Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 04, 2020

Bernice can not stop smiling- Bernice likes Jack

Sort of speaking of Monstro, wasn’t Geppetto’s fish Cleo also a fantail in the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio?

Sly, Luann, very sly! Yes, Bernice is definitely thinking about Jack!

What a boring week. I can’t think of anything snarky to say.

Monstro was a dogfish shark in Pinocchio in the book.

Luann, it is BERNICE’s fish. If she wants to call it Jack, let her be. Heck, you call yours Puddles. Because he leaves wet puddles in the house as a pup, I suppose? Jack is a good name – better than Puddles.

Luann is sly.

I’ve been fighting the Jack-Bernice thing all week but I give up. Y’all are right.

I guess this must be Luann’s week to ride around in the snarkmobile.

Okay, I gotta admit that I liked Jack’s idea. Monstro is a delightfully ironic name for a goldfish. It’s like naming a gerbil Shiva, Destroyer of Worlds.

With Bernice in the spotlight, some of us think she’s shining.

Nemo?

Jack is a great fish name!

Frame 2 – Bernice looks happy as well. Frame 3 – Luann’s expression is dead on. Let the games begin!

I found a book with blank panels so one can create a comic strip. So when I visit “back home”, I intend to chronicle the visit by creating a comic strip of my niece and her antics/comments. I have some artistic/creative abilities but it is very challenging to replicate a character with different facial expressions and poses. Plus, I don’t have all day to work on this. So far, I’ve created one comic face of my niece and made multiple copies and use it in every panel for all the dialogue. I need to draw a face of myself, her mom, my parents, and other family members as they appear. So, it will be somewhat primitive in the beginning and hopefully I will improve as i go along.

LUANN DeGROOT Resume:A young woman in the post-high-school-pre-adulthood stage of life who’s trying to find answers to “Why am I here? Who should I be? Where do I belong? Who do I belong with? Why is my hair orange?” * Luann has enjoyed a nurturing upbringing in a normal family; she’s funny, moral, sincere, upbeat and fun. She’s in junior college and has a knack for teaching, singing and stage design. Luann is a romantic – she believes *a life of love, fulfillment and perfection is possible.

Luann needs to explore the world.

Jack don’t you know you’re not supposed to assume the fish’s gender?

Monstro the fish, Jack the MAN! Bernice obviously likes both, but for Jack her internal volcano is pretty close to erupting. Luann is like Tara, who kept trying to hint at the heat between Luann and Jack, one of the reasons I had been supporting something between them, but I think GnK put readers on notice last arc that this is dead, but leave it to GnK to turn it around with the heat between Bernice, who is a very cute nerdy girl, so horny as is the case often with repressed persons (there, no one of the female gender should call me sexist-:) and Luann the observation maker. Will Jack reciprocate or is this really his way of telling Bernice he wants her too reciprocate? Take the cap of that volcano Ms. Brunette girl please!

Ah-Ha!

I thought Bernice would want to call the little fishy “Jack.” Bernice has a tendency to fall hard and fast for guys as indicated by her past interactions with Zane and Piro. So, as of this moment, she’s Officially GONE. But Bern is the jealous type, and soon it will dawn on her that since she and Jack go to two different schools, she won’t be running into him almost everyday the way she did Piro. I can see Bern wondering “What’s Jack doing and Who’s he with?” And if Bern is ever out in public with Mr. Jock, just wait until a “Kaylie” slides up to him. Would Bern switch colleges, just to be close to the current object of her lust? Hmm.

But first things, FIRST. Now, Bernice, who’s just a-gushing all over place, will want to return the “favor,” and do something nice for (“Tee-Hee) Jack. I hope he likes pancakes. ;)

Third panel. Luann’s remark. Cute.

Jack got a watertight aquarium with an aerator for $1.00 at a garage sale? Pretty good deal!

I tried to keep goldfish when I lived in Indiana – they all died despite doing all of the letting the water “rest” for a weekI only succeeded when I used bottled water – the drinking water from our taps was poisonous!

My cats would name him “Sashimi”.

So… this Jack is the same guy as this guy? Come on… https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2015/01/27and https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2015/06/13

I named my goldfish “Howard” he lived for 21 years.

