Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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you can take the robin out of the farce, but you can't take the farce out of the robin
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May 28, 2026

New leaf

by David M Willis on May 24, 2017 at 12:01 am
  • 03 - The Thing I Was Before
└ Tags: robin

Discussion (255) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    May 24, 2017 at 12:01 am | #

    next strip: copy-paste of panels 4 and 5

    strip after that: copy-paste of panels 4 and 5, but [surprise ending]

    • Kris
      Kris
      May 24, 2017 at 12:07 am | #

      You mean Carla?!…ends up joining her staff? That seems kinda out of character for her

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        May 24, 2017 at 12:24 am | #

        She doesn’t have to join the staff. She can whoosh by on her skates for a pie and run.

      • Hellespont
        Hellespont
        May 24, 2017 at 1:13 am | #

        I was thinking Dorothy would…

        • CoMa
          CoMa
          May 24, 2017 at 6:08 am | #

          I doubt that – at least for now. Remember, Dorothy’s currently dropping activities that affected her time for learning – it’s very unlikely that she’d now at this point join Robin’s staff. Besides other factors.

  2. Emperor Daniel
    Emperor Daniel
    May 24, 2017 at 12:02 am | #

    Tumblepaper.

    Needs a catchier name.

    • Passchendaele
      Passchendaele
      May 24, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

      Driftwad

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        May 24, 2017 at 1:33 am | #

        Isn’t that the name of a Transformer?

    • Ryan
      Ryan
      May 24, 2017 at 12:39 am | #

      Tumblewaste

    • Aeron
      Aeron
      May 24, 2017 at 2:02 am | #

      Tumblr

      • Michael
        Michael
        May 24, 2017 at 9:56 pm | #

        I think somebody already claimed that one.

    • Joe Covenant
      Joe Covenant
      May 24, 2017 at 4:38 am | #

      Bimblescrap

    • DSL
      DSL
      May 24, 2017 at 7:38 am | #

      Litter.

    • butting
      butting
      May 24, 2017 at 8:11 am | #

      That’s no piece of paper, that’s all that’s left of Joe after Rachel dealt to him.

    • hof1991
      hof1991
      May 24, 2017 at 8:45 am | #

      Random pieces of what may or not be useful information or entertainment cascading by too fast to really focus on? The Internet.

  3. Stu
    Stu
    May 24, 2017 at 12:02 am | #

    Oops, seems Robin’s succumbed to the same line of thinking that’s caused Bojack Horseman so many problems.

  4. Kris
    Kris
    May 24, 2017 at 12:03 am | #

    The nights cold when you’re alone…….and you have no pants.

    • inqntrol
      inqntrol
      May 24, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

      And no shoes or socks.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        May 24, 2017 at 3:03 am | #

        Overrated!

    • foamy
      foamy
      May 24, 2017 at 12:18 am | #

      Gonna get cold tonight. Might want to cover your… delicates.

    • showler
      showler
      May 24, 2017 at 12:26 am | #

      What I find especially funny is that she is wearing Leslie’s shirt.

  5. Tacos
    Tacos
    May 24, 2017 at 12:03 am | #

    Wouldn’t it hurt your feet standing barefoot on asphalt all day?

    • lia47
      lia47
      May 24, 2017 at 12:18 am | #

      she’s at her most powerful when she’s expecting her lesbian

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      May 24, 2017 at 3:08 am | #

      It would if you kept all your weight on your heels, as if you had regular shoes on.

      • Sunny
        Sunny
        May 24, 2017 at 7:06 pm | #

        Yep, it’s just a matter of distributing the weight, and Robin looks like she’s well within recommended BMI, which makes it easier on the feet as well.

  6. Mr. Mendo
    Mr. Mendo
    May 24, 2017 at 12:03 am | #

    Well, at least Becky had a positive influence…

  7. C.T Phipps
    C.T Phipps
    May 24, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    Is it wrong to hate Robin again for all the creepiness of the third panel? Because she’s still against Ryan.

    • Zatar
      Zatar
      May 24, 2017 at 12:17 am | #

      Absolutely not wrong. Being against someone worst doesn’t make her a good person or anything.

    • Kernanator
      Kernanator
      May 24, 2017 at 12:20 am | #

      People are rarely as simple as “all good” or “all bad”. Instead, they are good and bad in different contexts.

    • pjeseb
      pjeseb
      May 24, 2017 at 12:23 am | #

      I dunno, I think it’s pretty common (not “right,” but common) for people to imagine themselves as the hero of their favorite romantic comedy/fantasy/action movie, and for them to expect other people to behave like supporting characters in the narrative.

      Usually, when somebody does this, they don’t realize that’s what they’re doing. If somebody in real life did what Robin does here (not just create the fantasy, but actually put into words the nature of the fantasy they are creating), that person would realize how wrong it is to view other people as characters in a book, as opposed to real people with their own agency and desires.

      I know that Robin doesn’t really understand the magnitude of how badly she wronged Leslie, but again, that’s a thing that is depressingly common. People tend to view the wrongs committed by other people more critically than those committed by them (or their friends/children/”side”/etc.).

      • Zatar
        Zatar
        May 24, 2017 at 12:29 am | #

        Yeah but she’s still acting like she owns Robin and is owed affection by her.

    • Cephalo the Pod
      Cephalo the Pod
      May 24, 2017 at 12:55 am | #

      Team Rocket helps the heroes fight off the more menacing threat plenty of times in the movies, but they’re still criminals who mist absolutely be apprehended.

      • Temperaryobsessor
        Temperaryobsessor
        May 24, 2017 at 1:07 pm | #

        Is it weird I’m still rooting for Jessie, James and Meowth to quit Team Rocket and somehow avoid any more real consequences for their actions. But I want Robin to face the consequences of hers. Part of it might be that Jessie James and Meowth have already had consequences though not legal ones beyond the stigma of being criminals.

        • MatthewTheLucky
          MatthewTheLucky
          May 24, 2017 at 1:35 pm | #

          I want them to pursue their backup plan of being chefs. They were so happy the time they tried it.

          • Temperaryobsessor
            Temperaryobsessor
            May 24, 2017 at 8:20 pm | #

            That would be good for Jessie and James I sort want Meowth to use his skills as a translator. Few enough Pokemon can speak English that his skill is valuable. There was actually an episode dedicated to other people making lots of money pretending to be able to do what Meowth does.

    • Tomas
      Tomas
      May 24, 2017 at 1:16 am | #

      “Against Ryan” in finger quotes. That bum should have been caught several times over, but his pursuers keep tripping over their own drama.

      • Fart Captor
        Fart Captor
        May 24, 2017 at 1:20 am | #

        What.

      • Tomas
        Tomas
        May 24, 2017 at 1:28 am | #

        In fact, that’s probably him who turned on the lights in Robin’s campaign headquarters. He showed up for work as scheduled, because no one actually fired him. He’s right behind her and she doesn’t even know it.

        • DSL
          DSL
          May 24, 2017 at 7:42 am | #

          I like the way you think.

        • N0083rP00F
          N0083rP00F
          May 24, 2017 at 10:07 am | #

          Nah, those things are based on sensors/timers to maintain minimum acceptable light levels during hours of operation.

    • Galdan
      Galdan
      May 24, 2017 at 6:23 pm | #

      Honestly, I have never hated this version of Robin. She obviously has something wrong up in the attic, and she is in need of some serious therapy…

      That’s the reason I hate what Roz has done, and I dislike that Leslie seems unable to realize Robin isn’t well in the head and keeps treating her as merely a bigot that needs to be taught the truth rather than as a person with a handful of personality disorders…

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        May 24, 2017 at 6:35 pm | #

        Can we please stop treating mental illness as some catch all for someone being evil?

