Dumbing of Age Book Eleven

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
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
asking the important questions
First Previous Random 340Comments Share Next Latest
Reddit Digg Facebook MySpace Delicious Stumbleupon Buzz Up! Mixx Technorati Google Bookmarks Yahoo Bookmarks Yahoo MyWeb Windows Live Propeller FriendFeed Newsvine Xanga LinkedIn Blinklist Twitter


BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

September 20, 2023

Outfits

by David M Willis on March 11, 2022 at 12:01 am
  • 03 – Trial and Sarah

└ Tags: ethan, walky

Discussion (340) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    March 11, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    there was a Sharpie in his laundry

    or an oil spill in the ocean… where he did his laundry

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      March 11, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

      He was carrying his laundry, and an industrial crane knocked him to the ground and spilled his clothes into a vat of ink

      • Juanoku
        Juanoku
        March 11, 2022 at 1:49 am | #

        Man, if that happened to me, I’d be moody as hell too

        • Lys
          Lys
          March 11, 2022 at 11:47 am | #

          And if it happened to Mike, he’d be dead or something

          • Clif
            Clif
            March 11, 2022 at 12:19 pm | #

            Now, see. I thought he was arm wrestling an octopus.

            Also, can Mike ever really be dead?

            • Opus the Poet
              Opus the Poet
              March 11, 2022 at 5:34 pm | #

              Mike will always live in our hearts, but in the real world he veddy dayd.

              • Yet_One_More_Idiot
                Yet_One_More_Idiot
                March 11, 2022 at 7:13 pm | #

                As Coroner, I can aver
                I’ve thoroughly examined, er…
                And he is not just merely dead –
                He’s really most sincerely dead!

                • Paul
                  Paul
                  March 12, 2022 at 11:55 am | #

                  As pathologist I must insist
                  I’ve checked ‘im out from toes to wrist
                  And he is not just merely dead
                  He’s really most sincerely dead

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      March 11, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

      New avatar I see?

      OH YEAH! Sal’s always a winner in my book!!! Great choice!!! 😍

      • True Survivor
        True Survivor
        March 11, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

        I still want to know how she got the old one. How?!?

        • LynziGraye
          LynziGraye
          March 11, 2022 at 12:17 am | #

          Preview panels from the Willis’ tumblr, I believe.

        • The Wellerman
          The Wellerman
          March 11, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

          Sorry earthling. I’ve tried using my Parasite Powers to see into the future, but all I’m getting on this site are hazy visions about some character’s backstory involving… a driver’s license?

          Eh, it’s probably a fluke anyway 😑

    • CrazyJ
      CrazyJ
      March 11, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

      Maybe it was Ethan that died, and he came back as Ethan the Black.

      • Geneseepaws
        Geneseepaws
        March 11, 2022 at 8:02 am | #

        #1 most plausible explanation.

        • keithcurtis
          keithcurtis
          March 11, 2022 at 10:45 am | #

          It’s what is written in the Tome of Ages about the coming of the Second Eaton…

          • Azhrei Vep
            Azhrei Vep
            March 11, 2022 at 11:44 am | #

            Yesss…. the second Second Eaton must happen!

            • King Daniel
              King Daniel
              March 11, 2022 at 12:35 pm | #

              2²nd Eaton

              • C.T. Phipps
                C.T. Phipps
                March 12, 2022 at 7:53 am | #

                Second Eaton was unironically the best arc of Shortpacked.

      • Lys
        Lys
        March 11, 2022 at 11:48 am | #

        Maybe it was Ethan that died, and this is Mike doing an elaborate prank

    • Lars
      Lars
      March 11, 2022 at 4:47 am | #

      Now I see Ethan in that bridge scene of Brütal Legend … and Mr. Crowley in my head.

  2. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    March 11, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

    …i mean i wasn’t asking that question before, but now i’m kinda curious

    • Lee
      Lee
      March 11, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

      Off topic but A+ username.

    • anon
      anon
      March 11, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

      other than buying a black outfit for mourning clothes/a funeral i feel like someone going into a depression spiral after the death of a friend would probably just reuse some old clothes or having some unwashed older clothes, so basically like a regular college student but a bit more sloppy (but since this is a comic, color representation/theory would prolly play into it more than a realistic situation), though other than the parents helping out with a weekly budget or so idk how much extra money a college student would have on buying new clothes and such after paying for a class/lunch

      • khn0
        khn0
        March 11, 2022 at 4:28 am | #

        You can also buy second hand or exchange clothes. And moreover, you can do it even if you don’t have kids! Got a camo period in college precisely because it was inexpensive or even free.

    • Abel Undercity
      Abel Undercity
      March 11, 2022 at 10:15 am | #

      When I lost my wife, I couldn’t bear wearing anything but black. I had to go to Walmart to buy some plain black t-shirts because all of my other black t-shirts were decorated.

      • Clif
        Clif
        March 11, 2022 at 12:31 pm | #

        It was only a lack of foresight that prevented Mike from making everyone feel uncomfortable by leaving a request that everyone wear loud Hawaiian shirts at his funeral.

        It’s too late for Mike, but it’s not too late for us.

    • Decidedly Orthogonal
      Decidedly Orthogonal
      March 11, 2022 at 1:25 pm | #

      It definitely wasn’t not a denial of a “no”. Probably.

  3. BubbaFett
    BubbaFett
    March 11, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

    Well I’m glad to see in a world of change Walky is still as unlikeable as hes ever been

    • BarerMender
      BarerMender
      March 11, 2022 at 12:17 am | #

      Ethan is the one getting on my nerves.

      • Imogen
        Imogen
        March 11, 2022 at 12:25 am | #

        Honestly, this is one of those rare moments where I fully appreciate Walky’s value to this story. I feel like the tragedy of characters like Walky and Mike and Amazigirl and Robin is that Willis wants to give every major character a serious arc, and some of them just… aren’t in serious stories. I love them, but some of them handle it better than others.

        • Clif
          Clif
          March 11, 2022 at 12:33 pm | #

          Yeah. You could never use Mike in a serious storyline.

          • J
            J
            March 11, 2022 at 11:50 pm | #

            I’m really not trying to put you on the spot, but to be fair to Willis & to how Mike was written, Willis did do just that in Mike’s final arcs.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      March 11, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

      I mean, Walky’s got obnoxious moments, but he didn’t really even *do* anything here.

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        March 11, 2022 at 12:54 am | #

        Asking questions is worse than murder.

        • Rose by Any Other Name
          Rose by Any Other Name
          March 11, 2022 at 1:00 am | #

          **comes crawling out of that the comment cul-de-sac below**

          **peers around**

          This thread is way chiller than the one I came from.

          • Delicious Taffy
            Delicious Taffy
            March 11, 2022 at 1:15 am | #

            Comparing one thing to another thing is exactly the same as [Insert Gulf War Atrocity Here]. You’re going to prison.

            • Clif
              Clif
              March 11, 2022 at 12:38 pm | #

              But did anyone really go to prison for [Insert Favorite Gulf War Atrocity Here]?

        • Keulen
          Keulen
          March 11, 2022 at 10:21 am | #

          Asking questions is literally Hitler.

          • Clif
            Clif
            March 11, 2022 at 12:40 pm | #

            Name one famous question that Hitler ever asked.

            If there was such, we could name it Fred. Or maybe in honor of Mike.

            • GenericGuestName
              GenericGuestName
              March 11, 2022 at 3:46 pm | #

              “Why didn’t they accept me into art school?!”

            • Ana Chronistic
              Ana Chronistic
              March 11, 2022 at 6:18 pm | #

              Google says https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=acoN9XUDtUw

      • not someone else
        not someone else
        March 11, 2022 at 1:07 am | #

        Commenting on someone’s clothing choices in any depth is a pretty rare thing to get right under normal circumstances. Going up to a depressed person in mourning and asking them if they changed their wardrobe to be Goth all of a sudden when 1) yeah, obviously, and 2) you know exactly what happened to prompt it, comes off as taunting them.

        If I believed Walky had the slightest thought to anything that came out of his mouth, I might even think he was calling Ethan goth as a way of saying he’s being overdramatic and is only pretending to mourn Mike for attention, because that’s honestly a more likely context with most people than making a comment that rude just because it popped into your head.

        • Sombrero
          Sombrero
          March 11, 2022 at 4:02 am | #

          Nothing just pops into Walky’s head. It just pops into Walky’s mouth and goes out.

        • Minkey93
          Minkey93
          March 11, 2022 at 8:35 am | #

          It might be worth pointing out that it wasn’t so much that it was the words said but that it was phrased in a way that Mike absolutely would’ve used. And his response “Mike’s Dead” was more of a way to tell Walky to shove it for trying (if unconciously) to interact with him i esame manner Mike would’ve.

          Let’s also take into consideration that Walky when meeting Booster was also in a weird state where he wasn’t as nonchalant about things as he normally is due to Mike’s death. I think walky is just better at compartmentalizing.

          Honestly, as with Joyce I’m convinced that Walky is exactly who Eathan needs to talk with right now. Given that he out of everyone had the next closest relationship with Mike due to living with him and is in a much better place than Amber.

          • TheHorseCouncil
            TheHorseCouncil
            March 11, 2022 at 10:18 am | #

            I sort of interpreted the interaction more as like “mike is dead, im in mourning, you lived with him heres a reminder that he’s dead so you can meet me at the appropriate mood”

            • Delicious Taffy
              Delicious Taffy
              March 11, 2022 at 10:54 am | #

              The appropriate mood of course being “on edge and empty”.

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      March 11, 2022 at 2:39 am | #

      Now imagine if Mike had asked that question.

