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
don't blame malaya for telling painful truths!
First Previous Random 111Comments 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
No End
Erli, Kromi
A queer romance about people attempting to build lives in a cold, post-apocalyptic world ravaged by hordes of undead.
All Known Alternatives
Karolina 'Kajotko' Jankiewicz
Akane has only one way to get back home: collect the 42 keys to parallel worlds. Eri and Ben are just trying to get through the summer before university. When a magical key turns up in an old spare set, all three are forced to change their plans and fast.
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!
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.
Hemlock
Josceline Fenton
A witch accidentally marries a monster, and now she and her familiar has to navigate life around her monstrous husband and her even more terrifying in-laws.
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
Paint the Town Red
Windy, Winter Jay Kiakas
Winona runs a werewolf shelter with partner in crime, Odile in the Gothic city of Merlot. One day they take in an injured vampire, and soon unravels many of the dark secrets of Merlot.
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:

June 24, 2026

Barge

by David M Willis on January 28, 2019 at 12:01 am
  • 02 - But the Sun Still Shines
└ Tags: amber, carla, malaya, marcie, sal

Discussion (111) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    January 28, 2019 at 12:03 am | #

    why, however inconvenient! *evil hand clasp*

    • butts
      butts
      January 28, 2019 at 12:30 am | #

      Shit-eating grin.

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        January 28, 2019 at 8:05 am | #

        Never understood that expression.

        “I have eaten the shit – and it was DELICIOUS!”

        ??

        • Marsh Maryrose
          Marsh Maryrose
          January 28, 2019 at 10:15 am | #

          I assume that you’ve never had a dog.

          • ǝ snow ʍousɐ
            ǝ snow ʍousɐ
            January 28, 2019 at 2:24 pm | #

            My dog has never done that, thank goodness…

    • Arawn
      Arawn
      January 28, 2019 at 1:40 am | #

      That… is the best super-villain face. How long did Willis work on that?

      • Nikol Geier
        Nikol Geier
        January 28, 2019 at 6:54 pm | #

        Joyce had this smile recently, though I forget where. Maybe when she realized she wanted Jacob for herself?

      • BrokenEye, the True False Prophet
        BrokenEye, the True False Prophet
        January 28, 2019 at 8:05 pm | #

        I was thinking more along the lines of Grinch face

  2. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    January 28, 2019 at 12:03 am | #

    I spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to decide which newspaper comic I used to read growing up that this reminded me of, where the last panel is just a character glancing at the fourth wall.

    Eventually I realized it’s almost all of them.

    Although the profile shot particularly reminds me of Doonesbury.

    • Felgraf
      Felgraf
      January 28, 2019 at 3:25 am | #

      For a second I got Doonesbury and Caner Cancerbean swapped in my head.

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        January 28, 2019 at 8:07 am | #

        …Is that a dyphemism for Funky Winkerbean?

        • Amazi-Stool
          Amazi-Stool
          January 28, 2019 at 1:01 pm | #

          Relevant Willis comic…

          • ValdVin
            ValdVin
            January 28, 2019 at 5:40 pm | #

            Nice callback.

      • Charlie Spencer
        Charlie Spencer
        January 28, 2019 at 11:54 am | #

        Does mean Andy Lippencott is St.Lisa?

  3. King Daniel
    King Daniel
    January 28, 2019 at 12:03 am | #

    Clever girl?

  4. CleverTrousers
    CleverTrousers
    January 28, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    Turned into the 1960s Grinch for second there, Sal.

    • Illithid
      Illithid
      January 28, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

      And they say her snark grew three sizes that day…

    • keithcurtis
      keithcurtis
      January 28, 2019 at 10:02 am | #

      First thing I thought of, too.

  5. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    January 28, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    Sal? More like Sly. wakka wakka

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      January 28, 2019 at 12:11 am | #

      That’s a whoppah!

  6. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    January 28, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    *smug Sal intensifies*

  7. Tacos
    Tacos
    January 28, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

    That’s the Grinch-iest smile I’ve seen in a while.

