Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for August 07, 2017

By the looks of it, Prudence ain’t buying Ann’s tearful act? Thus why ripping the cheque.

It’s been a long time. Let’s face it, the Luanniverse without Annie Awful is like Gotham without the Joker.

And she didn’t even go to drama camp!

The Luanniverse without Ann Awful is like a fish without a bicycle…

Oh Pru. Ann is perfect candidate to put on the stage – she’s such an actress. She never had any interest in raising Les. She let the foster system take him and his brother Al Gray raise him. You lost the deposit money, but please be it the last time you get hoodwinked by this con artist.

No, Pru! Don’t buy it!

Honestly, I think getting bitten by Annie Aweful is like a right of passage in this comic.

I still say … wait until TJ turns up. Either Ann will exit hastily or TJ will give Pru a crash course in Eiffel 101.

Ann is a goldbrick! And, unfortunately, Pru’s currently swallowing it, hook line and sinker.

If she uses Pru’s sympathy to get into romantic involvement with her, it will be even harder for Pru to disentangle herself.

SUCKER!!

Gunthie in the future muscled up, he is in Alley Oop LOL

I suspect that the real lingerie show will involve Ann trying to relieve Pru of her underwear.

“Crocodile Tears.”

Pru is a very trusting, honest, caring, and upright person. But her naivety is her biggest weakness. We saw that in her dealings with Les, and now with Ann.

Pru was so trusting to Ann at first, loving her lip color and all. But now she is ripping up a check after a ann gets all teary. Is this because she wants to help ann’s relationship with her son by telling her she needs less underwear and more time with her son, or is not buying this act and wants this person out of the fuse?

What authority does Pru have to waive the deposit?

NOOoooOOOOoooOOO! Make her pay double! Tell her to go away! Sigh….train wreck approaching,

Ox will take care of this.

And yet another reason why the DeGroots will eventually have to fire Prudence and hire someone else to run their theater program.

Few days ago I said “Uh oh” and I was right.

This scenario of Ann as Les’’s mother is such an unconvincing contrivance.

Ann and Jonah studied manipulation at the same university.

Agreed! And so is the scenario of Ann being Mr. Gray’s sister. I guess we readers are just supposed to suspend all common sense.

My oldest sibling is twenty years older than my youngest sibling. If Ann had Les when she was 18 or 19, she could be just 36 to 38 years old now. It absolutely baffles me that commenters think it is impossible for her to be Mr. Gray’s sister (not to say she is, but it is clearly not our of the realm of possibility) or Les’ s mother (ditto). Is it as simple as the fact that so many families these days have only a kid or two and both of those close together in time that makes this sort of thing seem impossible? When I was 18, a friend my age was an only child… until his mother unexpectedly became pregnant. There was a 19 year gap between him and his little sister. It could as easily have been even more. I don’t think any suspension of disbelief is required at all. Just throw the disbelief out the window entirely.

I think Leslie and Ann are in this scam together!

Now THIS, Fascinating. All of this Pure, Unbridled, Unrelenting HATE, directed toward Ann Eiffel! It like a Virtual “Lynch Mob” has Formed!

And Observe: Nobody has proffered that maybe, just Maybe, Annie has turned Her life around, like “They” have been “trying” to do with Les. TSK, TSK.

We are witnessing something quite Telling Here.

That while some “Folks” will Happily “Forgive” a “Bad Guy” (Les) those SAME “Folks” will HATE a “Bad Girl” 100 Times WORSE. Interesting!

Oh, Waitperson? More COFFEE, Please! I Wish to Savor the approaching Chaos and Enjoy the running commentary for the next coupla weeks!

Nope, sorry, don’t buy it for one second. Greg and daughter have completely stretched the lengths to which they believe we’ll buy their storylines to the point of snapping.I do not buy that Ann is Les’s mother. If this is a sample of Greg’s daughter’s writing, I’m extremely disappointed.

Boy, Pru is a real idiot. How did she ever survive in New York City?

First she tries to run a theater camp but seems to know nothing about getting people to attend.