      • Anon A Mouse
        Anon A Mouse
        March 11, 2022 at 7:01 am | #

        If it had been Mike everyone would have said how insightful it was and make Ethan reconsider his choices. Thank god Mike is dead. Good riddance.

        • Josh Spicer
          Josh Spicer
          March 11, 2022 at 9:11 am | #

          *high fives the mouse*

          • Clif
            Clif
            March 11, 2022 at 1:28 pm | #

            But Mike’s example is inspiring Walky to ask it, irritating Ethan for his own good.

            Mikeness is a universal constant and can never be destroyed.

            • seregiel
              seregiel
              March 11, 2022 at 4:20 pm | #

              And here I saw it as him trying since everyone (in story) keeps telling him to grow up, or be more observant, or be better with emotions. He’s kind of like Dina in this moment – I know I need to do the thing but I have not figured out the correct social interaction for this and like Becky all I have is jokes and denial. Yet, I SEE you and I GET it but DANG is that far.

        • Schpoonman
          Schpoonman
          March 11, 2022 at 4:29 pm | #

          Preach.

  4. Cattleprod
    Cattleprod
    March 11, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

    I read that in the same tone of voice I read the Batman “My parents are dead!” meme.

    • Dara
      Dara
      March 11, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

      I only work in black. And sometimes very, very dark grey.

    • StClair
      StClair
      March 11, 2022 at 12:30 am | #

      Same here.

    • newlland(Henryvolt)
      newlland(Henryvolt)
      March 11, 2022 at 1:25 am | #

      For a second there I thought you meant the Batman & Raphael Cowabummer meme- wait just got an idea-

      https://www.reddit.com/r/dumbingofage/comments/tbjiup/im_taking_the_liberty_to_start_sht_posting_here/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

      There we go (I just got into Reddit and it basically made for memes so I’m going to try something new with it.)

    • DaveM
      DaveM
      March 11, 2022 at 5:15 am | #

      Yup! There’s a sequence in The Sandman where Dream enters Delirium’s realm, and Delirium (who’s kinda upset with him at this point) threatens him with trapping him so while he thinks he’s escaping, he’s just going deeper into her realm and being more trapped.

      So while Ethan’s rejecting comics he’s becoming all Emo and refusing to mourn and move on from the death of a loved one (to the point of fetishizing them). The more he denies Batman, the more he moves deeper into Batman’s realm…

  5. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    March 11, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

    Not a great Walky moment…just sayin.

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      March 11, 2022 at 12:15 am | #

      … there are four comments in very tight proximity all saying basically this.

      Why? From where I’m sitting, Ethan is the one being the asshole here. Walky asked a legitimate question about where Ethan got his clothes (albeit in a somewhat snarky fashion) only for Ethan to snap at him about Mike’s death. Ethan is being melodramatic in the extreme.

      • BarerMender
        BarerMender
        March 11, 2022 at 12:17 am | #

        Yeah.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        March 11, 2022 at 12:18 am | #

        Walky isn’t really a close enough friend to snark with him like that. It comes off kind of like taunting him than actually asking a legitimate question.

        • Rose by Any Other Name
          Rose by Any Other Name
          March 11, 2022 at 12:21 am | #

          Maybe.
          “Mike’s Dead” is not a proper response to that. As someone above said, it seems like he’s imitating Batman (at best) and is being selfishly melodramatic, as if Mike’s Death is his personal burden to bare, at worst.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            March 11, 2022 at 2:41 am | #

            After that last conversation with Amber, he’s all out of patience for dancing around the issue.

            Still doesn’t justify lashing out though.

          • Wraithy2773
            Wraithy2773
            March 11, 2022 at 5:55 am | #

            More than one person can act like an asshole in a situation, though. There’s no reason to compare the two sides in an effort to find the lesser asshole.

            • khn0
              khn0
              March 11, 2022 at 10:26 am | #

              but… science…

              • Clif
                Clif
                March 11, 2022 at 12:58 pm | #

                Is never about finding the lesser asshole. It’s all about finding the greater asshole so that we are justified when we enjoy shaming them on the Internet.

                • GenericGuestName
                  GenericGuestName
                  March 11, 2022 at 3:50 pm | #

                  Read the first two lines of that comment and thought you were going in a COMPLETELY different direction with that >.>

                • milu
                  milu
                  March 11, 2022 at 4:36 pm | #

                  i have opinions about assholes, mind if i plug them?

      • AlexanderHammil
        AlexanderHammil
        March 11, 2022 at 12:20 am | #

        Man, his boyfriend was brutally murdered a couple of months ago, framing Ethan’s grief as “gothiness” is hugely insensitive. Like, it’s within the bounds of expected behavior for a 17 year old or however old Walky is, but also… like… that’s a shitty question.

        • ShellShockBP
          ShellShockBP
          March 11, 2022 at 12:25 am | #

          Boyfriend? They were best friends that had sex once or twice.

          • Rose by Any Other Name
            Rose by Any Other Name
            March 11, 2022 at 12:33 am | #

            I mean, that’s just semantics. They were lovers, however they choose to categorize that or however often it happened.
            (This doesn’t change my previous points – just disagree with the devaluing their relationship because it wasn’t well defined).

            • -
              -
              March 11, 2022 at 2:39 pm | #

              In what world is “best friend” by definition a downgrade from “boyfriend”? I know for a fact that your view of their relative values is not universal.

        • Rose by Any Other Name
          Rose by Any Other Name
          March 11, 2022 at 12:27 am | #

          First off, Walky didn’t do that – he asked if Ethan already had a goth wardrobe or bought new clothes. And it’s a legitimate question – most people don’t have enough black clothes to wear a new outfit of them every day.

          Secondly, sure, Walky was being a shit. And if Ethan had said “Dude, fuck off. I’m depressed.” that would have been fine. But that wasn’t what Ethan did, and I find Walky’s mild ribbing to be less offensive that Ethan’s response.

          • smolgrlboi
            smolgrlboi
            March 21, 2022 at 1:12 pm | #

            “And it’s a legitimate question” lmaoooo in what universe? it’s a dumb and meaningless question. walky is either dumber than I thought initially or thinks he’s being funny here. it ain’t cute.

        • Jamie
          Jamie
          March 11, 2022 at 2:42 am | #

          “brutally murdered” is really not a fair description of what happened. It gives Blaine and Ross far, far, far more credit than they deserve for what happened.

          “brutally murdered” is what happened to Blaine and Ross. Mike did an idiotically heroic self-sacrifice.

        • khn0
          khn0
          March 11, 2022 at 10:31 am | #

          Framing gothiness as grief is hugely insensitive for goths. I mean non-dead ones, and non-mourning ones. I mean Ian Curtis is dead, now get over it, Gabi Delgado is still alive. Wait. He’s not. Is it good or bad? I always fail to remember…

      • Derek
        Derek
        March 11, 2022 at 12:23 am | #

        Would you ask someone at a funeral why they’re wearing black clothes? If they give you a snappy answer, does that make them the asshole?
        Ethan is mourning and Walky has, at the very least, an inkling of this (because he knew Ethan and Mike were friends).
        Walky might be wondering why Ethan is in mourning two months (?) after the actual funeral but there’s more tactful ways of asking this.

        • Rose by Any Other Name
          Rose by Any Other Name
          March 11, 2022 at 12:30 am | #

          A) Ethan isn’t at a funeral. A funeral is a sanctioned event where wearing black is an appropriate one time event.
          B) Ethan has been wearing black outfits for sometime (you yourself suggest two months), indicating that he has more than one such outfit.
          C) It isn’t the fact that Ethan reacted negatively that bothered me. It was that he is acting like no one else but him has been effected by Mike’s death. Walky knows Mike is dead – he lived with Mike.

          • AlexanderHammil
            AlexanderHammil
            March 11, 2022 at 12:36 am | #

            A sanctioned event? You don’t need permission to dress how you like, and you certainly don’t need permission to be mourning someone you’ve known for years for however long.

            Shoot, going up to an acquaintance who isn’t in mourning and asking why they’re dressing the way that they are is kind of a dick move. You’d think Walky of all people would get that, given how much policing of his appearance he’s gotten from everyone this year.

            • Rose by Any Other Name
              Rose by Any Other Name
              March 11, 2022 at 12:56 am | #

              Sorry, got that word wrong. I was thinking sanctions like requirements (which I’m not sure it actually means) – ie everyone wears black at a funeral because it is socially expected, and thus it would be foolish to ask why someone was wearing black at one. Just like it would be foolish to ask why someone at a military outpost was wearing a military uniform – the answer is obvious.

              A college cafeteria is not a funeral and does not have a dress code (as you, Alexander, said), thus Derek’s comparison between Walky’s actions and asking why someone was wearing black at a funeral was fallacious. That was the intent of that statement.

              And, again, Walky did not ask Ethan WHY he was dressed in black. He asked if the clothes were already owned by Ethan or purchased especially for his new look.

              • Ron
                Ron
                March 11, 2022 at 2:52 am | #

                Hey I’m 100% with you on this. Walky’s asking if Ethan bought the clothes, not why he’s wearing them. It’s completely different. If someone would ask me at a funeral “Hey I didn’t know you had a black tie, did you buy it for the funeral?” I wouldn’t be annoyed in the slightest.

                (let’s see if I got that italic tag right)

                • Azhrei Vep
                  Azhrei Vep
                  March 11, 2022 at 11:50 am | #

                  I got bad news for you…

                • milu
                  milu
                  March 11, 2022 at 4:38 pm | #

                  Unless you totally meant to italicize all of your message starting with “bought”.
                  Good job Ron!

