Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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June 14, 2026

Converted

by David M Willis on January 9, 2024 at 12:01 am
  • 02 – It's The Love I Haven't Got
└ Tags: asher, ethan

Discussion (192) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    January 9, 2024 at 12:02 am | #

    also bc saying a Transformer transformed sounds kinda wack

    • AGV
      AGV
      January 9, 2024 at 12:14 am | #

      If anything it’s redundant and everyone knows what you mean when you say that a vehicle is convertible

  2. Chaucer59
    Chaucer59
    January 9, 2024 at 12:03 am | #

    Not a weirdo. Just a dork. A sexy, emo dork.

  3. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    January 9, 2024 at 12:04 am | #

    Jokes on them again. Weirdos are hot.

    • Dara
      Dara
      January 9, 2024 at 12:13 am | #

      Asher: Into Weirdos

      • Thor
        Thor
        January 9, 2024 at 2:15 am | #

        Occasionally literally.

        • Jamie
          Jamie
          January 10, 2024 at 12:37 am | #

          Do you have even one counterexample.

    • Pylgrim
      Pylgrim
      January 9, 2024 at 5:25 am | #

      They call them “weirdos”, I call them “worth knowing”.

  4. shadowcell
    shadowcell
    January 9, 2024 at 12:04 am | #

    Dumbing of Age Book 14: Of Course I Know Who Kit Fisto Is

    • clif
      clif
      January 9, 2024 at 2:01 am | #

      We have a winner.

  5. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    January 9, 2024 at 12:05 am | #

    Ethan being dorky is hot.

    Also, Kit Fisto appreciation is one of Jennifer’s hotter qualities.

    • Aura
      Aura
      January 9, 2024 at 6:36 pm | #

      Honestly it’s her most attractive feature

  6. IniquitousKing
    IniquitousKing
    January 9, 2024 at 12:07 am | #

    Kinda sucks for Jennifer that she let her walls down enough to talk about her dork interests with Asher only to build them right up again and then some.

    Asher does seem to genuinely like dorks. Another point in his favor (A +5 on top of the +50 he got for having Amber’s dad removed from the narrative)

    • HueSatLight
      HueSatLight
      January 9, 2024 at 12:11 am | #

      Blaine got Becky’s dad removed from the narrative, so he’s absolved of his wrongdoing by whatever metric you’re using.

      • crys
        crys
        January 9, 2024 at 12:30 am | #

        but consider blaine was starting at like -1000000
        (disclaimer, yes, i know asher got sal sent to boarding school, am not actually interested in quantifying doa character morality)

      • IniquitousKing
        IniquitousKing
        January 9, 2024 at 12:30 am | #

        Oh, I never said it absolved Asher, just that he went up in my books for it.

        A +50 to Amber’s dad for deep sixing Toedad still isn’t making a dent in the low negatives he’s in.

        • HueSatLight
          HueSatLight
          January 9, 2024 at 12:52 am | #

          how many + for getting Mike killed?

        • HueSatLight
          HueSatLight
          January 9, 2024 at 12:54 am | #

          Does Lester Bradford get even more + for killing Blaine, since he’s the one who physically shot him?

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            January 9, 2024 at 4:03 am | #

            So does he just so happen to have the same surname as Mary, or are they related somehow?

      • Bruno
        Bruno
        January 9, 2024 at 1:09 am | #

        I mean, I think we can also acknowledge that although Ross is fucking terrible, Blaine’s motivation for killing him was not at all sympathetic, and doing it in front of all of his daughter’s friends so his daughter can get there just in time to watch him die is a lot worse than how Asher did it.

        • HueSatLight
          HueSatLight
          January 9, 2024 at 1:16 am | #

          Asher’s motivation for killing Blaine was to silence a potential witness. If people want to talk about how great Asher is for killing Blaine because rEaSoNs, then let’s give Blaine the same benefit.

          or, hear me out, maybe being a cold blooded murderer is a character flaw.

          • Li
            Li
            January 9, 2024 at 1:34 am | #

            Is that what Asher’s motivation was?

            Also what are you hoping to accomplish here? IniquitousKing can correct me if I’m wrong but that footnote about liking Asher even more here seemed designed to specifically ward off “but he killed Ross!” comments.

          • Thomas
            Thomas
            January 9, 2024 at 1:40 am | #

            Maybe Asher was merely a link in a chain reaching back to his mob boss granddad, who actually ordered the hit. That makes him an accessory. He probably didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. Has anyone ever considered that option?

            • Li
              Li
              January 9, 2024 at 1:42 am | #

              +1

              This seems like a more accurate read on what few facts we actually have at the moment.

            • HueSatLight
              HueSatLight
              January 9, 2024 at 1:53 am | #

              how many people do you think are in the “killing Blaine LOL” groupchat?

              • HueSatLight
                HueSatLight
                January 9, 2024 at 2:11 am | #

                was he left in the “doing organized crime” groupchat from before he started school?