    • Nono
      Nono
      January 28, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

      It’s the same one that Joyce used.

      • abysswatcher1993
        abysswatcher1993
        January 28, 2019 at 1:23 am | #

        Anti Joyce and Sal have the same attitude.

    • Dana
      Dana
      January 28, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

      Appropriate rhyme at appropriate time.

      • Keulen
        Keulen
        January 28, 2019 at 2:00 am | #

        Grinchy grin for the win.

  8. Bryy
    Bryy
    January 28, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

    Marcie likes being fought over, eh?

  9. Dr T
    Dr T
    January 28, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    Huh. No gloves.

    • butts
      butts
      January 28, 2019 at 12:47 am | #

      yeah i don’t think he’s had much practice drawing her hands without ’em recently

    • Kamino Neko
      Kamino Neko
      January 28, 2019 at 11:19 am | #

      She stopped wearing them a couple weeks ago, real time. (Like, yesterday, in universe, I think?) Caused Joyce to have a bit of a freak out, which pissed Sal off.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        January 28, 2019 at 1:15 pm | #

        It was this morning, in universe.

  10. Questionor
    Questionor
    January 28, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    I’ve been wondering why Sal had left the room already but Malaya hadn’t! Ha!

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      January 28, 2019 at 8:10 am | #

      But, Malaya’s in the room, which means, she’s not doing anything.

      So, why does Sal think she’s “not available”?

      Is Malaya… GIVING HER SPACE??? *boggles*

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        January 28, 2019 at 10:41 am | #

        Or it’s a little bit later and Malaya was about to head off for class?

  11. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    January 28, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    And here I was thinking the conversation back at Sal’s dorm would devolve into Joyce and Lucy making up wrong ways to say “Fuckface”. Until Ruth showed up.

    • Stephen Bierce
      Stephen Bierce
      January 28, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

      *plays Neil Young’s “Let’s Roll” on the hacked P.A. speakers*

  12. bejouled
    bejouled
    January 28, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    But we just saw Malaya and she looked perfectly available…

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      January 28, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

      Maybe she’s got a class to go to soon or something?

      • newllend(henryvolt)
        newllend(henryvolt)
        January 28, 2019 at 12:10 am | #

        College studies are no joke.

        • Rabid Rabbit
          Rabid Rabbit
          January 28, 2019 at 1:11 am | #

          We’ve seen that Malaya actually studies…

        • Tacos
          Tacos
          January 28, 2019 at 2:22 am | #

          Tell that to Walky…

  13. Woomy
    Woomy
    January 28, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    Yo where’s all their gear? You can’t just show up with a pair of roller skates and no pads. This is not up to WFTDA standards.

  14. BBCC
    BBCC
    January 28, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

    😀 Hi Sal!

    See? Fight smart not necessarily with punching. Think ‘plausible deniability’. For a certain value of plausible, since Marcie sees right through you. Sorry, Sal, you’re about as slick as glue.

    Also, this is most likely me reading too much into things but that X she and Marcie make reminds me waaaaay too much of their hug here: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/erase/

    • Axel
      Axel
      January 28, 2019 at 12:17 am | #

      I don’t think she’s trying to hide it from Marcie, I think she’s joking a bit and also doing a good job of bringing it up without actually saying anything insulting about Malaya.

      (and I think Marcie’s smiling because she recognizes that Sal avoiding Malaya is at least partially as a way of reducing conflict (while still doing stuff other than lean on the wall and scowl))

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        January 28, 2019 at 12:26 am | #

        I am also joking a bit. Honestly, Marcie would have to be incredibly oblivious to not catch that Sal did that on purpose.

        I think it’s more ‘yeah, yeah, smart ass, clever.’ than necessarily being glad they won’t be fighting but that’s also a fair read.

      • butts
        butts
        January 28, 2019 at 12:30 am | #

        Is Marcie still after Malaya? I thought that ship had sailed.

        • That Guy
          That Guy
          January 28, 2019 at 12:43 am | #

          I mean, she shrugged with the “oh well” when Malaya hooked up with joe. Not to say she wouldn’t still go for it given the chance, but its probably less a focus. But she did make friends with Malaya a while back, and keeps her because of the lack of moral leanings resulting in less splash damage to her. Also even if you’re not hooking up, no reason not to hang out with hot girl.

