Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for June 30, 2017

T.J. in next panel: “Oh, hi, Shannon. Shannon?! What are you doing here?!”

More like what didn’t.

Well, Shannon doesn’t appear at all confused and displaced. She’s happy to see Uncle TJ, which means she’s happy where she is – at Aunt Toni and Uncle Brad’s.

And…TJ must be wondering what did he sleep through the night before.

I’m actually amazed now to see TJ without his Signature Permanent Smirk.

maybe his character is growing up.

“Uncle TJ.” We are directed to cast a kind eye on this unusual household. Looks like Jonah will be going on the road – He sure as hell should be squeezing a few bucks to send to Brad & Toni on a regular basis.

A HUGE tiny problem.

You know you are tired and got up too early when:

1.You yawn and your hand heads to your mouth and hits your right eye instead.

2.When you yawn the sound “YAWN” and little bubbles come out of your ear.

3.You actually have 2 hairs out of place.

4.The first thing you do is head to the living room to look at the couch instead of going to the bathroom.

5.You forget to take off your socks before you went to bed.

6.You see your roommate’s right arm is in a position where it has to be broken and you immediately assume that his wife did it.

7.A loud, little girl is able to sneak up you without you noticing.

First Law of Soap Opera:

“Timing is Everything.”

Second Law of Soap Opera:

“What you see isn’t necessarily as it appears at first blush.”

Interesting that the Sheriff colored Brad’s right arm the same color as the pillow in the second frame…

Why is Brad sleeping on the sofa again?

He supposedly has a King-size bed.

http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2007/04/12

They must have done away with that garish blue wallpaper with the horrid designs on it.

Hey Smiley. If you don’t wanna spend the next 20 years or so being an Unpaid "Indentured Baby-Sitter, " then listen up:

Gunther has got room for you at His place AND is willing to let you live there (WAIT for it) RENT-FREE! But ya gotta move Fast BEFORE Greg and Karen get the notion of having Les move in there so He can TORTURE Gunther 24/7.

AND Gunther will PAY You a substantial BONUS if you manage to (A-Hem) “poison” Les at the next Berger Family Dinner.

Speaking of Les, did You Know that Les Knox, Your Employee, was stealing tips and skimming profits off the top? Stealing YOUR Money?? I didn’t think so.

Just make SURE that Old Les is Vomiting and Farting at the next dinner and that Tiffany’s there to Witness it…..

Yep! Big trouble….in a lovable Lil’ ol’ package….all ‘precocious’ and ‘adorable-like’…..

-

The same thing happened in the early 1800s, in some modest tavern in a small, recently defeated (yet serene) countryside, with someone saying the same thing as TJ- at just the same moment that Napoleon happened to walk into the establishment….

Shannon will probably want Tj to make her some waffles or pancakes with pepperoni and M&M’s® on them.

“The Daytona 5:00 A.M.”

“One Flew Into The Crow’s Nest”

“Bigger Than A Bread Box?”

“California Del Surprise”

“You Never Know What Will Come Up With The Sun”

“Dawn, She Brings The Strangest Things”

“Please, Sir! Can I Have Some Morning?”

“Good Day, Sunshine!” (♪)

“Three Feet Of Jump Start”

“Tempest, In A Tee Plot”

“Kickoff, And On”

“The First Pitch, A Curve”

“A Night, Then A Shiny Alarm-er”

“Look What I Found In The Cereal Box”

“A Good Foil For The Couch Bro-tato”

“Arm And Hammer-Lock”

“I Woke Up To Find A Pretzel On The Couch”

or

“Teeter Tots And Scrambled Legs”

Hmmm, I don’t know if that sofa is new or not … maybe replace it WITH a pull out sofa BED. Shannon is going to be happy just because she’s with people she feels SAFE around. T.J. is the cook of the family – and maybe the babysitter now too since both Brad & Toni work during the day. Everything will work out — after all, it’s a comic strip!

Yes,YUGE.

And speak of the devil!

“Uncle TJ”?! Please, give me a break! Uncle has got to go! (And I’m not even an agent of THRUSH.)

But, for the moment, let Shannon torment Uncle TJ so Toni and Brad can get a little sleep in their respective beds/couch….

TWO hughes, TJ! And they’re both in the last panel.

No, not huge, a little small issue, about 2 and a half feet tall named Shannon.

kids do wake up awful early

Any other time, that sofa is huge.

