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
mary was a ghost the whole time
First Previous Random 223Comments 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
Helvetica
J.N. Wiedle
This story follows Helvetica's quest to uncover who he was in life, his existential crises, and his struggle to to make death worth living.
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!
Demon Street
Aliza Layne
Two kids explore a world full of monsters and magic trying to find their way home again. But when home has been stolen from you, where do you go to get it back?
Witchy
Ariel Slamet Ries
In the witch kingdom Hyalin, the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair.
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.
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.
Tove
Severin
The end of the world is coming, and Tove doesn't want to be a hero, but SOMEONE has to look after her little brother.
El Goonish Shive
Dan Shive
WARNING: This comic often ignores the Laws of Physics
Star Trip
Gisele Weaver
Jas is a human taken from her home planet on a trip across the galaxy she will never forget.
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.
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
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.
Anarchy Dreamers
Emily Ree
Sparkly undead kids fight society's worst Nightmares in this pastel-punk urban fantasy coming-of-age!
Nerf Now!!
Josué Pereira
A cute webcomic about fanservice, video games, and... love. Mostly video games, though.
Elephant Town
Danielle Corsetto
The long, slow tale of Kris, Paul, Berto and Mirando, four people who live in the same creaky old house, but don't know each other. New chapter updates every 2 months.
The Glass Scientists
Sage (S.H.) Cotugno
A gaslamp fantasy comic about the life and times of a ragtag group of mad scientists and their enigmatic leader, Dr. Henry Jekyll.
Little Red & Wolf
Aoi Maneki
Delve into the daily lives of two famous fairytale characters, and their adventures in this big weird world we all live in.
Atomic Robo
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener
The robot punches monsters and bad robots and one time he was a cowboy.
The Hunter of Insania
Aoi Maneki
Wiol Alkko sells fake magical objects to those desperate for cures. When he tries to scam a real witch, she curses him: within a year, Wiol must learn and respect magic, or succumb to corruption of body and mind.
Ozzie the Vampire
Eric Lide
Ozzie and her best friend Kimmy are your average everyday normal art students – except one is an immortal vampire with superpowers and the other possesses a magic talking grimoire. Also they have to save their town from a demonic invasion.
Knights Errant
J.R. Doyle
Wilfrid's humble quest for revenge becomes bigger and bloodier by the day.
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!
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!
[un]Divine
Ayme
A highschool senior thought giving up his soul for a demon was a good idea. It wasn't.
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.
Starhammer
J.N. Monk, Harry Bogosian
A teen girl inherits a powerful alien artifact and proceeds to make a series of increasingly poor decisions
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".
Spinnerette
Krazy Krow, Rocio Zucchi, Pablo Rey
When a lab accident gives Heather Brown spider powers and six arms, she does what any midwest comic geek would do: Become Ohio's #3 superhero!
No Need for Bushido
Suburban Samurai, J W Kovell
The flash of a blade, the clash of steel! A runaway princess and her samurai companion navigate a fractured country on the brink of war.
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.
Peritale
Mari Costa
A fairy godmother with no magic tries her best to successfully fulfill a Fairytale and win the respect of her peers.
Parisa
Ellen K
Two friends, Nolan and Gwen, take it upon themselves to escort the amnesiac spirit Lelief across the world of Parisa.
The Din
Karin (Karrey)
The Din changed the world, mankind & its technology. Gregg Emilio dreams of flying in a sky that hasn't carried airplanes in a century.
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.
Sister Claire
Yamino
In the troubled aftermath of a great war between Witches and her fellow Nuns, novice Sister Claire just wants a purpose.
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?
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things
Kelly Turnbull
A weekly comic celebrating the finer things in life. Like manly men, lumberjacks, and time traveling special ops agents.
Sufficiently Remarkable
Maki Naro
Two young women living in Brooklyn discover that you're always coming of age.
The Mash
L.F. Garcia, Danigami
In a world shrouded in mystery and threatened by great evil,a young mummy prince will use his new life to unite with other monster children to save it.
Novae
KaiJu
A historical romance with a touch magic and a dash of astronomy. It chronicles the romantic adventures of Sulvain, a sweet tempered necromancer and Raziol, a passionate 17th century astronomer.
Laws and Sausages
Zach Weinersmith
Your cartoon guide to the American governement!
Never Satisfied
Taylor Robin
Lucy Marlowe, a magician's apprentice, competes against other apprentices for an important, magical, Goverment Job.
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.)
Heroes of Thantopolis
Izzy Strontium Hall
A living boy fights to save the City of the Dead.
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.
Real Science Adventures
Brian Clevinger
Spin off stories and other adventures from the world of Atomic Robo!
Wilde Life
Pascalle Lepas
Oscar decided to rent an old haunted house, and that's when things got weird...
Lighter Than Heir
Melissa Albino
A young Volant woman joins the military in an effort to upstage her war-hero father.
Awkward Zombie
Katie Tiedrich
Gags and goofs about videogames and the things that happen in them.
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:

July 11, 2026

Sixth sense

by David M Willis on October 23, 2018 at 12:01 am
  • 01 - Flyin' to the Red
└ Tags: dorothy, fuckface, joyce, mary

Discussion (223) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    October 23, 2018 at 12:01 am | #

    Man, I hope this turns into a “HE’S A CHICKEN! A GIANT CHICKEN!” scenario, with nobody else seeing the lizard (or at least pretending not to to mess with Mary).

    • JetstreamGW
      JetstreamGW
      October 23, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

      You wear a disguise to look like human… hats… but you’re not head…gear… you’re a lizard… Fuck…face…?

      This doesn’t roll off the tongue very well.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        October 23, 2018 at 12:14 am | #

        Iguana Fuckface, whaddyawann’ in this place? You don’t care what you’re gonna showcase. You worn like a hat so they won’t notice that — but you’re not a hat, you’re iguana Fuckface.

        • Queen Anthai
          Queen Anthai
          October 23, 2018 at 6:07 am | #

          This is genius.

        • Buli-Buli
          Buli-Buli
          October 23, 2018 at 7:16 am | #

          Why can’t I like, heart, or upvote comments?!?

          • Annonymouse
            Annonymouse
            October 23, 2018 at 2:51 pm | #

            That option is not implemented due to the critical level of [censored] that would abuse such a system.

            Also it would give the DYW just another headache.

        • LeslieBean4Shizzle
          LeslieBean4Shizzle
          October 23, 2018 at 7:51 am | #

          **applauds**

          Bravo.

        • JetstreamGW
          JetstreamGW
          October 23, 2018 at 8:29 am | #

          Yeah, alright.

    • Antonio Tyler
      Antonio Tyler
      October 23, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

      A Chicken Boo reference? Bravo!

    • ShinyNeen
      ShinyNeen
      October 23, 2018 at 12:04 am | #

      An entire sequence of characters dunking on Mary like this? Yes, please yes.

      • Doctor_Who
        Doctor_Who
        October 23, 2018 at 12:06 am | #

        You just know Carla would somehow get everyone on the floor to wear head lizards (don’t ask where she got them – girl is resourceful). Or maybe convince Mary that she’s the one with a head lizard.

        • hof1991
          hof1991
          October 23, 2018 at 9:41 am | #

          Get your weird thing to wear on your head here – http://www.cheesehead.com/

    • Ana Chronistic
      Ana Chronistic
      October 23, 2018 at 10:48 pm | #

      somehow just thought of “I’M TELLING!“

  2. toby
    toby
    October 23, 2018 at 12:01 am | #

    mary needs to eat at least two more puppies to be capable of whimsy

    • Jack Sprat
      Jack Sprat
      October 23, 2018 at 12:16 am | #

      Puppies are just SO high in calories, though.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        October 23, 2018 at 6:14 am | #

        That’s why you go for toy breed puppies. Just as evil, but they’re so small there are less calories.

