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
this is comic 3500
First Previous Random 250Comments Share Next Latest
Reddit Digg Facebook MySpace Delicious Stumbleupon Buzz Up! Mixx Technorati Google Bookmarks Yahoo Bookmarks Yahoo MyWeb Windows Live Propeller FriendFeed Newsvine Xanga LinkedIn Blinklist Twitter
Discover more Hiveworks comics
Starhammer
J.N. Monk, Harry Bogosian
A teen girl inherits a powerful alien artifact and proceeds to make a series of increasingly poor decisions
Jailbird
Charlie Davis
An all-ages comic about a recently escaped prisoner's struggle to understand the outside world, and vice-versa. Also, a magic cape!
Ghost Junk Sickness
Studio CARTRIDGE, Laura Lee
Two hunters try to survive and end up being pushed to pursue a deadly bounty dubbed "The Ghost".
Novae
KaiJu
A historical romance with a touch magic and a dash of astronomy. It chronicles the romantic adventures of Sulvain, a sweet tempered necromancer and Raziol, a passionate 17th century astronomer.
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
The Sanity Circus
Windy
Magic, monsters and mysteries await in the odd city of Sanity. It's up to Attley and a colorful group of characters to find out just what is going on.
Dumbing of Age
David M Willis
Joyce has been homeschooled her entire life until now, when she's suddenly a freshman in college! Things don't go well.
Awkward Zombie
Katie Tiedrich
Gags and goofs about videogames and the things that happen in them.
Demon's Mirror
Harry Bogosian
Based loosely off of "The Snow Queen", a story by Hans Christian Andersen, we see things take a different turn as the demons become central characters, and the side characters stick around. Yup, that's the only differences. Enjoy!
Lighter Than Heir
Melissa Albino
A young Volant woman joins the military in an effort to upstage her war-hero father.
Wilde Life
Pascalle Lepas
Oscar decided to rent an old haunted house, and that's when things got weird...
Sufficiently Remarkable
Maki Naro
Two young women living in Brooklyn discover that you're always coming of age.
Sister Claire
Yamino
In the troubled aftermath of a great war between Witches and her fellow Nuns, novice Sister Claire just wants a purpose.
Ozzie the Vampire
Eric Lide
Ozzie and her best friend Kimmy are your average everyday normal art students – except one is an immortal vampire with superpowers and the other possesses a magic talking grimoire. Also they have to save their town from a demonic invasion.
Wychwood
Varethane
When Tiara's pyrokinesis is finally noticed, she is captured by a magical research organization for study. If she cooperates, she could be helping to save humanity from a dire threat - but can she trust them?
Spinnerette
Krazy Krow, Rocio Zucchi, Pablo Rey
When a lab accident gives Heather Brown spider powers and six arms, she does what any midwest comic geek would do: Become Ohio's #3 superhero!
Elephant Town
Danielle Corsetto
The long, slow tale of Kris, Paul, Berto and Mirando, four people who live in the same creaky old house, but don't know each other. New chapter updates every 2 months.
El Goonish Shive
Dan Shive
WARNING: This comic often ignores the Laws of Physics
[un]Divine
Ayme
A highschool senior thought giving up his soul for a demon was a good idea. It wasn't.
Real Science Adventures
Brian Clevinger
Spin off stories and other adventures from the world of Atomic Robo!
Little Red & Wolf
Aoi Maneki
Delve into the daily lives of two famous fairytale characters, and their adventures in this big weird world we all live in.
Atomic Robo
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener
The robot punches monsters and bad robots and one time he was a cowboy.
Never Satisfied
Taylor Robin
Lucy Marlowe, a magician's apprentice, competes against other apprentices for an important, magical, Goverment Job.
Stand Still, Stay Silent
Minna Sundberg
A few generations after the end of the world, a small, poorly financed research crew is sent out to rediscover whatever is left of the forbidden old world in the south.
Anarchy Dreamers
Emily Ree
Sparkly undead kids fight society's worst Nightmares in this pastel-punk urban fantasy coming-of-age!
The Glass Scientists
Sage (S.H.) Cotugno
A gaslamp fantasy comic about the life and times of a ragtag group of mad scientists and their enigmatic leader, Dr. Henry Jekyll.
Demon Street
Aliza Layne
Two kids explore a world full of monsters and magic trying to find their way home again. But when home has been stolen from you, where do you go to get it back?
Witchy
Ariel Slamet Ries
In the witch kingdom Hyalin, the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair.
Star Trip
Gisele Weaver
Jas is a human taken from her home planet on a trip across the galaxy she will never forget.
Helvetica
J.N. Wiedle
This story follows Helvetica's quest to uncover who he was in life, his existential crises, and his struggle to to make death worth living.
Parisa
Ellen K
Two friends, Nolan and Gwen, take it upon themselves to escort the amnesiac spirit Lelief across the world of Parisa.
Guilded Age
T Campbell, John Waltrip, Florence Machina
Welcome to the saga of the working-class adventurer! Enjoy the complete story with new annotations daily!
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things
Kelly Turnbull
A weekly comic celebrating the finer things in life. Like manly men, lumberjacks, and time traveling special ops agents.
No Need for Bushido
Suburban Samurai, J W Kovell
The flash of a blade, the clash of steel! A runaway princess and her samurai companion navigate a fractured country on the brink of war.
Empowered
Adam Warren
A sexy superhero comedy (except when it isn't) about the never-ending struggles of a plucky but very unlucky young superheroine.
Laws and Sausages
Zach Weinersmith
Your cartoon guide to the American governement!
Girl Genius
Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio
In a time when the Industrial Revolution has become an all-out war, Mad Science rules the World...with mixed success.
Knights Errant
J.R. Doyle
Wilfrid's humble quest for revenge becomes bigger and bloodier by the day.
The Din
Karin (Karrey)
The Din changed the world, mankind & its technology. Gregg Emilio dreams of flying in a sky that hasn't carried airplanes in a century.
Tove
Severin
The end of the world is coming, and Tove doesn't want to be a hero, but SOMEONE has to look after her little brother.
Devil's Candy
Rem, Bikkuri
A lush fantasy about boy genius Kazu Decker, the girl he constructed for his 9th grade science project, and the world of devils and monsters they live in.
The Hunter of Insania
Aoi Maneki
Wiol Alkko sells fake magical objects to those desperate for cures. When he tries to scam a real witch, she curses him: within a year, Wiol must learn and respect magic, or succumb to corruption of body and mind.
Monster Pulse
Magnolia Porter Siddell
Four kids run afoul of a creepy secret organization's experiments, which turn their body parts into fighting monsters. Part sentimental coming-of-age story, part monster-training shonen manga, with just a bit of sci-fi body horror.
Heroes of Thantopolis
Izzy Strontium Hall
A living boy fights to save the City of the Dead.
Between Failures
Jackie Wohlenhaus
The low stakes adventures of an assorted group of 20 somethings trapped in the declining years of American retail. They are naughty and say lots of swears.
The Mash
L.F. Garcia, Danigami
In a world shrouded in mystery and threatened by great evil,a young mummy prince will use his new life to unite with other monster children to save it.
Peritale
Mari Costa
A fairy godmother with no magic tries her best to successfully fulfill a Fairytale and win the respect of her peers.
Sam & Fuzzy
Sam Logan
Troubled by gangster rodents, lovesick vampire stalkers, or confused ninja assassins? Don't panic! Sam and Fuzzy are here to help. (For a reasonable fee.)
Nerf Now!!
Josué Pereira
A cute webcomic about fanservice, video games, and... love. Mostly video games, though.
BOOKMARK
Click "Tag Page" to bookmark a page. When you return to the site, click "Goto Tag" to continue where you left off.
Goto TagClear Tag


BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

July 11, 2026

Skeptical

by David M Willis on January 3, 2021 at 12:01 am
  • 02 - Look Straight Ahead
└ Tags: becky, dorothy

Discussion (250) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    January 3, 2021 at 12:05 am | #

    I’m starting to think you named her Becky for a reason, Willis

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 3, 2021 at 12:13 am | #

      She needed a name?

      • Stu
        Stu
        January 3, 2021 at 1:19 am | #

        Becky was the Karen of the early ’90s (“Oh. My. God. Becky, look at that butt!”)

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 3, 2021 at 2:08 am | #

          I notice that it’s always women that are stigmatized by a common name. Nobody says “Don’t be a Donald.”

          Don’t be a Clif, kids.

          • crow
            crow
            January 3, 2021 at 2:08 am | #

            Don’t be a…Richard?

            • Clif
              Clif
              January 3, 2021 at 2:29 am | #

              That’s less a common-name-thing and more a euphemism-for-male-genitalia-thing.

