Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

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sorry but the walky is crystal clear
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May 19, 2026

Lawn weeds

by David M Willis on December 6, 2020 at 12:01 am
  • 02 - Look Straight Ahead
└ Tags: becky, golden grahams, joyce, walky

Discussion (108) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Doc Harleen
    Doc Harleen
    December 6, 2020 at 12:07 am | #

    Becky’s hair really is growing astonishingly fast.

    • brionl
      brionl
      December 6, 2020 at 12:15 am | #

      I haven’t had a haircut since January, and my hair has only grown 6 inches or so.

    • Demoted Oblivious
      Demoted Oblivious
      December 6, 2020 at 12:50 pm | #

      Doesn’t seem fast to me either. Hair growth is definitely more noticeable on a short haircut. Probably because we tend to measure against what we know, instead of absolute units. So for example, the part of Becky’s hair that was buzzed appears to be 1000% or more longer than it was, while her top hair only appears maybe 50% longer.

      • Miles
        Miles
        December 6, 2020 at 5:30 pm | #

        She went from chin length to waist length over winter break. How is that not freakishly fast to anyone?

        • Fuzzy
          Fuzzy
          December 6, 2020 at 6:04 pm | #

          Where are you getting waist length from?

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          December 7, 2020 at 1:17 am | #

          More like chin to shoulder.

          • BBCC
            BBCC
            December 7, 2020 at 1:17 am | #

            Also, it’s grown since mid October, not just over winter break.

  2. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    December 6, 2020 at 12:07 am | #

    But wait, Dina had Reese’s Puffs and Captain Crunch.

    Could it be that like Robin and her Omnipresent Skittles Aroma, Dina has consumed so much breakfast cereal that she now bears a permanent aura that’s part of this balanced breakfast?

    Or is it just that the genetics corp who cloned her from petrified mosquitoes decided to fill the gaps with Golden Graham DNA instead of frog.

    We should ask some scientists if they can solve this mystery, and also see why kids love Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

    • He Who Abides
      He Who Abides
      December 6, 2020 at 12:17 am | #

      She hasn’t made out with Dina yet today.

    • Slartibeast Button, BIA
      Slartibeast Button, BIA
      December 6, 2020 at 12:19 am | #

      She is cheating on Becky with Riley From The Future.

    • Slartibeast Button, BIA
      Slartibeast Button, BIA
      December 6, 2020 at 12:19 am | #

      Argh!

      She is cheating on Dina with Riley From The Future.

      • Doctor_Who
        Doctor_Who
        December 6, 2020 at 12:22 am | #

        Can they both be cheating on each other with different Rileys from branching alternate futures?

        • Slartibeast Button, BIA
          Slartibeast Button, BIA
          December 6, 2020 at 12:24 am | #

          Yes. Time Cop Riley knows that breaking up Dina and Becky is essential to preventing The Great Disaster.

          (ObAnime: Noein)

      • Aragonius42
        Aragonius42
        December 6, 2020 at 5:00 am | #

        Anyone who’d be foolish enough to cheat on Dina is honestly cheating themself…

  3. Mra
    Mra
    December 6, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

    Oh, come on her vision isn’t that bad.

    • tim gueguen
      tim gueguen
      December 6, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

      I have this suspicion Walky will also be on his way to the optometrist.

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        December 6, 2020 at 3:45 am | #

        Tagging along, pestering Joyce the whole way.

        • Khyrin
          Khyrin
          December 6, 2020 at 9:16 pm | #

          The optometrist forcibly seats him, and we discover that Walky is farsighted enough to warrant reading glasses.

    • Demoted Oblivious
      Demoted Oblivious
      December 6, 2020 at 12:50 pm | #

      Wanda bet on it?

  4. Proto_Eevee
    Proto_Eevee
    December 6, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

    I imagine Joyce is the kind of person whose voice gets really high when she gets mad.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      December 6, 2020 at 12:12 am | #

      I always imagined her being voiced by Tara Strong.

      And yes, Angry Joyce would be full-on Bubbles-shrill.

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        December 6, 2020 at 12:24 am | #

        Is there anyone in this cast that a commenter hasn’t imagined having the voice of Tara Strong?

