Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for November 12, 2015

It’s nice that Brad still values that souvenir…

The pen is interesting. It’s one of those things that’d be creepy in many circumstances…but here? Little keepsakes like that can actually be pretty romantic.

I had not realized that Brad was committed enough to collect a dresser full of sports trophies. That actually speaks well of him.

But what did he do to acquire “Toni’s Pen”? That seems kinda creepy to me.

And it bespeaks a level of befuddlement with the girl to suggest ensorcellment.

I don’t like Toni; I think she’s stringing Brad along. He is far more committed to her than the other way round.

You don’t really care, huh, Brad? Oh, good grief.

You do realize you just gave Luann ammo. More things to tease you about.

“Toni’s Pen”, as Brad said, was from their days at paramedic school together, years ago.

As I recall, he gave her a ride home or something and she accidentally left it in his car.

And it’s in a bag. Probably to keep it preserved. Would you like a fancy display case, complete with security equipment to prevent someone from breaking in and stealing this priceless artifact?

How many people would say, “Throw away all my stuff.”? I’d think most anybody would want a last look through…

Neither Brad nor TJ cleaned that room back when they moved in after the kitchen fire at their house?http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2008/07/03That was one of Greg’s storylines, so I guess Karen doesn’t remember.

The sports trophies might be ‘participation’ trophies. I recall a story, I forget who, but a pro athlete said his son doesn’t get to keep or even accept any trophies except ones that say first place.

Not to mention stalker stuff but that’s actually kind of cute!

“A Flash In The Pen”“Close Encounters Of The First Kind”“How I Met Your Mentor”“Future Family Heirlooms”“A Pen In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Store”“Un Stylo Of The Century”“Nom-Skull De Plume”“Pen Intentionary”“Now A Museum….No You Don’t!”“Sowing The Seeds Of Love” (♫)“The Pens Justify The Means”or“Memento Jam”

That box on the bed certainly won’t close with all that crap in it. Probably just using it to take stuff to the trash bins, eh?

Let’s get down to business, to defeat…the fires. You’re a spineless pale pathetic boy, and you haven’t got a clue…but somehow I’ll make a man out of you…

…And then Toni did.

She must’ve had her wardrobe person bring her a fresh outfit, and her hair stylist must’ve dowe a quick swap with some highlights to lighten her hair, from the strip on the day before (the 18th). Maybe because of all the drool from Brad and TJ… – Either that, or Toni was dripping hair ink all over the floor, and no one noticed…–

New poll up: Should Brad toss Toni’s Pen?

Will Prudence Become Luann 2?1) 42 votes – Other.2) 13 votes – Yes, she will turn The Fuse into her own private kingdom.3) 10 votes – Yes, she will become the newest Degroot daugther.4) 8 votes – Yes, she will eventually replace Luann at home and school.Other: The vast majority of responses fell into the “no” category.Plus: She’ll end up as ‘unappealing’; She will mentor and be an inspiration to our girl; She’s a “mom” figure that will charm everyone. Maybe get involved with Mr Gray; She’ll be an anticlimax; None of the above, but she MIGHT marry Mr Grey; If Luann loses Quill, it’ll be to Broadway, not Prudence; Prudence will get a paying offer for her play and decide not to come; Back to Berniece and Piro; No, nobody but Luann can be such drama queen!; A talented, dedicated black girl; No, she is an older woman; No, she will go back to NYC where she belongs; Unicorns; No, she will be a frumpy middle-aged drama teacher with all the best of intentions; Luann will murder Prudence and wear her as a jacket; I think she’ll end up being EXACTLY like Luann. She’ll even look exactly like Luann; Nah, too small for her. She’ll be to Qu what Aaron is to Lu; No, Pru is already a full, complete person; No, she will become Quill; Pru and Luann will become buddies, and the theater / gallery will succeed; No, she’s probably 50, and Luann has nothing to worry about; No. She will disappear into the ether, unless Luann kills her first.

It’s quite fitting that Brad should hold onto a small, meaningful token from his earliest days with Toni—especially since she knows about it already. Old sports trophies may be tossed, but not the pen!

I wonder if Brads porn collection is still in its secret hiding place ?

Clearly the deGroots are not sentimental. One day my Grandmother, who raised me, wanted me to help her go through the stuff she had kept of mine through the years. We open the first box and it was full of school papers. I picked the first paper up and asked “What in God’s name is this?” She replied, “That’s your first A in 1st Grade.” I shrugged my shoulders thinking “OK, whatever.” I picked up the second paper and asked, “And what’s so special about this one?” She answered, “It’s your first E in 1st Grade.” I was like, “No, no, no, that’s going in the trash.” After shoving it into a trash bag, I jokingly asked was this whole box of papers my first A’s and E’s throughout my school years. With the sweetest smile she looked up at me and said, “No this box is just your papers from 1st Grade. The other Grades are in all those other boxes in the closet.” I only made it halfway through 2nd Grade before I lost my mind and couldn’t do anymore!

