Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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July 8, 2026

Kidnap

by David M Willis on March 24, 2020 at 12:01 am
  • 03 - When It Crumbles
└ Tags: joyce, walky

Discussion (257) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    March 24, 2020 at 12:01 am | #

    WOW this went somewhere

    I feel like Sal will stop being ok with Asher after this

    hahahahaha duct tapeYES but it’s more readily available than rope and you can’t wiggle out as easily I guess

    • alice
      alice
      March 24, 2020 at 12:06 am | #

      we can’t see their wrists, but the ankle tape at least is over pajamas/socks for walky and boots for joyce, so that shouldn’t last long.

      • clif
        clif
        March 24, 2020 at 12:13 am | #

        Well, so much for the no kidnapping theory.

        • Agemegos
          Agemegos
          March 24, 2020 at 2:00 am | #

          Yeah. This is weird. How? Why?

          Did the Keystone Cops duo who chased Mike on scooters last night pull off at least two clean quiet snatches in a public place? What have Joyce and Walky got to do with Becky and Amber. Isn’t this completely over-the-top as a way to make Amber drop out?

          • CC
            CC
            March 24, 2020 at 2:06 am | #

            Blaine has specifically referred to Joyce (and likely Walky off-panel) as “targets”

            • ReFlex76
              ReFlex76
              March 24, 2020 at 9:23 am | #

              Interesting that Faz is tagged in that comic.

              • Deanatay
                Deanatay
                March 24, 2020 at 9:37 am | #

                You can see his profile in front of Sarah in the last panel.

            • RowenMorland
              RowenMorland
              March 24, 2020 at 1:12 pm | #

              I like how Blaine has twigged that Joyce is the Alpha Character. Soon he will cut of his nose and ears and form a guild of assassins.

          • BarerMender
            BarerMender
            March 24, 2020 at 6:09 am | #

            Yeah, the silent kidnapping from a crowd pushes credibility.

            • maarvarq
              maarvarq
              March 24, 2020 at 7:58 am | #

              One of the sillier episodes of the TV series Fringe had the Villain of the Week, whose only power was being really smart, manage to kidnap a grown woman from the pump area of a busy gas station during the daytime. How he did this was of course not shown on camera.

              • RowenMorland
                RowenMorland
                March 26, 2020 at 12:01 am | #

                Lottery scratch card on a piece of string.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            March 24, 2020 at 8:01 am | #

            Joyce is Becky’s best friend, Walky is Amber’s current love interest.

            My guess is they’re leverage.

            Conspiracy theory: Maybe the “big rule” Willis broke is ‘no rehashing relationships from the old continuity’…

            • King Daniel
              King Daniel
              March 24, 2020 at 12:05 pm | #

              He’s already stated that he’s willing to forgo that if he can cover new ground with it. Ruth/Billie was a thing in the Walkyverse, as was Mandy/Grace/sometimes-Sierra, and that’s just off the top of my head.

              • Ana Chronistic
                Ana Chronistic
                March 24, 2020 at 1:20 pm | #

                Wally/Dorothy was a biggie

                • Ana Chronistic
                  Ana Chronistic
                  March 24, 2020 at 1:20 pm | #

                  Walky

                  Thx autocorrect I forgot about

                • Needfuldoer
                  Needfuldoer
                  March 24, 2020 at 3:10 pm | #

                  Gotta change your avatar to Alice now.

          • Ellegos
            Ellegos
            March 24, 2020 at 2:04 pm | #

            The how, I don’t know. But as to the why… Joyce is Becky’s closest friend, and Walky is Amber’s current boyfriend.

            They make for pretty good bait/hostages, and are two of the people most likely to interfere with their plans.

      • He Who Abides
        He Who Abides
        March 24, 2020 at 2:58 pm | #

        @alice – it could be the tape sold for bondage exploits. That’s not easy to slip out of.

    • Sirksome
      Sirksome
      March 24, 2020 at 12:15 am | #

      I feel like it would be more than “not being okay” with him after this.

    • AntJ
      AntJ
      March 24, 2020 at 12:23 am | #

      I doubt Asher knew people were getting kidnapped. Blaine probably just told him “I need you to pull the fire alarm at 4am”. He seemed pretty adamant about not hurting anybody.

      • Felix
        Felix
        March 24, 2020 at 12:26 am | #

        Yeah, probably. But still makes him an accomplice.

        • Agemegos
          Agemegos
          March 24, 2020 at 2:02 am | #

          In at least two serious felonies.

      • Deadjolras
        Deadjolras
        March 24, 2020 at 1:54 am | #

        Yeah, the last time we saw Blaine and Asher speaking to each other, Asher only seemed convinced because Blaine told him “no one would get hurt”.

        • Lokitsu
          Lokitsu
          March 24, 2020 at 7:19 am | #

          That’s one of those questions where, if you have to ask then you already know the answer.

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      March 24, 2020 at 12:27 am | #

      Obviously this kidnapper watched Ocelotina’s videos concerning duct tape.

      • abacuswizard
        abacuswizard
        March 24, 2020 at 12:51 am | #

        Holy independent comics, Batman, was that an Empowered reference??

      • Michael L
        Michael L
        March 24, 2020 at 3:01 am | #

        Wow, this is an unlikely reference connecting the two web comics I actually read every day.

        • Rose by Any Other Name
          Rose by Any Other Name
          March 24, 2020 at 8:59 pm | #

          **glances at the complete collection of first printings on bookshelf including Unchained and Soldier of Love**

          Yes. “Web comic.”

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        March 24, 2020 at 7:58 am | #

        A+ for that one.

        • Rose by Any Other Name
          Rose by Any Other Name
          March 24, 2020 at 8:56 pm | #

          Thank you!
          Also – sweet Bernadette Gravatar.

      • Roborat
        Roborat
        March 24, 2020 at 3:31 pm | #

        Woohoo, fellow Empowered fans.

        • Rose by Any Other Name
          Rose by Any Other Name
          March 24, 2020 at 8:59 pm | #

          Hello!

    • Random832
      Random832
      March 24, 2020 at 12:55 am | #

      They put two people wrapped in duct tape in the same room. If they keep their heads (and if it really is duct tape, and there isn’t something tougher than wrist duct tape on their hands), getting out of it should be easy

      • Random832
        Random832
        March 24, 2020 at 12:56 am | #

        Oddly, if there really is just duct tape around their wrists, Walky’s cape might be a bigger obstacle to them getting free than anything the kidnappers did.

      • Ana Chronistic
        Ana Chronistic
        March 24, 2020 at 1:23 pm | #

        “Wrapped in” would be a lot harder tho

        Like, you ever make a duct tape body cast for a… costume

      • Jhon
        Jhon
        March 24, 2020 at 1:41 pm | #

        Houdini never had to deal with duct tape…

    • Ana Chronistic
      Ana Chronistic
      March 24, 2020 at 1:27 pm | #

      Actually surprised more people haven’t commented on “I refuse to be traumatized by this”

      If not book title, then campaign slogan?

  2. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    March 24, 2020 at 12:03 am | #

    I see our villain has left our hero masked. No “he’s only a twat with Daddy issues” scene.

    • Mordecai
      Mordecai
      March 24, 2020 at 12:11 am | #

      Behind all the cartoons and McNuggets, you’re just a little boy in a playsuit crying for mommy and daddy… it’d be pathetic if it weren’t so funny.

