I believe if Luann ever become properly boyfriended, the comic’s dynamic would have to alter significantly. Luann has been an angsty teenager for as long as I’ve kept up with the series. Having a boyfriend would change that irrevocably.
So much for the speculation that Quill’s gay. Evidently, it just never occurred to those speculators that he’s just not the type to go shoving his tongue down a girl’s throat just because she happens to be within two feet of him.
Too late for stuttered expressions from the heart now, Luann. I don’t think Quill’s parting remark is meant to be blowing her off, however, as some commenters apparently do. Rather, I think he is trying to soften the blow with some gentle, self-disparaging ethnic humor. While we may be at a hiatus, the saga of Quill and Luann is not over at all, I believe.
Upon departure, the proper Strine is “G’bye”.I would write Greg a stern letter pointing this out, but his letterbox may still be full of petitioning to get Quill “out of the closet”.
So, I assume Monday will begin a new story arc. I’ll bet it’s the Brattoni Saga again to win back the favour of the Holy Church. And Sheriff Mordecai will show his face again to stomp dissenters into the ground.
Yankee: Someone from the USA.In the USA: Someone from the north.In the north: Someone from New England. In New England: Someone from Vermont. In Vermont: Someone who eats pie for breakfast.
Couldn’t give a rat’s a$$ about the origins of the word “Yank”, and if Greg drops Quill like Aaron and all the rest, I’m not going to give a rat’s a$$ about his work anymore.
Read the thumbnail on the right side. The writer is following what is outlined there. If he let’s her grow up, get laid and have a happy life then it really would defeat the whole concept wouldn’t it “yanks”?
Please, do not use the word “root” or “rooting” with any Australian-related context when discussing anything other than vegetation.And even then be careful.
“She hasn’t lost favor with me. I’ll still root for her.”-Not with her, with anyone who would so casually leave her in tears even if he has no power over the situation. Now, if HE breaks down in tears when out of sight, I can call it all just a good front and forgive him.
I liked Quill and Luann together. I hate this plot twist. I hope Paul resolves it quicker than he normally does – because I’m not waiting 10 years just to find out that Quill can stay in America after all with some forgotten Aunt. This is one disgruntled reader.
[BTW, those who are equating Quill with Aaron Hill don’t remember Aaron very well, who was not interested in Luann, aloof and somewhat on the dim side. Quill on the other hand has made his attraction to Luann known from the first time we met him, he’s intelligent, interested in the things Luann is. The two are nothing alike]
Australians are different from British. I’m reminded of one Brit calling an Aussie, “sheep thief” to which the Aussie replied, “at least my folks had enough gumption to steal the sheep:” All based on the former practice of deporting any criminals to Australia even if the crimes were to feed family. Some British act like the sins of the fathers are passed down to the children.
It may seem that way to you, but here’s another possibility: he’s saying, in effect, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” He knows that if he stays, or talks as seriously as he feels, he might do something he will regret.
I’m not saying that’s the way it is. I’m not one of those people who can read another person’s soul base on a brief conversational exchange. I’m just offering it as a possibility.
At least she did find out where he stood with her.Those who don’t like the storyline, just stop coming her and bitching about it, it’s not always going to be what you want.
It seems that anyone from the U.S. is a “yank” to people from the UK, Australia, unless they are like my friend in Surrey who refers to us as colonist and to the U.S. as those troublesome colonies. He is a bit of a wit.I also believe we have to realize that caring girls/women and boys/men tend to deal with emotional drama like this in distinctly different ways. Luann is going to be up front and cry now and cry even bigger a bit later, then sob it out with Bernice and Delta, then go shopping to distract the angst. Quill is going to mask it, walk away with his guts churning, suffer for an extended time…unless he is as shallow and superficial as Tiffany…he is not. Neither will get over it for a long time, if ever, but Quill will carry a bigger box of it for the longer time of the two, he just won’t be as open about it.
even friends say goodbye with more care than this. but it’s possible Quill was in love with her and this was very hard for him. we’ll never know. or will we? i don’t just assume he was a jerk. kids at this age are awkward. period.
Well, that brought down my opinion of Quill a few million notches. Not even a mention of him maybe returning at some point, no hint of any possible future for them at all? He’s not off on a one-way spaceship to Mars, he’s almost an adult and is about to be off to college. Nothing preventing him from choosing a US college. But no, all Luann gets is a hey it was fun and have a nice life. What a sh!t, so let down by this character and this strip.
This was nice. If they had a relationship that lasted there would be posters screaming ‘boring’. I sure hope we DON’T see Aaron Hill again. He never seemed interested in anyone but himself.
Break ups caused by one moving away are typical happenings for high school kids. Happened to me, and we got back together, for awhile, in college.Certainly better than having him fall for someone else!
S’matter, king shark… Don’t you like dissenting opinions? How does one stomp in a text-based forum? You give me far too much credit, almost as bad as Clydefrog.There’s a serious shortage of people who enjoy the comics it seems.
G’Day Yank? That is the worst farewell I’ve ever seen! Of course, I think that’s the way he greeted her in the very beginning. Maybe he was trying to leave it light and friendly, like when they first met. Still – should have left it at the kiss…
(sniff) le sigh! I had a moment like this once before,…it’s very heart wrenching…to finally get what you’ve wanted for sooo long and then..BAM! it’s over even before it began! waaah poor luann!…..my heart hurts..
WOW, me thinks I smell a skunk. Has anyone thought that Quill was just using Luann as just another gal in a different port. Thank goodness his father called just at the right time, because who knows how far he would have taken Luann. And I don’t see any great unhappiness on his part about leaving her. I think that Quill was just another player. OK Greg, bring someone really great into the comic for Luann as she is off to college soon or at least give her some really great collage experiences.
PapaBishop- you win the prize for today’s clever response to the “Yank” comment. If pizza counts as pie, we truly are ll Yanks. 1) Quill, if you really meant that as a final “Good-bye”, I too misjudged you as you are truly a jerk. 2) Quill, if you meant that as “See you tomorrow, since I’m here for another week” and you wanted her to recognize her feelings, you are truly clever. 3) Quill, if the phone calls were a ruse and this was all a game to get Luann to recognize her feelings, you are truly a jerk.
I did not like the fact that instead of Quill being a gentleman from the beginning they were insinuating possible sex. The goodby kiss was what it should have been in the first place. Just because morals have taken a nose dive doesn’t mean we have to play it out like it’s OK in the comic strips!! I’m very disappointed in that aspect of the strip now. I’m sure that Mr. Evans is trying to appease the so-called new morality in our teenagers today so that he can maintain a large audience. Greed in any form will cause people to do what many would still consider the wrong thing.
I think Dave just mixed up Greg with the OTHER comic artist who loves to jerk his audience around. Check out Wapsi Square. The plotcoaster is less disappointing than Evans’ Mild Ride.
It seems Quill has no problem walking away. He was nowhere as involved in the relationship as Luann was. Lu was only someone to keep him from being bored while in the States.You are right in your first two statements, but in your last one, not so much. In going home Quill is not just stiff upper lipping it like his British forebears, and he is not broken up over this, as Luann is, but I think he did and does care for her. He was not just playing with her feelings and is not callous.
Since everyone prior to the revolution WAS English, and it was used neutrally, in-house, by New Englanders about other New Englanders, not so. .General Wolfe, in his Canadian campaign against the French, referred to companies of New Englanders under his command as Yankees, and since he described them favorably it was not a derisive term. Obviously, as relations between the crown and the colonies deteriorated, the term was used derogatorily by the British. However, the target audience for the derision were Tory loyalists and British soldiers, since it wasn’t seen as an insult by the New England rebels.
