Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
RSS
‹
›
  • Home
  • About/Read before posting
  • Archive↓
    • by calendar
  • Cast
  • Store↓
    • Main Store (books and stuff)
    • T-shirts
  • Patreon↓
    • Patreon (regular)
    • Patreon (NSFW)
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
*chidi gestures towards chalkboard*  MIKE.
First Previous Random 91Comments Share Next Latest
Reddit Digg Facebook MySpace Delicious Stumbleupon Buzz Up! Mixx Technorati Google Bookmarks Yahoo Bookmarks Yahoo MyWeb Windows Live Propeller FriendFeed Newsvine Xanga LinkedIn Blinklist Twitter
Discover more Hiveworks comics
Sam & Fuzzy
Sam Logan
Troubled by gangster rodents, lovesick vampire stalkers, or confused ninja assassins? Don't panic! Sam and Fuzzy are here to help. (For a reasonable fee.)
Starhammer
J.N. Monk, Harry Bogosian
A teen girl inherits a powerful alien artifact and proceeds to make a series of increasingly poor decisions
Real Science Adventures
Brian Clevinger
Spin off stories and other adventures from the world of Atomic Robo!
Star Trip
Gisele Weaver
Jas is a human taken from her home planet on a trip across the galaxy she will never forget.
Demon Street
Aliza Layne
Two kids explore a world full of monsters and magic trying to find their way home again. But when home has been stolen from you, where do you go to get it back?
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
El Goonish Shive
Dan Shive
WARNING: This comic often ignores the Laws of Physics
Atomic Robo
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener
The robot punches monsters and bad robots and one time he was a cowboy.
Sister Claire
Yamino
In the troubled aftermath of a great war between Witches and her fellow Nuns, novice Sister Claire just wants a purpose.
Parisa
Ellen K
Two friends, Nolan and Gwen, take it upon themselves to escort the amnesiac spirit Lelief across the world of Parisa.
Between Failures
Jackie Wohlenhaus
The low stakes adventures of an assorted group of 20 somethings trapped in the declining years of American retail. They are naughty and say lots of swears.
Go Get a Roomie
Clover
Experience the queer journey of an upbeat hippie and the friendships she makes along the way! A tale of self-discovery and love of many forms.
Spinnerette
Krazy Krow, Rocio Zucchi, Pablo Rey
When a lab accident gives Heather Brown spider powers and six arms, she does what any midwest comic geek would do: Become Ohio's #3 superhero!
The Mash
L.F. Garcia, Danigami
In a world shrouded in mystery and threatened by great evil,a young mummy prince will use his new life to unite with other monster children to save it.
Peritale
Mari Costa
A fairy godmother with no magic tries her best to successfully fulfill a Fairytale and win the respect of her peers.
Witchy
Ariel Slamet Ries
In the witch kingdom Hyalin, the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair.
Laws and Sausages
Zach Weinersmith
Your cartoon guide to the American governement!
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things
Kelly Turnbull
A weekly comic celebrating the finer things in life. Like manly men, lumberjacks, and time traveling special ops agents.
No Need for Bushido
Suburban Samurai, J W Kovell
The flash of a blade, the clash of steel! A runaway princess and her samurai companion navigate a fractured country on the brink of war.
Wychwood
Varethane
When Tiara's pyrokinesis is finally noticed, she is captured by a magical research organization for study. If she cooperates, she could be helping to save humanity from a dire threat - but can she trust them?
Demon's Mirror
Harry Bogosian
Based loosely off of "The Snow Queen", a story by Hans Christian Andersen, we see things take a different turn as the demons become central characters, and the side characters stick around. Yup, that's the only differences. Enjoy!
Empowered
Adam Warren
A sexy superhero comedy (except when it isn't) about the never-ending struggles of a plucky but very unlucky young superheroine.
Novae
KaiJu
A historical romance with a touch magic and a dash of astronomy. It chronicles the romantic adventures of Sulvain, a sweet tempered necromancer and Raziol, a passionate 17th century astronomer.
Lighter Than Heir
Melissa Albino
A young Volant woman joins the military in an effort to upstage her war-hero father.
