Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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in between drawing the previous strip and this one, one and a half weeks passed during which i had hernia surgery, whoof
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May 12, 2026

Minimum

by David M Willis on September 26, 2019 at 12:01 am
  • 01 - Birthday Pursuit
└ Tags: sal, walky

Discussion (92) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    September 26, 2019 at 12:02 am | #

    Amber’s an enabler now

    enambler

    …

    look, I tried idk

    anyway, Sal should watch out for Walky attentively throwing toys at her head

    • Ana Chronistic
      Ana Chronistic
      September 26, 2019 at 12:02 am | #

      also, yay hernia surgery? hope you’re better Willis??

      • Cholma
        Cholma
        September 26, 2019 at 12:10 am | #

        He has bionic balls now. They made him better than he was. Stronger. Faster. Able to ejaculate in the blink of an eye . . . Ooh, on second thought, maybe he *shouldn’t* have gotten that elective surgery.

      • Screwball
        Screwball
        September 26, 2019 at 12:29 am | #

        Daniel here. I’ve had to do the whole hernia surgery thing myself, abdominal/pelvic region, keyhole surgery. Went well, slept longer than expected since I stayed up all night to prevent missing the appointment, went home that day, did NOT have working ab muscles for 3 weeks after!! I hope your recovery went as smooth as possible…

        • BrokenEye, the True False Prophet
          BrokenEye, the True False Prophet
          September 26, 2019 at 1:46 am | #

          I don’t know what “keyhole surgery” is, but I don’t want it anywhere near my inguinal regions.

          • Clif
            Clif
            September 26, 2019 at 2:46 am | #

            It’s when they perform the surgery through a keyhole, just to make it fair.

          • Dean
            Dean
            September 26, 2019 at 6:24 am | #

            Instead of cutting you open, they make a small incision and guide the tools with a camera. It heals quicker, apparently.

            • Roborat
              Roborat
              September 27, 2019 at 3:56 pm | #

              Yea, the doctors were finding that standard abdominal surgery was getting too routine and boring, so they thought they would make it more challenging by doing it through a camara lense. But seriously, they just wanted to use some high tech shit.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          September 26, 2019 at 2:16 am | #

          If the aftereffects were that bad, maybe you should’ve had a doctor do the surgery. I’m all for do-it-yourself, but some things are best left to the pros.

          • Kendra
            Kendra
            September 26, 2019 at 6:39 am | #

            I wish I could upvote comments here.

        • raul
          raul
          September 26, 2019 at 11:01 am | #

          You operated on yourself? Dayum, these HMOs really are pushing to cut costs, aren’t they?

    • fire_daws
      fire_daws
      September 26, 2019 at 12:24 am | #

      At least you tried 🙂 In all seriousness, trust me if you Walky a mile in my shoes just getting the pun out there that’s enough.

      • ǝ snow ʍousɐ
        ǝ snow ʍousɐ
        September 26, 2019 at 10:17 am | #

        I see why you chose the Claire avatar…

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      September 26, 2019 at 12:28 am | #

      The pun’s in trouble. You need to just walk it back. You know, make it an Amberler.

      • Jamie
        Jamie
        September 26, 2019 at 1:30 am | #

        I somehow read Amber alert and I’m okay with that.

        • Lingo
          Lingo
          September 26, 2019 at 1:38 am | #

          No, an Amber Alert is when she kidnaps small Asian boys.

  2. Diner Kinetic
    Diner Kinetic
    September 26, 2019 at 12:02 am | #

    hehehehe

    • Diner Kinetic
      Diner Kinetic
      September 26, 2019 at 12:03 am | #

      whoops I didn’t finish typing this but anyways 10/10 punchline, as in continuing this line of thought makes walky a bit more punchable but still I’m happy with it

  3. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    September 26, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    Hope your hernia surgery’s healed/healing well, dude!

    And Walky/Sal rapport, as per usual, is funny stuff.

    • Kamino Neko
      Kamino Neko
      September 26, 2019 at 1:29 am | #

      Remember the buffer. That surgery was in 1952.

      • Marsh Maryrose
        Marsh Maryrose
        September 26, 2019 at 2:14 am | #

        I thought it was in 1918?

        No wait, that’s when Gasoline Alley debuted. I sometimes get the two strips confused.

        • Clif
          Clif
          September 26, 2019 at 2:40 am | #

          An understandable error.

  4. Nono
    Nono
    September 26, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

    Come to think of it, I’m more surprised that the Walkerton parents aren’t constantly checking in on their golden boy to see if he needs snacks and to inquire how his future presumed doctorhood-level grades are going.

