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
it's over, anakin, i have the moral high ground
First Previous Random 148Comments 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
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!
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!
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.
Atomic Robo
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener
The robot punches monsters and bad robots and one time he was a cowboy.
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.
Heroes of Thantopolis
Izzy Strontium Hall
A living boy fights to save the City of the Dead.
[un]Divine
Ayme
A highschool senior thought giving up his soul for a demon was a good idea. It wasn't.
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.
Sister Claire
Yamino
In the troubled aftermath of a great war between Witches and her fellow Nuns, novice Sister Claire just wants a purpose.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Starhammer
J.N. Monk, Harry Bogosian
A teen girl inherits a powerful alien artifact and proceeds to make a series of increasingly poor decisions
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?
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.
Knights Errant
J.R. Doyle
Wilfrid's humble quest for revenge becomes bigger and bloodier by the day.
MASKLESS
kickingshoes
In a world where people can wield the magic of elemental Masks, all Ashe wants to do is help. Maskless and useless, with dreams of fire and smoke on the back of his tongue, he finds himself on a strange, dangerous path to uncovering the secrets of these incredible objects, and the source of the monsters plaguing his home.
El Goonish Shive
Dan Shive
WARNING: This comic often ignores the Laws of Physics
Peritale
Mari Costa
A fairy godmother with no magic tries her best to successfully fulfill a Fairytale and win the respect of her peers.
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?
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.
Awkward Zombie
Katie Tiedrich
Gags and goofs about videogames and the things that happen in them.
Nerf Now!!
Josué Pereira
A cute webcomic about fanservice, video games, and... love. Mostly video games, though.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
Witchy
Ariel Slamet Ries
In the witch kingdom Hyalin, the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair.
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.
Sufficiently Remarkable
Maki Naro
Two young women living in Brooklyn discover that you're always coming of age.
Anarchy Dreamers
Emily Ree
Sparkly undead kids fight society's worst Nightmares in this pastel-punk urban fantasy coming-of-age!
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.
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.
Wilde Life
Pascalle Lepas
Oscar decided to rent an old haunted house, and that's when things got weird...
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.
Awaken
Koti Saavedra/Flipfloppery
Superpowers, monsters and conspiracies. Piras, the spoiled Dameschi heir, fights to recover his identity after becoming a terrorist!
Real Science Adventures
Brian Clevinger
Spin off stories and other adventures from the world of Atomic Robo!
Demon's Mirror
Harry Bogosian
Based loosely off of "The Snow Queen", a story by Hans Christian Andersen, we see things take a different turn as the demons become central characters, and the side characters stick around. Yup, that's the only differences. Enjoy!
Lighter Than Heir
Melissa Albino
A young Volant woman joins the military in an effort to upstage her war-hero father.
Laws and Sausages
Zach Weinersmith
Your cartoon guide to the American governement!
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.
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.
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.
Parisa
Ellen K
Two friends, Nolan and Gwen, take it upon themselves to escort the amnesiac spirit Lelief across the world of Parisa.
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.
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".
Never Satisfied
Taylor Robin
Lucy Marlowe, a magician's apprentice, competes against other apprentices for an important, magical, Goverment Job.
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!
Star Trip
Gisele Weaver
Jas is a human taken from her home planet on a trip across the galaxy she will never forget.
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
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.
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:

May 12, 2026

Punchy

by David M Willis on August 20, 2022 at 12:01 am
  • 05 – This Was Halloween
└ Tags: jennifer, raidah

Discussion (148) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    August 20, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    Was it? Dang, I’m too used to minimum Danny-level cosplay to recognise stuff like Walky’s D=

    (was thinking Rey after the Kylo Ren crack, but then I remembered there’s a Rey figure on my shelf and I guess not)

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 20, 2022 at 10:52 am | #

      Did not follow comment. Would read again.

    • a snow mouse
      a snow mouse
      August 20, 2022 at 12:23 pm | #

      I think Walky was going as Head Master, not Darth Vader lol

      • Clif
        Clif
        August 20, 2022 at 7:31 pm | #

        Monkey Master?

  2. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    August 20, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    Jennifer: I don’t drink, and know nothing about Star Wars.

    Jennifer (six drinks later): And thatsh reason fo-five why me an’ Kit Fisto are gon’ get marieeeeed and make fifty Jedi babiesh!

    • DrunkenNordmann
      DrunkenNordmann
      August 20, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

      Having a crush on Kit Fisto honestly sounds like the least controversial nerd crush ever. Have you ever seen that guy smile?

      • ANeM
        ANeM
        August 20, 2022 at 12:52 am | #

        You don’t hook up with a guy named “Kit Fisto” for his smile.

