Dumbing of Age Book Eleven

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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Sir
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September 28, 2023

Sir

by David M Willis on June 23, 2011 at 12:01 am
  • 05 - Media Rumble

└ Tags: ruth

Discussion (186) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Jen Aside
    Jen Aside
    June 23, 2011 at 12:01 am | #

    …HMM

    • Jen Aside
      Jen Aside
      June 23, 2011 at 12:02 am | #

      That is a “wait, what?” hmm, by the way.

      • David Herbert
        David Herbert
        June 23, 2011 at 2:28 am | #

        Not a ‘sexy Ruth’ hmm?

  2. Undrave
    Undrave
    June 23, 2011 at 12:01 am | #

    Think this is about that agreement thing?

    • General Tekno
      General Tekno
      June 23, 2011 at 12:02 am | #

      Agreement thing?

      • George
        George
        June 23, 2011 at 12:08 am | #

        The roommate agreement. The one she’s gone to cruel and unusual lengths to get from Billie and Sal. Come to think of it, whoever called her might be why she resorted to blackmail if Undrave is right about why they called.

    • Croaxleigh
      Croaxleigh
      June 23, 2011 at 2:09 am | #

      That was my first thought.

    • Mkvenner
      Mkvenner
      June 23, 2011 at 4:55 pm | #

      I thught it was her father.

      • ChewyXan
        ChewyXan
        June 24, 2011 at 11:55 am | #

        Yeah that’s what I thought. But the roommate agreement thing also makes since. Although usually ADs aren’t that crazy about getting their RAs to turn in the forms. I think the ADs don’t even usually see them.

  3. Digidestined of Trust (Tim)
    Digidestined of Trust (Tim)
    June 23, 2011 at 12:03 am | #

    HAH! Take THAT! AND THAT! AND THIS while I’m at it! She is DONE!

    • Digidestined of Trust (Tim)
      Digidestined of Trust (Tim)
      June 23, 2011 at 12:09 am | #

      Ohhh, after reading some of the other comments, I feel I may have jumped the gun a little bit.

      • Crimson Magic
        Crimson Magic
        June 23, 2011 at 1:47 am | #

        Personally, I find the lack of empathy admirable!

      • dchorror
        dchorror
        June 23, 2011 at 1:51 am | #

        But jumping the gun is fun. Just gotta make sure it doesn’t go off while you’re in front of it.

        Also, because my first thought was of Mortal Kombat:

        FINISH HER!
        Anonymous Wins!

    • Blue
      Blue
      June 23, 2011 at 12:10 am | #

      Uh, yeah, this is hardly a moment of fist pumping victory. Aside from not even knowing what happened, nobody actually ‘defeated’ her.

      • Martin S Smith
        Martin S Smith
        June 23, 2011 at 5:47 am | #

        Well sure, not yet, but Billie is seconds away from jumping out and laughing at her. That’s about the level of sympathy Billie’s been showing to everyone.

        • Seraph
          Seraph
          June 23, 2011 at 11:55 am | #

          Billie’s been a little depressed and frustrated lately, but I don’t think she’s ready for suicide yet.

  4. Ridureyu
    Ridureyu
    June 23, 2011 at 12:03 am | #

    Her father?

    • Aizat
      Aizat
      June 23, 2011 at 12:05 am | #

      Could be seeing that some people refer to their own father as “Sir”.

      • General Tekno
        General Tekno
        June 23, 2011 at 12:27 am | #

        I was wondering the same thing.

      • Elena
        Elena
        June 23, 2011 at 2:47 am | #

        A less than loving relationship between her and her father (or none at all) would both explain “Sir” and the assertive/dominant personality she has..

        • Maris
          Maris
          June 23, 2011 at 3:00 pm | #

          I don’t think it would have to be a less than loving relationship for her to use “sir”. I call my dad “sir” all the time, it’s just a matter of being respectful 🙂

          Not saying that (if it is her father) it’s not a less than loving relationship– her body language portrays that well enough.

      • captainswift
        captainswift
        June 23, 2011 at 11:13 am | #

        Depends on where she’s from. ‘Round my parts, ‘sir’ isn’t an address to a person of authority or seniority, it’s an address to someone who’s male. You call your father ‘sir’ as a matter of course. Little brother, too, if he asked you a question.

    • A. Colunga
      A. Colunga
      June 23, 2011 at 1:32 am | #

      I third this suspicion.

      • TemplarKnight
        TemplarKnight
        June 23, 2011 at 4:12 am | #

        that was my guess, it sounds like a Military father.

    • Mkvenner
      Mkvenner
      June 23, 2011 at 4:58 pm | #

      I fourth this theory.

      • Kaci
        Kaci
        July 12, 2011 at 10:29 pm | #

        way late, but thought… What if it’s not like, military or anything like that? What if he works for the collage, like, he’s her supervisor? I could see a little cold-hearted dad either belittling her choice to be an RA, or even deciding she’s worthless and should be kept there.

