Welcome to the saga of the working-class adventurer! Enjoy the complete story with new annotations daily!
Dumbing of Age
David M Willis
Joyce has been homeschooled her entire life until now, when she's suddenly a freshman in college! Things don't go well.
All Known Alternatives
Karolina 'Kajotko' Jankiewicz
Akane has only one way to get back home: collect the 42 keys to parallel worlds. Eri and Ben are just trying to get through the summer before university. When a magical key turns up in an old spare set, all three are forced to change their plans and fast.
Hemlock
Josceline Fenton
A witch accidentally marries a monster, and now she and her familiar has to navigate life around her monstrous husband and her even more terrifying in-laws.
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
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THE A-SEX-TEAM! With Dorothy as Hannibal, Amber as Murdock, Ethan as Faceman, and Mr T as Mr T. Their mission is to cause weird sexual dreams to nerds with sexual frustrations.
JOYCE YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO
In another universe still: “Yes I can, I’m your squad commander”
“Oh yeah, how did that happen again?”
“You and everyone else were even less qualified for it.”
“GOD DAMMIT”
Exactly. Plus, even if something is your plan – it’s totally different to see it executed so well, without actually (or barely) contributing anything. She could be grumpy because it’s going too well.
Also she could be jealous (or grumpy with a tinge of jealousy) because of various reasons (e.g. how simple Joyce could enter this friendly banter match up to her being still physically attracted to Jacob), disregarding that something like was her main goal.
Aaand, she could just be like “guys, toggle it down, will ya?” – it can be pretty awkward to watch two people flirt.
I’m not sure it’s so much that she’s jealous. Remember she realized the moral implications of her plan and called it off, so the fact that Joyce is still trying to “steal” Jacob away is probably bugging her
. . . .Well let’s see how this trainwreck of a conversation goes. It’s unlikely that the two lovebirds who still clearly love one another will get back together so quickly sooo. . .prepare for the awkward conversation.
Honestly, given their personalities, I don’t think this is a relationship that’s actually meant to last. Yes, they’re cute together, but their actual lives are almost entirely incompatible and Walky isn’t the sort of put in the effort on his end even if he knew how.
Walky, in voiceover: “Yup, that’s me. I’ll bet you’re wondering how I got myself into this little situation— face-to-face with the girl who broke up with me just the other night.”
“In truth it’s not that interesting a story – we go to the same relatively small college and share a lot of the same social circle. All in all it’s a pretty common situation…”
So I feel like pretty much every character has been drawn extra-adorably lately, but I especially want to give a shout out to Dorothy.
Like, I do just really like Dorothy in general but I feel like nearly every drawing of her lately has come out great!
Characters are great, art is great, hope that’s not too weird to randomly blurt out.
F’reals. Not having time to get a haircut or even properly brush her hair is a good look for her! I know that looks sarcastic in the no-intonation internet comment text, but I’m not even foolin’!
I mean, she’s a part of their friend group (arguably more intertwined to the Joyce block than Walky is) and they all routinely get lunch together. It wasn’t planned necessarily, just part of their normal schedule. Probably to the point where someone would have to be actively uninvited and it would be weird and awkward.
I mean, Dorothy has been skipping group lunch, but she’s also been skipping meals and the whole breakup’s because she thinks socializing is a frivolity she can’t afford right now. Telling her not to come while she’s inclined to would be like telling Billie while she’s trying to go sober, ‘won’t work, drink yourself into a stupor.’
It had to have at least been partially planned.
Jacob is not a regular to their lunch scene and Joyce, at least, knew Dorothy was coming while Sarah either didn’t know, didn’t care, or forgot, considering she was suggesting they get a move on.
Of course, since Walky didn’t show up to class, there’s always the possibility that they planned on him not being there or that they made the plans while in class.
But I agree that if Joyce had expected to have lunch with Walky, since she did seem to know Dorothy was coming, that would be kinda shitty of her.