      • lightsabermario
        lightsabermario
        March 24, 2020 at 3:07 am | #

        Excellent BB:ROTJ reference.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          March 24, 2020 at 8:07 am | #

          Batman Beyond: Return of the Jedi?

          • poofdepoof
            poofdepoof
            March 24, 2020 at 12:28 pm | #

            @needfuldoer same

            • clif
              clif
              March 24, 2020 at 11:38 pm | #

              Batman Beyond: Return of the Jedi was the episode of MonkeyMaster where we learned why duct tape was inescapable even if you had superpowers.

  3. Kyoulkoa
    Kyoulkoa
    March 24, 2020 at 12:04 am | #

    100mph tape

  4. ian livs
    ian livs
    March 24, 2020 at 12:04 am | #

    Ooh, duct tape? Can confirm, an amateur can escape from that stuff. (Also, less relevant here, but if somebody puts it over your mouth, you can just lick it and then you can talk just fine. Hurts like hell if it gets caught in your hair though.)

    *nope, I’ve never been kidnapped (to my knowledge). I just wanted to test how good I was at escaping from things as a paranoid middle schooler. (I feel like my mom probably shouldn’t have gone along with it so easily though?)

    • SuperZero
      SuperZero
      March 24, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

      You were entertaining yourself quietly.

      • ian livs
        ian livs
        March 24, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

        No, no, remember that I quickly learned how to talk through duct tape. I was quiet for approximately 3 seconds, lol

    • Beef
      Beef
      March 24, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

      To your mom’s credit, 12 year olds do stupid shit so often and was probably worried you’d hurt yourself if she didn’t help

      • ian livs
        ian livs
        March 24, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

        Good point–if not her, I probably would’ve enlisted my kid brother

        • Thanatos
          Thanatos
          March 24, 2020 at 10:14 am | #

          Also, I’m sure it provided PLENTY of amusement for her. You asked your mom to tie you up and let you struggle to get free. Chances of you actually getting hurt were pretty minimal and she got to have relatively free entertainment at your expense.

          • ego
            ego
            March 24, 2020 at 10:23 am | #

            can confirm, am currently trying to figure out how to get my six year old to try this game.

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      March 24, 2020 at 12:28 am | #

      Given it’s Joyce and Walky in this first strip specifically, with duct tape, I’m going to guess they can’t break out of it as a reference to the Walkyverse where it was conditioned into the abductees to be inescapable as a way to keep them from escaping when they were periodically brought in for more experimentation. (Since, you know, super strength means regular restraints are tricky. You need some mild psychic fuckery.) Joyce and Walky get particularly associated with it because the start of their romance arc was meeting as kids during routine abductee experimentation.

      But DAMN, will I ever be amused if Amber or Sarah or Ethan is in the next room and can get out because ‘what? It’s just duct tape’ while Joyce, Walky, Sal, and/or Dina all stare at them blankly.

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        March 24, 2020 at 12:32 am | #

        Alternately, they CAN break out, and the flavor text makes a joke about it.

        • Agemegos
          Agemegos
          March 24, 2020 at 2:05 am | #

          I’m missing something.

      • Adam Black
        Adam Black
        March 24, 2020 at 2:40 am | #

        what if there is a secret MORE to dumbiverse joyce and walky aside from churchmouse videos

      • Khyrin
        Khyrin
        March 24, 2020 at 9:07 am | #

        Joyce has teleportation abilities that are explicitly referenced by others in the actual text of the comic. Amber’s/Amazi-girl’s meat-ship got away with just a bruised melon instead of a pulped one. The Fucking Semi What Hungers for Integrity.

        I am never, ever going to NOT half-expect Willis to spring “surprise! SEMME is in Dumbiverse, too, but the Martians are active because Head Alien/Dexter are purely fictional”

    • Charles Spencer
      Charles Spencer
      March 24, 2020 at 7:11 am | #

      It helps even more if you slobber your lips up thoroughly before the tape is applied. I speak from experience in the days when teachers were permitted to tape a chatty kid’s mouth shut.

  5. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    March 24, 2020 at 12:05 am | #

    This doesn’t bode well for anyone, and I have the distinct feeling that Amazigirl isn’t going to save them this time.

    • Oak Rover
      Oak Rover
      March 24, 2020 at 4:28 pm | #

      Obviously not — the kidnappers were smart enough to grab Amazigirl first. Who do you think is tied up next to Joyce?

    • ThatMatt
      ThatMatt
      March 24, 2020 at 7:22 pm | #

      Holy crap… I think you’re right. I really think you’re right.

  6. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    March 24, 2020 at 12:05 am | #

    Ah, I see. Walky and Joyce can hopefully keep each other in good spirits through this. Probably through arguing.

    • ian livs
      ian livs
      March 24, 2020 at 12:08 am | #

      I will admit, that’s a silver lining. Their dynamic makes me happy

  7. Vangeln
    Vangeln
    March 24, 2020 at 12:06 am | #

    Why’d anyone kidnap Walky?

    • SuperZero
      SuperZero
      March 24, 2020 at 12:08 am | #

      Witness?

    • Valerie
      Valerie
      March 24, 2020 at 12:08 am | #

      Maybe the dads found out that Amber is dating him.

    • Aletheia
      Aletheia
      March 24, 2020 at 12:11 am | #

      He was probably just told something like “The one in the mask,” because who would guess there would be two people who wear masks like that on campus? 😛

      • Aletheia
        Aletheia
        March 24, 2020 at 12:11 am | #

        “He” being the one who kidnapped them, not Walky; I feel like I should clarify that, heh.

      • Jhon
        Jhon
        March 24, 2020 at 1:21 pm | #

        Several upvotes!

    • Bunny
      Bunny
      March 24, 2020 at 12:11 am | #

      Walky is wearing a cape and Amazigirl’s mask. Asher May have just been told to grab the one in the mask. But he’s also been shagging Amber so that might be a factor.

      • AntJ
        AntJ
        March 24, 2020 at 12:24 am | #

        If Blaine’s goons start calling him Amazi-Girl, that would be the most Willisian of twists

        • ktbear
          ktbear
          March 24, 2020 at 1:00 am | #

          Well, Billie thought Sal was Amazigirl, also Sal and Walky being twins you may not be too far off.

        • Random832
          Random832
          March 24, 2020 at 1:02 am | #

          It also means he might be in deep shit because if he’s not a target he’s a loose end

    • Bunny
      Bunny
      March 24, 2020 at 12:13 am | #

      Maybe Asher grabbed him too because Walky punches Asher the day before…

      • Rotunda
        Rotunda
        March 24, 2020 at 12:19 am | #

        I don’t think Asher did the kidnapping—only the fire alarm. He was seen leaving Read Hall looking at a message on his phone saying “It is done”, probably from the kidnapper.

        • Dr. T
          Dr. T
          March 24, 2020 at 12:36 am | #

          Actually, the “It is done” was an outgoing message, so Asher was letting Blaine know he set off the alarm.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      March 24, 2020 at 1:08 am | #

      Walky is just that annoying

    • Adam Black
      Adam Black
      March 24, 2020 at 4:27 am | #

      I think he was mistaken for Ethan

  8. Cattleprod
    Cattleprod
    March 24, 2020 at 12:06 am | #

    DOA needs location tags so this one can be ‘secondary location’.

