Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for February 23, 2015

Des I presume.

Could be Dez, a Room Advisor, or someone looking for another favor……. – Well, I know one thing’s for sure- it ain’t Luann’s Aunt Huggy Vicky!

“Sunshine In The Rain”“Squeeze Play At Home”“Embracable, You!” (♫)“The Welcome Wagon Station”“And The Rest Caress Is History!”“Why Can’t We Be Friends?…” (♫)“Gimme Shelter!” (♫)“Wide Open Spaces” (♫)“Secured With A Ten Digit Lock”“Comfort Between Two Palms With Limbs”“Surely, You Gesture!”“Hunting For Goodwill”“The Arms Race”or“A Bare Foot Care Bear”

I don’t believe that what you are looking at is incense. I see a line drawing on the wall and three brushes in a vase below that.

I doubt Bernice will report Dez (if that is Dez) for incense or hugs, given that Bernice never reported the pet ferret (not only a violation of dorm rules at virtually every college, but illegal throughout the state of California), nor the mysterious bags that Viper brought over or the stuff Piro asked her to store.

I thought Des would be more hard core. Not some Mother Earth type.

So far the “Bernice’s roommate” story line has been a one-joke thread that rapidly became tedious. Now that she has appeared, let’s hope there is enough to this character to support more interesting developments (unlike Quill, who has no defining characteristics other than being Australian). In any case, this is almost certain to be better than the Gunther-goes-to-Peru-and-comes-back-the-same-as-ever story that kept making claims it failed to support.

And we don’t know if Bernice has seen Dez, if that is who it is, and this is surely not the way a stranger would greet someone she did not know. Lots of stuff happens offstage in cartoons as tie passes. What we do know is that we have left hanging twice with scened involving Luann and then Gunther.

…this is the mysterious Dez. We weren’t sure she existed, but apparently she does.

She looks like Gunther’s mom!

At last – the roommate.

Dez is elusive how we know it’s her?

If you notice carefully in the background you see a peace power poster so she definitely a tree hugger cause unlikely its bernice’s

Bernice met Dez while we were all off at Gunther’s PITY PARTY.

Bernice’s roommate looks like Bloody Mary from South Pacific. Bali Hai is calling.

YASSS!! WE FINALLY GET TO SEE DEZ!!

Dez – The Earth Mama – a Blast from the Past. Gunther would run for his life…

Dez is an earth mother? Definitely not what I was expecting!

We’ll as stupid as Bernice has been this could be anyone. Maybe she’s there to pick up those packages that were left there.

Why are all these comments printed twice?

OH-My-GAW!!!!

Dez IS Miss Cleo!!!!

Wow, Whoopie Goldberg is going to college after quitting “The View”.

Panel one: The Morton Salt Girl, all grown up…

For a second there, I thought Delta had changed entirely.

Personally, I think Quill has a lot of defining characteristics, specifically his desire to help people and his very sympathetic ear. Also, Gunther is just going through what a lot of teenagers just out of high school experience – Emotions running high after a number of rapid life changes.

a barefoot care bear. ha!

That is NOT what I expected. Dez actually seems… like my definition of cool!

Not what I expected of Dez either. Actually, I thought she would never show ( like the face of the Mayor’s secretary in the Power Puff Girls).

Wow, I am happily surprised at the rendition of (presumably) Dez! I like the “Earth Mother/‘Hippie’” vibe she has, she could be a really fun character addition. As far as the incense, not all dorms ban incense…. many do, but in my own region, I know of at least three that do not. So, I tend to think a debate about whether or not it is allowed is a bit of a mute point. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++I think she will be a fun character. I hope that Bernice is able to grow into an even nicer character through her association with Dez. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++I am also rather glad that we have a bit of a break from the Gunther/Gray saga. I am presuming it will be at least a week or perhaps more before we see Gunther and Gray again. Gunther was not particularly likable or interesting the last couple of weeks, so I am glad to have a bit of a vacation from his character.

I thought that was Bernice’s mom, or an aunt.

Bern moved into a Quad, so she might be any of 3 roomies. (Or an RA who breaks into rooms, as so wisely mentioned)

During the strip where she and Luann meet up for dinner, Luann and Bernice focus on just Dez, and do not speak of anyone else living there. I guess the same way that Rosa changed her destination goal from Ecuador to Peru. Part of What Mr. Evans may do from time to time, deciding on a different direction/detail for some characters to better flesh out the story, or if there’s a “gap in time”, perhaps even forgetting the “smallish” details that weren’t “major” points…

My money’s on this being Dez.

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Desdemona is a lady of spirit and intelligence…the most direct and honest speaker in the play. Her speeches are not as lengthy as those of the men, but with Desdemona, every word counts.- CliffsNotes(Also, Delta’s replacement.)

Is this Des?

Uh Oh!

“… while breaking dorm rules by lighting incense….”

