Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for January 30, 2021

Guess we’ll find out Monday what all the hollaballoo is

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you’ve heard direct eyewitness testimony. The only question you should ask is, do you find him ador—I mean credible.

And there you have it Folks. Straight from th4e horse’s, errr, dog’s mouth! It Was JACK!

”Unreliable Narrator.” ✨

Dang Pud, call her out why don’t you.

Case closed!!

Luann has her green dog park jacket on… but NO DOG!

Headed to the dog park? I think she forgot someone!

Just another Sucky Saturday Strip! nice alliteration, eh? It sssiiings

Puddles would bark anything to shut Bernice up.

Luann to the dog park – with no dog.

Cliffhanger: Will Bernice follow along – as many predicted yesterday?

A dog is a dog, of course, a course. And no one can talk to a dog, of course. Unless, of course, that dog, of course, is the famous Mr. Puddles!

Well, that was an academic approach to ascertain the truth.

So Puddles figures out Bern wants him to bark.

Bernice needs a hobby.

Panel 4 Puddles immediately ‘Arfs’ again.

It probably was Jack because dogs never bark when people they know climb through the window. (I am being sarcastic.)

Surprise party planning for Bernice yawn

Next: Puddles will ask Bernice to take him to the dog park.

With apologies to Gary Larson…

What Bernice said: “Was it Jack? Bark once if it was Jack.”

What Puddles heard: ”Blah blah snack? Blah blah blah blah blah snack?”

Bernice: Pud, ladra una vez si era Jack, ladra dos veces si no lo era.

Puddles: ¡Guau! ¡Guau!

Bernice: ¡¡Dijiste dos veces que sí era Jack!!

Looks like Bernice’s obsessive stalker tendencies are about to come forth once again. How much easier would her life be if she could just be honest about how she felt?

Bernice.. I love ya. But asking a dog a loaded question like that just reeks of desperation. Besides, it was Nils. Why? Because it’s always the one you least expect. That’s why. And since he hasn’t been seen for ages and was always a bit of a brooding loner, he’d be the last person anyone would think of. Well, at least that’s my take on the situation at hand here….

First, my hat is off to Bernice. I was certain she would follow Luann, and instead she is being reasonable and not a sneak.

Second, I’m thoroughly confused.

Pppffft. We got nothing. Will this continue next week?

Nothing like an extended arc! We get to see Bern hiding in the bushes while Luann meets…… well who the heck knows? Jack, Tara, a third party, no one and she is simply pulling Bern’s chain?Anyhow, the seed is planted in Bern’s head: " Luann + Meeting + Dog Park = Jack!!!!" The girl is of the jealous type and you can see the gears turning already! So if it is Jack at the park when Bern follows: what ensues, I am guessing a very big misunderstanding. Perhaps Luann is taking Jack’s advice about working out (still does not answer why he was in her room in that case) or is it a surprise for Bern and she spoils it with a tirade?!?!?! I see what G&K is doing here, lots of people are throwing their $0.02 in on this as opposed to people getting bored with a blackout with moderate interest about Ox helping Tiff….. Well, tomorrow will be an off-topic script, so we wait until Monday ladies and gentleman. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Not sure puddles is a very reliable source of intel into Luann’s love life. He LOVES attention, anyway he can get it, so since bernice is talking to him, of course he’s gonna bark.

Not the most reliable witness.

And she is going to the dog park without Pud!

It’d be great if this was all a ploy to get Bernice to show up at the park w zpuddles (who Luann left behind) in a jealous rage in front of Jack, exposing her feelings for him.

“ARF” – translate to “ARF” Really, Bernice! When did you learn “ARF” language? It’s looking like Luann is moving out?

I’m betting it is a female friend in need that Luann is helping out or having over for a long chat (“morning already? Seems like we hardly slept.”) Maybe it’s Tiff.

The “hook’s” been baited and the “fish” are biting.

So, to the “Snoopmobile,” Bernice!

And prepare to be disappointed.

Or utterly SHOCKED. ;)

My best guess, allowing for how this strip has been historically: Luann is watching Jack’s dog on the sly while he attends to other commitments and is headed out now to pick up said dog.

Puddles is just happy to hear someone talking to him, not being left alone.

Luann looked shocked, though, when Bernice suggested she had a guy in her room. Leads me to think it’s a girl…either someone troubled who needed to talk, or someone who is conspiring with Luann to do something….a surprise for someone?

If Luann is going to the dog park, why is Puddles at home?

Puddles is part of the ruse. Luann has trained him well.

Luann go to the Dog Park without Puddles? Now, this is very weird! About Puddles’ “answer” to Bernice, it’s ambiguous. Puddles can just be very happy that Bernice, for the first time, shows a real interest in him. Anyway, kudos to Bernice for not starting to stalking Luann.

Luann must be the first 18/19 girl to get ready in 30 minutes, ever in the history of the modern young woman!! :)

Wasn’t she headed to the dog park? Why didn’t she take Puddles? :)

Maybe what happened during night and what’s happening at the park are two different things.

No one was in her room. Supposedly she is going to the dog park. But Puddles is still at home. She knows Bernice being a busybody will grab Puddles and head to the dog park. She will run into Jack with no Luan in sight. This will force her to spend time talking to Jack.

Maybe it’s Les?

Jack drives a pink Smart Car? I don’t think he would fit.

Does Bernice have nothing else to do? No schoolwork? She’s not out looking for a job? Why is she spending all her time snooping into Luann’s business? That’s what i want to get into? WHY is Bernice like this? Is she jealous of Luanne for some reason?

