Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
RSS
‹
›
  • Home
  • About/Read before posting
  • Archive↓
    • by calendar
  • Cast
  • Store↓
    • Main Store (books and stuff)
    • T-shirts
  • Patreon↓
    • Patreon (regular)
    • Patreon (NSFW)
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
he's not very big, though, more average-sized
First Previous Random 118Comments Share Next Latest
Reddit Digg Facebook MySpace Delicious Stumbleupon Buzz Up! Mixx Technorati Google Bookmarks Yahoo Bookmarks Yahoo MyWeb Windows Live Propeller FriendFeed Newsvine Xanga LinkedIn Blinklist Twitter
Discover more Hiveworks comics
The Lonely Vincent Bellingham
Diana Huh
Vincent is an unkind man looking to disappear, and finds himself in the care of a vampire and her two wicked children.
Star Impact
Jack McGee
A young, energetic woman fights her way up in the world of super-powered boxing after discovering the mighty gloves of her missing idol!
Fireweeds Moors
Gato Iberico
A cat-headed man and a girl with a sandwich hankering accidentally end up in a myth-infused country where magic chalices are a really big thing.
El Goonish Shive
Dan Shive
WARNING: This comic often ignores the Laws of Physics
Hazy London
Scotty
A story about messy relationships. From friendly foes to crazy families. Nothing is black and white, just full of color. But, all colors can get a little hazy...
Sister Claire
Yamino
In the troubled aftermath of a great war between Witches and her fellow Nuns, novice Sister Claire just wants a purpose.
Dumbing of Age
David M Willis
Joyce has been homeschooled her entire life until now, when she's suddenly a freshman in college! Things don't go well.
Monsterkind
Taylor C
Wallace Foster, a young, bright-eyed human social worker, has his entire world view rocked when he's suddenly relocated into a city primarily inhabited by monsters.
Never Satisfied
Taylor Robin
Lucy Marlowe, a magician's apprentice, competes against other apprentices for an important, magical, Goverment Job.
Kiwi Blitz
Mary Cagle (Cube Watermelon)
Steffi thinks she can use her kiwi mech to become a superhero. This idea turns out to be very stupid.
Devil's Candy
Rem, Bikkuri
A lush fantasy about boy genius Kazu Decker, the girl he constructed for his 9th grade science project, and the world of devils and monsters they live in.
Ghost Junk Sickness
Studio CARTRIDGE, Laura Lee
Two hunters try to survive and end up being pushed to pursue a deadly bounty dubbed "The Ghost".
Go Get a Roomie
Clover
Experience the queer journey of an upbeat hippie and the friendships she makes along the way! A tale of self-discovery and love of many forms.
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
Cut Time
Juby
Rel and her trusty avian friend Fugue are on a quest to save a world that's lost track of time. Follow them and their new recruits, in a story written with help from the stars.
The Sanity Circus
Windy
Magic, monsters and mysteries await in the odd city of Sanity. It's up to Attley and a colorful group of characters to find out just what is going on.
Knights Errant
J.R. Doyle
Wilfrid's humble quest for revenge becomes bigger and bloodier by the day.
This is Not Fiction
Nicole Mannino
What do you do when the person you're in-love with is an anonymous romance novelist? Get your best friend to hire your worst enemy for help!
Girl Genius
Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio
In a time when the Industrial Revolution has become an all-out war, Mad Science rules the World...with mixed success.
Whomp!
Ronnie
A depressed, portly, hirsute anime fan stumbles through life in the ever-pursuit of chicken nuggets and other life-shortening indulgences.
Caramel Corn
Potchimew
Sarah is the only human left in a world full of mythical creatures and monsters. All she wants to do is live a quiet life, but everything changes when she meets her guardian angel, Jacob.
Starhammer
J.N. Monk, Harry Bogosian
A teen girl inherits a powerful alien artifact and proceeds to make a series of increasingly poor decisions
The Automan's Daughter
Mike Stamm
Aisha Osman and her uncle Siddig outwit bikers, spies and kidnappers while gearing up for a showdown with the formidable Widowmaker mecha.
Cassiopeia Quinn
Gunwild, Psudonym
A cute, pantsless thief is pursued across the stars by a buttoned-up military officer in the spacey, laser-filled future.
Demon's Mirror
Harry Bogosian
Based loosely off of "The Snow Queen", a story by Hans Christian Andersen, we see things take a different turn as the demons become central characters, and the side characters stick around. Yup, that's the only differences. Enjoy!
Paranatural
Zack Morrison
Superpowered middle schoolers fight evil spirits in their rural hometown. Come for the jokes, stay for the cast, the creatures, and the mystery that ties them all together!
Empowered
Adam Warren
A sexy superhero comedy (except when it isn't) about the never-ending struggles of a plucky but very unlucky young superheroine.
Real Science Adventures
Brian Clevinger
Spin off stories and other adventures from the world of Atomic Robo!
Wychwood
Varethane
When Tiara's pyrokinesis is finally noticed, she is captured by a magical research organization for study. If she cooperates, she could be helping to save humanity from a dire threat - but can she trust them?
Sufficiently Remarkable
Maki Naro
Two young women living in Brooklyn discover that you're always coming of age.
Stand Still, Stay Silent
Minna Sundberg
A few generations after the end of the world, a small, poorly financed research crew is sent out to rediscover whatever is left of the forbidden old world in the south.
Goodbye to Halos
Valerie Halla
Cuddles, gay flirting, weird feelings, and magic-fueled knife fights - it's an adventure across the queer multiverse!
Kochab
Sarah Webb
A YA F/F fantasy comic about Sonya, a lost skier trying to survive a snowy wilderness and find her way back to her village; and Kyra - a fire spirit trying to fix the home that she let fall apart around her.
Atomic Robo
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener
The robot punches monsters and bad robots and one time he was a cowboy.
Widdershins
Kate Ashwin
A series of light-hearted Victorian-era adventure stories featuring grumpy bounty hunters, accidental thiefkings, and more, in England's magical capital city Widdershins!
Godslave
Meaghan Carter
Edith has been thrown into the dangerous world of modern-day Egyptian mythology. Fighting monsters and dealing with family drama of godly proportions.
Lilith's Word
inkPangur
If you had the power to make any wish come true using just one word, what would you say?
Star Trip
Gisele Weaver
Jas is a human taken from her home planet on a trip across the galaxy she will never forget.
Monster Pulse
Magnolia Porter Siddell
Four kids run afoul of a creepy secret organization's experiments, which turn their body parts into fighting monsters. Part sentimental coming-of-age story, part monster-training shonen manga, with just a bit of sci-fi body horror.
Love Not Found
Gina Biggs
Abeille is on a quest to find someone who wants to do it the old-fashioned way in a time when touching has become outdated.
Lighter Than Heir
Melissa Albino
A young Volant woman joins the military in an effort to upstage her war-hero father.
Wilde Life
Pascalle Lepas
Oscar decided to rent an old haunted house, and that's when things got weird...
Astral Aves
Moon Cabal
A fantasy coming-of-age following the adventures of Astra The Black and friends, as they navigate the mysterious world around them. It's politics, adventure, and the supernatural; oh, and crazy hair.
Alice and the Nightmare
Misha Krivanek
Alice finally attends University to learn to collect the dreams of humans, meet new friends, and deal with a pesky reflection along the way.
Guilded Age
T Campbell, John Waltrip, Florence Machina
Welcome to the saga of the working-class adventurer! Enjoy the complete story with new annotations daily!
The End
August Brown, Cory Brown
Two aliens crash a sci-fi convention and accidentally take seven nerds on an adventure that spans the galaxy!
Anarchy Dreamers
Emily Ree
Sparkly undead kids fight society's worst Nightmares in this pastel-punk urban fantasy coming-of-age!
Nerf Now!!
Josué Pereira
A cute webcomic about fanservice, video games, and... love. Mostly video games, though.
The Witch Door
Anni K.
Katariina Lehto discovers her neighbor is a witch called Jousia Muotka. Jousia introduces Katariina to the strange people and places beyond the witch door...
Sam & Fuzzy
Sam Logan
Troubled by gangster rodents, lovesick vampire stalkers, or confused ninja assassins? Don't panic! Sam and Fuzzy are here to help. (For a reasonable fee.)
Tigress Queen
Allison Shaw
A barbarian warlord and a pampered prince try to avoid a marriage alliance that could end decades of violence.
Awaken
Koti Saavedra/Flipfloppery
Superpowers, monsters and conspiracies. Piras, the spoiled Dameschi heir, fights to recover his identity after becoming a terrorist!
[un]Divine
Ayme
A highschool senior thought giving up his soul for a demon was a good idea. It wasn't.
Between Failures
Jackie Wohlenhaus
The low stakes adventures of an assorted group of 20 somethings trapped in the declining years of American retail. They are naughty and say lots of swears.
Jailbird
Charlie Davis
An all-ages comic about a recently escaped prisoner's struggle to understand the outside world, and vice-versa. Also, a magic cape!
BOOKMARK
Click "Tag Page" to bookmark a page. When you return to the site, click "Goto Tag" to continue where you left off.
Goto TagClear Tag


BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

May 12, 2026

Pharma

by David M Willis on July 20, 2018 at 12:01 am
  • 04 – Of Mike And Men
└ Tags: bryan, ethan, janelle monae, pharma, thad, transformers

Discussion (118) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    July 20, 2018 at 12:01 am | #

    Six Degrees of Big Pharma

    • butts
      butts
      July 20, 2018 at 12:09 am | #

      Big Pharma -> Pharmaceutical Industry -> Margaret Sanger -> Sally Ride -> Janelle Monáe

    • Antony
      Antony
      July 20, 2018 at 5:38 am | #

      Big Pharma -> Pharmaceutical industry -> Meat Packing Industry -> Kansas City, Missouri -> Janelle Monáe

  2. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    July 20, 2018 at 12:01 am | #

    The whole rest of the conversation is like this.

    Bryan: “Citizen Kane is a masterpiece of course, but that’s such a pedestrian answer. Everyone says that.”

    Thad: “The Magnificent Ambersons, though? RKO took that one out of his hands, it differs highly from his vision. Kane is not only the better directed film, but shows his range as an actor.”

    Bryan: “If we’re judging on acting, then Kane has nothing on The Third Man.”

    Thad: “Agree to disagree. How about you, Ethan? What’s your favorite Orson Welles film?”

    Ethan: sweats

    • Stephen Bierce
      Stephen Bierce
      July 20, 2018 at 12:04 am | #

      Truly a … CATCH-22!

    • butts
      butts
      July 20, 2018 at 12:11 am | #

      Hey, The Transformers: The Movie is a classic of 1980s western animation

      • C.T Phipps
        C.T Phipps
        July 20, 2018 at 12:25 am | #

        I wouldn’t be surprised if he literally has no idea who he is aside from the voice of Unicron.

