Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

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June 24, 2026

Giant handsome man

by David M Willis on December 5, 2023 at 12:01 am
  • 02 – It's The Love I Haven't Got
└ Tags: dorothy, jacob, joyce, sarah

Discussion (238) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    December 5, 2023 at 12:02 am | #

    Sarah: “Wait, does Jacob think his face is just a piece of meat?”

  2. Thag Simmons
    Thag Simmons
    December 5, 2023 at 12:02 am | #

    Upsetting personal revelation in 3, 2, 1

    • M!a
      M!a
      December 5, 2023 at 12:59 am | #

      Sick burn in 6, 5, 4..

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 2:42 am | #

      well jacob’s aware of it but i mean he has told it to sarah and joyce before he wanted to be seen as more than a sexual object to others

      tho it would be hilarious karma for sarah if he ended up being asexual still willing to date the same way dina does (tho i imagine he’s had experience before at this point but doesn’t mean he can’t from now on)

      • seeprybyrun
        seeprybyrun
        December 5, 2023 at 5:53 pm | #

        If people’s sexual preferences are consistent across universes, Jacob is anything but ace.

        • anon
          anon
          December 5, 2023 at 9:14 pm | #

          either way he obviously wants more in a relationship than that, i wouldn’t be surprised if some how they miraculously got together it’d end b/c sarah was too impatient/in a rush to hook up versus an emotional connection

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      December 5, 2023 at 3:49 am | #

      Ain’t no standards like double standards.

      • Hilzabub
        Hilzabub
        December 5, 2023 at 1:47 pm | #

        It’s twice the standards!

  3. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    December 5, 2023 at 12:03 am | #

    We cut back to Dorothy in three days and she’s fucking jacked.

    Girl’s too used to overachieving, she doesn’t know how to not get maximum results.

    • Vanessa
      Vanessa
      December 5, 2023 at 12:07 am | #

      Haha, that would be great. It’s high time these women spent some time with the weights. Dorothy could use a way to sweat out all those emotions that isn’t just more cardio.

    • TemplarKnight
      TemplarKnight
      December 5, 2023 at 1:00 am | #

      Real world 3 days or comic 3 days. Cause it could genuinely be a year and a half before we come to three days later.

    • GholaHalleck
      GholaHalleck
      December 5, 2023 at 1:30 am | #

      replaces achievement high for Lifting High. No pickle jar is safe.

    • Nono
      Nono
      December 5, 2023 at 2:17 am | #

      She should be like Chidi and do push-ups whenever she gets stressed.

      In a week she’ll be able to arm wrestle Jacob with her pinky.

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 2:49 am | #

      “every time i end up feeling frustrated with life i do one push up”

  4. Joe Moose
    Joe Moose
    December 5, 2023 at 12:03 am | #

    [snap snap double snap]

    • M!a
      M!a
      December 5, 2023 at 1:05 am | #

      Wasted on Sarah. She can’t have an epiphany as she’s already aware, she knows that the game is up, and she’s far too stubborn to do anything other than pretend to be offended and pretend to storm off

  5. quark
    quark
    December 5, 2023 at 12:03 am | #

    oh hi jacob we forgot you were here

    • UrsulaDavina
      UrsulaDavina
      December 5, 2023 at 12:07 am | #

      We as in the royal we, or we as in the comment section, or we as in Joyce Sarah and Dotty, or e all of the above or yes?

      • quark
        quark
        December 5, 2023 at 12:20 am | #

        we’ll get back to you on that

        • Mym
          Mym
          December 5, 2023 at 1:25 am | #

          +1

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      December 5, 2023 at 6:02 am | #

      Hey, his neck ain’t gonna strangle itself. It takes the dedicated ignorance of Sarah neglecting her spotting to achieve that.

  6. shadowcell
    shadowcell
    December 5, 2023 at 12:03 am | #

    it’s super effective!

    • Archieve
      Archieve
      December 5, 2023 at 12:11 am | #

      Really want to see some more back and forth between Sarah and Jacob on this topic.

      • GholaHalleck
        GholaHalleck
        December 5, 2023 at 1:48 am | #

        I want to see him just utterly eviscerate her. She’s been a right jerk for days and deserves an emotional wedgie.

        • Ntrovert
          Ntrovert
          December 5, 2023 at 5:37 pm | #

          +100. Not sure it would make any difference, but it needs to happen.

  7. Schpoonman
    Schpoonman
    December 5, 2023 at 12:04 am | #

    Ha ha, get wrecked, Sarah.

    • Roam85
      Roam85
      December 5, 2023 at 12:17 pm | #

      I mean… she’d like to….

  8. AeromechanicalAce
    AeromechanicalAce
    December 5, 2023 at 12:04 am | #

    Jacob went from Lifting weights to Dropping the Hammer.

    • M!a
      M!a
      December 5, 2023 at 1:06 am | #

      Nice of him. Hammer hasn’t had work in like thirty years.

      • clif
        clif
        December 5, 2023 at 2:50 am | #

        Still, they had some classic horror flicks in their day.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        December 5, 2023 at 3:56 am | #

        Hammer’s got connections. Don’t worry about him.

        (That 3M ad campaign a few years ago helped, too.)

    • David DeLaney
      David DeLaney
      December 5, 2023 at 9:46 am | #

      (the Hammer is his penis)

      –Dave, dropped, drooped, what-evah

  9. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    December 5, 2023 at 12:04 am | #

    I am glad if this is going to get through to Sarah, that this dude wants to form an actual connection with her.

    Also, it’s comical how wrong Dorothy and Sarah evaluate Joe on this, but I get it: once bitten, twice shy.

    • Vanessa
      Vanessa
      December 5, 2023 at 12:09 am | #

      She’s probably surprised that he might want to be friends, she knows she’s bad at that and doesn’t think of herself as likable at all. He finds her interesting as well as attractive. Fingers crossed she rises to the challenge and the invitation.

      • Jamie
        Jamie
        December 5, 2023 at 10:25 pm | #

        This isn’t the first time they’ve had this dance.

    • Warcodered
      Warcodered
      December 5, 2023 at 12:38 am | #

      Right, guy dating girl calls her pretty the audacity of him.

      • Amós Batista
        Amós Batista
        December 5, 2023 at 9:13 am | #

        Is “hot chick” a compliment to tell to your girlfriend friend?

        • Roam85
          Roam85
          December 5, 2023 at 12:19 pm | #

          If you mean it in a complimentary context, yes. In fact, it is the person that is best to call a “hot chick” as your attraction to them at this point, is already encouraged and mutual.

          If you mean it patronizingly, no.

      • Nathan
        Nathan
        December 5, 2023 at 8:35 pm | #

        Is someone saying that?

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      December 5, 2023 at 12:40 am | #

      Joe is very good at making women despise and mistrust him

    • Hrodvitnir
      Hrodvitnir
      December 5, 2023 at 1:02 am | #

      Man, I don’t get how people are forgetting that the time since he was being a massive chode is really short for them. Like, I like Joe! I liked Joe when that was not a popular opinion. But we’ve had literal years of character development – the characters have had months since he was still List Dude, and some rather distracting incidents since.

      • GholaHalleck
        GholaHalleck
        December 5, 2023 at 1:51 am | #

        Oh no, a guy had a list of people he found attractive. He apparently respected when people told him no, and was upfront about wanting no emotional attachment in his hookups during both his high school years and his first college year.

        What a fucking monster Joe was before.

        • PedanticJerkass
          PedanticJerkass
          December 5, 2023 at 2:12 am | #

          He wasn’t a monster, but he was an asshole.

        • Nono
          Nono
          December 5, 2023 at 2:19 am | #

          I mean people don’t like reading that they’re a ‘chubby cheerleader’ or ‘a 3 out of 10’.

          Joe’s allowed to have thoughts, he’s just an idiot for putting it into a word document and letting it be easily accessed.

