Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

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June 14, 2026

Morning Joe

by David M Willis on September 3, 2023 at 12:01 am
  • 01 – Everybody's Looking for Nothing
└ Tags: joe, joyce

Discussion (87) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    September 3, 2023 at 12:03 am | #

    a thousand cuts would be a lowball if/when Sarah comes back

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      September 3, 2023 at 12:05 am | #

      Nah, Sarah prefers bludgeoning weapons

      • Alongcameaspider
        Alongcameaspider
        September 3, 2023 at 12:22 am | #

        She can tape razor blades to her bat

        • Slartibeast Button, BIA
          Slartibeast Button, BIA
          September 3, 2023 at 12:40 am | #

          So, an Steel Age macuahuitl?

          • Risky
            Risky
            September 3, 2023 at 2:14 am | #

            Correct

    • UrsulaDavina
      UrsulaDavina
      September 3, 2023 at 12:32 am | #

      Generally when sentence to death by a thousand cuts the condemned would be killed first then the sentence carried out. Not sure how merciful Sarah will be.

      • clif
        clif
        September 3, 2023 at 12:54 am | #

        I’m not an expert, but I’m pretty sure that death first was not how lingchi worked.

        • elebenty
          elebenty
          September 3, 2023 at 2:45 am | #

          Agreed. It’s not in the spirit of the sentence.

          Cutting afterward makes it sound like some poor grad student with a microtome.

        • khn0
          khn0
          September 3, 2023 at 5:11 am | #

          Are you really sure?

        • Osopescado
          Osopescado
          September 3, 2023 at 10:43 pm | #

          According to the Wikipedia page for Lingchi, It could be used both as torture/execution while the condemned is still alive OR as a punishment after ones death. So both are correct (as long as we are accepting wikipedia as a source lol)

  2. easrng
    easrng
    September 3, 2023 at 12:03 am | #

    she really said 🥴

  3. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    September 3, 2023 at 12:05 am | #

    I really like that Joe has seemingly taken up purple as his color. Looks good on him.

    • True Survivor
      True Survivor
      September 3, 2023 at 12:09 am | #

      The color of kings.

      • ktbear
        ktbear
        September 3, 2023 at 1:47 am | #

        @True Survivor I think you’ll find thats the COLOUR of kings, unless we’re talking Elvis.

        • Otl1973
          Otl1973
          September 3, 2023 at 3:51 am | #

          Not sure why – the color’s usage by royaly predates the existence of the English language by 2000-3000 years.

          • Daibhid C
            Daibhid C
            September 3, 2023 at 7:53 am | #

            The COLOREM of kings.

            • Arian
              Arian
              September 3, 2023 at 10:22 am | #

              That would be funnier if the Latin was right 😛

          • True Survivor
            True Survivor
            September 3, 2023 at 11:39 am | #

            Ohhh, I get it. I think its because the USA, which uses the color spelling, has no monarchy (unless you count the king of rock and roll), but Britain, which uses the colour spelling, famously has a monarchy. Its a clever – I like it.

            • Bicycle Bill
              Bicycle Bill
              September 3, 2023 at 9:33 pm | #

              Taking that a little further, it’s amazing how, for a country that cast of the monarchy some 250 years ago, we are so quick and willing to give royal titles to all and sundry.  To wit: the king of rock and roll, the king of pop, the queen of soul, the queen of country, the home run king, and so on.  
              And I’m also wondering, since we are less than three years away from July 4, 2026, why we are not seeing more hubbub – not even postage stamps! – about the upcoming Sestercentennial?   Or was it because of the generally lack-luster response to the Bicentennial?

      • Mark
        Mark
        September 3, 2023 at 7:43 am | #

        Emperors. “Royal” blue, “Imperial” purple….

        • Bicycle Bill
          Bicycle Bill
          September 3, 2023 at 9:38 pm | #

          I remember back in my junior year of high school (1971), back when there were still a form of dress code for students, there was a sudden fad in my area for the guys to wear deep purple, long-sleeve dress shirts – and if you didn’t have one, you were hopelessly out of it.   Even the computer nerds and band geeks wouldn’t have anything to do with you.