  9. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    March 24, 2020 at 12:06 am | #

    HUH. Blaine didn’t gag them. That means if Joyce rolls over Walky can chew through the duct tape on her wrists in, like, seconds if he does it right, or ten minutes if he screws it up. (All while Joyce goes ewewewew because Walkyspit.)

    I’d have expected better from someone with mob ties. But I suppose being someone with mob ties doesn’t automatically make you someone with zip ties.

    • alice
      alice
      March 24, 2020 at 12:07 am | #

      i’m reading this as asher, not blaine

      • ReFlex76
        ReFlex76
        March 24, 2020 at 12:18 am | #

        I’m pretty sure all Asher did was pull the fire alarm.

    • ReFlex76
      ReFlex76
      March 24, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

      I have a suspicion this ain’t Blaine’s work.

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        March 24, 2020 at 1:17 am | #

        I don’t think he’d trust it to Ross. Especially since Joyce would recognize Ross.

        • Dr. T
          Dr. T
          March 24, 2020 at 1:52 am | #

          There is one other candidate that Blaine could have turned to other than Ross. Someone who is also eligible to get bailed out of jail and has had two weeks to heal and stew over what Amber did to him. Someone who has no compunction against causing harm to our heroes, especially Joyce.

          • King Daniel
            King Daniel
            March 24, 2020 at 12:09 pm | #

            I don’t think Ryan is anywhere near having regained the ability to get out of the hospital bed yet.

            • Dr. T
              Dr. T
              March 24, 2020 at 1:20 pm | #

              You think he is still bedridden after two weeks? I am pretty sure that is how long it has been now.

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                March 24, 2020 at 2:53 pm | #

                I think the last we knew he hadn’t regained consciousness.

                If it’s nearly as bad as implied, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’s still there. Non-superficial stab wounds don’t heal quickly. Of course, the injuries were never specified in any detail, so it’s easy enough for the needs of the plot to have him mostly recovered.

          • Reltzik
            Reltzik
            March 24, 2020 at 6:27 pm | #

            Yeah, that person would do far worse to Joyce than duct tape her and toss her in a van then a basement, and Joyce would be far worse off if she’d been subdued by and/or if she had seen that person.

    • ian livs
      ian livs
      March 24, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

      “being someone with mob ties doesn’t automatically make you someone with zip ties” is the best thing I’ve read today, thank you for that

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      March 24, 2020 at 1:08 am | #

      Walky making someting actually useful with his mouth would be a good twist.

      • clif
        clif
        March 24, 2020 at 10:43 am | #

        Hisses and throws peanuts at Bagge.

      • Jhon
        Jhon
        March 24, 2020 at 1:23 pm | #

        Also upvotes.

    • Jhon
      Jhon
      March 24, 2020 at 1:45 pm | #

      ‘ewewewew because Walkyspit’
      Upvotes!

  10. Beef
    Beef
    March 24, 2020 at 12:06 am | #

    Softening the blow of the characters bring kidnapped with a Mulaney reference is very kind of you

  11. BBCC
    BBCC
    March 24, 2020 at 12:06 am | #

    Hoo boy. Well this’ll be fun.

    I feel like now’s a good time to remind you all tomorrow’s patreon strip’s $5.

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      March 24, 2020 at 12:31 am | #

      Yeah, like tomorrow’s strip is gonna help.
      A $100 tier where you can see the entire buffer, maybe.

      • ktbear
        ktbear
        March 24, 2020 at 1:01 am | #

        Theres a $100 tier? Why did I not know this!! /j

        • clif
          clif
          March 24, 2020 at 2:36 am | #

          It’s $5 for one day ahead, $10 for two days, $25 for three days, $50 for four days, and $100 gets you 5 days. If you want six, it would be $200 and a full week for $400. Or at least that’s the way it should work to optimally keep the Willis household funded.

  12. Valerie
    Valerie
    March 24, 2020 at 12:07 am | #

    STREET SMARTS

  13. JJ Bittenbinder
    JJ Bittenbinder
    March 24, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

    Street Smarts!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdIPlDAXsqg

    • MK15
      MK15
      March 24, 2020 at 9:58 pm | #

      So pumped for that reference!

  14. Tandel
    Tandel
    March 24, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

    That’s some high quality alt-text right there.

  15. LadyCaramel
    LadyCaramel
    March 24, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

    Omg

  16. Foxhack
    Foxhack
    March 24, 2020 at 12:11 am | #

    This… doesn’t make any sense, unless Blaine suddenly got ninja powers.

    • clif
      clif
      March 24, 2020 at 12:27 am | #

      Maybe it kinda makes sense.

      Okay, we want Amber, Becky and Amazigirl. That’ll be the one in costume and a mask and the one with Dina and here’s a picture of Amber.

      Didn’t see Amber, boss, but here’s Becky and Amazigirl all duct taped up and delivered.

      • Alopex
        Alopex
        March 24, 2020 at 12:40 am | #

        Bad Dad Squad knows where Becky lives, they wouldn’t be grabbing her off the street. I’m pretty sure Joyce is a hostage. Walky might be a mistake. Or he might have been grabbed on the grounds that he’s been boning Amber all over campus.

        • clif
          clif
          March 24, 2020 at 1:12 am | #

          They know where Representative DeSanto lives and where the party was. But do they know Becky wouldn’t be spending the night with Dina?

          If, as seems likely, the memory stick Faz stole is their source of information on Amber, that happened before Walky and Amber were a thing. And of course Walky and Amber have been making a point of not doing it all over campus, or much at all on account of bad assumptions about Sal. So presumably the Dad’s wouldn’t know.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      March 24, 2020 at 1:07 am | #

      Blaine might not have ninja powers…

      But who knows what kind of powers Dad Man (TM) has?
      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-10/02-to-remind-you-of-my-love/convention/

    • Agemegos
      Agemegos
      March 24, 2020 at 3:08 am | #

      Dina has ninja powers! It must have been her!

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      March 24, 2020 at 8:12 am | #

      Oh no, what if Ninja Rick is really evil and has been helping Toedad and the Blaine? That could be the broken rule, ‘no old characters who still resemble the real people they’re based on’.

  17. Jeff K!
    Jeff K!
    March 24, 2020 at 12:14 am | #

    It should be noted: this is hardly the first time a Walky and a Joyce have been kidnapped together and tied with duct tape.

    I expect somewhat less ‘Sound of Music’ this time, though.

    • clif
      clif
      March 24, 2020 at 12:34 am | #

      Also fewer aliens.

  18. Huehuetotl
    Huehuetotl
    March 24, 2020 at 12:15 am | #

    Ross was driving a sedan. So Blaine had another vehicle, or we’re being misdirected.

    • Agemegos
      Agemegos
      March 24, 2020 at 2:55 am | #

      He has a limousine. The vehicle that Ross rolled onto its roof abducting Becky a couple of weeks ago is likely not drivable, and ought to be in an evidence impound anyway.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      March 24, 2020 at 8:15 am | #

      Blaine’s contracting business probably has a couple minivans or cargo vans.

      The green car from Mike night is Yuri’s Mitsubishi Galant.

      Toedad’s Kia Forte Koup is totaled, and should be held in evidence for the last felony kidnapping he perpetrated.

  19. Bicycle Bill
    Bicycle Bill
    March 24, 2020 at 12:18 am | #

    Are we to assume that they were just tossed unceremoniously down the steps?  That shows whoever is doing this isn’t doing it just for the sake of taking hostages and doesn’t much give a shit what happens to these two.  This, I assure you, is NOT a good thing.

