Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 21, 2018

Almost as amazing and unexpected as watching the Cleveland Browns win!

Is Mom proposing that Luann should get herself an apartment so she can stop being a dependent?

At least Luann’ self esteem is healthy. ✨

“New Things.” eh Lu? Let’s see here:

1) “Archery” – You were uncomfortable doing it.

2) “Figure Drawing.” You CRINGED Behind Your Easel the whole time.

3) “Lingerie Parties.” You got Ripped Off.

4) “Monster Trucks.” Seriously? You never been before and only going NOW because Jack is going. Did Mr. Jack tell you to bring earplugs?

Who are You trying to convince here, Luann? Your Mom or Yourself?

PS: It’s GOOD to See You Starring again in your Own Strip. But while it’s GOOD that you’re meeting new people (Something OTHER members of the cast SHOULD Do, including My Favorite Nerd), Don’t forget your old friends who were always there when YOU needed them.

Jest Sayin’…….,

Archery, figure drawing, lingerie parties, monster trucks, actually putting your own dish into the dishwasher…

You forgot to mention bowling, wearing a cast, and going commando.

One of the great things about being a parent is seeing your child grow and do things for the first time, like their first step, or the first word they say, or the first time they pick up their dishes and put them in the dishwasher without being asked or threatened to do so. Those times are precious and I can see why Nancy is so excited. It’s just too bad that Frank wasn’t there to see it too.

Luann puts her bowl in the dishwasher and Nancy is gobsmacked. Just goes to show that “growing up” is more than just experiencing new things, it’s also taking responsibility.

Luann exploring life and it’s great adventures that life brings you.

Wonder if Life cereal paid for that ad

Luann’s doing the dishes! Leave it to Nancy.

At 19, Luann is putting her dish in the dishwasher for the first time?? I think nearly all kids have done this stuff at least some of the time before 19.

Lookit Nancy’s eyes in frame 1. Apprehensive response to Luann “trying new things.”

Luann’s sudden burst of energy may reflect that she has the hots for Jack – but she can’t accept it in her mind.

@kenhense: You didn’t used to be such a one-track-mind. What happened to you?

@capricorny: Yeah, we get it, there’s absolutely positively nothing good about the character Luann on your planet . But even on your planet, you should have noticed that she didn’t sign up for the class on figure drawing. She attended it on the recommendation of another student who was in the class and had gotten permission for her to attend. But who cares. The denizens of your planet revel in their hatred of all things Luann, and yet they persist in returning to torment themselves each day by taking a chance that she will show up in her own ’toon. Strange planet !!!!!!!

@Moose: So every single solitary time you tried something new or different in your life, you were always the one who initiated the new activity and you always liked it. How nice for you. Not everyone is so blessed. And later, when discussing a new activity with someone else, not everyone has blessing them out for ‘trying to convince themselves’ that they were ok with a new activity. How nice for them. Too bad, Luann. Another of your readers who will never approve of you because you don’t do exactly as the reader wishes…

I’m sure “Life” cereal wasn’t a sponsor… wink, wink!

Oh, so it’s putting the dishes in the dishwasher that’s the “it” Mom is referring to? Until I read the earlier comments I assumed that with the shirt pulling up in back she just saw Luann’s tramp stamp (and I wondered where I missed the story arc establishing that).

@dadadadoc:zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well, gosh. After all the speculation whether Jack would gravitate toward Luann or Tara, I was looking forward to watching it play out. (My bets were on “None of the above,” with Jack just pal-ing around with both, no portent of romance.) Instead of seeing Jack interact with the girls, we get to watch Luann interact with Nancy? I am truly Charlie Brown kicking Lucy’s football, expecting something to actually happen.

It’s so nice to see Luann make real changes in her life and be happy to do it. But now she that put away the cup really shocked Nancy. It she’ll not be exaggerating?

She’s doing something right now. Surprising her mother.

I’ve never seen a character who spends as much time patting themselves on the back every time they put a toe outside their comfort zone as Luann here. Remember when she and Bernice were congratulating each other over meeting in a coffee shop instead of hanging out in her room?

And I really don’t think she should be bragging about that figure drawing class, considering she never actually did the assigned figure drawing. It would be like bragging about going skydiving when in actuality you refused to exit the plane.

“She likes it! Hey, Mikey!”

For all of the focus on Luann actually putting a dish in the dishwasher, there is another interesting development here: product placement, in the form of a box of Life Cereal. That may have happened before in this strip, but I’ve never noticed it before if it did. Clever, actually. It can provide support for the strip itself without distracting from the continuity.

the layout of the final frame makes it look like Nancy has spotted a tramp stamp!

but I know it’s the “putting the dish in the dishwasher” gag.

So, is Mom being amazed that Luann is loading the dishwasher …… or did Mom just spot Luann’s new tramp stamp tattoo?

How about getting a new hairstyle? She’s worn her hair the same way since high school.

So, I get no confetti parade for taking time to ensure the Life cereal letters were colored in the proper sequence? Ingrates.

So …..Luann is taking a bite out of Life™®?

