Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for March 13, 2013

Re-thinking putting off Brad,,,,,

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta get home and clean up my niece’s barf.

Well that solves that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3y0zh-3VJg

[uhoh]

He was a creepy, abusive stalker, totally hard to like, but, it’s nice to see he has his life in order

Hmmmmmm…

Toni’s feeling her age. When your former worst enemy is settled down, married and has a child, you feel left behind and stagnant. She’s now having doubts about her not being able to handle Dirk when she had him. Silly girl. Go have a Caesar and look to the future, not to the past. You are better off without him…although I don’t think her future is with Brad. He’s not mature enough yet.

Grace looks much better today & Joy is adorable… I had a feeling it was a girl (Mainly from the sling, covered in flowers)

I think Toni’s totally over Dirk. She loves Brad, but has been afraid to commit . I suspect when she and Dirk started out, he treated her well, then gradually the abuse started. So she’s afraid that Brad might do the same. But now she knows Brad well, and also she’s been leaning lately towards marrying him anyway…and seeing someone she used to date, having a family and being happy, means she may be delaying marriage way too long. She really does want happiness with Brad…and now…she’s REALLY READY. It looks like Life is passing her by, and she doesn’t want to wait any longer.

Toni’s gonna rush home and propose to Brad…

Delightful! So glad Dirk’s got his life together. I always thought he wasn’t a complete waste of meat, because he helped Nancy once without any thought of thanks or reward. “Evil, creepy superhero” she called him then, or something like that. Good summation in a nutshell of Dirk. Great to see him like this now. Love how he met Grace!

She’ll not propose but she’ll offer her hose. (Yahoo.com “Burning Love” spoof on “The Bachelor” that didn’t get the reference.)

After an abusive relationship (either physical or mental), it can take some time to trust again, especially in a close relationship. Been there, learning how to now..

Her biological clock just sprang forward……

Unexpected and delightful. I’d rather see someone happy and fulfilled than in jail.

Hmmm. Looks like Dirk found his place in the world. And yes, I think this is designed to help Toni jump the marriage broomstick with Brad, not to stir up old feelings.

I take things at face value till I see an excellent reason not to. Occam’s Razor triumphs, ya know.

There’s still more to come down about Dirk and his woman. She hasn’t said anything and doesn’t appear to have a full deck

I like Dirk’s wife Grace ! So friendly smiling at a woman her husband’s chatting with. There are totally grumpy wifes and girlfriends who can’t stand any woman her partner lays his eyes on. Respect, Mrs Grace ! Hat down.

But this friendliness in Dirk’s wife is something Dirk doesn’t deserve. To me, Dirk’s behaviour after his anger management treatment looks totally artificial.

I think he is still the abusive beast. It’s just a matter of time Grace will end up in a hospital or a graveyard.

Not necessarily. It IS possible for abusers to recover and stop doing it. Besides…family strip. What sends a better message? Screw up once, and you’re screwed forever, or with time and effort, you can become a better you?

I do not think Dirk is changed,and that he has talked himselfinto this. He is still dangerous, both to Toni and to Brad. Idon’t trust him. I truy hope that he IS really happy. Don’tcount on it

she marries dorky Brad,so thats the big goal in loserville SD^^Are you SURE that you’re 25 yrs old? (Cause you sound like a 12 yr old)

He sure inflicted some damage on Brad. Rememberwhen he was choking Brad? And threatening Brad?And hiding in Brad’s car at night laying for him, etc..thisis no nice guy.

Hey, I know that Dirk was bad but it’s always possible for a young person to realize that the path they were on is a bad one and once they have a family, they realize there is a whole other world out there. I don’t think Dirk was evil, just irresponsible and immature, trying to hold on to Toni by force. He’s moved on and grown into a mature and responsible adult. Dirk and Toni were not good together, but as more mature adults, they have gone their separate ways and built lives for themselves. Toni and Brad will be great together!

Sure, Toni will get hot to marry now,but then Brad will figure out that all along he was #2 behind Dirk and that will stop him in his tracks.

I’m gonna call BS on Dirk. As much as I want to believe he has changed I don’t think he has. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say yes, he could have done a total 180…BUT something’s nagging at me. I will not be surprised to learn he’s doing the same thing to Grace he did to Toni. Guys like him are great at putting on a front.

Hmmm…Looks like Toni’s going to start rethinking her stance on marriage.

Of course, Greg should be careful about how he handles the passage of time. Since Dirk’s last appearance, he’s had time to meet someone, get married, and his wife has had time to have a baby.

One thing that’s missing from the reformed Dirk; he still owes Toni and Brad an apology.

Toni’s biological clock just got set to daylight savings time.

Baloney. Once an abuser, always an abuser.

If this changes Toni’s attitude toward marriage, Brad may have Dirk to thank, who would ever have thought that?

OK, I’m really glad to see that this is Dirk’s wife & daughter (although if she’s really Dirk’s child, where are her shades)??? ;-PPP

Toni, it’s time. Get married to Brad, and start enjoying your life again! I don’t think you could ask for a better S.O., at least in the present Luannvierse.

