Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for March 05, 2015

Bernice, you show-off!

Aww, nuts!!! Seems Bern accidentally got some ink all over that paper!!! But, s’okay… nothing a little seltzer water can’t “fix” !!! – A bit of Mrs. Horner in the jaw section, there…. – Face it, Lu… you’ve brought many people many a laugh….

“Cross Eyed And Dotted Tease”“You Asked For It”“Gag Reflex”“Hand- Me- Clowns”“Jester ’nother Day…”“Drawing Social Insecurity”“The Second Greatest Show In Fort Worth”“Laugh Lines”“A Ring Of Truth… Or Three”“To Circus, With Love” (♫)or“A Tents Situation”

I still think the “new” Bern looks exactly like Diane Keaton. (Which isn’t a bad thing.)

Bern’s drawing looks like something you’d find on a mini golf course.

Interestingly, from the FB page from the day before, and yesterday… – ""To give credit where credit is due, Luann’s “self-portraits” in today’s strip were done by: (L to R) Greg, Tom Bancroft (former Disney animator and multitalented cartoonist), Jonathan Upchurch (Greg’s grandson), Chad Frye (illustrator, storyboard artist, all around ’toonist) and Greg." – - "Hello Luann Fans!It is not often that the “fourth wall” between artist and audience is broken in LUANN, as in today’s strip. Drawing a cartoon character may look easy—but it’s not! Comic art is simplified to the point that every tiny mistake matters: those pupil dots being just so, the eyebrows showing the right expression, the characters looking consistent from day to day to day to day. We got a kick out of creating today’s strip and hope you do too.~Karen (Greg’s daughter)"

The 30 year old gag of Bernice being an annoying friend!

Okay. Not much to say about this exchange, just treading water and having a gentle visit.

Luann should turn in the clown drawing. Zebo would probably call it insightful and groundbreaking and Luann will get a fantastic grade.

Trouble with Bernice…she never quits clowning around…

Cute! I like the idea of Leo DiCaprio for president!

Lol, the one reason I’m glad that it was a four hour sinking, was so that there wouldn’t be another sequel…. – If he were to go into politics, I’m sure there’d be a lot of “Growing Pains” …..

Wow, none of you see the significance of 17??? I’m sure if it were something indicative of you, you’d get it immediately!

Bern, You FORGOT the “Horns” and “Fangs.”

Luann a threat to national security?http://www.gocomics.com/frogapplause/2015/03/05

Bernice drew her own self portrait — check the neckline.

radioactive snark: terrific name for a band.

It’s disappointing to see that someone who is supposedly a friend, when asked to create a portrait, shows the friend as a clown. Luann needs to spend more time at her new school and meet some people who might actually like her. While it’s usually a good thing to maintain friendships made throughout life, that doesn’t appear to be helpful in this case.

@Mordock999-Was unable to use the reply function to answer you.-A portrait by Bernice that includes horns and fangs would be appropriate if it was a self portrait. -Now that Bernice has recovered from her allergy to incense, she should return to her dorm room and her new best forever friend for another round of it. She is much happier with Dez than she ever seemed to be with Luann, even though Dez imperils her health and Luann once gave her CPR.-And Luann should spend more time at her own college, where she might find some folks who consider her a worthwhile person, and not someone to belittle.

I haven’t been a long time reader of this ‘toon, as you have, so I can’t say whether Luann ‘constantly’ insults Tiffany. But from the length of time that I have been following this comic, when Luann was interacting with Tiffany, it was certainly not all a bunch of insults. There were times that she was trying to help Tiffany (and I understand from other readers that she once saved Tiffany’s life; a favor that I sincerely doubt that Tiffany would return.)-We have all befriended people under the mistaken impression that they like us, only to find out otherwise. I’m hoping that Bernice’s clown drawing of Luann helps Luann to realize that Bernice is not her friend.-As far as who would insult Bernice – Tiffany has done that…

No one needs help writing an essay from someone who says they won’t be helping you ‘on’ it. That would be helping you ‘with’ it, if you were a good writer, Bernice.

Bern didn’t miss the eyebrows on the bangs, but it is still insulting and a bit immature for an 18 year old.

Seventeen Luanns, all in a row. One more for good measure (and to make up for the one that Bernice drew) makes one for each cartoon-year of her life, though in real-time years she is thirty (and, as she started at thirteen, in the eyes of some that makes her forty-three now, which is one more than “42”).

(Watch out for the surveillance drones.)

Ha ha, good one Bernice since Luann is a clown!

