Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for December 24, 2016

what a smooth operator you are, Mr. Knox

We did not expect this!

Too gullible, too gullible, too gullible, too gullible…

Happy Christmas Eve to everyone here! So do we think Leslie has a thing for Pru or is it all part of some big scheme?

So who’s going to be the first to chime in and point out that Pru is a lesbian today? Oh, wait, I guess it would be me! Have a merry and safe Christmas weekend everybody, especially those of you who are in areas of heavy snow or rain.

For all his flaws and knowing the coming disappointment,

this is sweet.

What will Leslie do when Pru exclaims “The girls will love me in this!”? She hasn’t exactly been closeted about where she stands. Mr Knox’s self-involvement has prevented him from picking up on Pru’s preferences. So Merry Christmas everybody! ;)

I guess step 1 is complete.

Can’t help thinking that there’s more going on here than meets the eye.

What if she gives it to someone who admires it, because it wasn’t that expensive?

“Put it on?”

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Perhaps she is asking him to put it upon himself.

The look of Leslie’s face in the last panel would be one of a contented husband tenderly giving his loving wife a gift. Very sweet.

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For now…

I’m starting to really not like this comic as much as I used too…

I don’t think that Les is smart enough to pull off a big scam.

Dear Prudence

Won’t you come out to play?

Dear Prudence

Wait, you mean you’re gay?

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

It will be interesting to see what happens when Les finds out.

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He may try to con her by telling her that he is a male lesbian and likes women.

What worries me is Leslie’s previous history of violence and stalking. What will happen to Pru when she turns down his advances? has he actually changed? I doubt it given h has taken donations for his own purposes

Big mistake! Someone like Leslie would take acceptance as “leading him on” if she turns down future courtship. This cannot end well!

Okay You’ve “tried it on,” NOW give it back, Pru!

If anybody is still wondering why Les has a thing for Pru, the 7/30 strip should give y’all an idea.

Hmmmmm….. Can’t wait to see where this is going…..

After she finishes here, she has to go to her other job… No-Brows Cassidy, a new Dick Tracy villain!

What does Greg have against women having eyebrows?

3rd. panel: eyes closed, that horribly drawn mop of heavy hair pulled aside, full lips, and poof…Pru looks really attractive. Too bad its wasted on a slime ball like Les.

But wait…I thought Pru was gay!

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And is Shannon still in the back of Brad’s car?

MrGoobinski said,

“What does Greg have against women having eyebrows?”

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What do some women have against it?

Plucking it out?

People that steal things to give as gifts or steal money to buy gifts sre really sick people.

They have zero self esteem, no sense of right and wrong, no conscious; they are totally sociopathic.

The most stolen books during the Christmas season are Bibles. I’ve always assumed they are stolen to be given as gifts.

From yesterday….kauri44 said, about 12 hours ago

@DavidHuieGreen

She didn’t have the relationships with men and women at the same time. She was a serial monogamist.--_NOW, you’re freaking me out, that was WORD FOR WORD, how she described herself “I’m a serial monogamist” If this gal lives in LA, has a first name that starts with “J” and works in an electronics store… well, say “hi” for me! o.0

I thought Les might have some redeaming qualities. But this just proves that he is basically an anti scocial criminal, with no moral compass or social conscience

My crystal ball is rebooting right now. I can’t offer any predictions…

In the debate over whether Les’s motivation is simply that he is sweet on Pru, or whether he has a wild and complex scheme in mind, I’d cite Occam’s Razor. It’s the guiding scientific research principle that the simplest explanation (or the one with the fewest assumptions) is “usually” the correct one.

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“Usually”, of course, does not mean “always”. I think he’s just sweet on her and is ignorant of the facts. I could still be wrong, but I’d be very surprised.

Maybe she’s bi

This was not what I expected to happen. Now very curious about Step Two…

They actually make such a cute couple if we ignore that its Les.

I fear that, given Les’ history of bullying and physical intimidation, things might turn very dark, indeed, once he realises he has been pursuing a lesbian.

He gave a necklace paid for with money most likely stolen from the Fuse or charity contributions it was sponsoring. The look of satisfaction and sweetness on Christmas Eve is ice, but given Les’s story so far it must mask something darker. Lets see how Greg draws this out.

Maybe Pru is a martial artist and will set him straight.

But the money was stolen and it makes the other gifts look extremely out of place. So either its a relationship he is seeking, which is illogical on so many levels, or this is a way to show good feelings or affection for a kind co-worker, as Pru appears to be. That raises a number of other questions, and have we forgotten its Christmas Eve? Sooo.

All of you have a wonderful Christmas Weekend! And Blessings to Greg Evans!

Can a lesbian suddenly gone straight (or bi) save a thieving rapscallion like Leslie Knox? What’s wrong with this picture?