Around 3AM that morning, I woke up to get some water from the kitchen and discovered her taking all the papers I had thrown in the trash out of the bag and putting them back in their respected boxes. God I loved her but she was crazy that way!

My wife is the same way about collectables, items that hold onto memories. If she does not use it today, it is thrown away. Our apartment is very neat and clean. She has given me a sense of prioritizing items of value and items that need to be discarded.

It’s been years since Brad moved out. How is it possible that the room isn’t Nancy’s gym or Frank’s train room.

Hey Brad?

Have You and Toni Decided Yet, Which of YOU are going to Have to “Give up Their Career” in favor of staying home and child rearing when the 1st tyke comes along? Or in the LIKELIHOOD the Two of You are STUCK Taking Care of “Dear Little Shannon” for the REST of Your Unnatural Lives??

Lemme GIVE You a Hint.

It’s GONNA Be YOU!!!

7While I do find the sentiment about Toni’s pen to be cute and I am glad he wants to save it, I do feel a bit sad about him not wanting to save any of his sports trophies. I would think that his kids would find them interesting someday. It just feels a little sad to me. I would tell Brad to save the trophies… and I am sure there is at least a little nook or cranny in the DeGroots basement where they can be boxed and stored for a while.

At least he has that right. Saving little mementos like that really tug on the old heart strings when played right. Remembers Sergeant Riggs and his gold pen.

After years of being engaged, Brad still cherishes a cast-off pen. It’s as if he’s still not gotten familiar with the woman who owned it.

Nice that he holds stuff like that important to him. Brad’s one of good guys and a keeper.

As I recall, Brad met Toni Datona at a car show. The paramedic gig didn’t until much later.

Hmmm…does anybody else find it strange that Brad has a bunch of sports trophies when he was completely out of shape when he met Toni to start with? And especially when trying out for firefighter? I definitely remember strips where he was exercising to get in shape to qualify.

“and good thing too, as the PEN will play a pivotal role in a future strip, even saving a life!”^Paging Dr. Howser…Dr. Howser, please…. (the situation reminds me of an episode) – Or “Is there a doctor in the house? I mean, anyone besides this kid one?”

I would have thought that he would have taken his stuff with him when he moved out. It’s been a long time since he lived there.

Looking at the old panels that readers have supplied, I, for one, am glad they were able to fix Brad’s deformed skull.

“remember Brad had EMT training”^Yes, true, and I was aware of that, but. I was just joking about the scene in Doogie Howser when he had to use the pen tube (after a “MacGyver-like surgical incision”) to help a victim breathe, when in an “off the clock situation”, and everyone marveled at his work. I was just reminded of it, when you said that about the pen….

>>Now, you still have the remembrances and have freed up some room.<<·Thanks, that’s a great idea!

A whole week devoted to cleaning Brad’s former room, where garbage has been rotting for 15 years.

“Get rid of it all” is an easy cleaning strategy until you look at the individual items. At which point, you may well keep it all.

I used to think of Luann and Brad as being very different, but less so now. They both have that focus on relationships (to the exclusion of all else), and sentimental nature.

A simple, uncomplicated comic. Yet, it will be analyzed until the cows come home.

Correct Airman. It is simple, and real and no further explanation is needed.

“Fortunately, when I talk to customer service agents, I get names, dates, and times. "^One of the biggest things! I find that when one service agent says: "Oh, yeah, we can do this, then you wait and nothing happens, and then you go to call back, and someone else says: “I don’t know who told you that, but we can’t/don’t do that kind of thing” (or something else, but still to the same effect of “Whaaaat? No way!”), it only makes you want to pull your hair out, and sometimes theirs, too….. -“That is why I called in in the first place when I noticed that something HAD to be wrong.”^Wow! And the crazy thing is, you were keeping your own things straight, but you were also doing them a favor!- “What a screwed up mess. We did finally share a laugh over the whole thing.”^Forgot about that…that is the time you do have to laugh over bills, to keep from “reaching up for the straight jacket on the coat rack”….

Ha ha ha!!!

SPOILER ALERT

Why would Brad think that Frank should be worrying about potential problems on the homefront?

Please note:

So they bunked together in Brad’s room. It must have taken a couple months to get the house rebuilt..Would there now still be T.J.‘s garbage there? Nancy never cleaning it up?.Maybe the cheese was T.J.’s . .The Oreo does sound like Brad.