Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for April 28, 2015

I think Gunther needs counseling from Bernice… better yet, Dez.

Take him out and push him down a hill, Quill!

Obviously, Gunther is still waiting for Mr. Evans to deliver him his new “bio-script”, complete with his new character profile and years’ supply of speech balloons, through the mail…

Gunther might just need to get some new action.

…Well, apparently Mr. Evans isn’t entertaining thoughts of bringing Rosa back. She’s gone for good.

“Johnny Question”“The Deep End Of The Pool”“Process Of Elimination”“Asking For Directions”“Lost And Found…And Lost, Again”“Think About Direction, Wonder Why You Haven’t, Before” (♫)“Life Is A Funny Riddle?” (♫) “Carry On…With Questions” (♫)or“Can’t See The Forest, With All These Trees In The Way!”

Or that “Government Grants” guy, Matthew Lesko…..

Who am I?Can I conceal myself forevermore?Pretend I’m not the man I was before?And must my name until I dieBe no more than an alibi?

I hope today’s strip will put to rest the misguided opinion, often expressed herein, that Gunther’s misery is due to his pining for Rosa. Gunther’s misery is due to his being Gunther. Unfortunately, “new Gunther” = “old Gunther with a different shirt and with stubble”. That’s it. If Greg Evans wishes us to perceive that the character has somehow changed, he has a long way to go to show us exactly how. It’s the same old G-man, and now he’s been thrown for a loop because Mommy isn’t conforming to his rigid design for his future life. You’re 18 years old and legally an adult, Gunther. Realize that sometimes things change, and stop whining and just adjust to them!

I remember those years, and feelings, all too well.

But the point Brd was making was that Riddler was literally full of questions- as his get-up indicated… – And that he was known for “Quandaries Of Querry”, itself, whether or not he knew “what he wanted”….

Quill needs to introduce Gunther to Mr. Foster!

That’s $#%$#%$ why you go to college!But, you can easily learn all that, on the street where you live.Much cheaper!!Or, traveling.Don’t ask Bernice. That’s like the blind, leading the blind.

I would love to see Gunther introduced to Dez. Thinking she is going to become a major character as time goes on. She;s growing on me….

New poll at Luann Tracker.If I get enough responses, I’ll create a special poll tomorrow for people to say what they think Gunthie should do next.

Let’s See:

Gunther Is Uncertain about HIS Future.Luann Is Uncertain about HER Future.

Sounds like a MATCH to Me.

First, Someone Should SLAP Some SENSE Into the Two of Them. (Hey, It Always Worked in the Movies)

Second, Send the “Stumbling Block” for the Two of Them, (In THIS Case,Pretty-Boy) BACK to Oz. For GOOD. Gunther Seems to have Gotten RID of His.

Then, Without INTERFERENCE, Lu and Gunth Will Slowly but SURELY Gravitate Toward Each Other.

THEN All Will Be Right With the Cartoon World.

Oh Waitress? COFFEE, Please! I’m Feeling Delightfully ENLIGHTENED Today!

Gunther asks “Who Am I?” Isn’t it obvious, he’s Jean ValJean!

Gee Gunther, welcome to the real world. Very happy you’ve hopped off your mom’s teet.

Oh, can it, Gunther! You’re philosophizing beyond your pay-grade, so to speak. If you’ve given up on Rosa, and can’t find your way in Pitts, just chill and go live in Mom’s basement for the rest of your willfully miserable life….

I feel today could be easily represented by the group Question Mark and the Mysterians.

He’s got plenty of time to figure all that out. Just enjoy college and stop thinking so much.

Ha! Nice one!

Great response, Quill.- First, form a relationship.

Repeat in different words what the client is saying.Repeat the emotion- Only THEN, when he knows he is understood, can you explore either causes or options.

Maybe he should go to NY too, or instead of Luann.

Gunther, did not anyone give you that Dr. Seuss book for graduation, “Oh, the Places You Will Go”? If not, learn from the past, prepare for the future and the flow will go just fine.

This is an improvement at least. At least he is being fairly level headed. He realizes that Rosa is not right for him, at least right now. He realizes his old “original” B.R. Plan (Before Rosa Plan) is not right for him. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++That is helpful. Now that Gunther realizes it, he can think and make some decisions to make his life what HE wants it to be. That is what he should be doing. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Regardless of what others think (including women in some sort of poll mentioned yesterday), I think Gunther should either let his beard and moustache grow out or shave. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Interestingly, grown out beards and moustaches are actually experiencing a resurgence in being “trendy” so perhaps Gunther should try that out. Hell, who knew I’d finally be “trendy” after growing my beard several decades ago? :)

I think he should go back to nerdy, plaid and glasses… Life was much easier. And don’t forget the collar button.

What a lucky guy. Here you were stuck in a rut and you didn’t even know it. Now your whole future is open to become whatever you want it to.