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          January 28, 2019 at 12:45 am | #

          Last I saw, Marcie still wanted to bang Malaya but was okay with her wanting to bang other people.

          • Clif
            Clif
            January 28, 2019 at 2:35 am | #

            For some value of okay. Honestly, it looked to me like Marcie gave up after Malaya went for Joe, but I could be wrong.

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              January 28, 2019 at 7:36 am | #

              It didn’t seem very clear. There was that shrug and smile, but the couple of shots of her before that seem pretty shell-shocked – though they were distance shots.
              And I don’t think it’s been brought up explicitly since.
              Could be “I’m fine with it.” Could be “Given up”. Could be “clinging desperately to hope”.

  15. Nono
    Nono
    January 28, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

    Haha, Carla is barely a face in the background in the memory.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      January 28, 2019 at 12:55 am | #

      He, retroactive-memory-burn!

      • Nono
        Nono
        January 28, 2019 at 1:35 am | #

        It’s actually a little sad, because for all that Carla tries to make herself memorable (mostly by being a persistently annoying butt), in people’s recollections she’s barely background noise.

        That’s the problem when you’re a constant presence; at some point people tune you out.

        • Bagge
          Bagge
          January 28, 2019 at 2:25 am | #

          Maybe it’s just an indication that being a persistently annoying butt is not the best way to make friends.

          • Deanatay
            Deanatay
            January 28, 2019 at 8:21 am | #

            It works, for some people.

            I MEAN SO I”VE HEARD

          • JBento
            JBento
            January 28, 2019 at 10:58 am | #

            What’s this “friends” thing I keep hearing about?

            • Roborat
              Roborat
              January 28, 2019 at 5:03 pm | #

              Somewhat popular TV show, started in the mid 90s, ran for a decade.

              • Roborat
                Roborat
                January 29, 2019 at 3:23 pm | #

                But that’s not important right now.

        • Chris Phoenix
          Chris Phoenix
          January 29, 2019 at 2:07 am | #

          Does Carla actually try to make herself memorable? Or does she try to make a shallow persona be the most salient thing about her, so that they remember her as “That annoying person I kinda’ want to ignore” rather than “That trans person.”

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      January 28, 2019 at 2:02 am | #

      MARCIE: “Who was that strange tall girl anyway?”

  16. newllend(henryvolt)
    newllend(henryvolt)
    January 28, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

    So is Amber apart of Sal’s crew now? Or will she just be an occasional friend who hangs out?

  17. tirachokko
    tirachokko
    January 28, 2019 at 12:14 am | #

    lmao that smug face

  18. BBCC
    BBCC
    January 28, 2019 at 12:30 am | #

    Also, Malaya, I call BS. You and Marcie were on the same team pretty much right away so regardless of whether she was on a starter team and moved up or you both moved up, it’s still clearly pretty quick.

    • Betty Anne
      Betty Anne
      January 28, 2019 at 8:18 am | #

      I would think a small league/team would move them up pretty quickly if they’re competent. They just don’t want beginners rolling in saying they want to participate, and then having the roller-skating skills of a drunk squirrel.

    • Khno
      Khno
      January 28, 2019 at 10:16 am | #

      Some teams of roller derby in cities with a strong importance of university seasons (where I live) have a yearly reworking of team composition at the begin at the university year rather than at the begin of the administrative year, composition that is usually fixed some time around the following weeks. After that you’re definitely in the beginner team unless proven you’re so good that they really need you.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        January 28, 2019 at 7:10 pm | #

        That makes sense, but considering Marcie was trying to recruit Sal not that long ago (a week or two in verse, I think? For a team that meets on a weekly basis, that doesn’t seem too long to me), I still have a hard time believing it’s that hard to move up.

        Of course, I have a bastard of a cold right now so I could be misremembering.

