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
it's raspberry
First Previous Random 108Comments 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


BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

May 18, 2026

Against

by David M Willis on February 29, 2020 at 12:01 am
  • 02 - To Remind You of My Love
└ Tags: dorothy, joyce, robin, sarah

Discussion (108) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    February 29, 2020 at 12:01 am | #

    “I don’t need your trust, I have TWITTER to tell me!”

    “shit”

    • clif
      clif
      February 29, 2020 at 1:29 am | #

      TWITTER is a really odd way to spell Mike.

      But the important thing is that Robin is a cool rebel with a cigarette.

      Can we play Desparado on the hacked music thingie?

      • BarerMender
        BarerMender
        February 29, 2020 at 1:42 am | #

        Suppose Amazi Girl dropped by with the news.

      • clif
        clif
        February 29, 2020 at 1:49 am | #

        A lollipop shaped cigarette.

        • Enkrod
          Enkrod
          February 29, 2020 at 5:04 am | #

          Yeah Robin runs on sugar, not nicotine

  2. Paul McCubbrey
    Paul McCubbrey
    February 29, 2020 at 12:03 am | #

    Okay, this is a little suspicious. Since when does Robin know things?

    • Pablo360
      Pablo360
      February 29, 2020 at 12:03 am | #

      fleas and lice, why did it autofill with that instead of my username, pls dlt

      • clif
        clif
        February 29, 2020 at 2:06 am | #

        On the one hand, yikes! On the other, I thought checking out dogs on campus, like library books was a killer idea.

    • Lumino
      Lumino
      February 29, 2020 at 12:04 am | #

      Since there was likely police/paramedic involvement right outside that apartment, and if Becky’s Dad was involved, she (Becky) likely would have been told.

      • Agemegos
        Agemegos
        February 29, 2020 at 12:33 am | #

        Was the fight right outside the apartment? The chase started there, but I though it went on for some time and ended up on campus.

        • Norah
          Norah
          February 29, 2020 at 11:13 pm | #

          Pretty sure it did end on campus.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      February 29, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

      She’s taken a shine to Becky.

      Optimistically, maybe she has kept her finger on the pulse of that situation to look out for her.

      Cynically, she may be protecting her investment, given Becky’s Robin’s Cyrano.

    • DudeMyDadOwnsaDealership
      DudeMyDadOwnsaDealership
      February 29, 2020 at 11:00 pm | #

      When they have had career-threatening consequences, and Amazigirl, simply because she didn’t background checks like she was paranoid or something, before.
      Didn’t question volunteer labor. Came back to haunt her when it turned out one of them was a professional campus rapist, and he got caught in the noisiest way possible.
      Police arrest your PR Gal’s dad for kidnapping her at gunpoint in front of many witnesses, best to keep tabs on him just in case.
      Last seen with the strange guy who paid his bail out of the blue. A bit of yelling at night involving those two casing a student sarcastically suggesting someone call campus PD at least. Morning after. Student MIA. Same with his pursuers. Robin’s a walking joke, but I doubt she’ll just throw all scruples to the wind at this point. It’s as simple as both asking Becky and having some of her flunkies make a few calls on her end, anyway…

  3. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    February 29, 2020 at 12:03 am | #

    And all of a sudden I imagine Robin speaking like Telly Savalas.

    • Cholma
      Cholma
      February 29, 2020 at 12:23 am | #

      “Who luvs ya, Becky?”

    • Van Jealous
      Van Jealous
      February 29, 2020 at 11:08 pm | #

      Would that make either Roz or Riley Robin’s “Stavros”?

  4. Kyoulkoa
    Kyoulkoa
    February 29, 2020 at 12:04 am | #

    Robin: I know things

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      February 29, 2020 at 12:05 am | #

      Stuff, even.

      • Kensou
        Kensou
        February 29, 2020 at 1:55 am | #

        Robin is Layla Miller!? *shot for comics nerd joke*

    • Agemegos
      Agemegos
      February 29, 2020 at 12:35 am | #

      I know things about pigeons, Lilly.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      February 29, 2020 at 9:41 am | #

      “That’s what I do, Becky. I eat Cadbury Creme Eggs, and I know things.”