Life cereal.. I see what you did there, Greg!

“A Cereal Number”

“The Jaws Of Life”

“Hey, Mikey!”

“Mother, May I Maytag?”

“To The Rack, With Thee!”

“Out To Crunch”

“It’s Hip To Eat Squares!” (♩)

“Adventure Capitalization”

“Experience Wanted”

or

“Milk Of Magnesium”

Luann blows hot and cold. She keeps trying to convince herself she euphoric. But she appears mildly depressed. Dr. Toejam said so.

*@And Your Point Would Be *. I felt the same way this morning. Charlie Brown… flat on his back… looking up at the fall sky… wondering where the football went. We’ve been Lucy’d by Greg and Karen. Thanks for the visual. :o)

…or the fact that her shirt is slightly up in the back, which, plus her mom’s expression says “You got a tattoo on your lower back!?!?”

Isn’t this how Brad started to behave when he figured it was time to get out on his own?

There have been a number of double meanings in Luann strips lately. Is Nancy “amazed” at Luann’s post breakfast behavior? Or is she worried that her sweet child may delve into more adult “amazing and unexpected things” than Nancy is ready for? Or thirdly, is she indeed staring at a new tat? (I doubt the last tho’. Greg would have gotten more mileage out of Tara talking Luann into getting a tattoo.)

“Life is about doing!” As opposed to learning, I assume she means. Note that in her list of what she’s now “all about”, studying and doing assignments are conspicuously absent. Luann has never had any interest in schoolwork or academics, and apparently she still doesn’t.

Or maybe your Mom just noticed the “tattoo “ on your backside ;)

TRAMP STAMP!!!

Well, if we’re going to notice the Life cereal, how about the way they put the bowls in the dishwasher to catch water.

Great she is becoming responsible in doing very pedestrian chores without being asked. That is actually great, and as a parent I am totally down on that point. My only issue is on the drawing of how she puts the cereal bowl in the dishwasher, with the bowl up, rather than down on the top shelf. Maybe that dishwasher has infusion jets on top?

5

I have to admit, that when I first read today’s comic, I did not initially realize that the joke was in Luann actually putting the dish in the dishwasher (apparently a nearly first time event for Luann). My initial reaction was in thinking that Mrs. DeGroot saw a bit of a tattoo on Luann’s lower back. I was a bit surprised…. of course, thinking… no, this cannot really be what the comic is about. But, it was the first idea that came to mind with the last panel.

I wonder if the slightly loosened back of the shirt that Greg drew was intentionally drawn (along with Mrs. DeGroot’s look) to be a “red herring” of sorts to have people initially jump to that conclusion? We cannot know for sure, but I do sometimes wonder.

The idea of Mrs. DeGroot being shocked Luann is putting a dish in the dishwasher is indeed a classic sort of joke and was pretty funny.

The actual portrayal of a real life product in the comic is a little surprising to me as well. I do not think Greg has ever done that before. But, it is interesting. Did he have to seek permission? Did he receive any “product placement” funds for doing so? Or did he simply do it perhaps as a symbol of a bigger “life” discussion?

Thong underwear??

From the look on Mom’s face, and the way Luann’s shirt is pulled up in the back, I guess Mom just discovered Luann’s Panama City Beach “license plate” or as it’s sometime called a “trash patch”. As in the tatt at the base of her spine.

Oh no! A Tramp Stamp?

Tatoo?

Actually, putting a bowl in the DW.

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the first time Luann and Tara shard an adventure included getting removeable tattoos. That was taking a risk for Luann.

With all the speculation on Jack possibly being gay or in not being interested in Luann, I am also surprised no one recalled that he had been asking Luann for a date several times before she finally agreed to the doggie park meeting.

I’m glad she’s trying new things even if they don’t always pan out.

You can only do something for the first time once, so it’s important who you do it with the first time.

Oh, we have a pretty good idea just who you’ll do next, Luann, you horny little buzzard.

Tramp stamp! (no offense)

I must agree with the detectives above. Nancy either spotted a tattoo or one of her own thongs. That would keep this arc going for another week or so. Frank is on the prowl and Nancy’s best thong is being held hostage.

OK, so Luann,s shirt slides up and mom makes a comment + her coffee spills a bit. I think that Luann got a tattoo.

That’s exactly what her Mother has been worried about since Luann was 13.

Well, it’s good to try new things. But even more, I hope to be seeing more of Luann and her story. Since the focus had shifted before.

Product placement in a cartoon! “Life” Cereal!

Luann makes it seem as if these are all such challenging things.

Product placement! This comic strip brought to you by the makers of Life™ Cereal…

Luann is showing signs of growing up? What an aberrant strip! Is Greg feeling ill?

OK, I’m on board with the tattoo idea. Took me a while to give up on the dishes in the dishwasher bit. Nancy’s gaze is too specifically focused and her reaction would be way over the top for the sake of a simple cleanup.

Nancy is shocked because she realizes that Luann is so skinny she couldn’t properly moon someone even if she tried. Now, dear Tiff has put on a few pounds, so that’s another story.

Tattoo