Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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May 12, 2026

Expertise

by David M Willis on August 27, 2024 at 12:01 am
  • 01 – Love Dares You To Change
└ Tags: ethan, joyce

Discussion (154) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    August 27, 2024 at 12:01 am | #

    “…now I have TWO big sisters! Sarah and Carla!”

    • morhek
      morhek
      August 27, 2024 at 12:02 am | #

      “Not Dorothy?”

      “I dunno, it just feels wrong with I try to put her in the “sister” box in my head. Not sure why, I’m sure it’s nothing.”

      • GholaHalleck
        GholaHalleck
        August 27, 2024 at 1:42 am | #

        It’s as if countless comment chains cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced…

        • Michael Steamweed
          Michael Steamweed
          August 27, 2024 at 7:41 am | #

          “Dorothy/Joyce shipper? Well, of course I know them. They’re me.”

          • Akane
            Akane
            August 27, 2024 at 10:24 am | #

            Welcome onboard. Endgame ship

          • DJTsurugi
            DJTsurugi
            August 27, 2024 at 11:25 am | #

            we need to get uniforms or badges or something. ~<3

          • Sajuuk-Khar
            Sajuuk-Khar
            August 27, 2024 at 11:33 am | #

            “DorJoJo Spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.”

            • Michael Steamweed
              Michael Steamweed
              August 27, 2024 at 8:36 pm | #

              Joe says “I love you.” Joyce responds, “I know.”
              Dorothy says “I love you.” Joyce responds, “I know.”
              😀

      • Mustachio
        Mustachio
        August 27, 2024 at 9:20 am | #

        Nah. Dorothy is in Joyce’s Goddess box.

    • Sajuuk-Khar
      Sajuuk-Khar
      August 27, 2024 at 12:27 am | #

      Jocelyne: “I must find these other elder sisters and destroy them.”

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        August 27, 2024 at 4:17 am | #

        By the transitive property, they’re her sisters too.

        • fridge_logic
          fridge_logic
          August 27, 2024 at 5:50 am | #

          I read that first as *transvestite property* and well, that sounds like a math topic they teach in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

          • WillowD
            WillowD
            August 27, 2024 at 6:31 am | #

            Giggling now. Thanks for the comment.

      • Nymph
        Nymph
        August 27, 2024 at 4:43 am | #

        Three elder sisters enter, one elder sister leaves.

  2. IntangibleMatter
    IntangibleMatter
    August 27, 2024 at 12:01 am | #

    Wonder when Jocelyn’s gonna get wind of this.

  3. Doopyboop
    Doopyboop
    August 27, 2024 at 12:03 am | #

    “Carla! You’re my sister now!”

    “Sister? I don’t want a sister. … How about a minion? You wanna be my minion, my little hench-gal?”

    “Sure!”

    • jeffepp
      jeffepp
      August 27, 2024 at 12:04 am | #

      Hench-champ

    • RassilonTDavros
      RassilonTDavros
      August 27, 2024 at 12:11 am | #

      Can’t believe Joyce was this universe’s version of the Zoomers this whole time

      • ktbear
        ktbear
        August 27, 2024 at 12:33 am | #

        Did Willis really predict Tesla way back in 2010?

        • Jamie
          Jamie
          August 27, 2024 at 12:41 am | #

          Tesla was founded in 2003…

          • clif
            clif
            August 27, 2024 at 1:24 am | #

            So yes.

    • Switchchris
      Switchchris
      August 27, 2024 at 12:16 am | #

      oooooooo… They were Hench-mates…

      • Nymph
        Nymph
        August 27, 2024 at 4:44 am | #

        Perfection.

  4. Nono
    Nono
    August 27, 2024 at 12:03 am | #

    Carla: wait since when am I your sister?

    Sarah: join the club.

    • Da Boy
      Da Boy
      August 27, 2024 at 8:43 am | #

      Joyce is like a cat, you get adopted and you have no say in the matter

  5. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    August 27, 2024 at 12:03 am | #

    Ethan’s credentials are just going to get more and more impressive in Joyce’s mind.

    “Thank goodness I asked a Nobel Prize winning expert in transgenderism with several bestsellers.”

