Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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vivian first showed up in a patreon bonus strip
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May 28, 2026

Vivian

by David M Willis on April 6, 2017 at 12:01 am
  • 03 - The Thing I Was Before
└ Tags: leslie, vivian

Discussion (205) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    April 6, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    “Hey, Les, what didja do, jump ship?”

    “Wha?”

    “Well, what’s with the life preserver?”

    • Ana Chronistic
      Ana Chronistic
      April 6, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

      did Vivian’s class ever figure out whether that dress was blue and black, or white and gold

      • Pablo360
        Pablo360
        April 6, 2017 at 12:08 am | #

        Neither, it was green and red and that was the end of that

        • Falling Star
          Falling Star
          April 6, 2017 at 5:56 am | #

          I always saw it as green and brown.

          • bobjohnsonandthediglets
            bobjohnsonandthediglets
            April 6, 2017 at 11:14 am | #

            I thought it was all the colors of the wind

        • BrokenEye, True False Prophet
          BrokenEye, True False Prophet
          April 7, 2017 at 6:45 am | #

          I am a great magician. Your clothes are red!

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      April 6, 2017 at 12:06 am | #

      If Leslie time traveled back to the 1950s, who do you think she would kill first?

      • Rukduk
        Rukduk
        April 6, 2017 at 12:28 am | #

        That is a long, long, long list of people competing for position 1. Hmmm. Well, it’s the 1950s so Reagan isn’t anywhere close to being president. If she kills him we avoid Reaganomics, the increasingly encroaching power of the executive branch, we avoid a major instance of funding being cut from most federal programs in order to enrich defense spending, and the evangelical strategy gets nipped in the bud. However, killing Nixon keeps the Republicans for embracing the Dixiecrat racists and puts a hold on the war on drugs. However, in the 50s he’s a rising star commie-hunter politician, so that could make the red scare even worse. Both of these options do however stop two of the most toxic political alliances (and thus political validation) from occurring. But the ripple effects could also create something very dangerous in the long run.

        • Passchendaele
          Passchendaele
          April 6, 2017 at 12:53 am | #

          She could also have gone after McCarthy, as he was spewing his BS all over the place and hurting a *lot* of innocent people. Killing the most famous commie-hunter might lead to mass panic about 50s Russian involvement (ironic, since most spies had already gotten the hint the US government was watching them and fled) and more damage. On the other hand, his behavior, lack of evidence, and reptuation for being a chronic liar killed him by the early 50s, where he was ignored by his political peers and died in exile, so, at worst, she would delay the inevitable reveal of his true colors, but perhaps save enough lives by undermining his evil and above-average charisma to make up for that. In other words, sunglasses and a rifle and she’ll help the world. 😛

          • Passchendaele
            Passchendaele
            April 6, 2017 at 12:55 am | #

            Uggh, *political and social exile. Sadly, they didn’t kick him out for lying, but he died of kidney damage from alcoholism a few years after the Senate censured, or silenced, him.

          • Reltzik
            Reltzik
            April 6, 2017 at 8:45 am | #

            Or turn him into a martyr and prevent the truth from ever coming out.

          • Guairdean Beatha
            Guairdean Beatha
            April 6, 2017 at 11:02 am | #

            Sadly, McCarthy wasn’t even the head of the snake. He was just a convenient mouthpiece. Censuring him silence one very loud voice, but the accusations still came form other sources. It was less about the “Red Scare” and more about power plays. When Joseph Welch spoke against him, many realized that they were in danger. A simple accusation against someone in power put them on the defensive. By censuring McCarthy, they won a few votes, and a stay of execution for anyone that McCarthy (and mainly those backing him) wanted out of the way. If you want to kill the Hydra, you have to know which head is immortal. The others (like McCarthy) are expendable.

        • Goblin Scribe
          Goblin Scribe
          April 6, 2017 at 3:20 am | #

          The Republicans were already leaning Dixiecrat—Nixon implemented the strategy, but ironically, he was a lot more socially progressive (in POLICY) than many give him credit for, and openly despised the politics of the John Birch Society, as well as Goldwater, who he warned would turn the GOP into the “nation’s first all-white party”.

          Killing Reagan potentially puts someone in charge who would do something about the AIDS crisis, so I’m thinking him.

        • ValdVin
          ValdVin
          April 6, 2017 at 5:03 am | #

          Would offing Nixon prevent everyone who might go on to invent the Southern strategy in the 60s after the CRA and VRA?

          I’m not saying you’re wrong, but that the history (sic) of time travel is full of people who failed to.stop the Nazis.

          • Jhon
            Jhon
            April 6, 2017 at 9:59 pm | #

            “…failed to stop the Nazis”

            “Because, you know Hitler evaded or survived at least 54 attempts on his life. What does that tell you?”

            “That he was… protected? Why? To ensure your future?”

            “No. To ensure a future.”

        • Reltzik
          Reltzik
          April 6, 2017 at 8:48 am | #

          This is Leslie.

          Leslie’s pretty non-violent. I don’t know if she’s explicitly non-violent, but that’s her leaning.

          So she wouldn’t go around killing people. She’d go around educating them. She would find young Bill O’Reilly and open his eyes while he was still impressionable.

        • Felgraf
          Felgraf
          April 6, 2017 at 11:02 pm | #

          I turn to the wisdom of Pratchett:
          Shoot the dictator and prevent the war? But the dictator is merely the tip of the whole festering boil of social pus from which dictators emerge; shoot one, and there’ll be another one along in a minute. Shoot him too? Why not shoot everyone and invade Poland? In fifty years’, thirty years’, ten years’ time the world will be very nearly back on its old course. History always has a great weight of inertia. – Lords and Ladies

      • Smiling Cat
        Smiling Cat
        April 6, 2017 at 12:37 am | #

        The tenth person who called her a boy.

