Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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May 12, 2026

Go on ahead

by David M Willis on November 2, 2013 at 12:01 am
  • 01 - The Only Dope For Me Is You
└ Tags: amber, dina, dorothy, ethan, joyce, sensitive scanner

Discussion (182) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. David Herbert
    David Herbert
    November 2, 2013 at 12:02 am | #

    But the question is, can she pick up on being told she’s awful at things?

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      November 2, 2013 at 12:05 am | #

      She hasn’t responded to it so I guess no.

    • timemonkey
      timemonkey
      November 2, 2013 at 12:18 am | #

      She knows she’s awful at these things.

      • Neospector
        Neospector
        November 2, 2013 at 7:13 pm | #

        Wel…it’s a start.

        • Neospector
          Neospector
          November 2, 2013 at 7:14 pm | #

          Typo! Hideous typo!
          Can’t be erased. NOOOOOOOO! D:

          • Pat
            Pat
            November 3, 2013 at 5:54 pm | #

            Most people would be so distracted by the correct “it’s” that they wouldn’t have even noticed the “wel” if you didn’t point it out.

            • Colin
              Colin
              November 4, 2013 at 6:58 am | #

              Crap, now I’m ‘most people.’
              …does dismay at that make me a ‘hipster?’ …eh, who cares.

  2. Keroshino
    Keroshino
    November 2, 2013 at 12:02 am | #

    Ethan will have none of that sarcasm!!!

  3. GoogerGeiger
    GoogerGeiger
    November 2, 2013 at 12:02 am | #

    Jeez Ethan. Just come barging in why don’t you.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      November 2, 2013 at 12:04 am | #

      Well he was worried about his friend. The noblest reason to barge in.

      • Mr. Random
        Mr. Random
        November 2, 2013 at 12:48 am | #

        Wrong, a more noble reason would be barge in before they die with a life saving antidote in your hand.

        • Gordon Blvd
          Gordon Blvd
          November 2, 2013 at 4:48 am | #

          not necessarily “more” noble…………………………..more timely, YES! 🙂

          • Renshear Blade
            Renshear Blade
            November 2, 2013 at 6:15 am | #

            But for all we know he could be like Kramer and just busting in because he can.

            • Kryss LaBryn
              Kryss LaBryn
              November 2, 2013 at 9:00 pm | #

              To be fair, the door *was* wide open.

    • Lani
      Lani
      November 2, 2013 at 5:18 pm | #

      Yes, how dare he come barging in through that open door to check on his sad looking friend. The bastard!

    • Ourorboros
      Ourorboros
      November 2, 2013 at 10:23 pm | #

      It’s happened in this strip before. At least Ethan has non-shelfish reasons. Plus Amber was his pre-gay girlfriend.
      Joyce has done this twice and woken up Billie and Sal.
      She had no relationship to Billie, just an shared bathroom. She barely knew Sal.
      Her reason was to wake Billie up for Church – she just assumed.
      She woke up Sal to bug her for a ride on her motorcycle and to confirm she is cool.

      Amber did ask for some space, but Ethan does want his friend back.

    • Jenny Creed
      Jenny Creed
      November 2, 2013 at 11:20 pm | #

      Barging in on a lady is manly and impulsive. Right?

    • Whittier
      Whittier
      November 3, 2013 at 8:04 am | #

      This is a dorm. If it’s anything like the dorm I lived in, this is just more or less how things are done.

  4. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    November 2, 2013 at 12:02 am | #

    “She’s been in this position for ten minutes now. She isn’t responding to outside stimuli, I think she might be sleeping with her eyes open.”

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      November 2, 2013 at 12:04 am | #

      If I poke her she’ll fall on her back.

      • Doctor_Who
        Doctor_Who
        November 2, 2013 at 12:06 am | #

        Apropos of nothing, ever see Azumanga Daioh? That dream sequence where Osaka imagines that if she removes Chiyo-Chan’s pigtails her brain will stop working and she’ll just fall over rigid?

        I fully believe that will happen to Dina if you remove her hat.

        • Yotomoe
          Yotomoe
          November 2, 2013 at 12:09 am | #

          Nope, but I read that in the manga.

        • Leorale
          Leorale
          November 2, 2013 at 12:34 am | #

          My favourite part of it was the toothy cat. CHOMP

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      November 2, 2013 at 12:05 am | #

      Rebooting while updating can take ages when you haven’t done so for a number of years you know.

      • Aeron
        Aeron
        November 2, 2013 at 12:41 am | #

        IT’S BEEN ‘1 MINUTE REMAINING’ FOR THE LAST HOUR AND A HALF!!!

