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Author Topic: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)  (Read 499419 times)

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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1400 on: 12 Oct 2015, 21:26 »

This is true, but I have grave doubts about ToeDad's capacity for giving a shit. He thinks God's on his side, people do horrible shit when that's their motivation and they have no solid scriptural evidence behind them. Sometimes they bend scripture to justify it, but Ross hasn't even done that.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1401 on: 12 Oct 2015, 22:01 »

It's not that he'd care, but that people would be around to stop him.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1402 on: 13 Oct 2015, 01:53 »

I'm pretty sure that he's going to take a shot at Becky to stop her so he can catch up and carry her off to 'safety'.

It's not that he'd care, but that people would be around to stop him.

I'm wondering if he's not going to understand why people are trying to stop him at first and then get enraged and start lashing out against the 'legions of the devil' (or some similar-sounding delusion). I'm pretty sure he'll try to fight the campus security team if they get in his way.

I'm genuinely wondering if, by the end of this arc, whether Becky is going to be an orphan.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1403 on: 13 Oct 2015, 03:12 »

The other thing, if he runs after Becky without taking the gun, Dina will have the gun.

And, in Indiana, due to their stand your ground law, Dina is justified in using deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if she reasonably believes that force is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury to a third person (Becky) or the commission of a forcible felony. And, in Indiana law, "forcible felony" consists of felonies that involve the use or threat of force against a human being, or which there is imminent danger of bodily injury to a human being - and kidnapping is a felony in Indiana.

Basically, if Ross leaves that gun behind, it's Ross season, 100% legally, per Indiana law.

Now, I'm not saying it's a good idea to do that. It's a terrible idea to do that from a tactical perspective alone - Dina's not familiar with firearms, she'd be firing towards innocents, she'd now be the "person with a gun" - but, let's face it, Dina isn't exercising the greatest judgement here. (I also don't think Willis will go there, though, due to his personal politics, which he's expressed all over the comments section.) But, also, it could be a reason why Ross will make sure to keep the gun from Dina, as he doesn't know any of that, but he almost certainly does understand the mechanics of Indiana's stand your ground law.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1404 on: 13 Oct 2015, 04:44 »

Becky is going to be an orphan.
Wait, her mom is dead? When was that covered?
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1405 on: 13 Oct 2015, 04:48 »

Becky is going to be an orphan.
Wait, her mom is dead? When was that covered?

On their way to the bus station, Ross told Dina that, in retrospect, he should have taken more of a close interest in Becky after her mother 'passed away'.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1406 on: 13 Oct 2015, 05:35 »

Wow...Becky's dad is chasing her with a gun.  Maybe we'll be surprised and its a tranq gun but I doubt it.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1407 on: 13 Oct 2015, 06:12 »

Of course, I just realized another way this could go, if Ross decides to focus on Dina, and Willis wants to make a commentary on Indiana's stand your ground law.

He could be under the belief that Dina is kidnapping Becky from him, and therefore feel justified in using lethal force against her that way.

There are probably juries in Indiana that would let Ross off for shooting Dina, with that kind of defense. :psyduck:
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1408 on: 13 Oct 2015, 07:05 »

Never before has a webcomic made me so nervous to see every update. God damn you, Willis.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1409 on: 13 Oct 2015, 13:24 »

Never before has a webcomic made me so nervous to see every update. God damn you, Willis.

For real. I've been on the edge of my seat for straight up days now. This is not very comfortable.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1410 on: 13 Oct 2015, 15:03 »

Hooo boy.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1411 on: 13 Oct 2015, 21:13 »

Fuck you, Willis.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1412 on: 13 Oct 2015, 21:23 »

And where is Dina?
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1413 on: 13 Oct 2015, 21:28 »

And where is Dina?

Running at top speed to catch up, ready to jump in front of a bullet for her girlfriend*


*god I hope I'm wrong
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1414 on: 13 Oct 2015, 22:14 »

Unless Willis is lying, Dina will live (he has repeatedly said that he will NOT be killing any of the main cast on Tumblr).  But that doesn't mean nothing got broken, or that she won't get seriously hurt.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1415 on: 13 Oct 2015, 22:23 »

Unless Willis is lying, Dina will live (he has repeatedly said that he will NOT be killing any of the main cast on Tumblr).  But that doesn't mean nothing got broken, or that she won't get seriously hurt.

