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Fun Stuff => ENJOY => Topic started by: Welu on 21 May 2018, 05:27

Title: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 21 May 2018, 05:27
Since the last thread hasn't been posted in for a while, plus it's getting near the hundred page mark AND it's a new storyline time, I figured it's an appropriate time for Part Two.

This thread can also be used to talk about anything else of David Willis' work: Shortpacked!, Roomies, It's Walky, etc.

However when talking about works other than DoA or showing and talking about preview panels, use spoilers. Please and thank you.


Dumbing of Age has gone into flashback (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/04-of-mike-and-men/villains/) and it's starting out very creepy.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 21 May 2018, 06:38
I'm hoping that this current arc will finally explain how the cartoonishly and seemingly motivelessly evil Mike came to be who he is shown to be. I'm wondering if it's all going to turn out to be Ethan and Amber's fault.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 21 May 2018, 06:41

Today's strip had me shouting a very loud mental "YES!"

Mike's  "Origin Story", surely!?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 22 May 2018, 07:17
That's a little more like the Mike we know.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: zisraelsen on 28 May 2018, 21:41
I hate Mike every time he shows up. From my perspective, his one character note reads "is a dick" and that makes him boring and unlikable. Am I missing something?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 28 May 2018, 23:39
Am I missing something?

There is a huge fan movement looking for redeeming qualities and who are sure he is someone sad and lonely who just needs to find the right person to make him somewhat a better person.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 28 May 2018, 23:47
That and they think he does all these terrible things with the secret motivation of helping his victims grow.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 15 Jun 2018, 11:48
Ben, please tag that Shortpacked spoiler. Thank you.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 20 Jun 2018, 07:12
Holy shit, that teacher hit him? Why do I have a feeling that teacher having no consequences for doing so will be a part of Mike becoming Mike? :/
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 20 Jun 2018, 07:30
I suspect that these events taught Mike that there were two sorts of people in the world: monsters and monsters that hid behind the masks of people. He decided that he would dedicate his life to provoking people into tearing off their masks and seeing themselves as the monsters that they are.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Neko_Ali on 20 Jun 2018, 07:32
Or  he's an asshole who likes provoking people.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 20 Jun 2018, 07:47
I want to clarify the reason there's a spoiler request for previous Willis work in the OP of the thread, like there was in the last thread, is because lots of people have only read Dumbing of Age, but are aware past Willis work has a strong influence on characters and relationships in the current work.
It doesn't matter if it's "years old" if you haven't read it, and catching up is difficult if you wish to do so since it's not all online in an easily accessible way and is almost two decades of work all together.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 24 Jun 2018, 22:14
Thank you, Welu.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 26 Jun 2018, 00:44
Starting to get the feeling DoA is dragging things out ridiculously slowly.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 26 Jun 2018, 01:25
Willis has the instincts of a sitcom writer in many ways. He tends to write out significant conversations or interactions in long form. Unfortunately, he is also attempting to tell the cast's stories in as much detail as possible so that every chapter is a day. Consequently, the story progresses very slowly. He has had the occasional complaint about it.

FWIW, I get the impression that Dumbing of Age is a sort of self-therapy for him, so I don't think it matters so much to him what his readers think of his methods.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 05 Jul 2018, 14:10
Today's strip (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/04-of-mike-and-men/commune/), and that panel with Jacob looking dreamily while saying "I know." has me going oh dear. It's the first big moment for me that has me worried for his relationship with Raidah. Even though Sarah has been trying for a while to break them up, I thought Jacob was pretty set and happy with his current situation but this could be the moment where he starts realising he really likes Joyce. Also worried because he seems like he'll put himself through a lot of turmoil if he develops feelings for someone else while in a relationship.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 05 Jul 2018, 23:27
Ben's Opinion:
Whilst Jacob likes Raidah and sees her as a partner, there isn't emotional closeness between them in the scenes we've seen; it's more like coworker relationship. His attraction to Joyce is something else altogether: We've yet to see any indication that there is any depth beyond their mutual teasing but I think he sees her as a girl with whom he can have fun, something that I think is absent from his interactions with Raidah. Both options are suboptmal, IMO.

One can't help but be concerned Joyce may be setting herself up for heart-break if she's perceiving this as 'true love'. I don't think it is and, Joyce being Joyce, a friendship (and possibly 'friends with benefits') based purely on 'let's have fun together' would probably end up hurting her emotionally.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 06 Jul 2018, 04:24
Ben's Opinion:
Whilst Jacob likes Raidah and sees her as a partner, there isn't emotional closeness between them in the scenes we've seen; it's more like coworker relationship.

I don't think we've seen remotely enough of Jacob and Raidah together to make any judgement on what their relationship is like.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 13 Jul 2018, 08:43
Somewhat random question/opinion request:

They are talking about the picture bible...but do you suppose Joyce has seen Life of Brian?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 13 Jul 2018, 08:48
They are talking about the picture bible...but do you suppose Joyce has seen Life of Brian?

Only the DVD cover as it was tossed onto a blazing bonfire!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 13 Jul 2018, 12:42
They are talking about the picture bible...but do you suppose Joyce has seen Life of Brian?

Only the DVD cover as it was tossed onto a blazing bonfire!

But why, he never said he was the messiah?  :angel:

(you're probably right about the burning though)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Neko_Ali on 13 Jul 2018, 14:10
It's still making a mockery of something her family takes Very Seriously. I don't think Joyce or any of the other kids in their little cult-adjacent group has seen a lot of popular media under the idea that it's heretical or corrupting. A key point in maintaining fanatical followers is making sure they never have a chance or reason to question what you say, so you need to severely limit their access to outside information.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 14 Jul 2018, 06:09
Is Amber surprised that Walky did a bit of detective work before she did, or did Walky break some sort of Twitter protocol that I'm not aware of? I honestly can't tell. (Also can't tell if this is public or if he direct messaged her, I haven't actively used Twitter in a few years.) Also, I'm kind of surprised Walky used his real name as his Twitter name.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 14 Jul 2018, 13:23
I think it's that he's making contact outside of the context of the Garbage Roof that surprised Amber.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 15 Jul 2018, 06:49
 :laugh: I love when Walky says "weenus". I've only ever seen Frank Zappa say "weenus" before.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 15 Jul 2018, 10:14
Isn’t it the skin that hangs from your elbow?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 16 Jul 2018, 08:07
I see where this story is going (well, probably everyone does), and Willis would be evil enough to do this, wouldn't he? What better way to break both Dorothy's and Danny's minds at the same time...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 28 Jul 2018, 16:25
I'm really liking the last few pages with Dorothy and Joyce. Seeing Joyce struggling with facing her thoughts and feelings, and Dorothy being openly disappointed but willing to talk through feels like a very real interaction.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 28 Jul 2018, 18:26
Weenus  :-D
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 30 Jul 2018, 12:27
Holy shit, Mike. (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/04-of-mike-and-men/receipts/)

Willis' alt text
(click to show/hide)
sums it up well.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 22 Aug 2018, 09:41
Wait...so like...wait...so...um....wait...so...is Amber...crushing on Walky?  :psyduck:

I may be reading too much into her facial expressions.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 22 Aug 2018, 09:49
I'm pretty sure she is. I'm not sure how Walky feels about it. And I do think Willis is headed in that direction. It would really mess with Dorothy, and it would give Danny a reason to move ahead with Ethan... just in time for him to find Ethan with Mike.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 22 Aug 2018, 10:16
Wait...so like...wait...so...um....wait...so...is Amber...crushing on Walky?  :psyduck:

I may be reading too much into her facial expressions.
Does everyone Dorothy breaks up with, move on to Amber?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 23 Aug 2018, 01:13
Wait...so like...wait...so...um....wait...so...is Amber...crushing on Walky?  :psyduck:

I may be reading too much into her facial expressions.
Does everyone Dorothy breaks up with, move on to Amber?

Nah...
Just Walky moves on to everyone Danny breaks up with..

Personally, I'm feeling very *Meh* about Amber & Walky.
And for the same reasons as I felt about Dorothy and Walky.

The dumping of Danny for reasons which don't seem to stop the next relationship to be with someone (Walky) who seems to at best no different and at worst, a worse partner. At least with Dorothy, she realised (maybe not consciously but the outcome was the same) that pretty much the same reasons she broke things off with Danny would eventually break up her and Walky.

I guess the difference with Amber is that it was Amazi-Girl who had the hots for Danny more than she did...(?)

Either way... this one is leaving me with a big "Meh!" going on.
(As much "Meh!" as a coupling of Danny and Ethan would raise, too)
(Which, really, is all down to me thinking the 'Original' Danny/Sal story was terribly sad, and that I'd love to see them together and happy in SOME rendition of these multi-verses!)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 23 Aug 2018, 01:42
FWIW, I've got a bad feeling that this is all about Amber trying to live up to her 'I'm a Bad Girl' self-identity issues by having a disruptive slacker boyfriend. Not only might this hurt Walky but I also suspect that it's a forewarning of a serious and perhaps climactic crisis for Amber herself.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 23 Aug 2018, 01:48
FWIW, I've got a bad feeling that this is all about Amber trying to live up to her 'I'm a Bad Girl' self-identity issues by having a disruptive slacker boyfriend. Not only might this hurt Walky but I also suspect that it's a forewarning of a serious and perhaps climactic crisis for Amber herself.

(click to show/hide)

Yeah...
The whole Garbage Roof thing bothers me on all sorts of levels.
Mainly insofar as I don't think Walky truly attaches the same concrete definition of 'Garbage' to himself as Amber does to herself.

Walky thinks he just needs some time alone and wasn't too happy with himself.
Amber truly believes she is worthless garbage.    :cry:

This is gonna be a lot of things... I don't think "Fun" is one of them.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 23 Aug 2018, 06:22
Wait...so like...wait...so...um....wait...so...is Amber...crushing on Walky?  :psyduck:

I may be reading too much into her facial expressions.

Somebody better pick up that phone. Because I fukin called it!  :parrot:

Does Dorthy know Sal is Walky's twin sister? I know Dorthy and Sal have gone back to back with each other, but is Dorthy truly prepared for that kind of reveal?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 23 Aug 2018, 09:38
Wait...so like...wait...so...um....wait...so...is Amber...crushing on Walky?  :psyduck:

I may be reading too much into her facial expressions.
Does everyone Dorothy breaks up with, move on to Amber?
As far as we know, she's only dated two people. That is not a sufficient sample size to establish a pattern.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 24 Aug 2018, 01:38
I'm told on the comments section of today's strip (8/24/18) that the next chapter was originally going to be titled 'Walking With Sal'. Given it's actual title, I'm willing to speculate that it will be about something I've long wondered about. Maybe the next chapter will centre around Sal and Walky acting as both guides and support as Amber finally journeys to the centre of her psychological problems and confronts her demons in the Red Panels.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 24 Aug 2018, 06:40
Does Dorthy know Sal is Walky's twin sister? I know Dorthy and Sal have gone back to back with each other, but is Dorthy truly prepared for that kind of reveal?
Do you mean Dorothy, or Amber? I don't see Dorothy giving half a shit about Sal's relationship to Walky.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 24 Aug 2018, 06:59
Does Dorthy know Sal is Walky's twin sister? I know Dorthy and Sal have gone back to back with each other, but is Dorthy truly prepared for that kind of reveal?
Do you mean Dorothy, or Amber? I don't see Dorothy giving half a shit about Sal's relationship to Walky.
Yes, Amber.  Sorry. The little one hasn't let me sleep much lately and my brain has been on the fritz.

I am laughing that I brought Sal up and was curious on how Amber would feel and it looks like I am getting my question answered.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 25 Aug 2018, 02:45
Well, she knows now.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 25 Aug 2018, 12:37
That middle panel with Amber's reaction...priceless
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 26 Aug 2018, 07:29
Sal regrets telling Walky to be honest.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 28 Aug 2018, 01:06

Hmmm...
Walky holds actual doorstop.
Which transforms into the "doorstop" burrito...??

Knife/Mobile Phone...??
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 28 Aug 2018, 01:12
Right now, I think that Amber needs Walky the goof. The question is whether he can be Walky the supporter or Walky the carer if she needs him to be that?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 28 Aug 2018, 06:13
D'awww
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 30 Aug 2018, 06:24
Joyce is exploring...and doesn't seem to be thrilled about it by the end of the strip. She looks to be conflicted.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 30 Aug 2018, 06:55
She's found a porn video of Joe, who is sort of her friend, having sex with Roz deSanto, who I think she despises. 'Mixed feelings' is barely an adequate description of her reaction.

FWIW, I think that she's going to beg Joe, as an experienced lover whom she more-or-less trusts, to 'break her duck'. Refusing her (as a friend should) will be the hardest thing that I suspect Joe will have ever done.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 30 Aug 2018, 08:32
She's found a porn video of Joe, who is sort of her friend, having sex with Roz deSanto, who I think she despises. 'Mixed feelings' is barely an adequate description of her reaction.

FWIW, I think that she's going to beg Joe, as an experienced lover whom she more-or-less trusts, to 'break her duck'. Refusing her (as a friend should) will be the hardest thing that I suspect Joe will have ever done.

But...
It *could* lead to an actual proper relationship.
You all know me... I hate the shipping thing...
But Joe and Joyce? Seems they would be good for each other.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 30 Aug 2018, 09:16
I don't know. Joe seems to be thinking himself out at this point.  I think he'd feel weird about it. I think Joyce would do some self exploration before getting to the point of actually having sex but who knows.  Its a very interesting situation for her to be in at this point in her life.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 31 Aug 2018, 07:03
Looking back at the end of book 8.  Joyce is blushing and biting her lip in panel 2.  Maybe she's not having mixed feelings about them so much as her own internal "lust." I'm speculating of course and can't wait to find out.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 02 Sep 2018, 06:01
Can someone with a better memory than me remind me if we actually saw Marcie get hurt, or at least whatever led up to it?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 02 Sep 2018, 06:09
We've seen the aftermath of the incident - Marcie down amongst broken concrete and rebar and Sal having to be pulled off of Leyland. However, as of yet we can only infer the exact circumstances.

It's funny that Sal has a Secret Origin story so similar to many mainstream superheroes and costumed vigilantes: "Never again." Meanwhile, Amber/Amazi-Girl fits into a different trope, similar to some interpretations of Batman: "I must find a good outlet for my darkness."

Being a superhero story nerd, I can't help but be attracted to the idea of the two of them teaming up, at least for a little while, as a kind of team therapy.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 02 Sep 2018, 06:34
That was before the incident that took Marcie's voice  (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-7/01-glower-vacuum/balances/). My guess is that Leland took his revenge on Sal grabbing him by the neck by strangling Marcie. And he'll face no punishment for it because he's a "nice kid" and she's an "illegal".
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 04 Sep 2018, 09:32
Being a superhero story nerd, I can't help but be attracted to the idea of [Amber and Sal] teaming up, at least for a little while, as a kind of team therapy.
Which seems to be happening now. And how it's happening is lost on me. Last I remembered, Sal and AG are still contentious, and Amber is triggered at the mere sight of Sal. Did I miss or forget something?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 04 Sep 2018, 12:25
Being a superhero story nerd, I can't help but be attracted to the idea of [Amber and Sal] teaming up, at least for a little while, as a kind of team therapy.
Which seems to be happening now. And how it's happening is lost on me. Last I remembered, Sal and AG are still contentious, and Amber is triggered at the mere sight of Sal. Did I miss or forget something!
They made up after the fight at the campaign rally and chasing down Slash Face.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 16 Sep 2018, 10:07
Am I the only one who is beginning to get the strangest feeling that there is going to be a series of improbable events at the end of which, Joyce finds herself having essentially been backed into adopting Fuck-face the Iguana? At least partly for the lulz of watching her try to handle his name?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 25 Sep 2018, 11:28
Am I the only one who is beginning to get the strangest feeling that there is going to be a series of improbable events at the end of which, Joyce finds herself having essentially been backed into adopting Fuck-face the Iguana? At least partly for the lulz of watching her try to handle his name?

Maybe, but if she adopts him she would likely just rename him (just like most pet-adopters do).
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 25 Sep 2018, 11:38
Fudgeface!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 25 Sep 2018, 12:02
Fudgeface!

Funface!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 25 Sep 2018, 13:32
"You also seem to be picking up a lot of Dorothy's cast-offs" (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-9-comic/01-flyin-to-the-red/subconscious/)

Ethan sees it too! It's not just me!  :-D
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 05 Oct 2018, 04:51
Oh dang, I don't know what Ethan is going to day to Sal but I hope it goes as well as it can.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 05 Oct 2018, 05:15
FWIW, I don't think that Ethan knows exactly what he's going to say yet. Its just that the time has come when he's got to say something for the sake of Amber's mental health.

I'm thinking that he's going to find that that night is as bad a memory for his assailant as it was for him.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 16 Oct 2018, 08:08
I didn't expect Sal to be doing her solo hold up straight after the first one as a lookout. She's very desperate to help her friend.

It's interesting to compare Sal's strip (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-9-comic/01-flyin-to-the-red/holdup/) with the flashback from Amber's perspective (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/same/). I wonder how much the subtle differences are intentional based on the viewpoint or just the difference and growth of Willis' art style.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 16 Oct 2018, 08:11
I doubt that Amber was really able to perceive how frightened and upset Sal was at that moment. That's the big revelation of this current arc: That Sal walked into that gas station and pretty much had a flashback-induced episode there and then. More importantly, she was not a rebellious little thug but a frightened, desperate little girl trying to help her best friend after basically being ordered to abandon her by her parents.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 18 Oct 2018, 06:15
I like that Sal not only realized everything and ran back to find Ethan, but actually found Ethan, realized that reaching out to grab him was a bad idea and that she shouldn't call him Apples anymore. With how things have been at times I expected her to not find Ethan at first and wallow in sadness for a bit.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 25 Oct 2018, 03:12
Am I the only one who thinks Willis is amusing himself by hinting (but never confirming) that Joyce is a psychic (telepathy, suggestion, telekinesis and teleportation)?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Pilchard123 on 31 Oct 2018, 01:50
Behold! My totally accurate dinosauria! (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20181031)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 31 Oct 2018, 07:24
Behold! My totally accurate dinosauria! (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20181031)
Damnit you got here first!

