Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for December 13, 2024

So what is Luann’s obsession with getting everyone to donate blood now? First she wanted to donate her kidney and now instead of just donating some blood herself, she wants to make sure lots of people do it. And at a bar?

This whole arc isn’t working because sickness/diseases and blood transfusions just aren’t good comedic subjects.

I hope we get a new arc on Monday.

I would make an observation about Bernice, but I know doing so will garner me a sexist/misogynistic label, so instead, I’ll just mention that Luann’s sensibilities just took a turn into the morbid somewhat.

I was going to say that I was getting tired of this arc because it’s been all talk with nothing happening. A blood drive at the Fuse has a spark of potential. But Bernice calling it a “beer bar” seems totally out of place. But then when isn’t she in the wrong place all the time.

Luann who is going to pay for the music, games, and bouncy house?

Now that was a fun exchange (between Lu & Bern).

Bernice seems to be obsessed with Phil—whom she hasn’t even met yet!

“You know what else is hard? A pan.”

-You didn’t let me gues-PANG

The Fuse is a restaurant as well!!

Bernice’s Beer Bar Blood Bonanza!

If nothin else, it’ll be a great alliteration. Go get em Bernice you come up with some of th dangest ideas!

I never realized that the Fuse was specifically a beer bar. I’ve never seen anyone order (or pour) a beer.

If Luann won a lottery and donated every penny to charity, B would find something wrong with that…

Luann hasn’t thought this out.

The Fuse has a bar and Nancy DeGroot is the bartender. Al Gray hired Pru as the original bartender.

she just wants to impress Phill, just like she does all the time, quite sad actually, I do like burn can even tell.

Well, Luann, it is hard to take you seriously when you keep such bad friends.

Bernice seems to have only “men” on the brain

Increased seriousness could lead to -cide. (Su, hom, fratr,… some sort.)

While understanding Max’s complaint about the arc, I do realize the intent of it: Comedic setup for serious messaging. There is an informative aspect to also take note of here. A blood drive does not fall into any controversial description within the culture war, so it’s safe-ish humor; nothing with the scent of woke here. There is still a need for nuance and delicacy, when a serious subject is being addressed. Bern’s snark is good for a chuckle.

Might the Fuse have separate banquet/meeting room?

Bernice isn’t what you’d refer to as ‘wife material’.

Having a blood drive at a bar… Maybe Luanne hasn’t thought this through.

Oh.

So could it be that the arc is moving to the Fuse, as someone suggested the other day, before the _angry torch and pitchfork-bearing mob _ showed up?

Wonder of Wonders.

Now if the Fuse is indeed the next locale, let’s see WHO steps up and gives blood. ;-)

[DUCKS]

Good for Luann. She’s demonstrating maturity by thinking outside herself for the holidays. By wanting to organize a blood drive, and thinking of all the good that could accomplish, she’s grown beyond thinking of her own wants and needs. I wonder if she’ll explore healthcare as a profession now?

Forget it, Luann! We know your type by now. All you care about is boys!

I’m beginning to really dislike Bernice’s attitude.

I believe there is a message here of a personal nature about donating organs and blood. Perhaps the Evans’ family had gone through this or they know someone who had.

About time Luann wants to do something at The Fuse! She has the ability to organize spaces, maybe she can work together with Tiffany, who is good at planning events, and they can do something important for help blood donation. Needless to say, Bernice’s behavior is always the same. Every time Luann really wants to do something she believes in, she mocks and belittles her. I’m more and more sure she’s a fake friend.

It certainly won’t take much of an arc to go over Luann’s head.

Or this arc has been a plug for readers to give blood. To make you (the reader) aware at this time of year there is usually a blood shortage due to increase need and few donors. Weren’t you paying attention?

This is a little over the top, making some kind of big party out of giving blood, but typical Luann. It isn’t clear that she’s even done it herself yet and now she’s taking on the role of being some kind of ambassador for giving blood; cart before the horse as usual.

I don’t think blood drive and restaurant is a good combo. Less so if they have a bar, since they tell you not to drink after donating.

Leave Phil out of this, Burnoose. Or at least hope rubber gloves aren’t the only thing he wears. BTW… Phil is a swine.

Never mind all these grand plans, I would be impressed if LuAnn actually followed through and donated.

I think this has been a great arc, and I think it’s a great idea. Good for Luann.

I hope we get new commenters, not someone so permanently negative.