Take it from me, gunshots aren't always deadly. Thanks to someone in the thread that I can't blame because they probably put it under a spoiler tag that I ignored, there is a thing that I will also put in a spoiler tag coming in the near future: 
(click to show/hide)
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1416 on: 13 Oct 2015, 23:03 »

And where is Dina?

Probably still lying unconscious in the woods where Ross cold-cocked her.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1417 on: 14 Oct 2015, 00:01 »

And where is Dina?

Probably still lying unconscious in the woods where Ross cold-cocked her.

Oh so just this once, you're choosing to NOT be the pessimistic dickwagon who imediately assumes terrible things are about to happpen? Did I beat you to the punch? HARRUMPH

YOU ARE MAKING ME LOOK LIKE THE ASSHOLE HERE AND I RESENT YOU FOR THAT, GOOD SIR
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1418 on: 14 Oct 2015, 04:41 »

I mean that's still pretty bad. Also the whole "Willis said this on Tumblr" thing is kind of a spoiler, but I guess it's too late to unspoil that particular one. But please spoiler tags for anything not in the comic itself.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1419 on: 14 Oct 2015, 14:02 »

Or Ross has her in the car.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1420 on: 14 Oct 2015, 14:43 »

Or Ross has her in the car.

I doubt that. He wants to confront Becky, dragging her girlfriend to the car and shoving her inside would slow him down
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1421 on: 14 Oct 2015, 17:52 »

That would depend on just how much of an ass Ross wanted to be.  I wouldn't put it past him to threaten Dina to get Becky to come with him.


Remember, this asshole just chased after her and Dina with a fucking rifle, so I wouldn't put anything past him at this stage.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1422 on: 14 Oct 2015, 20:08 »

It's not a matter of putting it past him, it's a matter of it slowing him down so he couldn't catch Becky. Also, I suspect him of not really planning ahead.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1423 on: 14 Oct 2015, 23:11 »

You know what's the most tragic part of the 15/10/15 strip? It's obvious that Becky and Joyce really do have good memories of Ross. At some point in their past, he was able to at least appear to be a good man. Now, whatever happens next, those childhood memories will forever be poisoned by the look on his robot-blank face as he pulled out a gun and pointed it at them. That's a real tragedy, in my view.

It's not a matter of putting it past him, it's a matter of it slowing him down so he couldn't catch Becky. Also, I suspect him of not really planning ahead.

I'd go one step further: Ross may be a control freak; things running out of his control is driving him crazy. He literally can't think about anything except regaining control; nothing else matters. That makes him all the more dangerous because he's basically having a psychotic episode and is capable of doing almost anything and the consequences and realisation of what he has done won't hit him until later.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1424 on: 14 Oct 2015, 23:24 »

OK, now I just wanna see someone take this asshole down HARD
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1425 on: 15 Oct 2015, 03:28 »

Times like these where I'm glad I support Willis on Patreon, cause of the preview.

Or not ?! Because it's just getting WORSE AND WORSE.

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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1426 on: 15 Oct 2015, 03:35 »

I can't see this ending except as a tragedy. The tragedy will be that Becky's last memory of her father alive will be the look of self-righteous hatred in his eyes when he decides to kill her, a split-second before the Bloomington police shoot him dead.


[edit]
Thank you for the fact-checking, cesium133, albeit presented in a sarcastic tone.
« Last Edit: 15 Oct 2015, 05:51 by BenRG »
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1427 on: 15 Oct 2015, 03:45 »

I highly doubt that.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1428 on: 15 Oct 2015, 05:48 »

I can't see this ending except as a tragedy. The tragedy will be that Becky's last memory of her father alive will be the look of self-righteous hatred in his eyes when he decides to kill her, a split-second before the Bellwood police shoot him dead.
Where is Bellwood, and why are their police in Bloomington?  :roll:
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1429 on: 15 Oct 2015, 05:59 »

So... Now Ross is pulling a gun out and threatening people in a highly public area on campus. If the Walkyverse is even slightly like the real world, I can't imagine the police are going to be thrilled by this. The SWAT team is already probably rolling. But hey, hey can explain that he wasn't planning on shooting up the school. He was just planning on kidnapping his legally adult daughter after assaulting her girlfriend. At gunpoint. In front of a lot of witnesses.