Some final thoughts on this whole arc. The intensity of feeling here about this disappointing outcome (which I share) is in part a tribute to Greg’s success in making us care about his characters. I do strongly think and feel that he might have given us more time with them. In response to those who think Luann is too young to have a serious love, I knew an old couple, now passed away, who were high school sweethearts, married in the near wilderness, and rode off on a motorcycle before spending the next half century or more happily together—until he died. Next, to try to take Greg’s point of view as much as I can, teens more typically experience a lot more heartbreak than joy in the outcome of their love, and if you look at the divorce rate… In this specific case, not only did we always know that Quill was fated to go home at his father’s convenience, but we have Luann’s own heartbreaking and regretful admission to herself and Quill that she pushed him away by getting him to agree to be just friends so that they would not feel so bad later. It didn’t work, as she screamed unbecomingly. Finally, whether Greg ever sees this or not, let me say one more time that I hope he will unfreeze Luann and her friends in time, so as to avoid frustrating and boring repetition for himself and us. And we need to see a more extended relationship for her. (If it is going to be Gunther, he need to grow up a lot—like the wimpy little guy in Harry Potter who kept losing his toad but who by the final book had become the leader of the resistance and lopped off the head of the snake.)
What a cavalier way for Quill to leave. Like he’s just saying goodbye for the day. That’s pretty cold. Doesn’t leave me to think that he was invested much. If he was really into her, Evans would’ve shown it, I think.
@Terry Cox IMO, Greg, and thus Luann and Quill, was only talking about romance. It’s some of the commentors who equate that with sex. BTW Brooke McEldowney is male.
This is unrealistic.He would not leave that quickly.He would invite her over to help him pack.She would stick as close as possible.Goodbye would be at the airport.Arrangements would be sworn to by iphone / e-mail /etc..Has Quill contrived this? Why?That makes no sense. Could there be a twist?.Let’s hope we don’t now go into endless rehash with Bernice in the bedroom.
I would like to suggest to gocomics that replies appear immediately below the post they are replying to. As it is, they often don’t make sense unless you try to look up the original comment, and that’s a hassle and time-consuming.
Jeez. Can’t Luann ever keep a guy around without him leaving to never see her again? I was rooting for Quill this time. It’s getting a bit old as a plotline.
This isa cheat. The least we should have is a tentative romance and maybe questions about having sex before Quill goes off to Australia. Could we at least have Tiffany seriously outraged? Greg Evans needs to justify his readers’ faith in his strip, and that means not resorting to the “deus ex machina” to bring about a contrived unresolved ending. At least, as one poster wrote, he could come up with an excuse to have Quill stay. Maybe be a boarder with the deGroots?
I usually say the states I’ve avoided American as I’ve traveled all over and heard that complaint…. What could be fun if his parents could someway find a way for him to stay… I know my aussie friend stayed with another family when her family left to go back. I’ve actually provided room for a young korean on holidays so he didn’t have to do all that traveling
This strip is about Luann – not Quill. At this point I have to think Greg means that Luann is too young to get in any deeper – so she got a break. I don’t think Gunther will be the one – ever. When Luann turns 18, keep Toni’s brother and Dirk away from her!
“Imperialist” my ass. The first use of the term “American”, referring to European habitants of the New World, is by the English in the 17th century, so if you want to cry “imperialism” you’re looking at the wrong damn country – refer your comments to the former British empire..The Declaration of Independence is the first time the phrase was ever used formally by the colonies, now calling themselves “the thirteen united States of America” And since the country was declaring its own sovereignty on paper, but had not yet won it in actuality, to claim its usage was “imperialist” is ridiculous. If it had been “the united States of North America” we’d be calling ourselves “North Americans” and you could bet someone would get their panties in a bunch over that, too..“American” is technically any inhabitant of both continents. On the other hand, Canada is also part of North America, and I’ll leave it to you to figure out why wouldn’t be too thrilled with being called “Americans”. FYI, they don’t have a problem referring to themselves as Canadians, nor are Brazilians put out by having to refer to themselves as Brazilians. In order to avoid confusion, the qualifier of “Latin” “Central” “South” etc. is employed when talking about the Americas as continents, but if you want to bitch about imperialist usurpation of the term, you have to go back to 1648 when it was bestowed – FYI, about 150 years before the actual USA was founded.. There are plenty of imperialist things about the country, past and present, to have a legitimate complaint about. Claiming that the name, which was actually bestowed by another empire, is a clear indication of imperialism by this country isn’t one of ’em .
For all that their arcs and their relationship is hugely popular, Brad and Toni still peripheral characters – the strip’s focus, for Greg, has always been Luann. She’s the anchor, the lynchpin, and if she moves onto college a great many structures fall apart. She’s who he identifies with, and from various interviews he’s given it’s clear that Greg finds more drama and situations present in a core character who’s an adolescent, in the midst of growing up and adjusting to life on the brink of young-adulthood, than he would in a college-age adult..I agree that the mini-arcs have been weak in the past 5+ years – they used to have more depth, and weren’t resolved so abruptly, nor so unsatisfactorily. It’s a sad fact of life that people tend to burn out as they get older, or get tired, or just become less imaginative. Which is why your arguing for Greg’s making a massive change in the strip at this point in his career is not a viable one – if you think he can’t sustain something now that he’s comfortable with, what are the odds for anything completely outside his comfort zone or range of knowledge being successful?
I knew about the “with the girls be handy” part was a put-down and the rest was easy to figure. “Keep it up, Yankee doodle dandy…” It’s OK, we’re past all that now…aren’t we?
Yeah, dating myself here, but in the old Charlie Brown comic, he was never able to kick the ball because then he would lose his ‘lovable loser’ status. That’s why Luann can’t ever really have a great relationship. Having said that, I’m bummed out too for her.
I think it’s quite clear from Greg’s blog that he’s looked at the track record for comics that have married off characters and decided that the stagnation that invariably results is not for him. .It’s not a question of your faith in his ability or your belief he’s “convinced himself not to do it” out of fear, it’s more a question of your refusing to accept the facts as he’s presented them, spinning them as “fears” rather than refusing to accept the reality and the result. Greg’s more pragmatic. It’s quite clear that he’s aware of what has resulted when the readership gets what it thinks it wants is not increased attendance and delight, but dissatisfaction and boredom when the chase ends and the romantic tension is gone. I know you don’t want that to be the truth because you want some other outcome, but wishing won’t change how humans have reacted in the past and will probably react to an identical situation in future.
I’ve read Luann for a very long time, but never posted here before. I’ve never seen sooo many posts for a toon! I don’t know if Greg reads these or not, but don’t make him want to get rid of the comments section like the cartoonist did at Pibgorn. Very interesting “yank” back and forth, tho.
My dad spent some time living in South Carolina while he was young – the other kids called him an yank and even wrote so in his yearbook!