          • misanthropope
            misanthropope
            December 5, 2023 at 11:42 am | #

            i cant help but feel like, if i went into your house via your unlocked window, catalogued your sex toys, and then announced my findings to your acquaintances, that you wouldn’t feel like YOU were the asshole in that scenario.

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              December 5, 2023 at 4:11 pm | #

              My private sex toy collection isn’t really a good analogy for a list of the women that I wanted to “do”, complete with ratings and commentary. One’s your private business, the other is all about objectifying the women around him.

              And that ignores the fact that the list had an RSS feed and he regularly offered the password to fairly casual acquaintances.

              • Li
                Li
                December 7, 2023 at 3:31 pm | #

                It’s such a terrible comparison lol. On every single level.

                I know misanthrope probably didn’t mean to compare living feeling thinking human beings to toys that only exist for the pleasure of the owner, but it IS funny.

        • Chubsius
          Chubsius
          December 5, 2023 at 3:29 am | #

          Eh, let’s be honest. Joe’s list wasn’t actually a list of only those people he found attractive. It was a list of every single woman he met and assigning them a numerical score for physical beauty, like a one a one-man version the hotornot website, from back in the day. It was a list of people he found unattractive, as well. And it was shallow enough that he even gave Mary a high score, if I remember correctly.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            December 5, 2023 at 4:06 am | #

            Okay, so he was an equal-opportunity asshole. That doesn’t make it better. He still thought it was a good idea to put all that in writing, in public.

            New Joe is way better than Old Joe.

            • MArillius
              MArillius
              December 5, 2023 at 4:13 am | #

              Just a minor clarification, it was not in public as far as I recall, but instead something that got leaked.

              • Needfuldoer
                Needfuldoer
                December 5, 2023 at 6:24 am | #

                IIRC It was an open secret he willingly shared. He didn’t put it on billboards or anything, but he wasn’t exactly ashamed after it leaked. (Not until Rachel told him off and he had his epiphany, anyway.)

            • Chubsius
              Chubsius
              December 5, 2023 at 4:44 am | #

              To clarify, my position was fully: ‘Joe was an asshole.’ And he was an asshole for years. I think Danny said that he made the encryption for the list in junior high. Imagine the hurt and/or bullying that would have resulted if that list leaked in 8th grade. New Joe is indeed way better than old Joe, but I can understand why Dorothy and Sarah are super wary.

              • Needfuldoer
                Needfuldoer
                December 5, 2023 at 6:25 am | #

                Absolutely. They’re right to be on yellow alert.

                They also need to listen to Joyce.

                • thejeff
                  thejeff
                  December 5, 2023 at 8:24 am | #

                  They do, but Joyce really hasn’t tried to say a lot that would change their minds. She keeps being distracted by her horniness or by superficial stuff like “He thinks I’m hot!”, none of which gives any reason to think she has reasons to think Joe’s changed.

                • Li
                  Li
                  December 7, 2023 at 3:32 pm | #

                  @thejeff fully agreed. I think Joyce is so caught up in how happy she is with him that she’s kind of forgotten how much of his character development is something he’s only shared with her.

          • RonF
            RonF
            December 5, 2023 at 3:43 pm | #

            When I was a student at M.I.T. in the early 70’s a co-ed of my acquaintance wrote an article in Thursday, the weekly Arts newspaper at the school at the time. In it she grading the sexual skills of the several lovers she had had, by name, from 1 to 5 stars. It caused quite a stir. No, I did not make the list (I was not qualified, nor had I ever sought to be).

            We had a chat later. Apparently she was called into the Chancellor’s office and asked “How many credits do you need to graduate?” The answer being essentially “If I take a full load next semester I’ll graduate then”, she was then told “Then that will be your last semester at M.I.T.”. I was amazed that there were no sanctions against the paper for choosing to publish it.

            • Li
              Li
              December 7, 2023 at 3:35 pm | #

              In case it isn’t clear: yes that was also gross. Complicated by the different attitudes towards women being openly and unapologetically sexual in the 1970s — I can definitely get why that would parse as feminist at the time — but naming the dudes crosses an important line. There’s a difference between being open and unapologetic about your own sex life, and exposing other people who almost certainly didn’t agree to be publicly rated.

              (And yes, Joe’s ratings were functionally public. He sent the RSS feed link and password to people he’d just met.)

        • zee
          zee
          December 5, 2023 at 9:30 am | #

          Dude, having a list is fucking weird. People who do that IRL get socially black listed, because that is stalker shit. And he only respected a “no” if you screamed it in his face like Sarah or Rachel. And even then, he thought that was kinda hot. Fucking hate this, no he wasn’t a literal rapist. Doesn’t mean he was an okay guy. People need to quit white washing his past, otherwise what’s the whole point of giving him a redemption arc. It’s demeaning to both the character and IRL people who have dealt with jackasses like early Joe.

      • yak
        yak
        December 5, 2023 at 2:03 am | #

        Dorothy has apparently known him a long time. Probably they’re worried that he’s gonna pressure Joyce into having sex before she’s “ready”.

        Plus, a lot of people don’t like to admit it, but your first judgement of a person is really hard to shake.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          December 5, 2023 at 4:16 am | #

          His encounter with Liz taught him better than that, but I don’t think Dorothy knows about it.

        • RonF
          RonF
          December 5, 2023 at 3:47 pm | #

          I think Joe’s deliberately taking it slow. From what I’ve seen in this strip so far he’s used to getting a girl in bed within hours of their first encounter – and quite willingly on the girl’s part. He’s trying to be careful with Joyce, because he knows her backstory on sex is far different from the other girls he’s been around – and perhaps also because once that bond is created with Joyce it’s going to be a lot harder for him to break it. He actually likes Joyce, and knows he’s going to be in deep trouble with the rest of the group if he screws this up (so to speak …).

      • anon
        anon
        December 5, 2023 at 2:54 am | #

        well they haven’t had their one on one moments to see joe attempt to grow and change, that said there are ppl who’d be petty and hold onto grudges and still be pissed off at someone over something that happened a decade ago

      • Big Z
        Big Z
        December 5, 2023 at 7:54 am | #

        I’m kinda at the point where YES, he was a big ol’ wad of grundus with his “assigning every woman an appearance rating” list, HOWEVER…

        1) He’s also top-tier with his consent game and both Dorothy and Sarah are aware of why that might be ESPECIALLY important for Joyce.

        2) Freshman year of college is when you are SUPPOSED to make huge sweeping changes in yourself upon your first exposure to a larger world than whatever place you grew up in was.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          December 5, 2023 at 8:25 am | #

          What reason do they have to think he’s “top-tier with his consent game”? The way he used to only back off if the target yelled at him?

        • zee
          zee
          December 5, 2023 at 9:36 am | #

          Dude. Saying it’s bad to sleep with a chick if she’s drunk or crying is not “top tier consent game”, it’s the goddamn floor of being normal and decent. It took 3 very loud nos to make him stop hitting on you. See any early interaction with Sarah or any at all with Rachel. Even then he lied about having a threesome for the bravado image and joked that alcohol is a good gateway to them. So like, publicly projecting a not so great (average college guy tbh) idea of consent. He wasn’t a literal rapist, that’s it.

          • Big Z
            Big Z
            December 6, 2023 at 9:24 am | #

            In re consent game: I’m operating under the assumption that Sarah actually knows what happened with Liz.

            • Big Z
              Big Z
              December 6, 2023 at 9:27 am | #

              Mostly I’m pushing back pretty strongly against the assumption that Dorothy and Sarah couldn’t POSSIBLY see Joe changing, largely because again this is when people are often seen making large changes but also because one of the biggest outward manifestations of that change involved Sarah’s sister, who based on their car ride is known to tell her things.