Luann, now you’re starting to creep my out.

Two thoughts occurred to me after reading today’s strip:

Is Bernice jealous of Phil? I mean, it seems as if Luann is taking advice from Phil and and acting upon that advice before checking in with her? Is Bernice concerned her counsel is not the only advice Luann considers now?

What on earth possessed Luann to think a Bouncy house would be a good idea at a blood drive? I can’t think of much more of a distraction than having kids running around a restaurant screaming, laughing, crying, and bouncing with a bunch of people laying on gurneys with needles stuck in their arms.

Bouncy House at a family blood drive? Where does LuAnn get all her goofy ideas? Besides, Sannon is off with her dad, crashing on a friends couch.

1. Bernice sounds jealous. Why does she think Luann has to have feelings for Phil? They might just turn out to be acquaintances.2. The organ/blood donation storyline is a great way of throwing focus onto a serious, often overlooked subject. However, trying to turn it into a family event stretches credibility a bit — kids can’t give blood, and holding the event at a bar makes it even less appropriate for anyone under 18 (or perhaps 21).3. Brad and Teri, however, should be 110 percent in on this. This could be a great bonding moment for Luann and her big brother.

That’s what Phil said.

My 2 cents worth, or maybe 3 or 4, having been in the “events” biz too long….ARC or whatever group has a lot of requirements for where an event can be staged. IRL, The Fuse may fit the criteria, it might not. Bernice, and others, can be rejected for many reasons, such as if they have gotten a tattoo in the past year. That’s a lot of college students out, right there. If you are lucky, you have an ARC regional director who is sensitive to local needs, and they know there are a lot of Luanns who will offer up Mom’s place toward some ulterior motive. Community service hours, something for the resume, there are many valid outcomes, and the need is great. I myself may go out and give double-red reading all this; I’m at over 55 days since last time. It’s comics-land, I hope a blood drive happens at The Fuse! Bets can video-tape, maybe Stef will turn out to have at least one positive attribute, her blood type, Les will less negative. Alas, IRL, Phil might not be there. He has, uh, a job. Don’t ever graduate, Luann!

Soon Luann will be nagging everyone to go down to the hospice and cradle the dying in their arms. And they could put on a pony ride for the kids.

For crying out loud, has Luann ever even been to a blood drive? It’s not a flippin’ carnival (at least none of the ones I went to were). You get there, fill out paperwork, give some blood, eat a few snacks and go.

Though I suspect part of it is so that Luann can use the excuse “I’m too busy running the event” as a way out of donating any blood herself. We already saw how she used party-planning as an excuse for not voting, after all.

Well, this is where the emotional and developmental problems come out in Luann. Childlike, she gets all carried away about having a big party and how fun it all sounds. At her age she should be aware that there are organizations who are legally authorized to conduct blood drives. Not to mention she never thinks about where the money for the events she imagines will come from. Maybe Bernice will suggest something constructive.

Luann has been hard to read this last year, I’ve been following Luann for over two decades. From on newspaper, when i would come home from school to read the funnies and always looked forward to luann, and from reading them online. We went through high school together and I thought by now when I graduated from college luann would’ve been graduated and moved on and we would’ve seen more of luann’s development into adulthood. Instead we are still in college with Luann. We are still in the same place we have been for the last ten years. And the story has been good, but lately it feels like the show Dallas. Where the past stories with JR and Bobby were great, and then you brought JR’s older son on, and then the story started becomning dull after that. And there have been good moments with Brad and Toni, mainly i feel the story has been at its highest point with Brad and Toni. While the drama at the college has gotten old, and needs to move on. Whereas a week reading a strip focused on Bernice is intolerable, unless finally she gets called out for a being a terrible best friend like she is doing right now (which we know is not going to happen) sorry for the long rant. I never post any comments. I like to stay quiet( i may delete this comment because i don’t like making comments). This weeks and last weeks strip have almost made me stop reading Luann everyday. Lynn Johnston did it right with For better or worse, where the readers got to grow up with michael and elizebeth, and every story and writer is different, but Dieser Scheiß hier wird langsam alt. Hopefully, with the new year approaching maybe Greg and Karen take a different approach with Luann, maybe but so far I’m close to closing the book on Luann. I hope who ever reads this post has great day and wonderful weekend, and this is my last time making a comment in the chat, and I may possible delete this comment.

If Luann donated a pint, I’m sure she’d phil the bag.