        • Foxhack
          Foxhack
          November 2, 2013 at 12:50 am | #

          OH GOD THE PROGRESS BAR JUST STARTED MOVING BACKWARDS!

          • CthulhuPanda36
            CthulhuPanda36
            November 2, 2013 at 12:54 am | #

            Suddenly power outage.

          • nick
            nick
            November 2, 2013 at 6:15 am | #

            *Download at 1%*
            “YES!”
            *Download at -1%*
            “NOOO!”

            • BlackCatGodess
              BlackCatGodess
              November 2, 2013 at 10:29 am | #

              And I, Mr. Crocker, will prove the existence of FAIRY GOD PARENTS!

              • Kernanator
                Kernanator
                November 2, 2013 at 12:37 pm | #

                I REMEMBER THAT EPISODE!!!

  5. Ryune
    Ryune
    November 2, 2013 at 12:02 am | #

    On Sundays we wear teal.

  6. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    November 2, 2013 at 12:02 am | #

    She keeps trying to Vulcan Nerve pinch me.

    • Keroshino
      Keroshino
      November 2, 2013 at 12:05 am | #

      I keep telling her that it doesn’t actually work!

      • Rheinman
        Rheinman
        November 2, 2013 at 12:16 am | #

        Actually, the Vulcan death grip does not work either. You’d think the Romulans would have known that, being the more warlike branch of the family.

        • Wack'd
          Wack'd
          November 2, 2013 at 3:20 am | #

          Perhaps their different internal biology makes them vulnerable to it?

        • Cybersnark
          Cybersnark
          November 2, 2013 at 9:59 am | #

          The Vulcan death grip worked fine after Soleta invented it.

          #NewFrontiers

    • Ourorboros
      Ourorboros
      November 2, 2013 at 10:26 pm | #

      How else are you going to audition for a superhero sidekick?

  7. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    November 2, 2013 at 12:03 am | #

    This whole knowing how to touch people the right way is a gaddamned minefield, that’s for certain.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      November 2, 2013 at 12:04 am | #

      Yeah. When comforting people, do not touch the boobs.
      Never the boobs.

      • Plasma Mongoose
        Plasma Mongoose
        November 2, 2013 at 12:06 am | #

        Which is a shame as boobs are one of the nicest parts to touch.

        • Ocbrad1
          Ocbrad1
          November 2, 2013 at 11:28 am | #

          Could not agree more!

      • Doctor_Who
        Doctor_Who
        November 2, 2013 at 12:08 am | #

        What do you mean, touching boobs works great!

        Oh, you mean it doesn’t comfort the person whose boobs I’m touching. Well, it comforts me just fine.

        • Zap Rowsdower
          Zap Rowsdower
          November 2, 2013 at 12:15 am | #

          So THAT’S why almost all of your Companions are young nubile females.

          Well, I mean, we were all pretty sure, but its nice to get some confirmation.

          • Plasma Mongoose
            Plasma Mongoose
            November 2, 2013 at 12:21 am | #

            I bet he uses the old justification “Touching boobs is normal in Timelord society” shtick.

      • Tenn
        Tenn
        November 2, 2013 at 5:14 am | #

        Actually, when doing almost anything that isn’t sexy times, do not touch the boobs.

    • AJBulldis
      AJBulldis
      November 2, 2013 at 1:21 am | #

      I find that the shoulder is pretty safe territory. Just keep any motions with the whole hand. Finger stuff just gets weird.

      • adinfinitumspero
        adinfinitumspero
        November 2, 2013 at 3:07 am | #

        Thumb CAN work but make sure you’re close enough that if it moves into stress massaging this isn’t weird territory for the two of you or it could get creepy

  8. Zach
    Zach
    November 2, 2013 at 12:04 am | #

    How did I miss that? Dina is the scanner

  9. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    November 2, 2013 at 12:05 am | #

    Dina’s a Scanner? Makes sense, I could see her making someone’s head explode by staring at them too hard.

    It would explode from cuteness, and out would pour velociraptors riding rainbows, but explode nonetheless.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      November 2, 2013 at 12:06 am | #

      No it would be velociraptors rinding on velocirpators.

      • ninja_jesus
        ninja_jesus
        November 2, 2013 at 4:16 am | #

        Whoa, that sentence was one letter away from being really, really bad. >___> No grinding raptors, please.

  10. Wonder Wig
    Wonder Wig
    November 2, 2013 at 12:05 am | #

    I’ve dreamed of Dina and Data dating and discovering human behavior.

    • AgentKeen
      AgentKeen
      November 2, 2013 at 12:08 am | #

      I don’t know, I think Data would be too into humans and not enough into dinosaurs for Dina.