    • Miri
      Miri
      September 26, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

      They do send care packages? But I think they assume his grades are good because they always have been…

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        September 26, 2019 at 2:13 am | #

        But they’re not entitled to see his grades automatically anymore, since he’s chronologically an adult. Linda would definitely pester him about them, though.

        Sal might get a fleeting “good job” from Charles, but that’s about it.

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          September 26, 2019 at 1:25 pm | #

          That’s about what I’m expecting. A fleeting ‘oh, that’s nice dear’ or ‘good for you’ before focusing on Walky. And of course, it can’t be their golden boy’s fault so I’m sure they’ll come up with some sort of explanation.

  5. Miri
    Miri
    September 26, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

    … Has he not realised this also means Amber changed his grades a bit after all?

    • Axel
      Axel
      September 26, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

      that’s why she made it a C, so it wouldn’t be as obvious. but yeah he maybe should at least have considered that she did.

      • Doctor_Who
        Doctor_Who
        September 26, 2019 at 12:10 am | #

        I think he’ll figure it out. He’s lazy and irresponsible, but not stupid.

        It’ll just probably happen at a more dramatic moment.

        • Axel
          Axel
          September 26, 2019 at 12:13 am | #

          But he also wasn’t looking at any of his grades for a while, I don’t think. It’s not totally unreasonable to think that maybe a couple quizzes (since he’s attended a couple times recently iirc) were scored really high and brought it from a fail to a very low pass.

          That’s not to say I don’t think he’ll notice, I just think it’s probably pretty close to 50/50, unless Joyce or someone who’s seen his scores mentions it.

        • Nono
          Nono
          September 26, 2019 at 12:32 am | #

          He’s not stupid, but he’s also a big fan of denial.

          I imagine if Joyce was there she’d drop the suspicion bomb though.

  6. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    September 26, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

    Is there any hope that he will take this chance to do better or are we going to watch him screw it up even more?

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      September 26, 2019 at 1:32 am | #

      Look, despair is meaningless without that sliver of hope.

      • Jamie
        Jamie
        September 26, 2019 at 1:32 am | #

        At least, that’s what Dragon Quest Builders 2 has taught me.

        • Kyrik Michalowski
          Kyrik Michalowski
          September 26, 2019 at 1:42 am | #

          I want that game so bad, it looks like so much fun.

      • Zee
        Zee
        September 26, 2019 at 8:35 am | #

        I was thinking Danganronpa

    • newllend(henryvolt)
      newllend(henryvolt)
      September 26, 2019 at 3:10 am | #

      Going to haft to just watch and see.

  7. Pocky
    Pocky
    September 26, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

    I know what a ‘c’ means.

    • Rex Vivat
      Rex Vivat
      September 26, 2019 at 12:22 am | #

      I don’t, I’m not American. I don’t even know if it’s a passing grade or not. I could look it up, but… eh, effort.

      • insomniac
        insomniac
        September 26, 2019 at 12:27 am | #

        It’s the lowest passing grade at most American universities.

      • Comic.phil
        Comic.phil
        September 26, 2019 at 12:27 am | #

        It’s “average.” Its not passing in grad school programs, but its just passing in undergrad. Passing grades for American undergrad programs are A+, A, B+, B, C+, C, and failing grades are D+, D, and F. There used to be minuses too, but they did away with those to spare feelings or something.

        • ǝ snow ʍousɐ
          ǝ snow ʍousɐ
          September 26, 2019 at 10:20 am | #

          My university (alma mater, I suppose, since I recently graduated) uses minuses, unless they did away with them within the past few years.

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        September 26, 2019 at 12:30 am | #

        And THAT is what a C means.

      • Jamie
        Jamie
        September 26, 2019 at 1:33 am | #

        It’s for cookie, and it’s just barely good enough for me.

        • Marie
          Marie
          September 26, 2019 at 9:21 pm | #

          A+++ for you! And also a cookie for you, since you clearly don’t get enough of them.

  8. BBCC
    BBCC
    September 26, 2019 at 12:10 am | #

    You can listen and still not immediately do the thing she says, Walky, I’m just saying.

  9. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    September 26, 2019 at 12:10 am | #

    …And the Buffer pays for itself, again.

    Mystery Achievement, you’re on my mind
    (On my mind!)
    On my mi~ind!