Now she’s being completely snowed by Eiffel. She doesn’t seem to have any judgment about people at all. No wonder she’s stuck at a dead end job as a waitress/ barista at the Fuse and still renting a room at the DeGroots instead of living on her own.

And Pru, that’s not YOUR money, that belongs to the DeGroots who own the business. You have no right to rip up that check unless you want to pay the deposit to them yourself.

Such a shame, but people still need to pay for rental.

I wonder what DJ will have to say when he finds out she is back in town. Hopefully at least he, if not Les will keep an eiffel on Anne.

Pru needs some supervision by Frank and Nancy.

Ah, Pru. Never tear up a check. Put it in a drawer and rip it up later, once everything pans out (which it won’t).

An actress who can’t see acting?

This is not Pru’s money but Franks. She is breaking protocol? Perhaps she see’s possibilities with Ann?

Never tear up the check in her face, wait until your alone

Get out the hip waders! Here come the Eiffel showers!

Outside possibility: There WAS supposed to be a lot more attendees at the drama camp, but they didn’t show. Pru was crushed, and expecting a wave of cancellations and requests for refunds. But after hearing the news, Mr. Gray smelled something fishy, did some checking, found Les’ fingerprints all over the camp supposedly tanking and sussed out Les’ plan. He’s now brought Pru up to speed, they’ve been waiting for the last shoe to drop and are now using Pru’s acting skills to con the con artists, perhaps into a heated confession after being called out, with the authorities nearby. Team New Yorker/Mysterious Mr. Grey 1, Team Pester/Ainn’t She Awful 2 to 5 (years for fraud).

One can only hope that TJ comes in and saves the day, warning Pru about Ann. That will be interesting to see them tangle again!

This reminds me of George of the Jungle. WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!

Well, Ann’s off to a good start! and Pru(ne) has being had!wait until the rest of the gang see that! they will be so mad!

TJ, we need you QUICK!

I’m beginning to see from whom Les got his “con” gene

Never, ever tear up the deposit check. Pru shouldn’t have done that.

“Henceforth and heretofore and exseteera and exsettera and so forth or sumtin’ or uvver….

Let this be known as: “The First Or Second Time Or Something That You See Ann’s Tears Day™®©(and Patents Pending)” !"

-Some Guy In A Plaid Suit, With A Hot Dog… And A Toupee!… I Think….

Can’t stand psychopaths.

Sucker!

Yipes, this is the most gullible Pru has been yet, and those are not her earnings to destroy.

I am glad to see that they have a price structure in place, but altering it should require going up the chain of command.

Arrgh!!! It looks like my original comment got eaten again. I hate that because if I do post before I go to bed, I might get more replies, and I like to get replies. Anyway, let me see if I can remember the gist of what I wrote. From the face of it, it looks like an altruistic good person, Pru, has been thrust in the jaws of a people eater, Ann, who not only might rip her and the Fuse off, but because of her bisexuality might take advantage of Pru’s sexuality. They appear attracted to each other, is the hint. One caveat though, I went through all the Ann Eiffel panels Greg made available and I never actually saw her pull a con. She can be a lot of other things but a fraudster does not appear to be it. She is a sociopath though, and they are very problematic. I happen to believe sociopaths can reform, but its like trying to overcome a heroin or cocaine jones, so we will see. One thing for sure, fasten your seat belts!!

Pipe, if i believed Ann’s tears for a minute i would recommend

Science, 28 July 2017, vol 357, issue 6349, page 369

or

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/357/6349/eaaf9794

to her, but since i do not believe AE I will recommend them to you. Oh, gads. That could be AE I Oh! You. Why? It is on Tryptophan metabolites kynurenines and kynurenic acid, their communication, properties, and roles in mental health, a route by which exercise can reduce depression, inflammation, and more.

I’d never thought I’d feel any sympathy for Les, but having Ann for a mother explains so much.

PIPE, SALLYMARGARET:

In addition to info in my post above:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28751584

SUCKER!!!

