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

Tiff sure dress ill-prepared. If she had boots, then she’d carry her shoes to change into after they finally made it to the pond.

Actually , Salamanders do live in the mall- If….you count the mall pet stores and the PetCo…. – This one could be going a couple of ways- Gunther is helping our “city kitty” to traverse the area in between panels, and is “tickled” at her being a “fish out of water”, or he hasn’t been so gentlemanly, and is overlooking his opportunity to “rack up” some major points with our “Dainty Debutante”… – “(♫)….Shoefly, dragonfly, get back t’your mother. Pick up a flat rock, skip it across Green River….(♫)” – Ever notice that every time Gunther “whips out” his notes or his GPS, someone gets a chipped manicure and ends up looking like they crawled through the Ninja Warrior course?

Notice that Gunther is displaying confidence and snarkiness that he NEVER did with Rosa?

“Through Thicket And Thin”“Where No Mall Has Gone, Before”“Welcome To The Jungle”“Hiked Up Heels”“Happy Trails To You…” (♫)“Gunther, Lord Of The City Pond”“Welcome To Mt. Molehill”“Global Punking System”“Mr. Livingston, I Presume!?”“Tiffany’s Treacherous Travails”“Mutual Of Whatintheworld?”“Mild Planet”or“The Hodge Podge Dodge”

Gunther is becoming a real turd. He should have taken Tiffany’s hand, as he did with Rosa on their prom night trek.

True. He knew that Tiffany was ill-dressed for hunting salamanders, and didn’t say a word of warning to her.

Gunther and Tiffany look like they compliment each other. Maybe Gunther will change her into a nice, humble girl.

Classroom nerd becomes the mighty outdoors he-man.

Alone in the woods with a young lady wearing a short dress. This could get interesting.

Maybe you should have worn an outfit suited for trekking through untamed wilderness.

Really, how are these two behaving ANY differently than Quill and Luann would behave in the exact same situation? She displays unbelievable immaturity and foolishness, he is sarcastic at her…ugh, kinda dull so far!

Agreed. Gunther is doing well, and NOT allowing the “dainty débutant” to manipulate him into treating her with anything less than total, REAL, respect. The kind of respect for an equal individual, who has every capability she needs for this “wilderness trek”. Tiff dressed this way. She is not stupid. She must be well prepared for handling the woods, right? And if it’s something (or someONE) else she is trying to “handle”, who says he has to accommodate and play along, just to be a good person? Tiff is with someone who values her, as a person, SO MUCH, he’s not going to treat her as weaker or inferior in their task. And he is NOT going to let her fall back on her good looks, ignoring all of the other gifts she has, but which have nearly totally been submerged beneath what she was raised to believe her only real value is – she’s purty.:-P

Aww, how cute!Gunther’s first date with Tiffany!!

I’m with you on this… Concur.

Is this supposed to be the Luann version of the Bogart-Hepburn movie “African Queen”?

What BS. He had no control over and no responsibility for what she drove or wore. She’s no idiot. She knew exactly what she was doing. And he is not being ugly with her. Why would she need help across a stream she can easily step across? She didn’t. And yet, she demanded help. His comment wasn’t even all that snarky. She’s trying to manipulate him (because that’s all she knows how to do), and he’s saying no.

Geez, Gunther, what are you trying to accomplish? Look back over your shoulder, man, and stop snarking: it’s not your style.

“Gunther! HELP Me Across!”

SEE, G-Man? It Starts.

“Gunther! Pick Me Up and Carry Me So I DON’T Have to TEAR My Dress!”“Gunther! Catch that Icky Salamander So I DON’T Have to Touch it!”“Gunther! Pick Me Up and Carry Me Back to the Car Because I’m Too TIRED from Whining and Complaining!”“Gunther! Kill and Dissect This Little Lizard Thingy Because its Too CUTE for Me to DO It!”“Gunther! Write Up the Report for Me and Sign My Name to It because I have to Go and Get a Pedicure!”“Gunther! Let Me Show My Gratitude to You for ALL Your HARD Work By Making Mild Semi-Passionate Love to You! But First, Please Detail My Car!”

Oh and WAIT Til the Two of Get Lost in the Woods.….Thanks to “HER”…..,

What suspense! Who’ll break out of the “one-joke” box first?

Easy-access sundress,Gunther.

Gunther and Tiffany are going to hook up at the end of the hike!!!

I’m sorry but Gunther is acting like a classless jerk. Maybe it is because of his missing father that he never learned how to act around ANY lady let alone a friend who just did you a favor. He treats his mother the same way and I think it is disgusting.

To those whiners about Gunther not showing concern about her being not prepared for the trip: Have you already forgotten that Gunther asked on the phone if she had clothing appropriate for the trip just a couple of days ago? Tiffany chose her options. She’s not a little girl anymore.