    • clif
      clif
      March 24, 2020 at 12:49 am | #

      Is that steps into a basement or a ramp into a van?

      I’ll admit it looks like steps into a basement, but Walky says van and Joyce’s placement is odd if she was tossed down steps.

      So I don’t know.

      • Bicycle Bill
        Bicycle Bill
        March 24, 2020 at 3:11 am | #

        All the ramps I’ve ever seen go UP into a van, not down.  Not to mention that blue pipe (?) looks like part of a handrail.

        I’m now thinking they were abducted and transported in a van to this location, a house somewhere off-campus … and since we don’t know how much time has passed they may not even be in Bloomington any more.  They have been tossed feet-first into a garage through a door (off-panel, top right), and if enough time has passed it is now daylight which explains both the lighter section of the floor and the fact that Joyce and Walky were casting shadows as they landed; and the stairs lead from the floor level of the garage up to the main dwelling level of the attached house.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          March 24, 2020 at 8:30 am | #

          I think the light is coming from a fixture in the room on the other side of the door from the basement stairs.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          March 24, 2020 at 10:41 am | #

          The light’s coming from above – down the stairs. It’s lined up directly with the stairs and the character shadows are directly beneath them. In panel 3 it looks weird, but Joyce landed on her shoulder and her legs are still raised.

          Could be one of those relatively short cellar hatch stairs, cause if they just got thrown down a full flight of stairs, I’d expect more than an “ow”. Especially since it looks like Walky landed on his butt, with his hands right underneath it.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        March 24, 2020 at 8:28 am | #

        Looks like a basement to me. The dark spot suggests damp concrete, and that pole next to the stairs is either a handrail or Lally column.

      • Agemegos
        Agemegos
        March 24, 2020 at 8:40 am | #

        This is a basement. Walky is complaining about the lack of style of the van that was used to bring him here from the kidnap site.

    • Adam Black
      Adam Black
      March 24, 2020 at 4:36 am | #

      So canonically there is 3 Groups , plus A wildcard ( Mike warner ) f that guy, he knows too much.

      The daughters : “ones we want to save”
      “those who will get in our way”

      and “the expendables” , with Joyce at the center of it all.

  20. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    March 24, 2020 at 12:18 am | #

    Well they got kidnapped pretty quick. Were the parents all hiding in the background just waiting for them to split up?

    • ReFlex76
      ReFlex76
      March 24, 2020 at 12:21 am | #

      Such speed hints at several people carrying this out; a mob, if you will.

      • Bryy
        Bryy
        March 24, 2020 at 3:38 pm | #

        They must have been quick as the Flash.

  21. ReFlex76
    ReFlex76
    March 24, 2020 at 12:20 am | #

    My suspicion: This is Yuri’s work, using the info Faz gathered; with help from Korean mob ties.

    • Agemegos
      Agemegos
      March 24, 2020 at 2:42 am | #

      If Baline can command the services of Mob goons adept at kidnapping, why did he need Asher and Ross?

  22. JetstreamGW
    JetstreamGW
    March 24, 2020 at 12:22 am | #

    Okay… *how* did they get kidnapped? They were in a crowd.

    • Bryy
      Bryy
      March 24, 2020 at 12:23 am | #

      Yeah, I really, really don’t buy it. They got kidnapped within, what, two panels?

      • Lumino
        Lumino
        March 24, 2020 at 12:33 am | #

        This was my problem last strip. Like, over 6 people just got grabbed, out of a crowd of people, with nobody noticing and no noise being made? I call bullshit.

        • King Daniel
          King Daniel
          March 24, 2020 at 12:37 am | #

          At 4 AM too, so it’s hardly like non-students won’t stand out.

        • clif
          clif
          March 24, 2020 at 1:18 am | #

          Six people disappeared. We don’t know how many were grabbed, just that it was at least two. Amber may well have entered the building after her phone. Ethan might have followed because possibility of fire. Hard to figure Joyce voluntarily separating from Dorothy tho.

    • Sam
      Sam
      March 24, 2020 at 12:55 am | #

      It was likely easy because they *were* in a crowd, which made it impossible to keep track of every individual person. Children tend to be kidnapped easily in crowded supermarkets and malls because of the same thing – with so many people around, you can’t keep track of every individual thing happening and it gives an illusion of safety, so people usually let their guards down too.

      If there are only 5 people total, you would notice if 3 vanished. If there are 30 you still might but it would be less immediately obvious. If there are 300, you likely wouldn’t unless it was someone you were literally just talking to.

      I imagine it will be elaborated on more later exactly how but it is not impossible at the very least.

    • Nono
      Nono
      March 24, 2020 at 1:03 am | #

      Especially since two of the ones being kidnapped are Sarah, who is unlikely to go down without a fight, and Ethan, who isn’t exactly small or weak.

    • Bicycle Bill
      Bicycle Bill
      March 24, 2020 at 3:17 am | #

      We don’t know for a fact they were in a crowd.  We don’t even know how much time has elapsed between yesterday’s strip and this one.  Walky and Joyce could have been snatched up after they left Read Hall and got away from the crowds, been transported who-knows-where, and what we’re seeing now is three or four hours later.

  23. Nah
    Nah
    March 24, 2020 at 12:22 am | #

    Hah! Reliving their Joyce and Walky childhoods. People clearly just see these two and think ‘wow, gotta kidnap these two together. Don’t wanna separate them’

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      March 24, 2020 at 12:31 am | #

      I’ve got it! The rule Willis broke a while back WASN’T ‘no deaths’ after all! He really did cave and bring Head Alien back in! Mike is alive in the next room, also restrained with duct tape! WACKY SCI FI HIJINKS WILL ENSUE ONCE MORE!

      … What? I can dream. That’ll be WAY less stressful to keep reading through quarantine. Plus maybe Galasso’s team of Walkyverse dimension-hoppers will come back for a teamup arc and Leslie can kick HA’s ass again.

      • clif
        clif
        March 24, 2020 at 12:51 am | #

        What? Mike was clearly the secret identity of Head Alien the entire time.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          March 24, 2020 at 8:19 am | #

          I thought the real Head Alien was the friends we made along the way.

          • clif
            clif
            March 24, 2020 at 10:51 am | #

            That was the real Mike. The real Head Alien was the memes we posted along the way.

  24. John
    John
    March 24, 2020 at 12:23 am | #

    Yeah, getting traumatized by your abduction is so other universe.

  25. DiDi
    DiDi
    March 24, 2020 at 12:23 am | #

    Oh… Oh, this is what’s happening.

  26. Rotunda
    Rotunda
    March 24, 2020 at 12:25 am | #

    Blaine’s scheme is still a puzzle. He’s probably trying to frame Ross, but he used his real name to the church congregation and to Ross, and Mike shouted it when people were around. We’ll see.

    • deathjavu
      deathjavu
      March 24, 2020 at 12:36 am | #

      The puzzle piece you’re missing is that Blaine is an egotistical idiot.

  27. Bryy
    Bryy
    March 24, 2020 at 12:26 am | #

    So….. my theory that Carol’s phone call was about KIDNAPPING JOYCE is kinda getting less theory-y.

    I hope my Waco theory is not correct.

    • Dr. T
      Dr. T
      March 24, 2020 at 12:43 am | #

      I mean, it would explain the amateurish nature of this job, but I have serious doubts.

