Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

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BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

June 22, 2026

Stewards

by David M Willis on November 16, 2024 at 12:01 am
  • 02 – The One Where Jocelyne Returns
└ Tags: ruth, sarah

Discussion (97) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    November 16, 2024 at 12:05 am | #

    I too want what Sarah has. That jacket.

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      November 16, 2024 at 12:06 am | #

      A friend like Joyce

      • Clif
        Clif
        November 16, 2024 at 12:33 am | #

        A friend like other Jacob?

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 1:48 am | #

      i think willis usually looks at irl pics/online sites of some casual clothing so you could probably find something similar like how one of carla’s dress was sorta based on a walmart one?

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        November 16, 2024 at 4:11 am | #

        Keep an eye on what the mannequins at Target are wearing. Chances are you’ll see somebody in DoA wearing the same outfit in a year or so.

        • ValdVin
          ValdVin
          November 16, 2024 at 8:01 am | #

          Willis may have posted a pic of that jacket exactly. A lot of DofA characters shop at Target.

    • David M Willis
      David M Willis
      November 16, 2024 at 9:26 am | #

      https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1855275591139733768?t=VVHJ2hJh1nF_Oz4erKx6kQ&s=19

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        November 16, 2024 at 10:15 am | #

        Yo! Is that also Jocey’s fit too! She kinda had that shit on, not gonna lie.

        • David M Willis
          David M Willis
          November 16, 2024 at 10:38 am | #

          yes i drew both their new character models that day

  2. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    November 16, 2024 at 12:05 am | #

    Oh boy, this won’t end well,,will it?

    • NGPZ
      NGPZ
      November 16, 2024 at 12:27 am | #

      …. Sarah gonna go full Joker ain’t she 0-0

      • Laserbeaks Fury
        Laserbeaks Fury
        November 16, 2024 at 3:27 am | #

        Nah, Sarah will run into someone who weaponizes toxic positivity and realize what a terrible idea it really is. Mary is a strong contender, but I also don’t rule out Raidah coming in off the top rope

        • Daibhid C
          Daibhid C
          November 16, 2024 at 6:21 am | #

          Oh, wow, saying mean things but acting like you’re being nice about it isexactly what Raidah does, isn’t it? Yeah, that realisation is not goig to be pretty.

          • Liliet
            Liliet
            November 16, 2024 at 6:28 am | #

            I think Sarah is doing it fully consciously and on purpose. Strangers tend to like Raidah better than her, and I bet Raidah has instructed her in this exact technique explicitly, so why not try it?

          • Taffy
            Taffy
            November 16, 2024 at 2:34 pm | #

            Raidah’s not even good at it. All she does is bring every conversation back to “And where does your money come from?” or “Don’t talk to Sarah”. It’s basically all she talks about, she’s pathetic.

            • Bryy
              Bryy
              November 16, 2024 at 3:19 pm | #

              Yeah. Raidah likes to think she’s some 4D chess player navigating this board game called life, when she’s really just a narcissist.

              • NGPZ
                NGPZ
                November 16, 2024 at 4:47 pm | #

                the fact she desires to help disadvantaged youth with this mindset, seeing the way she treated Dina? UGH

                she’s like an IRL Brian Griffin who desires to “help” in such ways to garner street cred among fellow affluent cliques which she can use to justify being toxic (-_-)

        • NGPZ
          NGPZ
          November 16, 2024 at 2:02 pm | #

          basically this

          I REALLY wanna see Sarah pull a KNOCK KNOCK on Mary >:D

  3. shadowcell
    shadowcell
    November 16, 2024 at 12:05 am | #

    she’s gonna be a great lawyer

    • Opus the Poet
      Opus the Poet
      November 16, 2024 at 12:08 am | #

      That seems plausible.

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      November 16, 2024 at 12:15 am | #

      I mean if that is what it takes to be a lawyer, and act like thus then good for her, but she’ll probably piss off some people down the road who might have been able to help her.

      As long as she doesn’t care about a relationship, or working along with someone, then I’m sure she’ll be fine, and this will never blow up in her face, right?

  4. Chaucer59
    Chaucer59
    November 16, 2024 at 12:06 am | #

    Or maybe just some really potent edibles.

    • NGPZ
      NGPZ
      November 16, 2024 at 12:13 am | #

      I mean I doubt it, given the risk that would entail for her is literally one of the biggest reasons she called Dana’s parents.

  5. Alongcameaspider
    Alongcameaspider
    November 16, 2024 at 12:07 am | #

    Honestly this just makes Sarah come off as passive aggressive more than anything

    • Yondrose
      Yondrose
      November 16, 2024 at 12:10 am | #

      Passive aggression is appropriate when talking to rude authority figures.