Dina's a spark!  :lol:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: 94ssd on 01 Nov 2018, 16:10
I know what you may be thinking, 'aw, Walky and Amber are so cute together.' But I can tell you I've had that exact same "we both suck, let's be garbage together' relationship and it didn't end very well.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 02 Nov 2018, 12:25
I know what you may be thinking, 'aw, Walky and Amber are so cute together.' But I can tell you I've had that exact same "we both suck, let's be garbage together' relationship and it didn't end very well.
To say nothing of the fact that Billie and Ruth have tried it already.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: jwhouk on 03 Nov 2018, 10:33
So - did anyone happen to notice a cameo on Girl Genius (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20181031) this week?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 03 Nov 2018, 12:02
The last time I had one of those "let's be garbage together" relationships it basically turned out like Ruth and Billie but significantly more self-destructive and decidedly less emotionally supportive, also in my case the girl stalked me, threatened to kill someone I care about, and a few weeks later killed herself.

Suffice to say, this is not a healthy relationship dynamic.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 03 Nov 2018, 13:26
So - did anyone happen to notice a cameo on Girl Genius (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20181031) this week?
Yes. (https://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,34103.msg1415679.html#msg1415679)
Title: DAMN YOU, WILLIS!!!!!
Post by: Theta9 on 10 Nov 2018, 07:32
Damn you, Willis!
You update your comic DoA every day, which makes me disappointed when I check for a new QC on Saturday morning and there isn't one.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: zisraelsen on 11 Nov 2018, 08:02
I do the same thing. I follow a bunch of webcomics and DoA is the only one that updates on weekends but it makes me do the update-search-dance for all the others too, just out of habit.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 11 Nov 2018, 08:46
I'm disappointed that more comics seem to be dropping (or not maintaining) their RSS feeds. Makes it harder to see when they update, particularly if it's one that updates irregularly.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 12 Nov 2018, 03:15

"Prove you're good enough to be my friend..."

Whut???
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 12 Nov 2018, 04:21
No, more of a case of: "Prove that you're not dependent on me to function and that you can build meaningful emotional and social connections with other people."
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 12 Nov 2018, 06:39
No, more of a case of: "Prove that you're not dependent on me to function and that you can build meaningful emotional and social connections with other people."

... and I'll talk to you again... 

So - no support for you... til I feel you deserve it?
I'm not keen on the way this story is going - I LIKED Marcie a lot, this seems to be playing against type.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 12 Nov 2018, 14:48
While I don't really like the way she's expressing it, I think I get where Marcie is coming from. Sal's behavior has consistently brought blowback onto Marcie. Marcie wants reassurance that she's not going to get caught in the blast radius again. I think she could stand to do a better job of communicating this with Sal
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 15 Nov 2018, 07:05
So, we've come full circle. In a way, we're back to the same standoff. Sal's face and glove removal just screams "uh oh" to me. The shit is hitting the fan.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 15 Nov 2018, 07:08
So that's why Sal is always wearing gloves.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 15 Nov 2018, 07:25
Weird thought after seeing today's comic: If Sal never takes off her gloves, then does she wash her hands (particularly after using the bathroom)? I have a feeling that Sal and Hannelore would not be friends.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 15 Nov 2018, 07:32
She does. Its shown in a different strip from a long time ago that she puts her gloves on in the morning but cuts away or she's positioned a certain way so you can't see the scar.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 15 Nov 2018, 07:54
I thought she had been depicted as wearing her gloves in bed.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 15 Nov 2018, 10:33
She usually does. I just remember reading the comments about one strip where we see her putting gloves on or positioning her so you couldn't see the un-gloved scar hand. There's too many strips to go through to find it so take this with the grainiest of salt grains.
 :wink:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 15 Nov 2018, 16:15
Weird thought after seeing today's comic: If Sal never takes off her gloves, then does she wash her hands (particularly after using the bathroom)? I have a feeling that Sal and Hannelore would not be friends.
I'm sure she still washes her hands.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 17 Nov 2018, 13:32
Aw shit, IT'S GOING DOWN! My money's on Amber.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 17 Nov 2018, 15:29
My money's on Marcie breaking up the fight and getting mauled by Amber, proving her point from earlier
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 17 Nov 2018, 16:12
The art in the last couple strips is gorgeous.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 17 Nov 2018, 17:52
My money's on Marcie breaking up the fight and getting mauled by Amber, proving her point from earlier

Marcie already left with Malaya, didn't she?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 18 Nov 2018, 06:50
And they're off!
My money's still on Amber, but this is going to end with both of them in a lot of pain.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 18 Nov 2018, 06:57
My money's on Marcie breaking up the fight and getting mauled by Amber, proving her point from earlier

Marcie already left with Malaya, didn't she?
She did, but it hasn't been long and the brawl will likely attract attention.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 19 Nov 2018, 00:41

Go, Sal!

(This isn't gonna end well, is it?)    :cry:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 19 Nov 2018, 01:49
Yeah, either Red Amber is going to come out to 'play' (i.e. kill Sal) or Willis is going to end up doing a rare but not unheard of comic trope where Sal beats Amber to a pulp and as she's about to finish her off, Amber whispers out that she wants to die to protect everyone from the monster Blaine created in her and that had first come out that night outside the convenience store.

There's no way I can see Sal or Amber being entirely the same after this. However, even if it doesn't end well, it may end better, if Amber and Sal both get help for their demons in some way.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 19 Nov 2018, 08:55
Oop, it's looking like I might lose money now.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 19 Nov 2018, 09:20
I'm waiting for a zoom out to the top of the building with Mike wringing his hands muttering "yes, all according to plan."
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 19 Nov 2018, 10:47
I'm waiting for a zoom out to the top of the building with Mike wringing his hands muttering "yes, all according to plan."
It is the sort of thing he might dream of doing, but pulling it off would require powers of foresight and manipulation that surpass those of Light Yagami in the original Death Note manga and anime.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 Nov 2018, 00:55
Oop, it's looking like I might lose money now.

IIiii dunnno.
Don't think this is over yet...

(hope)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 20 Nov 2018, 01:21
We've reached the point where Danny and Ethan need to pin Sal and Amber and for them and Dorothy to pound some sense and perspective into both combatants' heads with a suitably heavy and blunt instrument.

Sal - Yes, Amber stalked you and got you into the vigilante life. However, she didn't force you to do anything. You are the one who prioritised your anger and sense of violent grievance against the world's injustices over Marcie's needs. You decided that beating on bad guys was worth even her losing her job.

Amber - Yes, your life has been shit but Sal is not your enemy; Blaine's abuse and the damage it did to your mind and your emotional control are your enemies.

Both women have to understand that the other is not their enemy and never has been. If they can't tolerate each other enough to help themselves and the other heal, then they need to agree to keep away from each other in future.

You'll notice that I didn't address the issue of what happened that night at the convenience store. That's because, in a very real way, I don't think that either girl was entirely themselves. They were both in the process of finally coming loose from the end of a long tether and, whilst their choices were their own, I'm not entirely sure that either were capable or competent to make reasonable or proportionate choices at the moment.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 20 Nov 2018, 09:36
Oop, it's looking like I might lose money now.

IIiii dunnno.
Don't think this is over yet...
Yeah, today it's looking like my money is well safe. Amber's got Sal on the figurative ropes.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 21 Nov 2018, 01:25
Yeah, I think that  this is the point to intervene, Ethan. Mostly because, at this rate, one of them is going to kill the other!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 21 Nov 2018, 07:33
...and another reversal! Sal is ascendant!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 21 Nov 2018, 21:10
Cause, effect. Cause, effect...

Sal is coming to a head.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 21 Nov 2018, 23:17
I long suspected that there is a small and generally-repressed part of Amber that is suicidal. We saw it in her reckless (for her own safety) rescue of Becky. Now, with the very real possibility that someone will finally end all of her problems for good without her even having to do anything personally...? Well, she's almost happy with this outcome.

As for Sal, she's realising just how badly her every escalation has ever gone and she has to deal with the fact that, this time, she's about to murder a mentally-ill woman with only debatable control over her actions.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 23 Nov 2018, 01:08

Why are people fixating on the fact that Sal had Amber in a (so-called) *choke hold*?
(And then exploding that into "attempted murder" etc...)

I can only think a lot of folk have never been in a stand up fight before!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 23 Nov 2018, 02:55
Why are people fixating on the fact that Sal had Amber in a (so-called) *choke hold*?

Because it is fairly easy to go from a choke hold to 'choke to death', especially if the person doing it is angry and not monitoring the other's state. Additionally (and most importantly), I think that Amber wanted it to be 'to death'.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 23 Nov 2018, 13:16
An improperly applied chokehold can easily turn fatal unintentionally. There was a case not so long ago in the States where a police officer put a detainee in a chokehold and the man died shortly thereafter as a result. It's really easy, especially when angry, to do serious damage that way.

That being said, I agree that a lot of readers are blowing it out of proportion and I don't think Sal was ever at serious risk of killing Amber, even if that's what Amber wanted.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Vurogj on 28 Nov 2018, 00:57
I guess I picked a REALLY good week to finally take Jeph's twitter hints and actually read DoA.

It's pretty freakin' good, right?

I'll just hang out for a bit and read the room before I contribute anything to the discussion tho.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 28 Nov 2018, 06:06
I can't explain it, but Sal's head scarf thing looks adorable on her. I wonder how many strips before Ruth shows up to mediate all this. Well at least there's fuckface right?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 30 Nov 2018, 21:24
Anyone else noticing Dina's "Coffee of Doom" shirt?

Also I like that Sal is approaching this calm and cool. Amber is too wound up but I hope it passes with the talking of pachycephalosaurus.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Cornelius on 01 Dec 2018, 03:34
Maybe she got it off Emily a while ago. (https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3766)

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 01 Dec 2018, 13:05
My money's on Amber.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 01 Dec 2018, 21:46
Amber is too wound up but I hope it passes with the talking of pachycephalosaurus.
Not to toot my own horn or anything but...

(https://assets.infusionsoft.com/image/upload/v1/learn/images/Zz0wOTU3Y2M1NGY1MjJjOTFmMjcyNjY4ZWVmNWIwYmRlMw%3D%3D)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 01 Dec 2018, 22:02
Dina is the best.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 03 Dec 2018, 18:10
So I realized this weekend that I was two months behind. And then soon I wasn't. I should come to the forum more, it was how I always remembered to read the new DoA, I rarely got more than a few days behind.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 04 Dec 2018, 21:11
Huzza! The pact has been sealed and the team has been formed.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 04 Dec 2018, 22:38
This went a lot better than expected. Good job, those two.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 05 Dec 2018, 01:28

It seemed pretty obvious that they would follow the "We have battled - we are now friends!" route, but the additional Roller Derby denoument was class. (And Carla!)  :)

Marcie's smile made it all worth it, even if I *did* have problem with her "prove your worthy to be my friend" stance. :)


Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 05 Dec 2018, 07:47
My money's on Amber.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 05 Dec 2018, 07:56
My money's on Amber.

You sure?
You lost the last one!  :)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 05 Dec 2018, 12:42
My money's on Amber.

You sure?
You lost the last one!  :)
Double or nothing!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 10 Dec 2018, 07:28
...in true Zen fashion, Mike is Mike.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 26 Dec 2018, 06:04
It's still a nerd thing, Billie, it's just that "nerd" has been a meaningless word for years. Also wow, angery Joyce.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 26 Dec 2018, 06:24
"...what the shit, Walky?!"-Joyce 2018
Title: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: BenRG on 08 Feb 2019, 05:28
Oh... OWWW! :cry: Today's strip (2/8/19) was brutal but so was the whole micro-arc of about three or four strips leading up to it. In the final few panels, Billie's desperate unspoken plea for Ruth to change her mind about drinking turning into resignation and then anger and then her just walking away with a curt accusation of ruining her plans for day followed by Ruth clearly just standing there for a few seconds before even beginning to think of a reply just cuts to the heart.

I count myself blessed that I've never had to handle a friend or loved one with a serious addiction like Billie's. I don't know if I'm wise enough or level-headed enough not to lose it with them too often and I know that's the worst thing that you can do.

It's rare that a strip cartoon can pile so much emotion into an edition but this was one of those times.
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: hedgie on 08 Feb 2019, 05:47
Billie is sure ruthless  :claireface:
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: LeeC on 08 Feb 2019, 06:41

I count myself blessed that I've never had to handle a friend or loved one with a serious addiction like Billie's. I don't know if I'm wise enough or level-headed enough not to lose it with them too often and I know that's the worst thing that you can do.

Been there. It wasn't easy.  If the other person doesn't recognize that they have a problem nothing will change.  They will also get defensive and/or aggressive if you address it too.

Honestly I think this is the best thing for Ruth. She is trying hard not to go to the bottle, and Billie was not making that easy. She needs a non drinking or at least understanding support network ... especially with her home situation.
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 11 Feb 2019, 00:31

Hmmm...
Now what's going on here Amber/Sal/Danny?

I've made no secret that I always felt Danny/Sally relationship from an earlier version of the Walkyverse was cruelly torn apart, when neither of them really wanted it to be. I just believe they could be good together.

BUT, I'm wondering of Amber's casual "He needs someone good and pure", is about to lead into machinations to throw him and Joyce together...?

I'm not sure what I think of that.
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: BenRG on 11 Feb 2019, 01:08
BUT, I'm wondering of Amber's casual "He needs someone good and pure", is about to lead into machinations to throw him and Joyce together...?

I'm not sure what I think of that.

Some on Willis's own site have said the same thing.

It's interesting because, in the very first of Willis's strips in the Walkyverse, Roomies, Joyce was crushing on and stalking Danny. This didn't go anywhere because she was abducted, mindwiped and forcibly inducted into SEMME where she met Walky and imprinted on him. One of the stated objectives of Dumbing of Age from the start was Willis's desire to see what would happen to the characters if the war against the Aliens had never happened. Given th at DoA!Joyce is a very different person from the one she was portrayed as in Roomies, as is Danny, Willis may be intending to spend at least some time addressing whether time and maturity may have seen them work out together.
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: BenRG on 19 Feb 2019, 08:17
From today's strip (2/19), I desperately want Willis to illustrate a couple of scenes from Commander Julia Grey - Space Ace!. I'm sort of seeing Joyce in a sci-fi jumpsuit with Sal-style long hair, a 1950s-style ray gun and Jacob (in a similar sci-fi jumpsuit) clinging to her for safety.
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: LeeC on 01 Mar 2019, 08:33
I am glad Billie and Ruth are on the out. I feel like they both need different things than each other.
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: BenRG on 01 Mar 2019, 08:39
Yeah, they're both going to hurt for a long while but the fact is that they more-or-less only worked together when they were self-destructive co-dependents. That's not to say that they can't work together as they're trying to escape from their demons but Billie has got to admit that they are demons first and I don't think that she's ready for that yet.

Maybe the shock of Ruth not willing to compromise will make her think about her own issues more seriously. We'll have to wait and see.
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: Theta9 on 02 Mar 2019, 07:24
Today's strip (2 March) ...

What the fuck?!  :?

Who or what is a "Rich Mullins"?
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: sitnspin on 02 Mar 2019, 08:16
I had the same question. From the comments section I gathered that he is a some sort of musician popular among evangelical christians.
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: Theta9 on 02 Mar 2019, 12:30
I had the same question. From the comments section I gathered that he is a some sort of musician popular among evangelical christians.
And he apparently shows up in college classrooms, I guess?
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: sitnspin on 02 Mar 2019, 12:37
It's another Joyce dream sequence. There is no way Dotty would say that line in waking life.
Title: Re: Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
Post by: cesium133 on 02 Mar 2019, 15:18
Joyce is dreaming this. (Additionally, it would be very improbable for Rich Mullins to show up in a college classroom, considering he's dead.)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 02 Mar 2019, 21:04
Didn't know who Rich Mullins was, but apparently he died before any of these characters were born (well, at least these characters as of a year or two ago).
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 02 Mar 2019, 22:03
Joyce is wigging out hard core. This dream may shake her up a bit for the next few in-comic days.  :-(
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 04 Mar 2019, 21:15
This seems big.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 05 Mar 2019, 01:31

So are we watching Joyce (read "Willis")'s extraction from God Bothering?

Part of me thinks it's a bit sudden, but.. you know... dramatic timing and all that.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 05 Mar 2019, 06:18
I am guessing (hoping) he is going to tell Joyce that the person she can trust and look to for guidance is herself. Or he leaves a cryptic message about it that sticks with her. Like Ghostface in the Boondocks, or the stereotypical Buddhist monk that imparts wisdom in the astral plane type deal.

Also, is anyone else noticing that Joyce's clothes change every few panels during this entire dream sequence?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 05 Mar 2019, 07:41
I am guessing (hoping) he is going to tell Joyce that the person she can trust and look to for guidance is herself. Or he leaves a cryptic message about it that sticks with her. Like Ghostface in the Boondocks....
LOL "Why are you here? Ghostface Killah isn't dead!" I loved that show.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 06 Mar 2019, 06:33
Today's strip. Wow. Poor Joyce. Her world was shaken a bit before, but now its shook. I am invested in what is going to happen next for her.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 08 Mar 2019, 00:49
Today's strip. Wow. Poor Joyce. Her world was shaken a bit before, but now its shook. I am invested in what is going to happen next for her.

And, of course, just as it gets interesting...

THE EXPLOITS OF BECKY!   :)

(I 'am' wondering if Joyce is going to run to her first about her own "crisis of faith".)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 08 Mar 2019, 06:59
...did she ever get to have that Lesbian Brunch? With Lesbian Toast?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 11 Mar 2019, 21:50
Has Joyce always had platform shower shoes...that she wears with socks for some reason?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 12 Mar 2019, 00:37
Has Joyce always had platform shower shoes...that she wears with socks for some reason?

The 'shower shoes' were built by Carla to Joyce's design because she was afraid of other people's germs in the water on the floor. The fact that she wears socks either means that she's still nervous about germs or that she still has a complex about being seen 'naked'.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 13 Mar 2019, 06:58
Right, I remember now. Thanks for the reminder.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 14 Mar 2019, 05:38
Reminded again how unnerving seeing Becky's eyes on top of her hair is.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 14 Mar 2019, 06:35
I am looking forward to Joyce's reaction to all this. I am sure Becky could shed some light on whether or not Joyce would be freaked out by it all (if it wasn't discussed in an earlier strip that I don't remember).

When this sort of talk directed at Halloween is brought up, I am always reminded of that King of the Hill episode where a neighbor or new member of the town swears that Halloween is the devil's holiday. She essentially shames the town for liking it and gets a curfew instated. The logic never made sense to me as a kid as it was essentially just a costume party holiday with candy. Maybe its because I grew up Catholic but there was never an association made with Halloween and anything satanic for us in our Parish. It was essentially Mardi Gras for kids with the next day being All Saints Day instead of Ash Wednesday. After seeing that episode it really irked me that someone would believe that. I even had a few classmates in (public) high school that felt that way and it just baffled me to the point I thought they were messing with me. It wasn't until I got to college that I met some die hard religious people who truly felt that way to their core. That was the first time I met creationists too. It just baffled me.