  6. jeffepp
    jeffepp
    August 27, 2024 at 12:03 am | #

    “Besides, ‘sister’ will make it weird when, if we (I already have a… don’s say this part out loud)… I said that part out loud, didn’t I?”

  7. NGPZ
    NGPZ
    August 27, 2024 at 12:03 am | #

    oh dear…

    Carla ain’t your sister Joyce, she’s your GODDESS

  8. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    August 27, 2024 at 12:04 am | #

    Dumbing of Age Book 15: I Literally Just Said I’m Not the Expert

    • Slartibeast Button, BIA
      Slartibeast Button, BIA
      August 27, 2024 at 12:46 am | #

      But of course, “literally” doesn’t necessarily literally mean literally any more.

      • Casi
        Casi
        August 27, 2024 at 1:05 am | #

        literally has been used as an intensifier since the early 20th century, it’s literally been this way for nearly a century

        • clif
          clif
          August 27, 2024 at 1:11 am | #

          they said, completely unironicly.

          • Nymph
            Nymph
            August 27, 2024 at 4:45 am | #

            This comment literally makes no sense.

            • clif
              clif
              August 27, 2024 at 10:46 am | #

              Oh, good. A chance to explain. You see, Casi first says that literally has been used as an intensifier since the since the early 20th and then uses it as an intensifier when they point out it’s literally been used this way for nearly a century BUT is also completely factually correct in doing so. If it was an intensifier without being completely correct, that would have been ironic. But since it is both, it is completely unironic.

              By way of contrast, this comment is an ironic riff on the motif of a male over-explaining the completely obvious.

              I’m not certain, however, if it’s literally ironic.

              • Nymph
                Nymph
                August 28, 2024 at 4:41 am | #

                I’m not going to read that, have a nice day.

        • Carl Muckenhoupt
          Carl Muckenhoupt
          August 27, 2024 at 8:13 am | #

          On top of that: This isn’t the first time that an English word meaning “in actual fact” has lost that meaning and become an intensifier. “Really”, “indeed”, and even “very” all went through this centuries ago.

          • Username Taken
            Username Taken
            August 27, 2024 at 9:05 am | #

            Which word’s meaning can we obfuscate next? I nominate “verily.”

            • Taffy
              Taffy
              August 27, 2024 at 1:04 pm | #

              Fuck it, let’s do “car”. Any and all vehicles with engines are cars now. Vans, trucks, Fords, airplanes, trains, submarines, space shuttles, they’re all cars.

              • clif
                clif
                August 27, 2024 at 7:57 pm | #

                What about train cars without engines? Do they still count?

                • Taffy
                  Taffy
                  August 27, 2024 at 9:23 pm | #

                  If it was already called a car, it’s still a car. Nothing has changed.

              • Plain Marie
                Plain Marie
                August 27, 2024 at 10:16 pm | #

                As long as we don’t do sandwiches next.

                • Taffy
                  Taffy
                  August 27, 2024 at 10:42 pm | #

                  A glass of water is a sandwich because it’s a thing and another thing.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            August 27, 2024 at 10:37 am | #

            It’s not really a surprising pattern.

            Wonder if it holds in other languages as well.

      • zee
        zee
        August 27, 2024 at 10:36 am | #

        Okay but he did literally just say he’s not the expert on this

  9. Alongcameaspider
    Alongcameaspider
    August 27, 2024 at 12:05 am | #

    This can only go well

    If nothing else Joyce will be prepared when Jocelyne finally comes out to her

    • Lee
      Lee
      August 27, 2024 at 1:49 am | #

      Oh my gods THAT is what Ethan thinks she means!! I knew there was a misunderstanding but I was drawing a total blank on what yesterday’s strip meant, thank you.

      • Michael Steamweed
        Michael Steamweed
        August 27, 2024 at 7:46 am | #

        In your defense, it’s been years for us in real-time since we last saw that development between Jocelyne and Ethan.

      • fezzam
        fezzam
        August 27, 2024 at 9:34 pm | #

        It just clicked for me, i was trying to make it make sense that amazigirl and amber being split personality and i really couldnt process anything making sense but also amber and ethan and ethan and sal were the only relationships that came to mind i just was lost and confused. so thanks for updating my mental software.

