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May 5, 2026

Civic engagement

by David M Willis on February 13, 2023 at 12:01 am
  • 03 – Joementum
└ Tags: dorothy, walky

Discussion (104) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    February 13, 2023 at 12:01 am | #

    Dotty training to be the next Bat(wo)man

    …

    undecided on whether a Batperson would actually make a good president

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      February 13, 2023 at 12:03 am | #

      Babs or Dick could. Doesn’t necessarily mean they should.

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        February 13, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

        Dick Grayson would be the best at everything because he’s the most down to earth Batperson. Babs is good too though cuz she’d just know a lot about the job because she’s smart. Maybe Dick can be vice-president and just be the person who talks to the citizens and stuff while babs makes the big decisions.

        • C.T. Phipps
          C.T. Phipps
          February 13, 2023 at 12:09 am | #

          Bruce Wayne is basically a brooding loner tortured by guilt and anger he can’t express.

          Dick Grayson is a well-adjusted guy much more like Clark Kent because Bruce never let that bleed out on him.

          Except in HBO’s Titans, at least.

          • milu
            milu
            February 13, 2023 at 4:47 am | #

            (I replied to you in yesterday’s comments, C. T. if you’re interested)

            • C.T. Phipps
              C.T. Phipps
              February 13, 2023 at 9:15 pm | #

              Thanks!

          • Some Ed
            Some Ed
            February 13, 2023 at 2:09 pm | #

            Bruce expresses his guilt and anger. Just not particularly well.

        • Tom
          Tom
          February 13, 2023 at 12:29 am | #

          Not for nothing but Babs WAS a congresswoman in the 70s.

          • Cowabunga
            Cowabunga
            February 13, 2023 at 3:07 am | #

            She also got back into politics for a bit in 2018. Wish that went longer, Barbara is my favourite and that was imo the best run since Simone. As part of someone’s campaign team rather than a congresswoman or… whatever else elected politicians are called but it was her involved in politics

            • Tom
              Tom
              February 14, 2023 at 12:16 am | #

              Oh, from the Rebirth run? I read the first volume then dropped off. That’s exciting though!

          • Mr D
            Mr D
            February 13, 2023 at 3:36 am | #

            For the republican party lol

            • someone
              someone
              February 13, 2023 at 5:05 am | #

              Was she a pre- or post-Southern Strategy Republican?

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                February 13, 2023 at 8:18 am | #

                It was 1972, so technically after the Southern Strategy started, but it took time to really shift the party, especially outside of the deep South.
                And probably longer for comic writers to catch up.

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      February 13, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

      It really depends on the Batman. Adam West Batman would probably be pretty good, but the Nolan or Snyder Batmen would be really bad.

      • Proxiehunter
        Proxiehunter
        February 13, 2023 at 12:16 am | #

        Don’t even get me started on Frank Miller Batman.

      • SpaceDorf
        SpaceDorf
        February 13, 2023 at 2:10 am | #

        BOTUS – Lobbyist Repelling Spray

        • Thag Simmons
          Thag Simmons
          February 13, 2023 at 3:51 am | #

          You can’t take his administration seriously but dammit if he doesn’t get results.

    • Stephen Bierce
      Stephen Bierce
      February 13, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

      More likely that Gotham would secede from the Union and then need its own President.

      • Thag Simmons
        Thag Simmons
        February 13, 2023 at 12:08 am | #

        An independent Gotham would be a failed state within a matter of months.

        • ANeM
          ANeM
          February 13, 2023 at 12:41 am | #

          That is a weird way to spell minutes.

          • Thag Simmons
            Thag Simmons
            February 13, 2023 at 1:05 am | #

            I like to be charitable.

      • Proxiehunter
        Proxiehunter
        February 13, 2023 at 12:18 am | #

        I mean, the Union already abandoned Gotham once. Why shouldn’t Gotham return the favor?

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        February 13, 2023 at 7:15 am | #

        Bruce Wayne gets elected President of the US, Batman gets elected President of the newly independent Gotham.

  2. True Survivor
    True Survivor
    February 13, 2023 at 12:03 am | #

    The snow is melting, the Dorothies are cloaked in green again … it must be spring!

  3. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    February 13, 2023 at 12:03 am | #

    I wonder who else is in this club. I feel like Raidah would be.

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      February 13, 2023 at 12:05 am | #

      Raidah’s trying to be a lawyer, not a politician.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        February 13, 2023 at 12:08 am | #

        Yeah and all those things sound like things a lawyer would need. At least a good one would.

        • Thag Simmons
          Thag Simmons
          February 13, 2023 at 12:09 am | #

          Sure, I just don’t know if she’d develop them by going to a political and civic engagement club. Doesn’t seem like it’s her speed.