        • Thag Simmons
          Thag Simmons
          August 20, 2022 at 9:50 am | #

          He does have a pretty great smile

      • GholaHalleck
        GholaHalleck
        August 20, 2022 at 10:24 am | #

        the things he can do with his head tentacles man. *chefs kiss*

        • Clif
          Clif
          August 20, 2022 at 10:58 am | #

          I’m just hoping that the Star Wars franchise lasts long enough for Kit Fisto to get his own show.

          Hey, it worked for Boba Fett.

          • Decidedly Orthogonal
            Decidedly Orthogonal
            August 20, 2022 at 1:20 pm | #

            It’s not about Star Wars enduring, it’s about living long enough to see it.

            • Clif
              Clif
              August 20, 2022 at 7:42 pm | #

              Well, then. I wasn’t planning on dieing, so it’s all good.

              I mean, I haven’t died for the last 73 years now, so I figure the odds have got to be in my favor.

              • Adam Black
                Adam Black
                September 9, 2022 at 2:46 am | #

                I checked last century too, and i also did not die then.

  3. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    August 20, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

    I’m really happy for Jen sticking to her sobriety. Good for her.

    • Decidedly Orthogonal
      Decidedly Orthogonal
      August 20, 2022 at 1:22 pm | #

      Hmm.. given the other lies she’s prone to, and how long she’ll hold onto them, I wouldn’t trust her own testimony here. (see last panel for citation)

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        August 20, 2022 at 1:39 pm | #

        We have yet to see her touch alcohol at all post time skip and this flashback confirms she’s been committing to staying sober. I don’t see why she’d need to lie to Raidah about it here when she barely knows her. Regardless of what she’s doing in her social life staying sober is a positive improvement for Jennifer.

  4. The Wellerman
    The Wellerman
    August 20, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

    As much as I would love to dunk on Billy / Raidah, I really need my spoons for coding the interview project tonight, sorry :/

    • Laura
      Laura
      August 20, 2022 at 12:15 am | #

      Good luck! *Thumbs Up*
      Ganbatte!
      焦らずに頑張ってね。

      • The Wellerman
        The Wellerman
        August 20, 2022 at 12:18 am | #

        Thanks!!!! Hey I didn’t know you knew Japanese! 😃
        Such a coincidence too, I’m studying the AI of Pac Man to help me with my project!

        • Laura
          Laura
          August 20, 2022 at 12:29 am | #

          I don’t, really. My mom’s actually pretty good, and she taught me a little. I picked up the rest from watching Japanese movies with subtitles over and over. Practiced a lot to have something in common with family and to be able to handle basic communication for work.

          • The Wellerman
            The Wellerman
            August 20, 2022 at 12:32 am | #

            Awe sweet! I can’t wait until I get the time and spoons to learn Japanese — Pokemon movies with subs are a MUST!

            • Laura
              Laura
              August 20, 2022 at 12:38 am | #

              What I’d recommend would be just putting a little Japanese-language music on in the background while you work or study, and let your subconscious absorb it osmotically. Best way to train your ear to recognize words and patterns.

              • The Wellerman
                The Wellerman
                August 20, 2022 at 12:42 am | #

                Sounds like good pre-training, and something I’ve already been doing for quite a while now! Thanks!

            • anon
              anon
              August 20, 2022 at 10:49 pm | #

              there are also LPs of ‘simple’ games like stardew valley and such that some Japanese commentators have a chill playthrough over and repeat some of teh same words so that helps a bit depending on how familiar you are with the original games, music def helps though

              • Laura
                Laura
                August 20, 2022 at 11:00 pm | #

                Cool, thanks, anon!

  5. ADLegend21
    ADLegend21
    August 20, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

    Ooof.

  6. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    August 20, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

    Jennifer will deny Kit Fisto three times before the cock fistcrows.

    • StClair
      StClair
      August 20, 2022 at 12:28 am | #

      +1 to this comment!

  7. Dr. Gonzo
    Dr. Gonzo
    August 20, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

    While it’s good Jennifer acknowledges her flaws, she’s still something of a narcissist.

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      August 20, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

      She is totally a narcissist, that’s literally how she’s written.

      Here she’s only “acknowledging her flaws” here as yet another 4 dimensional chess move to get the upper hand and make it look like SHE’S in control.

      • Decidedly Orthogonal
        Decidedly Orthogonal
        August 20, 2022 at 1:23 pm | #

        Ding ding ding! Nailed it.

      • Archieve
        Archieve
        August 20, 2022 at 2:49 pm | #

        And so she could throw in that nobody but herself is as self enlightened about their flaws.