I was very sad at Howard’s end!

They could call the fish punk-food (just kidding).

Is this the first time a guy has paid Bernice any attention at all? I remember her liking Piro, but I also sort of remember he didn’t give her the time of day. Luann doesn’t seem (yet) to be jealous of Jack’s attention to Bernice but if this is the start of something big, let’s see if that cool facade changes.

Subtle……..

Oooooohh. Snappy comeback, Lulu.

I like the name Monstro!

Monstro… Is this a reference to Walt Disney’s “Pinocchio”? Because I like it! Bernice already loves her little goldfish♡. But I’m with Luann, they have to find a good name for it. Calling him Jack could be a source of future misunderstandings.

Is Bernice fishing for more complements from Jack?

A fantail goldfish named ’Monstro Butt". How poetic.

He’s partly correct. you poke holes in the bag and place it in the tank water. this allows for 2 things. It helps the fish slowly adapt to the tempature of the water. but it also allows for the water PH to balance between the old and new enviroment. this put far less stress on the fish.

Loved Luann’s joke! It was classic!

Luann’s joke reminds me of another.

“Hey what kand of dawg is that?” ( imagine stereotype southern accent)

“Him? well he’s a _little bassett.”

First guy looking down…"I can see that! But what kand of dawg is he?

Or better yet the joke about the man with a wooden leg named Smith…

Does Bernice eyes show passion? The same look she had on the park bench with Jack. What she would like to do with Jack can’t be expressed, but maybe she could get away with a thank you kiss on the lips.

Luann is quite well aware that Bern is hot for Jack but he seems oblivious to the fact.

I think another commenter may have hit the theme of this “romance.” Bernice will fall for Jack just as she did for Zane and Piro while Jack will want to stay in the friendzone. Her dalliance with Piro stretched for about five months, on and off. Zane was allotted about the same amount of time.

So we may have found the major fall/winter story line. Luann, Bernice and Jack in the DeGroot household milieu. It used to be Bernice and Dez in the dorm room (sounds like an episode of Clue. )

Luann is the very picture of “grace”.

Bernice is “spring loaded” for a wild display of public affection. She is going to be all over Jack like a fresh coat of paint.

So Jack, the future vet, knows a bit about pet goldfish. Someone called the name a couple days ago. Not sure about Luann’s ignoring or misinterpreting Bern’s answer. Bernice does seem smitten with Jack, but he appears to be just a good and generous, thoughtful friend. Hate to see her bubble burst.

I forget, was Jack going to be an animal caretaker or vet? Either way I think he is going to very good at.

That was funny Luann! But seriously, I would like to see it happen for her, but I’m not sure if Bernice and Jack could work. He is outgoing and spontaneous and she is….well.. she is…Bernice.

They need some of that gravel stuff and fake sea plants, maybe a little castle.

I agree with Luann. The fish needs a proper name. Monstro is too big and heavy for a small goldfish. ‘Jack’ is already taken. And yes, they need to decorate that aquarium and get some fish food.

Bernice will spend the next several days researching the question: “If I merely THINK about sex with Jack, am I still a virgin??”

To quote Larry the Cable Guy: “Now that’s funny, I don’t care who ya are”.

Don’t kid yourselves..Bern is picking out the kid’s names in her head.

Berns got a male as a roomie! The fish, thus far.

My guess on Tuesday was wrong. The fish name will not be ‘Goldie’.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, guys. First, get fishy acclimatized and swimming freely. Then, let’s all thank the real jock Jack for such a fun gift to Bernie that she’s all twitterpated. So, Luann, friend of Bernie, bug off and let the new romantic fantasy work itself out without your snarkiness….

Then, if fishy still lives, we can work on the naming….

Oh yeah, Bernice is gone! When Jack leaves, she’ll probably get on her laptop and start looking up wedding planners. I’m sure she thinks Jack is as crazy about her as she is about him. Besides thinking Jack is as wildly attracted to her as she is to him, Bernice will be secretly ecstatic because she’ll be thinking: “Ohhhhhh! I STOLE Luann’s boyfriend!”