        • Mym
          Mym
          December 5, 2023 at 1:29 pm | #

          Excuse me, how tf would Dorothy and Sarah be aware of it??? Telepathy????

          • Taffy
            Taffy
            December 5, 2023 at 5:18 pm | #

            Knowing Joyce, maybe? I think the idea is that they should know Joyce well enough to know good consent etiquette is especially important for her, separate from the impossible knowledge they don’t and can’t currently have. It’s just that if they did have it, they’d probably feel safer.

            • Mym
              Mym
              December 5, 2023 at 6:21 pm | #

              Joyce feels like the kind of girl to share her diaries for friendsy reasons. That would help, I think…but as we’ve never seen her do this…

              On the same note, just speculation: Dorothy would probably share her “journals” (specifically Not a diary) to make certain she is adjusting appropriately with a grammatically correct flair.

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              December 5, 2023 at 10:34 pm | #

              I think Dorothy knows Joyce well enough to know that horny can override her good sense – see her pursuit of Jacob.

              Do we know that “good consent etiquette” is important to her? Do we even know that she knows what good consent etiquette is? She was raised in a culture where the only consent that counted was “I do”. She’s obviously left that behind and she obviously has triggers tied to Ryan, but I’m not sure how much she’s really thought about it otherwise.

              • Li
                Li
                December 7, 2023 at 2:02 am | #

                The Jacob example is a solid one. Joyce’s judgment has, if anything, seemed pretty consistently compromised when it comes to dating and sex.

                They’re still her mistakes to make, she has the right to autonomy, Dorothy and Sarah need to relax — but in-comic, she’s been pretty consistently a starry-eyed romantic who believes that True Love is enough to fix everything. She very specifically ignored Dorothy trying to point out that even if you can get Jacob to cheat with you, that isn’t a trait you want in a boyfriend, by claiming that he would only ever cheat once, and then they’d be happy together forever.

          • Big Z
            Big Z
            December 6, 2023 at 9:29 am | #

            I’m assuming that Sarah would eventually hear the real story of what happened between Joe and Liz, based on the fact they talked pretty frankly about a lot of stuff on the parts of the car ride we saw.

            • Li
              Li
              December 7, 2023 at 1:59 am | #

              Really? You think so?

              I think admitting that she basically had a panic attack and all her Cool Atheist Casual Sex-Haver talk evaporated and she had to ask him if they could please stop instead of following through is… way way way more vulnerable than Liz seemed willing to be with Sarah.

              You and I know there’s nothing wrong with changing your mind about having sex with someone, but I don’t think Liz actually agrees. I think she’s probably deeply ashamed of “freaking out” and “letting” herself be controlled by the puritanical beliefs she’s supposed to have let go of (specifically where she said “I almost ruined myself forever”).

            • Li
              Li
              December 7, 2023 at 2:05 am | #

              Also the idea is that Sarah and Liz having that conversation wouldn’t have been important enough to show on-panel? Even with all the work that’s gone into Joe’s characterization?

              No. I think it’s much more likely that we someday get a like, phone call between Sarah and Liz where Sarah complains about Joe, and THEN Liz sheepishly admits he was a good guy with her, thus giving Sarah a real reason to change her attitude towards him.

  10. NGPZ
    NGPZ
    December 5, 2023 at 12:04 am | #

    As earthlings say, “shots were fired…”

    • True Survivor
      True Survivor
      December 5, 2023 at 12:15 am | #

      Hey this is set in an American university, you can’t say that here.

      • NGPZ
        NGPZ
        December 5, 2023 at 12:26 am | #

        Pika?

        • True Survivor
          True Survivor
          December 5, 2023 at 12:36 am | #

          Do to a variety of factors, including poor mental health infostructure and loosened gun regulation, American instructions of learning have become a frequent target of acts of armed violence. Reporting shots fired in a school gym, means something different here. Fortunately, reporting a major burn is not (at least until the NRA decides to start selling congress the idea that every man has the right to hunt waterfowl with a military grade flame-thrower).

          • NGPZ
            NGPZ
            December 5, 2023 at 12:47 am | #

            I was referring to the metaphorical shots Jacob fired, but yes, I am very much aware of the attacks you are referring to 🙁

            • True Survivor
              True Survivor
              December 5, 2023 at 12:53 am | #

              I get it, I was just trying to make (I suppose in retrospect distasteful) joke. Sorry for the confusion. How have you been?

              • NGPZ
                NGPZ
                December 5, 2023 at 1:03 am | #

                No worries, I’ve been alright. In terms of code commissions I’ve been scraping the bottom of the barrel recently for Xmas cash.

                Also rewriting platformer physics code to allow for sloped one-way platforms, as well as fixing bugs in a platformer boss AI.

                You?

          • Roborat
            Roborat
            December 5, 2023 at 4:09 pm | #

            Interesting, I wasn’t aware there was such a thing as a civilian grade flame thrower.

            • khn0
              khn0
              December 5, 2023 at 9:30 pm | #

              Don’t you sold ducts?

      • anon
        anon
        December 5, 2023 at 3:10 am | #

        I mean ,technically a school shooting did happen in this universe/story line with beckys dad XP

  11. HueSatLight
    HueSatLight
    December 5, 2023 at 12:05 am | #

    alt text beat me to it.

  12. UrsulaDavina
    UrsulaDavina
    December 5, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

    If you think about were all meat delcious delicious meat on that note humans can be considered a vegan meat option if we consent to be cannibalize?

    Also 100% joking about cannibalism. Not a Canibal.

    • Stephen Bierce
      Stephen Bierce
      December 5, 2023 at 12:08 am | #

      (Disregard my “flag”; it was accidental out-of-bounds clickage.)

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      December 5, 2023 at 12:48 am | #

      I think you’d still get your vegan license revoked by the vegan police

    • HueSatLight
      HueSatLight
      December 5, 2023 at 1:18 am | #

      Like oysters or cultured meat, it depends who is doing the considering, and why they’re a vegan.

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 2:55 am | #

      Cannibalism is the most romantic form of intimacy ;P

      But i wouldn’t be surprised if ppl preferred that over the regular sexualization of their body

  13. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    December 5, 2023 at 12:06 am | #

    Hey people see Jacob as more than a piece of meat….he’s smart right? I’m personally too busy staring at his muscles to know for sure.

    • UrsulaDavina
      UrsulaDavina
      December 5, 2023 at 12:09 am | #

      The brain is also a muscle a very sexy muscle powering all the other sexy muscles, and what were we talking about again?

      • True Survivor
        True Survivor
        December 5, 2023 at 12:32 am | #

        Fun Fact: Unless I am mistaken, the heart’s movements (contractions) are actually only modified rather than controlled by the brain. The electric signals used to control the heart rate are produced “pacemaker cells” located in the hearts sinoatrial node (the rate eclectic potentials produced by these cells is influenced by nerves originating in the brainstem and upper spine).

        Also, the enteric nervous system, which governs the gastrointestinal tract can operate independently of the brain (but something has gone very wrong if it is).

        • 3oranges
          3oranges
          December 5, 2023 at 12:48 am | #

          I mean, if we want to get that technical, we should start with saying the brain is not a muscle.

          • True Survivor
            True Survivor
            December 5, 2023 at 12:52 am | #

            It also doesn’t power anything, but I was trying not to point out too many flaws, just give out fun tidbits of tasty knowledge.

        • Ed Callahan
          Ed Callahan
          December 5, 2023 at 9:12 am | #

          Makes sense, since we had a gut and a circulatory system before a brain.

          • a/snow/mous/e
            a/snow/mous/e
            December 5, 2023 at 4:34 pm | #

            “we” being eukaryotes?

