Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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May 12, 2026

Diet

by David M Willis on January 1, 2019 at 12:01 am
  • 02 - But the Sun Still Shines
└ Tags: carla, lucy, mary, rachel, ultra car

Discussion (227) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    January 1, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    2019 comes in like a Carla

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 1, 2019 at 12:26 am | #

      Happy New Year, Lucy.

    • kay
      kay
      January 1, 2019 at 12:34 am | #

      I can only hope so….

    • Emily
      Emily
      January 1, 2019 at 6:01 am | #

      Violently and with no consideration for the safety or emotional well being of others?

      • Abel Undercity
        Abel Undercity
        January 1, 2019 at 6:56 am | #

        Zigackly.

  2. Sam
    Sam
    January 1, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

    Poor Lucy.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      January 1, 2019 at 1:17 am | #

      Please say she knocks on Amber’s door next. I want her to meet the Security Dinosaur.

      • LookingIN
        LookingIN
        January 1, 2019 at 1:55 am | #

        I hope her reply is something like Devil Dinosaur or Old Lace 😀

        • HeySo
          HeySo
          January 1, 2019 at 3:16 am | #

          I’m in favor of Yoshi.

          • Yet_One_More_Idiot
            Yet_One_More_Idiot
            January 1, 2019 at 7:39 am | #

            How about Godzilla?

            Or alternatively mixing up dinosaur with dragon, and saying something like Gorbash? xD

      • Indoor Cat
        Indoor Cat
        January 1, 2019 at 11:22 pm | #

        I really hope she meets Dina! For real, I want Lucy to have a real friend.

    • Emily
      Emily
      January 1, 2019 at 6:01 am | #

      It seems like Lucy only exists to make me dislike other characters for how they treat her.

    • DarkoNeko
      DarkoNeko
      January 1, 2019 at 7:17 pm | #

      It seems the whole arc is gonna be a bad day for her, haha

      • Emily
        Emily
        January 1, 2019 at 7:24 pm | #

        I doubt Lucy has had a good day since she started college because every day has included either Malaya or Billie.

  3. Yumi
    Yumi
    January 1, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    In retrospect, it was a bad idea to decide that I would set the mood for 2019 based on today’s comic strip. But it could have been worse!

    • butts
      butts
      January 1, 2019 at 12:29 am | #

      your 2019 will be Carla

    • ShinyNeen
      ShinyNeen
      January 1, 2019 at 12:33 am | #

      2019’s gonna knock sweep you off your feet?

      • saltchocolate
        saltchocolate
        January 1, 2019 at 3:28 am | #

        sweep CARLA you off your feet . . .

  4. shadowcell
    shadowcell
    January 1, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    “hello, i’m lucy, you killed my father, prepare to die”

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      January 1, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

      “Hello, I’m Lucy, and I’m seeking revenge.”

    • Michael Steamweed
      Michael Steamweed
      January 1, 2019 at 12:21 am | #

      “Hello, I’m Lucy; I’m here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubblegum.”

      • BarerMender
        BarerMender
        January 1, 2019 at 12:40 am | #

        And she ain’t got much in the way of ass. Carla could flip her down the hall like a marble.

        • LookingIN
          LookingIN
          January 1, 2019 at 1:57 am | #

          Nah, I’m of the belief that Carla would respect her and take her under her wing by teaching her the ways of Ultracar

          • Clif
            Clif
            January 1, 2019 at 11:20 pm | #

            Pies in the face?

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        January 1, 2019 at 10:22 am | #

        “Hello, my name’s Lucy! I’m here to chew bubblegum and kick ass.

        And, well, I don’t have ANY kick-ass, so let’s chew bubblegum!!”

    • Poofdepoof
      Poofdepoof
      January 1, 2019 at 4:51 pm | #

      Hello, I am Lucy of Motunui. You will board my boat and restore the heart to Te Fiti.

  5. Roger
    Roger
    January 1, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    man mary sucks

    • Undrave
      Undrave
      January 1, 2019 at 2:28 pm | #

      What kind of a-hole just opens up with that line?!

      • Sarpiedon
        Sarpiedon
        January 1, 2019 at 9:48 pm | #

        You didn’t go to a Christian college, did you?

  6. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    January 1, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    No, it’s not, Carla. Fuck sake.

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 1, 2019 at 12:28 am | #

      It is now.

    • HeySo
      HeySo
      January 1, 2019 at 3:17 am | #

      Uh, Carla said it is, though. What exactly is your basis for saying it isn’t? I mean.. Carla said it is. So it must be. Wait, did Billie say something different? I mean, it’s not time for the Ruthless Ramble yet, so it should still be Carla Time.

    • GenJen
      GenJen
      January 1, 2019 at 12:09 pm | #

      Imma assume that on that floor, it is, haha! When in Rome.

      • Clif
        Clif
        January 1, 2019 at 11:22 pm | #

        Body check the Romans.

  7. Alex Boston
    Alex Boston
    January 1, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

    Wait is this a set up for Joyce meeting Lucy?

    • Agemegos
      Agemegos
      January 1, 2019 at 12:10 am | #

      Discovering Billie’s secrets, I expect.

      • Nikol Geier
        Nikol Geier
        January 1, 2019 at 1:14 am | #

        Or she’s seeking out Malaya. Both are similarly bizarre choices.

    • Catman
      Catman
      January 1, 2019 at 12:11 am | #

      Am excite

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      January 1, 2019 at 12:20 am | #

      For the twosome to be known as “Juicy”.

    • Dana
      Dana
      January 1, 2019 at 12:28 am | #

      That sounds like too much. I can’t wait.

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      January 1, 2019 at 1:35 am | #

      I hope so, I really wanna see what happens when those two meet each other.

  8. Wack'd
    Wack'd
    January 1, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

    Carla’s sound effect is infringing on my trademark!

  9. NinjaNick
    NinjaNick
    January 1, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

    Carla should have a car horn attached to her.