“. My… either you’re yanking our chains or you’re very uninformed. :)”-Nobody know everything, not even me and Leviticus put together. I HAVE watched some episodes of Dr. Who and didn’t remember. Well, Leviticus probably knew, but there is bound to be something not even he, Mojitobaby and I all three know such as the five hundredth digit of pi in base 7, for example
That’s great, I’m sure Greg will appreciate your mapping out his work for him right up to his death. Dude, that’s one of the most presumptuous things I’ve ever heard. I know you might not mean it like that, but jeez.. Disagree all you like, but the facts are actually on Greg’s side. And you can’t come up with one example that proves him wrong, and justifies your argument. So not only are you chosing to belittle, if not outright totally ignore, a pretty valid line of reasoning, you’re suggesting that he ditch his main character for ones that are more popular, just to please his audience. .“I still think Greg doesn’t fully appreciate”? Jeez, again. Greg’s not exactly a moron, it’s his business to know. The 3 e-comic books about Brad & Toni that debuted in May show he does know just what he has there. Just what makes you think he’s so ignorant – other than the fact that he’s not complying with your game plan? .Greg has stated that he knows full well he created a monster in Toni Daytona as Brad’s girlfriend, and he’s aware of how popular they are. But as he’s stated before, the focus of the strip will always be Luann for him, even if many consider her to be the most boring character. I’m not “dismissing” them any more than Greg is, but like it or not, Luann is the character he identifies with the most, even though you might not personally approve of – or agree with – his choice.
mojitobaby“BIG no there. Prior to independence, there were no “sovereign nations” in existence in North America, only sovereign colonies – they belonged to one nation – England”-Yes, you are right. Prior to the Declaration of Independence, there were no sovereign nations in North America (unless we count those sovereign nations of the Native Americans, but let’s continue to ignore them, as Andrew Jackson did). The Declaration of Independence declared they were now assuming the role of states – - that things were different. It stated they were united in declaring their status (think of that with the proper British pronunciation to continue to think state) but it did NOT declare they were part of a single government. That didn’t get hammered out until about 1789, thirteen years later. In between, each was its own little country with potential for border conflicts that implies.+“ That’s one of the more unlovely aspects of government under mercantilism – your colony only exists to enrich the mother country, and they really don’t care about your rights or needs as citizens.”!Don’t forget Georgia, a place to get rid of criminals or Massachusetts, a place to get rid of religious nuts. In fact, while I’m sure they WANTED to make money off of them, for most of the time, they were money drains, paying no taxes and griping about second class treatment. It wasn’t until folks back in bloody old England noticed there was money to be lifted that they started to pay attention. Had they paid better attention, they mightn’t have lost such prime real estate..“The term “state” in the Declaration was chosen because the colonies, in declaring their independence, weren’t colonies any longer.”%Which is what I think I’ve been saying all along.*“ Therefore, “thirteen united States of America” – notice that “united” was not capitalized, it wasn’t yet part of the name. “]Yep, I’m with you so far. It was not part of the name of a single nation, but of a confederacy of nations, possibly getting along poorly under say the Articles of The Confederacy until a group called together by George Washington agreed those articles just weren’t cutting it and they needed to form a more perfect union. (you gotta admit, we’re pretty close to perfect, right?).“ why shouldn’t Brazil adopt a Federal republic system 100 years later, with semi-autonomous provinces declaring themselves states?”/They SHOULD if it makes them happy. It just doesn’t make any etymological sense. They don’t have to make sense to make me happy, I’m as happy as Lev by the end of the day all day. It is simply that historically a state was not a semi-autonomous province and there ARE other existing terms which describe such entities such as district or region or even territory or they could just make one up like “grook” or “snark“. -Same thing with Mexico, they can call themselves anything they wish, whether it makes sense or not. It’s up to them. I love them all.
mojitobaby said, 6 minutes ago@DavidHuieGreen The fact that they checked each other improves the chance they were successful.“No, all it “proves” is that they all had the same preconceived or stereotyped notion of how Americans act. You have no idea how many they actually missed, nor did they. And unless they actually polled their “choices” to find out how right they were, all they were doing when comparing results was reinforcing their own attitudes. That’s incredibly sh!ttty fieldwork and would get them an “F” in any cultural anthropology course, let alone a statistics class.”.No sweat, they weren’t taking statistics or cultural anthropology. And yes, I do have an idea how many they actually missed. My idea is that they missed 37 out of 319. It could’ve been 32 out of 586 but without proper methodology we just don’t know. An anthropologist or a statistician might come up with a better methodology but not until we agreed on terms.-Please remember I didn’t claim it proved they were successful, just that it improves the chances they were. It is also possible Mike lied to me and the people who looked like Americans to me were actually Mongolians. Mike was always making jokes.-“ FYI, Bill Gates is not the authority here. Encarta? Rlly? Dude, did you even READ the definition you just gave? Does everyone in America share a “racial, linguistic or religious heritage” – or are you perhaps just speaking for white, Anglo-Saxon protestants?”-Heresy. All praise to Bill.-And then you hurt my feelings by asking if I read the definition because you question whether everyone in America shares the same “racial, linguistic or religious heritage”. But that’s okay, I’m over it already. -Maybe you just didn’t consider the meaning of the word “or”. “Or” is not “and”. -Had the definition (Bill be praised) used the word “and” that would have required all members of any ethnic group to have exactly the same race, language and religion as WELL as national origin. Now wouldn’t that be silly?.“Call a southerner a “Yankee” and you’ll get a much different reaction than you would if you called someone from Connecticut the same thing – and yet in the 2000 census an overwhelming number of southerners considered themselves to be of “American” descent. But according to you, they’re the exact same “ethnicity” as northerners – so why should their reactions be different?”-Please consider the flaws in your logic. If people considered themselves to be A and other people considered all A to be Y, does that logically require all A to consider themselves Y? Of course it doesn’t. Which is to say, a Londoner can consider me to be a Yankee but I don’t have to consider myself a Yankee because I am not bound by the thoughts of Londoners.. “America is not only racially diverse, but ethnically and religiously diverse, and to ignore all these groups and lump everyone together as “ethnic Americans” is pretty damn glib, not to say insulting,”-Not really. I can consider someone a Floridian without insulting him for not worrying about the fact that he also considers himself a Cuban or black or white or Jewish or Creek Indian or Buddhist. We can both vote. Mike would probably pick him out in a crowd too. He might not catch that he’s Floridian, but I bet he would catch that he’s American. (Assuming Mike can still see that well after all these years.) That’s neither glib nor insulting. He is a member of each ethnic group. I’m extremely disappointed in you. You seem so smart. I would think your mind could take a little stretching.-Never mind, all is forgiven. You’re doing the best you can, for a Yankee.
JimT8,.Yep, Capitalized later, in my mind not important but the phrase "and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to – - – " IS important..I wonder why some insist it doesn’t really mean that?-From http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html (which is almost as authoritative as if Bill Gates HIMSELF had said it (okay, maybe I’m a LITTLE glib)):-“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
mojitobaby @DavidHuieGreen -“If he’s a “member of each ethnic group”- just exactly which group is that? Floridian? Jewish? Seminole? Black? Cuban? White?”-See? There you go again trying to fragment us Americans. He could be a member of any or none of the above ethnic groups and still be an American. Further, he could be a member of several of the above ethnic groups and still be an American. Just as he could be Creek without being Floridian, Cuban without being white, smart without being named David.-“If he moves to CA , does he give up his “ethnicity” as a Floridian?”-Sadly I must ask you to review the definition (all praise to Bill) which does not require an ethnic group to remain in the original place. Nor does it absolutely require a Floridian to be considered a different ethnic group from that of a Hawaiian. But no, a true Floridian remains a Floridian for at least 7.84 years (give or take 7.839 years) unless he chooses to change identifications, just as a Jewish fellow can convert to Shinto if he so chooses..“A common right to vote does not contribute to a common ethnicity.”-Once again, you are right. The right to vote is a result of the ethnicity American, not the cause of being an American. In fact, there are a number of Floridians who can not vote due to a little misunderstanding with laws regarding felonies or the discriminatory practice of not letting three year olds vote, but we won’t go into that here. (thumb placed in mouth while pouting over the mistreatment of minors)
That happens to be one of Greg’s arguments against.
