Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 22, 2020

I’d like a paella too. (TJ is having an odd scheme enter his head.)

Do I hear a Scam?

Is TJ about to burn down the Feral mansion? Or make with Tiffany? But Paella is a simple dish of meat, vegetables and rice. Each can be prepped separately before being combined in a large skillet. It was a peasant food and peasant did not have kitchens as such, just a fireplace.

Told you so

TJ in the kitchen! And maybe. :^)

It is so good to see Tiffany in a dynamic sans Ms. Awful! The energy in the strip with her in it is much brighter. That being said! I hope there are no problematic TJ schemes floating out there to change that !!! 8^ (

@Mordock – It may not be Les you have to worry about….. ;)

So instead making paella in his house with Toni and Brad, he is going to start cooking in Tiffany’s dad’s house in her big mansion kitchen. If he is willing to travel with food then why not cook at the Fuse? I assume a restaurant kitchen is fairly large. Also, I thought Tiffany’s dad already had a professional chef, Chef Justine, cooking for the mansion. She might not be that happy about T.J. coming to use her kitchen.

So might Tiffany begin to attract TJ while working in her dad’s kitchen?

Tiff throwing a house party.

Tiffany grew up in that house, but its rooms keep mysteriously expanding and morphing, leading her to get lost in it. It’s like Hogwarts in there. TJ desperately wants to see this. He’s a huge Harry Potter fan.

Do I see Cafe McMansion in the future?

Oh snap- are we getting a TJ ARC of all things now? It’s been a long time since we’ve seen HIM doing anything notable in the strip! Heck, how long has it been? Feels like 5-10 years, but I can’t remember when he & Brad redid their place, or he gave Mrs. DeGroot his backstory.

“Nice mansion you had, Tom – too bad about that fire…”

OMG twist I didn’t see. A chef like TJ, that would be heaven. No scam he is past that. But if Bets gets into this who knows what can happen business wise. Hold on this ought to be really wild.

IN THE LATEST SHIPPING NEWS…In spite of years of hope, I’ve just about given up on the good ship Gunthany, and the Leslany never made it close to launch, but now do we have the DeeJayany?Maybe not. DJ is currently in lust for getting lost in the Farrell Mansion kitchen, but that would put him inside the same place Tiffany sleeps now. I suspect there’s way more than one bedroom, so get those dirty thoughts out of your heads RIGHT NOW!I can see Tiffany getting a thing for DJ. He definitely has that bad-boy-but-so-damned-much-fun thang goin’ on, but there’s something I’ve seen that just might have been in there all along. I have read every single Luann strip from the first by now, and I don’t remember him ever attached to or even shipped with any female.And I remember what Greg Evans admitted about how and why he changed his plans for Aaron Hill. Remember Aaron Hill?I can’t be the only Luann fan who suspects DJ qualifies now as a chance to make right in a way something that really should have happened with Aaron Hill.

So the connection between last week and this week was TJ.

Specifically, TJ’s cooking.

Fortunately, TJ isn’t the monster that Ann was.

But let’s hope that this up-and-coming TJ scheme isn’t too disruptive.

“DENTAL PLAN” “LISA NEEDS BRACES”

Hmmm…TJ is cooking up something and it is not food. Exchange rooms? Move into the McMansion and Tiff goes to live with Brad and Toni?? Will we see how she handles SHANNON?

This might be a good time for Greg to come up with a plan where Tiff and TJ get together and make meals for firefighters, then it turns into a scam. A lot of possibilities in a story line like that.

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Also, Tj might end up being the cook at the Farrell mansion, and he is invited to move in, clearing out the house for Brad and Toni to expand the family.

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So many possibilities here!

Nah. Not switch homes. Tom is gonna hire TJ as the new chef since Ann let Chef Justine go. TJ gets to bring home leftovers.

Paella takes a lot of prep? Not the way I make it.

Careful, Tiff, don’t mess up the good vibes you have with your dad again.