Stay tuned, soap opera fans! Someone is headed for disappointment and maybe worse; it’s inevitable….

I think les really likes pru BUT he does not realize…………….. 1…………… way he got money is wrong………….2….. she would have been as grateful with the “trinkets” the sales lady was leading him to at first than with this “expensive one” that he says it was just slightly over the budget accepted for the gift exchange ………… and now who know how he will react when he realizes both him and pru like ladies ………………………………………………………. would be interesting to know how us readers will feel if we had to “choose” between these 4 choices, Pru ending up with a “reformed” Les, a bad Les ( even if in both cases it means “she changing her orientation” ) , a reformed Miss Eiffel or a bad Miss Eiffel (and Pru staying at the orientation she says she is )

Well Pru told Luann and Bernice that she was "not into guys "and referred to herself as a Lesbian Thespian. Quill knew but it never mattered as they were just friends. I don’t recall Pru ever mentioning to Lu that she had a girlfriend But I can’t remember everything in my old age. I thought she did once, when she was helping Luann plan the trip to NYC, but I am not sure. I just know how awful Leslie was to Rosa, Crystal and even Luann and Tiffany I think when they did not accept his advances… so this should be interesting to see what happens. I don’t Pru’s sexual orientation is known to anyone else but Lu, Bernice and Quill. I don’t think there was any reason that she would have brought it up with her work colleagues and I don’t recall any strips where she either told them or the guys were talking about it.

Let’s hope Pru sees the light and error of her ways and goes straight!

Was that a self satisfied smile or a “step one” smile?

Call me when this arc is over. I’m surprised no one has piped in with a comment about the newlyweds putting out any fires.

Leslie used the money he collected at the Cafe for a supposed charity. When he bought it he almost said I am paying with money I collected but then said saved. He’s a scammer.

I wonder how many more panels before Evans has him garrote her with it.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh boy

Even though she is a lesbian, I still think he will wind up hurting her feelings. He’s the type. Then again they should warn her.

No good can come of this.

Maybe Leslie is a lesbian, too…

An early Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy Hanukah to all my friends. I will be taking mom (age 96) to my brother’s house in Powder Springs, GA, for Christmas.

Leslie needs a beard.

Happy mid-winter solstice, everyone!

Aww,they’re perfect together,except she’s gay and he’s a criminal.So sweet.

I just want to wish everyone Happy Holidays, and to share that these comment threads are vastly entertaining in and of themselves (along with your fun story arcs, Greg!) – the syntaxes, the approaches to thew comic, the character analyses, the witty humor, the graphics (drawing) comments, the varied use of punctuation (no sarcasm!) – I have admiration for this comic but also for the vociferous following it has engendered. Gives me hope for this fledgling cartoonist I know, yours truly. Namaste, & Tally Ho!

This will be his undoing.

He’s not the type to take rejection well. I hope he doesn’t do something stupid, like burn down The Fuse when he finds out about her true interests.

Why do I keep getting this feeling Leslie is a transgender?

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah to all…and Happy Festivus to the rest of us.

Paid for with money he skimmed from one of the events

Can’t help but think he’s setting her up to take the fall for his stealing money.

“Seasonable Greetments”, as Walt Kelly used to say, to one and all.

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We know Pru has told Bernice and Luann that she’s gay. I think it’s highly likely that she has told Frank and Nancy, mainly because she wouldn’t want them to find out from someone else and wonder why she didn’t tell them herself. She’s living in their home, with their daughter, after all, and presumably sharing a bathroom.

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Beyond that, I’ve no idea who else in the strip might know, but just because we, the audience, know something, doesn’t prove the characters all know.

Everyone is too hung up on sexual orientation. Pru is genuinely a good person who accepted the gift despite being over the top. She is not judging Les. She apparently doesn’t see this as any kind of romantic invitation, and would be able to handle that easily, in any case. Unlike some, I really liked today’s strip. Evanses keep surprising us!

Pru is a lesbian but she’s still a woman. Why shouldn’t she like nice jewelry? Of course, Les is going to be in for a shock, and considering his personality, it will not be pretty. Even if she were straight, she’s too good for him.

Either that or he will lash out in anger and accuse her of “leading him on.” That’s more typical for someone like him.

I still want to know where he ‘stole’ the money…err appropriated it….

Isn’t Pru a lesbian? He’s barking up the wrong tree.

Aw, he really does like her! They would make a nice couple if she was hetero and he was a decent person. Maybe Pru will bring out the good in him?

Snake in the grass…

I’m still recovering from the wedding. This is a nice change of pace.

Pru is not leading anyone on. They 4 of them agreed to a gift exchange.

