Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for January 02, 2014

Just grab him, girl!

Gunther is worthless !!

I’d say Rosa should start the New Year right without him !!

Gunther deserves Tiffany !!

Gunther is still immature, and Rosa is years ahead. She will drop him, knowing it is inevitable, and cry till the hurt goes away. I never got the Chrystal & Knute relationship, but Greg knows best.

Reminds me of a line from Star Trek Voyager, where B’Elanna says: “the Borg wouldn’t know fun, if they assimilated an amusement park!”…

Way to go Rosa! Make him give you a definite answer.

“Life On Plan-It Gunther”“Spontaneously Combust-ed”“It’s The…. Eye Of The Felis Domesticus…”“I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!..”or “Driving McFly”

Yipes!

I Sure HOPE the G-MAN Bought Along some “MAD MONEY” because Rosa is ABOUT to put His Butt OUT on the Side of the Road.

Eyes on the road, Rosa.

You are running out of chances Gunther. Do you want to be alone all your life? Get a clue.

Start the New Year right. Give Gunther half a clue!

When she goes to college, she will meet someone who will match her brains, kindness, and great personality. I hope Gunther will eventually meet some very shy person and they’ll get along great.

Gunther is boring.Can we PLEASE move on to Crystal & Knute?

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With the rounded ones….

yeah – I’m tired of Gunther. Nice guy is one thing but he’s just mamma’s boy or gay or both. Come to think of it, this is kind of the last comic that doesn’t have a gay character, so maybe its about time.

And Rosa definitely needs someone else or should just ditch the high school whiny babies and enjoy college.

“♪♫…It’s the…eye of the kitty cat, the thrill of the planRising up to check off the itinerary… And as the early bird gets to keep it all in line,He’s watching us all with the eeeeyyyyyyeeeee….of the kitty cat!….♪♫”

Gunther, you weren’t meant for dating, It’s not your thing. Go home, spend time with your sewing machine, have your Mom bring you cookies and milk, and forget about girls. Being a dweeb in your basement for the rest of your life is what you’re all about. Accept your karma.

Words, words, words. I’m so sick of words. Show me, NOW," to paraphrase a bit from My Fair Lady.

But all kidding aside for this one, Gunther is just… Gunther… he’s not a bad guy, or “weird” or anything like that… he’s just honestly who he is, and he doesn’t try to be fake or anything.. – The issue here isn’t that Gunther needs to speed up, or Rosa needs to do this thing, or that… the only thing this arc is driving towards, is seeing both he and Rosa take stock in where they both want to be, and who they both want to be…. whether it’s with each other, or…. without… – But, that’s about it… oh, and also they are beginning to take stock in their relationship…. the difference is, Gunther’s been able to keep “living the dream”, but the alarm is coming on, and someone stole the snooze button….

There’s also a white/gold trim and a pink one, here….

Gunther, I have great news. I believe I have found the car for you. For some reason, I cannot see you driving anything else. You know, they say that sometimes people purchase cars to match their personalities. Presenting: the Edsel Ranger…^^On the surface yes… but, don’t forget it has a V8 engine, unhindered by smog and emission controls- too fast for ol’ Gunth

Gunther is the type of person who asks the right foot if the left foot can move and viceversa, instead of allowing both to move on their own and surprising him with how much smoother things go when he allows both reason and passion to work together, instead of analyzing how not to break tyhe eggs

Ha ha! No, but maybe the important thing would be, that it would be a slow enough ride for his knuckles to stay flesh colored, and fast enough to beat the crowd to the underwear sale…. and all of the latest “bells and whistles”… like… ooohh!!!… two cupholders…. and AM and FM radio…. and he can have “Non-Star” or a GPS-like tracking system on board (although it would be folded up, and in the glove box…)

Have to give Rosa credit, she’s giving him a last chance to put his cards on the table, instead of just dumping him at home, then dumping him.