(https://media3.giphy.com/media/114qex96PQkBWw/giphy.gif)

(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/675/101/c3a.gif)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 15 Mar 2019, 02:33

Coming soon:

Joyce Brown: The Backslidening! (4hr Director's Cut)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 15 Mar 2019, 05:39
I suspect that Joyce is letting Anti-Joyce out to play. However, she's so extreme in the other direction that I suspect that most of Joyce's dorm-mates will consider her alarming at best. Like a lot of people, Joyce is going to spend most of her time finding a happy middle path.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 16 Mar 2019, 06:24
I...wouldn't call this extreme at all. I mean, maybe knocking is a bit extreme, but I like this chill Joyce. Obviously it won't last :parrot:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 16 Mar 2019, 07:24
Quote from: Becky MacIntyre
I think society is finally ready to accept that you want to visibly celebrate a major holiday.
:lol: :laugh: :lol: :laugh: :lol: :laugh: :lol: :laugh:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 11 Apr 2019, 07:31
Today's strip  (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/03-sometimes-the-sky-was-so-far-away/faketweetin/) indicates that Becky's hair is transparent from any angle.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 11 Apr 2019, 12:41
I always just interpreted it as her bangs are thin enough that they obscure but don't block her face.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 21 Apr 2019, 19:39
Dorthy having an aneurysm is perfect in this situation.  :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 21 Apr 2019, 23:44
I do think that Dorothy's stress-induced breakdown has come several steps closer. I also expect her to start bawling, which may test Becky's newly-required people management skills!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 22 Apr 2019, 06:06
Dorthy is going to learn the sad truth about politics: Its not about whose the smartest or did the best in school, its about what you can bring to the table to make others look good and by proxy, yourself.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 22 Apr 2019, 06:11
So we might see Becky as a student by 2030! Congrats, Becky!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 22 Apr 2019, 06:56
Dorthy is going to learn the sad truth about politics: Its not about whose the smartest or did the best in school, its about what you can bring to the table to make others look good and by proxy, yourself.
Also, "it's who you know" seems to apply here.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 22 Apr 2019, 06:58
So we might see Becky as a student by 2030! Congrats, Becky!
Yeah, what are we now... about a month into the first semester?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 08 May 2019, 06:08
I don't know if I'm just tired or if its the words used in todays strip but I am confused on how that means the family had a problem with Halloween.  :psyduck:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Cornelius on 08 May 2019, 06:22
Because what she remembers is her brother having to prove to her parents that they'd done it with their other children, and it wasn't a problem back then. That implies that it is a problem for her parents now; or when she was of an age to be taken trick or treating.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 08 May 2019, 06:29
Oh, so Joshua had to prove to their parents it was okay to go trick or treating and he'd take her out but her parents didn't participate? Or did they just do it anyway?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Cornelius on 08 May 2019, 06:34
I don't think her parents participated. It's not exactly clear if they grudgingly allowed it, even after the pictures. He took her anyway.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 08 May 2019, 06:58
I forgot... is Joshua also Jocelyn? Or was that John or Jordan? I can't remember the last time we saw Joyce's brothers.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 08 May 2019, 06:58
Oh, so Joshua had to prove to their parents it was okay to go trick or treating and he'd take her out but her parents didn't participate? Or did they just do it anyway?

It was my impression that the Brown parents took their first two kids out trick-or-treating but later decided that it was wrong for someone of their faith. When they tried to tell Jocelyn not to take Joyce out trick-or-treating, she took out a picture of those earlier days and challenged them with it. From Joyce's reaction, I'm getting the impression that, instead of telling Jocelyn what had changed, they simply exploded at her and a shouting match followed.

I forgot... is Joshua also Jocelyn? Or was that John or Jordan? I can't remember the last time we saw Joyce's brothers.

Yes, Joshua is Jocelyn's birth name and, at this point, still her legal name.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 08 May 2019, 07:05
I forgot... is Joshua also Jocelyn? Or was that John or Jordan? I can't remember the last time we saw Joyce's brothers.

Yes, Joshua is Jocelyn's birth name and, at this point, still her legal name.
She still presents as Joshua in meatspace - or at least, to her family.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 14 May 2019, 10:00
[2019.05.13 (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/03-sometimes-the-sky-was-so-far-away/bond/)]

God DAMN it, Blaine...  :x
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 14 May 2019, 14:11
I knew Joyce's mum was bad but this strip (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/03-sometimes-the-sky-was-so-far-away/bond/) hit me in the gut.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 17 May 2019, 21:36
Oh fuck, I forgot that was Joyce's mom. Gross.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 18 May 2019, 07:23
Joyce's mom and my mother's mom would get along, except for the whole Catholic thing. They are both vile, bigoted, self-righteous assholes.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 30 May 2019, 09:24
Becky's hair again confirmed transparent (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/04-vote-for-robin/storge/).
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 19 Jun 2019, 06:27
So I am not trying to ship any characters here by saying this, but does it seem to anyone else that Malaya may actually like Sal? Like I'm getting that tropey feeling of saying "Just fuck already" with Malaya trying to undermine Sal's "potential" mates. As if she's trying to sabotage, not necessarily because she doesn't like Sal, but to prevent competition of sorts. I'm not really putting much stock in it but its just a thought that crossed my mind.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 19 Jun 2019, 06:28
Malaya is definitely trying to impress someone, even if it is only herself (basically, that this is all a huge self-esteem issue for her).
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 28 Jun 2019, 06:14
So Asher called the cops, and the store clerk was willing to just let her leave until the cops came. When the cops came it escalated the situation that Sal felt she needed a hostage. She takes Ethan hostage, which is the catalyst for Blaine to drive Amber to stab Sal which created the "monster" she thinks she is. Amber is confronting the guy that pushed the first dominoes to create dark Amber.
 :psyduck:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 28 Jun 2019, 08:06
My jaw actually dropped. Dang.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 28 Jun 2019, 22:09
My jaw actually dropped. Dang.
So did Asher, thanks to Walky.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 29 Jun 2019, 00:43
As in the old Walkyverse, we see that Walky has a terrifying Bersek Button when those whom he loves are harmed. The question now is whether Amber will try to stop him from beating Asher into paste or whether she'll join in!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 07 Jul 2019, 14:53
Wait... what if...Malaya has been Marcie's way of getting to Sal?  :psyduck:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 10 Jul 2019, 21:17
7/11/2019 strip: I friggin knew it.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 11 Jul 2019, 07:13
Unfortunately, unrequited feelings for a straight friend is a right of passage for most of us queer girls, Marcie. Solidarity and condolences. This too shall pass.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 11 Jul 2019, 08:44
I think Becky is just pushing those feeling away, but she's kind of going through it too.  :-\
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 11 Jul 2019, 09:07
Ow my heart
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 11 Jul 2019, 09:24
I think Becky is just pushing those feeling away, but she's kind of going through it too.  :-\

I think that Becky thought that she was over it until she saw Joyce 'cosplaying Sal' and then she realised that she wasn't! FWIW, I thin that's from why we have the near-lifesize utaraptor plush: Becky felt guilty for straying back to her crush on Joyce even briefly and wanted to make it up to her girlfriend.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 11 Jul 2019, 12:56
It takes awhile to get over those feelings, and that's okay, you shouldn't feel guilty for still having feelings for someone, especially someone who has been such a big and important part of your life.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 12 Jul 2019, 20:59
Are we sure Sal's straight? I mean, I don't think it's a good idea for them to date, but...who knows?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 12 Jul 2019, 21:06
She says she is. Given my history of dating girls who claimed to be straight, I'd say that doesn't make it definite, but until proven otherwise I'll take her at her word.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 12 Jul 2019, 21:13
Fair, although I was pretty sure I was straight until I realized I was bi like...a year ago. I don't remember her specifically saying she was straight, but I'll take your word for it.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 13 Jul 2019, 06:55
...why is Sal signing to Marcie now? She usually just speaks to her, and I figure voice is more expressive than handsigns.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 13 Jul 2019, 07:10
Probably because it is a mode of speech they have developed with each other for years, so it is more personal to them. We've seen Sal speak to her in ASL before.  Also, it forces her to be more deliberate with her words.
Fair, although I was pretty sure I was straight until I realized I was bi like...a year ago. I don't remember her specifically saying she was straight, but I'll take your word for it.
Also a fair point. A lot of people don't figure this stuff out until way older than these kids are, but considering their relationship, one would think there would at least be some inkling by now and Sal's reaction when Marcie explained her motivations toward Malaya suggest the idea of being with a woman is not even a blip on her radar.  I don't think she has used the exact phrasing, but she has strongly implied it.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 16 Jul 2019, 06:46
So is a "fakey" just the modern colloquial term for a "poser?"
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 16 Jul 2019, 07:04
So is a "fakey" just the modern colloquial term for a "poser?"
Yeah, basically fronting as something/someone that you aren't.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 16 Jul 2019, 08:03
Not so much a modern colloquialism as much as  Malayaism.

And it's been my experience that the louder and more frequently a person talks about and makes accusations of being a poser, the more likely said person is one.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 16 Jul 2019, 08:03
Fair, although I was pretty sure I was straight until I realized I was bi like...a year ago. I don't remember her specifically saying she was straight, but I'll take your word for it.

Also a fair point. A lot of people don't figure this stuff out until way older than these kids are, but considering their relationship, one would think there would at least be some inkling by now and Sal's reaction when Marcie explained her motivations toward Malaya suggest the idea of being with a woman is not even a blip on her radar.  I don't think she has used the exact phrasing, but she has strongly implied it.

I think that Sal knew that Marcie was homosexual; she expressed no surprise when Marcie told her that she was sexually attracted to Malaya. What was a totally-out-of-left-field revelation for Sal was that Marcie had ever been attracted to her.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 16 Jul 2019, 08:06
Fair, although I was pretty sure I was straight until I realized I was bi like...a year ago. I don't remember her specifically saying she was straight, but I'll take your word for it.

Also a fair point. A lot of people don't figure this stuff out until way older than these kids are, but considering their relationship, one would think there would at least be some inkling by now and Sal's reaction when Marcie explained her motivations toward Malaya suggest the idea of being with a woman is not even a blip on her radar.  I don't think she has used the exact phrasing, but she has strongly implied it.

I think that Sal knew that Marcie was homosexual; she expressed no surprise when Marcie told her that she was sexually attracted to Malaya. What was a totally-out-of-left-field revelation for Sal was that Marcie had ever been attracted to her.
I mean that the idea of being with a woman is not a blip on the radar for her (Sal) not for Marcie.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 01 Aug 2019, 07:11
GOD DAMN IT BLAINE.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 02 Aug 2019, 06:47
GOD DAMN IT BLAINE.

Who is a grandfather going to believe... their grandson or one of their goons?

OR rather, whose side is he more likely to come down on?

Kick his erse.. then tell Grandpops he was threatening him.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 02 Aug 2019, 06:57
GOD DAMN IT BLAINE.

Who is a grandfather going to believe... their grandson or one of their goons?

OR rather, whose side is he more likely to come down on?

Kick his erse.. then tell Grandpops he was threatening him.
I was thinking this way, until I thought about what Blaine could possibly have on him... and then I realized that Blaine must have been following Amber around for a while, and so he heard this (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/04-vote-for-robin/resteasy/). Talking to the cops is something you don't do when you're in the mob.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 02 Aug 2019, 11:56
It also may depend on how disappointed said grandfather is. If he considers Asher's leaving the "family business" a betrayal of not only himself, but the family honour, it is entirely likely he'd be more willing to believe a loyal stooge over a rebellious and disrespectful grandson.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 14 Aug 2019, 07:33
Well, with today's strip (8/14/19), Willis is possibly on the verge of doing something that I've never seen attempted before: A romantic triangle between a honest-hearted young man and two of the alters of a woman with non-sharing DID.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 03 Sep 2019, 13:47
Wait, I forget if I've asked this and I'm too tired to check, but does Amber's dad know she's Amazi-girl?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 03 Sep 2019, 17:25
Blaine and Toe-dad. Nothing good will come of this.  :-(
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 04 Sep 2019, 03:29
I wonder if we're heading towards at least one arc's climax in DoA (Becky's and possibly Amber's). By long narrative tradition, the heroes and villains are always all gathered to the same place for a final confrontation.

(click to show/hide)

IMO at least, it may also be a significant milestone for Joyce if it comes out that Blaine was acting as the agent for her hometown church and that her mother supported this move.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 05 Sep 2019, 17:45
Anybody buying Mike's "new leaf" shit?
I'm dubious to say the least.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 05 Sep 2019, 23:33
Ethan just walking away hurt Mike in ways that have only been hinted at and Mike knows that he has only himself to blame. I strongly suspect that Mike is at least questioning his life strategies.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 08 Sep 2019, 10:10
BABY
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: 94ssd on 09 Sep 2019, 19:38
Well...this can only end extremely poorly for all involved.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 09 Sep 2019, 23:23
Oh, I think it will end most poorly for Joyce. Probably by a long margin. Jacob will need to be almost a saint to forgive Joyce doing this.

However, from an outside perspective, two very worrying questions emerge:
That aside, it's interesting that Joyce has some small notoriety after the incident with Ross's attempted kidnapping of Becky. I imagine that the reporters found it easier to credit her and Sal rather than explore those insane reports of a masked adventurer intervening during the chase.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 10 Sep 2019, 06:24
There's a different way for this to go very poorly that would be interesting: for some reason Jacob does not want his family to know about Raidah... so what if when he finds out Joyce was pretending to be his girlfriend, he goes along with it, to avoid telling his family (for reasons that have yet to be disclosed) that he's actually dating Raidah? Then again, that might be too similar to the Amber/Danny/Danny's parents situation, but in that case Danny was actually dating Amber but was too stupid to realize it...

That aside, it's interesting that Joyce has some small notoriety after the incident with Ross's attempted kidnapping of Becky. I imagine that the reporters found it easier to credit her and Sal rather than explore those insane reports of a masked adventurer intervening during the chase.
Pretty sure the reporters don't know Sal was there. She escaped with Amazi-Girl before the cops got there.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 10 Sep 2019, 07:16
There's a different way for this to go very poorly that would be interesting: for some reason Jacob does not want his family to know about Raidah... so what if when he finds out Joyce was pretending to be his girlfriend, he goes along with it, to avoid telling his family (for reasons that have yet to be disclosed) that he's actually dating Raidah?

Possible reason: Jacob is a Presbetarian, Raidah is a generally-secular Muslim. Given that there are RL reports of people freaking out when being in the same room as Muslims just because they're Muslim and in the same room, it isn't beyond the bounds of possibility that a somewhat-crazy Southern Baptist girl would be a convenient beard for him.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 13 Sep 2019, 11:34

The roads leading away from this comic are many and varied!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 16 Sep 2019, 19:39
"PLANG" is a decent enough onomatopoeia, but it's no "BERF".
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 20 Sep 2019, 06:37
Damn, Danny, don't be gross.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 20 Sep 2019, 08:04
Ugh. I've never been a fan of Danny, but at least he was never gross. This is a bad look on anyone. The one positive thing about this is we know Sal is going to shut it down immediately.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 Sep 2019, 08:52

I love Danny.
I love Sal.

And I have ALWAYS wanted to see those two together and happy in SOME form in Willis' work.
I honestly thought "Dumbing" was setting the path for that to happen - but I fear this will destroy them... :(

DAMN YOU, WILLIS!!!!



Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 20 Sep 2019, 09:00
I have this thought at the back of my mind that here Willis is presenting us two scenarios (Danny+Sal and Joyce+Jacob) that both must go horribly wrong. I'm wondering if he's leading up to a twist where one of them goes horribly right...  :psyduck:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 Sep 2019, 09:03
I have this thought at the back of my mind that here Willis is presenting us two scenarios (Danny+Sal and Joyce+Jacob) that both must go horribly wrong. I'm wondering if he's leading up to a twist where one of them goes horribly right...  :psyduck:

Or... BOTH go horribly wrong...
Cue Danny and Joyce! :)

(That said, once would "expect" J&J to go well, and S&D to go wrong... How about the ol' change up their Mr Willis??) :)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 20 Sep 2019, 09:06
I was sort of expecting the opposite. i.e. Jacob won't leave whats-her-name for Joyce, but Sal, upon seeing a dork very awkwardly and cringingly coming onto her, figures what the hell.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 21 Sep 2019, 10:08
The awkward silence from those quick to condemn when it all turns out to be an in-joke between friends.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 23 Sep 2019, 05:11
The awkward silence from those quick to condemn when it all turns out to be an in-joke between friends.

Oh forgive us mighty Benrg... for not posting within your set timeframe.

I don't read that as an In-joke.
I read that as Sal giggling at Danny trying to be "cool".
And Danny also giggling at his own ineptitude.

However, all I'm left with is.. "Oh... an anti-climax."
(Although the door was left open with the "...yet..." And honestly, Sal didn't seem TOO averse to the possibility.)

Although... very interesting that Mike is just walking into frame...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 23 Sep 2019, 18:06
GOD DAMN IT BLAINE  :x
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: 94ssd on 05 Oct 2019, 16:46
I feel like Joyce is hoping this will lead to makeouts but, while Jacob's face is hard to read here, based on my experience as a long time Willis-comic reader it's more likely he's going to tell her to fuck off (but in much more complicated words)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 18 Oct 2019, 21:15
Today's strip

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 18 Oct 2019, 21:23
Well. I guess Joyce+Jacob was the pair that was going to go horribly right...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: 94ssd on 19 Oct 2019, 07:03
I feel like Joyce is hoping this will lead to makeouts but, while Jacob's face is hard to read here, based on my experience as a long time Willis-comic reader it's more likely he's going to tell her to fuck off (but in much more complicated words)

This post did not age well.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 19 Oct 2019, 10:36
Jacob is going to break up with Raidah?  :-o

SARA: "Best birthday EVAR!"  :-D
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 19 Oct 2019, 16:52
On one hand Yay my ship! On the other oh fuck they're bound to get caught.
Break up first, kiss later!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 20 Oct 2019, 00:37
I've said this about another story that I've recently started following but this applies here too.

This is the point where Joyce comes to learn the difference between infatuation and love. It may be a very, very painful experience for her (especially when this current little mutual crush self-destructs) but she'll turn out better for it and probably better equipped to know who she's really looking for. She may also get lots of nice smoochies from her hunky temporary boyfriend.

The downside? Raidah is likely going to be her nemesis for her entire college life. However, I think that Joyce was kind of expecting that anyway.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 20 Oct 2019, 21:06
Well. I guess Joyce+Jacob was the pair that was going to go horribly right...
... Never mind.  :venonat:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 21 Oct 2019, 04:52
I feel like Joyce is hoping this will lead to makeouts but, while Jacob's face is hard to read here, based on my experience as a long time Willis-comic reader it's more likely he's going to tell her to fuck off (but in much more complicated words)

This post did not age well.

