Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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sorry, dina already has book 10's title, so book 11 can't be 'the euphoria is in my pants'
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BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

June 14, 2026

Partnered

by David M Willis on February 17, 2021 at 12:01 am
  • 03 – See You in the Funny Page
└ Tags: becky, dina, joe, professor brock

Discussion (224) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    February 17, 2021 at 12:02 am | #

    Fisher-Price My First Lady Boner™

    • Ana Chronistic
      Ana Chronistic
      February 17, 2021 at 12:03 am | #

      Dumbing of Age Book 11: Hey, Girlfriend, Y’Ready to Go Home an’ Do Science Together?

      • Clif
        Clif
        February 17, 2021 at 2:05 am | #

        I like it.

      • Ed Rhodes
        Ed Rhodes
        February 17, 2021 at 6:01 am | #

        Dumbing of Age, Book 11: The Euphoria Is In My Pants.

        • He Who Abides
          He Who Abides
          February 17, 2021 at 7:01 am | #

          That should be the title for Season 2’s omnibus.

          • NotPiffany
            NotPiffany
            February 17, 2021 at 8:14 am | #

            You mean the DoA Slipshine omnibus, surely.

        • Ana Chronistic
          Ana Chronistic
          February 17, 2021 at 9:50 am | #

          Alt-text already e;fb’ed you

          • BarerMender
            BarerMender
            February 17, 2021 at 11:09 am | #

            I’ve done my due diligence, but I can’t find what “e;fb” means. Help me out.

            • Thag Simmons
              Thag Simmons
              February 17, 2021 at 1:10 pm | #

              ‘edit: fuck, beaten’ I think.

              • BarerMender
                BarerMender
                February 17, 2021 at 6:04 pm | #

                Thanks.

      • Icalasari
        Icalasari
        February 17, 2021 at 12:13 pm | #

        Book 11: Is [The Euphoria] In Your Pants?

    • butts
      butts
      February 17, 2021 at 12:24 am | #

      dina gets horny (specifically in the manner of the ceratopsids)

      • I am Nothing
        I am Nothing
        February 17, 2021 at 3:31 am | #

        Is that a Slipshine title?

      • davidbreslin101
        davidbreslin101
        February 17, 2021 at 9:27 am | #

        …and they can get THREE TIMES as horny as anyone else.

        • Demoted Oblivious
          Demoted Oblivious
          February 17, 2021 at 12:30 pm | #

          As a grav of science, you should know that there were many types of ceratopsids, many of whom had fewer or far more horns.

          • Librain
            Librain
            February 19, 2021 at 4:47 pm | #

            True, but that doesn’t make for nearly as neat a joke.

      • He Who Abides
        He Who Abides
        February 17, 2021 at 5:17 pm | #

        For SCIENCE! – A Dumbing of Age Pornagraphique.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      February 17, 2021 at 10:33 am | #

      If it’s pink and sparkly, I’m in.

  2. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    February 17, 2021 at 12:03 am | #

    Not often I have the opportunity to reference this show these days, but damned if I’m gonna pass up the invitation.

    • Dara
      Dara
      February 17, 2021 at 12:12 am | #

      OH MY GOD HARVEY BIRDMAN

      THAT LINE HAD CURRENCY IN OUR HOUSE FOR LIKE FIVE YEARS xD xD xD

      • Dara
        Dara
        February 17, 2021 at 12:13 am | #

        sorry for the all caps i got excited

        it’s been so long

        harvey birdman i have missed you so

      • JediMB
        JediMB
        February 17, 2021 at 5:39 am | #

        I’m partial to the without my pants episode of Round the Twist.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 17, 2021 at 9:03 am | #

      Ha-HA! Cookies on dowels!

      • Dara
        Dara
        February 17, 2021 at 10:51 pm | #

        ♥

    • I'm Batman
      I'm Batman
      February 18, 2021 at 9:25 pm | #

      Speaking of references, I’m surprised noone has commented on the ‘Back to the Future’ pose in frame 1. Fairly obvious nod.

  3. Mr D
    Mr D
    February 17, 2021 at 12:04 am | #

    Just offscreen, Joyce making a D: face

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      February 17, 2021 at 12:06 am | #

      While it’s possible that Joyce overheard since she was standing next to Joe and Joe heard it, I’d say it’s equally likely that Joe just has the ability to detect this sort of thing at a range of a mile or two.

      • Slartibeast Button, BIA
        Slartibeast Button, BIA
        February 17, 2021 at 12:08 am | #

        His Perv-sense is tingling?

        • William Leonard Reese Jr.
          William Leonard Reese Jr.
          February 17, 2021 at 1:01 am | #

          . . .I feel like that would be both a fun and a really icky power to have.

          • Opus the Poet
            Opus the Poet
            February 17, 2021 at 1:24 am | #

            It’s the best sense, verified.
            https://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-106-the-very-best-sense/

            • Roborat
              Roborat
              February 17, 2021 at 2:56 pm | #

              That is from 8 years ago, did you remember that page, or did you have to look for it?

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      February 17, 2021 at 12:25 am | #

      Joyce D:
      Joe 😀

    • Demoted Oblivious
      Demoted Oblivious
      February 17, 2021 at 3:47 am | #

      Three threads and I’ve learned of two new cultural media to follow. Today is a much better day and I’ve not even slept yet.

  4. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    February 17, 2021 at 12:05 am | #

    Maybe today will be the day that Dina jumps Becky. Also Joe was correct, which is both shocking and not surprising at all.

    But back to the important stuff, DinaxBecky slipshine when?

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      February 17, 2021 at 12:28 am | #

      *soon*

      • Demoted Oblivious
        Demoted Oblivious
        February 17, 2021 at 3:48 am | #

        When will then be now?

