Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for July 20, 2016

Tough as always you are, Leslie.

I hope his comeuppance comes soon!

I hope this couple goes in and complains about him to Mr. Gray/Grey…

Scam in the place where you work…

Wjhat’s the K2 on his lapel mean?

Les has learned diplomacy. He’s become more of a con-man and less of a bully. I guess this represents some “maturity” for him.

Leslie is ready for politics….

I done a few deals that were “cash, cash only” but never a charity; doesn’t anyone find this unusual?

Unfortunately he is doing this while in uniform. This could bring big trouble for K2 owners.

Small unmarked bills preferred.

This is going to end badly for Les.

The kid really isn’t doing anything wrong. Look at most US not for profit charities. The “Wounded Warrior” charity was the worst. Less than 5% went to wounded veterans. Then there is the UCC Church. One member was horrified to find out the church spent $39K per year on a flower bed. America is corrupt. Look at certain presidential candidate and how she “left the White House penny less”, started a charity for Haiti, and less than 5% ended up in Haiti. Leslie has an excellent future in America.

Cash only? Sounds fishy to me.

I can see his uncle taking the jar when this is all over and donating it to a real charity.

Where I live, there are panhandlers who stand on the traffic meridians, or where people need to go, in the public walkways, seeking donations (even in the suburbs). Now, there are many kinds….you have basketball coaches with whistles and clip boards, and sometimes you see the team wearing their uniforms. You have some groups collecting toward disease research…there are firemen collecting for charities.-Then, there are those selling flowers, or certain wares….or those funding their causes by adverting their car wash…or spinning signs for businesses, apartment communities and the like. or there are sometimes well meaning “squeegie kids”, looking to earn money, by squeegieing your windows or hawking cool beverages on a hot day. -Sadly, though, you have those who are seeking aid on those meridians, having fallen on hard times. Some carry signs, and really do seek to obtain employment, or, already using shelter and employment services, are hoping to sincerely use anything collected to just get bus fare or will willingly accept actual food.-Through all these cases, there is also a challenge. What is it? It’s in identifying the real from the ‘not so real’. It’s in asking: “Is there such a thing as a scammer, among these?”. One may readily think of the ones on hard times as the ‘scammers’ (unfortunately, some in my area do hope to tug on some heartstrings, to get monies for their fixes/vices). But…there are also cases of many who start fake groups, print up signs/t shirts. Or are actually posing as rough shaven or bringing out kids and wearing ‘ragged’ clothes…but actually go home to not so unfavorable conditions (I remember a documented case of a family caught on video, as the mother and children climbed into a very nice minivan, being tracked as heading on their way to a pretty decent living space). Doing so, because it’s “tax free”. There are also those who have shaved their kids’ heads, or have solicited for kids who don’t know the extent to which they’re being used, or who carry fake pics and say it’s for them.-So…of course it’s important to help. And, of course, you can’t always ‘screen’ people’s causes, right then and there. But it’s also good, when you can, to do some ‘observational work’… to see if such groups really operate legitimately, or in the case of those seeking money who ‘look like they need it’, actually purchase food or offer other practical things, instead of just money, directly. In some instances, you could then be able to see who really needs and appreciates the help.

fear the karma

Les needs some punch,in da face.

don’t forget uncle Hitch is not stupid, leslie.

“Service, With A Good Racket”“Gyp On Your Shoulder”“A Rook Move”“See, Gull?”“On The Lam, Need A Fleece”“Sgt. Bilk-o”“Low Plains Grifter”“Fast As A Cheater”“Barnum-Storming”“Suckers Are Sweet”“Bilk Stalkings”“Signed In Dupe-licate”“Waiter, There’s A Fly In My Dupe!”“Hoodwink, And A Smile”“Who’s Up For A Shakedown?”“My Little Dues Coup” (♬)“Take The Money And Run” (♬)

or“Talkin’ Bout A …Shaft!” (♪)

Les must be very talented! And I don’t mean his feigning with the “Door Greeter gig”….-I mean his multitasking…he can make plenty of bread and greens….and not even set foot in the kitchen!

