Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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i mean, *whispers* you should go ask him
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BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

May 8, 2026

Helped

by David M Willis on October 25, 2022 at 12:01 am
  • 01 – Bring Me to Life Drawing
└ Tags: amber, joyce

Discussion (97) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    October 25, 2022 at 12:01 am | #

    “TITS, DEFINITELY TITS”

    “but then why-”

    “KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE, YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER”

    “ah”

    • Johan
      Johan
      October 25, 2022 at 12:04 am | #

      Tits are Joe’s enemies?

      • Doctor_Who
        Doctor_Who
        October 25, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

        He’s got a whole villain song about them. It’s basically “Hellfire” from Hunchback of Notre Dame with altered lyrics.

        • Yotomoe
          Yotomoe
          October 25, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

          Let’s be honest, you don’t even have to alter the lyrics that much.

          • Sirksome
            Sirksome
            October 25, 2022 at 12:17 am | #

            Maybe omit the part about burning a women to death for not giving you any though.

            • Rose by Any Other Name
              Rose by Any Other Name
              October 25, 2022 at 12:24 am | #

              Hm.
              Perhaps it could be rephrased to indicate that he is metaphorically burning to death due to his feelings for Joyce?

            • fridge_logic
              fridge_logic
              October 25, 2022 at 2:19 am | #

              Lyrics written from Joe’s perspective/MO;
              Couldn’t figure out what to replace Beata Maria with so here you go:

              Beata Maria, you now I am a slutty man
              Of my body I’m justly proud
              Beata Maria, you know I’m so much hotter than
              the common, dorky, weeb, freshman crowd
              Then tell me Maria, why I see her snuggling me
              Why her smiling face still lifts my soul
              I feel her, I see her
              The sun caught in her short blond hair
              Is cooling my lust for anyone not her

              Like comfort
              sweet comfort
              this calm beneath my skin
              this constant desire
              pulls me to commitment

              It’s not my fault
              I’m not to blame
              It’s the fundie girl the angel who makes me tame
              It’s not my fault
              If in my plan
              I met a babe so much hotter than I am

              Protect me, Maria
              Don’t let me settle down
              Don’t let her sweet gaze relax my flesh and bone
              Just sleep with Liz
              And let me taste one hot night
              Or else let me be hers and hers alone

              Commitment
              And Marriage
              Like in my fathers turn
              Choose her or some random
              Be hers or let the passion burn

              • Sav
                Sav
                October 25, 2022 at 4:44 am | #

                I just want you to know how much I love this. Made my night!

              • Rose by Any Other Name
                Rose by Any Other Name
                October 25, 2022 at 8:34 am | #

                This is amazing and you should feel proud.

                … now we just need someone to sing it and record themselves doing so and post it on youtube to the confusion of everyone who hasn’t read this comic.

                • fridge_logic
                  fridge_logic
                  October 27, 2022 at 2:33 am | #

                  It was basically your idea. I’m just glad people enjoyed it 😀

              • Kazuma Taichi
                Kazuma Taichi
                October 25, 2022 at 1:29 pm | #

                888888888888888

              • Koname
                Koname
                October 25, 2022 at 5:26 pm | #

                truly a blessed rewrite.

              • Doctor_Who
                Doctor_Who
                October 25, 2022 at 7:42 pm | #

                10/10

              • Yotomoe
                Yotomoe
                October 25, 2022 at 9:56 pm | #

                Hell yeah! Stellar work <3

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      October 25, 2022 at 12:04 am | #

      To be fair, as someone with an affinity for tits and lots of anxiety I can definitely see them being a huge source of anxiety for someone such as Joe.

  2. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    October 25, 2022 at 12:02 am | #

    Ooooh she saved it!

  3. Yeet
    Yeet
    October 25, 2022 at 12:02 am | #

    frankly still counting this as heroic restraint from amber

    • Olav
      Olav
      October 25, 2022 at 12:26 am | #

      “You should go fuck ask him!”

      Yep. Heroic. 😉

      • Kazuma Taichi
        Kazuma Taichi
        October 25, 2022 at 1:30 pm | #

        she certainly succeeded at not doing the thing she wanted to not do

  4. Grimey
    Grimey
    October 25, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

    Amber’s reaction in panel 5: “Should I tell her, folks?”

  5. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    October 25, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

    THAT WOULD ONLY EXACERBATE THEM!