        • StClair
          StClair
          August 20, 2022 at 8:39 pm | #

          She is so unbelievably humble, you guys.

  8. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    August 20, 2022 at 12:11 am | #

    Sorry, no Muzak help tonight. I overdid the grunge because somebody left a mix disk in my car.

    • Laura
      Laura
      August 20, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

      *Plays “Star Wars Battle Music Mix” on the hacked Muzak:*
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWkm2jSGVhM

      • Bicycle Bill
        Bicycle Bill
        August 20, 2022 at 4:37 am | #

        An hour-plus of that stuff?  TL:DL. (too long, didn’t listen)

        • Clif
          Clif
          August 20, 2022 at 10:22 am | #

          Listening as we speak. Er, as I type.

    • Plain Marie
      Plain Marie
      August 20, 2022 at 12:29 am | #

      Plays “Lovefool” by the Cardigans on the hacked Muzak.

      Love-me-love-me-say-that-you-love-me

      • Laura
        Laura
        August 20, 2022 at 2:20 am | #

        Ah, much better!

    • Amós Batista
      Amós Batista
      August 20, 2022 at 2:36 am | #

      I’m starting to believe that ‘hacked muzack’ is kind of a meme here, because I didn’t find it on Google.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        August 20, 2022 at 4:01 am | #

        It has been for several years!

      • Decidedly Orthogonal
        Decidedly Orthogonal
        August 20, 2022 at 1:24 pm | #

        Mr Bierce is its patron saint.

  9. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    August 20, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

    I do find it strange that in 2022 Jen thinks Star Wars one of the biggest franchises in the world is somehow nerd shit to be embarrassed about. Like you can’t consume 90% of media without inevitably seeing some sort of Star Wars related ad or something.

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      August 20, 2022 at 12:18 am | #

      I mean, she has also called it mainstream and therefore not nerdy to be into.

      She has cake, and she also eats it. And also points out that you can’t have it and that it’s a lie.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        August 20, 2022 at 4:02 am | #

        Which is also another “nerd” reference she will vehemently deny understanding.

    • SuperZero
      SuperZero
      August 20, 2022 at 12:21 am | #

      Also, Raidah recognized it.

    • Fëanen
      Fëanen
      August 20, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

      It’s got swordfights, wizards, lasers and spaceships. That’s like, all the nerdy things at once. Being the 5th most lucrative (Lukerative?) media franchise in the world can’t undo that. Especially when you consider the 1st biggest is Pokemon.

    • anon
      anon
      August 20, 2022 at 12:34 am | #

      “No one hates star wars more than star wars fans” tho i guess billie still has the ‘head cheerleader’ mentality so she wouldn’t want anything associated with even ‘mainstream’ nerd culture

    • DrunkenNordmann
      DrunkenNordmann
      August 20, 2022 at 12:36 am | #

      I get the feeling Jennifer thinks she’s literally in a high school comedy movie or something, with nerds, jocks and what not.

      She’s still clinging to the whole head cheerleader thing and can’t seem to fathom that you can both be a (former) cheerleader and be into Star Wars.

      • StClair
        StClair
        August 20, 2022 at 1:32 am | #

        no… that’s not true… that’s imPOSSible!

        • Durandal_1707
          Durandal_1707
          August 20, 2022 at 11:46 am | #

          Why can’t this board have upvotes? I want to upvote this X-D

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      August 20, 2022 at 12:44 am | #

      Star Wars by itself isn’t nerdy. The depth she knows? Nerdy.

    • Wraithy2773
      Wraithy2773
      August 20, 2022 at 1:02 am | #

      I think its because, while its normal to be a casual fan of Star Wars…

      …that mostly applies to the high profile stuff. For a college student, that’s the movies and the Mandalorian only, basically. Maybe Jedi Fallen Order, that’s Madden enough for a casual sort to have gone for.

      But she knows (and is a fangirl of) Kit Fisto. He’s a great character, but he’s an occasionally recurring supporting character from a long-over (even back when he was first mentioned in DoA) cartoon show.

      She’s basically being incredibly self-conscious about her nerd stuff, to the point of overreacting to it.d

    • eh, whatever
      eh, whatever
      August 20, 2022 at 4:36 am | #

      I do have a young colleague who didn’t know who Luke’s father was.

      • Clif
        Clif
        August 20, 2022 at 10:28 am | #

        They didn’t know about the Queen’s complicated relationship with Ben?

  10. Suet
    Suet
    August 20, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

    Suuuuuuure…

    But how would differentiate a flaw from a quirk? Joyce’s triangle smile is a quirk, meeting the FockersBillingsworths is a flaw, and a Jedi turning into a Sith is a… plot point.