Hmmm…since when does a charity refuse money in any form? Les (AHEM LESLIE) is up to something. I can smell it as surely as I can hear a cheese block being sliced. Mmm…cheese.

I see the “Poo-fans” were out early today.

Greg is getting some exercise for his drawing pen lately with more than a dozen different characters making cameos in this story line. I like it. It keeps things open, fresh, and unexpected.

“Yute? What’s a ’Yute”?" ….

Write the check – it can be stopped…

Sylvia, Thomas, Argythree, Luannfan, I left you notes late in yesterday’s comments, two last night, two this morning when i checked and saw the further comments added after i hit the hay.

4Today, we see Leslie up to his old tricks again with the probable scam. And, while I feel 99+% that this is indeed, Leslie working a scam…. it is rather interesting to contemplate Greg perhaps having Leslie actually reform:It could be a rather shocking turn of events by Greg, and would be a very creative way to bring in a potentially politically sensitive sort of story arc by having Leslie presumed by most of the other characters (and by most of us commenters to boot) to be doing something wrong. Greg could use it as an allegory of sorts about this issues of “stereotypes” and “profiling” that have been so in the news the last few years.In another vein, Leslie’s past makes us presume he will now be and will likely always be a villain. But, in the greater scheme of things, our society always wants and hopes for people who have had “problems” to be able to reform themselves. But, the baggage of their past often makes even very sincere attempts to reform much harder than similar actions by folks who do not have a negative past. This too, could be a very interesting and unique sort of spin on the Leslie story if Greg were to choose to go that route.

And before the night is out, Leslie will be long gone with all of the money he’d collected.

Oh, no. And I was hoping for a morning of warm fuzzies.*Well, if Uncle Gray makes him donate it to charity, that act WILL keep Les out of trouble.

Kid is an idiot. A check to Fuse Follies, with some cash on top, would help cover his scam.

Les is making it ridiculously clear that he doesn’t care if people know its a scam. Clearly, he has no fear of consequences, from either his uncle, or the DeGroots. He hasn’t even bothered to come up with a fake name for his “charity”, like “Children’s Arterial Sclerosis Hospital”or something.

I’ve never heard of a charity that refuses to accept checks.

My next question is whether Uncle Al is in on the scam. I find it ridiculously hard to believe that Mr. Grey would have invested this much time and effort into the Fuse, in order to provide his nephew a job, knowing that this would happen. Is Grey that clueless, or is he running some deeper game of his own to put his own nephew behind bars?

If this were the real world, Frank and Nancy would have some hard questions to answer if they let Les wear his work uniform while pulling this number.

Les is a particularly stupid crook. Personally, I’d like to see Ox put a stop to this, except that Ox is such a sweetie he’d let Les go with a warning.

Leslie is this strips version of Fredo Corleone. I see a canoe ride in his future.

