Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for February 22, 2016

HA!! TAKE THAT BERN!!

So… um… is Pru, like, asexual?

New poll up: What’s the best way to eat crow?

Should Luann get herself to a nunnery?1) 38 votes – No2) 29 votes – Nun of your business3) 24 votes – Other4) 15 votes – YesOther: Why? Because one relationship failed? Seems extreme; depends on the type of nunnery…; No, find somebody who’s not so self-absorbed. And learn not to be, in the proces; We shall have nun of that!; Good lord, no; I wouldn’t wish that on any nunnery!; Not quite a nunnery but maybe Church; revenge sex; She should get herself to a winery; The nuns would be less interested than Quill….; Why? She’s a college kid that broke up with her boyfriend. Happens every day; Nunsense!; Is she planning to marry a priest?; Well, it beats the alternative Ophelia chose!; No, but Bernice should; a sister in the order of Our Lady of the Perpetual Whine; get thee to a nunnery!; No, she needs counseling; She should try Match .com; I don’t think they’d accept her; Everyone in this strip is already a nun (vide Ma DeGroot’s"advice"the other day); Of course not! She is going on with her life and thinks Pru can just have Quill. She no longer cares, but it still may hurt a bit.

I WAS WONDERING! :D

No but honestly, Bern this is what you get for assuming. This not only goes out to you, but everybody else who said Quill was going to leave Luann for Pru. She’s not into guys, she might be a lesbian or asexual or any other sexuality. This also applies to me. We all should feel bad.

-Sigh.

This doesn’t solve Luann’s real problem of needing to decide what to do with her life, instead of letting herself be defined by a boyfriend.

But it will provide lots and lots of talking points for all the posters here who have been insisting that Prudence is a lesbian, or a cross-dresser, or what…

Yes! The new couple in Luannville – Bernice & Pru!!

now I am wondering about the look on luann’s face, when pru said that she is not into guys.

Quill isn’t much of a guy as it is!

You know, having Pru as a confidant now could be the best thing to happen for Luann, since Pru should be an expert on how to live without a boyfriend in her life.

And maybe Bernice will learn a few things about life now as well.

Okay, who saw that coming.

A lot of people called this one lol.

Congratulations to GE for finally bringing that into the strip in the most interesting way. Pru is a woman who has an interesting perspective, one that both Luann and Bernice can learn a lot from. Lesbian females, and gay males have relationship problems just like, and not at all dissimilar to straight couples, but they have a perspective that can be helpful to straight people, as sensitive and aware straight people can for them. Gee whiz we are all humans who need love.

I barely understand Quill’s appeal to straight women, or anyone. He has the blandest face in the world. Bernice sure is presumptuous. I hope she feels like a fool.

My guess here but I think she will say: The Arts may be, even more specific, the Stage is her life, not relationships with guys………….

Why? It should have been obvious, I think many of us might have suspected, but did not think the strip would go “there.” I am glad it did, although where it takes “there” from here remains to be seen. People need to realize, and this is from a straight, married for 41 years guy, that homesexuality is as normal in human populations as heterosexuality. What needs to be normalized is for people to recognize that and deal with in a fair, rational, and loving way.

With the problems Luann’s had with boys all her life…

Darn, they got me.

I’m with @agrythree on this one. This is supposed to be a reconciliation of the issue at hand, which is the breakup. Bernice jumping to conclusions (which is a bad thing, since her career is supposed to be listen first, assist second). Hee-hawing over sexual orientation or mainlining a new character is minor compared to emotional distress.

I agree, and I think that Bernice would be a good companion for Luann in New York. Pru still has things to do in Fuse, although she could definitely be a very wise tour/life guide for these two relatively naive young women.

I called it ages ago :)

I’ll bet that Quill has known Pru’s sexuality for a long time, and if Luann had just asked him… oh well, that’s too simple.

So Luann is going to try it with girls now? :p

So Luann is going to try girls now?

I wonder if Pru IS man?

Ka-BOOM!!

Well that certainly is a plot twist.

Points to Evans for at least implying we have a gay character. No points to Evans for February passing and no mention of Mr Grey and how Ma/Pa DeGroots are going to pay him back.