    • Viktoria
      Viktoria
      January 1, 2019 at 12:10 am | #

      No, she most certainly should NOT.

    • Tacos
      Tacos
      January 1, 2019 at 12:26 am | #

      I feel like if Carla were to carry anything to announce her presence, it’d be one of those annoying vuvuzelas…

      • HeySo
        HeySo
        January 1, 2019 at 3:18 am | #

        I’m thinking power metal Star Wars themes, done with trumpets.

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        January 1, 2019 at 10:24 am | #

        “Ride Of The Valkyries”?

  10. Jasper T.G.
    Jasper T.G.
    January 1, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

    Does. Does Mary just say that shit to every person she passes? She isn’t even looking at Lucy. That’s a hell of a thing to say to someone you’ve never even met before

    • BarerMender
      BarerMender
      January 1, 2019 at 12:43 am | #

      Mary is a hater and a destroyer. She’d destroy your life at the first chance.

    • WarDragon
      WarDragon
      January 1, 2019 at 12:44 pm | #

      Remember, according to her toxic theology, anyone who doesn’t believe exactly the same way that she does is going to Hell. So from her own vile perspective, the odds are overwhelming that she’s right in saying it to everyone she meets.

      Also, what BarerMender said.

  11. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    January 1, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

    Did I already quote that Mike Nesmith song?
    Too bad “This is diet?” was only a slogan and not made into a jingle.

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 1, 2019 at 1:05 am | #

      Can you do the sideways shimmy to it?

      • Stephen Bierce
        Stephen Bierce
        January 1, 2019 at 2:09 pm | #

        Can YOU?

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 1, 2019 at 11:25 pm | #

          With Carla reserving most of the hall, maybe.

  12. Tacos
    Tacos
    January 1, 2019 at 12:13 am | #

    I guess it’s time for Lucy’s preconceived ideas about how Billie is to be crushed.

    On another note, Happy New Years for all y’all already living in the far flung future of 2019 already.

    • Deadjolras
      Deadjolras
      January 1, 2019 at 12:21 am | #

      It’s 2:25AM over here and let me you that here in the future… people have really loud parties next door.

      • Tacos
        Tacos
        January 1, 2019 at 12:22 am | #

        We get flying cars yet?

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 1, 2019 at 12:31 am | #

          Our soggy masters are far too benevolent to allow us flying cars.

        • Dean
          Dean
          January 1, 2019 at 2:45 am | #

          Think about some of the idiots that you’ve encountered behind the wheel. You really want those people to have access to flying cars?

          • Bicycle Bill
            Bicycle Bill
            January 1, 2019 at 3:27 am | #

            I’d be more worried about the integrity and airworthiness (due to lack of maintenance) of a flying car in the hands of John Q. Public. Consider some of the vehicles one already sees on the road; now imagine a flying car in the same condition. At least when your Chevy or Toyota craps out on you now, you’re already on terra firma and only have to pull off to the side of the road.

            • Khyrin
              Khyrin
              January 1, 2019 at 8:15 am | #

              Not to mention what happens if you forget to keep your tank/power cell topped up and you run out mid-air…

            • WarDragon
              WarDragon
              January 1, 2019 at 12:45 pm | #

              No worries on that score. Human-operated cars will be illegal long before they take to the air! Self-driving cars can’t come soon enough for me…

        • Deadjolras
          Deadjolras
          January 1, 2019 at 4:45 am | #

          No, but we still have loud on-going parties even though it’s almost 7am, what the hell.

    • No Name
      No Name
      January 1, 2019 at 2:45 am | #

      Considering the way Lucy reacted, I’m pretty sure Lucy’s preconceived ideas are about to be confirmed.

    • Zee
      Zee
      January 1, 2019 at 11:57 am | #

      Lucy is the only one who *doesn’t* idolise Billie

  13. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    January 1, 2019 at 12:16 am | #

    Mary is a loser. She’s also possibly racist, since this is the first time she’s ever seen Lucy.

    • tim gueguen
      tim gueguen
      January 1, 2019 at 12:21 am | #

      I doubt racism is involved. Mary no doubt thinks 99.99999 percent of humanity is destined for Hell. Late at night, when she’s most lonely and vulnerable, she probably thinks that this includes her.

      • Some1
        Some1
        January 1, 2019 at 12:27 am | #

        Honestly, it feels like that’s why I can’t bring myself to hate her. She already seems to hate herself more than I possibly could.

        • butts
          butts
          January 1, 2019 at 12:31 am | #

          What the fuck gave you that impression

        • tim gueguen
          tim gueguen
          January 1, 2019 at 12:32 am | #

          Yeah, Mary probably has some giant thing she thinks is a problem that she keeps hidden. She keeps hoping God will make it go away if she’s devout and judgemental enough.

          • Tacos
            Tacos
            January 1, 2019 at 12:43 am | #

            Yeah no. Just because somebody is a colossal asshole doesn’t necessarily mean they have to have some secret sympathetic reason for acting that way.

            • Clif
              Clif
              January 1, 2019 at 1:10 am | #

              But Mike.

            • tim gueguen
              tim gueguen
              January 1, 2019 at 1:13 am | #

              But we’re talking about a character in this case. She may in fact be just nasty, but she may also have reason for her nastiness related to whatever storyline Willis has planned for her. And saying that she has a specific reason for her nastiness doesn’t mean it’s legitimate.

            • Kinoko
              Kinoko
              January 1, 2019 at 1:21 am | #

              It doesn’t have to merit sympathy, but most people do have reasons for acting the way they do. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the case. She should still be less of a garbage person, though.

              • Khyrin
                Khyrin
                January 1, 2019 at 8:17 am | #

                Ed: Evil is having reason, always, many and many. If hunter beats mate, has reason, always. Mate is lazy, burning food, is stupid, is speaking on and on. Is always being a reason.

                Digger: But Ed, those aren’t good reasons!