    • Dean
      Dean
      July 20, 2018 at 12:41 am | #

      Just say ‘Touch of Evil was a masterpiece’ and change the subject.

      • Van Jealous
        Van Jealous
        July 20, 2018 at 1:08 am | #

        And “F is For Fake”….

        • Ryek Hvek
          Ryek Hvek
          July 20, 2018 at 6:22 am | #

          not to be confused with “F is for Fart” ….

  3. Regalli
    Regalli
    July 20, 2018 at 12:03 am | #

    I admit, ‘I didn’t say which way he would be bisected’ was an interesting move.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      July 20, 2018 at 12:09 am | #

      I love that scene. It’s terrible and sad, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me snicker a bit. I may be slightly terrible.

      As an added bonus, James Roberts has said that Pharma sounds like Mark Hamill playing the Joker.

    • Shiro
      Shiro
      July 20, 2018 at 12:10 am | #

      …I can’t decide if I want context or just to let this beautifully supervillain-y line stand on its own in my memory

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        July 20, 2018 at 12:27 am | #

        The process of getting context will probably make you feel bad for the deceased.

        On the other hand, robot gore is less bloody! That’s how they get away with this shit.

      • Tacos
        Tacos
        July 20, 2018 at 1:00 am | #

        Uh let’s see… Pharama is a villain who used to be friends with Ratchet. He turns evil and gets left for dead and his hands get taken by Ratchet to replace his own worn out hands in a previous incident. Another person shows up and saves Pharma gives him new hands that can turn into chainsaws (groovy) and eventually he comes back and kidnaps Ratchet and some others. Pharma wants his old hands back but he thinks Ratchet tampered with them to explode if he tries to take them. Ratchet goads him saying that it’s because he’s not a good enough surgeon. A competition is then proposed to see who can repair somebody the fastest where the winner gets the hands. Pharma suggests reattaching somebody who’s been cut in half and to use Ratchet’s fellow Autobots because a Decepticon isn’t worth it. Ratchet initially wants to back out but is forced to participate so he tells the Autobot who was selected -Ambulon- to reroute his pain receptors away from his waist and that it wouldn’t be a hard thing to repair before Pharma chainsaws Ambulon in half lengthwise and say he never mentioned which way he’d cut someone in half. Then he leaves and later gets his head blown off.

        • badumtiss
          badumtiss
          July 20, 2018 at 6:08 pm | #

          Not entirely related, but…my dog is named Ratchet because I love that transformer.

  4. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    July 20, 2018 at 12:04 am | #

    *plays “Love Is The Drug” on the hacked Muzak*

  5. butts
    butts
    July 20, 2018 at 12:04 am | #

    bet that’s not the only thing you’re ass-deep in, eh thad

    …does that scan

    • Pablo360
      Pablo360
      July 20, 2018 at 12:07 am | #

      My memory of Ethan’s relationships is fuzzy, was Thad the one who started dating the McAwesome’s employee who got hit by a lead box? (Or was it a car?)

      • MatthewTheLucky
        MatthewTheLucky
        July 20, 2018 at 12:10 am | #

        Lead box.

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      July 20, 2018 at 12:08 am | #

      That, or he runs solely on caffeine and student subscriptions to his database of choice.

      Could be either, at this point. Mmm, research.

  6. ShinyNeen
    ShinyNeen
    July 20, 2018 at 12:04 am | #

    Now I’m curious what Thad studies, that he’d be ass-deep in research about Big Pharm- hm.

    … I’m scared to consider what “ass-deep in research” looks like.

    • Raen
      Raen
      July 20, 2018 at 12:06 am | #

      Premed? As I understand, premed is pretty ill-defined at the undergrad level…

      • Roborat
        Roborat
        July 20, 2018 at 2:11 pm | #

        It is usually called science.

    • butts
      butts
      July 20, 2018 at 12:06 am | #

      let me take you on a maaaaaaagical journey

      • ShinyNeen
        ShinyNeen
        July 20, 2018 at 12:12 am | #

        No thank you. I’m, um, scared of research.

    • Kernanator
      Kernanator
      July 20, 2018 at 12:07 am | #

      His dorm room is filled with research papers. Anyone who wishes to enter has to wade into it like they’re fishing for clams.

    • Axel
      Axel
      July 20, 2018 at 12:07 am | #

      Could just be for an english class, but it might be more interesting if not

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      July 20, 2018 at 1:03 am | #

      Health Sciences? Ethics? Biology? Chemistry?

      • Agemegos
        Agemegos
        July 20, 2018 at 1:32 am | #

        Economics? Pol. Sci.?

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          July 20, 2018 at 1:37 am | #

          Sociology? English offering position papers?

          • Charles Kuhman
            Charles Kuhman
            July 20, 2018 at 6:05 am | #

            If it was like when I was in college, a good term paper could be repurposed several times. Mine on Indian Reservations as concentration camps went in English, Sociology, and with a little work, Poly Sci.

    • Remmington Steele
      Remmington Steele
      July 20, 2018 at 1:28 pm | #

      Pile’em High and Deep!

  7. Shiro
    Shiro
    July 20, 2018 at 12:05 am | #

    God, ME. This is my internal monologue like 80% of the time, except with my fixations and not transformers

    • ShinyNeen
      ShinyNeen
      July 20, 2018 at 12:11 am | #

      “Oh jeez what am I gonna say, how am I gonna contribute, I- oh, oh, I got it, I can s- shit, that’s not relevant any more, oh jeez what am I gonna say-”

      And then they inevitably ask me why I’ve been quiet for so long.

