Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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May 19, 2026

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by David M Willis on November 22, 2012 at 12:01 am
  • 01 - If the Shoe Splits
└ Tags: danny, dorothy, mike, walky

Discussion (102) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. David Herbert
    David Herbert
    November 22, 2012 at 12:03 am | #

    Hooray, Walky’s weird face has returned. Does that mean he’s falling for Danny?

    • Bekah
      Bekah
      November 22, 2012 at 12:10 am | #

      One can only hope. Who’s the top and who’s the bottom?

      • gangler
        gangler
        November 22, 2012 at 12:14 am | #

        It’s a caramel sandwich between two slices of white bread!

        • Egg
          Egg
          November 22, 2012 at 1:50 am | #

          That’s some strange sandwiches you grew up eating.

          I think I’ll imagine them as an alfajor, you know, with dulce de leche and everything :3

          • Dragon Nataku
            Dragon Nataku
            November 22, 2012 at 10:05 am | #

            If they’re an alfajor who’s the powdered sugar?

            • Axel Bordelon
              Axel Bordelon
              November 22, 2012 at 12:27 pm | #

              Clearly it’s mike. For a nickel

      • madock345
        madock345
        November 22, 2012 at 12:21 am | #

        I’m actually going to vote for Danny as the top here, not the obvious choice perhaps, but that’s how the characters strike me.

        • CWR
          CWR
          November 23, 2012 at 4:57 am | #

          Show us on this doll exactly where the characters struck you, please.

        • LaurelRaven
          LaurelRaven
          November 24, 2012 at 2:56 am | #

          I don’t see Walky being a bottom, and Danny’s too willing to please; so, Walky’s probably the top here.

      • vsophi
        vsophi
        November 22, 2012 at 4:31 am | #

        Or maybe they switch? 0:

    • derick
      derick
      November 22, 2012 at 12:35 am | #

      It’s very Charlie Brown.

  2. Rognik
    Rognik
    November 22, 2012 at 12:03 am | #

    I suppose I can’t blame Danny. Mike does appear to be the better catch, all things considered.

    • T Campbell
      T Campbell
      November 22, 2012 at 12:29 am | #

      He’s a humungous dick who, as far as Danny can see, rubs strangers’ noses in unpleasant truths for the sheer joy of it.

      And yet, still, yes.

      • Cronomatt
        Cronomatt
        November 22, 2012 at 1:32 am | #

        Agreed Mr. Campbell. Self proclaimed future female president = dating monkey boy? Does not compute on Danny’s brainwave.

        ….then again, lots of things do not match his brainwave.

        I’ve been thinking about Danny. He’s not the main doofus, yet he is ‘a’ central doofus….is their a trope for a non main character, main character? LIke…the main non-character of the Hellboy movie, John Meyers?

        Is Danny the John Meyers of Roomies universe and Dumbing of Age?

        Unless I’m mistaken, its kind of a rare trope. Even Naive Newcomer doesn’t cover it, since he’s still a central character. What do you call that?

        • Chaos_Priest
          Chaos_Priest
          November 22, 2012 at 1:56 am | #

          I believe Danny represents the understated plot support character, with him just being their it allows events and other plot-lines to meet at a sort of crossroads in the story and let’s main characters interact in ways that would have been difficult to explain or seem lazy on the authors part. This is just a theory on my part and I hope it will not be taken as fact.

        • arjay2813
          arjay2813
          November 22, 2012 at 10:06 am | #

          tvTropes has 6th ranger or tagalong kid that i think danny would fit for this question. scroll down to associated character tropes http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FiveManBand

          • Rognik
            Rognik
            November 22, 2012 at 10:13 am | #

            Sixth ranger doesn’t fit, as that’s for when a sixth member is added later as part of the gang. Tagalong kid would only fit if he were 10 years younger. The closest I can think of would be akin to the narrator of The Great Gatsby, who was part of the story yet mostly removed from it.