                Ed: No, but evil is still being — is having reason — being reasonable! Mousie understands? Is always being reason. Is punishing world for not being…like in head. Is always reason. World should be different, is reason. Is only good is not having reason. Little one hugs, not reason. Digger-mousie is giving name to nameless, say ‘Ed’, no reason. Skin-painter paints skin of child, no reason. Just is.

                • thejeff
                  thejeff
                  January 1, 2019 at 9:01 am | #

                  As much as I adore Ed, I don’t really agree there. He’s calling them reasons, but those are more excuses. Though “Is punishing world for not being … like in head” is probably closer to the real reason far more often.

                  And good has reasons too, just not excuses so often, so they may not be articulated.

                • Emily
                  Emily
                  January 1, 2019 at 9:21 am | #

                  I know it’s just semantics but an excuse is a kind of reason. Any attempt to explain why someone did something is a reason even if it also tacks on an attempt to absolve them of guilt for doing that thing.

                • thejeff
                  thejeff
                  January 1, 2019 at 2:54 pm | #

                  Except the excuse is generally not the actual reason.
                  To take the abusive partner example Ed is referring to in that quote, the hunter isn’t actually beating her mate because she’s lazy (or burns the food or speaks on and on, etc). We know this, because in an abusive relationship, changing the behavior doesn’t actually stop the abuse.

                • Emily
                  Emily
                  January 1, 2019 at 3:13 pm | #

                  That just means it’s not THE reason in that case. It’s still A reason it’s just not the one that actually explains that behaviour. A reason is just an explanation for a thing it doesn’t actually have to be correct for a given circumstance to be a reason it just has to be a possible explanation.

                • AntJ
                  AntJ
                  January 1, 2019 at 4:21 pm | #

                  Exactly. Regardless if Lucy is damned to hell or not, Mary is just a jerk to everyone. Regardless if Skin-painted was a poor housekeeper or not, he was still in an abusive relationship. Evil has reasons because people don’t like to think of themselves as evil so they create reasons to justify their behavior. Doing good shouldn’t need further justification.

                • thejeff
                  thejeff
                  January 1, 2019 at 5:42 pm | #

                  Wait. So reasons are the same as excuses? Just justifications.

                  You don’t do things, even good things, for actual reasons?

                  Is there a word you would use, instead of reason for the actual reasons people do things? Good or bad?

                  I was going to drop this, because I’m mostly sure it’s just semantics, but it’s just really weird to me.

                  (As a side note – people do sometimes invent justifications for doing good things. Generally it’s a self-denigration kind of thing. See Carla only checking on Ruth for the cookies. Or fixing Joyce’s shower to “own her”.)

                • Emily
                  Emily
                  January 1, 2019 at 6:42 pm | #

                  @thejeff

                  Excuse and reason aren’t interchangeable. A reason is an explanation for why something happened/why someone did something. It’s not even necessarily correct. An excuse is an attempt to absolve someone of responsibility for something they did (or didn’t do as the case may be). An excuse almost always incorporates a reason but a reason is not on its own an excuse. One can provide an explanation of an action without trying to mitigate blame (for example when the action doesn’t warrant blame in the first place).

                  I, of course, believe good actions are done for reasons because I’m pretty sure literally everything everyone does is done for a reason even if that reason is completely incomprehensible to anyone but the person doing the thing and sometimes even to them.

                  While I think using “the reason” is perfectly adequate for expressing the true reason a person did something as opposed to a simply possible one “motivation/motive” is another option.

                  Oh yeah this is all like just pure semantics.

        • Fart Captor
          Fart Captor
          January 1, 2019 at 2:21 am | #

          Even if that were true, Mary can’t possibly hate herself as much as she deserves

      • abysswatcher1993
        abysswatcher1993
        January 1, 2019 at 12:31 am | #

        She already has claimed along with her bigot boyfriend that she wishes other people to go to hell.

    • Catullus
      Catullus
      January 1, 2019 at 12:21 am | #

      In fairness, I think “going to hell” is Mary’s first impression of most people, regardless of race.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      January 1, 2019 at 12:22 am | #

      Now now, she thinks everyone she meets is “probably going to hell”.

      She’s still super probably racist, this is just not altogether different than she treats anyone else, she’s just being a bit more explicit about it here.

      • Axel
        Axel
        January 1, 2019 at 12:26 am | #

        this one. Almost definitely racist, but also not acting out of the ordinary (yet).

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 1, 2019 at 12:33 am | #

          Mary is an equal opportunity hater.

          • Some1
            Some1
            January 1, 2019 at 12:35 am | #

            Unless your gay or trans…or Catholic.

          • Fart Captor
            Fart Captor
            January 1, 2019 at 2:25 am | #

            She absolutely is not. She may think pretty much everyone else is going to hell, but you’ll notice she holds extra venom in reserve for certain kinds of people.

            You know, for things like misgendering or blackmail.

        • Dana
          Dana
          January 1, 2019 at 12:56 am | #

          What evidence do we have that Mary is racist? Given the culture she comes out of and the fact that she’s pretty gleeful about exercising other sorts of intolerance and bigotry it’s not a bad guess, but have we ever seen it directly? I’m trying to remember if race figured into her disliking Robin, but all I can remember is her prejudice to Robin’s Catholicism and being unmarried when already in her late twenties or thirties.

          • Abel Undercity
            Abel Undercity
            January 1, 2019 at 7:00 am | #

            From what I’ve seen, people who work at being really bad people are seldom only one kind of bad. So the likelihood of Mary being a racist is actually pretty high.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            January 1, 2019 at 9:07 am | #

            Billie being half-Asian never came up in their conflicts.

            Like you, I don’t recall any mention of Roz or Robin’s race, though it’s worth pointing out that prejudice against Catholics was long directly tied to ethnic prejudices. Not so much anymore as the European Catholic ethnicities have merged into mainstream American whiteness.