          • UrsulaDavina
            UrsulaDavina
            February 13, 2023 at 12:21 am | #

            Some law firms do pro bono work doing Civic Engagment. Radiah plans on Social climbing Civic engagement can be a good way to build connections

            • Sirksome
              Sirksome
              February 13, 2023 at 12:24 am | #

              I also feel like law and politics go hand in hand in some ways where it’s valuable to have skills in both. Like Sarah attending the poli-sci class.

          • GholaHalleck
            GholaHalleck
            February 13, 2023 at 9:02 am | #

            She’s trying to gather useful minions, and a civics engagement club would be ripe for patsies.

  4. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    February 13, 2023 at 12:04 am | #

    Walky’s got uncommonly good posture today. Good job, Walkerton.

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      February 13, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

      Maybe Lucy or his new “friends” are responsible for his sudden posture change. Hopefully Lucy, since the others are trash.

    • cbwroses
      cbwroses
      February 13, 2023 at 12:28 am | #

      This should be the morning of their breakfast with the “popular” people.

  5. Yeet
    Yeet
    February 13, 2023 at 12:05 am | #

    amazed that a college club is meeting as early in the morning as dorothy likes to get up to jog
    more amazed that a walky is awake that early in the morning

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      February 13, 2023 at 12:07 am | #

      I like to think that they’re all obsessive overachievers like Dotty, so the club began at a reasonable hour, but everyone showed up super early anyway.

      • UrsulaDavina
        UrsulaDavina
        February 13, 2023 at 12:23 am | #

        That makes a lot of sense

    • anon
      anon
      February 13, 2023 at 12:27 am | #

      lol well even with ‘lunch’ later with Jen’s new group of friends I wouldn’t rly think he’d need to unless he couldn’t sleep or didn’t want to oversleep lol

      • cbwroses
        cbwroses
        February 13, 2023 at 12:29 am | #

        I think it’s breakfast, not lunch, which is why he’s up.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      February 13, 2023 at 1:39 pm | #

      I think this is after her morning jog. Dorothy jogs at 4:30 AM. It’s winter in Indiana. No way it’s this bright out at 4:30 in the morning.

  6. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    February 13, 2023 at 12:05 am | #

    She wants to be the very best President, that no one ever was… because everybody who did get elected was too cutthroat for the character traits she values.

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      February 13, 2023 at 12:07 am | #

      Does anyone have those “frazzled Dorothy” pictures where her glasses are hanging crooked?

      Because I feel that will be her after every election setback.

    • Proxiehunter
      Proxiehunter
      February 13, 2023 at 12:20 am | #

      To get elected is her real quest, to run the country is her cause.

      • cookie1995
        cookie1995
        February 13, 2023 at 12:35 am | #

        She will travel across the States, searching far and wide

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      February 13, 2023 at 11:52 am | #

      One of these days she’ll realize that presidents (and most other federal-level political offices) in this country are generally corrupt and do what the rich and the big corporations want, not what’s best for the people.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        February 13, 2023 at 2:32 pm | #

        And therefore decent people should stay out of politics and leave it to the corrupt?

        • khn0
          khn0
          February 13, 2023 at 7:22 pm | #

          That’s accelerationism.

          Dangerous, angrier, quicker, easier and sometimes more seductive

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            February 13, 2023 at 10:40 pm | #

            I thought accelerationism was trying to share technology with the ship’s passengers and their descendants, instead of hoarding it among the crew to live like Hindu gods.

  7. Jamie
    Jamie
    February 13, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

    Panel 2 Walky looks disturbingly like Asher, to me.

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      February 13, 2023 at 12:07 am | #

      Oh that lunch is gonna happen this chapter too, isn’t it.

      • cbwroses
        cbwroses
        February 13, 2023 at 12:34 am | #

        Breakfast, but yes.

        • Thag Simmons
          Thag Simmons
          February 13, 2023 at 1:06 am | #

          Well, I hope the food’s decent. Because it’s probably going to be a complete disaster in every other respect

          • darkgloomie
            darkgloomie
            February 13, 2023 at 2:38 am | #

            It’s a meal and a show, perfect date material right?

  8. shadowcell
    shadowcell
    February 13, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

    I WANNA BE THE VERY BEST
    LIKE NO ONE EVER WAS
    TO COMMUNICATE SENSITIVELY ABOUT ETHICAL ISSUES IS MY GREAT TEST
    TO CREATIVELY REASON IS MY CAAAAUUUUUUUSE

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      February 13, 2023 at 5:07 am | #

      I WILL TRAVEL ACROSS THE STATES,
      SEARCHING FAAAAR AND WIIIIDE….