        • Deanatay
          Deanatay
          February 17, 2021 at 10:35 am | #

          We missed it!

          WHEN??

          Just now.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      February 17, 2021 at 12:38 am | #

      Dina’s waiting on Becky. It’s more a question of when Becky jumps Dina.

      She’s a young evangelical teenager in college convinced that not waiting until marriage is a sin, so, yes, the answer is most likely “soon”.

      • Brat
        Brat
        February 17, 2021 at 2:40 am | #

        🤔🤭🤣😂🤣🤣🤣🥳

  5. Fart Captor
    Fart Captor
    February 17, 2021 at 12:05 am | #

    Never has my queer little heart been filled with such glee ^_^

    • Bogeywoman
      Bogeywoman
      February 17, 2021 at 1:07 am | #

      Accurate avi is accurate <3

      • Bogeywoman
        Bogeywoman
        February 17, 2021 at 1:08 am | #

        yikes big nope on mine

        • Brat
          Brat
          February 17, 2021 at 2:41 am | #

          But then the second time was on point!

  6. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    February 17, 2021 at 12:05 am | #

    There’s a very good chance Becky and Dina are gonna fail this class.

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      February 17, 2021 at 12:07 am | #

      I doubt it, Becky and Dina might be dealing with unresolved horniness but they are also smart cookies. I have no doubt they can work together and still get things done.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        February 17, 2021 at 12:27 am | #

        Yeah, but where’s the comedic drama in that? This situation seems tailor made for a storyline where they struggle to get work done because they can barely cope with the sexual tension. Plus Becky and Dina do “science” together feels like a perfect DoA brand slipshine title.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      February 17, 2021 at 12:40 am | #

      If they DO start banging, I’d guess it’s even odds that finishing their science projects will be their foreplay. In which case they’re DEFINITELY going to spend a lot of time on their projects.

  7. ian livs
    ian livs
    February 17, 2021 at 12:06 am | #

    “Do science together” is especially amusing to me since “Science” somehow became a euphemism in my friend group, which started with me and my spouse, and since it spread to the friends, my friend–>other partner and I also have it as a stupid joke now, lol

    • ian livs
      ian livs
      February 17, 2021 at 12:07 am | #

      …okay, not to laugh at my own post, but my avatar coupled with what I said cracks me up

      • Dara
        Dara
        February 17, 2021 at 12:10 am | #

        legit, it’s perfect

      • Brat
        Brat
        February 17, 2021 at 2:41 am | #

        Haaaaaaa!

    • Bicycle Bill
      Bicycle Bill
      February 17, 2021 at 12:20 am | #

      Don’t know how Willis timed it, but the reprint strip for “Joyce and Walky” today is entitled “Science Friday.”

      • Wizard
        Wizard
        February 17, 2021 at 12:31 am | #

        Cue up the Thomas Dolby on the muzak. “Science!”

        • Opus the Poet
          Opus the Poet
          February 17, 2021 at 1:34 am | #

          “Good heavens Miss Sakamoto, you’re beautiful!”

          • NickG
            NickG
            February 17, 2021 at 3:53 pm | #

            Magnus Pyke FTW.

    • OBBWG
      OBBWG
      February 17, 2021 at 12:00 pm | #

      Time for some intellectual discussions.

  8. Nono
    Nono
    February 17, 2021 at 12:07 am | #

    Joe and Dina interacting had untapped, yet terrible potential.

  9. BBCC
    BBCC
    February 17, 2021 at 12:07 am | #

    Oh MY. Looks like Becky said the magic words. XD

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      February 17, 2021 at 12:07 am | #

      FUCK I keep forgetting to do my grav roulette.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        February 17, 2021 at 12:20 am | #

        Hrmm. Another day, another BBCC quest for Sal on the grav roulette. Lets see what the fates bring for me in honor of your search! NO WALKY’S! NO WALKY’S! GO!

        • Sirksome
          Sirksome
          February 17, 2021 at 12:22 am | #

          Dina! Very relevant! Solid ☆☆☆☆☆ roll!

          • Chris Phoenix
            Chris Phoenix
            February 17, 2021 at 2:00 am | #

            If my avatar hasn’t changed recently, it will be relevant to your avatar. Let’s see…

            • Deanatay
              Deanatay
              February 17, 2021 at 10:37 am | #

              Indeed.

        • Sunny
          Sunny
          February 17, 2021 at 7:05 am | #

          Walky is genetically as close to Sal as you can get, though, so a very solid second choice there.

    • AbacusWizard
      AbacusWizard
      February 17, 2021 at 12:13 am | #

      Oh dang, this is *almost* the right number of words to be the “seven words that will make someone love you” from The Name Of The Wind!

      • Ray Radlein
        Ray Radlein
        February 17, 2021 at 12:22 am | #

        ‘Let’s Go Home and Do Science Together” is seven words

      • a/snow/mous/e
        a/snow/mous/e
        February 17, 2021 at 11:21 am | #

        The euphoria is in my pants, actually!

  10. Madock345
    Madock345
    February 17, 2021 at 12:09 am | #

    So, is this canonically Dina’s O-Face in panel 2?

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      February 17, 2021 at 12:13 am | #

      She’s turned on, not having an orgasm already.

      • Madock345
        Madock345
        February 17, 2021 at 4:56 am | #

        I think we’ve seen her turned on by Becky before on screen.

        The phrase “Sudden rush of euphoria” isn’t how I would describe arousal, It’s a lot more uncomfortable than euphoric, but I do see that’s the popular read, so I might be in the minority there.