  6. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    October 25, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    Amber’s helping!

  7. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    October 25, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

    Man, Amber’s doing some good sister-ing.

    • BadRoad
      BadRoad
      October 25, 2022 at 3:03 pm | #

      For Joe or for Joyce?

      (Yes I know she’s not related to Joyce; she can still do *metaphorical* sistering.)

      • Librain
        Librain
        October 29, 2022 at 12:29 pm | #

        I mean she’s not actually related to Joe either

  8. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    October 25, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

    I know Amber is /trying/ to be subtle but I get the feeling she is more excited for Joe×Joyce than some of us. Am I wrong?

    • Dunedon
      Dunedon
      October 25, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

      Likely … But I still think she’s less excited than either Joe or Joyce are with the possibilities, if they ever let themselves express them to each other.

    • Sirksome
      Sirksome
      October 25, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

      I think Amber is just exited about her friends and acquaintances fucking in general. She needs new inspiration for her smut fics.

    • Nono
      Nono
      October 25, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

      Maybe taking Joe’s anxieties is making her more excited for it.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      October 25, 2022 at 12:23 am | #

      Amber answers your question in the last panel of this one:
      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-12/02-ill-leave-you-a-phantom/letchaknow/

    • A Strange Trish
      A Strange Trish
      October 25, 2022 at 1:58 am | #

      Some of you, yes. But if we’re not getting Joyce/Dorothy, I’ll take Joyce/Joe. I actually think they’re pretty cute together

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      October 25, 2022 at 2:18 am | #

      Given that there’s probably someone here who DOESN’T want JoexJoyce… no. No you are not.

      • Kyrik Michalowski
        Kyrik Michalowski
        October 25, 2022 at 2:45 am | #

        I said some people, not all.

        • Reltzik
          Reltzik
          October 25, 2022 at 10:55 am | #

          And Amber IS more excited for JoexJoyce than some of us?

          • a/snow/mous/e
            a/snow/mous/e
            October 25, 2022 at 3:51 pm | #

            I assume they meant “any” of us.

    • shanunu
      shanunu
      October 25, 2022 at 3:04 am | #

      I think she was just trying really hard to not say the word in the last comic and ended up just swapping it with “ask”. Its like SAFE but also. Not?

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      October 25, 2022 at 4:34 am | #

      She’s read Joyce’s fiction, she just wants her to have what she wants.

  9. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    October 25, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

    *the song now goes to the trippy synthesizer part*

    • StClair
      StClair
      October 25, 2022 at 12:16 am | #

      2:08

  10. The Wellerman
    The Wellerman
    October 25, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

    Best Amber face in last panel! 😍

  11. BBCC
    BBCC
    October 25, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

    LMAO see? You got the suggestion out without adding the part that’ll scare her away

  12. Thag Simmons
    Thag Simmons
    October 25, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

    HEROIC restraint on Amber’s part

    • alongcameaspider
      alongcameaspider
      October 25, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

      It took me a second because my brain read it as “YOU SHOULD ASK HIK OUT” when I read it the first time, had to take a second pass to see she didn’t accidently blurt put Joe’s crush

      • MacareuxMoine
        MacareuxMoine
        October 25, 2022 at 8:37 am | #

        My brain did that to me, too.

  13. Warcodered
    Warcodered
    October 25, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

    Wing Amber engage.

  14. Schpoonman
    Schpoonman
    October 25, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

    Nailed it.

  15. EpochFlame
    EpochFlame
    October 25, 2022 at 12:15 am | #

    bless her heart

  16. Raen
    Raen
    October 25, 2022 at 12:17 am | #

    Ask him naked.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      October 25, 2022 at 12:40 am | #

      Would that help him pay MORE attention or Less?

      • PirateTawnee
        PirateTawnee
        October 25, 2022 at 2:17 am | #

        yes

  17. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    October 25, 2022 at 12:18 am | #

    Yes, we’re setting up the ship!

    JOE AND AMBER!

    😀

  18. Joe Moose
    Joe Moose
    October 25, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

    All aboard the good ship Joe&Amber!

    [Of course it could also be ServiceIsMyOnlyJoy, but…]

  19. Tan
    Tan
    October 25, 2022 at 12:38 am | #

    Amber is doing a super-good job with having traded anxieties. Like you would think this is genuinely her own anxiety at this point regarding Joyce and Joe getting together.