        • Geneseepaws
          Geneseepaws
          October 23, 2018 at 7:39 am | #

          Or Tea-cup varieties, for those like Mary, but just want a mid-morning snack.

        • heckoffsmolpuppers
          heckoffsmolpuppers
          October 23, 2018 at 2:14 pm | #

          i’m pretty sure toy breed puppies are themselves more evil, so it may be LESS evil to eat them

  3. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    October 23, 2018 at 12:02 am | #

    or Mary can detect the presence of other cold-blooded creatures

    • Antonio Tyler
      Antonio Tyler
      October 23, 2018 at 12:07 am | #

      zing, as the kids say

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      October 23, 2018 at 8:27 am | #

      She’s an anime artist – I imagine her vision is based on yaoi.

      • Roborat
        Roborat
        October 23, 2018 at 3:03 pm | #

        Oh come on now, be nice, not all manga is yaoi, just most of it.

        • threePwny
          threePwny
          October 23, 2018 at 3:31 pm | #

          The rest is yuri

  4. Kamino Neko
    Kamino Neko
    October 23, 2018 at 12:02 am | #

    … I’m actually amused by Mary.

    What sorcery is this?

    • RicardtheDragoon
      RicardtheDragoon
      October 23, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

      I’m surprised she delivered the punchline so seriously.

      • DSL
        DSL
        October 23, 2018 at 5:42 am | #

        The people who take themselves most seriously can always be counted upon to deliver the punchline at their own expense.

  5. Antonio Tyler
    Antonio Tyler
    October 23, 2018 at 12:02 am | #

    Mary got me to laugh.

    Send help.

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      October 23, 2018 at 12:04 am | #

      So

      It has come to this

      • MatthewTheLucky
        MatthewTheLucky
        October 23, 2018 at 12:06 am | #

        You.

        Me.

        Here.

    • Kamino Neko
      Kamino Neko
      October 23, 2018 at 12:11 am | #

      Jinx. Sort of. We didn’t actually phrase it the same way, but… Yeah. What the hell?

    • Wraithy2773
      Wraithy2773
      October 23, 2018 at 10:07 pm | #

      I mean, she’s not wrong…

  6. Alan
    Alan
    October 23, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

    Wooooow.

  7. Leorale
    Leorale
    October 23, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

    In which, nobody really cares about Mary

    • abysswatcher1993
      abysswatcher1993
      October 23, 2018 at 12:16 am | #

      That is not a surprise. People only care about awful people when they cause destruction.

      • JessWitt
        JessWitt
        October 23, 2018 at 1:12 am | #

        Shh, don’t encourage her!

  8. Barduwulf
    Barduwulf
    October 23, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

    …..He climbed up there on his own.

  9. jeffepp
    jeffepp
    October 23, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

    You’re not coming off as a real person, you see.

  10. Passchendaele
    Passchendaele
    October 23, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

    good news is, if someone tells malaya, we can solve the mary problem

    • Clif
      Clif
      October 23, 2018 at 3:04 am | #

      Malaya will know if Mary raises a fuss. So return him to his room and let Malaya handle it.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        October 23, 2018 at 6:23 am | #

        Yeah, Mary trying to blackmail Malaya with a threat to report Fuckface would be interesting.
        “Mary? Yeah, haven’t seen her in awhile. Strange.”

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          October 23, 2018 at 10:12 pm | #

          There’s a weird muffled scream from the trash chute lately.

          Must be backed up again.

  11. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    October 23, 2018 at 12:04 am | #

    *sets a stack of Elton John records to random on the hacked Muzak*

  12. Roger
    Roger
    October 23, 2018 at 12:04 am | #

    Of course Mary’s gonna Narc

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      October 23, 2018 at 12:06 am | #

      Probably, but she also is the person Ruth is least likely to listen to. That, and since she’s getting laid now, Mary might just not care very much.

      • adam
        adam
        October 23, 2018 at 12:16 am | #

        Ruth wants to be fired anyway, why should she care?

        • Foxhack
          Foxhack
          October 23, 2018 at 12:29 am | #

          Well there’s the matter of Ruth’s brother being okay while she’s in college…

          • Regalli
            Regalli
            October 23, 2018 at 1:35 am | #

            Also if Clint could pay off ResLife once I’m pretty sure he’ll do it again. He’s got an investment to protect, after all, and ‘the RA is engaged in an inappropriate relationship, is an underage alcoholic on a dry campus, and by the way is SUICIDAL and COMPLETELY INCAPABLE OF PERFORMING DUTIES’ apparently wasn’t enough to override him throwing money at things and them letting him. Can’t imagine a simple contraband pet will be compared to that.

            • Regalli
              Regalli
              October 23, 2018 at 1:40 am | #

              (Chloe apparently never gave a shit about whether or not her RAs threatened violence against people, and honestly the list of reasons why Ruth is unqualified as RA is so long I forget that part. Chloe is not good at her job!)

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                October 23, 2018 at 6:38 am | #

                It’s unclear what Chloe actually knew about the threats of violence. You’d expect someone to have reported them while Ruth was hospitalized (maybe Rachel, if not Mary?), but we didn’t see that happen.

                • BBCC
                  BBCC
                  October 23, 2018 at 1:31 pm | #

                  Ruth herself told Cloe she slapped one of her charges hard enough to leave a mark.

                • thejeff
                  thejeff
                  October 23, 2018 at 3:23 pm | #

                  Technically “slapped a Sharpie dick onto someone’s face”, which frankly I’d have a hard time taking seriously. You’d actually be more likely to get the Sharpie dick to transfer with a firm touch, not a slap.

                  Slap might leave a red mark or a bruise, but that’s not what she said.

                • BBCC
                  BBCC
                  October 23, 2018 at 3:49 pm | #

                  I’d argue that the key part in that sentence is ‘slapped’. Even if you have a hard time taking it seriously, that should probably have clued her in Ruth was hitting her residents.

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      October 23, 2018 at 1:09 am | #

      Mary is a blackmailer. She’s going to threaten to narc, as a way of coercing potential blackmailees. But if she actually did narc, she’d lose her perceived hold over her target.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        October 23, 2018 at 6:40 am | #

        Case in point, she apparently never revealed Becky to Chloe, even after Ruth was found.

        Somehow I don’t think blackmailing Malaya would go well.

        • DailyBrad
          DailyBrad
          October 23, 2018 at 3:16 pm | #

          She doesn’t know Fuckface belongs to Malaya, so she may try to exert leverage over Joyce or Dorothy, neither of whom would be quick to throw Malaya under the bus out of a sense of decency.

  13. Nono
    Nono
    October 23, 2018 at 12:04 am | #

    I think this is the most relaxed we’ve ever seen Dorothy.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      October 23, 2018 at 12:08 am | #

      I think this is the most rational we’ve ever seen Mary.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      October 23, 2018 at 12:12 am | #

      Awwww, she’s having fun

  14. Rartorata
    Rartorata
    October 23, 2018 at 12:04 am | #

    Unfortunately, Mary’s vision is based not on movement but on leverage.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      October 23, 2018 at 8:31 am | #

      She’s an anime artist, her vision is based on yaoi.

      That’s my joke for today, and I’m stickin’ to it.

  15. MatthewTheLucky
    MatthewTheLucky
    October 23, 2018 at 12:05 am | #

    Just say he fell out of the vents, it’s not any weirder than the truth.