      • clif
        clif
        March 24, 2020 at 12:57 am | #

        Kidnappings taking place right in front of Ruth and other witnesses with no-one suspecting? Why do you say amateurish.

  28. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    March 24, 2020 at 12:32 am | #

    I am the night.

    • clif
      clif
      March 24, 2020 at 12:35 am | #

      You’re the other night guy?

  29. Rose by Any Other Name
    Rose by Any Other Name
    March 24, 2020 at 12:34 am | #

    I’m calling it now: they’ve been kidnapped by Mike.

    If I’m wrong, meh, it was a long shot and no one’s gonna care in a week. I’ve been wrong before (yay!).

    But if I’m right… oh if I’m right….

    • clif
      clif
      March 24, 2020 at 12:37 am | #

      You mean Willis dropped a live Mike?

    • Agemegos
      Agemegos
      March 24, 2020 at 1:30 am | #

      Are they in the basement of an abandoned house?

      • clif
        clif
        March 24, 2020 at 2:39 am | #

        The barrel of lotion is just off panel.

        • Agemegos
          Agemegos
          March 24, 2020 at 2:44 am | #

          Thank heavens we got that before the panic-buying started.

          • Liquid Len
            Liquid Len
            March 24, 2020 at 8:46 am | #

            I laughed more than I should have at that!

  30. NinjaNick
    NinjaNick
    March 24, 2020 at 12:43 am | #

    This escalated really fast.

    • abysswatcher1993
      abysswatcher1993
      March 24, 2020 at 2:37 am | #

      Cue a classic meme.

  31. EvilMidnightLurker
    EvilMidnightLurker
    March 24, 2020 at 12:44 am | #

    This seems beyond the Dadholes’ ability.

    • Agemegos
      Agemegos
      March 24, 2020 at 2:36 am | #

      Yes, it does. Chasing Mike on electric scooters and swiping as fast as they can is demonstrably more their speed.

  32. Suet
    Suet
    March 24, 2020 at 12:47 am | #

    Well this is a fine how do you do. There’s gonna be more, innit?

    *plays .38 Special’s Caught Up In You on the van’s speakers*

    Maybe Dorothy; Carla, Ethan and Sarah feel too big to be hustled; Billie’s pretty far…. maybe Dorothy.

  33. Random832
    Random832
    March 24, 2020 at 12:52 am | #

    Wait, why was Walky kidnapped anyway?

    Does… does Asher think Walky is Amazi-Girl?

    • Hugo Bedward
      Hugo Bedward
      March 24, 2020 at 12:58 am | #

      Gotta keep Joyce & Walky together

    • Icalasari
      Icalasari
      March 24, 2020 at 1:05 am | #

      This is going to lead to a great smack down soon

    • Deadjolras
      Deadjolras
      March 24, 2020 at 1:57 am | #

      Asher only pulled the fire alarm. The kidnapping was someone else, probably one or both the Evil Dads. In any case, it was dark and what are the odds of two people of similar height walking around wearing a cape and a mask?

  34. Bagge
    Bagge
    March 24, 2020 at 12:58 am | #

    Walky shutting up: Not happening.

    • clif
      clif
      March 24, 2020 at 2:40 am | #

      In any universe.

  35. Shane
    Shane
    March 24, 2020 at 1:00 am | #

    ::kidnapping intensifies::

  36. Bill Buchanan
    Bill Buchanan
    March 24, 2020 at 1:25 am | #

    Done in by the secondary location. Rookie mistake.

    • Adam Black
      Adam Black
      March 24, 2020 at 1:43 am | #

      what do you mean?

      • Zor
        Zor
        March 24, 2020 at 1:46 am | #

        The extra text is a John Mulaney reference

    • a/snow/mous/e
      a/snow/mous/e
      March 25, 2020 at 1:12 am | #

      *+1’s*

  37. Adam Black
    Adam Black
    March 24, 2020 at 1:25 am | #

    First Reaction: OMG its about Friggin Time

    second reaction: I have no idea why ( but I got a THEORY ) why at least to me the last “comic day” has been so intolerable. intolerably long.

    To be fair the artist, Damn You Willis He does this frequently on major cliff hangers, and throws them to the back burner to to build up suspense. it hasnt been that long either. I know hes blameless. ( almost, but hes so sweetly sensitive to readers mental health I think its mostly a giant coincidence )

    but this time its been ; WT CHEESE, how could you?

    MY THEORY: ITs been awful , awful , awful but its written 9 months ahead…
    and in the Meantime we have the nearly exact same slow burn National Disaster playing out in real time, in denial, at the exact same speed, as the comic release, at the exact same time.

    and its also playing out as a giant climax to Trumpocalypse .

    Even the mechanism was the same for 2 months, denial of urgent catastrophe thats not being prepared for.

    thats my Theory : current events destroyed the escapism psychological hatch by playing out at similar real time speed as the release of the comic.

    im curious if other longtime readers experienced this intolerability of the last comic day ( maybe due to covid19 ) .

    even this kidnapping can be a metaphor for getting covid19.
    First Mike but no one knows. 2 months later 2 more characters.
    Walky is one of teh few characters to know Mike is missing so its like a social contagion

    you have the RA almost noticing. Ruth s like chinese doctor who saw the wuhan cluster. ( or was that Mike ?)

    Im actually relieved shit the fan and we can go from there.

    long time readers, what do you think/ feel ?

    • Chris Phoenix
      Chris Phoenix
      March 24, 2020 at 2:14 am | #

      I think you’d enjoy reading Unsong. “Nothing is a coincidence.”

      • Adam Black
        Adam Black
        March 24, 2020 at 2:52 am | #

        what is this?

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      March 24, 2020 at 8:22 am | #

      Sir, this is a Wendy’s.

    • Some Ed
      Some Ed
      March 24, 2020 at 9:34 am | #

      I’m uncertain of how this is at all related to COVID-19. To be fair, the response to COVID-19 is basically everybody’s forced to take the sort of vacation I prefer, so it doesn’t have nearly the psychological impact on me as nearly everyone else.

      I understand you feel confined, but there’s a significant difference in my mind with mere confinement and being kidnapped with ones hands duct taped together. It also feels like the whole COVID-19 thing has been going on, start to now, has taken about half of the amount of in universe time that DoA has had, but that’s been going on for a lot less than a tenth of the time that DoA has been running. So that’s a very different pacing.

      I’m sorry I’m not able to be more sympathetic to you, I’m just about as much not in the same observational frame of reality as you as Walky.

      • clif
        clif
        March 24, 2020 at 11:09 am | #

        Besides, besides the kidnapping is the work of Blaine and Toe while Covid-19 is the work of Sydney Yus. Totally different.

  38. Jonah Sanville
    Jonah Sanville
    March 24, 2020 at 1:27 am | #

    WELL FUCK OKAY THEN

    • clif
      clif
      March 24, 2020 at 11:42 am | #

      Difficult under the circumstances.

  39. Nenja
    Nenja
    March 24, 2020 at 1:35 am | #

    Oh no they’re being transported to a secondary location!