  19. Roger
    Roger
    January 28, 2019 at 12:34 am | #

    well its nice Marcie and Sal are back to being chill again

    • stoodmuffin
      stoodmuffin
      January 28, 2019 at 12:46 am | #

      mhm

  20. stoodmuffin
    stoodmuffin
    January 28, 2019 at 12:47 am | #

    Sal: Motor cycle bad ass, and. What. Angsty second grader? Like?

  21. Bagge
    Bagge
    January 28, 2019 at 12:48 am | #

    Crafty Sal!

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      January 28, 2019 at 8:24 am | #

      Machiavelli Sal.

      Sal-chiavellian?

      • Roborat
        Roborat
        January 28, 2019 at 5:05 pm | #

        Masaliavellian?

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          January 28, 2019 at 8:58 pm | #

          MachiaSalian?

    • JBento
      JBento
      January 28, 2019 at 11:01 am | #

      She pairs well with her twin, Kraft M&C Walky.

  22. LilithxChan
    LilithxChan
    January 28, 2019 at 1:13 am | #

    Sure there’s a separate team for beginners… But did Mayala have to be such and incredible dick about it?

    • abysswatcher1993
      abysswatcher1993
      January 28, 2019 at 1:20 am | #

      It’s Malaya. She doesn’t care if she is a prick.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      January 28, 2019 at 1:39 am | #

      Yes and yes. Remember when she took Fuckface back from Joyce?

    • the final pam
      the final pam
      January 28, 2019 at 1:44 am | #

      That was.. incredibly mild. Like, she’s literally just stating facts. If she had phrased her last sentence as, “You’re only gonna be able to watch”, would it have been any less ‘dickish’?

      • not someone else
        not someone else
        January 28, 2019 at 2:00 am | #

        Well… yeah, it would have.

        “You can’t just barge in” to someone who just said they wanted to join is pretty aggressive. Insisting someone’s intent was wrong like the last sentence is aggressive. The emphasis on “beginners” could be demeaning depending on how it actually came off. The way she phrased it sounds like “no you can’t join, and you’re an idiot for thinking you could”.

        Neutral would be something like “there’s a different team for beginners that meets on another night, so you can sign up but you can’t actually play with us tonight”. Polite would be something else entirely.

        • Secret foreigner
          Secret foreigner
          January 28, 2019 at 10:42 am | #

          It would be harsh to a new random person, but Malaya already has history and beef with Sal.

        • JohnInCA
          JohnInCA
          January 28, 2019 at 1:24 pm | #

          Eh. Marcie had tried to get Sal to join multiple times before and been rejected. So it’s not like this is some rando off the street saying they’re interested, it’s someone who has mocked the activity multiple times before in a “I’m too cool for this” coming round like they set the rules.

          • BBCC
            BBCC
            January 28, 2019 at 3:11 pm | #

            Sal never said anything bad about roller derby. She just said she didn’t want to join and that she wanted to hang out with Marcie one on one like they used to. She’s said plenty of bad things about Malaya though.

          • segnosaur
            segnosaur
            January 28, 2019 at 4:16 pm | #

            True, Marcie did try to get Sal to join. But, that was earlier in the semester.

            I figure the team probably has a roster of players who are familiar with each other, so they need to be careful in adding new players since it may affect team chemistry.

          • Sam
            Sam
            January 28, 2019 at 8:30 pm | #

            Sal has never mocked the activity or said she was too cool for roller derby even a single time.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      January 28, 2019 at 2:01 am | #

      This is Malaya. ‘Being a dick about it’ is her default behaviour.

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      January 28, 2019 at 2:04 am | #

      Of course she did. I’m not sure if Malaya knows how to not be a jerk about things.

    • Charlotte
      Charlotte
      January 28, 2019 at 8:25 am | #

      She doesn’t even know whether they’re beginners either. I don’t think we know whether Amber or Sal have played Roller Derby before.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      January 28, 2019 at 8:26 am | #

      To Sal, she did. Sal is her antagonist-of-choice.

    • timemonkey
      timemonkey
      January 28, 2019 at 10:27 am | #

      Sal has been nothing but a hateful dick to Malaya the entire time they’ve known each other, why wouldn’t Malaya be rude to her? This isn’t dickery in a vacume.

