Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for May 17, 2012

Wow!

Is someone about to coerce another to commit perjury?

Is she going to persuade Ox into signing that paper? She will be stepping into some deep doo-doo if she does.But regardless, that paper is worthless unless it is notarized.

This strip’s a one panel wonder. I’m worried about Ox. He wouldn’t deliberately lie to get a little girl and her aunt into trouble, but Ann would have no problem manipulating him.

I get the feeling that what actually happened with Toni and Shannon, and what Anne told her attorney happened have only a slight relationship to one another

Yikes. She is SO gonna take advantage of Ox – hopefully TJ will stay around and eavesdrop…and rescues Ox.

Give the big guy enough free “gutbombs” and he’ll sign anything! (Without reading it.)

OR he will then step in after Ann leaves and tells Ox if he perjuries, he might go to jail if Toni’s lawyer can prove he was not there. Might be enough for Ox to recant in court and confess he was asked to sign the paper in lieu of freebies at WW.

I can just see Ox on the stand. Disaster time for Ann.

Why do I have a feeling that Ann is going to stoop to a all time low and take advantage of Ox. Free food if he signs the paper.

The plot thickens….this is about to get REALLY interesting! I hope Ox stays true to his anti-bullying, nice guy form, and teaches AE a lesson in the process.

Maybe she tried to give TJ an offer (she hoped) he wouldn’t refuse?

@Ottodesu..

Because the emphasis in this strip is about the ‘eyes’ of the three persons portrayed:T.J’s are full of disgust and anger, AE’s are conniving and cold and OX’s eyes are delightfully innocent and trusting. No matter how comely Ann’s legs may be, they are overshadowed by her despicable character.

It’s a comic, people! Confusion, chaos, slapstick, these are the elements of comics.But I think TJ is going to end up managing the Weenie World.

Otto, I love you madly.

Could be she’s going to convince Ox that TJ was bullying her.

The end of Ann approaches

My, my, my… we’re stepping out of the comic world and into the real world. Odd for comics to do. I fear (yeah, right…) that little missy is going to get in too deep and she’s going to have a rap list from coercing a witness, to intent to fraud. I’ll lay odds 5 to 10 she’ll get 10 to 20. Just a frog’s point of view.

Lev TJ is very eccentric, but at no time has he ever been anything but a true friend.AS for Ox.. this should prove interesting.

Ox isn’t the smartest kid in class, but he IS a ‘gentle giant’ -that is, he has a kind soul -furthermore, he appears to have a strong sense of honor. Why would anyone believe he would side in with Ann -especially simply for food? GETTING food isn’t one of his problems.

Funk! I get the feeling this is going the way of the greek tragedy.

Suddenly the storyline becomes predictable.

Another thing, Ox came on the scene well after the incident with Shannon. He specifically told TJ that it was his first time at WW. The credit card statement will verify that date. Also, if it does get to trial. How would it reflect on Ms Awful if her disitrict manager is called in to testify on company policy regarding those crowns?

Last we saw Ox he stated that AE was a “nice lady” – this will open Ox’s eyes to the true nature of the woman…

Since Greg created and finished this arc weeks ago, our ideas aren’t exactly going to be any of help in the input dept.

Shake it up, baby…

ok, this is sooooooooooooo not the way to go. leave ox out of this crap.

I am pretty scared now this is getting serious. Shame the devil Ox!

Isn’t Ox’s father a lawyer?

I believe that Ox will not sign because it is a lie and she will try to bully him into signing. Mistake!

THIS will NOT end “well” for someone … I just hope it’s not Ox !

Maybe Ox’s father is the lawyer!!??!!

… and, I’d said a LONG time ago, TJ lost his parents, BUT he HAS a LARGE Turst Fund and portfolio !.I would NOT be shocked if there were TWO people that OWNED WW – TJ being the CFO and ELMO (?) being the CEO, with Ox’s Dad in the role of the Company’s Lawyer !

You know, I dunno whats CREEPIER:

‘Ole Smiley “Acting” like he’s got SCRUPLES or the Fact that Ann Eiffel didn’t FIRE Him when he DISOBEYED.

STILL, Ya gotta admit, Annie’s HOT when shes being a BITC…., er, hmmm, I MEANT a BIMB…., uh I MEAN a BREAST!

No WAIT…..,

oh no.

OK, you are all missing the real point: do they serve Coke or Pepsi at WW?

No respect for TJ anymore. He saw Toni’s niece bite Ann, even gloated over it, and now he acts holier than thou refusing to testify the truth. He and Toni are just as bad as Ann. He’s just peeved that Ann doesn’t want to be his punching bag anymore.