      • wwwhhattt
        wwwhhattt
        July 20, 2018 at 12:32 am | #

        And when you do have something to say there’s no way to actually say it without talking over someone else, and by the time the one person who noticed you trying to speak asks what you were going to say it’s no longer relevant

        • Inahc
          Inahc
          July 20, 2018 at 12:40 am | #

          🙂

        • Keulen
          Keulen
          July 20, 2018 at 1:26 am | #

          This is me in most conversations. I’ve gotten used to being thought of as the quiet one.

      • Inahc
        Inahc
        July 20, 2018 at 12:39 am | #

        either that or the moment you open your mouth, someone else starts talking, so now if you try to talk you’ll be interrupting.

        I much prefer asynchronous communication.

        • Inahc
          Inahc
          July 20, 2018 at 1:08 am | #

          although, my highschool friends solved this problem by everyone just interrupting everyone all the time. 🙂 it’s chaotic, but it worked pretty well.

  8. Passchendaele
    Passchendaele
    July 20, 2018 at 12:07 am | #

    I feel personally called out here, except replace transformers with an obscure history reference or whatever else goes on in my weird brain.

    • Shiro
      Shiro
      July 20, 2018 at 12:09 am | #

      Can we be friends? I fucking love weird historical anecdotes but I’m not motivated enough to seek them out on my own

      • TemporalShrew
        TemporalShrew
        July 20, 2018 at 12:22 am | #

        Let’s have an in-depth discussion on the important historical speculation that Pythagoras, who may or may not have existed as an actual human, despised beans with all of his being, and may have been killed simply to avoid crossing a bean field.*

        *Disclaimer, probably considered bunkum by anyone with a proper knowledge of Greek history.

        • Shiro
          Shiro
          July 20, 2018 at 12:27 am | #

          It might be a very one-sided discussion but I would listen to the fuck outta that story

        • wwwhhattt
          wwwhhattt
          July 20, 2018 at 12:44 am | #

          “Aristotle in On the Pythagoreans says that he [Pythagoras] enjoins them to stay away from beans either because they are like the genitals, or because they are like the gates of Hades (for this plant alone has no joints), or because they are harmful, or because they are like the nature of totality; or because they are oligarchical, for they are used to choose by lot.”

          (Diogenes Laertius, translated Daniel W. Graham in “The Texts of Early Greek Philosophy, Part 2” p.921)

          • wwwhhattt
            wwwhhattt
            July 20, 2018 at 12:50 am | #

            And while we’re on the topic:

            “And once when he [Pythagoras] was passing a puppy being beaten
            they say he took pity and said this word:
            Cease beating him; for surely it is the soul of a friend
            which I recognized when I heard it howling!”

            (Xenophanes, quoted by Diogenes Laertius, same book p.915)

            • adjudicus
              adjudicus
              July 20, 2018 at 6:54 am | #

              It’s always funny to me how weird ancient people can be (in relation to us), and then in turn how weird we’ll seem to people far in the future.

              • Spaz
                Spaz
                July 20, 2018 at 7:21 pm | #

                These people use strange squiggly lines to communicate. How did they ever manage before we switched to a fully meme-centric worldview?

                Or, in future speak:

                Keyboard Cat Scumbag Steve Ceiling Cat. Pickle Riiiiiiiick 2019 Nuclear Missile Exchange waifu OTP?

                • Inahc
                  Inahc
                  July 20, 2018 at 8:20 pm | #

                  Darmok, at Tanagra. 🙂

            • Jhon
              Jhon
              July 20, 2018 at 9:23 pm | #

              Beans and milk. The combo is a notorious producer of flatulence. Screw mysticism. Pythagoras just didn’t like his disciples farting while he was trying to teach them.

      • Passchendaele
        Passchendaele
        July 20, 2018 at 12:30 am | #

        haha mostly I just have a couple history books, a really good memory, and the internet (I 100% recommend Anne Theirault’s Queens of Infamy series – among the best and funniest history essays I have ever read)

  9. Puckish Rogue
    Puckish Rogue
    July 20, 2018 at 12:11 am | #

    “Hows the research going” “What have you discovered” “What made you want to do that”

    Geez Ethan people generally like talking about themselves or their interests, its not that hard to fake it

    • Inahc
      Inahc
      July 20, 2018 at 12:57 am | #

      “it’s not hard for me, therefore it’s not hard” :/

      • Clif
        Clif
        July 20, 2018 at 1:34 am | #

        Yeah. But I think the point is that it’s a pattern that can be learned and used without needing any deeper understanding.

        • TheHorseCouncil
          TheHorseCouncil
          July 20, 2018 at 7:24 am | #

          Yes it can be learned but if the anxiety to speak is strong enough you’ll still stand there silent and afraid to speak. Like now i dont have that much trouble talking to people in person about themselves and yet i can’t ask for contact info because my brain convinces me it’s inconvenient to them. And my biggest struggle of late is that i can’t tell my brain not to worry about writing something down online. Because there’s a deep fear that I’m speaking jnto a void and no one cares what i have to say.

          Sometimes what you know works isnt what your mind lets you do without some kind of internal struggle first.

          • TheHorseCouncil
            TheHorseCouncil
            July 20, 2018 at 7:25 am | #

            *into

          • Clif
            Clif
            July 20, 2018 at 12:24 pm | #

            By the way, tell your brain that we said that what you have to say is interesting and we enjoy hearing your take on things.