      • Galdan
        Galdan
        May 24, 2017 at 7:06 pm | #

        I’m not doing that.

        Robin obviously has problems. She adopts diferent roles in order to give people what they want, but she doesn’t know how to be herself, how to be a normal person. She shows the maturity of a 9 years old. She can’t interact with other people normally, be as friends, romantic interests or co-workers. She shows little awareness of the world around her, needing others to help her to act with a modicum of logic.

        In Shortpacked, it was just she being quirky, but in Dumbing of Age the characters are more realistic, and if they act abnormally, it is acknowledged.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          May 24, 2017 at 7:42 pm | #

          I’m not quite sure if it’s really some kind of mental illness or if she’s just not written realistically.
          But yeah, it keeps me from hating her, because I just can’t take her seriously enough.

        • Fart Captor
          Fart Captor
          May 24, 2017 at 7:59 pm | #

          Maybe not intentionally, but yeah, you kinda were. What you’ve described is someone with an over inflated sense of entitlement, in a person who doesn’t like responsibility despite having sought a career which demands it.

          There is no mental illness required. People aren’t BORN knowing what is or is not appropriate social behavior. They’re not born knowing how to take responsibility for their actions. These things have to be taught, and then reinforced by the people around her.

          Robin has spent her career surrounded by Congressional Republicans. Even being raised my wolves would have left her better prepared to behave like a mature, responsible adult who actually respects people’s boundaries.

          Now, would Robin benefit from seeing a therapist? Yes. absolutely, assuming that one could get her to listen. Most people would benefit from a bit of therapy, even if they’re already happy and relatively well-adjusted. Robin would benefit greatly from it, but that’s not the same as being mentally ill.

          And even if she WERE, it isn’t Leslie’s duty to sacrifice her own mental health to help or diagnoses someone she doesn’t know who is invading her home. She already went above and beyond what should be expected of her.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            May 24, 2017 at 11:06 pm | #

            Except she hasn’t. She’s spent a couple of years surrounded by Congressional Republicans. Before that, we have to assume she led some kind of normal life with school and maybe even some kind of job – we know she ran for Congress at 25, but we don’t know what she did before then (or even how old she is now.)
            There’s no evidence I know of that she comes from the kind of money that lets you ignore all consequences and never bother growing up.
            How the hell did someone like her ever get to where she is? Without the benefit of Cadbury Creme Egg cereal.

            And “inflated sense of entitlement, in a person who doesn’t like responsibility despite having sought a career which demands it” doesn’t really cover Robin. This is a politician who doesn’t even bother to pretend that she’s not faking it. She has to be told, openly in front of the audience how much to pander. She lists off the personas she can play.
            She just walked across town in nothing but a shirt, carrying a lamp marked “Aide”. This isn’t normal. This isn’t even entitled politician normal.

            I don’t know if it’s “crazy”. It doesn’t match any mental illness I’m aware of, but it’s not how normal people behave either. Honestly, I just write most of it off as over the top parody. An echo of the old SP Robin zaniness. It doesn’t work for me here.
            I see how it’s bothering Leslie, but I still just can’t take Robin seriously as a threat.

            • Fart Captor
              Fart Captor
              May 24, 2017 at 11:30 pm | #

              Okay, so many of those years were spent with republicans and conservatives who WEREN’T in congress.

              But as for the realism? Have you SEEN the raging imbecile we elected president? He is a thousand times worse than Robin. He’s not mentally ill either. He’s that way because he’s never had to work a day in his life. He’s had money and pampering from the day he was born, and no real parenting, love or guidance as a child. He’s surrounded himself with sycophantic yes-men and successfully used money to fend off any real consequences for any of his actions for 70 years.

              “Normal behavior” is not some intrinsic thing that exists unto itself, especially when it comes to social behavior. It’s not this ingrained thing that’s programmed into us. Bits and pieces are, but the kind of complexity we’re talking about is entirely a learned thing.

              Wandering around without pants might be hamming it up for laughs, but the rest of it can entirely be explained by Robin having come to have really crappy ideas about how to treat other people and how to behave, and the people around her who re-enforced those ideas were more successful than the people who tried to challenge them.

              Right now, she’s also facing some serious denial because a lot of her life is in upheaval at the moment, and Robin just is not equipped with the emotional tools to cope with or even process it.

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                May 25, 2017 at 8:21 am | #

                Yes, I’ve noticed him.

                Yes, he’s worse than Robin, by far.

                And that’s the point. Not only is he an idiot, but he’s mean and vindictive in ways that Robin shows no signs of.

                Were Robin’s early years spend with Republicans and conservatives who weren’t in Congress? Who knows. It hasn’t come up. Were Roz’s? Were Riley’s? I don’t think there’s any evidence they were like Trump’s – private schools and “military” academies.

                I think people miss my point when I make this argument. It’s not that I can’t believe anyone could be as horrible as Robin. Plenty of people are as bad or far worse. I follow politics. I’ve dealt with gaslighters. There are people who behave kind of like Robin (minus some of the more hamming it up bits), but in my experience they’re all really malicious if you see them without the masks on.

                Maybe Robin’s really like that and a lot of people seem to be taking her that way, but I can’t see it. We’ve seen enough of her – like right here. This isn’t performance. Someone deliberately gaslighting and manipulating Leslie wouldn’t be standing here in the dark waiting for the movie scene to play out – they’d be cursing her out and plotting their next attack.

          • Galdan
            Galdan
            May 25, 2017 at 3:48 pm | #

            “And even if she WERE, it isn’t Leslie’s duty to sacrifice her own mental health to help or diagnoses someone she doesn’t know who is invading her home. She already went above and beyond what should be expected of her.”

            I don’t think it’s Leslie’s duty to do anything for Robin, at all. As a matter of fact, she shouldn’t have done anything regarding Robin. That’s part of the problem…

            Leslie has been, to a lesser degree, acting as if life were a sitcom, just like Robin: She has obsessed with a politician who upholds homophobic values, hoping that she could “redeem” her, make her see the light, take her out of the closet (it was just wishful thinking from her part to think that she was in the closet at all, it was just blind luck that Robin is really interested in girls) and have an affair with her…

            If Robin was merely an ultra-conservative politician, she would just have broken Leslie’s heart…

            What she found instead was a ball of crazy. And rather than realizing it upon watching her antics, she kept trying to “redeem” her, bringing Becky so she could understand how her policies are affecting homosexual people, which doesn’t matter anymore, because 1.-Robin won’t have political power anymore, ever, so it won’t achieve anything beyond trying to make her feel guilty about the past, 2.-Robin has a “special” relationship with Reality, and merely confronting her with facts won’t be enough to break through, 3.-Leslie already made Robin feel guilty and confronted her with her own sexuality, and all it achieved was to make her run down into the rabbit hole of reality denial and crazyness… what does she expect to achieve now? Does she think that she can fix Robin this way?

            Really, all Leslie should have done was to keep voting for other people, discard her unhealthy obsession for Robin, denounce/campaign against her homophobic policies (which she has already been doing effectively in her classes) and tell Roz to f**k off, roll her crazy plans and stuff them up her butt, where they belong.

            Also, I expect all these shenagigans to have a negative impact on Leslie’s life now… to US she is now the woman who either “corrupted” Robin or set a trap to ruin her career… Did she really need to get into that mess? Taking into account the political climate in their state, I expect the religious right to try hard to ruin her career and prevent her from working as an educator.