It could be argued that Dina attacked first. But considering he's been witnessed already hunting after them with a rifle, any lawyer should be able to stick a self defense and fear of her life/protecting others defense against that.

I don't see how this could possibly end well for Ross. Or how he could have expected any of this to go his way. At the best case scenario, even if Becky went along with him at this point the police are going to be talking to him.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1430 on: 15 Oct 2015, 08:00 »

Well, if Becky does end up becoming an orphan, at least she'll be able to get her personal documents, as well is inheriting any of ToeSD's assets.

Edit:  Spoiler tags used for talking about the previews that Willis posts on tumblr.

(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: 15 Oct 2015, 22:00 by hedgie »
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1431 on: 15 Oct 2015, 23:11 »

I... Okay, this is new. Does anyone else interpret the 16/10 strip as Ross being developmentally disabled? He really doesn't seem to have thought about the consequences of waving a gun around... It actually seems as a surprise to him that anyone might think it is anything threatening! He actually thinks that he's protecting Becky and that's why he brought a gun! I'm really shocked that I hadn't thought of this possibility before

This gives Becky a whole new dilemma. After all, if her father is a risk to himself and to others if left on his own, how does she take responsibility and mitigate this?

Now I'm sure that he killed Becky's mother. It might have been an accident; he may have just lost control in a moment of rage or passion and, as with this current scenario, just not been thinking stuff through to their logical conclusion. Of course, he could never have done something that horrible of his own free will (and it is quite possible that he has no real useful memories of any thought-process of decision-making on his part that led to that point), so it must be Satan's fault.

Poor Becky! What a situation to be in!
« Last Edit: 15 Oct 2015, 23:17 by BenRG »
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1432 on: 15 Oct 2015, 23:32 »

Now I'm sure that he killed Becky's mother. It might have been an accident; he may have just lost control in a moment of rage or passion and, as with this current scenario, just not been thinking stuff through to their logical conclusion.

What is the evidence for any of this? Fundamentalists will use 'Satan' as the one-size-fits-all for any bad thing that happens. In someone with views as ingrained as Toedad's, to say that a loved one was taken away 'by Satan' could mean literally any type of physical or mental illness, as well as addiction. She could have died from the flu and he'd still say that Satan took her away.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1433 on: 15 Oct 2015, 23:36 »

I'm just drawing an inference from his personality and behaviour shown to date.


[edit]
I've finally worked out. The person who needs to be grounded is Ross. It always was. This was never about Fundamentalism, that was Willis's well-plotted red herring. This is about mental developmental delay and the dangers that can bring to bystanders if a person does not receive the proper care and help.

The clue was in Joyce's shock, not that Ross was threatening them with a gun but that he had a gun at all! However, the first clue was Ross's speech patterns. He sounded a bit odd to me and now I know why. His communications skills reflect his generally low intelligence.

Back home in La Porte, all the men of the congregation know that Ross MacIntyre is a strong, reliable, loving (in a stern way) but ultimately dull-witted and slow man. He's not the sort of man with whom you could trust a lethal weapon and, for that reason, they regularly check to make sure he hasn't bought a gun and the kids all know to tell their parents if they see him with one.

Fortunately, Becky's mother was there; she was always the brains of the operation, really. Who knows what was the basic relationship? The point is that she loved him in a certain way and ensured that he was never left confused and frightened by a world with just a bit too much nuance for him to understand. Because, when a man as strong and slow as Ross gets frightened, they become violent and that could have bad consequences.

Then Becky's mother died but the local community wasn't too worried. The Browns lived nearby and were there to keep Ross grounded; to reassure him when he got confused and stop him from getting frightened and violent. Besides, Becky was going to college soon and, once she'd moved out, more permanent arrangements could be made.

That's when disaster struck. Becky was discovered in a lip-lock with her room-mate. Instead of doing what anyone in La Porte would have known to do - to call Hank Brown and let him explain things to Ross in a way that kept him calm - the Administrators of Anderson did what they were legally required to do and called Becky's parental guardian: Ross.