          • Jeremy Betts
            Jeremy Betts
            January 3, 2021 at 2:25 am | #

            I’ve never heard anything good about men named Earl. Don’t be an Earl, boys.

            • Clif
              Clif
              January 3, 2021 at 2:32 am | #

              Nothing can stop the Duke of Earl.

              (Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl)

            • crow
              crow
              January 3, 2021 at 2:39 am | #

              Earl Hickey was a pretty good guy.

              • Mr. Bad Example
                Mr. Bad Example
                January 3, 2021 at 8:59 am | #

                trying to, at least

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              January 3, 2021 at 9:23 am | #

              “Earl had to die”

              • a/snow/mous/e
                a/snow/mous/e
                January 3, 2021 at 10:34 pm | #

                Goodbye, Earl~!
                Ain’t it dark, wrapped under that tarp, Earl?

            • Blindness
              Blindness
              January 3, 2021 at 4:47 pm | #

              …What did Earl Hinderman do to you?

              He played Wilson(the neighbr/guy who always had his face covered) on Home Improvement

          • Lexicon
            Lexicon
            January 3, 2021 at 2:40 am | #

            What about “Chads”?

            • Clif
              Clif
              January 3, 2021 at 2:48 am | #

              Is that a common name.? The only Chads I recall were the hanging kind.

              • Enigmatic Jack
                Enigmatic Jack
                January 3, 2021 at 3:16 am | #

                There were two Chads in my high school graduating class.

            • DinaJoyce
              DinaJoyce
              January 3, 2021 at 3:32 am | #

              Also Kyles. We heard a lot about the Kyles during the storming area 51 thing. So. They’re like early 20 somethings (so Gen Z) who live in their moms basements and play video games and read conspiracy theories on the internet all day.

              I also think the abbreviation “dude bro” and related forms functions in much the same way “karen” and its derivatives do, at least for younger guys. It’s not a name, but it’s just as clearly gendered. It’s confusing because bro can also be a good thing but usually when you start a story with “I’m a waitress and one time this dude bro came in…” you know the dude bro is gonna be a jerk just like you do if it said “karen”

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                January 3, 2021 at 9:21 am | #

                It’s different though because it doesn’t spill over onto people who just happen to be named that.
                And there are plenty of insulting parallels for dude bro that aren’t names.

              • Blindness
                Blindness
                January 3, 2021 at 4:48 pm | #

                Kyle is the female Karen per my nephew who works in retail…

            • Opus the Poet
              Opus the Poet
              January 3, 2021 at 3:37 pm | #

              Chads are the people having sex when incels can’t.

          • Tyler Durham
            Tyler Durham
            January 3, 2021 at 2:41 am | #

            Chad. No one wants to be a Chad.

            • Clif
              Clif
              January 3, 2021 at 3:14 am | #

              Seriously? I’ve never known a Chad and the only ones I’m aware of are a couple of football players and an actor. I suppose it’s possible that one of them did something scandalous.

              But more to the point, I’ve never heard the name used to shame someone. Have you?

              • Jon
                Jon
                January 3, 2021 at 3:16 am | #

                Yes, in fact in current net parlance a Chad is a male Becky.

              • DinaJoyce
                DinaJoyce
                January 3, 2021 at 3:35 am | #

                I worked with a Chad. Idk what the stereotype is but he would be a stereotype. He was lazy, but thought he could get away with it because he was attractive. Missed work for like a month because he was in jail for a DUI (so presumably not his first offense).

                • Spongegirl Circleskirt
                  Spongegirl Circleskirt
                  January 5, 2021 at 9:29 am | #

                  Sounds like a Chad to me!

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                January 3, 2021 at 9:22 am | #

                I haven’t either.

                I know it exists in incel slang, where a Chad is the “alpha” who’s getting all the women leaving none for them. Not sure if that’s what’s being referred to.

                • Regalli
                  Regalli
                  January 3, 2021 at 10:03 am | #

                  I have to assume, and it annoys me when it’s memeified by non-incels (especially because it’s always preceded by ‘the virgin X’ and uh. Yeah, ace here, that never gets non-alienating as an insult.) Don’t give their ideas that attention, people.

                • Solis
                  Solis
                  January 3, 2021 at 12:44 pm | #

                  In the gaming community “Chad” is pretty much portrayed as the person who acts like he’s better than everyone else…. while he actually isn’t.

            • FacelessDeviant
              FacelessDeviant
              January 3, 2021 at 8:55 am | #

              Theres even a whole nation named Chad. Thats 16 million Chadians.

              • Clif
                Clif
                January 3, 2021 at 11:11 am | #

                If there are 16 million of them and they all get more than their share of the desired gender, i’m not sure how that would work mathematically.

                Unless maybe they are all secretly French.

                • Greg
                  Greg
                  January 3, 2021 at 3:20 pm | #

                  Actually, yeah, Chad was a French colony during their colonial days. Maybe some of it rubbed off.

          • Lord_Circe
            Lord_Circe
            January 3, 2021 at 2:54 am | #

            No Johns in Smash Bros.

          • JA
            JA
            January 3, 2021 at 3:13 am | #

            I remember one AskReddit thread where everyone was telling stories about their school bully, and a common theme was that most stories I read had bullies named Josh, to the point that several top level comments were just that observation.

            • Clif
              Clif
              January 3, 2021 at 3:20 am | #

              So we can all agree one way or another that Becky was Joshing.

          • FacelessDeviant
            FacelessDeviant
            January 3, 2021 at 8:57 am | #

            John is what men that buy the services of prostitutes are called.

            Also, its a name for toilets.

            • He Who Abides
              He Who Abides
              January 3, 2021 at 9:44 am | #

              “Henceforth, all toilets in the kingdom shall be known as . . . Johns.”

            • Jhon
              Jhon
              January 3, 2021 at 10:59 am | #

              King John was widely despised.

          • Felix
            Felix
            January 3, 2021 at 9:33 am | #

            Seriously, don’t be a Don tho.

          • CJ
            CJ
            January 3, 2021 at 9:56 am | #

            Oh, in Germany there are a few: Horst (an idiot), it even has a verb and flexions: behorstet . it was so widespread in the 80ties and early nineties that feminists invented a female Version, Greta.
            Though most other female names indicate a lot more than stupidity. Jackelyn for example was a very widespread name people gave their girls in the 80ties. Unfortunately, a lot of people using that name were unable to pronounce it correctly, so it became a synonym for pretentiousness and low education.

            • CJ
              CJ
              January 3, 2021 at 10:23 am | #

              Uh, it probably was even Jaqueline, the French version.

              • khn0
                khn0
                January 4, 2021 at 1:07 am | #

                Jacqueline with a C like in Jacques, please. We need all these extra silents letters to make us look smart by having longer words.

          • Zee
            Zee
            January 3, 2021 at 11:30 am | #

            Kevin is one, theres a whole subreddit dedicated to it. Also craig in dnd circles.
            Also, am i the only one unbothered by the Karen thing specifically bc it’s almost always used against white women? Like, a Karen used her white privilege and white woman tears to punish others, usually lower than her in class or of a different race. After all the years woc had to deal with racist ass stereotype mocking names, I’m not all that sympathetic to the white tears of Karen’s being called karens

            • BBCC
              BBCC
              January 3, 2021 at 2:49 pm | #

              I do sometimes think Karen is used for situations where it shouldn’t apply – someone having a legitimate issue reporting that issue isn’t being a Karen. Karen, in my understanding, was meant to apply to, typically, white, straight, upper class women behaving in an entitled way and using their privilege to make things more difficult for people who lack it. Someone asking for something they are actually entitled to or reporting an actual problem shouldn’t be considered one.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            January 3, 2021 at 11:35 am | #

            Hey come on, Cliff was an honest mailman even if he was a know-it-all.

            • Demoted Oblivious
              Demoted Oblivious
              January 3, 2021 at 3:31 pm | #

              Come and get it all, at Boston Pizza!

          • gabagre
            gabagre
            January 3, 2021 at 12:01 pm | #

            There’s Chad, Ross (from Friends – I hear the usage as typically ‘you are being such a Ross right now’), and Kevin, just off the top of my head.

          • TrueVCU
            TrueVCU
            January 3, 2021 at 1:14 pm | #

            Don’t be a Chad

          • Stanistani
            Stanistani
            January 3, 2021 at 2:24 pm | #

            Chad and Kyle.

            • Needfuldoer
              Needfuldoer
              January 3, 2021 at 2:30 pm | #

              One its on all the ladies while the other chugs a Monster and punches a hole through the drywall.