Dumb Tiffany is SO dumb . . . . . . (how dumb is she?)

It’s not exactly “wilderness”. You can see where the car is parked near a lawn, a fence and a sign. It’s probably a nearby park.

" Now that Gunther has chosen his mom as his one true love, other girls don’t phase him anymore"-Lol. Gunther is unwittingly presenting a challenge, and that is the only way to get Tiffany interested.

I wonder if this journey into the “wilderness” might be something of a wake up for Gunther as well. Recently, he was “shepherded” into the Peruvian “wilderness” by Rosa. Now that he’s doing something similar with Tiff (to an extent), maybe this is when he realizes that some of Rosa rubbed off on him.

We’ll see.

Do you suppose being “helpless” is how Tiffany has snagged most of her beaux? She’s playing the game she knows, and when Gunther finally calls her on it, she will drop the act and reveal her true self to him— and then the sparks will fly!

We could only hope.

I’m sorry, Gunther comes off as kind of a dick in the last panel.

Maybe Gunther can toughen Tiffany up a little. I hope it doesn’t work the other way.

… And in the end, Tiff hangs in there. Accomplishes the mission. Handles a wild salamander. And finds the pride in achievement. (A feeling deprived due to Daddy’s unconditional gifts.)

I agree… the “new” Gunthie is still displaying a lot of rudeness.

RB2…. your Cinco de Mayo party dialogue…. gave me a good laugh and a big grin. Thank you! It was very funny!

Why do they need salamanders? -1) Catch, keep them alive all semester to pass the class?2) Disect them?3) Feed them to some snakes that live in the lab?4) Photograph them, because that’s educational for some reason?

You get a line and I’ll get a pole, Honey,You get a line and I’ll get a pole, Babe.You get a line and I’ll get a pole,We’ll go fishin’ in the salamander hole,Honey, Baby mine."

For Gunther, tromping around in the wilds of the Andes was a good thing; and Tiffany? never count that girl out.

As with the movie/play “Into the Woods”, things change when you go into the woods, maybe that will hold true for Tiffany and Gunther. These characters continually run up to the edge and never take the leap. Maybe this time, frustrated guy, hot girl, dark privacy………..go for it kids.

“..he’s not babying Tiff which is exactly what she expects all the time….”^In one sense, that’s true. But don’t forget what she said, yesterday… -

– She wishes she had someone who would stop to show they care. Her father provides/provided for her, but never showed care. Tiffany seems to try to make up for that attention, by “artificial” means (i.e., the “air of superiority”, her pursuit of accolades like “Miss COC”, seeking a career as an actress, etc.). It even shows up in her jealousy of Luann, and her stable family life, among other things. – Furthermore, Tiffany is great at taking on tasks like organizing a large social event and is a tough girl socially (especially with all of the unseen “scabs” she uses to protect her), but she knows when she’s in over her head. This was a subtle indication of her “vulnerability”… -Plus, a girl will respect a guy who acknowledges her strength and independence, yet will stop to show care and compassion along the way. This is the characteristic of not only “dating material”, but husband material….

Tiff, learn to dress for the occasion. Okay?

Gunther – Looks like high maintenance to me.

I’ll bet that Tiff pictured their little adventure with the two of them sitting in the grass at the side of a lake.

What a ditz. She still doesn’t get it. I wonder how the Tiff fan feels about her stupidity today?

Dave53…. I am lost… who is “fathergod”?

Man, I have not thought of Jethro Tull music in a long time. Dave53, thank you, I may have to try to dig some of the groups work up to listen to today.

We need to give Gunther the benefit of a doubt here. The “swing of the pendulum” makes it necessary to swing too far the other way before he finds a balance. This arc of the swing is new to him.

(“Lady and the Tromp”:)^I can “dig” it! – Or even “Leggy And The Tromp”, since she is realizing now that you don’t dress so “delicately” for a “Bio-trip”, ha ha!! – Or “Lady And The Trump”, if you look at her as though it’s an episode of “Celebrity Apprentice”, Lol!

Please show me where clothes are mentioned in this exchange. Gunther did not ask if she was ready with special clothes..he asked if she was ready to head over there.^Heh, heh- I guess this is one thing we aren’t “butting heads” on, here!

“…illustrating how Tiffany is sort of the “anti-Rosa”.^’It could be “multi-purposed”, including this !

