Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for July 08, 2022

yeah, Jack… confusing

Well! He has a point!

Is he implying that Bernice was always crazy? Or that Nil isn’t exactly normal himself?

Either way Nil made a mistake in telling her. If he simply agreed to remain friends he could have kept his inspiration as is without her acting weird.

s this where Jack is going? Maybe he will make Nil realize that Bernice has subconsciously discerned the muse that makes Nil tick and is reflecting it back at him! But! Will it work!?!?

“Elevates” from that outfit? More of a let down.

Jack is a friend, and I think sympathizing with Nil. Jack knows Bernice, he knows she flies off on tangents at a moments notice. A concerning thing.

Hmm, think I like this Jack character.

Yes Jack! Confront Nil the way Nil confronts others.

“Burn” on Bern!

Cyclops boy calling anyone Bizarro is a little funny. One thing is certain, Jack feels less than nothing for Bernice.

So does this wrap up tomorrow or not?

Bernice feels Nils artistic soul by being his Muse.

Bernice stop dressing like you in 1850’s

The sad thing about this arc is that once in a while they would do something interesting, like they did yesterday but then they would do 2-3 totally inane strips like today. Isn’t it time for Gunther to make an Avatar costume for Bets.

I’m glad that someone (Jack) cares enough about integrity to ask for some clarity. Doublespeak does not equal sophistication or benevolence.

“There was a time she wasn’t bizarro?”

Say what you will, at least Bernice is trying something new

Elevates…stirs…awakens….hhhmmm….I think Nil has the definition of flowing/raging hormones confused with “muse”…

Finally get to find out what Nil really thinks!

Excuse me but its time to raise periscopes and check out the trends. Bernice is right on. I’m seeing an increasing number of younger girls wearing long, swirling skirts, often with big flower patterns, and they are looking good. Yeah, much better than ripped jeans and painfully tight shorts. Swirl on, Bernice, Nil has to take his duds to the laundry.

From his dreamy expression in panel 2, it appears that Nil is serious when he says that Bernice is his muse. That wasn’t just an excuse to keep her from leaving him, at least, not completely! Jack is absolutely right, Nil has no right to criticize someone for how they dresses, especially since his look is very and deliberately… different from the others. Paying so much attention to appearances is not like him! Jack will likely help Nil accept Bernice’s new look and attitude without prejudice, or push him to be honest with her and tell her how it makes him feel uncomfortable.

In earlier strips, Jack’s derrière elevated, awakened, and stirred Bernice. Therefore, Jack’s derrière is Bernice’s muse.

Simple deductive reasoning…

Bernice hopes nil will see her as being just as creative as he is in the hope it will spark some romantic feelings. Yeah, good luck with that.

I am slow, i think i just realized when nil felt the creative spark. I think it was because he was mildly turned on when bernice kissed him. So now when he’s in her presence, he claims a muse-like inspiration so he has to leave because he doesn’t want her to know he’s aroused. They don’t want to get burned and the best way to not get burned is to not play with fire…this means preventing a spark from even forming.

How many more miles do they plan to get out of this arc?

Time to segue to the mansion. That might actually get interesting.

Nil wants old Bernice Halper back?

HE should talk!! He’s as “bizarro” as they come!!

But, as the “hippies” evolved into the “yuppies”, maybe Nil will finally join the real world.

Jack is such a good guy, wonder if he is based on Karen’s husband.

Her am very smart. (Just as Bronze Age Bizarro would have said it.)

Ladder. Alarm Clock. Spoon. These will be the subjects of Nil’s next masterpiece LOL!

The more I see of Jack, the more I like him.

Bernice, Panel 1: Have you ever seen anyone look so very pleased with themselves?

You go, Jack!

Jack is here as the Voice of Reason. Bernice has gone off the deep end, Nil doesn’t know what to do about it, and Jack will be the one to reel them both back in.

One more day of the cat lady and the cyclops. Sunday, Shannon destroys a family heirloom. Next week, Nerd-splay reruns starring Gunther and Betts.

Is there a way to get the old Bernice back?

Jack is a whole lot smarter and aware of things than some people give him credit for.

I like Bernice’s new look and it seems to make her happy.

That’s a fair point, Nil.

it took me a while but bern likes this because it makes her the focus of a guy BUT with out all the confusing sexuality that she couldn’t get her mind around.

Hey, she changed her shirt again! The flowers are back! Wait, she must have done that while talking to Nils……?

PLEASE?

I think Jack will talk to Luann and maybe they will get to the bottom of this. While Bern chose the outfit, it was Luann who told her that she needed to change her look, i.e. dress for and look the part. That’s a ‘Luann’ way of thinking not Bern’s. That said, Bern has a tendency to get caught up and go over board, like the time she freaked out about meeting Ben (after his return). Whatever she does, she goes full on, overboard.

Nil was fine with a little crazy Bernice. But this is too much crazy even for him.

So Nil WAS feeling embarrassed by Batty Bernice. That is what I would feel in this situation.