        • begbert2
          begbert2
          November 22, 2012 at 1:59 pm | #

          Given that it’s an ensemble cast, I’m not sure any of these apply. Characters and storylines shift in and out of focus and their characters come and go with them. No one character or story is the main character or story, so how can Danny be secondary to a main character that doesn’t exist?

          So: the term you’re looking for in this case is ‘co-star’.

          And Meyers was a Lancer.

        • Derek
          Derek
          November 23, 2012 at 11:35 am | #

          He’s a Ted Mosby? Ostensibly the main character, yet comparatively bland and serving mostly as a contact point and source of material for the crazier characters around him.

          Kind of fits with the Gatsby narrator comment too.

        • BackslashEcho
          BackslashEcho
          November 23, 2012 at 2:07 pm | #

          Perhaps the term you’re searching for is “Fifth Business”:

          “Those roles which, being neither those of Hero, nor Heroine, nor Confidante, nor Villain, but which were none the less essential to bring about the Recognition or the denouement were called the Fifth Business” ~Robertson Davies, 1970.

      • NCP19
        NCP19
        November 22, 2012 at 2:49 am | #

        I chose to read your “he’s a” as “he has” instead of “he is.” I think it’s equally valid and just as funny.

        • Petre Pan
          Petre Pan
          November 28, 2012 at 5:25 pm | #

          Yeah, I was gonna say, it’s probably exactly the humongous dick that Danny thinks Dorothy is after.

  3. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    November 22, 2012 at 12:03 am | #

    “I mean look at him…”

    • Scout
      Scout
      November 27, 2012 at 12:14 pm | #

      Lookit that sad face…
      @~~@
      Poor Walkerton….

  4. AndaisQ
    AndaisQ
    November 22, 2012 at 12:04 am | #

    Actually, now that you mention it, I might not have been making out with him for the past couple of weeks…

    • Egg
      Egg
      November 22, 2012 at 1:47 am | #

      Just to make sure, they need to have baseline “making out” and “not making out” measures. A menage a quatre is clearly in order.

  5. Wonder Wig
    Wonder Wig
    November 22, 2012 at 12:07 am | #

    Mike looks even more like Johnny Bravo than usual in the last panel.

    • Mogotoo
      Mogotoo
      November 22, 2012 at 12:52 am | #

      Wha-oh…oh Cheese I can’t unsee it!!

    • Kernanator
      Kernanator
      November 22, 2012 at 1:13 am | #

      I half-expect him to go “Hey there, baby” and do that muscle posing, complete with “HOO HA HUH!”

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        November 22, 2012 at 1:23 am | #

        MAN I’M PRETTY.

        • Xydux
          Xydux
          November 22, 2012 at 2:29 pm | #

          It was at this moment that Danny realized he had entered the “Zone Where Normal Things Don’t Often Happen.”

          • N0083rP00F
            N0083rP00F
            November 22, 2012 at 3:37 pm | #

            Add sparkles and it would be “The Twilight Zone” …. XD

  6. Sensedog
    Sensedog
    November 22, 2012 at 12:08 am | #

    I will be seriously disappointed if Danny actually offers to lend a pair of shoes to them after learning the truth. This would be a good chance for him to stand-up for himself. He owes Dorothy nothing.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      November 22, 2012 at 12:14 am | #

      He has nothing against Walky, though. It’s not Walky’s fault Dorothy starte dating him, or that she broke up with Danny.

      • Sensedog
        Sensedog
        November 22, 2012 at 1:03 am | #

        No, that isn’t Walky’s fault, but it was Dorothy’s plan to ask her ex (with whom she ended the relationship) for a pair of shoes that her new boyfriend can borrow. Danny has no obligation to help them.

        • taekwondogirl
          taekwondogirl
          November 22, 2012 at 1:49 am | #

          Well right, but Danny’s not an asshole. And just because you have no obligation to help someone doesn’t mean you’re a doormat if you do help them.