              • Derek
                Derek
                March 11, 2022 at 8:15 pm | #

                the cafeteria is not a funeral, but we know that Walky has enough smarts to figure out that Ethan’s black clothes are part of his mourning or at minimum related to his emotional state; and yet he continues to plow ahead with a tactless question because he doesn’t care.
                Would you ask a widow why she’s wearing black months after the passing of her spouse?

                • khn0
                  khn0
                  March 12, 2022 at 7:00 pm | #

                  that’s why going goth is not bringing anything. Would he be a *doomster*, then everything could be a funeral. Ofc, the problem would be that he’d had to be so slow he wouldn’t be past Walky in that last panel.

          • Roborat
            Roborat
            March 11, 2022 at 4:02 pm | #

            “grammer nerd” -affected, not effected.

      • EvilMidnightLurker
        EvilMidnightLurker
        March 11, 2022 at 12:29 am | #

        It’s the smile.

        That smile tells me that Walky genuinely straight up does not give a shit that Mike died and Ethan is still in mourning, and that he in fact is deliberately mining it for humor.

        • Lan
          Lan
          March 11, 2022 at 12:58 am | #

          I mean of everyone in this comic, Walky is the most likely to repress feelings of grief and hide them behind humor

          • not someone else
            not someone else
            March 11, 2022 at 1:09 am | #

            Right up there with Becky, I’d say.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            March 11, 2022 at 2:45 am | #

            Ethan isn’t in the right headspace to see that, though. All he heard was Walky poking fun at his wardrobe change.

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              March 11, 2022 at 8:52 am | #

              That’s fair, but we the commenters aren’t distraught with grief. We should be able to see that Walky’s humor doesn’t mean he “does not give a shit”.

              It’s often inappropriate and he’s bad at judging the room. It’s a character flaw, but that’s what it means.

              • Needfuldoer
                Needfuldoer
                March 11, 2022 at 12:37 pm | #

                Yup, and this time it came back to bite him.

                Trust me, it’s a problem I’m all too familiar with…

                • -
                  -
                  March 11, 2022 at 2:43 pm | #

                  Did it, though? Walky doesn’t look like he’s much bothered; in fact, he probably either a) was looking for some amusement at the expense of- what he considers- self-indulgent “woe is me look at my pain” Ethan or b) thinks he’s successfully lightened Ethan’s mood (who knows what Walky thinks, or even if/ when he does so…)- whatever, he doesn’t look like he’s been “bitten”!

              • Ike
                Ike
                March 11, 2022 at 1:06 pm | #

                > we the commenters aren’t distraught with grief.

                Speak for yourself. I’m still mourning the death of one of the most potentially interesting character arcs in the story.

                • khn0
                  khn0
                  March 12, 2022 at 7:02 pm | #

                  which of these chickens turned into nuggets?

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          March 11, 2022 at 1:10 am | #

          Jesus fucking Christ. Ethan can’t smile, Walky can, therefore he’s practically gutting live bunny rabbits in Ethan’s face?? Goddamn, y’all get some weird fuckin ideas from these tiny interactions.

          • june gloom
            june gloom
            March 11, 2022 at 9:35 am | #

            The internet has completely destroyed peoples’ ability to navigate or observe human interaction without devolving into rote fingerpointing about abusive behavior.

            • Delicious Taffy
              Delicious Taffy
              March 11, 2022 at 9:37 am | #

              I’m often inclined to agree.

            • Spencer
              Spencer
              March 11, 2022 at 10:55 am | #

              Grief and suffering are only valid if you’re a good victim.

              • june gloom
                june gloom
                March 12, 2022 at 3:09 am | #

                I don’t understand what this comment means.

                • Spencer
                  Spencer
                  March 12, 2022 at 7:29 am | #

                  Rueful sarcasm about how we treat people expressing their suffering in ways that are not immediately convenient to us.

                • june gloom
                  june gloom
                  March 12, 2022 at 7:34 pm | #

                  So are you agreeing with my comment or was your reply in opposition to it? That’s what I’m having trouble with.

                • Spencer
                  Spencer
                  March 13, 2022 at 8:54 am | #

                  ah.

                  Yeah I’m agreeing with you, I’ve agreed with you in the past when we’ve talked about the same and similar topics.

                • june gloom
                  june gloom
                  March 13, 2022 at 7:27 pm | #

                  I thought so, and I do remember that, but I wanted to make sure! Sorry for the misunderstanding.

        • J
          J
          March 12, 2022 at 4:03 am | #

          I don’t think that’s fair to Walky’s emotional range. To clarify what he’s doing with these callous remarks, you need only read these two strips (or for that matter, the recently posted 2022-03-12 strip):
          First:Booster’s second appearance
          Second:wherein Booster finishes analyzing everyone who says anything

          • J
            J
            March 12, 2022 at 4:08 am | #

            That’s not to say I condone Walky’s terrible remarks, either. It just seems much more a case of him doubling-down on escaping feelings.

      • Wereg
        Wereg
        March 11, 2022 at 1:53 pm | #

        IMO Walky’s being unintentionally insensitive, but that’s completely in character for him. I don’t care for him, but he’s not doing anything particularly awful.

        Ethan’s best friend of at least a decade and newly turned lover died in a pretty horrific way. Doubling down on that, it seems like Ethan had no one to really turn to when Mike died; Amber was dealing with her own trauma and Danny had just Danny’d harder than he’s ever Danny’d before. Ethan’s acting like a dickhead, but I can’t say I blame him.

        • J
          J
          March 12, 2022 at 3:51 am | #

          Agreed. Ethan’s reactions are spot-on for what he’s dealing with.

      • Deviant
        Deviant
        March 11, 2022 at 2:46 pm | #

        The way I see it, Ethan is clearly in emotional pain. Asking a cheeky question about that might be considered tactless.

    • ApolloLobos
      ApolloLobos
      March 11, 2022 at 12:16 am | #

      I don’t particularly think he’s done anything wrong here. Unless he was creeping on Amber and Ethans conversation I don’t see why he can’t casually speak to Ethan about mundane matters. Should he just automatically assume Ethans in a terrible mood and brooding about Mike at every hour of the day?

      I get that this is probably just blind walky hate because some people just really dislike certain characters, like anytime Danny or Joe turn up, but other than maybe being a bit tone deaf, it’s not really all that bad.

      • Rose by Any Other Name
        Rose by Any Other Name
        March 11, 2022 at 12:39 am | #

        I mean, I’m no fan of Walky. I just don’t see why so many people are saying this is him going too far. This was mild Walky annoyance at best.

        As for Ethan, I’m pretty sick of his faux-batman BS here. I mean, it’s entirely in character for him to retreat into Batman – but it also wore thin VERY fast.

        • the jighole man
          the jighole man
          March 11, 2022 at 7:16 am | #

          from what i can tell, ethan has been pretty much left alone since mike’s death.
          while the other girls had support nets and therapy, ethan was just left to sink into depression. he’s just going through the motions, waiting to get out of there and maybe if he’s lucky he can permanently join mike while he sleeps.

          then amber comes along and is suddenly “ready” to help him feel better, but the first thing she does when ethan expresses his emotions is attempt to one up him like some bad family guy “you think that’s bad” joke.
          seeing that amber (who left him to rot for a few months) isn’t going to be of any help, he leaves.
          as he leaves he comes across walky that cracks a joke at his appearance.

          speaking of his appearance, lets look at that for a sec.
          bags under his eyes from poor sleep
          he’s gotten much thinner from not working out and probably eating very little
          his clothes are all just “throw on” clothes with no color, because he can’t be bothered to look at clothes and figure out which color looks good with what

          he’s a mess, and he’s been rotting like a piece of old fruit.

          now in comes walky with the wise ass comment of the century, a joke that ethan just HAD to hear, and ethan is understandably angry.

          ethan is depressed, severely depressed. but it’s not the sexy cinematic depression that comes with cooky visions or deadpool wisecracks, it’s the real and painful kind of depression that eats away at your soul and drags you towards suicide.

          it’s actual depression, no idealized/romanticized depression.

          • Delicious Taffy
            Delicious Taffy
            March 11, 2022 at 8:07 am | #

            >”the first thing she does when ethan expresses his emotions is attempt to one up him like some bad family guy “you think that’s bad” joke”

            The hell? I must have read the past few strips wrong, because I don’t remember anything of the sort.

            • anonymsly
              anonymsly
              March 11, 2022 at 9:37 am | #

              How else did you read Ethan being very explicit about his despair and how his old coping methods aren’t working but he has no other options but to continue them, and Amber’s response being ‘lol mine was worse, remember?’

              • Delicious Taffy
                Delicious Taffy
                March 11, 2022 at 9:40 am | #

                I read it as her basically saying “Hey, look who you’re talking to? I completely get it.” But I don’t tend to condemn characters’ intentions to the pits of Hell as my first instinct, so I’m probably just wrong there.

                • zee
                  zee
                  March 11, 2022 at 12:33 pm | #

                  I feel like that’s what she was trying to do but it can easily also come off as “if you think that’s bad…” And i wouldn’t blame Ethan for reading it that way bc he is understandably not in the best state of mind

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            March 11, 2022 at 9:00 am | #

            Just to focus on the clothes, since that’s what the strip is about: he’s not just throwing on clothes, he seems to have an entire new wardrobe in black. That does smack of the romanticized depression.
            Most depressed people don’t actually go out and buy up a new clothes to wear so they can put together outfits without worrying what colors look good together.

            Part of what it is of course is a nod to cinematic/literary tropes for showing mourning and depression. Visual shorthand. Useful even if it doesn’t really make sense. Walky’s hanging a lampshade on that here.

          • Spencer
            Spencer
            March 11, 2022 at 9:05 am | #

            I don’t actually think Ethan was abandoned.