        (that hair and those pants just aren’t 50’s womanly)

      • vlademir1
        vlademir1
        April 6, 2017 at 3:34 am | #

        That’s a silly question, she wouldn’t kill anyone.
        Starting with the potential targets mentioned by Rukduk:
        Regan was mainly a TV actor during the ’50s and ended the decade as the president of SAG before moving into politics. There are many, many ways to change his later impact without killing anyone.
        Nixon spent the majority of the ’50s as the VPotUS under Ike. Killing him during the ’50s is effectively handing the Republicans of that era all kinds of political power. His [attempted] assassination gives them something to whip up even stronger anti-communist frenzy than what was seen and all but assures Kennedy doesn’t take PotUS in ’60 as Nixon now either gets replaced with a “better” candidate in ’60 (as he’s dead) or rides into the office on a wave of anti-communist views that more than compensates for his shortcomings vs Kennedy. That in turn probably puts Kennedy off the PotUS slot for nearly another half decade or else he outright never gets it which changes all sorts of elements in the political landscape from ’60 onward and makes the full outcomes unpredictable (especially anything involving the Dixie-crats due to potentially no need to push the Southern Strategy or anything involving US relations in relation to communist nations due to the heightened anti-communist sentiments).
        Regarding McCarthy, Passchendaele said all that need be said.
        I could maybe make a case for James Earl Ray and/or Lee Harvey Oswald, among other similar cases, but I firmly believe that in any of these cases it’s a crap shoot of cascading repercussions where the world ends up. Further, I personally can’t feel right condoning anyone being killed for a crime they have not yet attempted or even thought of let alone committed and that is something I feel Leslie would agree with, hence my opening assumption she wouldn’t kill anyone.

      • Clif
        Clif
        April 6, 2017 at 11:54 am | #

        Taking out Nixon would be interesting. You don’t get normalization of relationships with China, and that either leads to the fall of China along with the Soviet Union or an eventual War with China that we can’t win without using Nukes.

      • Opus the Poet
        Opus the Poet
        April 6, 2017 at 8:50 pm | #

        Simple, Donald Trump’s racist father. D gets killed in ‘Nam instead of getting 5 deferrals, his sister gets the $ and gives generously to women’s causes, and we get spared a decade of bad TV and jokes about getting fired. Not to mention that other thing with D getting elected.

        BTW Bad Joke warning. We have had time travelers for decades killing Baby Hitlers, that’s the reason for the SIDS epidemic.

    • Undrave
      Undrave
      April 6, 2017 at 12:08 am | #

      Man I was going to make a McFly joke…

      • Nakams
        Nakams
        April 6, 2017 at 12:11 am | #

        That’s what I was here for as well. This is heavy!

        • Pablo360
          Pablo360
          April 6, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

          Marty: “This is heavy.”
          Doc Brown: “You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”

          • Aeron
            Aeron
            April 6, 2017 at 2:30 am | #

            “In the future, is there something wrong with the American education system?”

            • DonDueed
              DonDueed
              April 6, 2017 at 10:15 am | #

              Oh yes.

            • Silly Name
              Silly Name
              April 6, 2017 at 4:17 pm | #

              So much.

          • Godfather
            Godfather
            April 6, 2017 at 2:00 pm | #

            I thought it went like this:

            “There’s that word again, ‘heavy’! What does that mean? Is the earth’s gravitational pull stronger in the future? Is there something wrong with the American educational system in the future?”

        • Undrave
          Undrave
          April 6, 2017 at 12:14 am | #

          “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

          • Orion Fury
            Orion Fury
            April 6, 2017 at 12:37 am | #

            *click

            • Falling Star
              Falling Star
              April 6, 2017 at 2:46 pm | #

              [snap snap]

        • 3-I
          3-I
          April 6, 2017 at 4:42 am | #

          Seriously, aaagh, I was just about to, and… agh.

    • Passchendaele
      Passchendaele
      April 6, 2017 at 12:17 am | #

      “Because this is actually the movie Titanic, but were both Rose and there isn’t a Jack.”

      “So there’s jack Jack.”

      “…”

    • Power Stranger
      Power Stranger
      April 6, 2017 at 5:12 am | #

      “What’s wrong, Bean? CHICKEN?”

      • Schol-R-LEA
        Schol-R-LEA
        April 6, 2017 at 11:38 am | #

        You can’t say that to Bean, or McFly, and make it stick. Col. Sanders, on the other hand, didn’t exactly stand up to Dark Helmet. (not the real Harlan Sanders, of course. He was never actually a colonel.)

    • Tomas
      Tomas
      April 7, 2017 at 3:36 pm | #

      [Suddenly, a green energy portal opens and Rick jumps out.]

      “Leslie! (burp) Y-y-y-ya gotta come with me! (belch) The- the Soggies may rule Leslie!”

  2. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    April 6, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    “Well yeah. I mean, I took a photo of the debate team, and you’re on the debate team. So…”

  3. m90photo instant nocorner itxtalt
    m90photo
    April 6, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    VIVIAN.

  4. Kris
    Kris
    April 6, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

    Vivian seems nice.

    • TheAnonymousGuy
      TheAnonymousGuy
      April 6, 2017 at 12:38 am | #

      Yes, though i’m pretty sure she’s a rule 63 self-portrait of Willis.

      • Fart Captor
        Fart Captor
        April 6, 2017 at 12:46 am | #

        You have given me some absolutely horrible ideas for make-out art picks

        • TheAnonymousGuy
          TheAnonymousGuy
          April 6, 2017 at 3:28 am | #

          (In announcer voice) Next week on the Fuck Zone!

          • Tenn
            Tenn
            April 6, 2017 at 3:50 pm | #

            Vivian slash Lady in Red Car.

            OH NO I DI’NT.

          • Tenn
            Tenn
            April 6, 2017 at 3:54 pm | #

            So I read the Kickstarter preview comic.

