Topic: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) (Read 513697 times)

Welu · « **Reply #3050 on:** 05 Dec 2016, 15:51 »

First impression is for Dorothy but I'm biased towards her because I like her a lot. We've seen a lot more of her and she seems like she'd take the job more seriously than Roz, even if Dorothy is being admittedly self-interested and bureaucratic about it. Roz might be easier to talk to but she doesn't seem as ready for the responsibility and accountability. The idea of being the person involved and hearing all the ~~gossip~~ venting and to be the settler of arguments is fun till everyone is coming to you and the argument is more substantial and greyer than, "They're playing their music too loud!" That said Ruth's solution to that situation wasn't very involved either.

Just noticed there's an interesting poll on the site though, but since Willis has the buffer up to February, it won't have any bearing on the plot.

Kugai · « **Reply #3051 on:** 06 Dec 2016, 13:14 »

PLOT TWIST! Dina winds up as R.A.

Welu · « **Reply #3052 on:** 06 Dec 2016, 13:15 »

COUNTER TWIST! Batman becomes the R.A.

Kugai · « **Reply #3053 on:** 06 Dec 2016, 13:21 »

Leading to a face off with Amazi-Girl

Neko_Ali · « **Reply #3054 on:** 06 Dec 2016, 14:19 »

Crazy Twist! Becky becomes the new RA!

BenRG · « **Reply #3055 on:** 06 Dec 2016, 14:40 »

Quote from: Welu on 06 Dec 2016, 13:15

COUNTER TWIST! Batman becomes the R.A.

How would you know? I mean, this is the goddamn Batman we're talking about here! You wouldn't know he was there until he wanted you to know he was there!

Personally, I think that they've already had enough superheroes as RAs, what with Ruth who, IMO, could be mistaken for Jessica Jones with a henna rinse job.

cesium133 · « **Reply #3056 on:** 06 Dec 2016, 14:55 »

Quote from: Neko_Ali on 06 Dec 2016, 14:19

Crazy Twist! Becky becomes the new RA!

"Sorry, Dorothy and Roz. The university charter specifically states that the RA here must have red hair... Wait, who are you and do you even live here? Who cares, you got the job."

Kugai · « **Reply #3057 on:** 07 Dec 2016, 12:21 »

A bored Sal is a danger seeking Sal.

And yes Sal, Marcie really is pissed at you at the moment.

BenRG · « **Reply #3058 on:** 08 Dec 2016, 02:14 »

Regarding today's strip (8/12/2016), it would be entirely in character for Robin (as she was in Shortpacked!) for her to have come running to Leslie for advice or help about something she thinks a liberal academic could help her with (outreach to minorities?) and remain blissfully unaware and largely-uncaring of the undercurrent of Leslie's emotions towards her. Robin being Robin, it is unlikely that she'll think of anything beyond her wants and needs. She might even be offended if Leslie declines to help someone who supports minority-disempowering legislation on the grounds that she doesn't see why she should be penalised for something that she doesn't care about.

Deeper thoughts aside, I really thought it was Roz at first; the DeSanto sisters really show their kinship when Robin is 'out of uniform', as it were.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #3059 on:** 08 Dec 2016, 05:59 »

To first paragraph: I really gotta finish his other comics. I just couldn't get into them, although I never tried Shortpacked.
To second paragraphs: Glad it wasn't just me.

Kugai · « **Reply #3060 on:** 08 Dec 2016, 12:01 »

A slip of the tongue there Leslie?

Kugai · « **Reply #3061 on:** 09 Dec 2016, 09:47 »

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Is our conservative, Republican, somewhat uptight Congresswoman actually attempting to hit on Leslie??!

BenRG · « **Reply #3062 on:** 09 Dec 2016, 09:56 »

Oh, Robin wants something from Leslie. What it is remains to be seen.

(click to show/hide)

FWIW, my guess is that Roz has told her about her desire to be RA and Robin has decided to lobby Leslie to support her campaign. Robin is the sort of woman who would, if she realised it was an option, indulge Leslie's romantic fantasies and even make a pretence of being a closet progressive hemmed in by her party's orthodoxy to get her support.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #3063 on:** 09 Dec 2016, 21:55 »

Re: yesterday's, weird phrasing there. "College teache"? Why not just say professor? To people outside the US, if you teach at a college, you're considered a professor here.

Kugai · « **Reply #3064 on:** 10 Dec 2016, 12:02 »

Or she could be entirely different from her Shortpacked character ans actually is 'In The Closet' in this one.

