"Luann," a part of the Star's Sunday lineup of comic characters since June, is joining the daily family Monday.
A comic strip drawn by Greg Evans, "Luann" began in 1985 and now appears in more than 350 newspapers nationwide.
It tells the story of Luann DeGroot and how she deals with her typical teenage life.
As she explains on the United Features Syndicate Web site, "I'm 16, I'm a Virgo and I go to Pitts High School (motto: We're the Pitts!) I'm average in most every way, except I have large feet."
And, like the average teenager, she has her share of angst. Anxieties over her life, her image, boys, teachers, schoolwork, friends — and non-friends. Her nemesis Tiffany Farrell comes to mind. She's gorgeous, attractive to the boys and shallow. ("Think of all the words that rhyme with 'witch' and you'll have a good description," Luann says.)
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On top of all that, Luann has parents, Frank and Nancy DeGroot, and a big brother, Brad, to put up with.
Of her parents, Luann says, "I get along with mine just fine as long as they don't get too parental." Her dad is "clueless and harmless," but she has to watch out for her mom. She "is a lot smarter than I think she is and she knows it."
Her brother? Are brothers "genetically programmed to be jerks or what?" she asks.
Actually, she and Brad get along pretty well. A miracle, Luann says, because they share a bathroom, and "don't get me started" on that.
Character trivia
Three things you probably don't know about Luann:
• She's left-handed. ("I decided to make her left-handed in the very beginning," creator Greg Evans says.
• She's very witty with an undeveloped sense of humor. (Which means some of her witticisms escape her.)
• She's a very good singer.
"We'll find out just how good in a future story line," Evans says.
Any clues as to when that will be?
Nope. No clues.
We'll know, "when she starts singing to me," Evans says.
What's been happening in Luann's world
Over the summer, three boys have been showing a lot of interest in Luann:
• Gunther Berger, the smartest student in Pitts High School. Really nice but a little dorky, he's had a crush on Luann all his life.
• Elwood Druit, apparently a multimillionaire because of his Eyez of Zeye game he developed. He's cocky, thinks he's a gift to the girls and is half as tall as Luann. But he took Luann to dinner at El Elegante, and they rode in his chauffered limo.
• Quill, a senior at Pitts High who has moved to town with his family from Australia. He's a hunk, and Luann's nemesis is doing what she can to keep him running after her.
Meanwhile, Luann's brother, Brad, out of school now and a firefighter, is trying to figure out his love life. His girlfriend, Toni Daytona, has just told him that she loves him — with all her heart.
What does he do now?