            When Ethan first reappeared, Danny makes a comment about how Ethan is “playing with his toys again” and asks if that’s good, which indicates that he had at least observed Ethan falling hard enough that he stopped playing with his Transformers.

            I might be reading too deeply, but I think it was a mutual pulling away between Ethan and the rest of the cast. Apart from being isolated from his main relationships (Amber withdrawing thinking she needed to give him space, whereupon Mike dying effed her up, Danny’s last comment becoming immensely worse in hindsight), I don’t think everyone else abandoned him to his grief, I think his beef with Amber and Danny meant he didn’t have any connections to everyone else.

          • Ereb
            Ereb
            March 11, 2022 at 5:14 pm | #

            Well said. I never even thought Ethan was being an asshole here. As someone who suffered from depression before, he just reads as depressed to me.
            He CAN’T muster more than this, especially after that long talk with Amber.
            I mean why not? “Mike’s dead” pretty much explains it all. Everything else can be extrapolated from Ethan’s perspective – It’s the one thing that rules his thoughts and existence right now.

            Yes, he’s not following the social etiquette to deflect, banter, whatever, but neither is Walky. Maybe that’s why Walky just goes along with it.

        • misanthropope
          misanthropope
          March 11, 2022 at 11:26 am | #

          ethan was minding his own business and walky seizes the moment to dunk on him. i cant fathom how you can think walky’s ok here because “Ethan’s the asshole”

          the thread of “Ethan’s emotional response is unauthorized” is also strange and unlovely, in my view.

          • Delicious Taffy
            Delicious Taffy
            March 11, 2022 at 11:52 am | #

            He was mindin’ his damn business, eatin’ some fruit!

          • Azhrei Vep
            Azhrei Vep
            March 11, 2022 at 11:54 am | #

            Wait … when did Walky dunk on him?

    • zee
      zee
      March 11, 2022 at 12:40 pm | #

      Just throwing my thoughts in here because this whole thread is stupid overanalysis and reading into words that were never said

      Walky did nothing wrong here. He is at worst being tone deaf. It’s Walky. It happens. Doa commenters need to learn that a social faux pas ≠ crime because mobs come out of the woodworks the second a character does something socially inept that mildly inconveniences someone else.

      Ethan did nothing wrong here. He’s in the trenches of grief and crippling depression, his social meter was eaten up by amber just now and he has no patience left. It doesn’t matter if his line feels like edgy batman shit. Sometimes people say cringy stuff when they’re depressed, oh dear God the horror.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        March 11, 2022 at 1:00 pm | #

        I mean yeah pretty much.

        It’s only doing wrong in the most absolutionist terms and where “being rude” is a wrong regardless of context.

        mobs come out of the woodworks the second a character does something socially inept that mildly inconveniences someone else.

        Ain’t that the truth.

      • milu
        milu
        March 11, 2022 at 4:42 pm | #

        zee? i love you. that was so perfect

        • zee
          zee
          March 11, 2022 at 7:17 pm | #

          Thank you thank you

  6. BBCC
    BBCC
    March 11, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

    Unhelpful, Walky.

    Damn, my comments are having a hard time going through lately. Rude, WordPress.

  7. anon
    anon
    March 11, 2022 at 12:11 am | #

    wow, walky lol

  8. True Survivor
    True Survivor
    March 11, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

    I’m gonna be honest, I was wondering that, too.

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      March 11, 2022 at 12:40 am | #

      I know, right?
      Did Ethan have a secret Goth era sometime in high-school? That would be some interesting backstory.

      • Lan
        Lan
        March 11, 2022 at 12:56 am | #

        A closeted, self-loathing nerd whose best friends are an asshole and the human manifestation of childhood trauma? Without a shadow of a doubt

        • Francoinblanco
          Francoinblanco
          March 11, 2022 at 3:40 am | #

          Craaaaawling in my skin
          These wounds, they will not heeeal

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            March 11, 2022 at 4:16 am | #

            Craaawling in my craaaaawlll

            These craaaaawllllss they will not craaaaaaawlllll

          • Lan
            Lan
            March 12, 2022 at 1:40 am | #

            You just know Ethan was big into MCR until Naomi saw Gerard Way being Like That and immediately prohibiting him from listening to them

    • zee
      zee
      March 11, 2022 at 12:41 pm | #

      I was thinking it yesterday

  9. Nono
    Nono
    March 11, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

    On some level, I feel like I could see Carla making this exact series of comments.

  10. butting
    butting
    March 11, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

    If Walky paid better attention he’d already know that Mike’s Dead is the name of Bloomington’s leading alternative thrift store.

    • Imogen
      Imogen
      March 11, 2022 at 12:26 am | #

      Really harsh that they opened right after Mike died, too.

      • DailyBrad
        DailyBrad
        March 11, 2022 at 12:27 am | #

        It was the Ayds of its time.

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      March 11, 2022 at 12:41 am | #

      I think this is my favorite comment tonight.

      **bows to butting**

    • Council
      Council
      March 11, 2022 at 1:06 am | #

      There is a second-hand bin by the cash register where you can buy used moms. For a nickel.

  11. Jonah Sanville
    Jonah Sanville
    March 11, 2022 at 12:16 am | #

    personal but when my close friend died i dressed very similarly, and i didnt buy anything new. i ended up just grabbing whatever involved the least amount of effort, which led to lots of dark hoodies and sweat pants

  12. jsmtn
    jsmtn
    March 11, 2022 at 12:16 am | #

    Can we please get Ethan into therapy? I know therapy isn’t for everyone, but I really think that this is the sort of situation where he could really benefit from some professional help.

    • Andy
      Andy
      March 11, 2022 at 1:07 am | #

      The problem with therapy is that its effectiveness is limited by how effective the participant wants it to be. I’m not convinced Ethan wants to worth through this yet, which means therapy would just be a waste of time and money.

    • Opus the Poet
      Opus the Poet
      March 11, 2022 at 2:37 am | #

      If every character who needed therapy in the comic got therapy we could do the entire comic from the doctor’s office.

      • Jamie
        Jamie
        March 11, 2022 at 3:07 am | #

        Honestly, I kinda want to see that TV series.

      • Keulen
        Keulen
        March 11, 2022 at 10:26 am | #

        That’d be an interesting new story arc, so I’d be ok with that.

  13. butts
    butts
    March 11, 2022 at 12:17 am | #

    everyone deals with things their own way, you two

  14. Suet
    Suet
    March 11, 2022 at 12:19 am | #

    I guess Walky is saying yes to the dress

  15. Robbie
    Robbie
    March 11, 2022 at 12:19 am | #

    I have actually been very curious too, so thank you Walky!

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      March 11, 2022 at 4:39 pm | #

      To fulfill a few of the “Walky is acting like Mike” comments, just imagine this is Walky honoring his memory and the time Mike answered Joyce’s phone (and Carol) with a “H A I L S A T A N“

  16. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    March 11, 2022 at 12:20 am | #

    *plays Billy Squier’s “In The Dark” on the hacked Muzak*

    • woobie
      woobie
      March 11, 2022 at 12:30 am | #

      not the video tho

  17. ktbear
    ktbear
    March 11, 2022 at 12:20 am | #

    Gee Ethan do you think Walky might not have noticed? Like the guys got a new room mate precisely because MIKES DEAD!

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      March 11, 2022 at 12:27 am | #

      Ethan’s whole thing right now is “Only I care the required amount” lately, so I don’t think it’s occurred to Ethan that anyone else gives a shit and is just handling it in their own way, or if it did, that it’d matter to him at all.

      Which, I’m not wholly unsympathetic to or anything. Grief isn’t exactly an empathy booster sometimes, and he’s isolated himself, so he’s got basically no insulation from Naomi, who with Ross and Blaine dead shot up the ranks by default as still one of the most monstrous parents in the comic, so there’s that.

  18. Cmasta1992
    Cmasta1992
    March 11, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

    Thanks for the update Ethan. I don’t think any of us noticed that Mike died. What would we do with the Goth News Network

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      March 11, 2022 at 12:28 am | #

      I’m thankful for the update because I was worried for a bit that the dead had risen. Didn’t wanna risk that monkey’s paw. Sometimes dead is better. etc. etc.

  19. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    March 11, 2022 at 12:25 am | #

    While Walky’s question is not appropriate, telling him off by simply saying, “Mke is dead,” is not appropriate either. I want Ethan to get some help so he doesn’t turn bitter for years and years. Also because Ethan is not a bad guy and seeing him like this is disappointing.

  20. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    March 11, 2022 at 12:27 am | #

    God Walky is still my favorite boy in DOA. Dare I say my favorite character in general.

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      March 11, 2022 at 12:34 am | #

      Isn’t he tho? He’s an inquinsitive guy who asks ALL the right questions! 😍

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      March 11, 2022 at 12:59 am | #

      If I had to guess… Carla.

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        March 11, 2022 at 1:32 am | #

        Gonna be honest, she probably doesn’t even make the top 5.

        • Kyrik Michalowski
          Kyrik Michalowski
          March 11, 2022 at 2:00 am | #

          Wow, that’s surprising to me, and now I’m curious who your top 5 are.

          • Yotomoe
            Yotomoe
            March 11, 2022 at 10:58 am | #

            Off the top of my head, as of march 11th 2022

            Walky and Jennifer are definitely top 5. (honestly I’m a bit biased cuz regardless of her personality I just find her really hot)

            Liz (again there’s an attractiveness bias)

            Honestly Joe has really grown on me. He used to be whatever but his latest arc has really endeared me to him.

            Probably Robin. She doesn’t get to do much but she’s basically grandfathered in as my favorite Shortpacked! character.