  16. ShinyNeen
    ShinyNeen
    October 23, 2018 at 12:05 am | #

    Now you know it’s a heist (reverse heist, whatever). Lookit that banter!

  17. James Bagwell
    James Bagwell
    October 23, 2018 at 12:08 am | #

    Suddenly we’re having a Duck Man episode? “What lizard?”

    • MatthewTheLucky
      MatthewTheLucky
      October 23, 2018 at 12:17 am | #

      I don’t see what this has to do with inappropriately nicknamed fell9ws living under bridges.

  18. Some1
    Some1
    October 23, 2018 at 12:09 am | #

    Did Joyce and Dorothy ever consider, I don’t know…taking the lizard off of Joyce’s head? That feels like it should be the first step.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      October 23, 2018 at 12:12 am | #

      Take it OFF?

      Off her HEAD?

      Doesn’t seem likely

    • Tacos
      Tacos
      October 23, 2018 at 12:13 am | #

      To late. That lizard has now fused with Joyce’s head and is now puppeteering her body.

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        October 23, 2018 at 12:14 am | #

        Don’t be ridiculous, if it was a proper fusion then it’d be a mixture of both personalities in there.

        • Foxhack
          Foxhack
          October 23, 2018 at 12:29 am | #

          Where do you think Joyce’s understanding of the joke came from?

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          October 23, 2018 at 2:08 am | #

          It’s less “fusion”, more “Pixar’s Ratatouille“.

          • Foxhack
            Foxhack
            October 23, 2018 at 2:11 pm | #

            PACIFIC RIM INTENSIFES

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      October 23, 2018 at 12:13 am | #

      Someone mentioned on the last page that iguanas have very sharp claws, and can be…disinclined toward being moved from a place once they’ve settled in comfortably.

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        October 23, 2018 at 1:00 am | #

        Yep. Though apparently that has nothing on their ability to keep biting you once they decide they want to do that.

        Keeping an iguana illegally in a dorm you must share with a random person who has no idea what they’re getting into or how to handle it is really not a good idea. Don’t try this at home, kids.

        • Alanari
          Alanari
          October 23, 2018 at 5:22 am | #

          However, this isn’t exactly common knowledge. So, this might be less “knowing how to deal with an iguana” and more “not thinking of it”.

          I mean, honestly, would you put a completely foreign animal on your head, not knowing its personality or what might frighten it or how tame it is, but knowing fully well it might literally rip your face apart? And then carry it in new environments?

          I mean, it’s all hypothetical anyway. If this was real, fuckface would most likely be dead or in a really bad condition. Too cold, too dry.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            October 23, 2018 at 7:36 am | #

            Well, Sal seemed to be treating him as harmless and Joyce didn’t exactly put Fuckface on her head. He climbed there on his own.

            Dry is probably a good point, but there is a heat lamp and probably heated rocks in his tank. And all these nice warm mammals to sit on.

            • Liquid Len
              Liquid Len
              October 23, 2018 at 12:12 pm | #

              And he gets misted from time to time, even by Sal

              • Alanari
                Alanari
                October 23, 2018 at 3:47 pm | #

                Fuckface knows sal. That’s hardly transferable. And letting a feral animal climb on your head without the owner being present is not exactly a good idea.

                I don’t remember anyone misting him or him being in his tank, like, ever. He was outside his tank today morning, so he either was left outside his tank when malaya left or slept outside it.
                If the room even remotely had appropriate living conditions for an iguana, probably no one would enter it willingly. And while his heat lamp seems to be movable, it’ll warm up the air locally, thus decreasing the relative air humidity even further (warm air holds more water).

                It is a comic, so it works but if he were real, he’d be in trouble. (and he’d grow way too fast to be kept secret pretty long, but that’s another story).

                • BBCC
                  BBCC
                  October 23, 2018 at 3:48 pm | #

                  We see him getting misted in patreon strips.

  19. Bagge
    Bagge
    October 23, 2018 at 12:09 am | #

    I L-O-V-E Joyce and Dorothy getting into shenanigans. Cute banter!

    • ShinyNeen
      ShinyNeen
      October 23, 2018 at 12:18 am | #

      It’s the beeeeeeeest

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      October 23, 2018 at 12:59 am | #

      I love how they’re both not answering Mary’s question and insulting her instead.

  20. Koms
    Koms
    October 23, 2018 at 12:09 am | #

    Everyone except Mary looks so cute.

  21. tim gueguen
    tim gueguen
    October 23, 2018 at 12:10 am | #

    Next strip, Mary gets her throat ripped out by an angry lizard. Everyone lives happily ever after, except for Ruth’s grandfather, Toedad, and Blaine. Even Faz gets to live happily ever after as a willing slave on the hidden island of the Amazons.(No, not the one Wonder Woman comes from, a different hidden island of Amazons.)

  22. Kit M. Harding
    Kit M. Harding
    October 23, 2018 at 12:10 am | #

    How is Joyce the germophobe tolerating a lizard on her head, anyway?

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      October 23, 2018 at 12:11 am | #

      A girl got to have some glaring contradictions in her life.

      • MatthewTheLucky
        MatthewTheLucky
        October 23, 2018 at 12:18 am | #

        I got that reference!

      • JessWitt
        JessWitt
        October 23, 2018 at 1:13 am | #

        +1!

        • mrnoidea
          mrnoidea
          October 23, 2018 at 2:01 am | #

          +2.

      • Bickendan
        Bickendan
        October 23, 2018 at 1:54 am | #

        Hannalore approves!

    • Felian
      Felian
      October 23, 2018 at 3:39 am | #

      The same way that Ultracar did in Shortpacked! – She objected to the iguana being probably dirty, was told it’s actually very clean, and then was enchanted by the iguana-on-head-magic.

  23. Bagge
    Bagge
    October 23, 2018 at 12:10 am | #

    Heh, nice job, Dorothy. Instead of admitting guilt she jumps into a barrage of distractions, starting with trying to draw attention to her clothing and ending with insulting Mary, all the time trying to steer the conversation from the topic they really want to avoid.

    You are not half bad at it, Dorothy, but you are no alpha bongo
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/04-of-mike-and-men/honour/

    • Tacos
      Tacos
      October 23, 2018 at 12:14 am | #

      She’s practicing how to be a politician.

  24. adam
    adam
    October 23, 2018 at 12:12 am | #

    JUst deny there is a Lizard;

    Ask Mary if she is possessed by Demons

    • mrnoidea
      mrnoidea
      October 23, 2018 at 2:00 am | #

      And we can make this Mary’s theme song. (also fitting since we’re close to halloween)

  25. BBCC
    BBCC
    October 23, 2018 at 12:13 am | #

    I mean, Joyce and Dorothy are spot on here. And oh how I love the characters taking pot shots at Mary.

    But yeah, lizard on head is kinda hard to miss and its only a matter of time before the iguana’s out of the bag.

    Although the image of Mary trying to blackmail Malaya is one I will savour for years because ohhhh that’d go so wrong. Gee, it sure is tragic Mary disappeared around midterms.

    • Alanari
      Alanari
      October 23, 2018 at 12:35 am | #

      Malaya does care about fuckface and Mary really dislikes her. So, this actually could go really bad for Malaya.

      So far, Mary doesn’t know to whom he belongs though.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        October 23, 2018 at 12:57 am | #

        Mary really disliking her and Malaya caring about Fuckface are exactly why Mary disappeared.

        We’re not entirely sure what happened, we think she switched to a different art school.

