Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for February 28, 2024

Piro you putting your faith in the wrong person, Bernice can spill secrets like a sinking ship.

I was really hoping for Buster Keaton.

Thing is, Bernice may need help processing and dealing with all that Piro has shared/laid on her. She is only a kid still, and that is a hard burden to carry alone. Working psychologists and counsellors have therapists to help them deal with what they hear; now she has to cope alone, and worse, knows that two of her friends are mishandling a situation.

Slapstick comedy, or just pathos?

This is actually great training for Bernice. If she does become a counselor, a psychologist, or a psychiatrist, she must keep things confidential.

Bernice might have the need to put Luann down that Piro came to see her because Luann was pathetic and immature. Yeah, Luann was, true, but, for Bernice, this is an upmanship all of us have been guilty of. Hopefully, Bernice will try her best to keep the need for upmanship at bay. Be the better person.

The thing is Bernice is the type of person to tell Tara and Luann what he said so she can gloat to the both of them that he confided in her.

She will just run off her mouth, as she teases that “I’ve got a secret, and NOBODY knows it but me”, and then runs off her mouth, telling anyone and everyone what it is.Just a typical gossip.

That secret will have a short lifespan.

So this plot lumbers on for another week. Oh, wait! It;s only Wednesday. Isn’t it time for Luann to return from class, just in time to hear Piro to say ipit-zay on the Uann—Lay and wonder what’s going on?

Nice bit of eye catching cartooning. I’d like to see an old fashioned, black and white comic running for about a week and featuring Luann and Tiffany. No talking, but captions would be allowed. Last panel of last day would be Porky Pig saying, “That’s all Folks”.

I REALLY hope the following story arc of Bernice spreading gossip is told in the style of an old Black & White Silent movie complete with stylized text panels and everyone dressed 1910s/1920s garb. I always like when the Evanses get a little more unpredictable and mess with the format.

THE BROKEN ZIPPER, directed by Erich von Stroheim!!

Looking at Bernice’s eye and face in the second panel, I wonder if she has already let the cat out of the bag.

This Strip is actually pretty cute. Bernice is SURE to spill the beans about Piro’s situation to Luann.

I’m surprised Luann hasn’t come home yet to see them together.

I wonder if Charlie Chaplin makes a guest appearance in The Broken Zipper? ;)

Bernice is showing a lot of self-awareness in the last panel. This could be a big step forward in maturity if she can find a way to handle it properly.

Well of course Piro doesn’t want Bernice talking to the other girls. If she does, they will all get wise to how he is playing them against each other.

Even if B was capable of keeping this information to herself (which I don’t think she is), Piro needs help with taking care of the kids. And that isn’t something B can do. Guess who can, but Piro doesn’t want to share the problem with her…

Biiiiiiig mistake Piro!

Sounds like an Ed Wood movie.

What would be ironic if Piro made the story up and when it comes back from Tara (or Luann) then he knows Bernice can’t be trusted.

I honestly wish she would tell so Piro can stop hanging around her too, Bernice is very toxic

What can you say about a therapist who runs around blabbing about what their patients tell them?

Oh nooooo.. Here we go.

I recalled a road trip back in 2011, where Bern and Delta “bad mouthed” Luann, who wasn’t with them.

So YOU dissing Lu, is no big deal, Starhead. Besides, “insulting” Lu has been a sort of long running pastime among many characters in this Strip, including her so-called “Best Friend,” Bernice here. About the only person who has never backstabbed Luann is this nerdly-type guy who’s currently in the clutches of another (wacky) woman. ;-)

Here’s hoping that Lu “just wanted to help” Mr “Messed Up,” and not harboring any “affection” for him.

Besides.

Having one person that regards you with mild contempt, constantly under your roof is BAD enough. ;-)

LOLed over the third frame. All serious, then boom. Greg drew the perfect eye wear and Vaudeville outfit for Bern along with the big grin.

I sense a betrayal of trust at hand.

Has anyone ever attempted to add attachments here? Any provision for GoComics for that?