Poor Bernice, your friend is teasing you, but you deserve. It.

He didn’t bark! He arfed. There’s a difference.

Luann is plotting with Ben to arrange him to move out so she can kick out Bernice. Overall, I think this strip is losing its balance. Too many long arcs. We’ve seen very little college time, Brad & Toni and who knows what happened to the Fuze, Tara and what used to be some interesting and entertaining stuff. IMHO, the strip has become too focused on Bernice. (Boring!)

I’m wondering if there wasno one, the walls are thin and shouldn’t bearnice have heard the other person talking/ what if it’s a ploy by L to get bearn to follow her?

In “Apocalypse Now” Robert Duvall declared, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”. Now it’s Luann’s turn to stand in the dog park and declare, “I love the smell of dog poop in the morning.”

If Luann did have someone spend the night, shouldn’t they have announced that this would be a “ very special episode” of the strip?

Exit Ann Eiffel, enter next witch Bernice?

Well couldn’t stay up last night to get an early comment in, but viewing this generally affirms, to me at least, my thesis that the STORY is leading us to something involving the possibly romantic or other characters (like Tara) involvement with Luann and Bernice. I also think Puddles has a role, although dog witnesses are not usually known to respond to specific word questions. But it is intriguing (it is BJ -:). But the most intriguing thing is Luann going, assumedly, to the dog park without her dog. Monday will start the second part of the STORY so we’ll begin to see where this is going.

“Back twice if Luann’s pregnant with triplets, Puddles!”

And that’s how conspiracy theories get started…

To a dog, all humans could be named “Jack”. For that matter, they could be named Dudley, Latex, Mom or Food. But, Puddles says his (or her) names was “Arf!”

Bernice? Are you going to listen to a dog?

OR… Nobody was in Luann’s room and it’s her way of getting Bernice to admit to herself how much Jack means to her.

Bernice don’t know Jack.

There is nosiness, then there is Bernice.

My 8th grade English teacher said the raven could speak only one word of English. The raven had no idea what the human in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem was asking. But, the human mistakenly thought the raven was responding to his questions.

There we have our confirmation, except for the question in the next frame: bark once if it was Brad Pitt, “Arf”… Bark once if it was Kim Jong Un, “Arf”… It wasn’t Jack of course. It wasn’t a man, it wasn’t a romantic interest. It was a woman who needed a place to spend the night. Tiff has a house.

I maintain my position and say it was Tara.

Seriously? Both these women are in their mid twenties. About time to get out their and have a life.

Puddles and Bernice are simpatico in all three panels today! Both feel the same about Luann puzzling behavior.

When did she get a car?

I’m gonna be very disappointed if Monday segues to Brad & TJ building a tree house for Shannon.

I had hoped we’d see the mysterious visitor in today’s strip—well, to be honest, I had hoped to see who it was earlier in the week. G&K unnecessarily drew out this plot.

Wow, people really get into a fictional story line…

Um, didn’t she say she was meeting at the dog park in 30? If so, why did she leave the dog at home?

It’s Pru!

The heck with who she’s meeting! Worst of all she’s going to the dog park without Puddles, unforgivable!

Bern has a good relationship with Puds; he gets bites of toast at 5 AM. So now… are Bern and Puds working together on this intel gathering mission? Bern says “hey Puds you haven’t been outside yet this morning; and you’ve been left behind. How about you and me… we go to the dog park?”

Dog park? Who but Jack would she be seeing?

Sunday: Brad does a wheelie !

Adventures in canine-human communication: https://youtu.be/M0ilLW5VK3w

Good Heavens! What if it’s (GAK) Leslie??

Going to the dog park without a dog. What’s suspicious about that?!?

But what is this piece of information that Luann …“hasn’t told anyone…”?

zzzzzzzzz

“Arf”? That’s your convincing evidence, Bernie? Eavesdropping was more reliable than this—and that is not saying much!

So, Snoop B., hustle yourself out to the dog park and be ready for a thrilling adventure….

For crying out loud. Puddles doesn’t know what you’re asking him, Bernice. He’s a dog. He’d bark once if you asked him if it was Harry Styles or Justin Bieber. He’s just barking.

I’m not buying it. Nope. I still say it’s a surprise party for Bernice. Except she’s too stupid not to take the bait!

Not sure if Luann’s little attempt at matchmaking is going to work out next week. But I have this nagging thought that Jack’s last name is going to turn out to be Dawson.

If you asked if it were Jill, Joe, Sam or Dave, Pud would still bark Once.

Pud is too lazy to bark twice.

stay safe in the storm all our Northern friends.

I pointed out that women care more about privacy than men do, so this one guy said I was a “sexist” to have that opinion. Ironically, he said he didn’t know if I was male or female. Either way, he thoughtI am a sexist no matter what gender I am. I have a female avatar. I have a female handle. I think he’s hilarious. What a hypocrite.

He ain’t ’arf right!

Anyone thinking that Luann is just trying to get Bernice to go to the park by pretending to “meet” someone? Luann could have easily pulled the screen off and into her room on her own, knowing that will get Bern’s suspicions up.

Notice that Bernice got completely dressed before she watched Luann leave.. She is definitely following..

I hate to ask, but is that car almost as old as Luann herself is supposed to be at this point?

Because I think the vast majority of cars built after about 2005 have the fobs and starter buttons, and that tail looks like a Toyota Matrix more than anything—or maybe a Ford Focus, which didn’t last much longer than the Matrix.

And why is Puddles not going with Luann to the dog park?