Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
RSS
‹
›
  • Home
  • About/Read before posting
  • Archive↓
    • by calendar
  • Cast
  • Store↓
    • Main Store (books and stuff)
    • T-shirts
  • Patreon↓
    • Patreon (regular)
    • Patreon (NSFW)
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
trying to hate you, but too busy getting married
First Previous Random 189Comments Share Next Latest
Reddit Digg Facebook MySpace Delicious Stumbleupon Buzz Up! Mixx Technorati Google Bookmarks Yahoo Bookmarks Yahoo MyWeb Windows Live Propeller FriendFeed Newsvine Xanga LinkedIn Blinklist Twitter
Discover more Hiveworks comics
Star Impact
Jack McGee
A young, energetic woman fights her way up in the world of super-powered boxing after discovering the mighty gloves of her missing idol!
The Sanity Circus
Windy
Magic, monsters and mysteries await in the odd city of Sanity. It's up to Attley and a colorful group of characters to find out just what is going on.
Go Get a Roomie
Clover
Experience the queer journey of an upbeat hippie and the friendships she makes along the way! A tale of self-discovery and love of many forms.
Lilith's Word
inkPangur
If you had the power to make any wish come true using just one word, what would you say?
Ghost Junk Sickness
Studio CARTRIDGE, Laura Lee
Two hunters try to survive and end up being pushed to pursue a deadly bounty dubbed "The Ghost".
Dumbing of Age
David M Willis
Joyce has been homeschooled her entire life until now, when she's suddenly a freshman in college! Things don't go well.
The End
August Brown, Cory Brown
Two aliens crash a sci-fi convention and accidentally take seven nerds on an adventure that spans the galaxy!
Tigress Queen
Allison Shaw
A barbarian warlord and a pampered prince try to avoid a marriage alliance that could end decades of violence.
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
Nerf Now!!
Josué Pereira
A cute webcomic about fanservice, video games, and... love. Mostly video games, though.
The Automan's Daughter
Mike Stamm
Aisha Osman and her uncle Siddig outwit bikers, spies and kidnappers while gearing up for a showdown with the formidable Widowmaker mecha.
Stand Still, Stay Silent
Minna Sundberg
A few generations after the end of the world, a small, poorly financed research crew is sent out to rediscover whatever is left of the forbidden old world in the south.
Awaken
Koti Saavedra/Flipfloppery
Superpowers, monsters and conspiracies. Piras, the spoiled Dameschi heir, fights to recover his identity after becoming a terrorist!
Girl Genius
Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio
In a time when the Industrial Revolution has become an all-out war, Mad Science rules the World...with mixed success.
Sufficiently Remarkable
Maki Naro
Two young women living in Brooklyn discover that you're always coming of age.
Demon's Mirror
Harry Bogosian
Based loosely off of "The Snow Queen", a story by Hans Christian Andersen, we see things take a different turn as the demons become central characters, and the side characters stick around. Yup, that's the only differences. Enjoy!
Cut Time
Juby
Rel and her trusty avian friend Fugue are on a quest to save a world that's lost track of time. Follow them and their new recruits, in a story written with help from the stars.
Alice and the Nightmare
Misha Krivanek
Alice finally attends University to learn to collect the dreams of humans, meet new friends, and deal with a pesky reflection along the way.
Wychwood
Varethane
When Tiara's pyrokinesis is finally noticed, she is captured by a magical research organization for study. If she cooperates, she could be helping to save humanity from a dire threat - but can she trust them?
Love Not Found
Gina Biggs
Abeille is on a quest to find someone who wants to do it the old-fashioned way in a time when touching has become outdated.
Sister Claire
Yamino
In the troubled aftermath of a great war between Witches and her fellow Nuns, novice Sister Claire just wants a purpose.
Real Science Adventures
Brian Clevinger
Spin off stories and other adventures from the world of Atomic Robo!
Monsterkind
Taylor C
Wallace Foster, a young, bright-eyed human social worker, has his entire world view rocked when he's suddenly relocated into a city primarily inhabited by monsters.
Empowered
Adam Warren
A sexy superhero comedy (except when it isn't) about the never-ending struggles of a plucky but very unlucky young superheroine.
Monster Pulse
Magnolia Porter Siddell
Four kids run afoul of a creepy secret organization's experiments, which turn their body parts into fighting monsters. Part sentimental coming-of-age story, part monster-training shonen manga, with just a bit of sci-fi body horror.
Fireweeds Moors
Gato Iberico
A cat-headed man and a girl with a sandwich hankering accidentally end up in a myth-infused country where magic chalices are a really big thing.
[un]Divine
Ayme
A highschool senior thought giving up his soul for a demon was a good idea. It wasn't.
Widdershins
Kate Ashwin
A series of light-hearted Victorian-era adventure stories featuring grumpy bounty hunters, accidental thiefkings, and more, in England's magical capital city Widdershins!
Between Failures
Jackie Wohlenhaus
The low stakes adventures of an assorted group of 20 somethings trapped in the declining years of American retail. They are naughty and say lots of swears.
Never Satisfied
Taylor Robin
Lucy Marlowe, a magician's apprentice, competes against other apprentices for an important, magical, Goverment Job.
Paranatural
Zack Morrison
Superpowered middle schoolers fight evil spirits in their rural hometown. Come for the jokes, stay for the cast, the creatures, and the mystery that ties them all together!
Anarchy Dreamers
Emily Ree
Sparkly undead kids fight society's worst Nightmares in this pastel-punk urban fantasy coming-of-age!
Lighter Than Heir
Melissa Albino
A young Volant woman joins the military in an effort to upstage her war-hero father.
Godslave
Meaghan Carter
Edith has been thrown into the dangerous world of modern-day Egyptian mythology. Fighting monsters and dealing with family drama of godly proportions.
Wilde Life
Pascalle Lepas
Oscar decided to rent an old haunted house, and that's when things got weird...
Devil's Candy
Rem, Bikkuri
A lush fantasy about boy genius Kazu Decker, the girl he constructed for his 9th grade science project, and the world of devils and monsters they live in.
The Witch Door
Anni K.
Katariina Lehto discovers her neighbor is a witch called Jousia Muotka. Jousia introduces Katariina to the strange people and places beyond the witch door...
Starhammer
J.N. Monk, Harry Bogosian
A teen girl inherits a powerful alien artifact and proceeds to make a series of increasingly poor decisions
Astral Aves
Moon Cabal
A fantasy coming-of-age following the adventures of Astra The Black and friends, as they navigate the mysterious world around them. It's politics, adventure, and the supernatural; oh, and crazy hair.
Star Trip
Gisele Weaver
Jas is a human taken from her home planet on a trip across the galaxy she will never forget.
Caramel Corn
Potchimew
Sarah is the only human left in a world full of mythical creatures and monsters. All she wants to do is live a quiet life, but everything changes when she meets her guardian angel, Jacob.
The Lonely Vincent Bellingham
Diana Huh
Vincent is an unkind man looking to disappear, and finds himself in the care of a vampire and her two wicked children.
Whomp!
Ronnie
A depressed, portly, hirsute anime fan stumbles through life in the ever-pursuit of chicken nuggets and other life-shortening indulgences.
Kochab
Sarah Webb
A YA F/F fantasy comic about Sonya, a lost skier trying to survive a snowy wilderness and find her way back to her village; and Kyra - a fire spirit trying to fix the home that she let fall apart around her.
Atomic Robo
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener
The robot punches monsters and bad robots and one time he was a cowboy.
Cassiopeia Quinn
Gunwild, Psudonym
A cute, pantsless thief is pursued across the stars by a buttoned-up military officer in the spacey, laser-filled future.
Guilded Age
T Campbell, John Waltrip, Florence Machina
Welcome to the saga of the working-class adventurer! Enjoy the complete story with new annotations daily!
Jailbird
Charlie Davis
An all-ages comic about a recently escaped prisoner's struggle to understand the outside world, and vice-versa. Also, a magic cape!
Goodbye to Halos
Valerie Halla
Cuddles, gay flirting, weird feelings, and magic-fueled knife fights - it's an adventure across the queer multiverse!
Hazy London
Scotty
A story about messy relationships. From friendly foes to crazy families. Nothing is black and white, just full of color. But, all colors can get a little hazy...
El Goonish Shive
Dan Shive
WARNING: This comic often ignores the Laws of Physics
Sam & Fuzzy
Sam Logan
Troubled by gangster rodents, lovesick vampire stalkers, or confused ninja assassins? Don't panic! Sam and Fuzzy are here to help. (For a reasonable fee.)
Kiwi Blitz
Mary Cagle (Cube Watermelon)
Steffi thinks she can use her kiwi mech to become a superhero. This idea turns out to be very stupid.
Knights Errant
J.R. Doyle
Wilfrid's humble quest for revenge becomes bigger and bloodier by the day.
BOOKMARK
Click "Tag Page" to bookmark a page. When you return to the site, click "Goto Tag" to continue where you left off.
Goto TagClear Tag


BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

May 30, 2026

Respecting

by David M Willis on January 4, 2018 at 12:01 am
  • 02 - This Is the Way that We Love
└ Tags: joe, sarah

Discussion (189) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    January 4, 2018 at 12:02 am | #

    Never the bridesmaid, never the bride 👍

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      January 4, 2018 at 12:21 am | #

      I was planning to post that exact quote before I saw you beat me to it.

      • Mr D
        Mr D
        January 4, 2018 at 12:27 am | #

        Trying to beat Ana to posting anything is an exercise in futility. She’s already read your comment in a future timeline and gone back to post it before you.

        • Ana Chronistic
          Ana Chronistic
          January 4, 2018 at 12:31 am | #

          You can totes do it through Sunday, tho
          #MAGFest

    • Rowen Morland
      Rowen Morland
      January 4, 2018 at 11:37 am | #

      That could do with being paired with a fitting image and t-shirtified.

  2. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    January 4, 2018 at 12:02 am | #

    She’ll probably just be demoted to Flower Girl.

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      January 4, 2018 at 12:06 am | #

      According to my seven year old self, Flower Girl was basically the highest honor one could have. It’d be a promotion.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      January 4, 2018 at 1:01 am | #

      She wants NOTHING to do with weddings. Make her flower girl and she’ll just backpetal out of there.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        January 4, 2018 at 1:30 am | #

        Flower puns? This’tle be fun.

        • merbrat
          merbrat
          January 4, 2018 at 1:34 am | #

          Rose to the bait!

          • Fire_daws
            Fire_daws
            January 4, 2018 at 2:09 am | #

            I get the feeling that Joe and Sarah nettles each other.

            • Reltzik
              Reltzik
              January 4, 2018 at 3:08 am | #

              It’s from before Joe turned over a new leaf.

              • adjudicus
                adjudicus
                January 4, 2018 at 3:35 am | #

                Hopefully New Joe will eventually grow on her. Perhaps this could plant the seed for a friendship

                • Lunias
                  Lunias
                  January 4, 2018 at 3:48 am | #

                  Yeah but first Joe has to nip Sarah’s plans in the bud.

                • King Daniel
                  King Daniel
                  January 4, 2018 at 6:12 am | #

                  One hopes that he’ll have the stamena to do so.

                • JustCheetoDust
                  JustCheetoDust
                  January 4, 2018 at 7:12 am | #

                  Sure, after they squash that beef.

                • N0083rp00F
                  N0083rp00F
                  January 4, 2018 at 8:38 am | #

                  It is a thorny issue but there not mulch either can do.

                • Reltzik
                  Reltzik
                  January 4, 2018 at 1:44 pm | #

                  Lots of people are getting involved in these flower puns, despite the stigma they have.

              • Makkabee
                Makkabee
                January 4, 2018 at 9:34 am | #

                Sara’s wound too tight. She really needs to learn to just go with the phloem.

                • leadsynth
                  leadsynth
                  January 4, 2018 at 10:01 pm | #

                  Joe’s just trying to stick up for his bud… but I’m rooting for Joyce and Jakes to date. I’m really pollen’ for them!

                • Spleenblaster
                  Spleenblaster
                  January 6, 2018 at 10:25 am | #

                  It all stems from not being in the correct zone to start with. You’d be better off just staying in bed.

  3. Speedball
    Speedball
    January 4, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

    Jesus, when Joe is shaming you for your ethics you got problems.

    • Rosicrucian
      Rosicrucian
      January 4, 2018 at 12:10 am | #

      Joe’s actually got a pretty good grasp of relationship ethics?

      • Proto
        Proto
        January 4, 2018 at 12:37 am | #

        Yeah just because he chooses to only participate in one night stands doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand relationships.

      • Kinoko
        Kinoko
        January 4, 2018 at 12:38 am | #

        Agreed. He’s struggled to learn that not everyone wants to be objectified, but he IS learning. And that itself was pretty clearly him trying to push his own feelings away by keeping things casual, probably because he doesn’t want to be tangled up in a mess of bad like his parents were.

      • Knayt
        Knayt
        January 4, 2018 at 11:03 am | #

        Not making an almost public hotness database of everyone you’ve slept with is pretty basic relationship ethics. He screwed that one up.

        • 3oranges
          3oranges
          January 4, 2018 at 12:35 pm | #

          I think Joe’s got a pretty good grasp of ethics in a relationship, and virtually none about ethics outside of one.

        • leadsynth
          leadsynth
          January 4, 2018 at 10:03 pm | #

          Point of clarification: It was more than just everyone he’d slept with… it was like, every woman on campus he’d met

    • Mr D
      Mr D
      January 4, 2018 at 12:30 am | #

      Speedball! Didn’t think there were other goons reading this.
      How you doing?

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        January 4, 2018 at 1:47 am | #

        Wannabe goon who’s been lurking pretty consistently since 2006 or so here. Next time the forums close to visitors I’ll drop my tenbux, I swear.

        • Mr D
          Mr D
          January 4, 2018 at 10:22 am | #

          Join us! We have a lot of fun! (Heads up, using the lurker censorwords is a faux-pas) Mind you, I mostly stay in the LP and WoW subforums.

          • Unusually Angry Hippie
            Unusually Angry Hippie
            January 5, 2018 at 1:22 am | #

            TEST ALLIANCE BEST ALLIANCE!

            Sorry, I saw goons and that just came out.

  4. Danni
    Danni
    January 4, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

    sarah’s a good dodger.

  5. Yumi
    Yumi
    January 4, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

    Sorry, what’s that hover text?

    • Ako
      Ako
      January 4, 2018 at 12:05 am | #

      It doesn’t really seem like it fits, does it.

    • Danni
      Danni
      January 4, 2018 at 12:08 am | #

      something i never want to read again

    • Black Drazon
      Black Drazon
      January 4, 2018 at 12:11 am | #

      It’s been changed already! This is what I figured Willis meant but I admit it, I came to the comments to see if anyone else was confused about it too.

    • Scoops
      Scoops
      January 4, 2018 at 12:20 am | #

      Hah yah, first hovertext was more, uh, decadent.

      I suppose the new hovertext is more Joyce, though.

    • Inahc
      Inahc
      January 4, 2018 at 12:24 am | #

      I don’t get it either, but I like that on my tablet it shows over the comic instead of offscreen below it. 🙂
      …no wait, that’s just because it was in landscape mode. Now it’s below, and refusing to dismiss… Until I clicked the white part I think?

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      January 4, 2018 at 1:00 am | #

      What did it say before the change?

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        January 4, 2018 at 1:05 am | #

        “trying to hate you, too busy orgasming.”