            As for Roz, she has set herself to fail spectacularly. She wasn’t expelled only because Robin saved her ass. And she enjoyed the perks of being the sister of a wealthy, successful woman (helicopter trips, for example). Let see how well will she deal with the loss of status.

  8. Shiro
    Shiro
    May 24, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    Ain’t gonna be that easy in this universe, Robin. Shenanigans are less powerful here. And that’s a good thing, I like this version of Leslie better.

    • showler
      showler
      May 24, 2017 at 12:28 am | #

      I suspect this is where Willis considered altering the storyline just to annoy a particular (and fairly obvious) commenter.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        May 24, 2017 at 8:52 am | #

        I am reasonably convinced that was a joke.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        May 24, 2017 at 8:56 am | #

        But just in case it wasn’t;

        GOSH IT SURE WOULD BE AWFUL IF SAYID SHOWED UP MORE I HATE THAT GUY

        • Geno
          Geno
          May 24, 2017 at 9:50 am | #

          Right um SAYID IS JUST THE WORST. HIM AND JASON SHOULD JUST JUST JUMP IN A DUMPSTER FIRE

          • Schol-R-LEA
            Schol-R-LEA
            May 24, 2017 at 10:05 am | #

            I thought that already happ… get rightfully smacked down by half the fans before can finish terrible joke

          • MM
            MM
            May 24, 2017 at 11:33 am | #

            Together? Um, I mean, YES, THAT SOUNDS DREADFUL.

            • MatthewTheLucky
              MatthewTheLucky
              May 24, 2017 at 1:37 pm | #

              UGH, NO MORE STUPID BOWTIE DUDE.

              • Deanatay
                Deanatay
                May 24, 2017 at 4:15 pm | #

                OH BOY I LOVE REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY CAN I JOIN IN

                • Orion Fury
                  Orion Fury
                  May 24, 2017 at 11:55 pm | #

                  Not enough reverse.

              • Sunny
                Sunny
                May 24, 2017 at 7:12 pm | #

                But what would the T-Rexes eat then?

  9. Yumi
    Yumi
    May 24, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

    Good for Leslie for not showing up and all, but why do we keep cutting back to Robin

    • Shiro
      Shiro
      May 24, 2017 at 12:06 am | #

      Cause her character arc’s not over yet.

      • Yumi
        Yumi
        May 24, 2017 at 12:08 am | #

        I mean, true for a lot of characters.

      • Kris
        Kris
        May 24, 2017 at 12:08 am | #

        Also seems like it’s gonna tie into the Ryan subplot.

        • Shiro
          Shiro
          May 24, 2017 at 12:10 am | #

          Not gonna lie, I’m gonna rest easier when Ryan’s dealt with. I’m a lot better with material that used to be triggery these days, but it still makes me vaguely anxious.

          • Kris
            Kris
            May 24, 2017 at 12:14 am | #

            Well….I mean it looks like it’s getting closer to a resolution but he’s been floating around in the background for years realtime..Maybe it’ll end before 2018? *shrug*. Good luck til then.

            • Cephalo the Pod
              Cephalo the Pod
              May 24, 2017 at 12:59 am | #

              It seems to me that Book 7 is gonna be “the One Where We Catch Ryan”.

              • Guerisso
                Guerisso
                May 24, 2017 at 1:22 am | #

                Or “The catching of the Ryan” ?

                • Guerisso
                  Guerisso
                  May 24, 2017 at 1:29 am | #

                  The plot: Robin has a crisis because her former life is gone and still “her” lesbian doesn’t come back to her, then she imagines the job she would like most to do, which is to watch over kids in a field playing innocently and be the catcher of any Ryan before he is able to shove a kid down into an abyss.

              • SgtWadeyWilson
                SgtWadeyWilson
                May 24, 2017 at 3:36 am | #

                “The One Where We Catch Ryan” was an odd episode, I mean, how did a David Willis comic character even end up in Friends?

                • Pablo360
                  Pablo360
                  May 24, 2017 at 9:59 am | #

                  Actually Ryan is the name of an STD. They named it after him.

          • Yumi
            Yumi
            May 24, 2017 at 12:24 am | #

            I’ll be similarly glad when Ryan is officially dealt with, though I’m still wondering what that will look like.

          • Spencer
            Spencer
            May 24, 2017 at 2:57 pm | #

            Is it normal to have anxiety over series you enjoy?

            • Spencer
              Spencer
              May 24, 2017 at 6:50 pm | #

              Sorry. I was asking for myself but I didn’t think how awful that sounded.

    • Fart Captor
      Fart Captor
      May 24, 2017 at 12:08 am | #

      How else would we know that she still hasn’t figured out it was Becky who posted all those tweets? Or that she still isn’t wearing pants?

    • Kernanator
      Kernanator
      May 24, 2017 at 12:08 am | #

      …Because she’s a character in this comic?

      • Yumi
        Yumi
        May 24, 2017 at 12:19 am | #

        I hope it’s clear enough that this isn’t a genuine question, or at least not one that’s any sort of an answer to, as much as a comment on my experience of the comic.

        • Kernanator
          Kernanator
          May 24, 2017 at 12:22 am | #

          That’s fair, since I figured giving the vaguest correct answer to the question would be funny.

  10. C.T Phipps
    C.T Phipps
    May 24, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

    Also, it occurs to me Panel 2 indicates Robin really didn’t make ANY of her policy. She was as much a puppet of her handlers as Tommen.

    “GAME OF THRONES!”

    • Fart Captor
      Fart Captor
      May 24, 2017 at 12:10 am | #

      Not really. She just delegated the details to her subordinates and just went along with their recommendations on most issues.

      She was never being manipulated. She was just being lazy and irresponsible.

      • SarahSaur
        SarahSaur
        May 24, 2017 at 12:20 am | #

        I concur.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        May 24, 2017 at 7:12 am | #

        Maybe not manipulated, but that doesn’t mean she actually set any of her policy, even on a broad scale.
        Sounds like she just took political advice on “how to win as a Republican in this swing district” and went along with whatever it was. Lazy and irresponsible, but it’s not like she was particularly attached to any of the horrible policy.

        • Cerberus
          Cerberus
          May 24, 2017 at 9:40 am | #

          Which is almost worse in a way. She was actively trying to harm people’s lives not even out of genuine conviction, but out of a lazy tribalism to acquire and maintain power.

          • Fart Captor
            Fart Captor
            May 24, 2017 at 2:49 pm | #

            Yeah. The only significant difference is that it’s easier to get her to change (or at least to stop her) than if she were doing it based on real convictions and had an emotional investment in the results.

            Ethically it’s not an improvement

  11. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    May 24, 2017 at 12:06 am | #

    (Alt-Text) Robin has always been a Farce to be reckoned with.

    • foamy
      foamy
      May 24, 2017 at 12:17 am | #

      The Farce Awakens?

    • Kernanator
      Kernanator
      May 24, 2017 at 12:19 am | #

      You could even say she’s a farce of nature.

    • Stephen Bierce
      Stephen Bierce
      May 24, 2017 at 12:38 am | #

      BTW, Something*Positive damned Willis again.

    • Remmington Steele
      Remmington Steele
      May 24, 2017 at 6:52 am | #

      “The farce is strong with this one.”

  12. Jay Carr
    Jay Carr
    May 24, 2017 at 12:07 am | #

    What do you *mean* this is going to require *EFFORT*?!

    • SgtWadeyWilson
      SgtWadeyWilson
      May 24, 2017 at 3:44 am | #

      Maximum effort!