Well.....it actually did
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 21 Oct 2019, 04:54
I'm sort of waiting for the firestorm on Willis's comments section between those who will think Joyce got what was coming to her and those who think that Jacob chose the one way to handle this that actually stripped him of any moral superiority.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 21 Oct 2019, 07:44
Well Jacob is still breaking up with Raidah, so...

SARA: "STILL best birthday ever!"
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 21 Oct 2019, 10:03
I'm sort of waiting for the firestorm on Willis's comments section between those who will think Joyce got what was coming to her and those who think that Jacob chose the one way to handle this that actually stripped him of any moral superiority.

These two things are not mutually exclusive. Joyce did get what she deserved and Jacob handled the situation very poorly.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: 94ssd on 21 Oct 2019, 20:32
I feel like Joyce is hoping this will lead to makeouts but, while Jacob's face is hard to read here, based on my experience as a long time Willis-comic reader it's more likely he's going to tell her to fuck off (but in much more complicated words)

This post did not age well.

Well.....it actually did

Indeed. My previous post saying that my post preceding it did not age well did not age well at all.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 24 Oct 2019, 06:47
This might honestly be the best thing for all three characters.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 24 Oct 2019, 06:55
I'm sort of waiting for the firestorm on Willis's comments section between those who will think Joyce got what was coming to her and those who think that Jacob chose the one way to handle this that actually stripped him of any moral superiority.

These two things are not mutually exclusive. Joyce did get what she deserved and Jacob handled the situation very poorly.
Which part did he handle poorly? The bit at the end where he kissed Joyce and basically broke up with her and Raidah? The part where he went along with Joyce's panicked lie and extended it into an entire lunch? The part where he basically saw Raidah as someone who matched an arbitrary checklist as opposed to someone he actually liked, to the extent that while he told his brother he had a girlfriend, he didn't tell him a single detail about her? Not even a name?

Yes to all of those.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Nov 2019, 07:41
What the fuck, she's only 26? I feel so old now.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 07 Nov 2019, 08:45
Hmm, seems to be foreshadowing a bit there. Hopefully Joyce takes this seriously and doesn't just blow it off...especially considering what we've seen Blaine doing with toe-dad.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 25 Nov 2019, 09:38
Mike just reminded me that I still want to write a hip-hop track called "Your Mom for a Nickel" (content warning: your mom)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 28 Nov 2019, 14:38
I forgot there was a character named Eric! Checking the history, he's bi and does finger guns, but he also cheats on his girlfriend, boooo.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 03 Dec 2019, 07:13
Yes! Dina! Clear and open communication for the win.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 06 Dec 2019, 21:13
I have a horrifying thought about where all this may be headed... it would be perfectly Damn-You-Willis for Toedad and Blaine to show up to the party right as Becky and Dina are going at it...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 09 Dec 2019, 08:47

Is it just me who thinks Becky looks creepy AF in that last panel !??!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 09 Dec 2019, 18:42
Oof. calling it now. 2 comics about Amber leaving the party alone. Something Blainey is going to happen.  :psyduck:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 10 Dec 2019, 04:12
Oof. calling it now. 2 comics about Amber leaving the party alone. Something Blainey is going to happen.  :psyduck:

Aye, the set-up is there isn;t it.. :(
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 10 Dec 2019, 04:22
Yeah, I wouldn't put bets on the outcome, though.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 10 Dec 2019, 14:14
None of the cast are minors. Well, except Riley, Faz, and Howie.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 20 Dec 2019, 19:04
Oof. calling it now. 2 comics about Amber leaving the party alone. Something Blainey is going to happen.  :psyduck:

Aye, the set-up is there isn;t it.. :(
Oof, I see Toe dad's silhouette in that last panel.  :psyduck:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 20 Dec 2019, 23:42
Yeah, this is the part where the Gruesome Twosome bust into Robin's apartment, get busted for assault and attempted kidnap of a Congresswoman and Robin gets to be a hero.

This will have the following consequences:
This morning's events will change many things forever.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 22 Dec 2019, 15:22
I have a feeling Mike is not going to get out of this the way he thinks he might.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 24 Dec 2019, 07:26
*crosses finders* please be an electric scooter chase, please be an electric scooter chase, please be an electric scooter chase.

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 24 Dec 2019, 09:33
Holy shit I know Blaine is a very bad person but outright saying let's kill someone caught me off.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 24 Dec 2019, 09:39
@Welu,

Yes, that's why I think that Ross's character arc is approaching a climactic and irrevocable decision point. I honestly can't be sure what choice he'll make.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 24 Dec 2019, 10:17
@Welu,

Yes, that's why I think that Ross's character arc is approaching a climactic and irrevocable decision point. I honestly can't be sure what choice he'll make.
Ross is a monster. He'll do whatever fellow monster Blaine says if he thinks it will get him to Becky.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 25 Dec 2019, 14:22
GOD DAMN IT MIKE what the FUCK are you doing?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 25 Dec 2019, 14:31
At a guess?

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 26 Dec 2019, 07:52
*crosses finders* please be an electric scooter chase, please be an electric scooter chase, please be an electric scooter chase.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2a/56/62/2a5662a25de3a724f5ac08965d275233.gif)

I'm pretty sure Mike is shouting all this because he has the cops called in his pocket. Luckily Blaine downloaded and used his app which places him at the scene.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 26 Dec 2019, 08:03
I worry about what The Toe will do next. Blaine has basically left him behind, so he’s likely to take the opportunity to go after Becky again...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 26 Dec 2019, 08:14
Yeah I think so too. It wouldn't be out of character for him to do something like that. I can imagine Robin spraying mace in his face and looking like a hero.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 26 Dec 2019, 08:52
I'm disappointed that today's comic isn't titled "Numbnuts".
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 27 Dec 2019, 21:06
Well, shit. Mike doesn't seem too worried, though.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 28 Dec 2019, 10:26
Reading today's comic:
(https://i.imgur.com/Cls22LB.gif?noredirect)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: 94ssd on 29 Dec 2019, 20:00
Damn You Willis for making me start to like Mike in this chapter.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 29 Dec 2019, 21:05
My money's on Amber.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 30 Dec 2019, 04:15
...shouldn't he have fallen over??
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 30 Dec 2019, 04:47
No, because, somehow, he sourced sufficient hand-to-hand training in the past few months to somehow completely resist the kinetic energy of a high kick strike. So, thus Bad Dad Man becomes Bloomington's first supervillain.

I'm desperately hoping that this is going to turn out to be some kind of nightmare on Amber's part because, otherwise, Dumbing of Age is dangerously close to falling down the same rabbit-hole as Ctrl+Alt+Del.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 30 Dec 2019, 05:03
No, because, somehow, he sourced sufficient hand-to-hand training in the past few months to somehow completely resist the kinetic energy of a high kick strike. So, thus Bad Dad Man becomes Bloomington's first supervillain.

I'm desperately hoping that this is going to turn out to be some kind of nightmare on Amber's part because, otherwise, Dumbing of Age is dangerously close to falling down the same rabbit-hole as Ctrl+Alt+Del.

Yeah.... when I saw this strip I thought... "Is he fecking with us??"

:(
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 31 Dec 2019, 05:06
Isn't fecking with us kind of his raison d'être?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 06 Jan 2020, 05:35

Nice to see the "offending" strip with the chest kick has been re-drawn to (at least in true comic book fashion) "explain" why he didn;t just fall over.

Now...

How did he get the hammer back, after it went flying in above said strip??

(Whats going on with Mike....???  Oooohhh!!!)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 06 Jan 2020, 05:54
Comic book rules, comic book physics and comic book logic, Joe.

I'm wondering if this is going to be Mike's Jason Todd/Death in the Family moment that will define Amber and Mazie for the rest of  their shared life and ensure that Blaine will never see the open sky ever again. Yes, I think it's possible that Mike is going to sacrifice his life to save Amber and Amazi-Girl, because (in his current mind-set) it is the last and only good thing left for him to do with himself.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 06 Jan 2020, 05:59
Comic book rules, comic book physics and comic book logic, Joe.

Yep... "Comic book fashion"...
But the original wasn't even remotely that.
(Hence, the re-draw)

I'm wondering if this is going to be Mike's Jason Todd/Death in the Family moment that will define Amber and Mazie for the rest of  their shared life and ensure that Blaine will never see the open sky ever again. Yes, I think it's possible that Mike is going to sacrifice his life to save Amber and Amazi-Girl, because (in his current mind-set) it is the last and only good thing left for him to do with himself.

Yeah.. possible...
Hope NOT, but possible.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 07 Jan 2020, 03:24

(click to show/hide)

This little scene has seen a lot of "comic book physics" being brought into play.

(click to show/hide)

I'm kinda glad to see the DoA regs are also questioning the same 3 or 4 points and that it's not just pernickety ol' me!  :)

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 07 Jan 2020, 04:05
I think that the next few strips are going to show Ross running for his life whilst Amber (yes, Amber) is busy beating Blaine to death.
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 07 Jan 2020, 09:38
"Hey, ball-peen! I fucked your mom."

LOL, classic Mike.  :laugh:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Jan 2020, 20:30
...shit.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 07 Jan 2020, 21:04
Damn you Willis!!!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Jan 2020, 21:16
So...it was just a dream?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 08 Jan 2020, 00:05
No, it's just that Amber and Amazi-Girl are so disassociated that they can no longer access each other's short-term memories. The first that Amber will know about this will be someone telling her that Mike is in hospital and that Blaine is going to be in jail, assuming that he survives the emergency surgery he's currently undergoing.

Oh, and I don't  think we'll be seeing Amazi-Girl for a while. I think that she's going to be hiding deep inside her head for a while out of guilt for not preventing Mike's likely nearly-fatal injuries.

Because of this, there is no-one available to spread the word that Ross is wandering around campus, looking for Becky.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 08 Jan 2020, 06:17
Assuming Mike and Blaine are both still alive.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 08 Jan 2020, 07:18
Distinct lack of injuries on Amber's purdee li'l face there...
Still we know SHE is alive. (But is Amazi-Girl??)

Also a distinct lack of people who know who she "is" rushing in to find her after all the hullabaloo (great word) of 'last night'.
(Assuming no huge timeskip.)

I've always been quite impressed with Willis' storytelling... the next few days will be v. interesting to see if that opinion holds! :) ;)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: 94ssd on 14 Jan 2020, 00:38
Joe and Joyce's conversation in today's comic reminds me of the Very Dysfunctional Relationship I Had In College That I'm Still Not Over Three Years Later™ (you can read all about it in my most recent pessimism/depression thread post if that's your kink). As did the "up here we can be garbage" conversation. And there was Ruth/Billie. Wow, Dumbing of Age really loves depicting relationships built on a foundation of mutual suffering.

Anyway, the fact that we're at this scenario - which seems unlikely if you remember way back to the Mike-chaperoned Joe/Joyce date in Book 1, and yet it makes sense when you look at their character arcs, just shows that Willis is a great storyteller/character developer. It just takes about 9 years for it to come back around.

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 15 Jan 2020, 04:39
Joe and Joyce's conversation in today's comic reminds me of the Very Dysfunctional Relationship I Had In College That I'm Still Not Over Three Years Later™ (you can read all about it in my most recent pessimism/depression thread post if that's your kink). As did the "up here we can be garbage" conversation. And there was Ruth/Billie. Wow, Dumbing of Age really loves depicting relationships built on a foundation of mutual suffering.

Anyway, the fact that we're at this scenario - which seems unlikely if you remember way back to the Mike-chaperoned Joe/Joyce date in Book 1, and yet it makes sense when you look at their character arcs, just shows that Willis is a great storyteller/character developer. It just takes about 9 years for it to come back around.

I always thought Joe and Joyce would be a great couple... really good for each other, and tempering the others "extremes".
And, now both have actually come to terms with their extremes themselves...

Yeah.. I'm not a "shipper"... I just think they'd make a nice couple.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 Jan 2020, 05:49

Ooookay, this is taking too long now.
:(
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 20 Jan 2020, 08:10
Sorry, Joe, I can't hear you. I'm too busy hiding under my bed to keep away the gaze of those ultra-creepy Forrest Hall kids!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 24 Jan 2020, 07:02
Dammit Willis! Get on with it!

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 25 Jan 2020, 13:33
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 27 Jan 2020, 05:00
(click to show/hide)

All very interesting! Still think it's taking too long, though!
Personally, I'm hoping this week will at least start the unfolding, as it's now been even more hinted at that something is pressing on Amber's mind - from Amazi-Girl's side...

Have we seen Joyce since *the event*?
We've seen all the other major players haven't we?

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 27 Jan 2020, 05:13
Yes, we saw Joyce wake up snuggling with Joe.

We haven't seen Ethan, though.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 27 Jan 2020, 05:19
Regarding the currently undropped other shoe:

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 27 Jan 2020, 10:15
Yes, we saw Joyce wake up snuggling with Joe.

We haven't seen Ethan, though.

D'oh!!!

Of COURSE!!!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 28 Jan 2020, 02:31

Hey! I know what we should do now...
Let's cut to a 4th string character wandering about in her house for some reason...

(sigh)

(Don;t get me wrong - I like Leslie, but Jebus...)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 28 Jan 2020, 03:42
For what it's worth, I suspect that Becky is the only one who knows about what happened and this is the start of the vector where everyone at the university learns about the events last night.

Additionally, it says a lot that Leslie is still living in fear of her family or ex-husband tracking her down.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 28 Jan 2020, 09:56
For what it's worth, I suspect that Becky is the only one who knows about what happened and this is the start of the vector where everyone at the university learns about the events last night.

Additionally, it says a lot that Leslie is still living in fear of her family or ex-husband tracking her down.

And she went to Leslie first???
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 28 Jan 2020, 12:14
I’d think that if it were that, she’d have at least told Joyce first.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 29 Jan 2020, 02:28
Ookay...

Looks like we're about to get Becky looking for advice on a lesbian affair.
(Maybe the "longing" for Joyce and the overcompensating for Dina... Or maybe she did the hanky-panky and felt bad afterwards...)

Would make an interesting story... but to bring that in NOW???
As unlikely as Ben's suggestion is, I'm hoping it's true... (it might not *ring* true that she's gone there for that reason, but commme onnnn...!!!)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 09 Feb 2020, 10:06
Hold on Billie, what? Has that ever been mentioned?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 09 Feb 2020, 11:02
Billie and Walky were good friends until high school, obviously they had something in common.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 09 Feb 2020, 12:58
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/04-the-whiteboard-dong-bandit/dramahurricane/

Billie's drunken car wreck was mentioned before a long time ago but I don't remember the bit about hurting her friend.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 09 Feb 2020, 13:56
Yea, they never mentioned she was in the car with Billie. That information definitely adds more weight to how she reacted when meeting Billie again.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 11 Feb 2020, 07:40
Fuck. I completely forgot about that. August 2014 feels like a lifetime ago.

Regarding today's, of course the only sauce Joyce likes is the one I hate most.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 11 Feb 2020, 07:44
Ketchup is second only to mayo on the list of White People foods.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 11 Feb 2020, 08:34
Sometimes they even combine them.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 11 Feb 2020, 09:22
Sometimes I think they hate themselves. It would explain a lot.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 11 Feb 2020, 11:01
Ketchup is second only to mayo on the list of White People foods.
My Latina wife uses LOTS of mayonesa; my white ass tolerates it on sandwiches or elote (or "loaded corn-on-the-cob" as some white people are calling it).

We both avoid ketchup. I don't think there's even a bottle of it here at home.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 11 Feb 2020, 11:03
Sometimes they even combine them.

They don't even have to do the work any more!

(https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/d267189e-427d-4161-9eec-058ffc48f6e5_1.62f94b07169f4b1770ef491ba8b9da37.jpeg)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 11 Feb 2020, 11:07
UUUUuuuuuuuugh!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 12 Feb 2020, 03:00

Did something not happen a little while ago?
Something to do with... whatsizface... blonde hair... a bit passive aggressive... liked people's mothers...??

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 12 Feb 2020, 06:47
I still think we're not going to find out anything until he fails to show up for their calculus midterm tomorrow (in comic time).

Or maybe he shows up to the calc midterm with a cast on his leg or something. But whatever it is, we're not finding out until then.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 15 Feb 2020, 08:24
So 2024, got it. Also Joyce's mom 100% made those calls, right?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 15 Feb 2020, 08:49
Sure sounds like it. Either that or Hank is lying.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 15 Feb 2020, 14:54
I think Hank is lying, he keeps giving mom the side eye. He doesn't want her to know he was trying to give Joyce the head's up.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: hedgie on 15 Feb 2020, 16:50
Agreed.  He probably wants to warn Joyce and Becky about the Toe.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 18 Feb 2020, 09:42
Agreed.  He probably wants to warn Joyce and Becky about the Toe.
Looks like you called it, but I'm confused about how he put it: "My church wants to get Becky's dad out on bail"? I thought he was there when Blaine came in and offered to pay in full? I thought he would be well aware that Ross is already out?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 18 Feb 2020, 09:56
IIRC he was not there, nor would I have expected him to be. The Ross situation seems to be one on which the Brown family is quite strongly divided.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 20 Feb 2020, 06:39
Am I reading too much into todays strip, or is anyone else feeling chills? The fact we can't see her moms face...chilling.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 20 Feb 2020, 06:43
I don't think that it was necessary to show Carol's face. I'm sure if we could, it would be as disturbing as the face of a suicide bomber in the last few seconds before their bomb went off: A smile; bliss. The complete certainty of imminent sainthood and the sight of paradise. The face of someone who feels nothing but hate for others and is sure that God is patting her on the back and urging her on.

The reason why Willis not showing her face, IMO, is to emphasise the fact that she's become a stranger to Joyce. She's coming to realise that she doesn't know her mother; probably has never known her and only can perceive this terrible stranger breathing threats at her and those whom she loves.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 Feb 2020, 06:55
Am I reading too much into todays strip, or is anyone else feeling chills? The fact we can't see her moms face...chilling.