I KNEW IT! Oh, and the look on Luann’s face in the last panel is priceless!

maybe Pru will sweeten the awful Miss Effiel

and when he came, Bern and Delta had eyes on him until Q said he wanted Lu

I wonder if Luann told Pru how jealous she was of her spending time with Quill.

> @dragonsrevenge> *F*** it Im done.*

> Did today’s stick a fork in you ?

He’ll only be done until the next opportunity to complain.

I just noticed something … continuity error: Pru’s vest reversed colors while Luann and Quill were arguing. When this started back on the 8th it was black stars on a yellow background, now it’s yellow stars on a black background. Perhaps our resident colorist can explain that.

I KNEW IT!

Luann is just her type?

YES! I win the bet!

Pru was never the problem. That she was a lesbian was almost a forgone conclusion – I ‘guessed’ it about three months back or so. It was almost obligatory, given the emphasis the other characters were giving her as ‘the competition, the other woman, gonna steal Qull, etc". Sort of Checkov’s LGBT.

Well, this is a fine how-de-doo….

Evans draws lots of weird looking characters – but Pru’s appearance along with the story set us up for a necessary left turn – a way to refresh the plot. Lots of people thought Gunther was gay – the jury’s still out – but it seemed to me more like autism in his case – or maybe extreme mommy damage. Back to Pru – we still don’t know where that left turn is headed. This should not trigger a renewed relationship with Luann & Quill. The only thing Luann & Quill have in common is that they both love Quill.

In Luann time, it is still February 14! Plenty of time left for Mistah Grey.

The look on Luann’s face in the past panel is priceless!

Except, we’ve seen Quill! numerous times without a shirt on.

I KNEW it!!!!!!!

<———-picking jaw up off the floor. LOL I was gobsmacked by this!

Saw that coming, now Luann is sans Quill and it is all because she thought the lesbian was after “her” man. So she throws him away after all the drama she could muster. It would serve her right if Quill found someone in the theater to be with in a physical way and leave the high school mentality of Lu behind. Quill, is like most guys, he is clueless when it comes to the female species.

I had the feeling that Prudence was going to say that.

“Not that there is anything wrong with that”. Good for Prudence to feel comfortable with who she is.

I laughed out loud. I didn’t see that one coming!

Could it be that the cartoonist attempting to convey the feelings of the character at that particular moment through colors? Similar to the boomerang not being on Luann at the peak of their blowout.

Pretending gay folk don’t exist won’t make them go away, you know.

WOWZERS!!!

We should have at least suspected. After all; theater is her life, too.

Does Quill know? It would have been the perfect way to reassure Luann that his “pal” was not destined to become his girlfriend.

Wow. Some of you really need to step outside and get some fresh air. It’s only a comic strip, people.

BOI-OI-OI-OING…

Knew it.

Mrs Horner wasn’t much into men either. I see a pattern developing.

Many of you here thought this was a possibility but I just didn’t know if this was “acceptable” for a family strip. But kudos to the Evans team! This adds great texture and promise for this comic. Also much better after the breakup than before – as @Implausible says. Finally, Luann gets to think about how much her problems with Quill were due to sexual jealousy.

Please, this strip does not need a this type of influence.

Please hold your breathe.

I knew it!

Quit while you’re ahead Bern.

Nice twist Greg! you shut us all up! yet she’s still a very organized woman.Luann could learn that from her!

I just like the phrase “guy-prize” . . . it says so much

Is there yet another shoe to drop? That hair just isn’t quite believable, either.

I KNEW IT!!!!

So basically all of this has come from Luann’s insecurities about Pru and it turns out that Pru was never a threat. She should have trusted her boyfriend.

I was wrong about Pru being gay, but I hope she is not a transgendered woman. Nothing wrong with that, but I think it would draw too much energy to that character. But, hey, it’s a different world from my youth, so let’s see.

Okay, many good options mentioned so far. Here is another to add to the list. Perhaps rather than “guys” Pru is into mature, older men. Pretty much any of the options mentioned, including that, could create unusual story lines compared to the past of this strip. Time will tell.

… and amidst all the drama one crucial fact gets buried without even being noticed … Luann AND Quill did not break up. Luann exclusively broke up with Quill.