It pleases me to see that Dirk has found his saving Grace and now has Joy in his life. And I’m glad to see that charming Grace is getting more respect from commentators today than she did yesterday, at least so far.Now, Daytona has to make her hollow claims come true….

Dirk’s grown, dealing with is problems and moved on..This might give Toni the push she needed. .One reason she may have been hesitant to marry Brad was the fear the Dirk would show and and hurt or kill him for marring her. .Just saying.

Bet Toni is pregnant! She had that tired frazzled look in the Monday stip. Probably buying a pregnancy kit from the store.

She doesn’t sound very convinced. Is it because she still harbors feelings for Dirk? Or, is it now she sees what she is missing with Brad? I’m hoping for the latter.

The latter, without question.

Am I the only one who remembers that Brad stole Daytona from Dirk? Yes, he acted like a totally possesive, controlling jerk, but some guys do that when they feel threatend, and Dirk had a right to fell that way.

Now, Daytona is having second thoughts, and it’s too late. Brad is going to pay the price for her regrets.

As I said just a moment ago, this is how some men react when they feel threatend. It’s a mistake, but it’s a common one.

BTW, count on it, Toni is resnting Grace right now. Just when Dirk got his act together, along comes Grace, who never met, let alone had to deal with the Dirk that Toni knew.

Dunno, jerk to weenie with just an anger management class? This is such a left turn. I’m sure it will play into Toni & Brad’s relationship, but it just doesn’t seem to add value to the strip – we’ll see where it goes, but i’m sure a better foil could have been found.

Oh -My-GAW! FIRST Ann Eiffel and NOW Dirk! The VILLAINS in THIS Strip are Dropping like Flies! Who’s LEFT? WHO are we going to LOOK to for CONFLICT in This Strip?? LESS-Lie??? PLEASE.

(Sigh) Oh Well, Let’s TEST to SEE How WELL Dirk’s “Anger Management Classes” are WORKING: Someone Find Brad, Give Him this Orange Claw Hammer and Tell Him to SMASH the D-Man’s Big Toe. Good. NOW let’s WATCH what Happens NEXT…..,

Dirk is still ‘Dirk’. He is still wearing the dark sunglasses. Everything else is ‘window dressing…’

Don’t you hate when the bullies grow up and have happy lives while the people they injured are still suffering from what was repeatedly done to them by the bully in the past.

And Toni’s biological clock just started ticking a WHOLE lot louder!!

At least now Brad has nothing to worry about; unless some new bozo shows up and starts hitting on Toni and sweeps her off her feet! I think it’s time for Brad and Toni to settle down, get married and raise a family! Seriously Greg Evans, characters in comic strips evolve and age. They don’t stay young and the same age year after year! Those kind of comic strips are from the past! Follow the example of “For Better or For Worse” by Lynn Johnson.

“Interesting that in the year 2013, there are still those who will say, out loud here, that Brad ‘stole’ Toni from Dirk, as if she was actual property, as if she had no mind or will to go with or where she wanted. How open-minded, how Neandertal. I don’t think it takes a degree in psychology, either, that the ‘love’ these stone-age mumblers think Toni has residually ‘for’ Dirk is fear.”

..Yeh, what she said.

MikeyJ – Joy is adorable. REALLY? From a cartoon of half a face you get “adorable”? It’s an flesh-colored oval with four tiny lines. You do get that this isn’t real, right?

Thank you for illustrating that Dirk never had hair, he had hat.

gee. I woulda thought a piece-o-trash like him would not be married to the mother of his child.

She is probably mad he didn’t straighten up his act when she was with him. Old loves die hard.

Sunglasses and no apology for the way he was. No, Dirk is still Dirk.

And wearing sunglasses in a grocery store. Am I the only person who thinks that’s a little odd? I know they can be awfully well-lit, but still…

ah dunno about Brad and Grace – their smiles seem pasted on. Unchanging. Sorta phony.

I meant DIRK. DIRK and grace. Oops. Gonna go have my coffee now.

Toni still carries the emotional scars from her relationship with Dirk. This is what has prevented her from being able to commit to Brad. Now she sees Dirk it over the past and has even overcome it, why can’t she?

What IS your hang up on sex? There is nothing wrong with abstinence and waiting until marriage, as that is proper.

Maybe Dirk’s muscles came from a mix of body-building and (mood altering) steroids? Would account for a lot of his bad behavior, no?

Maybe Grace helped him find other ways to keep fit, without the pollutants?

And maybe Dirk has a cataract (as I did at age 24) or two? Used to drive my co-workers nuts because bright light bothered me, so I wore sunglasses a lot.

Whatever. See ya tomorrow.

I think Toni’s reaction is solely based on having to be a provider for her loser brother, thus preventing moving on with her life.

I also believe that Shannon will be adopted by Toni and Brad.

Finally, I do not trust Dirk. Why is he still wearing shades? What is he hiding behind or masking?

Who would have thought that Dirk’s women would be named “Joy” and “Grace”?