                • HueSatLight
                  HueSatLight
                  January 9, 2024 at 2:24 am | #

                  what I’m saying is him being notified probably means he was more involved than just hearing about it after the fact. Maybe the cops would have killed Blaine anyways, but the text implies he looped himself in to make sure it was done.

                • James
                  James
                  January 9, 2024 at 7:16 pm | #

                  That’s more or less literally a plot point, yeah.

                • HueSatLight
                  HueSatLight
                  January 9, 2024 at 9:55 pm | #

                  if there’s another plausible explanation for Asher going from supposedly “out of the crime business” to in what looks like a chat with a dirty cop, getting notified of a hit, I don’t know what it is. But I’d like to hear an alternate theory fleshed out.

            • Dara
              Dara
              January 9, 2024 at 2:28 am | #

              Yeah, my read on that whole situation was that Blaine showed up, threatened Asher to pull the fire alarm. Asher went to gramps, told him what was up, letting him know that Blaine was 4000% out of control and no longer useful to the organisation. Then maybe they make a trade and maybe they don’t, but either way Asher goes ahead and pulls the fire alarm, we see what Blaine does, if it’s the kind of shit it’s clearly going to be (because the fire alarm was the activation for the kidnapping plan), then Blaine gets removed at the next reasonable opportunity.

              • Mark
                Mark
                January 9, 2024 at 7:17 am | #

                It’s nice to know I’m not alone on this one.

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                January 9, 2024 at 9:09 am | #

                It’s not clear exactly where in the sequence Asher informed gramps. It could have been only after the kidnappings were over and Blaine was in custody, which is kind of my suspicion. I also suspect Asher was more directly involved – like gramps had him set it up, which is why he got the notice when it was done.

              • spriteless aunty
                spriteless aunty
                January 9, 2024 at 11:35 am | #

                I imagine Blaine was also pinned for stealing the money that Asher is using to pay for college.

              • Fred
                Fred
                January 9, 2024 at 11:13 pm | #

                yeah, we don’t know, but MY read on the situation is that the text that said “Done” was like Grandpa was the cat presenting the dead bird and expecting praise for it: “Didn’t I avenge you and your friends so well?” Grandpa decides how much and in what ways the Organization helps Asher, Asher doesn’t.

            • Fred
              Fred
              January 9, 2024 at 11:16 pm | #

              I consider it a lot, but it’s a minority opinion around here. I would say the different theories say more about people’s head-canons about Grandpa and Asian Criminal Organizations than about Asher’s character as presented in the strip.

          • Bruno
            Bruno
            January 9, 2024 at 9:37 am | #

            We have a lot of unresolved questions about what Asher’s role in killing Blaine was and why he participated. Since Blaine sucks, Asher gets benefit of the doubt for now, as far as I’m concerned, although future revelations could change my opinion.

          • Opus the Poet
            Opus the Poet
            January 9, 2024 at 5:47 pm | #

            I’m not in favor of any murders (including state-sanctioned ones) but murdering for Reasons (and not just because you’re blowing a fuse) is better than just blowing that fuse. That’s just My Humble Opinion.

      • Decidedly Orthogonal
        Decidedly Orthogonal
        January 9, 2024 at 10:52 am | #

        Let’s go with, “no.” Misrepresenting what someone is saying to make them seem bad is intellectually dishonest and somewhere on the scale of abusiveness. There are less hostile ways to disagree with a person that don’t turn a disagreement with an idea into a personal attack.

        • Li
          Li
          January 9, 2024 at 1:48 pm | #

          “Abusive” is pretty intense. Like I think HSL’s response was hecka jerky, but abuse is a big word that we shouldn’t throw around.

        • Taffy
          Taffy
          January 9, 2024 at 3:09 pm | #

          lmao

  7. nobodybasically
    nobodybasically
    January 9, 2024 at 12:07 am | #

    There is no way Ethan’s mom would let her son buy a toy called a “Kit Fisto” considering her backwards beliefs on his sexuality.

    On the other hand, maybe his insistence on the term “converted” has given her false hope regarding his future.

    • Nevermaker
      Nevermaker
      January 9, 2024 at 12:09 am | #

      Alternatively: maybe she doesn’t know what fisting is…I hope.

      • Thomas
        Thomas
        January 9, 2024 at 1:55 am | #

        Considering the toy came out fifteen years ago, Ethan was only three years old back then. If he ever owned it, someone must have bought it for him. So this is more Ethan knowing the entire Transformers back catalogue by heart. I seem to recollect that Willis himself is not that fond of Transformers who represent characters from other franchises, but that stance may have changed.

        • Thomas
          Thomas
          January 9, 2024 at 2:03 am | #

          Also, TF Wiki is totally a thing that Ethan has read back to front and sideways. It’s not like he owns every Transformer toy ever. That’s not true of Willis, so it’s probably not true of Ethan either. They make choices in what they purchase.

      • Comic.phile
        Comic.phile
        January 9, 2024 at 12:34 pm | #

        I can guarantee my fundie mom has never heard of “fisting” and would think it meant punching someone. Actually I’m gonna ask her if she knows what it is.