          • Stanistani
            Stanistani
            January 3, 2021 at 2:44 pm | #

            Why isn’t Judas a more popular name?

          • Demoted Oblivious
            Demoted Oblivious
            January 3, 2021 at 3:39 pm | #

            Many already listed above.

            Richard => Dick (Penis, Richard is listed, but here for those who don’t know)
            Jacob => Jakes (toilet)
            Louie => Loo (toilet, or “Hang a Looee” aka turn left)
            Johnson (Penis)
            Charles => Chuck (throw away)
            Chadwick => Chad (waste material still attached from a hole punch. “Hanging chads”)
            and we must never forget (despite being a surname)
            Santorum (the goopy combination of lube and feces following rectal coitus.)

          • Meagan
            Meagan
            January 5, 2021 at 12:00 am | #

            Wasn’t Chad a nickname for like an entitled man of some sort?

          • walterw
            walterw
            January 5, 2021 at 12:42 am | #

            OK chad

          • someone
            someone
            January 5, 2021 at 5:24 am | #

            There’s Kyle and Chad, for male names.

        • someone
          someone
          January 5, 2021 at 5:23 am | #

          Which is weird since Becky is the one being talked to, not the one speaking. Canonically (because yes, of course Baby Got Back has its canonical lore, why wouldn’t it?) the girl saying that is called Linda.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      January 3, 2021 at 2:03 am | #

      Yeah, since she has the good hair.

  2. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    January 3, 2021 at 12:06 am | #

    Dorothy why do you know so much about Joyce? Some things I understand but her grades? What’s happening?

    • Alex Boston
      Alex Boston
      January 3, 2021 at 12:09 am | #

      They are friends and maybe they talk about their grades (“what did you get on that exam?” sort of thing).

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 3, 2021 at 12:09 am | #

      This is mystery 3500.

      • Mada
        Mada
        January 3, 2021 at 12:54 am | #

        You should really just relax~~

        • Br44n5m
          Br44n5m
          January 3, 2021 at 1:16 am | #

          Lovin the pfp

        • Amy
          Amy
          January 3, 2021 at 4:01 am | #

          How can I relax with LT screaming in your gravatar, presumably over GGaR ending?

    • Dylan
      Dylan
      January 3, 2021 at 12:10 am | #

      Sometimes friends who are in college together talk about their grades?

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        January 3, 2021 at 12:18 am | #

        I can understand that but this seems incredibly accurate. Especially after one semester. How does Dorothy have any idea where Joyce’s grades should be or that they’re falling in the larger classes specifically? Unless she’s in every single one of Joyce’s classes? Or is she just paying that much attention to Joyce’s academics? It’s kind of throwing me off.

        • Giguioto
          Giguioto
          January 3, 2021 at 12:23 am | #

          It could ALSO be a rethorical argument made by Dorothy in order to convince Becky to just agree with her by making her point sound reasonable by pointing out opinions as if they were facts and hoping that the other just agrees with her…

          For the woman who wants to be the president, it is a talent she needs to learn xD

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 3, 2021 at 12:25 am | #

          Amber, as we have seen, can hack the grade system with ease. Just assume she’s feeding the information to Dorothy. For reasons.

          • Mancuso
            Mancuso
            January 3, 2021 at 12:35 am | #

            …OR… all of these people are actually Willis.

            • Clif
              Clif
              January 3, 2021 at 12:53 am | #

              Nonsense. The distinctive facial hair would give it away.

              Next you’ll be telling me that this is a work of fiction.

        • Segnosaur
          Segnosaur
          January 3, 2021 at 12:52 am | #

          Between basic knowledge (like which classes are taken by a majority of freshmen) and talking with Joyce and others, it shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out the sizes of the classes joyce is in.

        • Exarch
          Exarch
          January 3, 2021 at 8:48 am | #

          My closest friends in college knew all this kind of stuff about me, and I about them. It wasn’t on purpose or anything, but we just picked up on this info about each other over the course of hanging out and spending time together. I don’t remember any of it NOW, of course, since it’s been like 6 years, but I could probably have told you all the classes of my like 6 or 7 closest friends, what size/type of class they were, and how my friends were doing in them.

          To be fair, I shared a lot of classes with my friends too, since we mostly all took a combo of science and philosophy/literature classes.

    • Giguioto
      Giguioto
      January 3, 2021 at 12:10 am | #

      In some places, the grades are public knowledge. I remember some of my professor just literally posted the grades of the whole class on a wall for everyone.

      I hate them till this day, but still. All I’m saying is that it ain’t hard to know :v

      • Thulcandran
        Thulcandran
        January 3, 2021 at 12:22 am | #

        At a public/state university, that’s a violation of federal law (if any names were attached). The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 prevents giving anyone, even immediate family (yes, even if they’re paying tuition) any information about a student. That includes grades, pass/fail status, section – you aren’t even allowed to confirm or deny that someone is in your class.

        I mean, people still talk. It’s very realistic for Dorothy to know how Joyce is doing in class. But if your profs put your name on that sheet, at a public university, after 1974, it was illegal af.

        (I’m also a big fan of more people knowing this shit because it takes away a LOT of the leverage abusive parents think they have, and encourages students to be in charge of their own classes.)

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 3, 2021 at 12:29 am | #

          Well yes. And we posted the final grades on the door with the last 4 digits of the student ID which was deemed sufficient.

          • Clif
            Clif
            January 3, 2021 at 12:44 am | #

            It also has more loopholes and exceptions than you’d expect. For example, revealing grades that haven’t been finalized yet aren’t covered. Or at least that’s what the Supreme Court decided in a case where students were grading each others work as the professor discussed the correct answers.

          • Enigmatic Jack
            Enigmatic Jack
            January 3, 2021 at 3:19 am | #

            We had a professor who did this with the last 4 of the student ID (though he posted them on the class website at a URL that wasn’t linked from the main page.) This was an issue one semester because two students had ID numbers that ended in the same 4 digits.

          • Uly
            Uly
            January 3, 2021 at 8:00 pm | #

            …please tell me it’s not one of those schools that repurposes the SSN as a school ID number. (I don’t know why places do that. STOP DOING THAT PLACES.)

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          January 3, 2021 at 12:55 am | #

          In Canada, most professors I had just put the stack on the desk and let us find ours or spread them on the desk and likewise. Most put our grades on the back but if it was on the front, oh well. I never really looked at others though – I just wanted mine. Very very few passed them back personally, though a TA in a smaller tutorial might have done so.

          • Lordhaw
            Lordhaw
            January 3, 2021 at 9:14 am | #

            This happened to my daughter this year (1st year university in Canada)

            • BBCC
              BBCC
              January 3, 2021 at 1:54 pm | #

              Yeah, a lot of teachers at my school did it.

        • CJ
          CJ
          January 3, 2021 at 9:58 am | #

          Well, it’s quite common to tell your friends your students ID number so they can look up your grade for you.

      • Norah
        Norah
        January 3, 2021 at 1:28 am | #

        They don’t need to be public knowledge. Dorothy is one of Joyce’s best friends. I can easily imagine Joyce confiding to Dorothy that she wasn’t doing as well as she expected in a couple of her classes.

        • Norah
          Norah
          January 3, 2021 at 1:30 am | #

          I just wanted to add, I remember confiding in my best friend in college that I was getting a bad grade in a class.

      • Norah
        Norah
        January 3, 2021 at 1:33 am | #

        Also, that’s terrible that they posted people’s grades like that!

        • Chris Phoenix
          Chris Phoenix
          January 3, 2021 at 3:02 am | #

          Apparently it’s common in high school in California. A teacher friend of mine told me about begging one of his students, “What do I need to do so you’ll start applying yourself the way I know you can?” and the student replied, “Stop posting grades. I’ll get beat up if I get good grades.”

    • JepMZ
      JepMZ
      January 3, 2021 at 12:25 am | #

      It implied , unlike Walky, Joyce tells her about stuff uninitatedly or if Dotty asks how she doing with hw. And Joyce isn’t self conscious about failing grades like Walky is so it wasn’t a big deal answering or sharing at the tine

    • Otl1973
      Otl1973
      January 3, 2021 at 12:48 am | #

      Every character is as omniscient as Willis requires for story reasons. The one I don’t get so far is Booster, because we haven’t yet seen the story reason (unless it was just exposition for new readers, but I don’t buy that).

      • Clif
        Clif
        January 3, 2021 at 12:55 am | #

        Booster is really Mike. Explains everything.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        January 3, 2021 at 12:57 am | #

        I mean, except Joyce, Booster hardly went for low hanging fruit and they spent at least an afternoon with Joyce.