        • Fiddler115
          Fiddler115
          February 17, 2021 at 6:09 am | #

          You may be in the minority, but you are almost certainly correct. Based on Dina’s dialogue and the timing of it in response to Becky saying something Dina would find very arousing, I think it’s clear that she is experiencing her first orgasm which is a totally new experience for her.

    • Nono
      Nono
      February 17, 2021 at 12:14 am | #

      I think it’s less ‘O face’ and more ‘…huh. So this is my hot spot button.’ Like when you suddenly realise that you’re attracted to curly hair, or Scottish accents, or you discovered Chris Hemsworth.

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        February 17, 2021 at 12:21 am | #

        Chris Hemsworth with curly hair, doing a Scottish accent.

        • Demoted Oblivious
          Demoted Oblivious
          February 17, 2021 at 4:02 am | #

          Frankly his Aussi accent is probably plenty for most north americans. Don’t know how it reads across the pond.

        • Roborat
          Roborat
          February 17, 2021 at 3:00 pm | #

          Nono probably just exploded.

  11. Beau Kirin Maysey
    Beau Kirin Maysey
    February 17, 2021 at 12:12 am | #

    *very dramatic ‘Back to the Future’ theme continuing to get louder*

  12. Octopus Ink
    Octopus Ink
    February 17, 2021 at 12:13 am | #

    Loving that pose in panel one!

  13. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    February 17, 2021 at 12:13 am | #

    *plays “She Wears The Pants With Me” on the hacked Muzak* (I don’t know who the artist was. I doubt it was Weird Al.)

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 17, 2021 at 9:08 am | #

      All parodies are credited to Weird Al, at least that’s how it was on Limewire back in the day.

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        February 17, 2021 at 10:39 am | #

        Sounds legit.

  14. BarerMender
    BarerMender
    February 17, 2021 at 12:14 am | #

    Becky gets a sudden jolt in her pants.

  15. brionl
    brionl
    February 17, 2021 at 12:18 am | #

    “I sense a great disturbance, in my pants…”

    • Lieutenant Dan
      Lieutenant Dan
      February 17, 2021 at 8:13 am | #

      “I find your lack of pants disturbing.”

      “You are unwise to lower your pants.”

      “Your pants. You will not need them.”

      “The more you tighten your pants, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.”

      …I could go on all day.

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        February 17, 2021 at 10:40 am | #

        “And I see your Schwartz is as big as mine!”

        *glance downward, then back to each other*

        “Now let’s see how well you ‘handle’ it…”

  16. Undrave
    Undrave
    February 17, 2021 at 12:18 am | #

    I don’t know why but “The Euphoria IS in my pants” also feels how Starfire phrase it…

  17. Deathjavu
    Deathjavu
    February 17, 2021 at 12:20 am | #

    I don’t remember what Book 10’s title is from Dina, but not being able to have Book 11 be “The Euphoria Is In My Pants” is a tragedy.

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      February 17, 2021 at 12:27 am | #

      ”Reject Magical Thinking and Embrace Empirical Evidence”

      • deathjavu
        deathjavu
        February 17, 2021 at 7:34 am | #

        Damn, that’s great too. This is Dina’s fault for being so awesome and having too many great quotes in a short time span.

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      February 17, 2021 at 12:34 am | #

      Book 11: “Is it in your pants?”
      Not quite as catchy, but it could work.

    • Lingo
      Lingo
      February 17, 2021 at 1:16 am | #

      Yeah, screw you title-text, let Dina have two titles in a row! This one is better than all the others put together!

      • AbelUndercity
        AbelUndercity
        February 17, 2021 at 8:19 am | #

        It’s time to simply surrender and let Dina have all of the book titles going forward, as she gets all of the best lines.

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        February 17, 2021 at 10:43 am | #

        Guys, I think it’s more that this comic, where the quote originates, will still be in Book 10, and that book already has a name.

        • Lingo
          Lingo
          February 18, 2021 at 2:27 am | #

          Naw, that book will end with the time-skip.

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      February 17, 2021 at 4:49 am | #

      “The Euphoria Is In My Pants” would make a great Book 11 title, and I’m very disappointed that, according to the alt-text, Willis probably won’t use it.

      • milu
        milu
        February 17, 2021 at 5:44 am | #

        If I ever buy Book 11 I’ll sharpie “The Euphoria Is In My Pants” over whatever lame title it has.
        CHECKMATE WILLIS

        • Demoted Oblivious
          Demoted Oblivious
          February 17, 2021 at 6:00 pm | #

          I bet if you ask nicely he might even do it for you.

  18. Wack'd
    Wack'd
    February 17, 2021 at 12:21 am | #

    Because this comments section can be a way sometimes, I’m gonna point out a few things: Yes, people on the asexual spectrum can and do experience arousal and attraction. It’s a spectrum for a reason. Dina has specifically been identified on Twitter as grey-ace (damnyouwillis/status/1231987068718505985) which for many people means either attraction or arousal is infrequent or less pressing than it is for allo folks.

    So there is absolutely no need to debate whether Dina’s ace or whether this strip changes anything about her orientation, okay?

    And with out of the way I disappear back into the mists like a spooky ghost

    • Demoted Oblivious
      Demoted Oblivious
      February 17, 2021 at 4:07 am | #

      Time to read up more terminology. I’m guessing from context i understand grey-ace and allo, but I’m off to the weeb stacks to learn something new. And it’s all thanks to you!

      • Jhon
        Jhon
        February 17, 2021 at 12:09 pm | #

        ‘allo’ is for people near the middle of the bell curve.
        ‘weeb stacks’? ( google wants to tell me about web development )

        • Demoted Oblivious
          Demoted Oblivious
          February 17, 2021 at 12:38 pm | #

          Well, you’re on the weeb, and the stacks are the main book shelves at the library, so… main sources of (aiming for reliable) information on the whirled why’d weeb. Does not that help to declarify?