        • David DeLaney
          David DeLaney
          January 9, 2024 at 7:46 pm | #

          plz report back, starting with involuntary hilarity level experienced

  8. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    January 9, 2024 at 12:07 am | #

    Ethan: Why are you not running away?

  9. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    January 9, 2024 at 12:08 am | #

    Kit Fisto will never not sound like a weird fetish character to me.

    • Li
      Li
      January 9, 2024 at 1:36 am | #

      I wonder how many Weird Star Wars names that could be applied to!

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        January 9, 2024 at 4:08 am | #

        Star Wars names are always stuff like “Sep Boobah” or “Arnax Conralto”.

        • someone
          someone
          January 9, 2024 at 6:23 am | #

          Onan Solo

          • Decidedly Orthogonal
            Decidedly Orthogonal
            January 9, 2024 at 10:58 am | #

            Han(d) Solo
            When the suns set, Luke is a Nightwalker
            Chewie
            Yo “Judge me by my size do you?” da.
            And for the ultimate in racist undertones Darth Vader. Literally “Black Daddy” who uses force to have his way with people.

            Yeah, Lucas is pretty bent for sharing all this in a kids’ movie.

      • someone
        someone
        January 9, 2024 at 6:18 am | #

        Elan Sleazebaggano

      • Azhrei Vep
        Azhrei Vep
        January 9, 2024 at 7:22 am | #

        It’s not a fetish name, but no discussion of Star Wars names should go without a reminder of Master Ima-Gun Di from Clone Wars.

        He did not survive the episode in which he first appeared.

    • PedanticJerkass
      PedanticJerkass
      January 9, 2024 at 3:53 am | #

      Kit Fisto, just chilling out, enjoying some jizz in the cantina.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        January 9, 2024 at 4:09 am | #

        The fact that they thought “jizz music” would be a good name for the genre played by the cantina band will never not be funny.

        • Thomas
          Thomas
          January 9, 2024 at 1:00 pm | #

          Yes, but consider how “jazz” has the exact same double meaning. The music is named after the other thing. (While “funk” is named after the effect of a whole bunch of people dancing and sweating profusely in a small room.)

          • a/snow/mous/e
            a/snow/mous/e
            January 9, 2024 at 3:20 pm | #

            Interesting… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_(word)

            But it seems a little less direct than you’re implying? “Jasm” inspired “jazz”, meaning vigor, and then the genre took its name from that. Also, “jazz” and “jasm” aren’t homographs the way the musical and sexual definitions of “jizz” are… so it’s a bit more blatant for jizz music than jazz music. Still an interesting parallel, though.

    • zee
      zee
      January 9, 2024 at 9:06 am | #

      I mean he’s fine as hell so it works out. As a Caribbean gal I take him as an apology for jar jar

  10. Steve
    Steve
    January 9, 2024 at 12:08 am | #

    Ethan is Willis during the dance phase portion of Spider-Man 3, isn’t he?

  11. Nono
    Nono
    January 9, 2024 at 12:09 am | #

    Well Ethan had a commanding lead, but I think Asher is taking this set in this round of flirtennis.

  12. v.gay.person
    v.gay.person
    January 9, 2024 at 12:09 am | #

    BLESS

  13. Jo_cubstar
    Jo_cubstar
    January 9, 2024 at 12:10 am | #

    Ashers face in panel 3 is so cute. He looks so endeared

    • Vanessa
      Vanessa
      January 9, 2024 at 1:34 am | #

      This is quite adorable.

    • Queezle
      Queezle
      January 9, 2024 at 3:49 am | #

      How bad is it that I really, really want him to dump Jennifer and be with Ethan instead? In what shape that would take. Normally I do not really get shipping. But I just like characters who seem to do each other good interacting.

      • Queezle
        Queezle
        January 9, 2024 at 3:51 am | #

        That is an awkward Gravatar for this particular comment. Oh well..

        • milu
          milu
          January 9, 2024 at 4:10 am | #

          No no, it was perfect actually =D

    • anonymsly
      anonymsly
      January 9, 2024 at 10:54 pm | #

      I agree! He’s listening attentively and either taking it in, enjoying Ethan’s (muted?) enthusiasm, or both. It’s adorable.

  14. BBCC
    BBCC
    January 9, 2024 at 12:11 am | #

    Maybe he’s INTO weirdos, what then?

  15. NGPZ
    NGPZ
    January 9, 2024 at 12:13 am | #

    *plays Transformers G1 Season 2 OP on hacked muzak just because*

  16. Suet
    Suet
    January 9, 2024 at 12:15 am | #

    Transformation isn’t a trademark nor it can be genericized, really. Adora transforms, so do Sailor Moon and Danny Phantom.

    Someone better be fisto’d by tonight.

    • Betsumei
      Betsumei
      January 9, 2024 at 12:41 am | #

      “Transformation” isn’t a trademark, but Transformers is, and saying that Transformers transform would allow a competitor to argue that it’s no longer a trademark, but merely a descriptor of what they are/do. Trademarks and IP are weird beasts. Kinda like how they wouldn’t use the name Bumblebee for a Beast Wars bee toy.