        • Reltzik
          Reltzik
          January 4, 2018 at 1:30 am | #

          Well that explains why it was over when I checked in 15 minutes past posting time.

          • Spencer
            Spencer
            January 4, 2018 at 2:20 am | #

            It was pretty gross tbh.

        • Marisa Mockery
          Marisa Mockery
          January 4, 2018 at 3:47 am | #

          DAMN YOU WILLIS YOU SHOULD HAVE KEPT THAT

          • N0083rp00F
            N0083rp00F
            January 4, 2018 at 8:40 am | #

            Or put hover text on the hover text – they can do that right?

          • ValdVin
            ValdVin
            January 4, 2018 at 11:25 am | #

            Maybe something a little more euphemistic. “Trying to hate you, too busy *rapturing“.

    • EvilMidnightLurker
      EvilMidnightLurker
      January 4, 2018 at 1:01 am | #

      Can someone post it in spoilers for the curious, or was it somehow too much of a mistake to be preserved?

  6. Johan
    Johan
    January 4, 2018 at 12:05 am | #

    Aw he meant Joyce as his friend.

    • leadsynth
      leadsynth
      January 4, 2018 at 10:05 pm | #

      Ooh, good call! Maybe Joe was about to say “That’s not what I meant” before he cut himself off

  7. Proto
    Proto
    January 4, 2018 at 12:06 am | #

    “What he’s given” is some truly bad phrasing for someone who sees themselves in the right.

  8. QueerCat
    QueerCat
    January 4, 2018 at 12:07 am | #

    I mean the bridesmaid thing is fair

  9. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    January 4, 2018 at 12:08 am | #

    *plays Sheena Easton’s “So Far So Good” on the hacked Muzak*

    • Northamptonian
      Northamptonian
      January 4, 2018 at 5:20 pm | #

      Thats’s a good one. I’d go with a warning to Sarah that “Everything You Ever Wanted” can be vert different from what you wished:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of9kHpCv1ts#t=37m08s

  10. SpeckleSnowflake
    SpeckleSnowflake
    January 4, 2018 at 12:09 am | #

    Huh. “Friend” in the singular? Sooo is it Joyce or Jacob. Cause she isn’t respecting either.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      January 4, 2018 at 12:19 am | #

      She assumed he meant Jacob, but he seems to have been talking about Sarah. Given her reaction, I think she knows Joe has a valid point, but she doesn’t want to admit that to herself when this close to success.

    • Rodimiss
      Rodimiss
      January 4, 2018 at 12:22 am | #

      My impression is that the comic wants us to think he’s talking about Jacob, but then the redirect – Sarah assumes he’s talking about Jacob and refers to him, but Joe starts with “That’s not”. ‘That’s not who I was talking about’ could be the full sentence, perhaps? Because then he starts talking about Joyce.

      So I conclude that he means Joyce, but you’re right, from the other context on every end, it could really be either.

    • Proto
      Proto
      January 4, 2018 at 12:22 am | #

      I think it’s obvious she thought he meant Jacob because of the roommate/bro connection, but he meant Joyce.

      I mean he probably cares about Jacob too, but Joyce is the one being really manipulated here.

    • Kole
      Kole
      January 4, 2018 at 12:35 am | #

      like everyone has stated, she perceived Jacob but he meant Joyce. Also narratively it’d be about the time for Joe to start caring about Joyce being manipulated as he learns about respect for women, so this is a character growth moment for him.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      January 4, 2018 at 5:24 am | #

      FWIW, I think that it came as a profound shock to Sarah that Joe meant Joyce and that he clearly cares about Joyce enough to confront her about her plots.

      • kendermouse
        kendermouse
        January 4, 2018 at 6:23 am | #

        I don’t know about you, but /I/ was shocked that Joe just openly referred to her as a friend. (Not shocked he thinks of her as one, mind, just shocked that he would admit it.)

        • Makkabee
          Makkabee
          January 4, 2018 at 9:37 am | #

          I don’t think he would yet, under ordinary circumstances — but these circumstances are far from ordinary.

  11. adjudicus
    adjudicus
    January 4, 2018 at 12:09 am | #

    Sure, you’re giving her everything you want, but what about what she wants?

    • DarkoNeko
      DarkoNeko
      January 4, 2018 at 12:09 am | #

      She wants those abs

      • newllend(henryvolt)
        newllend(henryvolt)
        January 4, 2018 at 12:18 am | #

        For Sarah to have those abs ?

        • adjudicus
          adjudicus
          January 4, 2018 at 12:29 am | #

          Having abs would complement her truck-build

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        January 4, 2018 at 12:57 am | #

        I dunno, Sarah’s never been into boozing or drug use or smoking or anything like that. I can’t see her just slurping up a six-pack.

      • ANeM
        ANeM
        January 4, 2018 at 3:57 pm | #

        She wants those abs connected to a male version of Dorothy who also goes to church.

        Wait, shit did I just describe Jacob?

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      January 4, 2018 at 2:01 am | #

      That’s the thing; in the end, I don’t think that Sarah believes Joyce is able to identify her own wants and needs, leaving Sarah with the duty to identify it for her and impose it on her.

      • Badgermole
        Badgermole
        January 4, 2018 at 3:14 am | #

        Which is a frighteningly condescending attitude to have towards a friend. Yes Joyce does want Jacob, but she also wants to be a genuinely moral human being — Sarah thinks she’s nudging her towards getting the first thing but is almost certainly ensuring a personal crisis about the second thing when Joyce finds out what’s been going on. Which is remarkably short-sighted for big sis.

    • Freemage
      Freemage
      January 4, 2018 at 11:26 am | #

      This is the core issue, here. Sarah is deciding that the life she wants is the one that everyone should want, and is using manipulative tactics to make it happen for Joyce. It’s a very self-centered way of looking at the universe.

      Adding in the fact that her primary goal isn’t so much “Joyce happy forever” but “Raidah in tears”, and you get a very nasty tangle of motivations.

  12. BBCC
    BBCC
    January 4, 2018 at 12:09 am | #

    Sarah, no.

    • Mr. Mendo
      Mr. Mendo
      January 4, 2018 at 1:00 am | #

      Yeesh, the one person she actually cares about she doesn’t even care about!

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        January 4, 2018 at 1:54 pm | #

        I think she does. So now it depends how she handles that now that Joe’s pointed out how screwy this is.

  13. Passchendaele
    Passchendaele
    January 4, 2018 at 12:10 am | #

    “People are too…too *happy* in weddings, so no thanks.”

    (Yes I’m being sarcastic.)

  14. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    January 4, 2018 at 12:10 am | #

    The weird part is that Joe seems as worried for Sarah than for the other two.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      January 4, 2018 at 12:22 am | #

      He does seem to actually like Sarah. Most of their interactions in the past have been surprisingly pleasant, though obviously, the List definitely did not endear him to her in the slightest. In any case, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was disappointed in her behavior, which would make sense given Sarah’s typically appreciated for her blunt honesty, and this has been rather devious.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        January 4, 2018 at 6:09 am | #

        “surprisingly pleasant”?

        She’s generally been yelling at him to back off. While he talks about how hot he finds her anger.

  15. Mango
    Mango
    January 4, 2018 at 12:10 am | #

    That joyceface in the twitter sidebar is…notable.

  16. AnvilPro
    AnvilPro
    January 4, 2018 at 12:11 am | #

    Joe is the best

    • Mr. Mendo
      Mr. Mendo
      January 4, 2018 at 1:02 am | #

      Underrated, for sure! ^_^

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      January 4, 2018 at 1:04 am | #

      Not the best, but he’s getting better.

      • Makkabee
        Makkabee
        January 4, 2018 at 9:39 am | #

        And really isn’t that the standard to which we should all be held?

