Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for July 28, 2020

Missing ingredient Bernice?

I’m probably alone in this, but I miss Ann Eiffel already…

Already sounding like sisters.

Best buds …

And so the strip regresses 25 years.

Anyone else want to see a flashback on how they met or is it just me?

That old saw, “How do best friends become worst enemies?” Easy answer. They become roommates.

I would not mind seeing more justice served upfor Ann. After all we had to suffer through so much injustice that was stressful. So hopefully she goes to jail for scams and there is so much more drama to be had. Just let it be rewarding drama.

you know it’s funny how friends can have the stupidest fights and this is one, i’ve even had pointless arguments myself with friends like this and like Nancy said like Family

oh, they’re going to be fine rommates

TIFF! LES! COME BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!

They remind me of the scene in Gigi where Maurice Chevalier and Hermineone Gingold (spelling?) remonise about their past.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Ann get a little comeuppance, but only a few days or a week’s worth. And only after a break. We’ve had enough nasty for now. Wouldn’t mind a look-in at Toni and Brad. The nice people.

Ahhh, silly little arguments. As long as they don’t fight over serious stuff! Like a boy! Haaa

Poor Pru! She came to this town to put on a show for the Groots for free, yet SHE had to pay rent anyway! Even before the Groots went into debt, for some weird reason! Now Nancy has a job in the business she owns. Um, who’s paying her? LOL. Anyway Bernice doesn’t have to pay a dime for rent, yet certain readers think Luann (but not the spoiled Gunther) owes her parents rent? Seriously? Weeeeeeeird.

Maybe Bernice will help Luann with some life skills.

Nancy said it all. Now, will you Bernice haters shut up?

Nancy said it best!!!

This could be dreadfully dull unless the kids coming in are really kids, as in young goats.

The past: All that s*** never goes away…

I think Bernice, who is being nitpicky, is wrong here. I was 9, turning 10, when I was in the third grade.

I wonder if Bernice is Luann’s best bud or the twin sister she never had.;-D

I know the strip has changed a lot when I enjoy Tiffany’s storylines way more than Luann. I already miss Tiffany v.v

So it seems that Bernice, after all the shrieking fearfulness last week has settled herself into her usual comfortable role of being the insufferable, snarky lady dog to Luann’s goofy puppy.

Oh, joy.

With regard to today’s strip, perhaps Bernice will at some points in life learn it is more important to be grateful than to be right, but I won’t hold my breath.

Not because I think Bernice is a bad person, but because I am becoming increasingly convinced that Bernice has a learning disability that prevents her from recognizing the feelings of others or responding appropriately to their feelings.

Bernice is headed to enlist in that army of self appointed therapists who got into the field in an attempt to figure out their own short circuits and then when their books recounting their individual break downs couldn’t pay the rent, decided to charge other, less screwed up people to help them fix non existent “problems.”

Just like the song: “I Remember It Well.”

Hopefully, the box Nancy is carrying in the first panel that says “Greg” on it is not Greg’s remains. Might explain a few things…

.

Karen … !! … ?

How long before “Star Head” boy shows up, needing a place to crash, with Bernice inviting him into her room and then looking to double up with Luann when it turns out that “Star Head” boy reads more into Bernice welcoming him into her double bed than she intended?

Squabbling sibling syndrome all over again!

Nancy looks so happy. Probably she misses the old quarrels between Luann and Brad (at least sometimes). Bernice and Luann’s friendship is one of the best I know in a comic. They are very different, but still so alike and close♡. Like sisters, better than sisters♡♡♡.

Bernice has known Luann longer than we have! We didn’t meet Luann until sje was 12 or 13!

Awww. They’re bantering around like sisters already.

And 1 more resason I’ve never been a huge Bernice fan

Hm. Seems like most of the old main cast of characters have known each other since the 3rd grade. Either that means they’ve formed an unbreakable bond. Or they really need to go out and start making new friends.

Bernice is always so quick to snap back on someone who disagrees with her.

… and so it begins …

Nancy may have always wanted another daughter, and Bernice is as close as she got. Now it’s too close for comfort.

Wait for it… I think GnK have something up their sleeve. Or Not! This just may be a summer doldrums arc. The next big arc will begin in the fall.

It’s always funny and a true indicator of human nature, with the where is Luann and if Luann is featured why is she featured, she is so booooring, immature, selfish, dumb, etc,. Of course that is happening the first couple of days of this arc, and I anticipate it will continue, even if something extremely unlikely happens and they become lesbian lovers or something else seemingly impossible or unpredictable. Impossible? Probably not. Unpredictable? Possible, even probable. One thing I am not surprised is that this will be a strain on their relationship living in the same house, with such different aspects to their personalities. I think and hope it will only make them better and stronger friends, but we will see. A wild card I don’t think many have thought about is Bernie’s brother. Luann, who has easy crushes had a brief one on him in the long past of this strip. She is good with kids. Will a scenario happen where that is developed? How will Bernice react if it does? Jack? Friends? Us old farts? Just a thought. Be careful out there by the way.

Jebus— the DeGroot family has The Bickering Channel running 24/7.

Whine, whine, whine!

they have very different memories of Budapest.