Usually I concur with Bernice a lot, but she’s just being unnecessarily negative now.

I don’t think he’s trying to be ‘funny’ with this – I think he’s trying to make the point that not nearly enough people do donate blood and we wouldn’t have a shortage if we all did donate.. She’s trying to get her people involved and save lives.

What’s with Bern’s attitude? Why is she always putting Lu down with her ideas? Is she jealous of her? When was the last time she went in for therapy?

Instead of orange juice, they could serve beer after people donate blood. “A pint for a pint”. Sounds catchy

Bernice annoys me …

I owned a bar for 17 yrs and we raised a lot of money for local and national charoites.

Bernice is kind of a terrible friend, sometimes

There is something seriously wrong with Bernice, that or she is terribly jealous of Luann

This blood drive is turning into a party. I find this to be a quirky and borderline creepy idea. What started out as a nice Christmas gesture has gone haywire thanks to Luann.

Way to go Luann, actual action and passion about something is a good thing. Darn (can’t say that other word) the Torpedos, or maybe the FaceBook Grandma’s ! ;-)

Bernice’s characterization of being a judgmental pill is beyond tired. The main point plot hinges entirely on looking down on someone trying to launch a blood drive.

Bernice is quite the buzzkill.

Luann has a great idea and a good cause.

What a bunch of brats you all are being.

First of allyou definitely know how to goose comments and stimulate interest in and hopeful participation in this extremely important subject. I see what you did there Evanses and its brilliant. i definitely want to see the arc continue. I hope the party at the Fuse (I’ll go out on a limb and predict it) will tie together this great message, y is a clue toward where this arc might be heading.comedically,and the Phil angle. Bernice throwing cold water onlcomecomedically

I have to amend my above comment on a different computer because the page would not close an ad that was right on top of my comment. My point was yes continue the arc, and I hope that Phil is thrown in the mix, at the holiday party, which I feel pretty confident, since Bernice was drawn in her best sarcastic mode.

Whoa whoa whoa, I’m getting whiplash! My neck hurts! All this week, Bern was stuffing her face, and I thought it was because she was totally onboard with doing a blood donation. She was unqualified due to being underweight, so she crammed as much food into the gullet as possible so she can just barely make 110 lbs, right?

“Wow, thought I. Generosity and altruism from Bernice! G&K are really pushing this blood donation thing, and even perpetual cynic Bernice is ready to head out NOW to donate! No questions about ‘Phil said this, Phil said that’ as the absolute truth, no snark! Whooooooo!”

Oh silly me! And now we see Bernice’s cynicism again. Li’l Miss sourpuss face returns in Panel 2. And now that she’s stuffed and might be 110 lbs, why isn’t she driving to the blood center now? If she waits too long, those extra lbs are all headed for the flush.

Are you onboard or not, Miss B? Or is shooting down Luann more important than donating blood, now that you might be 110 lbs for the next few hours?

A blood drive would be a good thing. Unfortunately Luann is proposing it for the wrong reason. Of course if she didn’t try so hard to impress boys, there would go one of Greg and Karen’s favorite storylines.

Devil’s Advocate? Gotta have one, and who else will take the job? Tiffany? Bets? Gunther?

I think Bernice needs to get a reality check. It’s not all about boys.

I wish Luann had a best friend that really liked her.

Luanne has had her Phil of being asked about Phil

Bernice will make the first donation after Luann gives her a bloody nose

Bernice is a HORRIBLE friend.

There goes Bernice being a PITA, again. Luann isn’t “pivoting” from Phil, a guy she JUST MET and only spoke to about Mrs. Horner and donating blood. BERNICE is the one suddenly obsessed with him. This girl needs therapy.

Bernice you’re a female dog.

Bad idea.

I guess Bernice isn’t being her usual critical self, but seeing what Luann’s angle is. Can’t Luann help others AND impress Phil at the same time? At least she’s doing something constructive.

Good grief, the comments here are exhausting. How about we point out something that has been a fact for a LOONG time. Namely that Bernice is a self-centered, snotty little beeyotch who seems to live to enjoy raining on Luann’s parade. Frankly, I’m getting fed up with Bernice’s attitude and would like to see an arc where she gets her arrogant tail handed to her big time. Bleah!!!!

You heard them, Bernice. Nobody loves you. Leave them all behind and seek your fortune elsewhere.

That’s what she said…