Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for June 28, 2016

well, Leslie’s attitude is starting to change… little by little

Wonder how long it will take Ox to realize Les is pocketing his tips.

As a fan of the Bizarro comic I wonder if Greg might consider putting a little number above his name indicating a K2, or more than one K2, in each strip..Actually what I wonder is if this (K2) is a subtle homage to Dan Piraro.

He won’t get away with that for long. Does he really think no one is watching him? It seems that magically, everyone has forgotten that Les is not a loser – he’s a dishonest creep with a touch of thug and a whole lot of ego. C’mon, I don’t know and have never known an entire group of people that forgetful and trusting.

Add to this the fact that Les must work here because (it’s implied) he’s already on record for misdemeanor-level shenanigans elsewhere.

C’mon, Luannverse. Wake up!

Les character should go into mothballs, permanently.

Stealing 2 dollars and 17 cents? Get a rope

Hey we debated, (and screwed up the math, me) over the tip and whether that was a tip or the whole price for the meal and tip, but whatever, the dude is clearly pocketing it all, which means the Fuse and Cafe Kablooie is not gettting it, and they could get in trouble for not paying. No he is still a bad guy, TJ is not the bad guy, Leslie is the sociopath here.

we shall see, he might be stealing from Ox, or might surprise us sometime this week by seeing him hand Ox his tips

Forget Ox, I wonder what is going to happen when his uncle finds out he’s pocketing tips. That gentleman does not appear to have much of a soft streak.

“Swiper, no swiping!”

“Opportunity, Knox!”“Under Your Nose, Over Your Shoulder And Behind Your Back”“A Bitter Pilfer, You To Take”“Why Don’t We Steal Away, Steal Away?” (♪)“Dishonor, Among Thieves”“Nice And Larceny-zy….”“Greed Expectations”

“You Can Account On Me”“Salad, And A Bad Case Of Klepto-Mein”“Bait And Switch”“Inappropriate Appropriations”“Desperate Les”or

“Take Two, You’re Small!”

Shhh, Bernice, Les probably can hear your oblivious comment over the clink of change in his pocket…

Back in Knox’s initial interview with TJ, he said he could handle money. I think we could sense back then it wasn’t as an experienced bookkeeper.

Ox will feel cheated. Wonder out loud if his service was poor. The patrons will say they DID leave a gratuity. And then it will all point back to Les. How will Mr. Gray react (after Ox reacts)?

I hope the strip is not setting the stage for Les to end up as Luann’s next victim….er, boyfriend. Please, no.

Les looks very cute in his white apron.

Part of his job is picking up the tip. It’s safer in his pocket than on a dirty plate of just in his fist where it could be dropped. And often times the busboy does get part of that tip. I’m a softy but I’m hoping he has changed.

Are there any restaurant employees who can clear this up here in this comments section?

Bernice is falling for another bad boy. The girl has “needs” that must be satisfied.

Many establishments pool their tips and split them end of shift. I don’t like giving him the benefit of the doubt, but I think I will until he’s proven guilty. He still looks mad at the world.

Interesting, how Luann spoke over Bernie there. And how her words seem so apt for Leslie Knox and his sticky fingers. I hope he doesn’t plan on cheating Oxford, because that wouldn’t be right, and we know Oxford likes things to be right….

Worked in a restaurant and heard the story of the busboy with the open zipper. He was stealing change on tips and the weight would cause his zipper to open.

Back to Les, I can’t use the term I want to since this is a family strip but it begins with a and ends with e. How it fits in with the strip development will be interesting. When OX finds out what he is doing, uh oh!! Although I bet OX will forgive him and try to help him become a better person. The difference though between a Les, and another bad dude in the strip history, Dirk, is that Dirk was a bully, and a socially inadequate abuser, who was able to really change. Les is a sociopath, so I wonder if, and if so how much he can change.

Let’s give him a chance and see what happens.

The humor in this depends in part if tips are shared with the rest of the staff or are kept solely by the busperson. After all, Ox brought them the food.

“Les is picking up things quickly, here?”

Well, He HASN’T Tried to Pick You Two Babes up yet, Has He??

That’s odd – the phrase “casting couch” suddenly popped into my head…

Ha Ha, thanks!-Alright, then!

Yeah, like pocketing the money instead of taking it to the register like he’s suppose to.

If he’s involved with the show change the headline to“The Night They Raided Minsky’s”

5From my perspective, today is meant to be a very purposefully “ambiguous” sort of day. As many have stated, it could be read that Les pocketed the tip to keep and in effect “steal” it from Ox. Others have also stated that Les may have as part of his bus boy duties, the need to pick up tips to “pool” for later distribution.Which way is Greg likely to carry this story? If Les is “pooling” the tips as part of his job, this could be the start of a redemption story arc for Les. Conversely, if Les is “stealing” the tip, then it would be the continuation of the “villian” character arc for Les. We have seen Greg have “redemption” stories of a sort in the past…. most recently that I recall with Dirk. Dirk was a horrible villain, but appears to have redeemed himself in his last appearances with a happier life and a wife and a kid.However, my opinion is that as there is a lack of “villainous” characters currently in the comic, I think it is more likely than not that Greg will pursue this as Les having stole the tip and that Les is still the “villain” he has been previously. Les’ previous display of attitude with his Uncle also suggests he is not yet on a road to “redemption”.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/scottish-birds-continue-stealing-large-amounts-of-underwearLes’s summer school

Re yesterday’s comment: I think there are some improbabilities that are too improbable even within the Luanniverse, and one of them is going to the post office simultaneously with having lunch and not being noticed doing so..That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it.