Oh come on Gunther. Tiff reminds me of beautiful wife, when we married on April 3, 1971. She was the beautiful bubble head, cheerleader, queen of the prom, the girl everyone, but me wanted to date. We graduated June 6, 1970 and I figured that I would never need to lay eyes on the self-centered, little b again. Then in the summer of 1970, I worked at Columbiana Seed Company detosling. It was hot, sweaty work and no one as beautiful as my wife would have worked there. Her dad was very high middle class, a doctor, while my dad was a disabled vet from WWII and we lived on a very small disability check because he was crippled from the war and couldn’t work. I found out that summer that even though she didn’t need to work, she wanted to make her own way. While working side by side with her, yes protecting her from snakes, spiders, and all the other vermin, I fell deeply in love with her. If I was you Gunther, and I was you, I never and would never have set her back on the ground, after carrying her across the stream of water. Now, after 44 years of marriage, too many grandchildren to count, and our first great grandchild, I wish I was you, carrying my beautiful baby over that deep, 3inches, stream of water. Please Mr. Evans, some how let Gunther find out what an absolutely wonderful mother she will make.

This one is sweet.Gunther’s such a nice fellow.

I didn’t say that she shouldn’t learn to “toughen up”. I am saying that in terms of story development, you can see the background of Tiffany’s struggles (both outward and inward) and it doesn’t negate the fact that (from Gunther’s own words) this is a potential to form a partnership . – You don’t always throw a rookie out there “to the wolves” in their first games, unless they have the “light bulb” turned on, and have developed the skill set to handle it. – Same could be said for any type of work. You don’t give a rookie ad agent the biggest account, until he/she have learned to “cut their teeth” with other projects, first- unless they were exceptional at that sort of thing. – Or with a bike. Some can ride, their first try. But many times, one has to have a gentle guide, at first . – So the same way with Tiffany. You teach her to “toughen up” but you recognize when to let her “keep up”, and when to “gude her gently”. Seeing as this is her first time, she is obviously not as “tough” physically as she is mentally. The best way to make an impression on her , is to let her get the feel of walking on a dirt track by herself, then helping her over some brush or over a creek. And then to again let her walk to work on “catching up”, and then to patiently wait for her….

(“Bungle In The Jungle”) Hilarious!

I wonder if Tiff’s ready for the tick-check afterwards.

ponds are made for skinny dipping …"-———————-You want Tiff skinny dipping with salamanders?

“It’s a nice way to defend Gunther, but I’m not seeing any evidence that Gunther is doing this on purpose to “toughen her up”…” ^I didn’t say that that’s what Gunther had in mind. I said that ideally this would be the way to “toughen her up” and at the same time to “recognize when to guide her gently”….

Yep, anything Luann does it great and deserves accolades, Tiffany does the same and she’s slut shamed or put down.

“Skinny dipping at the local park in the middle of the day is a great way to get arrested "*RB – At least G-man isn’t taking pictures of her in her distress in climbing, as opposed to the action of “gentlemanly” Qu, to Lu, prom night.

She is beautiful!! and those high heels make her look even more helpless.Now if she needs help accross the stream he can carry her. she’ll fall in love with the nerd.

No one shows compassion to Tiff. .Well maybe Ox and at times — but that may be passion more than compassion. He is just not bright enough to see her failings.,T. J. seems to understand Tiff more than most — and can even work with her. But he is a star-crossed character as well. He teased her, and rebuffed her flirting, when they first met..Elwood Druit sees value in her, but only value for him to exploit..Crystal may understand Tiff better than most, but does not HELP her in the ways she needs help..Quill found her advances silly at times, repulsive at others. This wounded her. .Knute found her amusing, worthy of being teased. But I see no evidence that he disliked her in the way others did..Aaron and Gunther were attracted to Tiff at times, but it was all fleeting, superficial. .To Luann and her girl friends, Tiff has always seemed a threat. The moments of cooperation were few and short-lived..No one shows compassion to Tiff.

“Ah, Gunther and Tiffany in middle school. How much (?) they’ve changed now that they’re in college (?) One can only wonder how much cartoon characters remember from 2002 since they never age…”^Actually, this was when they got “advanced” in age to HS sophomores (16-17 y.o.)….. – And it’s not too far off for a 19-20 y.o. to remember such a significant event ( unless in the long run it meant nothing to them.. I could see Tiffany not remembering it, though)… can’t directly speak to the “memory factor” of the author/artist, though… – But I was speaking to the fact that overall, Gunther’s experiences with Tiffany have produced a certain “image” in his mind of her, and it wouldn’t be too foreign to see how he could be “remembering” that, now (whether a specific event or just in general)….

Asted…. sorry to be dense, but what does “PUA advice” stand for? I have tried all sorts of words I can think of for the acronym, but cannot figure it out. I presume from context that is not something positive, but I would still am curious to know.

Yes, exactly. Gunther is giving Tiff credit for being a strong, independent woman who can take care of herself, as she undoubtedly believes herself to be.

Thing is, though, Tiff’s wrong on that point.

And as for Gunther, he needs to be needed. But until Tiffany learns for herself that she does need him, until she lets go of her pride, it’s useless for him to try.

