Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for January 19, 2014

Reality meets fantasy.

A meta-cartoon! Awesome.

First time Frank has ever spoken more than one sentence at a time.

Butterfly – or moth? In any case, it’s a courageous Dad who can tell his daughter that she’s a caterpillar.

This one has fourth wall humor, and bonus metaphorical references!….

OK, who’s been bending the fourth wall. We’ll have to get a crew in here to repair it.

My mind was made up since childhood to go to college, but I had no clue what for. That was 60 years ago. And I still don’t know what I want to grow up to be.

“High School Retirement Party”“Miss Chrysalis, 1985”

“She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Butterfly”“Cocoon, The Sequel of The Sequel”or “♪…I… Am.. Iron.. Butterfly!..♪.”

Off she goes into the wild blue yonderspreading out her golden wingsWe expect she’ll make some blunderBut then rise to greater things

Ahhh, I guess Tom Sullivan would think I’m incredibly interesting! :-)

It does sound like we may be moving into real time. Frank said “we’re both seniors”, so wonder how old he is. Our life truly does fly by, especially at Frank’s age (and mine).

“Brought to you” by…. – Eve and Flo’s Blank Memo Pads… “Just in case your *thoughts arrive like butterflies!”…. – and by…Barb(a)ra Streissand…..

4th wall

Wasn’t Luann created in 1985… 29 years ago? Clever, Greg, clever.

The goes the 4th wall.Happy Anniversary Luann

Now that’s funny, and a nice bit of fan service.

“Halfway through her senior year…” So Luann and her buds gotta be 18 any time now. They don’t have to have Mom & Dad’s permission to… Who will leave the cocoon first? Delta seems the most ready – however we don’t know if she would fly away for somebody, as opposed to just school/career.

Clever, “Frank,” you sneaky devil! Luann has indeed been a teenager for 29 years, and we all know it for sure now.Kinda weird, isn’t it?

Hmmm….judging from a lot of the other comments, I am right at home here…didn’t know what I wanted to be, so I didn’t grow up.As for Luann, it shows that things are begining to wind down for Greg and Luann (the strip) will transition into a new reality with Greg’s daughter’s input.

Wow!Lots of names here I haven’t seen for a while!Maybe I’m not here often enough.Hi to Sisyphos and …And always hi to Brdshtt.NancyPrancy said it first: a meta cartoon.Very Clever, Greg Evans!(And hi to Karen.)Sheriff, you out there today?

FROM PREVIOUS DAYS: Someone has referred a couple oftimes to Gunther’s need for a pair of cAjones. The word youwant is cOjones. Cajón has nothing to do with the familyjewels needed by G-man. In fact, a pair of cajones, if atachedto a person, would be extremely uncomfortable!

It is weird how every other year in Luanniverse took, like, three calendar years, but this one is moving in real time.

Ok, my suspicions have been confirmed. Greg is going to retire Luann at graduation. After all these years of being a teen, suddenly, senior year, prom, steady boyfriend, college….it’s gonna happen this May or June folks. You watch.

Where are you going with this, Greg Evans?

Seems to me this is a full-fledged announcement by Greg, that should any doubt be remaining, the rest of the year will continue on in real time and the end of this school year will mark a new phase in the strip. Can’t wait to see where we go!!^^I agree, but, then, Greg pretty said as much on his blog last Fall, and yeah, I can’t wait to see where this strip goes, I anticipate a lot of changes (Something comic strips usual avoid), but that’s cool because Luann still has so many issues to explore :)

Oh boy……….I’m sad to say…..but it seems that Greg Evan is retiring soon and Luann is finally ending.^^Don’t panic, that isn’t the case anymore than when Lu went from 13 to 16, almost overnight in the 90s, it just means Lu will be learning the lessons of a young adult, now. (If you don’t believe me go read Greg’s blog) :)

Best Sunday strip since the Brad and Toni remember their courtship strip.Best use of Frank in years!

Anyone who doubts that Gunther and Luann should end up together, just look at Frank… they say girls are looking for someone who reminds them of their Father! (Of course, having never been a girl, I can’t really verify the validity of that statement)

Oh for the LOVE of….,

Kid? You’d Better CHERISH Those “Care-Free” High School Years. Because Wait ‘til You Graduate College and get You’re 1st Job, 1st Apartment 1st Husband, 1st Mortgage, 1st Kid, 1st son-in-law, 1st Grand kid, and 1st Obvious Body Fat.THEN, You’ll Have some to WHINE About, Missy.

Puddles? Bear Thy Fangs and BITE some SENSE Into THIS Wayward Teen, Oh Mighty Wonder Dog!!!!

Mentioning 29 years – maybe this is a beginning hint that the strip will soon end.