        • Doctor_Who
          Doctor_Who
          December 6, 2020 at 12:33 am | #

          She’s pretty versatile.

          Between her and Billy West, I bet they could do every character.

        • He Who Abides
          He Who Abides
          December 6, 2020 at 2:32 am | #

          Just a guess? Joe.

          • Lieutenant Dan
            Lieutenant Dan
            December 6, 2020 at 10:39 am | #

            I imagine Patrick Warburton as Joe.

            • Doctor_Who
              Doctor_Who
              December 6, 2020 at 11:02 am | #

              H. Jon Benjamin for me.

          • Demoted Oblivious
            Demoted Oblivious
            December 6, 2020 at 12:56 pm | #

            John Hamm, or yeah, Warburton (but without the intellectual flaws of Puddy. Joe’s an evolving womanizer, but doesn’t come across as dumb (public ‘List’ aside))
            Definitely not Archer though I’m having trouble placing Benjamins other voices.
            Maybe Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          December 6, 2020 at 10:16 am | #

          Galasso? (I always figured Maurice LaMarche could be a good Galasso.)

        • Daniel M Ball
          Daniel M Ball
          December 6, 2020 at 4:14 pm | #

          I always figured Becky as more voiced by Rebecca Frasier myself.

        • Xaeon
          Xaeon
          December 7, 2020 at 9:24 am | #

          Marcie

        • Roborat
          Roborat
          December 7, 2020 at 4:47 pm | #

          There is a law in the voice actor world that at least one female voice in any cartoon has to be done by Tara Strong, it used to be Tress MacNeille, but she has passed the crown on to Tara.

      • Johan
        Johan
        December 6, 2020 at 12:27 am | #

        Did tara also do Raven tho? Lol

        • Chris
          Chris
          December 6, 2020 at 12:33 am | #

          Bubbles, Raven, Twilight Sparkle, Ben Tennyson… her list of roles is long and varied.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            December 6, 2020 at 8:11 pm | #

            So all we need are Tara Strong, Frank Welker, and Michael Winslow for our audio department?

      • Rose by Any Other Name
        Rose by Any Other Name
        December 6, 2020 at 12:35 am | #

        Joyce with the voice of Twilight Sparkle?
        Hm.
        Not really hearing it.
        Dotty maybe, but not Joyce.

        • Keulen
          Keulen
          December 6, 2020 at 2:51 am | #

          I can definitely imagine Dorothy sounding like Twilight Sparkle, especially when she’s talking about studying or organizing stuff. I have tended to imagine Sal sounding like Applejack at times. Not sure which pony Joyce might sound like yet.

          • Vulcanodon
            Vulcanodon
            December 6, 2020 at 10:17 am | #

            If Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had a foal maybe would grow up to be Joyce?

            Also would the DOA pony movie have musical numbers? I would definitely be there for that.

      • Proto_Eevee
        Proto_Eevee
        December 6, 2020 at 3:19 am | #

        I wonder who Willis would have on his ideal cast list for like a cartoon of this

  5. Bagge
    Bagge
    December 6, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

    Maybe it’s just you who are rad, Becky?

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      December 6, 2020 at 12:13 am | #

      Do any youngsters these days use words like “rad”?

      I mean, I do, but I’m going on two decades older than these kids and was raised by ninja turtles and time travelers from San Dimas.

      • DailyBrad
        DailyBrad
        December 6, 2020 at 12:17 am | #

        Sometimes, if only to free it from TERF tyranny.

        • Rabid Rabbit
          Rabid Rabbit
          December 6, 2020 at 2:14 am | #

          Do I want to know the TERF definition of “Rad”?

          • Heather Flowers
            Heather Flowers
            December 6, 2020 at 3:13 am | #

            the R in TERF stands for “Radical.” meanwhile the F stands for “Fuckwad”

            • Sunny
              Sunny
              December 6, 2020 at 6:06 am | #

              And the T and E?

              • Deanatay
                Deanatay
                December 6, 2020 at 8:38 am | #

                “Transsexual-Excluding”, IIRC

                • Mephron
                  Mephron
                  December 6, 2020 at 9:52 am | #

                  Transgender Exclusionist.

                  Also sometimes Transgender Eliminationist.

                  “Transsexual” isn’t used anymore.

