Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for October 31, 2015

Dad’s always the last to know.

Luann didn’t “win” here. She gave up. There’s a difference.

When Bernice ‘gives up’ and lets people leave pets and strange packages in her dorm room, people rightly call her out as a ‘doormat’. But when Luann gives up her plans and lets everyone else’s plans matter, she is regarded as ‘mature’, and you consider that she won something.

What are you winning if you continually show everyone that you will always let everyone else’s projects take first place, and you will forever postpone anything that you wanted to do?

..in a story one reads for entertainment, not so much. You need some conflict in a story to excite the reader.^But we just had a “slice” of conflict, Wednesday and Thursday! – It has gotten resolved, and the indication seems to be that it’ll be time to move to the next story!

“To be honest, I also like reading about folks who make it 60, 70, 80 years. "^I’ve run across lots of true life stories like that! One particular one had a couple who both went through their last days together, and in their weakening state, were holding hands, laying side by side… a story like that is enough to even make “Ultron” rust up a bit…

We paws for a PSA.

“We’ll see, more likely a running gag where they never make it to NY because Quill always has something else going on.”

Sounds pretty likely.

To the naysayers: This is a 3-panel comic strip, not a 300 page novel.

“We had rising action, and then instead of any sort of failure, we went straight to resolution.”^Tis the nature of sitcoms and comic strips….. – Sometimes you have a case of “Will Gunther decide to stay in Peru, or will he come back to the US?” and is decided over the course of months. Sometimes you have a case of “I wonder if this particular dialogue is going to be the one where they have a ’Kevin and Winnie” moment?“, and is decided in a matter of a few days, and is neatly resolved. See? There you have it… a variety of techniques applied in the strip, and not always in the direction a reader may think (or desire) it to go, but it’s variety, nonetheless- and…. it meets all the …”requirements"… you outlined.

When did “inner beauty” become “yes, dear, whatever you say, dear?”

And I still say that when Bernice gives up and lets people dump stuff in her dorm room, or have parties they aren’t supposed to have, she gets called a doormat. No one says she’s showing her “inner beauty”.

Can’t have it both ways. If the girl always has to put everyone else’s plans first and that is celebrated when Luann does it, it should also be applauded when Bernice does it.

And I don’t think a good example is being set for the 1.5 teen girls who might be reading this ‘toon, to see everyone applauding the girl who always says ’yes, dear’…

This sounds familiar. Maybe I’ve been reading this ’toon longer than I thought, you must have posted this comment before…

I only used a “Kevin and Winnie” moment to describe an example of couples who get together but then fight and break up. I was using it to describe how sometimes a couple’s discussion could go that way, but that particular show was anything but a sitcom. In that way, I was only including it for the aforementioned reason. – And there have been dramatic moments in the history of the strip. We were treated one such example in the recent “Luann Againn” strip, where Derek’s drug use almost cost two lives. The author of this comic is the one who has the final say of what drama and what comedy takes place, and it is at his discretion, not ours… it’s why he cartoons, and we read. (flashbulb!!!) Hey! maybe someone here could make a comic themselves, and do those various things that you are clamoring for!??? What do you say? Maybe you could submit a Sherpa, and we’ll see how it goes from there!!! You never know!!!

All this talk of “setbacks” reminds me of the situation, as it was, on Wednesday, when Quill wondered if Luann mentioned anything about NY to them: – Spring it on ’em, or not?Forward thinking would have helped, in this-Fall for the same old routine, like a creature of habit… so…Back to square one!

What is meant to be irony is actually the truth. We always stay in the shallow end of the pool.

You have a disturbed mind… What did Quill or Mr. Berger (whoever he is) ever do to you?

Blech…

In panel 1, where is quills right hand? lol

“What Frank Don’t Know…”“What A Day, New Monty!”

“Shed Light, By A Conflict Of The Switch”“Kiss And Make Up”“You Say You Want A Resolution? Well, Ya Know….” (♪)“The Peace Of Humble Pie”“A Neat Little Bow”“A Tidy Sum”

“The Prose And Conflicts”

or“Don’t Look A Gift Comic (which is kindly being provided for free!) In The Mouth”

Luann compromised. A lesson in maturity – more like real life, and seeing her parents as real folks who need help with their overly ambitious project. It’s the parents who have shown some lack of maturity here, in my book.

Luann and Quill are indeed a cute couple. Basically, they are good-natured, big-hearted teens. If they have their immature moments (especially Luann) they still usually end up on the right path.I find it amusing that some commenters have such a struggle with “Good,” and crave more drama. Luann is a romantic comedy, not a dark and heavy thriller.

I think we’ve just been foreshadowed.

“A Cute Couple?”