        • Alanari
          Alanari
          October 23, 2018 at 4:24 am | #

          Malaya is not exactly a ninja here. She has a tendency to call people on their bs, but she’s not violent so far. Or has a tendency to become brutal.
          This basically is teenage drama. That’s all. The probability of anyone disappearing is low. It usually ends with a lot of tears and a lot of people being hurt and that’s it. I don’t expect this to be any different if Mary chooses to make a drama out of it.
          I also don’t expect a 18-or-something-year-old to commit a whole lot of crimes over an animal (and probably end up in jail because of it). More likely that fuckface will end up back at malayas parents.

        • Emily
          Emily
          October 23, 2018 at 10:09 am | #

          Malaya isn’t smart or careful enough to make someone disappear. Case in point: she tried to hide a 4 foot iguana in her dorm room.

          • Roborat
            Roborat
            October 23, 2018 at 3:11 pm | #

            Are there other types of iguanas? I mean, most animals on earth have 4 feet.

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          October 23, 2018 at 10:22 am | #

          I feel the need to clarify I am in fact joking. I don’t think Mary’s actually going to disappear.

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      October 23, 2018 at 12:57 am | #

      I get the sense that at least three or four people in the dorm wouldn’t even care if Mary got murdered, and those that would care would only do so out of a general distaste for murder and the general discomfort that comes with someone you know dying. Give it another few months of this particular political climate and I expect that number to jump again.

      (Roz might even throw a party. As miserable as sharing a room with Mary must have been previously, sharing it now that she’s having long makeout/Judging The Sinners And Celebrating Their Eternal Suffering In Hell sessions must be actively torturous.)

      I mean, I can tell what this is leading up to – Mary’s been largely defanged since the Ruth secret got out and everyone shunned her, and there’s already been setup for her resenting Malaya in particular. Time to bring her back into a more significant antagonist role. But seriously, I fully believe Malaya could deal with this before Ruth gets involved, and that a significant portion of the dorm will side with Malaya over Mary until and unless serious violence comes into play. Carla will prank for this iguana. Carla will SO prank the bigot for this iguana.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        October 23, 2018 at 12:59 am | #

        Hey, nobody said anything about murder! It’s just nobody knows where she is.

        (She woke up in the Amazon and had to get a long ride home. She’s too steamed to return to IU for a while after that).

        • Regalli
          Regalli
          October 23, 2018 at 1:04 am | #

          … Carla has the money. Carla has the inclination. Carla has the hatred of Mary and affinity for Malaya. Carla has the lawyers.

          Excellent callback. And hey, if Mary happened to not be available in a month for voting, even better! Everyone wins!

          • Regalli
            Regalli
            October 23, 2018 at 1:16 am | #

            And hell while my first instinct is that Mary’s primed to return as a villain, we have Mike actively mid-scheme, new information that seriously ups Linda’s threat level, and fucking BLAINE back in the playing field, plus general lurking Carol and Clint on the backburners, an obviously-foreshadowed confrontation with Raidah for a student antagonist, and high drama potential with Richard. And that’s only counting the conflicts including antagonists who we actually know about and are in unambiguously antagonistic roles, there are other subplots without those that are equally fertile drama fields. Mary could actually be written out entirely for YEARS and not be needed.

            • BBCC
              BBCC
              October 23, 2018 at 1:29 am | #

              Oh I’m sure she’s going to at least make a play for attacking Malaya.

              What I remain unconvinced of is the idea she’ll leave with her teeth intact.

              • Regalli
                Regalli
                October 23, 2018 at 1:38 am | #

                I would consider that the prelude to Mary leaving for the foreseeable future.

                • BBCC
                  BBCC
                  October 23, 2018 at 11:35 am | #

                  Yeah, all my jokes about increasingly horrible fates for Mary aside, I don’t think Malaya will prove as vulnerable to blackmail. Ruth was suicidal and having a hard time motivating herself to stay alive, never mind fight back (and Mary’s blackmail made her actually decide to lie down and wait to die so, y’know, FUCK MARY). Malaya cares about Fuckface, but she doesn’t have the same mental illness, so far as we can tell, and we DO know Malaya will always fight back at a challenge so this will be very interesting. I think Mary’s definitely making a comeback as an antagonist, but she might be up against someone more motivated to fight.

                • JBento
                  JBento
                  October 23, 2018 at 5:18 pm | #

                  Malaya also isn’t Carla, who knows her trans status is going to get her fucked over by the powers that be in a contest between her and the Good Christian Girl (TM), so she does basically harmless and hoisted-by-your-own-petard thing.

                  I mean, Malaya isn’t white, so she’s probably ALSO screwed by the PTB v Mary, but Malaya doesn’t care. Her brain started reading up on the Fight or Flight response, but lost interest half-way through.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      October 23, 2018 at 7:56 am | #

      Of course at this point, Mary wouldn’t know of any connection to Malaya. If she was going to try anything it would be blackmailing Joyce.

      They should just go into Joyce’s room and bring Fuckface back to Malaya’s through the half-bath. Then, if anyone comes to check, there’s no iguana to be found.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        October 23, 2018 at 11:36 am | #

        That is also true. It’d be interesting to see Mary vs Joyce.

  26. Deepthought42
    Deepthought42
    October 23, 2018 at 12:13 am | #

    Dorothy Fuckface and Joyce should consider becoming a comedy trio and take this show on the road!

  27. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    October 23, 2018 at 12:15 am | #

    These two are either awesome friends or in denial of being gay for each other. I can seriously make a conspiracy theory chart showing the evidence that Joyce and Dorothy would be perfect for each other, and it wouldn’t include antisemtic content. Conspiracy theorists sometimes attack Jewish people.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      October 23, 2018 at 12:21 am | #

      The characters have mentioned that Joyce gets her idea of female friendships from Becky, who carried a torch for Joyce all through their childhoods. So, uh, Joyce gives a lot of false positives. But nah, Joyce isn’t a Friend Of Dorothy, they’re just great pals!

      • Keulen
        Keulen
        October 23, 2018 at 1:06 am | #

        I thought Joyce was the biggest Friend of Dorothy.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          October 23, 2018 at 7:49 am | #

          Looking back at that, is it only Joyce who has no clue what “Friend of Dorothy” means? Both Amazi-Girl and Sierra seem to have some snark going with it.

          • CJ
            CJ
            October 23, 2018 at 9:55 am | #

            True. Though I suspect at this time Sierra still gos with the denial theory. It’s pre-Becky, isn’t it?

          • Bagge
            Bagge
            October 23, 2018 at 12:25 pm | #

            “People sharing a joke on Joyce’s expense over her head” is not an entirely unknown phenomena in this comic

      • Smiling Cat
        Smiling Cat
        October 23, 2018 at 2:29 am | #

        Gal pals. Gals who are pals.

        • Bagge
          Bagge
          October 23, 2018 at 12:25 pm | #

          And strangely, they still have to watch Steven Universe and hold hands.

          I suppose Hymmel has to do.

    • Irredentist
      Irredentist
      October 23, 2018 at 12:26 am | #

      Half of your comment makes sense. The other half confuses me.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        October 23, 2018 at 12:48 am | #

        “False positives” is like in a medical test, where it looks like you’re testing positive for something, but, you aren’t actually positive for it. I meant that Joyce accidentally sends out false signals that she’s into women, such as wearing plaid vests.

        “Friend Of Dorothy” is old slang for gay. (Because Judy Garland, who played Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, was an ally.) People would ask or say that they were a Friend Of Dorothy so that only people who knew that phrase would know what they meant.
        I was making a pun that Joyce is Dorothy’s friend, but that she isn’t gay.

    • JBento
      JBento
      October 23, 2018 at 7:22 am | #

      That… took a weird turn at the end there.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        October 23, 2018 at 12:29 pm | #

        Yeah, it was after my bedtime. Oh well!

