Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for February 19, 2021

sheesh, Bernice, control yourself! (if you want to know about Luann and Jack, just plainly spit it out in Jack’s face)

I like Ben. Asking the questions his sister wants to ask. Bernice getting torqued instead of listening raptly is really quite funny.

Hilarity ensues 1212! Hilarity ensues! 8^ )

Her slips are showing. ✨

El diálogo pudiera interpretarse como que Ben intentara juntar a Luann y Jack

Either Ben is terrible at reading verbal cues, or he doesn’t care how much he embarrasses her.

Uh, Bernice, Ben is the one who needed to rest, remember? If you’re ready to go, why don’t you go on ahead and let Jack keep Ben company while Ben catches his breath.

I guess some of us misunderstood yesterday’s ‘toon, because it looked like Ben was deliberately removing himself so Jack and Bernice could be alone. Here they are again, as a three-some, with Ben continuing to question Jack about his ’relationship’ with Luann, Bernice trying to cut off that talk, and Jack looking as puzzled by Bernice as he was before. Sure doesn’t look like Bernice will ‘win over’ Jack, considering the way she’s hollering at Ben…

Yeah….Bernice doesn’t want to know what he does with Luann. She is terrified that Jack will spill something she doesn’t want to hear.

Bernice is the one who is “off.” Her rocker, that is.

Well now.

Looks like Ben wasn’t “holding back” to let Jack and Bern spend some "alone time after all.

It’s good to see that he’s got his “second wind,” and caught up.

And now he’s getting straight to the point about Jack’s “love life.”

It appears that Jack doesn’t have one, despite having “Lots of friends who are girls.”

Bern should make note of Jack’s statement concerning his “gal pals,” and file it away for future reference.

Because the girls aren’t gonna stop being Jack’s friends he ever decides to go“steady.”

Especially if he decides to go “steady” with Bernice……, :)

It looks like Bernice’s outburst has caught Jack by surprise. Will Jack have any reaction to it, maybe get up and say “nice chatting, but I need to get moving”? Then that would leave Bernice upset with her brother and herself for blowing it. Jack also answered the “burning question” he has “lots of friends who are girls”, implying Luann is just another friend. Now if I was Ben, I’d come right out and say “Bernice was under the impression you might be dating Luann”, but that won’t happen.

River of Denial by Bernice Halper. The power of self preservation at work.

Houston! We have ignition! Watch Bernice launch into orbit!!!!!!!!

Not exactly a Mensa meeting with these three. I can’t believe anyone would be invested in Jack getting together with Bernice anymore, it’s insufferable.

I thought I knew where this was going – but no. I hope the Saturday toon takes care of this and we can get back to Luann and Tara

Ben’s tactic of “willful misunderstanding” reminds me of my late Aunt Rose. When I was young she used it to get me to unknowingly open up and tell her what was really going on in my life and in my head so that she could sprinkle some much-needed kernels of love and wisdom into the conversation. By the time I was old enough to catch on I wasn’t angry, it actually made me love her even more.

Because of her example, I think Ben knows exactly what he’s doing: he‘s cutting straight through the Gordian Knot of Bernice’s shyness, sense of propriety, suspicion, and misunderstanding that’s all tangled up with Jack’s aloofness, gentlemanly ways, and exercise tunnelvision. If he’s lucky, he might help the two of them get out of their own ways long enough to decide if there’s mutual attraction or not. I wish him well…

kenhense: I agree about getting back to Tara, but forget Luann. I’d like to see Tara and T.J. do some interacting. Who else thinks they would be a fun couple?

To recall an old saying, Bernice has “ants in her pants” and Ben is causing her agitation intentionally. And, I’m beginning to think that Jack is about a quart low in his hormones if he can’t sense that Bernice is hot for him.

Pat. Ace and Gary. And now Jack.

In the first panel, Bernice emitted a huge cloud of white gas or possibly steam. By the second and third panels, it had dissipated and is no longer visible.

Ben is not just Bernice’s brother. He’s also her backbone.

And we find out Jack’s gay in 3…. 2…. 1….

I thought Bernice was the sensible one but it looks like Luann has it more together for the long run while Bern will herself become a psych patient.