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      February 17, 2021 at 7:19 am | #

      As one of those folks who thought stuff like that, I appreciate you laying it out for me so I can stop making that mistake.

    • zee
      zee
      February 17, 2021 at 12:32 pm | #

      Ah cool. I did know she was confirmed grey ace, i was just hcing her as demi

  19. NinjaNick
    NinjaNick
    February 17, 2021 at 12:22 am | #

    It tingles.

    The goggles do add some cuteness enhancement.

  20. TlalocW
    TlalocW
    February 17, 2021 at 12:23 am | #

    Pants Euphoria would be a good name for a band.

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      February 17, 2021 at 1:17 am | #

      *adds to list of names for use in applying to Rock Band units in Civ 6*

      • Nazmazh
        Nazmazh
        February 17, 2021 at 4:37 am | #

        One of the channels on my friends’-group discord is basically dedicated to writing down all of our “Hey, that random phrase you just said would be a good name for a band” moments.

        It never occurred to me that I actually had somewhere I could *actually* be using those names! As someone who plays Civ, I’m ashamed that it didn’t occur to me until you said that just now.

        We’ll see how smug Alexander is when his city flips because Booty Cramp put on such an awesome show that it showed his people how great my civilization is! Or maybe Barbarossa will have to acknowledge the superior guitar stylings of Distant Skunk. But, the best will be when Soup Noises and Arson For Good bring down Seondoek’s schemes and keep her from launching that rocket to Mars and foiling my plans.

        • milu
          milu
          February 17, 2021 at 7:44 am | #

          Shit, those are legitimately awesome names! i’m starting my own list right the F now

        • TlalocW
          TlalocW
          February 18, 2021 at 12:32 am | #

          Just to date myself, I don’t know if he originated it, but one of Dave Barry’s go-to phrases in his syndicated newspaper column was, “So-and-so would make a good name for a rock band.”

      • TlalocW
        TlalocW
        February 18, 2021 at 12:37 am | #

        Long before Postmodern Jukebox appeared on the scene, I wanted to start a band that did covers of songs – not just in different styles of jazz – but in “wrong” styles. I played a tape of a cover of Stairway to Heaven but to the tune of Gilligan’s Island for band class, and one of the “rockers” said that it was sacrilegious, and I said, “I think you mean ‘sacrilicious.'” Sacrilicious would have been the band name, but then I found out that there had been a band named that – some local/area one but still.

  21. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    February 17, 2021 at 12:23 am | #

    Euphoria in my pants is my favorite New Wave band. Their hit single of their debut album “Euphoria in my pants” entitled “Euphoria in my pants” is a real banger.

    • milu
      milu
      February 17, 2021 at 7:52 am | #

      Fans debate whether their idiosyncratic style is best described as pantscore or euphoria-wave.

      • SolomonK
        SolomonK
        February 17, 2021 at 10:29 am | #

        Do you mean “pant score”, as in “Don’t rate women’s arousal levels, Joe”?

        • Demoted Oblivious
          Demoted Oblivious
          February 17, 2021 at 12:42 pm | #

          I read it as pants-core, versus pants-alt, parachute-pants, and booty shorts.

  22. bcb
    bcb
    February 17, 2021 at 12:23 am | #

    Who says characters can’t have more than one book title? Walky got the title for both book 1 and book 8 (although he shared the latter with Amazi-Amber.)

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      February 17, 2021 at 12:26 am | #

      I think the issue is more the same character getting two consecutive book titles

      • Demoted Oblivious
        Demoted Oblivious
        February 17, 2021 at 4:09 am | #

        Was anyone aware of such a rule being documented? And really, if the death rule can be bent, it would seem reasonable that ‘no consecutive titles’ could be more flexible.

        • Devin
          Devin
          February 17, 2021 at 1:04 pm | #

          Ostensibly The Willis is aware of The Rules being documented in his head. Or at the general location of his whims.

          He also could just be joking/trolling. This is frequently his way.

          • Demoted Oblivious
            Demoted Oblivious
            February 17, 2021 at 6:31 pm | #

            As with all dictators. 😀😶🤔🤫🤐

  23. Samantha
    Samantha
    February 17, 2021 at 12:35 am | #

    Why is this so funny and adorable I love Dinas wholesome hornyness Hornsomeness?? Poor Becky how will she cope with their hormones

  24. Wagstaff
    Wagstaff
    February 17, 2021 at 12:45 am | #

    Looks like she’s finally experiencing those inclinations.

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

    • Devin
      Devin
      February 17, 2021 at 1:06 pm | #

      And Amber may soon learn she has to adjust her mental framing of Dina.

  25. LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    February 17, 2021 at 12:46 am | #

    So… Dina might be demisexual? I don’t want to get too bogged down in labels, but she’s moved from “people keep talking about sex, so even though I haven’t felt the same urges, I might want to try it, but I would have to take copious notation” to “I like Becky, and I might want to try the sex things with her, if she wants (and I know she finds me sexy)” to this comic, where Dina might be turned on for the first time in her life

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      February 17, 2021 at 1:18 am | #

      https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1231987068718505985

      Per Willis’s Twitter, Dina is gray ace.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      February 17, 2021 at 1:21 am | #

      It’s part of why I find umbrage with the super specific labeling when it comes to sex and sexuality. Insomuch that how you feel can change like the weather and trying to categorize it to such a pinpoint definition can definitely cause you to have to reevaluate and recategorize constantly. On one hand I get it, it gives you a sense of community and understanding of what exactly is going on with your desires and feelings and being able to say “oh that! That’s how I feel!” is great. But I dunno I think at a certain point we have to accept that a lot of this human experience shit is fucking NEBULOUS. We’re not robots that are just one thing performing one function and a bazillion factors can affect this ETHER that is the human mind and body. At the end of the day, know what you like, Know what you don’t and own it. Your experience, your tastes, your desires, they’re not a category, they’re YOU.