  9. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    February 13, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

    I really love the fact that, inevitably, the club will include Roz and Roz will run rings around Dorothy.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      February 13, 2023 at 12:08 am | #

      Probably, which might invite the (correct) suggestion she’s actually kind of a terrible person in her own little way. Maybe Dorothy tries to learn from her, though. “Teach me how to be a piece of shit.”

      I feel like Raidah’s more likely than Roz, but I suppose it could be both.

    • Alex
      Alex
      February 13, 2023 at 12:52 pm | #

      I would like to see more of Roz in a positive manner where she has her own goals instead of being a foil for the other cast members. I think Roz has positive qualities but we don’t get to see them often.

  10. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    February 13, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

    I kind of wonder on the tone of the last panel.

    “Yes, you are correct, I concede this.”

    “Yes, you are correct, I suppose that is ultimately the goal.”

    “Yes, because I guess that’s what everyone sees me as, the overachiever.”

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      February 13, 2023 at 12:08 am | #

      I get, “I don’t want to admit it but yes.”

      • StClair
        StClair
        February 13, 2023 at 12:31 am | #

        Same.

    • Archieve
      Archieve
      February 13, 2023 at 1:46 am | #

      From here last appearance with Becky I thinks she’s still sore at the implication that she’s not cut out for leading politicians so she was trying to sidestep the expectation that she would become group leader.

  11. BBCC
    BBCC
    February 13, 2023 at 12:07 am | #

    Well, YEAH, I mean that was never in question.

  12. newlland(Henryvolt)
    newlland(Henryvolt)
    February 13, 2023 at 12:08 am | #

    When you’ve condition your mind to be on that grind set it’s hard to not to want to be the best at everything you participate in.

  13. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    February 13, 2023 at 12:09 am | #

    Trying to be the best at communicating, reasoning and critical thinking?
    Dorothy, there is a term you made not have heard of, it is called “try-hard.” There is such a thing as trying too hard and you could be poster child for it.

    • StClair
      StClair
      February 13, 2023 at 1:08 am | #

      Of course. Nothing less would do.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 13, 2023 at 7:23 am | #

      Dorothy’s the kind of tryhard who would push the cart on Hightower, because that’s what you’re “supposed to” do. Meanwhile, everybody else is doing the conga and going for sick 360 no-scope market gardens.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7MJAH3ZHSQ

  14. Cmasta1992
    Cmasta1992
    February 13, 2023 at 12:10 am | #

    I remember my ex trying to get me to play Animal Crossing and I asked her “So how do you win?” and she said it’s not that kinda of game and I promptly lost all interest.

    • Sam
      Sam
      February 13, 2023 at 12:19 am | #

      You win by having fun. That is how Animal Crossing works basically. So if you like it great, if not, eh, just not for you.

    • Reaver
      Reaver
      February 13, 2023 at 12:24 am | #

      You get to live out the dream of affordable loans, collect all the bugs, fossils and fruits, as well as dive under water and harass sea creatures 😀

    • J.Gawain
      J.Gawain
      February 13, 2023 at 7:52 am | #

      One of my coworkers has a hard time with the concept of D&D because there isn’t any set in stone win condition. He just couldn’t wrap his head around that.

      • Alex
        Alex
        February 13, 2023 at 12:50 pm | #

        There isn’t ONE way to win but typically the party has some sort of quest to complete or goal to achieve.

  15. UrsulaDavina
    UrsulaDavina
    February 13, 2023 at 12:11 am | #

    I worked for my universities civic engagement department it was part of university financial aid program where I worked a job and got some money. Pay was shit but I got alot free food and my boss would pay me cash off the books. Beacuse the university didn’t think I needed a livable wage. I was actually good at the job data analysis and the willingness to travel all over the county (gas and parking where covered by the university using the department card)

  16. Caro
    Caro
    February 13, 2023 at 12:42 am | #

    “joementum” means SO MUCH MORE NOW

  17. Suet
    Suet
    February 13, 2023 at 1:02 am | #

    Now we get on some extracurriculars. Then again, purely ethical reasoning can be a bore sometimes.

    Looks like we’re not referencing any song for this chapter, so I’ll play the Muzak version of… Millennium by Robbie Williams?

  18. Hazel
    Hazel
    February 13, 2023 at 2:26 am | #

    I don’t think ethics is something you can win at.

    • Clif
      Clif
      February 13, 2023 at 2:36 am | #

      That’s because we’re more ethical than you.

      • StClair
        StClair
        February 13, 2023 at 3:40 am | #

        yeah, shows what you know.