Gunther is not emotionally ready for the responsibility of romance or a relationship. He’s being unfair to Rosa who needs some passion in her life, some heat, some seriously heavy make out time to get her blood pumping. Gunther can’t handle that. Gunther needs a man. Quill is into acting (high on the gay profession list), and lives with Gunther. I believe that some night the two of them are going to get it on. For Luann, it will be: exit, stage right. And for Rosa: exit, stage left.

Will Rosa recognize Gunther’s Asperger’s?Will Gunther get a clue before Rosa disappears to make room for another character in Luann World?Tune-in in the next year for the riveting answers to these and other questions.

That could be a good thing! But even with the electronic delete feature, I’m sure Mrs. Berger is ready to “Hulk up” and make it a DIY job…she moonlights as a DH for the Athletics in her spare time, so she’d have no qualms about ripping it out, herself…. she likes to… make sure….

Or to solicit his thoughts on the picture she’s trying to paint for him… She’s about to go from “Bob Ross” to straight “Van Gogh” on him!…. Rembrandt, even!…

Rosa has a right to express her frustration with Gunther’s total lack of romantic initiative. She is giving him a chance—probably a last chance—to show some cojones or become her instant ex-boyfriend!I don’t think Gunther’s up to the challenge. Well, life is tough, Gunther, you “all talk, no action” twit!

what Rosa is expecting now(to have Gunther take initiative and not to take reins OR subtly “guide him to do things” ) is THE SAME THING that Luann was saying and thinking a few years back, and why she felt that even though she likes him, she does NOT see him as the right type of person for her romantically………………… of the main guys in the past of Luann, Quill is the combo of good things of them 3, good looks of Aaron, the good heart of Gunther, and the good initiative factor of Elwood, without the weak points of them, bad looks and expecting everyone to accept his proposals because he is rich of Elwood, the attitude of undecisiveness of Aaron and the lack of initiative of Gunther

That, or a dam bursting….

Ha ha! Seems about right!…

Gunth is not bad; just not the one for Rosa. He is the way he is. That’s what dating is for; to find this out.

Gunth needs someone like him, or someone who accepts and loves him, just as he is.

Possibly even more so.

Love the car. We appreciate old vehicles.

Sometimes geeks are really just freaks in sheeps attire.

There’s a great possibility, that if it were real life, that poor ol Gunther has all kinds of crazy and wicked ideas of what he wants to do with Rosa but is too afraid she will reject him because of how freaky he wants to be.

Or maybe that’s just me projecting.

People do not have to be perfectly matched, not all are. Many couples are different. One is outgoing and spontaneous, the other is reserved, and methodical. They are happy and have been married for years. I have seen many couples like this. The trick is do you love each other. Can you work it out. Discussion is everything. I am spontaneous, outgoing and enjoy people. My other half is gentle , quiet , and reserved.He has to think and plan everything out. We know each other well by now , we understand the differences. I totally appreciate this good man. I thank God for him daily. He does the same with me. And life is soooo good.

GoodShe finally broke her self-imposed silence barrier blocking communication.

Throwing caution away and just jumping in head first often leads to broken necks, but there should be a middle ground if they work together..Don’t attack Gunther for being Gunther..Figure out how to help Gunther be all he can be — if you care for him and not just for yourself just right now.

Had to laugh…

P.S.Excellent that you are talking, Rosa. Now. Pull over to a safe place so you can f-i-n-a-l-l-y TALK; honestly~and safely. Yeah. Good girl!

Aw…their first fight.

Gunther has been rejected so often and for so long, that he obviously doesn’t feel he’s worth it when something goes his way. He definitely seems to feel out of his class with Rosa, and tries to be oblivious.

2014 will show whether Gunther “mans up” and learns what real responsibility is. True Love isn’t teenager coming of age sexually….true love is getting through the fights, trying to determine what makes things work, not planning once in awhile (because plans just make God laugh, at least in our 40-year old marriage!) worrying about making ends meet, trying to be the best father to your kids and the best husband for your wife. Then looking at each other every so often, and realizing that you had fun along the way.

