History ComicStrip / Luann

* AlphaBitch: Tiffany the Evil Cheerleader pretty much defines this, at least as much as the original [[SabrinaTheTeenageWitch Libby]] herself did. Shallow, vain, beauty-obsessed and hateful of the main character 90% of the time. Unlike Libby she doesn't have a two-GirlPosse, just one friend who barely tolerates her and she even [[spoiler: lost a beauty pageant she'd set up for ''herself'']].

** Averted when it comes to Zane&Bernice (And later Brad)'s boss - she's certainly abusive to her workers, and we're clearly supposed to dislike her.

* PaperThinDisguise (I couldn't find a better description): After Brad, Toni, and TJ learn that Dirk is their new garbage man, Brad and TJ hire the cheapest actress they can find -- Tiffany -- to convince Dirk that Toni moved away. It doesn't work (they fail to take into account that maybe Toni would've taken her stuff with her if she moved) but Dirk says he gets it and won't bother them anymore.

* PetTheDog: Tiffany is a complete AlphaBitch. Yet there are moments where she actually ''does'' appear to be nice to others. Among these include helping Gunther with his design, trying to hook up a couple teachers together, and later on, volunteering to help pay for Delta to go on the class trip to D.C. In the case of the latter, she agrees to let people dunk her so they can see her wet, but leaves because the water is "too cold", essentially sabotaging the fundraiser. A few strips later, she walks back in having found another option to pay for it.

* ShallowLoveInterest: Aaron Hill, who often shows little physical attraction in anyone.

** [[spoiler: Luann and Quill]], who had put off having a relationship for years (in real-time) in fear that he'd suddenly have to move. Guess what happened next (literally minutes after they started making out).]]

Sometimes funny, and occasionally poignant, it's known for capitalizing on current trends, and dropping Anvilicious subplots about various subjects (marijuana use, 9/11), in an attempt to be modern and legitimate. Most of the characters seem to exist as one-dimensional archetypes, with rare glimpses into more aspects of their personalities, so you will find a ''lot'' of tropes in here played totally straight (though TropesAreNotBad). It's also gained a new focus, as lazy brother Brad shifted into becoming a co-main character of sorts, gaining nearly as much page time as his sister thanks to a new subplot where he joins the Fire Department (post-9/11) and falls for the beautiful Toni Daytona. As well, Luann's idealized crush Aaron has left the strip entirely.

* PetTheDog: Tiffany is a complete AlphaBitch. Yet there are moments where she actually ''does'' appear to be nice to others. Among these include helping Gunther with his design, trying to hook up a couple teachers together, and later on, volunteering to help pay for Delta to go on the class trip to D.C.

* SlasherSmile: When Frank asks Nancy if she could've at least ''smiled'' at Tony during Thanksgiving, she breaks into one of these (actually more akin to 4chan's [[MemeticMutation "Cool/Troll Face"]]). Frank concedes that it's probably better that she doesn't.

** [[spoiler: Luann and Quill, who had put off having a relationship for years (in real-time) in fear that he'd suddenly have to move. Guess what happened next (literally minutes after they started making out).]]

** Averted [[spoiler:for about 2 minutes]] with [[spoiler:Quill and Luann, until Quill's dad called him to tell him he's moving back to Australia next week.

** Averted with [[spoiler Quill and Luann, until Quill's dad called him to tell him he's moving back to Australia next week]].

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Luann's obsession with Aaron Hill, in the strip's earlier years; Brad's interest in Toni, before they became at item; Gunther's pining for Luann, still.

* AlphaBitch: Tiffany the Evil Cheerleader pretty much defines this, at least as much as [[SabrinaTheTeenageWitch Libby]] herself did. Shallow, vain, beauty-obsessed and hateful of the main character 90% of the time.
* ArtEvolution: The art style in the strip has changed ''a lot'' since 1985. The characters debuted with huge heads and tiny, pudgy bodies, and maintained these cartoonish proportions for the first decade of the strip. In the second decade, they started to evolve towards more realistic proportions. Brad is probably the closest to his old look, but Luann herself is almost unrecognizable. The banner for the comic at [[http://www.gocomics.com/luann GoComics]] shows the evolution of Luann's appearence over the years. The author will also occasionally draw characters in their older designs for [[http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2011/08/07 flashbacks]].

* LoveTriangle: Aaron, Luann & Tiffany. Also Toni with Brad & Dirk. And a budding one between Luann, Gunther, and creepy little gnome Elwood.

** Which is odd, because there was a really weird story arc the end of which revealed that the "Gunther" Luann had spent most of the arc interacting with had been Aaron in disguise (possibly collaborating with the real Gunther-it was years ago) in an effort to get Luann to think past physical appearances now and again. Rather than cottoning to the lesson, Luann asked to "try on Gunther" (Aaron's mask).

* SlasherSmile: When Frank asks Nancy if she could've at least ''smiled'' at Tony during Thanksgiving, she breaks into one of these (actually more akin to 4chan's [[MemeticMutation "Cool Face"]]). Frank concedes that it's probably better that she doesn't.

* ThisLoserIsYou: Luann is depicted as a bit of an everyteen, which apparently makes her self-centered, insecure, lazy, messy, confused, indecisive, competitive, arrogant, inconsiderate and more, not to mention with a swack of body issues. Which is, of course, pretty accurate for a lot of teenagers.

* WithFriendsLikeThese: Luann occasionally enters into this territory with Bernice and Delta.

** [[http://comics.com/luann/2011-05-17/ The "Pit-Bull-Sheet."]]

* IronicEcho: Frank throws Nancy's derisive [[http://comics.com/luann/2009-11-19/ earlier remarks]] back in her face [[http://comics.com/luann/2009-11-24/ here]].

* IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow: In [[http://comics.com/luann/2011-05-24/ this strip]], Mr. [=DeGroot=] gets a little confused.

* YouJustToldMe: This is how Luann found out that Tiffany was the anonymous student who recorded her teachers dancing on sapharone duty during the dance, as she "claimed credit" for it to see her reaction. After Tiffany blurted out that she did it and not Luann, Luann quipped that her tricking her was very easy.

* DemotedToExtra: So much of the teenage classroom cast, especially once Brad started gaining the spotlight as opposed to being known as Luann's lazy brother. Knute and Crystal in particular have been demoted to making about ten to fifteen appearances in-strip over the entirety of 2009. Bernice and Delta have scarcely had it better once ''three'' male characters started competing over Luann's attentions.

* ComicBookTime: Luann and company have been in high school since 1985, approximately twenty-five years.

* BigBrotherComplex: Bernice has very strong feelings towards her long-lost older brother, to the point of getting angry when she learns that Luann has a crush on him.

* DisabledHottie: Bernice's love interest Zane, paralyzed from the waist down, but still handsome.

** Crystal '''lives and breathes''' snarkiness. It helps that she hangs out with [[CloudCuckooLander Knute]] and [[AlphaBitch Tiffany]] a lot.

* AbuseIsOkayIfItsFemaleOnMale: PlayedForLaughs - Gunther tries to do the classic Sawing-a-woman-in-half trick, and the counselor says that it's violent towards women. When Bernice suggests doing it to ''Gunther'', the counselor finds no problem with it.