Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for December 07, 2023

So it was just an imaginative essay! She may have just wrote it to try to impress Tara and Piro. Doesn’t mean it’s true, in the least.

I hope she gives Piro and Tara a piece of her mind for bailing out on their skydiving adventure. You don’t set up a day and time and then not show up.

“Imaginative,” so fake jump?

“Imaginative Essay”? So it was all made up. She didn’t really go skydiving. It’s all just a story.

Last PAGE – FINISH LINE!!

Smiles all around.

As I commented yesterday, we are being exposed to a “changed” Luann. Will we be exposed to some of the “changes” in the next couple of days. She can start by telling off Tara and Piro about discounting her and her feelings about blowing off their group parachute jump and not informing her!

So she made the whole thing up??

If that’s the case, Lu has a great career ahead of her in politics.

Right on up until she gets caught……, ;-)

At long last, Luann had something she could write about. This has been one of the more compelling and engaging arcs we’ve had in a long time.

I love the Cute Ending! And the smiles on their faces!

So if this is “imaginative writing” then the jump never took place. Which brings me to my Monday comment “That would be such a cheap cop-out.”

“Imaginative” could mean that it was written in a way that uses a more poetic style and not just who, what, when, where and how. We hear about how the jump made Luann feel, not just the facts of what happened. It seems important to some commenters that she is “making it up” or that the strip’s authors are somehow pulling a fast one on readers, but really…sometimes a jump is just a jump, and a classroom essay is exactly that. It’s entirely possible that Luann made the jump and wrote about, despite the “clues” in the helmet colors.

Wait a minute. If this is truly just imaginative? Then all the incidents Luann mentioned skydiving was just imaginative as well. Including Tiffany’s party. Bets returning, and erroneously thinks Gunther has chosen Luann because she’s ‘safe’. To which she replies “Hey, I’m going skydiving”.

Imaginative doesn’t necessarily mean unreal. Sometimes it can mean expressive. Such as Luann’s writing style of this essay.

I hope Miss “Changed Me” will have the gumption to tell Tara off for “accidentally forgetting” to tell Luann about her and Piro canceling their plans without telling her even after knowing Luann was anxious about trying the whole thing. Even the instructor said that’s no behavior of any real friend.

And, no, I’m not actually naive enough to expect that Luann will hold her friends’ bad behavior to account. I feel like a running theme of the strip is that the protagonists just don’t care about being disrespected; but I just think if we’re getting a “Changed Luann” the most worthy thing to see would be her not putting up with friends who don’t really respect her.

Please don’t tell me she didn’t really jump.

‘Imaginative Essay’

Looks like we’ll be barbequing some crow here for th ones who were adamant she actully jumped.

Man, Luann should get a award for that story.

Wait. So, she just imagined this whole thing?

Well it’s not Saturday. Maybe we’ll know a little more before this arc is over.

So was it a writing based on an actual experience or just an imaginative essay on what she visualized her skydiving would be like? Hard to tell at the moment. I guess we’ll find out when the class ends and she talks with the Starr cousins. The duo who abandoned her.

Methinks at this point G&K want us still to be wondering.

Now will the changed Luann give Tara and Piro a piece of her mind for baling on her. One of the best well written arcs in awhile it had depth and very imaginative.

“Total Recall”, G&K style?

So it was Frank after all, and Luann is just using her imagination. That sign in the lobby stating that credits were transferable was shown in the panel, and I thought it had a meaning to this arc. We were sure it was Frank, and then Luann was shown instead. I wondered why the sign. Now it makes sense.

So it remains that Brad and Toni getting married is the only event that Greg actually saw through to it’s completion. Of course he did let the kids graduate from high school, about 50 years ago.

I knew this whole thing was a fake! But at least Tara and Piro are impressed.

I wonder if the reactions of Luann’s parents (Nancy’s helicoptering and Frank’s indifference) were also part of her imagination.

Let’s give Greg some credit here. He got us hooked on the ever so long story line, and that’s what a story teller ( or cartoonist) hopes for.

Friday & Saturday? Is Halloween over?? Xmas season?

Is Luann still Nineteen?

I hope that it wasn’t an imaginary essay. hope that she jumped. think that she jumped because of the 200.00 dollar. non refundable fee.

I guess you can be PO’d but can’t spell it out either here or on the other site. Tomorrow we will find out the truth.