            • C.T Phipps
              C.T Phipps
              January 1, 2019 at 9:56 am | #

              Mary seems to be a black hole of fundamentalist qualities Willis loathed in people he grew up around.

    • brasca1
      brasca1
      January 1, 2019 at 10:00 am | #

      It’s just as well. There is the possibility Lucy might think Mary was a good person at first. Joyce thought so too once, but now Lucy is spared time that would be wasted upon realizing how ghastly Mary really is.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        January 1, 2019 at 3:42 pm | #

        IIRC, Joyce realized pretty quickly that Mary was a b-word.

  14. Meta
    Meta
    January 1, 2019 at 12:21 am | #

    Why do I hate it when any other character is an asshole but love it when Carla is

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      January 1, 2019 at 12:22 am | #

      She’s got moxie.

      • abysswatcher1993
        abysswatcher1993
        January 1, 2019 at 12:27 am | #

        Carla’s standard behavior is being a jerk. If she really meant to be a worse jerk we would notice it and be scared of her.

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 1, 2019 at 12:49 am | #

          We would hate her if she tried to escape from her lovable jerk box.

        • BarerMender
          BarerMender
          January 1, 2019 at 12:50 pm | #

          Carla plays at being a jerk, probably as a self-defense mode after all the prejudiced behavior she’s had to put up with, but underneath, she’s a good person and wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            January 1, 2019 at 3:49 pm | #

            Except, to be fair, knock you down in the hallway because she’s not being careful enough and then insult you for getting in her way. (while very likely checking to be sure you weren’t actually hurt. Not that she cares. Of course.)

      • Bicycle Bill
        Bicycle Bill
        January 1, 2019 at 3:43 am | #

        What DailyBrad said. She is at least a jerk with style. Witness her over-the-top “Cold, Swift, and Absolutely Ridiculous Revenge Against Mary” contraption.

      • Bicycle Bill
        Bicycle Bill
        January 1, 2019 at 3:44 am | #

        Damn… messed up the link. Try this one,

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      January 1, 2019 at 1:28 am | #

      Carla doesn’t rub me the right way, but I am a sucker for MALAYA’S brand of asshole.

      • neeks
        neeks
        January 1, 2019 at 7:23 pm | #

        So is Carla.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          January 1, 2019 at 9:25 pm | #

          I still have no idea what that was about.

    • Kinoko
      Kinoko
      January 1, 2019 at 1:28 am | #

      I can’t hate Carla for it because extolling her own awesomeness and calling everyone else inferior is how she tells the world she’s proud to be herself. Which is pretty admirable in its own way. Am I giving her a freebie because she’s marginalized? Absolutely. Does that make me feel bad? Nope!

      • Emily
        Emily
        January 1, 2019 at 5:54 am | #

        Nah, being a minority doesn’t justify being a bully. Belittling others to make yourself feel better about yourself is actually even worse coming from minority groups because they should damn well know better than to subject people to the same kind of mistreatment they’re trying to overcome as a coping mechanism. Carla could have actually hurt Lucy and her response is to fucking berate and belittle her? She can fuck off.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          January 1, 2019 at 9:12 am | #

          This does seem worse than Carla’s normal skating behavior. We’ve never seen her actually knock anyone over before or any real signs that anyone had to take extreme precautions to avoid it. Maybe the “parkour!” strip?

          Knowing Carla though, she is both berating and belittling Lucy and checking to make sure she’s okay. Not that she cares.

    • Emily
      Emily
      January 1, 2019 at 5:50 am | #

      Because you’re morality is based on your personal feelings about a person rather than on the morality of their actions which is a terrible way to apply morals.

      • Meta
        Meta
        January 2, 2019 at 12:14 am | #

        Fair, I guess

    • C.T Phipps
      C.T Phipps
      January 1, 2019 at 9:54 am | #

      I can dislike both Mary and Carla, while noting Mary is someone who is genuinely evil while Carla is someone I would just do my best to avoid.

  15. meep
    meep
    January 1, 2019 at 12:22 am | #

    How can entire dorms have such personality traits? I thought the student’s assigned there were largely random.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      January 1, 2019 at 12:24 am | #

      I guess the idea is a culture develops. Ruth set a tone early, and the rest germinated on its own through shared experiences, like the reign of the Whiteboard Ding-Dong Bandit.

      • Clif
        Clif
        January 1, 2019 at 12:50 am | #

        Maybe. Or maybe random is what they want you to think.

    • Chris Phoenix
      Chris Phoenix
      January 1, 2019 at 12:26 am | #

      Character flows downhill. Sad to think what this dorm could have been…

      • abysswatcher1993
        abysswatcher1993
        January 1, 2019 at 12:29 am | #

        Under a better RA they would have supported each other, not be hostile with new people, and accept differences. Sseing your RA blackmail the ex cheerleader because of a misunderstanding, and her being manipulated by a Christian bigot makes an aura of dread that spreads like a Japanese curse from a movie.

      • Chris Phoenix
        Chris Phoenix
        January 1, 2019 at 12:30 am | #

        OK, and 90 seconds later I saw this:

        https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/31/politics/us-military-new-years-eve-bomb-tweet/index.html

        The US Strategic Command just tweeted they’re “ready to drop something much, much bigger” than the Times Square ball – with a link to Bunker Buster footage.

        Ugh. You know how, when you see a massive lifted pickup truck, you say, “Big car, small p*nis”? It’s like that, only more so. And… character flows downhill.

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 1, 2019 at 12:53 am | #

          I have an awful lot of people uphill from me. Does that mean my character isn’t my fault? (Good to know)

      • GenJen
        GenJen
        January 1, 2019 at 12:45 pm | #

        Also, like, we barely interact with the rest of the floor. If she met Sierra or Dotty or Joyce or Other Rachel it would be a better experience. She’s met almost exclusively some of the more…colorful characters on the floor. Rachel did say sorry though.