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      November 2, 2013 at 12:08 am | #

      Pre-emotion chip Data I hope.

    • Jack Finch
      Jack Finch
      November 2, 2013 at 10:54 am | #

      But Data would have soooo much, well, data on dinos. I think it would work out.

  11. Gram91
    Gram91
    November 2, 2013 at 12:06 am | #

    Dina’s learning face XD

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      November 2, 2013 at 12:09 am | #

      She’s very focused. She is gonna get this physical contact thing if it takes all day.

      • Rhy
        Rhy
        November 2, 2013 at 12:22 am | #

        I wonder how much Dina would change if/when she got laid.

        • Opus the Poet
          Opus the Poet
          November 2, 2013 at 12:32 am | #

          Can’t say but if my experience with (female) aspies is anything to go by the experience will be highly unpleasant for her for several encounters, and “total immersion” instead of “gradual escalation” works better/faster.

          • David
            David
            November 2, 2013 at 3:52 am | #

            It works faster for drowing people as well. Please don’t encourage any “it’s for her own good” sex creeps.

            • GoSpeedRumpist
              GoSpeedRumpist
              November 2, 2013 at 3:22 pm | #

              I think Joe does a good enough job of that.

            • Opus the Poet
              Opus the Poet
              November 2, 2013 at 11:58 pm | #

              I can guarantee that I only did that by request from the female in question, and it was still unpleasant for a while, for both of us.

              Not something I wish to repeat.

            • planetnom
              planetnom
              December 19, 2014 at 9:06 pm | #

              …*is waiting to see if dina ever decides to get mike drunk in this continuity.*

        • Blue Dragon
          Blue Dragon
          November 2, 2013 at 10:09 am | #

          I totally misread a single letter of Rhy’s response to Doctor_Who.
          I reread both posts three times trying to wrap my head around it.
          Finally, I spotted my error. ‘change’, not ‘charge’. Ah. Got it.

          • isitsevenyet
            isitsevenyet
            November 2, 2013 at 7:42 pm | #

            I made the same mistake at first, too!

            I really should be wearing my dollar-store reading glasses more often when using the computer.

            (I really just need to get my eyes examined again, but lactating has odd effects on vision, so I have to wait until my now-9mo weans. Oh well.)

        • Em
          Em
          November 2, 2013 at 8:32 pm | #

          Ooo lets not talk like that about Dina please!

  12. Alyssa
    Alyssa
    November 2, 2013 at 12:07 am | #

    … light physical contact… WHY. Why would anyone ever want that?
    /don’t mind me, I’m just an autistic person with sensory issues being just as awful at this.

    • Dierna
      Dierna
      November 2, 2013 at 12:11 am | #

      Aspie powa! *high fives*

      But seriously. Some people like to be hugged and stuff. My family forced me for years before I was diagnosed autistic…now they know better. 😛

      • Plasma Mongoose
        Plasma Mongoose
        November 2, 2013 at 12:16 am | #

        It cant be strictly an aspie thing surely, some of just are just naturally uncomfortable hugging humans, even ones related to us, right?

        • Kladeos
          Kladeos
          November 2, 2013 at 12:18 am | #

          Yep. Me.

          • Plasma Mongoose
            Plasma Mongoose
            November 2, 2013 at 12:22 am | #

            YAY, I feel ever so slightly less alien now. 😀

        • Kelly
          Kelly
          November 2, 2013 at 2:34 am | #

          I am the only in my family diagnosed, but we are all (both sides of the family) very non-physical. Not a lot of touching going on.

          I am generally adverse to touching but am fine with it, even enjoy it with a few people. All women, I can never figure out what that is about…I am not really particularly interested in them romantically/sexually, aside from my ex-girlfriend.

          • adinfinitumspero
            adinfinitumspero
            November 2, 2013 at 3:09 am | #

            I’m sorry , but with that avatar that statement just crossed so many wires in my brain

        • kelticat
          kelticat
          November 2, 2013 at 7:23 pm | #

          My oldest nephew too. The only one who could hug him was his Grandma.

          I can’t have anyone go near my sides. Trust issues there.

        • isitsevenyet
          isitsevenyet
          November 2, 2013 at 7:46 pm | #

          Speaking from personal experience, sometimes it’s simply that people have built really thick emotional walls out of self-defense and that messes up how you interact with everyone. So there’s another possibility.

          • isitsevenyet
            isitsevenyet
            November 2, 2013 at 7:48 pm | #

            Forgot I wanted to say that, for myself, I don’t usually mind being touched in such a way as in this comic, but it rarely does me any good. The only person I can even think of whose hand on my shoulder would actually help me is my husband. I still struggle with the mindset that everyone else is just being “nice” and doesn’t really care.

            Yeah… childhood issues.

        • Whittier
          Whittier
          November 3, 2013 at 8:23 am | #

          I’m naturally a bit of a huggy person (in a way, as I’m about to explain) and had to learn to back off some over time. I have a friend–she has some developmental disabilities and some boundary issues–and in the beginning of our friendship, she was a little hurt that I only hugged with one arm. To her, that meant that I didn’t really want to hug her. I explained that, to me, a two-armed hug is what you give to a significant other when you want to be intimate. So we agreed that when we hug, she uses two arms and I use one, and we’re all fine.

    • Kladeos
      Kladeos
      November 2, 2013 at 12:13 am | #

      I don’t like my family touching me, but I’m okay with close friends and my girlfriend. Hmm.

      • Doom Shepherd
        Doom Shepherd
        November 2, 2013 at 12:47 am | #

        I don’t like (instinctively react negatively to, to be more accurate) anybody touching me, but I’ve learned to tolerate it from people I have managed to be capable of caring about.

        So, like, three people.

        • Doom Shepherd
          Doom Shepherd
          November 2, 2013 at 12:48 am | #

          Irony of Joe.

    • Foxhack
      Foxhack
      November 2, 2013 at 12:59 am | #

      I used to be like you – but once I got into college I ended up getting classmates that would have none of it. They hugged the physical contact anxiety out of me. Though one of them punched-me-in-the-arm out of it.

      I got used to physical contact enough to not flinch when most people do it, but there are some things that I still can’t tolerate from anyone other than very close friends – not even from my siblings.

      Curiously, I had a friend who has Asperger’s and who was also very fond of rubbing and patting my head / hair. I was okay with that since she didn’t mean any harm by it and it was a way she had of expressing affection.

      Don’t get me wrong, if complete strangers still touch me in certain areas (like my arms or part of my shoulders) I still flinch like crazy. I dunno.

      • Kladeos
        Kladeos
        November 2, 2013 at 1:34 am | #

        I really hate being touched by strangers or even their possessions (like on a crowded bus), or being tapped/poked/whatever by my mom. Touching my mom is only okay if I initiate it, like helping her down stairs or something. It just seems really uncomfortable and sometimes taboo to touch someone or be touched.

        I actually do a close-contact martial art, and I’m pretty comfortable touching and being touched by people I know through it, both in the dojo and out. I got way better at being touched after I started.

        Really the only person I actually initiate contact with though is my girlfriend.

    • ninja_jesus
      ninja_jesus
      November 2, 2013 at 4:14 am | #

      🙁 I like hugging.

      • The kid
        The kid
        November 2, 2013 at 4:31 am | #

        :hug: I know that feel. and I actually have few fairly cuddly aspie friends.

        • Batman
          Batman
          November 2, 2013 at 11:24 am | #

          I’m not the hugging type.

          • someguywithakatana
            someguywithakatana
            November 2, 2013 at 12:30 pm | #

            Perfection

          • Batman Says
            Batman Says
            November 2, 2013 at 2:42 pm | #

            If Batman is the best at hugging, and Batman isn’t the hugging type, then, then… 🙁 I like hugs.

          • Narf
            Narf
            November 2, 2013 at 8:31 pm | #

            You’re… batman?

            • nothri
              nothri
              November 3, 2013 at 1:09 am | #

              No. I’m batman.

  13. KingMabel
    KingMabel
    November 2, 2013 at 12:08 am | #

    Shippers, have your way…

    • nothri
      nothri
      November 2, 2013 at 12:14 am | #

      I dunno if I wanna make “she’s awful at making light physical contact” into innuendo. It implies these characters have a highly unsatisfying love life, and if I want to deal with that I’ll just think about my own.

      ….Aw. I made myself sad.

      • MR K
        MR K
        November 2, 2013 at 12:50 am | #

        Amber should help her with heavy physical contact, if you know what I mean.

        • nothri
          nothri
          November 2, 2013 at 7:56 am | #

          Okay, that’ll work.

  14. The_Master
    The_Master
    November 2, 2013 at 12:09 am | #

    Christ do none of you people have lives?!

    • The_Master
      The_Master
      November 2, 2013 at 12:09 am | #

      How have you commented before me already!

      • The_Master
        The_Master
        November 2, 2013 at 12:11 am | #

        Please don’t ban me willis I’m being ironic.

    • CthulhuPanda36
      CthulhuPanda36
      November 2, 2013 at 12:12 am | #

      I have many lives. I keep them in a jar labeled cookies.

  15. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    November 2, 2013 at 12:12 am | #

    *reads ALT TEXT* Does that mean that Dina is an Moe Anthropomorphic Personification of a tricorder??

    • nothri
      nothri
      November 2, 2013 at 12:16 am | #

      Character reference to Itswalky. Also, your idea sounds terrifying.

  16. Kladeos
    Kladeos
    November 2, 2013 at 12:13 am | #

    Today’s strip is really cute.

  17. Cliff
    Cliff
    November 2, 2013 at 12:13 am | #

    Ok, so I haven’t read Roomies (don’t really plan to either, nothing against it, just prob not going to) but I have read It’s Walky, and some of Joyce and Walky. That being said, i only read those two at joyceandwalky.com, and just based on a few promotional images and stuff, I can tell that there’s a little bit missing from my “It’s Walky” knowledge and a ton missing from my “Joyce and Walky”knowledge, and I was wondering if there’s a place to find this elusive knowledge. Like, for example, I’ve never seen J & W’s wedding 🙁

    • timemonkey
      timemonkey
      November 2, 2013 at 12:16 am | #

      Joyce and Walky had pay strips where things like the wedding were dealt with. You can still pay for them now and see it all but I believe the series isn’t actually done yet. Just on hold. If you just want to reread the comics as they were they’re all still up.

      • Cliff
        Cliff
        November 2, 2013 at 12:35 am | #

        J & W just seems so short though, like, is J&W just much shorter and much, MUCH less plot driven than It’s Walky, or is it that the full set isn’t posted on joyceandwalky.com? Also, what about the alternate walkyverse? Where we meet Dorothy and stuff, when does that happen? And when is walky’s alternate future kid’s story explained?? Like Arghhhh, I’m so confused!

        • Beefcube
          Beefcube
          November 2, 2013 at 12:43 am | #

          Only one strip a week got put on joyceandwalky.com, the rest (Two more a week, I’m pretty sure) were part of the pay strips. Those actually had plots and are where all of the other things you mentioned occur. It’s still much shorter and has less of an overarching story than It’s Walky!, but there’s a lot more than the free strips.

          • Cliff
            Cliff
            November 2, 2013 at 12:46 am | #

            Ah, I see, well I may look into those pay strips, once my finances pick up (cross your fingers for me guys!)

            • Kelly
              Kelly
              November 2, 2013 at 2:38 am | #

              *crosses fingers*

              As someone who bought those strips recently after reading Willis’ stuff for years, I can say they are well worth it! When you can afford it, don’t delay like I did.

              • Wack'd
                Wack'd
                November 2, 2013 at 3:18 am | #

                Seconded.

  18. Kernanator
    Kernanator
    November 2, 2013 at 12:14 am | #

    What could possibly go wrong?

    • nothri
      nothri
      November 2, 2013 at 12:17 am | #

      “This is the best I could do….”

      “What the fu-” BOOOOOOM!

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        November 2, 2013 at 12:30 am | #

        Dina blew up trying to touch Amber’s shoulder.

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      November 2, 2013 at 12:18 am | #

      Anything now you gone done tempted fate with a phrase like that. TSK TSK!

    • CthulhuPanda36
      CthulhuPanda36
      November 2, 2013 at 12:22 am | #

      This phrase is only second in the category of “Last words” to “Hey guys, watch this!”

      • Zap Rowsdower
        Zap Rowsdower
        November 2, 2013 at 12:27 am | #

        Third, the first is “Hold my beer”.

        • Yotomoe
          Yotomoe
          November 2, 2013 at 12:31 am | #

          “Don’t worry guys, I’m a professional”

          • CthulhuPanda36
            CthulhuPanda36
            November 2, 2013 at 12:34 am | #

            “I can jump that far for sure!”

            • Kernanator
              Kernanator
              November 2, 2013 at 12:41 am | #

              “Of course I know what I’m doing!”

              • Foxhack
                Foxhack
                November 2, 2013 at 1:02 am | #

                “I took an online course on this!”

                • Kyrros
                  Kyrros
                  November 2, 2013 at 1:54 am | #

                  I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express™ last night.

                • The Candyman
                  The Candyman
                  November 2, 2013 at 10:30 am | #

                  “Ah! I was wrong! I was horribly horribly wrong!”

              • Yotomoe
                Yotomoe
                November 2, 2013 at 1:02 am | #

                “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s friendly.”

                • The Phantom's Belch
                  The Phantom's Belch
                  November 2, 2013 at 1:50 am | #

                  “Don’t worry. I’ve only had three beers.”

              • buckybone
                buckybone
                November 2, 2013 at 4:01 am | #

                “I got this, I learned all about it on the Internet!”

                • The kid
                  The kid
                  November 2, 2013 at 4:34 am | #

                  “Lets go to taco bell.”

                • Yotomoe
                  Yotomoe
                  November 2, 2013 at 7:04 pm | #

                  I need you to know, I laughed out loud.

                • Narf
                  Narf
                  November 2, 2013 at 8:30 pm | #

                  “Hey guys, I just had an awesome idea… LET’S DO SOME TEQUILA SHOTS!”

                  Oh god, EVERY TIME I look back on someone saying those words I can pretty much follow it up with “…and that was the point that the night began to turn ugly.”

  19. Rani
    Rani
    November 2, 2013 at 12:23 am | #

    THE FELLOWSHIP BEGINS ANEW

    • Zap Rowsdower
      Zap Rowsdower
      November 2, 2013 at 12:26 am | #

      Hmm, but which is which? Dina, as the most adorable, is obviously Frodo.

      • timemonkey
        timemonkey
        November 2, 2013 at 12:27 am | #

        So she’s going to go crazy and lose a finger?

        • Joebo
          Joebo
          November 2, 2013 at 12:31 am | #

          Well, she could go out with a bang, would that be better?

          • John
            John
            November 2, 2013 at 2:34 pm | #

            It’s the best she could do.

          • Kamino Neko
            Kamino Neko
            November 2, 2013 at 9:12 pm | #

            That means something so much different in this universe than the prime universe…

      • nothri
        nothri
        November 2, 2013 at 12:32 am | #

        That would make Faz into Gollum, I have to say.

        • Zap Rowsdower
          Zap Rowsdower
          November 2, 2013 at 12:34 am | #

          Which does fit. Pitiable, but only insofar as you don’t have to deal with him personally.

        • Varangian
          Varangian
          November 2, 2013 at 2:43 am | #

          “The stupid fat hobbit should turn his attention to useful chart that Sméagol has made, yes, precious. It clearly demonstrates that the goodness of fish increases with rawness and wrigglyness, gollum, and decreases with grilling time and addition of nasty chips.

          Sméagol is great.”

          • Chris Phoenix
            Chris Phoenix
            November 2, 2013 at 3:23 am | #

            Hardest I’ve laughed in at least two weeks. Still laughing as I type this. THANK YOU!

          • Tenn
            Tenn
            November 2, 2013 at 5:24 am | #

            Have all my internets!

            • Alex
              Alex
              November 2, 2013 at 2:44 pm | #

              AND MY AXE

        • Kelly
          Kelly
          November 2, 2013 at 2:43 am | #

          No way, Gollum is awesome, and Faz sucks!

      • spaceinvader42
        spaceinvader42
        November 2, 2013 at 12:54 am | #

        I suppose that would make Amber Sam, and Ethan and Mike Merry and Pippin.

        • Entropy
          Entropy
          November 2, 2013 at 1:32 am | #

          I think that Dina and Amber have more of a Frodo and Gandalf friendship.

          • Entropy
            Entropy
            November 2, 2013 at 1:51 am | #

            No, wait… Ruth stood against the Balrog, so that makes her Gandalf. I retract my previous comment.

        • Kelly
          Kelly
          November 2, 2013 at 2:46 am | #

          Mike as Peregrin Took? Could work maybe… Ethan is too boring to be Meriadoc Brandybuck though.

      • Kelly
        Kelly
        November 2, 2013 at 2:43 am | #

        Meh. I don’t think Frodo is adorable in any way. Frodo is one of my least favorite characters, just above Sam, and some real stinkers like Boromir and Denethor.

      • David
        David
        November 2, 2013 at 3:57 am | #

        Dina would be an ent, being fascinated in old life forms. And anyway, her bark is worse than her bite.

        • The kid
          The kid
          November 2, 2013 at 4:39 am | #

          PINEing for the ent wives.

      • The Candyman
        The Candyman
        November 2, 2013 at 10:35 am | #

        I think Joyce and Dorothy would be good as Frodo and Sam, actually. Or Danny and Amber, if we’re going by the movies.

  20. Foxhack
    Foxhack
    November 2, 2013 at 1:02 am | #

    As someone who had to learn (and still has much to learn) how to do things like these, I find this strip oddly cute.

  21. Gottawonder
    Gottawonder
    November 2, 2013 at 1:05 am | #

    I don’t like being hugged either. I do put up with it from family. When I hug attacked, I go stiff as a board. That seems to discourage ninja hug attacks without a whole lot of discourse.

    • RobJustRob
      RobJustRob
      November 2, 2013 at 12:00 pm | #

      You mean like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9v0SYn7T8w

  22. Nono
    Nono
    November 2, 2013 at 1:06 am | #

    I just checked back through the archives, and I think this is the first time we’ve seen Ethan and Amber together post-haircut?

  23. Gottawonder
    Gottawonder
    November 2, 2013 at 1:06 am | #

    Mike is Sauron.

    • The Phantom's Belch
      The Phantom's Belch
      November 2, 2013 at 1:51 am | #

      No, Galasso is Sauron. Mike is Boromir.

      • Kyrros
        Kyrros
        November 2, 2013 at 2:03 am | #

        Galasso is Saurman – there are far more evil things out there than he
        Mike is Treebeard – Neutral and hostile/distrusting of anything until it proves itself… “I’m on nobody’s side, because nobody is on mine”

        • Kelly
          Kelly
          November 2, 2013 at 2:48 am | #

          Hm, good one! It has potential, I am now envisioning Treebeard flipping Saurman the bird!

          • adinfinitumspero
            adinfinitumspero
            November 2, 2013 at 3:13 am | #

            A very determined Treabeard digging up the grave of Saruman’s mother

            • Varangian
              Varangian
              November 2, 2013 at 3:36 am | #

              “The Entwives all vanished long ago. Except your mom, because for a nickel I can make her an Entwife anytime I want.”

        • Jack Finch
          Jack Finch
          November 2, 2013 at 10:30 am | #

          Mike doesn’t have the patience to be treebeard. Mike is Smaug.
          Force of nature, diabolical cleverness. Not beholden to anything.
          Who’s bombadil? Sierra?

  24. Wack'd
    Wack'd
    November 2, 2013 at 3:17 am | #

    Wow, and not a couple of weeks ago I was saying that the Sensitive Scanner doodle in my Dumbing of Age book must be specifically for me because I’m obsessed with the Walkyverse and she hasn’t been mentioned here yet. I somehow completely failed to consider that hey, yeah, Willis is three months ahead and has the ongoing plot thread of Joyce being a Dexter and Monkey Master obsessive.

    If you’ll excuse me I’ll be over here, exhaling deeply to let all that hot air out of my head.

    • David Willis
      David M Willis
      November 2, 2013 at 12:23 pm | #

      I think I’d forgotten she was mentioned. SS was just a nerdy thing I figgered you’d like. The designs were Walkyverse, IIRC.

      • Wack'd
        Wack'd
        November 2, 2013 at 2:25 pm | #

        I’d been puzzling over that, actually. It’s a bit difficult to tell without the coloring or finer details.

        I just pulled up a pic of this ‘verse’s Monkey Master for comparison, and between the more circular ears and fragmented headshape I think you did use the Walkyverse designs. Either way, though, thanks, and I really appreciate it.

  25. Aizat
    Aizat
    November 2, 2013 at 3:21 am | #

    No, Joyce. The show hit it’s stride during the Ape Wars arc.

  26. Sam
    Sam
    November 2, 2013 at 6:55 am | #

    Dina appears very focused.

  27. TonalDesigns
    TonalDesigns
    November 2, 2013 at 8:47 am | #

    Is Dina Autistic? This isn’t a joke or an attack on autism, I have Aspergers it was more of a curiosity than anything.

    • NIghtsbridge
      NIghtsbridge
      November 2, 2013 at 12:25 pm | #

      She has not been diagnosed with anything. Which could just mean no one has looked into it in-universe.

      • Norah
        Norah
        November 2, 2013 at 4:20 pm | #

        That could easily happen to someone in Dina’s situation. Her parents are very quiet and maybe very introverted, so Dina’s not being social might seem “normal” by their standards. If she did well in school and didn’t have meltdowns or other behavioral issues, her teachers might have just thought she was a very quiet, good student, and not thought that she might be autistic or Aspie.

  28. Super Duper
    Super Duper
    November 2, 2013 at 11:20 am | #

    She’s a scanner alright. Last person she touched ended up like this:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY-03vYYAjA

  29. Maki P
    Maki P
    November 2, 2013 at 12:57 pm | #

    Oh, I love the Sensitive Scanner!

  30. Sir Robin
    Sir Robin
    November 2, 2013 at 1:05 pm | #

    Sensitive Scanner was an unnecessary Mary Sue character that was forced into the show by the toy companies just to sell more toys

    • The Candyman
      The Candyman
      November 2, 2013 at 2:09 pm | #

      And the way all the other characters kept fawning over her was just annoying.

      • RobHagen
        RobHagen
        November 2, 2013 at 2:45 pm | #

        That was only in the first six or so episodes she appeared in. Once the writers got her “Is or isn’t she a spy?” subplot going, she mellowed out greatly…

    • David Willis
      David M Willis
      November 2, 2013 at 2:45 pm | #

      Sensitive Scanner is a girl and a box, so I dunno if that’s really the case.

      • xKiv
        xKiv
        November 2, 2013 at 5:31 pm | #

        Could the toy companies even get away with mentioning a girl box?

    • John
      John
      November 2, 2013 at 3:00 pm | #

      Sensitive Scanner is as much an original comic character as Monkey Master and Head Alien himself, though her role in the comic books was not nearly as large – mostly just an occasional foil to contrast HA and MM’s methods of dealing with her.

      She was introduced in Season Two of the show, but her role didn’t really take off until Season Three and beyond. I think she was originally introduced just as a wink and nod to us old-school comic book fans, but the show creators were surprised by how popular she turned out to be, and reacted by expanding her role.

      You might notice that while she got a lot of toys – especially for a character that has few to no moving parts – it wasn’t until Season Four that she started getting toys in her own right rather than just appearing as an accessory packaged with Dexter or MM. (Except for the terrible Season Two Happy Meal toy, of course.)

      • Narf
        Narf
        November 2, 2013 at 8:26 pm | #

        I just LOVE how the D&MM cartoon is getting fleshed out in the comments – wouldn’t it be cool to see a compiled/edited/”official canon” version of all the stuff tossed around about it – with Willis’s own additions, of course (say, as bonus content in a future book? Ehhh? Willis? Ehhhhhhh?? :D)?

        Well, I think it’d be cool, anyway.

      • RobHagen
        RobHagen
        November 3, 2013 at 8:50 am | #

        Some of those Happy Meal toys to go for a lot eBay, despite the low quality. Wasn’t until the fourth wave that fans could get a Head Alien with a trench coat wig.

  31. jonathan
    jonathan
    November 2, 2013 at 1:21 pm | #

    this is brilliant. I love this.

  32. Mr K
    Mr K
    November 2, 2013 at 5:02 pm | #

    I don’t think that Amber, an antisocial vigilante with daddy issues, is the first person I’d go to learn social skills. Well, at least she isn’t learning them from Faz.

    • Pope William T Wodium
      Pope William T Wodium
      November 2, 2013 at 7:58 pm | #

      A certain fundamental understanding is required to learn effectively from a master. The clueless and ignorant often benefit from the tutelage of someone who has struggled to learn in the past.

      • Narf
        Narf
        November 2, 2013 at 8:23 pm | #

        A very apt statement I think, your holiness.

  33. Sir Robin
    Sir Robin
    November 2, 2013 at 10:50 pm | #

    I just realized … Ethan is Jared Padalecki now

  34. Rognik
    Rognik
    November 4, 2013 at 11:04 am | #

    to be fair, facial expression and tone is most of what indicates sarcasm instead of context.

  35. CleverTrousers
    CleverTrousers
    January 2, 2016 at 5:08 pm | #

    Dina has very good posture.

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

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David M Willis!
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 6h
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Paul F. Tompkins @pftompkins.bsky.social ⋅ 9h
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pixelatedboat aka “mr bluesky” @pixelatedboat.bsky.social ⋅ 8h
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 11h
This is never going away, is it.
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Ordered a TFOne Megatronus card from overseas and it came with some other random cards as packing thanks for the super high Squidward
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Sean Kelley McKeever @seanmckeever.com ⋅ 19h
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...
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 13h
www.ebay.com/itm/23610614... selling my stege shockwave
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 17h
i want to change the caption's image to a photo of a mountain of ET cartridges in a landfill
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 21h
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
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 21h
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
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 21h
www.ebay.com/itm/23609624... Three hours left on this murder machine
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He's been opened, stood on a shelf for a while, and placed back inside.
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
mary: dawn says your girlfriend is trying to murder her wilbur: but what about MY happiness okay can we kill wilbur now
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
help I had a big yawny stretch after I got into bed and threw out my back
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
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Brandy Jensen @brandyjensen.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
fuck off
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Phew, they made NoHo Hank wear pants.
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
where's my hour loop of Vader fist-dancing
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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.
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Ryan North @ryannorth.ca ⋅ 2d
hey, FANTASTIC FOUR got an Eisner nomination for best ongoing series!! I think this news is... really great! Fantastic even :0
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
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...
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
I may have to pin this
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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
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
#relatable
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Politico: Ever been slapped by breasts?
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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
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GOTTEM
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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
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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."
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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?"
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Cat Manning @catacalypto.bsky.social ⋅ 12d
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Who can forget the Swiss-Austrian Union, or its famous capital - Istanbul.
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