            It supports my theory that Danny is actually a young Jon Arbuckle.

            • Tenn
              Tenn
              April 6, 2017 at 3:55 pm | #

              Shit, that was supposed to be a new comment.

        • Falling Star
          Falling Star
          April 6, 2017 at 5:57 am | #

          You mean amazing, right?

      • Kris
        Kris
        April 6, 2017 at 6:38 am | #

        Now I can’t unsee it! Why would you do this to me?!

      • Godfather
        Godfather
        April 6, 2017 at 2:01 pm | #

        I THOUGHT THAT TOO

        I was highly confused as to why Willis was in the strip. Though it’s wonderful to see him!

  5. TrueVCU
    TrueVCU
    April 6, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

    A GROUP photo with OTHER CONGRESSPEOPLE

    Behold, Leslie’s (crappily concealed) secret fetish

    • Pablo360
      Pablo360
      April 6, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

      Words containing the letter ‘o’

      • Orion Fury
        Orion Fury
        April 6, 2017 at 12:26 am | #

        There’s worse letters to fetishize.

        • 3oranges
          3oranges
          April 6, 2017 at 12:33 am | #

          Dumbing of Age, now with additional Ds, Os, and As available.

          • Orion Fury
            Orion Fury
            April 6, 2017 at 12:37 am | #

            Well the internet is abound with what ‘D’ and ‘O’ are, but ‘A’ is unknown to me.

            • Leorale
              Leorale
              April 6, 2017 at 2:02 am | #

              The A is roughly half of T&A.

              Text and Ads. Lots of those on the internets you know.

              • KingoHrts
                KingoHrts
                April 6, 2017 at 8:16 am | #

                Or Time and Attendance if you are a Federal Government Employee or Timekeeper.

              • Orion Fury
                Orion Fury
                April 7, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

                Oh yeah.

  6. JetstreamGW
    JetstreamGW
    April 6, 2017 at 12:06 am | #

    Shut. Up. Vivian. UGH! 😛

    • Kris
      Kris
      April 6, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

      Oy! Vivian’s done nothing wrong. Calling people out on their shame is a public service.

  7. Shiro
    Shiro
    April 6, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

    I’ll just sit here patiently til someone recaps us on who Vivian is (I’m a Patreon backer if someone wants to point me in the right direction there)

    Also I FINALLY got to backreading It’s Walky, and now I understand the people who don’t totally hate Joe. My view of him’s already pretty well tainted so that was a lost cause, but I can see now why others might not. He had, like, a second note to his personality back then.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      April 6, 2017 at 12:11 am | #

      He’s decent in Shortpacked, which is where my intro to him came from, but yeah, he’s a dick thus far. Not too far to the point I can’t forgive if he legitimately has depth or changes, but a dick.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        April 6, 2017 at 12:11 am | #

        Also, it’s one of the first bonus strips. She hangs out with Leslie, though we didn’t get a name.

      • 3-I
        3-I
        April 6, 2017 at 4:49 am | #

        something something dick with depth something

    • Pablo360
      Pablo360
      April 6, 2017 at 12:11 am | #

      The question is: Is the change to Joe better or worse for the comic as a whole? Discuss.

      • Sporky
        Sporky
        April 6, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

        I think it’s better, and weirdly, I think Joe being less three-dimensional actually lends more nuance to the strip as a whole.

      • Shiro
        Shiro
        April 6, 2017 at 12:15 am | #

        Jury’s out til he finishes his character arc, imo.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        April 6, 2017 at 2:10 am | #

        Huh, I thought Joe was more three-dimensional in DoA than he was in Roomies. He’s got secrets now, for example. Plus he doesn’t run down hallways making kissy-faces at women, so that’s a major improvement.

        I think it’s nifty that this Joe sees himself as a champion of respect and consent, when in fact he’s often barely on this side of the line.

        • Grethelwvier
          Grethelwvier
          April 6, 2017 at 3:30 am | #

          I believe he is genuinely big on consent. Not so much on respect, though. I think I would be more bothered if he was looking to be in a relationship, yet he very adamantly is not. He seems perfectly aware of his actions, and while he is currently a dick (this is not by any means an excuse for his behavior), I wonder sometimes if he’s actually somewhat scared to look for a relationship after his seeing how volatile his parents’ marriage was, and how much happier they both were after the divorce. And I’m interested to see if/how his behavior in the event that he becomes ready make such an emotional connection.

          • Grethelwvier
            Grethelwvier
            April 6, 2017 at 3:33 am | #

            *his behavior changes in the event…

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          April 6, 2017 at 7:58 am | #

          Definitely. Comparing DoA Joe to Walkyverse Joe is something of a disservice. The Walky one had a lot of character development over the years and by the end of SP! was much improved over Roomies.

          DoA Joe is better then Roomies Joe, but is still at the start of his character arc. I do hope, that unlike SP! Joe, he does have to face how problematic his behavior was rather than just growing out of it.

          • Leorale
            Leorale
            April 6, 2017 at 2:09 pm | #

            That’s a good way to put it, that DoA Joe is at the beginning of his arc, whereas Walkyverse Joe finished his (mainly by growing out of his poor behaviours).

            I think that a character with the clear potential to have an arc is roughly as deep as the character who has just completed an arc. For me, depth is more about having many facets or aspects, especially usually-hidden ones, having lots of nuances. My personal definition may or may not have any relationship to what the word actually means in literature, though. I’ma look it up.

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              April 6, 2017 at 2:45 pm | #

              Kind of, but it’s hard to judge the depth until it actually happens. Does the character still have depth if the arc never gets shown? Or if there is an arc but it only shows the limits of his shallowness? (unlikely here, but possible).

              • Leorale
                Leorale
                April 6, 2017 at 2:51 pm | #

                Hmm. I think I’d say that a character with never-shown depth still has the depth, but that it doesn’t matter to the audience, since the audience can’t access it.