Huh. I completely missed that strip. How’d I do that?
And yes, that does confirm Joyce being shitty. Dorothy even tries to get her to consider Walky’s feelings, and Joyce just ignores it, which imo is disrespectful to both Dorothy and Walky.
Did you two just wax sarcastically about how it’s not possible for someone to be more sarcastic than Walky?
Or am I so used to Walky dialogue that I’ve begun seeing sarcasm in every sentence?
Panel three Joyce is just…she’s right that they’re going to have to but damn have some empathy
I don’t think Joyce could have stated just how little she thought of Walky and Dorothy together but how little shes considering how Walky might be feeling
She’s definitely not being sensitive to him. Honestly I think it ties back into the same Good Person/Bad Person thing she’s got with Raidah. Like it’s not a big deal if they break up (because Joyce pushes herself into this position), because clearly Jacob is Good and Raidah is Bad and therefore this relationship would never work out and she’s just helping things along.
Its frustrating (though good drama) watching her blunder her way through social interactions based on a belief system centered around bad tv sitcoms and the bible tells me so
Oh, totally. I look forward to Joyce breaking this particular mindset once and for all, but it probably won’t be for years. (Though if the Jacob thing blows up sooner rather than later, it’s possible.)
Clearly, Joyce is secretly The Cheese, and altered reality so Dorothy would walk in front of Walky at the right time to prove her point. Or Willis thought it’d be funny. Either/or
So, assuming the next conversation between these two will consist of Dorothy saying something along the lines of she didn’t want to hurt him/he doesn’t need to avoid her/she hopes they can still be friends — how do you think Walky will react?
A. Tell her he can’t deal with what’s she’s saying?
B. Go off on her verbally about how she’s tearing him apart (Lisa)?
I think it’s A, at least that’s what I imagined him to be like – maybe even interrupt her trying to say anything, saying something himself along the lines of “I don’t really wanna talk. Weell, time for me to leave awkward-town” and then him leaving.
Judging by their conversations around the pause and the breakup, he’ll be supportive, understanding and won’t admit he’s been hurt – possibly with some of his usual snark to defuse anything that might touch on his feelings, though that didn’t come out in their last meetings.
Now I just want to see how these two talk like responsible adults. Someone please keep Joyce and Billie away from them. I know frien ds are suppoosed to help, but now I understand why some people sai the characters of Dumbing of Age instead of helping they just enable toxic behavior. This is like Camp Camp but with college students!
At this point, what is there to talk about? She needed to work on herself and him in a moment of wanting the best for her, went with it. At this point, nothing good could come from them talking….. (well, nothing good for Wally anyway)
Nothing good can come, but it’s necessary that they talk. Awkward silences are more painful and will harm them on the long run. They are humans, not comic chara…. oh damn they are doomed!
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“DOTTY WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE YOU SHOULD BE STUDYING”
“I have decided to drop out so to focus on our hot hot sexeng”
…
***X-TREEM MAKEOUT***
(actually no, I have whiplash)
what danny fantasizes about in his worst moments
Amber: “I ALSO PLAN TO DEVOTE MY LIFE TO SEXING WALKY!”
Ethan: “AS DO I!”
Mr. T: “I DO NOT, I AM MERELY HERE TO REMIND DANNY THAT HE HAS A MATH TEST HE HASN’T STUDIED FOR AND IS IN HIS UNDERWEAR.”
I PITY THE FOOL WHAT COMES TO SCHOOL IN HIS UNDERWEAR
I mean, it’s fine to go to school in underwear.
As long as you’re wearing other clothes as well.
that’s newds to me
Do pajamas count as clothes? What about long-johns?
Yeah, ’cause going to school commando is just kind of weird.
If that’s weird then I don’t wanna be normal.
Sorry to break it to you, but I have some bad news for you.
