Well, let’s see: SURVIVOR was a reality show in which people were marooned on a desert island and had to eat bull scrotums to survive; THE HONEYMOONERS was a classic sitcom about two blue collar husband-wife duos who lived in empty apartments; Queen was one of the biggest rock bands in the 70s, I think that’s Jack Benny at the microphone, but I wouldn’t swear to it. I see the Declaration of Independence, I assume a rock museum, and I think Greg 3:17 is a misprint of John 3:16. No clue what the birthday candles are for. So, is this supposed to be some sort of a Rebus puzzle or something?
Nice try G&K, but you’re not going to “Oooo! Shiny thing!” distract us out of using this group mind to ferret out your plot about Toni having the illicit love child of her pregnancy test stick.
We’ve got your number and it has nothing to do with Jack Benny.
…hold it…
Unless…
Were they able to freeze sperm back in Jack Benny’s day??
Maybe that “Survivor” sign has more than one meaning…
San kyu for 39 years. We are a Survivor…It still feels like our honeymoon ( Jack Benny feeling his face.) We declare LuAnn is the Queen…the Key is our readers rock?…
To think that back in 1985, a lady wrote a letter to the Sacramento Bee saying to please not insult her 85 year old intelligence with Luann. LOL! What’s more, that lady would now be 124, and I hope she is at peace not having to deal with Bernice. Luann survived the next 39 years after 1985, but that 85 year old lady did not. Jack Benny, are you celebrating your birthday again, wherever you are? The Honeymooners has survived as a classic show despite having only a certain number of shows to watch. Now I have an urge to listen to one of Queen’s albums. George Washington was one of a certain number to use a Quill for one important purpose.
I can’t catch all the references in the Mystery Museum, but I love this Sunday page. It’s a very creative way of saying that the strip turns 39 today, really original. I know I can’t have an impartial opinion because “Luann” is my favorite strip, but I really think it’s one of the strips and that has been able to evolve the most over time, always remaining of the highest quality in both story and Art, which has always been beyond excellent. I can only be happy that Greg Evans started it and continues to carry it forward with passion today, helped by his daughter. They are a great creative duo and I know they will always make exciting stories that talk about everyday life and know how to entertain and move. Happy Birthday “Luann”!
Clever riddles. I enjoyed this edition. Not having been reading Luann from the beginning, I would not have realized it’s been around that long. Thumbs up to the commentors/historians for explaining the meanings. Happy Anniversary!
Unfortunately….. SURVIVOR no longer works as part of this puzzle. Since 2020, Survivor has had abbreviated seasons of significantly less than 39 days. Each season has been only 26 days for the last several seasons (since Covid).
Happy 39th anniversary thanks for keeping us entertained for almost 4 decades! Now where’s the title block to today’s strip! An anniversary strip should definitely include that!!!
It means Dearest Ann❤️Eiffel and Your Be❤️ed, Handsome, God Bless America Patriotic❤️Count wish you all a Most Happy St Patrick’s DayThe❤️Count’s Magical Mystery Post for the Grammar Nasties Amongst You (We know who you are…). What does the abbreviation “St” and the last word of the sentence have to do with ❤️Eiffelette Tawny Tattooed❤️Toni predicament and last weeks downer arc? Riddle The❤️Count THAT, if you can. And again, Happy St Patrick’s Day!!
Methinks that there is a rather strong hint of the strip wrapping next year, given what the answer to the riddle is. Toni’s possible motherhood arc would be a rather significant clue. We’ll have to see if various other loose ends start getting tied up, or completely unraveled. Bets & Gun are about due for an audience check-in. A breakup has been hinted at, and I suppose that Gun & Lu together in the final strip would not be in a matrimonial setting (unless there is a “shotgun” aspect to it), if this strip has one calendar year left. If the Evans’ game plan is to get to 45 years, all of my time-honored predictions hold firm.
One positive: If there’s a year remaining, there’s likely not gonna be too many weeks of Lu-Bern bedroom psychiatry.
