Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for November 13, 2019

remind me: why did Prof. Zebo choose Luann to be his aide?

Slowly we begin to realize that this is no longer a course in art, but a course in ethics. We also begin to realize why Zebo needed a new assistant.

I guess beauty…and contempt…are in the eye of the beholder

Is there only “A+” and “F” in Zebo’s binary world?

Luann, I’d resign as Zebo’s aide before his convoluted thinking lands you in a straitjacket!

So I thought Zebo was toying with Luann. More to the point – G & K are toying with US.

And the Wild Wizzard ride is on. Will it stay an A+, or will it whip back and forth for another week or two?

.

Only The Shadow knows…

Whatever the grade is, I’m bored with this arc and wish they you move on.

So… Intent trumps artistic accomplishment in Prof. Zebo’s grading methodology???

Luann as a T.A. was a bad idea.

So Zebo is making Luann think! He’ll get thrown out for that.

To me there are two seperate lessons The “what is art”And the lesson about technique – which Tara failed

Ga Zebo is demonstrating to Luann that she needs to be careful about making snap judgments, especially when she doesn’t understand the criteria upon which the assignments are being evaluated. Ah, Grasshopper…you have much to learn before you leave… ;-)

Zebo will beat some artistic sensibility into Luann if it takes all semester!

Oh just compromise and give her a C.

He’s a smart man. It’s a teaching opportunity for his T.A.

As if Tara’s head isn’t inflated enough and as if her sick buddy didn’t need any encouragement…..; part of being any kind of artist is dealing with critics….something sorely lacking here.

Once you overlook mocking and disrespect, you realize Tara is brilliant. She’s a revolutionary.

He seems awfully wishy-washy for a teacher.

Perspective.

Now Zebo’s acting a tad deranged.

Love it! A play on the intricacies of critiquing art. The actors/actresses being Luann, Zebo, and Tara, with Nils as a minor supporting actor. It also has the feel of a comedy routine like Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?”

Zebo has less ego than expected.

Zebo’s doing a good job instructing Luann on complexity. Why he’s doing it we don’t fully know but what we do know is he’s the only person currently instructing her (that we’re directly aware of). Hopefully G&K show us more about what Zebo is instructing Luann about by Friday.

‘Zebo’ is Lithuanian for ‘obnoxious’. Nah, I made that up, but I wish it were true.

This is brilliant on the part of Zebo, a teacher has to have a grading standard, whether the subject is art, physics, business, history, whatever. I don’t mean just categorical rules, like you get a given number right, or you write a given number of words, you get a given grade, but a basis for deciding whether the assignment fits the standard, and did the student met it or not? Luann has to pick. Is the friendship thing, or Luann’s standard’s?

This has become a mental torture for Luann. But also a fundamental lesson on how to give grades. It’s confusing & logical at the same time. Wonderful♡ I like Prof Zebo more and more.

This is why a lot of people think that art is BS

Will Zebo give Tara an A+ when she poops on his desk and calls it a sculpture?

Great googly moogly, this has been a bizarre arc!

I don’t really like Luann anymore. She has become petty judgmental, small minded and self absorbed. Just start a new comic called Tara.

Luann is wasting her time arguing with professor “Z-Bats” here.

She might as well be trying to “reason” with Tara’s “artwork.”

She should play along with Professor “chrome dome.” Let Tara have that “A”. In fact, Lu should go to Tara and tell her she got an “A.” And in the straightest, saddest face possible, tell Tara that Zebo liked it so much, he just gave Tara, “HER,” T.A. job. End the conversation with a “Thanks a lot FRIEND!” Then leave without another word.

Then Lu should abdicate the Art Class T.A. Job. When asked “Why,” she should just say, because it’s “Art.”

Besides. The late Salvador Dali made millions of pesos in his life time. I’m fairly certain he NEVER had to put up with THIS crap. ;)

Clearly the grade should be C for incomplete. Tara made a brilliant sculpture not a drawing. To complete the assignment she needs to submit a drawing of her sculpture and that would surely capture the essence of the still life, evoke emotion, and be an A+ drawing. I love this ark G.K.

