Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for July 12, 2017

What kid doesn’t adore Luann (aside from those at the day care at which she’s employed)?

This is gonna be a fun time for Puddles.

I’m glad that Toni or Brad actually talked to Nancy and Frank about taking Shannon, instead of just setting Shannon lose in their house to go find Luann. And I’m hoping Nancy is able to provide the mother figure that Shannon needs so much…

Puddles has that “save me!” look. Is this what it means to be loved to death?

Is Shannon going to be sharing Luann’s bedroom? Where is Luann ‘helping her get settled’?

And those were the last words Puddles heard before he met his untimely end.

Just don’t squeeze him like a toothpaste tube.

It looks like Nancy doesn’t have a problem with Jonah dumping his kid on everybody. This will encourage Jonah to take off even more – “Why Not!” “Mission Accomplished!” Nancy is old school: “Shannon is Family!” But this situation is clearly not right. They need to put up a united front to Jonah – telling him to do his day gig until he has enough money to pay for child care when needed.

Aw! Too much cuteness. First time ever Shannon has the love look. Either Shannon will unintentionally torture Puddles by dressing him up and all that or she will hold her all the time that Puddles loses a few pounds by the time Shannon goes home due to being unable to eat. Or Puddles will lap up all the attention he gets from Shannon since Luann grew up and gone to the university and he’s been lonely for the child she once was.

I recently read a news article to the effect that most dogs don’t like to be squeezed (although some will put up with it in deference to their owners).

Puddles might, himself, develop an impatient attitude toward Shannon if she compresses him too much.

There was a question yesterday that was unanswered when I looked while ago.

Someone wondered if Shannon’s mother’s name was Rosemary. I believe it was Argy who asked who Rosemary is.

That was a reference to the movie, Rosemary’s Baby:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary%27s_Baby_(film)

The implication is that Shannon might be an incubus (spawn of the devil). — Not my own sentiment, but some keep bringing up the possibility.

“It’s A Small Girl, After All” (♬)

“A Squeeze Play”

“For Sure- And Just Seven Minutes Ago…”

“Once Upon A Time…”

“People….Who Need People’s Dogs….” (♪)

“A Sitch, In Time, Saves Nine Bucks An Hour”

“All The World Is Jonah’s Stage…Or So He Thinks”

“When It Comes To A Jonah Arc, Everybody Gets Burned”

“Ask Not, What Your Family Can Do For You…”

“Nothing To Interfere, But Revere, Itself”

“One Small Step For Luann…One Giant ‘Leap Of Faith’ For Luann’s Kindness”

“She Has Not Yet Begun To Tighten”

or

“A Puzzles Wrapped In An Enigma….Stuffed Into A Mystery- Then, Deep Fried In Oreo Crumbs…And Squeezed A Lot, Onto A Full Plate”

Ahhhh….sweet ageless Puddles. Let’s see, Luann had Puddles when she was a pre-teen, and she must finally be nearing 20. Puddles in human years must be at least 10. Be careful with doggie, Shannon, you might hurt him. We don’t see Puddles much anymore, glad he’s still around.

Puddles…he’s the only non-evolving dog in this strip.

If Shannon squeezes to hard, she’ll find out how Puddles got his name.

Shannon Demanding to “Keep Puddles” in 3…,2…,1.

And I wouldn’t squeeze “your dog” too Hard, “kid.”

Puddles just had His Teeth Sharpened…..,

The characters all aged but Puddles didn’t. He must be one old dog by now.

I have an answer to this, make Jonah pay for Luann taking care of Shannon. This should be standard practice instead of everyone simply incentivizing him to dump the kid.

This poor child is bounced around like a ping pong ball! Someone just take her, keep her, love her!

And so Shannon temporarily takes up residence in the DeGroot household (in Luann’s room, since Pru is staying in Brad’s?). Is this the start of Shannon’s becoming “the new Luann”, as the strip moves away from focusing on the college cast and back to its kid-centered comfort zone?

Luann should take her to visit Tiffany!

Done w this boring Shannon “filler”. Done reading this trip till Sunday. Hopefully Shannon will be gone.

Yes Luann, from a kid’s point of view, you rank a distant second to a dog!

Why didn’t they just have TJ look after Shannon?

@KENHENSE: If I am remembering correctly, Nancy was NOT happy when Jonah dropped Shannon off all by herself to ‘rehearse’ with whatever total strangers might be available at The Fuse. But at this point, it is not Jonah who is asking Nancy and Frank for her help. It is Nancy’s own son and daughter-in-law, so that makes it a different situation…

Luann: “Careful, Shannon! Don’t squeeze him TOO hard! If you do, his pee will come out like a water pistol! Ya’ know his name IS PUDDLES!”

That is the first time you really see Shannon happy. Really happy.

…I wonder if anybody will go and check up on what Jonah is really doing…he may not have a gig at all…

THAT DOES IT FOR ME. I’m FINISHED WITH THIS IRRITATING THREAD. WE’VE BEEN FED THIS BRAT FOR TWO WEEKS. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I’LL CHECK IN ON THIS IN A FEW WEEKS AND HOPE THIS ROTTEN KID IS GONE.

yeah, yeah, you keep telling us that. But day after day you come back.