      • Chris Phoenix
        Chris Phoenix
        February 17, 2021 at 2:13 am | #

        I think some of the value is in seeing the various dimensions/spectra as continuums. If you’re on the ace spectrum, deciding whether you’re gray-ace or light-gray-ace may or may not be useful – but knowing that ace is a thing and you’re somewhere between ace and allo can be very useful.

        Just like I don’t have to know my exact Kinsey Scale number – simply knowing that there exists a number that describes my frequency of attraction to men vs. women, and it doesn’t have to be 0.0 or 6.0, can help the first time I’m attracted to someone that surprises me.

        Whether I’m “mostly straight” or “straight-ish” or “bi” depends on the context, and I don’t care about the label. It does help to know “Oh, so for the first time in my life I was attracted to a guy (who had long hair and amazing cheekbones) and I don’t have to reassess anything because

        • Chris Phoenix
          Chris Phoenix
          February 17, 2021 at 2:16 am | #

          (didn’t mean to hit send yet)

          …because it’s a continuum and I’m fine with “approximately mostly straight I guess.”

        • Yotomoe
          Yotomoe
          February 17, 2021 at 3:18 am | #

          I get that and it makes sense. Part of me just hates humanity’s insistence on quantifying everything in some sorta scale or chart. It can certainly help to open your mind to the spectrum of your orientation but I, personally, just am not a fan of going into great detail over those things? I’m definitely still figuring out what’s going on with me despite me still feeling like I’d fall under the blanket of “straight”. Personally just knowing myself means more to me than trying to put a name or number to how I feel. But I do get that at least opening someone up to the idea of a spectrum can at least positively effect how they feel about themselves. I just feel like at times we get caught up in the specifics and try to fit the dictionary definition instead of just letting ourselves…”be”. If I’m makin’ sense.

          • Moonie
            Moonie
            February 17, 2021 at 3:44 am | #

            You’re right, but also when you’re very clearly *not* allo and straight, it’s sure nice to find a word or two that gets a bit closer to your general perspective.

            • ischemgeek
              ischemgeek
              February 17, 2021 at 5:45 am | #

              Also sometimes understanding there’s a name for your type of experience is validating especially if you were brought up to think Allo and cis and het are the only options. It’s a “people like me exist!” Moment.

              • Miri
                Miri
                February 17, 2021 at 7:27 am | #

                I honestly just thought I was really dense about some things before finding out that being demisexual is a thing (my husband and I were friends for 2 years before I realised I like-liked him… He is the third person I’ve really fancied. One of my best friends, as a teen, could easily be crushing hard on at least that many people at a time!).

                I don’t know enough people from a wide enough spectrum of identities to properly define my sexuality beyond “bi”, otherwise.

          • deliverything
            deliverything
            February 17, 2021 at 4:56 am | #

            Closer to Fine by the Indigo Girls is basically about this.

          • StClair
            StClair
            February 17, 2021 at 5:01 am | #

            Naming things is both something we do a lot of and, IMO, pretty much essential for any sort of advanced cognition. Imagine if we had to constantly, consciously evaluate every single object in our field of view to decide what it was. We’d never be able to get anything else done.

            (I imagine that, somewhere out there in the annals of medicine, there’s at least one case file of someone with this exact problem.)

            • deathjavu
              deathjavu
              February 17, 2021 at 8:54 am | #

              Yeah, this is a classic language problem. Using binary, concrete words to describe an analogue and changing world is like trying to draw a circle with straight lines. My computer is a computer and my desk is a desk, but that tells me nothing specific about them, just some general traits they share with other objects. You could add adjectives all day and still not be as precise as the real thing. Same concept applies to labels for human behaviours and tendencies. They may share some broad strokes similarities with other people, but you’ll never have enough adjectives to pin them down precisely. And you don’t really need to, either.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            February 17, 2021 at 10:00 am | #

            We do sometimes take it too far.
            If you feel you don’t fit in the expected norms, it’s great to have a word and a community for how you do feel, but then the need to break down and finely categorize exactly what flavor of outside those expected norms you are gets to be a bit much. “Am I even the right kind of freak to fit in with these other freaks?”

          • Devin
            Devin
            February 17, 2021 at 1:10 pm | #

            I think there’s a certain amount of desire for categorization that’s some kind of natural for humans to want to do. I could of course be wrong about this, but we sure do seem to love putting things in categories. I don’t even think that’s bad per se, it can be useful and sometimes comforting. I think the too far that we can take it is in sometimes insisting that the categories are discrete vs continuous, and/or static vs dynamic.

  26. Pocky
    Pocky
    February 17, 2021 at 12:47 am | #

    Euphoria in my pants is a term I’mma have to steal

  27. Rainhat
    Rainhat
    February 17, 2021 at 12:56 am | #

    Joe, eventually getting one right on sheer persistence.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      February 17, 2021 at 1:15 am | #

      A broken cock is right twice a day!
      yes that was on purpose

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        February 17, 2021 at 3:47 am | #

        Ouch.

        • He Who Abides
          He Who Abides
          February 17, 2021 at 7:06 am | #

          Yeah, that just sounds painful.

          • Miri
            Miri
            February 17, 2021 at 7:29 am | #

            Apparently it’s possible! I don’t really want to google for proof though.