                • Morleuca
                  Morleuca
                  December 6, 2020 at 4:54 pm | #

                  personally I prefer “Feminism Appropriating Radical Transphobes” it makes me giggle and gives them apoplexic fits, because how dare I act childishly at them when they are trying to deny my existence.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        December 6, 2020 at 12:19 am | #

        I think using older slang is a Becky quirk or maybe a symptom of the homeschooling. Not sure either girl had the traditional high school experielnce to learn updated terminology which would be at least 59% more swearing anyway.

        • Rabid Rabbit
          Rabid Rabbit
          December 6, 2020 at 6:18 am | #

          Also of Dorothy’s, who’s trying to bring “jag” back.

      • UnfrozenNeanderthal
        UnfrozenNeanderthal
        December 6, 2020 at 5:47 am | #

        I do, but I’m probably not representative of the norm for my age group

    • clif
      clif
      December 6, 2020 at 11:29 pm | #

      What’s rad is how Becky cuts to what’s important.

  6. Suet
    Suet
    December 6, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

    COMING SOON, our newest attraction: The McIntyre Hair Monster!

    • Slartibeast Button, BIA
      Slartibeast Button, BIA
      December 6, 2020 at 2:51 am | #

      Gossamer from Bugs Bunny?

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_(Looney_Tunes)

      • Demoted Oblivious
        Demoted Oblivious
        December 6, 2020 at 6:01 am | #

        Cousin It

        • Deanatay
          Deanatay
          December 6, 2020 at 8:40 am | #

          All three are gingers, so must be true.

    • Eldritchy
      Eldritchy
      December 6, 2020 at 6:06 am | #

      Will Dina have an encounter with a tentacle monster?

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        December 6, 2020 at 10:25 am | #

        Only if Becky doesn’t use enough conditioner.

  7. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    December 6, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

    Walky seems to be picking at Joyce particularly hard. I think the Jennifer reveal really got to him.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      December 6, 2020 at 12:19 am | #

      Maybe so, less opportunities to tease her instead. I also think it’s probably since Joyce is being so fragile about it. Doesn’t make it not mean, obviously, but she is being comically stubborn about it.

      • Liliet
        Liliet
        December 6, 2020 at 1:34 am | #

        I think Joyce is being stubborn without being fragile about it, actually. She looks angry, but not upset, which makes it an excellent teasing target that doesn’t hurt her, per se.

  8. BBCC
    BBCC
    December 6, 2020 at 12:13 am | #

    Walky, don’t be a turd.

    And Becky…isn’t wrong in the last panel.

    • He Who Abides
      He Who Abides
      December 6, 2020 at 12:19 am | #

      I can think of a few ways, none of them polite or intended to be anything other than hurtful.

    • FacelessDeviant
      FacelessDeviant
      December 6, 2020 at 9:46 am | #

      There are un-rad ways of saying more or less anything.

      Here in Sweden, for example, there is a term for making out called “slaska mule”. This more or less means “slobbering the mule”. Mule here being the face of a horse or cow.

      • Demoted Oblivious
        Demoted Oblivious
        December 6, 2020 at 1:50 pm | #

        Thank you for sharing the blessing of this knowledge, and for imparting upon me increased abilities to horrify my enemies, friends, acquantances, and to chase off women in bars.

        • clif
          clif
          December 6, 2020 at 11:22 pm | #

          We all have our own super powers.

        • FacelessDeviant
          FacelessDeviant
          December 7, 2020 at 7:27 am | #

          On one hand, I am happy that I helped someone.

          On the other hand, I am slightly worried 😛

  9. LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    December 6, 2020 at 12:16 am | #

    Becky, you have to accept the compliment, because the alternative implies Joyce can *lie convincingly*

  10. crow
    crow
    December 6, 2020 at 12:19 am | #

    Has Becky tried parting her hair differently?

    • Switchchris
      Switchchris
      December 6, 2020 at 12:33 am | #

      I doubt her parents ever allowed her to have anything other then the more “Normal” looking hair style she had when she first appeared in the comic, and she has just recently had the freedom to start testing out hair styles. my guess is that she went through about three other hair styles during the break, one of them probably being a Afro or Corn Rows (if its spelled like that, never had to type it out before). She probably hasnt perfected hair styling yet.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        December 6, 2020 at 12:40 am | #

        Dictating how she keeps her hair sounds exactly like the kind of creepy and controlling thing Becky’s dad would’ve done too!

