Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for March 24, 2022

So, because a soldier, who was in a war, died before a famous musician was born… and that musician has been dead for 13 years… That makes the war current? What?!? LOL.

I think Luann is reaching a bit here.

That’s nothing. Keith Richards got his first exposure to music hearing the drum and fife at the Battle of Antietam.

Amazing Luann’s verbal exchange?

Luann askes, “Is Michael Jackson ancient history?”

I’m afraid for most 13 year olds the answer would be Michael who? He is very much old news,

Try a different tack!

Remember, math isn’t this kid’s strong suit either.

good call, Luann

So that’s what it takes to get kids to study history.

Dovetail it with the mention of a popstar from 30 years ago.

To tell the truth, some 13-year-olds might not even know who Micheal Jackson was.

The kid is thirteen years ago?

Luann, it takes more than that to grease this Axel…

What is truly amazing, is that LuAnn actually knew this information….

I have to confess this is the first strip to catch my attention in a long time. I see this differently than most of the commentators do. I see a kid who’s not motivated, has fallen way behind, is feeling vulnerable, left out, and is acting out in defense. It’ll be interesting to see where GnK take this arc.

Luann it would too much grease Axel Wheel.

This seems like a strange piece of trivia as it’s missing a key piece of information. She says “A civil war veteran died in 1956” but that’s rather without context. What Civil War veteran died that year? A quick google search reveals that the last Civil War veteran died that year. That gives it a bit more context.

Now I know some people are hating on her for picking MJ as the music artist to point out because he’s getting to the point where younger kids might not even know much about him or care. I know for instance that if someone tried to make me care about history by pointing out Elvis as having been alive near the historical event that wouldn’t mean much to me because Elvis was from before my time.

But now consider that MJ is still fairly modern and a famous black musician. Also, consider that a big part of the Civil War was in regards to slavery, and suddenly pointing out MJ makes a bit more sense.

Okay, Axel is ancient history with me. On to the next story line.

Okay. Luann has got me intrigued. And after some Googling, I believe I may have found the answer to her little query….

https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2019/09/minnesotan-albert-henry-woolson-was-the-last-surviving-civil-war-veteran/

Wacko Jacko is medieval history!

Me being a 30something trying to explain certain things to youngsters like VHS tapes, digital alarm clocks, and landline telephones makes it feel like I’m explaining ancient history.

It might seem silly, but Luann is showing the instincts of a gifted teacher, which I think whenever this strip gets to careers, she will prove to be, even if a bit doofus still. The point is to get the reluctant, twerp engaged, and that is exactly what she is doing.

Would this kid even know who michael jackson is?

I think that Axel is just intimidated by Faye. Girls, that age are much more mature than boys the same age.

Seriously, those ducky lips bother me….

Luann has to be really interested in the subject of the civil war if she’s able to remember such a thing. Another point for her ♡

Luann isn’t making any sense at all. Unless she can prove the civil war soldier was Michael Jackson’s great, great grandfather, or make some kind of reasonable connection, then I just don’t get her line of instruction at all. I’m with Axel, this is boring.

Luann: As far as nice tries go, that one was only average.

I will bet that the Civil War veteran never had his hair on fire during a Pepsi® commercial.

.

Just think, Pepsi was around during the life of the Civil War vet. So was fire…

Would a 13-year-old kid even know who Michael Jackson was? Michael Jackson died almost 13 years ago.

Someday he’s going to have to really study ancient history. Poor thing.

is this arc done yet?

This June, it’ll be 13 years since Michael Jackson’s death.

Wouldn’t that be “ancient history” to a punk like Axel??

Fail to learn from history, you’re doomed to repeat it. Something I forgot in affairs of the heart.

I might have said that the Civil War was a major test on our nation over serious causes like racial equality, the role of government, and national unity which remain extremely relevant to this day. But sure, Luann, spout some pointless trivia about MJ instead, that’ll get the kid focused for the long haul.

Michael Jackson died before Axel was born, or around, so he is ancient history to him. G&K might have well mentioned Mick Jagger or Paul McCartney who were born before the last civil war veteran died and are still alive and active.

Axel needs to have his head messed with.