People are still missing that Pru was never the problem between Luann and Quill, despite Luann saying that and Luann being comfy enough with Pru to accept comfort from her. Luann wished Quill would share his time more with her as he did with Pru, but that is very different from thinking that he was cheating. That is saying, “You choose to give plenty of time to your work and work friends but more and more you ignore me.”

Quill might well be ancient history but I am curious which of the following is true:

1) Quill doesn’t know that Pru is gay.2) Quill know but didn’t want to gossip, even though it was affect his relationship with Luann.3) Quill knows but meanly keeps it to himself so Luann will look more foolish to be jealous. (hope that is not so)

Okay, IF Pru is into older men rather than grown boys like Quill, in some parts of the nation designated as “guys”, then that coukd create strange home dynamics unless she already has a boyfriend.

Here is one big stretch of the imagination on that score. Imagine Mr. Gray as Mrs. Berger’s employer rather boyfriend, with her creating a wedding gown for Pru, who he wants to have her own stage periodically.

Alternatively, along the line of providing a stage for Pru, Mr. Gray could be her father and they might have been reunited recently, with the Fuse being a way for Dad to try to make up for lost years.

Y’all should have believed me. The diversity commissariat demanded a gay or bisexual in the strip, so Pru was brought in.

what a delicious plot twist!

Now pick your jaw up off of the floor and get out of here!

Well, that’s one question answered!

Well, well, others commented about this possibility. I did not venture any thoughts on the subject but I never did think she was persuing Quill. I’ve known & gotten along with some. I’ve even flirted with one that was in a lesbian relationship after a bad marriage. She has left that life experience & since remarried.

Puzz writes:

That brings up an interesting point that occurred to me — many are assuming that Pru is gay. But she has not yet said so…she has only said that she’s “not into guys”. That could mean that she is focusing 100 percent on her career.-

There really ARE a pile of different ways this coukd pan out, aren’t there? So far i think about a half dozen possibilities have been mentioned!Career focusLesbianTransexual or transgenderCross dressing straight maleAsexualInto mature menShoot, when i was counting them off on fingers i had another that was mentioned by people but it alludes me now. Anyway, many possibilities!

19th century mentally, much? Sorry to be blunt, but that was just an uncalled for slur on people.

I knew it.

I’m just a sweet transvestite. From Transexual, Transylvania. Let me show you around. Maybe play you a sound. You look like you’re both pretty groovy.

HA!!!!I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT!!!!-Bern, shut up and listen! Let Lu tell you SHE was the one who broke it off.

@Three Steps Over…“Should Luann get herself to a nunnery”? Let us not forget that a nunnery is a brothel.

@Three Steps Over…“Should Luann get herself to a nunnery”? Let us not forget that a nunnery is a brothel.

That’s what I suspected — we didn’t have a gay character in the strip.

For Better or for Worse delt with a gay teenager who grew to be a man in a same sex relationship years ago. This is nothing new for family comic strips. Pru may find another lady to be her partner in life eventually. Luann is probably feeling like a fool. I think Pru will continue to live with the Degroots and be a regular in this strip.

I did not need to know that.

Complete this sentence: The reversible vest is symbolic of her -——.

That’s "dyke"and so what? Doubt she’s into Luann. Bernice, now, maybe. heh heh

I dunno. Look at the way Pru is drawn. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Pru is transgender.

Called it! (Well, it was one of two options, and many people said it first.) (So congrats to everyone who said it first ;) )*Love the expressions on their faces!

Well it looks like Quill was not cheating.

I can safely say this caught me by surprise. Good writing, Greg!

3This was a fairly big letdown for me today. The sexual orientation of Prudence is only mildly interesting. Her “non-traditional” sexual orientation status (not yet specifically revealed so I used “non-traditional” at this point) was a potential, obvious choice for quite a spell as probably about 1/2 of the commenters were already suggesting such repeatedly. While sexual orientation as a topic may be interesting and valuable to discuss, and could be a potentially interesting topic here…. having it be presented as a part of the Luann/Quill “breakup” only has me cringe and suspect even more that Luann and Quill will be getting back together, probably sooner, rather than later.