  20. Huehuetotl
    Huehuetotl
    October 25, 2022 at 12:39 am | #

    I don’t think their chaperone is available for the second date.

    • RassilonTDavros
      RassilonTDavros
      October 25, 2022 at 12:52 am | #

      Bet your mom a nickel that Joyce and Joe end up reminiscing about Mike when they finally go on another date at Galasso’s.

    • Fart Captor
      Fart Captor
      October 25, 2022 at 1:16 am | #

      Sure he is. It’s not like he has plans anymore

      He may not be very mobile these days, but the smell would probably accomplish a similar effect to all the punching

      • Awaiting Moderation
        Awaiting Moderation
        October 25, 2022 at 1:21 am | #

        A part of me wants to say this would be a bad thing to do, but let’s be real, Mike would probably love the idea of his corpse ruining somebody’s date.

      • Username Taken
        Username Taken
        October 25, 2022 at 10:34 am | #

        Weekend at Galasso’s?

    • Sajuuk-Khar
      Sajuuk-Khar
      October 25, 2022 at 1:20 am | #

      Au contraire, he’s not haunting Amber anymore, his time is totally free to ectoplasmically torment Joe.

    • Amós Batista
      Amós Batista
      October 25, 2022 at 2:43 am | #

      An ouija table is a perfect app for this

  21. Taffy
    Taffy
    October 25, 2022 at 12:41 am | #

    This. We very much like this.

  22. JA
    JA
    October 25, 2022 at 1:08 am | #

    FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

  23. Fart Captor
    Fart Captor
    October 25, 2022 at 1:14 am | #

    I love this side of Amber so much! :3

  24. Sajuuk-Khar
    Sajuuk-Khar
    October 25, 2022 at 1:19 am | #

    AND SHE STICKS THE LANDING!

    • misanthropope
      misanthropope
      October 25, 2022 at 7:37 pm | #

      but does she land the sticking?

  25. Qube
    Qube
    October 25, 2022 at 1:20 am | #

    Amber successfully battled her Smut Goblin impulses and said something helpful. good for her

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      October 25, 2022 at 2:20 am | #

      I’m not entirely convinced that throwing Joe and Joyce together into a conversation where Joe might theoretically confess his feelings counts as a resounding veto over the Smut Goblins.

      • Qube
        Qube
        October 26, 2022 at 1:55 am | #

        oh make no mistake the smut goblins are working overtime here, but she didn’t yell “YOU TWO SHOULD FUCK” at the top of her lungs.

        you gotta celebrate the little victories

  26. bagge
    bagge
    October 25, 2022 at 1:43 am | #

    “YOU KNOW, FOR NO REASON!”

  27. PB
    PB
    October 25, 2022 at 2:14 am | #

    Nice job avoiding what your mind and heart were saying and swapping out the right word, Amber!

  28. Keulen
    Keulen
    October 25, 2022 at 2:40 am | #

    This might actually be pretty decent advice from Amber.

  29. Imogen
    Imogen
    October 25, 2022 at 2:48 am | #

    Oh, I *like* this comic. So Amber really is sincerely just trying to be supportive of her brother and kind to Joyce/better towards people. Good Amber moments; sorry I doubted.

  30. Nenja
    Nenja
    October 25, 2022 at 3:18 am | #

    Amber looks really cute in panel 4.

  31. Nova
    Nova
    October 25, 2022 at 4:38 am | #

    I would like to jump in and underline the understanding and growth from Joyce, too. I feel like some people in the comments section want to treat her like she’s still an unsocialised, intrusive, overbearing little monster…and she’s clearly not?

    Today she understood that Joe’s anxieties weren’t something she was entitled to and reassured Amber without needing to have it spelled out for her.

    Yesterday she understood that asking Amber how she was holding up hadn’t gone well. She admitted that she struggles to understand some social cues (bad at people) and offered to skedaddle without any fuss.

    It’s almost like the temper and stress of the last few times we’ve seen her in-comic were about other people crossing boundaries (like she said) and not about her just being a brat who wants her own way (like some of the comments section seemed to think)

    • Zaxares
      Zaxares
      October 25, 2022 at 5:30 am | #

      She’s still got some way to go with dealing with her neuroses and anger, but I agree; she IS learning, and it’s important to recognize when somebody does well and encourage that, in addition to pointing out their mistakes and how they can do better. If you give someone nothing but the former, they’ll never fix their own flaws, and if you give nothing but the latter, they’re likely to become despondent/resentful and stop trying at all.