Gunther, you are who you are. Your “path” in life has always led back to your Mom’s basement, where you will spend your adult life living as a dweeb. The only difference now is that Mr. Gray will be upstairs living with your Mom. Yeah, it’s a shock, but deal with it.

Just remember, Bernice is turned on by his beard.

It is interesting to note that in “Luann en Espanol” the colorist has selected a different (more “rugged”) color choice for Gunther’s sweater (both yesterday and today). The English version’s orangish/slightly pinkish color is more akin to the “old school” Gunther, whereas the Spanish version’s darker sweater seems more in keeping with how many of us were thinking the “new Gunther” would become.

How alike Gunther and Luann are.

Ah, that moment when every assumption you had about adulthood turns out to be wrong!

Once again Guther looks a 1/2 times larger than frail Quill here! What’s up with that????

I am not sure, Dave53…. it is interesting to speculate. It could be that the perception is that in traditional Spanish speaking households, the orangish/pinkish color reads VERY feminine and this was an attempt to dilute that idea. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++To me, the orangish/pinkish color choice DOES read a bit more “effeminate” and sort of “Martha Stewart-ish”. The darker version on the Spanish site reads more rugged and “trans-formative” to me. Not that there is anything wrong with being effeminate if Gunther wishes to be.

What makes you think that they never had an intimate moment?

Yes, many of Gunther’s actions appear to lack “machismo,” but not necessairly all, Asted1990. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++1) I think Gunther does whine too much. That seems to diminish his “machismo”. 2) I do think he has obsessed over his mother’s BOYFRIEND, which I think is a bit different than saying he obsesses over his mother. If he had acted protective in his obsession over the boyfriend, that could potentially be perceived as within the scope of normalcy in several cultures and potentially “macho”, but the portrayal here seems that Gunther is more irritated and annoyed about it rather than protective.3) Leaving a long-time girlfriend who you do not find yourself compatible seems appropriate in all cultures and is neither “macho” nor “unmacho”. The notion that Gunther did not copulate with Rosa could be perceived by some folks as being “unmacho” but it could also be perceived as his not being ready to copulate, wanting to wait for marriage prior to copulating, or something else entirely.

Gunther should not expect to get all his answers all at once or quickly. Since he doesn’t seem to work (NONE of these college kids in this strip seem to) after his last class on Friday he should shelve the books, have a drink or 2 and go enjoy life. Just my opinion.

I thought that was from the pepper more than the beer. And you’ve GOT to start building up your tolerance sometime.

It used to be the draft that took care of this. Now it’s “college,” which usually means four or more years of doing nothing much except being indoctrinated with liberal nonsense.

All this “questioning” dilemma about “Who am I?” seems artificial. It’s already been resolved, just a few months ago:

Gunther still can’t deal with how the presence of Mr. Gray has destroyed his pat vision for the future. Let you Mom be happy, and get on with the rest of your life, Gunther. Pathetic.

No one said anything about “sexual dynamo” (did you really say that?) but at that age with minimal supervision 2 young people are going to enjoy each other.

And will you like and can you live with the answers you find once you’re done…?

Gunther is hitting the wall because he doesn’t have a FATHER. He needs a mentor or at least a male to emulate. It is a big deficit to fill for a boy without a man in his life.

Gunther just need to get on his motorcycle and ride. But he has no motorcycle, and would get wiped out in 30 seconds if he did, so there he is.

RB2….. instead of it being “Norman Bates Scary” couldn’t it simply be: 1) Gunther realized pursuing Rosa did not make him happy, 2) His plan to take care of his Mom is not likely to happen and he is realizing that both “taking care of” and “not taking care of” his Mom isn’t going to make him happy, and 3) the courses he is taking to start his engineering degree are not making him happy? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++To me, today is really the first Gunther strip since he went on the bus ride with the Peruvian retireees that seems REAL, seems PROGRESSIVE, and seems in keeping with his CHARACTER. Today’s comic was a breath of fresh air in many ways.

Brdshtt… I thought of that same story. Even though I am sure the actual living with such a condition was horrible… the theoretical aspects seem ripe for humor.

Also, remember that we actually didn’t see any of Gunther’s and Luis’s trip back to Lima, nor did we actually see Gunther’s bus trip with with the Sun City Senior(ita)s. What we actually saw was just a flashback of the events in the story as Gunther told it to his Mom and Quill, sitting around the breakfast table. Maybe he spun that ridiculous yarn about getting completely wasted from one beer that he accidentally drank, because it was actually a much more sordid tale and he doesn’t want to say what really happened.

BTW, Jay, I hope you and yours are safe… It was a pretty bad night in Baltimore, last night. Stay safe man….

> You think he was attacked by Cougars? Could be…>Whatever happened in that week on the bus was the “life changing experience” (if indeed he had one at all) in Peru. That’s when he grew the beard, for some reason that has never been explained. (He was on his way to the airport, so we must have had his razor in his suitcase, she why didn’t he continue to shave?) Maybe the “Senior(ita)s” story is very, very different from what we saw in his flashback…

If Moody U has a drama department it must also have costume design classes, or at least opportunities to work with costumes. Get thee to a costume design class, Gunther!