      • Clif
        Clif
        November 16, 2024 at 12:54 am | #

        Passive aggressive is always appropriate. It just has a cost.

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 1:49 am | #

      I would think she’s imitating joyce tho i would imagine more ppl having maybe a more ‘neutral’ face as opposed to bubbly/cheery looking versus secretly looking down on someone/openly laughing at how ‘dumb’ someone is

  6. Opus the Poet
    Opus the Poet
    November 16, 2024 at 12:07 am | #

    Plausible deniability, why the president wasn’t told about Area 51 in Independence Day.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      November 16, 2024 at 12:43 am | #

      I thought he wasn’t told so as to contrive a justification for a bunch of info-dumped exposition.

      • Shade
        Shade
        November 16, 2024 at 1:19 am | #

        It can be two things.

  7. Rebecca
    Rebecca
    November 16, 2024 at 12:09 am | #

    Sarah, that is NOT the important thing, and this really won’t get you anywhere.

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 1:51 am | #

      nothing wrong with trying out new things, since all this time she still hasn’t gotten a bf (not that you ‘need to’ of course but i assume at some point sarah would still want a quick fling even if it didn’t necessarily evolve into something potentially real like what she considered with jacob)

    • Dara
      Dara
      November 16, 2024 at 1:55 am | #

      You’d be surprised.

      Or maybe horrified.

      It’ll take you a long, long way in some really important areas.

      Unfortunately.

      • Holly
        Holly
        November 16, 2024 at 3:31 am | #

        Yup. This is how Sarah achieves Dorothy’s former dream!

  8. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    November 16, 2024 at 12:10 am | #

    My great grandmother used to act condescending towards anyone who were assholes.
    But she delivered it in the most “grandmotherly” way, and people would have no response except to just leave.

    • StClair
      StClair
      November 16, 2024 at 12:14 am | #

      “Bless your heart.”

      • Kyrik Michalowski
        Kyrik Michalowski
        November 16, 2024 at 12:21 am | #

        Yep, that was one of her ways to start in on someone; that, or “Oh deaie.”

        • Kyrik Michalowski
          Kyrik Michalowski
          November 16, 2024 at 12:08 pm | #

          Dearie*

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 1:52 am | #

      Luckily it worked out for her b/c depending on where you live even if you look and act sweet and elderly i wouldn’t put it past some ppl to slap someone although hopefully ppl would show up quick enough to arrest those kinda ppl lol

  9. Jeremiah
    Jeremiah
    November 16, 2024 at 12:13 am | #

    Love characters that learn the wrong lesson (this is applies to both of them)

    • NGPZ
      NGPZ
      November 16, 2024 at 8:38 pm | #

      “nothing prepares you for life better than being stupid over and over again” XD

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      November 17, 2024 at 6:29 am | #

      *points out title of comic*

  10. Jude Deluca
    Jude Deluca
    November 16, 2024 at 12:15 am | #

    You know you’re an Utena fan when the first thought in reaction to this is “So innocently cruel…”

    • Romanticide
      Romanticide
      November 16, 2024 at 12:58 am | #

      Perfectly fiting 😀

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 1:52 am | #

      So is sarah gonna turn into a car at some point? 8D; (never saw rgu, just know stuff from osmosis/second hand knowledge)

  11. brionl
    brionl
    November 16, 2024 at 12:18 am | #

    Sincerity.
    If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.

  12. mindbleach
    mindbleach
    November 16, 2024 at 12:20 am | #

    To see your enemies driven before you, and some time later squint and go “… hey.”

    • True Survivor
      True Survivor
      November 16, 2024 at 12:29 am | #

      That is fantastic. Thanks for the laugh.

    • Clif
      Clif
      November 16, 2024 at 12:38 am | #

      To hear the lamentations of their mothers. For a nickel.

      • Clif
        Clif
        November 16, 2024 at 12:38 am | #

        I mean, who doesn’t love a laminated mother?

        • Decidedly Orthogonal
          Decidedly Orthogonal
          November 16, 2024 at 1:30 am | #

          I might find the process entertaining, but I’m still not going to love her.

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 1:54 am | #

      LOL speaking of enemies, I wonder how long she can keep up this ‘act’ with raidah, unless she ends up being so dumbfounded/speechless that sarah can say her piece and walk by without any kinda rebuttal/reaction

      • Liliet
        Liliet
        November 16, 2024 at 6:29 am | #

        I have the horrible feeling that Sarah acting like this will make Raidah feel proud and validated because she taught her the technique, and see! It’s an improvement! Raidah enjoys her presence a lot more already!

