Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for October 18, 2018

Guess it is Irma and Al to the – uh – rescue?

AH, THERE You See? The first Damn Time Al actually talks to Gunther on Strip an he is about to YELL at Him! I was Right.

Now, How much You wanna bet that Step-Daddy Al will either hold Gunther totally responsible for the whole thing or completely take Les’ side? That was a really “Swell” idea you had there, Al. Putting two guys that HATE each other, together in a “tool shed.”

YES, Irma. By all means, you bring that strudel right over, and don’t forget the cream! Your “boys” are running out of “ammunition.”

Gee-Bus…….,

oh, Al is SO going to give his nephew and stepson a piece of his mind

The new bride is flashing her wedding ring! We need a close-up shot of that please, Greg – and deets. Surely you can work that into the story line?

Don’t bring over a strudel. They’ll just use it for ammo.

stop it Irma! let them fight it off. and put it on speaker so Hitch can hear them!

And it’s… Al to the rescue! Our rescue, that is. It looks like the past three weeks or so were all an elaborate set-up to endear Al to us (or is that us to Al?) by giving Al a chance to rescue us from this interminable story line. Go get ‘em, Al!

man the clean up is going to be fun!

Al, you look stern/grumpy—surely you expected this! Better brew some coffee to go with that strudel, Irma, ‘cuz it’s gonna be a long night.

It would have been so interesting for this situation if Tiffany had stopped off at the Grey’s after walking out on the dinner date.

Irma – Don’t address everything with FOOD !

Al wears his suit at home? Talk about straitlaced. Stuffed shirt. Formal. Anyway, strudel will not solve anything but satisfy a sweet tooth, Irma. Turn over the phone to Al. Gunther was always a good kid to Irma so she has no idea how to handle a pair of fighting kids.

Gunther, go out and make a fortune supplying the two things today’s people want most—good food and a computer that works. Name your price and move into your own apartment. Less will sabotage any date you bring to your present “home”, no matter who she is.

Mr. Gray is a straight laced no nonsense man. He’s gonna straighten this situation out and fast. I suspect he’s gonna think Les started this lil skirmish but will still say “listen boys, you’re both adults and i expect you to act like one. The time for kids games is over and it’s time you grow up. I don’t care who actually started this fight but i’m ending it. You two need to get over whatever childishness problem you’re dealing with or i’m kicking you both out.”

One way for this to go: With Al on the speaker, both Gunther & Les are shouting their side of the thing to him. Al calmly replies, “Neither of you are ready for a woman,” and then Al hangs up. The last frame would show a grim faced Gunther and Les sitting in their bean bag chairs, eating what’s left of the food.

Irma food is not the answer you need to let the boys fight it out.

I’ve been off the comments for a while so I have a few things to put out there.1. Leslie is being sleazy and disgusting. Plain and simple. He ought to realize he’s going to try a lot harder and do a bit more to win Tiffany over.

2. Gunter is an overprotective jerk. The guy needs to realize that Tiffany can make her own choices and look out for herself. He feels sort of dad-like…as if he can’t stand that his little girl isn’t a little girl anymore. If Gunter had real confidence he could take on the challenge of competing with another man.

3. The only person I’m rooting for is Tiffany. She can do better than either of those clowns. If it was done right this would be the classic Betty and Veronica dynamic except gender swapped. This is just sad. I’m rooting for Tiffany to get a third guy…the sort of person she can learn she doesn’t have to pretend to be anything. That would be good for her and would finish her daddy issue arc nicely.

4. Did they call each other things like “weenie” and “jerk?” I know it’s a family strip but they could at least try.

Big Al, known in some circles as Al the Silencer, is about to offer them a deal they can’t refuse.

And that shed. It looks like it was a state fair hot dog shack in a previous life.

Jeeze-Louise! I have restrained myself, but this is just a comic. Everyone calm down!

Ok. Three weeks with two of this strips least likable characters? Enough already. Les is a thug and Gunther a dweeb. This is just plain boring. Did Luann move in with Mary Worth? Brad and Tony relocate to Gasoline Alley? Dick Tracy and Liz adopt Shannon? Alley Oop destroy the Fuse? Where is everyone?

Al, the controller, handing out orders.

If Tiffany were to come back, those two yokels would calm down in front of her. In a way, I hope she never comes back to the shed, she doesn’t need either of those two.

Was finally able to get my avatar back after the shenanigans. Diligence pays off.

Ruh-rohhh,,, Al “Capone” Gray gonna step up and “handle” them boys, huh?

