Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for January 29, 2019

lo and behold, the comments section of GoComics is like what Prudence is talking about

Thinking about Gunther’s cleanly shaven face? What about Jack? Luann? Luann??? Geez, these kids and their phones.

Hey (hey), Lu, (Lu), get off of thy Cloud!

Well, Well, WELL! Who’da Thought “Who” Luann was REALLY texting, huh?

My, My, MY, will wonders never cease?

But I’m not getting my hopes up here. No way. The rest of this Arc will probably be a much needed life lesson on “folks spending to much time on the phone.”

And No, My Favorite Nerd doesn’t stand a chance against Jack.

And No, this doesn’t mean that Luann will be falling for a bookworm that likes to show off his “towels.”

But isn’t it interesting that unlike Tiffany, Lu likes Him, clean shaven?

Only “5 minutes away,” eh? Go, Luann! It would be nice for the Gulag to have a female visitor that doesn’t put a guy on a “time limit.”

I was walking past people waiting at the bus terminal today, and EVERYONE under 50 was glued to their smartphone. Very disconcerting. If anything happened, there would be no true witnesses. Everyone is just too distracted.

SO, for the first time in a long time or ever, the Sunday strip was a precursor to the week strip arc. Luann was yakking on her smartphone on the couch with her parents in the Sunday’s strip, then this is continued in yesterday and today’s strips, this time, with Pru on the couch. And Luann, listen to Pru. You are a dimwit and need to listen to the smarter woman which Pru is. When was the last time you saw Gunther in person? Bernice? Tiffany? Apparently, Pru too as she was excited to spend time with you and what did you do? Ignore her in favor of an inanimate object. Listen to her and turn off your robot and get a life. Use the robot only when you need it, not for sitting on the couch for hours browsing and idly texting about silly stuff like kitchen towels. Do people really take pictures of their kitchen towels and then talk about it in a text messenger? Now, I feel Les having to live with Gunther.

When did Pru become Luann’s mother?

So I didn’t know that Luann & Gunther have been constantly bonding with texts, chats, videos, etc. Interesting that Gunther doesn’t seem like much fun in person – but he can engage Luann with all the tech loops. After all, you wouldn’t send just anybody photos of your kitchen towels. Well we now have an entire cast for the dinner party I’ve been anticipating the past year: Irma, Al, Les, Tiffany, Ann, Tom, Gunther and Luann. Of course Tom’s cell phone would be ringing, so we will only see the back of his head as he reaches to answer it.

Pru. Likable lady, terrible hair, needs someone to hang out with. I think she must be 10 or 15 years older than Luann and is wasting her time and talent in Pitts. She came to help Quill and now Quill is gone. She tried to start a drama group for kids and that failed. Pru. Pru. Go back to Broadway, N.Y., and take Tiffany and Tara with you.

Will Luann visit the Gulag??? Not anytime soon!

So now that we have a change of thread we will see the usual complaints. “I want the last one back!” “The last one dragged on too long!” “I hate these characters! Why don’t we have ___ back?” “This is too dramatic!” “This is too boring!” “This is too weird!” “This is too ordinary!” “This is not funny!” “This isn’t taking life seriously enough!” “I can read my politics into this and it’s drubbing your politics!”

The fact is, every story arc that somebody hates somebody else wishes would go on forever. And every character that somebody wishes would disappear is somebody else’s favorite.

I know the concept is so hard to fathom, but PUT THE PHONE DOWN! And LEAVE it down unless it rings.

Lu, listen to old, wise Pru and ditch the ‘phone for some old-fashioned TV! Never stop to think that you’re flitting from one screen to another…

Go on Luann. It has to beat sitting around in your nightwear with your roomie watching Moana, and, whatever.

That Sly Dog, Gunther! He’s got Luann talkin’ towels, like they’re life-long quilting bee buddies… and she’s not even protesting…. He may not be the most suave gent, the most ‘Dos XX-ies’ kind of guy… but he sure does know how to get girls to talk to him!

“Towel-e-Vision”

“Kitchen Consequential”

“Talking Threads, As If It Were ‘Once In A Lifetime’ " (♪)

“For The Record, I’ve Never Allowed John Linen In The Kitchen!”

“We Were Absorbed In Our Conversation”

“Gunther’s Terry-ble Idea”

“None Of Tour Business!”

“Don’t Cry Out: ‘Cloud!’ " (♬♩)

“Hey! You! Get Off Of My Virtual Sky Cotton!” (♩)

“A Facetime, Only A Mother Could Love”

or

“Gunther’s Slicker Picker-Upper”

I used to teach a computer class at a local elementary school (grades 1-10). One day, since all the kids had finished their assignments, I let them have a free time, where they could do whatever they wanted on the computers. They all went to a chat site (this was before Skype and similar programas) and started chatting with each other. Nobody spoke to the person who was sitting right next to them; they chatted online instead.

Hmph.

Luann and Gunther? Hmmm/

I can totally understand not wanting to deal with Gunther in person, as irritable as he’s been lately. Social media allows a little distance.

I think Pru really wants to say, “I’ve got something you can give real FaceTime to!”

I says, “hey, you, get out of my cloud”

Did Luann just consider point-blank face-to-face lip-to-lip time with Gunther?

Smartphones – the joy of human interaction without the smell.

5

Hmm. So, Pru is basically going to be filler used to direct Luann to visit Gunther? That is kind of disappointing in a way, as I was hoping to have Pru featured in a story again.

In terms of Luann and Gunther…. together….. this would seem to fit perfectly in the theme of regressing of characters… like we have seen for Tiffany. I hope that is not the direction it goes, but it is reading like that to me today.

Another way this may be leading is that perhaps Greg is developing a conflicted love triangle for Luann…. Jack versus Gunther? In that case, I am a bit sad too because then it would seem like either Jack or Gunther will be hurt in the process.

I really like Pru’s advice to get off the cloud. That is important for a lot of folks to hear.

Um… Those aren’t towels. That’s his underwear drawer.

Maybe Tiffany should give Pru a makeover. When she first appeared she was the epitome of NYC chic but these days she looks a little dated. A new hairstyle and wardrobe would do wonders for her. Also, I like Pru but she is in danger of becoming a marginalized character so either she should be made more a part of the story or moved out like Delta and others to make room for some newer, fresher characters. She’s at an awkward age to fit in here—too young to fit in with Luann’s parents yet a bit too old for Luann’s college crowd. Either she needs to meet some new people or return to NY.

Pru, being a warm, but single lady, cares for other people, their children, and animals. This is good, but the acid test would be having her babysit for Shannon.

Rub his shaven face, Luann.

Guess Luann doesn’t care for the “fuzzy face” look.

Sorry Pipe and Mordy !

Pru in an obvious wingman effort to get to the strip’s conclusion that I have been predicting for years.

Luann uses the phone too much, she has always done it, but now she has someone telling her that she is exaggerating and this one is not one of her parents. Will Luann be able to understand the advice Pru is giving her this time? Luckily there is Pru to push her to improve, all her other friends seem to let Luann do whatever she want even if it a disaster or really dumb, but not her. GO PRU!!!

I can hardly wait until Gunther sends Luann a picture of his new outboard motor cozy.

And that is how you get to be alone while still in limited contact with people.

I was kinda hoping to see sparks fly with Luann & Jack. He really turned out to be a decent guy. Gunthie is a judgmental mama’s boy and a nerd. He’s be a good fit for a bore like Bernice.

Luann is addicted. Help her go Cold Turkey, Pru!

tomorrow : Luann uses her phone GPS to find Gunther.

If she goes to see Gunther, she might see Les, and nobody wants that