      Which for Robin is only achieved with quantaties of sugar that are measured by fatality rates, and… shall we say: varying results?

  13. butts
    butts
    May 24, 2017 at 12:08 am | #

    seriously

    “who pulled the drama tag”

    • Emperor Daniel
      Emperor Daniel
      May 24, 2017 at 12:52 am | #

      The drama tag came pre-pulled.

      • SgtWadeyWilson
        SgtWadeyWilson
        May 24, 2017 at 3:48 am | #

        That’s the true difference between the two universes… either that, or sliding timeline plus Digimon Tamers show setting. /sarcasm

  14. pjeseb
    pjeseb
    May 24, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

    Sooo… what exactly is Robin hoping for? A romantic relationship with Leslie? A platonic friendship? Merely exoneration for all the crap that she put Leslie through? Or some combination of the above?

    Also: How does Robin imagine Leslie will show up? Did Robin text her or something? Is she standing in the university parking lot?

    • showler
      showler
      May 24, 2017 at 12:29 am | #

      She probably assumes that Leslie follows her on twitter.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      May 24, 2017 at 12:36 am | #

      I think Robin is hoping for romance, while telling herself she’s hoping for friendship. I’m not sure that she quite realizes that she did anything wrong and needs to be forgiven, but if she does, she’ll want exoneration, too.

      Robin thinks Leslie will show up through the power of movie magic, possibly in a pink Cadillac in which they’ll drive off into the sunset or something. Her relationship with reality is… kinda fuzzy at best.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      May 24, 2017 at 12:43 am | #

      GAL PALS!!!!

      I assume it is something like room mates-who-are-bestets-friends with A LOT of subtext, and Robin has not quite decided what that subtext means yet.

      Come to think of it, quite a lot like Becky’s and Joyce’s relationship as it might seem to Robin.

      • pjeseb
        pjeseb
        May 24, 2017 at 12:57 am | #

        “Get behind me, my Lesbian! I don’t care if I only have one good hand (the other having been lost to Twitteritis)! If anyone makes you uncomfortable I’ll punch them in the face!”

        “YOU MAKE ME UNCOMFORTABLE, ROBIN!”

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        May 24, 2017 at 7:16 am | #

        Hell, quite a lot like their relationship seemed to Becky until she went to Anderson.

    • missilentmurmur
      missilentmurmur
      May 24, 2017 at 1:49 am | #

      Robin expects that her reward is due, and magic/god will arrange it to be served.

  15. brionl
    brionl
    May 24, 2017 at 12:10 am | #

    Serendipitous Tumbleweed power, activate!

    http://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1506/comment-page-2

  16. Passchendaele
    Passchendaele
    May 24, 2017 at 12:10 am | #

    I can legitimately imagine her spending hours out there without pants, smiling at the passing cars and cameras and keeping the same pose, only occasionally checking her phone and adding another tweet or two (can somebody check her Twitter feed?). And maybe Leslie poking her head outside to make sure she’s still there. Actually, the news crews probably got bored and left hours ago. I would. XD

    • Emperor Daniel
      Emperor Daniel
      May 24, 2017 at 12:53 am | #

      Unfortunately, Robin’s Twitter has not updated since Becky’s last few tweets.

      • a snow ʍousɐ
        a snow ʍousɐ
        May 24, 2017 at 8:59 am | #

        Huh, weird. I guess maybe it would be a spoiler?

  17. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    May 24, 2017 at 12:10 am | #

    Sorry, Robin. Just because you spent the past several days dominating her life, doesn’t mean she’s subbed to your twitter feed.

    #notsorryRobin

    #kindasorryforthispunkinda

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      May 24, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

      …. but more seriously, I’m worried that this sequence of events will lead to Robin angrily breaking down Leslie’s door at 3 AM demanding to know why she left her hanging, or some other category of awful like that.

      • Godfather
        Godfather
        May 24, 2017 at 12:54 am | #

        Uh oh. Didn’t even think of that, but that is an alarming possibility. :\

  18. Keulan
    Keulan
    May 24, 2017 at 12:11 am | #

    Nice to see Robin’s started becoming a better person, but reality doesn’t work like that.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      May 24, 2017 at 7:18 am | #

      Reality and Robin have a very tenuous relationship.

  19. newllend(henryvolt)
    newllend(henryvolt)
    May 24, 2017 at 12:11 am | #

    Would have expected her to put on pants by now.

    • Zatar
      Zatar
      May 24, 2017 at 12:13 am | #

      I wouldn’t.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      May 24, 2017 at 12:45 am | #

      Pants are for quitters

      • pjeseb
        pjeseb
        May 24, 2017 at 12:53 am | #

        Pants are for cowards. Pants make you weak!

  20. Jess
    Jess
    May 24, 2017 at 12:13 am | #

    Well, that’s…something, but she’s still got a long way to go.

  21. Rukduk
    Rukduk
    May 24, 2017 at 12:16 am | #

    Wow. Um, how long did Robin stand on asphalt without shoes? With a smile that must be making her face sore by now? And whose establishment is that in the background? Because I think she could be considered to be loitering at this point.
    …
    Also, you can’t just skip the second act of a movie Robin. You just finished act one, now it’s time to get cranking on act two. Second acts are important.

  22. Saaaam
    Saaaam
    May 24, 2017 at 12:17 am | #

    hold that L, robin

  23. Opus the Poet
    Opus the Poet
    May 24, 2017 at 12:17 am | #

    I spent a good part of the day reading about Burt Ward (don’t worry, he’s fine) and come back to another Robin not wearing pants.

    • SgtWadeyWilson
      SgtWadeyWilson
      May 24, 2017 at 4:08 am | #

      I am now picturing Robin as Robin…

      …and Robin as Robin.

  24. Derek
    Derek
    May 24, 2017 at 12:19 am | #

    Robin, buy some pants and a clue

  25. John
    John
    May 24, 2017 at 12:19 am | #

    Gotta respect Robin for giving no fucks about doing this still wearing nothing but a stolen shirt.

    Maybe not “respect” exactly. But definitely something.

  26. darkoneko
    darkoneko
    May 24, 2017 at 12:22 am | #

    …looks like it’s true that idiots don’t catch colds.

  27. a4lbi
    a4lbi
    May 24, 2017 at 12:22 am | #

    No, honey; and put some damn pants on.

  28. caesaria82
    caesaria82
    May 24, 2017 at 12:24 am | #

    For a second I got nostalgic over Robin saying ‘my lesbian’, then I remembered what universe we’re in and got mad. Shut up, Robin. She’s not your anything.

    • C.T Phipps
      C.T Phipps
      May 24, 2017 at 12:37 am | #

      Objectification is not just for Joe anymore!

  29. Ash_Ketchup
    Ash_Ketchup
    May 24, 2017 at 12:25 am | #

    People like Robin don’t really exist in real life, do they?

    • Solenoid
      Solenoid
      May 24, 2017 at 12:33 am | #

      Every time someone asks this question about any character who does something appalling, there’s usually at least half a dozen people who come in later and mention how they have personal experience with such people.

      I’m afraid there’s every kind of people out there.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        May 24, 2017 at 7:26 am | #

        Not really. People more awful than Robin exist. People who kind of pretend to be Robin while they’re chasing something they want.
        But Robin’s kind of awful combined with oblivious innocence combined with power and success just isn’t – she’s an over the top parody.

    • Cephalo the Pod
      Cephalo the Pod
      May 24, 2017 at 1:03 am | #

      Something I’ve picked up over past two years:

      There is no such thing as “cartoonishly evil”.