Seeing if we might start a new “tradition”, a list of answers for recurring questions to hopefully make things better for all. Suggestions for what to add or subtract over time appreciated. I am happy with constructive, established members using the list to save themselves time and aggravation. Since i created it, i get to choose, but i promise to be completely understanding if someone who has not asked just runs into a time when using it unaltered (highlighting okay) will really, really, really reduce personal annoyance. Here it is so far:This is the recurring list of answers for recurring questions. If you think you have seen it or them before, then you have.K2 is Kafe Kablooie which is the cafe in The Fuse that is run by TJ, an investor in the Fuse. The Fuse an entertainment complex in an old factory of unexplained background which was bought by Luann’s parents.Les is Al Grey’s nephew, son of his sister who is a single parent. He is employed as a favor to Mr. Grey. Yes, Les was the high school bully who shook down fellow students.Shannon is 6 years old. She was not always 6 in the strip, but is currently 6.Luann is a teenager as are her friends. Her cohort just finished their first year of college. Since it happened in Luanntime which does not map consistently with real world time it took two years of our time.In Luanntime compared to real world time a five minute conversation might extend over a week or more of strips, but one year can take multiple 3D (real time) years, and even have multiple summers. As one poster once mentioned, if you can not cope with that then think of them like recollections, so in a second (third, whatever) same summer you are reading recollections that fill you in more on that same summer.Sunday strips are usually, but not always, stand-alones.Quill used to work at the Fuse. Quill is from Australia. He is Luann’s ex-boyfriend who worked a trade between The Fuse and the Mooney University Theatre Program in which he is a student on a student visa. The University was remodeling its theater space so the trade was old theater equipment which he would install and manage in exchange for free use of the Fuse theater by the university department. He was with a student learning program in NYC in the past and left the Fuse shortly after he and Luann broke up to go on tour during Spring Break. It is unclear if that was with a student theatre program also, and unclear if real world visa rules apply in 2D. He is still a student at the university.Luann chose to attend the community college for her first two years to save money while getting a better handle on what she wants to study and later do in life, meanwhile she is taking some required general core/introductory classes, though usually we have seen only one series of art classes and two fellow students in those classes.Toni, who is Shannon’s aunt, and the older sister of Jonah, is engaged to Brad, Luann’s brother. They had first planned on a Sept 11th wedding to honor the 9/11 firefighters, but the week that their boss could work in for them both to have off begins on Dec. 11.The Fuse Follies signs never mentioned a competition of prizes, so until we learn otherwise it might just be an open stage night.Shannon’s mother left soon after she was born. We do not know who she was.Toni did her best as a young adult to try to help her brother after their parents died, but he acted out quite a bit, hence the appearance of Shannon in their lives. He is often heading off to auditions at which times Shannon usually stays with Toni.Delta spent her freshman year at Howard University in Washington, DCAaron Hill long ago moved to Hawaii, though he might be anywhere as a college student. His move to Hawaii led to an oft-repeated phrase where missing or retired characters are “in the volcano”.You create paragraphs by placing a letter (I usually use L.) between the “less than” and “greater than” symbols. Here is the former to guide you: <If you decide to spend the less than a buck a month to go Pro, which i did to eliminate advertisements, you will have to click on a person’s name to get the reply button at the bottom if you have the same interface i have.If you have a question you will often find the answer in the comments section. Sometimes one of the very extra-considerate members will even have included the image of a relevant strip or its URL.

I guess this will keep Les out of trouble. He won’t have to rob anyone if he gets enough money from this scam.

Have we ever seen Bernice’s parents? They could be her mom and dad.

Lets hope he hasn’t learned this scam from one of his uncle’s friends or that he and his uncle aren’t in cahoots.

D

“Keepin’ youth out of trouble” huh? Would one of those “youths” be you Leslie?

No one in their right mind would choose Les to be welcomer.

Les is representing the Fuse. It is pretty bad that Mr. Gray would encourage Frank and Nancy to have Les work there, it will hurt the reputation of the Fuse.

Lets get this show on the road we can see the train wreck coming. So boring.

Mr. Gray is probably well on to this

K2! The “icon” from Bizarro!

That’s one slimy guy!

“HEY! WHO You Callin’ *”Boy"* You Crazy Old Bat?!? Uh, I MEAN, a ‘Check’ Payable to the ‘Leslie Knox Crippled Skateboarders Foundation’ would be NICE, Ma’am!" - Les ‘Soon to be fitted for an Orange Jump-Suit,’ Knox.

Thanks, Brd! Yes, i planned on it needing at times to be reposted. Also, i added Jay’s suggestion. If you want to repost it sometime to avoid or refuce aggravation, feel free. Ditto for Jay, Puzz, Pipe, Dog, Kym, NG, and a bunch of other constructive people.

Below is the version w Jay’s addition. It was created to tackle repeated questions:

This is the recurring list of answers for recurring questions. If you think you have seen it or them before, then you have.Yes, we all know this is just a comic strip. People like to think about it just as they do with other forms of fiction, though, and many find that a relaxing diversion.K2 is Kafe Kablooie which is the cafe in The Fuse that is run by TJ, an investor in the Fuse. The Fuse an entertainment complex in an old factory of unexplained background which was bought by Luann’s parents.Les is Al Grey’s nephew, son of his sister who is a single parent. He is employed as a favor to Mr. Grey. Yes, Les was the high school bully who shook down fellow students.Shannon is 6 years old. She was not always 6 in the strip, but is currently 6.Luann is a teenager as are her friends. Her cohort just finished their first year of college. Since it happened in Luanntime which does not map consistently with real world time it took two years of our time.In Luanntime compared to real world time a five minute conversation might extend over a week or more of strips, but one year can take multiple 3D (real time) years, and even have multiple summers. As one poster once mentioned, if you can not cope with that then think of them like recollections, so in a second (third, whatever) same summer you are reading recollections that fill you in more on that same summer.Sunday strips are usually, but not always, stand-alones.Quill used to work at the Fuse. Quill is from Australia. He is Luann’s ex-boyfriend who worked a trade between The Fuse and the Mooney University Theatre Program in which he is a student on a student visa. The University was remodeling its theater space so the trade was old theater equipment which he would install and manage in exchange for free use of the Fuse theater by the university department. He was with a student learning program in NYC in the past and left the Fuse shortly after he and Luann broke up to go on tour during Spring Break. It is unclear if that was with a student theatre program also, and unclear if real world visa rules apply in 2D. He is still a student at the university.Luann chose to attend the community college for her first two years to save money while getting a better handle on what she wants to study and later do in life, meanwhile she is taking some required general core/introductory classes, though usually we have seen only one series of art classes and two fellow students in those classes.Toni, who is Shannon’s aunt, and the older sister of Jonah, is engaged to Brad, Luann’s brother. They had first planned on a Sept 11th wedding to honor the 9/11 firefighters, but the week that their boss could work in for them both to have off begins on Dec. 11.The Fuse Follies signs never mentioned a competition of prizes, so until we learn otherwise it might just be an open stage night.Shannon’s mother left soon after she was born. We do not know who she was.Toni did her best as a young adult to try to help her brother after their parents died, but he acted out quite a bit, hence the appearance of Shannon in their lives. He is often heading off to auditions at which times Shannon usually stays with Toni.Delta spent her freshman year at Howard University in Washington, DCAaron Hill long ago moved to Hawaii, though he might be anywhere as a college student. His move to Hawaii led to an oft-repeated phrase where missing or retired characters are “in the volcano”.You create paragraphs by placing a letter (I usually use L.) between the “less than” and “greater than” symbols. Here is the former to guide you: <If you decide to spend the less than a buck a month to go Pro, which i did to eliminate advertisements, you will have to click on a person’s name to get the reply button at the bottom if you have the same interface i have.If you have a question you will often find the answer in the comments section. Sometimes one of the very extra-considerate members will even have included the image of a relevant strip or its URL.

I don’t mind answering the occasional question when I have the answer – which isn’t often, by the way, as my brain is like a steel sieve these days. Usually though others beat me to the punch. And to check on that, you have to read all subsequent responses and then go back and find the original question so you can reply to it, and heaven help you if someone else beats you to the answer while you’re going through all that (especially if you go to the trouble of finding a citation or something, which for most of us takes time…) because if you post something that’s already been posted, there’s likely to be a public flogging. So I rarely bother anymore.

I totally don’t get the public floggings, by the way. It’s not unusual for two or more people to have similar reactions or observations about a given day’s strip. Why berate someone because their observation, answer, whatever wasn’t the first of it’s kind posted? Is there some prize for the number or uniqueness of posts that I’m not aware of? I do appreciate that there are many very knowledgeable, observant, and clever posters here. I do wish that some of you would be more tolerant of the more run-of-the-mill among us. Yes, it’s just a handful of posters engaging in this pecking. But it is a damper nonetheless. There – I’m done for the day. :)

And the stripes, Moose…

He sure reminds me of the cartoons of Nixon.

Going to be really surprised if this isn´t a scam. But going to guess his uncle will intercept the money at the end so they can actually go to something useful.

The idea of having a FAQ that is posted often is a good one, Sukie. And I think what you’ve written is a decent overview of what appears to be the current interests of the commenters, but there is one potential stumbling block:What do we do about all the people who do not read the comments before posting? They seem to constitute the majority of offenders and will not see the FAQ.