            • Liquid Len
              Liquid Len
              February 17, 2021 at 8:06 am | #

              Don’t have to – plenty of ads all over TV for “ask your doctor about Peroni’s Disease”
              Yeah, I watch a bit of old-people TV…

              • Needfuldoer
                Needfuldoer
                February 17, 2021 at 9:13 am | #

                Look for the off-beat stations that air nothing but 60s and 70s reruns, and you’ll fi d nothing but ads for drugs and reverse mortgages.

                Those ad execs know their audience.

                • Liquid Len
                  Liquid Len
                  February 17, 2021 at 10:36 am | #

                  That and mainstream TV news…

                • Needfuldoer
                  Needfuldoer
                  February 17, 2021 at 12:19 pm | #

                  Ooh, yeah. They’re rife with old people stuff too. Reverse mortgages, pills, mesotheleoma settlements, shitty pillows, catheters, knee braces, mobility scooters (billed to Medicare at no out-of-pocket cost, of course)… There’s untold riches to be made off aging boomers.

                  The further right on the spectrum they are, the higher the odds they’re also full of ads for “collectable” coins, snake oil dietary supplements, gold, prepper food buckets, and shitty pillows.

                  Like I said, the folks who sell ad time for TV aren’t fools. They know exactly who’s watching, sometimes better than the people actually producing the content.

                • Agemegos
                  Agemegos
                  February 17, 2021 at 7:03 pm | #

                  Sometimes they know who’s watching better than the people watching.

                  It’s not just Google and FaceBook.

                • Needfuldoer
                  Needfuldoer
                  February 17, 2021 at 7:28 pm | #

                  Fun fact: Unless you’re a Nielsen family, what you watch doesn’t matter at all to your local TV stations and their networks. The capability to track everything is certainly there in your fancy, speech-recognizing, Internet-connected cable box DVR thing, but thanks to lobbying (coughNielsencough) and consumer privacy laws, they can’t do that.

                  Streaming services, on the other hand, track your viewing habits down to the second. It’s all in the ToS you scroll past when you sign up for an account.

  28. Josh Spicer
    Josh Spicer
    February 17, 2021 at 12:58 am | #

    I mean to be fair that one was pretty obvious. Joe shouldn’t saying it, sure, but given Joe is still Joe the writing was on the metahorical wall for that one.

  29. Lingo
    Lingo
    February 17, 2021 at 1:19 am | #

    So, does this class meet on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays?

    • Clif
      Clif
      February 17, 2021 at 2:15 am | #

      It’s still their first class. A cutaway to Lucy and Walky only gets you from the beginning of the class to the end.

      • Lingo
        Lingo
        February 18, 2021 at 2:28 am | #

        Yeah I know Clif. But it’s Tuesday, and Doc’s saying the assignment is due on Wednesday. (Which Wednesday?)

  30. Nayann Martinelli
    Nayann Martinelli
    February 17, 2021 at 1:34 am | #

    Unless you have any plans on using your euphoria, be it by yourself or with a consenting party, it should always be kept in your pants. It is, after all, the only reason why we have pants.

    • milu
      milu
      February 17, 2021 at 8:24 am | #

      also, pockets

    • zee
      zee
      February 17, 2021 at 12:46 pm | #

      Well, that and making sure our euphoria source doesn’t get infections from this gross gross world

    • Demoted Oblivious
      Demoted Oblivious
      February 17, 2021 at 12:46 pm | #

      prude

      Free Euphoria! Free Euphoria! Down with the pants-igarhcy!

    • Demoted Oblivious
      Demoted Oblivious
      February 17, 2021 at 6:39 pm | #

      Also, we have pants for a very large number of reasons:
      – to protect ourselves from environmental conditions
      – protect from more immediate physical damage
      – provide comfort
      – fashion
      – identify faction affiliation (gender, sexuality, religion, politics, favourite company)
      – meet requirements of religious and social modesty conventions.

      Throw off your shackles. Don’t wear your pants for modesty. Wear them as a post ironic counter statement against the pantstriarchy!

      • Nayann Martinelli
        Nayann Martinelli
        February 17, 2021 at 11:47 pm | #

        I was gonna make a counterpoint, but you make a compelling argument.

  31. Judas Peckerwood
    Judas Peckerwood
    February 17, 2021 at 1:47 am | #

    Good thing y’all are wearing safety goggles.

  32. Pan
    Pan
    February 17, 2021 at 1:49 am | #

    It is impossible for me to read this without hearing Christopher Lloyd’s voice.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      February 17, 2021 at 4:10 am | #

      Not quite the voice I’ve been imagining for Dina, but whatever floats your boat.

      • Devin
        Devin
        February 17, 2021 at 1:11 pm | #

        This is my favorite comment of today. My kingdom for a like button.

  33. RacingTurtle
    RacingTurtle
    February 17, 2021 at 2:10 am | #

    Aww, he’s helping!

  34. Rabid Rabbit
    Rabid Rabbit
    February 17, 2021 at 3:01 am | #

    Hey, Becky, careful there. You’re kind of channelling Dorothy at her worst in Panel 4 there.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      February 17, 2021 at 4:14 am | #

      Dorothy at her worst is a pointed comment about sexual appropriateness?

      • Demoted Oblivious
        Demoted Oblivious
        February 17, 2021 at 8:29 pm | #

        Dorothy at her worst advising someone to be more tactful, … seems legit.
        Although she isn’t one to shame a person’s sexuality, she is very aware of appropriate context. While it may seem like Joe was the one who went there, technically it was Dina who brought up her euphoria.

  35. Megan Rivera
    Megan Rivera
    February 17, 2021 at 3:29 am | #

    Book 11 Has To Be “The Euphoria Is In My Pants”. IT HAS TO BE

    • Eldritchy
      Eldritchy
      February 17, 2021 at 4:34 am | #

      And if not that then the “The title of our sex tape.”

