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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
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‘spose he could write to Dear Abby
Did you know Dear Abby and Ann Landers (I think that was the other advice columnist’s name) were blood sisters in real life?
That threw me for a little bit when I first heard it.
*just double checked Wikipedia to make sure I wasn’t talking out my
: the 2ND Ann Landers’ twin sister was Dear Abby.*
I always liked Abby better. Also, she was a babe.
I’m calling conspiracy – they were the same woman double dipping in advice columnist money.
And I support it.
For Fussy Reasons – this is a joke.
Not just sisters. Identical twins. And they did NOT get along as adults.
And their real names were Pauline Ester and Ester Pauline.
Oops, didn’t see your comment when I wrote mine. Sorry.
So mom or dad were chemists huh? Or textiles industry?
And their birth names were Esther Pauline Friedman and Pauline Esther Friedman.
That’s just cruel of the parents.
Yeah, that’s like, basically child abuse honestly.
like George Foreman?
Wait… So was Dear Abby the greatest, “stop copying me,” “stop copying me,” of all time?
Yeah, although the current Abby is the daughter of OG Abby (Ann did not birth a successor that I’m aware)
Didn’t one of the sisters write both columns for a while?
If Lucy became the Joker she’d be the Cesar Romero version. Too nice to be one of the homicidal ones.
She’d be challenging Amazi-Girl to surfing contests by day’s end.
“Continued on NEXT Elephant”
Y’see if this was on Facebook I would have definitely clicked on the heart emoji because I remember the Cesar Romero Joker from when it played “Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel”.
As far as I’m concerned, Cesar Romero IS the original Joker… and apparently the producers felt the same way. Not only did they NOT make him shave off his normal moustache (they just slathered white greasepaint over it), I read that they always had a script featuring his character ready and available at a moment’s notice just in case he dropped by unannounced.
Dumbing of Age Book 13: Pile of Lesbos
It took me a while. I thought it was foreshadowing a strange new plot, at first.
Becoming the joker does not necessarily mean “jealous”, which honestly is not the first emotion I would associate with the character
I dunno, ever see the time Luthor actually left him speechless?
I mean possessiveness and the ensuing jealousy is definitely a facet of the character, the LEGO Batman movie plays it up for all it’s worth and that’s like my fifth favourite Joker, but it’s just not my first association with the character
The LEGO Batman Joker is about the only recent one I don’t thoroughly despise.
Heath Ledger was great but he kind of ruined the character forever.
This. So much this. If Ledger’s Joker was allowed to exist on it’s own without forever twisting all the ensuing Jokers with this sudden need to be twitchy and edgy it would have been great.
Interesting character, but I just can’t think of him as the Joker.
What about the Joker in the Harley Quinn cartoon? It’s an… interesting take, at least, with way more nuance than some of the others.
I really like that version. He’s an actual character and not yet another reference to something better. As much as that show parodies the various takes on characters (Bane especially), it doesn’t come off nearly as insecure as some (most) of the more “serious” stuff that’s been put out in the last 10 years.
I believe the association intended is supervillain who is always smiling but not in a good way
It’s actually a meme implying that the speaker is going to become a violent nihilist in response to some kind of inciting factor, often something small but infuriating like people not tagging spoilers, or someone writing a paragraph explaining the “I’m going to become the Joker” meme.
All it takes is one bad day…
I think she would be way more jealous of Dorothy if she grasped the full concept of the feeling still present between you two and also the true origin of how her relationship started. But I guess Jennifer’s the bigger threat.
Threat? Jennifer is like Walky’s sister.
True, but she doesn’t know her well enough to really realize that.
I can absolutely get being intimidated by Jennifer. She kinda has a “steal your boyfriend” energy radiating off her.
We call that “Jolenergy”.
Delicious energy,
ripe for the siphoning
She’s not a threat, Lucy wants to be her
I think it’s less about Jennifer being a *romantic* rival and more about her being jealous that so many people see Jennifer as a better giver-of-advice than her.
i feel like jen would also unintentionally give bad advice or so
Talk ’bout dang ol’ broken clocks, man.
Given Dorothy’s opening line here . . .