It's because she's wearing her husband's face on top of her own......   :evil: :evil: :evil:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 20 Feb 2020, 07:07
(https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2020017/rs_1024x759-200117120856-1024-The-Office-Stress-Relief.jpg?fit=around|600:300&crop=600:300;center,top&output-quality=90)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 20 Feb 2020, 08:02
she's become a stranger to Joyce.
And to her husband as well.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 Feb 2020, 08:25
(https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2020017/rs_1024x759-200117120856-1024-The-Office-Stress-Relief.jpg?fit=around|600:300&crop=600:300;center,top&output-quality=90)

I literally watched this episode yesterday!!
(I'm workjng through the entire run at the moment...)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 20 Feb 2020, 11:03
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/6211d44a4ebb4c5bb51009c53e2f3b31/tumblr_n9bmdkCdOq1r8lutfo1_500.gif)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 01 Mar 2020, 08:12
Not even the Zodiac Killer himself would dare perform such a despicable act! That was raspberry!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 01 Mar 2020, 11:38
Apropros of Robin's remarks today, does anyone actually like Ted Cruz? Even rightists in the US were lining up to say "Thanks but no thanks" when he ran for President!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 01 Mar 2020, 14:32
No, I don't think so. That being said, I'm pretty sure Robin's a Republican purely out of opportunity.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 01 Mar 2020, 22:12
Yes, I don't think Robin has any political beliefs personally. She's just an opportunist.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 02 Mar 2020, 08:19
Yes, I don't think Robin has any political beliefs personally. She's just an opportunist.
Kind of like Lord Dampnut in that way.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 05 Mar 2020, 07:35
"three years from now" aka tomorrow in comic time.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 05 Mar 2020, 07:58
That's overstating it a bit. I'd say that three years IRL will be about two weeks, comic time.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 06 Mar 2020, 01:52
People have long suspected that Amber's dark side (aka 'Red Amber') is a distinct DID alter in her fractured psyche. I've been unsure but I'm pretty sure that ghost!Mike is that part of her's face going forwards. I'm wondering if we're going to increasingly see Amber having to deal with an 'angel' (Amazi-Girl) and a 'devil' (Mike) on her shoulders and giving her conflicting advice that only she can hear.

Poor kid.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 06 Mar 2020, 08:31
Considering that Amber and Amazing Girl are no longer sharing memories and that the character tags for them on the comics are mutually exclusive, I'd say the DID thing is pretty clear bu this point. They may not have started as distinct alters, but they have developed into them as her trauma gets more severe.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 06 Mar 2020, 08:57
People have long suspected that Amber's dark side (aka 'Red Amber') is a distinct DID alter in her fractured psyche. I've been unsure but I'm pretty sure that ghost!Mike is that part of her's face going forwards.
You think the Mike in this strip is a Harvey?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 06 Mar 2020, 09:21
People have long suspected that Amber's dark side (aka 'Red Amber') is a distinct DID alter in her fractured psyche. I've been unsure but I'm pretty sure that ghost!Mike is that part of her's face going forwards.

You think the Mike in this strip is a Harvey?

Basically, yes. My theory is that he's a memory-sharing DID alter that appears as a hallucination. Whether he'll ultimately start having independent incarnation (controlling Amber's body when she or Amazi-Girl are unconscious) remains to be seen.

He's certainly not real though. He looks like a 2D projection onto the scene - There's no shading or sense of depth to him at all.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 06 Mar 2020, 09:25
The "Oh wait for it" is a pretty big hint, too.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 08 Mar 2020, 06:21
Plot twist, she's not imagining it, Mike has the power to project into her mind somehow. Almost certainly not, but hey, interpretations are valid until they're proven wrong ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 09 Mar 2020, 08:43
OKay...

It's still not helping us with the whole "WTF HAPPENED!?", but there seems to be too much of "Mike himself"'s thought processes here for Amber to 'know' and thus project onto Mike's avatar... in her mind.

New Twist! Mike never existed...
It was ALWAYS Amber!

(Now that would be something! :) )
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 09 Mar 2020, 10:26
The Mike projection didn't say anything that Amber wouldn't know. In fact, it didn't reveal any information at all. It's just an aspect of subconscious trying to relieve her guilt to the point that she can look at that memory. It's not Mike's thought process at all, it's the part of her mind that knows she's not as worthless as the rest of her tells her she is.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 09 Mar 2020, 11:25
The Mike projection didn't say anything that Amber wouldn't know. In fact, it didn't reveal any information at all. It's just an aspect of subconscious trying to relieve her guilt to the point that she can look at that memory. It's not Mike's thought process at all, it's the part of her mind that knows she's not as worthless as the rest of her tells her she is.

Whereas I totally understand your view on this.. I respectfully disagree with it.
Amber is Mike...
Nyah!  :)

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 16 Mar 2020, 03:09
Hey, just to let you know that David Willis posted a trigger warning for the current chapter of Dumbing of Age running from 3/16 to 6/24/2020:

Quote
The current storyline which begins today, “When It Crumbles,” is sort of a… season finale, in terms of stakes?  It’s the end of Year Ten!  Stuff is gonna happen!  Sometimes scary stuff!  I mean, it’s still Dumbing of Age, so we’re not gonna go full thrasher film or anything, but there will be Sustained Sense Of Danger.  More danger than usually allotted.  Just giving you all a heads up, in case you want to bow out and come back June 23 when the storyline ends so you can read it at your own pace.  Or nope out!  Your choice, no judgment.

yeah yeah i know this is the worst timing, re: social distancing, but
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 24 Mar 2020, 10:34
SO... what 5... 6 people just vanish and no-one is concerned?
ANd at least two have been tied up with duct tape and thrown into (somewhere) without a sound???

I mean... wha'??!!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 24 Mar 2020, 11:02
So, I wonder how many people are involved in this scheme. Because The Toe and that other guy can't kidnap that many people at once while working alone.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 03 Apr 2020, 17:06
I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Joyce's mom involved.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: 94ssd on 04 Apr 2020, 08:58
So, I wonder how many people are involved in this scheme. Because The Toe and that other guy can't kidnap that many people at once while working alone.

That Other Guy has mob connections - I believe that's the implication behind "could end his life with a phone call."
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Pilchard123 on 04 Apr 2020, 11:25
Bible fight! Bible fight!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 04 Apr 2020, 12:04
Calling it now: Amber comes back with Sal and maybe Asher (because he's feeling guilty and thinks that he needs to find redemption by fighting on the side of light for once). Because Sal isn't stupid, the campus cops are also on the way and Robin is calling out the county and state cops too.

Prediction 2: During the resulting attempted cinematic rescue, Amber and Amazi-Girl keep on swapping over at critical moments.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 05 Apr 2020, 07:31
I don't think Sal would call the police even in this situation, for a similar reason to why Sarah was reluctant to bring in the police (and on top of that, Sal has a record...) But I wouldn't be surprised if Asher has already called the police.

Also, I've been wondering through this what Blaine's (I had forgotten his name in that earlier post) angle is. He wants Amber out of college so he doesn't have to pay tuition, but so far he's only talked about The Toe's goals. But... suppose Blaine does know that Amber is Amazi-Girl, but is pretending not to know to manipulate her. In that context, Dorothy's comment in today's comic makes Blaine's goal a lot clearer: if Blaine knows that Amber is Amazi-Girl, then it makes sense to manipulate her into going on a mission that's likely to get her arrested -- and kicked out of college.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 23 Apr 2020, 07:53
Well, apparently Blaine and Toe are communicating less than I thought.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 23 Apr 2020, 08:23
Remember, Ross believes himself to be the hero of this story; Blaine is not troubled by that delusion. Eventually and inevitably, the incompatibility of their world views and ultimate objectives would have led to them clashing.

Might Ross yet have a Death Equals Redemption (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathEqualsRedemption) moment (WARNING! TV Tropes link)?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 23 Apr 2020, 21:29
"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!"
My reaction:
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/WarpedSoftDipper-size_restricted.gif)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 23 Apr 2020, 23:13
Well...
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 24 Apr 2020, 06:13
Is that a spoiler because it's today's comic or something else?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 24 Apr 2020, 06:47
It's today's comic, but I think it's spoilered for another reason (that isn't actually spoilery unless you consider today's comic spoilery)...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 24 Apr 2020, 09:55
Ross may be a doofus, but he is built like a brick and Blaine has broken ribs at the very least and likely other internal injuries. My money is on Ross, in that fight.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 24 Apr 2020, 13:41
Ross may be a doofus, but he is built like a brick and Blaine has broken ribs at the very least and likely other internal injuries. My money is on Ross, in that fight.
My money's on Amber.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: hedgie on 24 Apr 2020, 13:58
Presently, Amber is not there.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 24 Apr 2020, 14:07
Presently, Amber is not there.
My money's always on Amber. Double down on Amber. Ride or die.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 27 Apr 2020, 07:03
I gotta admit, I initially missed the hammer in his hand earlier - it took a third reading to see it!
I'm not sure what Toe-Dad's status is meant to be right now, because Blaine didn't seem too concerned about him while he was holding a conversation with Dorothy. (A bit contirived TBH... "What are you?" ???)

I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop because this all seems to be... going too well...

(Surely if they could bite off the duct tape on their wrists they could have unpeeled it from their ankles???)

Yeah... far too many smiling faces in the last two strips - surely something bad is about to happen.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 28 Apr 2020, 08:36
Aw, we started off so well with Joyce's cockshot yesterday, but now it's not looking good for our heroes.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 28 Apr 2020, 09:50
Aw, we started off so well with Joyce's cockshot yesterday, but now it's not looking good for our heroes.

It's necessary for the peril to be brought to a height before the Final Battle. Yes, I'm expecting that. Amazi-Girl and Sal's last great joint triumph. After that, I think that Sal will insist on trying to help Amber and Mazie (my name for the Amazi-Girl alter out of costume) find some way to deal with the hand life has dealt with her without wandering around and looking for trouble.

I also wonder if Becky will also arrive just in time to hear her father's last words. A tragic final chapter in the history of their family.

Assuming that one of the two women in his daughter's head doesn't kill him, I suspect that Blaine will do life without possibility of parole or even go to the execution table. This is Indiana after all and homicide and attempted homicide, specifically Mike, whilst in the commission of a multiple kidnap is not likely to receive a particularly favourable response from the courts.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 29 Apr 2020, 09:24

There's also the possibility the mob will not look kindly on this....
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 29 Apr 2020, 11:03
I am fairly certain he has not recieved any kind of authorisation to pull this little stunt.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 29 Apr 2020, 11:08
I still am wondering what role Asher is ultimately going to play in this. It was made clear that he was the one who pulled the fire alarm, but considering what he's said before, he may have doubts about what he did, so he may still have a role to play in the plot. Perhaps he calls the cops, like he did on Sal, which may backfire, considering what Amazi-Girl recalled from what Mike told her...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 06 May 2020, 05:17
Maybe I've watched too much TV, but I hope someone is watching Blaine...he may escape.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 06 May 2020, 05:38
All seems a little too easy, doesn't it?

Like, the standard "One man fights many men" where all the men take on the hero one at a time.
Nice of the goons to hold off from beating up our cast so AmizBer could finish them off one at a time... while also hog-tying and duck-taping up Blaine...

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 06 May 2020, 06:11
FWIW, it was at least 3 and possibly 5 on the side of light as Dina, Sarah and possibly Joyce and Dorothy got involved too. Add on top of that, these guys probably aren't used to the idea of girls violently resisting like that. Aren't girls supposed to be the weaker sex? That's certainly what their fathers and older brothers taught them!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 06 May 2020, 06:14
FWIW, it was at least 3 and possibly 5 on the side of light as Dina, Sarah and possibly Joyce and Dorothy got involved too. Add on top of that, these guys probably aren't used to the idea of girls violently resisting like that. Aren't girls supposed to be the weaker sex? That's certainly what their fathers and older brothers taught them!

There were at least 4 maybe 5/6 guys too.
But none of our heroes even had a blow landed on them... not one.
A very anti-climactic climax...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 06 May 2020, 07:23
Maybe I've watched too much TV, but I hope someone is watching Blaine...he may escape.
On the same page as today's strip, it appears Walky is guarding Blaine.

Quote
There’s a new bonus strip up at the DUMBING OF AGE PATREON, and it’s… taking place concurrently to this one!  That’s not usually the case, huh.  It features Walky!  And a duct taped Blaine!  What a pair!!!!!!!

(https://www.dumbingofage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020-04-patreon2preview-190x300.png)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 06 May 2020, 08:37
Ah I missed it! Thanks Theta9!  :-D
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 08 May 2020, 08:30
What's the hovertext talking about? The Rule?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 08 May 2020, 09:10
What's the hovertext talking about? The Rule?

Willis had several rules when he started this strip to differentiate it from the previous Walkyverse continuity. One of them was no character deaths, especially "on-screen".
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Cornelius on 08 May 2020, 09:11
As I understand it, the rule about nobody dying, he was holding onto. Now, the question is, does this mean Mike gets to live, or, does this mean that this wa not considered central enough of a character to count?

Edit: don't try to post concurrently with BenRG
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 08 May 2020, 16:51
I mean, if he dies in the hospital, I don't suppose that's dying on-screen.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 08 May 2020, 17:51
Or if he died the previous night (in comic time), as was seemingly implied by Ghost Mike a couple weeks ago (in real time).
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 09 May 2020, 01:18
So... is that it??
Surely that CAN'T be it...??
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 09 May 2020, 14:16
Or if he died the previous night (in comic time), as was seemingly implied by Ghost Mike a couple weeks ago (in real time).
I mean we have no way of knowing if that's a ghost or a hallucination, whether he's dead or not.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 09 May 2020, 14:54
Or if he died the previous night (in comic time), as was seemingly implied by Ghost Mike a couple weeks ago (in real time).
I mean we have no way of knowing if that's a ghost or a hallucination, whether he's dead or not.
I'm sure this Mike is a Harvey that only Amber can see.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 12 May 2020, 07:09
So approximately a month per decade is the exchange rate.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 14 May 2020, 07:24
Damn it, Faz. I wonder if he cut everyone free or just the dad.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 15 May 2020, 02:23

Nice to see that it wasn't quite all that easy.
Still seems way too nonchalant though.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 15 May 2020, 06:35
I kinda wanted it to be all that easy.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Cornelius on 15 May 2020, 08:15
Damn it, Faz. I wonder if he cut everyone free or just the dad.
It's Faz; he'll cut anyone free that can prove it's beneficial to Faz.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 15 May 2020, 09:55
Of course Blaine is free now... you always got to have a jump-scare where the villain you thought was beaten suddenly comes back for round 2.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 16 May 2020, 11:41
Clever girl
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 18 May 2020, 04:52

Well - this is more like it.
I was starting to worry about the whole 'twee-ness' of the situation.
Looks like people are taking it seriously now.

Glad that the writing is back on track - the extended casualness of it all was bugging me to hell.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 19 May 2020, 23:54
The only reaction I have to today's strip (5/20/20) is Becky smiling in a weak way and saying: "Checkmate, Mr O'Malley. Thank you for a challenging and entertaining game."
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 May 2020, 02:02

"I called the Pol... no wait.... I scheduled a tweet!"

???
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Pilchard123 on 20 May 2020, 04:28
Wasn't there a thing about how the local police were paid off a few strips back? That would explain not calling the police.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 May 2020, 04:46
Wasn't there a thing about how the local police were paid off a few strips back? That would explain not calling the police.


ALL of them?
(And besides, Becky wasn't privvy to that conversation was she??)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 20 May 2020, 04:55
Wasn't there a thing about how the local police were paid off a few strips back? That would explain not calling the police.


ALL of them?
(And besides, Becky wasn't privvy to that conversation was she??)

Becky was the one Amazi-Girl told about the bent coppers. Not knowing who to trust, Becky obviously decided to appeal to a wider constituency to make this something impossible to cover up.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 20 May 2020, 07:20

"I called the Pol... no wait.... I scheduled a tweet!"

???
The police have already been called, as has been mentioned.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 21 May 2020, 03:21

"I called the Pol... no wait.... I scheduled a tweet!"

???
The police have already been called, as has been mentioned.

Becky didn't know that, did she?
And as for "putting it out to a larger audience" - in what way will that STOP whats happening?

In the days of school shootings etc, an awful lot has gone on with a distinct lack of flashy lights and woo-woos!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 21 May 2020, 04:13
And as for "putting it out to a larger audience" - in what way will that STOP whats happening?

Blaine's plans seemingly depend on this happening unnoticed, him being anonymous and our heroes not being able to do anything but comply for fear of being falsely accused of kidnapping Becky and/or murdering Ross. What Becky has done is strip Blaine of his anonymity. He now has to decide whether he can risk a media-hyped manhunt (in which 'killed whilst resisting arrest' sounds like it is a very likely outcome) and how many 'friends' he's going to have in the Mob when he becomes Internet Public Enemy #1.

At some point, surrendering to the cops and claiming that he killed Ross (who was on bail for felony kidnap and assault with a deadly weapon, please recall) in self defence might start sounding like a good survival strategy.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 21 May 2020, 07:14
She mentioned she didn't call the cops because of Amber's warning about corruption. She specifically set the tweet on a delay in order for her friends to be able to get away before said corrupt cops could be brought it. She planned on being exchanged as a hostage for all the others, as per the deal that was offered her. Seriously, everything you are asking about is right there in the text of the comic.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 21 May 2020, 10:13
She mentioned she didn't call the cops because of Amber's warning about corruption. She specifically set the tweet on a delay in order for her friends to be able to get away before said corrupt cops could be brought it. She planned on being exchanged as a hostage for all the others, as per the deal that was offered her. Seriously, everything you are asking about is right there in the text of the comic.

Mmm... I wouldn't say everything.
The whole police thing is something Amber thinks* might be the case for 'some' of them...
And even SHE says they are on their way (bluffing, sure, But Blaine's reaction as to why that is is because SHE is afraid of her identity being revealed, not that he has nothing to fear from them because of bent cops - which might actually be the case and her reason for suggesting they might be...)

But that shouldn't stop a call that someone is attacking students on camus.. the police would appear in droves, as would the media.
No-one with a scratch on them despite a minimum of 4-5 goons looking to cause damage. (Hmm, SIX according to Joyce during one of the TWO strips of her introspection during this - and even more as Walky says they miscounted when Faz shows up.)
The bad guy's "sudden escape" from being hog tied (with an entire roll of tape) and a hood duct taped around his neck AND Walky sitting on him... but not a word of warning from Walky that he was even trying to escape?
Add in Walky doing bugger all when Dianna Attacks Blaine, and then his sudden cowardice when Joyce attacks Blaine, instead of HELPING either of them.

(Have the goons all run away?)

I was concerned at the start of all this as it seemed WAY too casual.
Then I thought that was the calm before the storm... but no...
And Joyce has "had a panic attack" in between strips seemingly which has allowed Blaine to both grab her AND get through the mob between him and the door- and the mob (let alone Walky) didn't think to rush Blaine while he was being leapt on by neither Dina NOR Joyce? (Hell, even AMBER stays put)
(And this is the same Joyce who is apparently fuelled by RAGE right now - and her sudden supine form is 'explained' in a throwaway line of dialogue next strip??)