  5. jeffepp
    jeffepp
    February 29, 2020 at 12:07 am | #

    This is going to turn into Joyce and Robin and lollipops, isn’t it?

    • clif
      clif
      February 29, 2020 at 1:52 am | #

      Since all three are present, technically it already has.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 29, 2020 at 4:27 am | #

      No, that’s fourth.

      First we get Joyce, then Joyce Returns, then Joyce Forever, and then finally Joyce and Robin.

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        February 29, 2020 at 6:00 am | #

        That last one’s the one where Joyce’s Evangelical puritinism has eroded away enough that she’ll wear an outfit where you can make out the shape of nipples.

        • Schpoonman
          Schpoonman
          February 29, 2020 at 10:44 am | #

          You think the Bat Nipple Suit was anatomically correct? Like, were the molded nips line up with Clooney’s?

          • clif
            clif
            February 29, 2020 at 12:48 pm | #

            An important question that calls for further research.

      • Jarawara
        Jarawara
        February 29, 2020 at 11:04 am | #

        @Needfuldoer

        Where’s the upvote button? Where’s the upvote button?? Your comment needs thousands of upvotes!!!!!

  6. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    February 29, 2020 at 12:07 am | #

    Ah, interesting. I mean, it makes sense she’d know, but I am curious to find out if she’s told Becky, and if she has done anything with this information.

    • Segnosaur
      Segnosaur
      February 29, 2020 at 12:23 am | #

      Maybe Becky was the one who found out first (contacted by the police) and Becky was the one who told Robin.

  7. ReFlex76
    ReFlex76
    February 29, 2020 at 12:08 am | #

    Closer to finding out if Mike is still alive.

    • clif
      clif
      February 29, 2020 at 1:17 am | #

      Keep that optimism handy. You never know when you might need it.

      • Agemegos
        Agemegos
        February 29, 2020 at 1:34 am | #

        You remind me of an old New Zealand joke: “Try to save money. Some day it might be worth something again.”

        • clif
          clif
          February 29, 2020 at 2:12 am | #

          Hmm. Save that Warner kid. You never know when zombies may become possible.

        • ktbear
          ktbear
          February 29, 2020 at 11:55 pm | #

          It must be a very old New Zealand joke, Ive never heard it before.

          • Agemegos
            Agemegos
            March 1, 2020 at 12:20 am | #

            Very early Eighties. It was before David Lange.

      • CJ
        CJ
        February 29, 2020 at 4:24 am | #

        Given that Willis said something on the latest bonus comic that it was ‚more fun than the stuff he‘s working on currently‘ just before buffer watch changed from May to June, I suspect it will be June before we know.

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      February 29, 2020 at 10:45 am | #

      I sure hope not.

  8. Nono
    Nono
    February 29, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

    Imagine how much awkward this would have been if they didn’t know about Toedad.

  9. Regalli
    Regalli
    February 29, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

    If she found out because of the fight: Sure.
    If she found out sooner and Becky knows: Great.
    If Becky DOESN’T know, I’m setting Robin on fire.

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      February 29, 2020 at 12:11 am | #

      It’s always so surreal reading Walkyverse, post-development Robin and then coming back over here where a lot of those bridges are already burned.

      • clif
        clif
        February 29, 2020 at 11:44 am | #

        I know what you mean, but if we’re being honest, you could have put a period after Walkyverse and stopped.

        • Regalli
          Regalli
          February 29, 2020 at 3:12 pm | #

          Also true, but I do still get wibbly reading the wedding arc.

  10. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    February 29, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

    Now tell me more about these…Certain votes I’m gonna get.

    • clif
      clif
      February 29, 2020 at 11:45 am | #

      Upvotes.

      • DarkoNeko
        DarkoNeko
        February 29, 2020 at 4:33 pm | #

        all of them

  11. Jo Giggles
    Jo Giggles
    February 29, 2020 at 12:11 am | #

    Okay, I don’t like this. Robin, what shady crap are you involved in?

