A SOON-TO-BE TEEN CLASSIC!

Loosely based on a teenager's diary from the 1980s found in a gas-station bathroom, Unlovable is the remarkable story of Tammy Pierce, as filtered through the pen of Los Angeles artist Esther Pearl Watson. This remarkably touching and funny graphic novel tells the first-person account of Tammy's sophomore year in 1985, from the first day of school to winter break. Though building a devoted following over the last several years in the pages of Bust magazine, where Unlovable continues to be serialized, this is the first-ever collection of Unlovable and Watson has created over 100 new pages for the book, which details the sometimes ordinary, sometimes humiliating, often poignant and frequently hilarious exploits of underdog Tammy Pierce. Her hopes, dreams, agonies and defeats are brought to vivid, comedic life by Watson's lovingly grotesque drawings, filled with all the eighties essentials - too much mascara, leg warmers with heels and huge hair - as well as timeless teen concerns like acne, dandruff, and the opposite sex (or same sex, in some cases).

Unlovable is about the rawness of trying to figure out who you are in a very public and humiliating way. "I have always found teen coming of age stories to be from a male point of view," says Watson. "Growing up, I always wanted to be a tomboy so I could relate to characters on TV and in the movies, like Batman or Ferris Bueller. But in high school a lot of life as a girl was confusing and went un-addressed." Unlovable addresses these mysteries through Tammy's naievete; girls and women in particular will find much that resonates.

In the epic saga that is Unlovable, Tammy finds herself dealing with: tampons, teasing, crushes, The Smiths, tube socks, facial hair, lice, celibacy, fantasy dream proms, gym showers, skid marks, a secret admirer, prank calls, backstabbers, winter ball, barfing, narcs, breakdancing, hot wheels, glamour shots, roller coasters, Halloween costumes, boogers, boys, boy crazy feelings, biker babes, and even some butt cracks. Tammy's life isn't pretty, but it is endlessly charming and hilarious.

Unlovable will be handsomely packaged in a unique hardcover format with sparkly blue glitter that would make Tammy proud.

Author/Artist: Esther Pearl Watson
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Pages: 416pp
Size: 5.75 x 5.75
Notes: hardcover, sparkly blue glitter, 2-color
Release Date: February 4, 2009
ISBN: 978-1560979555