        It probs is a combo of Ruth setting the tone/lvl of acceptability and peoples already established personalities slightly shifting to the group dynamic. Happens w/ most groups, especially (kinda) forced/random groups like College dorms or clubs. My freshman floor was the first that year to need an ambulance or meet the RD and that set the tone, haha!

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      January 1, 2019 at 1:41 am | #

      According to an earlier strip, Billie’s old dorm is stereotypically known for being full of music major antisocial headcases.

    • Zee
      Zee
      January 1, 2019 at 12:06 pm | #

      I figured they chose where they stayed, it’s that way at my University, so Hall’s do develop their own personality. One hall is for creative people and also gay, the all male hall is arrogant and competitive (read: assholes), the all female hall is half feminist half…not that
      Etc

  16. meep
    meep
    January 1, 2019 at 12:24 am | #

    So far I have received the impression that Billie’s old dorm is full of people that are unsociable at first but when you make friends with them it is a strong bond, where as in Lucy’s dorm they are amicable, but Shallow.

    • Ivy
      Ivy
      January 1, 2019 at 12:26 am | #

      Who has time to make friends with someone unsociable? I’m not gonna do that

      • meep
        meep
        January 1, 2019 at 12:33 am | #

        No one said you had to, but when you share a living space with someone sometimes things just happen, like with Sarah. She was very resistant to Joyce trying to make friends but she also defended her from a potential rapist with a baseball bat.

    • Kittie
      Kittie
      January 1, 2019 at 1:01 am | #

      I hope that’s not the message here. I’m really not a fan of the “if you aren’t abrasive for no reason it’s because you’re Fake” trope.

      • meep
        meep
        January 1, 2019 at 1:47 am | #

        I don’t think of it as a rule, that there are only those two ways a person can be, nor do I think it’s the message the comic is trying to deliver. I mean joyce isn’t shallow ans she stuck by her friend in harsh times while being peppy all the way, it’s just the impression I have received of the dorm’s over all culture

    • Kinoko
      Kinoko
      January 1, 2019 at 1:35 am | #

      Yeah, I don’t read them as shallow. They’re less interesting, but I think they’re genuine. And I ran into plenty of groups like that in college. (I was in the art majors’ dorm, which was hippie-ish and a bit dysfunctional. My room-mate didn’t quite fit and made friends with the gender studies majors, who were all super nice but never held my interest.)

      • Emily
        Emily
        January 1, 2019 at 7:33 am | #

        They are objectively shallow. Their fixation on Billie is solely based on her having been a cheerleader and even something as superficial as her wearing glasses is enough to change their view of her.

  17. Ivy
    Ivy
    January 1, 2019 at 12:25 am | #

    If Carla’s so good at skating she should be better at maneuvering around obstacles

    • Dana
      Dana
      January 1, 2019 at 12:32 am | #

      She is better, she just doesn’t feel like it.

      • Clif
        Clif
        January 1, 2019 at 12:39 am | #

        Also, those are the opposite reflexes you need for roller derby. (as far as I know).

  18. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    January 1, 2019 at 12:26 am | #

    So that’s what it takes to get Lucy’s glasses off.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      January 1, 2019 at 9:58 am | #

      Don’t kink shame Lucy’s glasses!

      • ValdVin
        ValdVin
        January 1, 2019 at 8:22 pm | #

        Hee hee. I’m not, actually I share Willis’ “author appeal” for women in glasses.

  19. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    January 1, 2019 at 12:26 am | #

    So Billie’s old dorm is full of entitled jerks, and her new dorm is full of insecure nerds that follow a queen bee. Sometimes I wonder what kind of youth Willis had to write cynical stories that can only achieve bittersweet endings where many people died for achieving the best result.

    • DSL
      DSL
      January 1, 2019 at 9:25 am | #

      Willis has, so I hear, been fairly explicit about “what kind of youth” he had, but the two extremes you describe are not untypical among groups of not-as-mentally-socially-or-emotionally-developed-as-they-might-think-they-are young people on their own and developing their own norms for the first time.

    • Zee
      Zee
      January 1, 2019 at 12:08 pm | #

      I mean that’s pretty par for the course in groups of teenagers

    • Jay
      Jay
      January 1, 2019 at 7:58 pm | #

      TBF if I had to choose tho I’d rather have the jerks. It’s easier to tell them to fuck off and they’ll actually leave you alone.

  20. TsunamiJane
    TsunamiJane
    January 1, 2019 at 12:29 am | #

    I read CARLA’D in Strongbad voice a la Teen Girl Squad.

    • Hrovitnir
      Hrovitnir
      January 1, 2019 at 12:58 am | #

      Me too!

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      January 1, 2019 at 1:36 am | #

      Likewise.

    • saltchocolate
      saltchocolate
      January 1, 2019 at 4:34 am | #

      Why did you send me back there??? (So right.)

  21. Raen
    Raen
    January 1, 2019 at 12:34 am | #

    …even for Mary, that was a bit much. At least follow it up with the usual “…unless you learn this ONE NEAT TRICK….”

    • MatsuoTanuki
      MatsuoTanuki
      January 1, 2019 at 12:53 am | #

      I can only assume she just had the worst morning around these heathens, and that thought warms the pitted shriveled cockles of my heart.~

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      January 1, 2019 at 9:21 am | #

      Mary’s never really been one to try to convert the sinners. I can’t really think of any examples.

  22. Regalli
    Regalli
    January 1, 2019 at 12:40 am | #

    To Carla’d lang syne, my dear!
    To Carla’d lang syne!

  23. ShinyNeen
    ShinyNeen
    January 1, 2019 at 12:46 am | #

    Hunh. Now, what’s Lucy doing over on this floor all of a sudden? I mean, my guess is that it’s something to do with figuring out why everyone on your floor is fawning over Billie, but I’m really not sure!

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 1, 2019 at 12:55 am | #

      I’m sure that Lucy’s motives are purely benevolent.

    • BarerMender
      BarerMender
      January 1, 2019 at 12:58 pm | #

      Maybe she’s doing a welfare check on Billie, who did leave in her underwear. Or maybe she wants to apologize for being such a jerk.

