Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for November 26, 2011

Bombshell announcement at the end.

Otherwise, I see nothing positive coming from this.

may??………..WILL!!

She did it for real. Oh crap.

This passeth ridiculous, because that’s BRAD’s captain, not Toni’s. Of course, he’s going to sack her Monday. Good riddance.

When you blow smoke in a hole, it may not come out as rings…

drinks milk while reading this stripsees last panelSpit take with the milk

:o

And how will they pay for a wedding with no job??

Well! Looks like Toni may be ready for that commitment….zz

Thats certainly a.noble move, although it is a bit impulsive and rather impractical, but yet, there are many life changing, inspiring, and impactful events that have come of such…

/facepalm

So much for the idea that Toni was bluffing TJ. I don’t want to hazard to postulate a theory as to how this scenario will work out. We will all have to wait with bated breath for Monday’s strip!

I can see Brad blowing a cork. and T. J. is in for a very rough time.One should not give ultimatums to the Big Boss, it ties his hands in so many ways.She might lose her job so he gets his and letting them work together is usually against the rules if they are emotionally entangled, (i.e. married) it potentially endanger others on the crew. During a multi-alarm fire they would have to deal with the conflict by holding one or the other back if they married and had children. I can see one or the other placed in a administrative slot to safeguard the family from the ultimate problem of the loss of both of them with surviving kids.

The dynamics here are turning very interesting!.

I think I just threw up in my mouth!

Wow, they’ve been very discreet, haven’t they? There’s no way that anyone can say that their on-job impropriety was in any way the cause of Brad’s dismissal.

I can see a policy against hiring married couples or couples in general.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t let married couples serve at the same station at least. Too much danger of them buing to busy saving one another to save the people they’re there for.

Monday will be something different and this will be the cliff hanger as Greg goes somewhere else with Luann. Besides, it is the woman’s (Bride’s) father that pay for a wedding.

And as for them having the same captain, One captain is over seeing many stations, so that can work different stations and have the same captain.

She didn’t, no she did. Ack… what is she doing!? Please let this be a nightmarish dream.

Maybe, just maybe, the captain will find merit in Toni’s presentation and will somehow come up with jobs for both. Otherwise this could end very badly….

hmmmmmmmm

O…M….G…. I always thought Toni was the smart, competent one in their relationship.

Brad was the clueless, not too bright, but sweet one.

Now?

Now I fear for their future children…..

I SO saw this coming!

BTW — remember, long ago Brad asked to be transferred to Toni’s station.

He was told it was against regulations for them to work together even as boyfriend and girlfriend.

And Alain…… Meyer -Briggs??? Really???

Do they still do that in 2011?

Hey Gang! Is there something sneaky in the state of Luannsroom?Don’t fold your cards yet….

Well, that is Brads captain that she is speaking to. Since he had no choice about letting Brad go, what would make her think he has a choice about taking Brad back? But this, again, is the Luanniverse. Perhaps he’ll explain that there is an expected upcoming retirement or two, either at Brads stationhouse or elsewhere, that he knows about. And she is the only female on the force in Pittsville. But if this is legit, it can’t work. Otherwise, TJ wouldn’t have thought of it. In the real world, if you go into a superiors office and threaten to quit if a change isn’t made that he has no power to authorize, you are very likely to leave that office without your job.

Right now, it doesn’t look like “Teach TJ a lesson” was the purpose of this week’s strip. It occurs to me that she is speaking with Brad’s captain. She can’t quit to him, can she? She would have to quit to her own captain. Perhaps that is her safety net.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m in love! i just hope this doesn’t come back to bite her!

I think this could go several ways:- the strip is at a good point to switch the story line to another focus on Monday. makes for better suspense anyway

- Giving the boss an ultimatum ia never a good idea but this is a comic strip.

- the boss could say the department just got a federal grant and Brad was the last let go and will be thirst hired back but, oh by the way, people involved can’t work in the same station.

- Now that Toni has declared her feelings she will need to tell Brad BUT the two of them aren’t the best communicators so somehow that could go side ways for a while.

- TJ is Eddie Haskall incarnate.

-Somehow I don’t think we’ve heard the last of Brad’s weenie world boss. She may still muck things up.

- I can’t believe I’ve written all this about a comic strip!

I wonder if they have a policy against firefighters getting romantically involved.

Something about this still says “turning the tables on TJ, and the captain is in on it.” If the captain were given an ultimatum he wouldn’t look so benign in panel 2. We shall see!

OW! I hurt my neck with the double take.

A very noble, loyal gesture on Toni’s part.

Brad’s captain didn’t want to let him go when he had to…IF YOU REMEMBER.

Since they work different precincts, it shouldn’t be difficult for them to work the same job.

Give Brad Toni’s job. She can hire on at Burger Universe. I thought he was the one who had them going to the schools and talking to kids.