        • JBento
          JBento
          October 23, 2018 at 5:14 pm | #

          I mean abysswatcher’s post. I actually GOT all of yours, though if I’m being honest, being neither American nor gay, I only got the Friend of Dorothy part because someone brought it up in the comment section of a MUUUUUUCH earlier strip.

          • Leorale
            Leorale
            October 25, 2018 at 1:47 pm | #

            Oh, yes. I ignored the bit about antisemitic conspiracy theories, and instead wrote overwrought puns. No regrets.

  28. Inahc
    Inahc
    October 23, 2018 at 12:18 am | #

    “well of course he’s on my head, he’s too big to fit on my shoulder!”

  29. Marsh Maryrose
    Marsh Maryrose
    October 23, 2018 at 12:20 am | #

    I am both appalled and intrigued by Mary’s reference to Fuckface as a “filthy” animal.

    Inquiring minds want to know: does Mary think of all animals as “filthy,” or only those which do not chew the cud and part the hoof?

    • Wizard
      Wizard
      October 23, 2018 at 12:39 am | #

      And now I have the scene from Pulp Fiction running in my head.

    • Emily
      Emily
      October 23, 2018 at 8:07 am | #

      A lot of reptiles (iguanas are among them) are actually pretty filthy and can carry salmonella and spread it to basically everything they touch which is part of why proper handling of them is so important even if you ignore the whole “the have sharp claws and strong jaws” thing. Like, it’s one of the reasons Malaya having this animal secretly in a heavily populated building is really shitty of her. Never mind the fact that her college dorm is in no way equipped to properly house an iguana and this environment cannot be good for him.

      • Clif
        Clif
        October 23, 2018 at 9:30 am | #

        This makes lots of assumptions. That Malaya doesn’t bathe her pet, Doesn’t have a heat lamp and a terrerium for her pet to hang out and eat. We know some of those assumptions are wrong. Because they can be filthy doesn’t mean this one is filthy. Some Iguanas, certainly not all, appear to be fairly social and curious and riding around on Joyce’s head for a few hours isn’t going to kill it. Yeah, the air in the dorm is probably too chill for its long term comfort but In its room it knows where to go for a warm nap, No Malaya is not the poster child for responsibility but there is no need to make worse case scenario assumptions when the evidence is against it.

        • Emily
          Emily
          October 23, 2018 at 10:05 am | #

          Where exactly is she bathing her pet? Because if the answer is “The communal washrooms” then that’s fucked. A large tropical lizard like an iguana has pretty specific needs that simply cannot be met in a college dorm room. There is not space for a properly sized enclosure and a water source large enough for soaking and a proper number of heat lamps to provide full body coverage and that’s not even taking into account the complete inability to control humidity (good luck maintaining 65-75% humidity in an Indiana dorm room). That terrarium is a goddamn goldfish bowl that is barely as long as the animal she’s putting in it. Iguanas are not casual pets, they are exotic reptiles and their needs reflect that.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            October 23, 2018 at 10:38 am | #

            Oh my god, this comic isn’t completely realistic. I’m shocked! Shocked.

            Can’t wait for the next superhero fight, by the way.

            • Emily
              Emily
              October 23, 2018 at 1:41 pm | #

              Oh shove off with this argument. If Willis is going to flip flop back and forth over the line between realistic issues with realistic consequences and wacky hijinks then you’re going to have to live with the dissonance that creates when it comes to what people take seriously and what they don’t. I’m supposed to take Amber’s DID seriously but OH not the actual consequences of play-acting superhero now I’m taking things TOO seriously.

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                October 23, 2018 at 3:31 pm | #

                Yes, actually I think that’s pretty much the case. I think that’s pretty much the intent.
                Amazi-Girl isn’t just “play-acting superhero”. She’s really a (low-end) superhero. She gets the advantage of various superhero tropes – the secret identity actually working, the abilities needed for the cool action scenes, etc. She also has DID, PTSD and other issues which are played relatively straight.

                I get that sometimes the dissonance is jarring. But that’s the way the comic is written. If that’s a flaw for you, not sure what to say.

                • Inahc
                  Inahc
                  October 23, 2018 at 4:07 pm | #

                  I find the dissonance a relief at times 🙂 it’s nice to take a break from the serious stuff for some wacky hijinks. So long as they’re not the kind that remind me of problems (like amazi-girl now).

            • Inahc
              Inahc
              October 23, 2018 at 2:28 pm | #

              still, the “Don’t try this at home, kids” message is a valid one. A while ago someone linked to an article on iguana care that made them sound pretty damn dangerous.

            • the final pam
              the final pam
              October 24, 2018 at 1:31 am | #

              This response is kind of dickish in light of the fact that there’s a lot of relatively minor things in the comic that get over-analyzed to hell (like entire relationship dynamics based off a single panel of dialogue), but expressing concern and criticizing Malaya’s care for her pet? Oh, no, that’s too far. The fun police have arrived.

              Like, it’s really not that unreasonable to think that there could be serious, realistic consequences. That’s kind of a recurring thing throughout this comic- wacky shenanigans or scenarios that come back with a vengeance. Billie’s entire alcoholic plotline was played for laughs when it was first introduced, and then when the car accident came up, it became a lot more serious.

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                October 24, 2018 at 7:36 am | #

                I suppose and I did go a bit over the top, but I really doubt we’re going into animal abuse, dying pets or Joyce getting mauled by the dangerous animal on her head.

                What we tend to get is cartoon physics with emotional realism, which is somewhat different than the shifts some expect. Amazi-Girl is the biggest example: There’s all kinds of serious stuff going on there, but it’s all going on with the backdrop of her being a super-hero. That’s not suddenly going to drop in favor of realistic consequences to fights – to her, Sal or the mooks they beat up. In a dramatic moment she might lose control and hurt someone (Blaine, Ryan), but we’re not going to get the revelation that she’s been unintentionally, unknowingly crippling the petty crooks she’s stopped. Because super-hero tropes allow for those kinds of fist fights, without the realistic consequences.
                Sure she got hurt in the car chase and could have died if the cavalry hadn’t arrived at the last minute, but that’s a perfectly common trope for the big dramatic finale. And she bounced right back from it in a couple days. Physically at least. Like superheroes do.

                Or the wacky “prank war” between Mary and Carla – escalated into transphobia, blackmail and all that. Not into Carla breaking her skull when the skates seized up.

                Things get serious and have consequences, that’s absolutely true. But different kinds of consequences.

                • the final pam
                  the final pam
                  October 24, 2018 at 12:11 pm | #

                  And the consequences here don’t have to be that Fuckface dies because of inadequate care, but if he’s discovered, Malaya gets told off for the subpar conditions he’s been put in and he gets taken away to an exotic animal vet? Put up for adoption with someone that actually has the space and means to take care of him?

                  Something I could very well see happening in comic is them deciding to move him into Carla’s room, because she doesn’t have to share the space with a roommate. That would let them be able to get a bigger tank and better set up going for him than whatever they have in Malaya and Sal’s room at the moment.

                  Even if it never comes up in comic, it’s not bad to point out that in real life this is not a good situation for any pet, but most especially an exotic one, because as much as we like to rely upon the common sense of other people and the ability to do research, sometimes people just look at things and go “Oh, that’s okay then”. When it comes to animals, people vastly underestimate the amount of care and maintenance that they need and that’s how we get stressed out fish in 2-gallon fishbowls.

          • 3oranges
            3oranges
            October 23, 2018 at 3:27 pm | #

            Back when I was in university, there actually was an iguana in the dorm. It wasn’t kept secret, and it was still relatively small, but it was there. Things like humidity and water were provided by spritzing, and carrying water back and forth from the washroom to fill its container.

