Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 20, 2022

Awww.. why did you do it, Tiff? Stef isn’t worth it.

very carefully

See, right now, I’m still not entirely convinced of Les’s innocence just yet. Yeah, he seems defensive about the accusations, but we also know he can be pretty deceptive.

Other than that, if it is Ox, then I’m guessing it’s all just a big misunderstanding. Like he found it loose and took it for safekeeping without remembering to give it back.

I don’t think anyone stole the ring. Stef misplaced it herself.

So has the fact that Les has engaged in actual literal theft (strong-arm robbery against his fellow high school students) not gonna get referenced? How about when he created a fake charity while working at the Fuse so he could scam money from those with more generosity than sense? Has that been tossed down the Memory Hole as well?

“Well, Les, you are a slime ball and a known thief. So, yeah. I’m asking you.”

The only good thing about this story is that…..sorry, I can’t think of anything

Is THAT a Threat, “Leslie?”

And if you have “back issues” why the heck did you volunteer to help move in the first place??

I think I mentioned this yesterday. How different expectations are applied to Les and Ox. Plus, the characters are being portrayed in different ways. Les as making off-color comments and Ox being compliant and helpful.

“Back issues,” while carrying a case of glasses…

Nobody stole the stupid class ring. I just hope this arc comes to a nice, satisfying end.

Tiff back off I don’t think Les are anyone stole it. Knowing Stef she miss placed it are has in box or a drawer in her bedroom.

Ooh widdle bubby baby Oxy Woxy!

Yup, and then there’s just the obvious… If Les really did steal it, would he ever confess to it?? Nope! Total waste of time and will increase bad blood at her work place. Tiff blew it.

“Past performance can sometimes be indicative of present and future results.”

Sometimes old baggage is hard to shed…

Maybe Kip Lee still has the ring.

Remember that Leslie Knox help Tiffany Farrell break up the relationship between his mother and her father.

….. you would in a New York second.

Yes, Tiffany! Choose your words carefully. A friendship may be at stake!

Off Topic a bit here, and yes I can ramble but reading a digital collection of some early 2010’s strips made me really miss what i’ve seen of Knute and Krystal. Besides being adorable it now hits me just how alone Tiff feels in her stories. She’s not friendless, but she just dosen’t have the support she used to: Sure Crystal would critcize her, and given tiff was much worse back then, she deserved it, but there was a feeling of mutual respect. Tiff’s current friends, esepcailly now sh’es became a mostly better person (MOSTLY the kiff arc still boggles the mind), just don’t feel all that close; The nicest she has is Ox who has an unrequited crush on her. The rest of her friends are a sleazy mildly reformed scoundrel, a casual aquantince who tries to be friendly but dosen’t connect, gunther whose busy these days and is complicated due to her past crush on him, and Bets who again, started this arc taping her and yes I will bring that up because it was an objectvley mean and selfish thing to do. Re-Reading the two of them made me realize just how much Tiff really needs some solid support.. and also just how bad Bernice has always been as they try to frame her and Luann as this kind of friendship, but instead it comes off as two people who used to be close but now stay friends because they have no one else. I also wish Luann and Tiffany interacted more now Tiff’s changed, as most attempts to have them interact in the college era are just the old rivalry stuff. It’d be more intresting to go flash thompson on this (the comics one to be clear), and have them become friends. part of why they hated each other is they were so similiar. Thank you if you read this essay of a post

Tiffany: "Are you THREATENING me? ARE YOU? "

Panel No. 2. Got to work on your silhouette Tiff. You’re starting to look too “sturdy”.

Notice how, as he says he has back issues, Les is carrying a heavy crate of glasses.

Didn’t I say not to bother Les? Stef is not worth ruining your friendship with Les. Just fib and tell Stef neither Les nor Ox took the ring. Let her solve the ring mystery herself. Most likely she will find it eventually, and if she never does, who cares? She is the epitome of a Mean Girl who is not deserving of empathy.

Yes Tiffany, choose your words VERY carefully! That awful Stef is making Tiffany doubt her friends, she has to go! It’s like something toxic that can spread the contamination around her. Let’s hope that the friendship between Tiffany and Les doesn’t end just for the stupid suspicion of a terrible roommate.

Lest she forgets, this is the guy who helped her with her Ann Eiffel problem. Certainly that alone should earn Les the benefit of the doubt.

I’m still of the mind that Les didn’t steal that ring, but I’m starting to get a bid suspicious. He states, and has stated previously, that he has back issues, but is shown holding an industrial dish washer rack full of drinking glasses. From experience, I know that they can be as heavy, or heavier than cardboard moving boxes. Haven’t been through all the comments yet, but I’m sure someone else must’ve noticed this.

I think if Ox took it, it was on Kip’s request. They were football buddies, and Kip was already getting tired of Steff’s self centered, high maintenance BS.

So far, this arc is pretty quiet, at least compared to the drama of last week.

I’m no longer interested in this story…whoever has it needs to confess.

“I have back issues” he said as he hefted a storage rack full of glasses.

Les says he has back issues, yet he’s carrying that heavy crate full of glasses… And I’m not saying that Les took Stef’s ring… But let’s not forget, he did steal thousands of dollars via credit card fraud from his mother, Ann Eiffel…. Whether or not he thought it was “justified”, and that Ann is a rotten POS doesn’t matter. What he did was still a crime.