    • Joy
      Joy
      October 25, 2022 at 10:09 am | #

      I appreciate you. This whole webcomic is about emotional growing pains tbh.

      (Read gourmet Hound!)

    • pope suburban
      pope suburban
      October 25, 2022 at 1:27 pm | #

      Honestly today she reminded me of Walky a little bit. She said something without thinking, not because she means ill or feels entitled, but because she’s curious and it came out. Then she reflected, walked it back, and went with what she knows to be right rather than her old habits or gut feeling. It’s just like Walky did when Lucy asked after Joyce’s health issues. Sure, they’re both doing it from a place of care, but that doesn’t mean they get to intrude in that way. It’s nice. I like to see them learning and it feels really realistic.

  32. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    October 25, 2022 at 4:43 am | #

    It just dawned on me that maybe there’s a reason Joe and Joyce are both in outfits reminiscent of the old continuity for this chapter…

    (I know there’s an ‘alternate future’ mini-arc somewhere in the Walkyverse where they were married, but for the life of me I can’t find it right now… I don’t remember if they were drawn in this chapter’s outfits.)

  33. Steelbright
    Steelbright
    October 25, 2022 at 4:58 am | #

    Amber is TRYING

  34. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    October 25, 2022 at 5:23 am | #

    No, Amber. You should say “ask him out“

  35. saltchocolate
    saltchocolate
    October 25, 2022 at 5:49 am | #

    I mean, *whispers,* you should go fuck him . . .

  36. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    October 25, 2022 at 6:18 am | #

    Amber is such an amazing sister for Joe ♡. Nice to see Joyce wanting to knows more about Joe and his anxieties. But he would never be able to tell her what really scare him.

  37. mecklejay
    mecklejay
    October 25, 2022 at 6:55 am | #

    Do the kids today know what defragging is? But first, tell me what they’re giving me for lunch at the nursing home this afternoon.

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      October 25, 2022 at 9:46 am | #

      Radio geek here (and no longer a kid). Its in the dictionnext to defaulting, which I learned about in engineering school, didn’t matter until PCs became a thing, and has been reobsoleted.

    • CrazyJ
      CrazyJ
      October 25, 2022 at 10:00 am | #

      Amber with her computer science knowledge would probably know what it is. Just because defragging happens in the background now doesn’t mean it stopped existing.

  38. vulcanodon
    vulcanodon
    October 25, 2022 at 10:17 am | #

    Even the notion that she may be autistic has moved Joyce to think about how she interacts with boundaries. I can’t wait for her first appointment.

    Also, that was a good answer Amber

    • Liliet
      Liliet
      October 25, 2022 at 3:53 pm | #

      Also, I love how Amber instantly warmed up to the conversation after Joyce sent up the “I’m autistic and need help and support” flag.

  39. Ian
    Ian
    October 25, 2022 at 11:06 am | #

    Notice she’s looking at her hand here.

    • Mark
      Mark
      October 25, 2022 at 8:04 pm | #

      Interesting interpretation. But I think she’s just making a negating gesture to undo her question.

    • Blibdoolpoolp
      Blibdoolpoolp
      October 25, 2022 at 8:06 pm | #

      I hadn’t noticed that, but I’m tempted to agree that it seems related.

  40. Wendy
    Wendy
    October 25, 2022 at 12:34 pm | #

    Yeah, Joyce, go ask him!

  41. MK15
    MK15
    October 25, 2022 at 12:37 pm | #

    aMbEr iS hElPiNg

    (actually, I think she is. Joyce should go ask him)

  42. Opus the Poet
    Opus the Poet
    October 25, 2022 at 3:17 pm | #

    This actually does help Joe and Joyce.

  43. Josh Spicer
    Josh Spicer
    October 25, 2022 at 7:30 pm | #

    And then Amber, calmly and clearly whispered for only Joyce to hear: “YOU SHOULD GO ASK HIM!”

  44. Rabid Rabbit
    Rabid Rabbit
    October 25, 2022 at 8:23 pm | #

    Huh. Have we ever seen Amber planning girl-on-boy smut rather than boy-on-boy before?

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      October 25, 2022 at 9:40 pm | #

      It’s the same exact prose, but sometimes Amber types “she” instead of “he”.

      • The Wellerman
        The Wellerman
        October 26, 2022 at 12:02 am | #

        Yes.

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