      • Felian
        Felian
        September 18, 2024 at 4:40 pm | #

        it only just clicked for me just now as well.
        Actually, Ethans words make more sense now.
        Joyce is right about Carla tho, if you don’t know someone very closely, you don’t necessarily call them your sister. For someone on the outskirts of your friend circle, the only thing required is to respect her pronouns and don’t focus on them being trans where it doesn’t affect your life or hers.

        Now when *Jocelyne* comes out, THAT is when the SISTERS talk and the active support comes in!

  10. Sajuuk-Khar
    Sajuuk-Khar
    August 27, 2024 at 12:05 am | #

    In “The One Where Jocelyne Returns”, Jocelyne is going to arrive on campus to confess things to her sister only to find Joyce hugging famous trans icon Carla Rutten to her body like an unwilling 6’ tall cat on roller skates

    • Justnobodyfqwl
      Justnobodyfqwl
      August 27, 2024 at 12:39 am | #

      Oh no, I’m starting to ship Joyce/Carla sloppy make outs

      • GreyICE
        GreyICE
        August 27, 2024 at 1:30 am | #

        Isn’t MaryxCarla the crack ship of choice?

        • Nymph
          Nymph
          August 27, 2024 at 4:46 am | #

          I’ll let you in on something:

          There are always more crack ships.

        • Aura
          Aura
          August 27, 2024 at 7:08 am | #

          Is it still a crack-ship if people in-universe thought it could be a thing?

          • GreyICE
            GreyICE
            August 27, 2024 at 2:01 pm | #

            That does kind of disqualify it. A good crack ship must be absolutely insane on all levels, like MikexGender Studies Teacher.

            • NGPZ
              NGPZ
              August 27, 2024 at 4:01 pm | #

              Professor Brock x Jennifer XD

              • Sajuuk-Khar
                Sajuuk-Khar
                August 27, 2024 at 6:46 pm | #

                Their meet-cute features Jennifer demanding to sleep with him because by God she’s in college she is GOING to seduce a professor, and Prof. Brock telling her she’s not even really a conscious entity, that’s just her proteins demanding to exchange gametes, and so the act is ultimately meaningless

                Jennifer has never been more turned on in her life and they fuck right there in the lab based on how her proteins can rock his proteins’ stupid nonexistence

            • clif
              clif
              August 27, 2024 at 8:38 pm | #

              I beg to disagree. Billie/Ruth was a totally crack ship, even while being completely canon.

            • Jay
              Jay
              August 28, 2024 at 7:24 am | #

              Hey, you could probably convince Walky of Mike x Old!Alex. They both ran away to Bulmeria and are hiding under witness protection, right? /s

    • Slartibeast Button, BIA
      Slartibeast Button, BIA
      August 27, 2024 at 12:48 am | #

      So, Carla and Jocelyne have to fight over who is Joyce’s best sister?

      • Shade
        Shade
        August 27, 2024 at 2:26 am | #

        While Sarah is technically in the running and refuses to admit she’s happy she’s included.

      • Michael Steamweed
        Michael Steamweed
        August 27, 2024 at 7:47 am | #

        Plus Sarah. But, while Sarah has the bat, Carla has the rube-goldberg-pie thrower. Poor Jocelyne only has her writing.

        • clif
          clif
          August 27, 2024 at 8:01 pm | #

          Is the pen truly more powerful than the pie thrower? These are intriguing questions.

  11. Nathan
    Nathan
    August 27, 2024 at 12:05 am | #

    *Yakety Sax plays*

  12. Yumi
    Yumi
    August 27, 2024 at 12:06 am | #

    My cringe settings are very excited for Joyce’s next interaction with Carla. The rest of me is looking ahead to her and Jocelyn.

    • anon
      anon
      August 27, 2024 at 12:19 am | #

      hopefully ethan picked up on that ‘familiar’ comment, but that line did make me think of that monster prom line with zoe and vera like “we’re sisters, not cisters” lol

    • Sajuuk-Khar
      Sajuuk-Khar
      August 27, 2024 at 12:23 am | #

      I really want Joyce to bring this up when Charlie is around so that Carla is forced to accept Joyce’s terrible, terrible misdirected love

  13. Pocky
    Pocky
    August 27, 2024 at 12:06 am | #

    Just stop thinking about what’s in their pants.