Serious question -

How does this purple prose compare to student writing generated for actual creative writing classes?

Would Community College creative writing classes be any different from those at four-year colleges?

I’m disappointed by the number of people who continue to insist that Luann did not go skydiving and her essay published this week is all made up. To me this has been a very enjoyable week. Luann was doing something. The art and writing was top notch. This has been everything I have wanted Luann to be. I do tend to be grumpy and critical but beneath the grump has always been the wish that Luann could be better. It pains me to see all this cynicism. Do people really want Luann to forever live the life of an empty vessel? I hope not.

Mind you if G&K do pull a switcheroo I will be extremely angry with them. Tomorrow we will know. I hope it is Luann showing the video of her jump.

Okay I’m lost. Did she or didn’t she skydive?

She really did it. She wrote the essay on the “What I did this summer and how I felt about that” format.

If this is an entirely imaginative essay, then Tara and Piro’s standing her up was also part of her imagination.

On the other hand, it could be a real experience imaginatively written—thats what I’m hoping.

I wanted to learn about the process of creative writing. I got an English prof who wanted navel-gazing papers, no effort to teach the craft of writing. For my final I made up a story about skiing in the French Alps – me a kid who had never been out of the Midwest. That was my tongue-in-cheek F.U. for wasting my credit $$ and time. It was a good paper though. 4.0 the class.

Ok, I hate this now. I don’t even care if she did go through, or didn’t go through with it at this point; just the mere not-exactly a cliffhanger, triggering more uncertainty and more debating in the comments… CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A LUANN ARC THAT ACTUALLY LEADS SOMEWHERE???

Should have known it was all made up. >sigh<

Kudos to those who called this moment. We’ve got 2 days left in the week for some aftermath/fallout, however. We’ll get the “reality” of it figured out, too.

So where did the fantasy start? Did they really make plans to sky dive in the first place?

Eh, I called it yesterday.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Luann did the jump, how else could she have given such an essay.

According to the english digest: An “imaginative essay” is a type of creative writing that uses the writer’s imagination to create a story or a narrative. It is similar to a fictional essay, but it is not necessarily limited to the realm of fiction. An imaginative essay can be based on real-life events or experiences and use the writer’s imagination to explore different perspectives, emotions, or outcomes.

We might be seeing a different Luann from now on.

See Luann? It’s always nice to try new things.

Ya know. In the back of my mind I knew that this had to be the ending….. And I’m glad. But wait! It’s only Thursday though. :)

So the only question that remains is, HOW FAR BACK DOES THE IMAGINATION GO?

She committed to jumping weeks ago … or is that just in “real time”?

Or it could be a mash up. Per the sign, she transferred ticket to Frank, and Lu then imaginatively wrote it as tho she had dived.

Mrs. Horner’s expression says she’s seeing her younger self in the new, freer Lusnn.

Brilliant prose, Luann.

Brilliant prose, Luann.

The story is over. Looking at Luann’s satisfied expression, I think that it’s taken from her real experience and not a fantasy. Just like all the stories Luann written so far. Mrs. Horner looks so proud of her student and it’s natural, she’s following in her footsteps! Tara and Piro are listening in the front row. They seem really happy for her. I’m starting to doubt they forget to tell her or they had some problem, maybe they wanted Luann to decide to jump alone, for herself and not for follow them. Let’s hope they give her an explanation ASAP.

So in other words, Luann wimped out at the last second!

I’m inclined to think the jump was real and the “imagination essay” is there to throw us off. But who knows.

I think the bigger point is that Luann had been struggling with her writing for so long, and turns out she just needed an adventure to inspire her. She has been wallowing and bumbling but is now off to the races!

For the record, that’s an average speed of more than 22 miles per hour.

The Evans imagine Luann every day.

Interesting (but sad) how some posters go to “telling off” Tara and Piro without actually knowing the “real” chain of events. Assumptions and aggression are an over reaction when the subject is a comic. Seems to be a systemic issue in our society bleeding over to Luann’s fans and anti-fans. :-(

So did LuAnn really jump or throw away the non-refundable deposit, since this was an ‘Imaginative Essay’? I guess we’ll never know. Darn that Greg! The topic on the board should have read " Real Life Adventure Essay".

Well done, Luann, well done!

Oh, no, don’t tell me it’s the old Dallas trick again!

Wait, 13,000 feet???