      • StClair
        StClair
        May 24, 2017 at 1:15 am | #

        well, there is; it’s just not confined to cartoons.

      • Chris Phoenix
        Chris Phoenix
        May 24, 2017 at 1:19 am | #

        Apparently Donald Trump was the inspiration for multiple Saturday morning cartoon villains. (Source: Cerberus)

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          May 24, 2017 at 3:17 am | #

          Appropriate considering he’s basically Biff Tannen.

          Someone check the White House for a worn-out 2015 sports almanac!

          • ischemgeek
            ischemgeek
            May 24, 2017 at 5:53 am | #

            Trump was also inspiration for Biff Tannen. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/23/back-to-the-future-writer-bad-guy-biff-was-based-on-donald-trump

            • Pablo360
              Pablo360
              May 24, 2017 at 12:43 pm | #

              That was not the Back to the Future II prediction anybody wanted to see in 2015.

            • Deanatay
              Deanatay
              May 24, 2017 at 4:28 pm | #

              OMG We’re living in the BTTF2 alterverse, aren’t we?

              • Needfuldoer
                Needfuldoer
                May 24, 2017 at 5:51 pm | #

                Let’s see. Biff’s in charge, Michael J Fox can’t play guitar anymore, there’s a wave of 80s nostalgia…

                Oh dear…

  30. Heavensrun
    Heavensrun
    May 24, 2017 at 12:29 am | #

    Robin, go home and put some pants on.

  31. Yumi
    Yumi
    May 24, 2017 at 12:32 am | #

    So, here’s a fun story about asphalt and bare feet: when I was around twelve, I was super into Toph, and I wanted to toughen up the soles of my feet so I could be more like this fictional cartoon character. So I got up early one day in the summer, and I went on this long barefoot walk that included circling the school track a bunch of times and some roads, parking lots, and park paths.

    And I burnt the soles of my feet.

    • zoelogical
      zoelogical
      May 24, 2017 at 12:46 am | #

      oh my gosh that’s adorable

      and painful

    • Halpful
      Halpful
      May 24, 2017 at 3:20 am | #

      Damnit, I just lost my comment with my barefoot story. Basically, it works better on barnacles. Probably because they’re just sharp, not hot.

  32. Bagge
    Bagge
    May 24, 2017 at 12:34 am | #

    “I did a good thing, now where is my rewaaaaaaaard?”

  33. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    May 24, 2017 at 12:35 am | #

    When is Robin going to put pants back on? It’s October in Ohio and I can’t imagine it getting any warmer at night.

    • zoelogical
      zoelogical
      May 24, 2017 at 12:45 am | #

      it’s a lesser known lesbian superpower to not need pants

      • Yumi
        Yumi
        May 24, 2017 at 1:05 am | #

        “So who wears the pants in the relationship?”
        “Oh, it’s a pantless relationship.”

        • zoelogical
          zoelogical
          May 24, 2017 at 1:28 am | #

          “if we’re doing it right, nobody is!!” *fingerguns*

    • vlademir1
      vlademir1
      May 24, 2017 at 2:13 am | #

      Well, Indiana rather than Ohio but even then the night temps in October are going to be similar. Looking up October weather for Bloomington, it’s likely between 55°F and 65°F (if we presume it’s around 8pm) with wind around 5MPH
      Living in Ohio myself (as I said, similar), that’s weather I’d still be wearing shorts in and foregoing shoes/slippers standing/sitting outside for up to half an hour smoking, maybe drinking a beer and checking online stuff on my phone rather than at my PC. By 10pm I’d be wanting pants and shoes/slippers while doing that as the temp would drop (on average) another 10°F. If it was a particularly warm day, you could safely add another 10°F to all that. *shrugs*

      • JessWitt
        JessWitt
        May 24, 2017 at 4:15 am | #

        Oops, Indiana my mistake.

        And my my, aren’t you hardy around cold weather? My dad wanted to move to warmer pastures because he couldn’t take the chills. His Ukrainian ancestors – and myself – are disappointed.

  34. AgentKeen
    AgentKeen
    May 24, 2017 at 12:42 am | #

    Oh jeez, now she’s saying My Lesbian again…

  35. zoelogical
    zoelogical
    May 24, 2017 at 12:45 am | #

    yup she…genuinely believed in her fantasy

  36. Urukak
    Urukak
    May 24, 2017 at 12:46 am | #

    This is… a step in the right direction. Her motivations re: policy changes are still primarily self serving, but her attitude towards Ryan* shows that she is at least capable of being genuine. It brings up a wrinkle for me, though: what power does Robin actually have to set things in motion for bringing Ryan to justice? By her own admission, she was too far removed from her interns to have enough information to track him down herself, and her staff has all apparently abandoned her already. She’s probably also burned too many bridges to call in any favors to facilitate actually getting Ryan convicted, because honestly, there isn’t much of a legal case against him unless more victims come forward. The only physical evidence of his encounter with Joyce is his scar, which isn’t exactly helpful, and while there were plenty of witnesses, almost all of them were either too drunk, too biased towards Joyce, or both (Billie) for their testimony to prop up the case in court. It might be too little, too late for Robin to actually be of any meaningful help.

    *Or whatever the hell his real name is

  37. Bagge
    Bagge
    May 24, 2017 at 12:47 am | #

    I love how Robin just accepted Becky’s tweets as her new opinions. “Sure, I might have said that. Why not? It fits with my new public persona so let’s go with it.”

    • Liliet
      Liliet
      May 24, 2017 at 5:10 am | #

      Yup.

      I think people who were assuring everyone that Robin is this incorrigible villain who hates gay people and is deliberately manipulative towards everyone to protect her definitely existing bigoted opinions… must be evaluating their estimation of her now.

      • MM
        MM
        May 24, 2017 at 11:30 am | #

        Of course, now she’s the kind of villain who’ll stand for whatever as long as it gets her what she wants, even if she hasn’t fully grasped the implications or consequences. Which is not really an improvement.

        • timemonkey
          timemonkey
          May 24, 2017 at 12:44 pm | #

          But at least that’s what she’s always been. Hate what the villain actually is, not the one you make up in your mind.

          • Temperaryobsessor
            Temperaryobsessor
            May 24, 2017 at 1:52 pm | #

            Honestly the people who thought Robin actually hated gay people instead of being indifferent to them were underwhelming. I might have been tuning the more ridiculous things out but I mostly remember hearing that she can’t admit to her own queerness because of internalized homophobia, and she believes its sort of a choice because she has feelings which she chooses not to acknowledge.

  38. Arianod
    Arianod
    May 24, 2017 at 12:57 am | #

    She actually said it. She actually called Leslie that >_<

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      May 24, 2017 at 1:31 am | #

      “my” lesbian? I didn’t even notice that until I reread following your post.

    • timemonkey
      timemonkey
      May 24, 2017 at 12:43 pm | #

      Why wouldn’t she? It was Leslie’s original name after all.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        May 24, 2017 at 12:53 pm | #

        It[s creepy to call someone you’ve been stalking and harassing for days “my lesbian.”

        What worked in Shortpacked! doesn’t work in a more grounded setting. Robin’s just a creepass here.

        • timemonkey
          timemonkey
          May 24, 2017 at 2:05 pm | #

          Robin was a creepass in Shortpacked too.

          • Spencer
            Spencer
            May 24, 2017 at 2:21 pm | #

            Yeah and it was funny because SP! was wacky slapstick about toys and bad romances.

            It isn’t funny here.

            • Arianod
              Arianod
              May 24, 2017 at 3:10 pm | #

              My feelings exactly.