    • Nono
      Nono
      September 3, 2023 at 12:24 am | #

      Joe had fairly consistently dressed in purples and greens. It’s a good colour combo for him.

      Joyce has mostly been pastels and the occasional darker colour like that orange sweater.

      • HueSatLight
        HueSatLight
        September 3, 2023 at 3:15 am | #

        Teal and coral are Joyce’s regular palette. I think every character has 1-3 colors they tend to wear. Not all of the time, and some of them more than others. I may have a chart somewhere and maybe the only character I haven’t noticed a pattern is Leslie.

        • BarerMender
          BarerMender
          September 3, 2023 at 5:07 am | #

          Teal and…. Ah, hell, Joyce wears Florida colors. When I first came to Florida, every cheap motel was painted teal and coral. I hated it. I’ll never read the strip again. Just kidding. Of course I’ll read the strip, but I’ll give Joyce the evil eye every time she appears in Florida colors.

      • Nicoleandmaggie
        Nicoleandmaggie
        September 3, 2023 at 7:22 am | #

        Joyce is a spring and Joe is a winter?

        • True Survivor
          True Survivor
          September 3, 2023 at 11:39 am | #

          Because she melts his cold heart?

          • Nicoleandmaggie
            Nicoleandmaggie
            September 3, 2023 at 2:38 pm | #

            Ha!

  4. Nathan
    Nathan
    September 3, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

    Spent several minutes staring at the screen and trying to figure out if “Purity’s Death by a Thousand Cuts” or “There’s an Unchaperoned Boy in My Room” was the MSNBC show in question.

    • Baroncognito
      Baroncognito
      September 3, 2023 at 12:13 am | #

      I did the same, tried every phrase as the Title of a TV show starting with the last panel before figuring it out.

      Every option would be a better show than the final result.

      • Jamie
        Jamie
        September 3, 2023 at 12:26 am | #

        Yeah, but slightly less likely to show up on cable.

      • Azhrei Vep
        Azhrei Vep
        September 3, 2023 at 7:08 am | #

        Mind sharing with the class? I can’t put it together. Probably because I’ve never actually seen MSNBC, so I have no idea what they name their shows.

        • Steve C
          Steve C
          September 3, 2023 at 9:47 am | #

          I believe “Morning Joe” is an actual MSNBC show.

        • Nedlum
          Nedlum
          September 3, 2023 at 9:56 am | #

          Morning, Joe!

        • Booyahman
          Booyahman
          September 3, 2023 at 5:34 pm | #

          If you say “Purity’s Death by a Thousand Cuts” in the same sort of cadence as you’d say “NBC’s American Ninja Warrior” it kinda sounds nice.

  5. Taffy
    Taffy
    September 3, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

    Back to the new hot couple. I dig it.

  6. Qube
    Qube
    September 3, 2023 at 12:09 am | #

    Joe let her have this

    …among other things, but presently this

  7. True Survivor
    True Survivor
    September 3, 2023 at 12:10 am | #

    I like that the monkey is staring with what could be construed as discomfort or disapproval at Joyce during this whole strip. That is a fun detail.

    • milu
      milu
      September 3, 2023 at 12:16 am | #

      Monkey Master always looks like he’s being disturbed while taking a shit and it adds a whole emotional depth to every panel he’s in

      • Thomas
        Thomas
        September 3, 2023 at 5:18 am | #

        I feel this poster is the equivalent of Ethan’s G.I. Joe poster in Shortpacked, which had one of the Joes, Brickhouse or Traffic Jam, can’t remember which one, staring down at Ethan disapprovingly.

        • Pharmadan
          Pharmadan
          September 3, 2023 at 11:58 am | #

          I think it was Roadblock.

          And mow I’m wondering if he’s depressed enough to start hearing it here

          • Thomas
            Thomas
            September 3, 2023 at 1:26 pm | #

            Exactly! Just like I said, it was either Blockhead or Roadkill. Possibly Fluttershy.

            • Opus the Poet
              Opus the Poet
              September 3, 2023 at 11:11 pm | #

              That’s 3 different media properties, none of which has anything to do with G.I.Joe.

