Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for March 06, 2015

It’s not always true that a knack isn’t a career. It depends on if that’s your particular focus or not. Many entertainers got “the bug” for stage or screen when young, and kept trying to stay close to it. Some never thoguht about parlaying their athletic talents into a sporting career, but eventually grew to love their particular sport. Some people became artists or songwriters, but struggled with what they wanted to do for their “day job”, but then found a way to “break through” (results not all typical). – So apparently, she either doesn’t see herself as being in arts or entertainment, or she just thinks that what she’s good at, isn’t “good enough” to do anything with….but maybe someone can come along and help her see that what she’s good at, could work for her, not against her…

Now THAT self-portrait of Luann Bernice is holding looks like a Picasso. (Keep searching, Luann, for that degree which’ll help you get you that career.)

Only Luann. Probably intentional…

“Some Nicked Knacks”“Career View Mirror”“Finding Yourself Lost”“A Simple Case Of Confusion”“Miss Mystery’s Misery”“Clues In The Dark”“Not Dressed, But With A Lot Of Places To Go”“In the Middle Of Average”“Everything And Nothing At The Same Time”or“Living In The Great State Of Confusion”

Luann doesn’t have a clue about who or what she wants to be, but she has plenty of knowledge about who she is. She’s a normal kid with some self-doubts, some self-confidence, some dreams for her future and some fears that things won’t work out.-She’s also someone who usually figures that people have good intentions, or she’d figure out that Bernice is not really a friend anymore…

Got it. Thanks!

Bernice says Luann is the punchline to a bad joke…

She’s also good with kids, and has had a limited foray into some experience with “Library Science”. But she probably doesn’t think of herself as a potential “teacher”, or a “librarian”, either…

I’d say Luann has all the makings of a cartoonist.

Does one of the 17 portraits show Luann in a Weenie World uniform? She sounds as if that’s the direction she’s headed.

That’s a good and colorful description. I think I’ll borrow it for a story I’m writing. Thanks!!

Most people never find themselves – and they probably wouldn’t say “Bingo” if they did.

Bernice’s comment isn’t snarky – it could actually be a compliment. Luann describes herself as confused, and that picture is a representation of a confused Luann. Maybe what Bernice (who does want to be a guidance counselor, after all…) is telling Luann is that she might have an aptitude for art and she should consider it as a major.

Crystal insults Tiffany non-stop when they’re together. Of course, we’re all supposed to insult Tiffany every chance we get, since that’s practically the strip’s mission statement.

Yes, and in a year or two Quill, Bernice, and Delta may change their minds. Its called actually understanding the pros and cons of each career path, shifting priorities, and maturing.

Luann is not the only clueless one in her friend group, she is just the only one who isn’t clueless about being clueless.

Bernice isn’t being mean by holding up the image of Luann with two faces. She is just implying that the drawing fits Luann’s cluelessness right now.

what will Bern become?

Luann, YOU have a “Knack” for Set Design.Gunther, has a “Knack” for Costume Design.

Sounds like a MATCH Made in “Comic-Strip Heaven,” to Me….,

Set design is a job, as well as house designer and such. As for singing it can become a ‘hobby’ or in other world something you love to do and won’t start to hate when it becomes only a job.

gunthers’ mom

A “socialist”? I don’t think she is into taking from those that can at gun point so much.

we already have cartoon characters in office.

“Kind of makes me wonder what their child will have a knack for….”_____________________________________

Dance, Perhaps? Broadway and The World Could USE another Jeffery Hines.

…..But Kid will Probably end up becoming Just another Lawyer like that “Shannon Brat” will end up being….,

How about Bernice?

What a perfect picture of most of us at any age, but especially Luann at “her time of life”—Aren’t we all composites of many different ideas/goals/talents/skills/desires? A Picasso cubist painting conveys that really well, I think—and that’s really how other people should see us—as complex rather than simplisitic humans—and more “splintered” and complex as we mature. . .

“Have I missed anyone?”*CK – Totally excellent summary of the future! The only missed point is Shannon. Rather than being an actor, as my understudy she will fight the good fight, helping people all over the world (and perhaps on those other planets) get justice, peace, and a turkey each.