          • Jererry
            Jererry
            November 22, 2012 at 10:55 am | #

            In this case, he would be a pushover. There are many people in teh world who need shoes, but not all of them are dating his recent ex. Danny may be nice, but if he lends those shoes, he’s either way too nice to have been dumped or he’s a pushover and Dorothy has always seen him as kind of pathetic.

            • Kitty
              Kitty
              November 22, 2012 at 3:49 pm | #

              ….Or he just has no animosity towards her? He’s moving on and going after other girls. And it’s not as if Dorothy was cruel about the breakup or anything. Nor are her and Walky particularly serious (at least, not as serious as Danny was about Dorothy). People break up. It happens. Dorothy didn’t handle it the best way, but she also wasn’t evil about it. And Walky really had nothing to do with any of it.
              If Danny lends him his shoes, it doesn’t make him a pushover or a doormat. It makes him a guy helping out another guy and being mature about the whole thing.
              And it wouldn’t be any kind of reflection on how Dorothy feels about him. She never said that she wasn’t still leaving. Her and Walky are just having fun. Besides, Danny got dumped for good reason, IMO. He was convinced Dorothy would change her mind and stay, but was willing to drop out and follow her if she didn’t. Him being more wrapped up in what she was wanted to do than in his own life was not healthy.

    • GenericScreenName101
      GenericScreenName101
      November 22, 2012 at 12:24 am | #

      What about when she sent Billie over, I mean how can you hate your ex girlfriend when she sends over boobs?

    • DudeMyDadOwnsADealership
      DudeMyDadOwnsADealership
      November 22, 2012 at 12:41 am | #

      True. If only he would get that Dorothy doesn’t owe him anything either.
      He’s seeing Amber. She’s seeing “Door Troll” Walkerton. He can say ‘Get Lost’ to them, something even uglier, a simple ‘no,’ or even expect them to trade a favor for a favor when he has a need for one (they’d owe him if he comes through, as this isn’t his problem in the slightest), but his high school relationship with Dorothy is a done deal, save for his neediness and whatever guilt said neediness has projected into her wishy-washy psyche.

      • gangler
        gangler
        November 22, 2012 at 12:50 am | #

        He’s seeing Amber? Surely you mean this in the literal sense of visually perceiving Amber’s presence.

        • DanielleM
          DanielleM
          November 22, 2012 at 1:10 am | #

          They’re seeing each other casually. There’s clear romantic interest on both sides. That trip to Galasso’s seemed like a first date to me.

          He’s just seeing Amazi-Girl as well. From his point of view. From Amber’s point of view she’s using her alter ego to get closer to him while at the same time trying to get close to him as herself with baby steps.

          • DaJoshMaster
            DaJoshMaster
            November 22, 2012 at 8:34 am | #

            They’re kinda together, but Danny doesn’t actually know this yet, as he doesn’t know who Amazi-girl is. 😛

            • gangler
              gangler
              November 22, 2012 at 8:49 am | #

              I’m not sure Amber knows this either. Somebody should tell both of them.

    • molochmachine
      molochmachine
      November 22, 2012 at 1:28 am | #

      Well, just because you don’t owe people something doesn’t mean you can’t be a mensch. Danny’s a mensch. He might just go for it.

      • molochmachine
        molochmachine
        November 22, 2012 at 1:29 am | #

        Daaaaaang, wrong thread

        • molochmachine
          molochmachine
          November 22, 2012 at 1:31 am | #

          wait… no it wasn’t…. hmmm

  7. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    November 22, 2012 at 12:10 am | #

    I’d much prefer you’re with this hunky adonis before me than this meager caramel statue.

    • Rognik
      Rognik
      November 22, 2012 at 10:02 am | #

      With his clothes on, Walky looks more like a melted pile of caramel than a sculpted caramel statue.

  8. gangler
    gangler
    November 22, 2012 at 12:11 am | #

    We’re gonna have to get Maury Povich to settle this.

    “Alright. The test results are in and Danny, you ex-girlfriend has been seeing…….”

    *Super long dramatic pause*

    *pan over to the mystery silhouette backstage*

    “Joe Rosenthal!”