Don’t first time jumpers go up a lot lower than that? Experienced sky divers will have to clarify this…

In order to be able to write this essay in such vivid detail means she actually did the dive. What she described in her summary is exactly how I felt after my skydive!!!

Cool!

it’s only Thursday… we have Friday and Saturday to see if she really jumped, I hope she did, Luann needs a solo adventure. The sign said no refunds, but transfer credits allowed… does that mean to another date or person?

The essay was beautiful and the jump DID happen. Luann has finally moved from the person that almost does something to the person that did do something.

If it’s not true I will be disappointed and mad!

Why is everyone so determined that it turn out Luann did not jump? Whether she did or not doesn’t matter to me, I just don’t understand why so many in the comments seem to dead set to be proven right that she didn’t go through with it.

The Truth is the Truth. Belief is optional, and all on you!

So did she or didn’t she? I’m hoping she did and used her imagination to capture the event as she saw it.

My personal sense is she jumped, and the experience helped her, finally, to find her muse—stimulating being in the event itself. Misdirection play alert.

I think she really jumped

Another imagination story! I’m really disappointed. I wanted Luanne to jump and grow up a little.

LuAnn jumped! She actually jumped. She did not include Tara and Cousin Piro-Walter not jumping without informing her because the jump was a great positive experience for LuAnn. She wants the essay to concentrate on that. The cousins-two are smiling now but after class they will get a piece of her mind.

I don’t understand why so many people seem to be hoping this was all just imagination. It would be so sad if that were the case.

On a different subject – aren’t college-level writing submissions supposed to be more that two paragraphs? This seems like grade school requirements.

What’s with the teacher’s “I’ve never heard anything so ADORABLE!” pose?!?

There is no sign at all that Luann did not skydive. I’m going to say that she did jump.

Really? A college class and it’s like reading a 5th grade “what I did on my summer vacation” and the teacher is enthralled.

I’ve never been a fan of misdirection fantasy/dream sequences anywhere, especially in comic strips where artwork space is at a premium. You spend a lot of time investing in the characters and their world. Then, the author(s) says; “Sorry suckers, I was just kidding!” This past year, the Luann strip has leaned a little in that direction. But at least it isn’t in 9 Chickweed Lane territory…yet.

Has Luann demonstrated this level of creative writing before? I really don’t remember. To me, Luann definitely has skills, but not in this direction.

I hope she didn’t catch any stray insects in her mouth before she landed.

Greg Karen don’t let this go to the side make Luann a super woman. When I was a teen I had a lot of adventures and a lot of fun met a lot of great people. With out MY Parent’s that was so cool! You still can write about Toon town. I ‘m having a real life I’m 65 retired now getting back into the saddle again for fun not a job

“wil the circle be unbroken,by and by lord by and by”

Luann has the makings of a good writer.

She’s finishing the story with two days left in the week? Seems like tomorrow will be Piro and Tara gushing over how brave she was…. and then Saturday has her going home and thanking her dad for doing the trip in her stead and giving her such a detailed description for her to use in the story. After all, there’s a reason the Saturday strip showed the jumper in full helmet and referred to only as “Degroot”, and a reason for the prominent placement of the sign saying that refunds wouldn’t be given but transfers were okay. And if you don’t think Greg would pull a fakeout like this, need I remind you of Gunther’s recent dream sequence of returning from the road trip with Bets (August 14-18, 2023)? And how about September 1-3, 2016 where he made it look like Brad and Toni were eloping?

There’s a strong possibility I’m wrong though. If I am and Luann really did it, then I’m very proud of her (and will gladly eat crow here.) But still, something about this storyarc is activating the ol’ danger sense.

Who shot J.R.?

Now if she does these dives more often, she could become a writer

oh she went through with it!!…and that’s why she’s the star!

I am thinking she jumped. I sincerely doubt that you could write such prose without having had the experience she detailed. I think this imaginary essay was classic G&K misdirection.Who knows? But I will say again this has been a great arc and I hope Luann continues this growth. It’s gonna be painful going back to the dorm or mansion after this.

Oh, I hope the whole thing wasn’t imaginative! I’m so disappointed if it was!

Wow, what a let down………..poof!

A lot of discussion on whether Luann actually went through with the jump, or is it nothing more than an imaginative essay. Personally, I hope she did go through with the jump.

An imaginative essay doesn’t mean it has to be fiction. It can just be a real life story told imaginatively—in other words, interestingly. Essays are usually not fiction.

