Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for April 05, 2012

Love Toni’s super short mini.

Ugh. She is still in control and shutting Brad down. Brad has the right to know why she is skittish and unwilling to talk about it. If he doesn’t understand why, then there is no point to their relationship, isn’t there?

I think Brad’s has learned something valuable. “Shut the heck UP about it, and you get SMOOCHES!”

It’ll never be the right time, Brad.

To be fair to the author, it IS true that in America today, most couples do NOT get married before living together, cohabiting, and 7/10 times having kids before getting around to the wedding. I’m only surprised that rule’s being conformed to in a family strip.

Dirk in in there in the dark.

Kiss and then don’t ask…she makes it pretty clear….but ahhh the anticipation! :)

. . . is . . .

Dirk is in there in the dark.

And stats show that folks that live together before marriage are 3 times more likely to divorce.

there is a chance that Greg wants to put that Toni does not want to commit to Brad until she gains the love of Both of Brad’s parents……… as yesterday she admited once again that she loves Brad

By the way, it was: “I Will…Forgive you, Brad”.I love her.

How old did we establish that Brad is? I know Luann is holding steady at 16 while he gets to grow up. But is he 18? 19? 25? I look at him as being 18ish. Why be in such a hurry to grow up??.I liked Toni at first. Now I am “eh” towards her. Too moody. Too easily ticked off. If she is not making out with Brad, she seems to be annoyed with him. I don’t want them to break up, I want her to flipping CHEER UP!! She is never happy.

I think she is wanting to take things slow and might be scared to mess things up. I do see them married in the future. Or atleast engaged. A guy like Dirk can scar a girl for a long time.

Careful Brad and Toni. We don’t want a repeat of what Edda is going through.

Hubba hubba… just take it easy Brad, no rush. She ready when she ready.

Marriage isn’t a bad thing if that’s what you want. Brad needs to find someone who wants the same thing. Brad could leave Toni now. He’ll miss her, but he wouldn’t be wrong.

The last panel – they haven’t kissed yet. He’s not going to say the “M” word any more. He’s probably not going to say much more to her about anything anymore unless she opens up and really talks to him. Breakup might be coming.

Get out of there, Brad! She’s a belle dame sans merci!

She certainly does not want to marry an immature person. Brad’s april fools ploy was NOT a sign of maturity or clear thinking. Toni is far more mature yet she knows they are not ready. They have lots of time, Brad’s a good person and he will get there and so will she.

Ganging up on TJ would be a good bonding experience for them. TJ is the one who needs a serious prank from their combined powers.. As for living together, I don’t think Greg can do that with a family strip, even if it would be an accurate reflection of life. Or can he? Would he get away with that?

why

Well, for example, Greg’s next strip for the 6th could be, say, Brad leaving Toni’s house, except it’s daytime, and he’s wearing different clothes. Can he get away with that?

Revtry WAS right. According to what I just googled, it USED to be the case that couples who cohabited ended in divorce most of the time. That’s no longer the case unless you’ve cohabited with multiple people before getting married.

Somehow, Toni doesn’t look like the type to say…’let’s not mess things up by talking about marriage’. It’s almost as if she’s encouraging a casual love affair with Brad rather than an honorable marital commitment. She’s a beautiful woman and seems to be trying to settle for much less than she really deserves in life.

Okay, I am not a fan of Toni but she was in a controlling, borderline (?) abusive relationship with Dirk. If Brad is so in love with Toni, why can’t he back off for just a minute and let her come to terms with the dynamic of NOT being in a controlling, borderline (?) abusive relationship? Why is there a quickness to jump on Toni for not being ready for marriage? Brad is not the only one in this relationship and coupled with the fact that Toni’s last serious relationship was unhealthy, I think he is being pretty pushy.

Toni’s going to do a handstand now.

I hadn’t noticed how long her hair was, down well below her waist-line. Could a fireman really wear hair that long?

It’s all in Greg’s hands.

Wow, everyone’s seeing a problem here but me. So far, they seem happy together. Brad made a mistake in not trusting his first instinct to NOT ask her to get married. But Toni has opened the door for a real future, including marriage. These two are YOUNG – early 20s, for Pete’s sake. Why rush marriage? They are not living together, not talking about having kids together – what exactly is there to object to?

It’s still way too early in their relationship and the storyline to get married. There’s a lot more story regarding Luann and Quill, Gunther and Rosa and other topics like graduation to come first.

Well, ‘tasting good’ could refer to making out. Kissing does invole tasting. It doesn’t necessarily imply anything x-rated.