            I have no idea how close or far from ideal it was, mind, just that someone was successfully keeping an iguana that way. Of course people can keep goldfish in goldfish bowls too, for a few years, even though we now know they really shouldn’t.

  30. Bobcat
    Bobcat
    October 23, 2018 at 12:20 am | #

    Mary had a little iguana.

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      October 23, 2018 at 12:29 am | #

      Its skin was green as grass.

      • Chris Phoenix
        Chris Phoenix
        October 23, 2018 at 12:49 am | #

        And everywhere that Mary went /
        A stick was in her ass.

        • JoeCovenant
          JoeCovenant
          October 23, 2018 at 3:44 am | #

          She found it in the school one day
          Atop of Joyce’s head.
          It made the students dream and sigh
          and wish that she were dead.

          • Bagge
            Bagge
            October 23, 2018 at 12:21 pm | #

            To have a lizard in the school
            Is not allowed by rule
            It made both Joyce and Dotty smile
            But Mary’s smile was crule

            She thought a wicked thought
            “I will expose this dreary critter,
            It’s not allowed, it’ll be thrown out,
            And I can brag on twitter.”

            To catch a sinner in the sin:
            ‘s what Mary like the most
            Not to help or offer guide
            But for an ego boast

            Who will save little Fuckface now
            From this crule fate of woe
            Does God give hail to lizard pray’rs
            We won’t know ’til tomorrow

  31. Kris
    Kris
    October 23, 2018 at 12:21 am | #

    Or maybe Mary’s just not high, or an idiot, or completely indifferent like most of the background characters

    • Emily
      Emily
      October 23, 2018 at 8:09 am | #

      Seriously, this gag isn’t even funny it’s just bizarre and stupid. It’s impossible enough to distract people from a dog being within a hundred feet of them let alone an exotic animal they’ve likely never interacted with before.

      • Clif
        Clif
        October 23, 2018 at 9:41 am | #

        There is a famous experiment where people are trying to keep track of the number of passes in a basketball game and never notice when a gorilla wanders onto the court. Change blindness is completely a thing. People not noticing what they aren’t focused on is completely plausible. That said, every one on the floor except Mary and Ruth may already know about the iguana. Dorothy certainly did.

        • hof1991
          hof1991
          October 23, 2018 at 9:48 am | #

          this experiment – https://youtu.be/vJG698U2Mvo

          • Clif
            Clif
            October 23, 2018 at 9:51 am | #

            Thank you.

        • Emily
          Emily
          October 23, 2018 at 10:11 am | #

          This isn’t that. There’s nothing they’ve been specifically directed to focus on Dorothy is just wearing a marginally loud shirt which is way easier to overlook than an iguana.

    • TemperaryObsessor
      TemperaryObsessor
      October 23, 2018 at 4:43 pm | #

      Mary only care because she’s a busy body, everyone else has no real reason to care.

  32. Zellgato
    Zellgato
    October 23, 2018 at 12:28 am | #

    I like how.. she honestly did not know how to react to their banter

    • Lingo
      Lingo
      October 23, 2018 at 12:42 am | #

      Yeah it’s weird, she doesn’t even look insulted.

      • Delavan
        Delavan
        October 23, 2018 at 2:41 am | #

        No … she looks oddly reflective. It’s worrying… she can’t possibly have character growth, can she?

    • Emily
      Emily
      October 23, 2018 at 8:10 am | #

      She’s probably too busy being baffled by how idiotic this entire situation is.

      • Clif
        Clif
        October 23, 2018 at 9:55 am | #

        I’m baffled why you read this comic. Are there any characters at all you just enjoy or any part of it that just entertains you?

        • Emily
          Emily
          October 23, 2018 at 10:15 am | #

          I like Becky, Dina, Sal, Danny, Lucy, Joyce when she’s not actively doing something gross, Dorothy, Roz. Also various minor characters. I just think these “shenanigans” are dumb and not funny.

          • Conuly
            Conuly
            October 23, 2018 at 5:37 pm | #

            That’s why this is called Dumbing of Age, not Funny of Age.

  33. Rukdug
    Rukdug
    October 23, 2018 at 12:30 am | #

    Panel 4, in which Dorothy is the audience.

  34. Irredentist
    Irredentist
    October 23, 2018 at 12:34 am | #

    Mary has a true talent for evil. It’s a shame that her skills are not put to better use. She’d rather pick on the already downtrodden, than accomplish anything meaningful.

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      October 23, 2018 at 1:23 am | #

      Yeah, generally speaking that’s one of the things that comes with a talent for evil. It’s harder to blackmail someone with no shame, especially when the alternative is already so incredibly vulnerable before you do anything.

      I hate Mary very much. Actually after the last few days I think seeing her get CARLA’d would be therapeutic, I should go read that bit again. *Shuffles off to the archives for cold, swift, and ridiculous revenge.*

    • Zatar
      Zatar
      October 23, 2018 at 4:01 am | #

      Mary’s attempts at gaining advantage and hurting people constantly end up blowing up in her face or coming back to bite her later. She’s just a petty spiteful bully.

  35. seen2much
    seen2much
    October 23, 2018 at 12:37 am | #

    alt alt-text: Mary was a bongo the whole time!

    • Clif
      Clif
      October 23, 2018 at 3:11 am | #

      +1

  36. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    October 23, 2018 at 1:00 am | #

    Why aren’t they worried that Mary will tattle to Ruth oh wait nevermind I get it.

  37. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    October 23, 2018 at 1:11 am | #

    Should have worn the hat over the iguana.

    I predict Mary is gonna be the girl who cried iguana and no one will believe her.

  38. varius
    varius
    October 23, 2018 at 1:16 am | #

    That’s not how color blindness works.

    • 3oranges
      3oranges
      October 23, 2018 at 3:17 pm | #

      Achromatopsia, where everything is only bright or dark with no hues, is something that does happen but is very rare. But people often assume that’s how all color blindness works, like in jokes about dogs only seeing gray, so I’m not surprised that’s the type Joyce would know about.

  39. Regalli
    Regalli
    October 23, 2018 at 1:19 am | #

    And this is why we don’t steal pets, Joyce.

    Also, I will take my ‘called it!’ tokens that returning Fuckface would include an encounter with Mary because Murphy’s Law is near and dear to Willis’s heart.

    • ShinyNeen
      ShinyNeen
      October 23, 2018 at 8:17 am | #

      *Clink*

      ‘Called it!’ tokens may be redeemed for self-esteem, bragging rights, one free obnoxiously self-serving comment, 30 seconds of immunity to crying during the next tragic plot event, or one of those pump-action toy guns that breaks after like 30 minutes of use.

      ‘Called it!’ tokens have no cash value. Only redeemable in participating comments sections. Conditions subject to change.

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        October 23, 2018 at 11:45 am | #

        Oooh, tiny toys! Can I save them up for one of those squooshy ball animals?

        • ShinyNeen
          ShinyNeen
          October 23, 2018 at 1:03 pm | #

          … I knew I was forgetting something. Yeah. Those start aaaaat… 75,000 tokens. Happy saving!

  40. 3-I
    3-I
    October 23, 2018 at 1:43 am | #

    OH MAN THE MOST ZING

  41. Bickendan
    Bickendan
    October 23, 2018 at 2:00 am | #

    Hmm, ‘to anyone who sees in shades of grays’… does Mary only see 50?