  21. John
    John
    March 11, 2022 at 12:30 am | #

    walky: “hey ethan! playful ribbing!”

    ethan: “MY MIKE IS DEAAAD!”

    walky: “I’ll bounce back from this immediately.”

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 1:37 am | #

      Truthfully, I think Walky is treating this interaction with the appropriate level of seriousness.

    • Wraithy2773
      Wraithy2773
      March 11, 2022 at 5:53 am | #

      I dunno, I read it more as:

      Walky: Snide joke swiping at the way Ethan’s expressing grief.

      Ethan: Lashing out at Walky to make it clear that this isn’t a joke.

      Walky: Dismissing it all as nothing worth caring about.

      Walky’s deep in his coping mechanisms here. Ethan’s got a metric butt-ton of issues here, but at least he’s making vague stabs at trying to deal with them (albeit not well). Walky’s just trying to silly his way out of trauma no matter how much it hurts those around him, and its not healthy at all.

  22. newlland(Henryvolt)
    newlland(Henryvolt)
    March 11, 2022 at 12:32 am | #

    I mean it’s not like Walky said he didn’t like the new look.

  23. Ty34er
    Ty34er
    March 11, 2022 at 12:33 am | #

    But it wasn’t a yes or no question

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 12:59 am | #

      It also wasn’t an inquiry about Mike’s current health status. I don’t think either of them really understood this interaction properly. Just a couple of confused bois.

      • cbwroses
        cbwroses
        March 11, 2022 at 3:07 am | #

        They misunderstood the assignment.

        • Jamie
          Jamie
          March 11, 2022 at 3:09 am | #

          Honestly, how do these two even have high school diplomas?

          • Azhrei Vep
            Azhrei Vep
            March 11, 2022 at 12:00 pm | #

            Walky’s good at taking tests and Amber was Ethan’s friend.

    • Username Taken
      Username Taken
      March 11, 2022 at 2:04 pm | #

      There’s a reason why Walky almost flunked out.

  24. Kirtro
    Kirtro
    March 11, 2022 at 12:38 am | #

    Okay, new rule (for myself at least) when I read a new strip I have the chorus to Unravel ready to play on the off chance Ethan is there.

  25. newlland(Henryvolt)
    newlland(Henryvolt)
    March 11, 2022 at 12:39 am | #

    Also honestly it be spitting in the face of Hot Topic to go to Target for all your gothic attire when Hot Topic has gone through so much to stay relevant…Hot Topic still a thing right?

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      March 11, 2022 at 1:02 am | #

      I dunno. Haven’t been to a mall since 2019.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 1:07 am | #

      It’s still around. Mostly just junky overpriced anime/Disney merch, nowadays. There’s a token mention of queer people in the little box of pins, some Funko Pops for twice the price the store next door is charging, and $6 boxes of candy containing half a mouthful of crappy candy, too. It’s honestly just the T-shirt corner of any nerd store, just bigger and more expensive.

    • zee
      zee
      March 11, 2022 at 12:45 pm | #

      I went once in 2019 and thought it was really cool. Then again I’m Jamaican and literally none of what hot topic sells exists here

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        March 11, 2022 at 5:50 pm | #

        Y’all don’t have popular anime, old bands, or Disney?

        • zee
          zee
          March 11, 2022 at 7:15 pm | #

          I mean, people watch it yes but no the merch isn’t sold here. You’ll get like, kids Disney stuff or toys but no Disney adult merch. Absolutely no band merch (most people are more into dancehall or soca) and anime only recently became openly popular. If you want anything like that you buy it online, or at the closest you might find a local online reseller on Instagram

          • zee
            zee
            March 11, 2022 at 7:49 pm | #

            There IS a single tiny japanese shop that I’m aware of that has some anime merch. But it’s mostly food

  26. Sporky
    Sporky
    March 11, 2022 at 12:40 am | #

    Even for Walky this feels pretty damn insensitive. Like, dude, what on earth makes you think he wants to crack wise with you?

    And of course Emo Ethan still sucks but that surprises nobody

    • newlland(Henryvolt)
      newlland(Henryvolt)
      March 11, 2022 at 12:48 am | #

      Well I haft to give him credit for finding a way to ask the question without being the one to straight up name drop or elude too their late deceased mutual companion.

  27. Axel
    Axel
    March 11, 2022 at 12:50 am | #

    I’m guessing he had most of them already, but he wasn’t combining them. It’s not weird at all that he’d have a couple black hoodies, black shirts, black pairs of pants, and some black shoes already in his wardrobe.

  28. Lan
    Lan
    March 11, 2022 at 12:52 am | #

    Dorothy [appearing from just out of the panel]: “that wasn’t a yes or no question, walky”

    • Jeff
      Jeff
      March 11, 2022 at 5:46 am | #

      And yet he somehow answered it with one!

  29. jeffepp
    jeffepp
    March 11, 2022 at 12:54 am | #

    The most Batman response posible.

  30. carcinoGeneticist
    carcinoGeneticist
    March 11, 2022 at 12:59 am | #

    “Did one day didja”

    Is that intentionally awkward phrasing or a typo?

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      March 11, 2022 at 1:01 am | #

      I believe it was intentional, since it is how some people phrase things.

      • milu
        milu
        March 11, 2022 at 4:45 pm | #

        do they??? it looks very awkwark to me
        (that was a typo, for reference)

  31. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    March 11, 2022 at 1:03 am | #

    “MiKe’S dEaD” oh gee is he really? i don’t think anyone has noticed, ethan. i’m not sure anybody but you has been able to perceive this massive looming cloud of gloom and doom, ethan. you’re the only person aware of mike being dead, you special special boy. his roommate, his other friend who was there to see his fatal injury, they don’t have the capability of noticing that mike died. only you, special little Ethan.

    • Qube
      Qube
      March 11, 2022 at 1:44 am | #

      no doubt everyone else has noticed, it’s just that we the audience can’t tell on account of the fact that all the previously-thrown confetti is on the ground, below the bottom of the panel

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        March 11, 2022 at 1:50 am | #

        lol

  32. Mr. Random
    Mr. Random
    March 11, 2022 at 1:05 am | #

    ….I was also wondering.

  33. Giguioto
    Giguioto
    March 11, 2022 at 1:14 am | #

    Me if I was Walky: “So that’s why I had a spare bed in my room the last semester.”

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      March 11, 2022 at 9:04 am | #

      “So that’s why Mike hasn’t been tormenting me so much lately. I was just enjoying it and not questioning.”

  34. not someone else
    not someone else
    March 11, 2022 at 1:21 am | #

    I dunno, I just took Ethan’s response as being to the implied question- why did you suddenly start dressing like that- rather than the stated one- which is… pretty random, like, yes, I’m sure people might randomly wonder whether someone went out and bought a new wardrobe in response to a significant life event, but that is something people do, it’s something he’s seen other characters in this comic do, it’s none of his business, and what in god’s name would he even gain by an answer?

    Not even mad, just… Walky, damn, get on something that allows you to slow down long enough to think, please. The correct response would’ve been to ignore him, and I can see how it comes off as chastising Walky, but…

    On the other hand, I don’t understand why people are bothered by Ethan’s general demeanor outside of agreeing with Walky’s implication that Ethan’s falling very loudly into a depressive spiral is just a dumb fake bid for attention he doesn’t need because it’s not actually a big deal.

    • Madock345
      Madock345
      March 11, 2022 at 4:01 am | #

      “Walky’s implication that Ethan’s falling very loudly into a depressive spiral is just a dumb fake bid for attention he doesn’t need because it’s not actually a big deal.”

      Sorry, but I don’t see that at all here. Walky is well aware of the situation with Mike, he was there for a lot of it. His question doesn’t imply that Ethan’s grief is fake. I think it’s more like he spoke a question out of mild curiosity without considering if it might have broader implication at all.

      • Wraithy2773
        Wraithy2773
        March 11, 2022 at 5:49 am | #

        I’m honestly not sure what’s going on in Walky’s head right now, but I don’t think it’s so straightforward when it comes to Mike. Ever since the Time Skip, Walky’s been doing everything he can to avoid dealing with Mike’s death, even when it’s blindingly obvious that he was affected by it.

        If Walky was innocently asking the question, I think his reaction wouldn’t have been as calm and casual as it was in the last panel, more likely confusion at Ethan lashing out at him.

      • not someone else
        not someone else
        March 11, 2022 at 11:15 am | #

        It’s not an intended implication, at all, it’s just the worst still-plausibly-read implication.

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          March 11, 2022 at 11:51 am | #

          Which is the only one that ever matters.

          • not someone else
            not someone else
            March 11, 2022 at 11:29 pm | #

            I certainly hope not, but, again, that doesn’t mean people don’t agree with it.

            Not to mistake you for someone posting without about twenty layers of contempt and sarcasm for the entire comments section, here. 😛

            • Delicious Taffy
              Delicious Taffy
              March 11, 2022 at 11:37 pm | #

              Me? Sarcastic? Naaaah, couldn’t be.

  35. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    March 11, 2022 at 1:25 am | #

    Waiter: “We don’t have Coke, is Pepsi okay?”

    Ethan: “Mike’s dead!”

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      March 11, 2022 at 1:57 am | #

      Teacher’s Assistant: “Can we have a moment to talk after class?”

      Ethan: “Mike’s dead!”

      • cbwroses
        cbwroses
        March 11, 2022 at 3:11 am | #

        Psychotic Customer Service Rep: “Hi Sir! It’s the Credit Card Fraud Department.”

        Ethan: “Mike’s dead!”

        • newlland(Henryvolt)
          newlland(Henryvolt)
          March 11, 2022 at 4:08 am | #

          Local Bank Employee: “Would you like open a savings account with us today sir?”

          Ethan: “Mike’s dead!”