    • Zor
      Zor
      March 24, 2020 at 1:45 am | #

      They’re never coming back

  40. Deadjolras
    Deadjolras
    March 24, 2020 at 1:58 am | #

    re: alt-text: QUICK, THROW YOUR WALLET

  41. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    March 24, 2020 at 2:36 am | #

    Seriously, how did two grown ups kindnapped Walky and Joyce out of the sight of Ruth… Wait… OH MY STARS, THE CHURCH KIDNAPPED JOYCE AND HER FRIENDS!!!! That is the only explanation. Two men can’t kidnap so many teenagers! Also, Blaine has no reason to kidnap Joyce besides taunting Amber. If Joyce and her friends escape this situation, these evil people will spend decades in jail, and I doubt any right winger would bail so many people out of jail.

    • Adam Black
      Adam Black
      March 24, 2020 at 3:01 am | #

      more likely Fazs reconnaissance and relationship map comes into play.
      then its with assistance from Korean mafia.

      Joyce is connected to Becky, and dated aslo Ethan.
      Ethan is also Blaines leverage against Amber
      * they might think walky is Ethan.

      Also Walky was with Amber when he punched Asher.

      Joyce punched Ross in the face and is leverage to getting becky for Toedad

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      March 24, 2020 at 8:11 am | #

      …fuck

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/02-to-remind-you-of-my-love/therightthing/

    • Sombrero
      Sombrero
      March 24, 2020 at 1:58 pm | #

      Plus: Blaine needs scapegoats. He may be an asshole, but he is a selfish one. He wants Amber out of IU to have more money to live his life.
      Plus plus: A mob job would really push this into slasher territory.

  42. BenRG
    BenRG
    March 24, 2020 at 2:58 am | #

    I’m with Joyce. It’s difficult to be focussed on your immediate peril, or even feel particularly scared, when in the presence of someone not even in the same observational frame of reality as you!

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      March 24, 2020 at 8:18 am | #

      Breaking people’s observational frame of reality is what NightGuy ™ does best.

  43. Acher4
    Acher4
    March 24, 2020 at 3:43 am | #

    What???

    What is going on?

    This really goes towards an ending for the comic, doesn’t it?
    (“an ending”, not “the ending”… I hope)

  44. PiotrW
    PiotrW
    March 24, 2020 at 3:46 am | #

    Wait… so they have really been kidnapped? I thought that it was just a non-serious suggestion people were throwing around…

    If so, then – how did this happen? How do you kidnap two people from a crowd of other people without being noticed?

    • Agemegos
      Agemegos
      March 24, 2020 at 8:45 am | #

      Remember that this is the universe in which Amazi-Girl fell southwards instead of down.

  45. Kabo
    Kabo
    March 24, 2020 at 3:54 am | #

    How is that a van? Never saw a van with a “downstairs”.

    • Agemegos
      Agemegos
      March 24, 2020 at 4:30 am | #

      The van was used to bring them to the secondary location.

      Still dunno how or why.

      • Agemegos
        Agemegos
        March 24, 2020 at 9:02 am | #

        Sorry, that wasn’t clear.

        This is not a van. This is a basement.

        The van that Walky is complaining about is the vehicle used to bring him from the place where he was captured to this place.

    • BarerMender
      BarerMender
      March 24, 2020 at 6:31 am | #

      I think that’s supposed to be an up ramp.

      • clif
        clif
        March 24, 2020 at 11:44 am | #

        I thought that initially, but now I’m not sure.

  46. Keulen
    Keulen
    March 24, 2020 at 4:03 am | #

    So whoever kidnapped them (I’m not gonna assume it’s Blaine and Ross until we see them) did it while they were in a crowd of people, and didn’t tape their mouths or anything to stop them from yelling for help. And somehow nobody noticed until after they were gone.

  47. Alanari
    Alanari
    March 24, 2020 at 4:12 am | #

    I’m a bit curious about that plan. I mean, they probably weren’t kidnapped in plain sight. They left the meeting point. So the plan was to hope that they won’t stay where they are supposed to stay?

  48. Tan
    Tan
    March 24, 2020 at 4:43 am | #

    Your first mistake was thinking the Duke of Thingley wouldn’t be prepared to be kidnapped. That’s one of the first things they teach you in duking school.

    Your second mistake was putting Nightguy in a basement. It’s high places he’s bad getting down from; low places are his specialty.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      March 24, 2020 at 8:17 am | #

      “Your mistake, see, was trying to kidnapp me – the DUKE – in Thingley. You seriously thought I wouldn’t be able to free myself in my own country?”

      “Indiana is not in Thingley.”

      “DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY!!!”

      • Some Ed
        Some Ed
        March 24, 2020 at 9:21 am | #

        A duchy is generally an area larger than a county but smaller than a state. Duchies are hundreds of square kilometers, while Indiana is over 36,000 km^2. Thingley would be in Indiana, if the two overlapped in space.

        • Bagge
          Bagge
          March 24, 2020 at 9:26 am | #

          ah, but you see, knave, that counting mere bunarium like a cartographer clerk causes you to miss what Thingley has and Indiana sorely lacks. Thingley has gravitas

          • clif
            clif
            March 24, 2020 at 11:02 am | #

            Are you saying Walky is making a mass of things?

            • Bagge
              Bagge
              March 24, 2020 at 11:21 am | #

              …yes. Yes, that’ exactly what I’m saying

  49. Felgraf
    Felgraf
    March 24, 2020 at 5:12 am | #

    Ah, duct tape, together, and their mouths aren’t covered?

    Joyce is resourceful, I actually think she’ll figure this out pretty quick.

    God I hope she breaks Blaine’s jaw next.

  50. Archivist
    Archivist
    March 24, 2020 at 5:28 am | #

    If that’s duct tape then the callback IS destroying me.

    • clif
      clif
      March 24, 2020 at 11:47 am | #

      Alas, poor Archivist. We (didn’t) know them well.

  51. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    March 24, 2020 at 5:46 am | #

    Well it check out, the sidekick gets kidnapped.

    • DarkoNeko
      DarkoNeko
      March 24, 2020 at 5:47 am | #

      ….but really, the fire alarm, etc, etc. I should have seen that coming, but I didn’t~

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      March 24, 2020 at 6:46 am | #

      I’m guessing that this is all going to end up in a huge trope subversion. Maybe Sal gets the truth out of Asher and, instead of going charging in there, as Amazi-Girl wants, Sal persuades her to let her call the cops instead and let the professionals handle it.

      Maybe, just for the sake of a Walkyverse call-back, Joyce and Walky are already in the process of a comedic plan to free themselves.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        March 24, 2020 at 6:45 pm | #

        That requires Sal to trust the police.

  52. Joe Covenant
    Joe Covenant
    March 24, 2020 at 6:49 am | #

    In one mighty leap they were…
    …

    kidnapped…???

  53. CJ
    CJ
    March 24, 2020 at 6:52 am | #

    So now, did Asher kidnapp Joyce and Walky, pretending he thought the latter was Amazi-girl?

    • Some Ed
      Some Ed
      March 24, 2020 at 9:13 am | #

      I seem to recall that Blaine named Joyce as a person of interest, as the connection between Becky and Amber. I think that’s more likely than this being an attempted kidnapping of Amazi-Girl.

      That said, I’m not sure that Asher knows who Amazi Girl is, or even that Joyce definitely isn’t her. Sure, Asher has interacted with Amber, but only enough to know that Walky is Amber’s friend who is comfortable about trying to negotiate affection from her. (Using the word friend a bit loosely here, because it’s the word Asher would use.)