    It’s easy.

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      August 27, 2024 at 12:43 am | #

      Was this comment supposed to go on yesterday’s strip?

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      August 27, 2024 at 12:45 am | #

      But it’s making a really loud buzzing sound. Not everyone can “just” tune those out.

      • Chaucer59
        Chaucer59
        August 27, 2024 at 1:04 am | #

        Buzzing sound? Is this a Jezebel joke?

        • Taffy
          Taffy
          August 27, 2024 at 1:12 am | #

          I don’t know what you mean, but don’t call me a Jezebel.

          • clif
            clif
            August 27, 2024 at 1:32 am | #

            What comes after Jezebel? Strumpet second class?

            Don’t look at me. I probably rank about Private Tartlet.

            • PirateTawnee
              PirateTawnee
              August 27, 2024 at 2:15 am | #

              “John Lovitz has ruined the word Tartlets for me. Every time anyone says it I just sit there going ‘Tartlets… Tartlets.. Tartlets… The word has lost all meaning’.”

              Stolen from a youtube comment as it is precisely what I want to express.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            August 27, 2024 at 4:21 am | #

            That place (and Lifehacker, Jalopnik, etc) just hasn’t been the same since Gawker Media went *thbbbt*

  14. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    August 27, 2024 at 12:06 am | #

    Is Ethan talking about Jocelyn, or Carla?

    Because this would be a hell of a way to find out.

    • Sirksome
      Sirksome
      August 27, 2024 at 12:11 am | #

      Ethan is talking about Jocelyne. She came out to him during freshman family weekend.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      August 27, 2024 at 12:24 am | #

      Ethan has misunderstood the reason why Joyce is suddenly curious about trans topics, yes, and thinks she is referring to Jocelyn. In both’s defense, this is a case where there are reasons to be hesitant to name names, so the confusion makes sense.

      • GholaHalleck
        GholaHalleck
        August 27, 2024 at 1:47 am | #

        Kudos to Ethan for not just assuming yes. Ethan gets a good noodle star on his board.

      • Amelie Wikström
        Amelie Wikström
        August 27, 2024 at 8:07 am | #

        It also makes sense Ethan, like everyone, doesn’t think anyone in the world doesn’t know about Carla so there’s no reason to think Joyce might be talking about her, even when she’s currently zooming down the hall. A watertight setup for comical misunderstanding.

  15. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    August 27, 2024 at 12:07 am | #

    Carla is now Joyce’s sister. Too bad for Jocelyne she’s been beaten twice in the big sister game.

    • anonymsly
      anonymsly
      August 27, 2024 at 12:32 am | #

      I think once Jocelyne comes out to Joyce she’ll reclaim the top spot almost instantly.

  16. HueSatLight
    HueSatLight
    August 27, 2024 at 12:08 am | #

    A dramedy of errors.

  17. Jeremiah
    Jeremiah
    August 27, 2024 at 12:12 am | #

    Gotta love “One dialogue, two conversations”.

  18. Dante
    Dante
    August 27, 2024 at 12:14 am | #

    Aw, Ethan. This is incredibly sweet from him, seriously.

    Did it go a bit over Joyce’s head? Sure. But he knows her and it DID accomplish what he wanted to convey – The certainty of the answer, without outing Joce before she chooses to do so.

    • zaratustra
      zaratustra
      August 27, 2024 at 4:33 am | #

      This is a bit of old Ethan poking through.

  19. goggleman64
    goggleman64
    August 27, 2024 at 12:17 am | #

    I hope Joyce is as much fun to write as she is to read :3

  20. RedComet
    RedComet
    August 27, 2024 at 12:22 am | #

    This is the most present/”normal” Ethan has been in a while. It’s nice. Good of him to talk about this with Joyce through the awkwardness and comedy of errors

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      August 27, 2024 at 12:27 am | #

      It likely helps that Ethan is largely fond of Joyce, even if he’s exasperated by her sometimes, and that he has admiration for Jocelyn and respects her. This is a situation where his usual cynicism isn’t as omnipresent because he genuinely wants this to work out for everyone. Naomi did a number on this guy, and he doesn’t likely wish that on anyone else.