  12. Coma
    Coma
    February 29, 2020 at 12:12 am | #

    What the heck, Robin? Maybe her campaign helpers were involved or know about it or something?

    Didn’t expect that. Now I’m wondering if she maybe told Leslie and Leslie will keep Becky in safety? (unlikely, though)

    oh yeah, happy leap day everyone!

    (Just sent in my thesis to my advisor – I get the chance to correct anything problematic, but I’m freaking out so that’s probably the perfect mindset for this day and I’m really thankful that this comic kinda drew attention away from that for me)

    • clif
      clif
      February 29, 2020 at 1:39 am | #

      Congrats on getting the thesis off. Your advisor will find something that has to be changed; it’s what justifies their position as your advisor. It’ll be more work, but the worst is over now. Good luck on your defense.

    • BarerMender
      BarerMender
      February 29, 2020 at 1:45 am | #

      You’ll do great. You have this.

    • Agemegos
      Agemegos
      February 29, 2020 at 1:57 am | #

      Hey! Congratulations!

      Clif is right, your advisor has to ask that something be changed because otherwise you wouldn’t have needed a supervisor. Don’t worry, it’s not a sign that things are going wrong.

      Also, a piece of advice that will last you through your whole research career: Reviewer #2 is an idiot.

      • clif
        clif
        February 29, 2020 at 12:41 pm | #

        You know, I noticed that. My theory was that sometimes Reviewer #2 was secretly miffed you didn’t cite some some obscure paper of marginal relevance they published 10 years ago and was looking to make life difficult. Occasionally, they’ll shift the reviewer numbers just to mess with your mind.

        So what do you do in real life when you aren’t reading web-comics?

        • Agemegos
          Agemegos
          February 29, 2020 at 7:47 pm | #

          I live with chronic illness. But I used to be a transport economist working on urban congestion and greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy.

  13. Meagan
    Meagan
    February 29, 2020 at 12:12 am | #

    Enough with the “Robin is suspicious” red herrings. Its been done to death. Obviously next strip we are gonna find out that she is totally helping Becky out. Robin is actually pretty cool, she’s just self-centered/has a hard time realizing her effects on the big picture.

    • clif
      clif
      February 29, 2020 at 1:43 am | #

      Well, it’s either that or Becky’s dad showed up at the door and she has him waiting in the next room to have a surprise family reunion.

      • DarkoNeko
        DarkoNeko
        February 29, 2020 at 4:44 pm | #

        for all we know Mike spent the night at Robin’s

        • DarkoNeko
          DarkoNeko
          February 29, 2020 at 4:45 pm | #

          Hidden in her room ! So no one saw him in the morning for some convoluted reason !

        • Agemegos
          Agemegos
          February 29, 2020 at 7:46 pm | #

          Fucking her mom for a nickel.

  14. Tacos
    Tacos
    February 29, 2020 at 12:20 am | #

    She probably found out about it because of the fight last night. Regardless of whatever happened to Mike, he was yelling about Blaine and Toedad and there were witnesses to hear it that could inform the authorities.

  15. Agemegos
    Agemegos
    February 29, 2020 at 12:31 am | #

    This suggests that Toedad is probably not back in jail.

    I think that makes it more likely that Mike is holding Blaine and Ross in durance at the bottom of a dry well in the basement of an abandoned house.

    Either that, or the Brotherhood of Evil Dads smuggled Mike’s body away in the trunk of Toedad’s limo.

    • clif
      clif
      February 29, 2020 at 1:57 am | #

      Good point. I choose to believe that he is making them dig the well deeper.

  16. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    February 29, 2020 at 12:32 am | #

    Either Robin already knew but didn’t tell Becky, or Becky just got the news and told Robin.

    • clif
      clif
      February 29, 2020 at 1:46 am | #

      Well, you certainly couldn’t ruin a birthday sleepover.

  17. Undrave
    Undrave
    February 29, 2020 at 12:41 am | #

    What if Robin learned about it and had Toedad…dealt with?

