Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for May 25, 2020

Shannon’s game is like Calvinball: make up the rules as you go.

Tough job TJ -

Watch her TJ! She’s a penny shark!

Every time she’s on-camera, I expect her dad to die off-camera.

TJ watch her because Shannon plays by her own rules.

When Shannon figures out you can’t buy anything with a penny, I would guess the rules would change again.

It’s a gamble, TJ.

New holiday tradition: Re-roll paper towels….or is that toilet paper for extra large butts?

That was expected I mean come on this is Shannon were talking about never trust Shannon

So apparently Toni is re-rolling the towels.

AARGH ! Stuck for another week.

Should be nickels or dimes. Pennies don’t even add up anymore.

My six year old niece showed up the other day. “The boss is here. You are going to play Barbie!!!” I played Barbie for three hours.

Tally up at the end, the difference will be small no matter who tosses.

If she lands on red, she gets, on black she gives.

If he lands on red, does he get or give? on black does he give or get? If one lands partly on red and partly on black, what happens?

As if a weeklong arc on Shannon having a hamster wasn’t exciting enough, now we segue into Shannon and TJ play modified checkers for a week, oh boy.

Slow down, Greg, you don’t wanna give us readers a heart attack now!

Uh oh. She’s gonna grow up to be a lawyer.

Since she’s what – just 5 or 6 yrs old? We know her attention span is about as long as my thumb, which is why Toni still have the paper towel roll. I hope TJ actually takes her pennies when she loses. She needs to learn not everything is handed to her and she can’t win all of the time. She’s old enough to learn that now.

“Black I win, Red you lose!”

Shannon Daytona , The 1st Grader, already running a con like her friend , Leslie Knox. Leslie can teach Shannon Pennty-Ante Scams. Or better yet, segue TJ and Tiffany into a relationship.

Typical sore loser mentality.

When TJ runs out of pennies, I wonder if Shannon will pull out her credit card machine?

“How long is Shannon here?”

“Long enough for people to debate over whether she’s a demon or an angel, and for people to speculate over whether we should adopt her away from the father she loves. Then she’ll take off again.”

“Sounds about right.”

Just a young con artist.

If this arc ends with Shannon in Juvenile Hall, it’ll be worth the time and effort spent following along.

What kinda game is that?

these two con artists were made for each other.

Luann would probably babysit Shannon Daytona soon?Maybe, more Nana’s adventures?

Toni is so conscientious, she’s re-rolling the paper so as not to waste it ♡. It’s nice to see everyone so relaxed with Shannon around. She was almost a kind of heavy burden. Now she’s the adorable little niece with which everyone is happy to play together ♡♡. It’s such a nice characters development.

Cent of a woman.

next we’ll play ‘Calvinball’

Careful, TJ! She’s about to roll a Royal Fizbin on you! Now what are the odds of that happening??

Shannon will not leave til she goes to university.

Since the roller of the dice has a 50/50 chance of collecting/paying it makes no difference on who is rolling the dice.

She isn’t going to be in the black for very long, at this rate!

You know?

I think this kid is ready to be introduced to the Wonderful World of Poker.

Brad speaks for many of us.

I like it, Shannon is showing Shannonboard; similar to Calvinball but usually played inside. Can be played with a common game board, deck of cards, or dice. Particularly dangerous when dice are used.

So the little brat’s a cheater, just like her father, eh.

I am not one who wishes that Shannon was not being featured, I think she is a fascinating character, funny, strong personality, kind of serious back story, such an independent variable in the lives of Brad and Toni, but to me I see the underlying story here, maybe, I hasten to add. Toni said a “few more days” to Brad who is surprised that Shannon is there. TJ is there too, and recall he is sort of an unofficial uncle to Shannon, and is fully aware of the whole story of Shannon and how she fits into the lives of two people he holds dear, Brad and Toni. I think this will play out in kind of a heavy way, done in the light sense of humor and exposition that Luann uses. I am very interested in seeing where this goes.