        • DailyBrad
          DailyBrad
          January 3, 2021 at 2:05 am | #

          Yeah, it’s a bunch of 18-20 year olds, many with bombastic personalities. It’s not like Booster had their work cut out for them, especially since Walky told them who people were with what were likely not always flattering descriptions.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        January 3, 2021 at 1:01 am | #

        Eh. I’m not to awed by the Booster thing. Walky basically fed them the cliff notes on the main cast before that floor meeting. And frankly I doubt Booster’s hot takes weren’t that accurate mainly because they were based on first impressions which are usually wrong. For instance their analysis of Joyce is proving to be pretty wrong right now. Joyce seems very resistant to this change in her life which according to Booster should be pretty easy for he to swallow or is this admitting that she knew she was always someone who needed glasses? Booster really covered most of the angles with a critique that vague.

    • Switchchris
      Switchchris
      January 3, 2021 at 12:48 am | #

      Joyce shares everything with her, overshares really.

    • TaintedSpud
      TaintedSpud
      January 3, 2021 at 12:55 am | #

      Maybe Joyce mentioned it after a long night of sweet sapphic lovemaking?

      I CAN DREAM DAMMIT!

      • Clif
        Clif
        January 3, 2021 at 1:46 am | #

        Everyone should have a dream.

    • JA
      JA
      January 3, 2021 at 3:13 am | #

      It begins with S and ends in Talker.

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        January 3, 2021 at 11:04 am | #

        Smooth Talker? That’s more of a Becky thing.

    • Lorien Inksong
      Lorien Inksong
      January 3, 2021 at 6:19 am | #

      She’s the Mom Friend. ^_^; And as someone who falls into that category, I can see why her mother bear instincts are turned up to maximum about Joyce after all the recent trauma and distinct/abrupt change in Joyce’s behavior.

      So while it may seem a bit peculiar how far she’s going, pushing Joyce into getting her eyes checked, its a friendship dynamic I’ve seen many times. Sometimes its fine and healthy, other times not so much. Also I have no doubt Dorothy is one of the first to know about Joyce’s grades. In the case of bad ones I feel like Dorothy is most likely gonna be high up on Joyce’s list of shoulders to cry on.

      Also I’m joining the Becky defense squad. She is a traumatized barely adult who is now orphaned alongside having her world generally put in an industrial blender. Is how she’s treating Joyce okay? Heck no! Are her follies and poor decisions understandable and relatively reasonable? I argue yes.

      I just hope she and Dorothy remember that Joyce needs agency and learn to just talk to her. Esp. once Becky can work through her intense fear of Joyce changing or going away.

      • Alfa/Polaris
        Alfa/Polaris
        January 5, 2021 at 12:32 am | #

        Here’s hoping. ~w~

    • Jhon
      Jhon
      January 3, 2021 at 11:00 am | #

      Dorothy has an extensive spreadsheet which she updates daily.

    • Blindness
      Blindness
      January 3, 2021 at 4:52 pm | #

      weren’t they in several classes together last semester? It’d be easy to know he r grades when she’s telling you them after class…

  3. cmasta1992
    cmasta1992
    January 3, 2021 at 12:09 am | #

    Fuck OFFFF Becky

  4. UrsulaDavina
    UrsulaDavina
    January 3, 2021 at 12:10 am | #

    Oh come on Becky seriously?! Thats way over the line.

  5. CorporateDronesDontHaveMissiles
    CorporateDronesDontHaveMissiles
    January 3, 2021 at 12:11 am | #

    It’s about half the epiphany were were hoping for. We could do worse.

  6. LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    January 3, 2021 at 12:11 am | #

    Oooooh shoot! The agoraphobia angle!

    Look at that Becky & Dorothy rivalry! So finished. Much resolved. /sarcasm

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 3, 2021 at 12:16 am | #

      You have to ride a shtick till it’s dead. Its a rule.

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        January 3, 2021 at 12:23 am | #

        It’s already decomposing.

        • Jamie
          Jamie
          January 3, 2021 at 12:35 am | #

          That’s what a phylactery is for. It will be undead forever.

          • Enigmatic Jack
            Enigmatic Jack
            January 3, 2021 at 3:22 am | #

            Blowjob Cat is the phylactery.

            • Deanatay
              Deanatay
              January 3, 2021 at 11:06 am | #

              You guys mean Horcrux, right? *ducks and flees*

              • Demoted Oblivious
                Demoted Oblivious
                January 3, 2021 at 3:46 pm | #

                What do ducks and fleas have to do with it? Besides, I thought ducks got mites, not fleas.

              • Enigmatic Jack
                Enigmatic Jack
                January 4, 2021 at 12:04 am | #

                Nope. A Horcrux is an object that contains a piece of a soul to keep someone from being permanently killed. A phylactery is an object that contains (usually) the entire soul of an undead lich. As the schtick has already been confirmed to be deceased, we’re in lich territory now.

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 3, 2021 at 12:36 am | #

          Then you have to jump up and down on its corpse.

          • Fire_Daws
            Fire_Daws
            January 3, 2021 at 6:01 am | #

            Then you have to beat it with a stick until it’s leg stops twitching.

            • Clif
              Clif
              January 3, 2021 at 11:17 am | #

              if you get the rhythm right they will twitch for a long time.

  7. pjeseb
    pjeseb
    January 3, 2021 at 12:14 am | #

    Starting to think Dorothy is kind of like the Big Bad from The Fifth Element. The more hostility you throw at her, the more powerful she becomes.

  8. P!enapple
    P!enapple
    January 3, 2021 at 12:14 am | #

    Happy 3500 gift to all us readers! THANK YOU!!

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 3, 2021 at 12:20 am | #

      So say we all!!!

      Now get busy on the next 3500.

      • saltchocolate
        saltchocolate
        January 3, 2021 at 2:01 am | #

        Ditto ditto!

  9. UnfrozenNeanderthal
    UnfrozenNeanderthal
    January 3, 2021 at 12:15 am | #

    Dammit Becky

  10. Vangeln
    Vangeln
    January 3, 2021 at 12:15 am | #

    Yeah Becky, show her.

  11. timemonkey
    timemonkey
    January 3, 2021 at 12:16 am | #

    Wonder what kind of glasses Joyce will go for. maybe contacts?

    • Spookyfox
      Spookyfox
      January 3, 2021 at 12:17 am | #

      i hope they’re huge cat eye glasses

    • misanthropope
      misanthropope
      January 3, 2021 at 12:21 am | #

      maybe some super-badass prescription shades?

      • Spookyfox
        Spookyfox
        January 3, 2021 at 1:09 am | #

        ooh maybe they’ll be aviator goggles

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      January 3, 2021 at 12:24 am | #

      Good luck persuading Joyce to touch her eyes

      regularly

      • woobie
        woobie
        January 3, 2021 at 12:46 am | #

        this

        I predict prescription Gargoyles that look like the Terminator’s (T1 obv).

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      January 3, 2021 at 3:50 am | #

      Whatever glasses she gets, I’m assuming they’ll make her look cuter.

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        January 3, 2021 at 11:09 am | #

        Joe will get his most confusing boner yet.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      January 3, 2021 at 12:10 pm | #

      Hopefully Maybe something like Dorothy’s, but a bit more rectangular with a slightly thicker frame, in dark red kr blue or something like that.

      (Sorry, I just can’t get behind thick 50s cat-eye frames. They just make me think “grouchy, nearly retired school lunch lady”. Maybe it’s a 90s kid thing…)

      • Demoted Oblivious
        Demoted Oblivious
        January 3, 2021 at 3:49 pm | #

        Maybe indeed. 80’s kid backing up your assessment. cat-eye or horn-rims.

        [shudder]

  12. BBCC
    BBCC
    January 3, 2021 at 12:17 am | #

    Good luck with that, Becks. Dorothy is pretty supportive.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      January 3, 2021 at 12:17 am | #

      Oh, fuck no.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        January 3, 2021 at 12:18 am | #

        Eh, I can deal with that for a day.

        • Kyrik Michalowski
          Kyrik Michalowski
          January 3, 2021 at 12:21 am | #

          I’m glad/amused to see that Joe meets your standards but Robin does not.

          • BBCC
            BBCC
            January 3, 2021 at 12:37 am | #

            Joe can be a skeevy dick, but his shit doesn’t have national implications. He can stay for 24 hours.

            • Sirksome
              Sirksome
              January 3, 2021 at 12:41 am | #

              Seriously I don’t think I can ever forgive Robin for voting to pass that LGBTQ discrimination bill. Not even sponsoring Becky makes up for it! She’s needs to sponsor at least a dozen more queer youths to even make a dent in that bad karma.