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      August 20, 2022 at 12:40 am | #

      How is the close-up of Joyce plus a mask more unnerving than the triangle smile? How did you do this?

      Is it possible to learn this power?

      • Clif
        Clif
        August 20, 2022 at 11:15 am | #

        The arting is strong in this one.

  11. Dunedon
    Dunedon
    August 20, 2022 at 12:19 am | #

    As much as Raidah is only using Jennifer to her own ends (whatever those might be, but you can be sure it’s anti-Sarah/Joyce) … if she is the catalyst that makes Jennifer realize she doesn’t HAVE to always to choose the unhealthy relationships, I can handle that.

    • justin8448
      justin8448
      August 20, 2022 at 12:51 am | #

      I kind of feel like realizing she doesn’t have to always choose unhealthy relationships, but still choosing them, is actually worse. Ya know?

      Being unaware that one’s behavior is unhealthy is a blind spot. Being aware of it and doing it anyway is a compulsion or addiction.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        August 20, 2022 at 4:08 am | #

        What about deeply denying your behavior while you’re in the middle of doing it?

        • Clif
          Clif
          August 20, 2022 at 10:32 am | #

          That’s just normal human.

  12. darkoneko
    darkoneko
    August 20, 2022 at 12:20 am | #

    Do or do not, there is no cry

  13. newlland(Henryvolt)
    newlland(Henryvolt)
    August 20, 2022 at 12:26 am | #

    Her and Joyce seem to have a good friendship, Not much has changed with Walky at her core, her and Sal are Cool, as for everbody else there wasn’t much of a relationship there because she spent the rest of her time with Ruth and we all know how that went.

    Also I feel some dishonesty here with Raidah that’s unless all she did with Dana was smoke reefer.

    Also also I wonder how specifically she was able to call out her wearing Star Wars clothes with out her with a light-saber, unless she actually has a real clue about basic Jedi attire.

    • DrunkenNordmann
      DrunkenNordmann
      August 20, 2022 at 12:39 am | #

      I mean, the classic Jedi attire isn’t that hard to recognise and Star Wars isn’t exactly a niche franchise.

      • newlland(Henryvolt)
        newlland(Henryvolt)
        August 20, 2022 at 12:47 am | #

        As far as the close go it’s definitely not Niche but it’s also no trademarked without the Saber, but that’s only how I see it.

    • Laura
      Laura
      August 20, 2022 at 12:41 am | #

      Is it confirmed anywhere that Raidah actually did smoke with Dana? Or did Raidah just tolerate Dana’s smoking, or did Dana smoke when she wasn’t with Raidah?

    • Sirksome
      Sirksome
      August 20, 2022 at 12:41 am | #

      Star Wars is so ingrained into mainstream media now it would be weirder if Raidah didn’t recognize it.

      • newlland(Henryvolt)
        newlland(Henryvolt)
        August 20, 2022 at 12:44 am | #

        Yeah but the robes alone probably could match some other series I always thought the lightsaber was the dead give away on what is or isn’t a Star Wars Gimmick.

        • Sirksome
          Sirksome
          August 20, 2022 at 12:48 am | #

          True actually. Not a deep cut but she’d have to at least be familiar. Who knows what Raidah is savvy to?

    • Wraithy2773
      Wraithy2773
      August 20, 2022 at 12:54 am | #

      First, I don’t think Raidah’s ever so much as indicated that she smokes weed.

      Second, the hell does it matter if she is? The subject was about drinking. Its not dishonest to not mention any other things one might or might not partake in. Marijuana is, shockingly enough, a different thing from alcohol. It has its own pros and cons, and there’s a lot of valid arguments that if either of them should be illegal, it should be alcohol, not pot.

      Hell, she’s not even being smug about it. Billie’s the one talking about wanting to maintain the moral high ground in the morning.

      There’s plenty of reasons to sneer at Raidah, we don’t need to invent stuff to add to the list.

      • newlland(Henryvolt)
        newlland(Henryvolt)
        August 20, 2022 at 1:16 am | #

        I will admit between weed and booze alcohol is definitely more lethal than the two, but as it still stands one is still more legally accessible than the other and if by chance she did have any weed I don’t see why she would find alcohol consumption more shameful.

        That aside it’s a lot less about sneering at her for possible concealed habits and more about Dana. It’s hard for me to gage Raidah lately, when this started her grudge with Sarah because she felt like she betrayed someone she had a genuine friendship with but now a days her relationships seem kind of transactional.

        It makes me wonder things like “What kind of friendship did they really have, Did Raidah change at all, Is she just pretending like she was never into that stuff because she for no reason really wants to pretend to be a grown up?” I don’t know and I guess I’m going to haft to re-read some earlier chapters if it’s so unsure that she was had any of that stuff.