Also: Walky! Does it have to be her?? You do have a pretty brilliant sister, you know.
I really like the lighting on Dorothy’s hair here.
That is well done.
Maybe she read my Billie/Walky comic
Still technically plausible!
She does read a lot of fanfic
Does anyone else have trouble parsing what’s happening here? Why would going to Billie be more of a problem for Lucy than Dorothy?
Lucy is incredibly jealous of Jennifer’s charisma.
Lucy kinda looks up to Jennifer. She’s got a strange fascination with her. I think she’d be way more intimidated by Walky confiding in her than with his own girlfriend. But confiding in his ex? Eh probably not a big issue.
Dorothy is an ex-girlfriend. Jennifer is a possible future girlfriend.
Also Lucy is maybe aware of Dorothy being Walky’s ex but doesn’t know they still have feelings for each other or that Dorothy initiated the setup.
I think relationship wise, Lucy is pretty secure/confident in being able to keep Walky. Plus, she might just think so highly of Walky that she’d never believe he’d cheat, hence not being jealous of Dorothy. Plus, I’d honestly say Dorothy and Lucy are in the same grouping as far as being nerdy and smart women. Whereas with Jennifer…
Lucy is definitely jealous of Jennifer’s social status. Jennifer came to the wing and immediately had everyone tied around her finger just by virtue of existing. Lucy, try as she might, is still a little attached to high school attitudes. So she sees this confident, badass cheerleader who has a hot motorcycle boyfriend and she’s jealous of her status. I do think Walky going to her to advice over Lucy would break Lucy’s heart more than him going to his ex.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2022/comic/book-13/02-turning-saints-into-the-sea/triumvirate/ Here’s an example from earlier in this very storyline of Lucy being a bit put out that someone’s going to Jennifer for advice over her.
Can you imagine Lucy if her boyfriend showed up, but to talk to Jennifer? She’d know it was about her. Like Walky might not have heard her talking in the middle three panels here: https://www.dumbingofage.com/leader/ but I doubt that’s the first time she’s talked like that about Jennifer.
Because Lucy is inherently more jealous of Jennifer. If you go back and look at early Lucy comics when Jennifer was first moved to a new building, Jennifer gets everything Lucy wants and has worked for, without trying and without even wanting the success when she gets it. Also she’s Walky’s childhood best friend and Lucy is a fankid who likes Starfire, so… Yeah, she’s a much bigger threat on multiple levels than some girl Walky has known less than sixth months.
Lucy is tired of everyone going to Jennifer for help, when she can be just as good and helpful! (Reread her conversation with her brother again, especially the strip where she tells Walky she loves him too.) If her own boyfriend goes to Jennifer for help regarding /their/ relationship, I think Lucy would combust.
I read it that Lucy (at least as far as Walky is concerned) holds some level of resentment/jealousy for Jen for being (on the surface, anyway) everything Lucy wants to be (popular, helpful, alpha bongo, whatever) so Walky bringing his relationship problems to her would just add fuel to the fire. Admittedly, I think it might just be a weak excuse to talk to Dorothy rather than Jen while acknowledging how… let’s call it “unconventional” it is to approach your ex (whom you definitely haven’t gotten over) for relationship advice, especially in this situation, even if it’s unclear how Walky is approaching his current issue
Lucy gets her relationship advices from Jennifer. She doesn’t like to share.
Lucy caught feelings for Walky at a movie night she had arranged for the dorm where he was the only one to show up. The reason everyone suddenly bailed on movie night which Lucy arranged regulary and that people seemed to have shown up for before was because it was more fun to just hang out with Jennifer, Lucy’s new roomate who had just replaced super hostile Malaya.
Lucy had established herself as the helpful, resourceful go-to person of the dorm and got the rug pulled under her, and Jennifer doesn’t even seem to make an effort about it while Lucy worked hard. That kind of sensation can make you feel unlovable or that the love you recieve is transactional while others get it unconditionally.
While I agree with the general take, she’d caught her feeling for Walky before then. When she invited Walky and he agreed to come she was already kind of hoping no one else showed, so she’d get him alone.
I unironically think that if Jennifer offered up a menage a tois Lucy would jump at the chance. And she’d brag about it too.