              • Daniel M Ball
                Daniel M Ball
                January 3, 2021 at 1:42 am | #

                Or…y’know, campaign for its repeal as a mistake?? I’m sorry, but handing out trinkets to ‘right’ an injustice is…no. it doesn’t work, the injustice is still there, you’re just handing out consolation prizes and trinkets. Reparations are worthless if the bad behaviour continues regardless.

                • Yumi
                  Yumi
                  January 3, 2021 at 1:55 am | #

                  Well, in this particular case, I believe it was said that the bill didn’t pass.

                • Jon Rich
                  Jon Rich
                  January 3, 2021 at 2:10 am | #

                  The bill indeed did not pass.

                • thejeff
                  thejeff
                  January 3, 2021 at 9:58 am | #

                  And it’s not like she was the main force behind it or anything. One more shitty representative behind a shitty failed bill.
                  Sponsoring Becky doesn’t make up for it, but dropping out of Congress is a big move and a step to showing the bad behavior doesn’t continue.

              • BBCC
                BBCC
                January 3, 2021 at 2:09 am | #

                Also….Joe is 18-19. He’s new to the whole adult thing and is still figuring some stuff out. Robin’s a grown ass adult who should have known better.

                • Icalasari
                  Icalasari
                  January 3, 2021 at 3:40 am | #

                  Plus Joe actually tries. He fails a lot, but he tries

                  It took Becky basically pouring her soul out online before Robin actually tried

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 3, 2021 at 12:22 am | #

          Come on. Cheat. One more won’t hurt.

        • Sirksome
          Sirksome
          January 3, 2021 at 12:24 am | #

          You have more courage than me. The urge to reroll is there but the fear of Walky grav keep me in check.

        • Rabid Rabbit
          Rabid Rabbit
          January 3, 2021 at 1:15 am | #

          My personal conviction is that by now, Willis has managed to hack the grav roulette to make sure BBCC never gets Sal.

          • Clif
            Clif
            January 3, 2021 at 1:50 am | #

            The value is in the journey, not the destination.

            Which is BS, but it’s DEEP BS.

          • BBCC
            BBCC
            January 3, 2021 at 2:08 am | #

            I had her as my first grav! Then they switched and I got distracted and didn’t continue the roulette. I SHALL RIGHT MY MISTAKE THIS TIME.

            • davidbreslin101
              davidbreslin101
              January 3, 2021 at 4:28 pm | #

              I don’t even know how to play. I mysteriously flipped from Dina to Fuckface one day and was all “What does it meeeeeeeeaaaan?!”

              • Ryek Hvek
                Ryek Hvek
                January 3, 2021 at 8:16 pm | #

                Don’ mean diddly.

  13. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    January 3, 2021 at 12:23 am | #

    Becky, you really had a chance here and you fucking blew it. Just be friends with Dotrothy, it isn’t that hard.

    It’s not like she’s out to bite you, you aren’t even her type.

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      January 3, 2021 at 12:30 am | #

      So what gravatar do I have now?

      • Kyrik Michalowski
        Kyrik Michalowski
        January 3, 2021 at 12:31 am | #

        Better.

        • BarerMender
          BarerMender
          January 3, 2021 at 1:40 am | #

          Best. I love Ruth.

          • Clif
            Clif
            January 3, 2021 at 2:14 am | #

            appropriate avatars etc.

            • King Daniel
              King Daniel
              January 3, 2021 at 5:27 am | #

              Or inappropriate as the case may be, given the current semester situation.

              • Clif
                Clif
                January 3, 2021 at 6:27 pm | #

                Don’t be fooled by her undercover work.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      January 3, 2021 at 2:08 am | #

      Did she blow it? Dorothy doesn’t exactly look phased.

      Like, I get she annoys people in here, but Dorothy dated Walky and hangs out with Joyce, Sarah, etc. I don’t think she’s really that delicate.

      Besides, re-read the strip. This is her conceding that Dorothy is likely right. That is progress. That some sass comes with it isn’t exactly the hugest of deals.

      • drs
        drs
        January 3, 2021 at 3:16 am | #

        Stupid jackass.

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 3, 2021 at 3:30 am | #

          Exactly. Not the hugest of deals.

          Or at least Dorothy doesn’t seem to think so. And that’s really what counts.

          • Deanatay
            Deanatay
            January 3, 2021 at 11:16 am | #

            Dorothy and Becky ARE friends. You can’t have a ‘friendly rivalry’ without being friends. The people who get offended by Becky’s talk clearly haven’t had siblings, or gone to public school. Shit-talk like this is normal.

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              January 3, 2021 at 2:10 pm | #

              Maybe and I think that’s Becky’s intent, but I’m not sure Dorothy’s on board.
              And while that kind of shit-talk is fine with some kinds of friendship, trying to use it where it isn’t fine is bad move.

            • drs
              drs
              January 3, 2021 at 2:59 pm | #

              “Dorothy and Becky ARE friends”

              I’m not at all convinced of that. Looks to me, and to many of us, like Dorothy is Becky’s friend but Becky is not Dorothy’s friend. If Willis intends otherwise, he’s failed to show it.

            • Corneel
              Corneel
              January 3, 2021 at 4:21 pm | #

              That’s implying a transitiveness in friendship that is not always true. Or in other words: the fact that Joyce and Dorothy are friends and that Joyce and Becky are friends does not make Dorothy and Becky friends.

  14. WanderingLynx
    WanderingLynx
    January 3, 2021 at 12:49 am | #

    Jesus fuck, Becky. The woman here is offering you a floral arrangement of olive branches and you keep throwing them to her face. I’m so tired of this. Is it, like, grounds to hate Becky? No. I used to love her a lot, actually. Is it understandable and in character? Well, yes.

    But to me as a reader, this schitck of being repeatedly mean to a person he shares living quarters with is exhausting as hell. It’s gone from light ribbing (and jealousy) to blatant hostility and some pretty strong words wrapped in the coy-ish playfulness of… Well, someone who grew up in a toxic cult indeed. I keep wondering if Dorothy is so stubbornly kind because lashing out at the mistreatment would make Becky BE RIGHT about her.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      January 3, 2021 at 2:14 am | #

      She’s not throwing it in her face. In this very strip, she’s conceding that Dorothy’s right, albeit in an immature way. Previously, she also was getting teary-eyed at Dorothy being kind to her, even if she, again, isn’t necessarily able to leap at accepting it.

      Joyce as she sees it is basically the only family she’s got, even if Robin and Leslie are both trying, too, and her last, tenuous grip on anything resembling status quo. Joyce having a new best friend essentially means she’s got nothing of her upbringing left. That isn’t rational, obviously, but that’s the reality of her situation.

      • WanderingLynx
        WanderingLynx
        January 3, 2021 at 3:15 am | #

        She’s conceding Dorothy has a point, because she (Becky) is hurting Joyce by enabling her and Joyce is her Most Important Person: Of course she’d back off. The bar is so low it’s subterranean by this point. But then she goes and calls her “stupid jackass Dotty” – a nickname not exactly born out of affection, and Dorothy requested back in the day to not be called that way. I don’t think she got teary-eyed at Dorothy being kind to her because “omg so kind”. It was more of a frustrated “how dare you after I’ve antagonized you so much”. She literally asked “why can’t you be petty?”, because she wants to hate Dorothy and knows she doesn’t have a good reason for it.

        Becky and Dorothy aren’t friends (despite Dorothy’s many efforts). There’s no trust nor past history to justify the way she talks to her.

        I understand why Becky is acting like this because, character analysis. Doesn’t mean its actually justified, or enjoyable to witness. It’s toxic as hell, I pity Dorothy because she’s doing Her Best with a roomate (!) who continuously belittles her, her interests and passions, and her relationship with Joyce, who’s also btw Dorothy’s closest friend at college. She doesn’t keep many close relationships either. The traumatic experiences she suffered past semester left Dorothy so scared she actually rejected going to Yale – Her dream for the past 10 years of strips.

        By this point I’m like, BEGGING Willis to throw me a bone so I remember why I loved Becky so much. Like, can be Dina be around again or something? So I can watch this girl be smitten by her girlfriend instead of possessively draping all over Joyce?

        • Icalasari
          Icalasari
          January 3, 2021 at 3:33 am | #

          I think that acceptance letter may be a Chekhov’s Gun. I don’t think Becky is going to get better, at least not yet. Rather, she’s going to do something bad enough that Dorothy finally snaps, be all, “…I got you to snap why do I feel bad?” and even have Joyce snap at her

          And that will cause Becky to improve

          • WanderingLynx
            WanderingLynx
            January 3, 2021 at 3:44 am | #

            I reaaaaally want to see Joyce waking up and realizing this isn’t “Wacky Becky & Her Antics” – But her best friend purposely hurting her other best friend for as long as she can keep it up.