  17. Proto
    Proto
    January 4, 2018 at 12:15 am | #

    “Everything I’ve ever wanted” seems pretty weak when she’s had very few interactions with Jacob (some orchestrated by Joyce!) and has purposefully sabotaged herself. Like if she actually wanted Jacob might participate in Joyce’s initial plan instead of converting to her current revenge agenda.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      January 4, 2018 at 12:18 am | #

      Joyce has explicitly stated that she wants to meet someone in college and hopefully start a family, so I’m pretty sure that’s probably what Sarah’s referencing, finding her a handsome Christian guy. I don’t agree with her rationalization, but the logic is sound

      • Kinoko
        Kinoko
        January 4, 2018 at 12:43 am | #

        That would be “everything she’s ever wanted” (a handsome Christian guy who wants a family), but the line “everything I’ve ever wanted”.

        Sarah doesn’t want what Jacob wants. She admitted, she’d just like to use him for his body once or twice, but he’s not cool with that, so she’s not gonna.

        • Kinoko
          Kinoko
          January 4, 2018 at 12:44 am | #

          * the line is

        • DailyBrad
          DailyBrad
          January 4, 2018 at 2:31 am | #

          Oh, duh, I totally misread. oops.

    • Proto
      Proto
      January 4, 2018 at 12:18 am | #

      *she might participate, that is to say

    • Jason
      Jason
      January 4, 2018 at 6:10 am | #

      So I’m wondering… is this a hint at more? Is this Willis having Sarah hint at what’s been going on for her? Because the wording is a little strong for someone with the hots for a guy she wants to bang.
      It’s possible she likes Jacob more as a person than we thought, but I don’t buy that (at this stage). So what is it that she wanted? A happily ever after? A family that supports who she’s grown to be? A future with someone who loves her? If not Jacob, what is it Joyce would get out of this that Sarah wants (but isn’t identifying outright as a want)?

      …Or am I reading too much into this?

    • Felis Leo
      Felis Leo
      January 4, 2018 at 6:54 pm | #

      Welllllll…I’m not so sure. It depends on how you interpret this. The only thing that Sarah has ever seen Jacob as is apparently an object of her sexual gratification. She does not seem to care one whit about his hopes, aspirations or dreams or him as an individual (someone please correct me if I am wrong here and misremembered the storyline). Perhaps she thinks that it is wonderful that Joyce would have the opportunity to hit that; an opportunity that “she would never take,” because she does not believe in premarital sex. Of course, maybe I’m just reaching here, and Sarah is just that shallow-minded when it comes to relationships.

  18. BloodPlum
    BloodPlum
    January 4, 2018 at 12:15 am | #

    It’s a little screwy morally all this, but in the end it is Jacob’s choice. Whether that was encouraged out of spite doesn’t change that.

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      January 4, 2018 at 1:15 am | #

      I agree. I think Sarah’s methods aren’t so great but I still kinda hope Jacob ends up with Joyce instead of Raidah. Mainly because I think Raidah’s a jerk for how she’s treated Sarah and Dina in the past.

      • Charles RB
        Charles RB
        January 4, 2018 at 5:39 am | #

        Course, working to break up a couple because you dislike one of the people makes Joyce a jerk as well.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          January 4, 2018 at 6:12 am | #

          Though that’s not what Joyce is doing. Joyce is working to break up a couple because she want him for herself to help her big sis out.

          Which isn’t exactly great motivation either.

        • Jason
          Jason
          January 4, 2018 at 6:15 am | #

          That’s Sarah’s motivation, not Joyce’s. Joyce told herself that she was giving a totally-romantic-honest happily ever after for someone that she loves. I don’t think she’s yet cognisant of how much her feelings differ from what she first set out to do.
          Honestly, I don’t feel that what Joyce set out to do is that bad. Basically she wanted to convince the guy her big sis was into that she’s awesome, and hope that he decides she totally is and they end up getting married. She’s not trying to break up Jacob and Raidah directly, she’s just trying to go “hey, this other option is pretty fantastic!” and kinda… hoping he does the rest.
          Of course, that’s not what she ACTUALLY wants, and I’m wondering how she’ll react when she works that out. Because I suspect she’ll suddenly see things VERY differently.

  19. tirachokko
    tirachokko
    January 4, 2018 at 12:16 am | #

    STILL SHIPPING JOYCE WITH JOE THO
    NO WAIT
    AUGH
    LIKE JOYCE, MY SHIPS ARE QUANTUM I GUESS

    • Suzi
      Suzi
      January 4, 2018 at 12:20 am | #

      Its okay. I shio a threeway Joe-Jacob-Joyce. The SS JJJ.

      • Proto
        Proto
        January 4, 2018 at 12:39 am | #

        SSJ3? *screams for 5 straight minutes*

        Sorry that took so long. You can call this Super Shipper 3.

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          January 4, 2018 at 12:57 am | #

          That sick guitar riff, though.

        • StClair
          StClair
          January 4, 2018 at 1:04 am | #

          “And this… is to go even further beyond!“

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        January 4, 2018 at 1:02 am | #

        …. Sarah/Sal?

        • Jason
          Jason
          January 4, 2018 at 6:17 am | #

          …Shippin’ people based solely on alliterative names?

          • Reltzik
            Reltzik
            January 4, 2018 at 10:41 am | #

            Just trying to figure out what “SS” stnads for there.

            • Jason
              Jason
              January 4, 2018 at 11:58 am | #

              Oh! It’s a ship prefix. For example, in Pokemon, there’s a ship called SS Anne. It’s probably the best known ship prefix. (Here there’s HMS, which is Her(his) Majesty’s Ship.)
              It’s used before romantic ship names, because… I guess someone started it as a joke and it stuck?

              • Indoor Cat
                Indoor Cat
                January 4, 2018 at 1:21 pm | #

                For irl ships, the prefixs explains what kind of vessel it is. So a “T.S.” is a Turbine Ship– a designated created when the first steam engines were added to boats, and typically associated with military or naval ships.

                RV is “research vessel,” for oceanographers or marine biologists. HMS is specifically for the British Navy, meaning “Her Majesty’s Ship.” USS is for American Navy, meaning “United States Ship.”

                So “SS” is the abbreviation for a “Single-crew Steamliner,” a small ship not for war, not for science, but for long journeys or adventures. Probably how it got associated with romantic shipping.

              • Reltzik
                Reltzik
                January 4, 2018 at 1:45 pm | #

                Yeah, I know that, I’m just creatively reinterpreting. 🙂

    • Zach
      Zach
      January 4, 2018 at 12:41 pm | #

      Joe would have meaningful sex for the first time, Joyce will grow into a pornlord, and totally trusts Joe and Jacob. Will Jacob go for a 3 way with his only known male friend?

  20. NF
    NF
    January 4, 2018 at 12:16 am | #

    When Joe is schooling you on the subject of relationship ethics you know you’ve gone astray.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      January 4, 2018 at 12:19 am | #

      And yet when Mike does it it’s just business as normal. …. I don’t think that ability to school on relationship ethics correlates with exercise of relationship ethics.

    • Mr D
      Mr D
      January 4, 2018 at 12:21 am | #

      I mean, he is solid on RELATIONSHIP ethics, since his problem is quite literally “Nope, don’t get into relationships, if I don’t get into a relationship, I can’t cheat like my dad did”.

      His issue has always been more of, I dunno, sexuality ethics?

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        January 4, 2018 at 12:22 am | #

        More of a general respect issue. Even outside of sexual contexts.

        • Mr D
          Mr D
          January 4, 2018 at 12:25 am | #

          yeah. So far he’s always had this issue of repsecting people.

          Hell, Dan is his oldest, best friend, and for most of the strip he has pretty much treated him like garbage.

          • insomniac
            insomniac
            January 4, 2018 at 2:20 am | #

            I mean… Dan tho

            • Mr D
              Mr D
              January 4, 2018 at 10:19 am | #

              None of that, most of the dislike this community had for Dan was inherited from Roomies!Dan, who was kind of a dipshit (As Willis’ Fully Indoctrinated Era Self-Insert would be). DoA!Danny has always been a good egg. If a little naive.

