Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for May 17, 2023

Not Naked… Not Dead… best of all, an audience filled with 100’s of Luanns! lol

We better get to hear his essay tomorrow. Seems like They’re milking this out! Luann sure looks pleased with herself.

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So will Bernice be in the audience?

She’s had a lot of practice talking

Well, that was . . . a build up to one weird punchline.

Very much looking forward to his reading.

Will we ever get to hear “Starr Falling?” If it is a short as Luann’s humorous one, how dramatic can it be?

Will we ever hear the results of the Bernice phone call hand-off? Probably not!

I still don’t get “love” vibes from either Luann or Piro. To me it looks like Luann is going to be Piro’s friend and nothing more. But clearly he is investing a lot of trust in her. And taking a lot of strength. I don’t know where G&K are taking this but I hope they keep this up. Bernice as Nil’s “muse” was a joke but Luann seems to inspire Piro in all the best ways.

Awwwww!

Best Seller Novelist Piro Starr owns his start to an audience of Luann Degroots?

Luann is a little over confident. Walt it’s your time for your Essay.

oooooo STARR FALLING! Wait, did he literally fall, and had to go to the hospital??

“Starr Falling”. like Piro STARR FALLING in love with Bernice?

So Luann has met her Heathcliff.

Piro might combine two strategies. They say to imagine your audience naked. Maybe Piro will just imagine Luann naked.

The bond grows…

Apparently you are an improvement, Luann, but by how much?

That is quite a compliment for Luann, especially since turtles don’t talk back.

Looking forward to Piro’s reading* (⁠✿⁠^⁠‿⁠^⁠)

Luann, go sit in the front row for Piro

Gee.

Now, Luann is “easy to talk to,” when earlier, Piro barely opened his mouth to her.

But before anyone “ships” this “love-out,” let’s find out what Walt has to say about Bernice.

It might be a Show Stopper.

I notice Piro brings out a pleasant side to Luann that I miss from the older era strips. If that’s something the Evanses commit to, maybe him being closer with her wouldn’t be that bad an idea! The only thing that feels iffy on is I still feel like at her worst she’d accidentally do something inconsiderate (like the Mother’s Day strip or the earring in the sink strip, talk about lazy and ungrateful) and contribute to his depression, since he hasn’t had it easy with family mistreating him. That just means the writers should step up their game and make Luann behave more mature and considerate.

I’ve got the impression that Piro gave Luann one of the biggest compliments a person with trouble talking to others can give. It’s really nice to see how Luann is slowly becoming an important person to him. A friend or maybe more. I hope they’ll let him read his story now for all of us. But I wonder what he and Bernice have talking about on the phone and if she’s in the audience or will come running.

“Yes. Yes you are,” she says patting Luann’s head, “Sugar cube?”

Yep, we all have our own special talents.

Oh, I dunno! Turtles are far better listeners, LOL!!

Let that sink in, Luann. Slooowly.

Feels like Luann is Pirro’s match and Jack is Bernice’s match. Both have a light personality

I gotta wonder—Do Bernice’s parents even MISS her—and if so, is it enough to kick those mooching freeloaders out of their house and welcome her back??

And if that happens, will Bernice even WANT to go back?? After all, she’s bonded so well with Nancy.

Luann certainly relaxes Walt/Piro with her warm friendly, funny personality. But what remains, as we get t and past hump day is what’s he going to say, and how does Bern fit in the story, if, really, at all? Hilarity ensueth?

I’m positive they’re not setting them up to date. I’m sure Bernice will be completely mature about it too.

“Easier to talk to the turtle”. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.

Luann seems oddly proud that she’s easier to talk with than a turtle. I guess she could have been angry. But the poor teacher is left wondering if her hearing is going or Luann has lost her mind.

In real life, shy men get smitten with the rare woman they find easy to talk to. I wonder if that will happen here.

If Pedro pretended the entire audience was our Beloved Ann❤️Eiffels, he would be a drooling, moaning wreck. Actually, even one Hawt Ann❤️Eiffel, that would do the trick. Ann❤️Eiffel affects most people like that. Ann❤️Eiffel… The Woman all Men Want and All Women Want to be Like. We ALL ❤️ Dearest Ann ❤️Eiffel ❤️. Spoiler Alert… Since Pedro will imagine the entire audience full of Luanns, you can bet your bippy the essay ain’t about Burnoose. Maybe an Ann❤️Eiffelesque rehash of the night with Luann. TTFN, Count Fans. Count Out!

Looks like Piro is getting over his stage fright.

I LOVE today’s strip!!

That was lovely, unexpected, and charming, with a fantastic positive development in this arc. Excellent advice, too. Better than the classic “imagine them all naked”. Imagine them as someone you’re comfortable talking to. It would go very nicely alongside Neil Gaiman’s advice from his “Make Good Art” commencement address about pretending to be someone who can do the thing you’re trying to do.

Poor Luann. She gets a massive complement from Piro and it goes right over her head. Maybe it’ll come to her in the middle of his presentation.

♫ She’s got my pet turtle eyes ♫

So Piro is “the man who fell to earth?”

“you’re easier to talk to than a turtle”, sounds like a good pickup line

What Piro failed to mention is he’s ALSO going to picture the audience naked. And all of them Luanns.

I’m seeing a new 2some

maybe Dez is there, in the front row.

…and they say that guys are the ones who usually fail to read signals.

Then again, it might not be a signal at all; such is the mystery of Piro. I have a feeling that his reading will serve to shed more light on his life story.

That is practically gushing for him. I love being there for friends and seeing them blossom into their own, becoming the person they were before life happened to them.

Luann is one up on the turtle!

Good one! Whatever works!

Piro likes Luann because she just accepts him for himself and doesn’t try to analyze him like some people would.

We take our victories where we find them.

Luann beats MOST turtles!!

So the whole “handing the phone with Bernice on the line to Piro” thing was just a red herring?

Do we hear the Piro story??? can’t wait to find out…… :-/

and what will be Bernice’s reaction? Intrigue? Sadness? Shock? Psychological mumbo jumbo?

“Easier to Talk To Than A Turtle” motivational t-shirts for sale. Sizes S-XXL only $29.95.

Piro, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship…

Whatever works Piro.

“I will find you twenty lascivious turtles. . . .” (Shakespeare, Merry WIves of Windsor, II:1)

Tomorrow,Piro begins to read from LADY CHATTERLY’S LOVER

Another minor superpower revealed! I guess those of us who’ve been wondering all these years why we’ve never seen Pittsville’s legendary EasierToTalkToThanATurtle-Woman and Luann DeGroot in the same room finally have our answer.

It says something nice about Luann that Piro can use her as a mental shield. Now, waiting for the taking down and tearing to pieces by the pack.

Luann has a new skill to add to her resume.

Karen (now a cited co-author) seems to be moving the strip in the direction of oft mentioned “Romance Novel.” Even to a little bit of “bodice ripping flirting” from Tiff directed at a potential “love triangle” re Kip. She has all the major-major characters in play right now; Luann, Bernice Tiffany, and Gunther. Each is in some sort of relationship or a relationship is being actively pursued or hints are being given that one is forming.

Let’s see how this prediction plays out! 8^ 0

can hardly wait how Piro’s story goes and how it’ll captivate the audience

Mrs. Horner is duly impressed by Walt “Piro” Starr’s performance but probably confused by Luann’s literally correct but yet opaque explanation of why he is doing well….

Awwww, Piro’s opening up to Luann! Also, will we get to know more about his past? I hope we do…scared for him, but also curious.

An introvert finding someone easy to talk to is a wonder. For it to be a girl approaches a miracle.