Notice that Zebo doesn’t care that Tara was mocking him. As long as she did it well.

Nice catch! Hope there wasn’t a flag on play.

Anyone read my comment yesterday – yeah, he’s totally avant-guarde, and of course now he’s giving his (so far as we know) grading criteria.

Oh the humanities…

I think the professor is teaching Luann a valuable lesson here. And, I do recall Luann earning a similar surprise A in his class last year. She wasn’t mocking anything, but simply forgot…in her typical cloud of disorganization. I think she whipped up a picture of Puddles in 2 minutes and got an A.

I’m liking Zeebo more and more. He’s teaching Luann a couple valuable lessons. Don’t be so quick to judge, and art is in the eye of the beholder. Art should always be the one thing that is about feelings. Who is Luann or anyone to tell somebody what is good or bad.

This is hilarious!

when I was a TA in college the professors would have me grade and mark papers and tests in pencil and then they would go over them in ink but once they knew me, they could trust my comments usually the grade given was off by a + or – so i might say ‘b’ and the prof might say B- or B+ but that was in history classes on Russia or Roman that had less wiggle room than l has here on facts.

You can’t beat Zebo Luann, give it up. He is messing with you.

UP YOURS! (When do I get my degree?)

Zebo just rose in my opinion.

This is why “modern art” sucks! It’s defined by the Zéboes of the world. I.e., affected and arbitrary. Some will take offense at this, but [insert appropriate tautology].

Who’s on First?

Long time reader of Louann, I just made an account to comment on today’s strip. I had previously thought of Prof. Zebo as mainly a pompous foil, but I love the direction this is taking. Zebo could have dismissed or ignored Louann’s objection, but he is using it to challenge her to open her mind. I believe that he is less concerned about Tara’s grade than he is with having a discussion with Louann about what constitutes art and how to judge art. In his peculiar way, I think he is offering to be her mentor. I’m looking forward to watching this relationship develop.

The lesson here is art is inspiration, not just copying a certain aspect because the teacher wants it.Tara, rebelled and mocked the idea of a still life EVERYBODY else was painting.That lesson hasn’t sunk in yet with Luann.

I thought it was hard enough grading math, where there is an actual answer.

Like I said, in the world of art, there are no rules.

8

I am finding this arc to be wonderful. It is really being used as a way to the thought processes that need to occur to help a person transition from a yes/no, on/off sort of absolute mindset about life to looking more deeply into meaning…. and for better or worse…. a method of looking at life that has a myriad array of greys.

I think Professor Zebo chose Luann for the TA position not because he wanted someone to do his “busy work”, but instead he chose her because he sees a lot of potential in her. She is still young/naive… and needs to be guided to see bigger picture concepts and to also understand these concepts more deeply. Professor Zebo has given her the opportunity to be mentored by him. This could be the way Greg is steering Luann into a transition to adulthood and goals and aspirations.

If you look at the shape of the “art work” I think she aced the task of capturing the banality of perceived reality of the squash.

I think Zebo is trying to use this as a “teachable moment” to try to get Luann to think a little more deeply that she usually does.

This demonstrates how subjective art i…

Anyone see a syllabus of Art 101? Did Tara follow the Lesson Plan. Oh? There was no lesson plan? Then this chaos all makes (non)sense.

Give Tara the F, for she doesn’t deserve an A+ where other students put in the time and work for there grade.

You’re getting involved in a con game, Luann. Walk away, and find something other than “art teacher” to do.

I’m trying to give him the benefit of a doubt but Zebo really IS an idiot!

Hmm, if we evaluated art based on intention, an entirely different set of artists would be considered great.

Luann is right to want to know what the grade should be based on. I would think it could be a combination of things, e.g. sketching skill, artistic effects in the rendering of the still-life; interpretation and intent could be a third contributing item but not the totality of the grade. But what was the assignment? Was it to sketch the still life or to sketch whatever he/she interpreted the still life to be?