Pru’s Big Reveal is far more ambiguous than some posters have assumed. though a few have noted the numerous possible meanings her phrase could have. I’ll wait and see, and accept her whatever the actual case may be. She’s an interesting and sympathetic character, no matter what her reason for not being “into guys.”

Excuse me, but do we have a lack of strong characters here? We’ve lost Delta, Crystal, Rosa, and buried Toni. Mr. Gray might be “Mr. Big” with his hidden past and ability to exercise power when needed, but that remains to be seen. Brad is on a short leash. Where is Superman when you need him?

In the last panel it looks like Luann is rethinking that cuddle-session she just had with Pru.

-Here’s a third alternative, sir. It’s up to Luann to do exactly as she said she would and have a life. That means she figures out what career she should follow, just as Quill has figured out his career. And if she also has a good relationship with a man who has room in his life for both a person and a career, good.

Someone who wants their significant other to make room for them in his or her life is not ‘remaining a self-centered teenager that has trouble relating to the world beyond how it affects him or her.’

Similarly, a man or woman who is so intent on developing a career that they can’t set aside time to spend with someone they supposedly care for IS a self-centered person that has trouble relating to the world

Okay, I didn’t see that coming. I thought Pru was into Quill. So she plays for the other side. Based on panel two, Luann was surprised. She didn’t know. Bet that now she realized she was wrong that Quill wanted to spend time with Pru because he was interested in her OR that Quill, like Bernice and herself, doesn’t know Pru is homosexual. Congrats, Greg. You took the path Lynn Johnston took with Lawrence 20 years ago.

This is what i thought from the first sighting of Pru. It was the perfect turnabout. OK, for all you novices…… realize Quill doesn’t know she’s a lezbo and is secretly banking on Pru as a fall back. Just wait til Quill get the lezbo newsflash. Also, given how prevalent homosexuality is in the theater arena, don’t be surprised if Quill ends up with a boy friend after Luann. Just watch. That will be the poetic justice for Luann. gotta love the turnabouts…

I agree with the sentiment that Prudence, and whether or not she and Quill were doing anything untoward, was not the reason for the ending of Luann’s and Quills relationship. The lack of communication and different life goals were the reason.

As for Pru’s ’revelation, I like that it was timed to come after the breakup. I think it will allow Luann and her friends a chance to see that the breakup was not because of another person, but was because the two people involved were no longer compatible.

The whole “a nunnery is a brothel” discussion is a great example of why a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. The use of ‘nunnery’ as a euphemism for a brothel is an archaic, secondary/colloquial use of the term, and that secondary use only encompasses a quite short period of the history of the usage of the term. The term ‘nunnery’ first appears in writing around the 1300s with the meaning of a cloister of nuns (a convent). The first recorded use of it as a euphemism for a brothel is around 1580. The secondary meaning appears to have been current (or at least understood) ‘slang’ for about two hundred years. After the 1700s, the secondary meaning appears to only be found in books referencing its prior colloquial use. During all that time, the primary meaning has stayed the same.

With regard to usage in Hamlet, the euphemistic usage would have been current but secondary to the primary meaning. While Shakespeare scholars mainly agree that the double meaning would have been known to Shakespeare and most of the audience, there is disagreement on how much of the secondary meaning Shakespeare meant to invoke. It is quite unlikely that Hamlet uses the term as solely a reference to a brothel when he is talking to Ophelia (he could have used an unambiguous term); however, it is also unlikely the intent was to only invoke the primary meaning. The double meaning gives a sharper edge to what Hamlet tells Ophelia about chastity and purity not saving her from malicious assaults on her reputation.

I still hope Quill and Luann work it out. And I love the idea of a lesbian character in this strip.

I hope Luann doesn’t go back to Quill, especially after that "You’ll be back!’ line he threw at her as she walked away.-PLEASE don’t let her be that spineless.

I did NOT see that coming. Wow!

Do we HAVE to be informed of the sexual proclivities even of comic characters? Keep it to yourselves!! TMI!

Well there goes my theory that Pru and Piro were dating….unless Piro is in the process of becoming transgendered

I like where this is going! Giggity!

Luann “turned” another one.She’s THAT attractive.Let us hope this superpower never falls in the wrong hands.