            • Random832
              Random832
              May 24, 2017 at 4:23 pm | #

              Maybe this is all meta-commentary about how it shouldn’t have been funny then either and we should all feel bad for laughing at it.

              • Spencer
                Spencer
                May 24, 2017 at 4:33 pm | #

                I see it that way. Kinda like how Amazi-Girl in this series is a far darker interpretation of “Amber’s coping mechanism.”

                I think, ultimately, Robin will redeem herself by being instrumental in Ryan’s incarceration, but I don’t think she’ll hook up with Leslie.

              • MM
                MM
                May 24, 2017 at 6:14 pm | #

                I don’t think it’s intended as a guilt trip. More just Willis revisiting how this would play out in a more realistic setting. (Maybe there’s a tiny bit of self-correction in there, too.)

                • Random832
                  Random832
                  May 24, 2017 at 11:46 pm | #

                  I didn’t mean a guilt trip per se – just meta-commentary as an art form in itself. Like Spec Ops The Line.

              • Arianod
                Arianod
                May 24, 2017 at 6:28 pm | #

                With SP!, my usual reaction was 50% laughter, 50% horror; that’s basically the reason I got hooked on it. I’d be like, “This is awful, how the fuck does Willis manage to make it funny?” But SP! was wacky as heck: SP! Robin got high on Cardburry egg cereal and achieved world peace. In a more realistic, less over the top setting like DoA, her antics are a lot less amusing.

  39. J. A. J.
    J. A. J.
    May 24, 2017 at 1:07 am | #

    The alt text would make a great DoA book title.

  40. chris73
    chris73
    May 24, 2017 at 1:09 am | #

    Yes because likes always translates to votes

    • Fart Captor
      Fart Captor
      May 24, 2017 at 1:15 am | #

      No, that’s how our elections work now. No more electoral college. In three years the Department of Elections will just post a Twitter poll

      • chris73
        chris73
        May 24, 2017 at 1:26 am | #

        Oh dear lord

      • zoelogical
        zoelogical
        May 24, 2017 at 2:40 am | #

        i look forward to our new democracy

        • Halpful
          Halpful
          May 24, 2017 at 3:28 am | #

          ITYM *brave* new democracy. :/

          • zoelogical
            zoelogical
            May 24, 2017 at 1:59 pm | #

            of course how could i forget how courageous we all are

      • Tacos
        Tacos
        May 24, 2017 at 4:44 am | #

        It had damn well better have “Unknown Evil” as one of the options or I will be very disappointed.

  41. Tomas
    Tomas
    May 24, 2017 at 1:11 am | #

    Ouch. Is there a doctor in the house? A psychiatric doctor? Are we looking at a possible manic personality disorder here, because this is starting to remind me of Silver Linings Playbook.

    “I’m gonna take all this negativity and use it as fuel!”

  42. Liliet
    Liliet
    May 24, 2017 at 1:12 am | #

    Sorry*, Robin, in this universe you actually have to put in the work )=
    (*I am not actually sorry)

  43. Pearl
    Pearl
    May 24, 2017 at 1:26 am | #

    did you know: i love robin, i always believed in her, loving a woman is a great motivation for personal growth, and i’m cheering for her all the way

  44. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    May 24, 2017 at 1:32 am | #

    How fucking long was she standing there, in the same position? That’s probably why nobody came, you fucking weirdo.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      May 24, 2017 at 3:56 am | #

      This woman is having a high speed come-apart.

  45. Ronnie
    Ronnie
    May 24, 2017 at 1:33 am | #

    I’m disappointed that I can’t see that new tweet on her Twitter 🙁

  46. Cmd1095
    Cmd1095
    May 24, 2017 at 1:38 am | #

    So Becky DID mess with Robin’s campaign, that’s probably where all the pro-LGBT policies Robin didn’t write came from. Becky you clever girl, now if Robin does somehow get elected it’ll be on a platform of pro-LGBT rights and she’ll be forced to commit to that cause. And if she doesn’t get elected you lost nothing in the deal. Genius XD

  47. Fart Captor
    Fart Captor
    May 24, 2017 at 1:41 am | #

    Wait…

    Where… did her phone go after panel 2?

    • David M Willis
      David M Willis
      May 24, 2017 at 1:58 am | #

      nature’s pocket

      • vlademir1
        vlademir1
        May 24, 2017 at 2:16 am | #

        I wonder how many of us get that reference, butt I digress…

        • NickG
          NickG
          May 24, 2017 at 11:27 am | #

          Futurama ‘eco-warrior’ types?

      • inqntrol
        inqntrol
        May 24, 2017 at 2:17 am | #

        Damn, reaching the phone must a pain.

        • Fart Captor
          Fart Captor
          May 24, 2017 at 8:24 pm | #

          Though it gives new meaning to “hands free mode”

      • Halpful
        Halpful
        May 24, 2017 at 3:00 am | #

        More practical options: in her bra or the waistband of her underwear.

  48. BenRG
    BenRG
    May 24, 2017 at 2:09 am | #

    I can’t help but wonder how long Robin is going to stand our there, grinning inanely and waiting for Leslie to turn up. It could be a very long time, because she’s stupidly oblivious about how others view her. Of course, when she next meets Leslie it will somehow be Leslie’s fault. Like I said, oblivious.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      May 24, 2017 at 7:32 am | #

      Rather than the usual chapter closer of someone in bed, from now on each chapter ends with the lights going down on Robin standing in the parking lot waiting for Leslie.

      And that’s all we ever see of her again.

  49. OnyxIdol
    OnyxIdol
    May 24, 2017 at 2:30 am | #

    So I’m reading panel three like she’s aware her lgbtq policies were jerkish, but not how she treated Leslie??

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      May 24, 2017 at 2:37 am | #

      Her policies were chosen for her by the party hierarchy and it is thus possible that they were wrong. However, it is completely impossible to her mind that she could personally make a mistake in how she treated others.

    • OnyxIdol
      OnyxIdol
      May 24, 2017 at 2:39 am | #

      Also, she continues to not care about anything but her immediate satisfaction.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        May 24, 2017 at 3:00 am | #

        That’s our Robin!

        Except now the world she’s in actually has consequences… And no Drama Tag.

  50. Danni
    Danni
    May 24, 2017 at 2:35 am | #

    …..has robin been without pants all day?

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      May 24, 2017 at 2:38 am | #

      Yes; it appears to be one of the things that she is enjoying about this whole situation.

      That and it means she doesn’t need to wear Sarah Palin’s hand-me-down pantsuits anymore.

    • zoelogical
      zoelogical
      May 24, 2017 at 2:43 am | #

      i feel like we got some symbolism going on here between her previous use of costume/accessories as props in the story she’s telling about herself, whether hot librarian or cool girl. and current robin is completely unfiltered, semi-nude robin, pantlessness and all

      but like also this is just kind of funny How Long Can One Woman Go without pants or exposing her muffin

      • DaveM
        DaveM
        May 24, 2017 at 2:50 am | #

        I presume she’s wearing underwear, but this IS Robin, so it’s 50-50 odds. 🙂

        • zoelogical
          zoelogical
          May 24, 2017 at 1:59 pm | #

          i mean like. do YOU see underwear cause i dont

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        May 24, 2017 at 4:27 am | #

        She already exposed her muffin, back in Leslie’s house. In front of two teenagers, no less.

        • zoelogical
          zoelogical
          May 24, 2017 at 2:00 pm | #

          she exposed several muffins

          or at least things that were mildly recognizable as muffins

  51. DaveM
    DaveM
    May 24, 2017 at 2:48 am | #

    Is Robin self aware enough to realise she’s effectively outing herself? When even she isn’t comfortable acknowledging her sexuality to herself? Or that coming out is going to be harder during an election campaign, under the harsh glare of a “sex scandal” media swarm, and making the announcements via Twitter?