            • a/snow/mous/e
              a/snow/mous/e
              December 5, 2023 at 4:35 pm | #

              or animals? i suppose sponges probably don’t have brains

              • milu
                milu
                December 5, 2023 at 6:35 pm | #

                Sponges are animals =)

                (I don’t know when brains evolved, some invertebrates have brains, like arthropods and cephalopods… But are those structures actually analogous to vertebrate brains? Or did they arise separately? It’s a mystery (to me, because i’m too lazy to wiki it now)

    • TerribleTransit
      TerribleTransit
      December 5, 2023 at 12:11 am | #

      Some people, certainly. But he’s aiming that comment very pointedly at Sarah, who has done a very convincing impression of only seeing him for his body thus far.

      • Mr. Random
        Mr. Random
        December 5, 2023 at 12:13 am | #

        I mean…
        Whenever she’s around Jacob that’s all she’s brought up. His body.
        It may have been a long time, but I can’t remember if she’s actually interested in anything about him beyond his form or how Raidah was with him at one point.

        • Sirksome
          Sirksome
          December 5, 2023 at 12:21 am | #

          I think she does actually like him. The few times they’ve talked alone she seems to enjoy his presence. Sarah just isn’t a huge talker by design. Some people are okay just being near people they like.

          • Doopyboop
            Doopyboop
            December 5, 2023 at 12:52 am | #

            I agree, and I think getting any deeper would be scary for Sarah. It’s easier to think, and say, that what she likes about Jacob is his body. It’d be terrifying for her if she had to admit to herself, and say out loud, that she appreciates his kindness and how patient he is. That’s emotional vulnerability and she’s so far only been able to do that with Joyce and even that’s got about a 50/50 shot!

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      December 5, 2023 at 12:50 am | #

      He also has a mop on his head

      • David DeLaney
        David DeLaney
        December 5, 2023 at 9:52 am | #

        to be fair (to be fair (TO BE FAAAAIR)), so does she

        –Dave, we have not seen any mopthoughtbubbles on whether THEY appreciate each others’ looks, tangles, or the brains upon which they rest

        • Thag Simmons
          Thag Simmons
          December 5, 2023 at 11:53 pm | #

          Maybe if she also dyed it dirty blonde. The mop look is a specific pitfall with blonde hair, especially dyed blonde hair, although theoretically a blue or green haired person could invoke a more modern version but I think you’d have to try for that

      • Li
        Li
        December 7, 2023 at 2:07 am | #

        I kinda think you guys are both complaining about Willis’s stylized rendering of dreadlocks, which. Mmmm. I think has some very unfortunate connotations?

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 3:21 am | #

      well im sure he’s taking other advanced classes besides that political(?) one, but i imagine his convo with joyce and sarah at that pizza place based on previous experiences and other than keeping his muscles toned at the gym he probably tries to dress modestly (not that one should have to to avoid being sexualized/ogled) and just living his life.

      Tho surprised he doesn’t take tips from walky on how to act unattractive (even tho walky’s…walkyness ended up working/charming some girls lol xD)

  14. Archieve
    Archieve
    December 5, 2023 at 12:08 am | #

    I’m glad Joyce isn’t letting those two kill her mood and wow does Dorothy look angry that Joyce is happy to be around somebody whose not her or Becky.

    • Sirksome
      Sirksome
      December 5, 2023 at 12:10 am | #

      Dorothy is a girl who has nothing going on. Without her ambition or friends to devote herself to she’s naturally frustrated.

      • Coatl
        Coatl
        December 5, 2023 at 12:14 am | #

        Well, lifting weights helps her let off steam and channel it.

        • David DeLaney
          David DeLaney
          December 5, 2023 at 9:53 am | #

          and now she’s got a head (full) of steam worked up!

          –Dave, win-win

      • Archieve
        Archieve
        December 5, 2023 at 12:14 am | #

        True, and she likely tells herself atleast a little that she’s staying because Joyce needs her.

        • Coatl
          Coatl
          December 5, 2023 at 12:25 am | #

          That’s something that’s really disturbing, besides, the last conversation they had, Joyce seemed to be enthusiastic about helping Dorothy, but she was just babbling clearly, here I can only think that it’s likely that Dorothy made excuses for it and Joyce will be so insistent. which is going to cause something not so pleasant for the two of them.

    • Vanessa
      Vanessa
      December 5, 2023 at 12:12 am | #

      It looks like she is suffering a revelation or two. It’s OK for a hot dude to make your friend happy! Maybe Dotty wants a large hairy man to find her attractive as well.

      • Aura
        Aura
        December 5, 2023 at 1:49 am | #

        I’m not convinced it’s a large hairy man Dorothy’s after. Her dating history says she may not be into large and hairy, and there’s a lot in her recent behaviour to suggest there’s a specific person she’d like to make happy who ticks 0/3 of those.

        • Heavensrun
          Heavensrun
          December 5, 2023 at 2:36 am | #

          Yeah, like, I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but Dotty’s behavior is *extremely* sus in this arc.

          • Aura
            Aura
            December 5, 2023 at 10:13 pm | #

            Mmhmm. Usually I’d be very cautious about trying to force an interpretation of a close friendship as necessarily romantic because it can often feel like devaluing that sort of platonic friendship, but I think there’s more than enough textual evidence here of non-platonic feelings to justify it.

      • HueSatLight
        HueSatLight
        December 5, 2023 at 11:22 am | #

        I think both “Turning Saints into the Sea” and “The Love I Haven’t Got” are about Dorothy’s feelings for Joyce. Not just the chapters, the titles too.
        The first references being driven by jealousy to do something drastic. The second is about unrequited love.

        I think Dorothy is bi for Joyce, but doesn’t understand her own feelings. Dorothy wants someone who believes in her. Joyce has showered her with affection, stood up to her parents for Dorothy, trusts her, and bought into her “future president” plan whole-heartedly.

    • Cmasta1992
      Cmasta1992
      December 5, 2023 at 12:13 am | #

      Happy for Joyce too. Sarah and Dorothy can be kinda shitty friends so I’m glad she’s just enjoying the moment and not letting them get her goat

  15. Grimey
    Grimey
    December 5, 2023 at 12:10 am | #

    King shit.

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 3:23 am | #

      i’m not fond of raidah but it’d be hilarious if jacob agreed to make out with raidah in front of sarah to spite her lol

      • chuckroast
        chuckroast
        December 5, 2023 at 3:20 pm | #

        Sarah really needs some kind of reality check to make her less cartoonish.

        I know she’s literally a cartoon, but hopefully you get what I mean anyway.

  16. shrub
    shrub
    December 5, 2023 at 12:11 am | #

    Well done Joyce, this is some fantastic character development.

    Here she is knowing full well how Dorothy and Sarah feel about Joe and not giving a single fukc about it

    Sarah and Dorothy could both learn something from Joyce because from where I’m looking shes surpassed both of them when it comes to maturity

    Also why does Dorothy have a stink face in panel two?

    • Vanessa
      Vanessa
      December 5, 2023 at 12:13 am | #

      She is probably learning something from Joyce for once and she doesn’t like it.

    • Archieve
      Archieve
      December 5, 2023 at 12:21 am | #

      Their both so used to taking care of Joyce (Dorothy in particular) they are struggling with who Joyce is growing into vs who she is to them. I actually think Dorothy’s talk with Joyce yesterday about tranmissable sin being unfounded probably helped though Dorothy’s clearly not in the mind to appreciate that right now.

    • Aura
      Aura
      December 5, 2023 at 12:39 am | #

      My take is jealousy 😀 Joe is clearly not good enough for Joyce. No, she needs someone more academic, more ambitious; someone who understands Joyce on a level Joe never could and knows how to look after her; someone smaller and skinnier and bonier and more poindextery; someone more… feminine. Someone like, well, someone just like Dorothy. But I mean, obviously not Dorothy herself, right? That would be ridiculous.

      • Bash
        Bash
        December 5, 2023 at 1:12 am | #

        I was going to write a comment about Dorothy being jealous, but you’ve said it better than I ever could.

