Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for October 29, 2018

Whoa, take it easy, Inspector Javert!

Luann, Jack, this is no laughing matter.

I SWEAR. You give some Joker a flashlight and a badge and all of a sudden they think they’re “Dirty Harry.”

I must say however, that “Barney Fife,” IS one disagreeable fellow, even for a Rent-A-Cop.

He must have gotten a lot of baby carrots during Halloween when he went “trick or treating” as a child. ;)

Maybe Tara will come back, dump a megagiant soda on the rent-a-cop’s head, and they can get away in the confusion.

Yeah, As I said, they take VIP section violations seriously because they are purchased seats reserved for the buyers whether they are present or not. Nobody sits there except the buyers. They should have sat in any other empty seats beside VIP section. AND what’s that “we’re not criminals”?? Yes, you are. You are sitting in a seat that was paid for and belongs to somebody. You are stealing the seat. So, yes, you’re a criminal now. And where is Tara?? Luann, it is time for you to wake up and see Tara for who she is. She knew that was going to happen and she fled. You got suckered into this.

And, where is Ms. Tara? To cite an old song, will she be a devil or angel? Bernice, remember prom night and have the get-away car ready.

And unexpectedly the story turns into a tale about police violence.

Let’s not all be like Barney here and jump to conclusions…

It’s possible that Tara put this guy up to this for a laugh.

Alternatively, her absence might be coincidental. ✨

Little man; big badge?

I wonder if he is really a friend of Tara’s and this is an elaborate hoax.

Barney fife

Looks like those two will be chillin’ in the cooler.

I give you $100.00 if you let this slide.

Any chance RoboCop is a friend of Tara’s, and this is a setup?

Backup will probably be Ox, or Mr. Gray owns the seats.

Jack just reinforced the opinion many have that he is a dim bulb. Try telling any police officer to “Chill.”

Is this the End of this comic? One last strip with the shootout news where two dangerous looking criminals which were ravaging the VIP area are shoot with 10 bullets each?

It’s easy to criticise, but this is just an example of one of the many dumb things that young adults can do – the heady mix of “freedom” and some financial independence with the usual over-confidence of “yound blood” can easily lead to impromptu actions with unforeseen consequences.

One can only sigh and hope for the best for LuAnn and friends!

What the heck is going on? Luann and Jack are acting like they’re on drugs, frankly. As though Starr slipped them something. And why is the guard so angry? He’s calling them “rowdies” and calling for backup as though they’re combative.

Eat the rich.

Overreacting much?

There’s always that one over-eager guy at his job…

Oh uh..looks like someone takes his job too much seriously and in the worst possible way.

Maybe they’ll be shot for their crimes, and the strip will mercifully come to an end.

Luann’s NECK is thicker than the guard… he’s a true “pencil neck” if ever there were one…

Jack gets a beating by the Mall cops, rent a jerks .

Barney fife rules.

Yikes! It’s Ubersturmfurer Fife. Barney’s nephew.

I’m a security guard,and sadly that’s how some of them are.

(♪) There must have been some magic in that hat that he was given.’Cause when he put it on his head, he acted like he was [driven?]. (♪)

The sad thing is that if he emptied his clip at Luann and Jack, there would be a significant number of people saying, “Well, they were breaking the law, so that’s ok.”

It’s a gapped thing they are caucasian.

It’s a Barney Fife Halloween costume and it’s a Tara set-up!

He’s possessed by the ghost of Don Knots.

He’s high on diesel fumes! (Second-hand marijuana smoke?)

His brain has been scrambled by HdBS. High decibel syndrome.

Puberty kicked in last night and he’s on a testosterone rush.

He’s one battery short of a full flashlight. (I.e., he’s a dimbulb.)

Busted by Barney Fife. Will they wind up in The Rock?

I don’t know… this security guard isn’t packing heat (from what I can see). I think the worst that’ll happen is they’ll be asked to leave. Best case, they’ll have to change seats.

"Well, you’re gonna get taken to ‘where we incarcerate PERPETRATORS !!’ "

Anything, even with a Barney Fife type rent-a-cop reflects the issues we are having in society with interaction between police and largely African-Americans. But this is not a analogy, metaphor, or commentary of that; it is rather for laughs, and for the dynamic between Jack and Luann, with Tara along as an important character as well. I will go out on a limb here and predict that the back-up will be someone that they know, possibly Nil, or Bernice working a part-time job, Ox. Whomever it is I doubt if anything but hilarity will ensue.

I do think this is prank from Tara!

Okay a couple of observations, here.

1) Barney just made a classic mistake in the last panel. He turned his back on a perceived “threat,” (Jack). If Jack wanted to, and if that were indeed a firearm in the holster (its probably a flashlight), you’d have a instant hostage situation, the moment Jack grabbed it and pointed it at him. At the very least, Jack SHOULD grab that “Streamlight” and proceed to give “Barney” nuggies across his misshapen head, whilst shouting: “Helloooooo? Is Anybody Home?”

2) Does ANYONE, especially Luann, EVER have a successful “Date” in this Strip? I mean, Lu been out with Jack, what? Three times now? The first time, he broke her foot, the second time, they had a flat tire and the third they’re about to get hauled off to the hoosegow. If Jack is indeed Luann’s “Mr. Right,” then things ain’t looking too “rosy” for the Future.

And it’s not like there’s a lot of “Dating” going on in this Strip, anyway. But when it does happen there’s either Emotional Pain, Yelling, Food Fights, Confusion, Anger, Abandonment, Threats or “Time Limits.”

