Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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May 18, 2026

Good time

by David M Willis on July 24, 2024 at 12:01 am
  • 04 – For Me It Was Tuesday
└ Tags: amber, ethan

Discussion (81) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    July 24, 2024 at 12:01 am | #

    “aww, you’re getting feels in my illicit beverage”

    • Cholma
      Cholma
      July 24, 2024 at 12:03 am | #

      It’s two great tastes in one!”

      • Clif
        Clif
        July 24, 2024 at 1:04 am | #

        You may think it’s feels, but it’ssnot.

        • Cholma
          Cholma
          July 24, 2024 at 2:38 am | #

          +2

  2. Cholma
    Cholma
    July 24, 2024 at 12:02 am | #

    Wouldn’t it be nice if “drunk bubbles” appeared above people’s heads in real life?

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      July 24, 2024 at 12:14 am | #

      I would appreciate that.

    • Slartibeast Button, BIA
      Slartibeast Button, BIA
      July 24, 2024 at 12:24 am | #

      They should make an app for that.

      • Laura
        Laura
        July 24, 2024 at 12:36 am | #

        I bet you could do it with A.R. glasses. Like a little breathalyzer sensor attachment that sense who is drunk and then relays that info to create little cartoon bubbles appearing over the head of the person whose profile is recognized as standing in the direction from whence the sensor sensed the airborne ethanol. Maybe? Like a Zoom filter, but for glasses.

        • elebenty
          elebenty
          July 24, 2024 at 1:33 pm | #

          I approve. And the bubbles range from grape to grapefruit-sized depending on the BAC.

  3. TrueVCU
    TrueVCU
    July 24, 2024 at 12:03 am | #

    YOU WILL ACCEPT MY FRIENDSHIP WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT YOU HOT EMO MESS

    • Vanessa
      Vanessa
      July 24, 2024 at 1:02 am | #

      Haha! oh Ethan don’t be so mean.

  4. Osopescado
    Osopescado
    July 24, 2024 at 12:03 am | #

    I miss you too, Ethan. But my aim isn’t very good soo…..

    • Decidedly Orthogonal
      Decidedly Orthogonal
      July 24, 2024 at 3:56 pm | #

      With practice you will improve. I believe in you!

  5. I Know Why the Mowed Lawn Screams
    I Know Why the Mowed Lawn Screams
    July 24, 2024 at 12:03 am | #

    That’s the power of love and friendship (and underage drinking) in action baby!

    • I Know Why the Mowed Lawn Screams
      I Know Why the Mowed Lawn Screams
      July 24, 2024 at 12:09 am | #

      Unironically though this is such a sweet strip, lord knows i love the snark, mess and drama, but it’s always nice when character conflict is resolved on a more sentimental note.

      • RassilonTDavros
        RassilonTDavros
        July 24, 2024 at 12:28 am | #

        Yeah. After all the tension between them over these last few real-world years this was really cathartic.

      • ktbear
        ktbear
        July 24, 2024 at 2:14 am | #

        Of course you’re assuming this IS resolving character conflict…

  6. Schpoonman
    Schpoonman
    July 24, 2024 at 12:04 am | #

    Aw, this is nice.

  7. True Survivor
    True Survivor
    July 24, 2024 at 12:05 am | #

    Somebody must have replaced the solo-cups with together-cups, the considerate monster.

    • Mark
      Mark
      July 24, 2024 at 7:17 am | #

      🙂

    • Decidedly Orthogonal
      Decidedly Orthogonal
      July 24, 2024 at 3:56 pm | #

      +10 punts

  8. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    July 24, 2024 at 12:07 am | #

    I know Ethan is still getting over Mike’s death, but I don’t understand why he would also withdraw from Amber. She may not have been in love with Mike, but he was still important to her.

    Then again I can say I have done the same when it comes to people I know dying. I was just fortunate enough to have friends who actively “kept me afloat” if that makes any sense.

    • Nono
      Nono
      July 24, 2024 at 12:08 am | #

      Self deprecation, mostly. His last encounter with Mike when they were both still conscious was him dismissing the latter, probably kinda haunted him a bit.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      July 24, 2024 at 12:26 am | #

      It’s complicated. He feels/felt that Mike died because of getting involved in the Amber/Blaine conflict, even if Mike involved himself, not the other way around.

      I do think he’s softened on it, but that was his initial source of anger. It’s hard to tell how much of it is time passing and reflection, his lessening of contempt for Amber and Danny, and how much of it might be depression just numbing down a lot of those more powerful emotions, but he’s certainly saying less hurtful things to Amber, even if he’s still being a bit prickish about some of it.

    • RassilonTDavros
      RassilonTDavros
      July 24, 2024 at 12:26 am | #

      IIRC, Ethan was kinda angry at Amber after the kidnapping for going a whole day without telling him about Mike tackling Blaine off the roof— and after Amber explained AG hadn’t been sharing memories with her, Ethan got annoyed at her for not seeking help before it got to that point. He got himself together and said something like “let’s not do this right now,” but after Mike died I’m guessing the resentment kinda festered a bit.