Nah, bruv. I think she’d be flattered, but the Lucy I’ve seen does not have the guts to go through with that. She couldn’t even ask Walky out herself. I like Lucy, but she’s kinda introverted toward romance stuff.
She’s also not bisexual, at least she wasn’t when described Joyce as a white bisexual version of her.
But I could see Lucy giving it a try if it was sold as giving her and Walky tips.
I’m not sure going to Dorothy was the best move but we are here so we might as well run with it. Or in other words: https://e.lvme.me/2b02ewx.jpg
I’m still holding out hope that Walky and Lucy break up, and Walky gets back with Dorothy. My top 3 relationships I want to see/continue in order of most to least are: Sal×Danny, Becky× and Dorothy×Walky.
What are your top 3 ships?
Becky×Dina*
Apparently my auto correct deleted Dina, or I’m dumb.
She was probably hiding behind something.
Joe x Joyce, Becky x Dina, Sal x Danny probably (though I do not hate the idea of Amber x Danny again if she got her shit together down the line, necessarily). I do really like both Walky x Dorothy and Walky x Lucy, though, so I am torn.
In any case, I don’t think Dorothy’s necessarily a bad choice here, since she knows some of Walky’s hangups and can walk him through that a bit. I just wonder if Dorothy’s going to be in the right mood to help, regardless of her offering.
Like, if she does help successfully, it might improve her mood, but she also might be in a compromised state right now.
AmberxWalky
SalxDanny
JoycexJoe
Honorable mention to BilliexRuth. I’m pulling for them.
Yeah, I’m still unhappy Billie & Ruth broke up. Which I think was because Willis ran out of story for them.
I’m still holding out hope for a more functional RuthxJennifer some years (our time) down the line. Often when I dig into a webcomic’s archives for the first time, there’s a specific moment where I go from “kinda interested” to “cannot put this thing down,” and Jennifer finding Ruth passed out was the moment where I became obsessed with the strip. I’m not necessarily expecting it to happen, but some part of me is always gonna be a bit ride-or-die in that regard. I definitely want to see their current relationships develop for a while before anything, though.
And my other two are BeckyxDina and SalxDanny because they’re romantic dorks
Oh and my NOtps are HankxCarol, ReaganxJesus, and RyanxOxygen, thank you for coming to my TED Talk
I do like your third one. It reminds me of one of my favourite lines from The News Quiz (British Wait, Don’t Tell Me), although I don’t recall who they were talking about.
Clive Anderson: Don’t give him the oxygen of publicity!
Linda Smith: I’m not totally happy with him having the oxygen of oxygen, to be honest.
Dorothy and Walky had tons of chemistry, even _after_ breakup (right before she shoved him at Lucy instead), and them breaking up seems like one of the most Dumbing moments of the series.
And I feel that statistically, SOMEONE should be getting back together. OTOH Dorothy already had that option and dropped it.
I ship Dorothy and Joyce, but I believe Dorothy really is straight. Joyce, not so much.
It’s pretty clear that Joyce is biromantic but heterosexual.
I don’t think it’s that clear at all. Joyce is only just getting to the point where she might be able to recognize sexual attraction to women when she experiences it.
JoycexJoe
SalxDanny
And . . . SarahxSOMEONE
(I feel like her storyline has just been loyalty & growth answered with disappointment. She wasn’t a huge character in the Walkyverse, so maybe she’s still just meant to be marginal—but I’m invested. Probably can’t be Jacob—too weird after he’s been with her arch-nemisis—but . . . someone??)
Also: anybody here for a not-right-away-but-eventual EthanxBooster ship? Or do their sexualities point in other directions? Forgive me if I missed where this not a plausible configuration.
Not necessarily implausible. Booster suggested that they find Joe attractive, and I don’t think it was just to make a point, and we know from Joyce that people attracted to Joe are also likely to find Ethan attractive, at least back in his more muscled days. The real question is Ethan, I think — is he only attracted to very male-presenting people, or would it be sufficient for Booster to have the right sort of plumbing (assuming they do). Given that Ethan includes “pretty” in his description of what he likes (https://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/tacit/), it doesn’t seem impossible that Booster could have a chance.
