Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for January 13, 2023

SHHHHHHHHSH Tara!

Luann has never read anything this arousing before. Judging by panel 2, her eyes look like they’re about to fall out of their sockets.

Just think, Luann… Your mother has a whole collection of these at home, that you’ll be able to enjoy.

God help me, I’m starting to miss Tiff and the Roomies. LOL

Quick convert

oh, now Luann is being swooned & heaved?

This reads almost like a fanfic of some anime that a fangirl would write.

“The sleeper awakens!” — Duke Leto Atreides

I still say that is what Tara is tippi-tapping out on her word processor!

When do the three start their book club? “The Three Swoons.”

“Sheesh!”

Hook, line and sinker……..

Looks like Luann is taking more than a peek…

And so, what a peek will do ….

Hoo boy.

Luann getting beady eyed in panel two.

Looks like D. Coverly has “assimilated” another one.

The dagger made a sensuous sizzling sound as she plunged it into her jar of bikini wax.

With ever the slightest twist to the ends of her lips, she moved close to stare directly into Jacques’ eyes.

And whispered, “Anything?”

So this is what I am missing out on by not reading these? I’m good with missing out, thanks anyway.

I will go out on a limb here, but when Luann puts down the writing, in the third panel it almost seems like Tara is taking it personally – as if she was indeed the one who wrote it. Now, to hone in further, note the names – Jacques and Beatrice. Perhaps someone who knows the Jack and Bernice in this strip? I am thinking that Tara may be D. Coverly. Of course, I could be very wrong…

I mean, that is pretty bad writing. Jacques’ name is repeated, when the second “Jacques” should actually be replaced by the word “he”. And the word “heinous” is superfluous, and is just a case where you should “show, don’t tell” that she’s heinous. Or rather “stop telling, since you’re already showing through her actions.”

Situation’s pretty interesting, though. I’d read that manga, if it were one.

Sorceress, sorceress, get rid of the dagger and see if your magic wand can put some magic in Jacques’ wand.

The Sorceress had Jacques where she wanted him. She was ready to strip away her spell to reveal her true, ageless body of taught curves and long, round limbs. She slowly lifted the knife from his chest, until it was hindered by his thick chest hair. She pulled harder and suddenly a ripping sound echoed int he perfumed chamber as his hirsute skin spiked up under the tension of the blade. In pain, Jacques flipped violently on his side, the dagger ejecting from the Sorceress’ hand, and exposing a dark slick of sweat-drenched back hair.

http://thog.org/thogmatic.php

Just a few lines and Luann immediately remembered why she loved romance novels when she was 13. it’s nice to see her so carried away by a book, even if it’s quality is dubious. This could be a way of reconnecting with her mother, her best friend and the romantic side of her that she has forgotten for years. Tara continues to be by her side and it’s great that they are more and more united. There’s a photo of the author on the book, so the theory that they were an old character vanished… too bad.

This is from a Lavern and Shirley episode.

She whispered, “I love you!” He murmured, “So am I….”

Ann Eiffel’s have lots of pictures.

Aaaaaaand, another one bites the dust…

Was anything throbbing?

Luann is titillated?

Looks like Luann is ready to take more than just a peek!

Should get to Jacques using his dagger pretty soon

See Luann? You never know what you like unless you try.

Hahaha, Luann’s introduction to steamy novels, lol.

Tara is bemused at most. Not the author. Willing to bet a McD’s Senior Coffee. :-/

Is that the author Luann is talking to?

It looks like Luann just got turned on reading that scene. Probably the most she’s been in that state since her and Quill decided that they needed to talk.

If I were to read that passage to a female 20-year-old that I know (say, my niece), she’d just look at me weird and then laugh. I mean, come on, Greg.

Yep, women porn is popular. Men look at trashy pictures and Women read trashy books.

I’ve been writing stuff like that about Nancy all along. ’Specially when you get to the part about thrusting lances & pillows of joy.

I dunnoe. Sounds pretty interesting to me. Kinda’ reminds me of the old {"Conan" stories.

Jacques and Beatrice or Jack and Bernice?

Luann has become quite the bossy little snit, shushing everyone and giving orders, constantly whining and complaining. And somehow she developed ugly Axel style lips, how did that happen? I like all of the other characters so much more. I hope this ends on Saturday, and that Karen and Greg got some good money for promoting romance novels for a week.

Wait until they find D. Coverly is Luann’s father.

like peanuts

Uh oh.

Seems like if you’re going to spend days extolling the virtues of erotic novels you’d fake up much better material for Luann to demonstrate.

The lady has looked into Pandoras Box.