When Abner wed Daisy Mae it was literally frontpage news at the time. Everyone wanted this to happen. But then, everyone kinda wished it hadn’t. Fans missed the fun, unpredictable spark of the old romance. The chase is entertaining. But after that? Boring. A successful happy life just doesn’t make a good story.
It’s not the “success” of the strip that’s the issue, but whether people are just as invested in a romantic couple after they get married. It’s about whether there’s enough dramatic tension left in the relationship to actually drive a plot and keep people just as interested as before. .Yeah, Mike Patterson got married and had two kids, and most people were bored to tears. God help us, there was more tension in Elizabeth with boring, clinging CPA Anthony than in Mike and Deanna’s relationship after they married, and that’s pretty sad in itself. .If you can show me where there was dramatic romantic tension before Mike Doonesbury got married, either time, that’s a possibility. Bet you can’t. Trudeau doesn’t do romance or passion. Sardonic, yes, but not much else in the way of love.
Brdshtt,-“threw me into the water while shouting, “Imperialistas a la agua!” “-I worked a few years in Republica Popular de Angola, the People’s Republic of Angola. (Even though the Soviets were in charge.) They had an excellent radio station to which I listened nightly. Whenever they mentioned “Americana,” they always used the words Imperialista, Capitalista, Zionista and/or Racista.-I was giving a friend a ride to a party one evening and he had me pick up some lady friends of his to go to the party as well. He introduced me as “mi amigo, David Green, uma Americana.”-The ladies stared at me since they had never met the dangerous species before, “Americana??”-“Sim, Imperialista, Capitalista, Zionista, Racista, todo mal.” Which being loosely translated was, “Yep, Imperialist, capitalist, Zionist, racist; completely bad.”-Even though they had been treated to the same radio programming I had, they didn’t believe I was completely bad or Afonso wouldn‘t have called me his friend. In fact, they were quite friendly. (Lovely country despite the way the Communists were in the process of destroying it.)
Romance and passion – and the subsequent lack of it is the issue! I didn’t stipulate it because if it isn’t there, no one cares one way or another. .You completely missed the point – marriage isn’t even a possibility for Luann and Quill, the way it is with Toni and Brad. Greg’s argument is that there’s always tension and drama associated with a couple where one is pursuing, one eluding – but once the catchin’ is done, that tension and the ensuing drama is over with. That’s why he doesn’t want to marry off Toni and Brad, as a married couple they’d be boring to write for. Tell me you toon in daily to see what dynamic revelations are in store in “Blondie” and “Hi and Lois”, I dare you.
I guess you missed the whole Ann Eiffel “will this break them up” arc followed by the “Brad pressures Toni to get married” arc. That’s what’s being referred to, not looking for Shannon. Married life in the comics = Frank and Nancy.Enjoy.
howtheduck said, about 16 hours ago@mojitobabyBut again, if you can give me an example where a cartoonist has married courting characters off and the action is just as exciting as it was prior to that event, then let’s hear it.-L’il Abner and Daisy Mae?
ALSO THAT SON OF A MILLIONAIRE NAMED ‘DAGWOOD. BUMSTEAD’ AND THAT GOLD DIGGER FLAPPER NAMED .‘BLONDIE’
I dont know if having a boyfriend would somehow make Luann less angsty-instead she would be angsty over the boyfriend. It would be nice to have a story arch showing her finding some independence and NOT worrying so much about other people, something a lot of us struggle with.
xvanta43562 almost 12 years ago
Yank?
JimT8 almost 12 years ago
Tears.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
that means American
wiselad almost 12 years ago
and in about 4 or 5 months, an interest in some guy comes from Luann, starting the cycle yet again
aqsartin almost 12 years ago
Cue Aaron Hill…
mummieeva almost 12 years ago
I am sad. I wanted Luann to get a good guy and keep him.
bluetooth2kus almost 12 years ago
well, that sucked. poor luann.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
leaving our favored lady with tears streaming down her cheek. thus, losing favor amongst us.
cripplious almost 12 years ago
As in Yankee Doodles Dandies. It was supposed to be a put down by the British during the Colonial Revolt.
BenderSastre almost 12 years ago
I believe if Luann ever become properly boyfriended, the comic’s dynamic would have to alter significantly. Luann has been an angsty teenager for as long as I’ve kept up with the series. Having a boyfriend would change that irrevocably.
cholomanaba almost 12 years ago
I am from southamerica… does that make me a “yank”?
mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
Judging from the state Luann will be in about two hours from now, Nancy will come home and decide never leave the house again.
legaleagle48 almost 12 years ago
So much for the speculation that Quill’s gay. Evidently, it just never occurred to those speculators that he’s just not the type to go shoving his tongue down a girl’s throat just because she happens to be within two feet of him.
Angelalex242 almost 12 years ago
g’day Yank?
Geez, Quill, were you planning on leaving her a boomerang to remember you by?
TheDOCTOR almost 12 years ago
I feel bad for Luann. :( Its like when any of the companions leave the T.A.R.D.I.S.
The Nihilist almost 12 years ago
Frankly, I’m disappointed with this story arc and its contrived closing.
Why not use the Merrie Melodies ending, couldn’t be much worse…
Sisyphos almost 12 years ago
Too late for stuttered expressions from the heart now, Luann. I don’t think Quill’s parting remark is meant to be blowing her off, however, as some commenters apparently do. Rather, I think he is trying to soften the blow with some gentle, self-disparaging ethnic humor. While we may be at a hiatus, the saga of Quill and Luann is not over at all, I believe.
Ottodesu almost 12 years ago
Upon departure, the proper Strine is “G’bye”.I would write Greg a stern letter pointing this out, but his letterbox may still be full of petitioning to get Quill “out of the closet”.
King_Shark almost 12 years ago
So, I assume Monday will begin a new story arc. I’ll bet it’s the Brattoni Saga again to win back the favour of the Holy Church. And Sheriff Mordecai will show his face again to stomp dissenters into the ground.
lance96816 almost 12 years ago
Awwww, I thinks I’m going to cry…
ninjanick101 almost 12 years ago
That was quite heartbreaking. :(
PapaBishop almost 12 years ago
Yankee: Someone from the USA.In the USA: Someone from the north.In the north: Someone from New England. In New England: Someone from Vermont. In Vermont: Someone who eats pie for breakfast.
Stan King almost 12 years ago
Couldn’t give a rat’s a$$ about the origins of the word “Yank”, and if Greg drops Quill like Aaron and all the rest, I’m not going to give a rat’s a$$ about his work anymore.
Chas60 almost 12 years ago
The return of Aaron Hill….
YankeeFan56 almost 12 years ago
Are we having a baseball conversation?The Yankees just beat the BoSox!(no apostrophe necessary)
Packer12 almost 12 years ago
Read the thumbnail on the right side. The writer is following what is outlined there. If he let’s her grow up, get laid and have a happy life then it really would defeat the whole concept wouldn’t it “yanks”?
adamcrow64 almost 12 years ago
Australians do not say “g’day” when saying goodbye! It is used as a ‘hello’. The correct saying that a teen would say would be ‘bye’.
Sarasotagal almost 12 years ago
The Diamondbacks
Ned Snipes almost 12 years ago
Surprised no one mentioned the SIZE of Quill’s right hand in the middle panel……
Ottodesu almost 12 years ago
Please, do not use the word “root” or “rooting” with any Australian-related context when discussing anything other than vegetation.And even then be careful.
vwdualnomand almost 12 years ago
the one that got away…
upanddown17 almost 12 years ago
I know the feeling to have girlfriends break up with me, Luann.