    • Heavensrun
      Heavensrun
      February 29, 2020 at 6:01 am | #

      She’s a congresswoman. Contrary to right wing conspiracy theories, Congresspeople are generally too high profile to risk dealing with hitmen. So far.

      Also that would be pretty anticlimactic.

      • Geneseepaws
        Geneseepaws
        February 29, 2020 at 7:22 am | #

        I thought that was so Congress didn’t have to dirty their hands hiring unreliable goons, they have highly trained FBI to clean up, “untidy corners” and “loose ends”.

        • clif
          clif
          February 29, 2020 at 12:04 pm | #

          You’re thinking of the good old days before Hoover got the goods on Kennedy and the FBI got to big for its britches. Now days they run sting operations on congresscritters.

        • Bicycle Bill
          Bicycle Bill
          February 29, 2020 at 2:47 pm | #

          No, you’re thinking of Mr. Phelps and the Impossible Mission Force.

  18. Mydnyt
    Mydnyt
    February 29, 2020 at 12:45 am | #

    Panel 4 is probobly my favorite “Badass Joyce” moment now.

    • Illithid
      Illithid
      February 29, 2020 at 1:10 am | #

      YEEESSSS! Was just going to say. Girlfriend is _fierce_!

      I think my inner gay just grew a size.

  19. Bob
    Bob
    February 29, 2020 at 12:52 am | #

    He’s actually inside right now, I thought I’d suprise her when she comes home.
    Family is precious, just think about all the great press when the great Desanto reunites a broken family.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 29, 2020 at 4:22 am | #

      If there’s any part of Becky’s backstory that Robin can relate to, it’s “my dad is terrible”.

      Walkyverse!Robin’s family was dysfunctional, and I think her father was a serial adulterer. She didn’t want anything to do with her family and wanted super speed to get away from them all.

      Dumbiverse!Robin at least puts on the appearance that she has a good relationship with her siblings, but it’s still unclear how much of that resentment carried over (if any).

  20. Dracke
    Dracke
    February 29, 2020 at 1:31 am | #

    reading the comments, people dont get Robbin, either because they haven’t read other comics or ar as out young protagonist single focused.

  21. Diane
    Diane
    February 29, 2020 at 1:57 am | #

    I wanna raspberry sucker…Robin, share, gimme. But not that one, it’s been in your mouth and that’s gross.

    • Lieutenant Dan
      Lieutenant Dan
      February 29, 2020 at 9:03 am | #

      Raspberry is the best flavour. After watermelon, of course.

    • Jhon
      Jhon
      February 29, 2020 at 11:56 am | #

      But I like raspberry.
      How dare she!

  22. Keulen
    Keulen
    February 29, 2020 at 2:38 am | #

    How the hell does Robin actually know things all of a sudden?

    • Geneseepaws
      Geneseepaws
      February 29, 2020 at 7:32 am | #

      She has a police scanner in her bedroom. It helps.

  23. BenRG
    BenRG
    February 29, 2020 at 3:03 am | #

    “Come on; lets go to the Robin-Cave.”

    Damn! Joyce looked heroic there, didn’t she?

  24. Bagge
    Bagge
    February 29, 2020 at 3:17 am | #

    Stand back, Joyce. Robin can look badass with a lolipopp even better than you!

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 29, 2020 at 3:47 am | #

      Still, it’s a close call

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/04-the-do-list/creeeaaation/

      • ValdVin
        ValdVin
        February 29, 2020 at 7:06 am | #

        Hey, Joyce can even look badass with a #2 pencil.

        https://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/03-up-all-night-to-get-vengeance/rebelstyle/

  25. NinjaNick
    NinjaNick
    February 29, 2020 at 3:30 am | #

    Come on, Robin. Don’t be cruel.

  26. Ron again
    Ron again
    February 29, 2020 at 3:46 am | #

    Funny that Robin so casually drops the bomb where “trying to make bail” goes to “is outta jail” in the trio’s heads.