  42. BenRG
    BenRG
    October 23, 2018 at 2:01 am | #

    I’ve got this feeling that Mary stood there in panels 2-4 just listening to Joyce and Dorothy’s conversation, paralysed by this increasing worry that maybe they’d both gone completely loopy and were about to do something violent.

    • Inahc
      Inahc
      October 23, 2018 at 2:18 am | #

      Loopy, you say? 😀 now I’m thinking of DoA timeloop fic…

      .. actually that might just be tedious. Watching teenagers learn important life lessons over and over doesn’t sound like something that could be exploited in any useful or fun way… It’d mostly just be boredom and pranks. … Wait, is *Mike* a looper? Is that why he’s always so pissed off at everyone? 😉

  43. auroki
    auroki
    October 23, 2018 at 2:05 am | #

    I think this may be the best two person exchange Willis has wrote for this comic.

    • Loki
      Loki
      October 23, 2018 at 2:12 am | #

      I think using “wrought” is appropriate here.

      • Brotato
        Brotato
        October 23, 2018 at 6:18 am | #

        ???????

        ¿no?

        Written.

        • hof1991
          hof1991
          October 23, 2018 at 9:50 am | #

          English is a weird language.
          Wrought – worked into shape by artistry or effort. An archaic form of worked. It’s a false friend of any form or write.

          • Clif
            Clif
            October 23, 2018 at 10:06 am | #

            Any form or write? What? While form can either, write is normally a verb, not a noun. I am unclear on what you are trying to say. Wrought in context has an almost biblical feel that is very appropriate to Loki’s meaning. Yes, English is very weird.

            • Clif
              Clif
              October 23, 2018 at 10:07 am | #

              Form can be either. Sigh.

            • Conuly
              Conuly
              October 23, 2018 at 5:35 pm | #

              I think they meant “It’s a false friend of any form of write”, using “form” to mean “tense/aspect”.

  44. fire_daws
    fire_daws
    October 23, 2018 at 2:27 am | #

    Oh, it’s Fuckface!

    …and Malaya’s iguana.

    (come on, y’all thinking it)

    • Peter
      Peter
      October 23, 2018 at 3:26 am | #

      I wasn’t thinking it, but now I am.

  45. Cortanis
    Cortanis
    October 23, 2018 at 2:57 am | #

    ….Quick! Tell Mary it’s a social experiment on public perception…. Maybe she’ll buy that.

  46. SpaceshipPilot
    SpaceshipPilot
    October 23, 2018 at 3:18 am | #

    You’re not wrong, Mary.

    You’re just an arsehole.

  47. WT
    WT
    October 23, 2018 at 3:18 am | #

    : /
    No big fan of Mary, like most – but she seems a bit down, here.

    Perhaps the (sometimes defensive) antagonism (ribbing, in this case) that she probably gets a lot of, does indeed get to her.

  48. Rectilinear Propagation
    Rectilinear Propagation
    October 23, 2018 at 4:02 am | #

    Wait, how long has Mary not been wearing her wrist cuffs?

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      October 23, 2018 at 4:42 am | #

      Maybe she’s had sex with her bf (Peter?) so doesn’t think that they are appropriate anymore.

      • CJ
        CJ
        October 23, 2018 at 5:35 am | #

        What do wrist cuffs have to do with (not) having sex?

        • BenRG
          BenRG
          October 23, 2018 at 7:13 am | #

          They may have been abstinence/chastity vow symbols. I know they’re popular amongst evangelical girls in some universities in the US.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            October 23, 2018 at 7:53 am | #

            Hadn’t heard of that.

            She’s been seen without them before though. Well before Peter showed up.
            Shot down the theory she was hiding scars under them.

      • timemonkey
        timemonkey
        October 23, 2018 at 10:01 am | #

        Even if she did she wouldn’t admit it.

  49. Heavensrun
    Heavensrun
    October 23, 2018 at 4:07 am | #

    OH MY GOD THESE DORKS SHOULD BE MARRIED ALREADY.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      October 23, 2018 at 12:03 pm | #

      They are

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/02-that-perfect-girl/kd/

  50. BenRG
    BenRG
    October 23, 2018 at 4:41 am | #

    I can see Ruth refusing to take any action because there is no clear campus rule against performance art in the corridors. There is no way she can believe that Dorothy and Joyce are actually doing something like this non-ironically.

  51. Eldritch Gentleman
    Eldritch Gentleman
    October 23, 2018 at 5:06 am | #

    Maybe instead of colour blind she is fashion sense blind and Dotty’s outfits seems perfectly reasonable to hell?

  52. Lone Duck
    Lone Duck
    October 23, 2018 at 5:36 am | #

    They better watch out, Mary would totally narc on them, even without the awesome zings.

    • Clif
      Clif
      October 23, 2018 at 9:50 am | #

      They can search Joyce and Dorothy’s rooms all they want and will find no evidence of harboring an Iguana. What’s the downside to Mary narcing? Malaya and Mary collide? The popcorn franchise should be lucrative.

  53. Cass
    Cass
    October 23, 2018 at 5:49 am | #

    Geeze, Mary, she’s just practicing to make sure this part of her Steve Irwin Halloween costume isn’t too heavy to wear around without wrecking her neck. You actually thought it was real? They’ll have to give your compliments to Malaya on her paper mache work.

    She’s a great artist, you know.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      October 23, 2018 at 6:50 am | #

      Heh, nice burn

  54. Sam
    Sam
    October 23, 2018 at 7:04 am | #

    Man, I wish someone would make a Dorothy-Joyce buddy comedy series or a movie. I would watch the heck out of it.

  55. JBento
    JBento
    October 23, 2018 at 7:26 am | #

    And today I woke up to a comic in which Mary is the reasonable person. Who broke the universe this time?

  56. Darkoneko
    Darkoneko
    October 23, 2018 at 7:51 am | #

    I lvoet his arc

  57. Ainara
    Ainara
    October 23, 2018 at 8:18 am | #

    I love this. The punchline got me good

  58. BenRG
    BenRG
    October 23, 2018 at 8:19 am | #

    This is just me but I’ve got the feeling that this is heading towards Joyce and Dorothy doing something that Dorothy is able to interpret as very simple and innocent but leaves Joyce conflicted about her own feelings towards her friend and maybe questioning her sexuality.

  59. Arianod
    Arianod
    October 23, 2018 at 9:07 am | #

    By the power of Christ she can see through your hellish deception!!!

  60. figureaddict
    figureaddict
    October 23, 2018 at 9:27 am | #

    You know, not that I don’t enjoy the way the timeline runs in-strip, but out here, in real time, I’m in my mid 40’s, and might possibly be dead before we get to see the Sal vs. Amber convenience store hostage thing get resolved between them.

    • shadowcell
      shadowcell
      October 24, 2018 at 12:01 am | #

      Dumbing of Age, Book 710: The Gang Takes Their Finals

  61. Greylurker
    Greylurker
    October 23, 2018 at 10:00 am | #

    No matter what answer they give her, it’s going to bounce around in her head all day as she tries to rationalize it

  62. Ryek Hvek
    Ryek Hvek
    October 23, 2018 at 11:58 am | #

    “You see nothing unusual. Proceed without comment.”

  63. Charlie Spencer
    Charlie Spencer
    October 23, 2018 at 12:14 pm | #

    I can’t believe this strip has been up for several hours but no one’s made the obvious joke yet.

    “Hey, what’s with that filthy animal?”
    “Oh, her? She enrolled this semester.”