Asexual is possible but uncommon.I used to wish I were so I could concentrate on my studies.Alas, Mary Hanks and Donna Sue Brock overrode my academic desires with tight sweaters and plunging…Where was I?Oh yeah, lost in near perfect visual memory.Carry on, troops.

There you have it!

Funny… Bernice said that she wanted to study Psychology because she wanted to be a better counselor than Mrs. Phelps. Bernice felt that she was 100% incompetent.…Right now, I don’t see her doing any better than Mrs. Phelps right now. In fact, I’d say Mrs. Phelps is the person to call to deal with this shocking turn of events.……and the break-up with Quill, as well.

So, does being a lesbian mean being drawn poorly? What is up with Pru’s eyes?!

Well, it HAS happened !Gregg has done it..Some here predicted it.I did not..Now let’s see Luann’s reaction.And Nancy’s.

Saw this trope coming a mile away…

Brdshtt said, @Kymberleigh“I just noticed something … continuity error: Pru’s vest reversed colors while Luann and Quill were arguing. When this started back on the 8th it was black stars on a yellow background, now it’s yellow stars on a black background. Perhaps our resident colorist can explain that.”…It is a vest of many colors.======Don’t sweat..Remember Knute’s changing tee-shirt mottos, and the changing words on the counselor’s desk and the certificates on her wall.

CALLED IT.

I KNEW IT!!! LOL!! And I have a feeling neither did Luann! :-)

JPuzzleWhiz said, about 4 hours ago@Centurion13Pru was never the problem. That she was a lesbian was almost a forgone conclusion…

That brings up an interesting point that occurred to me — many are assuming that Pru is gay. But she has not yet said so…she has only said that she’s “not into guys”. That could mean that she is focusing 100 percent on her career.=====That’s a thought. Could be..I doubt it though, but right now my predictive score is not high.

-I would have sung along except for the second line. Sorry, but feeling that a significant other should spend some time with a person is not a childish feeling. I watched my father and mother struggle with that when I was a very young kid. My mother was left alone with two very young kids for long hours because my father was trying so hard to get his pharmacy business up and running that he practically ran the thing for 24 hours. Back then, families only had one car, so she had to struggle to do grocery shopping on the trolley.

And I’m sure that part of the reason why our Dad died so young was because he also ignored his health problems in order to ‘make a success’ of his business. But he always told her he was doing it ‘for us’.

If Luann knew this weeks ago she would have been spared tons of stress and not broken up with Quill over a relatively minor incident.

Actually I did see that coming

@Sheriff MordecaiGreg reversed the black and white base art. Gotta run with what they supply.==Yes, it was obvious that the colorist could not have made that sort of change..Another question:.Do we know for sure that this is still Feb. 14 – Valentine’s Day?.Or perhaps, how much later that day?.Luann and Pru probably had a long conversation. .Obviously they had talked some, resolved some issues.

why do you think she has her hand and arm around Lu for?

Because women do that when they are comforting each other. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with it.

And by the way, the term “dyke” (correcting your spelling) is generally used to describe more masculine lesbians. Pru is decidedly more femme than butch.

Will Greg make Prudence asexual?(Drawing upon the vast knowledge that he used in describing Peru?)

Wasn’t Luann’s anger with Quill because of her jealously towards Pru? But even if Pru was into guys, Quill does have a right to make friends with girls without his girlfriend getting mad about it.I find that Bernice has been really out of character lately.

It’s been mentioned twice over the last couple of days.

and as I mentioned earlier, incorrectly. A nunnery is a convent. The other use is disrespectful slang.

@Contessa Carrington said,Please, this strip does not need a this type of influence.===Influence? What do you mean? Who or What is the Evil Influence you fear?

me.

Yea, go Greg! Take Luann comic where no Luann has ever gone before! And (I haven’t read the other comments) if the conservative / homophobic subset of your readership kvetches, the heck with them! Carpe Diem, dude!

UH-OH…I KNEW IT. I guess you can’t have LUANN sad forever…start of a whole new perspective on LUANN….now this is getting interesting?..BERNICE ANYBODY???

This is like one of those elections. The exit polls mean nothing. Got to wait for the actual results. The only thing, for sure, is I’ll take chocolate.

The Fortress of Solitude??? I have to admit you know a lot more about these folks than I do. I thought he was at Camp Swampy helping Miss Buxley apply for her Social Security.