Gunther is just a little too afraid of failure right now. All his life, he’s been the dweeb that (he is certain) everyone laughs about behind his back. And now he has the hottest girl in school and is doing exactly the wrong thing: trying to be just Too Stable.

Yes, 2014 is going to be the most entertaining and deeply involved year of the Luann strip yet. I never thought I’d see her, her friends & brother, and the comic strip itself grow up so quickly.

I think Rosa would be too fast for Fonzie! Mind you Gunther isn’t even a Potsie!

Do these kids not have curfews? 12:30 is late enough for someone their age (to paraphrase a Canadian Cialis ad).

I agree. He’s kinda being a jerk! Not only missing verbal cues, now he’s outright ignoring them. -And the reason he behaves this way? I see much speculation, but no explanation will satisfy me till Evans gives one that makes SENSE.

Re: Nab, you got something in your eyes—like your avatar. You tend to paint women (Gen X ones especially) with the same dark despairing brush in your comments. I wish you thought better of Rosa, Toni, Luann, and even Tiff. Or at least that you wouldn’t jump to such depressing conclusions.

Dying to see tomorrow’s strip! This is getting intense FAST!

Gunther is a smart guy and I bet his mom is really smart.

A possible background story is that when Gunther’s mom was still in high school, she had the grades and the scholarships to go to any college and study anything she wanted. However, after a night of partying with friends and doing all sorts of unplanned things, she allows herself to be picked up by one of the popular guys from school at the party. They have a night of intimacy and he tells her everything she wants to hear that night.

Some time later, she finds out she’s pregnant with Gunther and the guy she was with that night wants nothing further with her and disappears. Matter of fact, he probably hadn’t been around much since that night anyway.

Gunther’s mom decides against abortion and adoption and chooses to raise the Gunther herself. In doing so she throws out her future of college and career. Possibly her own family turns against her and chooses not to acknowledge Gunther as part of the family.

She teaches Gunther that lifetime goals can be lost quickly when they are sacrificed for less valuable things of the moment. Maybe she over-teaches that to him and he’s too afraid to take any risks in life.

Gunther would like to cut loose and be wild once in a while, but he’s afraid of messing up the future and letting his mom down. Also he has no experience in just letting the good times roll. Probably couldn’t if he tried. Even if all the risks were out of the way. Even if he does make it through college and into his dream career, probably can’t relax and be casual. Gunther wonders daily how his friends can be carefree sometimes and not really mess up their lives. He’s sure he would mess up his life if he went carefree even if it was just once.

Gunther isn’t gay. He says he’s wondered that for a while, but has concluded in the end that he isn’t. -I believe him. He really likes Rosa. No idea how to show it without causing some damage.

Yikes!

Gunther, you’re going to lose her, heed the message.

The character Gunther is so boring.

The answer to your question Rosa, is a big fat NO!!

Gunther is just pathetic.

Hmmm… Gunther ~ ISTP, Rosa ~ ENFJ?

I’m not sure that Gunther is gay, but possibly asexual. He obviously likes Rosa, but not anything more. I think he has one hand on the door handle already for a quick exits when they get to his house.

Geeky mama’s boy.

What’s THIS? Push at last comes to shove for our dynamic duo? (It’s about bloody time…)

There’s never an ejection seat button around when you need one, eh Rosa?

Make or break time….about time.

He will be a great engineer, and he won’t be bothered by a social life. He can devote all his time to his work.

I am losing respect for Rosa as each day goes by. Why is she wasting ANY time on this eunuch?

for those that think gunt needs a girl just like him……….. wrong……………. if he stays as he is, he needs a woman who is dominating, that keeps telling him what to do…………………. at best, someone who will keep telling him “Gunther, kiss me now” and “tonite we will have sex”(as soon as they are married, Gunther is not into sex before marriage), at worse, he will end up with a girl who is into BD/SM

I think he means it will take a year for this story to pan out. Maybe? ;)

Hey I am one of those who has hope for this couple. I am pulling for Gunther to not make greatest mistake of his cartoon existence. All the more reason why this strip is so great—the suspense.