    Then they get into a fistfight.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      November 22, 2012 at 1:06 am | #

      Yeah, I’d watch that.

    • Historyman68
      Historyman68
      November 24, 2012 at 11:12 am | #

      It wouldn’t be much of a mystery with these cartoon silhouettes. Yes, I know that was the joke.

  9. Uniqueantique
    Uniqueantique
    November 22, 2012 at 12:18 am | #

    I do remember the original stip and I think Dorothy told Dan flat out that the only reason he was at college there, was because he followed her and that he was not really interested in his education and she was in her’s. She told him she was moving on from that college to further her education. He said he would go too. She told him to stop and just give it up.
    I think that it was Danny that decided that what he heard was ‘I can’t have a boyfriend here because I am moving on’. That is not what she said. So, why should she be all flushed and sorry-I don’t think she has a thing to be sorry for, unless she is just sorry he is getting hurt again. She really doesn’t owe him.
    Good Ol’ Mike, brings things right out there. And that last panel is just plain funny – ‘are you sure?’

    • fit-to-freak
      fit-to-freak
      November 22, 2012 at 1:52 am | #

      Yes! Jesus Christ, people are really looking to make her some kind of villain here. Actually I’ve noticed this happens a lot in the comments. Pretty much always to a woman tho, how weird and unpredictable is that???? Wacky.

      • Egg
        Egg
        November 22, 2012 at 1:56 am | #

        Thank you two for saying it @_@

        Wait, I mean. Uh. What are you, some kinda man-hating politically correct feminist who has to shove gender politics everywhere?! Raugh raugh defensive anger raugh 😛

      • gangler
        gangler
        November 22, 2012 at 2:30 am | #

        I don’t understand how people could get confused about the details of a conversation they read in 2010.

        • Historyman68
          Historyman68
          November 24, 2012 at 11:14 am | #

          Oh man- it’s almost like… actual human memory!

    • ArkhamTexan
      ArkhamTexan
      November 22, 2012 at 9:17 am | #

      I think she owes him what everyone owes, base minimum to me, every person if they’re a decent human being: truth and honesty. And since he was a long-term boyfriend, I think he was entitled to that a bit more from Dorothy than most. She broke up with him fast and unclean, so any ambiguity he might have misinterpreted is, PARTLY, her fault. And this situation is DIRECTLY her fault since trying to swipe your ex’s shoes for your current boytoy is a pretty cold, insensitive thing to do.

      THAT BEING SAID, however, I do honestly think that things are working out the best for the both of them. While Dorothy didn’t handle the break up in the best way, truth be told, Danny probably wouldn’t have listened to any true insight that Dorothy would’ve given since he was pretty blind to things. So him getting space, some time (days, anyway), and some involvement with some other women has probably opened him up to listening more.

      And, I think, Dorothy is handling things the best way now by apologizing for the situation she herself has created. She made some mistakes, but it’s working out now and probably will if she continues this line of action.

      She’s insensitive to other people’s feelings and is selfish to a degree, certainly, but she certainly isn’t a VILLAIN by any means. Not by a long shot. I think the people that paint her as a villain take it too far. I’m liking where Danny/Dorothy is going, honestly. They’re both gonna be the better for it.

    • Rognik
      Rognik
      November 22, 2012 at 10:08 am | #

      Whatever reason she had for dumping him, it’s usually a bit awkward when you meet your ex and they are dating someone new. It can be interpreted as “I’ve replaced you with this guy.” And what she’s really apologizing for is him finding out in this manner, not that she’s dating someone new. She might be sorry for other things, but that’s what the apology is for.

      • begbert2
        begbert2
        November 22, 2012 at 2:09 pm | #

        Especially when the main line you gave him about why you dumped him was that you didn’t have time for a boyfriend, and the replacement boyfriend is revealed maybe two weeks later. That makes her original stated reason for dumping you sound like a transparent lie, so presumably she actually dumped you because of your smelly feet or something.

        And either way, coming back to ask for your shoes is cold.