To be fair, I am in my 30’s, have a college degree, and I STILL don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.

Tiffany will only go as far as her figure takes her before it sags.

I am many-faceted.

heh heh

You missed Rosa! And at 70 1/2 & retired I’m with you – soon (someday) I’ll find out what I want to do in life. It’s been a wild ride so far!

It has alwys been that way in Luanniverse!

No one will know what became of Knute, and no one will care, either.

The kind of observations Luann made on set design would make her a terrific civil engineer. She could design the future that the rest of the characters live in!

Hey, Luann, at least you’ve got a knack. You’re still a step ahead of me. :(

One of the first steps toward a career, Luann is a realistic self-assessment. So, if there are a couple of things for which you have a knack, as you put it, you should seriously examine the possibilities of making a career out of one or the other. Most artists do not become famous, internationally-known names whose works command hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions. Instead, most end up with modest but fulfilling careers, frequently as teachers, especially at the college-level. Look at Mr. Zebo, for example. That flamboyant fraud probably had dreams of fame once upon a time, but now he earns his keep teaching art fundamentals to mostly-uninspired students at Pitts CC. There’s a lesson for you in that, I guess….

I’m thinking and hoping that Mr Zebo will have some encouraging words for Luann. Being confused and unsure is not a character flaw. Confusion is like the ‘white noise’ that obscures the signal, the latter being direction, focus and intent. Some confusion is good as it causes you to double back and think a little harder about things. Too much of it can be paralyzing.

Luann is good with children so she should have a career working with children. Teacher? Librarian? Own a camp for children? Theater for children? Counselor for children?

We’ve never heard of Nancy’s having a job, have we? Did she get married straight out of school and never worked outside of the home? Might Luann do the same?

Actually, Luann never showed a knack for designing a set. She merely showed that she could arrange a bunch of existing props and backdrops (like the gazebo) to fit properly in the allotted space. Actually designing the set (such as knowing you need a gazebo, deciding what it should look like and what specifications it should meet, and then making the blueprints and overseeing the construction, which is what an actual set designer does) is something for which she may or may not have any talent.

An Italian, an Irishman, and a New Yorker walk into a bar …..someone left in the ground, and everyone at the gym laughed at them

I could have done the supermarket version, where the 3 ended up suing the company that makes snickers

Luann will become an elementary school art teacher. As a generally accepted truth, “those who can’t do——-teach.” Luann will learn techniques, but creativity cannot be learned, so she will never be an artist or even a successful cartoonist. The same holds pretty much true for drama teachers, business teachers, & creative writing teachers. The teaching professionals can’t make it in a competitive world, so, as Clark Kent hopes, they will join unions to give them what they want, become Democrats or Socialists so the government will give them what they want, and the corporate world will pick up the tab. Thank you, Mr. President.

Apparently, some of those who post here are concerned that we don’t have enough issues to discuss. So they’ve decided to insert politics. -When I want to read that kind of stuff, (not so much) I go to Doonesbury or Wiley’s ’toon. But I guess the politically involved need to stir up others, too…

Love that answer! I am 67 and have an idea what I want to do, but life keeps interferring. Luann is exactly at the right place—she is considering many options and finding out who she is and who she might want to become. A community college is the perfect place to do that.

Come on, that’s not so bad. Some people have no knacks at all, and some people have so many knacks they don’t know which one to focus on or which one might lead to a paycheck. If Luann has two, that’s good!. I wish someone would tell her that. (Someone like, !!hint hint!! Bernice.)-But! I remain convinced that Luann is a future cartoonist, no matter what happens! It’s her creator’s destiny for her. I expect to be proved right in about 30 years.

You’ve got to put your head together, Luann.

some people think my bologna is better than my sharona ;)

It’s really really weird, the way some people keep writing that Tiffany will have a sorry future. Because for one thing, the strip wouldn’t go to a place so effing dark she becomes something like Clark Kent sees, or a porn actress like some other people see!! And for another, I rather doubt this strip will continue “unhappily ever after”, unless Evans gets really depressed in his old age and puts it in his will that ANY his characters must be punished ad infinitum! Wow, the way people project their issues onto that gal!