      • Kelibath
        Kelibath
        January 9, 2024 at 10:09 am | #

        I personally think he’s covering up a parental insistence on only buying Godly toys. Saying they “convert” might have pushed the purchase.

        • Decidedly Orthogonal
          Decidedly Orthogonal
          January 9, 2024 at 11:05 am | #

          But which form is the sinful one, and which is saved? Isn’t it a devil’s toy to show a child that they can also de-convert (apostasy)?

          n.b. I like your argument. Just playing with it further knowing how parents who control their children like that think. Once they decide something is ‘bad’, convincing them otherwise is often functionaly impossible.

          • Leorale
            Leorale
            January 9, 2024 at 7:42 pm | #

            Ethan’s folks aren’t Christian though, they’re Jewish. I think Conservative movement. (Not All Conservative Jews, btw. Naomi would just be exceptionally wack no matter what religion she was.)

            Concepts in this conversation that don’t really make sense for Conservative Jews: [gay] conversion, sinful, saved, devil, de-convert.

    • GreyLurker
      GreyLurker
      January 9, 2024 at 11:10 pm | #

      Converting is the term they are using in the Transformers TTRPG, so the term has some official context.

  17. AGV
    AGV
    January 9, 2024 at 12:15 am | #

    “Have you heard the story of Kit Fisto? It’s not a story the normies would tell you.”

    • Aura
      Aura
      January 9, 2024 at 6:43 pm | #

      I’m so glad someone else’s brain went there and that you executed it better than I could

  18. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    January 9, 2024 at 12:16 am | #

    Kit Fisto used Form I of Lightsaber Combat.

    Yah, HE USED THE BABY FORM.

    Real Jedi use Form the other six forms!

    • John Campbell
      John Campbell
      January 9, 2024 at 12:44 am | #

      As someone who actually trains people to fight with swords, I use Jedi as examples of What Not To Do.

      • Francoinblanco
        Francoinblanco
        January 9, 2024 at 12:53 am | #

        “the sad sound of a lightsaber being turned off”

        • elebenty
          elebenty
          January 9, 2024 at 2:29 am | #

          …with the pac-man withering sound right at the end.

  19. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    January 9, 2024 at 12:17 am | #

    Ah…to have a dorky GF who will sit me down and explain to me everything about the lore of Avatar the last Airbender.

  20. Taffy
    Taffy
    January 9, 2024 at 12:17 am | #

    Ethan continues to confuse me. Why would he care about a corporation’s copyright/trademark/whatever policy to the extent of adopting it into his personal behavior? For free?

    • Bruno
      Bruno
      January 9, 2024 at 1:06 am | #

      It’s one of the more rational religious impulses in the comic.

    • Bladeglory
      Bladeglory
      January 9, 2024 at 1:31 am | #

      Because being Technically Correct is important. More important than being “normal.”

      If you disagree, I would like to point you to a wonderful place called “The Internet.” It is a horrifying place where Ethan dwells where being Technically Correct is the only defense against the legions of Being Horribly Wrong. One misstep and they will be at your throat.

      • Taffy
        Taffy
        January 9, 2024 at 3:40 am | #

        This is complete nonsense.

        • Bladeglory
          Bladeglory
          January 9, 2024 at 4:07 am | #

          Oh, so you understand.

        • Bladeglory
          Bladeglory
          January 9, 2024 at 5:04 am | #

          But serious answer: Ethan “likes” being in online arguments about pedantic stuff. He spends a lot of time in both continuities doing it. So the more he gets to show off he can be more correct than other people, the better off he feels.

          Ethan is not someone to emulate. We should strive to not be so serious.

        • Decidedly Orthogonal
          Decidedly Orthogonal
          January 9, 2024 at 11:50 am | #

          Reddit (and self moderated forums) is essentially staffed for free by people who exemplify this behaviour. And despite the saw, “if you’re good at something, never do it for free,” being right is more important to said folks than getting compensated.

          • Taffy
            Taffy
            January 9, 2024 at 3:11 pm | #

            So what?

          • khn0
            khn0
            January 9, 2024 at 8:16 pm | #

            but if you’re good at doing things for free?

    • Swissaboo
      Swissaboo
      January 9, 2024 at 2:54 am | #

      Ethan as a person who genuinely is passionate Transformers as a Thing would almost certainly actually care if every off brand one-thing-folds-into-another-thing toy also got to be called transformers now

    • milu
      milu
      January 9, 2024 at 4:07 am | #

      Ikr? It’s off putting to me too. I assume this is some TF fandom insider snark though.

      • Li
        Li
        January 9, 2024 at 6:59 pm | #

        I assume it’s something Willis cares or cared about themself.

        • milu
          milu
          January 9, 2024 at 8:06 pm | #

          yeah, i feel like these obscure transformers references are like a pressure valve they have to open now and then, and once they got it out of their system they can get on with the story

    • Daibhid C
      Daibhid C
      January 9, 2024 at 5:51 am | #

      People are confusing. Some care about the correct term for what Transformers do, others don’t care whether “Evil of the Daleks” happens before or after “Destiny” to “Rememberance” in the Daleks’ own timeline (it’s before, obviously). Both are equally weird.