With this attitude, it’s more than likely that Luann will be history, as far as teaching Axel goes.

Elian Gonzalez is 28 years old. “Baby Jessica” is 35. JonBenet Ramsey, had she lived, would be 32 now. Louise Joy Brown (the first test-tube baby) is 43. I’m willing to bet Axel has never heard of any of these people who were famous as children.

Axle’s head is full of air… Not much to mess with there…

She could tell him the last widow of a Civil War soldier, Helen Viola Jackson, died in 2020.

Or that there were soldiers in both armies who were his age or even younger. Mostly drummer boys but there were a few active soldiers who were around 13.

I remember hearing a statistic on a PBS discussion regarding the need to improve the teaching of history and geography, this was about 35 years ago and it stated that college admissions testing showed the average freshman could not place the US Civil War within a 50-year time frame. That meant that a large number of students thought it might be contemporaneous with the War of 1812 (which was fought with horses, sailing ships, and muzzleloaders) or with World War One (which included tanks, aircraft, submarines, poison gas, machine guns, and so on). Sadly, nothing I have seen convinces me that the situation hasn’t worsened in the intervening years.

Clever Lu.

Luann, don’t mess with his head, pick a more challenging target.

does anyone have any doubts luanne should be a teacher?

This is brilliant!

I don’t think this kid has any black friends.

I don’t find the civil war to be all that interesting. But then I like renaissance festivals and Star Trek conventions – 500 years in the past or 500 years in the future – it’s only the current 1000 years that’s boring.

She is referring to the late Albert Woodson, a Drummer Boy in the Civil War who is buried in the Park Hill Cemetery in Duluth Minnesota. I have been to the grave site, it is the same cemetery as my brother in laws…

Wow, Luann is showing some real grasp of history and its relevance to current events. I would’ve thought Bernice would be up on civil war veteran’s deaths and famous personalities births, but not our Luann. This presents a whole different side to Luann that I had not known. It could’ve been just luck, or a bit of trivia that stuck in her mind. But, still, Luann connected the two together and made a point about historical relevance. Either way, it’s quite impressive.

No, no, that’s ignorant.

I’m impressed Luann had that sort of knowledge in her head.

Have we ever been given any indication that Luann had dates like this floating around in her head?

1958 is 51 years before this kid was born. The equivalent for me would be a singer born in 1907. Really ancient history for a kid who was into the Beatles.

“I don’t need your civil warIt feeds the rich while it buries the poor”

That was good, she’ll make a fine educator!

I’m surprised he knows who Jackson was.

What does Michael Jackson have to do with the Civil War?? That is just lame and it feels rude. I don’t think a pop music artist has any place at all in a lesson about US History. Is this another one of those times that Greg shows or mentions a person or a product and then gets paid a nice big check? Maybe the cd sales were down over at Jackson Central, LOL!

How about this for putting things in perspective—in 1977, the guillotine was last used in France while the first Star Wars movie came out. I’m pretty sure Axel has heard of Star Wars.

“Okay, now you’re starting mess with my head.”

“My dear boy, your head was a mess long before I came along.”

Her point is that if 1956 is ancient history, how can two years later NOT be ancient histiry?

Abraham Lincoln was one of the most brilliant men in history. “A house divided cannot stand” is a lesson we must all relearn. The people of this country must get together and act as one country, or our children might be speaking Russian one day. The seeds are now being sewn. God please help us stop the conflict now. One Adolph Hitler was enough. History is important, hopefully we can learn to help each other.

Sometimes it blows my mind that Peter Tchaikovsky died in 1894 and my grandfather was born in 1896. (He was 53 when my father was born. We’re late bloomers.)

Most of my college students would respond that Michael Jackson is ancient history.

Back in the eighties my home town paper wanted to know if there was anyone still around who had known someone born in the 18th century. One woman remembered her great grandfather who sang to her and bounced her on his knee when she was a little girl. Turns out the man had been born in 1798 and passed on in 1903. She herself had been born in 1898. One hundred years sounds like a long time until you realize that the Civil War was less than two consecutive lifetimes in the past.

Doesn’t take a lot.

Not just “A” Civil War Veteran – Albert Henry Woolson. The very last CWV to pass.