  21. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    January 4, 2018 at 12:17 am | #

    Huh. Sarah trying to get uninvited from a wedding…. I think that’s called nopetials.

    • adjudicus
      adjudicus
      January 4, 2018 at 12:33 am | #

      Nopetials… that does have a nice ring to it

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        January 4, 2018 at 12:51 am | #

        Nice ring? Maybe.

        Wedding ring? NOPE!

    • JessWitt
      JessWitt
      January 4, 2018 at 4:31 am | #

      Encode it in Urban Dictionary, stat. It’s a good word.

  22. StClair
    StClair
    January 4, 2018 at 12:22 am | #

    Panel 6: That may be so, Sarah.
    But it’s also absolutely true that you are using Joyce.

  23. AgentKeen
    AgentKeen
    January 4, 2018 at 12:26 am | #

    “You call me out for objectifying women, but you seem fine with treating Joyce like a pawn.”

  24. Mr D
    Mr D
    January 4, 2018 at 12:28 am | #

    First panel Sarah trying to misdirect like hell.

  25. Miguel
    Miguel
    January 4, 2018 at 12:35 am | #

    What’s happening?

    • Danni
      Danni
      January 4, 2018 at 12:52 am | #

      sarah’s majorly rationalizing using joyce to get back at raidah because of dana.

      • Jason
        Jason
        January 4, 2018 at 6:21 am | #

        Not quite because of Dana. Dana’s why Raidah treated Sarah the way she did, and Sarah wants to get back at Raidah for how she’s been treated.
        Sarah probably would have been content to lose Dana’s social circle, without the harassment. I’m guessing, anyway. Less thrilled with it than she would pretend, but I don’t think she’d hold a grudge over that.

  26. Jordan
    Jordan
    January 4, 2018 at 12:38 am | #

    Dammit Sarah, you’re one of my favorite characters, but you just keep trying to sink lower and lower into your misanthropic tendencies. I get that you’re trying to distance yourself from people so you don’t get hurt while also hurting someone who has hurt you in the past, but this is just wrong. You ADORE Joyce, despite how different she is from you and you’ve literally beaten a man like a pinata for hurting her. If you really want to help Joyce and beat Raidah, you’ve got to be successful in a way that isn’t tearing others down. You’ve got to build yourself up, not bring others down. C’mon Sarah…

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      January 4, 2018 at 1:02 am | #

      I’m not tooooo worried yet. Looking at her face in the last panel, I have a feeling guilt is going to catch her before this gets TOO out of hand.

      • bleepbloop
        bleepbloop
        January 4, 2018 at 2:13 pm | #

        Agreed. I think people are overreacting a bit. This conversation with Joe isn’t a sign of sinking further, it’s a wake-up call. Joyce and her will definitely have a falling out but they’ll make up within a week comic time.

  27. dethtolldotmid
    dethtolldotmid
    January 4, 2018 at 12:43 am | #

    Jesus. I think this is probably the lowest point for Sarah’s character arc we’ve seen yet.

  28. Spencer
    Spencer
    January 4, 2018 at 1:09 am | #

    Sarah should give up on the whole occasional grand acts of kindness thing because she’s remarkably effective at being a terrible person.

    • FLUFFYWOLF
      FLUFFYWOLF
      January 4, 2018 at 1:38 am | #

      It’s the Walter White problem. Being good at something no sane person would WANT to be good at.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        January 4, 2018 at 6:27 am | #

        Thing is, she’s not actually that good at it. She’s not really doing much to push the plan through.

    • David M Willis
      David M Willis
      January 4, 2018 at 2:41 am | #

      You said you needed to stop reading this to help your mental health and i’m going to help that along

      • Valerie
        Valerie
        January 4, 2018 at 3:48 am | #

        I don’t know the context for this, but if Spencer really does need to quit reading and is having trouble staying off the site, there’s a browser extension called Impulse Blocker that I use (because I spend an unhealthy amount of time on Facebook without it).

    • bleepbloop
      bleepbloop
      January 4, 2018 at 2:12 pm | #

      Sarah: does one selfish thing

      Literally everyone in the comments: She’s such a terrible person!

      • Deadjolras
        Deadjolras
        January 4, 2018 at 5:34 pm | #

        Expressing disapproval over a character’s actions is not the same as disliking them, hating them or thinking they’re a bad person. I love Sarah but I firmly believe this scheme of hers is based on not-so-noble intentions and it will end up with someone getting hurt one way or another.

  29. Dev
    Dev
    January 4, 2018 at 1:15 am | #

    As someone who does think that Jacob and Joyce have the potential for a great friendship (or maybe something more since they’re just adorable), the fact that Joe is also standing up for her impresses me. I like the fact that Joe’s seeing it too and considers Joyce a friend.

    Not that this diminishes what happened to Joyce with the attack, but the guys are respectful (if they know what’s happening at all) helps a lot. Both have their pitfalls somehow, Joe pushes her buttons in some ways but obviously is trying to better himself and clearly cares about her as a friend, and Jacob could have been snotty about religion with her but respects her viewpoints since she respects his, even though they disagree. To me that makes them seem more real and great characters, because they too have flaws.

    Sarah’s setting herself up for a harsh fall and I wish she wasn’t. 🙁 But a flawed character makes for interesting stories. I hope it doesn’t ruin the clear trust Joyce has in her…

  30. Brute
    Brute
    January 4, 2018 at 1:39 am | #

    Sarah nooo

  31. BenRG
    BenRG
    January 4, 2018 at 2:05 am | #

    Sarah, the key criterion here is this: Are you being open with Joyce about what you’re doing for her. If you aren’t, then it’s manipulation and ethically dubious. If you aren’t even seeking her input about what ‘she wants’ but instead imposing upon her what you want, then it begins to verge on the abusive.

  32. mister gray
    mister gray
    January 4, 2018 at 2:12 am | #

    I still ship Joe and Joyce and Sarah will probably lose Joyce’s friendship if she realizes that Sarah is using her to destroy Jacob’s relationship with Radiah (Or whatever her name is)

  33. Badgermole
    Badgermole
    January 4, 2018 at 3:11 am | #

    Sarah is covertly setting up Joyce with Jacob for a reason — because if she openly shipped Joyce and Jacob here (which is a legit thing friends can do), Joyce would at the very least have some doubts and would need it to square it with her personal ethics. You know you’re doing something ethically dodgy when you’re hiding it from the person it would most directly affect. C’mon Sarah, where are the hard truths I love you for?

  34. Chaucer59
    Chaucer59
    January 4, 2018 at 3:12 am | #

    Jacob is “everything [Sarah] ever wanted”? Seriously? She‘s only known him for one school year—right?

    • Jmacq1
      Jmacq1
      January 4, 2018 at 6:41 am | #

      It may be somewhat in the abstract vs Jacob specifically: A handsome, intelligent, handsome, relatively thoughtful and pleasant handsome guy who has a bit of self awareness and is comfortable in his own skin.

    • Jason
      Jason
      January 4, 2018 at 7:06 am | #

      Less than that. A few months at best.
      But I posted above that I suspect she’s referring to something else, which we haven’t really seen much of from her before. Such as a happily ever after, or unconditional love perhaps (although few people who crave that can identify that), etc. I could be wrong but the obvious choice doesn’t feel like it fits for me.
      Unless she’s WAY more into Jacob than previously shown and/or sees him as a symbol of something.

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      January 4, 2018 at 12:33 pm | #

      I want to unpack the “Jacob is something Joyce could easily take, but never would”.

      Take, like in Sarah’s (admitted) visions of having a physical fling with Jacob, or take, as in Joyce’s friendship with Jacob could make Jacob+Raidah founder, after which the husband-hunting Joyce would refuse to date Jacob owing to latent guilt?