If Pru weren’t sucked in, there would be no drama, I guess. The others have been burned or warned by the behavior of Ms. Eyeful. The Evanses have to keep TJ out of the loop for awhile. He loves playing with “Annie”.

Occasionally, Annie tells the truth, as in “I haven’t always been able to support him.” haha.

So when did Prudence go from being a bartender to making booking decisions?

Tearing up check…Good on Pru. Awful Annie’s pity act is so blatant that Pru (Drama Major), picks up on it quick and Knows it a Bad Check!

Annie has been totally rehabilitated. I also have a bridge to sell.

Goddamit, Pru…DON’T show pity! Ann is evil incarnate!! My only solace is that TJ will be back to save the day once he realizes who’s there. This is also the golden moment for Les to shine in his Uncle’s eyes when Ann is revealed to be a scumbag scam artist!

If she hadn’t torn it up, she could have used the check as evidence for theft by check.

I think it’s interesting that Shannon sized Ann up in about two seconds. She didn’t like her at all. That was the famous finger biting arc. Shannon is good at knowing what people are up to.

BIG REQUEST: i am betting that Ann Eiffel once had the family nose but got rhinoplasty. Please, please, please have an early photo of her turn up!

AE will see TJ. She will start crying that TJ cost her the job at Weenie World and then she couldn’t support her son. AE won’t win against TJ. However I hope to keep AE in the loop somehow. I still savor the possibility that Ma Berger will insist that AE join the family dinner. Among the guests, indigestion would be the predominant mode.

This just in: Ancestry.com claims that one of Ann Eiffel’s ancestors was actually the (great?) P.T. Barnum!!!

. [For some reason, I am wanting candy now … but what kind?? Hmmm … something sweet … on perhaps a stick or paper rod of some sort, but what, OH, WHAT??!!] ;)

7

Pipe & coffee prognostication time:

The Saturday and Monday turn of events are pretty dramatic! I was camping this weekend so I did not get to comment earlier. But, wow, such a turn of events! It makes me hypothesize and theorize about:

1. At this time, I am falling into the camp that Ann IS NOT really Les’ Mom. She just doesn’t seem, to me, to be a real fit here. Its not her age. But, to me it is her “mannerisms” compared to Les. Ann’s sinister qualities are more devious, whereas Les’s sinister qualities are more thugish. I am feeling it is more likely that Les somehow met Ann, and they both schemed together to put forth this scam.

2. A “Lingerie Party” really doesn’t seem like Ann’s style to me, so this further suggests to me that Les’s backstory about his “Mom’s Lingerie Parties” are a scam… and that Ann is not his real mother, but just a partner in crime.

3. Prudence’s tearing up of the check…. man…. my thoughts about Prudence have done an almost complete 180…. I really had thought she was very theater/business savvy when she first arrived. Now, it appears she is quite gullible, naive, and has perhaps less “real-world” experience than I had imagined. She is still, of course, maintaining her compassion an empathy…. which is a good thing. But, with the failure of the camp, and now how she appears to be going in this “Lingerie Party Scam”….. I am even MORE convinced that she may get fired and may be on her way out of the comic.

Overall… the Les/Ann story are, while extremely interesting, is giving me a lot of creepy vibes…. and has me very concerned for Prudence’s future.

One more thing as I swallow the last of my coffee and before I knock the ashes out of the bowl of my pipe:

So, will Pru just “dismiss” the deposit fee? I cannot think this will be what happens…. I would think that Frank and Nancy (justifiably) would be upset.

or

Will Pru suddenly put $500 of her own money down as the deposit? I am betting this will be what happens. But, where will Pru get this money? Will she have it in savings? Will it be mostly money she obtained when she returned Les’s gift? If the latter, will this be setting the stage for the discovery of Les’s earlier money bilking?

and

Since I still think Ann is NOT Les’s real mom…. if the “Lingerie Party” continues…. will TJ (who knows Ann) figure out the subterfuge first, or will Mr. Gray somehow get involved and discover Les making up this scheme?