                • Leorale
                  Leorale
                  April 6, 2017 at 2:55 pm | #

                  But! An arc involves change that happens over time. An arc is a great way to find out about a character’s depth (and perhaps the best way) but it’s not the only way. A person can be deep within a single moment of their personal development.

                • Leorale
                  Leorale
                  April 6, 2017 at 2:58 pm | #

                  For you, is depth something that a person has right now, or something that happens?

            • Leorale
              Leorale
              April 6, 2017 at 2:50 pm | #

              Anyway back to the subject at hand, yes, having Joe being probably-more-multidimensional, and way less assault-y (esp. in an unexamined way), definitely improves the comic for me.

              Also, in DoA, it’s a central part of the world that pretty much everything meaningfully impacts other people (which is also very true irl). In DoA, unlike in the Walkyverse, Joe’s words/behaviours are clearly shown to meaningfully impact all the other characters, and I love that.

              • BBCC
                BBCC
                April 6, 2017 at 4:10 pm | #

                I’m waiting for him to be meaningfully impacted.

                Via elbow to ribs when he grabs someone next.

                • Leorale
                  Leorale
                  April 6, 2017 at 7:01 pm | #

                  I too would find this 100% acceptable.

                • thejeff
                  thejeff
                  April 6, 2017 at 7:30 pm | #

                  I’ve said before, I’d really like to see Joe’s “game” in action. See how he responds to rejections that are less vehement than Joyce’s punches or Sarah’s threats.

                  Or see him dealing with someone who regrets what they did.

                  Outright punching when he grabs is good too, but I’d rather see subtler issues. It’s pretty clear Joe’s okay on respecting lack of consent when it’s delivered with fists, but how does he handle someone who’s too well-mannered to push back that hard? Or someone who might be interested in dating, but not just a one-night stand.

                • BBCC
                  BBCC
                  April 6, 2017 at 10:20 pm | #

                  I’d like to see those scenarios too, but Joe’s grabbing women thus far has not met with any serious pushback. All we had was mildly discomforting looks and no outright objections (and Joe has tried to pick up on their discomfort zero). But that’s so gross, I want that particular aspect of consent to be delivered with a proverbial brick.

  8. Archivist
    Archivist
    April 6, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

    My real question is whether Leslie bought that vest as a B^F homage.

    • Pablo360
      Pablo360
      April 6, 2017 at 12:10 am | #

      No, Marty McFly bought that vest as a DoA homage.

      • Aurora
        Aurora
        April 6, 2017 at 1:08 am | #

        Depending on how much Willis lets the timescale slide, it could be plausible. I mean maybe smart phones were invented in the 80’s in this universe?

    • Sporky
      Sporky
      April 6, 2017 at 12:11 am | #

      Maybe it’s genuinely a life preserver and she’s afraid of drowning

    • Kris
      Kris
      April 6, 2017 at 12:20 am | #

      Only if she also skateboarded to school today!

      • Rukduk
        Rukduk
        April 6, 2017 at 12:31 am | #

        I really want her to crank out a guitar solo in class now. Just because.

        • foamy
          foamy
          April 6, 2017 at 2:40 am | #

          The power of love is a curious thing.

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      April 6, 2017 at 8:12 am | #

      Clever user of the carat “^” to abbrev that title. As an engineer I should have seen it before.

  9. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    April 6, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

    *plays Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome” on the hacked Muzak*

    • Lingo
      Lingo
      April 6, 2017 at 12:27 am | #

      *plays Lawsuit’s “North Dakotachrome”*

  10. Undrave
    Undrave
    April 6, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

    “So what if I moved all the desktop icons so you would see her? It’s just coincidence that I like all my icons aligned on the opposite side. Vivian.”

    • Orion Fury
      Orion Fury
      April 6, 2017 at 12:30 am | #

      “So what if she’s surrounded by scribbles of hearts, they just better highlight the use of negative space that the photographer used. Vivian.”

      • Goblin Scribe
        Goblin Scribe
        April 6, 2017 at 3:28 am | #

        “So what if three of the desktop icons lead to half-finished love letters to her? It’s just creative writing, and to be frank, I’m sure *you’ve* written some things *you* don’t really believe, I mean, I doubt JK Rowling really believes broomsticks allow you to fly. Vivian.”

  11. BBCC
    BBCC
    April 6, 2017 at 12:10 am | #

    Well, this is gonna be awkward.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      April 6, 2017 at 1:05 am | #

      That will be a real change of pace…

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        April 6, 2017 at 1:40 am | #

        I know. Dumbing of Age is very very awkward for someone every day.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      April 6, 2017 at 6:57 am | #

      It might motivate Leslie to do something about Robin (even if it’s find out what’s going through that twisty pretzel of a brain the Congresswoman has in her head). I’ve still not dumped my idea that Robin’s having a breakdown and just wants someone with whom she can hide from her public identity.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        April 6, 2017 at 10:19 am | #

        I think that’s very possible, and I’m kind of wondering right now if she might have Histrionic Personality Disorder, as some of the criteria sound a lot like her, as far as I can tell. Does anybody who knows more want to weigh in on that?

  12. Stu
    Stu
    April 6, 2017 at 12:11 am | #

    “Not helping your case” – the comic strip!

  13. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    April 6, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

    Did Vivian ever appear in the Walkyverse?

    Also does she go by “Vivs”?

    • Sporky
      Sporky
      April 6, 2017 at 12:14 am | #

      1. No, she’s a DoA original.

      2. I seriously hope not

      • Scar Man!!!
        Scar Man!!!
        April 6, 2017 at 1:06 pm | #

        she’s an author avatar according to everyone here

  14. Kernanator
    Kernanator
    April 6, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

    Leslie, you are going to find it very hard to teach if you keep feeling the need to hold your hands in front of your face.