      Joyce has been on two dates in her life, one with joe, one with Ethan. When that rom-com hijinx in motion now finally pops, she may have remorse that she’s not even aware exists now.

  35. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    January 4, 2018 at 3:29 am | #

    Oh, since I’m not on Twitter I’ll just post a reply for Willis here. German for a mix of “lol” and “we are so fucked” is der Galgenhumor.

    • Jason
      Jason
      January 4, 2018 at 7:08 am | #

      “Gallows humour”, according to Google. I like it.

  36. Liam
    Liam
    January 4, 2018 at 3:30 am | #

    I really wish I could convey in words how much I enjoy seeing Joe being able (and very much right) to take the moral high ground.

    • JessWitt
      JessWitt
      January 4, 2018 at 4:22 am | #

      You just did. 😀

      But seriously, it is nice to see him be rational for once. While not nice that Sarah is losing sight of what this will do to Joyce.

  37. Eldritch Gentleman
    Eldritch Gentleman
    January 4, 2018 at 3:31 am | #

    Ah sweet sweet self-denial.

  38. lightsabermario
    lightsabermario
    January 4, 2018 at 4:07 am | #

    I’m sorry, but what EXACTLY has Sarah actually done to “use” Joyce? I’m serious, I’m looking through the archives, and while there has been a few mentions of schemes, everything that has led to Joyce and Jacob flirting has occurred completely naturally and unforced. Every time Joyce interacts with Jacob, they have chemistry, without any pushing from others, and whether Joyce realized it or not. The only thing you could say she’s done is stand by and willingly not interrupt their attraction for each other, which is itself interfering. If Jacob wants to fall for Joyce and vice versa, that’s their business.

    Furthermore, back in , both Sarah and Joyce both outright stated that they wanted Raidah and Jacob to break up, and replace Raidah with each other (Joyce and Sarah). Joyce pretty much has had the exact same mission that Joe is criticizing Sarah for having, only Joyce did way more actual pushing to try and make it happen. So why all the guff for Sarah?

    • lightsabermario
      lightsabermario
      January 4, 2018 at 4:09 am | #

      Dangit, how did that hyperlink mess up?

      • chris73
        chris73
        January 4, 2018 at 4:16 am | #

        The problem is that Joyce is extremely naive and believes rom-com shenanigans don’t have any negative effect on anyone (because obviously Raidah isn’t right for Jacob) therefore its ok to break them up)

        Sarah knows this is wrong but isn’t trying to dissuade Joyce of this notion but instead is collaborating with Joyce and encouraging her

        Both Sarah and Joyce are objectifying Jacob but Sarah is also objectifying Joyce as well as being a major hypocrite (ref Joes objectifying)

        • lightsabermario
          lightsabermario
          January 4, 2018 at 4:43 am | #

          Don’t get me wrong, if Sarah, knowing full well it was wrong, actually did something to force them together, it would be worthy of Joe’s shaming. Like if she orchestrated the whole toe injury so that Joyce would be whisked away in his arms, that would be something. Or even if she got Joyce super dolled up for church, but no, that was Billie. But if her only crime is not coming in-between their self-driving attraction for each other, I’m failing to see the wrongdoing.

          • chris73
            chris73
            January 4, 2018 at 4:52 am | #

            Sarah is doing her best to break up a relationship to hurt Raidah and is actively encouraging Joyce and once Joyce learns that actions have consequences (that if Jacob and Raidah break up because of her then she’ll have hurt Raidah) Sarah will have deliberately put “her little sister” in a morally questionable position

            Her crime “is not coming in-between their self-driving attraction for each other” her crime is using Joyces naivity and objectifying Jacob

            I’d add more crimes but its 10:54 pm where I am so I’m off to bed

            • Charles RB
              Charles RB
              January 4, 2018 at 5:35 am | #

              And her defence of that, of trying to break up a couple as revenge, is “Jacob can choose” – hey, not _her_ fault, it’s all him! And if Jacob and Joyce care about why she’s done all this, well, Sarah doesn’t care if they care.

              Creep Town, population: Sarah

              • CJ
                CJ
                January 4, 2018 at 3:06 pm | #

                You really can’t put this only a Sarah’s plate: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/03-the-thing-i-was-before/relentlessly/

                Also, i really don’t see what the fuss is all about. Sarah wants to hurt Raidah by getting Jacob and Joyce together. This is not a really wise move, but you know what? It’s not earth-shattering whichever way this plays out. Teenage relationships are not the hub of the world and most don’t last more then 3 years at the most (most I saw barely reached the 6 months mark). Why? Because people have to learn what they need in a relationship and that means trying, changing, and moving on.
                No one acts in a really underhand way, no one is lying about someone else (except Raidah who lied about Sarah). It’s not wise, it’s not really cricket, but bad is a totally different kettle of fish.
                Are you only friends with perfect people that always act in a wise and totally unselfish manner?

                • thejeff
                  thejeff
                  January 4, 2018 at 4:29 pm | #

                  Because it still hurts. Teenage relationships may tend to be short, but they hurt just as much.

                • adjudicus
                  adjudicus
                  January 4, 2018 at 9:18 pm | #

                  @thejeff This. So much this. Speaking as a teenager, I’ve seen so many of my friends go through so much pain even if the relationship only lasted about a month

            • bleepbloop
              bleepbloop
              January 4, 2018 at 2:09 pm | #

              Kinda annoyed that Sarah’s being more or less demonized for doing the exact same thing Joyce was trying to do. Intentions do not matter, they BOTH were completely fine with breaking up a (seemingly) healthy relationship for selfish reasons. If we’re going to call Sarah a creep then Joyce should be one too, especially since Joyce was admittedly way too enthusiastic about tearing Jacob and Raidah apart. Joyce is 18. She’s not a child. She knows deep down that this is wrong as well. Let’s stop falling back on her so-called naivete to excuse her actions. There is no way that she doesn’t know that what she’s doing is wrong. Joyce has been just as fake altruistic as Sarah is being. So, sure, should Sarah let Joyce in on the new plot? Of course! But let’s not act like Joyce is so innocent compared to Sarah. I knew people didn’t like her but gosh. A “creep”?!

          • Ellegos
            Ellegos
            January 4, 2018 at 8:05 am | #

            I guess where the questionable part with Sarah is that she first instigated Joyce under false pretenses. Joyce began this under the impression that she was trying to break up the relationship in order to hook up Sarah and Jacob. That was her motive in beginning this in the first place. Though there is a growing relationship between her and Jacob, and it seems like Joyce’s motive is probably in the process of shifting, she began this because she thought she was helping Sarah. Sarah knows this, and knows that’s why Joyce was (is?) trying to break up Jacob’s current relationship, and is doing nothing to try and tell Joyce that the original pretenses this whole operation was based on, aren’t true.

            Don’t get me wrong. Joyce still bears any guilt (depending on your views of such things) that comes from trying to sabotage an apparently healthy relationship, but it still seems wrong to me that Sarah isn’t coming clean and telling Joyce that if she is going to do this, it should be based on whether or not JOYCE wants a relationship with Jacob. Not because she’s Sarah wants to be with Jacob.

            • Ellegos
              Ellegos
              January 4, 2018 at 8:15 am | #

              P.S.
              And it’s also worth noting that even Sarah recognizes that she’s manipulating Joyce, even if she seems to thing it’s altruistic. “Using her? I’m giving her everything I’ve ever wanted. Something she could easily take, but never would.”

              She knows Joyce wouldn’t be doing (or at least wouldn’t have began) this of her own volition if she wasn’t encouraged to under false pretenses.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      January 4, 2018 at 6:33 am | #

      Sarah gets more guff partly because Sarah’s motivations are different than Joyce’s. Sarah’s in this to punish Raidah – keep her from winning the guy. Joyce is theoretically in this to help her friend get the guy she wants.