Time for separate quarters…..

Please, Please enforce Thunder Dome rules,

Oh, Allllfie! You can be so forceful! [Giggle]

I believe The Hammer is about to fall! A strong male presence (dare I say father figure) in this milieu is just what these two need! The problem, as I see it, is whether Greg and/or Karen is capable of writing such a character. More on this later.

I know what you’re gonna say, “What about Frank?” Frank comes across as the benign, all-wise, steady, coach model. (Like Jim Anderson the 50s TV show Father Knows Best. If anyone remembers.) Look at the way Luann handled Jack at the dog park and the way she relates to Fay. Just like Frank would have. I believe this is Greg’s ’toon father image.

The problem is there aren’t any strong male figures in this strip – besides Al. He has “reigned in” Les a couple of times in the past then provided non-violent advise to him in dealing with his mother. Can he provide a behavioral model and relationship advice that Gunther can assimilate? AND, as I stated above. can GnK write such a script???

Grey is worse than a fifties tv show with that suit. Can’t he change into a sweater in his own home?

Finally Al will do something!

Pity one of the two “boys” does not grow up and join the military. It would be sort of neat to show a story of one of the two in Iraq or Afghanistan. Heck, a tour in Korea would be a nice change of pace.

so we know learn that mom is still living in the main house.gunther has no reason to like or respect mr gray, putting him on a speaker phone will not have the same affect on him that it would on les.

“Necessity Is The Mother Of Intervention”

“We’re So Sorry, Uncle Al-bert” (♩)

“If You Don’t Call Us….We’ll Call You! " (♪)

“Never A Strudel Moment, Round Here!”

“Boys, I Have A Special Set Of Skills… "

“Reach Out And Clutch Someone!” (♩)

“You Give Me A Racket… I’ll Deliver The Elbow!”

or

“Who’s Up For A Game Of Squabble!?”

So, Gunther is Will Ferrell and Les is John C. Reilly?

Going to be trouble if he yells at her Gunthie.

Dude, you’re at home. You can take off the suit and tie.

they need to let the two boys figure it out from themselves.

Mr. Gray to the responsible adult rescue

That guesthouse roof looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright design – guaranteed to leak like all his other roof designs.

Al will stop the battle but not the war. One of these guys need to go. And Irma, quit being the enabler for your Gunthie.

“Kids! Keep it down. You’re scaring off the burglars!”

Mr. Gray is going to let the BOTH have it. Not sure how much it will really help in the long run though. You can’t FORCE people to like or respect each other. They have to find their own way.

It’s sometime after 8 pm, he’s hanging out at home…. and Al is still wearing his grey suit! Maybe he should have skipped the whole “build a guest house” thing and instead used the money to purchase some other clothes.

I’ve seen the Limited Wardrobe trope used plenty of times before, but not for only one character. What’s the reasoning behind that?

Al is going to speak to the boys? Now it’s getting interesting!

3

Having someone (anyone) move into this arc is likely an improvement. Irma and Al…. well… I hope Al is firm and definitive…. because this is foolish. Yet, it feels rather pathetic for both of them to have to be scolded by their “father-esque figure” at their age…. especially due to noise that is loud enough to be heard in another building.

“Weenie” and “Bully”?!?!?!?! These are not exactly the sorts of phrases I would anticipate from a very heated argument from ~20 year olds. Those terms would be more akin to what they might jokingly state to each other….. but they are not joking.

One cuss word is implied…. to me it would have seemed more realistic if the whole noisy panel had been filled with the time-honored comic tradition of having cuss words look like…. (^!#@ or %$#@@ etc.

It may be interesting to see how it goes tomorrow. I hope so!

The Fixer Cometh

Comments may be made about ol’ Al, but, he will be fixing this one and fast!

I am reminded of this:

Grey’s Law is a less-known corollary of Hanlon’s Razor, which imitates the form of Clarke’s Third Law. It states that:

“Any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice.”

(And yes, I know the spelling of ‘Grey’ is different from Al Gray’s name…) :)

Maybe Greg should have another clothing contest … to pick “casual wear” for Al Gray.

I think Mr Gray will fix this. He looks angry, but I bet he doesn’t yell. I think he’ll probably know just what to say/do to shut it down.

Does anyone else think it’s strange that the two idiots stopped fighting so Gunth could answer his phone? Really? That’s all it took, a call from Smother-Mother?

Gunther: “Yes, Mom! Bring the strudel !! I used all of Les’ bundt cake in the fray! NEED … MORE … AMMO !!”