        • Fay
          Fay
          August 20, 2022 at 3:58 am | #

          Raidah’s sobriety is probably less about shame and more about her being Muslim and/or an underage law student.

          • Wraithy2773
            Wraithy2773
            August 20, 2022 at 4:02 am | #

            Probably more the former than the latter. >_>

        • Laura
          Laura
          August 20, 2022 at 3:49 pm | #

          Dana’s father ran a law firm. Dana was an important friend for Raidah to cultivate as part of her career plans.

          Just as Jacob was an important boyfriend for Raidah to have because of his famous lawyer brother.

          • Laura
            Laura
            August 20, 2022 at 3:53 pm | #

            I don’t actually see these as evil decisions. Harassing Sarah was mean and vindictive, but having a transactional view when choosing one’s friends and relationships— that’s very common in the legal community.

            • Laura
              Laura
              August 20, 2022 at 4:07 pm | #

              Actually, I wonder how much of the harassing Sarah is performative, too, and if so, for whom is she performing.

            • JBento
              JBento
              August 20, 2022 at 7:59 pm | #

              “having a transactional view when choosing one’s friends and relationships— that’s very common in the legal community.”

              Just wait until these people find out why Dorothy’s university of choice is Yale, cos it sure as hell is not the curriculum. Though, honestly, there’s a good chance that even Dorothy doesn’t realise WHY going to Yale is a boon to a political career.

              • Archieve
                Archieve
                August 20, 2022 at 8:52 pm | #

                I do wonder what Dorothy’s game plan once at Yale is.

      • Clif
        Clif
        August 20, 2022 at 10:37 am | #

        Wait. Are we sneering at Raidah? I thought we were sneering at Billie.

        No one tells me anything.

        • FGarber
          FGarber
          August 20, 2022 at 2:19 pm | #

          We’re sneering at both of them. But we ALWAYS sneer at Raidah. We’re sneering at Billie because we have a complicated relationship with Billie and we do not like Jennifer.

          • JBento
            JBento
            August 20, 2022 at 7:55 pm | #

            I definitely like Jennifer more than I like Billie, the girl who got so extremely drunk behind a wheel that she almost killed people and then kept drinking.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      August 20, 2022 at 3:58 am | #

      Remember she basically ghosted Walky and company during the time skip.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        August 20, 2022 at 8:54 am | #

        She didn’t really ghost anyone. She was busy with new people and personal issues and Walky took it personally. No one else in the friend group seemed to care much about Jennifer’s presence because she’s not super involved with them to begin with. She’s a friend but was always kind of on the edges of the group. Joyce and Walky were the ones she hung out with most and Walky regularly prioritized his gf at the time over Jen. Sal was her roommate/pseudo step sis but they never really hangout together and Jen still showed up to her roller derby post time skip. A lot of her time was spent with Ruth who regularly was with the group because their drama often called upon her RA responsibilities which brought Billie in. Without the Ruth dating connection that no longer happens.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          August 20, 2022 at 12:30 pm | #

          That’s a hard call, since it was over the timeskip.

          Walky comments when arriving back on campus about Jennifer being “elusive”. It’s really not clear how much that is him overreacting and how much is an actual change by Jennifer.

          • Sirksom
            Sirksom
            August 20, 2022 at 1:51 pm | #

            I’m sure it’s a change by Jennifer but I don’t think she was purposefully avoiding people as much as she didn’t have a very strong connection to begin with. It’s pretty natural not to be in regular contact with school friends over breaks unless you’re very close which Jennifer wasn’t really with anyone other than Sal and Walky. She even said she wasn’t avoiding Walky and didn’t hate him but was just busy. My guess was she was busy with Asher, hanging with a new love can be distracting.

            • Archieve
              Archieve
              August 20, 2022 at 3:15 pm | #

              Though a new love interet can be distracting the time where walky tried to talk with her made it sound like she really was trying to avoid all the people from her old social circle to start a new self image and she really didn’t want to hang out with him.

    • Archieve
      Archieve
      August 20, 2022 at 3:08 pm | #

      I get the impression Radiah wording it like she has on unhealthy relationship with everybody (when really it’s one person) is her manipulating jennifer out of the social circle. Seems to be a pattern, try to befriend someone Sarah knows while dropping hints that they should not interact with her anymore.

      • Laura
        Laura
        August 20, 2022 at 4:06 pm | #

        She could have been picking up on Billie’s talking about “why I bother with any of those nerds,” or being at a party hosted by someone who didn’t really “do” friendship. Billie’s antipathy in tone toward everyone at the party may have been what Raidah was referring to as “unhealthy”.