Toni wants Bradley to wait until he’s finished growing up; his acquiescence in TJ’s stupid scheme showed her, and us, that he is miles behind Toni in emotional and mental growth and is not yet ready for marriage or even a formal engagement. If he matures, then she will be ready to say “yes” to a deeper relationship. But not before.

Ditch her dude! She is only going to keep stringing you along. You are nothing to her except a little diversion.

Kissing at the door? She isn’t going to invite him in? How “first date” can you get? At least she wore a dress. I was beginning to believe she didn’t own any.

Could be that Toni is already married and working on a divorce…

bow chicka wow wow

Ya KNOW, Brad was OKAY with the Realationship Just as it was.

EVERYTHING was Just DANDY until TJ opened His BIG Mouth.

Okay Brad. So WHAT if Toni NOT Ready for Marrige: YET?

She’s GIVING You the “COFF….,” er, I MEAN ‘Milk’ for FREE, now so to speak. So ENJOY your FREEDOM while You Can.

Its the “YET” part that You SHOULD be concerned about. YOU have just been put on a Time Limit, Son. And Your “TIME” may be measured in MONTHs not YEARS, as You and a LOT of People HERE Think.

So as You head HOME You might wanna ASK Yourself: “Is Brad DeGroot READY for Marriage?”

,,,,. then PUNCH TJ in the FACE….,

Tame ending for a good story…

dump her NOW Brad. Toni is a control freak!

Looks like she is going to push him down the stairs

Is it me, or does the last panel look like Toni is reaching into Brad’s chest to rip out his heart?

Yes she loves a person that likes to abuse people. He’s a keeper! sarcasm

Think about it. it has been several years that they have been dating, Toni is taking this as slow as molasses and Brad wants to take this faster but wants her to be happy. I highly doubt they will ever get married, because eventually they will have no more problems and so…… no arc…. but I may be wrong ( I pray )

Maybe she is waiting for Brad to say he will adopt her ‘niece’. Have we ever seen her ‘brother’ ? There may be deep water here, and Toni could be waiting for a non-judgmental partner.

Again, neither one is ready for marriage— Toni realizes it, but Brad doesn’t.

Good Points, Dave.

But you know, at the END of the day, The ONLY person STALLING here, is the Artist Greg Evans.

I mean, he marries them off and suddenly two of his MOST popular characters quickly become less interesting, kinda like what happened in that “Moonlighting” show.

Which Maybe why this relationship is in a “holding pattern”.

IMHO……,

Kissy, kissy!

Toni apparently has some history and issues that we are not aware of beyond Dirk. Back of Greg and give her time and breathing room, that’s the only way.

Remember this is a comic strip, meant to be enjoyed and NOT taken seriously.

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Let’s introduce Brad to Rosa or something….

I’m not sure I agree with Toni that they “have a good thing going”…their relationship has been tenuous if not rocky for a long time. I can’t see a marriage ever working out between these two.

They both must be over or close to 21. It is, remember, just a comic strip. You’ll never outguess Mr Evans. I’m sure he reads this blog, too! I will not apologize, but T.J. is my favorite.

She was in an abusive relationship with Dirk. She needs time, it took a while for her to kiss Brad.She’ll get there, just be patient Brad, which looks like you’ll be.

Time for Brad to tell her to let him know if and when she makes up her mind. Until then…………don’t let the door knob hit you in the a—, b—ch.

I’m thinking that Toni’s hesitancy has to do with her “Niece”

Might there have been a little “slip”?

So what it comes down to is that Brad will never be able to broach the subject but Toni being the MAN of the relationship can bring it up anytime she sees fit. I really don’t see this relationship going any further if BOTH of them can not discuss a future freely. Brad Cut your Losses.

Time to move on Brad…she wants to wear the pants, and that’s NEVER a good thing !

I think Brad should ask TJ WHAT DO I DO NOW !!!!!!!!

Brad is too easily talked into doing things that he knows is not the right thing to do. TJ talks him into anything. Confidence is very sexy.

It’s hard to tell where this is going.

Totally off-topic, but I think Toni should donate her hair to Locks of Love. :) It sure has gotten long!

I think Brad still WINS!

SURE , Toni has issues. We’ve seen them & talked about them. Even though Brad & Shannon get on well together, Toni still feels that Shannon would present a problem for them as a newly married couple. I’m sure she would like to remove that issue, but until her brother becomes more responsible, or Brad has a LOT more experience with Shannon, she’ll be standoffish on marriage,.Think about it – If Brad were handsome and Toni was average and immature and wanting to discuss marriage, would Brad be THAT interested in discussing it? Or would he hesitate – as Toni is doing here?.Watch how you answer, because it may reveal some insights on how you think men vs women should act.