I’m still trying to stay a teen. I’ll be fifty-nine-teen in March.

It is nice that they can share an father – daughter moment. He really can relate to her. I miss my own Daddy.

love it!

Foreshadowing?

Is this a hint/promise that the show will go on past the end of HS?

The fourth wall of comics has been broken.

Looks like life will be moving on next year. College for Luann, marriage and kids for Brad, maybe an elderly parent to take care of for Frank and Nancy. Shake things up Greg!

Little puddles must be ancient by now. He’s lived many times over in dog years.

This makes Puddles the world’s oldest dog.

You have not been paying enough attention. Greg’s daughter, the original model for the character Luann, is taking increasing responsibility for the strip.

“Half way thru last year of high school and has not been seen in school.”-We are seeing snippetts.

Isn’t there something in The Sunscreen Song about “Don’t be worried if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. Some of the most interesting people I’ve met had no idea in there twenties what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40 year old I know still don’t.”

I don’t remember what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I’m pretty sure this wasn’t it.

I’m 62. I’ve been married 3 times (it took a while for that to take). I’ve actually spent 20 years in the same workplace.I HAVE grown old.I REFUSE to grow UP! (Hey – I read comic books and comic strips…so SUE me!)

Not a bad record for staying a teen… Archie and the gang have her beat though at 73 years.

It’s not exactly true to say Luann’s years don’t proceed in real time, because her holidays always line up with reality (Christmas, summer vacation etc.). Every time a school year ends in the real world, it ends for Luann. Where the strip’s time continuum departs from ours is that for many of our years she has apparently repeated the same school year and remained the same age.This could be resolved by the notion that each strip year narrated different story lines all drawn from the same single school year. That would be some action packed year for all the characters!I agree that with dialogue like today’s there isn’t room to run Luann’s senior year more than once, so this summer there will probably be some kind of a watershed in the Luanneverse.

Might Greg be leading us to the completion of the “Luann” saga, a la “For Better Or For Worse”? He’s been at it a long time, and retro strips are already in syndication…

Pretty close to breaking the fourth wall there… be carful, we don’t want Luann to become an Arlo and Janis spin off…

Frank and Nancy? As in Sinatra?

“…but it seems that Greg Evan is retiring soon and Luann is finally ending….”^Hey-hey-hey!!!!…None of that talk, now… let’s not get too hasty… and it’s not over, until Ted McGinley starts making regular appearances!…

here is the song for “jamming’s sake”, and here are the lyrics…enjoy!…

I agree “Yay!”. FBFW had many unforgettable characters – as does Doonesbury and Luann. And when Luann & company become big boys & girls – the story lines get interesting – instead of just cute.

How will Luann emerge from her cozy cocoon? 1. Eager to go ahead? 2. Willing to go ahead? 3. Reluctant to go ahead?

How will her parents react to the upcoming change in her life? 1. Eager for her to go ahead? 2. Willing for her to go ahead? 3. Reluctant for her to go ahead?

Hopefully all three will choose Number One.

But she wasn’t always a teen.

Farley died heroically and his happy spirit lingered

Gasoline Alley has gone through plenty of changes ie people being born, died, military service, aging^^True, but, GA has always run in real time, making it and For Better or for Worse, exceptions, not the normVVEven Farley came to an end. In comics time wouldn’t Puddles be about ten or so ?^^Well, that depends on how old he was when Aunt Vicki sent him over, my guess is she had him at most a year , before she got tired of his puddles, all over the house. Add that to the 41/2 years that have passed (Luann was 13 at the start of the strip, is almost 18 now) in comic strip time and Puddles is no more than 6 yrs old

Frank isn’t old, but his attitude sure is. I wonder if he could be diagnosed with depression?

I don’t think he’s milquetoast to her at any time.

^^Perhaps, but, Frank & Gunther are both low-key , wear glasses, are both considered less than handsome and, they wear identical clothes

It’s probably already been said but today’s strip is leaning on the 4th wall.

Is Greg making a funny on his own choice to keep the action moving slowly?

I’m laying odds:60% chance Greg Evans comes up with some sitcomy reason for all his characters to end up at the same college30% chance Luann goes to college & ends up with “new” friends who differ only in name from her HS friends10% chance Evans retires the strip after Luann graduatesAny takers?

@Gweedo This space for lease Murray

Why thank you. So does yours! ;-)

Brdsht,*A day late, but per your reference to “The Metamorphosis”. I once wrote a short story cleverly (I think) called “Ant -thopomorphosis”, in which a six-legged ant finds he has turned into a human. Think it turned out the same way— human food and life revolted him, so he died, much to the relief of his hill-mates.

Is there an option to “like” this?

There is, in fact. Right under the photo. :)