Ross arrives, confused and upset. As always happened when he was confused and upset, he got aggressive. He started shouting at Becky and manhandling her. He started making promises to 'fix' her, based on a half-remembered conversation with a guy in a bar who claimed that he'd heard homosexuality could be 'cured' by some doctors.

Becky ran but it is quite likely Ross didn't understand the gravity of the situation. To him, it was like the day she smashed that window with her softball and ran away to hide under Joyce's bed. He'd just need to go and fetch her... It might take some effort but that's what is asked of a Christian father. Along the way, he stopped at a gun fair. He knew that Becky was in danger and, like a good Christian father, he wanted to be ready to defend her. To die for her, if necessary.

This is the genius of Willis choosing a Ruger 1v rifle. It looks a lot like a Winchester Plainsman lever action, the sort of weapon someone like Ross might associate with the stereotype of the heroic male defending his family (thanks to Western films and TV shows). However, it is a lot simpler. Basically, Ross was too dull to get a more combat-able weapon; he just got the one that was easiest for him to operate. It's the sort of weapon someone might select who really didn't know guns but just wanted one that fit into a stereotype of 'a good guy's gun' based on it looking like one.

What about the fight with Dina? Well, how would a five-year old boy react if a smaller girl jumped on his back and started scratching him? That's basically what we're dealing with here.

So we come to now. Ross is frightened and confused. All he knows is that he has to protect Becky, no matter the cost. He isn't able to reason effectively enough to realise that he is the threat. So, what Becky has to do is talk him down. Tell him that he doesn't have to die for her; things aren't that bad yet. What she wants from him, what she needs from him is to live for her so she isn't all alone in the world.

She needs him to put down the gun. Give it to Joyce so she can stand guard until the police arrive and take him to where Hank can come and collect him and take him home.

The future? Ross did wrong but, fortunately, it is unlikely that anyone was seriously hurt. A decent lawyer might get him remanded into the Browns' custody. They'll have to sell the MacIntyre house and Ross will probably have to move into their spare room. However, that's a good thing. Living with the Browns means that someone will always be there to keep an eye on him and keep him calm; stop him getting confused and frightened in this way ever again. I can even imagine that he'll be happier not having to live alone but be in a family again and occasionally reading letters from Becky (although they'll likely have to be censored by Joyce or Dorothy to stop her from accidentally triggering him again).

With a little bit of luck and time, Becky may find a woman to marry and a confused but happy Ross (because his little girl is happy and that's what really matters) may give her away at her wedding.

He'll always need someone to ground him but it is unfair to expect Becky to have to do that forever. It's a good thing that she's got friends and an extended surrogate family to help her do so.

As a postscript, I want to confront the charge of "ableism".

I'm not saying that Ross is doing this because he suffers from some kind of developmental delay. What I'm saying is that the combination of that with the intolerant brand of fundamentalism and an aggressive culture that insists that "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do" along with his own immense natural strength all taken together have led to this outcome.

People rightly condemn simplistic narratives for violence like 'inspired by rock music' or 'influenced by violent video games'. The truth is always that each individual has a complex narrative of influences, mental health, triggers and environment that lead them to an outcome. I've just got the feeling that this is the specific set of circumstances that has led Ross to this place and time.
« Last Edit: 16 Oct 2015, 04:59 by BenRG »
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KingOfIreland

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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1434 on: 16 Oct 2015, 04:01 »

That's an awfully detailed account of something that may not be true, but it's a nice theory.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1435 on: 16 Oct 2015, 05:24 »

"Awfully detailed" is kind of Benergy's thing. I'm just glad it's positive this time.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1436 on: 16 Oct 2015, 11:13 »

This will not end well.


Pessimistic I know, but considering how close to real life this comic can get on occasion, I have expectations of this going horribly pear shaped.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1437 on: 16 Oct 2015, 21:53 »

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
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They call me Mr. Madness.