      • Lingo
        Lingo
        January 1, 2019 at 3:57 pm | #

        Yeah, maybe she wants Billie to apologize for being such a jerk.

    • Jhon
      Jhon
      January 1, 2019 at 5:52 pm | #

      It’s obvious! She misses Fuckface!

      • Clif
        Clif
        January 1, 2019 at 11:08 pm | #

        Theory accepted.

  24. Deepthought42
    Deepthought42
    January 1, 2019 at 1:02 am | #

    Leave and never come back Lucy your too pure for this place

  25. WingedBeast
    WingedBeast
    January 1, 2019 at 1:05 am | #

    Let’s see, am I more angry with Carla (presented in a cute way or not, the hallway is still not for rollerblading for just this reason!) or with Mary (Just… just… just fuck you, Mary.)

    I think Mary.

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 1, 2019 at 1:08 am | #

      Good call.

    • Zaxares
      Zaxares
      January 1, 2019 at 4:13 am | #

      Based on what we know of the both of them, Mary. Yet, were I in Lucy’s shoes, I’d be WAY more mad at Carla because she actually assaulted me and then has the gall to yell at me as if it’s my fault when SHE’S the one doing an unsafe activity inside a building.

      I’ve known WAY too many jerks in real life who have little to no consideration for the welfare and safety of others yet act like the world is against them when called out on it.

      • WingedBeast
        WingedBeast
        January 1, 2019 at 10:31 am | #

        Yeah, Lucy has good call to be angry with Carla over this. This is obviously dangerous and it’s not on other people to adjust for the danger. And, for her, Mary is just a momentary insult.

        But, for me… Mary is being harmful in a way that’s subtler and more damaging spread out in ways both subtle and overt, but with a mentality that will blind her to any damage.

    • Emily
      Emily
      January 1, 2019 at 6:10 am | #

      I’m more angry at Carla because Carla took Mary’s “”be a rude, demeaning asshole” and prefaced it with “almost injured her doing something she absolutely shouldn’t be doing then acted like it was her fault.”

  26. newllend(henryvolt)
    newllend(henryvolt)
    January 1, 2019 at 1:08 am | #

    You know there’s an old saying Mary should know. “If you don’t have anything nice to say then shut the fuck up.”

  27. Just Here
    Just Here
    January 1, 2019 at 1:11 am | #

    I quit this comic in December 2017.

    What am I doing back here?

    Oh wait, the shennanigans. Nevermind.

    • Just Here
      Just Here
      January 1, 2019 at 1:12 am | #

      Also, I need to get a gravitar, because I am not being fucking Mary.

      • Yumi
        Yumi
        January 1, 2019 at 1:14 am | #

        You’re…not?

        • Just Here
          Just Here
          January 1, 2019 at 1:17 am | #

          Was until I signed up for a gravitar.

          • Yumi
            Yumi
            January 1, 2019 at 1:21 am | #

            Naw, dude, you were Meredith. Different character.

            http://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/meredith/

  28. Megz
    Megz
    January 1, 2019 at 1:14 am | #

    I really hope Lucy isn’t just coming to Billie’s old dorm just to get dirt on her to crush Billie’s “power” over her current dorm mates. I get Lucy is probably frustrated that all her dorm friends are following Billie like drones but it’s not a good look to try to make someone else look bad to get control back. Let’s not kid ourselves, Lucy is sweet but she also had a lot of pull with her dorm mates up until Billie showed up.

    • Lingo
      Lingo
      January 1, 2019 at 3:59 pm | #

      My best guess is that she just came here to reluctantly beg Billie to come to Movie Night.

      • Megz
        Megz
        January 1, 2019 at 6:16 pm | #

        I hope so too. Lucy actually seems like a very nice girl but she comes off to me as the kind of nice girl who needs that to be validated in some way. Not in a selfish-way, just that she needs to be thanked in a way so she knows she did good. Billie has been kind of unintentionally stepping on Lucy’s “game” lately (exhibit A: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/02-this-is-the-way-that-we-love/zaph/ ).

  29. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    January 1, 2019 at 1:25 am | #

    That’s a hell of a greeting, Mary. Ain’t you supposed to be a shepherd to the flock to spread the good word? No one wants to join a religion of assholes.

    • Dave
      Dave
      January 1, 2019 at 1:46 am | #

      You’ve got it backwards, that’s a greeting to hell. Easy mistake!

    • C.T Phipps
      C.T Phipps
      January 1, 2019 at 1:58 am | #

      Mary is doing Christianity wrong. Mind you, a lot of Christians get it wrong.

      • Mr D
        Mr D
        January 1, 2019 at 2:04 am | #

        Wait, you mean there are some that get it right?

        They should speak up, the assholes should not be screaming so loud.

      • Crusading Barista
        Crusading Barista
        January 1, 2019 at 3:05 am | #

        Right. It’s one thing to notify about the path, but reveal a solution to escape from said path.

        It’s another thing to be a bongo about it and condemn everyone to hell. Meanwhile, God be like, “Um, excuse me. You don’t get to judge. That’s my job.”

        • Crusading Barista
          Crusading Barista
          January 1, 2019 at 10:16 am | #

          That one word turned into bongo.

          Okay. Not even mad.

          • TemperaryObsessor
            TemperaryObsessor
            January 1, 2019 at 10:59 am | #

            Because of puppies gendered nature and the fact that it was way over used that one time it got filtered.

    • DSL
      DSL
      January 1, 2019 at 9:33 am | #

      It’s no different from any other position of authority or perceived superiority. Some people want it for the help they can give, some people want it for the judging.

  30. BenRG
    BenRG
    January 1, 2019 at 3:20 am | #

    Wow! Mary is in a bad mood today! She didn’t even try to make Lucy think that she is a pure and pious paragon before denouncing her!