I like how Luann’s been so repressed that her introduction to reading a few sentences about romance/sexual attraction (not even the love-making scenes just an admission of love) turns her into the Wolf from the Tex Avery cartoons. Her eyes are bursting out from her head in panel two like she’s about to leap into the air, wolf-whistle, and shout, “Hubba-Hubba-Hubba, AwooOOogah!”

I have to say, I really like frame two where Luann is really getting into this erotic book, Peek of Passion. This reminds me of MASH’s Charles reading from BJ’s book the more erotic passages of Porterfield’s whodunit to Margaret.

She’s hooked!!!!!

Addictive?

Luann is hooked.

Love to be a battery marketing representative in this town.

The most time worn set of for a gag. Have a character state an opinion and then do the exact opposite. Is it really funny? I know I risk upsetting off Luann fans, but . . .

funny …the back of the book was shown last week, but no author’s photo was represented.

Need a violence trigger warning on this strip today…

Like Luann has more pressing matters. Not!

Hah! IMO Coverly’s writing style is excessively “grandiose”…… Hemingway would be aghast….. Coverly writes more like Faulkner! :)

It is quite humorous that Luann is now falling under the spell of Coverly….. she will be sure to want to attend the book signing now…… and if it (hopefully so) DOES turn out to be Fogarty…. THAT will have created a pretty dam* funny arc overall!!!! :)

So Luann likes romance novels? Not suprised. I also can’t tell if Terra is being serious or sarcastic.

Looks like D. Coverly has anew reader.

I really hope ‘D. Coverly’ never makes an appearance at all; that if Nancy and B go to the signing, it occurs offstage, so to speak. I just don’t think that the author was the point of this arc at all…

“This May Come As A Jacques To You…”

“June, Moon, Swoon…”

“The Writhe Stuff”

“Hello, I Must Be Heaving, er, Leaving”

“Luann — Always The Lust, er, Last To Know”

“When In Doubt, Read It Out!”

Y’all might want to take a real close look at the top of what is possibly the author’s head on the back of the book in panels 2 and 3. In panel 2, it appears that the hair is combed over from the author’s left (our right), and in panel 3, the hair is definitely parted down the middle. Two different hairstyles. Also, some above mentioned that the hair is light colored. It could be that the picture of the author on the rear of the book is in B&W or the colorist chose not to color it.

Even ‘The Shadow’ might not know on this one…

SHHSH ! vs. Sheesh

Luann opens the book to somewhere in the middle and starts reading a random passage. Will she actually read the book from beginning to end? If I’m looking to test the water, i go to the opening sentence (or paragraph) which is often the deciding factor. I found a Colleen Hoover paperback on a stoop (in our neighborhood that means a freebie). It was called Ugly Love. The summary on the back made me think I could maybe go for it, but the opening sentences just didn’t do it for me. There are so many other novels I really want to read (that aren’t romance fiction). Some day I’ll give it a shot or just put it back out on the stoop.

facepalms and sighs I see its filled with all the worst tropes of modern “romance.”

Before everyone completely gets lost in mocking “bodice rippers” has anyone read any of the male versions of these? The “harem books?”. Pot calling kettle black…. Folks we is all human, and humans like sex, even simulated sex in corny, badly written books.

That got your attention Luann.

T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon writes some really great adventure books complete with ruined civilizations, magic, and dead gods/saints that are also really dirty. There’s knights, talking badgers, and swords who are also sexy men. And political intrigue, and a serial killer. And a lot of … ah… fun times. Did I mention the werebear? Ah yes, and the you know what. Anyway, for a better example of the type of thing that book’s meant to convey I really recommend her “Saint of Steel” books.

I think someone at the next table over just lost their appetite.

Aspiring writer immediately gets bedazzled by terrible writing. Luann’s no writer.

How quickly Luann got sucked into the bodice-busting writing style! Even Tara couldn’t keep up with her sudden transformation….

Ugh. Just noticed, “Shhshing” gives Luann, Axel-lips. Not a good look.

That is some garbage writing, there. What is Luann getting worked up about?

It is very bad writing. A little hard to believe that it would pull Luann into it, but whatever trips your trigger. But . . . is Mr Evans subtly suggesting that the fair sex is a sucker for breathless cotton-candy writing? Luann and her mother and Bernice seem like such varied personality types.

Where is this headed?

Tara has a recurring history of leading Luann into trouble. Is that where this is going? That’d be interesting seeing Tara set up a “research project” for Luann; will GnK go there?

Doesn’t that last pane make anyone else think that maybe D. Coverly is Tara?