I repeat for the fifth time: the box was taped shut. It was opened when Steff opened it. No one could get at the contents (underwear etc.) until she herself opened it. Also, why would she put a ring n a box of underwear?

maybe you should just go ask Ox before this gets uglier then it is.

Kip took it. or whatever his name is..

Welllll, you were a shady character in High School, and you did steal from the Tip Jar, even if you did use the money for a good cause, soooo, yes you are capable of stealing the ring. Don’t think you did, but have to ask you for sure.

Knowing the area sees a lot of activity, me wonders if Stef is storing it Christopher Walken style (Pulp Fiction) and simply forgot about it.

Nope! Don’t fall into Steph’s trap, Tiffany! Don’t start accusing people! She likely was careless with it and lost it! She was careless enough to think she packed it away! Doesn’t show a lot of regard for it.

Please let Stef find that ring soon before Tiffany loses all her friends.

Les, you know you have a questionable reputation. And you have had issues with Ox since he stopped your bullying back in high school.

I did say that I think Les is innocent, but given how defensive and threatening he is getting, I’m beginning to have second thoughts.

“I have back issues.” Rings aren’t heavy, Les. All you had to do is see it.

That said, Les didn’t take it. Too obvious.

I’m still leaning toward Stef having lost the ring in the gym. She was so sweaty in the gym that the ring fell off. Or, having put the ring on the upper shelf of the locker, she forgot it when taking her shower.

Why is Tiffany spending her time investigating this nonsense? For that matter, why is she still roommates with Stef? She’s a pain in the neck, so why would the other three bring her back?

Interesting how offended Tiffany was when she got accused of stealing, but she turns around and does it to her friend Les. Unfortunately, if Steffanie finds out about Les’ past, she will be convinced he is the one who stole the ring. She’ll be firmly convinced of it, right up to the moment she finds it in the bottom of a box she hasn’t bothered to unpack. Les, on the other hand, will get some new scars out of all of this. The first one is on it’s way tomorrow.

I’ve got to admit, this is one of the better arcs, that Greg has written in awhile.

back issues? but he was there doing what then?

With you Les, well, there are genetic factors to consider.

… and the fellow with “back issues” is carrying a full tray of glasses. Those aren’t exactly light.

Who cares about this ring, and it’s Kippiness? It’s not worth anything, really, so who would want it, other than Stiff, er—Stef?

Tiffany phrased that very well in the first panel. She did not accuse Les, but Les still has to answer an accusation from Stef.

Maybe Ox does have the ring, for some totally innocent reason.

I think Kip found it on the floor and took it back, thinking Steph didn’t care much about it. Whatever the outcome, this is going to be good :)

Well, Les still has rough edges, making him still a bit edgy, but his bark is worse than his bite, plus Ox is there, so a threat to Tiff, whom he has a crush on, and the relationship Tiff has with Les, given the caper with his m0om Evil Ann, and her pops and the general time working together neuter’s any immediate threat. Misdirection play called. So, she will ask, he will dramatically say know, but Ox has been highlighted, the least likely suspect. What a whopper play. Doubt it’s him but hilarity will ensue. Plus, maybe a little growth.

The readers know that Les has stolen things more than once. But how much of that does Tiffany actually know about? She may know that Les had to pay his mom back for using her credit card, but that may be all she knows for sure. Tiffany did not see him take tips meant for someone else nor about his taking money from some event at the Fuse.

Why would anything think Les is threatening Tiff? He is simply saying that she is about to call him a thief and asking if she really means to do that. They are friends, Les is not threatening her in any way.

It’s ring around the rosies pocket full of posies!

“…are a wonderful person beyond reproach or question.”

https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2022/06/15 Looks like Stef loaded her own stuff

Back issues? Those dishwashing crates he’s carrying have to weigh 20-30 pounds.

Regardless the ring will be found by Saturday.

I have to go with the, Les didn’t do it, crowd.

Les says he has “back issues” while carrying a heavy rack of glasses?

Are “back issues” anything like “bone spurs”?

Les didn’t take the ring,but porterhouse steaks are missing from the Fuse freezer.

The proper words are, “Les, you are a waste of space.”

In thinking about it, if Les were to be playing bedroom acrobat with Steffi, I am sure his back would be just fine.

Does Les protest too much?

It’s in her old purse.

Envision here…Ox found the ring loose, recognized it as Kip’s and gave it to him. Once that is cleared up, Les helps to turn the tables on Steffi, ala Ann, and falls back into everyone’s good graces for a while. I’d like to see that happen, but…

Les, you do paint a picture of a bad boy. However, I don’t think you did it.

I think Steffi should check her purse..or her pockets…

All this drama is silly. Who would confess to stealing a nearly useless ring? Ask people if they saw it. Maybe someone will turn it in, say they found it some place or another. No way should Tiffany accuse everyone she knows. Just ask. Say it’s missing, ask for help.

Back issues while carrying a heavy tray of cups… sure….

Yes, the correct answer is “yes.”

I’ll wait to judge Les based on evidence. That said, his background would give him a different view of human nature than the others.

Back issues….while he carries a crate of glasses….the wrong way at that.

Tiff: “Stealing an object that has ‘Kippness’ doesn’t seem up your alley, Les!”

“you, well, sorry Les but you have a reputation that’s going to make some people think you’re the most likely to do something like that.”

Oh, go ahead; speak freely, Tiff. Leslie needs to know he is not beloved by all the cast of this strip. And any threats he makes are to be disregarded. “The Teddy Bear” will see to that if need be….