        • Rabid Rabbit
          Rabid Rabbit
          December 6, 2020 at 2:16 am | #

          The first thing her father said to her after kidnapping her was that her hair would grow back.

          Honestly, I’m amazed she was ever allowed to cut it as short as it was when we first met her.

          • He Who Abides
            He Who Abides
            December 6, 2020 at 2:34 am | #

            I seem to recall a mention of her “accidentally” getting gum in her hair, and it being bad enough to warrant hacking a bunch of it off.

            • Needfuldoer
              Needfuldoer
              December 6, 2020 at 10:36 am | #

              It was super glue. Breaking down chewing gum is a lot easier than cleaning that stuff up.

              Her hair was about down to the middle of her back in the strip where she finds Bonnie, but it’s not even touching her shoulders when she’s reintroduced to the strip post-Anderson. That must have been one hell of a mess she “accidentally” made!

              • Demoted Oblivious
                Demoted Oblivious
                December 6, 2020 at 2:53 pm | #

                Wow! It really can fix anything!

  11. Jane
    Jane
    December 6, 2020 at 12:30 am | #

    Walky’s being kind of obnoxious when he keeps hitting this point. It’s obviously something that Joyce has unusually strong feelings about, and he knows that she’s getting help for it later that day, so he should really just stick to teasing her about something she feels less conflicted about.

    It’d be one thing if it was something she didn’t care about, or if it was his ham-handed way of pushing her to get help, but as it is… It’s just kind of mean and rude. Joyce might put up with it, but she shouldn’t have to.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      December 6, 2020 at 12:38 am | #

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/foranybody/

      Might be he needs another reminder.

      • Jane
        Jane
        December 6, 2020 at 12:51 am | #

        Well, he’s not being that bad about it – this is “just” a sore point for her rather than a part of her identity, and it doesn’t touch on a raw argument she just had with her best friend.

        But he could really use one of my mom’s old lessons for children – “Stop saying the same thing over and over again”. It’d have been fine if he’d left it at a one-off and moved on to other jokes. It’s not as though there’s a shortage of benign things to tease Joyce with.

    • Sirksome
      Sirksome
      December 6, 2020 at 12:51 am | #

      My quick theory is that sense Jennifer sort of formally put a close on their previous relationship dynamic he’s overcompensating by teasing Joyce extra hard to imitate that previous relationship. The Jennifer thing really bothers David and I think Joyce is the outlet for his emotions on that…..Which is fine. A really cool thing Walky’s doing here regardless of my theory. Yep!

      • Jane
        Jane
        December 6, 2020 at 12:57 am | #

        Teasing her is fine; it’s part of their relationship dynamic, and Joyce doesn’t seem overly bothered by it from what I recall. If he wants to compensate by teasing her more, then it’s up to Joyce to tell him that it’s gone too far and he’s started to get genuinely annoying.

        Repeatedly picking at the same issue despite clear signs of discomfort is inherently rude, though, at least in my opinion. It can be justified if it’s necessary to motivate positive change, but that’s not what’s happening here.

  12. Spookyfox
    Spookyfox
    December 6, 2020 at 12:53 am | #

    do some of yall not have the type of friendship in which you lovingly bully each other?

    • Clif
      Clif
      December 6, 2020 at 1:02 am | #

      Lovingly bully each other, no. Good enough friends to needle each other, sure. There’s a big difference between the two.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      December 6, 2020 at 5:49 am | #

      Teasing and ribbing between friends (like what Becky and Walky were doing yesterday) is totally fine as long as everyone involved is having a good time and establishes boundaries.

      Walky’s just obsessively mocking Joyce for her eyesight, knows it’s a sore subject for her and continues to rub it in, and Joyce has repeatedly made it clear that she hates that he keeps bringing it up.

      • Johan
        Johan
        December 6, 2020 at 5:54 pm | #

        Tbh it’s been 5 minutes tops their time

  13. Jane
    Jane
    December 6, 2020 at 12:59 am | #

    Wait – this comic is tagged with “Golden Grahams”, but I don’t see golden grahams anywhere. I thought someone had to be visually present to be tagged instead of just mentioned?