  5. knowwonattawl
    knowwonattawl
    June 23, 2011 at 12:03 am | #

    Ruth, I am disappoint.

    • Azumango
      Azumango
      June 23, 2011 at 12:59 am | #

      “Father, I harbor perverse sexual lust for another female”

      • Plasma Mongoose
        Plasma Mongoose
        June 23, 2011 at 1:04 am | #

        Amazi-Girl?

  6. Organs
    Organs
    June 23, 2011 at 12:03 am | #

    If that isn’t the receiving end of a “You’re Fired” phone call, I don’t know what is. She still deserves worse, though.

    • Bekah
      Bekah
      June 23, 2011 at 2:52 am | #

      It could also be a receiving end of a dickhead dad call.

      • Seraph
        Seraph
        June 23, 2011 at 12:21 pm | #

        That’s my bet. While she’s done a number of things that could get an RA fired (if not arrested), to the best of our knowledge no one has reported them.

        Besides, getting fired usually involves a trip to the boss’s office.

  7. beeftony
    beeftony
    June 23, 2011 at 12:05 am | #

    Still scared of her father because she never lost all respect for him after walking in on him having an affair, huh?

    Yeah, I’d say that about covers her current personality.

    • Seraph
      Seraph
      June 23, 2011 at 12:10 pm | #

      That would be my guess, too. In the prime reality, she only caught him because Walky had an episode while she was babysitting him, and she ran to Dad for help. Since there are no science-fiction elements in this world, that episode probably never happened. Also, since she and Billie apparently don’t know each other, Billie’s mother probably wasn’t there to have an affair with him…though that doesn’t mean he didn’t cheat with someone else.

      • David
        David M Willis
        June 23, 2011 at 1:19 pm | #

        Ruth has a completely new backstory in Dumbing of Age. There is nothing in the old material that can enlighten folks as to what she’s dealing with here.

        • Seraph
          Seraph
          June 23, 2011 at 3:17 pm | #

          Interesting. I must admit that, as I’ve been reading, I’ve been trying to figure out the specific differences, the points where the “timelines” diverge (other than, y’know, the whole lack of sci-fi elements). Looks like that’s pointless now.

    • David
      David M Willis
      June 23, 2011 at 1:05 pm | #

      Neither of Ruth’s parents factor into her life at all. (And you should probably check out the discussion on the front page blog.)

      • Ridureyu
        Ridureyu
        June 23, 2011 at 4:17 pm | #

        Well, then, this makes it lean more towards her boss, maybe.

        But who reported her, and for what? Billie hasn’t been taken seriously, really. Maybe somebody else reported the fistfight?

        Nah. None of that.

        I think that it’s M. Bison chastising her for not promoting Psycho-Power enough on campus.

      • Lis
        Lis
        June 23, 2011 at 11:08 pm | #

        Duly noted, though I had assumed some amount of that what with the age differences and other things.

  8. GoldStarz
    GoldStarz
    June 23, 2011 at 12:07 am | #

    Poor Ruth? Emotions conflicting! Gah!

  9. Kafloobop
    Kafloobop
    June 23, 2011 at 12:07 am | #

    Oh…..now I feel sad……..

  10. cruncher3019
    cruncher3019
    June 23, 2011 at 12:08 am | #

    Someone gets beat.

  11. Vivvav
    Vivvav
    June 23, 2011 at 12:09 am | #

    What? Another dimension to the character?
    WILLIS, I WANTED WACKY SHENANIGANS! DAMN YOU AND YOUR ATTEMPTS TO MAKE THIS COMIC ACTUALLY WORTH SOMETHING!

  12. ProtonCon
    ProtonCon
    June 23, 2011 at 12:12 am | #

    Billie just saw Ruth at her weakest.

    Billie is a deadwoman if Ruth catches her now.

  13. Brendan
    Brendan
    June 23, 2011 at 12:12 am | #

    And tomorrow, they meet their new RA, Alan, Accommodation Expert.

    • Bekah
      Bekah
      June 23, 2011 at 2:56 am | #

      I doubt it.

    • Arthur Dent
      Arthur Dent
      June 23, 2011 at 3:41 am | #

      No, it will be Ninja Rick! Ninjas have *honor*

      • Marisa
        Marisa
        June 23, 2011 at 2:31 pm | #

        Maybe in this universe he will be Pirate Rick.

        • Ridureyu
          Ridureyu
          June 23, 2011 at 4:18 pm | #

          You’re not thinking outsiide of the box.

          Elizabethan Rick!

      • Mkvenner
        Mkvenner
        June 23, 2011 at 5:04 pm | #

        Ninjas DO NOT have honour. They cheat for starters.

  14. Danno
    Danno
    June 23, 2011 at 12:13 am | #

    Man, Peppermint Patty is such a bongo.