Time will tell.

bhtooefr · « **Reply #3065 on:** 10 Dec 2016, 13:26 »

Quote from: Method of Madness on 09 Dec 2016, 21:55

Re: yesterday's, weird phrasing there. "College teache"? Why not just say professor? To people outside the US, if you teach at a college, you're considered a professor here.

Not necessarily - at Central Ohio Technical College, it was always "instructor", never "professor".

(If you wanted a professor, you went to Ohio State instead. Which had a satellite campus shared with COTC's main campus.)

Kugai · « **Reply #3066 on:** 11 Dec 2016, 13:38 »

I think Joyce has Walky perfectly summed up.

BenRG · « **Reply #3067 on:** 11 Dec 2016, 14:42 »

Joyce is simply the nicest person in that college, bar none. Even when she's nasty, she somehow comes across as this shining innocent!

That said, there is some comfort to be found in the familiar and, let's face it, Walky's salty attitude towards her is familiar.

Kugai · « **Reply #3068 on:** 12 Dec 2016, 12:05 »

The Church of Mike

Kugai · « **Reply #3069 on:** 13 Dec 2016, 15:45 »

Ethan!!!

In Valens name man, what have you unleashed!!!!!

BenRG · « **Reply #3070 on:** 13 Dec 2016, 23:36 »

I really think that Mike seriously underestimated how high-maintenance Ethan is and just how much personal stress and inconvenience would be involved in trying to start a sexual relationship with him. This may be a prank that doesn't just backfire, it ends up exploding in his face.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #3071 on:** 14 Dec 2016, 04:00 »

Wait, you got potential sexual relationship out of that comic?

BenRG · « **Reply #3072 on:** 14 Dec 2016, 04:38 »

Quote from: Method of Madness on 14 Dec 2016, 04:00

Wait, you got potential sexual relationship out of that comic?

No, based on this strip, where Mike stated his intention to seduce Ethan to upset Danny. With Mike, 'seduce' is very likely a synonym for 'have sex with and then dump in as traumatically and embarrassing manner as possible, including explaining how he planned this whole thing just to hurt his victim'.

I'm just thinking that Mike may have seriously underestimated just what an intellectual and emotional toll that this plan may exert on him, let alone on Ethan and Danny.

Kugai · « **Reply #3073 on:** 14 Dec 2016, 12:15 »

And Leslie and Robin drown their sorrows in moroseness and cheap Beer

Kugai · « **Reply #3074 on:** 15 Dec 2016, 10:22 »

Hmmmm

Drunk Robin is interesting

BenRG · « **Reply #3075 on:** 15 Dec 2016, 11:38 »

I don't think Robin is drunk; it's just that Frieda is her brain-to-mouth filter. Without her around, there's nothing to stop her saying what she really thinks!

Kugai · « **Reply #3076 on:** 16 Dec 2016, 13:22 »

In Vino veritas

Kugai · « **Reply #3077 on:** 17 Dec 2016, 11:35 »

Gotchya Robin

Kugai · « **Reply #3078 on:** 18 Dec 2016, 13:48 »

I think she's a 'One Drink Drunk' kinda girl.

sitnspin · « **Reply #3079 on:** 19 Dec 2016, 12:15 »

I sometimes wish I had a lower alcohol tolerance. It would save me money.

Kugai · « **Reply #3080 on:** 19 Dec 2016, 13:54 »

A romantic evening watchting Steven Universe

Kugai · « **Reply #3081 on:** 20 Dec 2016, 15:03 »

Poor Leslie

And yes, Robin is that dense.

Kugai · « **Reply #3082 on:** 21 Dec 2016, 14:59 »

I hope she gets at least some free Pizza out of it.

BenRG · « **Reply #3083 on:** 21 Dec 2016, 23:49 »

If Galasso's is like any other restaurant, there is a good possibility that anything left over at the end of the day is 'disposed of' by feeding it to the Minions.

Meanwhile in today's strip (12/22) -- I'm really not sure what's happening here. Sal can't let go of her burgeoning friendship-esque relationship with Amazi-Girl but clearly wants it to be on her own terms. There may be spandex in Sal's immediate future, at least for one or two capers before her good sense catches up with her and overrides her memories of reading superhero comic books under the bed-covers with Walky.

Kugai · « **Reply #3084 on:** 22 Dec 2016, 14:21 »

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship

If they ever get past the angst

BenRG · « **Reply #3085 on:** 22 Dec 2016, 23:47 »

I can't help but wonder whether Willis will show us more of this rooftop or if we're going to have to fill in the blanks of what Sal and Amazi-Girl get to talking about based on their actions the next day.