A side note: The Queen song referenced here, “’39” (the fifth track on their fourth album, A Night at the Opera), is a story song by guitarist/astrophysicist Brian May in which Einstein’s Theory of Relativity plays a key role. Not exactly your typical subject for a rock song.
Thanks for the clues, everyone. The only ones I would have any hint about would be 39 for Jack Benny and the 39 in Roman numerals on the cake. Pretty arcane. I’ve never watched Survivor or the Honeymooners, I thought the guitar was in Cleveland, the stairs looked like a piano to me, and no idea what the Constitution, Queen or Japanese had to do with it.
Now that I’m awake, I just wanted to say that I cheated and went on the website. It was 1AM, nobody guesses riddles at 1AM. When you turn 40, please do something simpler.
Happy 39th anniversary Greg and Karen Evans, I hope this isn’t goodbye. Some of us appreciate the work you put into this strip and look forward to reading it daily. XOXO PS. Nice brain teaser. ✍️(◔◡◔)
Got it, thx to other posters for contributions. All hints relate to 39! San Kyu means 39. Survivor-each season ran 39 days. Honeymooners 39 eps, Jack Benny claimed he was age 39, Steps-movie “39 Steps”, SF’s Pier 39 rock cafe, Queen song “39”, cake roman # for 39, Constitution- 39 signers
Happy Birthday Luann. I can’t believe it’s been 39 years. Congratulations Greg, and now Karen. I can’t wait to see what is in store for the 40 anniversary next year on St. Patrick’s Day
“Happy LUANN-iversary! Today (March 17th) we are celebrating 39 years of LUANN. That’s 14, 245 daily comics! It was a coincidence the strip debuted on St. Patrick’s Day back in 1985 but every year we feel incredibility lucky to do this for a living. Thank you to each and every one of you, whether you have been a fan since day one or have found us recently. We have the BEST fans! "
Happy 39th Anniversary to LUANN, Everything on the wall has to do with the #39, Thank you Greg for giving the fans of LUANNUNVIRSE such a great comic. Luann and her family and friends lover the years have made laugh and sometimes cry. Congrats once again Greg.
My guess is this is Greg’s 39th anniversary. But I have to go look it up…oh, it’s LUANN’s anniversary. She looks pretty good for 39, but you’d think she would have graduated from community college by now!
Namrepus 11 months ago
I’ll tell you what it means, pressure!
J. Scarbrough 11 months ago
Well, let’s see: SURVIVOR was a reality show in which people were marooned on a desert island and had to eat bull scrotums to survive; THE HONEYMOONERS was a classic sitcom about two blue collar husband-wife duos who lived in empty apartments; Queen was one of the biggest rock bands in the 70s, I think that’s Jack Benny at the microphone, but I wouldn’t swear to it. I see the Declaration of Independence, I assume a rock museum, and I think Greg 3:17 is a misprint of John 3:16. No clue what the birthday candles are for. So, is this supposed to be some sort of a Rebus puzzle or something?
mrsshortybear 11 months ago
I looked it up. It has to do with a certain number. If you know Jack Benny then you know the number.
thevideostoreguy 11 months ago
Well! That was…complex…and unnecessary.
Firebat 11 months ago
The birthday candles give it away.
ronaldspence 11 months ago
so i won’t ruin the surprise…
Joe1962 11 months ago
sny kyu means thank you, The Queen is refence to the group Queen, Piano is reference to Freddy Mercury.
Lucy Rudy 11 months ago
Happy 39th anniversary!
GreasyOldTam 11 months ago
The candles spell out 39 in Roman numerals, which was a running gag about Jack Benny’s (the man at the microphone) age.
San Kyu translates to 3 and 9 from Japanese.
I thought the musical instrument in the fourth frame might be a violin, but it doesn’t seem to be.
But Jack Benny was born on Valentine’s Day and died on Boxing Day…
beb01 11 months ago
I like what “Heart of the City” is doing. Each Sunday is a bio of one of the cast members.
lvlax 11 months ago
Most Honeymooners like to listen to Survivor and Queen? So, Eye of the Tiger and Bohemian Rhapsody are big with Newlyweds??? ;)
montylc2001 11 months ago
I don’t like this cheap hack to get you to go to the web site.