        • anon
          anon
          November 16, 2024 at 8:40 pm | #

          idk if raidah ever particularly gave her ‘advice’ to act this fake-chipper versus dismissing her ‘concerns’ about dana’s weed problem

  13. Jeff Harris
    Jeff Harris
    November 16, 2024 at 12:24 am | #

    When Sarah snaps out of… whatever this is, this is going to be the greatest, scariest, or wildest series of strips in DoA’s history. And considering what we’ve seen in the past, that’s saying a lot. I hate to be the person to receive that snap.

    • Clif
      Clif
      November 16, 2024 at 1:01 am | #

      I choose to believe she named the baseball bat Snap.

      • mindbleach
        mindbleach
        November 16, 2024 at 1:14 am | #

        Crackle and Pop are your kneecaps.

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 1:55 am | #

      Does she still have her baseball bat?

      LOL well, hopefully it’ll be someone who deserves it. or i can imagine it being walky since he’d be one of the ppl who’d purposefully provoke her

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      November 16, 2024 at 11:20 pm | #

      Something something “and suck a billion dicks.”

  14. IntangibleMatter
    IntangibleMatter
    November 16, 2024 at 12:35 am | #

    It’s spreading, oh no.

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 2:05 am | #

      Dunno how hard it would be for ruth to ‘fake’ a smile/cheerfulness versus being in glee while other ppl are miserable/schadenfreude/etc

  15. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    November 16, 2024 at 12:41 am | #

    There is a very fine line between polite fiction and sarcasm, and that line is now owned by Sarah.

  16. Ash
    Ash
    November 16, 2024 at 12:41 am | #

    I will also say that I don’t hate Sarah’s flippant attitude here. She’s perfectly reflecting Ruth’s cynical attitude but with a smile.

  17. Jeffrey
    Jeffrey
    November 16, 2024 at 12:50 am | #

    Yeah, I’m not sure how this will work out for Sarah, but it’s not unreasonable that Ruth gets a more edged response than others-especially when she invites it by explicitly mocking Sarah.

    The fact that Sarah has weaponized part of the partly unfair criticisms people have had of her in her life? I can’t fault it. The problem comes when she thinks that’s the sum of those criticisms.

  18. Qube
    Qube
    November 16, 2024 at 12:54 am | #

    at the risk of being optimistic, I think Sarah could find some healthy middle ground in the realm of “Garak Sass”

  19. RealMNPoster
    RealMNPoster
    November 16, 2024 at 1:06 am | #

    Oh, I see it now! Sarah has effectively just become Minnesotan. Nice!

  20. Derek
    Derek
    November 16, 2024 at 1:08 am | #

    I do not like this new Sarah

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 2:06 am | #

      maybe it’ll be over in a couple arcs tho it would be quite the committment to the bit if he just made sarah act like this til the end of the comic’s run

    • Liliet
      Liliet
      November 16, 2024 at 6:31 am | #

      I do, and I honestly hope this is a permanent thing now, like Joyce’s glasses. Sarah is going to kill people and I will clap to every gunshot

  21. Newlland(Henryvolt)
    Newlland(Henryvolt)
    November 16, 2024 at 1:20 am | #

    That’s a shame, I liked her honesty.

  22. Synnerman
    Synnerman
    November 16, 2024 at 1:40 am | #

    “Smile-3 Plausibly Deniable Cruelty,” coming to a streaming service near you.

    • NGPZ
      NGPZ
      November 16, 2024 at 4:29 pm | #

      I⊥S ∀˥WOS⊥ ⊥IWƎ W∀ᴚ⅄ 👁️👁️

  23. Taffy
    Taffy
    November 16, 2024 at 2:07 am | #

    I like this new Sarah.

    • Jeremiah
      Jeremiah
      November 16, 2024 at 3:15 am | #

      I like burgers.

      • NGPZ
        NGPZ
        November 16, 2024 at 4:43 pm | #

        yee, I love burgers with caramelized onion, mustard and salsa roja :9

        • Jeremiah
          Jeremiah
          November 17, 2024 at 12:12 am | #

          Ew onion lover, guard take them to the dungeon for a 100 years!

  24. Ophidiophile
    Ophidiophile
    November 16, 2024 at 3:00 am | #

    It’s not going to take long for Sarah to figure out how to be her curmudgeonly self while maintaining this new, better facade. She may even relish the challenge.

  25. BBCC
    BBCC
    November 16, 2024 at 4:09 am | #

    Fake it til you make it!

  26. thumb
    thumb
    November 16, 2024 at 6:04 am | #

    You know, I can see the appeal now. Stabbing your enemies with a smile is not progress, but it can be cathartic.
    Not sustainable, mind.