Looks like she will go and tell everything. Not the type of person i would want as my therapist.

It would appear that therapist/patient confidentiality is going to be a professional liability with her.

Bernice: The train wreck just waiting to happen.

Piro does NOT say to keep everything a secret. Just the comments he made about Tara and Luann being too much. I don’t think he expects Bernice to not say anything about his family situation to her best friend.

Bernice… having the chance to tell Luann she is doing something wrong… and not speaking… hmmm… could happen (with a 0.00000000…something probability)!

Now we know for sure that Piro is a bad judge of character. Where did he ever get the idea that Bernice could keep anything a secret?

Move over Lillian Gish!

Wonder if Bernice know about the HIPPA laws.

If you don’t want anyone to know something, don’t tell anyone.

If you’re gonna fly nukes, best to keep the birds flying.

Bigmouth Bernice? That’s perfect for her.

Wednesday is the arc transition day. And wow, what a transition! First Walt/Piro. Is he a relationship predator? Someone who sees a very vulnerable and insecure young woman (and Bernice is hands down the most insecure main character in the strip) whom he can isolate from Luann, and his cousin Tara, who knows full well their horrendously dysfunctional family, so he can use her, and control her. Or is he an emotionally needy young man who wants someone he can control? I keep coming back to that thought. For those who don’t focus on hating Bernice, it’s obvious her issues. She could, and would, if GnK decide, be a really good shrink, or clinical pyschologist. In spite of her snark, which I think is just a defense mechanism, she has a big heart, and really wants to help, but she is so insecure, and is herself from an extremely dysfunctional family situation, who doesn’t yet know what she doesn’t know, she is fertile ground for manipulation. I think the story will land, sometime in the diffuse Luannverse future, somewhere in the middle of this rather bleak opinion, but one should see, beyond the character quirks, if a true appreciation of what is going on in the STORY is had.

For crying out loud. Are ALL of the women in this strip fools?? He trusts Bernice, and she can’t even for a second just BE the person he thinks she is? She can’t for a second be the mature, level-headed Bernice that we’ve seen in the past, that she KNOWS he needs?? She has to be a fool, despite what he just told her about how he feels and what he needs. Fine. Jeeze.

“Bigmouth Bernice in The Broken Zipper” Hiyo!

The kettle is beginning to boil.

Is she now part of the “three methods of communication?” Telephone, telegraph, tell Bernice?

This episode of Luann is brought to you by Planters. So, Bernice, say “AHHH, NUTS”.

How wonderful. We’re about to see a “Bigmouth Bernice” adventure! The troubles she gets into are hilarious and always the consequences of her actions. But since everyone loves her, she’s always forgiven in the end. Jokes aside, Bernice can’t keep the secret. Piro needs help and the ones who can help him are her, Tara and Luann. Bernice has to tell what’s happening to him. It’s not breaking a promise, it’s doing something necessary even if Piro doesn’t want to and will hate her. Let’s hope Bernice tells everything for this reason and not to brag to Luann that she knows something that she doesn’t.

must be a soon to be seen type deal. :J

Oh the foreshadowing of disaster…

Ok Bernice, you have one job and that is to keep your mouth shut. Though I think you’ll blab for one reason or another.

She can…but will she?

Two can keep a secret. If one’s dead.

Great silent movie is “the general” with Buster Keaton, and based on true story from Civil War

Oh, NOOOooooooo!

For someone who supposedly has so many awful demands on his life, Piro certainly seems to enjoy a lot of free time. He goes on adventures with Tara and attends college, now he’s sitting around for a couple of hours watching a movie with Bernice. I think he’s just a typical GenZ sulky brat who objects to having any responsibilities or expectations put upon him, and all this drama is just to get attention from the girls. Sure do wish Luann would come home LOL!

Why am I thinking this will NOT go well?

Bernice needs a bout 6/7” of happiness

I really hope Bernice doesn’t screw this up … for Piro ‘s sake. The poor guy really needs someone he can trust.