        Plus there was surely gossip about Billie’s former alcoholism and DUI accident (which also involved another new IU student), Billie’s relationship with Ruth, Ruth’s hospitalization, and Billie’s having to move to another dorm. So Raidah may be referring to all that drama/mess and be suggesting that Billie might like a fresh start. Mama-bird style, Raidah swooping in to position herself as the rescuer.

        Raidah strikes me as someone who would keep tabs on gossip to seek every advantage.

        Again — not calling her evil. Manipulative, scheming, ambitious, sure. Self-centered, Always looking out for number 1, sure.

        But these are qualities that are celebrated in USA capitalist culture, and especially in the legal profession. She’s doing what it takes to meet her goals by playing the game as it’s been presented to her. Seeking every advantage is part of what defines success in the competitive legal field.

        • Laura
          Laura
          August 20, 2022 at 4:10 pm | #

          Billie is also an accomplished social climber and networker.

      • JBento
        JBento
        August 20, 2022 at 7:48 pm | #

        Billie didn’t really have much of a relationship with anyone else that we could see, though, did she? She’s had punctual contacts with others, but not counting Ruth, Walky, and Sal (whom she tooms with), I’d struggle to qualify her interactions with anyone else as a relationship.

        • Laura
          Laura
          August 20, 2022 at 11:05 pm | #

          Yeah, just Joyce, who shares a suite with her. Billie tried to take Joyce under her wing to mentor her and teach her about fitting in socially.

  14. StClair
    StClair
    August 20, 2022 at 12:31 am | #

    Jennifer couldn’t be any deeper in denial if she was up to her neck in crocodiles.

  15. Dr. Gonzo
    Dr. Gonzo
    August 20, 2022 at 12:33 am | #

    Jennifer is a pretty terrible liar, especially to herself.

    • Archieve
      Archieve
      August 20, 2022 at 3:11 pm | #

      I’m honestly starting to wonder if she’s more angry about Ruth being the one to break up with her, like she hates the implication that Ruth knew better then her.

      • Laura
        Laura
        August 20, 2022 at 4:26 pm | #

        Very true.

  16. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    August 20, 2022 at 12:41 am | #

    Sorry, Jenifer, but that IS your fault.

  17. BBCC
    BBCC
    August 20, 2022 at 12:43 am | #

    Sure you do, Jennifer. Sure you do.

  18. Bryy
    Bryy
    August 20, 2022 at 12:44 am | #

    I’m not sure if Billie wants people to be as miserable as her or if she is genuinely confused as to why people are different than her.

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      August 20, 2022 at 12:19 pm | #

      Billie has a weird idea about a lot of social interactions due to the fact that she has no non-awful frame of reference.

  19. The Oracle
    The Oracle
    August 20, 2022 at 1:01 am | #

    Pernicious little creep.

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 20, 2022 at 11:39 am | #

      While being small is probably an advantage in a rider, the Dragon’s would never put up with Raidah.

      What do you mean Pernicious doesn’t mean having to do with Pern?

      • Taffy
        Taffy
        August 20, 2022 at 2:44 pm | #

        Raidah would probably love Threadfall, but for some reason I think Ruth would probably thrive on Pern.

        • JBento
          JBento
          August 20, 2022 at 8:01 pm | #

          Ruth already did the whole “partner in a suicide pact” thing.

  20. Taffy
    Taffy
    August 20, 2022 at 1:03 am | #

    They should make out.

  21. Freezer
    Freezer
    August 20, 2022 at 1:12 am | #

    The Self-Delusion is strong in this one.

    • DudeMyDadOwnsADealership
      DudeMyDadOwnsADealership
      August 20, 2022 at 6:31 am | #

      Stronger in the person she’s talking to. Billie was worse at the beginning of this comic. Raidah, like the large amount of people IRL like her, just got better at hiding it.

      • Laura
        Laura
        August 20, 2022 at 4:11 pm | #

        What are you referring to?

  22. Robbie
    Robbie
    August 20, 2022 at 1:18 am | #

    Kind of amazing when people manage to over share and also lack any vulnerability at the same time (she can’t even admit to liking star wars).