      I don’t see any comics with Asher and Amazi-Girl, so while he certainly would know of her, I don’t see any reason why he’d know Joyce wasn’t her. It’s just needlessly convoluted for him to kidnap Joyce due to that when there’s a perfectly good reason for him to go after Joyce anyway.

      • CJ
        CJ
        March 24, 2020 at 2:17 pm | #

        I read your comment and wondered, and wondered, and then I understood. I meant to say Asher took Walky to be Amazi-Girl because of the costume/pyjamas. I don’t think anyone could think Joyce is Amazi-Girl.

  54. Maddieface
    Maddieface
    March 24, 2020 at 7:35 am | #

    I hope that this turns out to be an elaborate plot by Sydney Yus and completely unrelated to the Blaine/Toe malarkey

  55. Zaxares
    Zaxares
    March 24, 2020 at 7:47 am | #

    Well, that escalated quickly. Still… HOW exactly would one manage to kidnap a sizeable group of people (we’re talking Amber, Joyce, Dorothy, Sarah, Walky AND Ethan here) while they’re right in the middle of a large, milling group of people who just came out of a dorm?? This is not the kind of thing you can pull off easily as a two-man operation, so the only logical conclusion here is that Blaine and Ross called in some extra help… Either from the mob, or Ross’s church (which, tbh, is actually the scarier thought, that random people just decided to agree to help kidnap a bunch of kids because they were so convinced that it was “the right thing to do”.)

    • Some Ed
      Some Ed
      March 24, 2020 at 8:59 am | #

      It’s not clear to me they kidnapped all of those people quite yet. Some of those people could have legitimately wandered off. Amber to get her phone, Ethan to stop her.

      Also, the members of Ross’s church aren’t exactly random people. Many of them are known to be nut jobs that think that Ross isn’t a horrible person, which already put them way out there on the fringe.

      • Dr. T
        Dr. T
        March 24, 2020 at 11:43 am | #

        I think it is entirely possible that they have a third partner; one that has it in for Joyce, AmaziGirl, Amber, Sarah, and possibly Dorothy. Someone that is also eligible for bail and has had two weeks to heal from the gutting he was subjected to from Amber.

        That’s right, I think they might be working with Ryan. Why would Blaine work with him when it is obvious that the guy wants to kill his daughter? Well, because he doesn’t care at all about his daughter. If she dies, then she can never cost him another dime. He probably even has an insurance policy on her, so she is probably more valuable to him dead.

        • King Daniel
          King Daniel
          March 24, 2020 at 12:16 pm | #

          If Ryan was here, I think Joyce’d be a LOT more concerned.

          • Dr. T
            Dr. T
            March 24, 2020 at 1:18 pm | #

            Good point. He could still be involved, but it could be Toedad or Blaine that grabbed her.

  56. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    March 24, 2020 at 7:57 am | #

    “Well, let’s see what happens in today’s Dumbing of A– *TIM ALLEN GRUNT OF SURPRISE AND CONFUSION*”

    – Me, twelve seconds ago

  57. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    March 24, 2020 at 8:13 am | #

    OMG, Joypse and Walkus are gonna do hot hostage makeouts and their kidnapper will be too much distractioned to noticing them totally escapeding. Brivlis hast outdone yourself tonight.

  58. Some Ed
    Some Ed
    March 24, 2020 at 8:55 am | #

    They really decided to pick a *superhero* as one of their kidnap choices? What kind of idiots are these guys.

    Oh, wait, Night Guy is just a poser to get into AmaziGirl’s pants. Sorry, I got confused for a moment.

  59. Agemegos
    Agemegos
    March 24, 2020 at 8:57 am | #

    Step 1. Kidnap college kids.

    Step 2. ???

    Step 3. Amber drops out of college and Becky becomes straight.

    • Shariku
      Shariku
      March 24, 2020 at 9:06 am | #

      You know, when its phrased like that, you see just how stupid Blaine and Toedad’s goals really are.

      With the effort that Blaine’s putting into this to save on several years of college tuition money (taking into account that there’s no way he’s getting back the first year’s tuition fee), he probably could have found a way to make that money back. He may be scum, but at the very least he’s a resourceful guy. Kidnapping is one of the dumbest ways he could go about doing this.

      • Bagge
        Bagge
        March 24, 2020 at 9:27 am | #

        Plot twist: Blaine and Toedad are really stupid.

        • inqntrol
          inqntrol
          March 24, 2020 at 12:54 pm | #

          It’s the stupid people that are the most dangerous, their actions cannot be easily predicted.

          • Bagge
            Bagge
            March 24, 2020 at 4:04 pm | #

            It’s working.

            I for one could not predict this
            https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-10/02-to-remind-you-of-my-love/convention/

      • Rotunda
        Rotunda
        March 24, 2020 at 6:17 pm | #

        He’s probably planning to frame Ross.

  60. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    March 24, 2020 at 11:03 am | #

    I like Walky’s positive attitude.

  61. clif
    clif
    March 24, 2020 at 11:20 am | #

    That episode where Joyce and Walky are thrown together.

  62. Passchendaele
    Passchendaele
    March 24, 2020 at 11:41 am | #

    yes walky, that’s definitely, absolutely, exactly how trauma works

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      March 24, 2020 at 2:44 pm | #

      It’s not a bad attitude to go into it with. Don’t worry, the trauma will be along later anyway.

  63. Felian
    Felian
    March 24, 2020 at 12:46 pm | #

    Ssso… now i kinda hope that whatever happens will escalate badly enough to get the bad guys sentenced to death or lifelong prison….

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      March 24, 2020 at 2:46 pm | #

      Well, as long as they don’t kill anyone, Indiana will let them out on bail.

      I mean, Ross already had kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon.

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        March 24, 2020 at 6:25 pm | #

        Finding someone to pay their bail, on the other hand…

        (Remember, Joyce’s church was originally unable to pay Ross’s bail until Blaine stepped in.)

  64. Alaric
    Alaric
    March 24, 2020 at 12:55 pm | #

    Hmm. I notice that the “next” button from the two-days-ago strip isn’t working. Yesterday’s is working, just not the day before’s. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/03-when-it-crumbles/headcount/

  65. Alaric
    Alaric
    March 24, 2020 at 1:04 pm | #

    Where are Sarah and Dorothy, I wonder? And did Amber change to Amazi-Girl, or did she get kidnapped, too?

    • Bryy
      Bryy
      March 24, 2020 at 5:02 pm | #

      I do not see this going well for Amber at all.

  66. hof1991
    hof1991
    March 24, 2020 at 1:27 pm | #

    At a minimum, Blaine, Ross and Yuri, with Faz as the driver. Are their more people involved from Joyce’s church? Joyce’s bad brother? Her mom? Surprisingly well executed.

    • Bryy
      Bryy
      March 24, 2020 at 5:00 pm | #

      I’m sure Jonathan is involved. I wouldn’t be surprised if Youth Pastor Dave was sent in as a “deprogrammer”.

  67. Jhon
    Jhon
    March 24, 2020 at 1:38 pm | #

    My head-canon: This entire storyline is flashing through Mike’s mind as he plummets toward the hard hard concrete below.

    • clif
      clif
      March 24, 2020 at 11:33 pm | #

      Only to be caught by Amazigirl. Which breaks his neck.

  68. Sombrero
    Sombrero
    March 24, 2020 at 2:02 pm | #

    I hope the kidnappers will allow us for some Joyce/Walky time. We had too little of it in DoA, and they are good foils for each other.