    • MM
      MM
      June 23, 2011 at 12:24 am | #

      Yeah, but I totally lost all sympathy for “Ruth” when she re-established contact in the first place. I mean, she’d dyed her hair, changed her name, and moved away! What will it take before she gets some therapy and gets out of this co-dependent relationship? (And by therapy, I don’t mean advice from Lucy Van Pelt. She barely scraped through AP Psych and everyone knows it.)

      …Wow. I spent way too much time typing that up.

      • Joebo
        Joebo
        June 23, 2011 at 12:47 am | #

        yes you did, but it was worth it.

      • Undrave
        Undrave
        June 23, 2011 at 1:43 am | #

        My mind… it is blown o.o

      • dchorror
        dchorror
        June 23, 2011 at 1:48 am | #

        Does that make Danny Charlie Brown?

        • Aizat
          Aizat
          June 23, 2011 at 2:05 am | #

          Then, who’s Snoopy?

          • dchorror
            dchorror
            June 23, 2011 at 2:10 am | #

            There is no right way to answer that question without making myself look bad.

            • Bekah
              Bekah
              June 23, 2011 at 2:57 am | #

              Welcome to the internet. No one cares if you look bad. Now who the hell is Snoopy?

              • Plasma Mongoose
                Plasma Mongoose
                June 23, 2011 at 3:54 am | #

                I would hazard a guess and say Dina, so who would Woodstock be?

                • ryan
                  ryan
                  June 23, 2011 at 8:55 am | #

                  i was going to say walky is snoopy, but on second thought i’ll go with pigpen.

                • Plasma Mongoose
                  Plasma Mongoose
                  June 23, 2011 at 9:57 pm | #

                  Walky as Pigpen? I can see that.

                  So who is Marcie?

              • Plasma Mongoose
                Plasma Mongoose
                June 23, 2011 at 9:59 pm | #

                Snoopy is the dog from Peanuts comics

                (Just in case you didn’t know)

          • Björn
            Björn
            June 23, 2011 at 5:55 am | #

            Rorschach.

        • Plasma Mongoose
          Plasma Mongoose
          June 23, 2011 at 3:57 am | #

          Joyce could be Linus with her plush toys serving as her blankeys.

    • Noel Schornhorst
      Noel Schornhorst
      June 23, 2011 at 7:40 am | #

      That was my first thought too.

      Good grief.

    • JesseJanitect
      JesseJanitect
      June 23, 2011 at 10:21 am | #

      So would Mike, Sal, and Amber duke it out for Lucy?
      And as long as were doing this, Ethan should be Shroedinger.

      • JR
        JR
        June 23, 2011 at 3:22 pm | #

        Oh yes, the oft-overlooked Peanuts character who murdered cats with radiation for SCIENCE.

    • Zem
      Zem
      June 23, 2011 at 3:20 pm | #

      After reading the strip literally my first reaction was to CTRL+F this.

  15. Dean
    Dean
    June 23, 2011 at 12:15 am | #

    Quick, Billie. Jump out of the closet, point, and laugh, before you lose the moment.

    • NF
      NF
      June 23, 2011 at 12:17 am | #

      Best last moments of life, ever.

      • dchorror
        dchorror
        June 23, 2011 at 1:42 am | #

        No, those go to the guy who got the cheesecake. Dammit, he knew what was going to happen, but he ate it anyways.

        But that would certainly be a close second.

    • Strephon
      Strephon
      June 23, 2011 at 11:52 pm | #

      It would totally have to be a Nelson Muntz laugh for full effect.

  16. Katana
    Katana
    June 23, 2011 at 12:15 am | #

    Y’know what, you can’t be expecting much sympathy from me.
    (next comic: Her family has disowned her, cancelled her tuition, and she is now homeless)
    Ah…

  17. thatgirlwiththeglasses
    thatgirlwiththeglasses
    June 23, 2011 at 12:42 am | #

    Aw… 🙁

  18. Joebo
    Joebo
    June 23, 2011 at 12:46 am | #

    Wait… emotional depth? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      June 23, 2011 at 12:53 am | #

      DRAMA TAG… PULLED!

      • Skye
        Skye
        June 23, 2011 at 1:00 am | #

        It was pulled before this comic even started!

        • Plasma Mongoose
          Plasma Mongoose
          June 23, 2011 at 1:02 am | #

          You forgot the second tag-puller in the grassy knoll.

        • David
          David M Willis
          June 23, 2011 at 1:03 am | #

          Yeah, when there’s a serious comic just five strips in (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/01-move-in-day/forget/), I don’t think you can make claims of drama tags being pulled. This is just the tone’s status quo.

          • Jackson
            Jackson
            June 23, 2011 at 6:46 am | #

            Forebooooooooooode

          • QueenThomas
            QueenThomas
            June 23, 2011 at 9:42 am | #

            Is there a melodrama tag, then? Was it pulled right before Danny did his hackneyed head turn in “Ruined”?