Exactly! If Gunther was gay, he would be in the same situation as today, just in some guy’s car instead of Rosa’s. He is probably the most asexual character in teenage comics!

@IamJayBluEYeah, that’s what it seems…. she really does care for him, and is really wanting to envision a longer-term relationship with him… but he keeps clouding it up… .This is exactly right. Rosa’s explosion will either help him grow up a bit in a hurry or precipitate a breakup, which would leave them both sadder and wiser. She really does care for him so let’s hope it is the former.

Ugh. Gunther = pathetic weenie.

Whoa, it will be interesting to see how Gunther reacts to this. It’s not the first time; he and Luann have had it in the past and G held his own. Imagine his Mom and him have had words. Right after their skirmish, he basically saved Luann’s life. She had a head injury lying in the bottom of a deep ravine. He would not leave her to go for help. He bandaged her head (bleeding) and picked her up. put her on his back and carried her up the sides of the ravine on his back. Very steep climb, out of the lonely ravine up the sides to the top of the hill to safety. He was no wuss then.

Rosa laid her cards on the table. Greg has two days for Gunther to MAN UP and get a clue. One way or another it’s done Saturday and on to another subject Monday.

Dump his sorry A__ Rosa. There are a lot better fish in this sea.

Bye bye, Guenther…hello, TJ…?

Gunther is being responsible. Someday he will meet someone who appreciates him. Not everyone is spicy like Rosa.

about time.

9 am (CST) and already 117 comments! Boy, has Team Evans ever struck a nerve!*Interesting, I’ve been reading a book, “Safe People”, and I too have been wondering if safety is the ultimate value. G-man, get some lessons from Qu or Knute.*And Rosa, you knew what he was like before you pursued him. If he’s going to change, you’ve got to be the one to initiate it.*And belated Happy New Years, everyone!

After he carried her up the ravine, Gunther put Luann on his bike and pedaled her across town to Mrs. Horner’s house. Luann had dropped Mrs. Horner’s medicine in the gulley. SO. Gunther made sure Luann was safely on Mrs. Horner’s couch, jumped back on his trusty bike and went back across town (again) back down the ravine for Mrs. Horners prescription bag, found it, grabbed it with his teeth (steep, rugged climb, needed both hands) climbed the ravine (1 more time ) rode back across town (again) and gave this sweet old lady her medicine. He was Luann’s hero then, and she rewarded him with a hug, squeeze, and a big kiss. Gunther sure did not back up then. He had a smile like Texas. I don’t think he is a wimp.

To be fair to Gunther, did you marry your high school girlfriend? I know that I matured like a weed by the end of my freshman year. BTW, Gunther is not gay, just awkward.

FISH OR CUT BAIT G-MAN. I’m rooting for you.

Most high school romances end at graduation b/c college is a different world. If you got laid in high school, you are way ahead of the game, I know.

take control

-You are absolutely right in concluding that someone who is hesitant and awkward in starting a deeper relationship would show the same characteristics regardless of the gender of the significant other. I’m still thinking that Gunther’s lack of a dad in his life left him without good examples of personal relationships….

Poor guy…

-so, what’s this Greg’s setup for?-This is the third arc in which our main characters are trying to figure out the future (if any) of their relationships.-

First, Toni and Brad were discussing who would do what after marriage (which is a way of trying to figure out how they can succeed as an ‘us’.) And a lot of posters were heckling Brad for saying it didn’t matter to him who did dishes or what, as long as they were together.

-Next, Luann was trying to get Quill to make time for the two of them(in other words, an ‘us) in his busy, career-oriented life. (And a lot of the posters were condemning Luann as a self-centered, me-firster, or a needy, grabby, jealous brat, instead of seeing that arc as an effort to sort out a possible future.)-Now we have Rosa finally asking Gunther if he has any room in his long range plans for an ’us’.-

Three arcs in which characters try to figure out how to be ‘us’ instead of just ‘he and she’.