Apologies all around if I got some of the terminology wrong.
Booster said that they’re pretty sure Ethan is only into men, or at least more masculine-presenting people than them. But that doesn’t mean they’re right
Amber x Walky, Dorothy x Walky, and Sarah x Jacob.
I don’t really have OTPs or ships. I just want story to happen so currently i’m somewhat invested in how the Joe/Joyce situation evolves (although i’m not sure the anticipation will be worth the payoff, because it feels like an easy situation with a fairly uncomplicated happy ending looming. I hope i’m wrong)
Other than that, i don’t really care about established pairings, especially the chill, functional ones (BeckyxDina, SalxDanny). I’m like, ok good for them, now i want DRAMA
…I do have a soft spot for Marcie & Malaya though ^3^
AmberxBooster
MalayaxMarcie (we definitely need more stripes about them)
SalxDanny.
JoexJouce are also good, then there’s the forbidden one, MaryxCarla!
Carla glares at you and begins building a strange contraption outside your door.
YAY! A present from Carla!
Joe/Joyce/Dorothy
Becky/Dina
Ethan/somebody who’s not Danny or Booster but damn, somebody
I have a serious list and a crack list.
Serious:
Dorothy x Joyce
Walky x Amber
Sal x Danny
Crack:
Joyce x Liz: I like character parallels
Lucy x Walky: The more the characters talk about how they shouldn’t be together the more I want them to be together.
Walky: Yeah, how do I tell the perfectly nice girl that she’s freaking me the funions out?
I guess Dorothy doesn’t have the context of Lucy being jealous of Jennifer, because yeah, she is way more jealous of her, regardless of relationship stuff (though if this was in public, I could see her reacting similarly to how Joyce did when Amber first talked to Ethan in front of her)
I do really like that Dorothy and Walky are still fond of each other and trust one another. That isn’t to say that there isn’t absolutely a certain level of tension, probably, but they can truly be friends to one another, and that’s good to see.
I think Walky and Dorothy had like…the only pleasant breakup in the comic.
Pleasant as it could be. Walky was still pretty upset about it both times.
It help that it’s Dorothy that basically matched Walky and Lucy.
Aw c’mon Walky, I’m pretty sure there are plenty of people you could ask! Like uhhh… not Joyce, not Sal, definitely not Amber… maybe Booste-
Okay yeah, maybe it’s Dorothy.
Maybe Becky? Though I can see why she wouldn’t be Walkys first choice she now does have some relationship experience to offer some insight on and is on good terms with Lucy.
Becky is not in any position to offer relationship advice, as a serious newbie (equal/less relationship experience than Walky, even), who’s personal brand of goofy is just constantly being rewarded where Walky’s goofiness is basically what’s holding him back at all times. Dorothy may have problems as a font of advice due to past relationship status, but at least she probably has good advice.
*whose, not who’s.
Haha that was my thought process too… really nobody to talk to (also mentally eliminated Danny and Joe).
I’m not sure Walky and Danny have even exchanged two sentences together.
Hence the elimination! Should also have eliminated Jacob for the same reason, though he’s probably actually a pretty good choice for solid relationship advice. Or at least, we don’t know him well enough to know why he wouldn’t be good.
need to see Jokerized Lucy
I wish lofted beds with a desk under them were more acceptable for post college life. It’s such an efficient use of space.
When i was paying $420 a month to pour my piss out into the sink, this was my setup. I was able to cram a living space, sleeping space, and desk space into 180 sq ft, and it was only possible with the power of loft beds
Gotta love good old fashioned American Capitalism™, right?
there are other places that have tiny apartments
like Japan
Paris
ships
You can also put them in larger apartments or houses, unless there’s some kind of rule preventing you.
Dorothy’s getting cheated. At Caltech, the desk configuration meant the lower level was a bed-sized piece of flat wood, without the annoying bits for holding a mattress. A desk the size of a twin mattress.
As someone who both wanted a big desk and was afraid of the top bunk, I slept under my desk. Also got a third sheet from Housing and used it as a curtain so I had sleeping privacy from my roommate. Good times.