A drawing showing someone as a clown is not ‘art’, in this context. It’s just an insult, so it couldn’t be used for the assignment.

I wonder how people would have reacted if Tiffany had asked someone else to do parts of her assignment for her.

Here’s what I’d like to see in tomorrow’s ‘toon, but I know I won’t.-First frame: Luann is handing the clown drawing back to Bernice, saying ‘Here. Keep this to remember me by’, and is gently pushing Bernice out of her room by closing the door on her.-Second frame: We see Luann, her back to the closed bedroom door, wiping a tear away with one hand while picking up her backpack with the other hand. A dialog balloon, pointing at the door, is from Nancy, saying, “Luann, did you forget to invite Bernice to dinner tonight?”-Third frame shows Luann exiting her bedroom, wearing the backpack and blowing her hose. Her dialog balloon says “Sorry, Mom, big essay due. Gotta head for the library. I’ll eat at the food court on campus.”-Rare fourth frame: Luann is facing the readers and still blowing her nose. Nancy and Bernice are looking at Luann’s back as she walks away. Nancy asks “Do you have a cold, Luann?” And Luann’s dialog balloon says “No, some kind of allergic reaction…”

They’re friends, so Bernice can be honest and point out Luann’s shortcomings, which are plenty. Luann is not a good person and never has been. She’s the “device” through which points can be made about What Not to Do and How Not to Be. She’s got more in common with Tiffany than with Bernice.

I appreciate art about people who are professionally playing the role of a clown. I don’t appreciate art used to put people down.

Chill out. It’s a comic strip not a guide to growing up.

shakes head, wow, some people make a great deal about a drawing as cheating, is not as bad as Bern helping with the actual essay (giving her ideas for essay is Okay)……..but it might be interesting if the teacher asks lue, who drew this clown? is not you, as the strokes are different

if it is a drawing or passing into the computer what tiff wrote in a piece of paper? YES. I am okay with that

Why would Greg and his daughter- the two creators of this comic strip- choose to have Bernice intentionally be mean to Luann? This scene, to me, looks like a friend asking another friend to help her with an assignment. She might be light hearted or joking about it. The other friend is jokingly “helping” her out by rendering a goofy drawing, unsuitable to use to “cheat” with. That was her creative way of refusing to actually do part of the work. But still having fun, passing time as they visit. Bernice’s tone is light. Luann’s is also pretty light. Even in the last panel, when Luann asks Bernice if that is how she sees her, I don’t detect any real hurt feeling. She is busy doing an assignment, but has welcomed her friend’s visit while she works. There have been some days that I haven’t been real fond of the story progression, but today looks like a light hearted interaction between these two.

Luann is just giving Bernice something to do rather than having her awkwardly sit there while Luann is doing 17 self-portraits. Luann wouldn’t turn in a portrait done by someone else.

Love your gracious words Nermal M

“Bernice doesn’t help her cheat, which is good…but insults her for the third day in a row.”*RB – They both know that Bern is a brain, not at artist. So I think Lu’s invitation to draw was a bit tongue-in-cheek. Bern answered in kind.

I am interested to see what happens tomorrow. I’d like to see a direct continuation of today’s narrative. In other words, Bernice answers Luann’s question. Right away. Not weeks from now. That doesn’t mean that will happen, of course. I don’t mind good natured busting of chops between friends. I’m not sure if I think Bernice is always mean to Luann. But a few of us have more definite ideas about it than I have. Maybe I missed it. I haven’t religiously read the strip from day 1. I’m definitely “tuned in for the next episode”.

@ReallyBad2, I have friends that I would do the equivalent to… Draw a goofy pic of them or something like that. However, the friends I refer to are good friends, and we have a good give and take. I consider the situation, and the individual, when considering a wisecrack of any sort. If I thought in the context that I would truly hurt feelings, I wouldn’t make the wisecrack, do the drawing, whatever. I hope that the next strip continues the interaction between the two, I’d like to see Bernice answer the question Luann poses at the end. I’d like to see Evan’s intent more clearly.

There’s no back and forth on insults here. It’s just Bernice throwing out insults and Luann taking them in the face. Just because Luann hasn’t gotten angry doesn’t mean she likes it.

Doesn’t mean she dis-likes it, either…or that she takes any offense to it. That was one of the points of my previous example. The one guy just took all the busting and insults and didn’t return in kind, because he knew the other person, trusted the other person, and there was no need to respond, especially if one doesn’t normally “bust” on that level. “Sticks & Stones….” I think Lu has enough self-esteem that she would have dumped Bern as a “friend,” let alone a BFF a long time ago. Someone that can stand up to Tiff and her tactics, I think can handle a Bernice.