So. Is THIS “round one” or “round two?” I’ve already lost count. But so far, Bernice appears to be ahead in points. ;)

Did Luann’s family move to a new neighborhood that summer or did Bernice’s? I recall Aaron Hill joined third grade with Luann later in third grade.

Ann Eiffel is literally my step mother and I didn’t win. Reading this the last few weeks have been super painful.

Quickest way to destroy a friendship is to have the two friends live together 24/7.

This is just the start, Nancy. In a few weeks they won’t even be speaking to each other.

I had a similar disagreement with a friend about when we became friends. We checked with our parents to get third party judgment…turned out we were both wrong. But, remembering things from when you were 5 years old isn’t a precise science.

This seems like a great way to destroy a friendship. Bernice is difficult to deal with on a good day.

No invite to Luann’s 8th birthday party…. now we know what kind of emotional baggage torments Bernice..

Ann Eiffel at least keeps the comic interesting.

Glad to see the strip feature Luann & Bernice again.

Genaue Rechnungen machen gute Freunde!

I think that Bernice will overstay her welcome with her smelly flatulence and propensity not to use deodorant.

I wonder if Luann will pound on the bedroom wall to ask Bernice questions at night, just like she used to do with Brad (a long time ago). Brad would always return a reliably snarky reply…

Almost anything else is better than Ann

Gack… I had almost forgotten how annoying Bern is.

This is as exciting as dating your ex-girlfriend where the discussion is about “what happened in the past” and possible alternative outcomes (coulda, shoulda, woulda)

Bernice likes to hide behind her “studying” and a daily planner to avoid episodes with guys like Zane and Piro. Also, Bernice likes to bantered with Luann with her superior expectations/knowledge. With Luann, Bernice is the alpha female.

7

So, with this change to Bernice’s living situation, it has me wonder about a helluva lot of things:

1. Will Bernice be more frequently featured as a result of this move? (I like that idea, as I really like her character and like watching her attempts and foibles at moving into adulthood.)

2. Will Bernice’s brother (and family) end up actually appearing in the comic again? (I think this could be interesting.)

3. What will happen in regards to Dez…. in the comic itself…. is she pretty much being written out now that Bernice does not share a dorm room with her? (I would be sad to see Dez eliminated from the comic, so I hope that Greg still has her and Bernice and/or other dormers interact.)

4. Will this move by Bernice be utilized by Greg to help to have Luann transition into being a Moony U student? (This would be interesting in many ways, but then I would not like the loss of the Pitt trio we know (Jack, Nil, Tara) and also Professor Zebo (whom I enjoy)).

5. With the change in Tiffany’s situation…. will Tiffany revert back to the pampered, spoiled rich-mean girl she used to be… or will she perhaps stay a bit more contemplative…. and will she perhaps stay in a double room still in the dorms (perhaps with Stephanie…. or perhaps moving in with Dez). (I would like Tiffany to continue to grow nicer and more contemplative and I would really like her to move in with Dez…. they both seem a bit on the wealthier side, but Dez can help Tiffany grow more contemplative and compassionate, I feel.)

6. General ideas over the last few days…. I think Mrs. DeGroot was merely joking about Luann. In my mind, a kid who is attending school full-time would not normally be expected to pay rent when living at home… because full time school really should be their full time commitment to get the most out of the education. I think it is very kind for Mrs. DeGroot (and Mr. DeGroot) to not have Bernice pay for her room either.

Possible arc scenario: Bernice does all the things a good daughter normally would. Makes LuAnn look more like a slacker than ever. Tension arises. Friendship strained.

Are we ready for Ben? Will this be the audition of a replacement for Back Burner Brad?

No good deed goes unpunished, Nancy :-)

Ooh nooo! Not a story arc about Bernice, she’s boring. I would rather have Ann back. Bernice is just so annoying and uninteresting

Bernice equals boring.

Okay, come on, guys. This arc is just getting started. Bern and Lu have ALWAYS squabbled. And they’ve been close for a long time (eons in comictime). I, for one, would like to see a little growth on both their parts and not leave it at their squabbling like sisters. At least they’re not sharing Lu’s bedroom. Now, THAT would be a disaster. But I kind of think it might be time to introduce a new character…say a love interest that they’re BOTH interested in. And no, I do NOT miss Ann Awful at all. She can stay gone, as far as I’m concerned, unless we next see her behind bars.

I should be resigned to the fact that Luann and Bernice will never look anything more than 16 years old. On the other hand, Nancy will stay attractive forever, even though Greg doesn’t dress her up anymore.

Somehow through the years Bernice still hasn’t grown on me. I don’t particularly dislike her but I don’t like her very much either… I know sometimes she is supposed to provide the balancing “voice of reason” to Luann but I feel like Delta would be a better option if that’s the case…

Bernice has been letting that grudge about the 8th Birthday party fester ever since.

How long before they come to blows and then cease speaking to each other?

When Ann Eiffel was the Borderline manager over Bernice, nothing happened?

Is the Pandemic made it to Luanniverse? Social distancing, remote learning, face masks. I mean most schools are doing remote learning. I wonder if Greg will work this in.

CONSOLATION PRIZE

Wow, Bernice, pick your battles