Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for November 13, 2017

Luann that’s really sad, you just admitted that you don’t have anything exciting in your life. That’s just really sad. Even if your life isn’t exciting you could at least think of something you could do

Sounds like $40 won’t get Luann and Tara anywhere.

I like how the 3rd panel’s background gets darker as if it was a sad realization that luann is not exciting

Four Panels Again.

Congratulations, Luann!

You’ve just “Officially” become Tara’s Next “Project.”

Get Ready to be dragged Kicking and Screaming into the “Fun Zone….,”

Oh Tara. Luann is the protagonist of a comic strip which means that all of her friends are insanely fun and she just reacts to them.

Tara – ask Luann what she thinks is an insanely fun thing she might do.

Luann has just acknowledged a void of fun and excitement in her life. Bernice has the same problem, and they haven’t been the kind of stimuli to help each other out of that rut.

Tara, it seems, is exactly the medicine that Luann needs. And at this point, Luann is responding very positively. Expect these two to go a long way together, and generate a lot more footage in the strip. Luann will be profoundly changed, and will never be the same.

I think she wants more archery fun. So she’s paying for the next round.

This feels more like a week ending closer than an opening strip.

Wow Greg. I never realized before that it was possible to rewrite the classic unanswerable question,

“Have you stopped beating your wife?”

Just realized Tara’s lips are the exact same color as her hair.

I’ve had friends like this – they do impulsive things and expect you to pick up the tab. Luann is not equipped to handle people like this.

This may get kinky….

Sigh…another week of Luann and Tara. I predict Tara will then ask about Luann’s boring life and listen to her confession of a dull life. While listening, Tara begins to wonder why she’s even friends with Luann and that she might have been too quick to befriend her before knowing anything about her. Toward the end of the week, Tara will devise a plan to dump her.

Some people have compared Tara’s personality to Pru.

Pru is an actress and Tara is an archer, but they both are talented at getting their points across.

A moment of self-awareness for Luann. Let’s see if it inspires her to change herself, or if she’s satisfied with not having any excitement in her life (which isn’t a knock against her, as nobody should feel forced to do crazy stuff if they don’t really want to).

So many new characters! What ever happened to Delta, Knute and Crystal?

About 18 months ago, the Evanses had Pru encouraging Luann to expand her horizons with the New York trip, and also see the link below.

http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2016/04/28

But that theme kind of settled into the background for a while. Now, Tara is taking the reigns on that theme for the present.

I would be angry to find out I skipped class and now had to pay $40. It would have been nice to be told ahead of time that there was a cost and what that would be. $40 is pretty steep. And that’s an introductory offer? This is an expensive activity!

How about going for a new haircut? Luann has worn her hair the same way since high school.

“I got nothing but cash.”

Why does Luanne have to pay? Tara invited her and never said anything about Luanne having to pay for lessons.

The only way this arc has any chance of being interesting is if Tara meets Les…

I guess there’s no chance in taking Tara to NYC, Lu, to show her around…not enough money for transfers…..

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Though you could be daring enough to take Tara to some public restrooms, and touch all the fixtures and handles that you could handle!

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But, I’m sure you can think of something, Lu!  …Just as long as you don’t make any suggestions involving sharks, motorcycles, ramps or pools….

looks like archery is the tamest thing Tara does. Hope it doesn’t lead to something dangerous. Lu is fine the way she is. far more fun than Borenice, for sure!

I’m not so hot over Archie’s sister anymore.

“The Arc Of A Diver-sion”  (♩)

“Fumble, At The Forty”

“Sudden Wild Pitch”

“I’ve Had The Time Of Your Life”

“Just A Small Town Girl….” (♪)

“Born To Be Mild” (♬)

“We’re Two Golden Archers!”

“One Target, And You’ve Hit The Wal-Mark”

“A Bullseye In A Chinet Shop”

“I Missed Again!….I Think I Missed, Again….” (♪)

“One Strike, And You’re Out”

“A Fee?… Fie!… For Fun!…”

“One Girl’s Thrash Is Another Girl’s Impossible Meaaure”

“(Feeling Like) A One Trick Pony, In A One Horse Town”

“Pay Load”

or

“For Forty Dollars More” (♩)

meanwhile……..

Panel one about sums up her love life.

Take her to the library and let her read to the kids.orTake her to the Fuse and show her how to stage design.

I don’t think Tara will take the $40 from Luann – she already worked it out with the archery guy that this shoot was “on the house” and she seems to have turned over a new leaf and become a decent (and hopefully honest) person since the earlier theft incident. The whole point of the archery exercise was for Tara to give Luann a fun experience, not to hook her as a client.

Luann could treat Tara to 12 slurpees with Bernice.

Obviously, Bio Lab is not insanely fun.

The significance of the $40 charge is not clear, but it does not mean that Luann is boring, or bored, or has no life. After all the strip is about Luannverse. Lets see where this goes, which is something I always end up saying, and since this is Monday it will go somewhere. The arc straddled the weekend, so that makes it important.

