Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for March 31, 2012

This is one of the nicest strips that Greg has drawn. They make a very handsome couple.

Yeh

You should just tell her that it was your fantasy to have some woman propose to you. Besides then she would have to go to Brad’s father to ask him for Brad’s hand.

Leslie, is that you? :-)

Yay!

Want me to make a guess? In the second panel she was about to tell him that she’s leaving for a job elsewhere, or something of the sort.

Almost seemed like Toni was hoping that was the first question.

Maybe not.

Whoa.

Marry you? Sure…to whom?

Yeesh…mean trick, Greg. Not fair to leave me at a cliff hanger like that. >:P I do love this comic strip though. I read this, and “Calvin & Hobbes” everyday. :D

NO!!!! I hate cliff hangers before the weekend!! now we wont know till MONDAY!!!!!!! AAAAHHHHHHH!

I think she knew what he was gonna ask and was trying to head him off. Just a guess, I could be wrong.

also, who says Greg continues this arc on Monday? he could switch to other story lines, and come back to this later. Possibly a good bit later. Of course, I would hope I’m wrong there…

Sunday is April fool’s, so………………………………… she will say NO!!!!!!!!!!!!, throw the bread on Brad’s head, and get off the restaurant, and Brad is with a very sad face………….than Monday she says “April Fools, don’t be sad Brad; of course I will marry you”

say yes

April fools,,,,,

Good Job Greg. I can wait.

Brad has gone from a doofus to a handsome fellow. But why, oh why, did he listen to TJ? This can’t be good…

I dunno. Sure, ‘twas neatly done. But has Toni changed her mind in so short a time? I don’t think Brad will get the answer he thinks he wants….

Ewwwwwwww!

They’re EATING at “La PETA”????

Oh wait, it says “La PETIT”.

Someone PLEASE return My Glasses??

Anyway, that’s enough of this arc, it’s about time we looked in on Gunther.

FFFFFF— this can’t end well.

Now we have to wait til Monday!! I HATE YOU GREG!!!

They should be married…why should they be happy?

Yep! When she said Dirk was enough excitement, she meant it.

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS FOR THIS THEY BETTER NOT BREAK UP I WANT THEM TO GET MARRIED

In Panel 2 Toni looks a bit nervous and in panel three she looks relieved…Im betting Brad is in for a big disappointment. Monday for us may be our April Fools day. Who is to say what is going on in Gregs Head.

By the way Brad is so smooth he should be Chunky Peanut Butter.

BOOM!

Let’s hope Toni said “Yes”…. and then watch Brad pass out from sheer shock. Heehee.

Don’t follow up with TJ’s plan.

She was ready to quit her job for Brad, but 2nd panel shows that she’s not ready to commit to him…….yet. Besides, she’s drawn like a woman and Brad looks like an awe struck 16 year old boy.

Toni was braced for THE QUESTION and then was caught unawares. Nice touch. She may well say “not yet” but she needs to face up to the issue – with herself and with Brad.

Darn restaurant bothers me. It started out to be nice, but poor landscaping and that unidentifiable, windowless box in back make it look like some sort of gatehouse. The road or sidewalk goes right through the middle of it. Sorry, folks, back to the story.

So, will Greg leave us hanging for a month, or do we need to only wait until Monday to find out if Brad is as dumb as we fear he is?

In the second frame, Toni seems slightly preturbed and about to head Brad off before he asks her. Then she seems releaved that he asks for the bread.

Releaved? What is she, a tree? Or do you mean “relieved”?

And now the fun begins! I have never looked forward to a Monday morning as much as I do today…

And we will return to this story arc in 4 to 6 weeks…..

Again, I wonder if their city’s fire department has a policy against employees being married to each other.

She’s pregnant….

Now about the second panel— Was Toni about to tell Brad that she had been seeing some other guy since Valentine’s day?

The suspense is killing me! Aaaahhh!!! I can’t believe he finally asked!!!

I hope the third panel indicates that Brad is being redesigned at long last. The shape of his head always looked to me like Greg drew an outline of his thumb and filled in the details :)

this is a comic…stories are “drawn” outwe won’t know Monday or even Tuesday

WOO HOO !!!!

TJ wasn’t invited???

TJ probably wanted to be invited so he could experience Brad’s big question.

Radical thought:As April Fools Day is on a Sunday, Greg may have planned this ages ago, and for once Sunday could be “on-arc”.Other cartoonists routinely do this, for instance “Meaning Of Lila”.

Well done Greg. A very nice strip today. But…., where is the ring?

I’m pulling for you guys. I give you more than a frogs chance of not being a fool Brad. Keep the moment and carry it through. Then the joke will be on your roomie, and even Dirk. Go Brad!

yes … Brad & Toni look very nice….but what is that on their plates? insects?

the Petite Chateau should serve the bread before the insects.

Oh good heavens….is he still April Fooling her? He will probably be wearing that bread on Monday!

If Toni says “Yes,” Brad will be ecstatic until he says, “Oops, I forgot to buy a ring!”

Whoa…Brad did it!Argh! We have to wait until Monday for the answer!

I think getting married would be great for the storyline.