      • milu
        milu
        January 9, 2024 at 7:33 am | #

        I think Taffy’s point (or mine anyway) is that its weird someone would align their behavior (“for free”) with a private company’s branding strategy. Just cuz your enjoy their stuff doesn’t mean you gotta become a footsoldier in late capitalism’s colonization of the english language.

        • Daibhid C
          Daibhid C
          January 9, 2024 at 7:54 am | #

          Okay, yeah, I see that. If he’d said “because that’s the proper term” rather than directly worrying about the trademark, it’d be different, but he didn’t. (Like, I don’t care if writing “Tardis” instead of “TARDIS” affects the BBC’s licencing or anything, I just care that it’s wrong.)

        • Bruno
          Bruno
          January 9, 2024 at 9:39 am | #

          Again I feel compelled to point out that this comic is mostly about people who have arbitrary allegiances to stupid things that are trying to hurt them.

          • milu
            milu
            January 9, 2024 at 12:07 pm | #

            And this is where we b!tch about them doing these dumb things yes, and?

            • Taffy
              Taffy
              January 9, 2024 at 3:13 pm | #

              I thought the comments section was for commenting on the comic, but maybe I’m wrong.

              • David DeLaney
                David DeLaney
                January 9, 2024 at 7:50 pm | #

                no, no, you’re fine there
                but it gives you no protection from other people commenting on your comments
                and they told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on

                • Taffy
                  Taffy
                  January 9, 2024 at 8:32 pm | #

                  Wait what the fuck, we can comment on each other’s comments????? This is a whole new game.

              • milu
                milu
                January 9, 2024 at 8:04 pm | #

                @taffy you’re right until proven wrong!!!

        • Decidedly Orthogonal
          Decidedly Orthogonal
          January 9, 2024 at 11:55 am | #

          It’s the matrix. Sometimes people, “are so hopelessly inured,” that they’ll argue over the colour of the boot heel that’s crushing them, instead of fighting back against the heel even being allowed to exist.

    • anon
      anon
      January 9, 2024 at 11:06 pm | #

      didn’t he quibble with booster before about saying “google” versus “The internet” or so lol

  21. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    January 9, 2024 at 12:19 am | #

    As the timescale slides I wonder how increasingly niche watching the prequels or the Clone Wars animated series becomes? Most people are probably more familiar with The Mandalorian now right?

    • Li
      Li
      January 9, 2024 at 7:00 pm | #

      I can’t imagine watching the prequels themselves will ever be niche for a Star Wars fan.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        January 9, 2024 at 10:28 pm | #

        Not for a fan, but for the wider audience.

  22. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    January 9, 2024 at 12:22 am | #

    Post-timeskip Ethan is slowly becoming one of my favorite characters.

  23. a/snow/mous/e
    a/snow/mous/e
    January 9, 2024 at 12:26 am | #

    …Ethan, you know “transform” was a word before Transformers existed, right? lmao

    • NGPZ
      NGPZ
      January 9, 2024 at 12:32 am | #

      I’m waiting for the shinka hentai as we speak

      • NGPZ
        NGPZ
        January 9, 2024 at 12:33 am | #

        1000 points to anyone who actually gets this gag

        • David DeLaney
          David DeLaney
          January 9, 2024 at 1:17 am | #

          google leads me to believe the name Nibutani may be involved

          –Dave, also, I’m on a list, now, aren’t I

          • NGPZ
            NGPZ
            January 9, 2024 at 1:23 am | #

            you ain’t not on no list

            also, no, but one part of this pun was used because of hardware memory limitations for the first installation of a game series who’s mascot is right under your nose

            • a/snow/mous/e
              a/snow/mous/e
              January 9, 2024 at 1:46 am | #

              pika pi?

              • NGPZ
                NGPZ
                January 9, 2024 at 2:36 am | #

                pika!

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      January 9, 2024 at 3:33 am | #

      Honestly, Ethan might approve of the corporation trademarking the word.

    • Kamino Neko
      Kamino Neko
      January 9, 2024 at 3:39 am | #

      That’s exactly why Hasbro actively avoids using it to describe what Transformers do.

      If ‘transform’ had been a word they coined based on the toys’ name, there’d be no issue.

      As it is, if they used that word, that would weaken their (honestly, already shaky) argument that ‘Transformers’ is a trademarkable name, and not just a plain description of the class of toys to which they belong, and thus not trademarkable.

      • Lan
        Lan
        January 9, 2024 at 6:50 am | #

        The next slipshine features Ethan and Asher bumping uglies while hiding from the Pinkertons

      • Decidedly Orthogonal
        Decidedly Orthogonal
        January 9, 2024 at 11:58 am | #

        Isn’t it hard to avoid when one of Prime’s catch-phrases is, “Autobots, transform and roll out.”?