Red bandana
Flashbacks to so many nightmares
THE A-SEX-TEAM! With Dorothy as Hannibal, Amber as Murdock, Ethan as Faceman, and Mr T as Mr T. Their mission is to cause weird sexual dreams to nerds with sexual frustrations.
More like the Walky-Performs-A-Sex-Team
I would’ve thought the A-sex-team would go around rescuing asexuals from unpleasant situations
Wait, why is the math test he hasn’t studied for in his underwear?
Dreams are weird.
gosh dang
JOYCE YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO
in another universe: “yes i can, i’m your wife” “GOD DAMN IT”
JOYCE YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO
In another universe still: “Yes I can, I’m your squad commander”
“Oh yeah, how did that happen again?”
“You and everyone else were even less qualified for it.”
“GOD DAMMIT”
DoA is my first experience with Willis’s work. Finding out about that one where they were married and had a kid rattled me deeply.
Abel Undercity Ah, you took the Red Pill then…
Sarah seems jealous. Wasn’t this her plan? I understand that she wants Jacob and all but…what did she expect? ):
Like Sarah needs an excuse to be grumpy.
Exactly. Plus, even if something is your plan – it’s totally different to see it executed so well, without actually (or barely) contributing anything. She could be grumpy because it’s going too well.
Also she could be jealous (or grumpy with a tinge of jealousy) because of various reasons (e.g. how simple Joyce could enter this friendly banter match up to her being still physically attracted to Jacob), disregarding that something like was her main goal.
Aaand, she could just be like “guys, toggle it down, will ya?” – it can be pretty awkward to watch two people flirt.
I’m not sure it’s so much that she’s jealous. Remember she realized the moral implications of her plan and called it off, so the fact that Joyce is still trying to “steal” Jacob away is probably bugging her
She might be in shock wondering where Flirticane Joyce came from.
She could just be hungry.
You may just be picking up on the jealousy radiating from Billie.
She might also just be hungry, it’s lunchtime
sorry Walky, the universe disagreed
. . . .Well let’s see how this trainwreck of a conversation goes. It’s unlikely that the two lovebirds who still clearly love one another will get back together so quickly sooo. . .prepare for the awkward conversation.
I find it vastly preferable to a lot of the other stuff right now.
especially since walky is doing the fake-childish humour again. I like that 
I give 50/50 odds that it will be more sex. “We’re on pause” didn’t put a stop to the sex, so why should “we broke up”?
Probably not today, but I expect we’re heading there eventually. I don’t think Dorothy & Walky are done yet.
Honestly, given their personalities, I don’t think this is a relationship that’s actually meant to last. Yes, they’re cute together, but their actual lives are almost entirely incompatible and Walky isn’t the sort of put in the effort on his end even if he knew how.
*record-scratching noises*
Walky, in voiceover: “Yup, that’s me. I’ll bet you’re wondering how I got myself into this little situation— face-to-face with the girl who broke up with me just the other night.”
“In truth it’s not that interesting a story – we go to the same relatively small college and share a lot of the same social circle. All in all it’s a pretty common situation…”
“… so I really don’t understand why this particular encounter leaves me feeling like someone is scooping out my intestines with a rusty spoon.”
So I feel like pretty much every character has been drawn extra-adorably lately, but I especially want to give a shout out to Dorothy.
Like, I do just really like Dorothy in general but I feel like nearly every drawing of her lately has come out great!
Characters are great, art is great, hope that’s not too weird to randomly blurt out.
It’s been her hair.
You’re right! It looks so soft!
F’reals. Not having time to get a haircut or even properly brush her hair is a good look for her! I know that looks sarcastic in the no-intonation internet comment text, but I’m not even foolin’!
Apparently there is some sort of quantum entanglement between Jeph and Willis.
Quantum entanglement, or Butts Disease?
I myself have been appreciating the Walky faces. Heartbreak and Garbage Roof looks good on him.
If this was like a planned thing, and no one told Walky that Dorothy would be there, that’s kinda shitty.
There’s nobody there that would plan it.