          • Francoinblanco
            Francoinblanco
            March 11, 2022 at 5:55 am | #

            Mike’s dead (dead, dead), tell a friend (friend, friend),

      • OBBWG
        OBBWG
        March 11, 2022 at 12:35 pm | #

        Ethan: “Mike’s dead.”

        Twitter: Eat at Arbys.

    • JBento
      JBento
      March 11, 2022 at 10:12 am | #

      Batman: I’m Batman!

      Ethan: Mike’s dead!

      Batman: Being Batman is better.

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        March 11, 2022 at 10:42 am | #

        This is where I watched Mike die, Parappa.

  36. Juanoku
    Juanoku
    March 11, 2022 at 1:47 am | #

    That’s a perfectly legitimate question

    • milu
      milu
      March 11, 2022 at 4:49 pm | #

      I don’t think Ethan was asking a question.

  37. UniqueSnowflake2
    UniqueSnowflake2
    March 11, 2022 at 1:53 am | #

    r/InclusiveOr

  38. Bagge
    Bagge
    March 11, 2022 at 1:55 am | #

    Walky is a big fan of other peoples drama

  39. Bryy
    Bryy
    March 11, 2022 at 2:02 am | #

    This is going to backfire on Ethan horribly.

  40. Darkoneko
    Darkoneko
    March 11, 2022 at 2:10 am | #

    “uh ? I’m i’m pretty sure his clothes wouldn’t fit you”

  41. wilddeath
    wilddeath
    March 11, 2022 at 2:11 am | #

    As someone who recently had a death in my family, my response to ethan is ” And? Your point? Answer my question dammit.” Cause my version of grief is getting my questions answered relentlessly cause my mind will ask really stupid questions and not let me rest til i get the answers in order to avoid thinking about my grief.

  42. Ophidiophile
    Ophidiophile
    March 11, 2022 at 2:14 am | #

    You all do know that black is the traditional color for mourning, right? Walky doesn’t, of course, but the rest of you should.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 2:36 am | #

      Pretty sure everyone is well aware. Nobody seems to actually be confused by this.

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      March 11, 2022 at 3:16 am | #

      It’s also the traditional color for priests!

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        March 11, 2022 at 3:25 am | #

        Not to mention stage ninjas.

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      March 11, 2022 at 3:17 am | #

      And seriously, wear a suit. It’s only respectful.

      • Azhrei Vep
        Azhrei Vep
        March 11, 2022 at 12:03 pm | #

        Depends on the person. Personally, if I were around to observe my own funeral, I’d take offense to that. I can’t be the only one.

        • Azhrei Vep
          Azhrei Vep
          March 11, 2022 at 12:05 pm | #

          Admittedly, it just occurred to me that I’d also be annoyed with everyone for 1) Having a funeral at all and 2) bothering to show up to it as well. So I’d be a very upset ghost all around.

    • Making Paper Copies
      Making Paper Copies
      March 11, 2022 at 5:06 am | #

      ? Why would you assume Walky doesn’t know that. He didn’t ask “Why are you wearing black”, he asked “Where did you get the black clothes”.

    • zee
      zee
      March 11, 2022 at 12:50 pm | #

      I don’t actually think I’ve ever been to a funeral where you wear black. Maybe once as a kid but even then, i wore mostly white with black accents. Every time the family’s wishes are to wear colors because it’s a celebration of the life the person had and they don’t want it to be too somber.
      It didn’t occur to me until today that Ethan’s probably doing a Queen Victoria thing

    • Roborat
      Roborat
      March 11, 2022 at 4:09 pm | #

      Depends what country you are in.

  43. GUIGUI
    GUIGUI
    March 11, 2022 at 2:42 am | #

    Walky asking the important questions. Fashion tropes won’t simply be let unquestioned.

  44. zaratustra
    zaratustra
    March 11, 2022 at 3:06 am | #

    So what Ethan is saying is that his mourning garb is a hoodie?

    • Amós Batista
      Amós Batista
      March 11, 2022 at 5:27 am | #

      I think Ethan got the Walky’s indirect question. He asked like “dude, what’s happened to you?”

  45. cbwroses
    cbwroses
    March 11, 2022 at 3:21 am | #

    “Walky, don’t you know Mike’s dead?!”
    “No.”
    “So you think Mike is alive?!”
    “Sorry, I said No meaning Yes.”
    “No meaning Yes?! Walky, you do realize Mike is dead, right? Yes or no?!”
    “No.”
    “No you do realize or no you don’t?!”
    “Yes.”
    “Please!”

    • cbwroses
      cbwroses
      March 11, 2022 at 3:22 am | #

      Amber flips a table at “Please!”

    • Jeff
      Jeff
      March 11, 2022 at 5:44 am | #

      I suggest we split up, and search the house!

      • cbwroses
        cbwroses
        March 11, 2022 at 9:02 am | #

        Yes! Have an internet smile.

    • JBento
      JBento
      March 11, 2022 at 10:10 am | #

      Metaphorical upvote for the Clue reference.

  46. Sombrero
    Sombrero
    March 11, 2022 at 4:10 am | #

    Sorry Ethan, besides you and Amber no one cares that Mike’s dead outside of the comments section.

    • Sombrero
      Sombrero
      March 11, 2022 at 4:13 am | #

      Also:

      DoA Book 12: Mike’s Dead (with covers full of Mikes and Ghost Mikes and all magnets being Mike).

      • Clif
        Clif
        March 11, 2022 at 5:55 am | #

        <3

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      March 11, 2022 at 7:31 am | #

      Walky is very obviously dealing with a painful amount of grief in a scenario he doesn’t know how to approach, let alone that it’s for someone who made him feel miserable all the time.

      Openly acknowledging grief is already hard when you’re steeped in culturally enforced toxic masculinity, it’s probably way harder when the dude you’re grieving made your life miserable because he thought it was funny.

      • Sombrero
        Sombrero
        March 11, 2022 at 9:35 am | #

        While I agree with the point you make, I tend to read Walky as avoiding “culturally enforced toxic masculinity” better than the average straight male DoA character.

        (Don’t know why this came out as a standalone comment the first time, my apologies)

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          March 11, 2022 at 9:43 am | #

          The kid only had one pair of shoes (until Dorothy and Joe basically made fun of him for it) because he thought it was too fruity to have multiple pairs.

          • Spencer
            Spencer
            March 11, 2022 at 10:15 am | #

            And told Dorothy he loved her back because he refused to give that word any power.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            March 11, 2022 at 10:55 am | #

            He’s got some weird hangups, but he’s also perfectly okay with pretending to be gay for pizza. Picking one facet and attributing broad traits to a character because of it when they run counter to other things we’ve seen isn’t a great approach.

            • Delicious Taffy
              Delicious Taffy
              March 11, 2022 at 11:00 am | #

              That’s what everyone else does around here. I’m just trying to fit in with the cool kids.

            • Spencer
              Spencer
              March 11, 2022 at 11:00 am | #

              Straight dudes think gay chicken is funny, yes.

              This is why when he was married to Joe in Gender Studies he made a big farce of it.

              • Sombrero
                Sombrero
                March 11, 2022 at 11:29 am | #

                I remember reading it at the time as Walky making fun of Joe at the expense of Joe’s macho schtick. Maybe I missed some cues.

          • Sombrero
            Sombrero
            March 11, 2022 at 11:09 am | #

            Never thought “toxic” in “culturally enforced toxic masculinity” was literal. Interesting, but a little smelly, I guess.

  47. K. Ivan Ruppert
    K. Ivan Ruppert
    March 11, 2022 at 4:21 am | #

    So, maybe this is a good moment to ask this but, I’m kinda wondering how grief counseling works. I mean, I know that in the wake of bad events at schools, those schools typically make sure it’s known that there’s people who know what they’re talking about that you can just go and talk to, but I’ve never been in a position to see how that works.

    I’m just saying… you know… Ruth’s getting therapy and I think Amber’s getting therapy now too, and maybe Ethan would like to talk something out with someone?

    • Amós Batista
      Amós Batista
      March 11, 2022 at 5:17 am | #

      In american colleges, is possible to find free therapy?

      • Biscuit
        Biscuit
        March 11, 2022 at 6:38 am | #

        IU’s a big school with a med school attached. There’s likely some mental health services for students available or at least a resident clinic.

      • Julez
        Julez
        March 11, 2022 at 11:34 am | #

        Most public colleges have a help center that includes counselors at the very least, which may offer therapy or at least can give referrals to therapy nearby

        • Azhrei Vep
          Azhrei Vep
          March 11, 2022 at 12:07 pm | #

          It has ALSO been said that the therapists here aren’t very good. I don’t remember by whom, but it’s definitely been said.

  48. Masumi
    Masumi
    March 11, 2022 at 4:47 am | #

    Now I’m wondering about that too. My best theory:
    It does seem unlikely for someone that depressed to decide to go shopping for new outfits, but he did lose some weight, so I’d guess his old clothes stopped fitting right, so a family member dragged Ethan to the store, and he went ‘ah screw it, all black’.

    • Azhrei Vep
      Azhrei Vep
      March 11, 2022 at 12:08 pm | #

      Also: Amazon exists. You can buy clothes on it. Black ones, even! I would know, I get a lot of my clothes there, and I like black. It matches with itself very nicely.

      • milu
        milu
        March 11, 2022 at 4:53 pm | #

        also works fairly well with dark gray, dark blue, maybe dark green on an overcast day.

  49. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    March 11, 2022 at 5:34 am | #

    Ethan, Mike is alive. So fucking alive.

    He literally reincarnated in you. You’ve turned himself a medium, got possessed by a malevolent spirit, which its destiny is to tormet Walky until the end.