A “Couple” of WHAT, Nancy??

I am terribly disappointed that the friendly PLOT diagram (well drawn, by the way) did not include the word “denouement” … It’s a great word, makes one sound erudite, and beats the Hell out of tired Latin phrases.

Oh, for pete’s sake! It’s a comic strip. Not ‘Days of Our Lives’.

As I read through some of these comments, I seriously ask myself "Are these peoples’ lives so bad, that they would begrudge a ‘comic strip’ character?

You are so right. My mother’s sister has been married 65 years, and still going strong. And I have never seen or heard of either her or her husband losing their temper or raising their voices. They are two of the finest people I know, and their both being devout Christians undoubtedly helps.

It’s a comic strip! I don’t need drama on my comics pages! That’s what soap opera strips are for. This is a gag-a-day strip.

Happy Halloween!

Forget it Luann, you and Quill will never have your getaway. Now to figure out how Prudence will be pulled into the production.

As I leaned in my junior high school English class, another element of fiction is character growth. Good fiction lets the characters learn something over the course of their adventure, even if it is “the old ways are the best ways”.

No drama. Yeah. Riiiiiight!

[opening a bag of popcorns and started munching on it] …..Well, the comments complete the lack of ‘drama’ in the strips …..

boring..No, it isn’t!

Your plot structure works in a play or a novel, but not in a thee panel a day cartoon.

More on plot. This strip always has multiple story lines, some of which go on for years, in real time and theirs. How boring it might be to have to out-wait all of them.

So “3-6 month cliffhangers” aren’t dramatic?

Happy Halloween!

Drama, Drama, Shrama! This is a COMIC strip. If anything let’s see if they all can grow enough to have sex.

" Luann is not a real person, her winning ALL the time "*Imp – I beg leave to differ. The point of this arc, in fact, is that though Luann REALLY wanted to go to NYC instead, she gave way so as not to disappoint Qu or her parents. In fact, this happened last July 4th when she did NOT go to NYC again, though she wanted to, because of her camp job.*My gosh, she IS growing up.*And Happy Halloween to all who celebrate the fun and silliness, and Happy All Saints Day tomorrow to those who don’t.

“IMO it is currently.”*Jim – A lot of people have been leaving the humility out of IMHO. Why is that— because it was a farce, or because we really think we’re all that & a bag of popcorn?

But here’s a serious Halloween question— my favorite cheap Halloween candy is peanut butter kisses. But no one in my town is selling them this year. How about yours?

“I was 21 in 1978”*BS – Oh my gosh, so that’s why the kids tell me I’m older than S..t!

“Gray area…”

-Ha ha

Most of the people who post on the Luann site on ArcaMax have made it clear that they hate the comic, and are only there because they enjoy communicating with each other.

Characters overdue for reappearance to make things a little more interesting …

Ann EiffelDeltaCrystal & GuntherShannonDirk

frank and nancy, you have no idea

Nobody has said that “Implausible” has to read the strip, or is there some background drama we don’t see?

Thank you!

“There’s an original idea!

No offense meant, Jay.

"^Absolutely none taken! I could easily identify the context of your comment, and what is more, my comment was meant to be similarly crafted to the oft-repeated phrase, as it has been levied before, in similar discussions here on “How to be pleased with a work, if other works aren’t conforming to personal taste”…

“….is always the same: be patient.”^Especially true of Garfield. I’m still waiting for Nermal (cat one, not commenter) to return from Abu Dhabi. And for John and Liz. Oh, and also for Odie to “turn around” for once, when standing on the edge of the dining room table….

“http://www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/luann/”

Thanks for the link. Wasn’t aware of that site. I’ll probably spend more time there in the future. Seems a bit more up my alley than here. No offense to the locals.

I did mean Crystal and Knute, and thanks for correcting that, Dave.

As for DST, which others have commented on, do I not recall a Sunday strip years ago where Bernice explained that to Luann, who was incensed that this was all in the name of collecting insects? Or is my mind playing tricks on me?

SPOILER ALERT

I have several times found myself unable to buy gifts that others want, either because the price is out of my range or because I honestly feel that an item they picked might have been a mistake (which happens more often these days, as registration is done through a computer program and it’s very easy to click on the wrong thing.)

I used to think gift cards showed that I didn’t want to put a lot of time into picking a gift, but now I think they show that I’m leaving the choice in the hands of the receiver…

Oh, by the way, for those of us who live in areas affected by daylight saving, don’t forget to set your clocks back…

LOL!

“Garfield is a strip where time doesn’t advance. "^Mondays. ’Nuff said.

In form 4 in my secondary school in Bishop Anstey High School, Fernandes told me that HE LOVED ME!