      • Kavonde
        Kavonde
        August 27, 2024 at 1:28 am | #

        Well, he’s been writing her for almost 30 years now, so I gotta imagine she’s an entertaining brain to occupy.

        • Kavonde
          Kavonde
          August 27, 2024 at 1:29 am | #

          Bah, replied to the wrong comment.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        August 27, 2024 at 1:30 am | #

        I think Ethan and Joyce will be friends for life. Ethan is Joyce’s one friend that respects her as an adult. The others, even Dorothy tend to see Joyce as someone who needs taking care of, but Ethan and Joyce bonded when they were briefly dating, he understands Joyce because they have some of the same hangups and I think that manifests in a respect they don’t really get from their other friends.

      • Bruno
        Bruno
        August 27, 2024 at 5:28 am | #

        Who the hell is Naomi?

        • Vegetalss4
          Vegetalss4
          August 27, 2024 at 6:34 am | #

          Ethan’s mom

          • clif
            clif
            August 27, 2024 at 8:47 pm | #

            Ethan’s mom was one of the minor characters in the docu-drama For the Love of Chair.

        • HueSatLight
          HueSatLight
          August 27, 2024 at 9:30 pm | #

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/naomi/

      • Nedlum
        Nedlum
        August 27, 2024 at 9:28 am | #

        “largely fond of Joyce, even if he’s exasperated by her sometimes” probably fits 90% of the cast.

        • DailyBrad
          DailyBrad
          August 27, 2024 at 8:18 pm | #

          She tends to be worth it in the end.

  21. Nono
    Nono
    August 27, 2024 at 12:23 am | #

    Wonder if Asher is getting more turned on by seeing Ethan genuinely be nice.

    • M!a
      M!a
      August 28, 2024 at 7:12 am | #

      Depends on how much worse Billifer fucked him up.

  22. Jerach
    Jerach
    August 27, 2024 at 12:40 am | #

    Y’know, this honestly doesn’t have a particularly high chance of even blowing up for Joyce. Like, if she says this stuff to Carla I imagine she’ll think it’s kind of weird but sweet in that “Joyce is always strange but always earnest” kind of way.

    • Adam Black
      Adam Black
      August 27, 2024 at 2:05 am | #

      I think Carla will recognize it a Spock line, think its some nerdy Trek shit

  23. egon
    egon
    August 27, 2024 at 12:43 am | #

    every blue moon you hear about jocelyn but we’ll never see her in our lifetime

    • clif
      clif
      August 27, 2024 at 1:17 am | #

      Just how soon were you going to die?

      • egon
        egon
        August 27, 2024 at 9:08 am | #

        you know as well as i do this comic moves at a glacial pace, it’s been over 10 years and they’ve only barely finished one semester

        • Kyrik Michalowski
          Kyrik Michalowski
          August 27, 2024 at 10:13 am | #

          I believe the entire comic will only cover 1 year; so yes it is moving slowly, but we’re already past the halfway mark.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          August 27, 2024 at 10:38 am | #

          And they only finished that one because we skipped over half of it.

        • clif
          clif
          August 27, 2024 at 8:20 pm | #

          Well, yes, but the very next chapter is named The One -Where Jocelyne Returns. If you’re planning on casting off the mortal coil first, you better plan on buckling down and getting to it chop chop.

          Always assuming the chapter doesn’t come and go without Jocelyn ever showing up. But obviously, toying with the readers that way is something Willis would never do.

    • Bryy
      Bryy
      August 27, 2024 at 2:56 am | #

      You mean Jordan.

      We’ve seen Jocelyn multiple times.

      • egon
        egon
        August 27, 2024 at 9:11 am | #

        i don’t mean Jordan, i mean Jocelyn who gets mentioned every few months as a tease to keep people reading. it’s been like 12 years and Joyce still doesn’t know because it’s just not actually relevant to the story

    • Sajuuk-Khar
      Sajuuk-Khar
      August 27, 2024 at 11:37 am | #

      I mean the very next storyline has her in the name, but

    • M!a
      M!a
      August 28, 2024 at 7:14 am | #

      …in my case? Probably quite right.