            • ShinyNeen
              ShinyNeen
              July 20, 2018 at 5:59 pm | #

              Seconding this! And I think it’s a safe bet that a lot of people here would also second this. Partly because it’s super relatable, partly because you are making interesting conversation. Feed us more of your insights! Further the discourse!

              • adjudicus
                adjudicus
                July 20, 2018 at 9:25 pm | #

                Thirded!

          • Inahc
            Inahc
            July 20, 2018 at 12:59 pm | #

            Yeah, I hate days like that. I have most of the skills now, I just don’t always have *access* to them. It seemed really weird how I could be super charismatic one day and barely able to make words the next – until I learned about dissociation from Cerberus 🙂

        • Inahc
          Inahc
          July 20, 2018 at 12:53 pm | #

          It’s also a pattern that can be horribly misapplied, so, like, further training is necessary.

          One time I ran away from a guy at a club because he was wielding questions like an interrogation tool. It was so intimidating I wasn’t able to actually think until after I’d escaped.

      • Joe Angel
        Joe Angel
        July 20, 2018 at 8:21 am | #

        The point is Ethan literally can’t think of anything to say that isn’t just “wow how fascinating, here’s MY interest that’s ACTUALLY important”.

        It’s not hard to think of questions, it’s harder to realize that people want to hear questions rather than any deep insightful addition to the conversation.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        July 20, 2018 at 10:20 pm | #

        Very true. I got caught up in suggesting questions and didn’t think about that. That’s a good point.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      July 20, 2018 at 12:59 am | #

      Heck, some people bring up their own stuff as a way to relate to things. Like ‘Oh, yeah, I’ve been there, that sucks. What’s it about?”

  10. TemporalShrew
    TemporalShrew
    July 20, 2018 at 12:17 am | #

    The tag is clearly evidence that Janelle Monae will become a recurring character from this point on.

  11. Lilyliv
    Lilyliv
    July 20, 2018 at 12:19 am | #

    Why would you call me out like this? That’s just cruel. 🙂

  12. C.T Phipps
    C.T Phipps
    July 20, 2018 at 12:26 am | #

    Ethan, this is a secret from adulthood. Have you tried LISTENING?

  13. B.O.H.
    B.O.H.
    July 20, 2018 at 12:30 am | #

    Wow, I’m really interested in seeing whether this introversion/introspection is a result of Amber rubbing off on him in high school or has it always been there, and he’s just better than Amber (occasionally) at managing to fake it when he’s around similarly awkward people? (We’ve seen him interact a lot with Dan and Joyce, two people who are not the most socially…..astute.)

    • C.T Phipps
      C.T Phipps
      July 20, 2018 at 1:29 am | #

      I think it’s more Ethan speaks about nothing but Transformers and Batman but Amber rolls with it.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        July 20, 2018 at 8:11 am | #

        We say at least once in the flashbacks Ethan trying to engage her on something else – the band trip they’d been on IIRC, her responding in monosyllables then him giving up and mentioning transformers and her starting to ramble away.

        It may be their roles have reversed somewhat since then, but back when she was severely withdrawn, she wasn’t just rolling with it. He was doing it for her.

  14. Jago
    Jago
    July 20, 2018 at 12:32 am | #

    Just ask stuff, then. You don’t always have to add, especially if you can’t, ask.

  15. Tacos
    Tacos
    July 20, 2018 at 12:38 am | #

    Hey man, I feel you Ethan. When I hear the word, “Pharma”, the first thing I think about is the Transformer.

  16. Rani
    Rani
    July 20, 2018 at 12:52 am | #

    Not that I share this viewpoint, but I feel like he’d have gotten so much better mileage talking shit about how Broly’s apparently going to be in the Dragon Ball Super movie.

    Dragon Ball’s just so much more relatable I feel like.

  17. Dierna
    Dierna
    July 20, 2018 at 1:04 am | #

    Who’s Janelle Monae?? *looks her up* Seems the only thing I’ve seen her in is an ep of Stargate Universe. Otherwise I don’t listen to rap…or whatever else she sings.

    • Derek
      Derek
      July 20, 2018 at 1:33 am | #

      Um . . . not rap. More of an R&B variant with an often retro vibe to it. I mean, she might be able to rap, too, for all I know; but it’s not what she’s known for.

    • Carms
      Carms
      July 20, 2018 at 1:51 am | #

      Hidden figures is on Netflix and worth a watch! She’s pretty great in it

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      July 20, 2018 at 2:06 am | #

      Moonlight was on Netflix a while ago. Not sure if it still is but if it is, it’s supposed to be outstanding.

    • Miri
      Miri
      July 20, 2018 at 6:00 am | #

      If you like futuristic sci fi films that are about 90% music videos which also stand alone, with strong queer and political vibes, check out Broken Computer… I would elevator pitch it as “high tech Handmaid’s Tale resistance cell story, with catchy songs” but that doesn’t capture half of it! It’s beautiful, dark, painful and uplifting, and really clever and very well executed.

      I need to check out more stuff by her.

      • Spieguh
        Spieguh
        July 20, 2018 at 9:12 am | #

        Her first 3 albums are based on the concept of being an android that overcomes slavery and overthrows her oppressors. She also plays a robot in an episode of the Phillip K. Dick-based show “Electric Dreams” on Amazon. Sci-fi seems to be in her core.

        • Spaz
          Spaz
          July 20, 2018 at 7:28 pm | #

          that…….

          sounds amazing.