Given recent history, this arc will run 2-3 weeks and end with a weak gag line. Maybe with Luann or Axel dressed as the Easter Bunny.

Please find another story line.

His head needs messing!!

Anyone else have a serious dislike for this punk?

ka-zing Luann!

That’s Luann: She reaches. And she doesn’t know things.

Good job, Luann. It’s about context. And the word Ancient"

The last Civil War veteran died in 1959, a General from the South

Maybe she could have mentioned Fatty Arbuckle and Billy Barty. They’re both dead, too.

A kid his age may not even know who MJ was… Remember when Kanye collaborated with Paul McCartney, and all his fans were like “Who’s this guy that Kanye discovered?”

Today’ s teachers don’t teach History or Civics the way it was taught to us.

It is amazing how many readers do not understand what Luann is doing. Albert Einstein died 3 years before I was born and that makes him seem more relevant to me. His lifetime almost overlapped my lifetime.

I think this kid would actually feel that Michael Jackson is about as ancient as the civil war.

Probably to today’s 13 year old, Michael Jackson, who died before they were born and whose biggest hits were from their parents days, is indeed ancient history.

Some things are worth messing with. Some things are fun to mess with.

His head?

Meh.

I like it that Luann is trying to engage Axel rather than just dismissing him for his unwillingness to learn.

I’m sort of in between wishing this particular arc was “ancient history” and hoping Luann gets through to this kid. I’ve got a feeling, though, that he’s going to prove to be a real bone head. We may be in for a long run here.

I learned something new today! That is what a tudor is supposed to be doing, teaching something new to the student

The good news is Michael Jackson is history. I didn’t say anything about good history.

Small Fry…hanging around the poolroom

Small Fry…you should be in the schoolroom

Hey now,put out that cigarette

You ain’t a grown-up high and mighty yet.

Small Fry…stacking up your pennies

Small Fry…counting up how many

My.My.,just listen here to me

You ain’t the biggest catfish in the sea.

He looks like he’s trying not to vomit.

Luann is doing a good job of engaging Axel by pointing out dates relating to people and events that he cares about as being not that far removed from those Axel professes to have no interest in because (n his mind) they are ancient history.

Fun fact: the last person receiving a Civil War pension was Irene Triplett. She died in 2020. Her father (who had fought for both the Confederacy and the Union) was around 80 when she was born; since she was cognitively disabled, she qualified to inherit his veteran’s pension upon his death.

his head definitely needs some messing with.

I want to slap those lips right off his face.

What IS it with that kid? I’d like to hand him and his purty mouth over to the guys in Deliverance.

Ha!

Go ahead (ahem!), Luann! Couldn’t make things much worse than they already are with Axel!

Kid, your head is already a mess.

I remember a Red Skelton Show, where, at the end, he was talking with the audience, as he so often did. He made an impassioned plea to not forget our fathers and grandfathers who served in the military, and were now in their old age. It took me a couple minutes to realize he was talking about the veterans of World War I. Until that moment, they hadn’t been real, as people, to me. They were very real to him.

Reminds me of the time I was teaching a class of high school students and said something about remembering when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, and I noticed they were all looking at me in a funny way… and realized I remembered seeing it when it happened, but they had only seen the recording — DECADES later… suddenly I felt like an historical character myself!

I actually knew a family friend who lived well into the 21st Century who’s father was a Confederate soldier.

One of President Tyler’s grandsons is still alive. Tyler was born in Washington’s first term.

I remember when I was kid (the 1970s) the coverage when the last Spanish American war veteran living in our area passed away.

Most of Luann’s teacher/mentor/volunteer arcs start with her getting into trouble with someone before miraculously getting out of it. School – Principal Purgus. Fay – Helicopter mother. Kids Place – fight with Tiffany. Etc. & so on…

Good way of teaching a kid to see time as linear, not “just now” and “long long and irrelevant ago”. I get the same reaction with the bright kids telling me that WWII was in the dim past, and I tell them that my still living parents were kids during that time and do remember it and that I grew up among people who lived and fought in it, or survived the camps. That makes it suddenly real to them in a way no book can.