            • JesseJanitect
              JesseJanitect
              June 23, 2011 at 10:24 am | #

              No, they’re froshmen, the melodrama button is stuck like the play button on a remote and has been since they entered high school. The point of college is to hit the remote against the wall until it starts working again.

      • Zem
        Zem
        June 23, 2011 at 3:36 pm | #

        No, I agree. Your college enemy sneaking into your room, then hide under my bed, just the right time to hear a phone call that reveals a side to your tough facade that you kept a secret, is the kind of sitcom situation that qualifies as dramatization. In addition, all of the previous scenes have been pretty light. This is the first time a dark secret was revealed about any of the characters. Hence it is my uneducated opinion that the “drama tag pulled” classification is correct.

  19. Shifty
    Shifty
    June 23, 2011 at 12:48 am | #

    While I feel bad for whatever just happened to here that took the wind out of her sails so abruptly, it still doesn’t change my opinion about her overall behavior towards everyone.

    • Viktoria
      Viktoria
      June 23, 2011 at 1:12 am | #

      This, pretty much. If she ever wants to redeem herself, my opinion might change, but she’s a bully who uses what power she has to get away with assault and theft. Her sucky childhood does not justify taking it out on someone else.

      • Ridureyu
        Ridureyu
        June 23, 2011 at 2:30 am | #

        I like how you can’t just view charcaters as ALL GOOD or ALL BAD, but with pluses and minuses.

        • Viktoria
          Viktoria
          June 23, 2011 at 4:07 am | #

          There’s always degrees, but there’s also a certain line you don’t cross. Ruth has been abusing her power, assaulting people, stealing, destroying personal property, and generally doing as much as she can to hurt people she’s supposed to protect. She may have had a terrible childhood. She may have a terrible life. She may be an abuse victim. Despite that, she is still a bully and a monster, and needs to be punished for it. There may be reasons for what she’s done, but there is no excuse.

          • Ridureyu
            Ridureyu
            June 23, 2011 at 12:47 pm | #

            Yeah, it’s not all or nothing. Just because I feel sympathetic for whatever’s going on now (bad relationship with her father/) doesn’t mean that I don’t still condemn her term as Tin Tyrant of the Dorm.

  20. DiDi
    DiDi
    June 23, 2011 at 12:50 am | #

    Sympathy for an antagonist. Good writing… good writing.

    And let the theories commence.

    • JesseJanitect
      JesseJanitect
      June 23, 2011 at 10:26 am | #

      Um… I always have sympathy for the antagonists; I’ll be more impressed when I have sympathy for the hero.

      • Seraph
        Seraph
        June 23, 2011 at 12:22 pm | #

        Do we even have a hero in this strip?

        • bramblepatch
          bramblepatch
          June 23, 2011 at 5:49 pm | #

          This specific strip? not really.

          DoA overall?

          Amazi-girl. Obviously.

  21. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    June 23, 2011 at 12:52 am | #

    I don’t know what to say about this, I lack the basic information needed to even know what is going on.

    • Pat
      Pat
      June 23, 2011 at 9:48 am | #

      Yeah, it could be finding out something about why she is the way she is, which might get her some empathy but does not excuse her…

      or it could be “So all of your residents are accusing you of crimes, several of them are now in mental institutions, and the rest are begging to be moved out. We’ve had to call a SWAT team.”

  22. shoeboxjeddy
    shoeboxjeddy
    June 23, 2011 at 12:58 am | #

    Her dad’s a jerk so she’s a jerk? It fits and if she ever shows a desire to stop being a jerk (or at least be a jerk at something that deserves it), I’ll be on the “redeem her” bandwagon. For now though, big whoop you wanna cry about it? 😉

  23. Jack Napier
    Jack Napier
    June 23, 2011 at 1:00 am | #

    Well…that was unexpected. I do hope that this is where we see why DOA Ruth is the way she is; she’s been one-dimensional for far too long.

  24. BassBone
    BassBone
    June 23, 2011 at 1:17 am | #

    Wait, so is the Ruth in this continuity gay?

    • dchorror
      dchorror
      June 23, 2011 at 1:45 am | #

      Was she not in the Walkyverse?

    • Crimson Magic
      Crimson Magic
      June 23, 2011 at 1:45 am | #

      We can only hope, BassBone. We can only hope.

    • Bekah
      Bekah
      June 23, 2011 at 2:59 am | #

      Dude, it’s a Willis Comic. Everyone will have at least one homosexual encounter before this strip hits a year.

      • ryan
        ryan
        June 23, 2011 at 9:03 am | #

        a year in our time or a year in comic time? because i think we’ll all be dead before a year passes in the comic.

  25. Dahlia
    Dahlia
    June 23, 2011 at 1:25 am | #

    Ruth…

    I’ve decided. I’m always gonna have faith in Ruth…I know deep down she’s a good person.