-Stripes are always in, though. Very slenderizing. Or so I’m told…

K2- imported from Bizarro

Wouldn’t it be funny if we have it all wrong…not that it is likely but what a twist that would be.

meanings of K2 or k2:1) Kafe Kablooey2) Popular ski brand3) Bizarro Herbal Incense4) Second highest peak on the planet5) A vitamin6) Casper, WY tele vision station7) Numerous bands8) Two potassium atoms with valence +2

I remember when Martha Stewart was convicted – stripes were “in” that year.And … my favorite movie in 1981, just 23 years before Martha got her stripes! I can imagine Martha saying that, “I always cut my stripes from recycled denim made by prisoners learning a valuable trade.”

These cash-only donations will not be keeping one kid out of trouble!(I refer to Leslie Knox.)

“Depends on which way the stripes go, :)”_____________________________________

Well, if the ‘Stripes’ went VERTICAL, then Old Needle Nose would look like Beetlejuice.

Saaaay, WAIT a Minute! Lemme TRY somethin’.

LES KNOX, LES KNOX, LES KNOX!!!!

I KNEW It. NOTHING!

What a GYP! You Know, You CAN’T Depend on ANYTHING these Da…, AAAAAAARGGGGGH!!!!

How aboutMore for League of Exceptional Students:More for LES?

“Perhaps if you say his name three times backwards, he will go away.”_____________________________________

No, No, NO, Brdy. You are thinking about that Superman Villain, Mr. Mix Pickle, Mr. Mix Tape, Uh..,wait what the HEL, Uh, ‘HECK’ was His Name, anyway?

Oh Yeah, Mr. Mxyzptlk from the 5th Dimension. Well, Les is NOT HIM.

And speaking of the 5th Dimension, if Marilyn McCoo would suddenly make a ‘quest appearance’ at My house around Midnight tonight…..,

If it ever makes life more comfy for you, NG, feel free to use the list.

Depends on which way the stripes go. :)^IDK….some of us with a “6 pack +1 or 2 more” may have a problem, either way- a bump in those stripes vertically, or if horizontally, two stripes at the stomach that seem wider around in circumference than the others….

….and that won’t go over well, at the Springtime Collection expo at the State Penn…

“Give More — For Les”“Thanks — For Giving, Turkey!”^Ha, Ha, Ha!

Or “Save Children And Monkeys”….-or “Social Champions of Affluent Measures”…-or “Securing Cash Assisted Means”-or “Searchable Credit Access Mechanism Society”

11) Half of K4^Ha, Ha, Ha!!!-_ Any of the Kardashian sisters_^That’s probably their names (K1, K2, K2.0, K2.5, K7, KX and Sue), once the cloning process is complete and each new one is ready to be unleashed…

That is the most insulting comment by people with no ability to get involved in anything fictional.^A nice and fancy way of saying ‘people with no imagination’….