    • Alaric
      Alaric
      February 29, 2020 at 7:05 am | #

      Yep. That’s what I was thinking, too.

  27. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    February 29, 2020 at 4:03 am | #

    Extra panel:
    Robin: *Takes lollipop back out of her mouth again* “‘It was on th’ news. Don’t you guys get cable in yer dorms?”

  28. RedCat
    RedCat
    February 29, 2020 at 4:14 am | #

    That does not make you sound more trustful, Robin.

  29. Heavensrun
    Heavensrun
    February 29, 2020 at 5:58 am | #

    …This is why Robin stayed the night, isn’t it?

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 29, 2020 at 6:20 am | #

      She’s probably spending as much time campaigning in her home district as she can before election day. She probably only has to go to DC for House votes, and even then it’s only a few hours away by train or general aviation.

  30. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    February 29, 2020 at 7:12 am | #

    It occurs to me that licking a lollipop results in actual slower sugar intake than Robin is used to.

    Would that be a shock to her system?

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 29, 2020 at 9:03 am | #

      That’s just to tide her over until her next bag of Skittles. You know, slow the drain.

      • RowenMorland
        RowenMorland
        February 29, 2020 at 10:34 am | #

        So it’s like a nicotine patch.

  31. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    February 29, 2020 at 7:13 am | #

    A sugar tooth as usual

  32. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    February 29, 2020 at 10:05 am | #

    Now, this is an interesting twist.

    • JessWitt
      JessWitt
      February 29, 2020 at 11:48 am | #

      She’s the last person I thought would get involved in this.

  33. Pat
    Pat
    February 29, 2020 at 10:14 am | #

    Classic Robin! *Robin plays a laugh track on her phone*

  34. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    February 29, 2020 at 11:47 am | #

    *Robin has joined the party.*

  35. Tirachokko
    Tirachokko
    February 29, 2020 at 12:57 pm | #

    whoa okay congresswoman

  36. Alaric
    Alaric
    February 29, 2020 at 1:01 pm | #

    I’m thinking maybe Becky was notified that her father was out of jail, as she should have been, and she told Robin, and Robin’s enjoying having people think she actually knows something so much she’s just going to be mysterious about it. Though I’m hoping that I’m wrong, and that this ties in with what happened to Mike somehow.

  37. zellgato
    zellgato
    February 29, 2020 at 1:10 pm | #

    ’cause mike, dead dad, and dead dad are die down the street?

  38. zellgato
    zellgato
    February 29, 2020 at 1:22 pm | #

    Though realistically. It should be that the police came to talk to her. As a followup. Also because she almost positively has Order of Protection on her concerning her dad. So she should legally be visited and aprised of the situation.

    And once they were appraised she lived with a political person. Chances are more things would happen. Such as a possible watch–though there really arent typically enough LEOs for that. and Robin’s not really high enough for muich warrant

  39. Sombrero
    Sombrero
    February 29, 2020 at 2:10 pm | #

    Congresswoman DeSanto: A Dumbing of Age spinoff (aka Rebuild of Shortpacked!)

  40. BBCC
    BBCC
    February 29, 2020 at 3:51 pm | #

    So you told Robin, right?

    Also – happy leap day!

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      February 29, 2020 at 7:40 pm | #

      BECKY. Told BECKY.

  41. Dutch
    Dutch
    February 29, 2020 at 4:45 pm | #

    DAVID YOU CAN’T JUST PUT UP A COMIC LIKE THIS

  42. PB
    PB
    February 29, 2020 at 7:08 pm | #

    ROBIN KNOWS THINGS THE WORLD IS UPSIDE DOWN HAPPY LEAP DAY

  43. Icalasari
    Icalasari
    February 29, 2020 at 11:27 pm | #

    …Wait is this where we get confirmation on Mike, with it ending up that Mike got back to DeSanto and warned her before dying horribly getting some rest?

  44. RowenMorland
    RowenMorland
    March 1, 2020 at 7:02 pm | #

    Sarah has a really good hoody design in this. I’d totes wear one of those.

Who should be the default doodle for Book 14?

View Results

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


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

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