    • Aizat
      Aizat
      June 23, 2011 at 2:03 am | #

      And everything that she had done made sense. The Ruthless persona is just a mask to cover up her problems and insecurities. Deep down, she’s as vulnerable as tortoise without a shell.

      • Dahlia
        Dahlia
        June 23, 2011 at 2:30 am | #

        Yes, you’re absolutely right!

        …and she still wants to help those deserving (Dorothy turned to her and she showed her genuine compassion ^^) through her insecurities…heh, I can relate to Ruth the most of all the DoA characters!

        • Bekah
          Bekah
          June 23, 2011 at 3:01 am | #

          I get pissed at her a lot, but I still like her.

          Plus, I really just don’t like Billie (like her as a character, but would never want to associate with her), and the enmity between Ruth and Billie makes me like Ruth even more… even when she goes too far.

          • Dahlia
            Dahlia
            June 23, 2011 at 9:41 am | #

            I’m hoping ad certain Billie will grow into someone tolerable, but now yeah I dislike her ^^;

            I don’t like what Ruth does to her, evens he dun deserve it, but doing bad things to one person dun make you a bad person.

      • Janos
        Janos
        June 23, 2011 at 4:47 am | #

        Cause you know because YOU are insecure that suddenly makes everything else you do okay! Like..stealing property, Physically assaulting people, submiting people to ‘Random” drug searches just cause they pissed you off.

        Oh yes if YOU are being mistreated you don’t gain SYMPATHY for anyone No! You act like a huge bongo to everyone because you feel justified in your narcissistic behavior 8D

        • Aizat
          Aizat
          June 23, 2011 at 5:58 am | #

          I’m no psychologist but some people willing to kill because they are insecure.

          • Pat
            Pat
            June 24, 2011 at 11:33 pm | #

            And that makes it okay!

        • Dahlia
          Dahlia
          June 23, 2011 at 9:52 am | #

          I’m not saying you have to agree with me, I see what you’re saying and I too disapprove greatly of Ruths actions, even if it is towards Billie. And I’m not saying abusing her power is in any way acceptable or respectable, but again, we’ve only ever seen Ruth interact with Billie more than once, everyone else has only spoken to her once. I don’t want to judge her based on how she treats ONE person…its inexcusable, but I’m sure its a Billie exclusive treatment… And to be honest I CAN see where she’s coming from if that really IS her dad on the other end of the conversation.

          I’m also pretty sure she could tell it was Billies voice and was only going to confront HER ^^;

          • Viktoria
            Viktoria
            June 23, 2011 at 11:17 am | #

            http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/01-move-in-day/agreements/
            Billie may get a special level of felonies perpetrated against her, but Ruth treats everyone like that.

            • Dahlia
              Dahlia
              June 23, 2011 at 12:41 pm | #

              Maybe…maybe she…was just being assertive?? v.v

  26. MM
    MM
    June 23, 2011 at 1:40 am | #

    I just realized: if that is Ruth’s dad, yesterday’s ringtone became about a hundred times more ominous.

    • dchorror
      dchorror
      June 23, 2011 at 1:46 am | #

      Had to beat me to it, didn’t you? What are the bets that that’s a personalized ringtone too, so she probably knew it was him.

      • Melizza
        Melizza
        June 23, 2011 at 7:48 am | #

        I just looked at the strip before this and this one again, it looks like she was caught off guard when she answered. She was angry for someone calling her on her cellphone, and then the next she turned apologetic. Either way, MM is right lol

      • ryan
        ryan
        June 23, 2011 at 9:07 am | #

        i don’t know. if it was a personalized ringtone, ruth might have an idea of what the call would be about. it wouldn’t make sense for her to go from annoyed to upset if, say, she was getting a call from someone that is expected to chew her out.

        • bramblepatch
          bramblepatch
          June 23, 2011 at 5:55 pm | #

          Not necessarily. She was already pissed off enough to go for “random drug searches,” so she had some annoyance-inertia going on. I imagine she wanted to go blow off some steam (aka terrorize someone), not be interrupted by someone who she knew was going to make her feel even worse about herself.

  27. Undrave
    Undrave
    June 23, 2011 at 1:49 am | #

    What if…what if its Galasso at the other end of the line?!

    • dchorror
      dchorror
      June 23, 2011 at 1:55 am | #

      What if it’s Professor Doc?

      Quite frankly, I don’t see Galasso firing someone unless they just don’t show up for work or if they directly disobey him.

    • Aizat
      Aizat
      June 23, 2011 at 2:12 am | #

      Galasso does not fire employees on the phone. He fires employes with bazooka hamsters.

    • rayrayrave
      rayrayrave
      June 23, 2011 at 6:45 am | #

      That was actually my first thought…

  28. Spiffster13
    Spiffster13
    June 23, 2011 at 1:52 am | #

    Always liked Ruth… hope she can get out of this universe virtually unscathed. 🙁
    Also has Howard made an appearance yet or is he MIA at the moment?