And in the middle of the room.

http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2009/03/26

Why does a kid THAT old need to sleep in bed with an adult???

Lifes bigest hurdles are its smallest obstacles?

This is foreshadowing! TJ is going to be squeezed out of the house. Just wait. Toni’s brother will get a long tour and they’ll get stuck with Shannon. I don’t see them building an addition, and TJ is really a third wheel there. Brad doesn’t need his share of the rent with Toni working.

TJ is going to become Shannon’s nanny as Jonah won’t be returning an Toni and Brad have to work, TJ will come up with a new daycare business idea

Googled hatred of children, and the word (with some contest, but I will not research it further) is MISOPEDIA. So we have a lot of misopediaphobes who comment on this journal. Another of those phobias I don’t understand. But the issue here is layered, not just TJ, or Toni and Brad,or Shannon, or Jonah, but the whole context around them. How are the newly weds going to adjust to having TJ still living at the house? What about how they develop in their relationship. Toni will find reason to anoint Brad eventually, even in Luannverse. And that is a good thing actually. And the whole deal with Shannon and her selfishly absent and abusive (to his sister) dad, Jonah? A practical solution is that TJ will move, but not far away, and Shannon will get his room, as hers. I have a terrible feeling about Jonah though; I agree with at least one other poster that Greg might have a bad end for Jonah. I hope not. I hope Shannon gets taken c/o by Toni and Brad, and Toni’s character does not have to deal with that trauma as well. Maybe he will just begone trying to pursue his career. He is like Kato Kaelin, of O. J. Simpson fame, pursuing a living around the edges of Hollywood and Southern California. Kato is still managing to hang on, and I bet he has a pension plan!! Anyway STOP HATING ON THE KID, JEEZ!!

STOP HATING ON THE KID, JEEZ!! AND TJ. Completely off the wall. I hope those of you who always bitch about Shannon have never had or never will have children because you do not deserve them. and they would certainly not deserve you. Some people with severe issues commenting lately.

I’m a bit hesitant to comment today as things seem to be getting testy, but here goes:

I think some of the expressed hostility towards T.J. and Shannon come from a similar origin – they’re being judged by behavior they once exhibited but have since moved on from. As for me, I don’t dislike Shannon, I just would prefer she not permanently move in with Brad and Toni because I think from a story perspective the arcs with B&T will virtually all center around Shannon, and B&T as parents rather than other aspects of their lives and relationship with each other. The only comic (or tv show, for that matter) I’ve seen where adding a young child didn’t overwhelm other aspects of the adult character who was now a parent is Candorville. (And yes, I understand that early parenthood involves putting a lot of personal things aside for a while. I’m referring to my personal interest in watching Brad and Toni’s developing relationship and lives together from other perspectives.)

As for T.J., while I think his staying in the household after Brad and Toni’s marriage was contrived for humor reasons, it’s not as unusual a situation with young people as Boomers (who seem to be the majority of commentators here) might think. I’ve seen lots of group housing situations among young people that were based on simple economics.

TJ has a special relationship with Shannon and can spell some relief for Toni and Brad. I suspect he will make breakfast and engage with her so that T and B can sleep in. Maybe then, T and B will see that TJ has a role to play besides stinking up the bathroom or throwing towels on the floor.

I will say, I am liking the artwork here espesh in Panel 1 and Panel 3 – different expressions than what we usually see with ‘Mr. Smiley’! Then again, aren’t we ALL just fresh as a daisy, right when we wake up??!! :)

hmmmm. Comment on the comment count: Brad & Toni (with or without TJ), count between 200 to over 300. TJ + Shannon ( and a sleeping Brad, so sidelined), count less than 200. hmmmmm.

For those who are so puzzled by this three person household, consider that every other household on this strip (that we know of) is a blended family of sorts. Pru is living with the DeGroots and Quill is living with the Bergers. I think this is Greg’s way of keeping characters in the plot. They have to have a place to live.

Apart from TJ’s ability to keep Shannon occupied, why isn’t she enrolled in a pre-school so she can interact with other kids her age?

I believe there’a relative who might be helpful in that regard.

Since Shannon loves all of these characters including her dad, why not write this into the storyline: with Jonah’s consent, Brad and Toni become Shannon’s legal guardians. Staying with them is probably the best and she still gets to see her dad. And I dare any judge in tbe United States today to say that two firefighters are not a good choice to raise a child.

Stability is comforting to children