Future prediction: Les hears a “date” is coming to the Kafe’ to meet up with Prudence, and he’s all agitated beforehand, possibly intending to confront the person. Then it turns out to be another girl. He’s stunned as they leave together. Ox says to Les, “What? You didn’t know Pru likes girls?”.

I think Les is framing Pru for shoplifting so she’ll get fired and he can move up and better cover up his crimes.

I thought Pru was gay

Based on frequent consultations some years ago with Professor Erwin Corey (The World’s Foremost Authority), I have come to the conclusion that Pru is suffering with the human version of “vapor lock”. Her estrogen has been blocked, allowing her progesterone to become dominant and cause an abnormal interest in the same sex. The unexpected gift of such a distinctly female nature, as well as the proximity of a male has, in effect, blown her system clean. It is very likely that this abrupt change will cause her to become a nymphomaniac and will probably hit on Frank when she returns home.

But didn’t Pru say she was…

Pru must understand that Les has a more than friendly interest in her. If not yet, she will soon. Would it be leading him on to not explain that she will not have such an interest in him?

Wow, my comment got list somewhere in the ether.

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Not having time yet to read comments i apologize if someone else has said this. One part is a point i made yesterday.

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I am wondering if Les sees Pru as more of a motherly or big sisterly figure.

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At some point might Les say, “If that necklace does not suit you, you coukd return it and put the money into the children’s theatre program fund.”

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If that happens, will Ox soon wind up with an unexpectedly large tip?

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Yes, i realize these are unlikely. In Luanniverse they might be possible, though.

I couldn’t help noticing how exquisitely today’s strip is drawn (and colored, Sheriff!). Greg really is a master of conveying a lot with a little. That last panel almost makes you forget all the complexities leading up to today’s strip.

As to theories, I think I’m fresh out of them. Just looking forward to seeing how this story ends.

First time I’ve ever see Les smile.

In the absence of IamJayBluE, I offer the following:

“Generous To A Fault(y)”

“A Clasp Act”

“The Put-On Artist”

“Making No Accept-ions”

BAD idea Pru, encouraging a creep like him!

Maybe Les and Pru are long-lost siblings, but only he knows yet. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Before opening today’s strip I had a different prediction. I thought Pru might suggest that the necklace could be sold to make more $ for the kids theatre fund that she and Les would be working on together, thus making Les feel guilty, if that could ever be possible.

Winter solstice – Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice

The winter solstice (or hibernal solstice), also known as midwinter, is an astronomical phenomenon marking the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere this is the December solstice

Still very curious about what’s going to happen next. Like many here, I didn’t expect Pru to accept the necklace, much less ask Les to help her put the necklace on. Curious, and also worried about Pru…

Pru and Les may be kindred spirits in ways that we don’t know. One thing that is clear is that Les is an angry person with no friends. But somehow he feels drawn to Pru and he seems to know her tastes in jewelry.

Oh, no… I can see the storyline going to a very violent, homophobic, misogynistic place. Greg, please be careful.

I think this is a set up. Maybe he’s going to frame her for something she didn’t do to get her fired?

I’m beginning to think JPuzzleWhiz and I are the only ones who understand one another’s senses of humor.

Merry Christmas, guys! I probably won’t be back on for a couple days, so I’ll miss all the Pru action, but hope you have a great day tomorrow!

Schrodinger’s Dog said,

@DavidHuieGreen

“Les’ amoral thievery should not be overlooked out of some misguided attitude that ’everyone’s done it” historically."

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Just so we’re clear that everyone HAS done dishonest things historically — things which we would consider dishonest even though they openly stole them in days gone by back when folks thought “might makes right” and they had the right to take from weaker people — way back in the distant past — and often killed every one of the previous owners or made them slaves if they got tired of killing them or saw a profit in enslaving them (like when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery rather than kill him).

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I’m not overlooking it, just looking beyond it.

Send him to prison, fine by me.

Still, sweet that he has a soft spot for another human being.

Whodathunk he had the capability?

Make Mine Marvel said,

“I’m beginning to think JPuzzleWhiz and I are the only ones who understand one another’s senses of humor.”

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It used to worry me when nobody else got my sense of humor.

It gave me relief to realize I understood theirs, so it meant I had a functional sense of humor.

(even if I hide it well)

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A teacher’s aide told Patsy and me she liked to sit near our son, John Eric Green, in the fifth grade so she could catch his mumbled comments, they would often make her laugh out loud and nobody else understood why she was laughing.

HE understands my sense of humor.

Hmmmm…..why am I skeptical? Maybe Leslie is turning over a new leaf? Maybe Pru is actually bi? It will be interesting to see where this goes. I’m still a little disappointed that we haven’t been treated to some of the honeymoon. Where did Toni and Brad go on their honeymoon anyway?