Tinyman almost 12 years ago
I learned this:Until we meet again.
TheRealWildWilson almost 12 years ago
Well, that’s showbiz
DragonPowered almost 12 years ago
lame
tomshelly1990 almost 12 years ago
Well….that seems final! Are they leaving tonight?
tomshelly1990 almost 12 years ago
Her next love interest will probably be from Germany or something….
celeconecca almost 12 years ago
best way to leave which she’ll appreciate with age.
comics almost 12 years ago
“Yank” is a common slang term used by Australians when referring to Americans.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
“She hasn’t lost favor with me. I’ll still root for her.”-Not with her, with anyone who would so casually leave her in tears even if he has no power over the situation. Now, if HE breaks down in tears when out of sight, I can call it all just a good front and forgive him.
merbrat almost 12 years ago
When I was in the stationed in UK the Brits called big American cars, “Yank Tanks”. (1981)
merbrat almost 12 years ago
He’s occasionally called her that, all along. (affectionately) I forget what she called him.
dre7861 almost 12 years ago
I liked Quill and Luann together. I hate this plot twist. I hope Paul resolves it quicker than he normally does – because I’m not waiting 10 years just to find out that Quill can stay in America after all with some forgotten Aunt. This is one disgruntled reader.
[BTW, those who are equating Quill with Aaron Hill don’t remember Aaron very well, who was not interested in Luann, aloof and somewhat on the dim side. Quill on the other hand has made his attraction to Luann known from the first time we met him, he’s intelligent, interested in the things Luann is. The two are nothing alike]
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
Australians are different from British. I’m reminded of one Brit calling an Aussie, “sheep thief” to which the Aussie replied, “at least my folks had enough gumption to steal the sheep:” All based on the former practice of deporting any criminals to Australia even if the crimes were to feed family. Some British act like the sins of the fathers are passed down to the children.
Sportymonk almost 12 years ago
Am I missing something but Quill doesn’t look that upset.
imbaldeagle almost 12 years ago
Mistake, you’re making with Quill, Master Greg. There’s a great disturbance in the Force.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
prrdh @DavidHuieGreen
“From http://www.famie.com/australia/australianslang2.htm:-“G’day: Universal greeting, used anytime day or night, but never as a farewell.”
So maybe there IS some deeper meaning of his usage similar to “Until we meet again.”
prrdh almost 12 years ago
It may seem that way to you, but here’s another possibility: he’s saying, in effect, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” He knows that if he stays, or talks as seriously as he feels, he might do something he will regret.
I’m not saying that’s the way it is. I’m not one of those people who can read another person’s soul base on a brief conversational exchange. I’m just offering it as a possibility.
flagfly almost 12 years ago
Two decades ago? Do you mean two centuries?
Cathy38c almost 12 years ago
Quill, I… I… I’m pregnant!
JoeStoppinghem Premium Member almost 12 years ago
At least she did find out where he stood with her.Those who don’t like the storyline, just stop coming her and bitching about it, it’s not always going to be what you want.
Bisquit1 almost 12 years ago
He should have nailed her when he had the chance.
reedkomicks Premium Member almost 12 years ago
I’m glad her parents weren’t there.
Kip W almost 12 years ago
“Hello, Superman. Hello.”—Last words of dying Bizarro
yoda1234 almost 12 years ago
…or was that Aussie for, “I’ll be back”??
Tuzilla almost 12 years ago
It seems that anyone from the U.S. is a “yank” to people from the UK, Australia, unless they are like my friend in Surrey who refers to us as colonist and to the U.S. as those troublesome colonies. He is a bit of a wit.I also believe we have to realize that caring girls/women and boys/men tend to deal with emotional drama like this in distinctly different ways. Luann is going to be up front and cry now and cry even bigger a bit later, then sob it out with Bernice and Delta, then go shopping to distract the angst. Quill is going to mask it, walk away with his guts churning, suffer for an extended time…unless he is as shallow and superficial as Tiffany…he is not. Neither will get over it for a long time, if ever, but Quill will carry a bigger box of it for the longer time of the two, he just won’t be as open about it.
CurtisMimms almost 12 years ago
Lame………..
thewizofaz almost 12 years ago
Flash forward 50 years and old maid Luann will lament “yes, I was in love once…..”
MrsETPerry almost 12 years ago
Aw he must had to run to keep from getting emotional. Wonder how sunday’s going to look. That hold those two had was perfect. _
beachlvr Premium Member almost 12 years ago
even friends say goodbye with more care than this. but it’s possible Quill was in love with her and this was very hard for him. we’ll never know. or will we? i don’t just assume he was a jerk. kids at this age are awkward. period.
Squoop almost 12 years ago
Well, that brought down my opinion of Quill a few million notches. Not even a mention of him maybe returning at some point, no hint of any possible future for them at all? He’s not off on a one-way spaceship to Mars, he’s almost an adult and is about to be off to college. Nothing preventing him from choosing a US college. But no, all Luann gets is a hey it was fun and have a nice life. What a sh!t, so let down by this character and this strip.
Thehag almost 12 years ago
This was nice. If they had a relationship that lasted there would be posters screaming ‘boring’. I sure hope we DON’T see Aaron Hill again. He never seemed interested in anyone but himself.
peytie Premium Member almost 12 years ago
Break ups caused by one moving away are typical happenings for high school kids. Happened to me, and we got back together, for awhile, in college.Certainly better than having him fall for someone else!
Allan CB Premium Member almost 12 years ago
why can’t you let Luann have one decent long-term relationship? Look at Brad and Toni, and how long have THEY been together?
Sheriff Mordecai Premium Member almost 12 years ago
S’matter, king shark… Don’t you like dissenting opinions? How does one stomp in a text-based forum? You give me far too much credit, almost as bad as Clydefrog.There’s a serious shortage of people who enjoy the comics it seems.
yldonaldson almost 12 years ago
G’Day Yank? That is the worst farewell I’ve ever seen! Of course, I think that’s the way he greeted her in the very beginning. Maybe he was trying to leave it light and friendly, like when they first met. Still – should have left it at the kiss…
cereal killer almost 12 years ago
My interest in this comic strip is now at 0.
ladypuu almost 12 years ago
(sniff) le sigh! I had a moment like this once before,…it’s very heart wrenching…to finally get what you’ve wanted for sooo long and then..BAM! it’s over even before it began! waaah poor luann!…..my heart hurts..
birdiemom almost 12 years ago
WOW, me thinks I smell a skunk. Has anyone thought that Quill was just using Luann as just another gal in a different port. Thank goodness his father called just at the right time, because who knows how far he would have taken Luann. And I don’t see any great unhappiness on his part about leaving her. I think that Quill was just another player. OK Greg, bring someone really great into the comic for Luann as she is off to college soon or at least give her some really great collage experiences.