    • Angel H.
      Angel H.
      July 20, 2018 at 10:34 pm | #

      Why would you assume rap?

  18. Shanunu
    Shanunu
    July 20, 2018 at 1:25 am | #

    This is painfully exactly how my brain works when trying to make conversation and also why people probably dont like me

  19. Demirep
    Demirep
    July 20, 2018 at 1:38 am | #

    I see a lot of comments trying to divine how Ethan might bring this back to transformers. It’s pretty direct actually, Janelle Monae mentions autobots and decepticons in Django Jane:

    You want the world? Well, what’s it worth?
    Emoticons, Decepticons, and Autobots
    Who twist the plot?

  20. Carms
    Carms
    July 20, 2018 at 1:54 am | #

    It’s very good to see Ethan being awkward. I feel like this is a prelude to a storyline that gives on Ethan’s awkwardness, and so establishing that actually he IS Bad At People will be relevant – cos I don’t really recall seeing him being other than competent, compared with and in the company of Joyce, Danny, Amber, etc.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      July 20, 2018 at 8:14 am | #

      That’s why this is a little weird to me. We really haven’t seen Ethan be this awkward before.

      • ShinyNeen
        ShinyNeen
        July 20, 2018 at 6:08 pm | #

        Ethan’s never been the most confident/suave guy either. But yeah in this scene he feels off to me, too. Maybe it’s to emphasize of just how much of a Transformers nerd he is? Dunno.

  21. AKP
    AKP
    July 20, 2018 at 2:07 am | #

    Highly relatable content.

  22. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    July 20, 2018 at 2:08 am | #

    If I was in Ethan’s shoes, I’d scream out “I FOUND MY PEOPLE!” and embrace these guys.

  23. Josh Spicer
    Josh Spicer
    July 20, 2018 at 2:15 am | #

    Janelle Monae is a solid choice of topic. I could hang with these people.

  24. BenRG
    BenRG
    July 20, 2018 at 2:25 am | #

    Ethan is pretty much living my life, in social terms, right now!

  25. rayrayravona
    rayrayravona
    July 20, 2018 at 3:24 am | #

    Ha, I wanted to see if there was actually a direct link between Janelle Monae and Big Pharma, so I googled “janelle Monae Big Pharma,” and this comic was the first result.

  26. stoodmuffin
    stoodmuffin
    July 20, 2018 at 3:34 am | #

    Oh, Ethan. I.

    I’m so guilty of this, too.

    Wait.

    “Ass deep” in research? Janelle Monae?

    Pssssst Ethan I think they are trying to get your digits

    • stoodmuffin
      stoodmuffin
      July 20, 2018 at 3:35 am | #

      Ethan, this wuold be you if you could, You know. Breath.

      Handle social situations.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulteZYyWAA8

  27. Miri
    Miri
    July 20, 2018 at 5:48 am | #

    I wonder what point Ethan ceased to be the relatively socially ept one in his friendship with Amber… We know she really helped him when he came out… Was that what did it, or was it a side effect of stabbing Sal?

  28. Emily
    Emily
    July 20, 2018 at 6:23 am | #

    Not actually listening to the conversation probably isn’t helping your ability to contribute to it dude.

    • newllend(henryvolt)
      newllend(henryvolt)
      July 20, 2018 at 9:34 am | #

      Definitely, but it’s ok live and learn.

  29. altalemur
    altalemur
    July 20, 2018 at 8:38 am | #

    this is such a familiar autistic inner dialogue.

  30. Inbar Fink
    Inbar Fink
    July 20, 2018 at 8:42 am | #

    Wow, relatable Ethan is relatable.

  31. hof1991
    hof1991
    July 20, 2018 at 8:51 am | #

    This would be kinda adorable but this is a Mike day so disaster is coming.

  32. Spieguh
    Spieguh
    July 20, 2018 at 9:06 am | #

    Ah awesome, just went to Janelle Monae’s show in Indy on Saturday! I could definitely hang with Brian and Thad. And even Ethan can be included, her song “Django Jane” references Transformers.

  33. Deanatay
    Deanatay
    July 20, 2018 at 9:21 am | #

    “Ass-deep in pharma research”
    =
    “You wouldn’t BELIEVE how many drugs I’m on, right now”

  34. FacelessDeviant
    FacelessDeviant
    July 20, 2018 at 9:41 am | #

    Sheesh, this happens to often to me. I’m listening to a conversation about something and then I switch off for one millisecond and suddenly the convo has moved miles away.

  35. Micki
    Micki
    July 20, 2018 at 10:06 am | #

    Oh, Ethan. Good thing you’re hot.

    😀

  36. Tealjoy Grove
    Tealjoy Grove
    July 20, 2018 at 11:08 am | #

    Janelle Monae yesssssssssss. I just saw her in concert. I love her

  37. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    July 20, 2018 at 12:16 pm | #

    Usually big pharma is used as conservative slang against modern medicine. If I were in that conversation I would criticize the anti vaxxers with a huge rant and some insults.

    • foamy
      foamy
      July 20, 2018 at 1:05 pm | #

      I’ve much more often heard it in the context of a critique of the wealth and alleged predatory practices (e.g. patented medicines, Shkreli, etc) of the pharmaceutical industry.

      • Inahc
        Inahc
        July 20, 2018 at 4:18 pm | #

        Same.