      • JBento
        JBento
        January 28, 2019 at 10:56 am | #

        Only one of those two assaulted the other, too. (hint: it wasn’t Malaya)

  23. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    January 28, 2019 at 1:21 am | #

    Sal is channeling her inner Grinch and is planning something. This is going to be good.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      January 28, 2019 at 2:01 am | #

      Nah, she’s just happy that Marcie is sidelining Malaya.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      January 28, 2019 at 2:11 am | #

      “Then Sal had an idea.
      An awful idea.
      Sal had a wonderfully awful idea.”

      • abysswatcher1993
        abysswatcher1993
        January 28, 2019 at 12:39 pm | #

        She would steal all the waifus. She would steal the Marcies, the Joyces, the Dorothys ans the Ambers.

  24. BenRG
    BenRG
    January 28, 2019 at 2:00 am | #

    Yeah, I think that Marcie’s crush on Malaya is past history now. Marcie is essentially a nice woman and Malaya isn’t; Marcie has no intention of structuring her life around someone so pettily nasty.

    • Woomy
      Woomy
      January 28, 2019 at 2:36 am | #

      I thought Marcie just wanted to get laid

      • Bryy
        Bryy
        January 28, 2019 at 3:49 am | #

        Yeah, I’m still waiting for that shoe to drop.

    • Emily
      Emily
      January 28, 2019 at 6:20 am | #

      If Marcie’s behaviour towards Lucy is anything to go off of she’s really not particularly nice and Malaya is probably more her speed.

  25. kilgaen
    kilgaen
    January 28, 2019 at 2:26 am | #

    And now begins the Motorball arc. Looking forward to the deadly crazy cyborg maneuvers.

  26. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    January 28, 2019 at 3:02 am | #

    Nice “gee, ain’t a stinker” grin, Sal.

    Keeping Malaya away won’t be a bad thing – it protects her from Amber.

  27. TheFlamingonator
    TheFlamingonator
    January 28, 2019 at 6:37 am | #

    I mean Malaya is right but theres a nice way of telling them that

    not that she’d use it but she could

    • Charlotte
      Charlotte
      January 28, 2019 at 8:24 am | #

      We don’t know that she’s right. Normally you’d at least let people try out for your team before presuming that they don’t belong, right?

      (My volleyball team would always let potential new players do some trial trainings even outside the formalised annual trials, and then either take them on or get them in touch one of the other teams in the club that fit better.)

  28. Deanatay
    Deanatay
    January 28, 2019 at 8:47 am | #

    Panel 6 Marcie in the background: Yeah, my bf’s hate each other.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      January 28, 2019 at 9:08 am | #

      Must be a REAL SURPRISE for her given how INCREDIBLY SUBTLE Sal and Malaya are about it.

  29. Cmd1095
    Cmd1095
    January 28, 2019 at 9:42 am | #

    That face though XD

  30. fire_daws
    fire_daws
    January 28, 2019 at 11:33 am | #

    Even in flashbacks Carla manages to photobomb.

  31. JohnInCA
    JohnInCA
    January 28, 2019 at 1:20 pm | #

    How dare reality interfere with a dramatic announcement! How rude!

  32. Nah
    Nah
    January 28, 2019 at 1:32 pm | #

    wouldn’t Sal get moved off of beginners pretty fast? We’ve seen she’s already a very good skater (tho I guess there’s a lot more to the sport that just skating ability)

    • Charlotte
      Charlotte
      January 28, 2019 at 2:47 pm | #

      As far as I know, we don’t even know that Sal and Amber haven’t played Roller Derby in the past.

  33. ninja_jesus
    ninja_jesus
    January 28, 2019 at 11:17 pm | #

    Bad, Sal! No diabolical thoughts with your best friend around!

  34. Vukodlak
    Vukodlak
    January 29, 2019 at 12:00 am | #

    Those poor poor Beginners god have mercy upon them.

CHOOSE A SIDE, NO COWARDS

View Results

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


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

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