ACTIVIST1234 almost 12 years ago
PapaBishop- you win the prize for today’s clever response to the “Yank” comment. If pizza counts as pie, we truly are ll Yanks. 1) Quill, if you really meant that as a final “Good-bye”, I too misjudged you as you are truly a jerk. 2) Quill, if you meant that as “See you tomorrow, since I’m here for another week” and you wanted her to recognize her feelings, you are truly clever. 3) Quill, if the phone calls were a ruse and this was all a game to get Luann to recognize her feelings, you are truly a jerk.
belldee90 almost 12 years ago
i’m not sure, but isn’t this what he said when they met?
terrycox51550 almost 12 years ago
I did not like the fact that instead of Quill being a gentleman from the beginning they were insinuating possible sex. The goodby kiss was what it should have been in the first place. Just because morals have taken a nose dive doesn’t mean we have to play it out like it’s OK in the comic strips!! I’m very disappointed in that aspect of the strip now. I’m sure that Mr. Evans is trying to appease the so-called new morality in our teenagers today so that he can maintain a large audience. Greed in any form will cause people to do what many would still consider the wrong thing.
pixel_pusher almost 12 years ago
@Dave53
I think Dave just mixed up Greg with the OTHER comic artist who loves to jerk his audience around. Check out Wapsi Square. The plotcoaster is less disappointing than Evans’ Mild Ride.
phoenix0401 almost 12 years ago
Love triangle with Gunther and Rosa is probably the next arc — even though it makes no sense whatsoever.
JimT8 almost 12 years ago
It seems Quill has no problem walking away. He was nowhere as involved in the relationship as Luann was. Lu was only someone to keep him from being bored while in the States.You are right in your first two statements, but in your last one, not so much. In going home Quill is not just stiff upper lipping it like his British forebears, and he is not broken up over this, as Luann is, but I think he did and does care for her. He was not just playing with her feelings and is not callous.
mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
No, it just means Greg doesn’t know enough Strine to be accurate.
JimT8 almost 12 years ago
More likely Brad.
jimjohnston071559 almost 12 years ago
First Aaron Hill leaves, now this guy. Can’t a girl catch a break?
JimT8 almost 12 years ago
Paul????Yeah, where did that slip come from?
mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
Since everyone prior to the revolution WAS English, and it was used neutrally, in-house, by New Englanders about other New Englanders, not so. .General Wolfe, in his Canadian campaign against the French, referred to companies of New Englanders under his command as Yankees, and since he described them favorably it was not a derisive term. Obviously, as relations between the crown and the colonies deteriorated, the term was used derogatorily by the British. However, the target audience for the derision were Tory loyalists and British soldiers, since it wasn’t seen as an insult by the New England rebels.
JimT8 almost 12 years ago
Some final thoughts on this whole arc. The intensity of feeling here about this disappointing outcome (which I share) is in part a tribute to Greg’s success in making us care about his characters. I do strongly think and feel that he might have given us more time with them. In response to those who think Luann is too young to have a serious love, I knew an old couple, now passed away, who were high school sweethearts, married in the near wilderness, and rode off on a motorcycle before spending the next half century or more happily together—until he died. Next, to try to take Greg’s point of view as much as I can, teens more typically experience a lot more heartbreak than joy in the outcome of their love, and if you look at the divorce rate… In this specific case, not only did we always know that Quill was fated to go home at his father’s convenience, but we have Luann’s own heartbreaking and regretful admission to herself and Quill that she pushed him away by getting him to agree to be just friends so that they would not feel so bad later. It didn’t work, as she screamed unbecomingly. Finally, whether Greg ever sees this or not, let me say one more time that I hope he will unfreeze Luann and her friends in time, so as to avoid frustrating and boring repetition for himself and us. And we need to see a more extended relationship for her. (If it is going to be Gunther, he need to grow up a lot—like the wimpy little guy in Harry Potter who kept losing his toad but who by the final book had become the leader of the resistance and lopped off the head of the snake.)
Cofyjunky almost 12 years ago
What a cavalier way for Quill to leave. Like he’s just saying goodbye for the day. That’s pretty cold. Doesn’t leave me to think that he was invested much. If he was really into her, Evans would’ve shown it, I think.
marvee almost 12 years ago
@Terry Cox IMO, Greg, and thus Luann and Quill, was only talking about romance. It’s some of the commentors who equate that with sex. BTW Brooke McEldowney is male.
doverdan almost 12 years ago
This is unrealistic.He would not leave that quickly.He would invite her over to help him pack.She would stick as close as possible.Goodbye would be at the airport.Arrangements would be sworn to by iphone / e-mail /etc..Has Quill contrived this? Why?That makes no sense. Could there be a twist?.Let’s hope we don’t now go into endless rehash with Bernice in the bedroom.
marvee almost 12 years ago
I would like to suggest to gocomics that replies appear immediately below the post they are replying to. As it is, they often don’t make sense unless you try to look up the original comment, and that’s a hassle and time-consuming.
melmarsh9v almost 12 years ago
You summed up the situation very well!
peach.louise almost 12 years ago
Jeez. Can’t Luann ever keep a guy around without him leaving to never see her again? I was rooting for Quill this time. It’s getting a bit old as a plotline.
JimT8 almost 12 years ago
Slightly apropos,maybe. Don’t miss today’s Sally Forth. (or Moonrise Kingdom)
thecomicbookguy almost 12 years ago
This isa cheat. The least we should have is a tentative romance and maybe questions about having sex before Quill goes off to Australia. Could we at least have Tiffany seriously outraged? Greg Evans needs to justify his readers’ faith in his strip, and that means not resorting to the “deus ex machina” to bring about a contrived unresolved ending. At least, as one poster wrote, he could come up with an excuse to have Quill stay. Maybe be a boarder with the deGroots?
kendonna almost 12 years ago
No tears on HIS cheeks…?No emotion whatsoever?!
sun_kat almost 12 years ago
I usually say the states I’ve avoided American as I’ve traveled all over and heard that complaint…. What could be fun if his parents could someway find a way for him to stay… I know my aussie friend stayed with another family when her family left to go back. I’ve actually provided room for a young korean on holidays so he didn’t have to do all that traveling
716PMedGuy almost 12 years ago
:(
kenhense almost 12 years ago
This strip is about Luann – not Quill. At this point I have to think Greg means that Luann is too young to get in any deeper – so she got a break. I don’t think Gunther will be the one – ever. When Luann turns 18, keep Toni’s brother and Dirk away from her!
mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
“Imperialist” my ass. The first use of the term “American”, referring to European habitants of the New World, is by the English in the 17th century, so if you want to cry “imperialism” you’re looking at the wrong damn country – refer your comments to the former British empire..The Declaration of Independence is the first time the phrase was ever used formally by the colonies, now calling themselves “the thirteen united States of America” And since the country was declaring its own sovereignty on paper, but had not yet won it in actuality, to claim its usage was “imperialist” is ridiculous. If it had been “the united States of North America” we’d be calling ourselves “North Americans” and you could bet someone would get their panties in a bunch over that, too..“American” is technically any inhabitant of both continents. On the other hand, Canada is also part of North America, and I’ll leave it to you to figure out why wouldn’t be too thrilled with being called “Americans”. FYI, they don’t have a problem referring to themselves as Canadians, nor are Brazilians put out by having to refer to themselves as Brazilians. In order to avoid confusion, the qualifier of “Latin” “Central” “South” etc. is employed when talking about the Americas as continents, but if you want to bitch about imperialist usurpation of the term, you have to go back to 1648 when it was bestowed – FYI, about 150 years before the actual USA was founded.. There are plenty of imperialist things about the country, past and present, to have a legitimate complaint about. Claiming that the name, which was actually bestowed by another empire, is a clear indication of imperialism by this country isn’t one of ’em .