@ottodesu – if the panel didn’t cut her off there, her underwear would be visible.

You can’t be…. ewwwww……

“The end of Ann approaches”

.

How can we tell? Otto pointed out that the picture’s cropped.

she is gonna loose so much business!

Ox is hungry again! Poor guy! Little Annie Awful is going to try to lead him into dishonor. It won’t work out as she hopes in her twisted schemes.

Ox is under 18 (I assume) He can not sign a paper without a parent.

Ox will do anything for free food………………..

Frivolous lawsuits are dangerous.. Miss Eiffel tried to take something from a child, initiating physical contact. Given the negative nature of the exchange, this could be a form of assault as well.

Good job, TJ. Interestingly enough, Ann’s line is not “Get back here or you’re fired,” showing how much she still values him for his revenue-generating capacity. As for Ox… well, the floodgates of possibility are open.

Can TJ be subpoenaed to testify in a lawsuit? He is the only witness not involved in the incident.

The comments are heavy this week. The storyline is getting people worked up.

If I had to guess, I’d say Ann will TRICK Ox into signing something, which will then come back to bite in the butt.

I thought I remembered that Ox’s parents are either lawyers and/or teachers. Because he made the comment before how his parents wanted him to go to Oxford. So I’m sure that may play a role in how he handles this.

I went back and checked. Ox wasn’t there (unless out of sight but the storyline indicates he didn’t show up until much later.) I feel sorry for OX as he will get caught in the middle and probably get blames for lying when it is all finished.

Is it possible for a comic strip to jump the shark?

I would totally do Ann

Cut your losses, Greg, and make this arc disappear. It’s tenuous, unfunny, and is spotlighting unattractive, supporting characters. Get Luann and Bernice and Tiffany back on stage and reconnect with the roots of this strip.

Ox doesn’t like bullies-perhaps Ann has met her match. I also suspect that TJ is going to leave his job soon, store sales will go down, and that would be another way for her to be out of a job!

Ox may be naive, but he’s good hearted and straight as an arrow. Also, with a name like Oxford I somehow don’t think the’s as stupid as some people think. Wait and see.

Where’s Dirk when you need him!?!

Oh no! This plot-line will take us into next month.

Forget it, Ann! T.J. will NOT betray his best friend’s girl in exchange for some mediocre justice. And, I’m willing to bet that both the charges will not have enough merit to go forward and the use of having someone else to commit perjury on your behalf will fall through before you know it.

Maybe Greg is going to repeat history. Remember when AE was caught by her superiors when she was working at the book store? Suppose one of the WW corporate officers is just around the corner, doing a routine inspection (or maybe to find out why her sales have spiked). He/She would hear AE trying to con Ox into being a witness. Then just as Ox figures her out, says, “you are a bad person”, and walks away with his $150/day orders now gone, that WW officer has a showdown with her.

Hey… it could happen!

Some people here have nailed exactly what’s coming down.

Gunther will convince Ox not to lie.

Beautiful! AE is going to try to bully TJ into lying— or at least testifying against his will. TJ will explain to Ox that the “Nice Lady” was trying to steal a little girl’s crown. Ox, knowing the true value of a crown, will….

For that matter, Oxford’s purchases are recorded whenever he uses his Platinum Card, so it would show he had never eaten there at that time and very likely would show where he was when the event happened. Thus, if the lovely Ann tried to get his testimony, it would quickly show she was lying even when telling the truth about being bit. All is well.

To all the people who repeat that this is just a comic strip and not real life, that is true. But it is also true that the best stories are one that the reader gets involved in and identifies with one or more of the characters. And judging by the number of comments here, this story must be great.

I hope that the story arc does not change until something is settled. Also I hope that it does not build up and just fizzle out like the storyline of Brad getting his firefighting job back. I enjoy this comic very much but that ending was a bit of a let down.

I was sort of hoping for the deep fat fryer, myself, but a trashcan or dumpster works for me.

The first time I’ve seen TJ not smiling. And yeah – I see Ox as a wild card – not a slave. And I kept hoping that AE wasn’t totally evil…………(I can hope).

Ah…. I think I see the perfect storm brewing!

I guess you must like something about this strip, or you wouldn’t be here.

See, this is why I totally love this board. I second everything you said. I honestly don’t get the appeal of Knute, and I also wish Greg would do more with Bernice. .Horse races, and all that, but he’s such a one-note flat character that he holds no interest for me. A lot of Spicoli gets old very quickly.

@Leviticus & MojitobabyDOH! Through my superior ignorance and Spicolian stupidity, I have managed to get you two to agree on something. I think I deserve some kind of award for that. Any suggestions?

Go away & take a cold shower. And get lost.