OK Greg, enough! What’s going on with Gunther & Tiff? Or how about some more Brad & Toni under the sheets?

Is she going to love him, and squeeze him and name him “George”?

This sweet family, Nancy, Frank, Luann, will all pitch in and do right by Shannon. Puddles will survive, with a bit of coaching from Luann. Will Jonah pull this stunt again? Probably, but we can only hope Toni will give him the low-down on how it will be in the future once he returns, and we all know he will return.

BTW, why don’t we all start ignoring GS4ever? He’s as immature, if not more so, than Shannon and is feeding off the attention. Leave this group? Oh heck no! He’s enjoying it, just like Shannon.

Puddles seems…. what’s the word…. “bemused.” Yeah, that’s the ticket. Or maybe just clueless.

Shannon’s obvious joy at seeing Puddles raises another issue. She might decide she wants her own dog. Of course, Jonah will agree, because he won’t be around most of the time to worry about the care and feeding of the dog. This would create another complication when Shannon is dumped on Toni and Brad with no advance warning, though, because it might be possible to find a babysitter, but not as easy to find a babysitter AND dog walker…

My two cents for what it’s worth. I never had kids (by choice). The kid seems HAPPY. She loves the dog. She’s bright, creative, great imagination. In other words, she’s a CHALLENGE. She’s not one of those little girls that’s content to sit in a corner quietly — she wants action!

How many steps is she removed from a legal guardian now?

continuity error : the black jar on the dresser is now on the opposite side of the lamp!

At what point does Toni stop enabling her brother?

Why didn’t TJ keep her at their home? I thought that was part of the purpose of B&T living with TJ. Anyway, I’m glad to see Luann and Nancy.

I don’t mean to be a wet blanket…. Well maybe I do. But this comic strip, like most comics are BASED on dysfunction, where the few mostly functional characters struggle with the absurdities of dysfunctional relationships in domestic/career/friendship/romance environments. It’s okay, keep ‘em coming, it’s good to share the analysis, but don’t ever expect dysfunction to be gone from our favorite fictions, or less-than-favorite realities.

Pets are a kid magnet and Puddles has experience with children since Luann and Brad had him while growing up. I notice Shannon has lots of stuffed animals and no dolls. I was like that… no baby dolls, only animals.

Shannon, the Heartbreak Kid

Has the absence of Shannon’s mother ever been explained in the strip? Did she just vanish? Is she dead? What is the story there? Also, why doesn’t it seem to have occurred to Luann’s parents or to Brad and Toni to simply apply to be Shannon’s guardians? Jonah is clearly never going to stop being a flake-a charming, talented flake, but a flake nonetheless, so why would they let this unstable and potentially child-damaging situation continue?

Only a cameo from Pru? I’m disappointed.

I can’t find the message now, but someone astutely noted how Shannon is SMILING! It’s nice to see, isn’t it? Children DO want guidance and structure as it does help reinforce something good for them.

What should (and hopefully will) happen is that the DeGroots (Nancy, Frank, B&T, and Luann) have a family meeting, realize the issues involved, and confront the source – being Jonah – and spell it out to him to either mend his ways, or inform him that there will be some changes made.

anyway, I’m glad Puddles’ “brown-eye” ailment has cleared up and he’s healthy! Tomorrow: more adventures in Shannon-land !!

Welcome to your New Life as a (temporary) Assistant Surrogate Mom, Luann! Can you dig it?

Puddles, run! Run for the hills as soon as Shannon lets loose of you!

It’s a shame Jonah can’t play Blanche du Bois; when it comes to his daughter, he’s always relied on the kindness of others.

they should get a cop friend who moonlights as a p.i. to follow Jonah to see what he is up to. that would make for one interesting arc. I’m sure I’m not the only one that wants to unmask Jonah.

Somebody put WD-40 on Greg’s revolving door. Shannon has moved from Brad and Toni to Luann and Pru, and on to Nancy and Puddles. Tiffany might get sucked in at the day care center, but never, never, never Gunther. He could stand kids for about as long as I could.

In some sort of defence of Jonah – he’s not leaving Shannon alone in the house. He’s not pawning her off on some stranger he picked up off the street. He’s obviously taking fairly good care of her when he has her. He’s taking her to family, where he knows she’ll be loved and cared for. He’s too young to have a full-time child, and I think he knows that. So he’s doing the best he can, while still trying to live his own life. It’s not what many of us would choose to do, but it’s his choice. Shannon is obviously not being abused in any way, even though her upbringing is perhaps less than ideal. She’s certainly capable of love and affection, and she’s not mean. I, for one, like this particular story arc. It’s the real deal for many families.

On a separate note, is there any way to get notified if someone replies to one’s post? I can’t figure out how.

I suppose it is possible that Jonah will return home with a theater groupie girlfriend on whom he will dump poor Shannon Daytona.