      • Mym
        Mym
        December 5, 2023 at 1:22 am | #

        I can’t wait to see Dorothy get as jacked as Joe to get attention

        • Aura
          Aura
          December 5, 2023 at 10:14 pm | #

          This would be amazing.

      • Heavensrun
        Heavensrun
        December 5, 2023 at 2:38 am | #

        “Man, she really likes that Joe is big and muscular, huh. Well, I’m going to go lift weights for no particular reason I can think of.”

        • anon
          anon
          December 5, 2023 at 2:58 am | #

          well, joyce was briefly attracted to sal’s ‘coolness’/from the neck up lol

          • David DeLaney
            David DeLaney
            December 5, 2023 at 9:56 am | #

            her ponytail to-day has clearly been partaking of that same fountain of cool

            –Dave, is it live, or is it Memorex?

  17. Cmasta1992
    Cmasta1992
    December 5, 2023 at 12:11 am | #

    Talk your shit king! Let her know!

  18. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    December 5, 2023 at 12:14 am | #

    Kinda feel bad for Jacob. He clearly wants to engage with Sarah and she’s giving him nothing despite wanting the same. This has big extrovert meets introvert energy.

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 2:59 am | #

      nothing wrong with a back and forth convo but most of the time extroverts do most of the talking for both of them. Tho other than being outta breath/stamina from the weights, maybe if jacob rambled on about some “nerdy shit” or even some religious stuff she wouldn’t care about, it’d cool off sarah’s thirst

    • Amós Batista
      Amós Batista
      December 5, 2023 at 9:15 am | #

      And this again. Jacob left her behind some couple years ago. It’s great he’s trying to reach to her, but I’m afraid it’s a lost battle.

  19. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    December 5, 2023 at 12:15 am | #

    Jacob 1, Sarah 0

  20. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    December 5, 2023 at 12:16 am | #

    o o o f holy shit XD BOOM

  21. BBCC
    BBCC
    December 5, 2023 at 12:17 am | #

    And shots fired! Let’s see how Sarah responds. Sorry kiddo, you might gotta learn to Emotion.

    • Archieve
      Archieve
      December 5, 2023 at 12:32 am | #

      Let the upcoming chronicals of how Sarah mastered her first emotion and Dorothy learned self value begin.

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 3:04 am | #

      I mean, “Anger” is her main emotion lol. That said, girlfriend/boyfriend status aside i feel like she’d find another way to ‘crash and burn’ on a first date too, a real ‘trash fire date’ unlike the one walky and amber staged lol

  22. Ray
    Ray
    December 5, 2023 at 12:20 am | #

    There is SO MUCH going on with just this morning workout. Absolutely delicious. I’d hate to be in that room, but it’s incredibly fun to read.

    • Mym
      Mym
      December 5, 2023 at 1:20 am | #

      To think, it isn’t even eight am

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 3:02 am | #

      imagine if there had been like 2-3 other ppl in the gym all along just off to the side just quietly eavesdropping/too awkward to move to change their equipment and stuff lol

      • David DeLaney
        David DeLaney
        December 5, 2023 at 9:58 am | #

        my headcanon is and has been that all along, Dina has been behind a weight machine

        –Dave, and is busily scribbling dinosaur-encoded notes on this Real People Interacting 102 class

  23. butting
    butting
    December 5, 2023 at 12:22 am | #

    Oooooo, burrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnn

    those calories, Jacob. Burn burn burn.

  24. AbacusWizard
    AbacusWizard
    December 5, 2023 at 12:24 am | #

    audience: “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH”

  25. Archieve
    Archieve
    December 5, 2023 at 12:34 am | #

    Sorry Dorothy but your boss status with Joyce has been overriden.

  26. Bo
    Bo
    December 5, 2023 at 12:36 am | #

    wow theres a *LOT* happening on this page…

  27. Serendipity
    Serendipity
    December 5, 2023 at 12:41 am | #

    Deserved, Sarah.

  28. AGV
    AGV
    December 5, 2023 at 12:51 am | #

    “Oh. Hi, Mark.”

  29. Qube
    Qube
    December 5, 2023 at 1:05 am | #

    holy crap that piece of meat spoke

  30. Taffy
    Taffy
    December 5, 2023 at 1:08 am | #

    Dorothy should murder Joyce.

    • Mym
      Mym
      December 5, 2023 at 1:20 am | #

      I–

      pardon???

      • Taffy
        Taffy
        December 5, 2023 at 1:47 am | #

        Death. Joyce. At Dorothy’s hands. I want it to happen.

        • Mym
          Mym
          December 5, 2023 at 1:53 am | #

          …Alright, I’m starting to be swayed to your side. Go on

          • clif
            clif
            December 5, 2023 at 2:58 am | #

            Careful. Being murdered is a trigger for some people.

            • Mym
              Mym
              December 5, 2023 at 11:27 am | #

              While I feel that, this might not be a good webcomic for those people. It’s had three murders at least that I recall. This comment section discusses my triggers, even today there’s discussion about Ryan hunting down women. It’s our own personal responsibility to decide whether we’reready to go into a public forum, knowing there could be a trigger: even in the form of a joke. Joyce is not a real character, she’s not real. Even if someone relates to her on a heavy level: she is not real.

              Examples: I am not comfortable with one of the DoA commenters because they support police brutality, but it is my personal responsibility to decide if I am comfortable continuing to comment in the same space.
              I am uncomfortable talking about SA, but no one comments needing to be worried about triggers on the other posts because this comic contains themes about it.
              Like two or three days ago there was mention of toe-dad being murdered.

            • Taffy
              Taffy
              December 5, 2023 at 2:20 pm | #

              No, the trigger pulling is slightly before the actual murder. It doesn’t count until after the bullet hits.

              • HueSatLight
                HueSatLight
                December 5, 2023 at 6:09 pm | #

                Where’s the chart of DoA characters referring to sex as either violent innuendo or as scientific experimentation?

                • Mym
                  Mym
                  December 5, 2023 at 6:22 pm | #

                  I need this chart

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 3:00 am | #

      This took a yandere turn lol

    • Sajuuk-Khar
      Sajuuk-Khar
      December 5, 2023 at 3:21 am | #

      Also, Dorothy should cook and eat Joyce’s right arm.

  31. John Campbell
    John Campbell
    December 5, 2023 at 1:08 am | #

    I think that one actually slipped through Sarah’s shields.

  32. M!a
    M!a
    December 5, 2023 at 1:09 am | #

    40-love; Jacob serving.

  33. Bash
    Bash
    December 5, 2023 at 1:14 am | #

    Comparing her behavior to Joe’s may have actually gotten through to her.

    • Mym
      Mym
      December 5, 2023 at 1:19 am | #

      Thank goodness. Some personal growth from my favorite character

    • DashWallkick
      DashWallkick
      December 5, 2023 at 3:34 am | #

      She’s already had this revelation before, kind of, back when Jacob complimented Joyce and Ethan dating. But I think this is the moment when it’s going to pivot into “sitting in the ‘want to get closer but scared to be vulnerable’ region with someone you’re attracted to is largely identical to just treating them as a sex object.”

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 3:37 am | #

      hopefully sarah’s not the type of person to be like “it’s ok when women do it to men tho”, although hopefully she’d believe jacob if he were to be like “Joe’s working hard on changing” if she was to be like “why do you hang out with ppl like joe” or so

      • DashWallkick
        DashWallkick
        December 5, 2023 at 4:01 am | #

        Sarah historically leans into being brittle and distant so we’re either going to see her digging in that “that’s not the same thing” or she’s going to be visibly jolted by the comparison to her and Joe and have to pivot. Given the final panel is her looking truly Gotten, I’m thinking we’re heading into an arc with her where she starts to trust people who aren’t Joyce.