Ok now what are you genius child rearing adults going to do? I know what I would do. That little spoiled brat needs a wake up call big time along with some serious social skills instruction. She’s been let go too long.

Ah, yes. The “make up the rules as you go along” game. Shannon is a budding Mitch McConnell.

Great. More of the brat.

Shannon is starting to look like (the old) Tiffany in the face….

More Shannon! Great! Best character in the strip!

And quite possibly the end of her father – of whom I think just about the same as Endora of Dagwood on Samantha.

Except, in my eyes at least, Jerwood has earned our lack of respect.

See 1212 above for speculation that this really is the end of Shannon’s make-believe father.

TEGWAR – “The Exciting Game Without Any Rules”.

They are catering too much this child who only cares for herself. She’s not the “typical” child – she’s absorbed all of Jonah’s bad habits.

Yep, she must be Ann Eiffel’s kid.

Next up in “what-should-happen-land”:

Shannon: Waaaaahhhhhh! The kids at school don’t wanna play MY game with me!

Toni: Oh? Which game?

Shannon: The one with the pennies and the black squares and red squares!

Toni: Same “rules” as the one you played with TJ?

Shannon: Of course!

Toni: Honey, other people don’t want to play the game when the rules aren’t fair. When you “make up” an advantage for yourself, don’t be surprised if the other kids walk away to play something else.

Shannon has a future in politics

Shout out to outonalimb who commented under Trilogy above that today’s episode was slipped in to show us that the scarce, valuable resources that TP and PT have become were not wasted.

It also suggests that G&K really do read our comments.

Not so clear is, what do they do with them after they read them?

(Flushing noise in the background)

(DUCKS!)

Has T.J. met his match?

Time to teach her about fair play and how NOT to be a sore loser.

5

I am a bit surprised that the arc is continuing. Several points (opinions):

1. It appears Toni is re-rolling the towels. Seems awfully damn tedious to me, a box seems easier. But, I would suggest that it would have been best to have Shannon participate with Toni in at least some of the re-rolling to help Shannon better recognize her need to help and be responsible too.

2. I am glad that TJ is interacting now. I like how he is playing the game with Shannon.

3. In regards to Shannon’s making up new, on-the-spot rules…. kids do this a lot, and at least IMO, there are two different ways to deal with these “on-the-spot” rules…… A) if the kid is just joking around and laughing about it, then I would also go-along with the new “rules”. But, B) if the kid is looking “displeased” or “upset” and makes the new rules with a kind of grumpy face…. then I think it is a better opportunity to talk through with the kid about their FEELINGS and ACTIONS related to losing some aspect of a game.

In Shannon’s case today, I believe it would be important to work through this situation with Shannon, because she does seem to be a bit on the “displeased/grumpy” side in the images, and therefore, IMO, she is feeling things that are not really warranted in a game, and needs to be coaxed and encouraged to see this situation differently.

Oh, Lord… Notice her reaction when she had to give TJ a penny. She’s becoming another Ann Eiffel.

Shannon isn’t stupid.

And I’m tired as always of folks calling Shannon another Ann Eiffel.

She’s just a kid, and a kid who probably isn’t getting the guidance and direction she needs at home.

And a smart kid, a creative kid at that. The surprise last week was that, for the first time, Toni joined in – instead of scolding the child.

Indeed, the total interactions of Toni, Brad, and Shannon last week left some of us wondering when this situation becomes permanent.

That would make at least some of us (at least me) happy.

It really doesn’t matter how many times she tosses, the odds are the same for each toss, 50/50.

she reminds me of my nephew who is 8 years old

Shannon made the mess, she should help clean it up. That was A LOT of tp and paper towels on the floor and off the roll. Rolling them back on would take hours. Feh.

Lord, grant me the patience of Job!

Shannon is so irritating! Grr!

Change you can believe in.

Why is Shannon even in this comic strip?

ugh two weeks of this kid!?