  15. Passchendaele
    Passchendaele
    April 6, 2017 at 12:14 am | #

    Vivian is unpersuaded by your poor logic. Flee before she prepares her truth-lazerz(tm)

    …How long has Leslie been crushing on Robin? o-o

    • Rukduk
      Rukduk
      April 6, 2017 at 12:34 am | #

      Apparently at least a year in comic time. Possibly when Robin was first elected, because those seats are up for reelection every 2 years meaning most representatives (the majority of congress) spend almost all of their time in campaign mode.

  16. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    April 6, 2017 at 12:14 am | #

    “Also, she turned total psycho-stalker-squatter on me and I’m not safe in my own home please send help. VIVIAN.”

  17. Pablo360
    Pablo360
    April 6, 2017 at 12:14 am | #

    This is why I don’t develop crushes on public figures. Well, this, and the fact that Maxine Waters is currently married to Sid Williams. I mean, that hasn’t stopped other people, but it does stop me.

  18. Sporky
    Sporky
    April 6, 2017 at 12:15 am | #

    So unless I’ve got this wrong, Vivian is a professor? Or a TA? It wouldn’t make much sense to talk to her so casually if not but she looks really young to me.

    • Cerberus
      Cerberus
      April 6, 2017 at 1:10 am | #

      I’m pretty sure she’s a fellow professor.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      April 6, 2017 at 1:39 am | #

      All we know is she gets to teach a class all on her lonesome. Jason and Penny don’t. That could be a departmental thing, but it seems more likely to be that she’s a professor and not a TA.

      • anonymsly
        anonymsly
        April 6, 2017 at 10:51 am | #

        I had one or two math classes taught fully by grad students (linear algebra for one) rather than actual professors. I’d bet that Penny and Jason are in their first or second year of grad school and that’s why they’re TAing basic calc for their faculty advisor.

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          April 6, 2017 at 11:16 am | #

          Oh, I’m sure grad students get to teach too (though, at my school, they only seem to TA), but it seems like she’s a professor, not a TA.

  19. Wraithy2773
    Wraithy2773
    April 6, 2017 at 12:19 am | #

    I normally hate this quote. It’s an example of shallow, sexist thinking, and there’s the way it can be used by utter douchebags to justify all sorts of ugly, sexist shit, hidden behind the veneer of “Its Shakespearean, and therefore classy!”

    But, in this case? I think it fits.

    Methinks the lady doth protest too much…

    • Orion Fury
      Orion Fury
      April 6, 2017 at 12:31 am | #

      I know, right? Vivian just goes on and on and on…

  20. Tenzhi
    Tenzhi
    April 6, 2017 at 12:19 am | #

    On many desktops, a little off to the viewer’s right actually makes for a better focal point. I’ve had a few wallpapers that I had to flip horizontally so the best part wasn’t covered by icons.

    • Sporky
      Sporky
      April 6, 2017 at 12:23 am | #

      It’s not just on desktops!

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds

      • Orion Fury
        Orion Fury
        April 6, 2017 at 12:35 am | #

        Well that’s neat.

  21. chris73
    chris73
    April 6, 2017 at 12:21 am | #

    Time to pay the piper Leslie

    • Fart Captor
      Fart Captor
      April 6, 2017 at 12:44 am | #

      I feel like home invasion more than covers her having had a problematic crush

      • JBento
        JBento
        April 6, 2017 at 1:30 pm | #

        I agree, though I feel like “I saw you sleeping and you looked comfy, so I went to sleep in your bed next to you even though we barely know each other” should merit something more than ‘just’ home invasion. Unfortunately, I think “what in the ever loving fuck?!” isn’t an actual crime, so is there a name for it, legally-speaking?

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          April 6, 2017 at 2:42 pm | #

          Both more and less somehow. More insane and less criminal maybe?

          “Home invasion” theoretically involves the intent to commit a violent crime. Which she doesn’t actually seem to have.

          Creepy as hell and I’d be worried about the chance of violence, but there’s been plenty of opportunity and it hasn’t happened.

          I’m really not sure how to handle breaking in to someone’s house in order to hold hands and watch cartoons. My brain just doesn’t compute.

          • BBCC
            BBCC
            April 6, 2017 at 4:08 pm | #

            Breaking and entering and maybe stalking charges?

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              April 6, 2017 at 7:39 pm | #

              Probably just misdemeanor trespass, unless there’s something else you can get to stick. Again, felony B&E usually requires some other crime – theft in most cases.
              Stalking’s possible, especially so as the behavior continues.

              Without taking some legal action to throw her out though, I suspect she’d have trouble getting anywhere. And that’s ignoring the whole “Is a Congresswoman” thing. First step to making any case is calling the police to have her removed. Doing so again, when and if she returns. For various reasons, Leslie’s unlikely to do that soon.

              • BBCC
                BBCC
                April 6, 2017 at 10:05 pm | #

                Hopefully she will soon.

  22. caesaria82
    caesaria82
    April 6, 2017 at 12:30 am | #

    New character alert! Vivian looks adorable. I love the freckles 🙂

  23. MatsuoTanuki
    MatsuoTanuki
    April 6, 2017 at 12:31 am | #

    And it don’t take money… dooon’t take fame!
    Don’t need no credit card to riiiide this train!
    It’s strong and it’s sudden, and I can be cruel sometimes…
    But it might just save your liiiiiiife!

  24. Rukduk
    Rukduk
    April 6, 2017 at 12:36 am | #

    Ok. This is interesting. Leslie’s apparently been crushing on Robin for almost a year in comic time. And at least some of her friends/colleagues know about it and don’t judge her too harshly about said crush.

    • Cerberus
      Cerberus
      April 6, 2017 at 1:12 am | #

      Don’t judge too harshly out loud. But that’s when it was an unrequited crush and not local news and an assumed relationship. The media framing might dramatically change that.

  25. Carms
    Carms
    April 6, 2017 at 12:45 am | #

    Vivian: I’ve been embarrassed for you for SO long, you’re only just catchingup?