Now why on earth would you bring politics into this? I have yet to see anything in this comic, at least from characters like Luann and Bernice, that has anything to do with politics.-Aren’t there enough issues with teens dealing with figuring out who they want to be, and what they might be capable of doing, without having to bring political name calling into this?-Ok then. So your thesis is that those you label as ‘liberals’ cheat in college.-Prove it.

realize she takes her down??? that means Lue did not realize that when BOTH Delta and Bern took Lue down when they saw that Bern’s Zane antics were as foolish and terrible as Lue’s Aaron antics?

sometimes the problem with 2 people having the “liberty to chop each other” (or play with each other) is that many times a “3rd party” will go to management(if it is work) or higher faculty(School) and cry harassment ………..seen many times a 3rd party telling upper management, Bob was touching Eve inappropriately (when Bob and Eve are Okay with it, and both know that Bob respects Eve’s marriage, and she knows he would never force her to do anything inappropriate) and their actions made them uncomfortable

Funny! To bad Bern isn’t reading AARP Magazine. You’ve should have seen the sexy seniors in past issues.

Since there has been so much about Bernice lately, I am surprised that Leviticus has not made any comments recently or did I just miss them? Just concerned…

that is the thing, what different people interpret as inappropriate, like I will go what? if I saw a guy coworker caress the buns of a female coworker, no matter if they were friends with benefits but I see no issue if he pats her back and asks “you okay” or if they see each other, give each other a small bear hug and ask each other “how are you?” but others see it pretty much like if they had gone to a motel and got to “know each other” if u know what I mean……and many times we got 40 workmates, and the action of 2 is Okay with 39 of them, but is forced to stop because number 40 saw it as not okay (in context, the 39 will see it pretty much the same way if 39 of them were Okay with single Chris Rock going out with single Carrie Underwood, but number 40 saw it as not okay)

This makes me think of Red Skelton, he was a decent artist as well as a comic actor, and all his portrets showed the subject as a clown.

“if Luann would stand up for herself and stop taking Bernice’s insults, then maybe Bernice would realize what she’s doing.”*RB: this might be one of those first post-high school revelatory moments. I think either Bern is kidding (remember, Lu always wore a clown costume on Halloween), Bern is poking fun at her own artistic non-ability, or Bern can now compare Luann to another friend— Dez— and see that Lu is not “all that”.

Greg’s drawing is very sharp and clean. Sometimes I wish he could run his characters with more backgrounds and less dialog.

Ha ha ha!!! I can hook up my laptop to my new Sharp TV, and tell people I “have a new painting”….

(T.O.E.: )Nice way to put it! On top of that, as I am typing this, I realize that it spells “toe”…

shakes head, actually Bern simply agreed that Lue’s vision of herself had some truth to it as long as it is how Lue sees herself, that she does not know who she is

Yup, seems so!

And it probably was working on the same program since 1982… and somebody’s still not going to get their tax records from then printed out….

Come on, even with the most positive construction of that bizarre self-portrait, Bernice is not saying that she thinks Luann is ‘multi-faceted in her talents/knacks’. She’s saying ‘Luann, you did a good job of portraying what you are, which is a mess.’-In truth, Luann at this stage in her life is exactly where many people are; she isn’t sure what she is capable of, or what she wants to do. And for some people, this lasts their entire life. -I’ve repeated this story a lot, I know, but it’s instructive. Our step Dad returned from service after World War II not sure of what he wanted to do. Whatever he saw during the war turned him away from the career in chemistry that he had trained for before the war, but, what to do instead?-At his father’s invitation, our step Dad joined him in operating their family business, but ‘only until he figured out what he wanted to do.’ And many years later, at age 67, Dad retired and sold that same business.-The fact that someone who has just finished high school is not sure what he or she wants to do, or what talents she or he has, is no disgrace, and is also not a reason to make fun of them. It’s just a part of life.

That makes me feel better, since I’m 65 and still feel that way, even as I face possible retirement due to declining health from work I’ve done since 1976…

" Luann is multi – faceted in her talents/knacks.*BS – Brilliant, absolutely an examplar example of wordplay! It was too subtle for me to catch it the first time around, but now I see the pun of faceted=faced. *This is a pun well worth imitating! (Imitation being the sincerest form of plagarism/flattery.)