I hope the next or any future strips will included a panel that will have Rosa’s foot step on a pedal.

Yeah, good point. T.J. has not provided evidence that he has an interest in either sex. I’ll admit that this strip has two asexual characters!

Mix the bland with a little salsa and everything’s all right. She’s just what Gunther needs.

So is this just about “I want you to show me more affection” or is it about Gunther’s whole personality?

I think I line up with the folks here who think Gunther’s orientation isn’t the issue; he’d be just as repressed with a guy as a girl in a potentially romantic situation. I think the lack of a father in his life has a lot to do with his insecurity. He never got to watch his parents sharing a tender moment as one or the other left the house to run an errand, that sort of thing.I’m not at all convinced that Rosa wants to go all the way with him, and certainly not tonight. I do not think she’s looking for a more suitable husband than whoever may have gotten her “in trouble” already (and if she were, this would be a really stupid choice!).I think she genuinely cares for Gunther and would like to do a bit of exploring with him. She may very well hope to help him discover a bit more about himself. And let’s remember that Rosa hasn’t known Gunther nearly as long as most of the others, she only moved into town recently — well, relatively recently. Was it the beginning of the previous school year?This could still turn into a teachable moment for these two, I just don’t assume that Gunther will be the only one to learn something.

Uh oh…

I luv Rosa tons…

..“opposites attract”…the theme song of the truly deranged"…John Cleese on Cheers as Sam and Diane’s therapist

Gunther is an asexual teenager. T.J. is an asexual young adult. Next question— to what extent are they autosexual?

Why, even now, Gunther is drawing up plans to be spontaneous.Yes, he will find a book entitled, “How To Be A Wild & Crazy Guy— 12 Easy Lessons!”

Yeah, too bad, but Gunther’s just a bit out of touch, so to speak.

-At the risk of sounding like a stereotyping fool:-Well, if you are, you are not alone. When Toni and Brad were talking about how they would handle day to day tasks as ‘us’ instead of as individuals,and Toni was getting kind of anxious, posters were stereotyping Toni as controlling, or getting ready to back out of the marriage, and Brad as a wimp.-When Luann was passionately trying to get Quill to see that he needed to schedule time to be part of an ‘us’ relationship, posters stereotyped Luann as needy, greedy, me-me-ist and controlling, and Quill as a wimp.-And now you’re suggesting that Rosa’s ‘hot Latina blood’ is the reason for her anxiety over whether Gunther is capable of being part of an ‘us’ instead of just living a carefully calculated ‘me’ life (while others are suggesting that she’s pregnant and looking for someone to be the daddy). Meanwhile other posters are stereotyping Gunther as either gay, or, guess what, a wimp.

-

So we are developing a pattern here. Three couples are trying to figure out if they CAN be couples, and everyone is attributing wildly different motives to the girls. But the same attribute is applied to the guys. They are wimps.

-Geez.. Not an attractive pattern of responses.

Well, as Angelo Dundee said to Ray Leonard between rounds when he fought Tommy Hearns the first time, “You’re blowing it, son! You’re blowing it!”

I just hope she’s an attentive driver…

wow lot of Gunther hate. Some people are late bloomers.

Good God, if she hasn’t figured it out by now………

Gunther is a really nice guy, but he is extremely shy. Rosa needs to take charge and make it clear that she wants to go farther. Some guys need a girl to tell him what she wants. Hints won’t do because he doesn’t understand how well Rosa likes him. If she tells him, she will either scare him away or put the relationship back on track.

-Asperger’s-About 5 hours, a poster called Meh_thodology brought that up, and someone who has a son who was diagnosed with it seemed in agreement….

LOL!!!

Gunther, you better give your girl what she wants or else she’s gonna get it from your rival, Leslie Knox!

I love you, Your Perfect. Now change. an off Broadway musical that ran for over 5000 performances in the late 90’s. Sure sounds like Rosa.

Go get him girl! Lay it on line for him. He’s too oblivious to get it otherwise.