Insane fun is doing something over and over again without any enjoyment.

Evanses seem to be trying to get Luann to the level of maturity in which she can have fun outside the context of a date. I applaud, but probably dull for many to read about. Next item, join the Mooney U. Chess Club. Real whacko bird fun to steal from Sen. McCain.

Forty bucks for thirty six arrows???

Probably the most adventurous things Luann has done have been going to NY (and getting thrown out of a night club – say, they could do that in Pittsville) and getting involved in theatre. Tara and Luann could audition for a show together or volunteer for a behind the scenes job at a local production.

5

Several pipe and coffee break ideas come to my mind about today’s comic:

1. Luann is obviously feeling her own life is dull in comparison to Tara’s. But, for me I suspect it is more a reflection of timing more than anything. Luann may be in a bit of a “lull”, but IMO lulls help you to have some time to THINK about what you do want to do… and what you want to become. So, I would like to see Luann use this time to think and explore for HERSELF…. but also not simply go wherever and whenever to whatever with whomever she things is being “exciting”.

2. Perhaps it is more a “California” thing… but $40 seems a bit steep for a morning of archery practice…. especially for a newbie. (Just checked prices in my region…. yes, a lot cheaper. It must be a CA thing.)

3. I do very much like the Tara character. I look forward to more of their interactions. I wonder, though, what it may be like when Tara, Luann, and Bernice eventually (probably?) meet up?

4. Now, the other question I am wondering about…. is… will Greg have this arc also end up having Luann (or Tara, or both) performing poorly on a future biology exam due to their skipping the “group activity/study” event last week? My prediction…. probably not….. Greg has not really focused much on “grades” since college started…. other than a minor glimpse or two in the Professor Zebo art classes.

I would like to see Luann take up judo, rediscover her singing, discover an academic interest that awakens her, and find a comedy improv club.

There used to be an organization in San Francisco in the late 70’s early 80’s called the Suicide Club that used to do borderline risky endeavors like explore abandoned buildings at night as well as spontaneous street theatre and pranks – you can google for more. I think something like this would have been perfect for Luann and Tara.

Now, we know why Tara might have a stealing problem. It costs money to indulge her archery habit.

Forty dollars? Hell I’ve bought compound bows for less, and the arrows are reusable.

I think Tara will be bad news for Luann. Tara is a leader, not a follower. She is the type to lead other people into trouble. At first she seems fun and exciting to Luann, but later there will be more dangerous, risky adventures.

It takes us a while to get to where Evanses are going (like Les and mommy dearest), but they might be doing an arc where each gal has something to teach the other one. Those are the best relationships.

Don’s ripping folks off…

Tara made the mistake of using Luann’s superlative. It doesn’t have to be ‘insanely fun’. Now Luann is going to be ripping her hair wondering why there isn’t anything ‘insanely fun’ in her life. Tara simply spent the afternoon teaching Luann a skill that she has. She was sharing a part of herself. Does Luann have any special skills? Can’t she do the same for Tara?

Luann could take Tara for some insanely fun bowling. Or give her an acting lesson. Not that Tara needs any more self confidence. How about just take Tara to the day care and let her observe the fun there.

At least being a public school teacher is EMOTIONALLY rewarding…Honestly, almost every female (and most male) friends I have have some sort of self promoting side hustle for cash, especially in college. You go on meetup and you’ll see all kinds of classes for cash including archery. Tara was nice enough to offer the first for free to Luann, but really, let confident self promoting Tara and financially savvy Tiff (she’s already started a online makeup site) start a business together. It might actually impress Tiffs daddy who like many business people has a rather negative view of college (justifiably, he is paying for it).

Should also mention formal academic environments don’t seem to bring out the best in Tara, unlike Luann & Bernice. College isn’t for everyone, and both Tiff and Tara seem to not be thriving in academia, so why not at least let them stop spending cash for textbooks and make some cash instead? And please, Tara, don’t try to fix Luann. If she likes what she’s got she’s not your problem to “teach” how to have fun. Go find someone else to hang with who is more your speed and you CAN have insane fun with. No reason to make your life dull to “save” Luann. You’ve already shown Luann the fun door, but you can’t make her walk through it.

Tara simply looks disappointed more than anything. Likely, she’ll turn it around (politely) with a “C’mon Luann! There’s gotta be SOMETHING!!” approach…

Kinda High-End archery range Don is running there, to judge from that “first timer special” price!

Sad that Luann can’t think of anything in her life that is insanely fun to do, But such it is. Tara may have to lure Lu into yet another something new and daring and maybe dangerous….

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I wonder about Tara’s expression in the last panel. I think she wants to have Luann as a friend. Is she upset that Luann is turning down her offer… that Luann is willing to pay $40 to not have to think of some way to spend time with her?