I mean, she’s a part of their friend group (arguably more intertwined to the Joyce block than Walky is) and they all routinely get lunch together. It wasn’t planned necessarily, just part of their normal schedule. Probably to the point where someone would have to be actively uninvited and it would be weird and awkward.
I mean, Dorothy has been skipping group lunch, but she’s also been skipping meals and the whole breakup’s because she thinks socializing is a frivolity she can’t afford right now. Telling her not to come while she’s inclined to would be like telling Billie while she’s trying to go sober, ‘won’t work, drink yourself into a stupor.’
I don’t think Billie and Dorothy have ever had lunch together.
It had to have at least been partially planned.
Jacob is not a regular to their lunch scene and Joyce, at least, knew Dorothy was coming while Sarah either didn’t know, didn’t care, or forgot, considering she was suggesting they get a move on.
Of course, since Walky didn’t show up to class, there’s always the possibility that they planned on him not being there or that they made the plans while in class.
But I agree that if Joyce had expected to have lunch with Walky, since she did seem to know Dorothy was coming, that would be kinda shitty of her.
Note that Joyce tried to warn him away from running into Dorothy. Joyce might not have realized until panel 2 how much he wanted to avoid her.
They talked about it over the bathroom stall.
Dorothy tried to beg off because of Walky, but Joyce was adamant about reclaiming her time.
Huh. I completely missed that strip. How’d I do that?
And yes, that does confirm Joyce being shitty. Dorothy even tries to get her to consider Walky’s feelings, and Joyce just ignores it, which imo is disrespectful to both Dorothy and Walky.
“When we both agreed as lovers,
We were better off as friends,
That’s how it had to be
[…]
Don’t look at me;
I don’t want you to see me this way.”
Curse you, narrative coincidence!
Dammit, Walky, you need to handle this maturely. Find someone else to have deeply unsatisfying and emotionally vacant sex with!
…. so, not Amber?
Forget your ex, have meaningless unsatisfactory sexual congress! It’s true because it rhy…I have no idea why that would be true.
Well we’re just one congressional page scandal away from it.
Only one?
Walky, you gotta think, Joyce wouldn’t be calling you back because she wanted to spend more time with you.
She enjoys his company on occasion. Granted, rare occasion, but still…
Probably not, but calling him back to try to tell him how he should act and what to do is something she would definitely do.
Panel 4 reminds me so much of my ex. I’m suddenly acutely aware that my first boyfriend was Walky but more sarcastic
Wha- *More* sarcastic!? That’s possible?
No. There is no way that more sarcasm is ever possible.
Did you two just wax sarcastically about how it’s not possible for someone to be more sarcastic than Walky?
Or am I so used to Walky dialogue that I’ve begun seeing sarcasm in every sentence?
I-I was only trying to sound surprised…
Yes, it was definitely one of those two.
Donald Duck has better luck than this poor kid.
Graphical typo: Last panel Walky has six fingers on his left hand.
I don’t see six fingers on that hand? The thumb almost looks like two separate fingers there, but it isn’t.
Yeah, I see it. It’s just the thumb, but because of where it’s placed it’s easy to interpret as a sixth finger.
“Hello, my name is Indigo Montoya…”
Panel three Joyce is just…she’s right that they’re going to have to but damn have some empathy
I don’t think Joyce could have stated just how little she thought of Walky and Dorothy together but how little shes considering how Walky might be feeling
She’s definitely not being sensitive to him. Honestly I think it ties back into the same Good Person/Bad Person thing she’s got with Raidah. Like it’s not a big deal if they break up (because Joyce pushes herself into this position), because clearly Jacob is Good and Raidah is Bad and therefore this relationship would never work out and she’s just helping things along.
Its frustrating (though good drama) watching her blunder her way through social interactions based on a belief system centered around bad tv sitcoms and the bible tells me so
Oh, totally. I look forward to Joyce breaking this particular mindset once and for all, but it probably won’t be for years. (Though if the Jacob thing blows up sooner rather than later, it’s possible.)