You can tell poor Gunther was raised in a testicle free zone. You never hear of any male influence in his background. He displays the attributes of his mom. She may have made him very careful and anylytic as a defense mechanism to protect her little boy but went too far. I have some friends that plan every little thing they do. My late wife and I lived a more spontaneous existence and just accepted that that was not for us. I used to joke that they couldn’t poop without it being on their schedule. I would love to see Rosa break him out of his nerdy cocoon. If she truly has feeling for Gunther she will do him a big favor helping him to grow up.

Personally, I’m waiting for Gunther to realize that he is gay. He was in love with Luann, who was completely unattainable, and now that he has a girl who loves him, he can’t/won’t allow even the teeniest intimacy. I like Gunther and always hoped Luann would fall for him, but I’ve come to think that he needs a guy, not a girl.

It’s all that hot Latina Blood of Rosa’s…

^I wouldn’t go so far to say that all Latinos/Latinas are “hot blooded”… Part of my background is such, and believe me, there are both "passionate* and “even keeled” types in my family….

-Almost funny, but she doesn’t have the qualifications.-Besides, Bernice has made it clear through her teeth-gritting and eye rolling responses to Luann that she doesn’t really want to counsel about ‘boy-girl’ stuff. Since she has no interest in Luann’s romantic ‘drama’, why would she be any more interested in Rosa and Gunther’s issues?

- She’s ok with kids who are scared about being alone and need a shoulder to cry on, and she’s fine with someone who needs suggestions on jobs to apply for or classes to take. But not the kind of counseling that Gunther possibly needs, given that he had no father at home to serve as a model for relationships….

And, too, Rosa isn’t necessarily speaking of a specific thing she wants to do… she just wants to feel that if she’s in a relationship with Gunther, that she doesn’t have to have everything “planned, rehearsed, arranged”… – She doesn’t want to be “impulsive” in the sense of irresponsibleness or “looseness” (and she is quite an accomplished girl, and her personality isn’t one for trying to “break the rules”), she just wants to feel that things won’t be “boring and predictable”… sometimes, issues happen like that, where one thing happens, but it sets off something else, and that thing becomes the focus, and not necessarily the “immediate” situation, which is why Rosa is just now letting it out, more….

-How about a sweet early Beatles hit: I Wanna Hold Your Hand….

Wait a minute !

Didn’t she pick Gunter, in the first place, because he ’wasn’t’ like the other horn-dog guys ?

And gunter has plenty of brains; he’s also a decent guy.

But he is a little tight assed. MAybe more than a little. And Gina wants more to their relationship, obviously.

Sheldon Cooper has Asperger’s also. He is asexual, just like Gunther.

Gunther seems very happy the way he is, he doesn’t see any need for him to change. Even if he was able to pick up on any of Rosa’s obvious hints he still could not change who he is. This is his personality, nothing is going to make him a passionate, spontaneous, sexual person. Rosa is wasting her time.

Wow. I understand “Gunther” is inexperienced with the ladies, but… damn… for a “smart” guy, he sure is kinda stupid. *cue The Beatles’ “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl” *

Here is also “What’s On Your Mind?” by Information Society (mistakenly labeled as titled: “pure energy”, due to the overdubs of Spock’s quote in it)…

You know, opposites attract (Rosa & Gunther). But so do similars. How about a short-term chaste friendship/romance between Bernice & Gunther? *You never see Bernice or Delta at dances, rarely at any social events. Both seem to have low hormone levels as well as intelligence and ideals.

What is going on with Greg? Why are all of his female characters going insane lately?? Enough, already.

When the tide turns…

I’ll say it again: Gunther, go home and have Mommy’s cookies. Rosa, go find a boy your own emotional age.

Better wake up, Gunther…you can’t kiss a car…and cars are very cold and unforgiving… ;)

Uhhh….. random word: “Skateboard”….

Comment #: Twin “Mid-life Crisis(es)”…

What a dunce!

Passionate about what things? Asexual means that a person has no sexual desire, not passion.