The only thing I know is that I know nothing. IThe speculation that swirls around these characters and their next move is always interesting to watch…

My own feeling is that Toni has been deadly serious about Brad for quite some time, but isn’t ready to jump into marriage yet. As a result, it didn’t surprise me that she was willing to voice that to the captain. I don’t think she has any illusions about areas in which Brad has yet to grow up (I’m loth to call them “character flaws,” we’re all on the same journey!) That said, the stage is set for all sorts of interesting developments over time. Greg could carry this on for years before they eventually get married… or don’t!

Toni put it all on the line. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Folks, please keep in mind that just saying you might quit, is NOT QUITTING! The captain cannot even tell her she is fired. There is an old saying, “If it’s not on paper, it doesn’t exist.” Another thing, the Fire Department cannot tell you who you can and cannot see when you are not on duty. So the termination for fraternizing idea goes out the window. As I said earlier, we shall have to wait and see what happens Monday!

BTW, I’m still betting that Brad gets his job at the F.D. back by the 1st of the year!

I think this captain is a lot wiser than perceived. I think he’ll see what’s happening, and offer Toni some advice and perhaps some alternatives to the situation. It might not be what Toni wants, but it might be what she “needs” (i.e. first, to keep her job and second, get Brad back somehow).

I’m glad she’s at least thinking the “M” word in re: Brad. But I doubt it will happen soon. I think the story arc has a lot more mileage in it – why put it to bed now? Either that, or Greg has something brand new up his sleeve. We’ll see.

There are non firefighting jobs w/ the fire dept.; including teaching school children about fire safety. And, not to mention office jobs for women who become PG. So, there is a future for them there if the chief wants there to be.

Admirable that Toni goes to the mat for Brad. A great trait for a firefighter to have.

“Brad saved my life, remember?” -ToniI called this one, remember?

Okay we’ve CLEARED up several things this week:

1) Yes Toni and Brad appear to work at the SAME Fire House.

2) Yep, Toni really, Really, REALLY loves Brad.

3) Toni, while Beautiful, ain’t too Bright…,

THIS Gal could use some COFFEE……,

Oh boy, here we go! Make that TWO unemployed fighterfighters.

Maybe Toni can get a job at weenie world.

Yay!!! Toni admits the love between her and Brad!! Let’s hope she doesn’t get the axe though!! PSI was my husbands secretary 42 years ago and we are still going strong!!

The ENFJ is one of many temperament designations assigned by the “Kiersey Temperment Sorter” http://www.keirsey.com/4temps/teacher.aspxI took that personality test a couple times back a few years ago, and realized it was just a way for some pop psychologist to milk mega-bucks out of corporations. But that’s just my own ISTJ coming out.

WHOA! Just wow!

I can’t believe she’s really THAT stupid, but I guess there it is.

“Oh, did I say that out loud?” Yes, I’m afraid so.

Wow, I’d be thrilled if she and Brad DID get married.

Seeing that Toni has her coat on, it looks like she went over to Brad’s old station and is speaking with that captain instead of her own. Her own captain probably isn’t in a position to speak about Brad’s job performance and abilities, as this captain is. If anyone can put in a good word for Brad when it comes time for re-hiring, it would be Brad’s immediate supervisor. Remember, too, that when Brad was originally laid off, Toni mentioned that the other firefighters were taking it pretty hard, so apparently he had at least SOME rapport with his co-workers. I’m trying to get to the installment that features this, but there seems to be a server hangup. I believe this was back in June or July; will try to post it later if I can…. At any rate, she probably skated around the “ultimatum” thing by going away from her immediate supervisor who has the ability to terminate her. Since Brad’s captain has no immediate authority over Toni, he may not be able to directly terminate her. That’s not to say that he won’t or can’t mention it to Toni’s captain, but I’m sort of betting that he won’t at this moment. Between Toni’s love for Brad, and the apparent rapport he had built in his short time with the department, plus his record of selfless service (3 lives saved), there’s a decent chance that this might work out favorably for all parties. At any rate, there can’t be too much disappointment… this IS “Luanniverse” after all.

They worked together right out of training, with that radio-controlled talking fire truck act.

More and more Brad/Toni seem to need their own strip. They could both get firefighter positions in another city. Sounds like a great idea for a x2/3 a week web comic.

Judging from the Captain’s ex

Go Toni! I hope you get Brad his job back and you both can get married. What a babe!

Judging from the Captain’s expression, it will not be necessary for Toni to quit. Brad was at the top of the line to be rehired anyway. Either that or the captain is happy to replace her with a man anyway.

RUN BRAD, RUN LIKE HE**!!!

The Captain and Toni has a nicer ring than Brattoni.