    • Sombrero
      Sombrero
      March 24, 2020 at 2:06 pm | #

      Also: This is pointing to Walky being a surprise for the kidnappers. They sure think they’ve got Amazi-Girl and they will find they’ve got McNuggets-Boy. Willis-wise I am afraid this surprise will get quickly neutered.

      • Shariku
        Shariku
        March 24, 2020 at 2:37 pm | #

        Kind of thinking the same. I can see this being Toedad having grabbed him because he was dressed up, and he made an assumption that Walky must have been connected to the girl that was dressed up. I can see Blaine walking in on this and asking why the hell Walky is there.

  69. Ellegos
    Ellegos
    March 24, 2020 at 2:09 pm | #

    But the Bittenbinder technique never fails!

  70. Roborat
    Roborat
    March 24, 2020 at 3:52 pm | #

    I must admit, I am curious as to how they managed to kidnap them among a huge group of students from the dorm, not to mention they are around friends. What are the odds that Dina saw the whole thing go down? Finally, with the two of them together, it won’t take long to get out of that tape.

  71. RiverDelta
    RiverDelta
    March 24, 2020 at 5:39 pm | #

    Carla kidnapped them to save them.

  72. PB
    PB
    March 24, 2020 at 8:10 pm | #

    THE HELL?!

  73. MrBookBoy
    MrBookBoy
    March 24, 2020 at 9:23 pm | #

    I think this a great time for Ruth/Billie to be the heroes. They’re still free.

  74. Dracke
    Dracke
    March 24, 2020 at 9:46 pm | #

    For once walkie is acting attractive…i mean cool

  75. Sarpiedon
    Sarpiedon
    March 24, 2020 at 9:59 pm | #

    This escalated quickly

  76. jufreire
    jufreire
    March 24, 2020 at 11:55 pm | #

    I don’t know what I expected but oh my God it was NOT this. This scene… Stablishes so MUCH, in such a small amount of time which is unusual for this comic, and it is also unexpectedly funny. I think its one of my all time favorite strips. It made me laugh out loud

  77. A. Non YMous
    A. Non YMous
    March 27, 2020 at 5:16 pm | #

    I really relate to Walky here
    >> AS SOMEONE THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED To <<<

    Some people might think this is unrealistic, but Willis
    You are actually spot on .

    If you dont yet believe you are about to be murdered,
    …
    Refusing to traumatized is the correct response .

    But there will be massive side effects if the Injury is followed later by insults,
    salt in the wound after the fact ,
    becomes worse then the initial wound. even decades later.

CHOOSE A SIDE, NO COWARDS

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

David M Willis! avatar
David M Willis!
@damnyouwillis.bsky.social
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 15min
so i got photos of the makeship dina plushie proto and honestly it looks 100% perfect except sidebar the hood can pull off the head, like a real hoodie which is something i didn't even consider should i leave that as an option, or tell them to sew the hood to the top of the head
5
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3h
let me tell you about this head i got
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 4h
LOOK OUT GUYS!!! ELMO'S IN LEX LUTHOR COLORS!!!!!
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 5h
And then there were four
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatarDavid M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 5h
daylight
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 6h
okay let's go see how many extra tricerahoodie dina magnets i gotta order for kickstarter add-ons A HUNDRED AND THIRTY???
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 8h
Ahh, the elusive Yacht Brother
video thumbnail
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 17h
"for example, both olive and i are dedicated to negging women into dating wilbur"
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 17h
Dumbing of Age: "Evacuating" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Evacuating
tomorrow's strip, up early on patreon, is pretty big...
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 17h
trying to figure out why i have these weird shoulder pains these last few days am i dying is it indigestion am i sleeping wrong no it turns out i just have terrible fucking posture when i paint things
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Katie Tiedrich @katietiedrich.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
steak loft
a red building adorned with the words STEAK LOFT
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
forbiddenqt.bsky.social's user avatarQT 🔞 @forbiddenqt.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
I now better understand many of Dorothy's choices as a character
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Pablo Hidalgo @infinata.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Cobra Commander and his wife, Debra Commander
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magdalene visaggio 🏳️‍⚧️ @magsvisaggio.com ⋅ 1d
#mutualaid
magsvisaggio.com's user avatarmagdalene visaggio 🏳️‍⚧️ @magsvisaggio.com ⋅ 1d
Hey! I'm incredibly humiliated to be doing this again in such a short span of time. I need to raise $5k to make a down payment on my rental arrears. We are paying our monthly rent, but we still owe a lot, and if we dont get it settled soon we're gonna lose our place. Venmo magdalene-visaggio
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paul khruangbin (Dan Lehner) @danlehner.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
@smilingnodding.bsky.social

every new restaurant in every major city is either called Thistle+Thorn and thinks adding turmeric to brussel sprouts makes them worth $30 or is called
Burger Bitch and has a neon sign in the window that says
cole1.bsky.social's user avatarCole @cole1.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
the worst genre of burger place is now available on uber eats in our area
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Carlas and Joyces!
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X-Men Don't Need Britches 💙💛 @rphutch1975.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Anyways, it is SUPERMAN week!
9
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
For June's second bonus strip, we see an AMAZI-GIRL moment concurrent with today's strip! Read this bonus strip and hundreds of previous at the Dumbing of Age Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/second... and remember you can always pledge up to read tomorrow's strip 👀
amazi-girl tackles a riot cop right behind asma
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
If I have to learn Ditto is a foot tickling fetishist, then so do you
2
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Em @embienbi.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
You fifteen years ago: I know, I'll start a college comic. That's an experience that never changes. Classes, parties, relationships, it'll be easy. You now: well I guess I have to address that police brutality is part of the college experience. That's uh... Not great
1
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Dumbing of Age: "Cuffed" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
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Cuffed
uh oh!  tomorrow's comic is viewable early on patreon!...
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
package grandpa-simpsoning in and out of and in and out of and in and out of and in and out of schiller park
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Mario Kart World hits my attention span just right. Why do I want to do the same lap 3 times in a row? Why can't all three-to-five laps be all different things who wants to drive in a circle mario kart world takes me places
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Dan Schkade @danschkade.bsky.social ⋅ 1y
Check out my new original character, Guy Around the Office Who's 100% Noticed That Clark Kent Is Superman
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Asking an elderly person to identify Yosemite Sam is a real dementia check question, especially if they respond with his voice actor.
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
stop copying my story beats, luann!!!!!
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90
 
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
thinking about how that one gijoe message board site is called hisstank, for some reason
techcrunch.com's user avatarTechCrunch @techcrunch.com ⋅ 4d
Jack Dorsey working on Bluetooth messaging app, Bitchat
header image - Jack Dorsey working on Bluetooth messaging app, Bitchat | TechCrunch
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Jack Dorsey working on Bluetooth messaging app, Bitchat | TechCrunch
Block CEO and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey wrote in an X post on Sunday night that he spent his weekend creating an app called Bitchat (presumably a
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
Dumbing of Age: "More trouble" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
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More trouble
you can read tomorrow's strip now on patreon, if you want...
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
i know the second patreon bonus strip of the month tends to drop on the 6th day of the following month, and it's now the 9th, but i gotta hold on to this one for at least one more day, for reasons
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Ben Rosen @benrosen.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
1977: why would the bartender in star wars even care if some robots with artificial intelligence came into his bar 2025: ohhh ok
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