  34. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    December 5, 2023 at 1:57 am | #

    Well then, Jacob, it’s a good thing that you don’t HAVE to imagine the feeling.

    ….. wait no.

  35. Guilll
    Guilll
    December 5, 2023 at 2:03 am | #

    I wouldn’t mind being seen as a piece of meat by Sarah…

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 3:10 am | #

      i feel like she wouldn’t be the type to openly comment on it versus just doing a scary glare at you (tho nothing wrong if ur into that lol) if you’re someone she just found hot rather than someone she willingly talks to but i can’t imagine her approaching some rando she also founds hot lol

  36. PedanticJerkass
    PedanticJerkass
    December 5, 2023 at 2:09 am | #

    Suck it, Sarah. And not in the way you’d like.

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 3:43 am | #

      at this point i’m surprised sarah wouldn’t just move on if she’s just attracted to jacobs body more than personality but other than like everyone knowing sarahs reputation feels like it’d just be easier to find a random f*ckboy to hook up with (even tho ppl are frustrated with sarah rn i’m sure there’s people who would be willing to put up with her for half an hour to get laid lol)

  37. Ophidiophile
    Ophidiophile
    December 5, 2023 at 2:14 am | #

    You tried to do a good deed, Sarah, but it’s time to go back to your hole.

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 3:01 am | #

      IDK if i’d consider “shitting on your roommates current bf in front of one of his friends/someone he gets along with decently” to be a ‘good deed’ lol

  38. Laura
    Laura
    December 5, 2023 at 3:00 am | #

    I 100% agree with Jacob, here. 🤦‍♂️😥

  39. Suet
    Suet
    December 5, 2023 at 3:01 am | #

    Don’t go just yet! Who’ll spot you if you’re alone?! Yeah I don’t fully expect a Swolothy in the future, but if we do… it’s all because of Jacob, Joyce and Joe? JJJ?

    Hypocrisy, thy name is Sarah Clinton.

    • anon
      anon
      December 5, 2023 at 3:46 am | #

      i imagine she’s probably not going to do any thing as intense as jacob, or like, maybe not use hte machines that need you to lie down like what he’s doing, after all theres prolly dumbbells (maybe a larger weight might need a spotter too) but i’m sure she’d ask for help if she needs it

  40. clif
    clif
    December 5, 2023 at 3:05 am | #

    An immediate joking response along the lines of “Holy shit. The piece of meat spoke!” accompanied by a grin counts as a save. But any delay is fatal.

  41. DashWallkick
    DashWallkick
    December 5, 2023 at 3:12 am | #

    Jacob correctly getting fed up with Sarah’s bullshit because it’s not actually cute or endearing that you don’t want to emotionally engage. Getting stared at sucks and he’s been trying to open up to her for ages.

  42. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    December 5, 2023 at 4:54 am | #

    Hey, Joyce should give a shitty compliment to Joe, too, instead saying “handsome man”.
    Like, “my bigass dog”, or something like that

    • David DeLaney
      David DeLaney
      December 5, 2023 at 10:01 am | #

      problem is he’s a bigshoulders looongcatarms middleass

      –Dave, he might even be a bubblebutt

  43. Da Boy
    Da Boy
    December 5, 2023 at 5:00 am | #

    Oh seems like Jacob is starting to get tired of Sarah’s crap.

    • shrub
      shrub
      December 5, 2023 at 5:04 am | #

      I’m surprised he still wants to have anything to do with her

      • Da Boy
        Da Boy
        December 5, 2023 at 6:44 am | #

        Seems like he is getting to that point. That’s the most annoyed I have ever seen him and he is normally such a ray of sunshine.

        • Sharaku
          Sharaku
          December 5, 2023 at 7:30 am | #

          He is in the middle of a workout. Hard not to be annoyed when the person who should be spotting you is distracted by shallowness.

  44. EmTaya
    EmTaya
    December 5, 2023 at 5:13 am | #

    SASS

  45. Plain Marie
    Plain Marie
    December 5, 2023 at 5:46 am | #

    Real talk, Sarah. Real talk.

  46. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    December 5, 2023 at 6:19 am | #

    It’s not a competition. But Joyce seems to be winning, Dorothy is jealous, and Sarah finally begins to understand how similar she is to someone she doesn’t like at all because he has (used to have) that kind of behavior they kinda share. So bad that it’s not a competition.

  47. Da Boy
    Da Boy
    December 5, 2023 at 6:48 am | #

    It’s actually so funny since Sarah is (unknowingly) projecting so hard. Joe is actually genuine and real in his affection for Joyce. Sarah meanwhile is extremely shallow and just seeing Jacob as a buff piece of sexy meat.

    • DashWallkick
      DashWallkick
      December 5, 2023 at 9:48 am | #

      Yep! Joe took steps to take down his ‘do’ list, presented himself as a human, and cleaned up his act to make himself a proper boyfriend for someone who invited him into her life. Sarah is like “that sounds stupid” while ogling Jacob and sneering at him for being horny.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        December 5, 2023 at 10:34 am | #

        Sarah has no reason to know any of that. Other than that he got caught for the list.

        • DashWallkick
          DashWallkick
          December 5, 2023 at 12:13 pm | #

          Sarah got an apology donut, and Dorothy has made peace with the relationship. Sarah just doesn’t know how to turn off her cynical pessimism enough to ask questions or doubt herself.

          • HueSatLight
            HueSatLight
            December 5, 2023 at 6:15 pm | #

            And she she offered to have sex with him, his first reaction was to jump at the opportunity. Joe is working on being better, he’s not done.

            • Mym
              Mym
              December 5, 2023 at 6:27 pm | #

              This ^^^
              I mean “hE sAiD hE wAsN’t GoInG tO”

              • Schpoonman
                Schpoonman
                December 5, 2023 at 6:54 pm | #

                Yeah, addicts who are trying to quit harmful behavior they’ve ingrained in them for a long time are full of shit. The next time an alcoholic tells you they’re trying to quit the bottle, tell them they’re full of shit, put a pint in their hand, then take a picture and parade it around as proof they’re not trying to quit.

                Do you people read what you write?

                • Schpoonman
                  Schpoonman
                  December 5, 2023 at 10:02 pm | #

                  That’s actually pretty egregious, even for me, putting “Do you read what you write?” right after a strawman.

                  Lemme try to clear up the matter: This is a relationship between Joyce and Joe. Their foibles and fuck-ups are between them, and Joyce has explicitly stated that she’s willing to forgive Joe if he does do something that hurts her. Jury’s out on whether or not she does if/when that happens, but her intent is important.

                  Dorothy and Sarah are just Joyce’s friends. They have every right to give their warnings, which they have, or even ban Joe from their room, which Sarah kinda has. But it’s not their relationship, Joyce decides how many times Joe screws up and how badly before she ends it, not them. Sarah baiting a reflexive response from Joe is not indicative of his lack of intent on being faithful to Joyce, either.

                • HueSatLight
                  HueSatLight
                  December 5, 2023 at 11:39 pm | #

                  The context to my comment was, “Sarah just doesn’t know how to turn off her cynical pessimism.”

                • Li
                  Li
                  December 7, 2023 at 2:10 am | #

                  Genuine question: has Joe ever indicated he has a sex addition?

  48. S.R.
    S.R.
    December 5, 2023 at 8:16 am | #

    A: not necessarily true
    B: not necessarily /bad/ for someone who’s figuring out sexuality and being attractive to others, provided they’re a piece of meat being treated with basic respect.
    (is that something Joyce is looking for? Don’t think so. Is “we’re fuckin’ because we find each other hot and that’s the extent of it” bad for everyone? Not at all.)