  26. Bagge
    Bagge
    April 6, 2017 at 12:54 am | #

    GOD, VIVIAN, GET ON WITH THE PROGRAM!

    • JBento
      JBento
      April 6, 2017 at 11:05 am | #

      It’s a perfectly nice program, Vivian. Why aren’t you getting on with it?

      I e-mailed it to everyone, Vivian!

      I even colour-coded the text for you.

      [B] VIVIAN. [/B]

  27. Bagge
    Bagge
    April 6, 2017 at 1:01 am | #

    I’m at least glad Leslie seem to have survived the gauntlet of reporters. 🙁

    • Falling Star
      Falling Star
      April 6, 2017 at 6:00 am | #

      She had to dig up her old Portal gun.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      April 6, 2017 at 8:43 am | #

      It’s been 24 hours. The news cycle has pedaled on to its next shiny thing.

  28. Keulan
    Keulan
    April 6, 2017 at 1:03 am | #

    I don’t remember Vivian from the Walkyverse. I’m assuming if she’s not a new character then she probably only had a brief appearance in a single strip or something.

    • Keulan
      Keulan
      April 6, 2017 at 1:05 am | #

      Or I could actually fucking read the alt text. D’oh!

  29. OnyxIdol
    OnyxIdol
    April 6, 2017 at 1:22 am | #

    VIVIAN!! Nice to meet you.

  30. Cerberus
    Cerberus
    April 6, 2017 at 1:25 am | #

    Comic Reactions:

    Panel 2: Oof, Leslie is clearly expecting some measure of backlash for her presumed relationship with Robin. And it’s really sad that her first reaction is deep embarrassment the first time she runs into someone she knows.

    Like, she did nothing wrong. She set boundaries, tried to navigate around the bad judgment from her crush, and is being relentlessly stalked by a congresswoman who believes consequences are for other people.

    But she knows that that’s not what her peers and students are going to see and if she’s already hiding behind her hand at the first hello, that doesn’t bode well at all for the remainder of her day and classes. Especially since she’s going to look even more guilty because of that response.

    Panel 4: As demonstrated here. Leslie’s crush is apparently informally well known among her peers and she’s not done a good job of hiding it, which means they’re all assuming that she must have succeeded at getting with her crush and assuming that she didn’t have any or enough major objections to Robin’s policies and views to dissuade that.

    And, that’s really hammered home by Vivian’s emphasis of “just now”. In her eyes being attracted to a virulently anti-gay politician is something Leslie should have been embarrassed about a long time ago if she is going to be ashamed of it and she’s dropping that barb with little softening or sympathy.

    I was worried a bit back that the misinterpretation of what happened will mean her losing respect from her community, students, and peers and I’m worried we’re seeing the first signs of that. If so, this is only going to get worse for Leslie as the day goes on.

    Panels 5-6: Oh Leslie, no. I get the frustration, but you’re not doing your case any favors and making it seem even more likely that the photo was not a mistake, but a sign of a mutual romance. Like, yeah, people are probably likely not to believe your denials that things are mostly innocent, but it’s a lot easier case and a true case to make compared to trying to deny you had a crush and did little crush things along the way.

    And I just feel so bad for her. She had a problematic crush that she saw the awfulness of and tried to break away from Robin before she decided to push and push against her boundaries and now people are using the previous signs of the crush to judge her for how Robin’s antics have made things look.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      April 6, 2017 at 1:55 am | #

      She had a crush on the imaginary Robin who would listen to Leslie and change her most harmful political stances (though she kinda knew this was wishful/libido-fueled thinking).

      Likewise, she crushed on the imaginary Robin who wasn’t a relentless stalker. Rather a deal-breaker there.

      (Yes, I am aware that Robin is imaginary no matter what, but the point stands!)

      • Cerberus
        Cerberus
        April 6, 2017 at 2:19 am | #

        Which, yeah, of course she did. That’s what separates a crush from something like love. She has deep infatuation to an idea in her head, a fantasy. Like everyone else who’s had a random crush, she’s attracted to a concept more than an actual person and she’s been struggling between the weight of her libido trying to argue that that idea exists somewhere deep inside Robin if she gives in and her head that knows that the real Robin is something she needs to stay far far away from and try to escape.

        And that’s the tragedy of this. She had a sexy fantasy, but that sexy fantasy is not actually something she wants to live. It comes with aspects that make her hate herself when it is brutally present in her life as much as her body might crave the idea of it all.

        And that sexy fantasy is becoming more and more poisonous and people are using that fantasy to assume her real world actions and morals.

    • Tarmaniel
      Tarmaniel
      April 6, 2017 at 2:32 am | #

      Remember that no other characters actually know Robin is stalking Leslie. For all they know she went straight to the bar with Robin after class and then took her home voluntarily, which probably will not go over well.

      • Cerberus
        Cerberus
        April 6, 2017 at 3:55 am | #

        Yup! Which is the worst of both worlds. She’s got hell on Earth at home and she’s being judged for voluntarily sleeping with Robin at work.

        • JBento
          JBento
          April 6, 2017 at 11:09 am | #

          Well, to be fair, she shouldn’t be sleeping with Robin at work.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      April 6, 2017 at 3:29 am | #

      🙁

  31. Northamptonier
    Northamptonier
    April 6, 2017 at 1:27 am | #

    Welp, Danny was bad enough at danning things up even before he had that thing in his hands. I hope y’all are happy, “Unknown evil” voters. It’ll be a long 4 years (unless we can force an impeachment; is there a “Ukulele clause” somewhere?) but someday our Carla in Chief will come. Until then, Resist!

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      April 6, 2017 at 7:14 am | #

      Okay, I’m (mumblemumble) years out of college. When I think “ukelele” I go to Stutz Bearcats, raccoon coats, and John Held Jr.

