Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for March 06, 2019

Tara is right, Luann, watch out! ;-)

I believe Homer and Marge Simpson had this kind of discussion when naming their baby son: Louis would become “Screwy Louie” and among another things (which I don’t remember) until Marge suggested Bart; no rhyming insults came to mind for Homer.

Fanny? Did someone call?

lol Tara, and Luann watch out!!!!

I can see using double-stapling as an excuse to talk to her. But we haven’t seen the behavior that Jack is describing yet from Howie.

Howie is obviously a nut. Calling Luann up to complain about two staples is not in the ball park. Gunther as a TA would not do that. Luann should display minimal courtesy toward Howie with nothing encouraging.

Being English, for a moment when I read the potential playground insult in the last panel my eyes bugged; and then I remembered that ‘fanny’ in America means something else…

“Some Guys never grow past that.” Like YOU, Jack? ;)

Jeeze. Talk about “Judgmental.” I’m kinda surprised at both Jack and Luann here. Tara doesn’t surprise Me. But I am a bit taken aback especially at Jack. I Mean, making swipes at Howie just because he’s “different?” Does Jack even KNOW the guy well enough to make that judgement call?

You know, one could take one look at Jack and compare him to a knuckle dragging, cave dwelling chest thumping, missing link or something. But THAT would be “mean.”

If I didn’t know better I’d swear that Jack was belittling Howie just to make himself look good in Luann’s eyes.

Jack should relax, in any event. His REAL “Competition” ain’t Howie, but might be this “Gunther” guy that he hasn’t met yet.

Still, I’m seeing some ever so tiny cracks in Jack’s “Nice Guy Armor.”

Howie seems to have low openness to experience. People with low openness to experience tend to be enjoy close-minded, literal and enjoy having a routine. This would explain why the teachers aid position is in his comfort zone, unlike Luann, Jack, and Tara.

It seems to me that Jack is being drawn the same way as when he was introduced into the strip. It seems like the last arc or two he appeared in, he didn’t have quite that somewhat “goofy look”. See the arc beginning at: https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2018/12/11?ct=v&cti=415394 and https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2018/12/04?ct=v&cti=415394 .

I always wondered why so many stupid boys bugged me at school. I dealt with it by whooping their asses. Never got into trouble, either. :D

Doofuses to the left of her, doofuses to the right of her, doofuses in front of her, doofuses everywhere …

Dang! I shouldn’t have flattened that girl in 2nd grade!

“Alley Oop” makes a great observation there…

Let the shipping commence!

Jack doing his Gene Simmons impression.

I want to see Luann and Jack together. I think they would make a cute couple.

Of course “Some guys never grow past that.” This whole strip is about people who still act as if they were in junior high or high school. The whole “Bernice schemes to make Gunther pursue Tiffany so that he wouldn’t interrupt her own plans to be alone with Piro without her actually having to just ask Piro out on a date” was pure eighth-grade note-passing-in-study-hall stuff, as is so much else of what these people still do, even though they are legally adults.

Howie probably set up a fake profile on Date Pic and swiped right on Luann…

hey…it’s a comic strip. these people aren’t real. chill

….stick stack nanny, tee legged ti legged bow legged Luannie!

I like Tara and Jack. Maybe they should get together and spin off into a different comic. Smart winners can be as interesting and funny as pathetic losers.

I thought to be ok with Jack, however; now nah I hope howie gets a date with Luann making Jack forever in the friend zone lol. And Jack its call don’t judge a book by its cover.

It’s a cartoon folks, nothing more, nothing less. Mindless morning entertainment hardly worth analyzing.

I use to do that and let me tell you it doesn’t work.

So, Howie must be a school instructor. Of what? The only one I remember is the art guy.

Jack is seriously drawn in retro-style. He’s definitely regressed to as he was drawn in art class. What’s with that, Greg??? :o(

He is a weird control freak. Watch out, Luann! Run!!!

Some here have mentioned the strip Luann of being stuck in ‘high school mentality’. You think we may be going backward a wee bit here in that regard?…

I am hoping that Howie doesn’t become an ongoing ‘staple’ of sorts around here … him as a brief, intermittent character, that’s more than enough for me!

I can recall high school kids being permitted to take classes at community colleges (and sometimes at universities when very advanced). What if Howie is not someone who is terribly socially awkward and a very late bloomer, but instead really IS a kid of 14 or 15 who is just a few years socially late in development who has a puppy crush on Luann?

Howie – word to the wise – when choosing a Stephen Root character as a role model, choose Jimmy James from NewsRadio, not Milton from Office Space.

http://i2.indiewire.com/images/uploads/i/milton1.jpg

Remember TeaFanny? I always have made the case that in my mind that she is really Karen in pseudonym, as I did with Ringo, as being a pseudonym for Greg. I am more convinced that ever in this set of panels, which is hilarity ensues, but is silly magnified. I mean Tara actually said “Luanny, Granny, Fanny”? I rest my case.

I see Howie is drawn as ridiculously short just like Elwood was, just to highlight how unsuitable he is for our heroine. Evans really doesn’t seem to like short people very much, since a lower-than-average height is always reserved for “freaks, creeps and geeks” in this strip.

4

While the “Howie” arc is a bit odd…. the things that I am noticing are:

1. Luann does not seem to be completely “put off” by the thought that Howie may “like” her.

2. Jack seems to be exhibiting just a little, tiny bit of jealousy here… suggesting he wants Luann to like him more than just friends.

3. Tara’s contribution today was rather, IMO superfluous.

On the subject of a T.A. and Howie. Because Tara and Luann were both asked to be a T.A. by the instructor, it strongly suggests that Howie is just another kid in the Chem class. This is a fairly different dynamic than are the more common GRADUATE STUDENT type of T.A. many folks have mentioned. Most likely, Howie’s sole role as T.A. is to collect papers (hence the staple rule that he (or the instructor) may have initiated), and possibly to grade the easier to grade aspects of some of them.

I still hope Jack and Luann end up together.

I just don’t see the jealousy aspect of Jack’s explanation that some here appear to read into it.

Jack is actually pretty funny with his expression.

Howie is a member of the “Future Garden Gnomes of America.” Leave him alone.

Jack’s theory seems really possible. And I love the goofy face that Jack does, it’s adorable.

So, Howie is a bit OCD ?

Uh, you three people? Howie is standing right there, about 5 feet away from you. Is he hearing-challenged?

Thank you, Tara. We needed that.

Apparently, Tara is the official Comic Relief for this arc….

wasn’t “Luanny Granny Fanny” the next big hit for New Delhi Monkey Gang after their number 1 smash “You’re So Party, Let’s Go Dancey”?

Poor little fellow.