I'm usually a HUGE fan of DW's writing, but he seems to be falling into, dare I say it, trope-ism here...
I truly thought he was going for an epic, 'strip-changing', talked about for years, run here (especially given the disclaimer at the beginning.)

But what's actually happened?
Mike's had a fall, but is apparently 'generally' alright.
Toedad is dead, but no-one cares, not even his daughter.
Everyone knows Amber is AmaziGirl... seemingly... but no-one cares.
Minimum of 5 goons, spread across a room, armed with bats, are ALL taken out by AmizBer with no-one else getting a scratch on them or even attempted to be so (despite Joyce nad-shotting one before anything else kicks off).

It all just feels ... empty... and kinda rushed and formulaic.

(to me)

Again - the story isn't quite over yet - so I'm still hoping there's gonna be some kind of larger pay-off.
We still dunno if Ruth is on the way, so.. I dunno maybe more to come?
But if all of this is resolved because of a tweet... well...

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 21 May 2020, 11:14

But what's actually happened?
Mike's had a fall, but is apparently 'generally' alright.
Depending on which version you'd believe from Blaine, Mike is either severely wounded or dead... and myself, I believe the version from Blaine when he think he's won, in which case Mike is dead.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 22 May 2020, 04:52

Today's strip...   :facepalm:

OKay... You know what... for the sake of everyone's sanity/nerves, I'll probably stop commenting on this particular story.

I'm getting annoyed at Willis for taking obvious short-cuts to move forward the drama of these scenes, while wasting time with strips entirely given over to (IMO) pointless introspection at a time of high drama. Let alone the sudden impossibilities of physical spaces, the frankly unbelievable reactions of the characters in their current dilemma, the overuse of exposition to "explain" what almost amounts to 'off screen' events in an attempt to explain them, and the hugely swithering bravery/cowardice/action/inaction of the characters. (And thats without even going into examples!)

I just can't suspend my disbelief to these extremes.

All of this is reading like a "first draft" to me and I'm finding it very frustrating because I KNOW he's a better writer than this.

So, yeah, to save you having to scroll past lengthy diatribe upon lengthy diatribe... I'll just skip this particular topic for the moment.

:)

Cheers.

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 22 May 2020, 07:57
FWIW, I agree with you on most of what you have written about the current storyline. I am disappointed by many oddities in character reactions (many almost impossible to find believable), physical space impossibilities, weird and nonbelievable story developments, etc.
Frankly rather disappointed with this story line so far, which is too bad since most of his storytelling is so good.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 24 May 2020, 13:12
ruh roh
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 24 May 2020, 22:30
Any guess on who is coming? I'm guessing Sal, or the cops.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 26 May 2020, 06:10
Did Malaya skitch there? Nice.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 27 May 2020, 04:26
My Prediction for the climax

As Sal and Mazie close the gap on the Ballpeenmobile, the van starts swerving. Inside, Joyce has recovered and is struggling with Faz (who is totally out of his depth with her). Blaine is having a hard time maintaining control with the two teenagers crashing around (and eventually launching onto the passenger-side seats. The van finally flips and slams into a tree or something (Blaine had got too many thrashing elbows to the face). Amazi-Girl (neither girl would ever be able to say who was the source of the impulse, maybe it was both) manages to prise open the door and pull Joyce out; after passing her to Sal, she pulls out Faz and the two are dragged to safety.

Amazi-Girl is about to go back for Blaine when the damaged van bursts into flames. She would have gone in after him but Sal holds her back. "Nothing could live through that," she tells her friend.

The arc ends with Amber (or maybe Mazie, the voice is suggestive) disposing of her Amazi-Girl costume. With Blaine gone and her and Sal reconciled (to a certain extent), there is no point carrying on with this. Instead, they want to heal, if they can. It's time to close the door on the past and the dead and it's time to look to the future.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 27 May 2020, 09:30
Well...

Was that a 'merging of minds' we just saw???
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 31 May 2020, 11:08
(Prediction)
Ehhh, that's still too similar to the Toedad chase that happened like...a week ago in comic time?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 31 May 2020, 11:55
I really need Blaine to be dead when this all shakes out.
Faz as well would be a nice bonus.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 31 May 2020, 12:26
Actually, I do believe that Faz is about to tell Joyce the whole sorry tale.

It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Faz ends up as Read Hall's pet highschool kid. He's hanging around Amber because she's his sister and, right now, his mother is unbearable to be around (basically blaming him for Blaine's death), so he wants to be somewhere else whenever he can. Yes, he's a bit of a letch and that's the comedy end of his character arc. However, most of it is Amber (and Amazi-Girl) as well as other characters trying to ensure that he doesn't end up suffering Amber's fate, being driven into mental illness by a parent who considers him worthless.

Yeah, I'm guessing that Yuri is basically going to blame Faz for Blaine's essentially-inevitable death or incarceration.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 05 Jun 2020, 07:22
Quote from: Becky
I can't do it all on my own, no, I know, I'm no Superman.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 05 Jun 2020, 09:40
MMMph!!!

Mmm mmph momh mmm mmmuuu mphhh!!!

(Biting my tongue)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 05 Jun 2020, 16:46
That's way more annoying than just stating your grievances.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 06 Jun 2020, 06:38
Seriously, Joe. We get it.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 08 Jun 2020, 04:55
Seriously, Joe. We get it.

:)
I refer the honourable member to my post at the top of the page....

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 09 Jun 2020, 06:45
Yeah, and if you'd stopped there or added something new, that'd be fine, but telling us that you're not saying anything is still saying something.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 09 Jun 2020, 09:16
Seriously, Joe. We get it.

:)
I refer the honourable member to my post at the top of the page....


At this point you're just being a snarky git and it is not as cute as you think it is.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: pwhodges on 09 Jun 2020, 11:40
Global Moderator Comment Pax - don't let it get personal.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 10 Jun 2020, 04:06

So you don't appreciate my humour?
Fair enough... can't please everyone.

Never thought this was the kinda place that was so fraught as to need a "J/K!" at the end of a post, but there y'go.
Dunno whether this is because people are PO'd that I'm daring to REALLY dislike the way this story is unfolding, or my frustrations are being latched onto as whipping boys for other posters' own annoyances...

SO, yeah, fair enough... I'll just keep posting my annoyances - the thread IS called "Damn You", Willis!" after all...

BUt hey-ho... My mum thinks I'm cute...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 10 Jun 2020, 05:47
Pax
We're busting out the Latin now? :parrot:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 10 Jun 2020, 08:39
You can dislike whatever you want, you can even voice your displeasure for it, but at a certain point continuing the negativity without adding anything constructive becomes tiresome.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 12 Jun 2020, 04:19
You can dislike whatever you want, you can even voice your displeasure for it, but at a certain point continuing the negativity without adding anything constructive becomes tiresome.

Does that also relate to complaining about other people's posts??

JOKE!!!!

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 12 Jun 2020, 07:13
She had overalls under there? That seems not very comfortable.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Tova on 12 Jun 2020, 21:32
My hot tip for the day is that if you feel compelled to write J/K or similar at the end of your post, you're better off just rewriting your post so that you don't need to.

Especially when it's very clear that your post is #hahaonlyserious.

My 2 cents, in a thread I occasionally glance at for funsies but normally never post to, take it or leave it.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 13 Jun 2020, 08:25
I can't be the only one who finds all the complaints about Joe's post more annoying than the original post...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: pwhodges on 13 Jun 2020, 10:06
I'm disappointed it continued after my moderator comment...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Cornelius on 13 Jun 2020, 14:39
On the other hand, I thought it had a little more drama than the so long drawn out, yet in story time over in seconds, action scene.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 14 Jun 2020, 06:59
Uh oh, Blaine knows the cop who's taking him away. this probably forebodes something not-good.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 14 Jun 2020, 07:08
I am somewhat reassured by the cop's reaction, though. He's hesitant to admit he knows Blaine, perhaps because he knows Blaine isn't getting out of this one.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 17 Jun 2020, 07:15
Well, barring a miracle...

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 18 Jun 2020, 04:36
Well, barring a miracle...

(click to show/hide)

I wouldn't bet on that being the case.
Given the ultimately anti-climactic conclusion to this...
(Assuming it *is* done?... {iris out} )


Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 20 Jun 2020, 05:57
I'm assuming this part's done,  yeah. They seem to be wrapping things up. I wonder what's next.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 23 Jun 2020, 07:41
Nicely done, Sarah.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 23 Jun 2020, 19:19
I am curious on what the fallout regarding her parents is going to be...especially after Sarah told them to fuck off. I have this strange feeling Joyce's parents are going to want to pull her from school (maybe just her mom) because they think its either dangerous or counter to their beliefs (especially her mom's).
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 23 Jun 2020, 23:20
To which, Joyce's father may point out that almost every time danger has come Joyce's way, it's somehow due to people who share her mother's beliefs. Actually, I suspect that Joyce is about to have the additional trauma of her parents divorcing with the treatment of her being one of the causes.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 24 Jun 2020, 07:30
I hope that all that happened makes Joyce's mom realize she's been wrong this whole time, but maybe that's too much to hope for.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 24 Jun 2020, 07:33
Never underestimate the human capacity for doubling down.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 24 Jun 2020, 08:36
I hope that all that happened makes Joyce's mom realize she's been wrong this whole time, but maybe that's too much to hope for.
I'm at least as pessimistic as sitnspin.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 24 Jun 2020, 08:56
To which, Joyce's father may point out that almost every time danger has come Joyce's way, it's somehow due to people who share her mother's beliefs. Actually, I suspect that Joyce is about to have the additional trauma of her parents divorcing with the treatment of her being one of the causes.
I haven't read the other series, but I would be worried that they wouldn't divorce because its against their way. Separation may be okay though.

Never underestimate the human capacity for doubling down.
Its a painful, painful thing to witness, and yet it seems to happen so often IRL.

I would see more that Joyce's dad would point out that Joyce has been in danger twice when Becky's dad has been around. You know, the guy they all pulled for to get released after the first time. I could then see Joyce's mom doubling down that he had it right and Joyce would not have been in danger if she wasn't around heathens or some such reason. That Becky's dad had it right. I'm not sure how her siblings would react to all this. Mostly because I lost track of them.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 24 Jun 2020, 09:56
Well, Jocelyne would likely be supportive of Joyce and their dad, John is a dick who I could easily see take their mom's side, although there is a possibility he could be talked to, and Jordan..who knows?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 24 Jun 2020, 17:03
I completely forgot Joyce had other siblings besides Jocelyne.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 24 Jun 2020, 20:08
I completely forgot Joyce had other siblings besides Jocelyne.
I remember John being a revolving son-of-a-bitch; I remember nothing about Jordan.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 24 Jun 2020, 23:20
Known Brown siblings:

John - Missionary on Indian subcontinent; very much his mother's boy; married; possibly embezzling church funds for personal use;

Jordan - Black sheep of the family; left for reasons unknown but these events led to the parents being more morally strict with their other children

Jocelyn - Aspiring author/journalist; probably the closest to Joyce

Joyce - Baby of the family; some indication of some mental disorders; possibly destined to be a superhero

Do we know anything about any of the others? I think that Joyce has two other brothers - Justin and Jared - but they've only been mentioned in the Walkyverse so I'm not sure if they exist in DoA.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 25 Jun 2020, 07:43
Known Brown siblings:

Jocelyn - Aspiring author/journalist; probably the closest to Joyce

...and still known to the whole family, even to Joyce, as Joshua.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 02 Jul 2020, 15:00
So have any onscreen parents not been complete toilets?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Tova on 02 Jul 2020, 16:13
I don't even read this comic and I still feel the urge to defend fictional characters UUGGHHHHHH  :psyduck:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 02 Jul 2020, 19:39
So have any onscreen parents not been complete toilets?
Amber's mom? Mike's parents?

Honestly, its a pretty common reaction. Someone hurt your baby and you want to hurt them back. Is it justice? Of course not, its revenge. Is it right? Hell no!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 02 Jul 2020, 20:06
So have any onscreen parents not been complete toilets?
Amber's mom? Mike's parents?
Joyce's dad?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 02 Jul 2020, 23:15
So have any onscreen parents not been complete toilets?

Dina's parents are accepting in their attitudes although maybe a bit too detached from their daughter's life and choices for my tastes. Dorothy's parents are deliberately shown to be the anti-Browns.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 03 Jul 2020, 05:50
So have any onscreen parents not been complete toilets?
I appreciate the examples.

Also holy shit, am I proud of Walky.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 05 Jul 2020, 08:02
Yeah, this is the most I've ever liked Walky.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 05 Jul 2020, 11:58
I'm like the "perfect" combination of Marten's passivity and Walky's immaturity.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 07 Jul 2020, 09:38
Jesus Fucking Christ, how does Robin even manage to dress herself in the morning?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 07 Jul 2020, 09:46
She had aides to do it for her. Had.

She's been wearing the same clothes since then.*  :psyduck:

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 09 Jul 2020, 19:22
Aw shit, Amber's broken.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 09 Jul 2020, 19:48
💩😹👻🦆🌪🍆🍆🍆
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 09 Jul 2020, 23:23
I thought this enough times when reading DoA and now it's time to put it in writing: Amber, stop blaming yourself for everyone else's bad choices and for the fact that your father's abuse made you sick.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 16 Jul 2020, 06:59
Blathers is the best. In case anyone doesn't play Animal Crossing, he's an adorable owl that loves fish/ancient creatures and hates bugs. Also the museum is open 24 hours so naturally he's sleeping if you walk in during the day and gets a bit startled if you wake him (pictured below).

(https://studiocgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cgamefotoAnimal-Crossing-Blathers-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 16 Jul 2020, 07:31
Oh, Dina ❤️
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 16 Jul 2020, 11:38
Dina is the best gf imaginable. She is too good for this or any other world.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: hedgie on 16 Jul 2020, 15:43
I dunno.  My last gf is the one who had in her handbag the knife that I pulled against an assailant. 
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 16 Jul 2020, 23:17
I sort of hope that today's strip is a precursor of a dream sequence where Bonnie tells Becky that she's going in the right direction and that, yes, everything will be okay in the end.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 20 Jul 2020, 04:04
I don't know if I've mentioned this here before but I'd be interested in knowing everyone's opinion. Carol's continual steadfast defence of Ross makes me wonder: does anyone else think that she'd been having an affair with him? Maybe for a while; as long ago as Bonnie's death? Could that be a motivation for both of them to be extra-puritan and for Carol to back up Ross to the bitter end, a sense of personal guilt?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: hedgie on 20 Jul 2020, 05:05
Nah.  She's a fanatic who thinks that any horrible thing that she does to others is perfectly justifiable as long as she mentions "god".
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 20 Jul 2020, 07:57
Plus defending Ross is defending the church's decision to bail him out.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 20 Jul 2020, 09:18
Yeah, she's just doubling down is all. Pretty common now-a-days instead of admitting a mistake.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 20 Jul 2020, 10:03
Today's strip (https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/maniac/) actually gave me a flash of anger at Carol. There's no justification for what Ross or you did. Accept you were wrong.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 20 Jul 2020, 13:15
Today's strip (https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/maniac/) actually gave me a flash of anger at Carol. There's no justification for what Ross or you did. Accept you were wrong.
Never! She answers to a higher authority than your secular laws.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: hedgie on 20 Jul 2020, 14:12
Fuck, my mother is a far more mild version of that, and I *still* wish that she'd leave me the fuck alone, and I'm past the point of caring *how*.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 21 Jul 2020, 07:17
Divorce talks in 3...2...1...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 21 Jul 2020, 09:14
Divorce seems so anti-christian though  :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 22 Jul 2020, 06:30
Finally, Hank. Better late than never. Hopefully.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 22 Jul 2020, 06:54
Divorce seems so anti-christian though  :mrgreen:
Which is why, just as Carol gleefully swears and then pretends she never does, she'll get divorced and then claim that as a Christian, she is without fault and Hank deserves the entire blame.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 22 Jul 2020, 07:24
Divorce seems so anti-christian though  :mrgreen:

Which is why, just as Carol gleefully swears and then pretends she never does, she'll get divorced and then claim that as a Christian, she is without fault and Hank deserves the entire blame.

More likely, she'll blame Joyce, Jordan and 'Joseph' for twisting Hank's perceptions, wicked and ungrateful children that they are. Ultimately, of course, she'll contrive to blame Becky. Everything will somehow be her fault.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 24 Jul 2020, 21:44
Hank sad.*

I hope Joyce lets him come along, but I also totally understand if she doesn't.



(said with Hulk imitation)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 26 Jul 2020, 21:11
Oh Ruth, I think this will end badly for you (administratively that is), getting in a fight with a non-student instead of calling security. But then again this is Carol we're talking about so...

(https://media1.tenor.com/images/4d752a016f4f98c641c1e573d6f3fe09/tenor.gif)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 26 Jul 2020, 21:19
She suplexed Blaine with no repercussions. Other than nausea, that is.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 30 Jul 2020, 09:42
Joe's dad's a doctor? I completely forgot that being mentioned.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 30 Jul 2020, 11:30
I'm more confused by how much smaller Joe is compared to his dad. I mean Joe should be more or less fullgrown at this point.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 31 Jul 2020, 07:00
Maybe his mom is short? Also this is all weirdly wholesome.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 04 Aug 2020, 20:57
... oh my  :psyduck:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 04 Aug 2020, 21:11
Wait...is he making him "eat the gun."  :psyduck: What does this mean for Amber? Does the mob choose to leave her alone?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 04 Aug 2020, 23:13
Come now, Blaine. Don't tell me that you didn't realise that this was a possibility? You've cost the mob a lot of favours and embarrassment today. I'm sure you must have guessed that Asher's grandfather would want to send a message about not letting low-level operatives using Family resources for their personal 'business'?

Wait...is he making him "eat the gun."  :psyduck: What does this mean for Amber? Does the mob choose to leave her alone?

It's quite possible that the mob may target her because she's been a minor irritation (taking out the occasional dealer or Family-aligned pimp). The irony is that by moving against her, they will actually guarantee a more focussed effort by Amazi-Girl against them and their police contacts. After all, I think that Amber and Mazie were retiring beforehand. However, if the mob makes it clear that they want a fight, they may feel that they have no choice!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 06 Aug 2020, 18:14
Whoaw...Asher! Asher called it in?!  :psyduck:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 06 Aug 2020, 22:50
For 'Asher', read 'Michael Corleone'. I suspect that he is at risk of following the same path to damnation.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 10 Aug 2020, 13:47
I'm kind of surprised we just blew past Joyce's dad saying "nice set of tits" without much of a reaction from Joyce. I figured it would be the first time she heard her dad say something like that.