    What am I saying, It’s Robin, of course she isn’t..

    Also reminded of the Beatles parody episode of Pinky and the Brain, (singing) “All we are saying, is take off your pants”.

    • Liliet
      Liliet
      May 24, 2017 at 5:33 am | #

      I don’t think Robin will think in those terms. The angle from which she views reality is wayyyy too convoluted for her to even notice that there is such a thing as ‘closet’ which she might or might not have been in. It’s just… her being Robin. As Robin does.

  52. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    May 24, 2017 at 4:24 am | #

    On a completely unrelated note: I’ve just learned the term “grey rocking”, and now have a name for the skill I had to develop when I was living with a certain person who has probably been mentioned a few times.

    • JBento
      JBento
      May 24, 2017 at 8:02 am | #

      Uh, and now I’ve learnt it too. LEARNING!!!! ^_^

      • Halpful
        Halpful
        May 25, 2017 at 4:03 am | #

        Yay learning *hugs everyone*
        I’m glad you guys..er… people? found those resources, and sad that you needed them in the first place.

    • Vulcanodon
      Vulcanodon
      May 24, 2017 at 9:29 am | #

      I looked it up too. ^^ What you said JBento

      • Vulcanodon
        Vulcanodon
        May 24, 2017 at 9:33 am | #

        Made me think of this: https://youtu.be/yIRT6xRQkf8

    • zoelogical
      zoelogical
      May 24, 2017 at 2:02 pm | #

      the funny thing about it is that because the narcissist is so self-centered they’ll never actually guess that you’re anything other than how you personally affect them

      like idk i just…find that hysterical

    • Vampire Chipmunk
      Vampire Chipmunk
      May 24, 2017 at 5:48 pm | #

      I…really needed to know this technique. (I’m kinda stuck in a bad situation until I finish grad school.) Thank you so much for letting me know it exists!

  53. Emily
    Emily
    May 24, 2017 at 5:21 am | #

    Hey, I’m finally laughing at a punchline involving Robin.

    • JBento
      JBento
      May 24, 2017 at 8:02 am | #

      I’m chuckling. Laughing would require the punchline to involve more punching.

  54. Lou
    Lou
    May 24, 2017 at 5:49 am | #

    just two gals that are pals

  55. Andorxor
    Andorxor
    May 24, 2017 at 5:51 am | #

    I hope the paper ball is a message with Ryans real name

  56. Dariu55
    Dariu55
    May 24, 2017 at 6:13 am | #

    She has the resilience to stand there all day and never go eat, drink, or go pee. Amazing!

  57. SgtWadeyWilson
    SgtWadeyWilson
    May 24, 2017 at 6:18 am | #

    I am finding the Ohio tourism ads hilarious above this comic “togetherness. find it here.”

  58. ChessboardMan
    ChessboardMan
    May 24, 2017 at 6:22 am | #

    I feel that “in denial” or “closet” would have been better titles for this comic.

  59. Commodore Jeep-Eep
    Commodore Jeep-Eep
    May 24, 2017 at 7:40 am | #

    Buy some pepper spray, Les. This stalker is going to need a lot of negative reinforcement to finally make her stay gone; especially as reality closes in.

  60. Bagge
    Bagge
    May 24, 2017 at 7:46 am | #

    It’s a bit sad that we have reached the last Robin strip of the comic.

    • JBento
      JBento
      May 24, 2017 at 8:04 am | #

      It’s the last Robin strip? Are you sure? You promise? Did Willis say it somwhere I’ve missed?

      And you seem to have misspelled “fucking finally” there.

  61. JBento
    JBento
    May 24, 2017 at 8:06 am | #

    Oh gods, Leslie is still “my lesbian.” That paper ball should’ve been a truck.

  62. Griiins
    Griiins
    May 24, 2017 at 8:34 am | #

    It should just flit back to her every month or so of her just standing there, and then the cardboard cutout falls over.

  63. Li
    Li
    May 24, 2017 at 8:58 am | #

    So, here’s hoping this comic indicates that Robin will absolutely not be getting the girl.

    I think I can see this pairing as actually being something Willis wanted to take another crack at, not completely unlike Ruth/Billie. But right now at least what we’re seeing is a second crack that might be about giving Leslie more self-respect and Robin maybe having to grow up without also getting the girl as a reward.

    I’d like that. I’d like to see Leslie say, No. I’m physically attracted to you, but you’ve been awful to me both politically and personally, and it’s frankly really unsettling that you don’t seem to get that. Try again in another life.

    I think Cerberus has been floating this idea for a while: a “redemption is not enough” storyline,

    At the very least even a really determined romantic comedy requires the hero to have ACTUALLY learned a lesson, though, instead of just 98% faking it like Robin is doing here.

    So yeah, I’m currently eeeijg this as half a baby step in the general direction of Robin becoming a better person, and hopefully it will be without Leslie.

    • Cerberus
      Cerberus
      May 24, 2017 at 9:59 am | #

      Yeah, I suspect that’s where this story is going.

      And the thing is, that the redemption might be good in a lot of ways for her. Allow her to live more honestly with herself, support policies that don’t hurt people, use her wealth and influence for a good cause.

      But it might not “get the girl”, because girls aren’t shiny prizes handed out for positive character growth and no matter what she does, it might not ever be enough to overcome how scary and awful the last few days have been for Leslie.

      And it’s a hard lesson, but an important one. Getting better might not mean you get back everything you used to have or everything you want, unlike the movies claim. And that’s okay. That’s consent. It’s not your choice whether you get a second chance from a specific person or not.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        May 24, 2017 at 10:15 am | #

        Yeah honestly, Robin and Leslie hooking up in this universe would be terrible.

        • Cerberus
          Cerberus
          May 24, 2017 at 10:26 am | #

          Especially now as Robin would learn all the wrong lessons and still mistreat Leslie if Leslie actually were to give her another chance now. Robin has a lot of growth to do to be safe in a relationship with anyone, but especially Leslie given what she just did.

          • Li
            Li
            May 24, 2017 at 1:31 pm | #

            Yeah.

            I can IMAGINE ways of doing it that aren’t terrible, but they take a lot of work and they’re not what I want right now.

    • Commodore Jeep-Eep
      Commodore Jeep-Eep
      May 24, 2017 at 4:04 pm | #

      That is the story I want Li; again, if Robin turns karma houdini, I’d be out, and frankly, I suspect more than a few others will follow.

  64. John
    John
    May 24, 2017 at 9:37 am | #

    …She should really put on some pants.

    • Shadow12000
      Shadow12000
      May 24, 2017 at 10:39 am | #

      Does she have to? I mean…legs.

      • John
        John
        May 24, 2017 at 11:35 am | #

        This is a civilized society, one where we wear pants.

        • JBento
          JBento
          May 24, 2017 at 12:21 pm | #

          What’s this “we”?

  65. Scar Man!!!
    Scar Man!!!
    May 24, 2017 at 9:53 am | #

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

  66. Cerberus
    Cerberus
    May 24, 2017 at 10:25 am | #

    Comic Reactions:

    “Redemption is a rare and special thing, it’s not for everyone.”

    There’s good here. Quite a lot. It’s good that Robin is taking her strong stand against a sexual assaulter and making that public. It’s good that she’s not publicly denying the pro-queer-folks tweets Becky made. And given where she was, it’s steps in the right direction and that matters and it may end up getting her to a place where she starts undoing some of the damage she did as someone specifically running as an anti-gay politician.