Poor Dorothy. It’s really not her fault that she thinks she’s the main character, given all that’s happened
In her own words Dorothy does everything like she’s being graded on it which given the recent disagreements between Jennifer and Joyce probably has her feeling like she’s failing in the communication department.
Is the pile of clothes getting bigger?
At this point I gotta wonder if Becky does her laundry?
Yes.
Why isn’t there a laundry pile tag?
As soon as it gets a line of dialogue or at least starts breathing.
I appreciate Walky doing what he can to sort through these things. Even if Dorothy is his ex, it’s not like he has much else in the way of support. I hope he can be honest with Lucy about this. At worst, the volcano of repressed anger and adolescent trauma building up pressure underneath Lucy’s skin will make for quite the interesting explosion.
Also, Dorothy was the person who suggested that he ask Lucy out in the first place. Maybe not her most inspired move, but still, it proves that she’s got a pretty decent grasp on the situation and will probably be able to offer better advice because of it.
Is it just a side effect of the lighting, or is Walky starting to sprout some visible upper lip hair?
If the process continues, will we be able to tell him from Asher?
I’m also thinking Walky might be due for his annual shave.
I think that’s just his upper lip.
Dumbing of Age Book 17: Sixty Flower-Rainbows An’ Soft Gentle Showers Of Kind Words
Huh, he’s going to someone else for advice. I assumed he would just quietly freak out.
Given her expression in panel 4 I think Dorothy herself might be hurt/resentful of the implication that despite being Walkys ex Lucy would still consider Jennifer a greater rival. Not entirely fair but i can see the why this along with her recent argument with Jennifer over helping Joyce, and Joyces blowup at Dorothy might be making Dorothy feel like she’s falling behind as the designated helpful friend.
Hey, everyone is telling her reformed alcoholic Jennifer is a better, more attractive, hotter and more helpful person than Dorothy. How would you feel?
I wouldn’t say everyone is telling her this but given tglhe high standards Dorothy holds herself to that is probably how she sees it.
That’s just the comments section. I don’t think she can hear us.
Sometimes is very hard to understand what Walky is saying, when you wake up 3AM. I’ll laugh and read it again in 4 hours
I guess Walky finally noticed that Lucy is way more into him, than he is into her. And he might be maturing enough to think that’s a problem.
Poor Dorothy, everyone is out to kill her self-esteem.
At least it’s not a pile of compromising document laying down on your floor, but tidy up your room, Dorothy, or some angry politic twitter users might, year later, use pictures of it they have found somehow as some sort of evidence of your depravity.
That’s Becky’s laundry pile; she’s intentionally being a passive-aggressive slob because of Dorothy-related reasons.
Dorothy: Head Honch(er), Problem Solver
meanwhile, behind the pile, *plays Hey Jealousy*
Walky knows Lucy really well. Good! Let’s hope Dorothy will be able to help him.
Dorothy, run! Or tell him only he can make these decisions.
Walky… I dunno go talk to Booster or someone. Actually I have no idea. Does he have an RA? Someone who will listen but not give actual advice?
Booster would be a better choice but Walky runs the risk of getting the unvarnished turth.
Walky alternative response: Why would anyone be jealous of you, Dorothy?
also gotta comment that I am always surprised when Walky shows emotional intelligence
which shouldn’t be that surprising! still
Many of these characters defense mechanisms work well on the readers, which is an interesting problem.
Are those Becky’s clean clothes? Her shirt from yesterday isn’t on the pile. The ones on top isn’t from the last several days.
The same clothes are on top from about six days earlier. https://www.dumbingofage.com/pile-2/ She’s either taking clothes out of the middle/bottom to wear, or its just a joke pile and her normal clean/dirty clothes are in a closet/dresser -> basket/hamper cycle.
Dorothy is trying to find a reason to not have this conversation that isn’t her saying “I don’t want to have this conversation.” It’s gonna hurt her but she feels obligated to help if she’s the only one who can.
She needs better boundaries I feel like.
The ratio of Dorothy calling him “David” v. “Walky” is falling, isn’t it? I vaguely remember more “Davids” when they were together.
Dorothy’s really gotta cut this conversation off before it goes any further. It won’t be good for the mental health of either of them if things keep going