  36. Amelie Wikström
    Amelie Wikström
    February 17, 2021 at 3:48 am | #

    Is it time for that grand old marriage of faith and scientific experimentation called “let’s find ways to pleasure ourselves and each other that technically aren’t sex according to scripture”?

    • Miri
      Miri
      February 17, 2021 at 7:37 am | #

      If they have no intention of lying with each other the way they’d lie with a man I think they’re good.

      • misanthropope
        misanthropope
        February 17, 2021 at 10:20 am | #

        well they can’t BOTH take all the goddamn blankets, then can they?

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          February 17, 2021 at 12:14 pm | #

          Get more blankets.

          • Demoted Oblivious
            Demoted Oblivious
            February 17, 2021 at 12:47 pm | #

            still they can’t both *each* take *all* the blankets. Sharing though…

  37. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    February 17, 2021 at 4:10 am | #

    GREAT SCOTT

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      February 17, 2021 at 5:05 am | #

      This is heavy!

  38. Eldritchy
    Eldritchy
    February 17, 2021 at 4:33 am | #

    Welcome to the Horny Zone, Dina.

    • Geneseepaws
      Geneseepaws
      February 17, 2021 at 8:30 am | #

      Science is “Highway to the Horny-Zone.” New filk by Kenny Logins?

  39. AGV
    AGV
    February 17, 2021 at 5:49 am | #

    Dina, pull the lever!

    • StClair
      StClair
      February 17, 2021 at 6:29 am | #

      Wrong lever!

      • Edwin I Callahan
        Edwin I Callahan
        February 17, 2021 at 7:04 am | #

        Why does she even have that lever?

        • Geneseepaws
          Geneseepaws
          February 17, 2021 at 8:32 am | #

          “I can’t help it. I’m a born button pusher.”*
          *Ringo Star, “Yellow Submarine.”

          • Delicious Taffy
            Delicious Taffy
            February 17, 2021 at 12:16 pm | #

            I saw that movie a couple dozen times as a kid, but the quote seems slightly off?

            • Devin
              Devin
              February 17, 2021 at 1:48 pm | #

              I’m about 90% sure it’s actually “I’m a born lever-puller”, which is especially ironic.

              • misanthropope
                misanthropope
                February 17, 2021 at 11:35 pm | #

                “Liver-pooler”

    • hof1991
      hof1991
      February 17, 2021 at 8:38 am | #

      Why would you put a self destruct button on that!

    • NickG
      NickG
      February 17, 2021 at 4:06 pm | #

      ‘Push the button, Max. Not that button!’ Jack Lemmon to Peter Falk “The Great Race”

  40. TheKelliestKelly
    TheKelliestKelly
    February 17, 2021 at 6:30 am | #

    If I had a Joe around asking me questions like that in high school I probably would’ve figured out I was bi a few months sooner

  41. He Who Abides
    He Who Abides
    February 17, 2021 at 7:30 am | #

    She wants the V!

  42. Lorien Inksong
    Lorien Inksong
    February 17, 2021 at 7:43 am | #

    Huh, this is the first time a character being horny has come across as just cute somehow. (I’m an ace who usually gets squicked out by typical media trope horniness) I feel like I got to sample the allosexual experience through a more realistic/daily view and I really appreciate it. It explains so much and makes so much more sense. I hope this rambling weird compliment made sense. XD

    Hopefully Dina and Becky can find a physical intimacy level they’re both comfortable with. They’re a cute pair and I think they’re good for each other.

    • Geneseepaws
      Geneseepaws
      February 17, 2021 at 8:39 am | #

      Oh, trust me … MANY many people, serzly “usually gets squicked out by typical media trope horniness”. That’s one of the better things about Willis’ writing. Their characters are more realistic than 85-90% of the comics out there.

      • Lorien Inksong
        Lorien Inksong
        February 17, 2021 at 7:49 pm | #

        Fam you don’t get it. Even in media with well written and critically acclaimed romances squick me out with realistic, loving depictions of physical interest in a romantic partner. Dina is the first to not squick me out with a very blunt declaration of lust.
        The really important bit (that got me to sigh and reply) is that I’m really tired of being told ‘oh most people feel like that’ when they really don’t. I’m a traumatized sex-repulsed asexual.
        I appreciate your empathy/ trying to help me feel included as part of the majority ‘in-group’ but it is not desired or welcome. XD;;

        • Demoted Oblivious
          Demoted Oblivious
          February 17, 2021 at 8:46 pm | #

          This is an interesting sharing of a personal experience and perspective. I appreciate especially the clarity that was provided around the author’s feelings and reaction.

          As for G’s attempts to understand and empathize … while it may not be welcome, it’s a bit naïve to share a personal experience or story in a public forum and expect to not have any responses. As free as a speaker is to share their opinions (and unwelcome of a response), equally free are those others to carry on a conversation on a topic in an attempt the understand and empathise, regardless of welcome. As is the freedom to maintain a certain level of politeness, or not. Very confusing is an appreciated but unwelcome.

          I find the author’s rejection G’s attempt’s to achieve emotional understanding (empathy) just as interesting. I wonder if G’s experience, and the idea that “everyone gets squicky” to some degree to be a reflection of the allo/a-sexual spectrum. Where a fully sex-positive person may not be squicked out at all by a media portrayed scene of passion, others would be at various degrees of squickiness (from slightly squicked to completely squicked the fuck out) driven by (maybe revealing to them) a person’s own degree of allo/a-sexuality.

          • Yumi
            Yumi
            February 17, 2021 at 9:02 pm | #

            Are you a fan of Booster, or not so much? This struck me as a very Booster-esque comment to post.