And if / when Luann tries to explain to Bern that Jack is just trying to be friendly, Bernice will assume her smug, self-satisfied expression, and start lecturing Luann: “Now, now! Feelings of jealousy are quite common is these situations Luann, but really! You shouldn’t take out your anger and disappointment on others by trying to sabotage their relationship. I know these things you see. I’M a counselor!”

Then Bernice will go to the dog park or animal shelter thinking to surprise Jack, only to find him with Kaylie or some other girl as they are planning to go to a movie or dinner together.

So if Jack really is all that romantically interested in Bernice, all I can say is, right now he’s hiding it well.

I see they have a filter/aerator, but where is the gravel and have they dechlorinated the water?

Will Luann get jealous?

I think Bernice is in love.

Call him Otto

don’t forget to put dechlorination tablets in the water or that fish will be dead in 30 minutes

Oooo, Bernice…

Maybe what the creators have decided on for Luann is a twist on the ‘always a brides maid, never a bride’ trope.

Cupid slowly swirls around her, never scoring a bullseye. First her brother and Toni, then Nute and Crystal, then Prudence and her now spouse, then Gunther and Bets, even Gunther’s mom and Mr. Gray. Maybe next we see Bernice and Jack or Les and Tiffany or maybe even a cameo (or storyline!?) about Delta and a fiancé/wedding).

Luann falls into a deep conundrum about how her life and love are headed nowhere fast, and enter her game changer. The beginnings of a career that leads (back?) to “Him”. Or a Mr. Right that helps her see a side of herself that’s a natural fit for a life as… well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Keep thinking about Jack. He’s a real catch.

Third wheel Luann needs to bow out and let them figure it out.

Luann had a chance, but didn’t pick the fruit.

How about naming the fish ‘Little Jack’ ….so if Bernice says: I love Jack – we know that she is NOT talkin’ about the fish.

Did Greg just slip one past the censors?

Jack Jr.is a fine name. Then when, he, lays eggs or had babies, change the Jr. to Lynn.

Personally, I’d like to see Tom Farrell return to the scene. Suave, debonair, and a terrible judge of woman. Tiffany should move back to that impressive mansion, hire a staff to replace the one that Ann fired, and lets look at the high end of things for a change.

Seems like only yesterday when Jack said to Luann, “We have chemistry together.”

Tyge has been saying that everything has changed with the new writer (Karen) as if this was something new and how something that has been obvious for at least three years. One obvious clue was when Leslie was re-introduced and no one, not Tiffany (whom he sexually harassed), Luann, Gunther (he of the backpack whip), Bernice, Ox remembered. Then Ann Eiffel reappeared and no one remembered her times at the bookstore or as Weinie World. Thus began the story of the Memory Hole and how everything was being sucked down it. But it was most obvious when Bernice when to college and had wonderful adventures while Luann disappear from her own strip. By this time it’s obvious that Karen hates Luann or at least loves Bernice best.

It’s obvious this week that Bernice is in love, not just in like-like, but the floating 6 inches off the ground kind of love. It’s as if she has never been called cute or classy before, which require that both Zane and Piro to disappear in a poof of time dislocation. The question ahead of us is whether Jack is in love with her? When Jack was just a football jock he claimed he had lot of girlfriends. But just as his head has begun to take on human appearance his background keeps shifting. From football, to fitness trainer, to dog whisperer to (at Luann’s suggestion) to pre-vet. Giving Bernice a $2 goldfish and a $1 aquarium is pretty cheap if it is supposed to say “I live you.” So are we going to get a 6 3 month roller coaster of Bernice loving then hating Jack because he’s not that into her? Luann seems to be anticipating this with her comment about “what about a name for the fish.”

The thing is this could just as easily have been a story about Luann finding a new love interest. Something a lot of us have been hoping for. In a strip called “Luann” it would be nice to see the character Luann actually be the center of the strip for once.

Naming the fish “Jack” could result in some confusion about which one Bernice Loves.

Call him “Fluffy”

All it takes is one spark and you never know what could happen.

Lord, if that fish dies, Berenice is going to have a complete breakdown.

But Jack isn’t really engaging Bernice at all. Not looking at her, and answering Luann. I think Bernice has really misread the situation. Jack likes Luann.

Luann sees what’s going on.