  23. Axel
    Axel
    August 20, 2022 at 2:05 am | #

    I think Raidah’s mentioned that she’s Muslim,* so I wouldn’t assume she’s lying (couldn’t decide who to reply this to)

    * when Jacob and Joyce are talking and she says something like “trust me, I know a lot more about your religion than you know about mine”
    ** not that all Muslims have the exact same beliefs on alcohol or follow those beliefs perfectly

  24. AGV
    AGV
    August 20, 2022 at 4:18 am | #

    Raidah knows you perfectly, Billie

  25. Ari
    Ari
    August 20, 2022 at 4:44 am | #

    Can’t tell if “healthy” as applied to interpersonal relationships is supposed to mean “this feels like it works for you and is sustainable and by your most lucid standards of harm you’re not being harmed” or “a person with a healthy relationships infographic from pinterest could look at your relationship and check off all the green boxes and none of the red ones (regardless of what the people in the relationship think, want, or feel)”. Also can’t tell if the problem here is supposed to be that Billie is saying that everything’s fine because she’s okay with it while clearly not actually being okay with it, or if the problem is the idea that you can meaningfully consent to being Problematic™.

    In real life not all stories about crazy people thinking they don’t have to live like sane people end with the poor dears realizing they should’ve listened to their betters about the one right way to be a human being.

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 20, 2022 at 10:44 am | #

      Strange is truer than fiction.

      Don’t mind me. I’m still trying to figure out how lucid standards differ from the non-lucid ones.

    • Laura
      Laura
      August 20, 2022 at 4:21 pm | #

      I like this. Thank you.

  26. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    August 20, 2022 at 5:58 am | #

    “And if you look at my laptop I have zero bookmarks for Wookieepedia. I mean, what’s ‘Wookieepedia’? “

  27. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    August 20, 2022 at 6:11 am | #

    I would probably try to avoid someone telling me something like what Billie is saying here. Raidah instead stays and listens to her. She probably thinks Billie is a mess, but standing next to her and listening to her is a good thing.

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 20, 2022 at 10:47 am | #

      Gives her lots of material to work with.

      • Laura
        Laura
        August 20, 2022 at 4:18 pm | #

        I think Raidah sees Billie as her “project”. Like an extreme makeover.

        • Clif
          Clif
          August 20, 2022 at 7:22 pm | #

          Are you saying that Jennifer is Raidah’s fault? Because that’s what I’m hearing.

          • Laura
            Laura
            August 20, 2022 at 7:45 pm | #

            Maybe more like her protegee.

  28. Amelie Wikström
    Amelie Wikström
    August 20, 2022 at 6:12 am | #

    Self-destruct in a cool and romantic way or a self-aware depressing way, Billie. You can’t pick both.

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 20, 2022 at 10:48 am | #

      Hah!

  29. Sajuuk-Khar
    Sajuuk-Khar
    August 20, 2022 at 6:26 am | #

    Jennifer desperately hopes you respect her sigma grindset

  30. Bagge
    Bagge
    August 20, 2022 at 7:49 am | #

    It’s a nerd costume for nerds.

  31. RedComet
    RedComet
    August 20, 2022 at 11:43 am | #

    Ruth was right to end things, awkward as it is in present day.

  32. wakeangel2001
    wakeangel2001
    August 20, 2022 at 12:36 pm | #

    admitting you have a problem is only the first step to mental health, you can’t just stop there

  33. Sombrero
    Sombrero
    August 20, 2022 at 1:25 pm | #

    Star Wars Jedi costume? I thought it was a Moral High Ground costume!! Like, Tibetan or something.

  34. Archieve
    Archieve
    August 20, 2022 at 2:58 pm | #

    Can’t help but notice Radiah still isn’t acknowledging that Sarah has given an apology and that she accepted…and is now implying that puching is a common trait of Sarah’s which it isn’t. Really hope she eventually gets called out on this, when you accept an apology from somebody there’s an expectation your not going to continue trash talking them behind their back as through they never apologized to begin with.

    • Laura
      Laura
      August 20, 2022 at 4:17 pm | #

      I don’t know about that. Sarah is pretty handy with her bat. And there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that something violent happened, and that one chooses friendships where physical violence is unlikely. (Billie’s pretty punchy too, come to think of it, though.) I don’t see that as trash talk.

      • Schpoonman
        Schpoonman
        August 20, 2022 at 5:40 pm | #

        Reminder that Raidah’s introduction was to taunt Sarah and tell her she hopes Sarah chokes on her lunch when Sarah was minding her own business eating.

        Raidah’s a huge asshole.

        • Laura
          Laura
          August 20, 2022 at 7:46 pm | #

          Well, yeah. She’s vindictive and bitter.

      • Archieve
        Archieve
        August 20, 2022 at 8:41 pm | #

        Sarah’s use of said bat was in response to her friend almost getting raped, I don’t normally condone violence but I strongly believe Sarah should get a pass on that. Violence is not normal for Sarah like it is for Amber, Ruth or even Sal so implying that she is normally punchy is frankly dishonest of Radiah. Sarah will normally avoid confrontation. Again my main issue is Radiah going along with the implication that she hasn’t already been apologized to and accepted said apology for getting punched, if she’s going to act like that then she should atleast tell Sarah she doesn’t really accept her apology.