This is the recurring list of answers for recurring questions. If you think you have seen it or them before, then you have.Yes, we all know this is just a comic strip. People like to think about it just as they do with other forms of fiction, though, and many find that a relaxing diversion.K2 is Kafe Kablooie which is the cafe in The Fuse that is run by TJ, an investor in the Fuse. The Fuse an entertainment complex in an old factory of unexplained background which was bought by Luann’s parents.Les is Al Grey’s nephew, son of his sister who is a single parent. He is employed as a favor to Mr. Grey. Yes, Les was the high school bully who shook down fellow students.Shannon is 6 years old. She was not always 6 in the strip, but is currently 6.Luann is a teenager as are her friends. Her cohort just finished their first year of college. Since it happened in Luanntime which does not map consistently with real world time it took two years of our time.In Luanntime compared to real world time a five minute conversation might extend over a week or more of strips, but one year can take multiple 3D (real time) years, and even have multiple summers. As one poster once mentioned, if you can not cope with that then think of them like recollections, so in a second (third, whatever) same summer you are reading recollections that fill you in more on that same summer.Sunday strips are usually, but not always, stand-alones.Quill used to work at the Fuse. Quill is from Australia. He is Luann’s ex-boyfriend who worked a trade between The Fuse and the Mooney University Theatre Program in which he is a student on a student visa. The University was remodeling its theater space so the trade was old theater equipment which he would install and manage in exchange for free use of the Fuse theater by the university department. He was with a student learning program in NYC in the past and left the Fuse shortly after he and Luann broke up to go on tour during Spring Break. It is unclear if that was with a student theatre program also, and unclear if real world visa rules apply in 2D. He is still a student at the university.Luann chose to attend the community college for her first two years to save money while getting a better handle on what she wants to study and later do in life, meanwhile she is taking some required general core/introductory classes, though usually we have seen only one series of art classes and two fellow students in those classes.Toni, who is Shannon’s aunt, and the older sister of Jonah, is engaged to Brad, Luann’s brother. They had first planned on a Sept 11th wedding to honor the 9/11 firefighters, but the week that their boss could work in for them both to have off begins on Dec. 11.The Fuse Follies signs never mentioned a competition of prizes, so until we learn otherwise it might just be an open stage night.Shannon’s mother left soon after she was born. We do not know who she was.Toni did her best as a young adult to try to help her brother after their parents died, but he acted out quite a bit, hence the appearance of Shannon in their lives. He is often heading off to auditions at which times Shannon usually stays with Toni.Delta spent her freshman year at Howard University in Washington, DCAaron Hill long ago moved to Hawaii, though he might be anywhere as a college student. His move to Hawaii led to an oft-repeated phrase where missing or retired characters are “in the volcano”. Dirk, too, is among those who have been gone for quite some time. You create paragraphs by placing a letter (I usually use L.) between the “less than” and “greater than” symbols. Here is the former to guide you: <If you decide to spend the less than a buck a month to go Pro, which i did to eliminate advertisements, you will have to click on a person’s name to get the reply button at the bottom if you have the same interface i have.If you have a question you will often find the answer in the comments section. Sometimes one of the very extra-considerate members will even have included the image of a relevant strip or its URL.

NG, i decided to follow your suggestion of highlighting some words or phrases. Thanks!

Huh? What is this all about? Calling people a fraud? Boy this is serious with you? Too bad, and its okay Kymberliegh. Let orcs fly.

Commenting this late is fraught with peril, because I make the mistake of reading through all the warf, riff, and raff of all the comments, trollish, trufanish, and all kinds of ish in between (man Windows is having a field day with these word fragments -:) to the point my natural tendency to join some aspect of the fight sometimes overcomes simply commenting of the days strip. I already did one snarky comment defending another commentator who seemed to be under unfair attack, but I will restrain myself from further defense moves. Now about the arc, to me it’s clear that the highly destructive nature of Les is being developed in the middle of what I can only describe as the Fuse arc. This arc covers everything from Toni and her brother, and the issue that is raised regarding Shannon, and her upbringing, and how his apparent neglect is affecting a lot of people in different ways in Luannverse, there are permutations with some of the other Fuse characters, from Pru to Ox, to TJ briefly, to of course Bernice and Luann, and then there is Les. Where this is going is the delicious part. I have no idea, but one thing I do know is that I can’t wait to see what happens next. I can’t handicap it yet, I have some thoughts, but I will withhold them for now. After reading this strip for the years I have been I know the best thing is to be patient. It all connect in the end. i do know one thing, given that we have a wedding coming up, hold on to your hats to use an old phrase denoting a very exciting journey. Definitely not boring, except to those impatient souls who are not happy unless everything ends on a daily basis (oops there I go again being snarky, sorry).

For those who think Les might be completely honest about raising money for charity, note the following strip:So Ox (playing Oliver Hardy) appears to be about to offer $10, Luann says she thinks she has $10 to donate, the guitarist at the front of the line plans to make a donation, and Gunther is also taking money out of his wallet with which to donate. So that’s more than $20 just from the four acts we see in line to register.Yet when Les tells the other Fuse personnel about his fundraising (and only after Ox mentions it), he claims to have raised only $16 from the 34 acts that registered:I assume that we’re supposed to believe that Les originally planned to keep all the money for himself, but when his “fundraising” became more widely known, he decided that he would claim that he collected less money than he actually did, give the smaller amount to the children’s theater, and keep the remainder for himself.

Spoiler alert:Someone coming to the rescue for Shannon in an unexpected way

yeah. i’m sure Hitch will know how to scare him straight. he’s the quiet, dangerous type.

This was undoubtedly a reference to his post at ArcaMax