San Marcos cartoonist focus of new Comic-Con Museum exhibit

Growing up in Southern California, Greg Evans dreamed of becoming a cartoonist and artist.

Today, the San Marcos resident has become an award-winning, successful cartoonist whose comic strip, “Luann,” is published in 330 newspapers.

His creation is the focus of a new exhibit that opened on Monday at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park.

For Evans, it’s an achievement to see an exhibit of his work in his hometown.

“It’s a terrific honor to be at the Comic-Con Museum,” said Evans. He added jokingly: “The Louvre asked if I was interested but I said, no, I’ll be at the Comic-Con Museum.”

“Growing up Luann: 40 Years of Comics” features panels of art and information about the strip, which focuses on an insecure teenage girl and her family and friends.

Evans didn’t expect the ongoing success of the strip when it launched in 1985.

“I just wanted to draw cartoons and make a living and that’s hard to do,” he recalled. “I feel very grateful that I’ve been able to do this for 40 years.”

The strip was inspired by Evans watching his then five-year-old daughter, Karen, strut around their house in her mother’s heels and makeup. Today, that now-grown daughter is a co-creator of the strip, working with Evans to flesh out the characters and their stories.

“I tend to throw in more complex relationships and storylines,” said Karen Evans, who lives in Bonsall, close to her dad.

“These characters are very real,” said Karen Evans. “They tell stories for us.”

Father and daughter worked together to design the museum exhibit, which includes an interactive activity where visitors can write punchlines or sayings for Luann and place them on a wall in the display room.

“Sometimes people think about museum exhibits and think it’s going to be serious,” said Karen Evans.

It’s not the first display of the popular strip. A “Luann” exhibit was featured at the California Center for the Arts Museum in Escondido and California State University, San Marcos, both in 2016. There was also a “Luann” musical performed at Palomar College in 2008.

Greg Evans has been honored over the years for his work, including winning Comic-Con International’s Inkpot Award in 2005.

The “Luann” exhibit at the Comic Con Museum is scheduled to run through November of this year.

Meanwhile, the Museum on Monday also opened a new exhibit called “20 Years of Kawaii & Chaos,” highlighting the bold, streetwise fashion of Japanese-inspired “kawaii” (cute) designs on everything from shoes and handbags to toy figures and skateboards. This exhibit is scheduled to run through May 31, 2026.

Both exhibits are on the bottom floor of the museum. For more information, visit comic-con.org/museum.