        • The Oracle
          The Oracle
          August 20, 2022 at 9:08 pm | #

          but but but Sarah hit a person which is the worst thing you can ever do though wait hold on are you bringing context into this how dare you I will now subtly accuse you of several layers of bigotry in a way that lets me deny it if I’m called out

        • Laura
          Laura
          August 20, 2022 at 11:12 pm | #

          OK, yeah, I see your point. Valid argument. 🙂

          I’m happy to agree to disagree on this point, but I do recognize where you’re coming from.

          (I think that as the punchee, Raidah gets a lifetime pass on being allowed to talk about it, especially after someone else who was there, like Billie, brings it up first. I’ve been hit before, and even though the hitter apologized and I accepted the apology, I still get to talk about it, and I still get to choose to spend my time with other people. Once is enough: I don’t have to give second chances for hitting.)

          That’s just me, though. Different opinions are totally valid, too. 🙂
          And I do appreciate you for sharing your opinion.

          • Archieve
            Archieve
            August 21, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

            Understood and sorry to hear that happend to you. Just to clarify, its not that I think accepting an apology means never discussing the incident that was apologized for, but Radiah leaving mutual friends and acquaintances like Jason with the impression that they too should avoid Sarah because she hasnt changed her behavior is what doesn’t sit right with me.

            • Laura
              Laura
              August 21, 2022 at 12:18 am | #

              Thank you, Archieve. I appreciate you for saying that. And I am grateful for the clarification too — what you are saying makes a lot of sense. Thank you for sharing that important perspective. 🙂

              I don’t really mean to be defending Raidah all the time. I just get a little nervous when I hear people (not you) talking about “f*** her” and how she deserves to be punched, and calling her literal Satan. That’s when my “never OK to hit” defenses come out. Just the demonization of someone who’s already marginalized. Again, not you — just how the comments the past few days have been making my hair stand up.

              • Archieve
                Archieve
                August 21, 2022 at 1:13 am | #

                Thank you for explaining too.

  35. JBento
    JBento
    August 20, 2022 at 7:53 pm | #

    I just realised that present-day Jennifer is much more comfortable in Raidah’s group than she ever was with the main cast. Everyone else who learned about her love for Star Wars pretty much had to crowbar it out of her, but she’s apparently so vocal about it around Raidah, Carl, and Asher that she brings Kit Fisto into the conversation multiple times.

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      August 20, 2022 at 8:14 pm | #

      Considering the time skip she’s probably spent more time with them at this point.

  36. milu
    milu
    August 20, 2022 at 10:16 pm | #

    So, I’ve looked it, up and this is the location of the Moral high ground

    39.687436675115265, -85.95188207063704

    • milu
      milu
      August 20, 2022 at 10:18 pm | #

      (in Moral Township, Shelby County, IN)
      (obviously)
      (833 ft high)
      (you’re welcome)

    • The Oracle
      The Oracle
      August 20, 2022 at 10:19 pm | #

      …a random park outside indianapolis?

      • milu
        milu
        August 20, 2022 at 10:31 pm | #

        Listen, are you disrespecting the USGS right now?

        • The Oracle
          The Oracle
          August 20, 2022 at 10:47 pm | #

          United States Gay Squad? All I know is, I highlighted (highlit?) the coordinates and, without changing a single thing, hit “search”, and it sent me to a Google Maps view of a park with no distinguishing landmarks.

          • milu
            milu
            August 20, 2022 at 11:23 pm | #

            Well, the average elevation in Moral, IN is 794 ft. There’s got to be way to overstretch this already pretty thin joke into something witty about the Moral high ground and some high horse conveniently cavorting in the park nearby, maybe.

            And i’m pretty sure “highlighted” is way more common, and the reason is because “to highlight” is not derived from the verb “to light”, but from… wait, the noun “highlight”? I think? Too tired for ngrams and online dictuonaries at present

          • milu
            milu
            August 20, 2022 at 11:25 pm | #

            (Yeah it was a joke)
            (the joke is, the place is called “Moral”)
            (The USGS is the US Geological Survey, they do the elevation maps and such)

            • The Wellerman
              The Wellerman
              August 20, 2022 at 11:59 pm | #

              neat trivia tho

              (sorry, spoons going to code right now)

            • Laura
              Laura
              August 21, 2022 at 12:04 am | #

              Very cool!

Who should be the default doodle for Book 14?

View Results

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


May 3, 2025 - FCBD @ Laughing Ogre Comics in Columbus, Ohio

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