So you’ve seen their dorm residents’ guide? Wow, please post a transcript!

Yes, Virginia. There really is a Dez.

Dez? Short for Desire’ ? While it may well be true that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, do do so is a VERY good rule of thumb. And a word of caution: some of those back-to-earth tree-huggers are fundamentalist eco-terrorists. I’m from the Redwood Empire — the interaction between a chainsaw and a metal spike is deadly.

who made you the police of everything?

Thank you, @mycoralee!! I love the strip Get Fuzzy! Your observation that Dez (or, whoever this new person is) “is channeling Chubby Huggs from Get Fuzzy”, is just the antidote to my Monday Morning Funk! Oop! Ha Ha!!!

Ah! Dez, I presume?Is Dez, who appears to be a person of color (maybe Jamaican?) going to replace Delta in the strip’s roster of recurring characters?Do the mask, incense, and bare-footed fashion choices help us to get some idea of who Dez is, even before any lengthy exposition?

So does @mycoralee, @Dave.53! Great minds think alike! I enjoy the comparison!

Definifely Gunther’s long-lost twin sister…

After a semester almost alone, now Bern is going to have to learn to adapt to Mama Cass. The adjustment would have been easier in Sept., before Bern got used to privacy. Grow, Bernice— if Gunther can, you can too.

These last three strips have been breath-taking in their importance! Gunther meets his rival. Luann “does the deed” (whatever it was). Bern gets an impossible roomie.*Levi and all you other Pros, mark these on your calendar as we’ll be referring back to them continually. (ouch)

lucky its just a comic strip and not real life, lol :P

We have found Chubby Huggs’ owner.

I am glad for the break from Gunther’s introduction to Mr. Gray, in one way. I am interested in solving “The Mystery of Dez”. But…Couldn’t there have been at least SOME dialog between Gunther and Mr. Gray?Something???Anything…Sigh…Oh, well… We did see the whites of Gunther’s eyes, which was awesome! Much as I must do when watching old episodes of MST3K- theme song parody -Repeat to yourself, “This is just a strip. I should really just relax, for “Luann”, which I enjoy even though it frustrates meeeeeee"(Bwainnnnng! … Followed by sounds of multiple numbered doors sliding up and opening)I’ll keep coming back, because I am hooked!

I bet Dez is a warm, motherly type (which is why she has so many friends) and Bernice will bond with her and there will be tension between Luann and Bern.

Look…it’s Chubby Hugs from Get Fuzzy

This gave me tears of delight

Yes, “Cerebellum” was the pun (since she was the brains of the “operation”, Lol!) but her first/last name is Sara Bellum, according to IMDb, Wiki, etc…everyone even referred to her as “Miss Bellum”…– Incidentally, there was one episode with a partilal “face reveal”, I believe it was “Power Puff Girls Rule!” Sort of similar to the way they reveal "Wizard Kelly (a play on Magic Johnson) on the “Proud Family” series, with a quick “1 second shot”…

Are we FINALLY going to meet her roommate?

We can assume this is Dez..We need not assume this is the first time she meets Bernice..She may have been there for most of the prior semester. That would seem likely.

Why does anyone assume this is Bernice’s first meeting with Dez?Evans is notorious for having events occur outside the readers view so he only has to synopsis that event rather than illustrate it

" Bernice’s roommate is a middle-aged woman. "

Why not? Not all college students are right out of high school, and older students tend to be bright and highly motivated.

Lots of rules are “more honored in the breach than in the observance.”

rain has forced Dez to surface for air-Even for you, that’s a low blow…

It looks like incense to me, too. If this is Dez, I think she’s going to overwhelm Bernice. Just look at her friends. I’m not a fan of people who want to hug me. Just get out of my space and go hug someone else.

I had figured that we, and Bernice, would never actually get a chance to meet Dez. Only various friends of hers, who would show up and leave pets or mysterious packages with Bernice.-Now we wait to see what this latest development means. If there has been or will be any change in the old high school cast, Bernice meeting Dez may mean a real change,,,

My first thought was “Laurel’s Kitchen”.

that is what I thought, Sun and Viper would have been part of the “Quad” originally

I see Dez as a young lady, perhaps a Junior who has selected to still stay in the dorms. If she is a typical Junior, that would make her 20 or 21 compared to Bernice who is 18 or 19. The others who say she looks “old” are I think exaggerating. I think her demeanor is kind and very “touchy-feely”. This is probably a good thing for Bernice, who seems to be less comfortable with that sort of contact. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Way back when I went to college, I too was very much uncomfortable with hugging or touching others. It was not until I was dating my future wife that I worked hard to become comfortable with being hugged and touched (it took a while during the dating process… she is a “hugger”). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++I am happily surprised at the rendition of Dez! I like the “Earth Mother/‘Hippie’” vibe she has. The incense is an interesting addition, which is ambiguous enough to suggest a variety of meanings…. from the “old school” idea to disguise indulgence in marijuana, to a variety of “new age” ideas.