      Both aren’t great ethically because they’re trying to break up an existing relationship, but only Sarah has actually hurting someone as her main goal.

      And she is being dishonest to her “little sister” about the whole thing. Joyce is only being dishonest to herself.

    • Felis Leo
      Felis Leo
      January 4, 2018 at 6:44 pm | #

      Agreed. Both Sarah and Joyce are behaving in a terrible manner trying to breakdown a perfectly healthy relationship. Sarah is doing it with the specific intention of hurting someone. Joyce is doing it for pie-in-the-sky fairy tale reasons. We can argue until the cows come home as to whose motivation is worse (Sarah’s, for my money) but the are engaging in toxic behavior when intermeddling with other people’s relationships.

  39. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    January 4, 2018 at 4:27 am | #

    Should this farce of a plan succeed, Sarah also positioned Raidah’s ire on Joyce so not exactly a win-win. Wonder if Sarah will come out then to deflect blame for her “little sister”?

  40. Eldritch Gentleman
    Eldritch Gentleman
    January 4, 2018 at 5:03 am | #

    There is some serious bitterness in that last line.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      January 4, 2018 at 6:32 am | #

      Like Amber, Sarah considers herself unfit for human companionship, so she feels able to offer bitter quips on the subject.

  41. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    January 4, 2018 at 6:31 am | #

    I’m very about to sleep and so maybe not so coherent, but does anyone know a good vegan substitute for pork? If mushroom then please not the God-awful nothing ones they put in everything in Illinois. I like pork but it makes me feel sluggish like a turkey full of xannies, and I figure why not try a vegan option.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      January 4, 2018 at 6:33 am | #

      Wait this the wrong tab. Was meant for another site entirely. I guess it stands, if anyone here knows. Y’all tend to be smarter than I do.

      • Victor
        Victor
        January 4, 2018 at 8:30 am | #

        There is no vegan substitute for pork. I mean, the pig is just such an amazing animal, every single part is tasty. You’re probably just eating too much at once, and not getting enough of the liver and stomach. (Every part is tasty.)

        Mushrooms are good, if you eat decent ones. Just avoid the boring white button ones that taste of nothing and sadness, grab some portabellas, shiitakes, and wood ears, and try some other options. Don’t go mushroom hunting in the wild unless you go with an expert, the deadly ones look a lot like the edible ones.

        And remember, mushrooms are good as mushrooms, they’re not a substitute for pork or anything else. Enjoy them for what they are, not what they aren’t. When you need delicious pig, there is no substitute.

      • Zeriel
        Zeriel
        January 4, 2018 at 11:19 am | #

        You need a copy of “The Homemade Vegan Pantry” by Miyoko Schinner, her vegan “unpork” and “unribs” are to die for. (well, they’re acceptable, anyway.)

      • JustCheetoDust
        JustCheetoDust
        January 4, 2018 at 1:03 pm | #

        I found out about a vegan restaurant that uses jackfruit as a meat-free alternative to BBQ pulled pork when I was in Orlando for WrestleMania last year.

    • Not Pork
      Not Pork
      January 4, 2018 at 7:00 am | #

      I think it probably depends on what you’re trying to do with it, but seitan tends to be a pretty good meat substitute in general, and I’ve seen recipes that specifically use it to replace pork. It’s a little more work to deal with than mushrooms would probably be and will cost similar to what actual meat would, but it can do the trick.

    • Huehuetotl
      Huehuetotl
      January 4, 2018 at 12:47 pm | #

      Gluten. Also called seitan. You can buy it premade in easily cookable pieces. Check where you might buy international/asian foods. It will probably be chunks or shreds size, not pork chop sized. The texture is close (imo), but it’s not going to taste the same if you’re making it plain.

      If you’re making it yourself, I hear you can flavor it with bac-os or bac’n pieces (Betty Crocker / McCormick), which are actually vegan. If you’re buying the [vital wheat] gluten flour to make on your own, it will probably take some experimenting (for both texture and flavor), and the price can vary wildly. The cheapest I see it is when Mennonites are selling it, maybe half the price of Bob’s Red Mill vital wheat gluten (iirc).

  42. Ardin
    Ardin
    January 4, 2018 at 11:18 am | #

    Yeah I don’t get it. Letting a friend hang with a dude doesn’t equal drugging them and using ancient black magic to make them bang. “Find out” what? That she said “hey hang with Jacob, thanks”? This is kinda stupid.

    • Fart Captor
      Fart Captor
      January 4, 2018 at 11:55 am | #

      She’s also got her to dress differently to get her to catch his eye, enlisted Becky’s help in manipulating them, and has repeatedly mislead Joyce into thinking she’s helping Sarah get together with him because she’s into him, when her primary motive is hurting Raidah.

      Joyce might be willing to accept that Raidah would be hurt since Jacob would have to break up with her to date Sarah, but I doubt she’d be okay with making it happen expressly to hurt someone, especially when she’d benefit from that. Even if she’d be 100% fine with it, Sarah isn’t being honest with her. She’s deliberately manipulating her friend to ensure she can use her against Raidah.

      Joe is right to take issue with that.

  43. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    January 4, 2018 at 11:22 am | #

    Willis’ “confused pursed-lip” is great on Sarah in the last panel, a la:

    Walky in panel six here: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/02-this-is-the-way-that-we-love/amberomalley/

    Carla’s last appearance here: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/04-the-do-list/exchange/

  44. Bagge
    Bagge
    January 4, 2018 at 1:30 pm | #

    Pictured: Sarah not feeling guilty. Not guilty at all.

  45. bleepbloop
    bleepbloop
    January 4, 2018 at 2:20 pm | #

    Hate how the comments are treating Sarah. Sure, what she’s doing is morally questionable, but gosh. The way some of you are making it out to be, it sounds like she’s worse than creepy gashface who’s name I forgot. People are calling her a terrible person and a creep and all sorts of horrible things because…she’s very selfishly and secretively trying to set her friend up with a guy in order to make a girl who has been nothing but awful to her upset? That’s petty, immature, somewhat morally reprehensible but…it’s not as evil as you all are saying. I know Sarah isn’t many people’s favorite character but…jeeze.

    • bleepbloop
      bleepbloop
      January 4, 2018 at 2:20 pm | #

      *whose

    • Doopyboop
      Doopyboop
      January 4, 2018 at 2:33 pm | #

      Agreed. I get disagreeing with Sarah’s actions, I disagree with them too. I feel bad for Joyce. But sometimes the comments have issues parsing greyer issues. Sarah’s decisions here: no bueno. Very bad. Won’t end well. But some sort of sign that she is now unforgivable and a total bongo who’s gonna set the town ablaze and kicks puppies? not so much.

      • Doopyboop
        Doopyboop
        January 4, 2018 at 2:34 pm | #

        *and Jacob too, obviously, feel bad for him most of all.

      • Jason
        Jason
        January 4, 2018 at 3:57 pm | #

        I agree that a lot of comments are… harsher than I personally feel. But I think the biggest issue here is how she’s using Joyce. She’s using someone who trusts her implicitly, getting her best friend to join in, to do something that I think Joyce would be STRONGLY opposed to. (I know she was willing to do the exact same thing for Sarah but I feel like she would find it utterly reprehensible to consider for herself.) I can’t blame those who feel like she’s betraying her relationship with Joyce in order to get back at Raidah.

        (Also Raidah’s name causes me brain short circuits because I used to work for a woman called Radiah.)

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      January 4, 2018 at 2:49 pm | #

      I think Sarah’s being an asshole here, but I think she’ll end up feeling guilty and spilling her guts to Joyce soonish. And frankly, she beat the shit out of Ryan with a baseball bat. She has a LOT of goodwill to burn through before I stop liking her.