Quote from: Polonius
Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.
MR ARCHIVE-FU MADNESS
Does anybody really know what time it is?
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cesium133

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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1438 on: 16 Oct 2015, 22:49 »

(click to show/hide)
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1439 on: 17 Oct 2015, 00:20 »

She might try slipping hints anyway. "Dad, I haven't eaten all day. Can we please drive to that KFC at the next road exit to <insert city>?"
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1440 on: 17 Oct 2015, 00:43 »

Fuck, that third panel hurts me.

Pilchard123

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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1441 on: 17 Oct 2015, 02:00 »

What's love GPS got to do with it?
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1442 on: 17 Oct 2015, 03:40 »

The phone's location is sent to 911, so police know where it is.

In any case, there's two valid strategies here.

The first is Becky's agreeing to get in the car - this will de-escalate the situation, and the police are still going to get involved now that this has happened.

The other is one that I've thought of from the commenters on DoA's site pointing something out, but it requires them getting the gun's model correct - apparently it's a Ruger Model 1V, which is a single shot weapon. Basically, Ross just wasted his one shot, and would take a significant time reloading the weapon - meaning, effectively, it's just a club, not a gun, right now, if someone were to charge him. And now I'm wondering if Becky knows that (note her being the only one not taking any sort of cover against the shot), and is planning on doing something by getting close to Ross.

Edit: OK, reading through the comments there, they noticed that he reloaded it in panel 3. So, nope, he's still got a gun, not a club.
« Last Edit: 17 Oct 2015, 04:05 by bhtooefr »
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KingOfIreland

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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1443 on: 17 Oct 2015, 04:10 »

It's not like the police need GPS to track a phone, though. With cell tower triangulation alone they can get a pretty accurate position
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1444 on: 17 Oct 2015, 05:44 »

I'm puzzled why Ross has his eyes closed when he's firing his gun. One possibility is that he has just near missed his own face. The message to Becky is this - "Co-operate or the next one goes in through the bottom of my jaw and out of the top of my skull". Worse, I don't think that it is emotional blackmail. If he doesn't get what he wants...? Well, he's childish enough to 'take his ball and go home' in the most absolute terms imaginable.
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Neko_Ali

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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1445 on: 17 Oct 2015, 05:50 »

Uh, no. He was holding the receiver end up near his face. It was quite loud, he probably closed his eyes out of reflex. He may not be used to firing guns. Joyce was genuinely surprised that he owned one. It's possible that before he started this trip to find Becky that he didn't. I'm more surprised by all the people just milling around the fountain when a guy with a gun is screaming at two girls. Or at least talking angrily. It took the gunshot to make them react instead of people starting to back the heck away once they saw the gun.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1446 on: 17 Oct 2015, 06:08 »

I'm more surprised by all the people just milling around the fountain when a guy with a gun is screaming at two girls. Or at least talking angrily. It took the gunshot to make them react instead of people starting to back the heck away once they saw the gun.

Typical modern people - Don't look at and don't care about anything not immediately affecting them. The first time most of them realised he had a gun... or was even there was when he fired.
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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1447 on: 17 Oct 2015, 06:51 »

I'm more surprised by all the people just milling around the fountain when a guy with a gun is screaming at two girls. Or at least talking angrily. It took the gunshot to make them react instead of people starting to back the heck away once they saw the gun.

I'm not. I'm in a theatre for social change class where we recently did invisible theatre projects (think of "What Would You Do," except you don't actually tell other people it's a performance, unless you have to prevent the police being called or something). People are really, really unobservant, especially when they're walking to class.
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cesium133

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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1448 on: 17 Oct 2015, 07:00 »

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Method of Madness

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Re: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age)
« Reply #1449 on: 17 Oct 2015, 07:26 »

I'm more surprised by all the people just milling around the fountain when a guy with a gun is screaming at two girls. Or at least talking angrily. It took the gunshot to make them react instead of people starting to back the heck away once they saw the gun.

I'm not. I'm in a theatre for social change class where we recently did invisible theatre projects (think of "What Would You Do," except you don't actually tell other people it's a performance, unless you have to prevent the police being called or something). People are really, really unobservant, especially when they're walking to class.
I hope you don't film those. Filming people without their permission is kinda shitty.
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They call me Mr. Madness.

Quote from: Polonius
Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.
MR ARCHIVE-FU MADNESS
Does anybody really know what time it is?
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
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