HA ha ha ha! Oh yeah, I forgot, it’s also in her destiny to marry into the Berger clan! Mr. Gray will be her mute and ever-smiling father-in-law!

I love that song! I simply must find it on iTunes now!

weird al’s was actually approved by the Knack, and now most stars see it as a badge of honor to be parodied by him……….. Toni Basil was disappointed about “hey Ricky” NOT because it parodied “hey Mickey” but because Weird Al never asked her to be Lucy on the video

One more day of “Luann has no plan in life, and Bernice pokes fun at her for it”, and then we’re on to something else. Will we go back to the Gunther / Gray conflict (please, no!), or Toni shows that she’s really not enthusiastic about getting married, or TJ buys a warehouse, or Luann has a nutty professor, or… Bets?

Luann, I’ve been making a fine living as a lighting designer and my wife can says the same as a set decorator. I think we all know that great singers, once discovered can be payed very well. I made the decision to make my hobby a career many years ago. I set a goal to never “work” again. I have not “worked” in 20 years. Go for it, Luann!

> Then I think we’ll revisit school with Gunther/Tiffany.>That’s possible, since another Gunther-and-Tiffany-attend-class week will allow the G-man to keep driving the point home about how much he’s changed on account of his vacation life-altering experience in Peru. Of course, he still acts pretty much the same as he has all his life, but Greg Evans wants us to think of him as changed, so that he will be more nearly worthy as a suitor for Luann. Thus, we need our periodic reminder that Gunther’s now a confident, capable, mature, bold man among men.

Cheech and Chong parodied it, also, but I won’t mention the name of their rendition.

Aw man….. you made me Google that!

Of course, Cheech’s rhyming is, characteristically, “off.” He could have, at least, emphasized and held the 1st syllable. ;-PPP

I see Gunther not as “having changed per se” (he is simply not the one he was before) but as “being in the process of changing”, both Lue and G can be said are the anti-thesis of each other, Lue was one who sees herself with MANY options and needs to find a focus point(not necessarily for life,she can still change her mind) that gives her a purpose. Gunt had a Specific plan, not just a specific goal, but how to reach it….but now is learning that one has to be ready for finding out not just unexpected ways to reach goals, but sometimes the goals change ………………………… in Paper many people “think” that Gunt/Tiff will happen, but maybe they are just travelers that are together for a while, helping each other grow, maybe Gunther teaching Tiff that life is not about getting praises from others, but about getting joy from doing the best possible in whatever you doing, and gunther will guide Tiff to either Ox or TJ, and Tiff guide G to Bern or back to Rosa(who might grow and see she has to comeback and study in order to do more for villages) …………. and Bern might be more matured and be ready when Zane returns(if Greg decides that) ………….. just like Lue has many options, the strip itself has many options ……………….. if Greg wants Lue to end up with a down under guy, it is his choice, not reader X or reader Y decision, it is not "the only guy that Lue gets married to has to be “whatever choice you make” (some say G, others Ben, others say somehow Aaron grows up and ends up being the One and don’t like Q just because he is SO NICE and can’t identify with him)

17 self portraits (what a weird number, how many famous artists even did one?) is quite the assignment, especially in a class that started out as art history; life drawing, etc, were totally different classes when I was in university.

Both Hitler and Stalin used the word “socialist” to try to cover up totalitarian dictatorship. (Nazi=NationalSocialist) .East Germany called itself the German “Democratic” Republic. North Korea call itself the “Democratic” People’s Republic of Korea. .Lots of fake terminology around. Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is more democratic than most nations and is also often called (unofficially) “socialist” in some of its programs.

Much of Bernice’s constant sarcasm could be called nothing more than a rather monotonous tendency to tease Luann. . A humorous rejoinder is not always an insult.

On Gunther and his Mom:http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2009/04/10

Luann’s High School Art background:

http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2009/09/20

you too kind, maybe 80 million, but not 17 Billion, which is like 2.5 times current total population

we find she is the CEO of the “senioritas tours company”?

SPOILER ALERT!!-Shock and awe! Bernice CAN be supportive!

she did all 17, but she needs more than simple pointers about last one

Problem for Luann is, though, the same as what we all go through. You don’t think of “you” as well as others do….whether we can see it directly, or not…