Could it be that is dressed like a refugee from the sixties because she has actually been enrolled that long? Let’s see, that would make her in her late 60’s. Nope, she looks too old to be in college, but not that old.

most readers take it for granted that we should take it as a fictional town in California since Greg lives in south California and the “Q visited his uncle in Hollywood”, but it has not been specifically indicated

Very true, Night-Gaunt49…. I am Catholic and it has of course been used there for centuries, but its use for various cultural, recreational, ceremonial, or just enjoyment factors is well known.

Hah! Good one.

It’s about time! Now, we’ll get to who Dez is!

if it is voodoo or similar, mask is supposed to be a connector to the wisdom of the past ancestors

They should rename this strip “Peripheral characters who know Luann”…

that is kind of a long drive for Greg, around 2.5 hours

Greg must be reading the National Geographic. Sofia, in Peru, was skinny and sharp featured. This character is soft and huggy. Maybe she’s there on a steel drum scholarship and just came back from an extended field trip to the islands.

P.S. I’d like to trade all my snow and ice for Bernice’s little garden shower.

and I have to say also that for most California people, a 4 hours drive is as routine to them as a 2 hour drive for people in New England region. San Diego to North Hollywood is just 10 minutes more than a drive from NY city to Harrisburg Pennsylvania

"LOL, but it is a lot closer than Philadelphia, Boston, Tampa, or Riverdale… "^Riverdale, Md. and Philadelphia are only 2 hours or so, from me…

What kind of jerk reports their roommate for incense and hugs? If I were Bernice, they’d be welcome. If they’re not welcome, just say so and move on. Sheesh.

Joyful as ever.Is it too late to consider a career in law enforcement for you?

Wow, Dez makes an appearance. I thought she was going to be the Luann-version of Maris or Vera (from “Frasier” and “Cheers”, respectively).

We shouldn’t assume that this is the first time that Bernice has met Dez..It would seem likely that Dez was on campus for most of the prior semester. .And I don’t believe we can actually estimate Dez’s age. Some teenagers can look quite mature, especially the females..However, if she mothered Gunther (like the SENIORitas), he might just lap it up.

“And making her take care of an illegal ferret. And making her hold questionable bags from Viper. And letting some guy keep his stuff there and sleep on the floor, causing her to stay with Tiffany.”

Nobody “made” Bernice do these things. She did them all of her own accord to her own detriment. She could have easily said “no” to all the requests.

I agree that Dez telling people to ask her roommate for favors that she should be fulfilling is not a nice thing to do. But it was completely idiotic and unnecessary for Bernice to comply. Being a pushover is her own fault.

Here in Central Florida, we’re just recovering from hard frost that (fortunately) didn’t kill off the blooms that are next year’s orange crop. Today, it reached the 70’s; by Thursday, we’ll have torrential rains and more cold air.-A steady 70 degree week sounds a bit of all right to me…-And I still think we need to find a way to transport all the excess snow from New England to drought stricken California. Instead of an oil pipeline from Canada, why not a snow canal from east to west through the Great Lakes, or something…

You forgot about “Sunset Boulevard”…. – And in each case, I am not too fond of any of them….

And then comes to a very sad end, indeed. Proving that nothing is very fair in love or war…

But the Greek meaning of the name ‘Desdemona’ has nothing to do with that. It means ‘misery’, ‘unlucky’, or ‘she knows’…

The college problem of young women being forced to do things they don’t want to, is, first of all, not just a ‘college’ problem. It’s happening (and has happened and continues to happen) wherever there are groups of people and one group (usually men) is in charge of the other group (usually women). -So we see a bunch of high school sports coaches charged with ‘inappropriate’ (let’s call it what is actually is, ok? Rape) activity with the minors who trust them.-So we see men who purposely go into religious professions to exploit young girls and boys. And so on.-Now, about someone hugging someone else? NOT on the same level at all. A hug is not something that leaves a deep scar on someone’s psyche or soul.-Trust me on this; I tried to talk a caller to a crisis switchboard out of suicide and she hung up on me. I never knew if she went through with it, and spent days looking through newspapers for stories about dead girls.-And she was not calling to report a hug.

Apparently you were never a young kid who was hugged and slobbered over by distant aunt and uncles who you saw at most once every two years…

AND I don’t think it’s being played as a joke at all. I think this is a part of a process in voudoun religion. If so, it’s meant as a very serious thing.

Religion has been used as an excuse for some to actually beat children, to others, to deny them access to life-saving medication. On that scale, a 28 second hug is just not the same thing at all…

Please!! That’s People’s Republic of California! !

I find it kind of funny how Dez welcomes Bernice back when not once has she ever been seen in the place o-o

Hi, Dez.