Stand by. The casino boss has a few words for you two.

Notice – Al said “our boys”. Very nice.

Behave or gonna get your legs broke

Al should deal with Les and let Irma deal with her son. In blended families the main parent sets the rules with her child and the step parent helps enforce them. Al needs to back down when it comes to Gunther.

Mr. Grey is about to take Control!

I’m glad Mr. Gray is fully dressed. He is the type who looks better wearing more clothes. Can you imagine Gray shirtless? Or in a swimsuit? Yuck!

Mr. Gray is ready to lay down the law and these two feuding clowns are about to get a visit from one of his “associates”…

So Mr Gray will very quickly put an end to this fight. IMPO Gunthie" needs to grow up anyway, time to cut momma’s apron strings

After seeing the way Gunther acted last week, I don’t think there are any “nice guys” in this strip. Well, except for the Ox. And the only nice girl is Tiffany. Hmmm – The Ox and Tiffany. The perfect “nice” couple.

Tiffany: Get thee to Ox. He’s better for you.

Interesting (to me) new thoughts:

Al is asking to be put on Speaker Phone. But that does not change that (presumed) Gunther is listening in the traditional fashion (phone receiver to ear). If Gray is as angry and potentially blustery as he seems at the moment… he will in effect only be yelling at Gunther.

So:

1. Is Al meaning to yell ONLY at Gunther? Or does he mean to yell at both idiots (Les and Gunther)?

2. Regardless of what Al is meaning to do…. how will Gunther react to being the ONE being yelled at? Will he turn on the speaker phone himself to have Les hear? Will he become sullen and more angry at Al?

3. If the idiot’s (Les and Gunther’s) fight notches up further…. or if Gunther turns his anger now to Al for yelling at him…. how might Irma respond?!?!!?

Mommie and Unkie to the rescue!

Does Al Gray’s intervention mean that we have only 2 more days of this story arc? (Please????)

Go Mr. Gray!

Please, both boys just leave. What’s his name will need a place to stay when Shannon moves in with her aunt and uncle. What’s his name again… PJ? DJ? Whatever. Just please stop this insipid odd couple storyline

I think this is time for Mr. Gray’s input. Irma wants to treat them like they’re a couple of 10 year olds having a squabble. I hope Mr. Gray will lay down the law that it’s time for the boys to act like adults. Since they’re getting free room and board, it’s not too much to ask. Also, since Les has a full-time job and doesn’t go to school, he really needs to shape up and quit acting like a leach, a lecher and a bully. Gunther is part of the marriage pact with Irma, she was helping Gunther go to college by providing room and board while he’s in school on scholarship and helps out by working at tutoring and such; she would not stop that in order to get married. She and Gunther were happy together, but Gunther didn’t want to hold her back at finding long-term happiness with Mr. Gray. Gunther is keeping more of his part of the deal, but he needs to either move on with or without Tiffany, and control his jealousy with Les. IF Les shapes up and Gunther still can’t move forward, then Gunther will need to move out on his own, maybe go into the dorms as a RA for free room. If Les doesn’t shape up, than he needs to be given the boot out and learn to pay his own way.

⇧ “Interesting (to me)”

only to you, trust me…

Excuse me, Mr. Yankovic, we have another Weird Al trying to steal your thunder.

Al Gray makes a move! Not on Irma. Well, the Gulag is a pretty noisy place this night. Sic ’em, Al!

How old are Les and Gunther? 21? 22? They are grown men! They don’t need Al or Gunther’s mom to solve this problem!

I am a bit upset because again I made a comment about 5:30 am Central Standard Time and its nowhere here. I wonder if somebody is deleting them, if that is possible, or maybe the fault is mine. Basically Al seems to recognize that this is an issue that needs to be firmly dealt with with both Gunther AND Les, and not just Gunther as Irma does. He said “our boys” her response to go hold HER son’s hands, not recognizing this is an argument, and he asks, basically orders her to put his comments on speakerphone. Whether she does that or not, and how she responds or reacts to his conversation with them, if she does, will show how their relationship is going, and how his MALE father kind of direction is something these boys plainly need. I am very curious to see if this is anywhere near where Greg and Karen are going here. If it is, then all this buildup was worth it.

UH-OH!!! Mr. Grey is about to smack those kids over the phone!!!

I honestly don’t know why anyone thought it would be a good idea for these two to live together. Didn’t Gunther have a dorm room? Why did he give it up to room with Les?