The great tragedies of 9-11 caused many of us to do some thoughtful introspection.
For creative people, there was a feeling of needing to DO something. I wanted the strip to somehow reflect the mood of the country. The heroic 9-11 firefighters inspired a lot of people, so I decided to have Luann's brother, Brad, get inspired to become a firefighter.
Anyone who's followed LUANN knows that "firefighter" and "Brad" are two words that shouldn't co-exist. This is exactly what made the idea appealing; the best humor comes from conflict.
Little did Brad know what he was in for. First, he hits the hard reality of what it really takes to become a firefighter. Second, he meets his future wife, Toni Daytona. She makes her first appearance on February 25, 2002.