      • Rectilinear Propagation
        Rectilinear Propagation
        August 28, 2024 at 2:17 pm | #

        I cannot tell if this is something everyone else already knows about or if you want to elaborate. Because it sounds like you’re either going blind or dying.

        I haven’t been reading the comments regularly for a while so if this is something you’ve already gone over, I’m not trying to make you rehash things.

  24. Taffy
    Taffy
    August 27, 2024 at 12:48 am | #

    I can’t believe Ethan would out Carla as a secret Brown like this.

    • clif
      clif
      August 27, 2024 at 1:18 am | #

      The fiend!

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      August 27, 2024 at 8:54 am | #

      It all makes sense now!

      Carla is Jordan.

      • Sajuuk-Khar
        Sajuuk-Khar
        August 27, 2024 at 11:35 am | #

        The most shocking discovery since Radagon being Marika!

  25. Morrison
    Morrison
    August 27, 2024 at 1:26 am | #

    When this comes up for Joyce latter, David? Incredible power move on Ethan’s part, whether he was sure or not who she was asking about.

  26. ESM
    ESM
    August 27, 2024 at 1:38 am | #

    These are quality shenanigans that are afoot. Or ablade, as the case may be.

  27. AbacusWizard
    AbacusWizard
    August 27, 2024 at 1:41 am | #

    Oooooooooh, subtle! Good job Ethan!

  28. Waffliesinyoface
    Waffliesinyoface
    August 27, 2024 at 2:10 am | #

    oh no, the comedy of errors, its coming

  29. Acher4
    Acher4
    August 27, 2024 at 2:24 am | #

    Oh

    oooooooooooh.

    I really didn’t think yesterday that Ethan was thinking of Jocelyne.

    • kraenieldamage
      kraenieldamage
      August 27, 2024 at 5:25 am | #

      Same here. I thought for some reason he was thinking it was Amber? I legitimately forgot about Jocelyne.

      • Bruno
        Bruno
        August 27, 2024 at 5:29 am | #

        You think Ethan thinks Amber is trans?

        • clif
          clif
          August 27, 2024 at 8:57 pm | #

          Well, she transforms into Amazigirl, so …

  30. AGV/Ruby
    AGV/Ruby
    August 27, 2024 at 2:24 am | #

    Ethan did his best and it’s honestly solid advice, even if it wasn’t about Carla. I wonder if Joyce will parrot this to her.

    Also, would Leslie have given better advice? I know that this is a spur-of-the-moment situation and she just asked the closest “most appropriate” person, but I’m curious.

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      August 27, 2024 at 8:48 am | #

      Leslie: You came to me because I am your gender studies teacher, right? Not because I was a lesbian?

      Joyce: Well…

      • Poskie
        Poskie
        August 27, 2024 at 1:45 pm | #

        Was?! 😂

        • clif
          clif
          August 27, 2024 at 8:59 pm | #

          Before she died.

          That’s right, Leslie is secretly Mike.

  31. DorJoJo
    DorJoJo
    August 27, 2024 at 2:50 am | #

    do your best joyce

  32. Bryy
    Bryy
    August 27, 2024 at 2:55 am | #

    Joyce is gonna take this literally.

    • Daibhid C
      Daibhid C
      August 27, 2024 at 3:42 am | #

      And yet, not literally enough.

    • TulipKitten
      TulipKitten
      August 27, 2024 at 3:54 am | #

      MMW, she is gonna make Carla cringe. Because now she’s gonna come off as someone trying to be ally of the year.

  33. GUIGUI
    GUIGUI
    August 27, 2024 at 3:53 am | #

    Whoops!

  34. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    August 27, 2024 at 4:06 am | #

    What’s this called again?

    …. oh, right. One dialogue, two conversations

    …. I think the next step is for Joyce to come away from the conversation thinking that it’s now confirmed that Carla is Mary’s estranged sister.

    • Aura
      Aura
      August 27, 2024 at 7:11 am | #

      Not tonight, tvtropes rabbit hole. Not tonight!