Ben is very deftly getting the answers Bernice would be mortified to ask for, while pretending to be an oaf. In good time, she will realize he was intentionally breaking the ice for her, having quickly perceived that is way beyond her capabilities. She may be very smart, but HE has far better “social antennae” – and is employing them on her behalf. The good, clever brother- with the help Bernice needed, and that Luann could not provide.

It’s getting a bit drawn out. Let’s move on.

You certainly are, Bernice.

You know Bernice, thee is exercise, and, there is “exercise>” Do you think Jack is talking about the form without quotation marks, or, ….

Bernice is definitely off… Off her rocker, that is…

No, Bernice. YOU are off!

I’ve always considered the activity that Berniece is concerned about happening between Luann and Jack to be a form of exercise. Unfortunately for me I haven’t exercised in years.

Just two ships passing by each other at night with no awareness of each others presence outside of that of a friend. No sparks or fireworks here folks. Nothing to see. Move along please.

I think Ben is determined to get to the truth—which is Luann is NOT seeing Jack.

Bern is getting further off every second!

I like what Ben is doing in trying to find out what is going on but I hope he does not push the envelope too far and he just might have in getting Bern to go ballistic when he brought up Bern’s big insecurity concerning Luann and probably has got Jack wondering “What the heck did I walk into here????” Nonetheless Ben made some progress with Bern today and may have burned a few calories off as an added bonus. Ben should suggest that they make this a morning ritual and then miss a few morning to give Bern and Jack some time together to chat alone. Ben is trying to get Bern to realize how out of reality her thinking has been but Ben also has to know that he is not going to clean out that attic of chaos and insecurity that is Bern’s mind on one morning walk.

Considering that Bernice thinks there’s been hanky panky between Jack & Luann she sure doesn’t want to hear a confirmation of it.

Exactly, how insecure and clingy are you, Bernice?

Ben presses on, while Bernice goes off, making Jack wonder what on earth is setting her off.

While others may think Ben is being nosy, lets back up to Bernices constant whining to Ben about her suspicion that Luann is seeing Jack.

Yet Bernice has spent several long nights fantasizing about Jack yet does nothing about it. Like pick up the phone and call Jack to at least see if he’s interested in going out with her. No, she Is just like a baby , they get a toy that they never play with until the one day when another baby wants to play with it and then all of a sudden the baby cries over it .

I keep thinking these characters are stuck in 9th grade. Then I have a talk with my 21 year old daughter about the various drama with her friends and I realize, nope, this is real for 21 year olds

Basketcase Bern..

She is acting like a 16 year old

If Bern really wanted to know what Luana had been doing just be patient and listen to what Jack really has to say.

“I have lots of friends who are girls.” Is Jack: a) a disguised alien who is unfamiliar with the English language; b) deliberately trolling them; or c) gay?

Bernice needs to calm down, Ben is just having a chat with Jack, asking normal questions that an adult can ask to a younger person. But her reaction is so exaggerated that Jack may begin to think there is something hidden. But, of course, thinking that Bernice can be able to chill out is pure abstraction.

I think he’s just trying to get answers for her. I love the writing in this comic! You never know for sure where the story is going. Good job!!

There are none so blind as the Clueless

I love Greg’s art today with Berniece. He has captured her movements and body language perfectly.

Darn! Looks like they went back for Ben. Love the way he just moves right along asking Jack questions. And they are innocent questions, nothing wrong with what he’s doing. Very smooth.

WAIT – LOTS of friends who are girls?? I wouldn’t want a boyfriend who had LOTS of “friends” who are girls. At least 60% of them would be hitting on him. It doesn’t matter if he’s the prince of platonic, it just looks bad and makes a girl feel insecure.

From awkward to angry in 2 seconds. That’s a new record, Bernice.

She is having her face shoved into the fact that she was lying to herself in making up stories about Jack and Luanne.

What is she, 12?

That’s what brothers do

I’ll say you are….

Looks like Bernice is finally going to have some fun it her stupid brother would just leave

Maybe Ben’s learned to tune out distractions, heh

Love how deftly Bernice is keeping her feelings so secret?

Somebody’s off.