  19. Clif
    Clif
    February 13, 2023 at 2:38 am | #

    Walky knows his Dorothy.

  20. Ophidiophile
    Ophidiophile
    February 13, 2023 at 3:14 am | #

    I have a feeling that Dorothy is going to end up being very, very lonely. Where’s the fun, Dorothy?

  21. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    February 13, 2023 at 3:23 am | #

    Walky is sometimes a lot less dense than I give him credit for.

  22. Sombrero
    Sombrero
    February 13, 2023 at 4:15 am | #

    I feel I’ve got the perfect gravatar for this storyline.

  23. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    February 13, 2023 at 4:16 am | #

    Is there a song title which “Joementum” is come from? Like, “Bring me to Life”, or “turning saints into the sea”?

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      February 13, 2023 at 4:53 am | #

      Nah, don’t think so. Guess Willis felt that naming them after songs was becoming a crutch LOL. 😅

    • Nono
      Nono
      February 13, 2023 at 6:01 am | #

      I think it’s a combination of Joe + momentum.

      Momentum itself IS a song, though not exactly a widespread one.

  24. Jenniffniff
    Jenniffniff
    February 13, 2023 at 4:32 am | #

    These two together <3

  25. Axel
    Axel
    February 13, 2023 at 5:05 am | #

    Dorothy needs a real hobby. Like, one that isn’t in some way experience or training for her career goals.

    • poyo
      poyo
      February 13, 2023 at 11:52 am | #

      agreed !

  26. Lieutenant Dan
    Lieutenant Dan
    February 13, 2023 at 6:37 am | #

    Panel 1: Arrival of the Loc-Nar.

  27. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    February 13, 2023 at 7:27 am | #

    A Dorothy and Walky scene?

    On February 13th?

    oh no

  28. Wraithy2773
    Wraithy2773
    February 13, 2023 at 7:39 am | #

    Re: Alt Text: Because elevators are expensive, why have two to a building when one would work just fine?

    My freshman dorm was separated by gender, but only for the living and shitting rooms. Stairs and Elevators and Exits were all outside the gender-specific zones, because why would it not be, why build two elevators for a single-digit-story dorm?!

    • Rotunda
      Rotunda
      February 13, 2023 at 10:18 pm | #

      Capacity. The strip has depicted what happens when dozens of students all need to get to class at the same time.

    • Slartibeast Button, BIA
      Slartibeast Button, BIA
      February 14, 2023 at 12:02 am | #

      Also because if one elevator breaks down or is down for maintenance, people with mobility issues are trapped. If there are two elevators, there is only a problem if both break down at the same time, much less likely.

  29. Taffy
    Taffy
    February 13, 2023 at 7:55 am | #

    These two are cute together. They should date.

  30. Fetch85
    Fetch85
    February 13, 2023 at 9:04 am | #

    Is Dotty just now realizing politics requires ambition that will screw over others?

    • Stephen Nedland
      Stephen Nedland
      February 13, 2023 at 11:44 am | #

      Oh, she always knew that, but now she is realizing that she needs to put on a veneer of humility, to sugar coat her ambition.

  31. alwayslurking
    alwayslurking
    February 13, 2023 at 10:51 am | #

    I think panel 3 has a line-break typo, Thur-day.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 13, 2023 at 4:08 pm | #

      It’s the day after Wedneday.

  32. Stephen Nedland
    Stephen Nedland
    February 13, 2023 at 11:42 am | #

    Dorothy is going to critically think those sensitive, ethical, issues, so hard, the rest of the Club will just automatically want to put her in charge. Of course, she will turn down the initial offer, maybe even the second; one can never be too amibitious.

    • StClair
      StClair
      February 13, 2023 at 12:47 pm | #

      That’s how she imagines it will go, but actually the person who’s just as ambitious, but with less scruples and more people skills, will end up getting it.

  33. Keulen
    Keulen
    February 13, 2023 at 11:56 am | #

    That sound like a college club that I would not have ever wanted to join back when I was in college. Sounds very not fun.

    • Alex
      Alex
      February 13, 2023 at 12:47 pm | #

      There’s a tiny chance it’s for overachievers.

  34. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    February 13, 2023 at 5:10 pm | #

    I don’t think the Valentine’s Day drama this year will be the elevator that opens in front of Lucy showing Walky and Dorothy kissing passionately because that would be too easy. But I wouldn’t mind having that kind of melodrama.

  35. Meagan
    Meagan
    February 14, 2023 at 12:25 am | #

    At first I read this as Walky saying, “Hey Dorothy, [are you] up for an early jog [with me]?”

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