Kugai · « **Reply #3086 on:** 23 Dec 2016, 12:19 »

We shall see.

Interesting conversation in any case. It's the first time we've seen Amber/Amazi-Girl interact with Sal without going into 'Hyperventilation Mode' at some point.

Kugai · « **Reply #3087 on:** 24 Dec 2016, 11:18 »

"The light, it burns us it does!"

Kugai · « **Reply #3088 on:** 25 Dec 2016, 14:14 »

So. it would take a Labor of Hercules to clean out the Girls Dorm Showers by the sound of it.

BenRG · « **Reply #3089 on:** 26 Dec 2016, 00:30 »

Either that or a rigidly enforced 'wash out your cubicle' rule.

Kugai · « **Reply #3090 on:** 26 Dec 2016, 13:30 »

BenRG · « **Reply #3091 on:** 27 Dec 2016, 00:34 »

WHOOPS!

Oh well; for Leslie's sake, here's hoping that what happens in Bloomington stays in Bloomington!

It won't of course; at some point, we're going to have Sal asking Leslie if 'your drunk friend' got home safely (she saw Leslie supporting her back onto campus whilst on rooftop watch with Amazi-Girl). Sal wouldn't blab but it only takes a few night owls to have noticed her for it to be basically common knowledge on campus within a few days that "... Representative DeSanto is Professor Bean's girlfriend but they have to keep it secret for the sake of their careers! Don't tell anyone!"

Method of Madness · « **Reply #3092 on:** 27 Dec 2016, 05:13 »

Wait, when do we see any indication that Sal saw them? Also, what makes you think Leslie lives on campus?

BenRG · « **Reply #3093 on:** 27 Dec 2016, 05:34 »

Quote from: Method of Madness on 27 Dec 2016, 05:13

Wait, when do we see any indication that Sal saw them? Also, what makes you think Leslie lives on campus?

Sal spent the night on the watch on the rooftops with Amazi-Girl, making sure Ryan doesn't come prowling around looking for revenge on the girls who evidently (in his own mind) ratted him out.

I've just got a feeling that Leslie is still pretty much in the income bracket (as well as the social pigeon-hole) where it would be easier and possibly safer, at least in her own mind, for her to sleep on campus in a seniors/junior staff dorm rather than try to find housing elsewhere.

Kugai · « **Reply #3094 on:** 27 Dec 2016, 14:22 »

0_p

The mind boggles. And Leslie is going 'WTF??'

Method of Madness · « **Reply #3095 on:** 27 Dec 2016, 21:10 »

Well, they're still clothed. The Congresswoman, at least.

BenRG · « **Reply #3096 on:** 28 Dec 2016, 02:03 »

I think that Willis is departing along a very challenging and controversial arc right now. It's going to test everyone who believes that Leslie is basically a decent and kind personality; it's even going to test the character's own self-image. It will be difficult to write for him, difficult for us to read and will remind us that, on the personal level, there are rarely 'white hats' or 'black hats', only victims of others' determination to control your life.

There have already been dark rumblings on the comic's comments page; I think that he may lose some readers over this. I doubt he'll care - Willis has always struck me as a man who wishes to write a story for the story's sake rather than a being commercial author who writes to sell Patreon subscriptions and I generally admire his artistic integrity in this matter. However, that doesn't mean that the fallout will be any less heated.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #3097 on:** 28 Dec 2016, 07:16 »

Is Leslie a bigger deal in the non-DoA strips? Because honestly, has she ever been a major DoA character? And even if she is more of one in other strips, isn't everyone different in DoA than they are in the other ones? Basically I'm asking why it's a big deal if Leslie isn't perfect.

BenRG · « **Reply #3098 on:** 28 Dec 2016, 07:31 »

Leslie and Robin's relationship was a primary character arc in Shortpacked.

(click to show/hide)

FWIW, I think the problem is that DoA!Leslie has, to date, been presented as this secular saint of LGBT advocacy and activism. The fact that she has flaws and, frankly, is lonely and isolated enough emotionally that she could make hugely bad relationship choices to lessen that pain shocks some readers. Personally, I think it's a nice nuance and gives the character depth.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #3099 on:** 28 Dec 2016, 08:11 »

But she's appeared so few times in DoA that going just on that, I can't really claim to be surprised by this development (although she has appeared enough for me to be disappointed in her for telling Dorothy effectively to sit down and shut up instead of asking Robin her question).

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Damn you, Willis! (Dumbing of Age) (Read 513697 times)