I worked in a place where the busboy was supposed to pick up the tip and then give it to the server who had the responsibility of giving part of it back to the busboy. My guess is Les won’t give the money up, or if he’s become more devious, will pretend the tip was only $1.

Ox would notice that his tips are gone after it happened 2 times. Almost everyone tips and Les could not steal more than one time from Ox.

it’s good that Les is waiting on tables and doing things that bring him in contact with people. His side profile of the face (last panel) naturally has that mean look. Hopefully the plot will focus on the talent show and we won’t have to get back into the dark side of Les. It would be good if he could have some friends.

Sometimes I feel like this comic strip needs a leaf blower to clean out the clutter. Things start and then stop. only to re-start months later. The continuity is messed up and most of the new characters, while necessary, aren’t working out. For me, the only story lines that had a little tang to them was Gunther and Rosa, and Gunther and Tiffany. Knute and Crystal were another “odd couple” with great humor potential. Les and Ann Eiffel: both distasteful turnoffs.

You’ve never really failed until you quit or dieBefore then, they’re just setbacks, no reason to cryI have my doubts but there’s still hopeLeslie might make it, he’s no dopeIf only hecan try to seehow to act nicely.Bernice may find a talent to showShe has a mind for figures, we knowAnd being a friend while making messesOf that there’s no end, that too she posesses

See…. my thought is a bit simpler…. I think that there is a traditional, old, big blue U.S. Postal Mail Box just outside The Fuse. I believe that Bernice, while eating her shared salad with Luann…. got up part way through the meal, and excused herself for a moment, went outside and deposited the tome to Gunther in the mailbox, then returned inside, went to the “Ladies Room”, washed her hands, and then came back and finished her shared salad with Luann. :)

The above was also meant in reply to Kymberleigh’s suggested scenario. :)

-I can remember a time in the real universe when I could give a letter or manila envelop to the mail carrier, along with the necessary cash, and the mail carrier would be able to add the stamps to it and put it in his or her bag. Probably not possible these days…

I think the envelope magically changed into a menu, the artist recognized it as such, and had Ox carry it away.

Now, let’s see how long it takes for anyone to wise up to Les.

I’m figuring that perhaps one of the folks in the long line could have been a mail carrier and Bernie could have decided to hand it to him, thus starting its trek to Gunther.

I’d buy that except that it was clearly established when we first saw that novella that “I have to buy more postage”..Or do mail carriers carry postage meters in the Luanniverse?

Or, Bernice propped the envelope against her chair and forgot it. Will someone else find it? Will there be something embarrassing for general release (but which the tight group of friends already knows like when Luann walked in on sprinkler soaked Gunther) mentioned in the text?

This could be a good place for Gunther to finally get a job. Why not have that happen, instead of his usual weak “romance” stories?

I have a better question..Why does Ox have “Kafe K” on his vest but Les has “K2”?.Did TJ make two different vest orders for his staff?

Les’s character is what keeps this from being an Archie retread.

DId Bernice mail or keep the letter? Oh the suspense!!

This arc is a prime example of why our strip is so darn addictive. We are debating tips, postal envelopes, the exact nature of Les, whether Ox will destroy him,, or try to make Les a good egg, and that is just for starters. This is just the genius of the strip—you read it for maybe 30 seconds in the course of your usual busy distracted, 21st century day, and it leaves you wondering, and wanting more. This is the essence of story, and we love story.

… and where is Fonzie today?Shilling for loansharks …..

Les is more.

And the aliens will assume the tome is an accurate depiction of life of Earth and fly away screaming…

Or sofa so good…

Thank you, Puzz. That is exactly right. It has been a busy day and it was all i coukd think of fast so…

“In the UK becoming a Dame is high praise indeed.”_____________________________________

“There’s nothin’ like a Daaaaaaame,”“Nothin’ in the World,”“There’s No One We can Blaaaaaaame,”“Except, of Course THAT Daaaaaaaaaame!

“Business Is Picking Up”“The Man Of Steal”"^Ha, Ha, Ha! These definitely take it!…. …er, that is…take, as in snatch the vic-… no…uh, what I mean to say, is…they’re great!

Ha, Ha, Ha"

Ha, Ha, Ha!

Ha, Ha, Ha!!

WOW! Luann is so right about Les……she better watch her purse, cellphone, and they better watch the register. and the booze.

SPOILER ALERT

Luann has finally figured out what Bernice’s entertaining ability is…

What happened to the cash on the table?