  10. pienapp1e
    pienapp1e
    September 26, 2019 at 12:11 am | #

    hope your body’s doing much better! ans as always, thanks for the comic 🙂

  11. Marsh Maryrose
    Marsh Maryrose
    September 26, 2019 at 12:11 am | #

    Willis, you magnificent Recipient of “Damn You!”s, good job staying alive!

  12. Keulen
    Keulen
    September 26, 2019 at 12:16 am | #

    Stop giving Walky ideas, Sal.

  13. Dr T
    Dr T
    September 26, 2019 at 12:16 am | #

    I’ve had a hernia surgery myself. It was loads of fun. I slept on the couch for about half a week because I didn’t have it in me to go up the stairs.

    Of course, the real pain came when my insurance reversed course after the fact and decided not to pay for my surgery after all. Basically, they wanted me to have the surgery to prevent my health from going south in a way they’d be forced to pay for, but couldn’t resist smurfing me in the smurf. I had to pay out of pocket after negotiating a settlement. That sucked.

    • brionl
      brionl
      September 26, 2019 at 12:43 am | #

      I just had hernia surgery yesterday. I’m walking around ok. Well, hobbling anyway.
      Supposedly, my part after insurance is 4,000 bucks, but we’re still negotiating.

  14. SUGauthor
    SUGauthor
    September 26, 2019 at 12:18 am | #

    I’m actually kind of surprised he doesn’t suspect Amber.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      September 26, 2019 at 3:00 am | #

      That’s Walky, though, isn’t it? It fits into his self image that he was doing better than he feared.

      • sirconanad
        sirconanad
        September 27, 2019 at 6:16 am | #

        Plus he told her not to do it and he probably still trusts that she wouldn’t go behind his back, since she’s his garbage roof buddy.

  15. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    September 26, 2019 at 12:18 am | #

    Doing the minimum will always doom you. If you spent your whole life getting Cs or 70s, one small mistake will ruin your average and make you try to achieve something greater and end up as stressed as an animation student on the last two weeks of the semester. It isn’t funny.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      September 26, 2019 at 12:31 am | #

      What if you’re an animation student getting Cs?

      • abysswatcher1993
        abysswatcher1993
        September 26, 2019 at 1:27 pm | #

        Not recommended.

  16. Bagge
    Bagge
    September 26, 2019 at 12:29 am | #

    So, time to start studying, then?

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      September 26, 2019 at 2:32 am | #

      Nah, he’s got a C. He can keep coasting.

      /s

      • Bagge
        Bagge
        September 26, 2019 at 3:55 pm | #

        Don’t listen to Needfuldoer, Walky.

  17. fire_daws
    fire_daws
    September 26, 2019 at 12:31 am | #

    What I hope he doesn’t do is rely on Amber to ‘fix’ his grade in calc and goof off instead of studying.

  18. Marsh Maryrose
    Marsh Maryrose
    September 26, 2019 at 1:15 am | #

    Okay, someone who knows comic-drawing please tell me what the hell is happening with Walky’s eyes in panels 1,3, and 4?

    I know it totally works. I didn’t notice anything was weird the first couple of times I read the comic, and those eyes totally convey the roller coaster of emotions that Walky is feeling.

    But I look at it with my analytical brain, and panel 1 Walky almost looks like he has cuttlefish eyes, with that classic w-shaped pupil. Panel 3 has…exclamation point pupils? And I can’t stop looking at the yin-yang shape in panel 4.

    I can’t draw for squat, and I can’t analyze drawing for squat. But I’ll bet someone out there has the answers.

    • Icalasari
      Icalasari
      September 26, 2019 at 2:28 am | #

      His eyes are watering in hope and joy over having a chance to maybe turn his life around

    • BarerMender
      BarerMender
      September 26, 2019 at 7:52 am | #

      As far as I can make out, part of the black is the pupils of his eyes, part of the white is light reflecting from the pupils, the other part of the white is the whites of his eyes, and the other black is the shadows of his eyelids. I won’t swear to this in court, though.

  19. Lingo
    Lingo
    September 26, 2019 at 1:30 am | #

    In between reading the previous strip and this one, about 24 hours passed during which I received the book containing the storyline in which Amber changed Walky’s grade … along with a dozen nifty magnets! Thank you Willis!

  20. Moon
    Moon
    September 26, 2019 at 1:43 am | #

    ( ͡°, ͡°ᖘ⨅ᖗ

  21. BenRG
    BenRG
    September 26, 2019 at 2:11 am | #

    My favourite siblings reminding me why they’re my favourite!