Girl Genius
Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio
In a time when the Industrial Revolution has become an all-out war, Mad Science rules the World...with mixed success.
The Din
Karin (Karrey)
The Din changed the world, mankind & its technology. Gregg Emilio dreams of flying in a sky that hasn't carried airplanes in a century.
Heroes of Thantopolis
Izzy Strontium Hall
A living boy fights to save the City of the Dead.
Ghost Junk Sickness
Studio CARTRIDGE, Laura Lee
Two hunters try to survive and end up being pushed to pursue a deadly bounty dubbed "The Ghost".
Jailbird
Charlie Davis
An all-ages comic about a recently escaped prisoner's struggle to understand the outside world, and vice-versa. Also, a magic cape!
Stand Still, Stay Silent
Minna Sundberg
A few generations after the end of the world, a small, poorly financed research crew is sent out to rediscover whatever is left of the forbidden old world in the south.
Nerf Now!!
Josué Pereira
A cute webcomic about fanservice, video games, and... love. Mostly video games, though.
Never Satisfied
Taylor Robin
Lucy Marlowe, a magician's apprentice, competes against other apprentices for an important, magical, Goverment Job.
Wilde Life
Pascalle Lepas
Oscar decided to rent an old haunted house, and that's when things got weird...
The Sanity Circus
Windy
Magic, monsters and mysteries await in the odd city of Sanity. It's up to Attley and a colorful group of characters to find out just what is going on.
Little Red & Wolf
Aoi Maneki
Delve into the daily lives of two famous fairytale characters, and their adventures in this big weird world we all live in.
Ozzie the Vampire
Eric Lide
Ozzie and her best friend Kimmy are your average everyday normal art students – except one is an immortal vampire with superpowers and the other possesses a magic talking grimoire. Also they have to save their town from a demonic invasion.
Devil's Candy
Rem, Bikkuri
A lush fantasy about boy genius Kazu Decker, the girl he constructed for his 9th grade science project, and the world of devils and monsters they live in.
Elephant Town
Danielle Corsetto
The long, slow tale of Kris, Paul, Berto and Mirando, four people who live in the same creaky old house, but don't know each other. New chapter updates every 2 months.
Dumbing of Age
David M Willis
Joyce has been homeschooled her entire life until now, when she's suddenly a freshman in college! Things don't go well.
Awkward Zombie
Katie Tiedrich
Gags and goofs about videogames and the things that happen in them.
[un]Divine
Ayme
A highschool senior thought giving up his soul for a demon was a good idea. It wasn't.
Knights Errant
J.R. Doyle
Wilfrid's humble quest for revenge becomes bigger and bloodier by the day.
Monster Pulse
Magnolia Porter Siddell
Four kids run afoul of a creepy secret organization's experiments, which turn their body parts into fighting monsters. Part sentimental coming-of-age story, part monster-training shonen manga, with just a bit of sci-fi body horror.
Guilded Age
T Campbell, John Waltrip, Florence Machina
Welcome to the saga of the working-class adventurer! Enjoy the complete story with new annotations daily!
Helvetica
J.N. Wiedle
This story follows Helvetica's quest to uncover who he was in life, his existential crises, and his struggle to to make death worth living.
Anarchy Dreamers
Emily Ree
Sparkly undead kids fight society's worst Nightmares in this pastel-punk urban fantasy coming-of-age!
The Hunter of Insania
Aoi Maneki
Wiol Alkko sells fake magical objects to those desperate for cures. When he tries to scam a real witch, she curses him: within a year, Wiol must learn and respect magic, or succumb to corruption of body and mind.
The Glass Scientists
Sage (S.H.) Cotugno
A gaslamp fantasy comic about the life and times of a ragtag group of mad scientists and their enigmatic leader, Dr. Henry Jekyll.
Tove
Severin
The end of the world is coming, and Tove doesn't want to be a hero, but SOMEONE has to look after her little brother.
Sufficiently Remarkable
Maki Naro
Two young women living in Brooklyn discover that you're always coming of age.
BOOKMARK
Click "Tag Page" to bookmark a page. When you return to the site, click "Goto Tag" to continue where you left off.
Goto TagClear Tag


BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

July 9, 2026

Doesn’t

by David M Willis on August 14, 2022 at 12:01 am
  • 05 – This Was Halloween
└ Tags: amber, danny, jennifer, ruth, sal, sarah

Discussion (91) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    August 14, 2022 at 12:02 am | #

    it was Justin Bieber, wasn’t it

    • Ana Chronistic
      Ana Chronistic
      August 14, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

      could you imagine if Chidi was a student with these jokers tho

      • Doctor_Who
        Doctor_Who
        August 14, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

        I bet there was an iteration of The Bad Place where Chidi had Leslie’s job and had to TEACH these jokers.

        • The Wellerman
          The Wellerman
          August 14, 2022 at 5:28 am | #

          “Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.”

          — Mark Twain

      • Decidedly Orthogonal
        Decidedly Orthogonal
        August 14, 2022 at 6:48 pm | #

        Who or what is a Chidi?

        • Leorale
          Leorale
          August 14, 2022 at 6:55 pm | #

          If you have Netflix, you have a delightful adventure ahead of you. Chidi Anagonye is a lead character in a smart-funny series called The Good Place. He’s a professor of Ethics, he’s dead, he has anxiety. Enjoy.

        • motorfirebox
          motorfirebox
          August 14, 2022 at 8:14 pm | #

          Oh my god you’ve never watched The Good Place. You lucky bastard, you get to experience it for the first time.

    • Yoder of Kansas
      Yoder of Kansas
      August 14, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

      The best part is I started rereading DoA and just got to this comic like 2 minutes ago!

      • Clif
        Clif
        August 15, 2022 at 3:12 am | #

        Welcome to what passes as real-time.

    • Chaucer59
      Chaucer59
      August 14, 2022 at 11:45 am | #

      Oh, God, if only.

  2. TrueVCU
    TrueVCU
    August 14, 2022 at 12:02 am | #

    Billie: high enough perception stat to immediately know the score

    • Devin
      Devin
      August 14, 2022 at 3:33 am | #

      And yet simultaneously low enough to still completely whiff on Amber and Amazi-Girl.

      A mathematical marvel.

      • James
        James
        August 14, 2022 at 3:51 am | #

        High insight, low perception maybe?

        • Nathan
          Nathan
          August 14, 2022 at 11:36 am | #

          I think she crit-failed on her first attempt to ID amazigirl and since then she’s just not allowed to roll for it and always auto-fails

          • Clif
            Clif
            August 15, 2022 at 12:26 am | #

            Amber looks nothing like Sal.

            • Librain
              Librain
              August 17, 2022 at 12:11 am | #

              Wait, Sal is AmaziGirl???

              Damn, it’s so obvious in hindsight!

        • Rognik
          Rognik
          August 15, 2022 at 12:21 pm | #

          I think it’s more like the inverse. High perception to spot Amber, low insight to realize that she looks a lot like Amazi-Girl.

  3. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    August 14, 2022 at 12:02 am | #

    Billie, you dunce.

    Ruth, you bigger dunce.

  4. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    August 14, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

    *cues up some Grateful Dead*

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      August 14, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

      Favorite? I need a trip.

      • Opus the Poet
        Opus the Poet
        August 14, 2022 at 12:15 am | #

        “Truckin'”

      • Decidedly Orthogonal
        Decidedly Orthogonal
        August 14, 2022 at 6:49 pm | #

        Do they actually repeat a song ever? I was umder the impression they just rocked out.

  5. Elle L
    Elle L
    August 14, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

    Oh I am always HERE for a Good Place reference.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      August 14, 2022 at 12:15 am | #

      Appropriate for this strip: Kirby Howell-Baptiste from that show is now Death.

      Even more appropriate: she’s killing it.

      • Andy
        Andy
        August 14, 2022 at 8:43 am | #

        Dead-on casting, you might say.

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      August 14, 2022 at 12:55 am | #

      Likewise.
      Wasn’t expecting one, so it was a nice surprise. Well played, Alt Text.

  6. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    August 14, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

    …i love these idiots

    i love them so much

  7. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    August 14, 2022 at 12:04 am | #

    Halloween died I guess?

  8. The Wellerman
    The Wellerman
    August 14, 2022 at 12:04 am | #

    Wow, the most RANDOM choice of words, and possible world record for bad timing! 🤣🤣🤣

    • Sirksome
      Sirksome
      August 14, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

      Nah, Walky already killed the mood pretty well. What Ruth has done is the equivalent of farting in a room someone else already took a shit in. Diminishing returns.

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      August 14, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

      “Who died?” is a pretty common reaction to seeing an unexpectedly low mood in a room. The idea is to go to a logical extreme by presuming the worst, so that the people in the room can respond with a relieved, “Oh, it’s not that bad.”

      Alas.

      • Queezle
        Queezle
        August 14, 2022 at 4:42 am | #

        which does not work when someone in your acquaintance actually died recently.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          August 14, 2022 at 9:47 am | #

          And Ruth is well aware of this fact. Billie even reminded her earlier in this chapter.

          I don’t know if that makes it worse, or better because it’s the kind of response Mike would’ve said if he was here instead of someone else…

      • Ryan
        Ryan
        August 14, 2022 at 7:27 pm | #

        I once showed up from a summer party wearing all black soliciting that quip. I had just been at a funeral.