RB2…. while at times I agree with you about Gunther and have often been FED UP with his whining… I think TODAY’S whining is actually more positive…. and is actually a step of progress:++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++He now has stated he realizes he does not want to be with Rosa, he also seems to be more aware that what he has been doing since his return is not making him happy (getting worked up about Gray, taking a typical freshman engineering course load). ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++To me, this is far more progress than his ranting and grouchy behavior. It is more progress than the whole arc where he dated Rosa, more progress than the arc about going to Peru. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++I don’t really see Quill as offering much in the way of advice, however. To me, he is just being the bland sounding-board he always is portrayed as with whatever character he is with.

I forgot to add…. RB2…. I see today as progressive because now he is showing self awareness…. and may finally be at a point where he can make a decision or two about his future…. based upon WHAT HE WANTS in life.

My wife showed me a short video of a woman in Baltimore catching her 17 year old son dressed in black, face covered, and hoodie on. She was trying to stop him from participating in the rioting and looting. She grabbed him and was slapping the living daylights out of him as he was trying to get away.

I’ve seen it. I’d put the URL in here, but it’s a tad too NSFW. Lot’s of language, etc.

I just hope she doesn’t get nailed for “child abuse.”

Maybe we’re back to this identity crisis?

Gunther says “I thought of that.” Maybe he’s having second thoughts about it now?

and Tiff is more “action oriented” than Bernice …

Yeah, I can’t see it being Bernice… Because, then, she and Lu would really be going at it! ;-PPP

No, IT no longer seems to be Gunther’s path, and that’s his issue. He literally is paralyzed with indecision, because what he thought was his future now seems empty to him.

-If you’re trying to say you like it too, just come right out and say it. We’re not here to judge-LOL!!!!

It isn’t the presence of Mr. Gray that gutted Gunther’s vision of his future. He hid behind that excuse. In fact, what changed him WAS his trip to Peru. Not that he became a brand new guy, but that, for the first time, he started questioning everything he took for granted, including what he should do with the rest of his life. And it’s scaring the hell out of him…

When you can only do one thing well it only enjoy one thing, the path is single.When you have many paths but a limited lifetime, the many paths become a burden.What you need is much, much more time.

He needs one of those 28 second hugs from Dez… for starters… (that could freak him out more); then he need to ask the destiny deck a question.. Both he and Luann (in a previous strip) expressed total confusion. Luann visited Dez and the destiny deck. Now it is Gunther’s turn.

I still also think Gunther should let his beard and mustache grow out. It could be a symbol of his mental maturation. To me, the scruffy look symbolizes indecision.

It’s astounded me despite never really being seen with a boyfriend before Tiffany is implied to be a slut the minute she’s brought up.

up until the Peru trip, Gunther never envisioned his world outside that of his sheltered homelife, Pitt high school and going to Moony. That was the small circle of life in his mind. Then in the span of a few months, that view underwent a drastic expansion. The gradual coming to terms with a wider world is a long term ongoing process..

I truly was disappointed in the outcome of the food truck debacle. It had the potential for so much drama, so much excitement. Really show Brad has grown up. Nope, Evans took the easy way out and tied it with a nice little bow.

I still don’t see how Peru had an impact on Gunther. He’s not someone like Delta or Rosa who is socially aware. He’s self-centered, and he’s concerned about his own little world, not about South America.

Now you can take my interpretation as you want but we haven’t seen any growth from anyone.

> I’ve been baffled on why he suddenly hates his career path in the first place.>Maybe the week on the bus was some sort of “walk on the wild side” that has made him question his plans for a straight-and-narrow solid-citizen engineer/nerd career. He is already wearing shirts that don’t button at the collar, unlike those graph-paper plaid numbers he kept tightly buttoned at the neck. I wish we knew what all he did during that fateful week!

NOOOOOOOOOO.

I just found out that singer Joni Mitchell has taken a turn for the worse and is now in a coma.

Not so fast….

TV Guide – Joni Mitchell’s family denies she is in a coma

If Greg Evans really wanted to spin an interesting story, he could have the truth leak out that it wasn’t a busload load of senior ladies but a tour group of young gay guys. That might have been life-changing for Gunther!

Maybe Bernice can show Gunther a new path.

Good one!

SPOILER ALERT!-The Argys called it…

Not only did she do that, she kept trying to yank off his hoodie and mask to expose his butt to the world, to teach him… had to rewind every so often, as it was hillarious seeing “Junior” get the “mama’s gone getcha!” treatment in front of his so called “boys” and others….

Sadly, there’s also the sad passing of the actress we all knew as “Tracy Partridge”, and of Jayne Meadows (Steve Allen’s Wife and a show business veteran, herself)….