            I trust Joyce to do the right thing, at least when it’s about the people she loves. The rest will be called “fuck around and find out” “rightful consequences of being a bully”, and everyone will be better off after this snapping.

        • eskimolos
          eskimolos
          January 3, 2021 at 9:00 am | #

          This so much honestly. Becky is having to manage a lot of roles, none of which pertain to an actual human’s motivations in my mind. She doesn’t likely resemble anybody we know, because she’s become a collection of Foil Traits. She needs to Foil Dorothy for Joyce’s affections, but she also needs to Foil Joyce’s newfound non-religiousness by continuing to be very devout, for no clear or good reason (particularly considering how the oppressive aspects of christianity have directly hurt her time and again, and much less than this has been enough to drive queer friends from the church by the time they were Becky’s age). She needs to foil homophobes and ableists by continuing to have a loving relationship with Dina, which may also be now the longest running relationship among the main cast that hasn’t violently imploded/exploded on or off screen so far.

          She isn’t her own character is how she feels at this point, she’s a bunch of traits that reflect off of the different points of utility that space provides the rest of the cast and the overall points of the story.

          In reality, there’s no reason any friend would say “NO my friend shouldn’t have a simple eye test, because she’s scared of change and that she might need glasses.” It is also insane that Joyce would be so biased against or afraid of needing glasses when literally all of her (older!) siblings wear them.

          I feel like something is trying to be achieved in metaphor with this plotline, pertaining to the christian will to ignore problems and hide from reality, but the allegory kind of falls flat with the example being used and within what has been set up in the world so far.

          • Clif
            Clif
            January 3, 2021 at 10:37 am | #

            Alternatively, Willis is setting us up to dislike Becky enough that Dina can break up with Becky which sets us up for the endgame where Dorothy forgoes Yale, not for Joyce, but for Becky.

            Nah, I don’t buy it either.

          • drs
            drs
            January 3, 2021 at 3:03 pm | #

            I actually don’t find Becky implausible. She’s still devout in her own way? That matches people I know; Joyce is one escape route, Becky is another. She’s an ass to Dorothy? Fortunately *doesn’t* match people I know, but the implausible part is Dorothy’s tolerance of it. Relationship with Dina? No problem there.

        • Geneseepaw
          Geneseepaw
          January 3, 2021 at 11:15 am | #

          We haven’t seen Dina because she stole the acceptance letter and ATM is in her way to Yale.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            January 3, 2021 at 11:46 am | #

            She doesn’t need the letter, she’s Dina. She could just teleport behind the door of a paleontology lecture and everyone there would just accept her presence.

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              January 3, 2021 at 2:11 pm | #

              Dina is already behind the door of all the paleontology lectures.

      • Enigmatic Jack
        Enigmatic Jack
        January 3, 2021 at 3:27 am | #

        Except she’s not really conceding the point. She’s obviously CONSIDERING the point, and REALIZES that it’s right, but she’s not actually ACKNOWLEDGING that. Instead, she’s taking the other thing that Dorothy said and finding yet another way to be over-the-top and competitive.

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 3, 2021 at 10:38 am | #

          Some things don’t have to be said for both people to understand them.

    • Zee
      Zee
      January 3, 2021 at 11:36 am | #

      Or, the more likely reason as to why dorothy puts up with it, she just doesn’t care. I feel like yesterday’s strip told us as much

  15. Suet
    Suet
    January 3, 2021 at 12:55 am | #

    Note to self: Erase any and all ideas about escape rooms around poor Joyce

    *raises an eyebrow*

    • Suet
      Suet
      January 3, 2021 at 12:59 am | #

      *pouts*

    • JBento
      JBento
      January 3, 2021 at 6:49 am | #

      Are you confusing agoraphobia with claustrophobia? Otherwise, I’m going to need a clarification why Joye would have problems with escape rooms.

    • CJ
      CJ
      January 3, 2021 at 10:05 am | #

      Actually, I wouldn’t recommend doing an escape room with anybody who has been forcefully abducted 3 months ago, but I agree with JBento: why does this come up now?

  16. TaintedSpud
    TaintedSpud
    January 3, 2021 at 12:57 am | #

    People keep sassing on Becky for her “rivalry” with Dorothy…

    Meanwhile I’m here like, “this is pretty much how all my friends talk to each other”

    Like, has there been any indication that Becky is serious? I like to think its become an inside joke at this point….

    • drs
      drs
      January 3, 2021 at 1:23 am | #

      Has there been any indication it’s not serious?

      • DailyBrad
        DailyBrad
        January 3, 2021 at 2:15 am | #

        She’s basically this universe’s equivalent of Daffy Duck, so… many, many indications?

      • Rectilinear Propagation
        Rectilinear Propagation
        January 3, 2021 at 2:29 am | #

        Dorothy refers to it as “play hate” the night of their first day back: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/bff/

    • crow
      crow
      January 3, 2021 at 2:12 am | #

      They didn’t really establish a close friendship before Becky started insulting her at every opportunity

    • Sam
      Sam
      January 3, 2021 at 2:26 am | #

      The last panel of the previous strip and the first panel of this strip both indicate this is not just ‘haha, we’re both in on it’ joking but rather Becky feeling threatened by her inability to get a rise out of Dorothy and skepticism that Dorothy has Joyce’s best interests in mind. That she is using it to cope, struggling without an enemy to resist against, and struggles to trust that this isn’t just a way to somehow control Joyce.

      They also never had a pre-established friendship before Becky started to do it. So it’s not like two people being close enough for it to be okay, Becky is just aggressive and Dorothy just chooses not to be in return, giving her a lot of leeway because she knows Becky is hurting. But she’s not going to become the enemy or vicious rival she wants to be able to rebel against.

      • WanderingLynx
        WanderingLynx
        January 3, 2021 at 3:18 am | #

        Spot on. And honestly? Dorothy is a bigger person than most for it. I used to be pretty “meh” on her, like, I liked her but she wasn’t particularly interesting? But now between rejecting Yale and how she’s continuously refused to engage despite the attacks, I’m getting invested on her :’)

        • Icalasari
          Icalasari
          January 3, 2021 at 3:25 am | #

          I think she thinks she has Becky under control. Becky will probably find that acceptance letter to Yale, start announcing to everybody that her and Joyce will be tighter than ever with Dorothy gone, and Dorothy is going to finally lose it, due to all the piling up stress and now being put on the spot by Becky with having to explain to everybody why she is turning down Yale

          • WanderingLynx
            WanderingLynx
            January 3, 2021 at 3:37 am | #

            A++ Theory, I’d bet cash on it. Don’t worry about the typos because you’ve got everything else about the situation READ.

            • Clif
              Clif
              January 3, 2021 at 10:09 am | #

              Perhaps you could back up to the part where she rejected Yale. When did that happen?

        • Agemegos
          Agemegos
          January 3, 2021 at 5:11 am | #

          Rejecting Yale?

          Did I miss something? We saw that Dorothy got an acceptance letter and hid it. When did she turn down the offer from Yale?

          • King Daniel
            King Daniel
            January 3, 2021 at 5:30 am | #

            Yeah, I don’t quite follow on that part myself.

            • Loki
              Loki
              January 3, 2021 at 5:42 am | #

              I think the idea is that it being the start of the semester, she could be spending it in Yale. She does not.

              • Icalasari
                Icalasari
                January 4, 2021 at 12:51 am | #

                Plus of course, not bringing it up to everybody

        • Reaver
          Reaver
          January 3, 2021 at 6:07 am | #

          Do we have literally ANY PROOF that Dorthey rejected Yale? If she’s going to transfer to Yale it would be next semester….

          • Regalli
            Regalli
            January 3, 2021 at 10:13 am | #

            Agreed. I suspect she got the letter late enough that her plans for this semester were set already. I can see her not wanting to bring it up this early if she thinks certain people (*cough*Joyce) might spend the next few months trying to convince her out of it.

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              January 3, 2021 at 1:59 pm | #

              Or just that the admission was for the next year rather than this semester.

              • Regalli
                Regalli
                January 3, 2021 at 6:12 pm | #

                Oh yeah, I can’t imagine they admitted her for spring to begin with.

  17. PB
    PB
    January 3, 2021 at 1:09 am | #

    Let her have this.

    I think Dorothy’s taking that route.

  18. C.T Phipps
    C.T Phipps
    January 3, 2021 at 2:03 am | #

    Honestly, Becky and Dorothy need to fight it out at the all-Valley Tournament.

    It’s the only way to end their rivalry.