        • Random832
          Random832
          November 22, 2012 at 2:46 pm | #

          Well, the shoe thing kind of does rule out smelly feet as a possible explanation.

  10. John
    John
    November 22, 2012 at 12:23 am | #

    Walky. Your face is melting.

    • LtSaraD
      LtSaraD
      November 22, 2012 at 2:07 am | #

      that is what i was thinking. he looks like he is about to snap or something

  11. Wonder Wig
    Wonder Wig
    November 22, 2012 at 12:23 am | #

    This page has suddenly become an advanced screenings premiere club.

  12. DanielleM
    DanielleM
    November 22, 2012 at 12:36 am | #

    All things considered Danny doesn’t look too upset so maybe this won’t go so bad? Then again Walky looks like he’s going to cry…

    • WhiteEyedCat
      WhiteEyedCat
      November 22, 2012 at 12:51 am | #

      I guess Danny has almost had sex with Billie, flirted with Amber and has kind of been seeing Amazi-girl since they broke up, he can’t really be too mad.

      • DanielleM
        DanielleM
        November 22, 2012 at 12:56 am | #

        He is pretty clearly moving on but this is still an awkward situation and coming to him for the shoes was still a terrible terrible idea. Dorothy broke up with him but she still got pissed off momentarily when she found out he was interested an Amber. There are still a lot of feelings going on is what I’m saying.

      • Mogotoo
        Mogotoo
        November 22, 2012 at 1:17 am | #

        Hell, all of that considered, Danny’s doing better than Dorothy.

        • Plasma Mongoose
          Plasma Mongoose
          November 22, 2012 at 12:31 pm | #

          Too true, Amber > Walky.

          • Historyman68
            Historyman68
            November 24, 2012 at 11:17 am | #

            That is HIGHLY subjective.

  13. Drew K
    Drew K
    November 22, 2012 at 12:54 am | #

    Hey David Willis, can you imitate that Walky face in real life?

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      November 22, 2012 at 12:29 pm | #

      Only if he has a stroke.

    • Animal
      Animal
      November 22, 2012 at 11:28 pm | #

      He can, if beer is involved.

  14. Aizat
    Aizat
    November 22, 2012 at 12:55 am | #

    Danny seem confused. I’m half expecting for him to say “Alright, where’s the hidden camera?”

    • Effie
      Effie
      November 22, 2012 at 1:02 am | #

      “Okay Ashton, come out, I know when I’m being punk’d.”

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        November 22, 2012 at 1:26 am | #

        Danny…I hate to break it to you…but punk’d hasn’t been around for half a decade or so

        • DanielleM
          DanielleM
          November 22, 2012 at 2:11 am | #

          No I think they brought it back.

        • Rex Hondo
          Rex Hondo
          November 22, 2012 at 2:12 am | #

          …Which would put it at right around last month in in-comic time.

          Heyooo!!!

          • ArkhamTexan
            ArkhamTexan
            November 22, 2012 at 9:10 am | #

            I want to “Yeah” your comment, Rex.

      • Historyman68
        Historyman68
        November 24, 2012 at 11:18 am | #

        Nice gravatar/comment synchronicity

  15. Leorale
    Leorale
    November 22, 2012 at 1:07 am | #

    “Are you sure?” is the best possible response to this situation.

  16. Kernanator
    Kernanator
    November 22, 2012 at 1:11 am | #

    To be fair, I’d probably ask that question, even if I was in Walky’s position.

  17. LtSaraD
    LtSaraD
    November 22, 2012 at 2:11 am | #

    dude like mike was trying to save you jeez. hehheh i love mike. he reminds me of a guy i once knew.

    • CWR
      CWR
      November 23, 2012 at 5:08 am | #

      C’mon, tell us where you buried him – #9834
      you’ll feel better #9835

      • CWR
        CWR
        November 23, 2012 at 5:11 am | #

        C’mon, tell us where you buried him… ♪ you’ll feel better ♫

      • Historyman68
        Historyman68
        November 24, 2012 at 11:20 am | #

        And here I thought it was a dialogue between two robots!