Clearly, Joyce is secretly The Cheese, and altered reality so Dorothy would walk in front of Walky at the right time to prove her point. Or Willis thought it’d be funny. Either/or
Still working on my fanfiction where DoA Joyce finds that she has W!V Joyce’s powers and her reaction to this.
So, apparently Walky finds having his ex cross his path on the way to eat to be excrosseating.
….
I’ll just show myself out.
He’d better be careful if he doesn’t want to start a long-running food.
Yeah, but that would be a one-in-a-meallion shot.
Do you think that maybe if Joyce had started her sentence differently, dinner advice would’ve been taken seriously by Walky before it was too late?
As is, what he got was just desserts.
I just hope no insults are lunched.
I wonder how people dealt with exes at college, especially those they shared classes.
Hiding behind their friends and by this splitting their friends into groups?
Ghosting. Though I was lucky that I never had any girlfriends in classes I was in.
awkaaard
The background coloring led me to imagine that Walky is shouting so hard he’s spitting blood.
See, Walky?
If you had just kept cheating with Amber, you’d be jumping out a window right now instead of bumping into Dorothy.
Walky’s key learning for today is that storming off before hearing the end of Joyce’s warning is probably not the best of reactions.
So, assuming the next conversation between these two will consist of Dorothy saying something along the lines of she didn’t want to hurt him/he doesn’t need to avoid her/she hopes they can still be friends — how do you think Walky will react?
A. Tell her he can’t deal with what’s she’s saying?
B. Go off on her verbally about how she’s tearing him apart (Lisa)?
C. Stare sadly, possibly tear up, and leave?
D. Any combination of the above?
E. None of the above?
I think it’s A, at least that’s what I imagined him to be like – maybe even interrupt her trying to say anything, saying something himself along the lines of “I don’t really wanna talk. Weell, time for me to leave awkward-town” and then him leaving.
Honestly, I hope it is E) none of the above, and he just walks away cold. Don’t let her see she hurt you Walky. (Well more so)
My first instinct was “let her see your pain. Make her guilt fester”
…I am a manipulative person
Judging by their conversations around the pause and the breakup, he’ll be supportive, understanding and won’t admit he’s been hurt – possibly with some of his usual snark to defuse anything that might touch on his feelings, though that didn’t come out in their last meetings.
this.
Oh hi Doty.
Now I just want to see how these two talk like responsible adults. Someone please keep Joyce and Billie away from them. I know frien ds are suppoosed to help, but now I understand why some people sai the characters of Dumbing of Age instead of helping they just enable toxic behavior. This is like Camp Camp but with college students!
At this point, what is there to talk about? She needed to work on herself and him in a moment of wanting the best for her, went with it. At this point, nothing good could come from them talking….. (well, nothing good for Wally anyway)
Nothing good can come, but it’s necessary that they talk. Awkward silences are more painful and will harm them on the long run. They are humans, not comic chara…. oh damn they are doomed!
It’s the star wars prequels in a Nut shell.
“Don’t do the thing”
“I will avoid the thing by doing this other thing–”
“You. Fucking. Did the thing.”
But who is the puppetmaster in DoA? Who is the Master of the Sith manipulating them all? Faz? Joyce?
I’d like to say that spite is never worth it, but it seems to me that the advice would pass over half of all the character’s heads in this comic.
*proceeds to google the evolutionary advantage to spite*
“Make way, strange woman, for the duke of Thingley”
An alternate line for Walky in panel 6 would be something like: “Sweet Fate! Why dost thou dump on me?”
LOL
Clearly the universe wants Dorothy and Walky to be around each other and maybe get back together, yes?
So is she gonna find out he’s been skipping, now?
If you’re in vacinity of each other you gotta get back together, it’s the law
Is there something wrong with the rss feed, I am not getting updates anymore?