Something in the past has damaged Toni (not relationship with Dirk – something with the example her parents set) This is Brad’s first love – sometimes first loves last a lifetime, sometimes they don’t – we will just have to see what is in store. I think no matter how happily married you are for years and years, you always remember your first love (or at least time time and effort you put into that relationship).

The soap opera continues. O my gawd they are in the bedroom and she is … oh darn, time for a commercial and then back to Ann, TJ and Gunther.

In the last panel, why does she have a Devil’s tail coming out of her butt?

Yah, I know it’s her hair, but sure looks like the Devil.

Yes Brad, pop the question after the kiss. If she really Loves you it will end happily.

I heard the same lines 7 years apart from two different girls I fell in love with. Both times they were seeing other men. If you know Todd Rundgrens song “Something to fall back on” you know exactly what I mean. Brad, ride it out for the good times yet to take place, but realize it’s already over.

I can see where this is going. Regardless of what age he represents, he is immature and naive, with Toni clearly in charge. More like a mother in some ways. Speaking of mothers, it’s time for Nancy to sit him down and tell him to grow up, grow a pair and not let her shut him down. I am beginning to dislike this character.

Since Toni’s intent on kissing him on the doorstep (the kiss of death for the night), then it’s ovbious he’s not going inside for a “midnight snack”…. then which of the following is true? Pick one:A) Dirk is waiting insideB) She’s stringing him alongC) She’s got a headacheD) Her “Aunty Flo” is visitingAt which point Brad should… pick one1) Compliment Dirk on his choice of cologne and ask him if he would like to get married2) Ask Toni if she has any friends that want to get married3) Give her something that always cures headaches4) Pick a ride at the amusement park that aint “closed”

A kiss on the porch would have dynamite for Gunther, but the hormones for Brad need a lot more. Will she invite him in? Really, cartoon friends, we need to suspend our sense of reality and go with the flow, even though it might be disappointing. “Time” in a cartoon strip is scary….look at Beetle Bailey, in the army for 61 years & and Miss Buxley’s breasts are still up there and perky. They should be hanging down to her navel by now. It’s like Brigadoon or the Stepford Wives.

Toni is not a sincere person, is not to be trvsted.

Maybe Toni is afraid that Brad will run back in to Ann Eiffel’s arms!!! LOL (just kidding), but she really needs to stop being so elusive to Brad. When WILL be the right time for him to ask??

he seems to be ~20, she appears to be ~27-ish. i don’t blame her

M’doc,yep moonliting ruint..sorta Castle like now,wife watches I listen(Kate is cute,but the daughter omg breathtaking)GE knows tension/suspense/drama/fun

Grab his boobs? No! Ripping his heart out with both hands!

So now Dirk is into little boys, eh?

Dirk a priest? Only for one of those satanic cults …

Marriage is not necessarily a requirement to be happy with someone.

ShaWING!

ya Brad don’t mess this one up and stay away from TJ’s advice

@Angelalex242 Not in my neck of the woods. I live near New York City. Your imagination is interesting. Us city folk are still traditional. Children out-of-wedlock is not a great role model.

As to the comic strip – cop out!

Typical of the state of affairs today. There is such a thing as courting someone. Thanks Miles and cdward for making sense. Young people today have been trained to want it all instantly. Life does not always cooperate.

I love the number of comments this storyline is bringing to the page. No matter what era the “standard” relationship pattern did not apply to everyone, and Toni/Brad would be out of place in any era. I keep waiting for Dirk to return and Toni to ride off with him and Brad to wind up with “the niece from hell” as the new storyline.

That one would hold great promise in the maturation of Luann, her relationships, and Brad fighting the system so the niece does not wind up in foster care.

I suppose that, since this is a family strip, we don’t get to see them buck their frains out, right?-———-No, but do you remember the Tijuana Bibles of the 20’s and 30’s? They depicted cartoon characters and celebrities having sex in four- to eight-page strips, usually bound in a little booklet you could carry in your pocket. If you’ve ever wondered how well Popeye was endowed, what Carole Lombard did with Charlie McCarthy while Clark Gable was away, or how Blondie helped Dagwood relax after a long day at the office, the TJ Bibles were the answer. I suppose someone with a drawing talent could solve the mystery of what their intimate life is like. But let’s face it, we all know what happens when two bodies come together. Do you really need to see it?