    • anon
      anon
      July 24, 2024 at 12:47 am | #

      i think he just withdrew from everyone/in general given his emo ‘look’ and dark clothing , tho other than walky’s jab about his ‘new wardrobe’ and this being a visual artistic storytelling , i’d more expect him rather than getting a handful of new black clothes, to just wear the same baggy hoodie/old clothes 3 weeks in a row (well we don’t necessarily know they were never but i imagine he probably wouldn’t put more thoughts into his clothing other than transformers graphic tees)

      tho i wonder how many ppl apart from letting their hair grow /be unwashed b/c they can’t be bothered to maintain it would just shave it all off one day and just let it be like that versus ppl being more concerned/questioning it versus just letting it grow (tho a guy going crew cut/full shave isn’t as ‘weird’ as a girl randomly doing it in college)

      • AY
        AY
        July 24, 2024 at 2:58 am | #

        oversharing but that’s so true lol. my brother died when I was in college and my self care dropped to nothing because I was so numb. Eventually a friend told me I stank, which was true and fair- though a decade later I wish he’d approached it with some tact, since he knew what was going on. He wasn’t obligated, but some kind of help other than ‘you smell’ would have made a huge difference in how I was doing.

        Now I want people to give Ethan good help, too.

      • zee
        zee
        July 24, 2024 at 10:39 am | #

        Realistically speaking he probably grabbed some old clothes from highschool over the holidays or something since he went down a few sizes

    • HueSatLight
      HueSatLight
      July 24, 2024 at 5:15 pm | #

      It’s some to do with AG taking Mike to the hospital, but nobody even finding out about it until tied up in the basement of a homicidal maniac over a day later.

  9. Nono
    Nono
    July 24, 2024 at 12:07 am | #

    Ethan must be projecting because I’m not sure he was ever an emotional nuisance to Amber.

    That or he took her needing a break from defending him to his parents after he came out a lot more personally.

    • anon
      anon
      July 24, 2024 at 12:23 am | #

      well he knows that she has anxiety with dealing with ppl even with ppl she considered ‘friends’ like how she still thought he was gonna say no when they were young and she had a birthday party

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      July 24, 2024 at 3:27 am | #

      Or he’s severely depressed and it’s tricked him into thinking those things sincerely.

    • furubatsu
      furubatsu
      July 24, 2024 at 5:04 am | #

      At the very least you can say his 180 from “Socially blossoming” Ethen that we had just before Mike’s death can be attributed to Amber–Mike would be alive if it wasn’t for Amber and her Dad, Amber waited a whole day to tell anyone Mike fell of off a building (because she and Amazi-girl were not sharing memories, Ethan even said she should’ve sought help before it got that bad) Amber could blame herself for Ethans social worhdrawl

      • Nymph
        Nymph
        July 24, 2024 at 12:30 pm | #

        Amber is not responsible for:
        – Her mental illness getting the better of her.
        – The actions of her abusive father.

        Mike’s death is her dad’s fault. Period.

  10. Coatl
    Coatl
    July 24, 2024 at 12:08 am | #

    good

  11. Michael Steamweed
    Michael Steamweed
    July 24, 2024 at 12:09 am | #

    Oh, are these those “feelings” things again?
    (ugghhh)

  12. HueSatLight
    HueSatLight
    July 24, 2024 at 12:09 am | #

    maudlin drunk

  13. Queezle
    Queezle
    July 24, 2024 at 12:12 am | #

    awww
    I think.

  14. Ben
    Ben
    July 24, 2024 at 12:14 am | #

    In vino veritas

  15. Taffy
    Taffy
    July 24, 2024 at 12:14 am | #

    Now kiss

    • darkoneko
      darkoneko
      July 24, 2024 at 5:54 am | #

      no.

      • Taffy
        Taffy
        July 24, 2024 at 6:44 am | #

        Not you, the characters.

  16. sultryglebe
    sultryglebe
    July 24, 2024 at 12:17 am | #

    Amber’s an “I love you, man” drunk.

    • Tawdry Quirks
      Tawdry Quirks
      July 24, 2024 at 2:47 am | #

      I was coming to say exactly this!

  17. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    July 24, 2024 at 12:28 am | #

    Very sweet strip. Also, I love her usual Velma-ness, but I won’t lie, I do really love her hair grown out like this, too. It’s different.

    • Xronium
      Xronium
      July 24, 2024 at 12:55 am | #

      same! the new hairstyle looks SO cool

  18. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    July 24, 2024 at 12:35 am | #

    Haha! She misses her friend!

  19. WindyDream
    WindyDream
    July 24, 2024 at 12:38 am | #

    I’ve missed their friendship so much too, I just want them to be happy 🙁

    • Aura
      Aura
      July 24, 2024 at 7:52 am | #

      Me too 🥺

  20. Laura
    Laura
    July 24, 2024 at 12:40 am | #

    *Plays “Bittersweet Symphony” on the hacked dormroom boombox…
    https://youtu.be/1lyu1KKwC74?si=qOX3qXHDy8o6FScj

  21. Xronium
    Xronium
    July 24, 2024 at 12:47 am | #

    AWW THE FEEEELS

  22. IntangibleMatter
    IntangibleMatter
    July 24, 2024 at 12:53 am | #

    FUCK YEAH, DEPRESSION BUDDIES!