  35. Bruno
    Bruno
    August 27, 2024 at 5:30 am | #

    10/10 sitcom contrivance. No notes.

  36. Mike Conner
    Mike Conner
    August 27, 2024 at 6:27 am | #

    This confirms something that’s been bothering me for years now.

  37. Michael Steamweed
    Michael Steamweed
    August 27, 2024 at 7:39 am | #

    Joyce (coughing): “I have been – and always shall be – your sister.”
    Carla: “wut”
    Joyce: (dies)

  38. Colin McKenzie
    Colin McKenzie
    August 27, 2024 at 8:03 am | #

    I wish this comic had a Search feature, because now I wanna know all the strips about Jocelyne.

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      August 27, 2024 at 8:48 am | #

      Just go to the Jocelyne tag.

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      August 27, 2024 at 11:23 am | #

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/jocelyne/

  39. Pharmadan
    Pharmadan
    August 27, 2024 at 8:33 am | #

    Ethan seems a bit more… aware now, and not lost in his head

  40. Disastroid
    Disastroid
    August 27, 2024 at 10:43 am | #

    Once Joyce collects all of the Infinity Sisters she can snap her fingers and turn all the food into macaroni and cheese texture.

  41. thumb
    thumb
    August 27, 2024 at 10:44 am | #

    You know what would make this conversation even more relevant? If Joyce calls Jocelyne for advice. Because either she finds out and has to actually confront her biases on a personal level, or she doesn’t and everybody comes out confused. Either way, it’ll start out with Joyce putting her foot in her mouth for at least several minutes and that part is always funny to me.

  42. DJTsurugi
    DJTsurugi
    August 27, 2024 at 11:26 am | #

    Ethan thinking Joyce JUST realized she has a sister instead of a brother and Joyce toeing that line again… ~<3

  43. Call Me Deacon Blues
    Call Me Deacon Blues
    August 27, 2024 at 3:48 pm | #

    Dammit… the frustrating thing is, this is good advice for Jocelyn but not amazing advice for Carla. I feel like Carla is NOT gonna want Joyce to find her and say they’re sisters now. They do have a fairly good relationship, I love Joyce and Carla interactions, but I feel like the correct tack for her specifically is just, act the same way she always had. Being weird about it, even weirdly over-affirming, can be off putting.

    I’m only hoping this storyline ends up with Joyce learning the truth about Jocelyn, presumably in some wacky way

    • DJTsurugi
      DJTsurugi
      August 27, 2024 at 10:01 pm | #

      the unfortunate happenstance when people play the pronoun game (cinemasins) instead of being upfront about who they are referring to. 90’s sitcoms were littered with this concept ~<3

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        August 27, 2024 at 10:29 pm | #

        But here Ethan at least is deliberately being vague in case he’s wrong about who she’s thinking of. Which he is.
        So it’s not quite the usual sitcom misunderstanding.

  44. poyo
    poyo
    August 27, 2024 at 4:25 pm | #

    oh, oh my god i completely forgot about Joyces sibling (and that ethan knows about her) lmaoo

  45. Daniel M Ball
    Daniel M Ball
    August 27, 2024 at 7:58 pm | #

    Is everyone FORGETTING?? One of Joyce’s siblings has lots of tells including distance from the family. I mean, yeah, it’s been almost a decade since she was mentioned…

    • M!a
      M!a
      August 28, 2024 at 7:09 am | #

      Did you read none of the previous comments? No one is forgetting.

      …okay, nearly no one.

      …okay, just me I think.

  46. Felian
    Felian
    August 29, 2024 at 6:05 am | #

    jjjyeeeeah don’t go up to a trans person you don’t know very well and act like you’re her bestie if you weren’t before. that’s a bit creepy.
    Just, in general, show support. Educate yourself. Be the person that speaks up for trans rights. Be the one that punches Mary in the face the next time she spouts this TERF crap (maybe do it with words or contact authorities, the literal punching is not usually advisable)

  47. Dana W
    Dana W
    September 3, 2024 at 1:43 am | #

    Unless the topic comes up, don’t mention it. I hate it when someone come up to me with THAT LOOK that means my status is about to become an involuntary conversational topic.

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