I am disturbed that Greg is abusing his characters so; they all have regressed to childish behavior, even Toni. Ironically, for all we know at this point, Brad may be the only one who grew up. In this arc, he was seen brooding for a while on the couch, still in his WW uniform, having hung up on Toni twice. Then he appeared at WW in his street clothes, and there was no other time indicator given, so he might have gone back to WW the night of the day he was fired. Anyway, he clearly had not thought the situation through, as evidenced by his statement that Ann had messed up his relationship, when the truth is that Ann had messed “with” his relationship. Then, what is apparently the next day, Toni came over to apologize and Brad was jerking her chain a bit, clearly enjoying that his GF is ballsy. I thought that was a mildly satisfactory, if anti-climactic, ending for that arc, or sub-arc. And now this . . .

Do you REALLY need to speak FROG????

Yes, it is. Don’t worry, be happy.

GoComics is like molasses today, but so are some other sites I regularly visit.

Here’s a thought on webcomics courtesy of Paul Taylor, author of Wapsi Square.

But Toni…we have a rule against employees fraternizing….

I see nothing good coming from this…

WOOOOHOOOOOO! You go, girl! I did about five double takes with the last panel! And THIS is why I love Luann!

(Luann as in the comic strip, although the character is great too)

Well, so much for Toni having rationality. Ever since Brad lost his job she’s been really ridiculous. Please let’s get back to the Tiffany-Quill thing, even given the unlikelihood that they’d actually get the same flight, it is still more likely than Toni actually getting what she wants by saying this stuff.

yes, obvious, split one job between the two of them….

Surprise, surprise!!! I’m about as good at predicting what these characters are going to do as I am predicting teams in a football pool. Where’s Tiffany, at least I can understand her? This Toni – Brad storyline is running too long, with too many twists, and too many extremely immature decisions. More importantly, I haven’t laughed or smiled in weeks.

I’m surprised that so many people here are arguing about the propriety of Toni offering to quit her job – That last panel makes the entire issue SECONDARY.This is the first time she’s ever admitted her feelings toward Brad and their relationship openly – to a third party! Talk about ending a sentence with a pregnant ellipsis….

Only one word…

WOW!

Still hope that the Captain won’t take her resignation right away and Brad can talk some sense into her. But love can make one blind.

Unless, Toni can be on more of a representative for the Fire Department, like a PR sort.

(OK, that was more than one word.)

Where is Gregg going with this fork in the road?

What?? What? What? (Brad is SO lucky [lucky??])…a truly rare thing.. I think my heart grew 2 sizes today..

I absolutely love this comic strip!

I am concerned that the cartoonist Greg Evans may have suffered some kind of personal trauma before penning this story arc.

Has no one else noticed how attractive the captain is?

There are some factors none of you are considering. Although Greg has never spelled it out, it doesn’t seem as if Luann-ville is not a tiny town in the country. If it’s a moderately sized town or suburb, the force is probably large enough that there are several openings each year due to attrition. People retire, get disability, leave the dept because their spouse got transferred to another city. And sometimes firefighters even die on duty. So there is some logical wiggle-room for Greg to give Brad his job back for plausible reasons.

How is she earning her salary when she should be working another example of why firemen should work8 hour days like everyone else and not get paid for shopping on tax payers dollars

Kirk Sinclair — (not that anyone will sill see this) Thanks.Actually I was teasing, cos I figured it was still in use.

But wow…. Meyer-Briggs is Jungian - decades old long before I had to learn it in my own prehistoric college days.

I didn’t have much faith in personality classification even way back then.

There are so many systems, from the ancient four humors, through Ayurvedic types, somatotypes, enneagrams, and a ton of other 20th century attempts, which each became faddish in their own times.

I don’t think it’s ever so clear-cut you can classify people into either-or groups.

But as I posted on another forum awhile back, one human trait we all share is a love of labels.

Twmaye — so….. you know her schedule?

Otherwise, it’s very perceptive that you know she’s on the same shift as Brad’s captain, and she’s supposed to be at work right now.

Lables have no place on real people. I love the symplicity of cartoons and I’ll just watch and see where Greg takes this; it’s all fun!

ENFJ – Extrovert, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging. Wikipedia explains it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENFJ

If Brad and Toni do get married, will Gunther make Toni’s wedding gown? Will Brad buy the ring from Elwood? (Watch it turn out to be real after all… heh)

The attrition rate of firefighters in Southern California was 9.4% in 2008. Hopefully, there will be a vacancy opening up so Greg can be rehired or you’ll have two unemployed firefighters. So unnecessary yet yet so O’Henry.

I fear Samantha needs to hurry up and become the librarian she was meant to be.At this rate, it will be up to her to be the bread-winner for the family.

OK, one for two so far. Anybody else think a strategic pregnancy is the next twist in this story line? Just guessing…

“Fair enough… you’re fired. Now, where can I get a new firefighter to replace you?” :-s

Ah, a wife giving her job for a husband, how unsual. Then people wonder why there’s gender equality in the world.