  49. Geoffrey Winn
    Geoffrey Winn
    December 5, 2023 at 8:23 am | #

    Story arc about Dorothy getting jacked and suddenly having abs? (I have never posted before, but now suddenly I want to…)

  50. goggleman64
    goggleman64
    December 5, 2023 at 8:44 am | #

    An extremely satisfying dunk

  51. Juanoku
    Juanoku
    December 5, 2023 at 9:26 am | #

    Glad Joyce can recognize when her friends are being dumb

    • David DeLaney
      David DeLaney
      December 5, 2023 at 10:02 am | #

      the fish realizing she is surrounded by water

      –Dave, see: comic title/premise

  52. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    December 5, 2023 at 9:27 am | #

    There’s some points I want to defend Sarah. She have reasons about what she said 4th panel.

    Shit, Joe is not helping, too: Beyond his past, he accepted have some with her in the same room of his girlfriend.
    And now, Sarah learned that the only praise Joyce get from Joe is “hot chick. Just by Sarah’s viewpoint.

    How could I blame Sarah for thinking about Joyce only being a conquest to Joe?

    PS: Yesterday, the only person I have to blame is Joyce. Could her just keep the dirty talk between them???

    • David DeLaney
      David DeLaney
      December 5, 2023 at 10:04 am | #

      Not the only praise – but, apparently, the first piece Joyce has so taken to heart

      –Dave, for of course the wrong reasons, based on the myths and legends perpetrated upon her in her upbringing

  53. zee
    zee
    December 5, 2023 at 9:42 am | #

    Some of y’all need to reread the comic bc I think you’re forgetting this man needed a redemption arc in the first place. Maybe go back to the page where Joyce explained how that kind of objectification feels and compared it to how Ryan made her feel. Or the page where Ryan said he tracked down Dorothy using the list. I love Joe and I adore this ship but it’s gag worthy how people are white washing his past. He a a creep pos, Sarah and Dorothy arent omnipotent. The most they saw of his actual redemption arc was probably the free donuts. It was probably huge gossip on their floor when he slept with Malaya during that time too. No one knew he was conflicted about it. They have every right to mistrust him. They just need to be nicer to Joyce about it. If you think your friends boyfriend sucks, the last thing you want is to annoy her into cutting you off or shutting you out

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      December 5, 2023 at 10:38 am | #

      It’s been a consistent take on Joe, even when he was at his worst.

      But Ryan never said he tracked Dorothy using the list. He saw her and followed her, waiting until her “big friend” was out of the way. Lots of people speculated the list could be used by Ryan or someone like him, but there’s no evidence it was.

      • Coatl
        Coatl
        December 5, 2023 at 8:03 pm | #

        Only the readers know that Joe has really made an effort, Dorothy and Sarah evidently do not know about it and the mistrust is obvious……you know, it is not common, but it is refreshing to read comments where the typical hatred for Joyce’s friends, plus the latter is not perfect either, at this moment she has not done something stupid, but we should not let our guard down and say that she is the only one that deserves attention, yes, she is the protagonist, but this comic has a list Huge and everyone has their favorites.

  54. David DeLaney
    David DeLaney
    December 5, 2023 at 10:07 am | #

    i am scquiring a continual joy from Willis knowing his commenters well enough to design that topmost poll option for them

    –Dave, possibly beatable out only by “another option which I shall discuss at length in the comments neener”

  55. HueSatLight
    HueSatLight
    December 5, 2023 at 11:28 am | #

    For the record, Dorothy did not turn her conversation with Jacob into stellar wingwomaning for Sarah. Maybe she intended to, but I doubt it.

  56. Erk
    Erk
    December 5, 2023 at 12:24 pm | #

    No, it’s okay when I do it! I’m protecting myself from caring too much and getting hurt!

  57. Moon
    Moon
    December 5, 2023 at 12:47 pm | #

    nobody asked but here are my government assigned fursonas (or what animal id make them in an anthro au if asked)(no one did)

    Joyce – Squirrel (I forgot she was already assigned squirrel in Roomies lol)

    Walky & Sal – Mice is the easy answer but I also see them as cats (animal that is equally cool and silly)

    Dorothy – Pomeranian

    Amber – Racoon

    Ethan – Maybe it’s the Hasbro but horse

    Mike – Duck

    Jennifer – some kind of fancy rich people Pony

    Becky – Rabbit

    Sarah – Sajuuk-Khar yesterday said owl, I second that

    Dina – if not a dinosaur (i do not know dinosaurs sorry) than a cute (but formidable) raptor bird, like a kite?

    Ruth – Fox

    Joe – Sajuuk-Khar also gave Joe jacked wolf or german shepherd. Co-signed.

    Danny – An underwhelming but still charming dog like a beagle

    Lucy – Chipmunk

    Carla – this sounds mean but a weasel? lol

    Leslie – Cat (easy answer) or a deer

    Jacob – not sure tbh, maybe a Lion?

    Robin & Roz – Bunnies also

    Jason – Common Shag (the bird)

    Malaya – Fuckface

    Booster – Eagle

    Asher – I KNOW THEY’RE NOT REAL but a phoenix

    Mary – Lamb of The Good Shephard (sheep)

    • David DeLaney
      David DeLaney
      December 5, 2023 at 11:19 pm | #

      bless your heart but Mike is _clearly_ a (mostly horrible) goose

      –Dave, he doesn’t actually fit honey badger

  58. M!a
    M!a
    December 5, 2023 at 1:46 pm | #

    Apropos of absolutely nothing, I now and then catch glimpses of some potentially major writing chops. I can’t help but wonder if any of our regs are authors in their own right: of any genre, pro or devoted amateur. Would it be too nosy to solicit a show of hands?

    Personally, I wrote conspiracy-thriller fiction for a long time. Until the real world surpassed the limits of my imagination.

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      December 5, 2023 at 2:19 pm | #

      I used to write semi-erotic absurdist fanfic, and I’m (glacially) working on a small fantasy RPG. No published samples remain, though.

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      December 5, 2023 at 3:13 pm | #

      I’m a professional writer who specializes in superhero and sci-fi comedy.

      But Willis has me wrapped around his keyboard.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      December 5, 2023 at 3:16 pm | #

      I recently finished a Middle Grades novel. It’s called A Year With the Fairies, and it’s about an Autistic girl who learns she can be a hero in her own way.

      Next I’ll send it to literary agents, and also illustrate it.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      December 5, 2023 at 6:11 pm | #

      I write ham-handed shitposts and slightly obtuse technical documentation, does that count?

      • Taffy
        Taffy
        December 5, 2023 at 9:11 pm | #

        What’s the difference?

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          December 5, 2023 at 9:19 pm | #

          The number of swears you can include before people get angry.

          • Schpoonman
            Schpoonman
            December 5, 2023 at 10:04 pm | #

            Please tell me shitposts have the lower threshold.

    • Morleuca
      Morleuca
      December 5, 2023 at 6:26 pm | #

      I used to write a lot of poetry and short stories. I haven’t put pen to paper in years though.

    • khn0
      khn0
      December 5, 2023 at 9:48 pm | #

      I edited a few novels that went into publication and wrote music columns for a newspaper, then I was a scrivener for a time, but never been a real writer – even if I have a few novel skeletons in my closet.

    • Bittersweet
      Bittersweet
      December 5, 2023 at 11:13 pm | #

      Eyyy, Sci-fi Romantic Drama writer here. Can’t really call myself an author on account of not having published anything I’m proud of, but I’ve fully finished four books (70k-120k, with a 240k exception that falls under “Not Proud Of This”) so that counts for something right? Lol

    • David DeLaney
      David DeLaney
      December 5, 2023 at 11:17 pm | #

      Have not written a book. (I copy-edited a few a couple years back.) But I did write a FAQ about three decades back, the net.legends FAQ.

      –Dave, a completely different writing style than pretty much any book ever

  59. Fuzzy
    Fuzzy
    December 5, 2023 at 2:31 pm | #

    Man I used to be a naysayer about Joyce/Dorothy but I’ve been having a hard time reading Dorothy and Joyce’s recent behaviors and words without seeing that subtext. Feels like they both have crushes on each other and are feeling very uncomfortable about it.