LOVE THIS ARC !

Who cares why he chose her, this is fun to watch! Besides grades are superfluous!

So, Zebo is still jacking Luann around, playing mind games with her. He’s still not being clear about what he expects of the students. If what he really wanted was for them to create a piece that reflects their feelings/intent at the time, he should have said so, instead of laying out a gourd and a bottle and providing paper and easels.

After all, a student who is distracted and depressed over a breakup with a girlfriend/boyfriend could very well turn in a sheet of paper that’s painted black. A+. Another student just isn’t feeling it. Doesn’t care, and is taking the class to satisfy a requirement… turns in a blank piece of paper. Another A+. Why even HAVE a class, an instructor or grading, if the point is for all of the students to “successfully convey their intent” and anything goes?

It’s a good thing that I didn’t jump on the “Zebo is such a great teacher” bandwagon yesterday. I held off, because I suspected that the remainder of this week could just be a bunch of back-and-forth doubletalk and hooey. And it is.

Blast from the past… I was curious about how the Tara/Luann “friendship” developed, so I went back looking. Found this. So, Tara, what happened to being “100% serious about my classes?” https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2017/09/02

And why is everything portrayed in extremes (A+ vs F)? Is it possible that Tara could get a C or C+.? When you factor everything in I think that would be reasonable.

He is educating her sublimely!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREG!

I sit corrected as I thought the Prof would give Luann the ‘F’ for lack of discernment or some other artistic issue.

I like this teacher!!

But mocking was not the assignment. And if asked to continue performing"a+" material.. she is very unlikely to be able to do so.

<<< At least he’s not trying to sleep with her…..I guess? >>>YET!

Luann is a Sweet, Harmless, Well Intention creature moving thru Life, and as most teenagers>>young adult wannabe’s, she is also Benignly Obtuse to many things, but she always seems to have an innate sense of trying to be Kind AND doing the “right thing”. As for the Prof, clearly, he “marches to the beat of a different drum”, and some might say that he was Certifiable? Certainly, Unpredictable. This guy must be a “Joy” to live with? LOL

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Evans_(cartoonist)

BTW, all areas of expertise have their own vocabularies. They allow greater precision when communicating with people who are in the field but sound like babble to others.

I have found myself wondering how much of what Zebo says is real but I just do not know the vocabulary vs. how much really IS babble.

I’m really starting to like him.

Don’t we already have one character — Berniece who says “Ahhhmmmm, I’m tellin” and goes running to authority?

Yo yo

Damn it Greg, I read these comics to have a laugh with my morning whiskey…not think!

Happy Birthday, Greg! And many thank you’s for the diversion you give us every day from the goings on in day to day life. Many more to you.

Poor Lu. She’s more confused than ever.

The lesson here is for Luann and is about more than art.

I’m starting to love this teacher.

I knew an instructor or two like this from architecture school. More than a number of them gave out a lot of BS – But a small few had a method to their ‘madness’…

That said, I’ve also witnessed some students who thought they could quickly create art ‘on the fly’. Most were pompous jerks not worthy – Still, one or two others (who were actually very nice) somehow had the knack, and (usually) COULD do it!!

Still, I’m on the fence about Zebo, and Tara here, respectively… Hope for the best!

Zebo, once known as “Bubbles”, was a synchronized swimmer earlier in his life but failed to qualify for the SEALs, so art became his life.

this is just dumb

Professor Pretentious is clearly trying to assert his “Superiority” to mere Mortals here.

There’s something deep here and I can’t wait to find out what it is.

Zebo is a master sophist, and Luann is no Socrates! We won’t know the grade(s) for sure until the end of the arc….

Zebo is fascinated with Pru and knows that she lives in Luann’s parents’ house. So, let’s use Luann to connect with the theatrical lady and enjoy a little gossip about Broadway.