  27. Vukodlak
    Vukodlak
    November 16, 2024 at 8:41 am | #

    Seems about the time for Sarah’s old roommate to return.

  28. MickeeC
    MickeeC
    November 16, 2024 at 8:59 am | #

    Can someone please set Sarah straight, this is getting legitimately sad.

    ALSO-did some of y’all ACTUALLY think this was a good change for her? Yeah, no, bottling up and lying about who you are isn’t the way to self improvement.

    • Shade
      Shade
      November 16, 2024 at 10:04 am | #

      Yeah, there were a couple people I think.

    • Sirksome
      Sirksome
      November 16, 2024 at 12:34 pm | #

      I’m confused why this is sad? Sarah was just smiling and minding her own business when Ruth stopped her to ask why she was happy. How is that not rude? Why is Sarah in the wrong for being sarcastically sweet to Ruth, who we just saw laugh in her face for trying to be positive?

      I’m one of the people that thinks Sarah should keep trying to make herself happy. To me this isn’t her bottling up her emotions and lying about who she is. Even if she doesn’t believe the things she just said the alternative for her is being miserable. Ruth intruded on her space and instead of snapping at her Sarah took it in stride. I’m confused why that’s bad.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        November 16, 2024 at 1:33 pm | #

        I don’t know about sad or bad, but for a lot of us her sarcastically sweet response here shows that she’s not actually trying to be positive or taking it in her stride.

      • Jeremiah
        Jeremiah
        November 16, 2024 at 1:43 pm | #

        I argue she isn’t making herself happy here. Just seem it will lead to a different kind of misery.

    • Amelie Wikström
      Amelie Wikström
      November 16, 2024 at 12:36 pm | #

      She’s been trying it for like two hours. Maybe give her half a day to find some middle ground between hating everyone and everything and trying to love everything unreservedly.

      • Amelie Wikström
        Amelie Wikström
        November 16, 2024 at 1:33 pm | #

        Like if you realize an attitude you’ve had for years isn’t working for you, how do you usually go about changing it? I don’t think anyone does it without over-correcting.

      • Jeremiah
        Jeremiah
        November 16, 2024 at 1:36 pm | #

        It’s been a day actually I think.

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 8:47 pm | #

      I mean, she can still punch someone with a smile but i’m sure she can find other outlets and such, even tho she did admit to jacob that it was a bit draining on her but it’s good if she’s actually putting in an effort to change and grow/improve even if to us it just looks like she’s plastering on a fake smile and being like “customer service voice/tone” or so but i can see a part of her enjoying how ‘uncomfortable/weirded out’ the others are by her ‘personality change’

      It kinda reminds me of that convo joyce and Billifer had, “I’m changed/i’m a diff person now” “yet no one is gonna let you forget who you were before” basically

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        November 16, 2024 at 10:13 pm | #

        Yeah, but it’s not really effort to change/grow/improve if she is just plastering on the fake smile, right?

    • yak
      yak
      November 16, 2024 at 10:34 pm | #

      What’s sad about this? She’s clearly not bottling up her emotions, just expressing them in a different way. Of the ways to react to someone with a position of power over you being INCREDIBLY rude and demeaning, this is probably the best it gets.

  29. Vulcanodon
    Vulcanodon
    November 16, 2024 at 11:49 am | #

    Sarah, watch as few episodes of DS9 with Kai Wynn. That will cure you of smiling while full of ill intent

  30. Yumi
    Yumi
    November 16, 2024 at 2:48 pm | #

    I had a Dina magnet on my car for years. Last month, my car broke down and I had to get a new one. I still have the Dina magnet from it, but it had gotten super faded, so I bought a new Dina magnet to go with my new car. It arrived today, and my car is once again Dina-fied. And I got a bonus Becky magnet with it!

  31. ZerglingOne
    ZerglingOne
    November 16, 2024 at 6:36 pm | #

    You want what she has? Go work retail for a day.

    • anon
      anon
      November 16, 2024 at 8:47 pm | #

      honestly i think the other ppl would be more traumatized by ruth unless she can hold it in lol but i can imagine ppl hiring Ruth-like ppl to deal with customer service specificlaly

      • Lex
        Lex
        November 16, 2024 at 11:40 pm | #

        Ruth would be perfect for escalating problem customers to

  32. Suet
    Suet
    November 18, 2024 at 7:17 am | #

    Book 15: Plausibly-Denied Cruelty.

    Willis’ Objective in Writing DoA: Plausibly-Denied Cruelty.

CHOOSE A SIDE, NO COWARDS

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