        I’m disappointed by how much people are dumping on Walky. Dorothy needed to know her audience before trying that. Considering that Mike’s roommate and his close friend were in the room, she should have left it to either of them to say anything, neither of whom would have. It wasn’t her place to give a speech at all, though she could have gotten away with saying almost anything else.

        • marillius
          marillius
          August 15, 2022 at 5:52 am | #

          You deserved it then for going from a funeral to a party in the funeral attire, unless your hope was to illicit that joke

    • anon
      anon
      August 14, 2022 at 1:21 am | #

      considering she’s gonna break up with billie soon i imagine she’d want to start off abrasive to everyone else as well

  9. Yumi
    Yumi
    August 14, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

    Several people died. In fact, panel two killed me, so add me to that list.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      August 14, 2022 at 8:39 am | #

      Pressing F right now.

      F

      o7

  10. darkoneko
    darkoneko
    August 14, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

    …RUTH.

  11. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    August 14, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

    Who is Chidi? Is this some new meme I’m unaware of?

    • True Survivor
      True Survivor
      August 14, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

      It is a reference to a scene in season one of The Good Place.

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      August 14, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

      It’s a reference to the show The Good Place. Not exactly new, just out of your field of experience, it seems.

    • Lillian
      Lillian
      August 14, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

      Chidi is a character from the show The Good Place
      I think a scene from the show has seen some use in memes lately

    • Skater Girl
      Skater Girl
      August 14, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

      It’s a “The Good Place” reference.

    • Maxy
      Maxy
      August 14, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

      It’s a reference to The Good Place. There’s a scene where Chidi is teaching another character about the history of Ethics, and his student asks, “Who died and left Aristotle in charge of ethics?”

      To which Chidi gestures at his blackboard where the name Plato is circled and says, “Plato”.

      • Yumi
        Yumi
        August 14, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

        The most thorough of many answers so far. Let’s see if there’ll be more.

      • milu
        milu
        August 14, 2022 at 1:24 pm | #

        It’s from a TV show.

        “TV shows” are forms of serialized audiovisual entertainment transmitted remotely through radio, satellite and optical technologies to receiving devices including a visual and sound output typically owned by individuals or family units.

        “ownership” is a religious concept tying objects (or buildings, land and immaterial entities) to individuals; the objects may be transmitted synchronically and generationally through a highly complex set of rituals; it is first found in western european societies, which later imposed it through colonial expansion to the rest of the planet.

        “Europe” is a subcontinent of the Eurasian landmass variously construed as a geographic, historical, cultural, religious, political or racial territorial expanse. It’s complicated. Maybe google that one.

        • Clif
          Clif
          August 15, 2022 at 12:44 am | #

          What’s a subcontinent and how do the differ from supracontinents?

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      August 14, 2022 at 12:15 am | #

      Thank you all for answering, and yes the memes I know a small bit about, are gg and games memes.

    • Cerusee
      Cerusee
      August 14, 2022 at 1:13 am | #

      Here’s the scene in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6bz8yWHsIg

  12. chuckroast
    chuckroast
    August 14, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

    PLATO.

  13. Suet
    Suet
    August 14, 2022 at 12:21 am | #

    The mood, that’s what.

    So we’re not meeting the Fockers Billingsworths, wherever they are right now?

    • The Oracle
      The Oracle
      August 14, 2022 at 12:28 am | #

      I assume it takes longer to contact them and arrange a visit than it takes to walk down a short hallway.

    • Casi
      Casi
      August 14, 2022 at 3:10 am | #

      If this had been before they had been outed, i would think they’d call their ship the Worthless

    • Sam
      Sam
      August 14, 2022 at 3:17 am | #

      Since it will likely take them 3 years to scrounge up an attention to spare, probably not.

  14. Jess
    Jess
    August 14, 2022 at 12:23 am | #

    [Mike voice] YOUR MOM

    • Hof1991
      Hof1991
      August 14, 2022 at 10:24 am | #

      La petit mort.

  15. LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    August 14, 2022 at 12:28 am | #

    Panel 2 is wonderful. I wonder what Billie actually sees/remembers when interacting with people.

    Amber did a good job making her Halloween costume different enough from Amazigirl’s uniform while also being a believable attempt.

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      August 14, 2022 at 12:52 am | #

      Remember, she’s still convinced herself that Sal is actually Amazi-Girl.

      • Thag Simmons
        Thag Simmons
        August 14, 2022 at 4:57 am | #

        She has been told to her face multiple times and still hasn’t figured it out

        • Casi
          Casi
          August 14, 2022 at 8:58 pm | #

          That’s because that’s what amazigirl would want her to think.