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 3, 2021 at 2:41 am | #

      There is no rivalry. Ask Dorothy.

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      January 3, 2021 at 3:57 am | #

      Becky’s the only one of them who seems to think there’s a rivalry. Dorothy clearly doesn’t see Becky as a rival.

      • Agemegos
        Agemegos
        January 3, 2021 at 5:08 am | #

        Just wait until Becky takes Dorothy’s slot at Yale.

  19. NinjaNick
    NinjaNick
    January 3, 2021 at 2:27 am | #

    Leave, Becky. NOW.

  20. anonymsly
    anonymsly
    January 3, 2021 at 2:29 am | #

    It really wouldn’t kill Becky if she took it down a few notches once in awhile.

    Dorothy is a far better person than me. I would already have requested to trade with Malaya. Room with Sal, a sensible friend who also cares about her grades, and avoid the Thunderdome that would be Becky and Malaya.

    • CJ
      CJ
      January 3, 2021 at 9:47 am | #

      No one in the dorm would be able to sleep if those two shared a room…

    • Joyfulldreams
      Joyfulldreams
      January 3, 2021 at 10:01 pm | #

      Makes me think about how Malaya and Dorothy would go down though. Would Malaya be just as insufferable towards Dorothy? Would they hate how seemingly ‘perfect’ she is and want to knock her down a peg? Or would they be like, chill because Dotty is too much of a nerdy square to bother trying to antagonize.

      I mean, Dorothy wouldn’t want to room with Malaya almost certainly because of Fuckface, but still. Just thinking about stuff for funsies.

  21. BenRG
    BenRG
    January 3, 2021 at 2:37 am | #

    I suspect that no-one has been able to make Becky feel such a heel since her mother died!

  22. Bleuryder
    Bleuryder
    January 3, 2021 at 2:50 am | #

    Good Lord, even if this attitude is a joke or something it’s starting to get grating. I don’t know how people keep defending Becky or how Dorothy allows it. One thing is playful banter among friends, and another is Becky literally taking shots at Dorothy anytime she speaks.

    This is like when people defend that one asshole friend. He’s not “always like that” or some variant of that phrase. He’s an asshole and should be called out.

    • Icalasari
      Icalasari
      January 3, 2021 at 3:23 am | #

      This comic actually shows how Dorothy allows it. She cleverly manipulated Becky into doing the right thing

      Dorothy thinks she has Becky controlled

      I think the snapping point where she blows up at Becky and people turn on Becky for it will come when Becky does something that Dorothy couldn’t account for. Like, say, snoop through her stuff then tell everybody she gets to be Amber’s one and true friend because, “STUPID DOTTY GOING TO HARVARD! See? Right here, she was accepted!”

      That acceptance letter is really looking more and more like a Chekhov’s Gun, and Becky is really looking like she’ll use it only for it to backfire

      • Icalasari
        Icalasari
        January 3, 2021 at 3:29 am | #

        *Yale

        Also my internet really sucks tonight geeze

      • Icalasari
        Icalasari
        January 3, 2021 at 3:33 am | #

        *Joyce, not Amber

        I am clearly not in a state to exist

      • WanderingLynx
        WanderingLynx
        January 3, 2021 at 3:36 am | #

        … This is a really interesting possibility that’s also LIKELY AS HELL. Because Becky, the way she’s behaving? She IS going to take issue at Dorothy not telling her about the acceptance letter, for starters. If she finds it because she was snooping… Yeah. That’s not going to be pretty.

        Poor Dorothy. She doesn’t have Becky “managed” nor the situation “under control”. She has her barely contained… For the time being. Until something gives.

        • Icalasari
          Icalasari
          January 3, 2021 at 3:43 am | #

          Will be interesting to see the fall out if I’m right on this

          • Clif
            Clif
            January 3, 2021 at 2:37 pm | #

            I believe it’s a Chekhov’s gun, but it may well not go off in the direction you expect.

    • Zee
      Zee
      January 3, 2021 at 11:39 am | #

      Dorothy really doesn’t seem to care about it tbh, she’s fine

  23. Bagge
    Bagge
    January 3, 2021 at 3:02 am | #

    Owning Dotty by doing exactly the thing she asked you to do

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      January 3, 2021 at 3:58 am | #

      Yeah, Becky sure showed her now!

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      January 3, 2021 at 4:08 am | #

      It’s serendipitous how owning Dorothy entails doing what Dorothy wants.

      Dorothy might be better in politics than some people think.

  24. Icalasari
    Icalasari
    January 3, 2021 at 3:20 am | #

    So that’s why Dorothy is fine with it. She believes she has Becky managed, and can get her to do the right thing by making her think it’s a screw you to Dorothy

    • Clif
      Clif
      January 3, 2021 at 3:49 am | #

      Yes, she is managing Becky and Becky is happy to play along because she makes sense.

      Willis has a gift for depicting twisted dysfunctional relationships that work, at least on some level and for some period of time. In the old universe: Joyce and Walky, Robin and Leslie, Mike and Amber. In the DOA universe, Billie and Ruth. I’m not saying there is a romantic component, but I think this could be another case – a dysfunctional frenemyship that works well for both.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      January 3, 2021 at 10:08 am | #

      Except that’s not what Dorothy did. She didn’t manipulate Becky or play into the competition or anything like that. She just appealed to Becky for Joyce’s sake.
      Becky then turned that into “I can be more supportive”, but there’s no hint of that in anything Dorothy says.

      • Clif
        Clif
        January 3, 2021 at 10:46 am | #

        Exactly. And notice Dorothy’s smile in the last panel.

  25. StClair
    StClair
    January 3, 2021 at 3:59 am | #

    And thus this particular matter is dealt with, while the hope that the larger issue might be addressed and/or resolved is merely dangled and then withdrawn.

  26. Keulen
    Keulen
    January 3, 2021 at 4:07 am | #

    I wouldn’t really know personally since I’ve worn glasses since I was about 3 or 4 years old, but I’ve heard from people who first got glasses when they were in high school or college that they just assumed their poor vision was normal for all that time.

    • SystemofEleven
      SystemofEleven
      January 3, 2021 at 4:55 pm | #

      Pretty much. My sight went so slowly that I didn’t notice the difference from one week to the next, so even though there was significant loss over the course of several years, I just adjusted to each new level of suckage without even realizing the suckage was getting worse.

      I went from 20/30 and too irritated with my glasses to bother wearing them for such a relatively small amount of blur, to 20/160 and completely unquestioning of my need to cross a 10-foot room to read the clock on the wall.

      Twas a day of many exclamations of amazement when I finally got contacts and suddenly could read street signs a block away.

  27. Lone Duck
    Lone Duck
    January 3, 2021 at 5:17 am | #

    Just saying, Jocelyn and Jonathan both wear glasses too. Still surprised Joyce couldn’t see it coming. Guess it was a blind spot for her?

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      January 3, 2021 at 5:33 am | #

      You could say she lacked foresight.

      • miri
        miri
        January 3, 2021 at 2:21 pm | #

        You know what they say about hindsight being 20/20.

        • Clif
          Clif
          January 3, 2021 at 6:35 pm | #

          Hindsight is so 2020.

  28. AGV
    AGV
    January 3, 2021 at 6:16 am | #

    Becky is still being Becky, but I think that this is a great improvement overall

  29. Exarch
    Exarch
    January 3, 2021 at 8:49 am | #

    I’ve been experimenting with the capitalization in my email to see which gravatar I could get that I’d be happy with and I think THIS IS IT

    • brumagem
      brumagem
      January 3, 2021 at 10:49 am | #

      You can do that??

      • brumagem
        brumagem
        January 3, 2021 at 10:49 am | #

        Holy macaroni you can do that!

        • TrueVCU
          TrueVCU
          January 3, 2021 at 1:13 pm | #

          THE GAME HAS CHANGED

  30. FacelessDeviant
    FacelessDeviant
    January 3, 2021 at 9:00 am | #

    I think Becky should be very happy that Dotty isn’t a bad person. Imagine if that intelligence was used against someone.

    She’d be Ozmymandias from Watchmen.

  31. eskimolos
    eskimolos
    January 3, 2021 at 9:04 am | #

    It’s also weird to demand someone justify why they think someone should get a routine test that everyone that works with computers is expected to get at least once a year.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      January 3, 2021 at 9:15 am | #

      Wait. Expected by who?

      I’ve worked with computers for decades and no one has ever mentioned this. One place made me get an eye test before being hired, but that was 20+ years ago.

      • Clif
        Clif
        January 3, 2021 at 10:19 am | #

        Yeah, I worked with computers from 1972 till I retired for a variety of employers and none of them ever said anything about an eye test. I suppose it could be a new regulation, but it doesn’t seem plausible.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        January 3, 2021 at 3:51 pm | #

        Work has never made me get a vision test, but I already needed glasses anyway.