NellyTheHorse 11 months ago
WAIT. JUST ONE. MINUTE.
Nice try G&K, but you’re not going to “Oooo! Shiny thing!” distract us out of using this group mind to ferret out your plot about Toni having the illicit love child of her pregnancy test stick.
We’ve got your number and it has nothing to do with Jack Benny.…hold it…
Unless…
Were they able to freeze sperm back in Jack Benny’s day??
Maybe that “Survivor” sign has more than one meaning…
Willow Mt Lyon 11 months ago
Happy 39th Anniversary, Luann! Why aren’t you 52?
Last Rose Of Summer Premium Member 11 months ago
San kyu for 39 years. We are a Survivor…It still feels like our honeymoon ( Jack Benny feeling his face.) We declare LuAnn is the Queen…the Key is our readers rock?…
snsurone76 11 months ago
THE HONEYMOONERS is being run on MeTV on Sundays at midnight, ET.
Hilarious sitcom.
Enter.Name.Here 11 months ago
The candles on the cake form roman numerals.
yoda1234 11 months ago
Ichi, ni, san, yon, go, roku, nana, hachi, kyu, juu.
Wilkins068 11 months ago
Happy 52nd Birthday, Luann!
She’s almos in my age range, but I like women in 3D, not 2D (nothing to do with bra size)
Willow Mt Lyon 11 months ago
To think that back in 1985, a lady wrote a letter to the Sacramento Bee saying to please not insult her 85 year old intelligence with Luann. LOL! What’s more, that lady would now be 124, and I hope she is at peace not having to deal with Bernice. Luann survived the next 39 years after 1985, but that 85 year old lady did not. Jack Benny, are you celebrating your birthday again, wherever you are? The Honeymooners has survived as a classic show despite having only a certain number of shows to watch. Now I have an urge to listen to one of Queen’s albums. George Washington was one of a certain number to use a Quill for one important purpose.
montymiff 11 months ago
I didn’t know about the Constitution nor the strip (Congratulations, Greg and Karen!).Thanks for that. I still don’t know about the guitar storefront.
BayReader 11 months ago
The guitar storefront is The Hard Rock Cafe in San Francisco, California. It is located at Pier 39.
jea9hrkr 11 months ago
39
GirlGeek Premium Member 11 months ago
Happy Anniversary, it’s also St. Patrick’s Day
The Joke Explainer Premium Member 11 months ago
This isn’t the first time I had to spend time trying to figure out a punchline to a Luann strip.
mgl179 11 months ago
Another crass attempt to try to force more money out of readers.
Ellis97 11 months ago
This is quite a toughie. I’m speculating that it has something to do with numbers.
Ignatz Premium Member 11 months ago
I see Jack Benny and 39 (Roman numerals on the cake), which is how old he claimed to be. Other than that, no idea.
kraftjeff 11 months ago
Happy Birthday Luann Comic strip – now if you character would only appear that age :D
Robert Nowall Premium Member 11 months ago
I figured I wouldn’t be first to notice the clues had something to do with “thirty-nine.”
Willywise52 Premium Member 11 months ago
Aaaand now I’m tired again,going back to bed…thanks to allll….
OneTime59 11 months ago
I see 41 on the birthday cake, Roman candles.
Aladar30 Premium Member 11 months ago
I can’t catch all the references in the Mystery Museum, but I love this Sunday page. It’s a very creative way of saying that the strip turns 39 today, really original. I know I can’t have an impartial opinion because “Luann” is my favorite strip, but I really think it’s one of the strips and that has been able to evolve the most over time, always remaining of the highest quality in both story and Art, which has always been beyond excellent. I can only be happy that Greg Evans started it and continues to carry it forward with passion today, helped by his daughter. They are a great creative duo and I know they will always make exciting stories that talk about everyday life and know how to entertain and move. Happy Birthday “Luann”!
kjnrun 11 months ago
Thank you to everyone for doing the research for me!