Greg, if we open the strip on Monday and see Gunther, Knute, Crystal, Tiffany or for that matter anyone except Brad and/or Toni…well, let’s just say you’ll be seeing pitchforks and torches from your front window!

Soap opera cliffhanger.

Uh-Oh….you can tell as soon as Brad said he had something to ask, it seems from the panel Toni didn’t like what she was about to hear…this isn’t gonna be pretty. Toni just needs to say YES !

Exit dream sequence in 3…. 2…… 1……

oh, snap!

Hey! what about Rosa?

did he even bring a ring just in case she accepts?

Been there, done that. I proposed to my wife on March 31st during Easter dinner. It was wonderful. The next day when we told the new to first few people, they responded “April Fools!” We ended up spreading the news on April 2nd.

The second panel did seem that she was going to say to Brad, “I’m not ready for marriage, yet.”.Now we have to wait until Monday to see what happens.You’re an evil writer, Mr Evans.

A brilliant feint. She was ready to parry the question but now he has caught her off guard—and shown her just a bit of what marriage would be like.

Some ladies like to have a say in what their jewelry looks like. Since there’s no indication that Toni WILL accept, and she’s a sensible gal, Brad should say “I like your taste in clothes so I thought that I’d like you to help me pick out the ring.”

All I can say is that thids is brilliant and why this strip is so damn addictive!! TJ, that mysterious, wiseacre, “Eddie Haskell” (for those of you old o enough to remember Leave it to Beaver) gets Brad to realize what he probably should have all along about Toni and him. Or, at least one hopes??? And leave it to Greg Evans to make us wait over April Fools/Palm Sunday to see what the outcome is, or as some of you have said, go to a totally unrelated story arc. I, for one, hope she says yes, then we get to Luann expecting to be the Maid of Honor, and TJ being the best man, and relating to Toni’s totally irresponsible brother (remember him?). And like somebody said their is always Dirk out there somewhere.

Like I said “addictive.”

So…. ladies – Would you rather be surprised, OR would you like to help your fiance pick out your ring? For the record, I picked out the ring and surprised my gal 55 years ago this Summer. I asked her the other day if she would like a nicer one now. “NO – I want to wear the ring you gave me.” So, have times changes, women changed, or did I just get someone extra special? Trick question!

Will this be one of those historic days for the cartoon strip, or will it just meander off without anything really happening?

Say Yes! ;-)

Watch how fast that bread retreats!

WHOA.

(Brad, I thought you were going to stop listening to TJ.)

“Can we get back to TJ and Ann?”

Can we please stop expecting the entire strip to be about our personal favorites? This is an ensemble cast & the stories will change from time to time, if we’re all PATIENT our favorites will come back around.

It is interesting ow Brad is drawn; sometmes as a dufus, and sometimes not (usually in profile)

Heck of a bomb to drop on Saturday, given that a lot of people don’t read the papers on Saturday.

What?

Oh, yeah. A lot of people don’t read the papers PERIOD.

One of the main reasons why I love this comic strip so much is because of its unpredictability. It is so unlike “Mark Trail,” where I can figure out the plot on the second or third day, and guess the outcome within a week. Also, I appreciate it because the characters are portrayed as young adults, rather than the “eternal teenagers” of “Archie” or “Zits.” Time passes slowly in this particular “comic universe,” but at least it is not frozen in time in the manner of “Hi & Lois,” or “Blondie.” Eventually, Luann and her classmates will graduate from high school— Some will go on to college, others will get married, and there may be unexpected futures for the rest. I eagerly await what is yet to come.

No idea what’s going to happen between here and there, but mad props to Brad for taking the bull by the horns. Toni may not be ready. Heck, Brad may not be ready. But faint heart ne’er won fair lady. I hope they do end up together in a serious, committed relationship – I would find that very gratifying.

I do not guess that anything we expect is going to happen here…but what WILL happen?

the restaurant looks suspiciously like the real Le Petit Chateau in Studio City/North Hollywood CA

Pop that question..

Bwad has come a long ways from always working on his car

or lounging around on the couch..to….this….

see my post yesterday…hee heee

And if she says “no?” Are they a dead shark? Or one in waiting…

That second panel with Toni voicing Brad, sounds like a warning about bringing up marriage. She is still not mentally ready yet.

dammit she better say yes, I’ve been waiting over TEN YEARS for this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brad didn’t like TJ’s plan until TJ said Brad might be losing Toni. Then Brad straightened up. I think Brad is on the up and up, really asking.

Terrywoebegone said, less than a minute ago

I dunno, panel 2 doesn’t look like “Please pop the question” to me. More like an annoyed mother… “Brad”. We shall see.

Brad’s hair makes him look like a Chia Pet.

Dude, why would you want to marry a chick with an arm tat? Everything else about her is perfect but that.

Princess Diana’s sapphire was pretty popular as an alternative, but one benefit to a diamond is its hardness. As an engagement ring is worn every day, a lot of other gemstones/birthstones might look great, but also might not prove durable. A lot of people are using the diamond as a central stone, and smaller colored stones as an accent.

i got a bad feeling about this. if he slips that april fool line in there, it just might blow up in his face.