    • Daibhid C
      Daibhid C
      January 3, 2021 at 11:04 am | #

      When I started, my work told me they’ll provide me with a free eye test if I apply for one, but in five years I’ve never got round to finding out the details and nobody’s pressed me.

    • Demoted Oblivious
      Demoted Oblivious
      January 3, 2021 at 5:18 pm | #

      Beyond the standard recommendation of regular eye-tests for the sake of health, I never had work suggest it except the military as part of routine physicals. As I understand it, it’s not a bad idea (no harm done, qnd can catch to correct some problems earlier).

      While I’ve noticed my vision degrade a little over the past decade, it still passes 2020 so I’ve been lucky thus far. Worked with screens for 27+ years now and heavy reader.

      • Demoted Oblivious
        Demoted Oblivious
        January 3, 2021 at 5:19 pm | #

        Yeah I suppose that is a bit of a Boosterish comment. Grav checks out. [sigh]. Apologies.

  32. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    January 3, 2021 at 9:06 am | #

    Little steps.

  33. Raven
    Raven
    January 3, 2021 at 10:02 am | #

    Oh Becky. You almost saw reason.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      January 3, 2021 at 9:00 pm | #

      I think she knows Dorothy’s right, but had to package that in a way so it fits into her one-sided rivalry narrative.

  34. Juanoku
    Juanoku
    January 3, 2021 at 5:44 pm | #

    Oh you’ve got to be kidding me

  35. Uniquitous
    Uniquitous
    January 3, 2021 at 9:46 pm | #

    Ugh, GOD but Becky is intolerable.

  36. Wilson Phillips
    Wilson Phillips
    January 3, 2021 at 10:15 pm | #

    Can we have, maybe, like 2 more Dorothy good decisions before everything turns terrible again? Positive character growth would really be a nice New Year’s present after the trauma sandwich they’ve had to swallow.

    • Wilson Phillips
      Wilson Phillips
      January 3, 2021 at 10:15 pm | #

      And yes, I’m aware these have been written months in advance. Doesn’t mean I can’t hope.

More Asma?

View Results

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


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

David M Willis! avatar
David M Willis!
@damnyouwillis.bsky.social
reposted by David M Willis!
eizebasa.baby's user avatar
Eize Basa @eizebasa.baby ⋅ 1y
I’m watching that Ken Burns documentary about life in the Old West. I had no idea how brutal it was.
Ken Burns (not really) saying
10
97
527
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 8h
Dumbing of Age: "Stop" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Stop
2
4
41
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 12h
Hair's getting grayer
I'm looking up
11
77
 
reposted by David M Willis!
korybing.bsky.social's user avatar
Kory Bing🔜SDCC 1229 @korybing.bsky.social ⋅ 13h
My family legacy: my grandmother drew the Kenny Loggins Jesus
An illustration of white jesus looking a lot like Kenny Loggins. It’s. Worksheet with typed questions and written answers:
- Who is this man? “Kenny Loggins”
- How does his death help us? “No more bad songs.”
- Why is it important that we remember him? “Highway to the Danger Zone was ok.”
67
207
1839
 
reposted by David M Willis!
thekarlapacheco.bsky.social's user avatar
Karla Pacheco! @thekarlapacheco.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
How I Loss My Wife 




(pictures of the CEO who got caught cheating at the Coldplay concert, in the timeless format of
6
31
170
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 13h
IS THIS POKÉMON JESUS
8
4
57
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 18h
you know you're old when you get excited it's started to rain because it means you can go outside and weed without bees
3
2
88
 
reposted by David M Willis!
skullmandible.bsky.social's user avatar
Cohen is a Ghost @skullmandible.bsky.social ⋅ 19h
this guy's got the juice man
zohrankmamdani.bsky.social's user avatarZohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Good morning! I'm in Uganda to visit family and friends. But depending on your perspective, don't worry or I'm sorry: I'll be back by the end of the month. See you soon, NYC.
3
20
181
 
reposted by David M Willis!
zandravandra.com's user avatar
Alex Zandra @zandravandra.com ⋅ 1d
DEFEAT ALFRED E. NEU MAN
getequipped.bsky.social's user avatarGet Equipped With @getequipped.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
get equipped with no worry
1
21
63
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Dumbing of Age: "Asma" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Asma
1
8
49
 
reposted by David M Willis!
koltreg.bsky.social's user avatar
Luke! @koltreg.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
A great episode that also just had to be like "Okay, for this one specific criminal, Metropolis has the death penalty so he can't reveal Superman's secret identity."
nemalki.bsky.social's user avatarJeff Harris @nemalki.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
"The Late Mr. Kent" is damn good television. Probably one of the best-written episodes of television written in the 1990s. Not just animation. Television period.
2
12
52
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
hey youtube, i'm not sure the short circuit 2 score by charles fox belongs in this "Music of Asia" algorithm
5
4
40
 
reposted by David M Willis!
jakemgrumbach.bsky.social's user avatar
Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
looking at the 30+ democracies that have successfully prosecuted heads of state for violating their constitutions over the past 15 years
imgflip.com
DOZENS OF OTHER
-DEMOCRACIES OUSTING AND ARRESTING
LEADERS WHO ATTEMPT COUPS
implausibleblog.bsky.social's user avatarFarrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Brazilian president to the American people, "If Trump was Brazilian and did what he did at the Capitol, he'd be on trial in Brazil"
32
1082
4309
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
(august 29, 2025)
Raidah approaches the Read Hall center desk while Asma sits there at a laptop.
3
5
73
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
some adult in pokemon: it's weird, nobody's ever seen a pokemon egg before! for thousands of years, no pokemon eggs have ever been discovered by humans! ash: well let's go find one! *fifteen minutes later* ash: oh hey
3
5
114
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Always up for a bonus taking-a-shit face
9
11
120
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Raidah!
1
3
36
 
reposted by David M Willis!
paultobin.bsky.social's user avatar
Paul Tobin @paultobin.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Still researching old sleaze paperbacks and legitimately wondering if the book designer asked the author or editor what should be the tagline at the top and they mumbled out the above tagline and the book designer just...wrote it down.
34
148
835
 
reposted by David M Willis!
cochu.bsky.social's user avatar
Cochu @cochu.bsky.social ⋅ 4d
Amen break whenever Mario vibrates extremely rapidly while emitting a barrage of "ha", "hoo", and "hmm" soundbites
mariobrothblog.bsky.social's user avatarSupper Mario Broth @mariobrothblog.bsky.social ⋅ 5d
In Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, crouch-walking against a switch will make Mario vibrate extremely rapidly while emitting a barrage of "ha", "hoo", and "hmm" soundbites.
37
1871
3885
 
reposted by David M Willis!
hausofdecline.bsky.social's user avatar
Haus of Decline @hausofdecline.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Alex says
54
762
4888
 
reposted by David M Willis!
unitdlx.bsky.social's user avatar
UNIT DLX @unitdlx.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
Terrible news! The back of box render for the Classified Series Legacy Firefighter seems to imply Shipwreck's house caught on fire.
The back of box render for the GI Joe Classified Series Legacy Collection Firefighter. A firefighter in the foreground poses dramatically with the jaws of life. Another firefighter in the background sprays a wrecked car with foam. A third firefighter even further back escorts a man away from a burning house.
A firefighter escorting a man wrapped in a fire blanket away from a burning house. The man bears a strong resemblance to the GI Joe Classified Shipwreck figyre.
3
17
45
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
"explore the unknown"? mary, it's new york city, this is at least your third time here, and the last time you were here you got mad at your taxi driver for using a gps
7
5
55
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
one of the kids yelled at the other to "drink my BUTT" and i've just picked up a new invective
5
98
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
D8
3
2
22
 
reposted by David M Willis!
qasimrashid.com's user avatar
Qasim Rashid, Esq. @qasimrashid.com ⋅ 2d
Dem Party: We are spending $20M to figure out how to talk to male voters. Mamdani: Save your money. I have +45 favorability with male voters & +73 with men under 45. Endorse me. Dem Party: No way dude. Now—why is our favorability is -54? Let's spend $20M on wealthy consultants to figure it out!
495
3037
12967
 
reposted by David M Willis!
ary.bsky.social's user avatar
Chris @ary.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
old man yaoi
Lumiere and Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast
1
82
248
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Dumbing of Age: "Supplier" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Supplier
4
46
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
toxic yuri
2
13
67
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Asma!
8
126
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
not sure that beats "for sale: baby shoes, never worn"
5
5
37
 

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