Oh boy… Here we go again…

<<< So… um… is Pru, like, asexual? >>>

I doubt it. Pru has her arm around Luann when Bernice charges into the room. Luann might be in for an education.

Whoa! I must be blind, because I sure didn’t see that coming!

@Caldonia“*I barely understand Quill’s appeal to straight women, or anyone. He has the blandest face in the world , , , "*.It may not be his face which attracts them but his passion.One way or another.

I cannot believe that no one has wondered/mentioned that maybe the reason that Pru and Quill gel so well is that they both are gay.

Maybe Quill knew after he went to NY and hasn’t been able to figure out a way to break it to LuAnn.Pru’s ‘gaydar’ went off when they met and so he’s felt comfortable with her since – and has avoided pretty much all contact with LuAnn since coming back.

That’s probably why she was in foster careMany LGBT teens are abandoned on the streets for being gay

TBH I literally made an account to say this. IDK if Greg Evans reads comments on his strip, but like, I’m so happy about this? I’m a lesbian and when Pru was first introduced I was like, “Hmm, she’s gay.” But I mean, when you’re gay you don’t really ever expect characters to be like you, no matter how much you want them to be. So this came totally out of left field and I’m really happy. (Although, yes, she could be asexual. She could be both!)

Calling it now: Relationship with Pru and Dez. Looking back, it kind of makes sense. Pru is Luann’s quirky friend, Dez is Bernice’s, and they were both introduced to the strip in the same enigmatic way.

I never saw that coming. . . .

" or something else has him occupied."

yes, hard to believe, but some of us actually have lives outside this forum! ( what’s that? no dear, I’m not going to be on it all night! I’m coming!!! sheesh!)

Oh, I thought you said you were a “thespian!”

@Schrodinger’s Dog" ( what’s that? no dear, I’m not going to be on it all night! I’m coming!!! sheesh!)"..Where’s the bug you placed in my home?

Hey, before it gets much later tonight i want to thank people for providing me w such a good escape during Pivot’s illness. Today we spent 4 hours on the road (twice back and forth to the vet hospital) and on top of her dysphagia (which requires us to thicken water with baby food, and to make solids slushy) and her kidney disease, she now has heart disease and apparent lymphoma in her liver. So, with conflicting conditions everything will revolve around quality of life for her until she needs a mercy. In absolute years I am the old woman, but with years adjusted for species our baby-old-lady Pivot is the ancient. So, anyway, thanks for daily providing distractions and even sometimes games to revive me when i need that. I send hugs.

My problem, in comic’s “comment” pages, is a profound understanding of the Schrödinger’s cat think snerk….

I know that comics a finished (the box is open and its contents are known) as much as a month (or more) before their publication date and no matter how much energy goes into the project each day, the comments will have no immediate effect on the next day’s strip.

Well, i was going to quote NG but paste did not work. Anyway, it might be regional or even based on how people spoke in certain generations, but when i was young “not into guys” also meant not into immature men, but instead interested in older ones.

Of course, i realize that is only one guess among many and probably not the best guess, but did you notice the positioning, expressions, and body language of Nancy, Frank, and Pru on the holiday card? Anyway, that made me wonder a bit, though that coukd reflect nothing more than Pru wishing for a family like Luann’s and realizing that Frank is easier for her to influence than Nancy.

Being a Theater guy, Quill is probably like most guys in that world with a female BFF rather than a male BFF so Pru is probably his BFF and he probably knows her sexuality and simply never bothered to mention it to anyone.

Ah yes, this used be called the beginning of “experimenting”; allegedly common for girls of a certain age away at college. go for it girls.

Seriously? This is so cliche. Why can’t Prudence just not desire Quill in that way? He’s young, emotionally immature, and professionally less experienced than Prudence, so it’s hard to think she would be interested in him. Besides, he’s was attached, so she probably wouldn’t have even thought of it.

Another week of Luann angst. Please bring back some other characters and storylines.

They are all going to bang

I am guessing this is not the FIRST TIME a gay comic strip character has “come out” in one? Nice play on words thought. I am sure that there is tons o’ screaming in the “bable”-belt states, and Utah too!