That was a letdown. I wanted Louann to be flowergirl at the wedding. At this rate Luann is going to get married before Brad.

Well, for example, Greg’s next strip for the 6th could be, say, Brad leaving Toni’s house, except it’s daytime, and he’s wearing different clothes. Can he get away with that?-———-Ha ha, it’s about time we saw a guy doing the Walk of Shame

Leave Toni alone! Don’t forget she is coming off that abusive relationship with Dirk.

get her pregnant, Brad… then she’ll reconsider.

getting (t)her(e) is half the fun.

See, Toni realizes she can control him just as easily as TJ can. For her, that makes him “safe”. But like Nancy said earlier, what Toni loves is danger (fast cars, etc.). Hope she learns to love & live with “safe” and get her thrills vicariously!

Run away Brad and don’t look back that SLUG isn’t worth your time You are lucky he said no

When Toni’s biological clock starts ticking, she will relent.

I just don’t think that Toni will ever marry and especially Brad.It is a dead end relationship for Brad.

Brad knows why she’s skittish about marriage. She was once in an abusive relationship, and even though she trusts Brad as far as she can trust anybody, she still needs the ability to cut and run if it turns out her judgment was wrong about him. Give her time.

Go on get you some!

A. It’s a comic strip.

B. YOUR imagination has nothing to do with it. Only Greg’s.

C. Sit back, enjoy the FREE ride, and quitchebellyaching!

I doubt Toni will ever be ready unless she sees a threat. She has already proven she is jealous.

all this over stupid comic strip

<<( and not just in the comics .. all us males retain some of that forever). >>

Speak for yourself!

I was hoping for a big plot development today; hopefully, something significant will occur in the next couple of days to put Brad & Toni’s relationship into a new phase. Some readers suggest that Toni is about to seduce Brad, which is fine with me— maybe she is thinking it could “make a man out of him.” Actually, I don’t care what happens in this comic strip, just as long as things keep happening. I’d hate to see it get stale and stagnant!

I am wondering what plans Evans has for Dirk’s possible re-appearance, specifically, his supposed religious conversion. Maybe sometime in the future, if Brad & Toni get engaged, he could be brought back to complicate matters.

Toni does seem a bit secretive and relatively new to the comic strip (as am I) . Is it possible that Shannon is really her child, and not her brother’s? Maybe there is a husband lurking back in some town that she ran away from. When she tells Brad, “not yet”, maybe she means “can’t do it, yet.” Bigamy wouldn’t look good on her record. When you won’t even discuss the possibility of marriage, one would think you’re hiding something.

Nah. Toni and Brad met at EMT training before firefighting school. Long history. At least 15 years. Which would be about 4 years, in Brad years.

But it’s funny you might think that. Makes me wonder how much Evans considers readers new to the strip.

Okay, I’m disappointed, but this still beats any Gunther storyline by a mile.

Let me tell everyone that I have no creative control over this comic, but I can always dream. As I have said in the past, I want to see more storylines featuring Bernice. Here’s the scenario: She somehow encounters a man (old enough to be her father) who introduces himself as a “self-styled occult philosopher.” He offers her library work in the lodge of a secret society. What will she do?

Then shame on Toni for using her looks to string him along. Shame on Brad for being stupid.

Crazy thought here— Toni seduces Brad, it’s Brad’s “first time,” he imagines himself a super-stud, tries to “conquer” Tiffany (is she a virgin?), and makes his life a maze of confusion, finally confessing it all to Nancy! What a world…

Gawd. Bwad may as well be Igor with his “Yes, Master” behavior, and Toni is just flat manipulative…playing him like a puppet. I guess this means Greg is going to keep letting this storyline go on and on, just like with Luann and Quill. Oy!

The current storyline, a tease to readers, began with the Relationship is like a shark analogy. Therefore, it not only seems like years, but there’s a definite blockage here. Toni appears not to trust Brad with marriage, her deepest feelings, while he has proved himself to be immature and easily manipulated by his ex-boss, TJ, and even Toni. In the end, he usually mans up. It’s time for him to do so again. Ask her to talk to him.

I hope she isn’t saying that when he does talk about marriage, whether it’s now or later, he’s gonna “mess it up.” Reverse the roles- the guy would be stringing the woman along. This does not look good at this point, and it’s frustrating for all of us.

He needs to put his foot down and tell her what’s what. And be done with her games. Marry him or go away.