I still think Bernice looks cute in this outfit, only bizarro in h.is immaturely confused mind. Is he too self-absorbed to seem cares so much for him, but is trying to please him, while opening herself up a touch. Jack is showing unusual care and concern. Since Saturday is coming up this May not be the end of this arc yet

I like that Bernice is genuinely happy. Wonder who is going to burst her bubble first.It shouldn’t matter what she wears if she “elevates, awakens and stirs” Nil’s creativity. He always accepted her, now he’s critical? We still don’t know what he wanted to talk about on Monday.

Bernice likes her new look. I like her new look. So, it’s back to the resale shop to expand her wardrobe and start flaunting the new look.

Bernice likes her new look. It makes her feel free and pretty. It’s too bad that the only reason she did it was to enhance her muse status and feed her ego. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tells everyone she meets that she is now a muse. I mean, can anyone be more egotistical and self absorbed? It’s great to feel important, I get that, but it has to be based on something real, and not just a prank that someone played on you. The up side to all this is we could get to see the dancing muse enter and exit the story for years to come. Orrrr…Jack can make Nil tell her the truth – that he does find her compelling, but that she is waaaaay overdoing it!

It was fun experimenting with clothes at that age. I was really into making tie-dye and batik t-shirts

So according to Nil, Bernice “Elevates, Awakens, and Stirs,” him.

But in truth, Bern’s “outfit” leaves him Shaken, not Stirred.”

Too bad, Nil.

It’s time to move on.

After all, You only live Twice. ;-)

I like the way Jack left his comment unfinished. Was he going to say: “Compared to you? Compared to the way she used to be?”

Either would be appropriate.

Well, I just feel like this strip has fallen flat on its face for me today.Somehow I was just hoping for more after Jack showed up.Then I remember, yeah, this is what G&K does to us.Big build up, then wham, a nothing burger is served again at the end.Perhaps tomorrow. But looking back over the years of reading Luann this seems to be the pattern. I think I will go back and read Peanuts again today. It was great!Snoopy to the rescue! Now that’s a finish with a bite and something to cheer about!

Nil is trying to think of a diplomatic way to tell her she messed up and no longer inspires him.

Jack is a straight shooter. I like that about him. He will get to the bottom of this.

Reality speaks…

So it’s looking like this is about to go on another week. Disregarding the Tiffany story in the middle to break it up, this is what, 6 or 7 weeks on “Bernice reacts to being a muse” now? In contrast, Luann’s senior prom got 3 weeks, only one day of which was spent at the dance itself. That NYC trip that the writers and characters spent years building up only got a mere 2 weeks. Just saying, the storytelling priorities in this strip can be downright baffling sometimes.

And for those who insist that this all has to be building to something good… remember Piro? Bernice sure doesn’t. How long did they spend on that particular obsession only to suddenly dump the whole thing in the garbage without warning?

It wouldn’t be so bad if it were focused on someone more likable than Bernice. But for some reason Karen has turned her into the primary character in this strip.

When Jack says “compared to what” he’s referring to Nil being as bizarro as anyone.

No one seems to realize that Bernice is a typical teenager, looking for meaning in her life. Right now her meaning revolves around being a muse and inspiring Nil. Think about all the arcs that she’s been highlighted in. She’s a person who believes she has to be “helpful” wherever she is. After all, she’s in college to become a therapist. Some of the craziest people I’ve known have been therapists.

Tread lightly Nil.

Today, a muse is a person who serves as an artist’s inspiration. Often filmmakers talk about a certain actor being a muse — meaning the actor inspired a movie. Writers, painters, musicians, and other artists have muses.OR:Modern Muse provides time-efficient, bite-sized volunteering with a significant impact. Muses have one thing in common, they’re passionate about their work and want to inspire the next generation. Their Modern Muse profiles highlight their job responsibilities, career paths and the subjects they have studiedOR:Modern Muse provides time-efficient, bite-sized volunteering with a significant impact. Muses have one thing in common, they’re passionate about their work and want to inspire the next generation. Their Modern Muse profiles highlight their job responsibilities, career paths and the subjects they have studied.I get a different definition every where! Originally it was:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muses

You know, I can’t believe how “blind” some of the characters are in this comic.

Jack knows Nil about muses.

I feel sorry for Jack, he has to be the sane one in the bunch.

I don’t get all this hatred of Bernice’s outfit. I like it. It’s artsy.

“Stirs” – okay, now we know what this is really all about.

Not sure how Greg could mention Bizarro in the strip without putting a piece of pie somewhere, or did I miss it?

I think Jack has a lot more smarts than people give him credit for.

I once had a cat. She was my mews.

Okay, Perfectly Normal Jack, so maybe Nil does affect the appearance of a leftover Beatnik from the late ‘50s. That doesn’t excuse Bernie’s ever more eccentric ways (methinks she’s still love-struck but doesn’t want to admit it)….

Rearrange the letters in muse, and you get emus.

Nil: “Really?!! Do I have to spell it out?!! Then obviously, you don’t know Jack when it comes to Jill!!!”

Bizarro do-um things backwards.If Bernice love you,she stay away enough to hate you.