Whether she realizes it or not, Dirk has still been controlling her life. She will never be truly free of him until she forgives him. And while she’s at it, she needs to forgive herself for putting up with him for so long.

Here’s you chance, Toni. Let…him…go!

Yeah, it’s the absolute pits that bullies and abusers can change and have good lives easier than the victims can. But victims can heal too. Maybe Toni will want to try professional counseling to help her get over her internalized anger and fear.

I dunno if I’m buying what Dirk’s selling.

1. Lose the baby-apron and you’ve Lex Luthor in shades. ( and a Ninja outfit! )

2. Isn’t that the same cookie-cutter grin TJ always wears? And how much do you trust THAT guy?

3. And most important. His wife hasn’t said a word since Toni showed up; she’s just standing there, with that same grin as her hubby…except to me, it looks more like she’s clenching her teeth.

Like I said, I dunno…it’s just cartoon strip after all. But if this were a REAL couple, I’d see more red flags going up than at a Communist Party rally.

“Grace, grace, wonderful grace. Grace that is greater than all my sin.”

Toni looks like she aged about ten years.

Grace looks like Ed from Cowboy Bebop.

so, did he really have cancer?

Nothing wrong with the sunglasses. I have a friend who wears his sunglasses inside and out-especially if the light is bright indoors. His eyes are super sensitive to light. Maybe Dirk has a similar condition or just had eye surgery. Or it could just be a habit he’s had forever.

tick tock…your biological clock is ticking

these comments are better than sleeping pills. I should read these at night. I read this and I’m read for a nap.ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz

Still think Grace looks like a tweaker.

Are you saying that anyone who PRESUMES (you emphasis, not mine) that two normal, healthy adults who love each other might be living chaste lives is “absurd”?

I only WISH real life anger management was that easy. Most abusive men take between 7 to 10 years to get the anger under control (if it is simply only anger and there isn’t something else on top of it, using drugs or alcohol or mental illness). But this is the comics! Good for him!

Toni will dump Brad for another bad boy. Somewhere along the line, we’ll be told that Dirk’s wife is an abused spouse.

Talk about an absurd reply. It is actually more healthier for the body, mind and soul not to engage in pre- marital sex.

Tomorrow! Cut to the mall. Toni and brad walking by a jewelry store. Toni say to Brad, “Why don’t we go inhere and look at engagement rings”? Cut to Brads face shock, awe. Next panel, Brad with a big shit eating grin…

This is how Greg Evans is clever. We really don’t know if Brad and Toni “did it.”. And Everybody – Everybody – wonders…

After “Anger Management” we are seeing more requests for “conflict.”. How about: AE finds out TJ’s trust fund has $10,000,000. And we would need at least one more hint that TJ was attracted to AE. Oh – This could turn into “Spy vs Spy.”.

But the consequences for the body can be devastating, beyond the short term gratification.

wow, didn’t see that coming.

Tune in tomorrow when Grace speaks and says “I play the bagpipes” and Toni says: “Why, that’s amazing, Grace.” AH HAHA HAAAAAA!!!

Oh good! I nailed it. :-)

Sure didn’t see THAT coming.

From your point of view. Your point of view is rather unique, Levi.

What do you think the chances are that brad decides that he is not ready?

I can only say that – if we’re taking bets – I’d put my money on Toni & Dirk – assuming that after we all made our bet – we could get the answer. However that doesn’t mean Toni loved Dirk more. Just a different chemistry – more sizzle, followed by more fizzle.

wish Luann were shown she’s the star of the strip right???

You people think wayyy too hard about a comic strip about a teenage girl

I’d actually rather he keep it unclear so we can each keep reading the comic as we prefer it.

I remember a psychology teacher talking about it. As long as the abused victim stays, or keeps coming back, they never really have to deal with the truth about how bad their behavior is. Once they are really, genuinely left alone they realize that they need to really, genuinely change.

Interesting spin Evans has put on this character .. I like it. I think this sets the stage for Toni to commit to Brad, and I think he IS ready for a relationship.

I disagree. Greg Evans’ cartoon faces relay character and carry beaucoup nuances.

Art – I don’t have the ability to pull up all the past arcs in Luann. I used to see it in the newspaper. When it disappeared it took me a while to find that it is on the internet. My take on Dirk/Toni/Brad is based on my collective memory of what I saw – and the chemistry of the theater in “Luann.” The stated and implied characteristics of the Luann people give you an impression – like someone you know. And you can’t always recall what makes you think what you think. It could be just the way somebody said something… Live theater is all about this – the chemistry of personal relationships.

Regarding keeping us off the street:My wife more than once has doubted the wisdom and safety of corresponding with the numerous Internet nuts (not you, those other nuts). I always justified my folly with the thought that if they were at their computers, they were not out commiting heinous crimes in the real world.

Art, the mother was shown sitting on the commode. Of course, it is a good reading spot…

You can be a manly dork. Don’t be hypersensitive, it’s unmanly. We all love Bwad, even Shannon loves him.

I dunno. I wonder if Dirk is just pulling off a big scam.