Some restaurants have big kitchens, some don’t. I suspect that most are relatively cramped because the larger the kitchen the less available dining area. That said, if TJ doesn’t have enough room at the house to make paella why isn’t he using the larger area at The Fuse to at least prepare the ingredients. But Paella is peasant food. It’s basically whatever meat and vegetables are on hand, stir-fried with rice. And of course lots of seasoning. You prep the ingredients one at a time, stack the bowls out of the way until it’s time to cook, then throw things into a huge skillet and fry. All it takes is a dining room table for the prep area and a very large skillet.

But TJ is scheming something beyond just cooking paella at the Ferrell house. A carry-out restaurant on the side, maybe? And given his record with other diners I fear for the continued existence of Casa Feral.

With Justine in the kitchen and TJ coming to use it, conflict maybe, followed up by a connection between the two?

Oo, the “matchmakers” are in FULL swimg here today!

First a history. Tiffany was “attracted” to Old Smiley back in High School. However, Smiley stood her up back then. Later, TJ and Tiffany partnered up in that “meals for fighters scam” which turned out badly, especially for Tiffany. Since then, TJ, has treated Tiffany like a “boss of a slacker of an employee.” So they have a “history.” Just not a “good” one. Tiffany and TJ as a “romantic couple?” Totally illogical on the surface. However, Amnesia has reached pandemic portions within the VAST Luanniverse, so yeah, anything is possible. Silly, but possible.

Now, to the possibility that Smiley will be the new cook at the mansion. Correct Me if I’m wrong, but I thought the old cook was the one servant not fired by Ann? So unless the old cook was recently let go, I don’t see Smiley being the new cook. In fact, I can see the two cooks being at odds with each other in the SAME kitchen, if Tiffany “invites” TJ over to cook. (Unless the current cook is young female and hot)

But:

1) What if the cook IS gone and Smiley is hired as the new live-in cook *Luann1212 suggested? What about his partnership in K2?

2) What are the possibilities of Ox (and other members of the gang) being hired as replacement live-in house and grounds keepers? There’ll for darn sure be a number of new job openings at the Fuse.

3) Why would Smiley need to go to Tiff’s mansion to cook when he could use the K2 spacious kitchen?

Curious. One thing for sure. So far? It looks like college life is gonna be KAPUT for the upcoming semester. ;)

Let’s let the storyline play out. TJ hears big kitchen. Tiff is lonely. We may need a bigger arc for this story. Maybe TJ moves in with Tiff and gives Brad and Toni some space. This just writes itself.

The Fuse has a kitchen.

I think TJ’S heart just skipped a beat

TJ, you slinky little weasel.

Been a long time since TJ’s been the subject of an arc.

Is TJ going to marry Tiffany?

Looks like Greg has given up on trying to make Tiff and Les a “thing” and moved on to the next name on his list.

(Next up, Les notices Bernice and tries to cut in on Jack, who doesn’t even realize he’s being cut in on.)

I actually do not believe that TJ is thinking “scam”, since this seems like a genuine opportunity that would benefit both of them. Tiffany would no longer be alone in the mansion, and TJ would have a (presumably) world-class kitchen where he could indulge his culinary talents.

“I get lost in that kitchen… I get lost in that kitchen… I get lost in that kitchen… I get lost in that kitchen…”

Hmmm??

The magic words for every cook… And once again, the story takes a totally unpredictable direction towards something that only the authors can say. I hope it also involves Les and Dez♡.

This gets awfuller and awfuller.

Oh no, I hope he doesn’t burn down the mansion. Kablooi!

And we are off!

unless there’s a typical Greg left-turn in a few days.

Looks like Tiff’s words have stuck in TJ’s ear! Now all we have to do is wait until they find their way into his brain…

But, which is the happy home?

The possibility of a TJ and Tiffany romance has garnered some interest among commenters. That entered Greg’s thought once; probably before Karen’s more active participation. Starting May 31, 2004, TJ took wallflower Luan to a prom. Six retro characters appear in the June 4, 2004 at-the-prom strip. The arc culminates with TJ “putting a move” on Luann with this strip https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2004/06/05. We never see if he scored a kiss from Luann but his interest in the both Luann and the “glam” Tiffany is manifest. So the jury is out on a TJ-Tiff fling.