Relax folks, it’s her jeans zipper. It’s about to get hot and heavy up in there.

I wish for once that Bernice WOULD do the right thing and stay mute. It would really show some growth for her character.

All these comments about military planes. But what about the CARTOON?! Doesn’t anybody else think the last panel might be a bit lewd? Suggestive?.

Piro just unloaded a lot of personal stuff to Lady Blabbermouth………

Aircraft comments!! What about the CARTOON! Doesn’t anyone else think the last panel verges on the lewd or suggestive?

As a kid we lived near a SAC base. They would run B 52’s day and night. After decades of life I can still hear them and I live nowhere near them today. They do make an impression!

The Broken Zipper weather report: It’s nice out.

I was in a position to grant security clearances, I wouldn’t authorize her access to rumours!

If anyone has followed Everyone Loves Raymond , Bernice would outdo Amy in the blab department.

She’s human too.

Tell me if I’m wrong – I’ve always been under the impression that people can use this site to admire, criticize, praise, or make fun of, the activities of the cartoon characters being depicted. There is one commenter that regularly makes personal attacks against other commenters, instead of staying on the subject, which is, of course, the cartoon. Is that considered appropriate?

G&K’s insistence on portraying Bernice as an awful person wouldn’t be so infuriating if she ever faced any consequences for her actions. If I wanted to watch terrible people get a pass for their behavior I’d just follow politics.

Bernice is going to be a lousy Doc if she can’t keep her trap shut.

If Bernice blabs, that’ll be the end of any trust Piro has in her.

Minor slips notwithstanding.

Well hey…let it all hang out!

If you love silent comedy, you must check out The Silent Comedy Watch Party (on YouTube). Their 100th episode is at 3pm ET on March 17. Ben Model plays the accompaniment live and he is joined by Steve Massa, an extremely knowledgeable film historian. Very worth checking out. They did this show weekly during the Covid shutdown and it was a lifesaver. Enjoy!

The Broken Zipper is NOT a p*rno film

Big mouth Bernice is accurate.

The writer is already telling us what will happen? Doesn’t seem like great storytelling.

Four and twenty sunbeams are shining on my face

Four score and twenty more are dancing everyplace

It’s a hap-hap-happy Day

Skiddle—doodle—diddle-ay

You can’t go wrong if you sing this song

It’s a hap-ha-happy day

I’m thinking we just buy Bernice a megaphone and be done with it.

We won’t REALLY know what’s going on until we meet the stepfather, which we may never

They’ll sell a 10 minute silent movie.

DVD w/ Director’s Cut $49.95 + $8 shipping

Download $44.95

Admit it, that 3rd panel was cathartic!

I am kind of wondering why Piro, who wants to sit in silence, doesn’t go somewhere where he can be alone.

Based on the biographical book as told to EVERYONE!

Bernice’s thought balloon in the second panel is missing a word. It should read:

“Of course I can——not!"

where will this go from here? i see a battle of loyalities i.e. to your bestie whom you tell everything to? or to the dark and mysterious Piro, possible heart throb, who has confided in you. Luann may not directly encounter Piro when she returns but may see his backside as he is leaving. And she may pester Bern about why he was there.

Oh Bernice—-please don’t blow it.

Are Greg and Karen implying that Bernice will tell Luann and Kara what Piro said about them? Or, that she’ll tell them of his secret?Not exactly what a Professional Counselor should do, in either case.If Bernice wants that as her profession, she’d better learn how to keep her lips zipped.

Yeah. Kinda like that.

Coming Attractions in the last panel.

Back in the 90’s, at a local airshow, I said to a B-52 crew member “I’ll bet this aircraft is older than you!”. He said “Yes, but”…pointing to a B-2 taking off… “those couldn’t be used in desert conditions in the Gulf War, and we were there!”

OMG I just passed by this comic going back a few since I haven’t read a couple days, and I suddenly thought “OMG is Bernice hitting a doobie?” No, just zipping it

Piro needs to learn that a secret is only secret so long as only ONE person knows it