    • TemperaryObsessor
      TemperaryObsessor
      January 1, 2019 at 9:22 am | #

      Yea right now I think she just skipped the parts between Christmas and Easter Including Christmass and Easter.

    • GenJen
      GenJen
      January 1, 2019 at 12:53 pm | #

      I think by now she’s comfortable enough on the floor to drop all pretenses.

      • BarerMender
        BarerMender
        January 1, 2019 at 1:03 pm | #

        Well, she’s subject to blackmail by Billie to be nice to the people on the floor, so she’s taking it out on the stranger. As Christians do.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        January 1, 2019 at 3:51 pm | #

        Not so much comfortable as they all know what she is, so why bother pretending to be nice.

  31. acher4
    acher4
    January 1, 2019 at 3:42 am | #

    Carla’d! into 2019!

    I like this 😀

  32. Adam Black
    Adam Black
    January 1, 2019 at 3:43 am | #

    O, Shimmy Ya…

    Content Warning for Muppets:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2BUO1gjVLI

    Time Was, thiz comment section was so cool There would be **no way** id get to post this first…

    Slippin ma Nerdlettes , slipping .

  33. acher4
    acher4
    January 1, 2019 at 3:43 am | #

    Happy New Year!

  34. Bagge
    Bagge
    January 1, 2019 at 4:04 am | #

    That’s a bit unfair. We also need to see Dorothy clipboarding and Joyce with a giant smile to get the full Clark experience.

    Of course, she also hasn’t met Ruth yet…

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      January 1, 2019 at 9:46 am | #

      When Lucy meets Joyce, the resulting supernova of sunshine and optimism will engulf and incinerate the universe, leaving nothing but a kilo of ashes behind.

      • Bagge
        Bagge
        January 1, 2019 at 11:54 am | #

        And one of the last things that will remain of this word will be Sarah screaming “I friggin’ knew it!”

      • GenJen
        GenJen
        January 1, 2019 at 1:01 pm | #

        I’d love to see Lucy actually annoy Joyce. Joyce has changed so much but she’s surrounded by so many strong personalities and less peppy people. Lucy is a great foil in that regard.

    • BarerMender
      BarerMender
      January 1, 2019 at 1:07 pm | #

      I’m afraid that when Lucy finds Billie and Ruth, Billie will throw Ruth under the bus to maintain her standing back at her current dorm.

  35. Vukodlak
    Vukodlak
    January 1, 2019 at 4:23 am | #

    I hope nothing to terrible ever happens to Mary. If something horrible happened to her I couldn’t hate her so much without feeling guilty.

    • FacelessDeviant
      FacelessDeviant
      January 1, 2019 at 6:38 am | #

      Oh its coming. Once a character is disliked enough, they will be shown as human and fallible and everyone who disliked them will feel bad. Love that about doa

  36. Emily
    Emily
    January 1, 2019 at 5:57 am | #

    The more I see of Carla the less I like her because every new appearance seems to be focused around her being really uncool. Being trans doesn’t mean you get to treat everyone around you like crap but then she’s a rich white girl so the massive entitlement probably comes naturally.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      January 1, 2019 at 9:43 am | #

      She’s a spoiled, rich, white kid who happens to be trans. I’m sure she’d be a jerk regardless.

      • egg
        egg
        January 1, 2019 at 11:52 am | #

        yah ime “this person is trans” translates to “this person is less likely to be a dick about my weird gender shit” not “this person is less likely to be a dick just, in general”

        that said wrt “being trans doesn’t mean you get to […]” i don’t think it’s Being Trans that carla thinks gives her a pass on that shit, i think it’s just Being Carla

        • Black
          Black
          January 1, 2019 at 2:03 pm | #

          I suppose “this person is trans” best translates to “this person is less likely to HAVE a dick.”

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            January 1, 2019 at 3:16 pm | #

            I prefer not to speculate, but I’d say Carla is actually more likely to have a dick than the average girl.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          January 1, 2019 at 3:25 pm | #

          In Carla’s case though, I think it’s been made pretty clear that she doesn’t think she gets a pass on anything, but rather that she’d rather be hated for being a jerk than because she’s trans.
          “We sometimes forget you’re an asshole.” It’s a pose and she’s not actually very good at being an asshole, which is why we see her doing things like checking in on Ruth again and again, while proclaiming she doesn’t care. Or cleaning Amber’s head wound, without asking questions.

          • Emily
            Emily
            January 1, 2019 at 3:35 pm | #

            You don’t have to be incapable of doing good things to be an asshole. Not being indifferent to someone they know drinking themselves to death is far too low a bar to set for considering someone not an asshole. Doing the right thing in a crisis situation doesn’t change that she’s a jerkass who regularly treats others with little to no respect whether or not they’ve actually done anything to deserve that treatment.

  37. Ainara
    Ainara
    January 1, 2019 at 8:22 am | #

    Well uh… at least Rachel wasn’t really an asshole

  38. WHATTT
    WHATTT
    January 1, 2019 at 9:26 am | #

    i never liked that Rachel kid, butting into other people’s drama and not giving a shit about how they feel(ok, not exactly, but i still don’t like her)

  39. C.T Phipps
    C.T Phipps
    January 1, 2019 at 9:53 am | #

    Carla in Dumbing of Age is a base breaking character because unless she’s against Mary, she reminds a lot of people of loud dormmates they really really were frustrated with.

    • Emily
      Emily
      January 1, 2019 at 10:01 am | #

      Carla isn’t just loud she is actively dangerous to everyone else on her floor as evidenced by this strip. No amount of trans solidarity would have stopped me from reporting her for this bullshit.

      • C.T Phipps
        C.T Phipps
        January 1, 2019 at 11:09 am | #

        Mind you, I think it’s part of her character she thinks she’s the lovable jerk in a comedy television show. It’s just that she’s in a dramedy where everyone is suffering severe issues that her attitude kind of poorly bounces off.