Ok, now back to work.

Oh she is good with the waterworks.

A different manipulation:

http://www.gocomics.com/luann-againn

That act got old after the first tear drop

PIPE, yesterday i put in a note about Marian Diamond’s passing. Since there are overlaps w your emphases you might enjoy it.

I never liked Ann Eiffel, remember she was a conniving liar who only got upstaged by TJ’s clandestine recordings of her admitted misdeeds. Pru is not a good businessperson if she exempts the deposit for Ann or for anybody! Also, Ann may have been more interested in Bernice than Zane when her character was first introduced. Now, I’m hoping for a confrontation between Ann and Les to see if Les will do the right thing and send off Ann back under her rock.

Pru’s face shows contempt, but I don’t think that is how this will go. BIG mistake Pru.

“String Theory”

“Fair Bawl, Or Foul?”

“Crocodile Rock” (♬)

“95 1/2 Tears” (♬)

“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (♬)

“Flight Of The Stumblebees” (♬)

“I’m Your Puppet” (♬)

“Annie, Are You Okay?  Are You Okay,  Annie? (♪)

“Smooth Lacrim-inal” (♬)

“Oh, Come On, Susan Lucci!”

“Rock, Paper, Scissors, Tears, Lizard, Spock”

“Cry Me A River, Then Cash Upon The Banks”

“Part Check, Part Germane,  Part Rushing And Part Turkey”

“Top Tier Tears Will Tear A Tare To Pieces”

“No Deposit,  All Return”

“A Rerouting Number”

“Heart Shaped Violin”

or

“Duct Work”

When was it stated or shown that Ann is bisexual? I missed that strip.

Amazing how many stupid women there are in this comic strip? Reminds me of a California beach.

And the con is on (cue ragtime music)

OMG what a sleaze bag… I can’t look..

Panel 4! (not seen):

Ann: “And – and – all my bills on cosmetic surg-(errrrr… RE-hab rehab … physical therapy)! Yeah, that’s it! … And that mean ol’ Snidely Whiplash, threatening to foreclose on my mortgage for my teeny, little house – ALL I have LEFT!! Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo!”

Pru: “Ummm, I already tore up the check, Ann. It’ll be OK! Alright??!”

.

Ann (‘miraculously’ more composed): “OH, phew! Dodged another-errrrrr … bill! Yeah … another bill! Uh-huh…”

I don’t know why I am surprised. I thought Pru, being an actress, could spot someone else putting on an act.

The only thing believable about this contrived premise is that a con woman (Ann Eiffel) might be the sister of a mob fixer (Al Gray). Everything else about using Ann Eiffel for this part in the strip stretches plausibility to the breaking point. Couldn’t Team Evans just have created a new character for the role of Les’s mother?

Apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.

I wonder what scam Les and Ann are running here. If Ann is his “mom” I’ll be shocked!

I thought it would take an actress to spot an actress, especially a bad one. Ann has a history of spending a lot of time on the canvas, maybe I should start looking to Zits and Pearls Before Swine when I need some fresh air.

Ann has definitely not lost her edge.

Like mother, like son. The rotten egg didn’t fall far from the tree.

Pru already flimflammed by the wicked witch!

If you look really closely at the last panel, Pru seems to have a scowl on her face rather than a pitying look.

Maybe she DOES see through Ann’s grift?

(And another thought; surely Les knows his mom runs cons. Is he in on this one to get back at Pru?)

Ugh!

Looks to me like Pru is falling for the phony sob story from Awful Eiffel, the Mother of Satan…err,…Leslie Knox.

There is a lot of untold backstory here. Maybe some of it will be allowed to trickle out, as this Lingerie Party scam unfolds….

Funny, I read it as Pru smelling bulls&*t and tore up the check, like, don’t bother us.

Les will have to keep an eye on his mother; she’s already scammed Pru (and the Fuse) out of $500.

The Lady is an Extortionist ….

Con!

Cry me a river, Ann. Your crocodile tears won’t work this time around.