  50. Jeff
    Jeff
    March 11, 2022 at 5:43 am | #

    Ethan’s quickly becoming the least likeable character, and surprisingly less able to process emotions than Amber now. Can’t wait for a different arc, gonna get old seeing emo Ethan wandering around saying ‘Mike’s dead’ all the time.

    • Biscuit
      Biscuit
      March 11, 2022 at 6:42 am | #

      Agreed. I know that in real life it’s not like one can control what stage of grief they’re in but in a character that you have to follow for multiple panels, the “anger” stage gets tiresome.

  51. Spencer
    Spencer
    March 11, 2022 at 7:00 am | #

    Presented with absolutely no apology!

    https://i.imgur.com/YZBrsnW.png

    (I think spam filter eats my posts if they’re only a few words long)

    • Amós Batista
      Amós Batista
      March 11, 2022 at 7:15 am | #

      Willis should, really, put Ethan slapping Walky…

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      March 11, 2022 at 10:34 am | #

      The fact that Ethan is Batman in this makes it even better.

  52. thumb
    thumb
    March 11, 2022 at 7:02 am | #

    Ah, speaking of people who aren’t emotionally available . . .

    Also, bloody hell this comment section. One of this dude’s closest friends has died and he’s supposed to make space for other people’s bullshit? C’mon. Just because you the reader didn’t like Mike doesn’t mean that Ethan the character isn’t allowed to process it. If he was able to crack jokes or even entertain other people’s jokes, I would be incredibly surprised and it would take me out of the story. Not everything gotta be quippy.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 7:52 am | #

      The last time I said this, it led to a Whole Thing, but here goes:

      Nobody is asking for that. Not one person is asking for Ethan to “be quippy”. He’s bawling everyone else out and guilt tripping them for Mike being dead, as if he’s the only one who cares enough. It’s exactly the same as Ruth’s grandpa (may he rest in pee) saying “At least SOME of us care” or whatever the wording was. All anyone is saying is that it’s grating and/or Unhealthy. Wally’s relentless snark and refusal to stop quipping, that’s getting called out too.

      There’s no exchange here, no “or”, no “instead of”, everybody involved is handling it like crap and every last one of them is getting fingered for it. The only one who’s fully stopped to process their grief a little is Amber, of all people, and Ethan but her fuckin’ head off for saying so.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        March 11, 2022 at 8:55 am | #

        This post made me think of something.

        I don’t think Ethan is grieving the same Mike as everyone else, and he *is* mad that no one else is doing so.

        Charitably, nobody liked Mike. Danny’s foot in mouth comment is, I think, what anyone would say if they were similarly as bad at keeping their thoughts inside.

        But that isn’t Ethan’s Mike, the jerk who “cared, deep down” and died saving Amber from her own problem. Ethan was crushing on him a long time, it finally happened but he was smart enough to know why it never could happen, because Mike is an asshole who makes everyone miserable. It’s true, he is; the only reason Mike slept with him was to make Danny miserable about it, whereupon Mike caught feels.

        But Ethan didn’t lose that Mike, he lost the Mike he always wanted, who was secretly a good person and cared about Ethan. The Mike that Ethan is grieving is the most idealized Mike possible, and Mike can’t do anything to contradict that ever again because he died in the heroic way possible, except what motivated that was the realization that he had been abusing Amber for years and in the exact same way as Blaine had.

        Amber’s grieving her asshole friend, Walky is grieving his asshole roommate, and Ethan is grieving someone who doesn’t exist and he’s mad that no one else is doing the same.

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          March 11, 2022 at 9:06 am | #

          Mourning people who don’t exist is a really good way to ruin your own life, tee hee haytch.

        • StClair
          StClair
          March 11, 2022 at 11:19 am | #

          Yup.

    • Ashley
      Ashley
      March 11, 2022 at 10:56 am | #

      Thumb’s up for thumb!

    • zee
      zee
      March 11, 2022 at 12:57 pm | #

      You’re right and it’s exhausting
      Boo hoo why can’t Ethan grieve peacefully and with grace, why’s he so angry all the time, why can’t he just be nicer >:/

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        March 11, 2022 at 1:03 pm | #

        Okay I know I’m repeating what I did in another comment but “why’s he so angry all the time, why can’t he just be nicer” is what happens all the time here with every character.

        • zee
          zee
          March 11, 2022 at 1:50 pm | #

          I know, and it’s annoying, and I’m not immune to it bc everyone is a dirty dirty hypocrite on the inside.
          Something about it in this scenario is irking me more than usual. Let the man grieve, sheesh

          Oh and it’s not always “why are they so angry why can’t they be nicer”. Sometimes it’s “ew why can’t they be normal”, a la Lucy and Booster.

          Never forget the biggest crimes of doa: being angowy and committing a social faux pas

  53. Adept
    Adept
    March 11, 2022 at 7:15 am | #

    I’m really confused about the approach taken here. For the longest time there seemed to be ambiguity on whether Mike was still in the hospital, or had he passed.

    It’s a weird thing to have jumped over, and to have kept the audience guessing. I can’t say I like it.

    • David M Willis
      David M Willis
      March 11, 2022 at 8:41 am | #

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/invited-2/

      it was answered within 13 days of the time jump, i dunno if “inside of two weeks” is really “the longest time”

    • StClair
      StClair
      March 11, 2022 at 11:22 am | #

      A lot of this comment section seems/seemed determined to see, manufacture, and/or cling to that ambiguity. To the point that I’ve sometimes been uncertain how much is “doing a bit” and how much is earnest denial.

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        March 11, 2022 at 11:36 am | #

        I still say that “Jennifer” is actually Mike in disguise and Billie just hasn’t popped up yet out of sheet coincidence.

        • King Daniel
          King Daniel
          March 11, 2022 at 12:43 pm | #

          Well duh, Willis actually confirmed that one. 😛

        • OBBWG
          OBBWG
          March 11, 2022 at 12:44 pm | #

          “sheet” coincidence?

          Picturing Billie popping her head out of Ruth’s bedsheets wondering if anything has happened in the past four months while she was busy under there.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            March 11, 2022 at 3:50 pm | #

            And why her old Math TA is there.

          • Delicious Taffy
            Delicious Taffy
            March 11, 2022 at 5:23 pm | #

            My auto”correct” has lost its goddamn mind, lately. It changes shit long after I’ve already typed a full sentence.

  54. Kaos
    Kaos
    March 11, 2022 at 7:41 am | #

    Well Ethan. everyone grieves in their own way. please stop assuming that you are the only one who mourns Mike’s death plus you do feel guiltly for not talking to him much before his death.

  55. Spencer
    Spencer
    March 11, 2022 at 7:46 am | #

    After these last few strips, I’m making a declaration that no one is allowed to say I “hate these characters” ever again.

    At least when I write 8000000 words on why Sarah is being a butt I can say why I think she’s being a butt and what motivated her current state of buttitude.

  56. hof1991
    hof1991
    March 11, 2022 at 8:47 am | #

    What? Dead two months and not totally forgotten?
    Ethan isn’t Batman, he’s Hamlet. The arc mirrors Hamlets friends and family telling him to get over it and move on. Hope this ends with a sword fight and poison.

  57. Fetch85
    Fetch85
    March 11, 2022 at 8:53 am | #

    So be angry at Asher and Blaine, not Walky.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 9:03 am | #

      But Asher is hot and Blaine already died. Walky is an easier target.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        March 11, 2022 at 9:12 am | #

        Amber/Asher is my crackship because “you killed my father, let’s make out” is my exact kind of trash.

        I have to figure out a way to fit Ethan in there. “Mike’s dead because of you, so you’re obligated to replace him “

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          March 11, 2022 at 11:29 am | #

          “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, now pucker up.”

    • zee
      zee
      March 11, 2022 at 1:00 pm | #

      Yes, because grief is famously rational

  58. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    March 11, 2022 at 9:20 am | #

    Yep. He certainly bought them all at once. I wonder if Ethan is able to understand that for Walky Mike was only the roommate from hell.

    • Francoinblanco
      Francoinblanco
      March 11, 2022 at 1:49 pm | #

      Do we know how Mike was as roommate? I barelly remeber Walky/Mike in the same room or even talk to each other

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        March 11, 2022 at 3:58 pm | #

        Walky mentioned to Booster a while back that he’s still bracing himself for Mike to jump out of the closet snarling “I faked my death to make you feel bad you sorry loser.”

        Other than Amber and Mike, Walky seemed to be his favorite target, if only because of proximity.

        • Francoinblanco
          Francoinblanco
          March 11, 2022 at 4:52 pm | #

          So bing bond witch is dead for walky

          • Rabisch
            Rabisch
            March 11, 2022 at 7:18 pm | #

            Exactly!

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            March 11, 2022 at 10:46 pm | #

            Partly, except that it’s actually a real person who’s dead that he knew and that died saving Amber – who was important to him. Death of someone close to you is traumatizing, even if you don’t like them. It’s likely all twisted up relief and with guilt for feeling that and for not actually grieving.

            After Amber and Ethan, I’d bet Walky’s the most messed up by Ethan’s death, even if he’s not the saddest about it. All covered by jokes of course.

    • EnerPrime
      EnerPrime
      March 11, 2022 at 7:26 pm | #

      Also Walky knew Mike for like two months at maximum. Like,it should be really obvious that the mourning period for ‘asshole roommate I knew for a few weeks’ is much shorter than ‘childhood friend turned lover’.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        March 11, 2022 at 10:47 pm | #

        Yeah, he only had a couple months of abuse. Mike had years to get his hooks into Amber and Ethan.

  59. Sombrero
    Sombrero
    March 11, 2022 at 9:33 am | #

    While I agree with the point you make, I tend to read Walky as avoiding “culturally enforced toxic masculinity” better than the average straight male DoA character.