  60. Anna
    Anna
    December 5, 2023 at 2:46 pm | #

    BURN!

  61. thumb
    thumb
    December 5, 2023 at 5:29 pm | #

    oof!

  62. Synnerman
    Synnerman
    December 5, 2023 at 7:48 pm | #

    Will Sarah actually learn something from this or will she do something stupid…

    Dammit, I’m going to be here when this updates again.

  63. Grayfinity
    Grayfinity
    December 5, 2023 at 8:14 pm | #

    And then we’ll switch to someone else.

    No, I’m not currently pledging on Patreon. I’m just 80% sure that’s what he’ll do.

    • Mym
      Mym
      December 5, 2023 at 8:28 pm | #

      Hoping it’s not Lucy, ugh

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      December 5, 2023 at 9:19 pm | #

      The freebie Patreon previews are too blurry to read dialogue (most of the time), but they’re usually clear enough that you can figure out who appears.

  64. JA
    JA
    December 5, 2023 at 9:51 pm | #

    Hooo shit, here we go…

CHOOSE A SIDE, NO COWARDS

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  • Polls Archive
CONVENTION APPEARANCES


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

David M Willis! avatar
David M Willis!
@damnyouwillis.bsky.social
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3h
Dumbing of Age: "Beeswax" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Beeswax
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5
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3h
(june 24, 2026)
It's Walky and Jennifer!
1
1
27
 
reposted by David M Willis!
zachweinersmith.bsky.social's user avatar
Zach Weinersmith @zachweinersmith.bsky.social ⋅ 15h
Original exegesis alert! Full comic here: www.smbc-comics.com/comic/sin
13
77
725
 
reposted by David M Willis!
tomfowler.bsky.social's user avatar
Tom Fowler @tomfowler.bsky.social ⋅ 8h
Murdering space Nazis since 1983.
Drawing of an ewok dropping from a tree and impaling a scout trooper through the eye. Another space nazi is getting it through the neck just behind.
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682
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 9h
oops making somebody else
3
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 15h
www.ebay.com/itm/23616089... Selling my Toyhaxed Power of the Primes Rodimus Prime!
header image - Transformers Power of the Primes Leader Class Rodimus Prime, loose/ToyHaxed | eBay
www.ebay.com
Transformers Power of the Primes Leader Class Rodimus Prime, loose/ToyHaxed | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Transformers Power of the Primes Leader Class Rodimus Prime, loose/ToyHaxed at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many prod...
1
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 16h
reactivate shockwave
4
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 16h
The Thirteenth and The Seven-Point-Five
1
1
33
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 17h
funko pops will come for everything you love and hold dear
6
6
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Dumbing of Age: "Back with" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Back with
1
4
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
today in #9chickweedlane i learned how the strip was originally about 3 generations of women living in one house, before becoming about the intersection of sex and music, and how now it's about how sex easily defeated music, ruling supreme, forever shall it reign
12
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
TF Chronicles Ironhide incoming
2
2
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reposted by David M Willis!
danverzone.bsky.social's user avatar
Brent Fisher @danverzone.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Hear me do my usual advocacy soapbox rant about how we need more queer voices in storytelling now more than ever. I swear I'm a delight. ❤️ ♥️ 💜
teaberryblue.net's user avatarTea Berry-Blue @teaberryblue.net ⋅ 1d
Join me TOMORROW from 10:30-11:30 for an interview on editing queer comics with @danverzone.bsky.social and at 2PM-3PM for a talk about Krazy Kat!
8
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
HOW IS IT EVEN DRIVING????7
video thumbnail
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
T30 Sky-Byte: *chuckles* I'm in danger!
4
3
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reposted by David M Willis!
kennedytcooper.bsky.social's user avatar
Themperor Kennedy🐸🏳️‍🌈 @kennedytcooper.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
They literally just ousted David Hogg for saying exactly this
truthout.org's user avatarTruthout @truthout.org ⋅ 1d
New polling finds that most Democratic voters want the current leaders of the Democratic Party to be replaced, as current leadership has failed to unite behind a coherent message to resist President Donald Trump’s fascist power grab.
header image - 62 Percent of Democrats Want Current Party Leaders to Be Replaced, Poll Finds
truthout.org
62 Percent of Democrats Want Current Party Leaders to Be Replaced, Poll Finds
Democrats recently ousted David Hogg from leadership after he criticized the party for complacency.
17
148
530
 
reposted by David M Willis!
longtalljodie.com's user avatar
Jodie Troutman @longtalljodie.com ⋅ 1d
Hey, you should let Jay pick your writin' brain.
edidin.bsky.social's user avatarJay Edidin @edidin.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
ICYMI, I'm now offering coaching for writers on a limited basis. Want to troubleshoot a sticky project? Level up your work or learn a new medium? Bring joy back to your writing practice, push past a block, or come back from burnout? Establish better habits? HMU: edidin.wordpress.com/coaching-for...
6
27
 
reposted by David M Willis!
kmfao.bsky.social's user avatar
Dracula Enthusiast @kmfao.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
If your art style doesn't look completely different from page 1 to 100 is it truly a webcomic
feathernotes.bsky.social's user avatarKrispy @feathernotes.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
There's a lot of folks who are afraid to start their webcomics because they don't want it to look 'ugly' or don't know if they're ready yet" but... You just need to draw it and have something ugly and potentially 'not ready' That's the secret to starting a webcomic!
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Wheeeeeee bikes
2
1
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reposted by David M Willis!
kurtbusiek.bsky.social's user avatar
Kurt Busiek @kurtbusiek.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Comics are good.
THIMBLE THEATER daily
48
1038
5017
 
reposted by David M Willis!
mudron.bsky.social's user avatar
Bill Mudron @mudron.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
6
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1431
 
reposted by David M Willis!
kendrawcandraw.bsky.social's user avatar
Kendra, regular version @kendrawcandraw.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
Here’s another little excerpt from the interview for the night crowd, Hollywood call me www.comicsbeat.com/pride-interv...
Excerpt from comics beat interview where I say “ Other than that, I have big dreams about adapting something into animation and doing more writing-only projects. I love making comics with all my heart but man alive they’re a lot of work. Unfortunately, I will continue to do them until I die.”
kendrawcandraw.bsky.social's user avatarKendra, regular version @kendrawcandraw.bsky.social ⋅ 4d
I got to chat with @ebhutchins.bsky.social about Real Hero Shit: Harder Than It Looks, fantasy capitalism, and writing queer characters who are "obnoxious, slutty, and rude" (my words) over on Comics Beat! 🗡️😈🔥☀️ www.comicsbeat.com/pride-interv...
The header of the Comics Beat interview article, with the text: 
Pride Interview 2025:
Kendra Wells talks their shit, REAL HERO SHIT 2 and future projects
By E.B. Hutchins
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reposted by David M Willis!
kenplume.bsky.social's user avatar
Ken Plume @kenplume.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
“Yes, but what if we made orange juice the cereal??? WE COULD OWN THE ENTIRE DAMN BREAKFAST MARKET!!!”
video thumbnail
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
I basically don't drink anymore and I also haven't eassume yet today, so I assume this 10.4% ABV stout will put me on my ass.
10
2
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
www.ebay.com/itm/23615950... buy my Studio Series 18 Bee Movie Bumblebee!
1
1
9
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
I was mistaken! I didn't Sharpie anything on the older Bumblebee. He actually came like that.
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatarDavid M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 10d
Guess if they were gonna start remaking anybody in Studio Series it'd start with this guy. (Earlier version lightly Sharpied)
1
12
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
They made it! Sorta.
4
1
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damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Dumbing of Age: "Autocorrect" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Autocorrect
5
39
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
ben mendelsohn has joker hair?????
4
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