotypical perception of blond-haired women, has two aspects. On one hand, over the history, blonde hair in women has been considered attractive and desirable...
, the character most often oblivious to Teena's sarcastic barbs. She is also lazy, preferring to sleep in until noon on weekends and arguing often with her mother about the messy state of her bedroom. She dated former geek Johnson Pinecone.
Supporting
- Tess Keene - Teena and Jeri's mother. She is a children's book illustrator. She had a birthday September 14th, 2007.
- Hugh Keene - Teena and Jeri's father is a fine artist and illustrator. Tess and Hugh are very close, have a strong marriage, and are close to their girls, but not intimidated by them. They are savvy professionals and view their children - and the world - with an amused irony.
- Gordon "Gordo" Brandt - A good friend and classmate of Teena. One occasionally demonstrates romantic affection for the other, only to make a show of withdrawing and professing the innocence of their friendship. Like Teena, He is athletic and musical: his mother is a music teacher and his father owns a music store. His family makes frequent appearances in the strip, including his fashionable older brother Guy and baby sister Marley.
- Johnson Pinecone - The Keene's teenaged neighbor, for years Johnson was too shy to admit his feelings for Jeri, who made no secret of regarding him as a social outcast. Her attitude gradually softened in a series of stories, including when they worked together on her grandmother's farm and she discovered his muscular physique, and he finally tricked her into falling for him by starting a rumor that they were going to a school dance together.
Quotations
- Tess Keene, after Teena has calculated how to get an extra week out of summer vacation by getting up early and staying up late: "Why couldn't you hate math, like normal children?"
- Teena, writing in her journal: September 15th. High noon. The air is thick with tension. The skin is electric. Anticipation gives way to anxiety. We wait. With dread, we wait. Stick, holding a bowl: "Yup. Dessert is lime jello with sliced bananas." Teena, hanging her head: The shock is too great for this journalist to continue.
- Teena's teacher: "Class, we're going on a field trip tomorrow. Whose parents can drive?" Teena, holding up her hand: "Are you asking for an opinion?" Later, Teena to her mother: "You're off the hook."
Book
| Title | Publication Date | ISBN | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| PreTeena: The Paperback | 2007 | none | Universal Press Syndicate Universal Press Syndicate Universal Press Syndicate, a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, is the world's largest independent press syndicate. It distributes lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Ebert and News of the Weird... . Only available through Lulu.com |
External links
- Official site with recent strips
- Early strips
- Allison Barrows official bio at ucomics.com
- Allison Barrows in the Lambiek Comiclopedia