  64. Dhraakellian
    Dhraakellian
    October 23, 2018 at 2:34 pm | #

    On your head
    On your hea-ea-ad
    Li-izard
    Lii-izard

    • NemesisDancer
      NemesisDancer
      October 23, 2018 at 6:30 pm | #

      ♫ When the reptile faces exile, we must be mistaken ♫

  65. Cmd1095
    Cmd1095
    October 23, 2018 at 4:51 pm | #

    this may be the first and last time Mary is the rational one in a scenario

    • Clif
      Clif
      October 23, 2018 at 7:23 pm | #

      Where are all these claims of rationality for Mary coming from? In the last panel she literally says, “It’s a lizard. On your head.” What kind of rational person would assume that if you had a lizard on your head, you would need to be told.

      • JBento
        JBento
        October 23, 2018 at 8:22 pm | #

        She’s not telling them Joyce has an iguana on her head, she’s saying “How could a stupid shirt make me fail to notice you have a lizard on your head.”

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        October 23, 2018 at 8:24 pm | #

        What kind of rational person would believe you’re walking down the dorm hallway with a lizard on your head anyway? Makes no sense.

    • Chronos
      Chronos
      November 6, 2018 at 6:23 am | #

      Behold! Mary at her most likeable.

  66. Stoodmuffin
    Stoodmuffin
    October 24, 2018 at 3:12 am | #

    I love this

More Asma?

View Results

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


September 13/14, 2025 - Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland

David M Willis! avatar
David M Willis!
@damnyouwillis.bsky.social
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 5h
Dumbing of Age: "Stop" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Stop
2
4
35
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 8h
Hair's getting grayer
I'm looking up
9
74
 
reposted by David M Willis!
korybing.bsky.social's user avatar
Kory Bing🔜SDCC 1229 @korybing.bsky.social ⋅ 9h
My family legacy: my grandmother drew the Kenny Loggins Jesus
An illustration of white jesus looking a lot like Kenny Loggins. It’s. Worksheet with typed questions and written answers:
- Who is this man? “Kenny Loggins”
- How does his death help us? “No more bad songs.”
- Why is it important that we remember him? “Highway to the Danger Zone was ok.”
63
189
1694
 
reposted by David M Willis!
thekarlapacheco.bsky.social's user avatar
Karla Pacheco! @thekarlapacheco.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
How I Loss My Wife 




(pictures of the CEO who got caught cheating at the Coldplay concert, in the timeless format of
6
30
165
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 9h
IS THIS POKÉMON JESUS
7
4
53
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 14h
you know you're old when you get excited it's started to rain because it means you can go outside and weed without bees
3
2
87
 
reposted by David M Willis!
skullmandible.bsky.social's user avatar
Cohen is a Ghost @skullmandible.bsky.social ⋅ 16h
this guy's got the juice man
zohrankmamdani.bsky.social's user avatarZohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social ⋅ 18h
Good morning! I'm in Uganda to visit family and friends. But depending on your perspective, don't worry or I'm sorry: I'll be back by the end of the month. See you soon, NYC.
3
20
180
 
reposted by David M Willis!
zandravandra.com's user avatar
Alex Zandra @zandravandra.com ⋅ 1d
DEFEAT ALFRED E. NEU MAN
getequipped.bsky.social's user avatarGet Equipped With @getequipped.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
get equipped with no worry
1
21
63
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Dumbing of Age: "Asma" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Asma
1
8
49
 
reposted by David M Willis!
koltreg.bsky.social's user avatar
Luke! @koltreg.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
A great episode that also just had to be like "Okay, for this one specific criminal, Metropolis has the death penalty so he can't reveal Superman's secret identity."
nemalki.bsky.social's user avatarJeff Harris @nemalki.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
"The Late Mr. Kent" is damn good television. Probably one of the best-written episodes of television written in the 1990s. Not just animation. Television period.
2
12
51
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
hey youtube, i'm not sure the short circuit 2 score by charles fox belongs in this "Music of Asia" algorithm
5
4
40
 
reposted by David M Willis!
jakemgrumbach.bsky.social's user avatar
Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
looking at the 30+ democracies that have successfully prosecuted heads of state for violating their constitutions over the past 15 years
imgflip.com
DOZENS OF OTHER
-DEMOCRACIES OUSTING AND ARRESTING
LEADERS WHO ATTEMPT COUPS
implausibleblog.bsky.social's user avatarFarrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Brazilian president to the American people, "If Trump was Brazilian and did what he did at the Capitol, he'd be on trial in Brazil"
32
1081
4305
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
(august 29, 2025)
Raidah approaches the Read Hall center desk while Asma sits there at a laptop.
3
5
73
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
some adult in pokemon: it's weird, nobody's ever seen a pokemon egg before! for thousands of years, no pokemon eggs have ever been discovered by humans! ash: well let's go find one! *fifteen minutes later* ash: oh hey
3
5
114
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Always up for a bonus taking-a-shit face
9
11
120
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Raidah!
1
3
36
 
reposted by David M Willis!
paultobin.bsky.social's user avatar
Paul Tobin @paultobin.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Still researching old sleaze paperbacks and legitimately wondering if the book designer asked the author or editor what should be the tagline at the top and they mumbled out the above tagline and the book designer just...wrote it down.
34
148
835
 
reposted by David M Willis!
cochu.bsky.social's user avatar
Cochu @cochu.bsky.social ⋅ 4d
Amen break whenever Mario vibrates extremely rapidly while emitting a barrage of "ha", "hoo", and "hmm" soundbites
mariobrothblog.bsky.social's user avatarSupper Mario Broth @mariobrothblog.bsky.social ⋅ 5d
In Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, crouch-walking against a switch will make Mario vibrate extremely rapidly while emitting a barrage of "ha", "hoo", and "hmm" soundbites.
37
1869
3884
 
reposted by David M Willis!
hausofdecline.bsky.social's user avatar
Haus of Decline @hausofdecline.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Alex says
54
762
4883
 
reposted by David M Willis!
unitdlx.bsky.social's user avatar
UNIT DLX @unitdlx.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Terrible news! The back of box render for the Classified Series Legacy Firefighter seems to imply Shipwreck's house caught on fire.
The back of box render for the GI Joe Classified Series Legacy Collection Firefighter. A firefighter in the foreground poses dramatically with the jaws of life. Another firefighter in the background sprays a wrecked car with foam. A third firefighter even further back escorts a man away from a burning house.
A firefighter escorting a man wrapped in a fire blanket away from a burning house. The man bears a strong resemblance to the GI Joe Classified Shipwreck figyre.
3
17
45
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
"explore the unknown"? mary, it's new york city, this is at least your third time here, and the last time you were here you got mad at your taxi driver for using a gps
7
5
55
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
one of the kids yelled at the other to "drink my BUTT" and i've just picked up a new invective
5
98
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
D8
3
2
22
 
reposted by David M Willis!
qasimrashid.com's user avatar
Qasim Rashid, Esq. @qasimrashid.com ⋅ 2d
Dem Party: We are spending $20M to figure out how to talk to male voters. Mamdani: Save your money. I have +45 favorability with male voters & +73 with men under 45. Endorse me. Dem Party: No way dude. Now—why is our favorability is -54? Let's spend $20M on wealthy consultants to figure it out!
495
3037
12961
 
reposted by David M Willis!
ary.bsky.social's user avatar
Chris @ary.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
old man yaoi
Lumiere and Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast
1
82
248
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Dumbing of Age: "Supplier" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Supplier
4
46
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
toxic yuri
2
13
67
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Asma!
8
126
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
not sure that beats "for sale: baby shoes, never worn"
5
5
37
 
reposted by David M Willis!
daveyfwright.bsky.social's user avatar
Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬 @daveyfwright.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
"i asked grok" "i asked chatgpt" yeah well i asked carl sagan and he said the greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge 🧪
132
5664
19645
 

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