      So, what does “ukelele clause” mean?

  32. Teddae
    Teddae
    April 6, 2017 at 1:45 am | #

    i wanna hug leslie…

  33. BenRG
    BenRG
    April 6, 2017 at 2:19 am | #

    The point of this strip is quite straightforward: No-one who actually knows Leslie is surprised by the current media assumption that she is in a relationship with Robin.

  34. AGV
    AGV
    April 6, 2017 at 2:43 am | #

    Wait, DANI WILL GET PREGNANT?! Who’s the poor father/mama seahorse?

    • Amazi-Stool
      Amazi-Stool
      April 6, 2017 at 4:33 pm | #

      Mike!

  35. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    April 6, 2017 at 3:48 am | #

    I’m sure there’s an innuendo about Robin being a “congress-woman”, but I’m not clever enough to make it work. In the meantime, that’s a nice vest Leslie’s wearing.

  36. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    April 6, 2017 at 3:56 am | #

    Leslie should just hide out and change her identity. I hear “Gayle Incognita” is available.

  37. Micro-Girl
    Micro-Girl
    April 6, 2017 at 4:28 am | #

    So Vivian is Fem-Willis?

    • Micro-Girl
      Micro-Girl
      April 6, 2017 at 4:29 am | #

      And my avatar just made it awkward….

  38. Emily
    Emily
    April 6, 2017 at 5:22 am | #

    You are a disaster Leslie.

  39. Falling Star
    Falling Star
    April 6, 2017 at 5:55 am | #

    I’m drawing so many pics of Vivian now.

  40. Crumplepunch
    Crumplepunch
    April 6, 2017 at 6:33 am | #

    I like Vivian.

  41. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    April 6, 2017 at 7:00 am | #

    Thanks to some binge-watching I finally grok the meaning of fusion which Willis put into this Leslie/Robin strip ten weeks ago. Well played, sir.

  42. Commodore Jeep-Eep
    Commodore Jeep-Eep
    April 6, 2017 at 7:06 am | #

    Can’t honestly say I can find much sympathy, given the nature of her crush.

  43. achallenger
    achallenger
    April 6, 2017 at 7:13 am | #

    man, apology to all the vivians out there, but gosh dang is Vibian a great name to shout indignantly. just the right number of well shaped syllabuls.

    • Falling Star
      Falling Star
      April 6, 2017 at 2:49 pm | #

      Especially in a British accent.
      [please someone get the reference]

      • NickG
        NickG
        April 6, 2017 at 3:09 pm | #

        The Young Ones?

        • Falling Star
          Falling Star
          April 6, 2017 at 8:23 pm | #

          😀

  44. ChessboardMan
    ChessboardMan
    April 6, 2017 at 7:19 am | #

    I’ve read enough Yuri to realise that Vivian is the best friend who secretly has a crush on Leslie.
    What do you mean, this isn’t a yuri? What does that matter? Yuri is full of life lessons and fact.
    What do you mean that yuri isn’t exactly true to life?
    Hearsay!

    • No Name
      No Name
      April 6, 2017 at 12:44 pm | #

      Ok, just to clarify:
      Hearsay is when you cite your neighbor’s uncle’s cousin’s best friend’s spouse as a source.
      Heresy is when you believe something other than the current religious dogma.
      Which one’s closer to your intent?

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        April 6, 2017 at 2:15 pm | #

        Most likely heresy.

    • Falling Star
      Falling Star
      April 6, 2017 at 2:51 pm | #

      I read the word Yuri and thought you were comparing Vivian to Phichit.

      • CoMa
        CoMa
        April 6, 2017 at 7:11 pm | #

        Ohhh this reminds me of the initial outbreak of people complaining that the “word” Yuri in the anime’s title was very misleading…

  45. trlkly
    trlkly
    April 6, 2017 at 8:08 am | #

    This really confused me for a bit. I thought we’d gone back in time, as Leslie looks so young. It looks kinda like she’s dressed as a college student.

    Also I really did not expect this chill of a reaction from others.

  46. JayTheBookworm
    JayTheBookworm
    April 6, 2017 at 8:13 am | #

    VIVIAN!

    • Silly Name
      Silly Name
      April 6, 2017 at 4:14 pm | #

      Is this the new “FAAAAAACE”?

  47. Eldritch Gentleman
    Eldritch Gentleman
    April 6, 2017 at 10:16 am | #

    What happens when your emotional high dies down and you remember what you did when you were on it… like remembering being drunk but you can’t even blame it on the booze.

    • Falling Star
      Falling Star
      April 6, 2017 at 2:59 pm | #

      You become depressed.

    • OnyxIdol
      OnyxIdol
      April 6, 2017 at 3:16 pm | #

      Sounds like bipolar disorder.

  48. JBento
    JBento
    April 6, 2017 at 11:02 am | #

    Is it just me or does Vivian look a lot like Malaya? The folk who caught her on patreon, are they related?

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      April 6, 2017 at 11:14 am | #

      We don’t know. We only know she teaches in the same department as Leslie.

      She doesn’t look like Malaya’s mom did in Walkyverse though.

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      April 6, 2017 at 10:26 pm | #

      They are both women of color who have freckles. (I’m kinda guessing about Vivian — I’m not sure I would have assumed she is a woman of color if she weren’t next to the very white Leslie.) Also, in profile, Malaya’s nose kinda looks like Vivian’s, but of course Willisian noses are notoriously manneristic.

      “Malaya” is a traditional Philippine name (it means “Freedom” in Tagalog), and apart from the freckles, Malaya’s appearance is consistent with someone of Philippine ethnicity. Vivian is neither onomastically nor ethnically coded.

      I’m going with not related, but as a moderately face-blind person, if Malaya cut her hair short I would almost certainly confuse the two.