        • Emily
          Emily
          January 1, 2019 at 11:15 am | #

          You have to be a white dude to pull off that archetype because it’s a shitty archetype created by white dudes to excuse their bad behaviour in real life.

    • DrunkenNordmann
      DrunkenNordmann
      January 1, 2019 at 11:15 am | #

      It’s also worth remembering that she was a jerk in the Walkyverse as well.

      Dumbing of Age is what happens if you drop wacky hijinks characters into a more realistic settings – suddenly their quirks become somewhat less charming.

      Case in point: Mike and Walky.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        January 1, 2019 at 3:41 pm | #

        I like Carla a lot better here than in SP! At least until near the end, when she’d mellowed a little bit.

        Because we’ve seen more beneath the mask here. We’ve seen her help and care for others, despite all her protests.

  40. Vulcanodon
    Vulcanodon
    January 1, 2019 at 10:34 am | #

    So Carla’s all “Building rules don’t apply to meeeee!” and Lucy ends up on the floor. Trans or not, you’re going to fit right in with other rich people, Carla.

    Mary, well… she ought to read Jesus’ words on religious hypocrisy.

    On another note, I literally woke up this morning and thought; “I know Willis isn’t gonna have all his characters waving at the fourth wall, saying ‘Happy New Year!'” And so it was.

    • C.T Phipps
      C.T Phipps
      January 1, 2019 at 11:10 am | #

      Mary follows Supply Side Jesus, who is a white man without a blue sash and rewards you with great wealth if you hate sinners.

  41. Lacuna
    Lacuna
    January 1, 2019 at 11:21 am | #

    So Lucy’s going to (unwittingly?) counteract Billie’s cheerleaderness by inviting the dorks and dons she used to hang out with?

    If Sal and Amber show up, it’s an automatic win.

    But more importantly, HAPPY NEW YEAR COMMENTS SECTION! Hope 2019 is marginally less of a garbage fire for you!

    • Lacuna
      Lacuna
      January 1, 2019 at 11:29 am | #

      “Dons” feels like an awkward term for cool people, but the only other alliterative term I could think of was “doms”, which while appropriate in some areas sent the wrong message.

  42. Crumplepunch
    Crumplepunch
    January 1, 2019 at 12:53 pm | #

    I continue to feel bad that everyone is mean to Lucy.

  43. SpaceshipPilot
    SpaceshipPilot
    January 1, 2019 at 1:43 pm | #

    Oh, Carla, you asshole. Why do I love you so much?

  44. CJ
    CJ
    January 1, 2019 at 2:36 pm | #

    And tomorrow, she will run into Ruth and Billie being nice to each other and her head will explode. Or Billie’s.
    Happy new year everyone. May things go well for you.

  45. Electriccombines
    Electriccombines
    January 1, 2019 at 2:43 pm | #

    I really want Lucy to meet Joyce. I can’t lie and say that I don’t see them as a potential crack ship because cute?? And don’t worry Lucy, Dorothy is nice to everyone!!
    Sarah I imagine is just going to yell when she meets her and go hide in the box chairs to study.

    • SpaceshipPilot
      SpaceshipPilot
      January 1, 2019 at 2:59 pm | #

      I don’t ship them, but only because I have a pet theory that they’re twins separated at birth.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      January 1, 2019 at 9:11 pm | #

      I want Lucy to meet Joyce and I’m hoping that this will also result in her meeting Sal because I reaaaalllllllly want Sal to make friends with someone Marcie doesn’t like so we can see Marcie trying to decide between ‘I told her to make more friends’ vs ‘this person is the FUCKING WORST why’. 😛

  46. Jhon
    Jhon
    January 1, 2019 at 6:00 pm | #

    2019 begins with Lucy! Yay!

  47. BBCC
    BBCC
    January 1, 2019 at 7:58 pm | #

    Funny way of saying ‘sorry’ ya got there, Carla.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      January 1, 2019 at 9:23 pm | #

      Doesn’t she.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        January 1, 2019 at 9:27 pm | #

        Yeah, and that’s part of why I like her. With that look on her face, I can’t help but hear it as a sort of ‘Ah, sorry, kid, heads up, I roller skate everywhere. It’s my thing.’

        • Emily
          Emily
          January 1, 2019 at 9:30 pm | #

          Am I in some kind of Twilight Zone where non-apologies that put responsibility for your fuck-ups onto others are endearing and not really gross?

          • BBCC
            BBCC
            January 1, 2019 at 9:35 pm | #

            No, Carla is being an asshole. However, from what we’ve seen of Carla before and the look on her face now, I think there’s going to be more to this. It’s happened pretty often that when Carla says something crappy, she turns around and forces out some sort of apology. Even if I am right, that doesn’t make it an actual apology.

            • Emily
              Emily
              January 1, 2019 at 9:43 pm | #

              Maybe, but she’s not gonna stop skating around the halls endangering and annoying everyone else who is forced to live with her because she’s an entitled rich kid who apparently thinks the rules don’t apply to her. I’d rather deal with a Mary than a Carla, at least a Mary is just a transphobic pain in the ass and not an actual danger to my physical well being.

              • BBCC
                BBCC
                January 1, 2019 at 10:56 pm | #

                I honestly don’t care if Carla skates inside, but I agree that she was going way too fast here. If it’s too fast to stop quickly, it’s too fast for a hallway.

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                January 2, 2019 at 8:13 am | #

                Seriously fuck off with that.
                Carla might run into you and knock you down.

                Mary actually tried to blackmail a suicidally depressed girl to death and very nearly succeeded. And she was trying to keep that up right until the end, even once the suicidal part was clear.
                Fine, Carla’s an asshole, but Mary is not just a “pain in the ass”. She’s dangerous and she was nearly successful.

  48. Sarpiedon
    Sarpiedon
    January 1, 2019 at 9:53 pm | #

    Am I really going to have to be the one to point out that the out of focus Ultra Car door deco looks a bit like Rodimus Prime?

    Reall?

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