              • Thomas
                Thomas
                September 4, 2023 at 7:56 am | #

                I think we can agree that Transformers and G.I. Joe names are more or less interchangeable with MLP as a cutesy variation on the same theme. All owned by Hasbro and including cross-overs between TF & G.I. Joe. Nothing to do with each other is a bit of a stretch.

  8. milu
    milu
    September 3, 2023 at 12:11 am | #

    so, since i’m up at this nonsensical hour for once,
    yesterday’s bonus panel haha! what

    • NGPZ
      NGPZ
      September 3, 2023 at 12:18 am | #

      🥰 Thank you Milu this is amazing

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      September 3, 2023 at 12:25 am | #

      This is very good, and we thank you.

    • Amós Batista
      Amós Batista
      September 3, 2023 at 5:34 am | #

      very good, great work

      Sadly, I couldn’t zoom in this site

      • milu
        milu
        September 3, 2023 at 7:40 am | #

        What, really? You can’t just ctrl-+ or ctrl-mouse wheel or something?
        Or right-click, “view image in new tab” or sth.
        I was looking for a non-facebook instagram basically and this is what i found

  9. milu
    milu
    September 3, 2023 at 12:15 am | #

    you’ll regret already having used “Morning Joe” Willis

    • Bittersweet
      Bittersweet
      September 3, 2023 at 8:18 am | #

      I used to watch that every morning with my mom before school and I cannot believe that I couldn’t figure out what the Alt text meant before this comment lol

      • milu
        milu
        September 3, 2023 at 10:48 am | #

        oh i’m not american, i had no idea what the alt-text referenced, just making some vaguely salacious joke with no idea if it would land.

        glad i could be of use some other way though =P

  10. BBCC
    BBCC
    September 3, 2023 at 12:34 am | #

    It’s what purity culture deserves!

    • Angel
      Angel
      September 3, 2023 at 1:12 am | #

      there’s surely been some ‘religious’ ppl without all the hangups joyce has that lets loose the first weekend away at home/college that they have lol

    • Mark
      Mark
      September 3, 2023 at 7:47 am | #

      Clearly you have failed to notice the enjoyment Joyce is getting from her “hangup”.

  11. Steelbright
    Steelbright
    September 3, 2023 at 12:41 am | #

    Joyce & Joe’s combined color schemes in the last couple days* have been so adorably on point (*in-comic haha)

  12. Owlmirror
    Owlmirror
    September 3, 2023 at 12:55 am | #

    I note that the door remains open.

    I am pretty sure that “There’s an unchaperoned boy in my room, and the door is closed” is a far deeper cut to purity than “There’s an unchaperoned boy in my room, but the door is open, and people are passing by”.

    Indeed, if Sarah walks in, Joe can protest “Hey, the door was wide open the whole time”.

    • Angel
      Angel
      September 3, 2023 at 1:13 am | #

      well, joe didn’t close it so i assume it’s not an extended stay or they were going to be on their way out to somewhere else soon lol.

      i don’t think sarah would be as concerned (does she know ‘officially’ yet?) as long as they aren’t being too unhinged

      • LiterallyJustSomeGuy
        LiterallyJustSomeGuy
        September 3, 2023 at 2:00 am | #

        Joyce is still by the door. She may still close the door, and this is her room.

        I don’t think Sarah knows because Joe is still alive (as told by Joyce and Joe).

    • Mark
      Mark
      September 3, 2023 at 7:48 am | #

      Closing the door is the next step. Maybe on his next visit.

  13. Angel
    Angel
    September 3, 2023 at 1:04 am | #

    lol joyce’s top is a nice shade of orange (coral?)

  14. Erk
    Erk
    September 3, 2023 at 1:53 am | #

    Little Death by a thousand cuts

    • HueSatLight
      HueSatLight
      September 3, 2023 at 2:02 am | #

      oh my!

  15. LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    September 3, 2023 at 2:02 am | #

    Joe’s smile is so cute. He’s just happy to be here.

  16. milu
    milu
    September 3, 2023 at 2:15 am | #

    Aaaaand yesterday’s bonus panel’s bonus panel!

    i have become Yoto. The destroyer of sleep.