  49. JBento
    JBento
    April 6, 2017 at 11:13 am | #

    Ok, I just saw the new Sony ad. Between that and the Nivea campaign, is there a contest going on for “most overtly racist campaign, forget subtext” contest going on or something? Because I can’t believe that a bunch of non-braindead people actually saw either of them and went, “yeah, this is great, let’s go with it.”

    • Micro-Girl
      Micro-Girl
      April 6, 2017 at 12:34 pm | #

      All PR is good PR, you are just helping them out.

    • Falling Star
      Falling Star
      April 6, 2017 at 2:54 pm | #

      I thought the same thing, then I remembered:
      This is the USA.

  50. Joe Covenant
    Joe Covenant
    April 6, 2017 at 11:45 am | #

    VYVYAN!

    • Falling Star
      Falling Star
      April 6, 2017 at 2:52 pm | #

      NEIL!!

      • Joe Covenant
        Joe Covenant
        April 7, 2017 at 5:45 am | #

        …Neil.. Orange Peel!
        🙂

  51. Scar Man!!!
    Scar Man!!!
    April 6, 2017 at 1:08 pm | #

    So… wait, is Robin still squatting in her house?

    • JBento
      JBento
      April 6, 2017 at 1:24 pm | #

      She was when Leslie left for work, there’s no reason to believe she isn’t there now.

  52. Pablo360
    Pablo360
    April 6, 2017 at 1:58 pm | #

    [disclaimer: Not a Patreon supporter]

    $5 says the next strip includes Leslie clarifying that she didn’t actually hook up with Robin in any significant way (Steven Universe excluded).

    • JBento
      JBento
      April 6, 2017 at 2:06 pm | #

      I’ll take that action, based on the fact that this comic isn’t called Sensibling of Age.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      April 6, 2017 at 2:47 pm | #

      I doubt that’ll be revealed next strip, but I don’t think they did anything much beyond handholding and (maybe?) making out. Willis hasn’t exactly been shy about making it clear when sex happens, even outside of Slipshine.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      April 6, 2017 at 11:31 pm | #

      We’re contractually bound* on Patreon. No spoilers. 😛

      * – Not really. It’s mostly just an obstacle course and a blood oath, no paper trails.

  53. Tenn
    Tenn
    April 6, 2017 at 3:55 pm | #

    So I read the Kickstarter preview comic.

    It supports my theory that Danny is actually a young Jon Arbuckle.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      April 6, 2017 at 4:07 pm | #

      I…….that makes too much sense.

    • lia47
      lia47
      April 6, 2017 at 7:23 pm | #

      i never thought id say this but dont soil danny’s good name

    • Falling Star
      Falling Star
      April 6, 2017 at 8:31 pm | #

      No, Danny dresses much better.

  54. Baby Beluga
    Baby Beluga
    April 6, 2017 at 4:52 pm | #

    Please don’t hurt yourself, Spencer. If you want to talk to someone, email me–desklamp256@gmail.com

    • Baby Beluga
      Baby Beluga
      April 6, 2017 at 4:53 pm | #

      I can talk on the phone if you want–I’ll give you my number over email.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        April 6, 2017 at 6:25 pm | #

        Thank you for the offer. I’m okay now.

  55. C.T Phipps
    C.T Phipps
    April 6, 2017 at 4:55 pm | #

    You are valuable.

  56. Vulcanodon
    Vulcanodon
    April 6, 2017 at 5:30 pm | #

    But you, Spencer, are not unacceptable. Please don’t hurt yourself.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      April 6, 2017 at 5:38 pm | #

      I won’t. I’ve calmed down and I feel stupid and regretful for saying that stuff and I really wish I hadn’t.

  57. BBCC
    BBCC
    April 6, 2017 at 6:14 pm | #

    Spencer, no you’re not. You’re not a bad person, and you deserve to live. Is there anybody you can talk to who might be able to help? Can we?

  58. BBCC
    BBCC
    April 6, 2017 at 6:15 pm | #

    It’s okay to be upset and to post things while upset. Wanting them deleted and to leave is fine, but you didn’t do anything to warrant being IP blocked imo.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      April 6, 2017 at 6:27 pm | #

      Because I keep doing this. I keep losing my temper and acting like an asshole and saying awful shit. It’s not just being upset anymore I’m just being an ass to people for no reason.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      April 6, 2017 at 6:28 pm | #

      Like I stopped for nearly two months because I kept doing this and the minute I try coming back I do it again it’s absurd.

  59. Larkle
    Larkle
    April 6, 2017 at 10:16 pm | #

    I ship Leslie and Vivian.

  60. Oberon
    Oberon
    April 10, 2017 at 4:05 am | #

    Vivian.

  61. Ensiform
    Ensiform
    April 10, 2017 at 6:40 pm | #

    Actual possible spoiler:

    In the next strip, Danny is murdered.

Who should be the default doodle for Book 14?

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May 3, 2025 - FCBD @ Laughing Ogre Comics in Columbus, Ohio

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Few style explorations for the thumby of this one
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the speed racer episode is out now on youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwh9...
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 13h
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 14h
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
Sal relaxes on one of the couches in the commons room while looking at her phone.  There's no Carla here presently.
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Bros
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
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Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
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Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
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Dies Irae (Trap Remix) @gonebabygone.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
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PANEL 2: MATTIE peering in close to the bucket. One claw is raised, holding a little piece of paper folded over.
MATTIE: …But it looks like they all just started trading ZINES in there!
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PANEL 3: MATTIE grabs the zine.
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PANEL 4: Close up of the zine in MATTIE's hands. The title is STEVEN, THE CRAB DIRECTLY BELOW ME, IS A PIECE OF SHIT!
MATTIE: Haha okay this is pretty good
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
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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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
liz lemon was a soothsayer
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Smell like a hero (who won't do cunnilingus)
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Sentry body pillow.
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Bobby Schroeder @ponett.dog ⋅ 2d
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Heathcliff Meat Tank Tote Bag
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