Also, hope Mike's alright. Especially if Blaine told that cop about "everything" which would include Mike knowing about the mob ties.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 10 Aug 2020, 14:51
Whoaw...Asher! Asher called it in?!  :psyduck:
Way I saw it, Asher received the message "It's done." Who sent it is unknown, probably the cop in Blaine's room.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 12 Aug 2020, 09:54
Whoaw...Asher! Asher called it in?!  :psyduck:
Way I saw it, Asher received the message "It's done." Who sent it is unknown, probably the cop in Blaine's room.

I think I'm just gonna say I called this.
When Blaine threatened to "tell his grandfather"...
ANd I said.. who will the grandfather actually side with?
I think we've just seen the outcome of that - you dont threaten family.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 14 Aug 2020, 09:04
Robin is garbage.

She's not as garbage as Blaine or Carol, but she's garbage.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 14 Aug 2020, 09:11
Robin is in many ways a reflection of the entire US political system - Vain, workshy and generally only in it for the power and other rewards. However, given enough time and, after exhausting every other option, she will do the right thing.

Like the US political system, she is occasionally wrong-footed into saving the innocent because of her self-image of being basically the good guy.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 14 Aug 2020, 09:19
The only thing that makes Robin's any better than Blaine or Carol is that she doesn't hurt people on purpose. She just pursues her own self-interest and doesn't care, or even notice, who gets hurt along the way. She is indifferent rather than malicious.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 14 Aug 2020, 15:08
The only thing that makes Robin's any better than Blaine or Carol is that she doesn't hurt people on purpose. She just pursues her own self-interest and doesn't care, or even notice, who gets hurt along the way. She is indifferent rather than malicious.
Or as I was musing earlier this morning: she's a Becky, not a Karen.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 14 Aug 2020, 15:44
Whoaw...Asher! Asher called it in?!  :psyduck:
Way I saw it, Asher received the message "It's done." Who sent it is unknown, probably the cop in Blaine's room.
Right, which implies he ordered the hit. I'm pretty sure that's what Lee meant by "called it in".
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 19 Aug 2020, 07:46
Wtf is that on the bed in front of Ruth?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 19 Aug 2020, 07:47
That's her glasses.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 19 Aug 2020, 07:49
How did Ruth and Billie end up being the healthiest relationship in this comic? Not that I am complaining, I love these two dumbasses.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 19 Aug 2020, 08:39
How did Ruth and Billie end up being the healthiest relationship in this comic? Not that I am complaining, I love these two dumbasses.

By being the only two who are actually addressing their mental health issues in a constructive way (or even acknowledging them).
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 21 Aug 2020, 02:48
How did Ruth and Billie end up being the healthiest relationship in this comic? Not that I am complaining, I love these two dumbasses.
Healthier than Dina and Becky?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 21 Aug 2020, 03:39
How did Ruth and Billie end up being the healthiest relationship in this comic? Not that I am complaining, I love these two dumbasses.
Healthier than Dina and Becky?
Okay, that's fair. Second healthiest.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 21 Aug 2020, 04:37
How did Ruth and Billie end up being the healthiest relationship in this comic? Not that I am complaining, I love these two dumbasses.
Healthier than Dina and Becky?
Okay, that's fair. Second healthiest.

Hmmm.. Iii dunno...
Earlier comics seemed to indicate that Becky was still crushing badly on Joyce, and her over enthused reaction to Dina may have been compensating for still having those feelings... ?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 21 Aug 2020, 06:24
I'm talking about the current state of things.

And still harbouring some feelings for a long-term crush isn't antithetical to having a healthy relationship with your current partner. Whatever residual feelings she may have for Joyce, there nothing indicating her feelings for Dina are less than genuine.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 24 Aug 2020, 07:14
I'm talking about the current state of things.

And still harbouring some feelings for a long-term crush isn't antithetical to having a healthy relationship with your current partner. Whatever residual feelings she may have for Joyce, there nothing indicating her feelings for Dina are less than genuine.

'Current state'....?
Well, not looking too deeply into it, but how long has actually passed since Becky's "overcompensation" for realising she still has those feelings?
(Don;t get me wrong - out of the cast they certainly have one of the more healthiest relationships... but there's healthy and there's Healthy...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 28 Aug 2020, 13:15
I need a garbage roof.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 01 Sep 2020, 09:28
I want to see the twit that Becky is reading.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 02 Sep 2020, 11:38
Damn, Amber (Damnber?), for someone who was currently born in 2001 or 2002, you're being kind of a boomer.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 04 Sep 2020, 15:13
Re: 9/3/2020 comic - Starring Carla as Mona Lisa Saperstein and the entire readership as her dad

(https://i.imgflip.com/1wcv1z.jpg)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Sep 2020, 07:07
So the past few years were October, right?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 07 Sep 2020, 07:13
Time appears to seriously be passing.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 07 Sep 2020, 07:15

Just when you think the procrastination can;t go on any longer.... ;)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 07 Sep 2020, 07:52
I kind of like it; it has the feel of a time-lapse sequence in a cartoon. It gets the point across that time is passing. When we next see the characters, 90+ days will have passed in their lives.

Possibility: The first post-time-lapse strip will be Mike awaking and being... nice. Willis plays with the 'only nice when he's drunk' thing from the Walkyverse by having Mike's head injury causing permanent alterations to his personality that makes everyone feel bad for liking new!Mike more than classic!Mike. Mike, being Mike, insists that he'd been changing anyway and that they're all being self-absorbed idiots about the whole thing.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 07 Sep 2020, 10:29
I kind of like it; it has the feel of a time-lapse sequence in a cartoon. It gets the point across that time is passing. When we next see the characters, 90+ days will have passed in their lives.



True, but the same thing could have been down with a two frame strip. ;)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 07 Sep 2020, 18:49
Me reading yesterday's strip: October?! Wow everything that went down was in the span of a about a month and a half.

Today's strip:

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9c/be/5b/9cbe5b3c392910f8729bb8871c2c35cf.png)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Pilchard123 on 08 Sep 2020, 03:14
Is Steve going to wander past looking for some cereal? I'm pretty sure there have been QC-DoA crossovers before.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 08 Sep 2020, 04:10
Joyce Brown by Jeph Jaques

(https://external-preview.redd.it/RJ5e4-JfUkwyNT1IsPGDVzQVVXYYDlecPILlpzuEpf8.png?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=d5e89cea2b7576baf73cbba6b7fa8bca516271d6)

Joyce realises that Marten's mother is more morally honest than hers

(https://www.questionablecontent.net/random/joycemarten.png)

Faye attended Indiana University (https://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/mister/), confirming that the DoA and QC cast are about the same age.

I may be wrong but I seem to remember Joyce and Dorothy as customers at Coffee of Doom just once.

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 08 Sep 2020, 05:42
Oh wow, her dad was still alive back then.  :venonat:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 08 Sep 2020, 05:51
Joyce Brown by Jeph Jaques


Joyce realises that Marten's mother is more morally honest than hers


Faye attended Indiana University (https://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/mister/), confirming that the DoA and QC cast are about the same age.

I may be wrong but I seem to remember Joyce and Dorothy as customers at Coffee of Doom just once.
Don't know about Joyce and Dorothy, but Amber (https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1550) has been there before (albeit the version from Shortpacked, not DoA).
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 08 Sep 2020, 20:23
Time appears to seriously be passing.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 08 Sep 2020, 21:22
Plot twist: they were all calendars Billie is reviewing the art over before they are sold on campus. :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 09 Sep 2020, 01:53

I dunno if I can stand all this exzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 09 Sep 2020, 19:33
Time appears to seriously be passing.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 10 Sep 2020, 02:15
"Sisters in Christ"...
And no reaction from Joyce...?
Or is this sneaky foreshadowing...!!!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 11 Sep 2020, 02:59
Damn, Willis just packed decades worth of story in less than a week.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 11 Sep 2020, 03:18
Damn, Willis just packed decades worth of story in less than a week.

Basically: "Write fan-fiction, people! I can't spend time filling in all these details if I'm expected to reach the end of freshman year before I die of old age!"
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 14 Sep 2020, 04:50
I actually found more humour in the synching up of the "It's Walky/ Walky and Joyce" strips with Joyce screaming HUSSY! at Dorothy...
and these strips - with Joyce throwing herself all over her :)

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 15 Sep 2020, 01:44
"Sisters in Christ"...
And no reaction from Joyce...?
Or is this sneaky foreshadowing...!!!

Wheee!!!!
I think I can safely say "Called it!"  :)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 18 Sep 2020, 06:42
No shame, MBJ can get it.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 18 Sep 2020, 06:57
No shame, MBJ can get it.
I had forgotten that Michael B. Jordan is referenced in today's comic, and my brain was trying to figure out what MBJ means. It somehow settled on "My Bad Joyce". This is what I get for quitting drinking coffee in the morning.  :psyduck:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Farideh on 22 Sep 2020, 21:56
Holy *bleep*, Mike is dead!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: hedgie on 22 Sep 2020, 22:15
So far as we know.  Willis likes torturing his readers even more than Jeph does.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 22 Sep 2020, 23:19
Willis long ago expressed his reluctance to have a plot like this because he didn't want to deal with the fan backlash. It looks like he chose to deal with this by doing it off-screen during a time-skip and have it addressed only in passing in-strip.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Farideh on 23 Sep 2020, 00:29
It was suggested in the comments that Mike might be in hiding
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: JoeCovenant on 23 Sep 2020, 02:30
Why would Mike be in hiding?
The only person interested in doing him harm was the arse who was killed ny the mob he was a part of...?

In other news.
Way to anti-climax an already anti-climactic story.
(I haz a dissapoint - WIllis is better than this... generally.)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 23 Sep 2020, 21:09
Of course the Mike silhouette in the images Willis has been posting was a fakeout. Saw that one coming.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 24 Sep 2020, 03:07
Or was it? I suppose we'll never really know.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 01 Oct 2020, 04:44
Oh hey, something I agree with Joe on (Twitter being a hellscape). Also, I forget if I've brought this up, but does anyone else find it odd that they refer to it as "the half-bath" and not "the bathroom"? Like...they aren't real estate agents, a place where you pee and wash your hands is still a bathroom.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 01 Oct 2020, 08:00
If there is no bath in it, how is it a bathroom?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: pwhodges on 02 Oct 2020, 00:38
It's a euphemism, like most of the terms for it.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Tova on 02 Oct 2020, 02:01
 It’s still a bathroom, but “half-bath” gives you more information.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 02 Oct 2020, 12:42
It’s still a bathroom, but “half-bath” gives you more information.

As a non-native English speaker ad non-USonian, I've always found both terms weird and unnecessarily confusing. I am used to WC, toilet, or lavatory for any room that has a toilet but not a bath or shower. The only euphemism that I find sorta okay is restroom.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Tova on 02 Oct 2020, 22:06
To be honest with you, they are all just words to me. I really don't care whether you use "bathroom", "restroom", "powder room", or "shithouse." I've never been confused in practice when there is generally enough context to work out what is being referred to, like so many "ambiguous" English words.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 03 Oct 2020, 19:16
To be honest with you, they are all just words to me. I really don't care whether you use "bathroom", "restroom", "powder room", or "shithouse." I've never been confused in practice when there is generally enough context to work out what is being referred to, like so many "ambiguous" English words.
I like to call it the "head."

No, I've never been in the Navy nor any other branch of the military.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 06 Oct 2020, 04:57
It’s still a bathroom, but “half-bath” gives you more information.
True, but are they going to call bathrooms in the academic buildings half-baths because there's only toilets and sinks in there?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 06 Oct 2020, 06:36
Half-size bathrooms = 'Half-baths', possibly by long tradition handed down from student to student over decades.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 06 Oct 2020, 07:39
I'm going to interrupt the bathroom debate to say, there's something about Carla I really like. I can't put my finger on it. Her character always has this certain energy when she shows up that isn't an over the top comic relief character, but always brings joy without becoming one note. She's annoying in universe sure, but its like Jean Ralphio showing up unexpectedly and it seems like a treat.

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 06 Oct 2020, 07:53
Carla is a delight and I love her. Everything about her.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 06 Oct 2020, 08:18
I was just thinking while reading today's strip that Carla is probably my favorite character.

"Someone drew a penis on my whiteboard! That's a hate crime! ...oh, there's one on everyone's whiteboard? That's hilarious!"
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 06 Oct 2020, 11:09
I'm going to interrupt the bathroom debate to say, there's something about Carla I really like. I can't put my finger on it. Her character always has this certain energy when she shows up that isn't an over the top comic relief character, but always brings joy without becoming one note. She's annoying in universe sure, but its like Jean Ralphio showing up unexpectedly and it seems like a treat.

Holy shit, that's an excellent comparison.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 08 Oct 2020, 10:26
...'thfux a Venmo?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 08 Oct 2020, 11:13
...'thfux a Venmo?

The only reference I can find is to a mobile payment app (sort of a mobile 'phone-ready version of the PayPal system).
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: hedgie on 08 Oct 2020, 11:35
IIRC, they’re owned by PayPal as well.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Tova on 08 Oct 2020, 14:22
It’s still a bathroom, but “half-bath” gives you more information.
True, but are they going to call bathrooms in the academic buildings half-baths because there's only toilets and sinks in there?

No, but if ever they had a bathroom with a bath in an academic setting, they’d probably come up with a new name for that.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 03 Nov 2020, 05:02
So I'm still a little confused about Billie. Did I miss something or have they been vague about whether she's dead, she left school for some reason, or if they're still just talking about her being in another building?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 03 Nov 2020, 05:17
Willis is being deliberately vague on that...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Farideh on 03 Nov 2020, 12:35
There is still one unidentified person left on the silhouette... That might be Billie?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 03 Nov 2020, 16:56
There is still one unidentified person left on the silhouette... That might be Billie?
The tags tell you every person in a particular comic.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Farideh on 03 Nov 2020, 17:38
Willis has been creating a silhouette of the characters that are included in the new storylines.



This is the one he started with:

(https://www.dumbingofage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Year11Castobscured02.png)





This is the most recent, with only one person left 'blank'. Could be Billie, or maybe Marcie?



(https://www.dumbingofage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Year11Castobscured13.png)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 04 Nov 2020, 07:31
Ooh, I'm really liking Booster.  :-D
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 05 Nov 2020, 04:58
Who said "no," Booster or Ruth?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 05 Nov 2020, 05:09
It could be either. It could have been Ruth realising that it was the way madness lay or it could have been Booster, realising that they weren't being paid to peer into Carla's brain and that meant that they weren't being paid enough to try!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Cornelius on 05 Nov 2020, 05:32
I thought it was Booster not giving in to Carla, so she couldn't be the center of attention.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 05 Nov 2020, 07:28
It was definitely Booster refusing to give Carla what she wanted, which was there way of calling her out.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 05 Nov 2020, 07:52
Is Booster telepathic? Howinhell can they see so deeply through people they've just met?

Also: ooh, Amber, that was rough.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 05 Nov 2020, 08:15
So I am a little confused, I thought the storyline would more or less continue after the previous one, but it feels much more like a complete reboot instead, writing out Mike (who apparently died, which, I'm sorry to say, was handled really poorly narratively), Billie (may be explained later?), and Ethan (why would he be gone?).
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 05 Nov 2020, 08:17
Is Booster telepathic? Howinhell can they see so deeply through people they've just met?

Preternatural-level observation skills, like Mike. Based on their hairstyle and general face shape, I'm starting to think that Booster is the Dumbingverse equivalent of the 'Nice Mike' version of Mike in the Walkyverse. Nice Mike only came out when he was drunk. He was still as observant and still as prone to call out people but generally nicer with a focus on helping people if he could.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 05 Nov 2020, 09:23
It's basically cold reading. Nothing they are saying is particularly in depth nor does it require any specific information. It's all very general surface level stuff. Good observation skills combined with some basic to moderate level knowledge of psychology can explain it. Nothing supernatural required.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 05 Nov 2020, 13:31
It's basically cold reading. Nothing they are saying is particularly in depth nor does it require any specific information. It's all very general surface level stuff. Good observation skills combined with some basic to moderate level knowledge of psychology can explain it. Nothing supernatural required.
Ah. Like that asshole grief-rapist John Edward who claims to speak with the dead.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 09 Nov 2020, 05:57
Is that Walky?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 09 Nov 2020, 05:58
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 09 Nov 2020, 07:48
If it's the actual comic from tomorrow I'll click*, otherwise shame on you :parrot:
*Although then I'd just have to wait two days for the next one, so meh.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 10 Nov 2020, 07:47
Yay! I'm glad I waited and found out I was right. Walky, you kindhearted dummy.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 10 Nov 2020, 09:24
Troubling parts of today's strip:
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 10 Nov 2020, 11:31
Harassment of women will likely always continue. There is little that any college campus can or is willing to do to stop it. All universities care about is avoiding bad press. There first, second, and third instinct is always to hush it up.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 10 Nov 2020, 12:16
Harassment of women will likely always continue. There is little that any college campus can or is willing to do to stop it. All universities care about is avoiding bad press. There first, second, and third instinct is always to hush it up.

Unfortunately that is the first, second, and third instinct for pretty much any for-profit organization (let's not make the mistake of thinking universities and hospitals and such are not-for-profit)....

Ah who am I kidding, it's the case for any company and organization save for very few unicorns.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 19 Nov 2020, 04:38
Wait, what the fuck, Billie?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 19 Nov 2020, 06:04
So I am a little confused, I thought the storyline would more or less continue after the previous one, but it feels much more like a complete reboot instead, writing out Mike (who apparently died, which, I'm sorry to say, was handled really poorly narratively), Billie (may be explained later?), and Ethan (why would he be gone?).

Sooo...basically the above? More of a reboot than true/logical continuity? Or should I patiently await until Willis narratively explains everything that has happened offscreen?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 19 Nov 2020, 06:14
Wait, what the fuck, Billie?

Billie decided that being the Cool Kid and the best girl of the most dangerous bad boy in the college is a lot more attractive to her than being the responsible girlfriend of a recovering alcoholic.

Harassment of women will likely always continue. There is little that any college campus can or is willing to do to stop it. All universities care about is avoiding bad press. There first, second, and third instinct is always to hush it up.

Which is the good part of Amazi-Girl and Sal's extracurricular activities. It is hard to hush things up when you have actual superheroes fighting crime on campus because it's so endemic!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 19 Nov 2020, 13:03
As a person with severe mental illness and on again off again substance use issues, I can hardly fault someone for not wanting to be in a relationship with one, especially at that age. I can, however, fault her for who she chose to be with instead.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Farideh on 19 Nov 2020, 13:20
I get the feeling that we'll see a lot of 'Asher backstory' in the coming months.