  43. milu
    milu
    February 17, 2021 at 8:07 am | #

    i’m sure most of us can relate to how hot it is when someone is nerdy about the same stuff as you, and suggests you nerd out together
    *phew*

  44. Spencer
    Spencer
    February 17, 2021 at 8:13 am | #

    I found David Willis’ tweet about that B:TAS episode where Batman’s villains hold a mock trial to convict him and it ends with them ruling in his favour, because honesty mattered more to these literal cartoon supervillains than Republicans, on imgur and I for one would like to congratulate them on finally breaking into the mainstream zeitgeist after 23 rewarding years of webcomics.

    It turns out that everyone who got hardcore nettled they stopped making Batman jokes by the time Shortpacked ended was right all the long.

    • Demoted Oblivious
      Demoted Oblivious
      February 17, 2021 at 8:47 pm | #

      Oh man, I don’t suppose you would share the link, please?

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        February 17, 2021 at 9:23 pm | #

        Here y’are

        https://imgur.com/gallery/ozB2gUx

  45. Geneseepaws
    Geneseepaws
    February 17, 2021 at 8:43 am | #

    I am so glad that Dina’s hat didn’t look down, too. That would have wrecked it for me.

  46. Jason Rivest
    Jason Rivest
    February 17, 2021 at 9:07 am | #

    So does everyone get the impression Dina’s sudden arousal might not stem from Becky’s proposition, but rather that Dina might be hot for teacher? I really hope I’m wrong, here. Isn’t it a little telling that Dina apparently did not feel arousal before this moment, even though she has been in a relationship with Becky for months? Only after she meets Professor Brock does she feel arousal.

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      February 17, 2021 at 11:06 am | #

      “Everyone”? No, I’m pretty sure that’s not an impression “everyone”– or most, for that matter– got. Since she’s confirmed grey-ace, it makes sense. I also don’t know that she hasn’t felt arousal before, just not in this way.

    • zee
      zee
      February 17, 2021 at 12:50 pm | #

      That would be just you, dude…

  47. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    February 17, 2021 at 9:27 am | #

    Stay calm Becky. Joe is the expert here.

  48. Smooti
    Smooti
    February 17, 2021 at 11:15 am | #

    Prof, if you dont want people making these comparisons to certain fictional scientists, maybe dont wear his exact watch and posing in such a distinct fashion?

    I’m also really glad for the comments section so far today. I can remember when I was Dina’s age, being able to discuss the nuances of ace and gray-ace experiences was a pipe dream, and now here we are, with allo people learning the terminology and listening and understanding. I appreciate it.

    • a/snow/mous/e
      a/snow/mous/e
      February 17, 2021 at 11:31 am | #

      Professor Brock was wearing that watch and doing that pose decades before BttF even came out!

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 17, 2021 at 2:07 pm | #

      [Some class later in the semester, Becky and Dina are working with some kind of test equipment with a bunch of lights on it]

      Becky: “Hey Professor, what does a yellow light mean?”
      Prof. Brock: *STARES DAGGERS*

      Context

  49. Bagge
    Bagge
    February 17, 2021 at 11:45 am | #

    THERE IS SCIENCE IN MY PANTS

    • milu
      milu
      February 17, 2021 at 5:46 pm | #

      FURTHER DATA COLLECTION NEEDED BEFORE CONCLUSIONS MAY BE DRAWN

      • Demoted Oblivious
        Demoted Oblivious
        February 17, 2021 at 9:16 pm | #

        Flirting level: +[All The Levels]

  50. Arianod
    Arianod
    February 17, 2021 at 11:56 am | #

    Pants is where the euphoria is.

  51. Evil Fairy
    Evil Fairy
    February 17, 2021 at 12:09 pm | #

    I’m trying to figure out what they’re doing on the first day of Bio 121 that would require safety glasses and I got nothing. Thoughts?

    • Holly
      Holly
      February 17, 2021 at 12:14 pm | #

      Introduction to lab safety?
      Otherwise no idea.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      February 17, 2021 at 12:21 pm | #

      If you’re in a class with cool safety glasses, wouldn’t you put ’em on for its own sake? I’ve never been to college, so I don’t have any first-hand experience, but it seems like a given.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 17, 2021 at 12:43 pm | #

      acid/base titration? Did they do chemistry last semester?

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        February 17, 2021 at 2:12 pm | #

        Almost, but that’s what Becky’s afraid of.

        • Bagge
          Bagge
          February 17, 2021 at 11:55 pm | #

          Hah!

    • Jhon
      Jhon
      February 17, 2021 at 1:10 pm | #

      So great was Dina’s arousal that her jacket changed color.

      • milu
        milu
        February 17, 2021 at 5:52 pm | #

        they’re behind some sort of tinted pane

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          February 17, 2021 at 6:12 pm | #

          It’s the sneeze guard… OF SCIENCE!

  52. Juanoku
    Juanoku
    February 17, 2021 at 4:50 pm | #

    ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

  53. Spencer
    Spencer
    February 17, 2021 at 6:19 pm | #

    Dear David Willis,

    In response to your tweet about which RPG character is getting into Smash, I can confirm that you made a slight miscalculation: there are two of them, Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

  54. Chester
    Chester
    February 17, 2021 at 6:24 pm | #

    Honestly nothin’ wrong with just making all the titles be Dina quotes

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      February 17, 2021 at 6:31 pm | #

      Winking Dan is apt here.

  55. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    February 17, 2021 at 6:33 pm | #

    The slight tilt by Dina’s head from panel 4 to panel 5 is incredible.

  56. thumb
    thumb
    February 17, 2021 at 8:12 pm | #

    Becky found the exact combination of words. And like Dina’s double hat, it was both unexpected, and yet incredibly predictable.

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