    • Felis Leo
      Felis Leo
      January 4, 2018 at 6:36 pm | #

      Well, when held against the standards of Creepy Gashface, you can certainly excuse a lot of horrible damaging behavior. Speaking only for myself, the reason I feel the need to express a greater level of condemnation against Sarah is because I expect WAY MORE from Sarah than we do from Creepy Gashface, because Creepy Gashface is an irredeemably violent narcissistic rapist who I highly doubt will have any form of moral awakening with regard to the suffering he inflicted (and attempted to inflict) upon others. Sarah is a moral human being with a conscience that she is refusing to listen to because she hates Raidah and wants to cause Raidah to suffer. Sarah lost her friends and support group; she wants Raidah to be equally humiliated and lose someone that she loves.

  46. TemperaryObsessor
    TemperaryObsessor
    January 4, 2018 at 2:43 pm | #

    I could see Sarah apparently succeeding but not. Jacob leaves Raidah for Joyce, but Joyce refuses because of a sis code against taking Sarah’s crush. Sarah admits what happened and Joyce is mad at her and tries to get Jacob back with Raidah which fails because if he’s willing to dump her for some pretty Christian girl now he will do it again, thanks for the heads up before I wasted more of my time on him.

  47. Derek
    Derek
    January 4, 2018 at 4:32 pm | #

    this is only tangentially related, but what does Joyce think of the biblical story of Tamar and Judah (Genesis 38)

  48. LupLun
    LupLun
    January 4, 2018 at 6:01 pm | #

    You know you’ve fucked shit up when JOE is the voice of reason…

  49. Yumi
    Yumi
    January 4, 2018 at 6:33 pm | #

    I’m sitting next to my friend as I have her begin her archive binge of the comic. The NSFW banners have spoiled her a little.
    Also she though Walky was named Billie.

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      January 4, 2018 at 6:36 pm | #

      She’s rooting for Joyce (“the Christian girl,” as she calls her) and Danny to get together.

Who should be the default doodle for Book 14?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
CONVENTION APPEARANCES


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

David M Willis! avatar
David M Willis!
@damnyouwillis.bsky.social
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1h
(june 1, 2026)
It's Malaya!  They seem incredulous.
13
 
reposted by David M Willis!
uncleduke1969.bsky.social's user avatar
Uncle Duke @uncleduke1969.bsky.social ⋅ 14h
the need for the inclusion of the graphic is a sad reminder of the shockingly low literacy rate among geese
Sign reads “No Geese” and includes a graphic of a goose silhouette in a red circle with a line through it.
152
476
3414
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1h
well look at her, that child was right
11
47
290
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2h
which do you fuckin THINK, man
7
3
33
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3h
Today in #9ChickweedLane I learned I can be thrown long enough over POLLY'S FIANCE IS *SIXTEEN YEARS OLDER THAN HER DAD?????* to momentarily forget to wonder HOW IS SISTER STEVEN STILL ALIVE
11
32
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 11h
Dumbing of Age: "Formal" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Formal
4
28
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 12h
welp, here we go the guy everyone's been waiting to see tfone starscream
1
4
36
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 12h
still thinking of that time jerry seinfeld guest starred in the season 2 premiere of 30 rock just so he could stare directly into the camera and plug Bee Movie
8
10
49
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 13h
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatarDavid M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
the name's rain abyss rain
1
3
25
 
reposted by David M Willis!
theonion.com's user avatar
The Onion @theonion.com ⋅ 19h
From The Archives: I Don’t Vaccinate My Child Because It’s My Right To Decide What Eliminated Diseases Come Roaring Back theonion.com/i-don-t...
I Don’t Vaccinate My Child Because It’s My Right To Decide What Eliminated Diseases Come Roaring Back
125
1447
8403
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 15h
was working in the yard when the pizza delivery guy pulled up. handed me the pizzas, joked about whether i actually lived there or was trying to scam free pizza. laughed carried the pizza up to the door, i'd been locked out of my own house, so i stood there awkwardly as the delivery guy stared
2
5
93
 
reposted by David M Willis!
rally.luckyraven.cc's user avatar
Allie @rally.luckyraven.cc ⋅ 19h
My belief is that a lot of people worship a pantheon of death gods, whether they realize it or not, and my intent is to live long enough to see their gods' heads put up on pikes. That's where I'm at. I'll warm my bones by the glow of these cathedrals of rot when they're all razed to the ground.
2
8
73
 
reposted by David M Willis!
longtalljodie.com's user avatar
Jodie Troutman @longtalljodie.com ⋅ 19h
People hate being told "if you wanna make a comic, just make a comic" but also I come from The Land of 2000s Webcomics, where a LOT of people just made a comic. And it was harder! We all had to own scanners and buy paper!
15
102
493
 
reposted by David M Willis!
i-heart-hugs.bsky.social's user avatar
i heart hugs @i-heart-hugs.bsky.social ⋅ 21h
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatarDavid M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 21h
www.makeship.com/petitions/tr... coming in 10 days and 22 hours: a Dina plushie campaign on Makeship! click the handy button to be notified when it launches!
header image - Tricerahoodie Dina Plushie
www.makeship.com
Tricerahoodie Dina Plushie
Dina is so small and quiet that she goes completely unnoticed by most people for long stretches of time. She doesn’t talk much — she prefers to observe. People and how they interact is a puzzle to Din...
3
16
 
reposted by David M Willis!
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 21h
www.makeship.com/petitions/tr... coming in 10 days and 22 hours: a Dina plushie campaign on Makeship! click the handy button to be notified when it launches!
header image - Tricerahoodie Dina Plushie
www.makeship.com
Tricerahoodie Dina Plushie
Dina is so small and quiet that she goes completely unnoticed by most people for long stretches of time. She doesn’t talk much — she prefers to observe. People and how they interact is a puzzle to Din...
1
10
23
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 21h
www.makeship.com/petitions/tr... coming in 10 days and 22 hours: a Dina plushie campaign on Makeship! click the handy button to be notified when it launches!
header image - Tricerahoodie Dina Plushie
www.makeship.com
Tricerahoodie Dina Plushie
Dina is so small and quiet that she goes completely unnoticed by most people for long stretches of time. She doesn’t talk much — she prefers to observe. People and how they interact is a puzzle to Din...
1
10
23
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
the name's rain abyss rain
5
4
38
 
reposted by David M Willis!
robmesure.bsky.social's user avatar
🅡🅞🅑 🅜🅔🅢🅤🅡🅔 @robmesure.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
I have been logged out of my toothbrush.
An Oral-B login screen.
682
3091
17697
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Dagwood Writing Team Look Up Anything About The Cybertruck Challenge
10
5
59
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
today in #9chickweedlane i learned mary is 100% correct and she should say it
10
1
66
 
reposted by David M Willis!
jcsalterego.bsky.social's user avatar
Jerry Chen @jcsalterego.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
technically it's a polyghoul
129
651
4653
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
yesterday in #9chickweedlane i learned everybody shops at the same turtleneck store
8
31
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Dumbing of Age: "Sign of" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Sign of
2
6
38
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
okay maybe i got it
3
28
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
been having so much executive disfunction this week so many important things to be getting done, and i have been choosing none of them
2
47
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
magnet time
1
41
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
then why the fuck am I at panda express
11
23
218
 
reposted by David M Willis!
jfruh.bsky.social's user avatar
Josh Fruhlinger @jfruh.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
experts are questioning trump's decision to drop a giant alien squid onto harvard's campus
header image - Trump’s Attacks Have Helped Heal a Deeply Divided Harvard
www.nytimes.com
Trump’s Attacks Have Helped Heal a Deeply Divided Harvard
2
19
117
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Justice for Windbreaker
3
2
41
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
mcfarlane lex luthor comes with three faces: two regular and one george costanza
3
9
67
 

©2010-2025 Dumbing of Age | Powered by WordPress with ComicPress | Subscribe: RSS | Privacy Policy | Back to Top ↑