    • CJ
      CJ
      July 20, 2018 at 2:07 pm | #

      There’s lots of reasons to criticize large Pharma companies. One by one, they are giving up on research for new antibiotics against multi-resistant strains because they rather make lots of money with placebo fatburning bullshit than do a lot of expensive and difficult research on a topic that won’t make much money.

      • abysswatcher1993
        abysswatcher1993
        July 20, 2018 at 2:37 pm | #

        And that’s where regulations are needed to stop those practices.

    • Formerly Glenn
      Formerly Glenn
      July 20, 2018 at 5:42 pm | #

      Is it a conservative thing?

      I’ve mostly heard it in the contexts of anti-vaxxers and anti-gmo people, which isn’t really a conservative/liberal issue.

  38. a/snow/mous/e
    a/snow/mous/e
    July 20, 2018 at 1:02 pm | #

    Conversations are hard :/

  39. Mr D
    Mr D
    July 20, 2018 at 1:08 pm | #

    The unenlightened masses
    They cannot make the judgement call
    Give up free will forever
    their voices won’t be heard at all

    Display obedience
    While never stepping out of line
    And blindly swear allegiance
    Let your country control your mind
    (Let your country control your soul)

    Live in ignorance
    And purchase your happiness
    When blood and sweat is the real cost
    Thinking ceases, the truth is lost

    Don’t you worry
    You’ll be told exactly what to do
    I give my people the lives they need
    The righteous will succeed

    The fires of greed will burn the weak
    So we’ll make freedom obsolete
    Making whole the fabric of society
    Collective consciousness
    controlled as you will see

  40. Bagge
    Bagge
    July 20, 2018 at 1:17 pm | #

    Makes me wonder how dina would have answered. Can she truly find a dinosaur fact to fit any topic?

    “Big Pharma is not as big as brachiosaurus”

  41. Amanda McMillin
    Amanda McMillin
    July 20, 2018 at 2:04 pm | #

    UGH. Ethan. I question your life choices.

    …not about being awkward, but Pharma is such an ASS, dude.

  42. wakeangel2001
    wakeangel2001
    July 20, 2018 at 3:29 pm | #

    good thing he’s so pretty

  43. TheDarknesse
    TheDarknesse
    July 20, 2018 at 11:51 pm | #

    Like. I understand that he’s a geek but I wonder if this is where he realizes how one note he really is.

  44. Srh
    Srh
    July 21, 2018 at 6:56 pm | #

    Janelle Monae!!! <3<3<3

  45. Griffin Raynor
    Griffin Raynor
    July 22, 2018 at 4:47 pm | #

    Great punchline made even better by the mention of Queen Janelle.

Who should be the default doodle for Book 14?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
CONVENTION APPEARANCES


May 3, 2025 - FCBD @ Laughing Ogre Comics in Columbus, Ohio

David M Willis! avatar
David M Willis!
@damnyouwillis.bsky.social
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 37min
Ordered a TFOne Megatronus card from overseas and it came with some other random cards as packing thanks for the super high Squidward
3
1
10
 
reposted by David M Willis!
seanmckeever.com's user avatar
Sean Kelley McKeever @seanmckeever.com ⋅ 7h
How to read all 28 issues of my Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane run on Marvel Unlimited: 1: The first four issues were published as the miniseries "Mary Jane." www.marvel.com/comics/serie...
3
10
27
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1h
www.ebay.com/itm/23610614... selling my stege shockwave
header image - Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Leader Class Shockwave, loose, complete | eBay
www.ebay.com
Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Leader Class Shockwave, loose, complete | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Leader Class Shockwave, loose, complete at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many pro...
1
5
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 5h
Dorothy!
dorothy in a dark purple collared shirt and her usual black vest, with cuffed pants
6
2
63
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 6h
i want to change the caption's image to a photo of a mountain of ET cartridges in a landfill
1
8
53
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 9h
today in #9chickweedlane i learned we have to be shown children learning and relearning what sex is, for Reasons, even though they already clearly know and have prepared nuanced questions about it! also that Gran must hate, if she's still alive, how Old Juliette is the same but with gray hair
17
39
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 9h
one of my favorite things is when a commenter explodes WHEN DO THESE CHARACTERS GET THERAPY but directed towards a character who canonically has a regular therapist
4
1
63
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 10h
www.ebay.com/itm/23609624... Three hours left on this murder machine
header image - Transformers MPM-4 Movie Optimus Prime, boxed/complete but with extra hooks! | eBay
www.ebay.com
Transformers MPM-4 Movie Optimus Prime, boxed/complete but with extra hooks! | eBay
He's been opened, stood on a shelf for a while, and placed back inside.
8
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 11h
mary: dawn says your girlfriend is trying to murder her wilbur: but what about MY happiness okay can we kill wilbur now
11
5
68
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 19h
help I had a big yawny stretch after I got into bed and threw out my back
4
1
60
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 19h
Dumbing of Age: "Dotty" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Dotty
2
3
43
 
reposted by David M Willis!
brandyjensen.bsky.social's user avatar
Brandy Jensen @brandyjensen.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
fuck off
437
807
11327
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Phew, they made NoHo Hank wear pants.
A McFarlane Toys action figure of Metamorpho, from James Gunn's Superman movie.  He's wearing pants.
6
3
46
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
where's my hour loop of Vader fist-dancing
preternia.com's user avatarpreternia @preternia.com ⋅ 1d
Hot Toys Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith 1/6 Scale Darth Vader Deluxe ($495) & Standard ($315) is up for preorder at Sideshow - shrsl.com/4wcx6 #ad If you preorder make sure to hit the Exclusive versions since they include a commemorative plaque and cost the same.
2
1
15
 