        • Invisiblemoose
          Invisiblemoose
          January 9, 2024 at 5:20 pm | #

          This is exactly why they changed it to “Autobots, roll out”.

          • Decidedly Orthogonal
            Decidedly Orthogonal
            January 9, 2024 at 6:54 pm | #

            That is tragically hilarious.

  24. Yhelta
    Yhelta
    January 9, 2024 at 12:40 am | #

    Ethan is secretly into GoBots

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      January 9, 2024 at 3:34 am | #

      GoBots are owned by Hasbro now so they could be Transformers from an alternate timeline.

      • David DeLaney
        David DeLaney
        January 9, 2024 at 11:57 am | #

        Hasbro also owns the former TSR and Wizards of the Coast, so any old planeswalker or D&D character, right up to Elminster, has this potentiality inherent

        –Dave, one might call it the spark of transformation

        • Decidedly Orthogonal
          Decidedly Orthogonal
          January 9, 2024 at 11:59 am | #

          But can you Spelljam your way to Spike Witwiky from Shadowdale?

  25. Yossarianduck
    Yossarianduck
    January 9, 2024 at 12:44 am | #

    I’ve been both Asher and Ethan at various points of my life
    “Haha, you like [niche interest], that’s cool, I’m into some pretty nerdy stuff too”
    ” Ok so [MIGHTY TORRENT OF MINUTAE OF NICHE INTEREST]”
    “… I am but a babe, scared and adrift at sea”

  26. Ty34er
    Ty34er
    January 9, 2024 at 12:48 am | #

    Jokes aside, I still have the Han/Chewbacca Millennium Falcon and Anakin-Jedi Starfighter Transformers.

    • bemisawa
      bemisawa
      January 9, 2024 at 2:21 am | #

      I’m not even specifically *into* the Transformers fandom and that sounds very cool.

  27. Renshear Blade
    Renshear Blade
    January 9, 2024 at 1:15 am | #

    3rd panel asher is me whenever i learn something unique about somebody.

  28. Dante
    Dante
    January 9, 2024 at 1:17 am | #

    I can’t even, this is so cute. Asher, say the truth, you’re INTO dorks. This is why things between you and Sal never panned out (apart from the obvious). You two are two alike and Sal is fucking a dude with an ukelele.

    Ethan was immensely hot when he was spouting Sexy Villain Speeches, but seeing him smile again might be what does Asher in. (And the commentariat. We love to see it.)

    • David DeLaney
      David DeLaney
      January 9, 2024 at 1:18 am | #

      Asher panel 3: “…you have my _complete_ attention”

      • Dante
        Dante
        January 9, 2024 at 1:43 pm | #

        “OHHH I CAN’T NOT FUCK HIM”

    • Nono
      Nono
      January 9, 2024 at 8:03 am | #

      Sal’s kinda into dinosaurs and spiders and bugs, maybe she was destined to go into zoology instead.

      • Decidedly Orthogonal
        Decidedly Orthogonal
        January 9, 2024 at 12:03 pm | #

        Makes me wonder if her interests are all “kinda”, because she’s too afraid that they’ll be taken away again. (Like when she lost everything and was sent away to boarding school instead of being loved by her parents.)

        • Dante
          Dante
          January 9, 2024 at 1:43 pm | #

          Yeah, it was a bit tongue in cheek. A bit. I didn’t remember the dinosaurs but you two are right. And she would’ve been a band nerd, too – I do recall her being defensive about being in “it’s an ensemble, not a chorus”.

          Man, how sad 🙁

  29. Steelbright
    Steelbright
    January 9, 2024 at 1:35 am | #

    Hey, if Ethan is worrying about being a dork again then that means a tiny part of him is returning from the void of giving no fucks, right? Right?? (And it seems he may also be entering the realm of literal fucks again. Hmm.)

  30. Jonathan
    Jonathan
    January 9, 2024 at 1:39 am | #

    Surely Transformers don’t have a trademark on the verb “transform.” And if they did, it surely would not genericize the trademark to use it in direct reference to Transformers. Ethan, you silly.

    • Laura
      Laura
      January 9, 2024 at 2:45 am | #

      I’m thinking the legal term, “genericide” is maybe in poor taste…

      https://www.thoughtco.com/genericide-nouns-term-1690891

    • LiamKav
      LiamKav
      January 9, 2024 at 3:37 am | #

      Transformers have a registered trademark on the word “Transformers” as a proper noun. But if the word is used in a “generic” was (as in, “this toy transforms”) then it becomes easier for other companies to argue that they could call their converting toys “transformers” because it’s just a generic common use word.

      Or something. It’s a thing. Hasbro have been avoiding the word “transform” in their media for a few years now.

    • Touchfuzzy
      Touchfuzzy
      January 9, 2024 at 9:33 am | #

      This all sounds very stupid, but the joke is funny because it is based in reality. For instance, the Transformers Deck Building game uses the term “convert” and not transform for the act of switching between modes for your character.

      It’s just dumb.