    • staszu13
      staszu13
      July 24, 2024 at 1:15 am | #

      Seconded

  23. brumagem
    brumagem
    July 24, 2024 at 1:05 am | #

    Lowered inhibitions are a good thing for once

  24. SvenTS
    SvenTS
    July 24, 2024 at 1:08 am | #

    Now to see if it is enough to break the Emo-wall.

  25. Francoinblanco
    Francoinblanco
    July 24, 2024 at 1:19 am | #

    Hey hands off from my boyfriend person whose father I ordered/supervised the murder of

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      July 24, 2024 at 2:08 am | #

      People keep bringing that up like it matters or is even proven.

      • DailyBrad
        DailyBrad
        July 24, 2024 at 2:22 am | #

        Right. We know that he was told about it, and I am inclined to think he was involved in the call being made to remove Blaine as a loose end, but A. we don’t know for sure, B. even if we did, it isn’t like Blaine wasn’t going to probably get removed for being a liability, anyway, with or without Asher’s involvement, and C. whether or not any of them approved, I think the kidnapping and then murdering Ross kind of spelled out that Blaine was a danger to each and every one of them so long as he lived, and now, he’s not.

        • HueSatLight
          HueSatLight
          July 24, 2024 at 5:10 pm | #

          it’s ok to kill people if you think at some point in the future, they may be a danger to you or your criminal syndicate. I’m sure the cop who asked Blaine if his daughter was A.G. was just making conversation.

          • Nymph
            Nymph
            July 24, 2024 at 8:11 pm | #

            Nowhere in that paragraph did DailyBrad use the term “it’s ok to kill people”. They didn’t even suggest it, there’s no discussion AT ALL of the moral rightness or wrongness of killing in there.

            Acknowledging facts isn’t supporting motives or actions. Taking it that way is just upsetting yourself.

    • Miri
      Miri
      July 24, 2024 at 4:58 am | #

      I got really confused for a moment because Ethan’s father’s still alive… I don’t usually police grammar but missing commas plus migraine makes for puzzlement!

      • Francoinblanco
        Francoinblanco
        July 24, 2024 at 5:16 am | #

        let’s eat grandma

      • Yumi
        Yumi
        July 24, 2024 at 8:16 am | #

        I don’t even have a migraine and I shared in your confusion of thinking the “boyfriend person” was continuing about one person.

  26. BBCC
    BBCC
    July 24, 2024 at 1:36 am | #

    You’re going to be loved, like it or not.

  27. Shakes
    Shakes
    July 24, 2024 at 2:08 am | #

    I would be very pleased if this leads to Ethan toning down the cynical substitute-Mike asshole quips in future.

  28. The Jighole Man
    The Jighole Man
    July 24, 2024 at 2:15 am | #

    He needs this. he needs someone to care about him.
    He needs to be loved, and not be allowed to fester.

  29. MordWa
    MordWa
    July 24, 2024 at 2:17 am | #

    Those two should totally go work in a Toy Store together. If only…

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      July 24, 2024 at 3:28 am | #

      That would never work. Nobody would read a comic like that.

    • Arianod
      Arianod
      July 24, 2024 at 3:53 am | #

      Yeah, that’d be just silly.

  30. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    July 24, 2024 at 3:07 am | #

    Amber: Demoman_gibberish03.wav

  31. Arianod
    Arianod
    July 24, 2024 at 3:52 am | #

    *Gasp* Feelings! Of an almost human nature!!

    • Francoinblanco
      Francoinblanco
      July 24, 2024 at 4:31 am | #

      This will not do
      Call the schoolmaster!

      • Taffy
        Taffy
        July 24, 2024 at 7:11 am | #

        History of England be like

  32. DashWallkick
    DashWallkick
    July 24, 2024 at 5:46 am | #

    Amber’s big drunken mistake — hail mary emotional vulnerability with someone who is unavailable to be reached out to.

    • Nymph
      Nymph
      July 24, 2024 at 8:13 pm | #

      I mean, he walked over to the blanket pile and intentionally started the conversation with her. IDK that I’d call him “unavailable to be reached out to” but maybe that’s just me being hopeful.

  33. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    July 24, 2024 at 6:17 am | #

    All the squeans. All the feels.

  34. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    July 24, 2024 at 6:39 am | #

    Finally something good for Amber too. This is so sweet, let’s hope it will last.

  35. Alan in DC
    Alan in DC
    July 24, 2024 at 7:46 am | #

    Budding cartoonists: note the tails on Amber’s word balloons. Her voice is emotional and wavering. And she’s buzzed.

    That’s how you do it.

  36. Spriteless
    Spriteless
    July 24, 2024 at 10:54 am | #

    AWWWW!

  37. Yeet
    Yeet
    July 24, 2024 at 8:37 pm | #

    hug her back ethan

  38. thumb
    thumb
    July 24, 2024 at 11:33 pm | #

    turns out she’s that kind of drunk.

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