I’m saving myself for marriage, I prefer flesh and blood over pixels. You know I have proposed to MJ, already bought the ring. Just waiting for her to say yes.

otto – Moj: the thigh high boots comment — you’re quite prophetic with regards to an upcoming strip. I’m like you, Otto – those things melt me. When worn by the right person, mind you.

uh oh

I really want to quit my job and go work at WW…it has more drama then Payton Place…(extra credit points if you remember Payton Place)

The defense calls TJ to the stand!

I think I may form a Knute Fan Club. That guy has been getting a bad rap around here. After all, where would Luann (the comic strip) be without the wit and wisdom of Knute?

Almost a deal, Leviticus. You can have Bernice, but I want Knute on the team, too. So I’ll also give you Luann and a future draft choice.

wow, ann’s about to suborn perjury. hmmm…ann in prison. if i was a man of questionable morals, i’d be having some wicked fantasies right about now………what was i saying?

Quoting a very wise friend of ours:“The trouble is that you’re trying to apply real world parameters to a comic strip”.

I think she’s going to be really rude & nasty to Ox, it will turn out his dad owns WW, and Ann is gone forever! Yay!

If Greg wants to dispose of a useless character, he should bring Elwood to a nasty end. He is the least plausible player in the entire “Luann” cast, and highly unlikable as well. Maybe Knute could be better developed as a character by killing Elwood to obtain drinking money!

I’m going to Beam myself up, Jim that is.

I don’t see what Ann would gain by having Ox as a witness, he would either confirm or contradict TJ’s account of what happened. This appears to be a no win situation for Ann.

The only comic strip which accurately mirrors my reality is “Get Fuzzy.” In the past, it was “Calvin & Hobbes.” This should provide any amateur psychoanalysists with a revealing insight into my personality.

I think when he’s asked to lie, he won’t. I can see her wheedling and spinning it, but at the end of the day, it means lying. And i think he won’t..By the way, there are 4 men on horseback in my front yard. One is wicked skinny. Please advise.

Oddly enough, my brother actually lives in Gilmanton, NH, where Grace Metalious lived back in the ’50s. Her hubby was the school principal and the town never lived down the fact that everyone assumed the “secrets” she revealed were true to life.

Lev, it’s your own damned fault. If you’d just stay chained in the basement like a good boy, no one would have to call law enforcement

I figured Knute would end up being a runner and gopher for Elwood – or whoever the local drug kingpin is. You see those man-boy types all the time, still hanging out at the corner when they’re into their 50s. They all end up dying of cirrhosis or overdosing in the back room of their sister’s house.

I hope she does not talk that poor goof into helping her

Years ago, I read a book entitled “Peyton Place,” and watched the movie based upon it. However, I never saw the prime-time series nor the daytime adaptation. There was a lot of sex and murder in that small New England town. If Greg Evans used some of those ideas in “Luann,” the readers would really have plenty to discuss! Back in the 1950’s, adultery, abortion, incest, alcoholism, suicide etc., were considered pretty sensational. I suppose that those topics might still be on the edge of what is acceptable in newspaper comics dealing with high-school teenagers and young adults. This imaginary universe exists at the whim of its creator. ’nuff said!

My friends tell me that I somehow remind them of somebody named Brewster Rockit. I take that as a compliment.

Perhaps Knute will become a very successful stand-up comic.

Remember when Ox said he wanted to fight bullies?

Uh oh. This dope will do anything for food. T.J. doesn’t even know it yet, but I think he’s about to become Toni’s knight in shining armour.

Did you all notice? She’s not having a problem holding onto that paper with her mangled finger. Hmmm.

This comic strip is not going to end soon, so there is plenty of time for the major characters to graduate from high school and go on to college, the workplace, marriage, prison or whatever else. Let’s take every day as Greg Evans gives us…

Since I quit making predictions, I won’t suggest that Luann will be in the Class of 2039!

Good team, Leviticus. Can’t wait for the road games.

Gunther once said that Bernice was more his type than Luann—but luann attracted him more.

That wasn’t Bernice.

That wasn’t Bernice. She would NOT go into boys’ restroom. She would go all way to the other end where the other women’s restroom is than just crashing in the men’s restroom next door. That was Crystal who crashed in the men’s restroom. It is puzzling how you could get Bernice and Crystal mixed up. Lol.

They WILL give him a certification of attendance without receiving the credits required to graduate. Many schools do that for those who keep on getting Fs and are incapable of passing any classes in high school. Most of the time, those kids just drop out of school. But this is a cartoon strip, and I doubt Greg will drop Knute out of school although he should.

I like the background gradients in this one.

Applauses for TJ!