      • Da Boy
        Da Boy
        January 9, 2024 at 12:32 pm | #

        I’ve just got to ask, were there ever any legal trouble because someone used the word when referring to electric transformer? I don’t want to believe there was but US has some merry approach to lawsuits.

    • anon
      anon
      January 9, 2024 at 11:06 pm | #

      i wouldn’t be surprised if some ppl tried to copyrogiht generic terms lol.

  31. Li
    Li
    January 9, 2024 at 1:41 am | #

    Man, this IS pretty cute. Waiting for Ethan to ruin it bc that’s just the headspace he’s in right now. I’m not sure he’s ready for “cute”.

  32. Devin
    Devin
    January 9, 2024 at 1:54 am | #

    I love how endearing Asher finds the Kit Fisto thing, but I also love how much Jennifer would absolutely hate it.

  33. GholaHalleck
    GholaHalleck
    January 9, 2024 at 2:02 am | #

    I’m proud of ya’ll. Not one jizz wailer joke through this whole thing.

    • Laura
      Laura
      January 9, 2024 at 2:46 am | #

      Hmm?

      • PedanticJerkass
        PedanticJerkass
        January 9, 2024 at 4:06 am | #

        Jizz.

        • Laura
          Laura
          January 9, 2024 at 10:00 am | #

          Ah! Thank you! That clarifies the pun. Much appreciated!

  34. Bogeywoman
    Bogeywoman
    January 9, 2024 at 2:07 am | #

    Asher and Jennifer out on parallel quests to fuck the sad out of same-sex depressed nerds.
    (This is a reductive joke.. unleeessss….)

  35. milu
    milu
    January 9, 2024 at 4:00 am | #

    Kit Fisto is rapidly becoming the most famous Star Wars character to me, someone who doesnt follow Star Wars

  36. PedanticJerkass
    PedanticJerkass
    January 9, 2024 at 4:05 am | #

    I was a bit iffy about Ethan/Asher before, while Ethan was acting all weird and off-putting, but these past couple strips have really sold me on it. Asher should totally take Jennifer at her word, drop her ass cold turkey, and hook up with Ethan now, or at least some point in the near future.

  37. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    January 9, 2024 at 4:10 am | #

    Yup, he’s still Ethan.

    This is the most engaged we’ve seen him in a long time!

  38. Bash
    Bash
    January 9, 2024 at 4:11 am | #

    That was almost a smile in panel two.

    • David DeLaney
      David DeLaney
      January 9, 2024 at 11:59 am | #

      That’s two (2) smiles in panel 3

  39. Freezer
    Freezer
    January 9, 2024 at 4:46 am | #

    Ironically, the real Ethan spilling out seems to have a more genuine effect on Asher than the “self-destructive emo” thing.

  40. thumb
    thumb
    January 9, 2024 at 8:08 am | #

    With every moment of reflection and every word he digs himself further into the weirdo hole. Which is valid. He fits snugly in there and it’s comfortable.
    It was made for him.

    • zee
      zee
      January 9, 2024 at 9:12 am | #

      Oh no, but what will come out the other side?

      • Decidedly Orthogonal
        Decidedly Orthogonal
        January 9, 2024 at 12:07 pm | #

        You don’t come out of the weirdo hole. You just dig yourself in deeper so others can come in your hole too.

  41. Heavensrun
    Heavensrun
    January 9, 2024 at 8:15 am | #

    I like the subtext that Asher has totally marked Jennifer as a secret dork and loves it about her.

  42. Schpoonman
    Schpoonman
    January 9, 2024 at 8:37 am | #

    You know the thing where a guy is nervous because a pretty girl is paying attention to him so he goes “Confidence is attractive. I don’t know how to talk to a human I find attractive, so I’ll talk about the thing I do know which is a lot like confidence,” so they go off for an hour about the Punic Wars or some shit and the whole time the girl is thinking “I’m gonna suck his soul out through his dick”?

    That’s happening right now, only it’s a very pretty man instead of a pretty girl.

    • Yeet
      Yeet
      January 9, 2024 at 9:59 am | #

      I need to learn to like cooler stuff apparently

  43. Laura
    Laura
    January 9, 2024 at 10:06 am | #

    OK, who’s up for a game?

    Here’s the Question:

    What is a specific product name you know of that has either been “verbed” (e.g.: “You can google me,”) or genericized (e.g. “Could you please pass me a kleenex?”)?

    Have fun!

    • Laura
      Laura
      January 9, 2024 at 10:09 am | #

      I can start:

      “Could you get me a coke while you’re up?”
      “Sure, what kind?”
      “Sprite.”

      In many southern US states, any soda may be called a “coke”.

      • David DeLaney
        David DeLaney
        January 9, 2024 at 12:00 pm | #

        Xeroxing something long ago passed into common usage.

        –Dave, it’s not as common to-day but is still around

        • Laura
          Laura
          January 9, 2024 at 12:18 pm | #

          Oh, yeah! Leading to the tag line:

          “Only Xerox [company] can xerox [photocopy] a xerox [a paper copy] on a xerox [xerographic machine].”