  22. MsAndrosia
    MsAndrosia
    September 26, 2019 at 2:34 am | #

    first time commenter!!

    mainly because the constant foreshadowing here about ‘having a future’ and life’s berevity in the last three strips – ESPECIALLY when Walky is walking into view or being addressed- has been driving me fucking crazy, i HAVE to say something, i don’t care if it ends up being a red herring.

  23. avistel
    avistel
    September 26, 2019 at 3:57 am | #

    ha ha have fun getting shitcanned in the second semester Calc class you are woefully unprepared for, you human Subway meal

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      September 26, 2019 at 12:44 pm | #

      Bold of you to assume he’s taking calc again after this.

      • avistel
        avistel
        September 26, 2019 at 11:15 pm | #

        Mommy Dearest wants him to do premed at some point so yeah, i assume it won’t be his choice to make after a while.

        Christ, Linda reminds me of my mother way too much for my comfort in that way. She was so eager to make sure I succeed in life, and it ended up causing me to burn out and fail catastrophically.

  24. CookieX1313
    CookieX1313
    September 26, 2019 at 4:16 am | #

    Dear lord at first I read it as “attracted to one’s sister” xD

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      September 26, 2019 at 6:43 am | #

      Personal wish fulfilment? 😉

      • CookieX1313
        CookieX1313
        September 26, 2019 at 5:34 pm | #

        Don’t have a sister…. but… maybe? 😛

  25. Vulcanodon
    Vulcanodon
    September 26, 2019 at 4:30 am | #

    Have been there, hernia surgery, except for the part about drawing a great webcomic. Hope your recovery has been complete David Willis!

  26. Geneseepaws
    Geneseepaws
    September 26, 2019 at 8:13 am | #

    Dear DYW, wishing you good meds, easy sleep, productive days, and a “get well soon” recovery from your surgery! Surgery is sometimes necessary but always leaves me in stitches!

    • Jhon
      Jhon
      September 27, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

      Wish I’d said that! +1
      (This is why I always read the previous comments before trying to add my own.)

  27. Deanatay
    Deanatay
    September 26, 2019 at 8:20 am | #

    Listen to your sister, Walky!

    wait

    Don’t listen to your sister, Walky

    • ǝ snow ʍousɐ
      ǝ snow ʍousɐ
      September 26, 2019 at 10:21 am | #

      Listen to your sister about ignoring what she said before!

      • BenRG
        BenRG
        September 26, 2019 at 10:41 am | #

        “This conversation has become too confusing for me to understand.”
        — Brun Khoori
        — Questionable Content

  28. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    September 26, 2019 at 9:00 am | #

    Walky need to go to study really hard like…NOW!

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      September 26, 2019 at 9:03 am | #

      Or have enough courage to drop Calculus if it isn’t for him.

    • timemonkey
      timemonkey
      September 26, 2019 at 12:28 pm | #

      Walky needs to find out how to study. That’s his real problem, he doesn’t know how to make himself learn things that don’t just click. Rereading the material doesn’t work for him.

  29. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    September 26, 2019 at 9:25 am | #

    Okay I was trying not to be but I am a little irritated by this now. I think it would do Walky and Sal some good to know Walky’s not capable of just coasting by without effort. It would take him off that “the good” kid pedestal their parents kind of put him on. Walky can fuck up too!…Which he did…and got away with it…bleh.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      September 26, 2019 at 11:01 am | #

      Well, he’s sort of gotten away with it. He keeps going he won’t.

  30. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    September 26, 2019 at 10:36 am | #

    “♬ C is for ‘coasting’, that’s good enough for me! ♬”

    -Walky, internally.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      September 26, 2019 at 10:42 am | #

      Actually, I honestly wonder if Walky is just teasing Sal here. He is her brother, after all. It’s sort of in the job description!

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        September 26, 2019 at 11:02 am | #

        I’m sure it partly is, but it’s also got to be tempting. Especially since he still has no idea how to actually work on turning it around.

  31. b-sides
    b-sides
    September 26, 2019 at 11:34 am | #

    Man, when this storyline started up I remember feeling exactly in Walky’s shoes when I was failing one of my first college math courses. Flash forward five years now that I’m done with school and lol, that kinda concern feels so far away and way more manageable by now.

  32. nightshade
    nightshade
    September 26, 2019 at 4:23 pm | #

    is this “c” the one amber gave him long ago when she broke in the math office?

  33. Oberon
    Oberon
    September 26, 2019 at 4:36 pm | #

    I wish you a full and speedy recovery.

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