Fusnr almost 12 years ago
And he needs your vote to get in the All Star Game Tuesday
mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
For all that their arcs and their relationship is hugely popular, Brad and Toni still peripheral characters – the strip’s focus, for Greg, has always been Luann. She’s the anchor, the lynchpin, and if she moves onto college a great many structures fall apart. She’s who he identifies with, and from various interviews he’s given it’s clear that Greg finds more drama and situations present in a core character who’s an adolescent, in the midst of growing up and adjusting to life on the brink of young-adulthood, than he would in a college-age adult..I agree that the mini-arcs have been weak in the past 5+ years – they used to have more depth, and weren’t resolved so abruptly, nor so unsatisfactorily. It’s a sad fact of life that people tend to burn out as they get older, or get tired, or just become less imaginative. Which is why your arguing for Greg’s making a massive change in the strip at this point in his career is not a viable one – if you think he can’t sustain something now that he’s comfortable with, what are the odds for anything completely outside his comfort zone or range of knowledge being successful?
sfknight almost 12 years ago
sorry but greg can pull this timing coincidence to separate them, he can easily pull another one to put them back together.
tigre1 almost 12 years ago
I knew about the “with the girls be handy” part was a put-down and the rest was easy to figure. “Keep it up, Yankee doodle dandy…” It’s OK, we’re past all that now…aren’t we?
Chocoloop almost 12 years ago
Yeah, dating myself here, but in the old Charlie Brown comic, he was never able to kick the ball because then he would lose his ‘lovable loser’ status. That’s why Luann can’t ever really have a great relationship. Having said that, I’m bummed out too for her.
mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
I think it’s quite clear from Greg’s blog that he’s looked at the track record for comics that have married off characters and decided that the stagnation that invariably results is not for him. .It’s not a question of your faith in his ability or your belief he’s “convinced himself not to do it” out of fear, it’s more a question of your refusing to accept the facts as he’s presented them, spinning them as “fears” rather than refusing to accept the reality and the result. Greg’s more pragmatic. It’s quite clear that he’s aware of what has resulted when the readership gets what it thinks it wants is not increased attendance and delight, but dissatisfaction and boredom when the chase ends and the romantic tension is gone. I know you don’t want that to be the truth because you want some other outcome, but wishing won’t change how humans have reacted in the past and will probably react to an identical situation in future.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
“At the very least it should be “North American” to get it closer to correct.”-How quickly everyone forgets Hawaii
libbydog almost 12 years ago
I’ve read Luann for a very long time, but never posted here before. I’ve never seen sooo many posts for a toon! I don’t know if Greg reads these or not, but don’t make him want to get rid of the comments section like the cartoonist did at Pibgorn. Very interesting “yank” back and forth, tho.
My dad spent some time living in South Carolina while he was young – the other kids called him an yank and even wrote so in his yearbook!
dianecliff almost 12 years ago
What? No “we can always Skype?”
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
“. My… either you’re yanking our chains or you’re very uninformed. :)”-Nobody know everything, not even me and Leviticus put together. I HAVE watched some episodes of Dr. Who and didn’t remember. Well, Leviticus probably knew, but there is bound to be something not even he, Mojitobaby and I all three know such as the five hundredth digit of pi in base 7, for example
Mighty_Mouse almost 12 years ago
“We will always have Pitts” …Doesn’t sound quite as romantic as Paris.
Takagi-san almost 12 years ago
Lame.
Tinyman almost 12 years ago
Thanks Wesley
mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
That’s great, I’m sure Greg will appreciate your mapping out his work for him right up to his death. Dude, that’s one of the most presumptuous things I’ve ever heard. I know you might not mean it like that, but jeez.. Disagree all you like, but the facts are actually on Greg’s side. And you can’t come up with one example that proves him wrong, and justifies your argument. So not only are you chosing to belittle, if not outright totally ignore, a pretty valid line of reasoning, you’re suggesting that he ditch his main character for ones that are more popular, just to please his audience. .“I still think Greg doesn’t fully appreciate”? Jeez, again. Greg’s not exactly a moron, it’s his business to know. The 3 e-comic books about Brad & Toni that debuted in May show he does know just what he has there. Just what makes you think he’s so ignorant – other than the fact that he’s not complying with your game plan? .Greg has stated that he knows full well he created a monster in Toni Daytona as Brad’s girlfriend, and he’s aware of how popular they are. But as he’s stated before, the focus of the strip will always be Luann for him, even if many consider her to be the most boring character. I’m not “dismissing” them any more than Greg is, but like it or not, Luann is the character he identifies with the most, even though you might not personally approve of – or agree with – his choice.
Tinyman almost 12 years ago
NOw does this mean we go back to the weenie world storyline? I am courious to see what OX was up to.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
mojitobaby“BIG no there. Prior to independence, there were no “sovereign nations” in existence in North America, only sovereign colonies – they belonged to one nation – England”-Yes, you are right. Prior to the Declaration of Independence, there were no sovereign nations in North America (unless we count those sovereign nations of the Native Americans, but let’s continue to ignore them, as Andrew Jackson did). The Declaration of Independence declared they were now assuming the role of states – - that things were different. It stated they were united in declaring their status (think of that with the proper British pronunciation to continue to think state) but it did NOT declare they were part of a single government. That didn’t get hammered out until about 1789, thirteen years later. In between, each was its own little country with potential for border conflicts that implies.+“ That’s one of the more unlovely aspects of government under mercantilism – your colony only exists to enrich the mother country, and they really don’t care about your rights or needs as citizens.”!Don’t forget Georgia, a place to get rid of criminals or Massachusetts, a place to get rid of religious nuts. In fact, while I’m sure they WANTED to make money off of them, for most of the time, they were money drains, paying no taxes and griping about second class treatment. It wasn’t until folks back in bloody old England noticed there was money to be lifted that they started to pay attention. Had they paid better attention, they mightn’t have lost such prime real estate..“The term “state” in the Declaration was chosen because the colonies, in declaring their independence, weren’t colonies any longer.”%Which is what I think I’ve been saying all along.*“ Therefore, “thirteen united States of America” – notice that “united” was not capitalized, it wasn’t yet part of the name. “]Yep, I’m with you so far. It was not part of the name of a single nation, but of a confederacy of nations, possibly getting along poorly under say the Articles of The Confederacy until a group called together by George Washington agreed those articles just weren’t cutting it and they needed to form a more perfect union. (you gotta admit, we’re pretty close to perfect, right?).“ why shouldn’t Brazil adopt a Federal republic system 100 years later, with semi-autonomous provinces declaring themselves states?”/They SHOULD if it makes them happy. It just doesn’t make any etymological sense. They don’t have to make sense to make me happy, I’m as happy as Lev by the end of the day all day. It is simply that historically a state was not a semi-autonomous province and there ARE other existing terms which describe such entities such as district or region or even territory or they could just make one up like “grook” or “snark“. -Same thing with Mexico, they can call themselves anything they wish, whether it makes sense or not. It’s up to them. I love them all.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