    But the second half also reveals the shallowness of this face turn. Would she be as willing to stick this out if the response to her pro-queer tweets had been overwhelmingly negative? Will she be as willing to keep doing work that is harder than a few supportive tweets? Especially as the consequences of doing the right thing start hitting more and more? When she gets the full blast of societal homophobia?

    And her motivation is still stuck in her intentional fantasy. Where she’s just in a wacky rom-com she never has to admit is a rom-com with Leslie and that by doing the right thing, she’ll get the “reward” of getting her back in her life. And well, that type of redemption is frequently less trustworthy, because what happens when that person says “no, you were not safe, that’s not happening even if you get better”?

    And that’s what I suspect this strip is hinting at for Robin. Cause the thing is she is still deeply unsafe for Leslie. She has bad boundaries and recruits folks for her mental story. And well, she’s still doing it here, casting her as the rom-com love interest who forgives the hero all their sins of “love” even though he hasn’t actually done much to directly address the worldview that spawned them.

    And she’s still unwilling to even admit what she wants from Leslie and speaks of her as a possession (which is another nice little switch caused by the greater realism where a cute running gag becomes something a bit more… awful). Which means if Leslie were to fulfill this fantasy and give her another second chance, she’d likely put her in much of the same position including bowling over her stated desires to fulfill an internal narrative of how the relationship “should go” all while denying the chemistry between them and shoving that all on Leslie so Robin can be “not queer”.

    And this Leslie has the self-respect to know that she doesn’t actually want that even if part of her still fantasizes about and craves Robin and holds out a torch of hope.

    And the sad part is, Robin could have had Leslie in her life. If she had respected boundaries. If she had listened to what Leslie was saying and thought about it before her life was ruined or if she hadn’t tried to force Leslie to adopt her as her new live-in girlfriend who denies being a girlfriend without her consent.

    But now, it may take a very long time before Leslie might ever trust Robin again and it very likely may never happen, this experience being so amazingly awful for her. And certainly it will not occur until Robin is ready to fully own what she did to Leslie and that making that right is not going to be as simple or as pleasant for her as standing by a conviction she actually has and accepting someone else’s vaguely queer-positive tweets as her own.

    It may take real soul-searching and may still wind up with her having eternally fucked it up and having to move on to someone new.

    And that’s okay. Her redemption will have meaning even if she doesn’t get the “Hollywood reward”, but I worry that Robin will lose steam on this superficially good path once it’s clear that she’s not going to get the instant Hollywood ending without doing real, hard introspective work.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      May 24, 2017 at 10:52 am | #

      Yeah I think part of what’s making Robin so gung-ho about things now is that she’s gotten some positive reinforcement for it on twitter, and a lifetime of romcoms telling her that her lesbian will apologetically run back into her ostensibly heterosexual arms.

      I think at the least, regardless of how she’ll be perceived or whatever blowback she gets, she’s still serious about getting Ryan in jail.

      • Temperaryobsessor
        Temperaryobsessor
        May 24, 2017 at 2:31 pm | #

        Now that the universe has forced me to learn my lesson Leslie will instantly come back to me acknowledge that I’ve changed and help me rebuild the life I had before but as a good person now, and as Ryan goes to jail because of the work we did together I shall get my office back and Leslie and I will cement our relationship.

  67. Paul1963
    Paul1963
    May 24, 2017 at 11:02 am | #

    At the bottom of every clickbait-listicle site: “Pantless Congresswoman Stands Outside Office for Hours.”

  68. MM
    MM
    May 24, 2017 at 11:26 am | #

    Life is not a rom-com, little bird.

    • Madock345
      Madock345
      May 24, 2017 at 11:31 am | #

      The funny thing is that In a way, DoA *is* a Rom-Com. Just not the kind Robin wants it to be. And she’s not the main character. She’s close to being right, but in all the wrong ways.

      • StClair
        StClair
        May 24, 2017 at 12:49 pm | #

        “There’s no sense of closure! I don’t know what happens next! THIS IS A TERRIBLE ENDING!”

        • Spencer
          Spencer
          May 24, 2017 at 12:52 pm | #

          I can’t even imagine what a DoA ending would look like.

          Unless it’s Ross going back in time to murder Roomies!Danny, thus creating a time storm that threatens to wipe the cast from existence anyway.

          (I’m watching Beast Wars again. Sorry)

          • Commodore Jeep-Eep
            Commodore Jeep-Eep
            May 24, 2017 at 4:12 pm | #

            They’re abducted by aliens.

            And thus the great cycle of the cosmos continues.

            • Spencer
              Spencer
              May 24, 2017 at 4:15 pm | #

              My greatest hope is that at some point we get another Willis Sci-Fi comic. It’s Walky! is a masterpiece.

              • Fart Captor
                Fart Captor
                May 24, 2017 at 8:03 pm | #

                If Dina and Becky do enough science together, would that count as science fiction?

          • emusam
            emusam
            May 24, 2017 at 5:53 pm | #

            Graduation, probably, but none of use will live that long. Alternately, the end of the school year, and graduation for any seniors.

  69. Luchucholo
    Luchucholo
    May 24, 2017 at 12:14 pm | #

    Delusional politician? Oh, please, that’s so old news…

  70. Ryek Hvek
    Ryek Hvek
    May 24, 2017 at 1:14 pm | #

    Obviously we need some callbacks to the final ‘tumbleweed’ panel, and my vote is for a giant lesbian potato

    • Commodore Jeep-Eep
      Commodore Jeep-Eep
      May 24, 2017 at 4:11 pm | #

      The fuck am I looking at?

  71. Wixvhen
    Wixvhen
    May 24, 2017 at 2:02 pm | #

    I think it’s because she’s standing in her underwear and a shirt. This is what we call a ‘political meltdown’.

  72. Roborat
    Roborat
    May 24, 2017 at 2:56 pm | #

    Just off camera is a small horde of reporters.

    Reporter: “Why are we still just standing here?”

    Other Reporter: “Shhh, nobody can move until she does.”

  73. Daibhid C
    Daibhid C
    May 24, 2017 at 4:28 pm | #

    I was going to post something about Robin also wondering where the cheesy background music was.

    Then I realised that, no, she’s actually hearing it.

    • StClair
      StClair
      May 24, 2017 at 9:05 pm | #

      Yes.

  74. Eldritch Gentleman
    Eldritch Gentleman
    May 24, 2017 at 6:29 pm | #

    Robin just threw herself under the bus that is life…

  75. bryy
    bryy
    May 24, 2017 at 11:23 pm | #

    Robin’s just incapable of learning, isn’t she?
    Kind of like another politician…..

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Star Wars Episode IV
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I got my Prop Scaffolding in, so it was NO WAY HOME SHELF DISPLAY TIME
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For May's first bonus strip, folks voted for CARLA! and you'll enjoy this non-carla preview image Read this bonus strip and hundreds of previous at the Dumbing of Age Patreon: patreon.com/dumbingofage and remember you can always pledge up to read tomorrow's strip right the eff now
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Bros
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PANEL 3: MATTIE grabs the zine.
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today in #9chickweedlane i learned the cartoonist definitely forgot the 2023 storyline in which mary showed up again and amos didn't recognize or remember her and mary was very clearly into him, and also her hair is just Juliette's Hair But Black today, rather than Mary's curly hair
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@damnyouwillis.bsky.social Well that's interesting
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Today I learned...
Psalty's Salvation Celebration: The Movie, starring a young Bethany Joy Lenz
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