OneTime59 11 months ago
Clever riddles. I enjoyed this edition. Not having been reading Luann from the beginning, I would not have realized it’s been around that long. Thumbs up to the commentors/historians for explaining the meanings. Happy Anniversary!
Pipe Tobacco Premium Member 11 months ago
Unfortunately….. SURVIVOR no longer works as part of this puzzle. Since 2020, Survivor has had abbreviated seasons of significantly less than 39 days. Each season has been only 26 days for the last several seasons (since Covid).
nilegoose1 11 months ago
39
Muneflauer 11 months ago
“Oh Rochester!” I went to Jack Benny Jr. High School, the number is …
scaredyett 11 months ago
Happy 39th anniversary thanks for keeping us entertained for almost 4 decades! Now where’s the title block to today’s strip! An anniversary strip should definitely include that!!!
Old Tarf Premium Member 11 months ago
Happy ____ Day Luann!
Count Olaf Premium Member 11 months ago
It means Dearest Ann❤️Eiffel and Your Be❤️ed, Handsome, God Bless America Patriotic❤️Count wish you all a Most Happy St Patrick’s DayThe❤️Count’s Magical Mystery Post for the Grammar Nasties Amongst You (We know who you are…). What does the abbreviation “St” and the last word of the sentence have to do with ❤️Eiffelette Tawny Tattooed❤️Toni predicament and last weeks downer arc? Riddle The❤️Count THAT, if you can. And again, Happy St Patrick’s Day!!
mindjob 11 months ago
It’s going to be hard to top this at 40!
truckeetrout 11 months ago
Except that Jack Benny only used 3 fingers – he thought that was funnier.
BJShipley1 11 months ago
At least it’s not another gag about Luann’s messy bedroom.
Lord Hearteater 11 months ago
Methinks that there is a rather strong hint of the strip wrapping next year, given what the answer to the riddle is. Toni’s possible motherhood arc would be a rather significant clue. We’ll have to see if various other loose ends start getting tied up, or completely unraveled. Bets & Gun are about due for an audience check-in. A breakup has been hinted at, and I suppose that Gun & Lu together in the final strip would not be in a matrimonial setting (unless there is a “shotgun” aspect to it), if this strip has one calendar year left. If the Evans’ game plan is to get to 45 years, all of my time-honored predictions hold firm.
One positive: If there’s a year remaining, there’s likely not gonna be too many weeks of Lu-Bern bedroom psychiatry.
evsxrk 11 months ago
A side note: The Queen song referenced here, “’39” (the fifth track on their fourth album, A Night at the Opera), is a story song by guitarist/astrophysicist Brian May in which Einstein’s Theory of Relativity plays a key role. Not exactly your typical subject for a rock song.
tremaine53 11 months ago
The candles in the cake = 39. Jack Benny perpetually claimed to be 39.
oakie817 11 months ago
i made my parents take me to see Jack Benny live when i was 12, and he had his whole tv show cast with him, including Mel Blanc…i saw Bugs Bunny live
karinmarie808 Premium Member 11 months ago
yes
rlfekete1 Premium Member 11 months ago
The cake tells it.
khjalmarj 11 months ago
Ha! Got ‘em all without looking at readers’ notes! Of course, I had to use Google a lot…is that fair?
locake 11 months ago
Thanks for the clues, everyone. The only ones I would have any hint about would be 39 for Jack Benny and the 39 in Roman numerals on the cake. Pretty arcane. I’ve never watched Survivor or the Honeymooners, I thought the guitar was in Cleveland, the stairs looked like a piano to me, and no idea what the Constitution, Queen or Japanese had to do with it.
nsaber 11 months ago
W A Y too much work for a Sunday AM comic. Sorry.
SearchBoy Premium Member 11 months ago
39 stairs. But ther has to be more symbolism than that.
llosik 11 months ago
went to look it up and it was blocked by Norton AV
GirlGeek Premium Member 11 months ago
Now that I’m awake, I just wanted to say that I cheated and went on the website. It was 1AM, nobody guesses riddles at 1AM. When you turn 40, please do something simpler.