mojitobaby said, 6 minutes ago@DavidHuieGreen The fact that they checked each other improves the chance they were successful.“No, all it “proves” is that they all had the same preconceived or stereotyped notion of how Americans act. You have no idea how many they actually missed, nor did they. And unless they actually polled their “choices” to find out how right they were, all they were doing when comparing results was reinforcing their own attitudes. That’s incredibly sh!ttty fieldwork and would get them an “F” in any cultural anthropology course, let alone a statistics class.”.No sweat, they weren’t taking statistics or cultural anthropology. And yes, I do have an idea how many they actually missed. My idea is that they missed 37 out of 319. It could’ve been 32 out of 586 but without proper methodology we just don’t know. An anthropologist or a statistician might come up with a better methodology but not until we agreed on terms.-Please remember I didn’t claim it proved they were successful, just that it improves the chances they were. It is also possible Mike lied to me and the people who looked like Americans to me were actually Mongolians. Mike was always making jokes.-“ FYI, Bill Gates is not the authority here. Encarta? Rlly? Dude, did you even READ the definition you just gave? Does everyone in America share a “racial, linguistic or religious heritage” – or are you perhaps just speaking for white, Anglo-Saxon protestants?”-Heresy. All praise to Bill.-And then you hurt my feelings by asking if I read the definition because you question whether everyone in America shares the same “racial, linguistic or religious heritage”. But that’s okay, I’m over it already. -Maybe you just didn’t consider the meaning of the word “or”. “Or” is not “and”. -Had the definition (Bill be praised) used the word “and” that would have required all members of any ethnic group to have exactly the same race, language and religion as WELL as national origin. Now wouldn’t that be silly?.“Call a southerner a “Yankee” and you’ll get a much different reaction than you would if you called someone from Connecticut the same thing – and yet in the 2000 census an overwhelming number of southerners considered themselves to be of “American” descent. But according to you, they’re the exact same “ethnicity” as northerners – so why should their reactions be different?”-Please consider the flaws in your logic. If people considered themselves to be A and other people considered all A to be Y, does that logically require all A to consider themselves Y? Of course it doesn’t. Which is to say, a Londoner can consider me to be a Yankee but I don’t have to consider myself a Yankee because I am not bound by the thoughts of Londoners.. “America is not only racially diverse, but ethnically and religiously diverse, and to ignore all these groups and lump everyone together as “ethnic Americans” is pretty damn glib, not to say insulting,”-Not really. I can consider someone a Floridian without insulting him for not worrying about the fact that he also considers himself a Cuban or black or white or Jewish or Creek Indian or Buddhist. We can both vote. Mike would probably pick him out in a crowd too. He might not catch that he’s Floridian, but I bet he would catch that he’s American. (Assuming Mike can still see that well after all these years.) That’s neither glib nor insulting. He is a member of each ethnic group. I’m extremely disappointed in you. You seem so smart. I would think your mind could take a little stretching.-Never mind, all is forgiven. You’re doing the best you can, for a Yankee.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
JimT8,.Yep, Capitalized later, in my mind not important but the phrase "and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to – - – " IS important..I wonder why some insist it doesn’t really mean that?-From http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html (which is almost as authoritative as if Bill Gates HIMSELF had said it (okay, maybe I’m a LITTLE glib)):-“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
bryan42 almost 12 years ago
Bummer for Luann
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
mojitobaby @DavidHuieGreen -“If he’s a “member of each ethnic group”- just exactly which group is that? Floridian? Jewish? Seminole? Black? Cuban? White?”-See? There you go again trying to fragment us Americans. He could be a member of any or none of the above ethnic groups and still be an American. Further, he could be a member of several of the above ethnic groups and still be an American. Just as he could be Creek without being Floridian, Cuban without being white, smart without being named David.-“If he moves to CA , does he give up his “ethnicity” as a Floridian?”-Sadly I must ask you to review the definition (all praise to Bill) which does not require an ethnic group to remain in the original place. Nor does it absolutely require a Floridian to be considered a different ethnic group from that of a Hawaiian. But no, a true Floridian remains a Floridian for at least 7.84 years (give or take 7.839 years) unless he chooses to change identifications, just as a Jewish fellow can convert to Shinto if he so chooses..“A common right to vote does not contribute to a common ethnicity.”-Once again, you are right. The right to vote is a result of the ethnicity American, not the cause of being an American. In fact, there are a number of Floridians who can not vote due to a little misunderstanding with laws regarding felonies or the discriminatory practice of not letting three year olds vote, but we won’t go into that here. (thumb placed in mouth while pouting over the mistreatment of minors)
mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
That happens to be one of Greg’s arguments against.
When Abner wed Daisy Mae it was literally frontpage news at the time. Everyone wanted this to happen. But then, everyone kinda wished it hadn’t. Fans missed the fun, unpredictable spark of the old romance. The chase is entertaining. But after that? Boring. A successful happy life just doesn’t make a good story.mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
It’s not the “success” of the strip that’s the issue, but whether people are just as invested in a romantic couple after they get married. It’s about whether there’s enough dramatic tension left in the relationship to actually drive a plot and keep people just as interested as before. .Yeah, Mike Patterson got married and had two kids, and most people were bored to tears. God help us, there was more tension in Elizabeth with boring, clinging CPA Anthony than in Mike and Deanna’s relationship after they married, and that’s pretty sad in itself. .If you can show me where there was dramatic romantic tension before Mike Doonesbury got married, either time, that’s a possibility. Bet you can’t. Trudeau doesn’t do romance or passion. Sardonic, yes, but not much else in the way of love.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 12 years ago
Brdshtt,-“threw me into the water while shouting, “Imperialistas a la agua!” “-I worked a few years in Republica Popular de Angola, the People’s Republic of Angola. (Even though the Soviets were in charge.) They had an excellent radio station to which I listened nightly. Whenever they mentioned “Americana,” they always used the words Imperialista, Capitalista, Zionista and/or Racista.-I was giving a friend a ride to a party one evening and he had me pick up some lady friends of his to go to the party as well. He introduced me as “mi amigo, David Green, uma Americana.”-The ladies stared at me since they had never met the dangerous species before, “Americana??”-“Sim, Imperialista, Capitalista, Zionista, Racista, todo mal.” Which being loosely translated was, “Yep, Imperialist, capitalist, Zionist, racist; completely bad.”-Even though they had been treated to the same radio programming I had, they didn’t believe I was completely bad or Afonso wouldn‘t have called me his friend. In fact, they were quite friendly. (Lovely country despite the way the Communists were in the process of destroying it.)
mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
Romance and passion – and the subsequent lack of it is the issue! I didn’t stipulate it because if it isn’t there, no one cares one way or another. .You completely missed the point – marriage isn’t even a possibility for Luann and Quill, the way it is with Toni and Brad. Greg’s argument is that there’s always tension and drama associated with a couple where one is pursuing, one eluding – but once the catchin’ is done, that tension and the ensuing drama is over with. That’s why he doesn’t want to marry off Toni and Brad, as a married couple they’d be boring to write for. Tell me you toon in daily to see what dynamic revelations are in store in “Blondie” and “Hi and Lois”, I dare you.
mojitobaby almost 12 years ago
I guess you missed the whole Ann Eiffel “will this break them up” arc followed by the “Brad pressures Toni to get married” arc. That’s what’s being referred to, not looking for Shannon. Married life in the comics = Frank and Nancy.Enjoy.
doverdan almost 12 years ago
howtheduck said, about 16 hours ago@mojitobabyBut again, if you can give me an example where a cartoonist has married courting characters off and the action is just as exciting as it was prior to that event, then let’s hear it.-L’il Abner and Daisy Mae?
ALSO THAT SON OF A MILLIONAIRE NAMED ‘DAGWOOD. BUMSTEAD’ AND THAT GOLD DIGGER FLAPPER NAMED .‘BLONDIE’
GOT HIM DISINHERITED !!
autumnsapphires almost 12 years ago
That was rather anti-climatic. :(
TCulberson almost 12 years ago
Is Greg running out of ideas or just recycling the same plot time after time?
lspang almost 12 years ago
I dont know if having a boyfriend would somehow make Luann less angsty-instead she would be angsty over the boyfriend. It would be nice to have a story arch showing her finding some independence and NOT worrying so much about other people, something a lot of us struggle with.
Aladar30 Premium Member over 5 years ago
Poor Luann.