@Christopher Vickers

You are kidding, right? He’s already ridiculously over-chicking as it is, plus he’s got the same tat on his arm. Small tat’s on chicks are hot! And I’m 50. I forget how puritanical some people are. sigh

I don’t like the ringinthesoup thing — too many ways it can fail>

And the worst thing is—she doesn’t have any say-so.

WE picked out rings together and the deal was struck.

I don’t think my parents could afford an engagement ring until they had been married some years.

DeBeers is the industry, but unless you have a really personal vendetta against one or all of the directors of the company, granting that wish won’t accomplish what you hope it will. .Yes, once diamonds as a commodity are devalued, either through an uncontrolled market release of Russian Siberian stones or a lab equivalent, everyone’s rings will be rendered common and therefore far less expensive – and oops, therefore far less desirable. Which means something just as naturally rare or in controlled supply will immediately take their place. Rubies and emeralds are far more rare, but the Colombian government heavily restricts emerald mining, so that situation is the same, if not worse, than a cartel’s artificial pricing. All you’d have accomplished by toppling DeBeers is ensuring that a “good” engagement ring would probably cost 10X more than diamonds do now. .So really, you’d just be exchanging one demon for another – but in addition, every man who ever bought a ring, and every man who about to, would have a contract out on you!

no ring, right?

Well Brad did a good job of getting her to drop her guard. She looked like she was expecting, and dreading, “the question”. When he asked for the bread, she completely dropped her guard, and the he asked. Good move, really.

I think Toni’s face in the second panel is a warning sign…

Actually, that’s a misconception. DeBeers was already a monopoly in 1927; diamonds in engagement rings didn’t became a popular notion in this country until the 1930s. The fact that diamonds are the hardest substance in the world (with the exception of rare wurtzite boron nitride and lonsdaleite), with a unique crystalline structure, means there will always be a need for them in an industrial capacity, which would alone be motivation enough to create a monopoly. But outside of that, beauty is always desirable when it comes to jewelry, art, etc. Throughout history, even before stones could be faceted, royalty and the wealthy elite have always acquired the largest and best gems to advertise and reinforce their power and wealth, not to show how much they’re loved. And many women who don’t have an engagement ring have diamonds – in the form of earrings, necklaces or bracelets that they’ve bought for themselves.

I am really enjoying all the speculation. Wish I could spoil it all for everyone …grin…

We picked out my engagement ring together. A heart shaped ruby (my birthstone) accented with white sapphires. Our wedding bands, I designed myself. One small diamond connecting two hearts with each of our birthstones in one of the hearts. Both are unusual and meaningful to us. Twenty five years later he got me a large diamond for our anniversary and I’m scared to death I’m going to lose it. But five years later, I still have it. I wear it on my right hand. Still wear the others. They could never be replaced. I guess it’s up to the couple how this should be handled. We are all different, thank God.

Sorry, but it’s true. I’m not pessimistic, just realistic about the way commodities, cartels, and most importantly, human nature, works. And the “reality-based” price structure you want is exactly why your lab ruby, no matter if it’s vividly colored and flawless, will never be valuable. Because it’s easily produced, it will never be rare, and it’s rarity and demand that determine value. .Emeralds are very rare, and only a few countries, like Colombia, Russia, Brazil and Iran/Afghanistan, host amy emerald deposits of size. NC has 3 pale green hiddenite districts, but I wouldn’t move there anytime soon. The family that owns the farm where that quartz vein is located has been mining it since the 1880s. In 130 years it produced nothing but small, flawed spodumenes and hiddenites that weren’t gem-quality (suitable for jewelry) – and one 310 carat emerald in 2009, which was recut to 65 carats – about the size of a quarter. And nothing of consequence since. .There’s nothing “so called” about natural stones – they are natural, created by aeons of time, pressure and chemistry, and their unique look still can’t be artificially duplicated. Lab-grown rubies and sapphires may be identical in their structure, but they actually are distinguishable from the real thing. Unlike natural stones (especially corundums), which have an opacity due to inclusive elements that were trapped in their crystal structure when they were being formed, lab grown stones like yours are flawlessly crystalline, with no inclusions, so you can see into, if not right through, the stone. Some people like that glass-like effect, some don’t. But for the same reason people don’t want rings of gold look-alike metals, technologically produced HPHT or CVD diamonds won’t topple DeBeers.

Both characters have matured a lot and both look ready to get married, IMO. Maybe Toni was really going to say….‘Brad, I never thought you’d ask….I’ve been waiting so long to hear you say this…..‘.? Toni looks absolutely lovely…and Brad looks really handsome and mature. They’ve weathered unemployment together with Toni giving up her job for him. If their financial position has improved considerably, there’s no reason why they couldn’t get married now.

I don’t think we will find out on Monday. I hope Toni surprises herself and can put the awful experience of Dirk behind her. Toni and Brad have become best friends. I have been married to my best friend for 25 years. Go for it, Greg. This is my favorite “comic” strip.

That’s almost exactly how I proposed to my wife. We’re in our 3rd decade of marriage now.