    • Sombrero
      Sombrero
      March 11, 2022 at 9:34 am | #

      Sorry, this was intended as a reply to Spencer above.

    • Ashley
      Ashley
      March 11, 2022 at 10:37 am | #

      What are you talking about? Joe of all people chewed him out for his “men don’t own more than one pair of shoes” comment way back when. Walky is culturally enforced and rewarded toxic masculinity come to life.

    • Blue
      Blue
      March 11, 2022 at 1:53 pm | #

      Yes and no, the previous commenter already called out the shoes issue. He seems to have fallen hard for the idea that self-care and paying attention to personal appearance are too feminine. But on the other hand, he seems to be in touch with his own feelings and doesn’t need to perform for anyone.

      • Ashley
        Ashley
        March 12, 2022 at 2:11 am | #

        … did you catch the part where he performs not having trouble with classes? Or how he’s been constantly performing for his parents? (Just to name a couple) Look, I don’t think Walky is *bad*, his personality makes for both internal and external conflict and that’s good! I like him as a character for what he brings to the story and I don’t his flaws make him unrelatable or unredeemable. But this bending over backwards to pretend his lack of empathy is somehow good actually is really annoying.

  60. Ashley
    Ashley
    March 11, 2022 at 10:35 am | #

    Walky’s lack of empathy will never cease to amaze me.

    • Ashley
      Ashley
      March 11, 2022 at 10:38 am | #

      The bad takes in the comments on any DoA comic, however, are still a surprise.

      • Ashley
        Ashley
        March 11, 2022 at 10:55 am | #

        Big props to the people mocking Ethan’s very level headed and appropriate response to an insensitive question, btw.

        There isn’t even an exclamation point in the original comic, ffs.

  61. Jabberwocky
    Jabberwocky
    March 11, 2022 at 10:38 am | #

    Walky’s being vaguely insensitive here, and Ethan is processing his grief in deeply unhealthy ways and needs therapy.

    There, I saved you a debate.

    • Ashley
      Ashley
      March 11, 2022 at 10:41 am | #

      *vaguely* sure. Like how one sometimes *vaguely* sticks a finger in an open wound.

      Good to know “being noticeably sad” is now a deeply unhealthy way to process grief, too.

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        March 11, 2022 at 10:50 am | #

        It’s important to word things in the most intense, dire way possible.

        • Ashley
          Ashley
          March 11, 2022 at 10:53 am | #

          Taffy, if you think this is peak drama I’m afraid to tell you you’ve not even begun climbing.

          • Delicious Taffy
            Delicious Taffy
            March 11, 2022 at 10:58 am | #

            Sorry, I’m not sure what you’re trying to communicate. You haven’t insinuated anything horrible about me as a person or armchair diagnosed me with anything.

            • Ashley
              Ashley
              March 11, 2022 at 11:00 am | #

              I don’t even own an armchair.

              • Delicious Taffy
                Delicious Taffy
                March 11, 2022 at 11:03 am | #

                Something something moral responsibility to own an armchair, something something speaks volumes, something something depression.

    • zee
      zee
      March 11, 2022 at 1:01 pm | #

      Fucking…thank you
      No one is the antichrist here, everyone shut up

  62. Robert
    Robert
    March 11, 2022 at 10:47 am | #

    I feel like Ethan is going to grow up to be Emo Karen if he’s not careful.

    • StClair
      StClair
      March 11, 2022 at 11:25 am | #

      The thing is, IMO, right now Ethan’s not growing up or changing into anything. He’s stuck here.

  63. Plaaaa
    Plaaaa
    March 11, 2022 at 11:02 am | #

    Mike’s dead. High five!

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 11:15 am | #

      Basically the most valid response. It’s Mike, here. Fuck that guy.

      • DrunkenNordmann
        DrunkenNordmann
        March 11, 2022 at 12:33 pm | #

        “Fuck that guy.”

        Ethan did that.

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          March 11, 2022 at 5:26 pm | #

          Yeah, and look how that turned out. Little did Ethan know, a green witch cursed his penis and now anyone he fucks will die shortly after.

  64. Daniel M Ball
    Daniel M Ball
    March 11, 2022 at 11:22 am | #

    Mike’s dead, and Walky, you can’t fill his shoes.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 11:25 am | #

      For one thing, they probably wear different sizes.

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        March 11, 2022 at 12:48 pm | #

        Also, they’ve probably been given away, sold, or otherwise disposed of by now.

  65. Derek
    Derek
    March 11, 2022 at 11:55 am | #

    I’m baffled by “Ethan is being a jerk here” comments to be honest. The only times Ethan is being snappy with people (Amber and Walky so far) is when they’re needling him about a subject he’s extremely sore and sensitive about.
    There was another character, either Ruth or Sal, who said “do I have to write ‘I don’t want to talk about this’ on my forehead?” and I think this is Ethan right now. He can’t or doesn’t want to engage people in the subject about Mike’s death or his prolonged mourning; but since apparently he hasn’t talked to anyone of the main cast for months, it’s the only thing they can bring up.

    idk the people comparing Ethan to Batman or saying he’s just being goth for attention seem to be saying no on is allowed to express grief through negative emotions

    • DrunkenNordmann
      DrunkenNordmann
      March 11, 2022 at 12:35 pm | #

      It doesn’t help that Walky is probably not the easiest person to deal with at the best of times – the last thing you wanna deal with while pretty much being neck-deep in grief is some guy who refuses to take literally anything seriously.

    • Deviant
      Deviant
      March 11, 2022 at 2:48 pm | #

      I’d say he’s being more than just snappy with Amber. I’d say in her case, he’s trying to be downright hurtful, and succeeding.

    • Wraithy2773
      Wraithy2773
      March 11, 2022 at 5:59 pm | #

      I mean, Ethan is being a bit of a jerk. He’s in mourning with complicated feelings and is lashing out.

      But it’s like Tier 1 jerkiness. It’s pretty mild and entirely understandable, all told, just want him to get some help…

      • Wraithy2773
        Wraithy2773
        March 11, 2022 at 6:00 pm | #

        Ah, better way to put it: Ethan’s being a jerk, but not an asshole. Nor the mega asshole supreme that some comments are implying.

        • Spencer
          Spencer
          March 11, 2022 at 6:30 pm | #

          I feel the need to quantify the grieving, emotionally devastated teenager as “a jerk” is kinda absolutionist.

          Like, sometimes folks feel bad shit. I think the more we try to quantify stuff like that as “they’re upset but they’re a jerk” the more we invalidate the expression of resentments, grief and anger as aberrations that need to be hastily powered through.

  66. Kravis
    Kravis
    March 11, 2022 at 12:59 pm | #

    Did you mean

    “Mike’s dad”?

    As in:

    “I got these emo clothes from Mike’s dad.”

  67. zee
    zee
    March 11, 2022 at 1:04 pm | #

    Is my depression eating up my patience again (hmmm sounds a lot like a certain character) or are the takes in the comments just getting more and more fucking nuclear
    Being insensitive or snippy because you’re grieving doesn’t make you the devil, shut up

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 5:32 pm | #

      Being snippy might not make him the devil, but the blood-red skin, giant horns, goat legs, and wings are making people a little nervous.

      In mild seriousness, you’re mostly right about how intense the “takes” have been getting lately. Mostly.

      • Mr D
        Mr D
        March 11, 2022 at 11:58 pm | #

        “lately”?

  68. poyo
    poyo
    March 11, 2022 at 1:11 pm | #

    a lot of people are pointing out that Ethan deserves time to grieve in his own way. and he does ! the problem is he is not grieving. he’s ruminating. and eventually this will eat him up. he’s leaving his first bandaid on because it’ll hurt too much to rip it off and put on a fresh one, and he will never heal that way. he doesn’t have to talk to his friends about it but he needs to talk to SOMEONE.

    • poyo
      poyo
      March 11, 2022 at 1:13 pm | #

      boy i do not want to have to make a gravatar account but if it keeps picking this avatar for me i might have to lmao

      • StClair
        StClair
        March 12, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

        try mixing up the capitalization of your email address. every version should work to reach you – they’re not case-sensitive – but they’ll give you different avatars.

        • poyo
          poyo
          March 14, 2022 at 2:38 pm | #

          BLESS

  69. nightshade
    nightshade
    March 11, 2022 at 4:49 pm | #

    yeah, he needs to take time off from school before he gets kicked out… as I learned when my mom passed the world moves on after a few months…….his problem is since he was in love with the guy who was pretty much hated by the world for being a dick he cant parse why no one field the same way

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 5:47 pm | #

      What’s he gonna get kicked out for? Bringing up a dead kid that nobody else cared about?

      • zee
        zee
        March 11, 2022 at 7:53 pm | #

        Speaking from experience i kinda doubt he has it in him to even think about his assignments, let alone actually do them. I doubt he’s going to class either and i know some places require attendance.

        Had a depressive spiral last semester and it tanked my gpa so hard I’m on academic warning now 🙃

  70. LovelyMonsters
    LovelyMonsters
    March 11, 2022 at 7:09 pm | #

    Don’t worry, Ethan, Mike may be dead but Walky is apparently determined to pick up the asshole mantle and carry on making people miserable in Mike’s absence.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      March 11, 2022 at 7:42 pm | #

      Yeah by asking mildly insensitive questions. The fucking horror.

Who's that guy over there?

View Results

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


probably not anywhere for a while 'cuz the world is covered in death

Tweets by @damnyouwillis

©2010-2023 Dumbing of Age | Powered by WordPress with ComicPress | Subscribe: RSS | Privacy Policy | Back to Top ↑