          I’m so old I still remember the purple spirit-based ink and heady smell of the Ditto machines, and the hand-crank mimeograph machines.

          The genericization of that machine lead to this hilarious deposition:

          https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PZbqAMEwtOE

          (Dramatized court transcript reading)

    • egg egg
      egg egg
      January 9, 2024 at 10:23 am | #

      Unrelated but you reminded me of the word “Googleganger,” a person who shows up and shares your name when you google yourself.

      Related, someone accused me of Fedexing them my winter storm last night. Have fun with all the snow, suckers!

      • StClair
        StClair
        January 9, 2024 at 10:35 am | #

        on topic in a couple of ways: I happen to know a Ewan McGregor.
        He delights in his own ungoogleability.

        • Laura
          Laura
          January 9, 2024 at 12:22 pm | #

          Lucky him! I know someone like that, too. Always causes a double take when I hear his name said.

          Funny how the word “googlestalking” came to be seen as kind of a milder or less threatening version of cyberstalking or doxxing. I’ve had friends refer to any preliminary background research on a person as “googlestalking”.

    • Rose Red
      Rose Red
      January 9, 2024 at 1:56 pm | #

      velcro! (who calls it hook and loop tape?)

      • Laura
        Laura
        January 10, 2024 at 12:04 am | #

        Ethan stays velcroed to his phone when it’s time to check his Transformers pre-order site!

        (OT, but I have a velcro dog staring at me as we speak.)

    • Yeet
      Yeet
      January 9, 2024 at 2:25 pm | #

      hoover, both a verb and noun; genericisation for a particular brand of vacuum cleaners

      • Laura
        Laura
        January 9, 2024 at 8:52 pm | #

        Jennifer hoovers up drama like she used go hoover up alcohol!

        • Laura
          Laura
          January 9, 2024 at 8:52 pm | #

          *used to

  44. egg egg
    egg egg
    January 9, 2024 at 10:24 am | #

    Dang Jennifer had no idea that Asher is only into nerds. She just keeps bombing her own relationships.

  45. Arillius
    Arillius
    January 9, 2024 at 11:47 am | #

    First, Ethan is apparently an idiot.

    Second, who the hell does not know who Kit Fisto is, even without this comic? He’s one of the best parts of Clone Wars.

    • Arillius
      Arillius
      January 9, 2024 at 11:47 am | #

      I lost my Danny avatar. I am sad.

    • David DeLaney
      David DeLaney
      January 9, 2024 at 12:02 pm | #

      I literally had no idea up until the comments repeatedly dissected who he was. My Star Wars knowledge is back in the original 3 movies.

      –Dave, plus Alan Dean Foster’s book Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, written _before_ the movie in which the Skywalker kids found out they were related, so non-canon as hell for several decades now

    • Heather
      Heather
      January 9, 2024 at 12:07 pm | #

      I don’t but then I never watched anything relating to the clone wars. Like I watched the first prequel movie and just wasn’t interested in continuing with the series at the time. Granted I only genuinely have liked two Star Wars movies in the ones I have watched (The Force Awakens and Rogue One) and I somewhat suspect the world ‘isn’t for me’.

    • JepMZ
      JepMZ
      January 9, 2024 at 12:20 pm | #

      I mean, the movie was from ancient times. I don’t blame anyone still alive at the time to not remembwr

      • David DeLaney
        David DeLaney
        January 9, 2024 at 7:52 pm | #

        ’twas the 18th of April, in ’75
        hardly a man is now alive
        who remembers that famous day and year

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      January 9, 2024 at 2:52 pm | #

      I’ve seen Clone Wars, but don’t really remember him from it. I guess he got basically one solo episode and then a couple others with him in a relatively major role? Other than that he’s like he is in the movies, a visually interesting background character without a speaking role.

      Who takes off as a Star Wars fan-favorite has always mystified me, starting with Boba Fett back in the original trilogy.

      • Morleuca
        Morleuca
        January 9, 2024 at 3:57 pm | #

        especially considering Fett’s “big” reveal

        • Taffy
          Taffy
          January 9, 2024 at 8:30 pm | #

          Oh, his cock?

          • Morleuca
            Morleuca
            January 9, 2024 at 8:41 pm | #

            No? Like in the Christmas special in 79

  46. nightshade
    nightshade
    January 9, 2024 at 12:59 pm | #

    too late on the last line

  47. poyo
    poyo
    January 9, 2024 at 1:31 pm | #

    david if they dont get married i will NEVER forgive u

  48. Heavensrun
    Heavensrun
    January 9, 2024 at 5:32 pm | #

    Y’know it occurs to me that Asher is directly involved with *all* of Ethan’s past traumas.

    • poyo
      poyo
      January 10, 2024 at 11:48 am | #

      oh my god i FORGOT ABOUT THAT

  49. anon
    anon
    January 9, 2024 at 11:07 pm | #

    asher’s relatively rich, is he not? other than his grandfather potentially cutting him off. he should just buy tickets and buy any exclusive figures the next transformers-related con

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