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      September 3, 2023 at 3:28 am | #

      Wondrous. We love a series of cartoonish coincidences that look like something suspect is happening.

    • NGPZ
      NGPZ
      September 3, 2023 at 3:56 am | #

      Wow!!! 😍

      May have been a bit off with the color of Dina’s shirt (it’s more yellow-orange to me?), but yeah fantastic work! 🥰

      • milu
        milu
        September 3, 2023 at 7:54 am | #

        Thanks for your feedback, that being said i happen to think i did a fine job of this particular colour, i think it works pretty well within my more muted palette (as opposed to the saturated hues of Willis’s digital colours)

    • Eyebrow
      Eyebrow
      September 3, 2023 at 6:14 am | #

      Oh very nice

    • Pharmadan
      Pharmadan
      September 3, 2023 at 11:56 am | #

      Bravo!

  17. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    September 3, 2023 at 2:16 am | #

    small steps

  18. Thomas
    Thomas
    September 3, 2023 at 5:11 am | #

    Marked contrast with yesterday’s situation. Amber & Dina greet their visitor pantsless. Joyce is not quite there yet.

  19. Suet
    Suet
    September 3, 2023 at 5:32 am | #

    Morning Joe, eh? Then Joyce will be the Mika, and maybe Robin will be the Willie Geist.

    Since it’s Joyce we’re talking about, her purity needs about a million cuts.

  20. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    September 3, 2023 at 5:40 am | #

    Figure it out that Joyce didn’t say: “He is in my room and I’m not chaperoned”, but she says: “there’s an unchaperoned boy in my room”

    • Daibhid C
      Daibhid C
      September 3, 2023 at 7:57 am | #

      That ,,, makes perfect sense to me? Joyce doesn’t need to be chaperoned when she’s in her room. She’s supposed to be in her room.

  21. AlaninDC
    AlaninDC
    September 3, 2023 at 7:16 am | #

    Ah, where’s a washing machine when you really need one, eh Joyce?

  22. Steamweed
    Steamweed
    September 3, 2023 at 7:32 am | #

    Commas. They matter. 😀

  23. Mark
    Mark
    September 3, 2023 at 7:56 am | #

    Savor it slowly, Joyce. Each small step is delicious in its own self.

    • Mark
      Mark
      September 3, 2023 at 8:07 am | #

      C’mon, Joe! This is one of the things you want to learn.

  24. Lieutenant Dan
    Lieutenant Dan
    September 3, 2023 at 9:31 am | #

    DoA Book 14: There’s an Unchaperoned Boy in My Room

    Alternate Title: Is There a Vacant Spot on the Velociraptor?

  25. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    September 3, 2023 at 10:10 am | #

    Baby steps are still progress.

  26. DashWallkick
    DashWallkick
    September 3, 2023 at 11:35 am | #

    I dated a christian girl in high school and this is absolutely a real thing. The door was open and her parents were in the other room and I was sitting on her bed and I wanted her to sit next to me and she was like “…..I can’t.”

  27. Adept
    Adept
    September 3, 2023 at 11:36 am | #

    Joyce is getting a lot of excitement from breaking her conditioning.

  28. Theluxland
    Theluxland
    September 3, 2023 at 11:37 am | #

    This is too wholesome. Please continue

  29. StClair
    StClair
    September 3, 2023 at 3:13 pm | #

    and he’s not here to play with your Nintendo.

    • Mydnyt
      Mydnyt
      September 3, 2023 at 8:43 pm | #

      That depends on how you use the words. When I was a teenager I did use “play Nintendo” as a euphemism with a girlfriend

  30. HueSatLight
    HueSatLight
    September 3, 2023 at 8:19 pm | #

    I don’t expect a problem-free relationship for them, but it has kind of been a low-stakes Goofus and Gallant: Lucy and Walky parallel to Joe and Joyce, and the root difference is Lucy and Walky are enough more hesitant to communicate that it causes problems.

  31. Yakumo
    Yakumo
    September 5, 2023 at 1:58 pm | #

    It’s been a theme, but I love the framing of it in phrasing at the punchline of this strip. Been there all the time, but, from my favroite musical, “well put!”

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