Did you survive??

(He asked the clearly live narrator.)

Well if she didnt go on the trip, she seems to have knowledge about skydiving that she cluldnt have without if.

December 7: Anniversary of Pear Harbor bombing. We remember.

. December 7, 2023:. Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it.

Now to business. Next week on LuannFan we surely will be told which, if any, Evans went skydiving. Place your bets. Window’s open

A.. No oneB. GregC. KarenD. Two or more of above

I luv it! Luanne did something unique and brave all by herself!

D*mn you, Greg. D*mn you! You couldn’t let Luann have her moment of pure joy. What an absolutely despicable and cowardly stunt. Shame on you.

I love this!

Tomorrow we learn that Luann transferred her credit to Frank, seen approaching the plane 12/02. Saturday, we learn that Frank thought it was terrific and bought Luann a spot on later flight.

Notice how in the strip of 12/02, the left rear wheel of the landing gear is just outside the plane’s shadow, and the foot of the ladder is just at the edge of the shadow, On 12/04, both are well within the shadow. Clearly, the strips are meant to depict the starts of two different flights, also explaining the differences in headgear and in the colors of the webbing on the students’ harnesses.

Or maybe not. Or, then again, maybe. Who knows? Not us. Yet.

P.S., Don’t ask me about the shadows of the plane’s wings (or about why the window seen next to the door on 12/05 isn’t visible on any outside view of the plane).

Imaginative essay?? Did she do it, or not? Maybe she asked Piro and Tara what it was like when they did it.

Wow! Such a good faller.

So the skydiving episode of the last week was a fiction? Maybe Luann made up the events of the last 38 years of the strip (I’m really stretching the point) like Bob Newhart waking at the end of his last sitcom series to find he’s still in his previous sitcom. Bleepin’ clever at the time.

We have 2 more days this week to finish the story. I hope the Evens clearly state whether on not Luann actually jumped. I think she did jump, but I can see both sides of the argument.

If she didn’t actually do it, then I am done with this strip. “I grew and changed… hypothetically!” What a waste of an actually interesting plot development.

Let’s assume the last panel is reality. Why are Tara and Piro smiling instead of dreading Luann’s response to leaving her out to fly by herself?

Something is still off here.

Am I the only one here enjoying the ambiguousness of this? Did she or didn’t she? We may never know!

Why couldn’t it be an essay on something she experienced? And thanks to her friends for getting her to do it?

On Saturday after the instructor told her to get new friends. She mentioned that she would if she survived. She was pretty determined to jump at that point.

I’d hope somewhere in the story was something about how she was going to do it with now-former friends who bailed on her.

AND you got brgging rights…..

Seems to me Luann’d fare better in life as a good creative/imaginative writer thn a mediocre tandem jumper. Aside frm all th clues Greg’s thrown out thts my real reason for this all jus being writing an no jumping on her part an she has kinda been moving towards writing as we’ve seen before

I vote for “she did”! At this point in the strip it would be way too disappointing (for Luann’s sake) for her to have not jumped.

Yay, Luann!

Looks like everyone is enjoying Luann’s essay. And that is what makes me think it happened for real——it is an essay. Not a short story.

Read the chalkboard! “It was an imaginative essay!” Luann chickened out and ran straight home and wrote this essay!

Imaginative is not the same as imaginary!

So she didn’t make the jump.

Four American paratroopers on D-Day “refused to jump,” staying in their C-47s to face universal hatred by their erstwhile buddies and savage disciplinary consequences as a result.

Lu wins the admiration of her teacher. Beats a Pulitzer any day.

So, it took a life-changing experience to motivate her to write what may be the best essay she’s ever written (so far).

Bearing in mind, though, that she’s proven to be quite the poet.

She jumped out of a plane, and lived to write about it.

You go, girl!

Tara and Piro should feel like heels now.

If she really made the jump, it was all presented technically accurately here. (Speaking as someone who jumped for about 10 years in the 90’s.) I’m betting that she did go through with it.

So Lu DID make the whole thing up and it was her pop that jumped.

Not so much surprised as disappointed.

Luann like Bernice is still playing it safe. Maybe THAT is why the two are such “pals.”

And Lu?

There is NO in the World I would have told Piro and especially Tara, the TRUTH.

Surprisingly well written, Luann. But, still, just a story. “Changed you” never really happened, unfortunately….