Small wonder the Young People NEVER have sex in the VAST Luanniverse. It’s just too DANGEROUS. ;)

5

This is obviously too extreme. It is not in any way obviously humorous either. So, what is the goal? Not sure, really, but here are some potential hypotheses:

1. Could Greg be using this as an allegorical play about the over-reaction that sometimes happens with folks in authority against folks of various persuasions who are committing what would be typically considered minor crimes? I mean, this sort of over-reaction does reflect allegorically several events that have been in the media spotlight during the last few years.

2. Since I think Tara suggested they move to the VIP seats…. and then she left… might she be trying to pull some sort of “prank” on Luann and Jack? If so, it really isn’t a nice prank.

3. Or, might Tara come back, rejoin Jack and Luann in this issue…. and the security guard presses this further….. and takes all three of them to the security office. Luann and Jack get kicked out because their prior record was clean, but Tara, because of her “TV incident” is prosecuted further?

4. Or might this just be an attempt at over-exaggerated behavior that is meant for laughs, but just unfortunately falls flat (at least for today)?

Not sure.

Yeah, get ‘em outta here. Rough ’em too. Don’t worry about being sued, I’ll pay the attorneys.

Criminal is people who think they are VIPs . Tara did good.We always ran to empty seats up front. the rich always break the law and get away with it.

Why buy expensive seats if you can buy nose bleed seats then move down?

Is that Beetle Bailey?

Who snitched? I bet it was Tara!

So Luann and Jack will get kicked out, Tara will come back to empty seats, and nobody will have any clue how to clear up this miscommunication because cell phones don’t exist in this world except when required by the plot. Perhaps someone should tell the Evanses that the whole “missed it by that much” thing has been rendered obsolete by modern communications.

Barney Fife? No, more like Lt. Fuzz from Beetle Bailey.

That went Left quick.

People who have authority but are at heart cowards call for backup and talk about “rowdies” when no one is offering aggressive or violent behavior. Are they in the wrong? Yes. Have they refused to leave the seats or said something stupid like “make me” or insulting the security guy? No. He’s overreacting as is often the case.

Hmmm. So this kind of preposterous over-reaction isn’t directed at African-Americans exclusively. . . .

“Nip It In The Bud!”

“Procedural, With Caution”

“Enforcer, And Several Cheers Ago”

“The Outfoxed And The Hounding”

“Can’t Shake Your Booting, Yeah, Yeah” (♪)

“(His) Radio Killed The Jumbotron’s Start” (♪)

“Badge Over Troubled Wanderers” (♪)

“Vagabonds In Stocks”

“How Do You Couch A Sectional?”

“No Taste For Concessions”

“I Take No Prisoners!….They Won’t Let Me…. "

“An Overstated Understanding”

or

“How The West Gate Was Won”

Last TSO concert I attended, a friend and I asked very sweetly if we could move to an empty reserved area, closer to the stage. Our request was honored. We rocked out to the songs, and the violinist gave us a nod of admiration. Asking is free, is my motto.

WHAT ! Rowdies at a monster truck show ! I’M SHOCKED, SHOCKED I SAY !!!

Would be fun if Brad was moonlighting as a security cop for this event.

Don’t taze me bro!

This guy reminds me of the CVS guy who called 911 when an African-American women presented what he claimed was a phony coupon. I think he called because she asked that he at least try to scan it before accusing her of fraud. In the Youtube video, the guy was shaking so hard on the phone, that the morning DJs I listen to joked he’d make the 911 operator dizzy.

there are always those who, when they put on a police/security uniform think that god died and left them in charge. IOW a very little power will feed those few to abuse whatever position they have

To quote Ron Burgundy: “That escalated quickly.”

Just wait to see who the “back up” is. I’m thinking maybe Dirk?

Victims of the Rent-An-Idiot-Cop service.

I take it all back. Let’s get back to Gunther and Les already.

And that tiny, weird house that was built for living in, not yelling in.

It sure looks to me like there is a joint in Jack’shand.

Actually, Taraʻs Dad is the guy who owns those seats, so she has gone to make it right. (Holy Cow its a DANGED Cartoon!!!!)

We’ve got to nip this in the bud, Andy! Nip this in the BUD!

Stealing? Maybe. Like to see a court case on it. You wonder why they aren’t locked down.

A bit of a stretch here. Any security guard who has worked a monster truck show has surely seen heavy duty rowdy and would consider this pretty tame.

whoa! Looks like we just met Paul Blart’s partner.

GnK have a habit of building up a dramatic situation with tense (apparent) conflict, only to suddenly defuse it with a deus ex machina. Like The Great Gulag Showdown. Once again this time?

Jack is in trouble. He said “Chill man” which is classic stoner talk. He’s about to get drug tested by barney fife.

I’m thinking Tara set them up for a practical joke…

Lt. Fuzz, Jr. is a perfect example of Peter’s Principal. He was a very good hall monitor, and excelled at crossing guard, but this event security position is just too much for him.

Could those two possibly be that clueless? The security officer probably thinks these two are asylum escapees and is screaming for help.

The first cop they’ve ever, ever shown… and he’s THIS?

Thanks, G&K. Thanks but not really.

The stadium’s rent-a-cop is probably younger by far than Luann or Jack, and wouldn’t recognize a Rowdy if a real one threw down on him! But things nonetheless do not augur well for our briefly happy duo of non-VIPs. They are about to get stiffed big time! Where the deuce is Tara?

Tomorrow, Jack and Luann get tased!

regarding an above comment, today’s stadium VIP, box seat area, etc…tend to have separate entry facilities. Lu, Jack and Tara wouldn’t have gotten this far….

Panel 1: WHAT tone?