    • Clif
      Clif
      December 6, 2020 at 1:04 am | #

      Dina is hanging out unnoticed to Becky’s right.

      • Jane
        Jane
        December 6, 2020 at 3:57 am | #

        Oh, so that’s the problem. I was looking for a literal bowl of golden grahams.

        Then again, I am hungry…

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      December 6, 2020 at 10:40 am | #

      She still has a few adventures left before the buff wears off.

    • Jhon
      Jhon
      December 6, 2020 at 1:09 pm | #

      Dang. Now I want a girlfriend-shaped bowl to eat golden grahams from.

  14. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    December 6, 2020 at 1:05 am | #

    Becky is the one on the Left with the Side Cut and Scarf. Walky is the one on the right with the Striped Jacket and the Bad Haircut. Remember that now.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      December 6, 2020 at 5:47 am | #

      “Bad Haircut”

      You take that back. Walky’s new haircut is his most redeeming feature.

    • Demoted Oblivious
      Demoted Oblivious
      December 6, 2020 at 6:06 am | #

      Before I can tell you that story, I have to tell you this story.

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        December 6, 2020 at 12:55 pm | #

        “Oh no!” said Becky
        “Here we go again!!” said Walky

  15. UniqueSnowflake2
    UniqueSnowflake2
    December 6, 2020 at 1:58 am | #

    Wait, wait . . .

    Becky is *gay*?

    • HeySo
      HeySo
      December 6, 2020 at 2:21 am | #

      Wow- who knew? =O

      ..but wait, maybe they’re referring to Walky? :taps chin contemplatively:

    • Slartibeast Button, BIA
      Slartibeast Button, BIA
      December 6, 2020 at 2:54 am | #

      In *this* comic? Inconceivable!

      • Geneseepaws
        Geneseepaws
        December 6, 2020 at 8:26 am | #

        You keep using that word. I don’t think that word means what you think it means.

        • He Who Abides
          He Who Abides
          December 6, 2020 at 9:21 am | #

          Never go in against a Sicilian when Death is on the line!

          • Demoted Oblivious
            Demoted Oblivious
            December 6, 2020 at 3:25 pm | #

            I am really conflicted. On the one hand you’re crossing continuities. On the other, both are *awesome* and who knows how many times the Dude has seen TPB? I mean, what else do you do at home when you’re stoned and sipping white russians out of your mustache?

    • FacelessDeviant
      FacelessDeviant
      December 6, 2020 at 9:49 am | #

      So weird. They didn’t even drop so much as a hint about it.

    • JBento
      JBento
      December 6, 2020 at 12:51 pm | #

      I am shocked, SHOCKED! to find that lesbianing is going on in here!

  16. Keulen
    Keulen
    December 6, 2020 at 2:54 am | #

    I’m kinda hoping Joyce’s eyesight isn’t so bad that she can’t see what someone less than 5 feet away from her looks like.

    • Daibhid C
      Daibhid C
      December 6, 2020 at 9:50 am | #

      If I were standing where Joyce is without my glasses “orange blur” is exactly what I’d see where Becky is. Walky would at least be recognisably human-shaped.

      Of course, I also wouldn’t be denying I’m short-sighted.

  17. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    December 6, 2020 at 4:04 am | #

    it’s ok Becky, you can keep hats on all the time (almost) in winter.

    Dina : “. . . in winter ?”

  18. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    December 6, 2020 at 10:26 am | #

    “Girlfriend-shaped bowl of Golden Graham” is a hoot.

  19. Black
    Black
    December 6, 2020 at 11:33 am | #

    Seriously, why does anyone put up with Walky and his bullshit?

    • Moonie
      Moonie
      December 6, 2020 at 11:41 am | #

      Probably the 6 pack and/or his hot sister
      Sorry is an anomaly

      Honestly though he’s somewhat insightful, if dopey and annoying

      • Moonie
        Moonie
        December 6, 2020 at 11:42 am | #

        *Dotty, not Sorry, lol

    • Brighter Side
      Brighter Side
      December 6, 2020 at 3:52 pm | #

      They’re 18. That’s why. I mean, Dotty gets it; she just has work to do.

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