  18. Rayrayravona
    Rayrayravona
    November 22, 2012 at 2:37 am | #

    Awwwwww. I was really hoping this whole Danny thinking Dorothy was dating Mike thing would play out for a long while.

  19. chofm
    chofm
    November 22, 2012 at 3:18 am | #

    poor Danny. iv been in a similar situation multiple times and its never fun. gotta say though, it gets easier (so much so that eventually you can just slam the door on em and not feel guilty)

    • Historyman68
      Historyman68
      November 24, 2012 at 11:21 am | #

      Yeah that would definitely be Danny’s best move at this point.

  20. todd
    todd
    November 22, 2012 at 3:34 am | #

    Why couldn’t they ask Mike for shoes?

    • DaJoshMaster
      DaJoshMaster
      November 22, 2012 at 4:19 am | #

      For a start it’s Mike, he would lend him a pair that would eventually break them up again, like he did with the PJ Jeans.
      And I doubt Mike has more than 1 pair anyways… 😛

      • begbert2
        begbert2
        November 22, 2012 at 2:11 pm | #

        Mika has as many pairs of shoes as you don’t want him to have.

  21. Zoey
    Zoey
    November 22, 2012 at 6:15 am | #

    ROFL……CANT STOP LAUGHING!!!

  22. Dr.Z
    Dr.Z
    November 22, 2012 at 8:04 am | #

    Why does Walky look so pitiful?

    Is it because he is too much of a puss to tell Mike off for screwing with him again?

    I love how Danny looks much more like a though then Walky in this strip.

  23. Hippoman
    Hippoman
    November 22, 2012 at 8:48 am | #

    I feel that the only punchline this comic ever needs is Walky’s face. Kills me every time.

  24. ArkhamTexan
    ArkhamTexan
    November 22, 2012 at 9:09 am | #

    Oh, for FUCK’S SAKE, Walky! Grow a pair and a goddamn spine, would you?! That pitiful look was cute at first and I loved it, but now it just invites being punched in the goddamn face!

    DANNY is looking like a more solid person than you! DANNY, FOR HISTORICAL CHRIST’S SAKE!

    • DanielleM
      DanielleM
      November 22, 2012 at 3:27 pm | #

      I’ll admit that I’m apparently one of the few who like Danny better than Walky (or likes Danny at all based on some earlier comments) I really don’t see what is so apparently pathetic or spineless about Danny. I realize those weren’t your exact words I’m just using your comment as an excuse to say all this. I mean he was clearly very attached and somewhat “clingy” when it came to Dorothy but he’s young, she was most likely his first girlfriend and they dated for years but when they broke up he respected the break up. He didn’t make any elaborate efforts to get her back and he gave her space whatever reasons he may have come up with for why she broke up with him or not aren’t anything to be judged over in my opinion. The guy has a right to comfort himself and he’s been moving on and not wallowing or pining over her and now he’s handling this extremely awkward situation as well as he possibly could. He seems like a decent/solid guy to me.

    • Jimmy
      Jimmy
      November 22, 2012 at 8:48 pm | #

      You’re gravatar goes perfectly with that comment.

  25. Sloth
    Sloth
    November 22, 2012 at 12:39 pm | #

    …Gotta give props to Danny, that’s the the most epic burn response you can give upon meeting your ex’s new boyfriend.

  26. That Guy
    That Guy
    November 22, 2012 at 2:53 pm | #

    …You know, that may actually be a valid question Danny just asked.

  27. acoraz
    acoraz
    May 6, 2015 at 10:16 pm | #

    Mike is clearly the superior choice.

  28. Notebooked
    Notebooked
    August 2, 2015 at 7:07 pm | #

    Having a pretty weird site problem. Putting ‘dumbingofage.com’ in the site URL–just that, nothing else–brings this strip up as the first result. Is this happening to anyone else?

    (…and if it isn’t and I’ve screwed something up, sorry for making this weird for future commenters here to see the past discussion.)

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