    • Spiffster13
      Spiffster13
      June 23, 2011 at 2:23 am | #

      well crap surfed on my new 3DS and put in the wrong email address for my gravatar…
      whoops :p

      either way i hope Ruth is ok. 🙁

      • Bekah
        Bekah
        June 23, 2011 at 3:02 am | #

        I don’t want to spoil anything for the people who haven’t read Roomies!…

        But yeah IAWTC

  29. erareno
    erareno
    June 23, 2011 at 1:56 am | #

    So, in other news, doesn’t this remind you of a widescreen comic strip? :O

  30. Head Alien
    Head Alien
    June 23, 2011 at 2:18 am | #

    And now the plot thickens let’s just see how far she can fall before she reaches the bottom of oblivion. Hahahahaha!

  31. Kernanator
    Kernanator
    June 23, 2011 at 2:34 am | #

    We all know what Billie is thinking: “Well…shit.”

    • Henry
      Henry
      June 23, 2011 at 3:01 am | #

      She’s actually thinking “Mopey Nerrrrd!”

      • Kernanator
        Kernanator
        June 23, 2011 at 10:43 am | #

        No, that’s her second thought.

  32. Hacchin
    Hacchin
    June 23, 2011 at 2:48 am | #

    wow well uh. Damn

  33. lord of dance
    lord of dance
    June 23, 2011 at 3:00 am | #

    DON’T FALL FOR IT BILLIE!!! IT’S A TRAP!!

  34. Atcote
    Atcote
    June 23, 2011 at 3:29 am | #

    How… How is the door blocking off the speech bubble? Is it a very strictly soundproof type of wood?

    • begbert2
      begbert2
      June 23, 2011 at 4:04 am | #

      I was going to comment on that – it immediately struck me as a very interesting stylistic choice, maintaining the delineation of the closet doors while simultaneously hinting at the slight sonic distancing a pair of mostly-closed wooden doors provides, all while not actually obstructing any of the words too much for us to ‘hear’ them.

      That is, I *was* going to comment on it – except you beat me to it. You horrible horrible person you.

      • TemplarKnight
        TemplarKnight
        June 23, 2011 at 4:06 am | #

        Yeah, Douche! We all wanted to be the first one to comment on it but NOOO, you couldn’t allow that. Selfish british prick.

        • Atcote
          Atcote
          June 23, 2011 at 4:19 am | #

          I am obviously an inherently bad person…

          But I did read all the other comments to make sure that nobody else commented on it! That counts right? It makes me good again, right?

          Oh God nothing can make me clean again! Forgive me my Masters, I did not mean any impudence and – Waitaminute, I don’t feel bad at all!
          Nice try, but it won’t work this time!

          • Plasma Mongoose
            Plasma Mongoose
            June 23, 2011 at 4:31 am | #

            *French accent* Also, your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!

            • Atcote
              Atcote
              June 23, 2011 at 9:18 am | #

              *runs away*

              • Zanosuke_Kurosaki
                Zanosuke_Kurosaki
                June 23, 2011 at 7:23 pm | #

                *fires cow out of catapult at Atcote* -Now- you’re supposed to run. =D

                • Atcote
                  Atcote
                  June 23, 2011 at 9:27 pm | #

                  We British can read the warning signs – we know when we’re about to have livestock flung at us.
                  Surprisingly often, at that.

  35. Scytheakse
    Scytheakse
    June 23, 2011 at 4:29 am | #

    i maybe in a drug induced haze, but i dont give a crack about the redhead, hse reeps what she has sown

  36. Janos
    Janos
    June 23, 2011 at 4:44 am | #

    Yeah yeah this strip is OBVIOUSLY supposed to tug at my heart strings and think “Oh Gee maybe Ruth isn’t so bad!”

    However it didn’t work because I flat out hate people that bully people just cause their life is shit…DX

    • Aizat
      Aizat
      June 23, 2011 at 6:05 am | #

      I gather that you have some experience with handling people with that attitude.

      • Janos
        Janos
        June 24, 2011 at 2:25 am | #

        More than I would like… People who bash your face in or treat you like crap because people do it to them, It doesn’t fix anything it just makes more problems.

    • ryan
      ryan
      June 23, 2011 at 9:11 am | #

      as well as people that constantly rack up overdue fees at the library!

      that is what the call is about, right?

    • Jackson
      Jackson
      June 23, 2011 at 10:42 am | #

      In my estimation, it’s supposed to tug at Billie’s heartstrings–and we’ll see whether or not it actually does. What it does to your heartstrings, on the other hand, is entirely up to you.

      As for me: I’m curious who it is on the other line (probably Dad?), but I don’t think this excuses Ruth’s draconian approach to her RA duties.

    • zuche
      zuche
      June 23, 2011 at 1:05 pm | #

      Empathy doesn’t consider whether a person is a saint or a monster. It’s about feeling for another’s pain or joy, with no regard to personal feelings about the individual.