SearchBoy Premium Member 11 months ago
And 39 delegates signed the…
beharford 11 months ago
Mr. Evans, Ms. Evans, very nicely done…
tammyspeakslife Premium Member 11 months ago
Happy 39th anniversary Greg and Karen Evans, I hope this isn’t goodbye. Some of us appreciate the work you put into this strip and look forward to reading it daily. XOXO PS. Nice brain teaser. ✍️(◔◡◔)
rob 11 months ago
And how many years has Luann aged in 39 actual years?
The Quiet One 11 months ago
What does it mean?
downtonscullerymaid 11 months ago
Got it, thx to other posters for contributions. All hints relate to 39! San Kyu means 39. Survivor-each season ran 39 days. Honeymooners 39 eps, Jack Benny claimed he was age 39, Steps-movie “39 Steps”, SF’s Pier 39 rock cafe, Queen song “39”, cake roman # for 39, Constitution- 39 signers
Spidnan 11 months ago
very clever
miztrniceguy 11 months ago
We can put to rest the speculation of Luann’s age….she’s still 19
rubinsimpson92 11 months ago
Happy Birthday Luann. I can’t believe it’s been 39 years. Congratulations Greg, and now Karen. I can’t wait to see what is in store for the 40 anniversary next year on St. Patrick’s Day
tabbah 11 months ago
The cake shows Roman 39
melodymucisa 11 months ago
Happy 39th anniversary to this comic! I’m glad I took a chance to read it!
eric.franz.petras 11 months ago
#39th anniversary of the debut of Luann.
jr1234 11 months ago
Today’s email news letter says:
“Happy LUANN-iversary! Today (March 17th) we are celebrating 39 years of LUANN. That’s 14, 245 daily comics! It was a coincidence the strip debuted on St. Patrick’s Day back in 1985 but every year we feel incredibility lucky to do this for a living. Thank you to each and every one of you, whether you have been a fan since day one or have found us recently. We have the BEST fans! "
Blackthorne42 11 months ago
I saw the cake with the candles forming XXXIX, then the reference to the Queen song from “A Night At The Opera”…
Looking at the others, it clicked!
Caldonia 11 months ago
Ahhh….no one’s talking. That’s such a nice thing about museums
The Old Wolf 11 months ago
Happy Anniversary to Luann and Greg!
Joe1962 11 months ago
Happy 39th Anniversary to LUANN, Everything on the wall has to do with the #39, Thank you Greg for giving the fans of LUANNUNVIRSE such a great comic. Luann and her family and friends lover the years have made laugh and sometimes cry. Congrats once again Greg.
mfought 11 months ago
the possibilities next year are endless
ncorgbl 11 months ago
Congrats! Ala Jack Benny, it is also the 34th anniversary of my 39th birthday!
jr1234 11 months ago
See the answer to each one
https://luannfan.Com/39-riddle/
soapy1976 11 months ago
39
emiesty Premium Member 11 months ago
The candles led me to Jack Benny, but I didn’t know any of the others before checking the fan site.
Rich Douglas 11 months ago
My guess is this is Greg’s 39th anniversary. But I have to go look it up…oh, it’s LUANN’s anniversary. She looks pretty good for 39, but you’d think she would have graduated from community college by now!
Congratulations, Greg and Karen!
AB9SS 11 months ago
Happy 39th Anniversary to Luann!
AB9SS 11 months ago
Jack Benny always celebrated his 39th birthday every year.
bookworm0812 11 months ago
How do you see the answer? I’m not finding anything there.
ArseGrammatica 11 months ago
Look at the candles on the cake and think like a Roman.
nightflight 11 months ago
The Japanese scroll reminds me of the destitute Japanese prostitute ………nobody had a “yen” for. Sorry.
nubianaries81 11 months ago
HAPPY 39th ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!
RogerWilco 11 months ago
Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps”