Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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if you want to know what marcie said, just read the title of the comic
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May 12, 2026

Bullshit

by David M Willis on March 18, 2013 at 12:01 am
  • 02 - Guess Who's Coming to Galasso's
└ Tags: jennifer, marcie, sal

Discussion (156) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Mkvenner
    Mkvenner
    March 18, 2013 at 12:03 am | #

    Translation please?

    • Robbie C
      Robbie C
      March 18, 2013 at 12:03 am | #

      “Bullshit.”

      • HK-A6A7
        HK-A6A7
        March 18, 2013 at 12:05 am | #

        The things you can learn by reading this comic…

      • Baf
        Baf
        March 18, 2013 at 12:42 am | #

        This is actually one of the few bits of sign language I recognize. Once you’ve seen it done, it kind of sticks in the mind.

        • Anu3bis
          Anu3bis
          April 21, 2014 at 12:36 am | #

          I know exactly why you know that one..I think we learned it in 7th grade. Hi!
          (This is Dan Abraham)

      • HiEv
        HiEv
        March 18, 2013 at 5:38 am | #

        Think of it as though the right hand is showing the bull’s horns and the left hand is showing what that bull is doing.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      March 18, 2013 at 12:06 am | #

      Bullshit.

    • John
      John
      March 18, 2013 at 12:13 am | #

      If you want to know what Marcie said, read the hovertext.

      • Jon P
        Jon P
        March 18, 2013 at 12:39 am | #

        I keep forgetting this has hovertext now! [goes back and reads the last week’s worth of hovertext]

        • Sarda
          Sarda
          March 18, 2013 at 2:57 am | #

          Somehow I *never* realized that this comic had hovertext despite the fact that after going back and reading hovertexts, I know that I definitely have read some of them previously.

          • Joel Rice
            Joel Rice
            March 18, 2013 at 8:58 am | #

            What the heck is hover text?

            • Leonou
              Leonou
              March 18, 2013 at 9:11 am | #

              The additional text that appears only when your mouse is hovering over the picture

              It is put there by sadistic webcomic artists that enjoy trolling their readers by adding “hidden” jokes.
              So of course, Willis is doing it.

            • Valdrax
              Valdrax
              March 18, 2013 at 6:02 pm | #

              aka Alt-text, after the “alt” image tag property that produces it.
              That’s what’s it’s called everywhere else.

              • Valdrax
                Valdrax
                March 18, 2013 at 6:04 pm | #

                Whoop’s. (What’s it’s got’s in’s it’s pocket’s?)

                • Narf
                  Narf
                  April 13, 2013 at 6:35 pm | #

                  Ha ha ha I see what you did thar. 😀

              • Shmuel
                Shmuel
                March 19, 2013 at 2:44 am | #

                Or, rather, “title text,” after the “title” attribute that properly produces it. The “alt” attribute is not actually supposed to do so, despite earlier versions of IE mistakenly implementing it as such. (That got fixed in IE 8.)

                • Valdrax
                  Valdrax
                  March 19, 2013 at 4:55 pm | #

                  Oh snap! You are correct.

                • Tucker
                  Tucker
                  March 20, 2013 at 6:41 am | #

                  Damn, and I thought that was only XKCD.

      • Hans Tjelle
        Hans Tjelle
        March 18, 2013 at 5:08 am | #

        WHAT? This comic has a hovertext??? Crap… Now I’ve gotta re read everything -.-

        • Josh
          Josh
          March 18, 2013 at 6:37 am | #

          It’s only been around since the start of this chapter. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/02-guess-whos-coming-to-galassos/scoot/

      • Micah
        Micah
        April 24, 2013 at 6:45 pm | #

        Damn it, I just read the entire archive up to this point and this is the first I’ve known of the hovertext!

  2. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    March 18, 2013 at 12:03 am | #

    Sometimes they have sexy accents and admittedly snappy bow-ties and that’s nobody’s fault if you shack up with them.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      March 18, 2013 at 12:09 am | #

      This statement is true.

      • MichaelHaneline
        MichaelHaneline
        March 19, 2013 at 3:01 am | #

        Wow, that was the perfect setup for you, wasn’t it?

    • Mr. Kitty
      Mr. Kitty
      March 18, 2013 at 12:24 am | #

      Dangit, Willis!

    • Pyr05
      Pyr05
      March 18, 2013 at 12:33 am | #

      Can you have an accent with sign language?

      • Kernanator
        Kernanator
        March 18, 2013 at 12:35 am | #

        Some people sign harder or sharper than others.
        #asspulls

      • TheKelliestKelly
        TheKelliestKelly
        March 18, 2013 at 1:36 am | #

        Yes, actually. It’s ASL all over America but in some states they sign certain words a little differently. I’ve got a story to go along with how I know this but eh. And I’m not intimately familiar with ASL and its differences across the nation, but I’m sure there are lots of other little things.

      • Traveling Texn
        Traveling Texn
        March 18, 2013 at 1:47 am | #

        Also people in different states occasionally use different signs for things than proper ASL. The people I first started learning signing from in Texas (not that I have any ASL skills to mention) sign a double “T” (so TeeTee) for going to the bathroom, but when I was up in Colorado they had a different sign for it.

      • Clementine
        Clementine
        March 18, 2013 at 1:47 am | #

        There are regional differences between signs for some words and region-specific signs for local areas. For example, the small town Binghampton in NY is signed locally by making a the “b” handshape and gesturing away from the nose. It’s a modified sign for “boring.” If someone were signing about Binghampton in California, they would probably fingerspell the letters instead.

        Regardless of whether or not that was a serious question, I had to say something ‘cuz this stuff is freakin’ awesome.

        • Peruhain
          Peruhain
          March 18, 2013 at 3:06 am | #

          Binghamton? Yeah, pretty boring place. Especially the one in California. It’s got about five houses and a few prickly pears planted in front of them. The one in NY at least has university.

  3. littlespeck
    littlespeck
    March 18, 2013 at 12:03 am | #

    bullshit for those curious.

  4. Raine
    Raine
    March 18, 2013 at 12:03 am | #

    Sooooo. I don’t know if you read all these Willis, but is the DoA IRC still a thing? Any plans to repopularize that?

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      March 18, 2013 at 12:08 am | #

      I will totally go there if you go there. Everybody IRC tonight! I wanna talk to you face to screen.

      • Wack'd
        Wack'd
        March 18, 2013 at 12:21 am | #

        Where is it? I can’t find it.

    • Wack'd
      Wack'd
      March 18, 2013 at 12:09 am | #

      I was never able to find it to begin with, but I’m opening up #DumbingOfAge in Sorcery if anyone wants.

    • Raine
      Raine
      March 18, 2013 at 12:11 am | #

      Wasn’t the original if EF or something? I cant even remember what it was called.

      • David
        David M Willis
        March 18, 2013 at 12:20 am | #

        It was in Nightstar, #dumbingofage.

  5. Orion Fury
    Orion Fury
    March 18, 2013 at 12:04 am | #

    Thank you for letting us know what she said.

  6. Wonder Wig
    Wonder Wig
    March 18, 2013 at 12:05 am | #

    That’s what she said, sort of.

  7. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    March 18, 2013 at 12:06 am | #

    To be fair, sign language isn’t exactly a commonly spoken language…

    • CanvasWolfDoll
      CanvasWolfDoll
      March 18, 2013 at 12:09 am | #

      yea, i can’t remember the last time i heard it being used while walking down the street.

      • Audiophillie
        Audiophillie
        March 18, 2013 at 1:19 am | #

        Awww…. Almost too far…
        But still hilarious.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      March 18, 2013 at 12:10 am | #

      It’s 2nd only to Braile.

      • Plasma Mongoose
        Plasma Mongoose
        March 18, 2013 at 12:12 am | #

        It has been a long time since I last heard anyone speak in Braille, I remember it being a very rough language.

        • Totz the Plaid
          Totz the Plaid
          March 18, 2013 at 12:16 am | #

          Plas, if I could upvote or like comments on here, I’d definitely give you one for that comment.

          • Mr. Kitty
            Mr. Kitty
            March 18, 2013 at 12:27 am | #

            Yo fellow redditor.

          • Plasma Mongoose
            Plasma Mongoose
            March 18, 2013 at 12:28 am | #

            Danke! ^_^

        • Wizard
          Wizard
          March 18, 2013 at 12:35 am | #

          But it conveys a lot of feeling.

        • Jimmy
          Jimmy
          March 18, 2013 at 8:58 am | #

          “Bump, bump, no bump, bump, three vertical bumps, four bumps, and a square.”

        • Nee Hou
          Nee Hou
          March 18, 2013 at 1:01 pm | #

          Braille has its good points.

      • Wonder Wig
        Wonder Wig
        March 18, 2013 at 12:15 am | #

        And 3rd to Latin.

        • Plasma Mongoose
          Plasma Mongoose
          March 18, 2013 at 12:27 am | #

          Latin is a deadish lannguage, only spoken by Oxbridge grads, sciencists and certain ultra-conservative Catholicdenominations.

          • Pyr05
            Pyr05
            March 18, 2013 at 12:37 am | #

            the kind that are on hand for an exorcism or three.

            • Josh
              Josh
              March 18, 2013 at 6:34 am | #

              You get Oxbridge grads to perform exorcisms?

              • Andiemus
                Andiemus
                March 18, 2013 at 10:21 pm | #

                Well, yeah. Who else reads enough to know how?

          • Tan
            Tan
            March 18, 2013 at 7:37 am | #

            Also Latin teachers, TV/movie action-archeologists, et cetera.

  8. Count Dracula
    Count Dracula
    March 18, 2013 at 12:06 am | #

    I always thought Marcie didn’t talk because she was a background character. Making her actually MUTE is a neat choice.

    • Raine
      Raine
      March 18, 2013 at 12:07 am | #

      Go check her earlier tags. She’s been signin’ for forevers.

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        March 18, 2013 at 12:13 am | #

        He meant in the originaly “It’s Walky” series.

    • Wack'd
      Wack'd
      March 18, 2013 at 12:11 am | #

      That was the deal in the old universe, but yeah, here she’s always been signing.

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      March 18, 2013 at 12:14 am | #

      It’s much cheaper for Willis to cast Marcie as a mute, if she spoke, he would have to pay her extra.

    • Thor
      Thor
      March 18, 2013 at 12:15 am | #

      The interesting thing about muteness is that it when it is not tied together with deafness, it is almost always due to psychological trauma, not physical problems. And when it is due to physical problems, there are always other ways for a “mute” person to complement their sign language with producing sounds, like clicks, pops, smacks, whistles, and raspberries.

  9. Thor
    Thor
    March 18, 2013 at 12:09 am | #

    You know, the best time to give a person advice that might influence both their love-life and another person’s educational and professional future is when the person who you are giving advice to is very drunk.

    • Raoullefere
      Raoullefere
      March 18, 2013 at 2:22 am | #

      Truly; that way, you have an even chance they won’t remember and blame you for it later.

  10. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    March 18, 2013 at 12:10 am | #

    Who is Marcie saying bullshit to, Billie’s or Sal’s comments?

    • Geegles
      Geegles
      March 18, 2013 at 12:12 am | #

      Sal. That’s why she’s covering it up.

      • Plasma Mongoose
        Plasma Mongoose
        March 18, 2013 at 12:15 am | #

        Thanks for clearing that up for me. 😀

    • Totz the Plaid
      Totz the Plaid
      March 18, 2013 at 12:14 am | #

      I’m going to guess Sal. She’s saying it partway through Sal’s spiel, so…

  11. addude
    addude
    March 18, 2013 at 12:12 am | #

    So what would be the consequences if the school found out that Sal and Jason knocked boots?

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      March 18, 2013 at 12:16 am | #

      Jason would be forced to grade Sal on their lovemaking as an extra-curricular.
      B-. Your foreplay has improved, but your technique is a bit flawed. I have some recommended reading for you tonight, and show up after school for the retest. *hands her the kamasutra*

      • Totz the Plaid
        Totz the Plaid
        March 18, 2013 at 12:17 am | #

        “Go redden your lips with bull testicles, and maybe I’ll bump you up to a ‘B’. Maybe.”

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      March 18, 2013 at 12:17 am | #

      Jason getting the boot?…

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        March 18, 2013 at 12:23 am | #

        Sal is very dominating in the bedroom, you see.

        • Josh
          Josh
          March 18, 2013 at 6:32 am | #

          Yes, it’s a literal boot.

    • kingleon
      kingleon
      March 18, 2013 at 12:52 am | #

      It depends on who finds out and their own feelings about the subject. Generally speaking, depending on how high up the ladder it goes, it might be as minor as nothing at all, to Jason being switched to grade a different class or as major as Jason being asked to leave his graduate program.

  12. ridtom
    ridtom
    March 18, 2013 at 12:17 am | #

    I can’t tell if Sal is trying to help Billie or if she thinks Billie is referring to her. I’m not good at understanding things.

    • Baroncognito
      Baroncognito
      March 18, 2013 at 12:25 am | #

      I’m pretty sure that Sal is trying to keep Billie from getting the bow-tie guy fired.

      • Baroncognito
        Baroncognito
        March 18, 2013 at 12:36 am | #

        Especially the way Billie phrased it “A Supervisor has feelings for you … I could get them fired.”

        It’s gender neutral and the way Billie mixed up her pronouns by using both you and I, it’s ambiguous enough that Sal could get confused.

        • Pyr05
          Pyr05
          March 18, 2013 at 12:40 am | #

          Probably more toward if one person is being put on the spot for such an instance, then EVERYONE is going to be put on watch.

        • SUGauthor
          SUGauthor
          March 18, 2013 at 12:53 am | #

          Sal’s not dumb, considering the way Ruth has been acting lately, and the fact that Billie was just whining about how only loser girls make out with her, guessing the truth wouldn’t be much of a stretch.

  13. NCP19
    NCP19
    March 18, 2013 at 12:21 am | #

    Methinks the lady doth protest too much, eh wot.

  14. Tomb
    Tomb
    March 18, 2013 at 12:25 am | #

    Oh, and I thought she was asking Sal for Billie’s number.

    Guess that is it for Billie’s girl-action streak.

  15. Kernanator
    Kernanator
    March 18, 2013 at 12:33 am | #

    Even if she could read it before, she can’t now. It’s pretty hard to read sign language when you’re facing away from the other person. Also, when you’re drunk.

    • Shobo
      Shobo
      March 18, 2013 at 12:46 am | #

      When Billie’s drunk, she actually communicates via brain waves. That’s why she’s having so many drinks right now. In a second or two, she will casually walk down the hall to Ruth’s room.

      Only to be interrupted by the thoughts of everyone masturbating to Walky on the way. Cause dang. That man is FINE. Did you see that shirt he was wearing?

      • Kernanator
        Kernanator
        March 18, 2013 at 12:54 am | #

        My alcoholism gives me psychic powers!

        • Wixvhen
          Wixvhen
          March 18, 2013 at 6:22 am | #

          Mike’s scowl gives him super physical powers. To plow your mom. For a nickle.

          • Yotomoe
            Yotomoe
            March 18, 2013 at 7:41 am | #

            Clearly Wixvhen wins the comment section.

  16. Axel
    Axel
    March 18, 2013 at 12:38 am | #

    “Hey, you can’t read sign language, can ya? Cuz I mostly get by on guessing and on her face, but if you know what she’s actually saying, that’d actually be real helpful.”

  17. Raibean
    Raibean
    March 18, 2013 at 12:50 am | #

    I am really enjoying the ASL.

  18. Giant Speck
    Giant Speck
    March 18, 2013 at 12:51 am | #

    “A common misconception is the sign for “bullshit.” Signed with both arms held out, elbows bent, and folded in front of the signer with the dominant forearm on top, the dominant hand mimics a pair of horns with the index and pinkie finger. The non-dominant hand mimics the “business end” with flapping fingers. This sign is not considered part of ASL, but rather invented by hearing people. The correct sign is performed with both the pointer and pinkie finger being extended and thrusting the hand forward to signify “bullshit”. Another alternative is to make a “C” around your nose, rotate the “C”, and then close your hand in a fist and face your palm to your nose. These signs are, however, not used as jokes. To sign the equivalent of a joking “that’s BS,” you simply sign the letters B-S.”

    • Kernanator
      Kernanator
      March 18, 2013 at 1:08 am | #

      The more you know!

    • Baroncognito
      Baroncognito
      March 18, 2013 at 1:10 am | #

      Well, Marcie is a hearing person after all.

    • Kelly
      Kelly
      March 18, 2013 at 1:37 am | #

      She might intentionally be using that form hoping Billie would be more likely to understand it.

      • Kernanator
        Kernanator
        March 18, 2013 at 2:44 am | #

        I like this explanation.

    • David
      David M Willis
      March 18, 2013 at 2:51 am | #

      I have an honest question about this. The only place on the Internet that mentions this misconception is the site this is copy-pasted from, a questionably uncited Wikipedia page. Is there another site that corroborates? Because I’m finding a heck of a lot of sign language dictionaries and ASL-dedicated internet forums that mention this sign. There are also multiple other ways to sign “bullshit” mentioned as well, but I think that’d be expected in any language.

      • Rufus Saltus
        Rufus Saltus
        March 18, 2013 at 3:52 am | #

        Wait, that brings up a really interesting question as to whether ASL undergoes changes on the same way spoken and written language does. If you were to say that X was a word that meant something equivalent to “bullshit,” then I would say that it is now a word because you are a native English speaker. However, I don’t know if that happens is sign languages. I assume that people create new signs when they need them and they spread, just as new words. The same goes for changes in grammar.

      • Raen
        Raen
        March 18, 2013 at 5:09 am | #

        …I’d actually thought that symbol was BSL. I’m pretty sure I remember Alan Davies doing it once…

      • merbrat
        merbrat
        March 18, 2013 at 9:11 am | #

        I think it falls into the realm of slang. Maybe *not* proper ASL, but most know it through popular use.

      • Sagara S.
        Sagara S.
        March 18, 2013 at 5:34 pm | #

        I can assure you, while it IS a sign more used when interacting with hearing people, MANY Deaf and deaf users of ASL use this way to sign bullshit. There’s also the ‘t across the nose’ sign.

  19. Cooledd
    Cooledd
    March 18, 2013 at 1:10 am | #

    For some reason i’m more attracted to her the moment she said bullshit

  20. andmangrewproud
    andmangrewproud
    March 18, 2013 at 1:45 am | #

    I’m quite proud of the fact that I didn’t have to read the title to know that sign.

  21. dethtoll
    dethtoll
    March 18, 2013 at 2:01 am | #

    This must be a regional thing, because I actually don’t see that sign very often (I’m deaf.) The one I mostly see here is just a pinkie/forefinger outstretch (like giving the horns at a metal concert) with the hand facing inwards, bobbing it once in front of the chest.

    • Secha
      Secha
      March 18, 2013 at 7:15 am | #

      Hmm, very interesting. Around my work place, it seems pretty common place with the deaf employees we have. Though I have also seen them sign “horse” and then “shit” too, for the same effect.

  22. Jesse
    Jesse
    March 18, 2013 at 2:08 am | #

    I’d like to see more of Marcie. I find her character design to be the most interesting one in the series, and having a mute character appear more prominently would add more variety to the cast.

    • OmegaDez
      OmegaDez
      March 18, 2013 at 1:36 pm | #

      Me too.

      Marcie and that girl with the short red hair and glasses are my favorite among the “mute” background cast, and I wish they were expended a bit.

      • John
        John
        March 18, 2013 at 3:41 pm | #

        Mandy.

        I hope you mean “expanded”. “Expended” is what Willis did to them at the end of It’s Walky!.

  23. Raoullefere
    Raoullefere
    March 18, 2013 at 2:27 am | #

    I’m going to be rather upset if Billie doesn’t go through with her plan, only to find Ruth has offed herself, driving the university to enforce a massive crackdown on staff and assistants, so as to make this a real clusterfuck for Sal.

    Considers

    Hard on Ruth as well, I guess, but those are the breaks. No eggs, no omelet.

  24. Arkadi
    Arkadi
    March 18, 2013 at 4:10 am | #

    I learned one new thing today ^^

  25. Notebooked
    Notebooked
    March 18, 2013 at 4:30 am | #

    Ooh, Sal’s being manipulative for her own e~ends!
    Ethan being with Joyce is a lie to cover up his being gay, the very act of Amber wearing a mask and becoming Amazi-Girl is a lie, Billie’s lying to herself by telling herself her problems don’t have to be dealt with by drowning them with alcohol…
    DoA is a veritable breeding ground of deceit now, isn’t it?

    • taekwondogirl
      taekwondogirl
      March 18, 2013 at 9:21 am | #

      Well, it IS college.

    • Arkadi
      Arkadi
      March 18, 2013 at 9:39 am | #

      Well, it *is* a Willis comic.

      • Roborat
        Roborat
        March 18, 2013 at 3:32 pm | #

        About college.

        • George
          George
          March 18, 2013 at 6:47 pm | #

          Which is a breeding ground of deceit squared, which is actually a positive thing.

    • begbert2
      begbert2
      March 18, 2013 at 3:48 pm | #

      Billie really should tell herself the truth: Her problems do have to be dealt with by drowning them in alcohol! No other approach will resolve them.

  26. E.C.
    E.C.
    March 18, 2013 at 6:00 am | #

    It is a big deal as long as one party is supposed to have authority over the other.

  27. Josh
    Josh
    March 18, 2013 at 6:30 am | #

    I’m pretty sure that isn’t legit sign language. 😉

    • Secha
      Secha
      March 18, 2013 at 7:11 am | #

      Surprisingly, according to my deaf co-worker, it is legit. There’s also another sign for BS, but they use this one a lot too.

  28. Leonou
    Leonou
    March 18, 2013 at 7:20 am | #

    Not related to the current comic :

    Right now on the DOA website there is an advertising asking for money to fund protests against same-sex marriage in France (at least it is visible by french readers).

    Mr Willis, I believe you may be interested in knowing that your website is currently used for a political agenda. One I do not think you agree with.
    Maybe you can remove it from your website ? (the add is from adclick, it is blue and pink and the text is: “Je participe à / la manif pour tous / je fais un don )

    For those who don’t know:
    French representatives are currently debating about legalizing same-sex marriage and the law should pass before the end of this year.
    However, there are a lot of opponents (mostly churchgoers) who try to prevent it. They are gathered under the name “La Manif pour Tous” and they organize protests to advocate the law’s refusal. Fortunately, they are very likely to fail. ^^

    • Notebooked
      Notebooked
      March 18, 2013 at 9:05 am | #

      I think it’s easier for him to remove it if you click it and check what the URL that comes up is. Not sure about this though.

    • Arkadi
      Arkadi
      March 18, 2013 at 9:40 am | #

      Oh, l’ironie!

    • Li
      Li
      March 18, 2013 at 10:39 am | #

      Actually, I think Willis has talked about this before and basically said “If the idiots want to waste their money by advertising on MY site, I’ll be glad to take it off their hands.”

      Think of it this way: if they advertise on Willis’s site, that’s advertising money they can’t spend more effectively elsewhere! Double win, and Willis will just add more gay people making out to his comic to reinforce the intended message.

      • David
        David M Willis
        March 18, 2013 at 12:00 pm | #

        Yeah, that’s basically it. Anti-gay groups are gonna spend their money somewhere, so I’d rather it go to places where it’s basically a waste.

        And then that money gets sent to the Human Rights Campaign, whoops.

        • Leonou
          Leonou
          March 18, 2013 at 1:33 pm | #

          Okay, no problem with this reasoning.

          Still, it’s weird seeing this kind of ads right next to the DOA strips. Especially the BilliexRuth one !
          I’ve taken a screenshot of it, of course, but can’t decide if I find it hilarious or just annoying …

          Oh, and I’m taking your word about that “add more gay people making out” thing Li talked about !

          • Aydr
            Aydr
            March 18, 2013 at 3:06 pm | #

            Yeah, I’m pretty sure Mike and Ethan are gonna have to make out now to balance this out.

        • TPman
          TPman
          March 18, 2013 at 1:53 pm | #

          Do the advertisers get charged by how many times you click the ad? Should I just click it a whole bunch?

          • Yotomoe
            Yotomoe
            March 18, 2013 at 11:36 pm | #

            I think that’s the polar opposite of how it works.

          • Li
            Li
            March 27, 2013 at 8:48 pm | #

            No, that’s exactly how it works.

            There are two systems: 1.) Pay Per Click (PPC), and 2.) Per Per Impression (CPM*). If they have a PPC system, they pay Willis for every click on the ad; if they have a CPM system, they pay him for every time the ad loads.

            In NEITHER case does the advertiser pay only for conversions (when someone makes a purchase). It’d be best for the advertiser, but it wouldn’t really be fair to anyone else.

            (Once a potential customer has gone to their site, it’s really THEIR job to get that customer to buy t-shirts or w/e, and not Willis’s fault if they don’t, you know?)

            * The M stands for Cost Per Mille, which means 1000, though the actual number varies a little.

        • Whittier
          Whittier
          March 19, 2013 at 2:52 am | #

          You made my week.

  29. Charles Phipps
    Charles Phipps
    March 18, 2013 at 9:37 am | #

    Nice Sal. REAAAAL classy.

    The ending made it all worth it, though.

  30. Joe
    Joe
    March 18, 2013 at 10:01 am | #

    “Hey, another strip where the title isn’t somewhere in the dia-oh, wait, no, there it is.”

  31. Sigurther
    Sigurther
    March 18, 2013 at 10:26 am | #

    Marcie’s the hottest one in this comic.

  32. bunivasal
    bunivasal
    March 18, 2013 at 11:17 am | #

    Sal, shut up. Nobody cares if you’re having consensual sex with your TA. Even if you did forcibly disrobe him.

  33. Dr.Z
    Dr.Z
    March 18, 2013 at 12:32 pm | #

    Props for drawing sign language. I is learning things.

    Um, why does Sal give such horrid advice?

    • Aydr
      Aydr
      March 18, 2013 at 3:04 pm | #

      Same reason she makes such horrid decisions?

      • Dr.Z
        Dr.Z
        March 18, 2013 at 8:11 pm | #

        Touché.

  34. Sir Robin
    Sir Robin
    March 18, 2013 at 1:50 pm | #

    Why is Amazi-Girl not on the poll?

    • Leonou
      Leonou
      March 18, 2013 at 2:01 pm | #

      She’s not on the poll because, even under his very convincing disguise, Joe is not a lady.
      I think.

    • John
      John
      March 18, 2013 at 3:35 pm | #

      She is, in her civilian identity. She’s even winning.

      I want to know why Leslie’s not on the poll.

    • David
      David M Willis
      March 18, 2013 at 4:45 pm | #

      I’m pretty sure she is.

  35. J42
    J42
    March 18, 2013 at 2:17 pm | #

    I DEMAND A HOTTEST GUY POLL SO I CAN VOTE FOR JASON UHH I mean.. because it would be sexist otherwise? Yeah, that’s a legit reason…

    ..look, the guys are just really hot, okay?

    • David
      David M Willis
      March 18, 2013 at 4:39 pm | #

      It’s next. You can look through the poll archives to see what the results were the last time.

      • J42
        J42
        March 19, 2013 at 3:54 am | #

        Oh right! I completely retract any suggestions implied that you might be sexist, especially when you could totally school me in feminist theory any day.

  36. begbert2
    begbert2
    March 18, 2013 at 3:51 pm | #

    The poll need to come with a link of pinu-er, full body shots, so we can make side-by-side comparisons.

    • ASmellyOgre
      ASmellyOgre
      March 18, 2013 at 10:57 pm | #

      *clears throat*
      http://cache1.bigcartel.com/product_images/66387405/postcardsordered.png

  37. ArkhamTexan
    ArkhamTexan
    March 18, 2013 at 4:06 pm | #

    I’m gonna take this comic strip as a sign that the thing with Jason was more than just a one-time thing. I’m thinking (or hoping, anyway), that this becomes a regular thing between Sal and Jason.

  38. Sagara S.
    Sagara S.
    March 18, 2013 at 5:31 pm | #

    part of me is exstatic to see ASL
    (bullshit, by the way)
    and part of me is going “but how does she know to say bullshit? is she merely mute? should I be slightly offended that we are to assume she can read Sal’s lips from the side despite many ASL users not knowing how to read lips? Am I reading FAR too much into a great webcomic?”
    rock on Willis!!!!

  39. Axel Bordelon
    Axel Bordelon
    March 18, 2013 at 6:45 pm | #

    I know that it’s always been Marcie’s thing that she never talked, but I guess I just never really thought that she might be mute. She isn’t deaf though, is she? I mean, Sal was kinda looking away from her, so she had to hear it. Right?

  40. Axel Bordelon
    Axel Bordelon
    March 18, 2013 at 6:46 pm | #

    And my Gravatar is Jason. YES PLEASE!

  41. luke
    luke
    March 19, 2013 at 12:36 am | #

    i like sal’s pose in panel 5, it’s nice

  42. Love is Mathematical
    Love is Mathematical
    March 19, 2013 at 5:07 am | #

    Topical. #steubenville.

    Watch out, you don’t want to be confused for CNN, Sal.

  43. Jenna
    Jenna
    March 19, 2013 at 4:11 pm | #

    My 2nd boyfriend back in high school was the eldest son of 2 deaf parents, and for some reason that is the first sign they saw fit to teach me… Thanks for a good laugh! lol. Totally disrupted my programming lecture.

  44. Maycroft
    Maycroft
    March 20, 2013 at 11:39 pm | #

    does that mean Jason went for it?

  45. Dion Rainsmith
    Dion Rainsmith
    March 24, 2013 at 6:35 pm | #

    It’s been a while since I saw that form of ‘bullshit’ (it’s archaic and not used as much anymore), but it’s quite nostalgic. I don’t know if it’s different in other areas, but normally it’s the index finger extended, not the thumb.

    Of course, the more modern form of ‘bullshit’ could be mistaken easily for the ‘rock it’ hand sign so many love to associate to music now.

  46. Nee Hou
    Nee Hou
    March 26, 2013 at 12:56 pm | #

    What we have here is a failure to communicate… clearly.

  47. dukeskunk
    dukeskunk
    January 19, 2015 at 11:41 am | #

    holy crap! Friends who speak sign language said I was making that sign up but I’ve known that one since I was a teen but never found anyone who knew it before!

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