  37. Daelin
    Daelin
    June 23, 2011 at 6:29 am | #

    Who could this mysterious “Sir” be? Her boss? Her thesis supervisor? A Knight?

    • Jackson
      Jackson
      June 23, 2011 at 10:42 am | #

      Your last suggestion is awesome.

      • MM
        MM
        June 23, 2011 at 3:52 pm | #

        Yeah, those damn paladins. You pull one mattress tag, and you’re branded for life.

  38. Kep
    Kep
    June 23, 2011 at 6:36 am | #

    This happens to me in every strip I read and I NEVER see it coming. “Oh man I hate that character they’re so mea– ……….. Shit.”

  39. MuleyBob
    MuleyBob
    June 23, 2011 at 7:10 am | #

    No way to know if that was her standard ring tone or not, but if it was personalized, it being her father’s would make sense since it is a kind of disturbing lullabye…

  40. Alex
    Alex
    June 23, 2011 at 8:28 am | #

    LoL, I know people like Ruth, who are the worst type of bullies, the kind that try to use their issues as a crutch.
    I don’t feel bad at all.

    • zuche
      zuche
      June 23, 2011 at 1:16 pm | #

      One of these days, one of them’s liable to break that crutch on your skull, and it will be an awesome thing to behold.

      This is not to say you’ll deserve it. You may want to stand clear of the poetic swinging range anyway, just in case.

  41. ziggy78eog
    ziggy78eog
    June 23, 2011 at 8:58 am | #

    Looks like someone is having “daddy issues”.

  42. Just for kix
    Just for kix
    June 23, 2011 at 9:27 am | #

    Interesting bubble representation. Is that an already existing idiom or is this a new trend that you are setting Mr. Willis.

  43. turkishproverb
    turkishproverb
    June 23, 2011 at 9:33 am | #

    …

    What? I’m supposed to feel sorry for her now? She’s a bully and a ****. She deserves her bit of misery.

    • zuche
      zuche
      June 23, 2011 at 1:23 pm | #

      “Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” J.R.R. Tolkien

      Let’s not quibble over the degree of torment either, nor the matter of seniority between egg or chicken.

  44. Anime fan
    Anime fan
    June 23, 2011 at 9:35 am | #

    Aww, poor Ruthe.

  45. Aslee
    Aslee
    June 23, 2011 at 9:36 am | #

    Well, I guess I sort of called something like this happening a while back…

    D: I still don’t like it, though.

    At this point I’m thinking Billie will jump out of the closet, grap her uniform and make a run for it, and then come back to see why the hell Ruth isn’t chasing her.

    I would seriouly love that more than anything else in this world.

    Orrrrrrrrrrr it’s a trap, and she’s screwed.

    • Zanosuke_Kurosaki
      Zanosuke_Kurosaki
      June 23, 2011 at 7:21 pm | #

      She’s already holding her uniform in her hands as she’s hiding in the closet. All she has to do is wait for Ruth to go away.

  46. Janette
    Janette
    June 23, 2011 at 11:27 am | #

    I wanna give Ruth a hug.

    • Bill M.
      Bill M.
      June 23, 2011 at 2:12 pm | #

      I want to give her more, but yes, her current “Sad Ruth is Sad” moment is very hug-inspiring.

  47. XLR
    XLR
    June 23, 2011 at 11:39 am | #

    oh and on a side note When was Billie replaced by Dorothy from the banner at the top?

  48. licoricepencil
    licoricepencil
    June 23, 2011 at 12:05 pm | #

    No! No Freudian excuse! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      June 23, 2011 at 9:49 pm | #

      I don’t accept Freudian excuses, I might accept Jungian excuse thou.

  49. Seraph
    Seraph
    June 23, 2011 at 12:35 pm | #

    Hmm. I wonder how many of the unsympathetic people on this thread have only read this comic, and how many of the sympathetic ones have read “Roomies”?

    If this is the only strip you’ve read, then Ruth is just yet another bully with a Freudian Excuse. But if you’ve arrived here from the prime reality, you’re probably saying “Ah ha! So this is why this Ruth is different than the Ruth we knew!”

    • zuche
      zuche
      June 23, 2011 at 1:44 pm | #

      Mmm…no, I’m not sure I agree, since I don’t see this Ruth and that Ruth as the same person. Same with anyone else; we’re not seeing the same ol’ Bean around here, for example.

      That said, I do feel sorry for this Ruth, and it’s not because I see this moment as an explanation for her behaviour. All that matters is she’s hurting. If it was as a result of her actions, such as when Billie punched her in the face, fair enough. Far from ideal, but, “What did you expect to happen?” applies. Fairer still would be getting her RA status revoked, though I wonder if Ruth would be the only person to suffer as a result of that decision.