All Jack is seeing this week is Bernice acting oddly and eager to get away from him. If she has any interest in Jack he will never pick up on it. He probably thinks Bernice does not like to be around him.

this is all coming to a head and how will it happen? Only Jack has the power to hit the pause button on Bern. If he grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her down next to him (with his arm on her shoulders then all of these questions coming from Ben would suddenly not matter.

I’m gonna call it now: in what seems to be the most hamhanded foreshadowing I’ve ever seen, the Evansii will reveal the Jack character is gay.

That didn’t take very long. I said just yesterday that Bernice can be pleasant enough by suppressing her real personality to catch/impress a guy, but soon enough, her real self will emerge.

So, in strip-time, in a matter of seconds, Bernice goes from being bland, smiling and trying to avoid an embarrassing situation to “Dictator RA” again. OBEY ME OR ELSE! she thinks.

To me it’s clear that this arc is a vehicle for developing possibly a development in Bernice’s serious repression issues she has in dealing realistically with her true feelings for a male of interest, with Ben the McGuffin wiser older brah. Is Jack capable of or interested in her as possibly more than a girl who is a good speed walking partner? Can Bernice get over her silly anger over whether Jack likes Luann (which she is as a friend only) and deal with the inevitable fall-out her caring but doofus friend will get into with Tara; if she does she will develop as a friend, sister, possible girlfriend or exercise partner with Jack. You know I hope he has feelings for her he can express, to her, but it should be her decision how to proceed whichever way that relationship is meant to turn out in Luannverse. Right now she is drawn as one in agony and I, for one, hope the intent is for her to have a good breakthrough.

Is Jack gay? That would be a nice change in the basic white straight group of people in the strip. Bets added some color, and then disappeared.

Maybe Jack is gay.

I consider sex to be a form of exercise.

Perhaps Jack is gay?

Bernice is being annoying. I for one would like to hear what Jack has to say. Ben is good at asking questions without seeming noisy, just interested. Reminds me of my husband, he asked a lot of questions because he really liked people and was interested. I just sat back and listened; learned a lot that way! Bernice should do the same. For those who say Ben is embarrassing her, she’s doing that herself.

Does anyone else think that maybe——just *_maybe_*———Jack will get the idea that Ben is interested in Luann since Ben keep bringing up her name and is seemingly trying to get info from Jack about her?

And yes I know Ben is married, and no, I’m not saying his marriage is on the rocks like some other posters.

I’m just bringing up the possibility that JACK may get the wrong idea.

Gee, Bern, you don’t know the first thing about men, namely they tend to be direct and to the point. Both of these guys, Ben and Jack are men who have been around enough and Ben’s line of thinking will appear innocent until good old Bern starts messing it up and making Jack think twice about her as a weirdo.

I sure hope Jack sees the red flags Bernice is throwing up here, and stays far away from that hot mess.

“OFF!! Topic”

“A Rested Development”

“View From The Bench”

What is going on w/ all these posters… insinuating Jack is gay? Mmm..isn’t that up to G&K? IMO…if they feels so strongly about this topic..maybe they should learn how to draw & package a comic reflecting their views and opinion.. hey just saying. :^)

Oh come on Bernice it’s getting good.

It looks like Jack is taking note of what it might be like to be around Bern very much.

Maybe Jack isn’t gay but ONLY interested in a long-term permanent relationship. So he dates girls; if he doesn’t think she’s “the one” they become friends. He dated Luann, knew he didn’t want to marry her, so didn’t see the sense in pursuing it as a romance.

Ben is good at trolling Bern.

Luann taking over her life.

Bernice is doing a fine job of chasing Jack away with her odd behavior. Extremely unattractive. Wouldn’t it be a punch to the gut if Jack said he was interested in Luann, but she doesn’t feel the same?

Yes you are.

Poor Jack. He is absolutely clueless.

He’s just a friendly fellow.

Ben knows exactly what he is doing!

Restraint, Bernie, would be my recommendation, except that you are not capable of that. Your frustration and rage have broken through that shallow facade of disinterest.

Soon, even Jack is going to notice how deranged Bern is getting.

Jack is either going to be into Bernice, or he isn’t.

Bernice is high-strung, but she is also highly intelligent. That may appeal to Jack.

It’s a brother thing.