reposted by David M Willis!
ryannorth.ca's user avatar
Ryan North @ryannorth.ca ⋅ 1d
hey, FANTASTIC FOUR got an Eisner nomination for best ongoing series!! I think this news is... really great! Fantastic even :0
the cover of FF #1 featuring some beautiful art of said Fantastic Four
72
85
888
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
oh no, new content over at the nsfw patreon joe introduces joyce to fingers that aren't breaded chicken www.patreon.com/posts/joe-fi...
tastefully cropped art of joe and joyce discovering the joys of fingers
5
6
76
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
I may have to pin this
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatarDavid M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 4d
btw if you're one of those rando bluesky weirdos who doesn't know me but sees me in the wild being sarcastic and don't know i'm being sarcastic because you haven't taken like 30 seconds to, like, maybe look at my user profile or something, keep walking, you're not going to score internet points here
4
1
74
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
#relatable
header image - a man in a hospital gown says
media.tenor.com
a man in a hospital gown says " stop pooping " to another man
ALT: a man in a hospital gown says " stop pooping " to another man
1
29
 
reposted by David M Willis!
osmote.net's user avatar
OSMOTE @osmote.net ⋅ 2d
Screenshot of Jonathan Frakes on the set of Beyond Belief
brendelbored.bsky.social's user avatarBrendel @brendelbored.bsky.social ⋅ 1y
Politico: Ever been slapped by breasts?
16
447
1721
 
reposted by David M Willis!
joshuajfriedman.com's user avatar
Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com ⋅ 2d
Here's an entertaining cite at the bottom of the first page
The problems with this prosecution are legion, but most immediately, the
government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts. Immunity is not a defense to the prosecution to be determined later by a jury or court; it is an absolute bar to the prosecution at the outset. See Trump v. United States,
603 U.S. 593, 630 (2024).
joshgerstein.bsky.social's user avatarJosh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
JUST IN: Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan moves to dismiss federal criminal case against her for allegedly helping immigrant hide from ICE. Her lawyers say she's protected by official acts & judicial immunity and 10th Amendment. Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com

46
851
3792
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Dumbing of Age: "Up, continued" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomic #webcomics
www.dumbingofage.com
Up, continued
3
5
37
 
reposted by David M Willis!
theonion.com's user avatar
The Onion @theonion.com ⋅ 2d
Where did Hollywood go so wrong? I thought movies were supposed to be an escape from reality, a chance to put your worries aside and not have to think about any underlying ideas or concepts. Well, not anymore. theonion.com/you-can...
header image - You Can’t Even Watch A Movie Anymore Without Seeing Some Theme Explored
theonion.com
You Can’t Even Watch A Movie Anymore Without Seeing Some Theme Explored
I’ve loved movies ever since I was a little kid. Just stepping into that dark theater, with the smell of fresh popcorn, was like being transported to a whole other world. It used to be so magical. But now I’m thinking about boycotting movies altogether. Why? Because I can’t seem to watch one anymore without […]
33
286
1990
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
GOTTEM
15
12
122
 
reposted by David M Willis!
parsnip.bsky.social's user avatar
geoffrey @parsnip.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
the 90s were a wild time. if i told you how many magazines there were you wouldnt even believe me
315
810
7644
 
reposted by David M Willis!
aubreygilleran.bsky.social's user avatar
Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
It's not a new argument, of course, but Chesterton dismissed it effectively in 1908. "You will hear everlastingly... this argument that the rich man cannot be bribed. The fact is, of course, that the rich man is bribed; he has been bribed already. That is why he is a rich man."
atrupar.com's user avatarAaron Rupar @atrupar.com ⋅ 2d
Hawley dismisses Trump lining his pockets with his memecoin: "Listen, I think nobody believes that Donald Trump can be bought. I mean, what does Donald Trump need more money for?"
60
636
2268
 
reposted by David M Willis!
catacalypto.bsky.social's user avatar
Cat Manning @catacalypto.bsky.social ⋅ 11d
1984 calendar meme reading 1529, the year of the first Ottoman siege of Vienna
spavel.bsky.social's user avatarPavel🐀 @spavel.bsky.social ⋅ 11d
Who can forget the Swiss-Austrian Union, or its famous capital - Istanbul.
AI generated ad by a company called Travello showing the 10 most visited cities in Europe, except the cities are hilariously poorly placed. London is in Wales, Paris is in Ireland, Rome is in France, Rom (yes like Rome but without an E) is in Spain, Barcelona is in Morocco, Prague is in Germany, Vienna is in Italy, Istanbul is in Austria, Milan is in Libya, and Antalya is correctly shown as in Turkey but is in the wrong place. Also a few of the borders like Switzerland and Austria or Hungary and Slovenia are missing.
19
242
1308
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
*at the very end of Andor, cassian travels through a vortex that makes everyone look a decade younger*
2
3
79
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
(May 14, 2026)
a bemused lucy watches as somebody collapses on her dorm room floor
7
3
49
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
wilbur, savvy enough to know he's in a comic strip but still not a great actor, awkwardly lifts a muffin up into frame so that we, the audience, understand that he has a muffin right now, which is very important narratively, but he's not really selling it well as an organic, human action
5
2
35
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
Dumbing of Age: "Up" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic #dofa
www.dumbingofage.com
Up
2
7
50
 

©2010-2025 Dumbing of Age | Powered by WordPress with ComicPress | Subscribe: RSS | Privacy Policy | Back to Top ↑