      Whatever’s crushing her soul at the moment, however, is more likely to do Billie ill than good if Billie can’t show consideration for her nemesis’ suffering. There are certainly ways to hurt Ruth with this knowledge, but the results would likely wind up with both sides losing, based on what we’ve seen.

      • Seraph
        Seraph
        June 23, 2011 at 3:26 pm | #

        Billie is several different kinds of insensitive, but she’s not brain-dead. Ruth has proven both willing and able to visit violence upon her for much less. I don’t see Billie even trying to use this unless they were on the edge of a no-holds-barred throwdown anyway.

        Besides, what knowledge does she really have? That Ruth has an authority figure who’s disappointed in her, and that it makes her really unhappy? That’s pretty common in your early twenties. If Billie wants something useful, she’s gonna have to dig deeper.

        • zuche
          zuche
          June 23, 2011 at 3:48 pm | #

          Digging deeper does seem in line with the major she’s pursuing, even though she hasn’t shown much talent for it thus far.

    • begbert2
      begbert2
      June 23, 2011 at 3:32 pm | #

      This Ruth ain’t that Ruth. Any similarities between them are presumed to be purely coincidental and irrelevant.

      I read the prior comic and am not sympathetic, by the way. I might *get* sympathetic, but at the moment we’ve been given the uninformative half of a phone call and her sitting down. I need more than that to go on.

      • CP
        CP
        June 24, 2011 at 12:45 am | #

        Ruth from Roomies! is still fundamentally Ruth here, I think. The other characters certainly bear uncanny personality similarities to their counterparts; why not Ruth? The thing is, Roomies! gave Ruth an opportunity to do something that would redeem her of almost anything. Without the last few strips she was in, Ruth wasn’t anyone worthy of respect in that strip either.

  50. Krimson
    Krimson
    June 23, 2011 at 1:52 pm | #

    There’s a lot of talk about maybe the dude on the other end is Ruth’s father.

    But what if… it’s her GRANDfather? Like, what if her grandparents took her in because maybe her parents died or went to the loony bin or turned into stone, and then maybe her grandmother also died/solidified and her granddad is a jerk?

    …I’ve only had four cups of coffee, I promise.

  51. zuche
    zuche
    June 23, 2011 at 1:58 pm | #

    Ruth, you were warned about introducing yourself to men of wealth and taste…

  52. saturnwonder
    saturnwonder
    June 23, 2011 at 4:01 pm | #

    Wow! Ruth at her weakest! I have to see the next one and what happens! 😮

  53. Mkvenner
    Mkvenner
    June 23, 2011 at 4:53 pm | #

    🙁

  54. Mkvenner
    Mkvenner
    June 23, 2011 at 5:11 pm | #

    Galasso?

    • DeWeese07
      DeWeese07
      June 23, 2011 at 7:09 pm | #

      nope, FAZ!

      • Mkvenner
        Mkvenner
        June 30, 2011 at 6:44 pm | #

        *twitch*

  55. DeWeese07
    DeWeese07
    June 23, 2011 at 7:09 pm | #

    just read back through some of the old Joyce and Walky/Roomies/It’s Walky stuff… and I have to say I genuinely feel bad for Ruth. Yeah shes a b-word but it’s just to cover for her insecurities. Like how people spend hrs putting on clothes and make up to try and hide how ugly they feel inside.

    I wonder if this at all tied into her walking in on her Dad having an affair?

    • begbert2
      begbert2
      June 23, 2011 at 8:54 pm | #

      That was the old Ruth, who had a Freudian excuse. *This* Ruth just hates people for no reason at all. And the phone call there? From Sir Ian McKellan, obviously. (She’s not sad or anything either; she’s just looking down at her phone to text in a hit on him.)

  56. kater
    kater
    June 23, 2011 at 8:51 pm | #

    Ooo… somebody’s getting character developement!!

    Aside: Word o’ Willis states that DOA has little to with Roomies/It’sWalky/Joyce and Walky/ Shortpacked Continuitity. As far as we know, Ruth’s dad never had an affair and she’s responding to constant pressure to be the best or some other shiny new trauma. Either way, there’s most likely more to her personality than standard bongo flacks.

    This being said; chicken mcnuggets?

  57. Amazo
    Amazo
    June 24, 2011 at 1:46 am | #

    Character development?

    WHAT HATH SCIENCE WROUGHT?

  58. Sporkaganza
    Sporkaganza
    June 24, 2011 at 3:45 am | #

    Neat effect, how the speech bubble is eclipsed on either side by the doors.

  59. Meridian
    Meridian
    August 17, 2011 at 11:43 am | #

    Wait a sec…

    was that a…

    ….

    …was that a soul?

  60. Comrade
    Comrade
    May 26, 2013 at 7:44 pm | #

    IT’S HEAD ALIEN

  61. Amake
    Amake
    August 4, 2015 at 10:26 am | #

    Shit gets real more suddenly than in Steven Universe.

    I this this is where I fell for the comic. And I don’t even like Ruth.

Who's that guy over there?

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