By the by, his interest in Toni Daytona Daytona appears in this strip. https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2006/05/12. Somewhat rankling Bwad! This was the era when Toni was still with Dirk.

Whether TJ has romantic designs on “chubby” Tiff is TBD but these strips from the past ought to put to bed the oft expressed opinion that TJ is not interested in girls. Unless Karen has other ideas.

Please to NOT match up Tiff and TJ. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!

Tiffany & TJ as roommates makes good sense, although Brad will loose a good cook. I don’t see TJ & Tiffany becoming romantically involved, but annoying each other plenty.

Dinner party at the mansion …TJ is cooking.

Maybe TJ could run a catering business from the big kitchen and Tiffany could use her business skills to book the events?

Hee Hee I had to look up Paella.

I’m uncomfortable at this moment with all of those country music “kitchen” metaphors…

Oh there’s a subtle plot shift!

Calling it now: this will end in TJ burning down the mansion

Lost in the kitchen sounds like an interesting book and movie

TJ and Tiff may be about to form a catering business.

I don’t think TJ would burn down the Farrell kitchen because there would be no profit for him (unlike insurance money from his food van “accidentally” burning down). I could see him and Tiff join up for a catering service – starting out small, start to get over whelmed, dad comes home, doesn’t like them working out of the house, but sees they are doing well, offers to bankroll them a real building to work out of and they take off on a whole new adventure. As long as TJ keeps from thinking up some way to screw it up with a “get rich quick” scheme, or some other think that he doesn’t think all the way through.

Strange turn of events. I didn’t see this coming.

Will TJ be house mate or staff?

Paella? That’s far too haute cuisine for Toni and Brad who probably think Hellman’s Mayo is high class.

I’m thinking TJ’s catering w/ Tiff and Ox delivering. Until it all goes wrong.

I suddenly have this feeling of impending disaster.

At least three of our favorite restaurants in this old town have very small kitchens and all three create delicious meals and have fairly large menus.

LIGHT BULB!

I fear another fire. Just seems to have a knack for flames and explosions.

It’s not Tiffany’s house. It’s her dad’s. I don’t think daddy would be happy to come home from a trip and find TJ rooming with his daughter, no matter how good his cooking is. Tiffany would get lost in a closet-sized kitchen. Can she even make toast herself?

Uh oh…

Ding! Several problems may be solved soon.

I have never made paella indoors. Who needs an indoors kitchen. We’ve always cooked it outdoors in a pan that requires at least two adults to carry the empty pan.

Will you guys PLEASE stop talking about Tiff’s body size? Jeez, there’s more to Tiff than her dress size.

I saw a cooking show recently where the host was interviewing the chef/owner of a chic restaurant in Paris. It started in the kitchen of their flat where the chef would create a nebulous and they would invite their friends and friends of friends to come and dine and hopefully chip in for the cost of food. the parties got so popular and lucrative that it became the basis for the restaurant.

If this is the sequel to TJ’s food truck, I REALLY hope he doesn’t have the same exit strategy…

Valencia, a town in Spain (been there many times) has a huge paella fest every year. A huge fire is built, and the paella pan is about 12 feet in diameter.

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https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/giant-paella

So it begins…

Greg and Karen – might be finding a way to thank all the firefighters -fighting the blazes that are happening right now. TJ will make a large meal -including paella – at the mansion and invite all the firefighters that work with Brad and Toni. That would be nice.

cue the ominous music

This could turn out really good… or really bad.

Greg actually timed this one well – the 20th was World Paella Day:

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https://worldpaelladay.org/en/home/

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Only 363 days until the next one!

No this won’t be a “scam”.

Oxford, don’t say it!

NOOOO! Not another TJ-centric arc! He is one of the three characters here I dislike intensely (the other two are Annie Awful and Shannon the Undisciplined)!

Tiffany, do not let him into your kitchen; he’ll destroy it and you, too!

YJ is about to propose opening a New Restaurant in Tiff’s Mansion.

R.I.P. Tommy DeVito, a founding member of The Four Seasons.

COVID takes another.

I see free delicious meals for Tiffamy.