Ugh, the time-skip is doing my head in. WHAT HAPPENED in that timeframe?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 19 Nov 2020, 18:52
Wait, what the fuck, Billie?
I should probably clarify, that wasn't so much a what the fuck towards Billie as a what the fuck that Billie showed up at all after what I saw as an implication that she was either no longer at school or perhaps even dead.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 20 Nov 2020, 03:49
WHAT HAPPENED in that timeframe?
Even more so today!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 20 Nov 2020, 05:31
WHAT HAPPENED in that timeframe?
Even more so today!

I've been thinking and I might have some ideas about this.

For Ruth, I think that Billie became increasingly toxic for her recovery. Ruth wants to be sober, she wants to address her depression and she wants to grow up to be a responsible adult, despite all of the problems she had in her youth. However, I fear that the problem is that Billie was constantly this niggling presence urging her for one last party, one last alcoholic bender and to stop taking the medication or attending therapy. I've got a feeling that Ruth gave Billie an ultimatum about her attitude towards self-improvement and Billie walked out on the relationship.

For Billie, her objective has always been clear: She wants to be the Alpha cool kid, living an edgy, exciting life. However, Ruth just was changing too radically for that to happen. There was no more sexy lesbian suicide pact. There was no more dangerous near-violent interactions. There was no more drinking to unconsciousness. Instead, there was sobriety, responsibility and (and this must have been the ultimate insult to Billie), therapy. I think that, by the time that Ruth issued her 'shape up or else' ultimatum, Billie was looking for an exit door and took it when it was offered.

I think that Ruth is still trying to persuade herself that giving up on Billie after she walked away was a good thing for her own long-term health. Regrettably for Billie, I think that the dangerous and criminal-associated (Billie must know that because of her association with the Walkertons) ultra-cool bad boy Asher is more in line with what Billie wants to enable her preferred social position and life-style.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 20 Nov 2020, 07:21
My money's on Amber.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 20 Nov 2020, 08:10
Any guesses where Ethan went? Looks like he won't be a character in DoA anymore.....(which makes me sad)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 21 Nov 2020, 05:48
Wait, why would you think that?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 21 Nov 2020, 08:54
Ethan isn't in the cast photo, which implies at the very least that he will not be a primary focus in this book.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 21 Nov 2020, 14:03
Right, sorry, I meant that it looks he won’t be a primary character anymore, unless I’m over interpreting the silhouette thingy (very possible). At least I’d be surprised if we see much or any of him for the foreseeable future.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 09 Dec 2020, 09:44
The lesser known 96th thesis is that Joe and Danny will be friends forever.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 10 Dec 2020, 07:17
Booster continues to be awesome. :lol:
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 10 Dec 2020, 08:43
Ethan isn't in the cast photo, which implies at the very least that he will not be a primary focus in this book.
Seems kinda spoilery.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 10 Dec 2020, 08:46
Is it? It doesn't say anything about what will happen.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 15 Dec 2020, 21:07
Sounds like it says plenty about what won't happen. On today's, how did none of them know who the professor was?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 15 Dec 2020, 23:33
Sounds like it says plenty about what won't happen. On today's, how did none of them know who the professor was?

My guess? The new teacher was a very last-minute appointment after Nicholson was poached by a richer institution. He either didn't bother to tell IU, being the arrogant man that he is or the administration were hoping literally until today (the first day of classes) to persuade him to come back.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 17 Dec 2020, 08:18
Sounds about right, considering they were actively expecting someone else.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 27 Dec 2020, 07:35
Today's comic is probably the most I've ever liked Robin or Becky. Still actively disliking the Billie strips until we find out why she's ignoring everyone.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 09 Jan 2021, 08:38
Dorothy and Joyce both appear to be forgetting that contact lenses are a thing.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 09 Jan 2021, 08:39
I find it very unlikely that Joyce would ever be able to bring herself to put something on her eyeball.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Theta9 on 09 Jan 2021, 08:43
I find it very unlikely that Joyce would ever be able to bring herself to put something on her eyeball.
Fair point.

When I got contacts they made me put a pair in and take them out before I could go home, just to see that I could deal with it. I got them in with no problem, but my first time taking them out was really a challenge, trying to pinch them off my eyeballs.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 09 Jan 2021, 09:00
I find it very unlikely that Joyce would ever be able to bring herself to put something on her eyeball.
Its honestly why I don't use contacts.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 09 Jan 2021, 09:06
Imma be honest, Joyce is being a big baby and it seriously starting to annoy the crap out of me.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 09 Jan 2021, 10:38
Joyce's whole reaction to this thing is making me think that this is how Willis is showing some of her neuro-atypical symptoms. Especially the strong reaction to 'changing my face'.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 09 Jan 2021, 18:55
Imma be honest, Joyce is being a big baby and it seriously starting to annoy the crap out of me.

Whats gets me is its for her nearsightedness. So she only needs to wear it for when she's in the back of the class, perhaps driving and maybe when she's at the movie theater. She can have them off in between. As a near sighted person, I don't wear my glasses all the time, just when I need to.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Cornelius on 09 Jan 2021, 22:48
Depends on your degree of nearsightedness. I can't do without my glasses.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 09 Jan 2021, 23:18
I don't wear glasses, so maybe I a way off here, but we've seen Joyce wear sunglasses without complaint, so how is this any different? Aside from the obvious that she is actively looking for reasons to complain.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Pilchard123 on 10 Jan 2021, 02:11
Off the top of my head, with no particular backing - sunglasses are because of something external, correctional lenses are because of something internal.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Cornelius on 10 Jan 2021, 03:16
I don't wear glasses, so maybe I a way off here, but we've seen Joyce wear sunglasses without complaint, so how is this any different? Aside from the obvious that she is actively looking for reasons to complain.

The difference in my experience is that people who haven't had to wear glasses from a young age, will quite happily adopt all kinds of eye gear as a fashion choice, but will bitch about having to wear glasses when they actually need them. As long as it's a fashion choice, they can leave them off whenever; it's a choice. If you need them, it's not a choice anymore.

The same kind of people that will tell me that it's no big deal the opticians were closed for months as non essential business, because it's, like, just a fashion accessory, right?

Then again, for a lot of people, it's something they associate with aging, and so, in the age of the forever young ideal, will go any lengths to avoid acknowledging time passing. For someone I know, it was part of the midlife crisis, to leave off his glasses, to look younger. Probably helped him crash the car he bought to match the image. Just minor injuries, luckily.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 10 Jan 2021, 08:06
Depends on your degree of nearsightedness. I can't do without my glasses.

That's true. I guess I was basing it on my own experience which really seemed to match up with Joyce being unable to see from the back of the large classrooms, but fine in smaller ones. We don't know her prescription or how bad her eyesight was. Perhaps we'll find out when she gets the glasses and notices how different everything looks. When I got my first pair of glasses at 17 years old, I noticed that everything looked different. I could see individual leaves on trees! It was like going from soft definition to HD. But then again, Joyce, as well as others, may have a different experience.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 11 Jan 2021, 10:30
Divorce!  :-o

Yes!  :-D

Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 14 Jan 2021, 04:42
I find it very unlikely that Joyce would ever be able to bring herself to put something on her eyeball.
Its honestly why I don't use contacts.
Same.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 17 Jan 2021, 06:37
Was Billie's tag always "jennifer" or did Willis change it?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 17 Jan 2021, 07:11
They changed it. Very meta.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 18 Jan 2021, 08:07
Dina is amazing and I lover her. She can disembowel me anytime.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 20 Jan 2021, 05:57
Booster is playing Pokémon Snap.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 06 Feb 2021, 05:04
Does Dina have a second hat entirely for dramatic gestures?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 12 Feb 2021, 05:00
Quote from: Joe
The bible is just like Superman. Us Jews created something cool and then a buncha Protestant nerds ruined it by trying to make it make sense to them.
There we go, that's the best line David Willis will ever write.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 19 Feb 2021, 09:50
I oddly am missing Ethan in DoA, even though I didn't even care for him that much
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 20 Feb 2021, 07:22
Hopefully he shows up
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 27 Feb 2021, 10:36
So I'm not sure, does Becky know why they broke up? Does anyone besides those two? Will we ever?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 27 Feb 2021, 11:01
Unless it was public, I doubt anyone knows. Jennifer cut everyone out of her life and Ruth was never friends with anyone. Asher might know if Jennifer bothered to tell him.  I am pretty sure we'll hear about it eventually.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 28 Feb 2021, 09:05
Re: sit - Gotcha, makes sense. Seems cruel even for Willis to have that happen during a time jump, but that's Willis for us I guess. Damn him.

Re: today's comic - Dina's ace, or at least on the ace spectrum, right? If so, hopefully Becky doesn't think that Dina loves her any less than she loves Dina just because her attraction works differently.

Also even if Ruth did something to cause a breakup, I still say Jenny B's being shitty towards her friends.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 28 Feb 2021, 12:22
Dina is cannon ace, by Word of Willis, although it has never been explicitly stated in the comic.

And yea, I am hoping Becky can learn that Dina being ace doesn't mean she doesn't love Becky nor that she is interested in having sex with her. Dina has flat out and repeatedly said that she is. Currently Becky seems to be conflating Joyce not being interested in her romantically because she is straight with Dina not experiencing sexual attraction in the same way she does. These are very different scenarios and I hope she can internalise that eventually.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 04 Mar 2021, 06:23
Did she say BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE?! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU7IUprPqag)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 11 Mar 2021, 11:38
Joyce is me as a GM, Walky is me as a player.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: hedgie on 11 Mar 2021, 14:04
In my experience, being a GM is spending days working out plot lines, settings, NPCs, etc.  And by the time the actual game session has lasted an hour, the players have already taken it all off the rails.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Gnabberwocky on 11 Mar 2021, 16:44
Our druid, who is definitely somebody else and not me, basically took up an entire session trying to figure out a springbok's stats. Our DM loves showing us around the world, which we didn't get to do because of that, so I our druid felt a little bad for it.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 12 Mar 2021, 02:41
THE FOLLOWING SCENE is from a YouTube video I watched once about the impossibility of predicting your adventuring party's decisions in a stressful situation.

GM: "So, this little girl is magically and physically bound to the pedestals on which the artefacts are mounted." *Dice clatters* "Mage, your manna sense indicates that there is no way to remove the artefacts without killing her."

PALADIN: "We can't kill a child for those trinkets!"

GM: "You'll have to if you want the powers they'll give you to use against the Evil One!" (Evil grin)

BARBARIAN: "So, basically, the girl is magically bound to the pedestals and there is no way to remove the artefacts without killing her?"

MAGE: (Reads private message note from GM): "Yup. Looks like the security spells are linked to her life-force or something. Maybe some kind of ritual sacrifice connection?" (GM nods)

ROGUE: "So, what happens if we destroy the artefacts?"

LONG PAUSE

RANGER: "What do you mean?"

ROGUE: "Look, if we want to save the kid, we need to hit the thing threatening to kill her and it strikes me that it's the booby-traps on the shiny trinkets!"

MAGE: "A karmic sacrifice? Instead of sacrificing the girl for the artefacts, we sacrifice the artefacts for the girl?"

PALADIN: "I like this train of thought! I mean, I doubt those artefacts will turn out to be really useful anyway! Anything that requires the death of an innocent is almost certainly going to turn out to be foul magic anyway!"

The PARTY all make approving noises

GM: "Are you sure about this guys? I mean, those things are seriously powerful! You'd all get huge stat buffs and access to additional abilities!"

RANGER: "The cost of which would be the blood of an innocent! Nah, Paladin is right, it's some kind of trap and we're not falling for it!"

BARBARIAN: "So, what are we waiting for? I ready my +5 warhammer! I love the sound of sacred stuff going 'smash'!"

GM: "Ooo... kay... Bit of overkill, those things only have 1HP each...!" (THINKS: I spent two damn weeks designing those things and their special abilities! And for what? This lot of idiots to show off their morality!)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 21 Mar 2021, 01:46
So the meta-referential recursion loop has begun. Today's Dumbing of Age (3/21/21) is basically a panel-for-panel redo of an early Roomies strip, right down to the art style. The only difference was 'Joyce' replacing Dan with (future Starfighter Corps Captain) Julia Grey and Joe with (future Earth Alliance President) Doris Kenner.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 27 Mar 2021, 05:07
Sarah's probably 10% mad at Joe and 90% mad at herself for setting him up so well.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 08 Apr 2021, 05:13
Am I missing something or is this supposed to be confusing?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: BenRG on 08 Apr 2021, 05:30
My guess is that, now Jennifer has seen Walky (she was shown staring at his hair in the last panel of the 4/8/21 strip), we're going to get more information from her.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 20 Apr 2021, 04:31
"She's out of line, but she's right!"
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 01 May 2021, 08:27
The straights are most certainly not okay. I should know, I thought I was one of them for like three decades.

Also why does nobody post in this thread anymore?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 01 May 2021, 10:42
The straights are never okay, but Joyce's straightness is dubious at best.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Nov 2021, 14:30
Hopefully he shows up
There he is!
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Farideh on 07 Nov 2021, 14:58
He looks like he lost weight
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 07 Dec 2021, 07:40
Ethan being "stabbed in the back" by Danny seems a bit over dramatic.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Farideh on 07 Dec 2021, 12:00
Maybe, but Danny did hurt him.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: cesium133 on 07 Dec 2021, 12:09
To be fair, these are supposed to be 18- and 19-year old kids. I had no sense of proportion when I was 18, either.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Dec 2021, 16:13
Maybe, but Danny did hurt him.
I'm completely blanking, what did Danny do?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Farideh on 07 Dec 2021, 16:54
Danny went to visit Ethan in the hospital while Mike was in the coma, and then proceeded to stick his foot so far in his mouth that his toes were poking out of his *ss:

1. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/alonetime/
2. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/alderaan/
3. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/hospitalized/
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 08 Dec 2021, 04:33
Oh right, I always forget about that. Ethan was kinda shitty then, too.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 08 Dec 2021, 07:18
Danny went to visit Ethan in the hospital while Mike was in the coma, and then proceeded to stick his foot so far in his mouth that his toes were poking out of his *ss:

1. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/alonetime/
2. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/alderaan/
3. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/hospitalized/

I was thinking of those comics too, but Ethan talks about Danny stabbing him in the back. Since that is not what happened in those comics (I mean it was just in-your-face lack of consideration for Ethan's feelings, but nothing back-stabbiness), so  am wondering what Ethan is referring too. I am sure somebody here will know...
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Farideh on 08 Dec 2021, 11:54
It might be that I'm thinking of the wrong occurrence, but IIRC that was the last interaction that Danny and Ethan had?

'Back stabbing' can mean different things to different people, and to me it translates to 'you hurt me badly and unexpectedly' which would fit the hospital incident.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: sitnspin on 08 Dec 2021, 12:16
It could be he's referring to Danny getting him to trust him and like him and think he's a really nice guy only to turn around and hurt him later. Or he was simply playing off Amber's mention of the knife with a little word play, sacrificing accuracy and precision for poetics
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 08 Dec 2021, 13:10
I suppose there is some flexibility with interpretation of "back-stabbing", so ok maybe it is that last interaction.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 12 Jan 2022, 19:05
Joyce hasn't experienced any music outside of christian music. You're Dorthy. What song do you play for her?
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: hedgie on 12 Jan 2022, 19:48
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: dutchrvl on 13 Jan 2022, 10:59
Dvorak's new world symphony of course: her mind will be blown around 1:57

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qut5e3OfCvg
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 31 Mar 2022, 20:49
I always forget that Jennifer's old nickname and Walky's current one are based on their last names. Also, great, Billie's back. That great is not sincere.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: LeeC on 06 Apr 2022, 07:27
I grew up in a household where my parents would spank us for being disobedient. I remember growing up and thinking it was normal. That it was the best way to teach kids to behave and not grow up being a bad person. That if x person who got in trouble with the law was hit as a child, they never would have become a criminal. I am a father of two girls (a 4 and a nearly 3 year old) and I can attest that it was all bullshit. A lie my parents (and probably others) were themselves indoctrinated by their parents as "ok," when really it was a loss of patience on the parent's part. I have found myself very close to loosing my patience with my girls a number of times, but I never hit them, even if I lost my patience. I take a step back (mentally) and reflect where loosing my patience will get us. I realize now that those spankings were because A) My parent lost their patience and so hit the kid to make me stop or act right, or B) They didn't want to take the time to teach me WHY we behave or why what I did was bad or potentially dangerous. Hitting was the shortcut. The only punishment I do with my kids is usually take them to their bed and tell them they can come out when they've calmed down. I'm usually in the hallway just outside their room until they're ready which can be anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour (depending on how upset/bratty they were being can effect how long it takes themselves to calm down). Most times the misbehaving is due to them being over stimulated and being removed from that stimuli (or an audience that is fueling the misbehavior) and allowed to calm down allows you to explain what the kid did wrong and why we don't do it. Every time I have done this, my kid has learned why and have corrected their behavior. No "beating" required, no feeling like I am mad at them or that I don't love them. They also reflect on what they did and would often apologize for it without prompting. Kids are smarter than given credit for, especially on an emotional level. You just have to take the time to explain it to them. My parents didn't. It was for "my own good." In reality, it was trauma, normalized trauma.

Edit: For context, my father was not a very patient person in general. For anything. My mother tended to prefer shortcuts for anything.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 16 Apr 2022, 07:18
Well, fuck. So that's why she was called Billie. Damn you, Willis :/
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Welu on 05 Jul 2022, 04:35
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2022/comic/book-12/05-this-was-halloween/longer/
Flashback in a flashback.

Damn you, Willis. It happened seconds after https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/transformative/
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Near Lurker on 06 Sep 2022, 21:46
Okay... so there's not a chance in Hell Joyce is straight, right?  (I say this as a nocturnal bisexual vampire.)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Near Lurker on 07 Sep 2022, 03:06
Also, I feel like it's not the biggest deal these days, when even the President is Bi. :claireface:

(...sorry-not-sorry, but I feel like even though I haven't got kids, being 34 gives me license to dadjoke.)
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: hedgie on 07 Sep 2022, 08:59
34?  Get off my lawn  :evil:

Edit: When I was a regular on alt.gothic, back in the ancient days of online discussions, an actual young teen (or maybe even pre-teen) started posting, and when her age came up, another regular had to remark “damn, my tits are older than you”.
Title: Re: Damn You, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) PART 2
Post by: Method of Madness on 09 Sep 2022, 04:33
Okay... so there's not a chance in Hell Joyce is straight, right?  (I say this as a nocturnal bisexual vampire.)
As someone who realized I was bi when I was like...30? No, I highly doubt she's straight.

being 34 gives me license to dadjoke
I just turned 35 a couple weeks ago, and I'm never having kids, but I'm an uncle at least. Then again, I was telling dadjokes long before that even :p