Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 10, 2024

Hold on to Punk tightly, Les… Don’t let him out of your sight.

There is something nice about new school supplies and books and the start of a new year of academic opportunities.

Actually, Wacko is in the Warner Brothers’ water tower with his brother and sister, Yakko and Dot.

I was right behind Gunther until he sniffed his textbook.

I’m liking Gunther without Bets next to him. I’d like to see Bets spend more time with her dorm girls. Better yet, she moves or is back on the road and Snapgram and is gone.

Gee, I dunno.

But to me, judging by the look on Punk’s face in the last panel, maybe she/he prefers “wacko.” ;-)

That’s about $500 worth of textbooks which he won;t need later in life and won;t be able to sell for more than a tenth their cost. Starting school may be wonderful but buying text books is a real heart-breaker.

Gunther needs to get a teaching certificate if he loves going back to school so much. It seems that would make him happy.

Punk is giving Gunther the side eye!

Quantum physics has never been my idea of ‘fun’…

The expression on Punk’s face makes me think that he may LIKE wacko!

I’d wager that Gunther realizes that being back in school means MORE Bets and LESS Irma!

I guess we’re not getting a punchline today.

After Les an Punk walk out the real weirdness sets in. He’ll be diggin into th minty taste of the white LePage’s school paste.

Anyone miss sniffing the cold fresh Mimeograph pages? What a rush!

Ooo, I hated guys like this.

“What a weenie.” Priceless!

Well, Les, someday Gunther will be a CEO and you’ll be pumping gas into his Porsche..

What university is using physical books?

I don’t blame Les for getting annoyed with Gunther’s behavior, but I will admit that it always feels good to get new school supplies.

That feeling of new school supplies was amazing … right up until the first class of the semester started.

Says the guy carrying a cat.

Take some of the empty bags with you for Punk.

Gunther is a wack job!

I think Punk wanted to stay at Gunther’s. There were lots of empty bags and new books with corners to rub his lil face on. It’s nice to see Gunther happy with his life as a good, gifted student. I hope his peace will not be ruined by anything bad, but it would be nice if NASA chose him to stay with them for a few months.

I’m with Gunther, although it’s been decades since college — and I don’t think a textbook would have that title, except it seems to have been authored by a certain comic strip creator this very day.

Consider the fact that each is the other’s best friend.

You’d never go back to school if you never had a school vacation.

I went to small Lutheran schools up to 7th grade, I did not look forward to going. By small, I mean four teachers for eight grades.

I like the idea that the comic artist also wrote a book on quantum physics

my husband does this with new DVD movies when he opens them the first time

And, what, about $1500+ in textbooks for 4 classes?

New books for college? When I went to college the goal was to buy used books for two reasons. First they were less expensive and second if you were lucky the previous owner(s) had highlighted the pertinent points.

Looks like Gunther would enjoy a career in teaching a technical subject, then he could have that return to joy feeling for a long, long time.

“Reeks of wacko” will go away when Les does.

so, going for a doctorate? I thought we saw him graduate, like 2 Mays ago???

Is Gunther eight? In college “shopping for school supplies” = “feeling around under your car seat for a pen.”

I’m with Les this time.

Actually I like the smell of new books, sort of like new cars or a brand new Southwest Airlines new 737 flight.

You ever notice that despite college only being 4 years long (unless you’re going for an advanced degree) and these characters now beginning a new year for the 11th time, after 2013 they’ve never actually stated what year of school they’re supposed to be in? The fact that in 2014 Bernice became an RA (a position that can’t be held by a freshman for obvious reasons) and yet they’re all still just 19 years old leads me to believe they’ve just been repeating their sophomore year over and over again in some sort of weird Groundhog Day loop.

The college textbook industry is an organized criminal enterprise. To keep students from buying used books, minimal changes are made from year to year. The publishers are in cahoots with the authors, often professors, who may tailor the book to their own course.

My man Les

“Quantum Physics Is Fun” sounds more like a science picture book for middle school nerds than a college text.

My texts had such erudite titles as, “Fundamentals of Quantum Physics,” “Thermodynamics,” “Differential Equations,” the most explanatory was “Calculus for Application”.

And the books were always referred to by the name of the author rather than the title, “see page 126 of LaPointe,” " For homework, the odd numbered problems of chapter 5 in Siebert".

Does Les have any higher goals at all in life? He must be good at something besides washing dishes.

Luckily for Gunther, he still has 20 or more years of school ahead of him.

Knute,where are you? We need some irrelevance around here.

So the Moony Logo, which I think looks like a fat U with two dots. I must be wrong; what is it really, do you think?

A little academics wouldn’t hurt you Les.

Greg does such a good job drawing Punk! He gives him so much expression with just a few lines.

Punk wants to stay.

The physics textbook is titled “Quantum Physics is Fun!”? I question the level of academic rigor at this college.

What a memory ! I had a son like that- couldn’t wait for school to start. Still a reader with a grand collection of books after 50 years. Seems Punk wants to play in the bags. ;-))

In our high school there was a rush to buy the used books from previous students. If you missed out, you had to pay for expensive new books

Are they sophomores again? If so he likely is still taking lower division classes. Still he is attending a second rate state university instead of UCLA/ USC/Cal Tech

Own it Gunther, Les don’t leave Punk.

Considering how long it took Luann and friends to graduate, I don’t expect them to earn their bacculaureates until I retire in the late 2030s.

With an attitude like that, Les will likely be washing dishes for life.

Nice normal start to things, but it’s only Tuesday! Ah school daze , fond memories for me !

“But, but, the bags are in here …”

Punko has an alarmed expression on his face. Sensing Les’s mood?

Pasquale Gumbo as a college student.

New book smell. Such sweet memories.

C’mon, Les… At least let Punk have a few bags to play with. They’re better than expensive cat toys.

He needs a woman….badly!

I’m with Gunther. I still get a thrill when I see the school supply section in Target, and I am 72!

He wants to be alone.

Except that the textbook industry is a wallet-draining scam