Any attempted assistance will either be taken as the worshipful service she deserves, or as an insult.

Gunth is handling this perfectly.

Tiff does have nice legs. HEY GUNTH! PAY ATTENTION!

Sexiest hiking outfit I’ve ever seen. Maybe she should have worn Uggs instead of platforms.

Low T !! Gunthur needs to have hos testosterone level checked. That, or he’s smitten with Quill and would only approach Tiffany to make the Oz boy jealous!!!

I was going to add something to my post, on that, which is why I had deleted it…– But I was going to also add about Toni… if you want to look at it through that, having that relationship with Dirk and always feeling the need to be “the family leaning pillar”could put a lot of pressure on her , and perhaps she too could have felt the way you’re indicating about Tiffany (but is much too grim a subject.and much too “heavy” for this strip, as Mr. Evans has previously stated). Or “Potato Head Brad”, in how he couldn’t get a girlfriend and had not many “real friends”, himself. Sure Tiffany “has it bad”, but she doesn’t own the “rights and patents” on it, either…

Just a reminder that Tiff is hot on the outside and ugly on the inside.

*WHO took in Bernice when she was squeezed out of her own dorm room?

“Didn’t TJ and Ann do that with each other?”^No. They were straight up feuding. In TJ’s words, “a con vs. a con”. They weren’t friends “trading barbs” and then “hugging it out” here and there…

Didn’t TJ and Ann do that with each other?

TJ and Ann never “trusted” each other…. That was pure busting!

_ “there was a post earlier by someone with that moniker I believe ..”_^That is correct! Somewhere near the top, but after the “first 15”….

_If Tiffany’s issues are too “heavy” for this strip, _^You’re twisting what I said. I said “suicide” is a subject too heavy for this strip (per author’s words)….. not “Tiffany’s life”….

Gunther is Tiffany’s best hope. By disregarding her good looks, he is in fact looking beneath the surface. He is not in any way being cruel, except maybe that little dig about the mall, he is simply letting her experience the real world consequences of her actions.

He is, in fact, showing that Tiffany has to deserve his attention and approval, every bit as much as she expects of him.

Tiffany will not be able to respect him, at all, unless he resists her attempts to control him through her sexual displays.

I’ve seen salamanders walking along the sidewalks at my old college back in the day. Most of the sidewalks were lined with trees and bushes so that’s probably why.

Anoles make great pets… just saying…

Oh. Ok, Dave53. I see another comment now that uses that name. I apologize for my ignorance. Thank you for the information.

Good line Gunther – however he should be helping her over each obstacle. It would have been his chance to learn something too – Like A + B = (maybe a small fire?).

@Dave.53: Excellent. I see exactly what you mean.

Maybe he did. But knowing Tiffany, she probably brushed off his advice.^I would expect her to. But if he had been shown warning her, it would have made her more deserving of his subsequent snarkiness.

Cute outfit, Tiff, even if it is the wrong thing to wear for a romp in the woods.

The rest of the outfit might not have been to bad if she put on a decent pair of shoes for walking in the woods.

Unlike others, I am enjoying this side of Gunther, the dry sarcasm. Even though he has described himself as a “follower”, it is clear that when it comes to academics he can be a leader. So this is a field biology lab and Tiffany asked Gunther to be her “study buddy”. So that is what she is getting, i.e. someone who is prepared to do the work. If she dresses inappropriately and wants to use it as a way to put the moves on Gunther that’s her problem. BTW, Gunther did ask her if she was ready but her idea of ready was different. When it comes to academics Tiffany is a fish out of water and the default “follower” relative to Gunther.

Hmmm…. maybe when they get to the pond they will find other classmates there. The directions to the pond (professor’s notes) were no doubt given to all the students.

Awesome artwork!

“she’s just so slutty, apparently.”Soon.Yup.

" . . . . Evans has given her nothing and still acts like she’s the popular girl that has support to fall back on. She doesn’t. She has no one."-—————————————————At times though it is implied that she has the whole football team wrapped up and under her control. And how about the other cheerleaders, they were her group at one time..There are contradictions here.

So why does Tiff flirt then turn away males?*And that negates her act of charity to Bernice and makes her ugly on the inside?

Agreed. If anyone can point to one single instance of an act of “sluttiness” on Tiffany’s part, they are welcome to present their case.

“…She could have at least thanked me for helping her learn to be smarter.”^Ha ha ha! Good anecdote! Good point!

I’ve lost track of how to post a pstrip here.But go to Luann, 3/7/11 to see the contradiction I mentioned.

03/07/11

For Tiff’s dating career go to:http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2011/03/07

Jeez, she really IS an idiot, isn’t she?

well, Tiff has her flaws, but ugly isn’t one of them! she looks very cute.

A pair of sneakers, a picnic, and a blanket would transform this into an awesome day for both of them.