      • Axel
        Axel
        August 14, 2022 at 6:58 pm | #

        there’ve been pictures of amazigirl in the paper

  16. Schpoonman
    Schpoonman
    August 14, 2022 at 12:28 am | #

    Ruth.

  17. The Oracle
    The Oracle
    August 14, 2022 at 12:29 am | #

    Billie, you dense goobus. Ruth, excellent timing as usual.

    • Icalasari
      Icalasari
      August 14, 2022 at 11:21 pm | #

      Billie would be a horrible reporter with how she misses the complete obvious

  18. StClair
    StClair
    August 14, 2022 at 1:05 am | #

    oh, I see it now.

    somehow, Ruth is going to end up being “forced” to make this breakup as messy and as public as possible.

  19. SDRainbow
    SDRainbow
    August 14, 2022 at 1:06 am | #

    our akita!

    evita?!

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      August 14, 2022 at 1:52 am | #

      In all her glory?

    • Nova
      Nova
      August 14, 2022 at 11:11 am | #

      Poor Evita. She didn’t deserve to yap herself to death.

  20. ADLegend21
    ADLegend21
    August 14, 2022 at 1:21 am | #

    Damn the hits just keep on coming

  21. Johan
    Johan
    August 14, 2022 at 1:41 am | #

    https://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/05-saturdays-all-right-for-slighting/halloween/

    I found this reference to Dorothy’s costume.

    • Bryy
      Bryy
      August 14, 2022 at 4:09 am | #

      oh my god I can’t believe Willis did a callback to not only the Scooby Doo thing but also a foreshadowing of Dorothy being popular at that one Halloween party.

      • Clif
        Clif
        August 15, 2022 at 12:49 am | #

        Which would be the Halloween party where Danny asked her out.

  22. SDRainbow
    SDRainbow
    August 14, 2022 at 2:39 am | #

    Tangentially related –

    Anyone know if there’s been a replacement/successor for Comics Chameleon? I sorta want to do a reread of DOA, and maybe QC, and I’d really prefer doing it in an app like CC.

  23. Wraithy2773
    Wraithy2773
    August 14, 2022 at 2:41 am | #

    …aaaaaaand it’s time for a Naked Gun-style Facepalm…

  24. Bagge
    Bagge
    August 14, 2022 at 5:05 am | #

    Love that Billie still doesn’t know who amazi-girl is

    • Alex
      Alex
      August 14, 2022 at 8:37 pm | #

      CLASSIC Billie.

  25. JBento
    JBento
    August 14, 2022 at 5:49 am | #

    That’s a skilled repurposing of Ruth’s Death costume, though.

  26. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    August 14, 2022 at 6:29 am | #

    You both can enter, but there’s no more snacks, I suppose.

    • JBento
      JBento
      August 14, 2022 at 6:52 am | #

      Not unless they want to eat them off the floor.

      • Amós Batista
        Amós Batista
        August 14, 2022 at 2:16 pm | #

        ew

  27. AGV
    AGV
    August 14, 2022 at 7:42 am | #

    Goddamit, Ruth

  28. milu
    milu
    August 14, 2022 at 8:41 am | #

    Who died and left Walky in charge of douchefuckery?

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      August 14, 2022 at 12:55 pm | #

      Mike, obviously.

  29. Abel Undercity
    Abel Undercity
    August 14, 2022 at 9:29 am | #

    On the bright side, Ruth was talked out of making this entrance actually dressed as the Grim Reaper.

  30. Kaz
    Kaz
    August 14, 2022 at 10:46 am | #

    Frick, that Good Place reference in the alt text got me good.

  31. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    August 14, 2022 at 2:46 pm | #

    I await the dramatic revelation that Danny went to visit Mike and turned off his life support…completely by accident.

    That Danny!

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      August 14, 2022 at 6:20 pm | #

      That’d have to have ben an unparalleled feat of telekinesis, considering that we saw where Danny was when Mike died. 😛

      • Clif
        Clif
        August 15, 2022 at 12:54 am | #

        But suppose Danny is partially a Native American, We know they can be two places at the same time.

  32. BBCC
    BBCC
    August 14, 2022 at 10:41 pm | #

    Oh cOME ON RUTH, that is low hanging fruit.

  33. Twig
    Twig
    August 15, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

    “Jeez who died.”

    ………………………………………. very bad question to ask right now dude

CHOOSE A SIDE, NO COWARDS

View Results

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


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

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