Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
RSS
‹
›
  • Home
  • About/Read before posting
  • Archive↓
    • by calendar
  • Cast
  • Store↓
    • Main Store (books and stuff)
    • T-shirts
  • Patreon↓
    • Patreon (regular)
    • Patreon (NSFW)
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
let's hope this isn't riverdale, that'd get very interesting but very exhausting
First Previous Random 123Comments Share Next Latest
Reddit Digg Facebook MySpace Delicious Stumbleupon Buzz Up! Mixx Technorati Google Bookmarks Yahoo Bookmarks Yahoo MyWeb Windows Live Propeller FriendFeed Newsvine Xanga LinkedIn Blinklist Twitter
Discover more Hiveworks comics
Three Panel Soul
Matt Boyd, Ian McConville
It's a pretty rigid format but we keep the content loose, you know?
Lies Within
Lacey
Lysander's aimless and carefree life is turned upside down when he accidentally discovers that the cute boy next door, Simon, is a literal monster
Ozzie the Vampire
Eric Lide
Ozzie and her best friend Kimmy are your average everyday normal art students – except one is an immortal vampire with superpowers and the other possesses a magic talking grimoire. Also they have to save their town from a demonic invasion.
Saint for Rent
Ru Xu
Saint Halliday runs an inn for Time Travelers. Unfortunately, he seems to attract other supernatural "guests," too.
Angel's Orchard
Harry Bogosian
After the events in Demon's Mirror, Gerda has accepted her role as a Demon Hunter, and Cezar has traveled back to the Demon City. Demons have existed alongside humans for millennia, so things begin to return to normal. But an impossibly powerful Relic has been taken by one of the Demon Masters, and a silent war enters its final stages.
Guilded Age
T Campbell, John Waltrip, Florence Machina
Welcome to the saga of the working-class adventurer! Enjoy the complete story with new annotations daily!
Darkling Bright
Chris Hazelton
Kieran Bright is a college student home for the summer and roped into an online reunion with his old neighborhood friends in the most recent update of their favorite childhood MMORPG. At least, he was, and that was the idea... Join Kieran and his friends as they are pulled into another reality that may or may not be real and are forced to confront their own identities, the nature of simulated universes and reality itself.
ARISE, YE SKELETON KING
Brian Clevinger, Escher Cattle, Lee Black
A troupe of wandering "adventurers" down to their last silver "acquire" a map only to find the real treasure was the fiend they dug up along the way.
Nigh Heaven & Hell
Scotty
Heather Vodihn is on a simple mission: find her father. However she becomes entangled with two strangers with mysterious powers being stalked by a group with bizarre demands. Heather must learn to trust her new traveling companions, even if she is untrustworthy herself.
Sakana
Mad Rupert
Our heroes must navigate a hazardous dating scene, overcome personal anxieties, and wrangle unruly seafood in order to find love, peace of mind, and a paycheck.
Not Drunk Enough
Tess Stone
Logan Ibarra is possibly the unluckiest repairman in the world. A late night job should not have landed him in the middle of a mad scientist's squabble, but he soon finds himself surrounded by monsters and further madness with little tools to get out.
The Weave
Rennie Kingsley
A young woman pursued by bad luck is witness to the murder of the Fairy Queen of Summer. Can she get to the bottom of this mystery?
Barbarous
Ananth Hirsh, Yuko Ota
A crummy wizard and an anxious monster have to get over themselves and bring order to an apartment building full of misfits.
Little Tiny Things
Clover
What are the little things that move us? The simple joys that warm our bodies and hearts? The micro life of insects that influence our world more than we think? The tiny steps we make everyday to have a happier tomorrow?
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
The Golden Boar
Magnolia Porter Siddell
A young woman joins a group of summoners who call forth Guardian Beasts to protect their isolated magical island. Unfortunately, her Guardian Beast is nothing like she'd imagined, and he's about to change her life, and everything she thought she knew about herself...
Edison Rex
Chris Roberson
The adventures of the world’s greatest villain who, after defeating his superheroic nemesis, decides that he’s the only one left to defend the world.
Peritale
Mari Costa
A fairy godmother with no magic tries her best to successfully fulfill a Fairytale and win the respect of her peers.
Nerf Now!!
Josué Pereira
A cute webcomic about fanservice, video games, and... love. Mostly video games, though.
Sleepless Domain
Mary Cagle (Cube Watermelon)
In a world where magical girls and their battles are commonplace, loss has become all too common as well.
Heroes of Thantopolis
Izzy Strontium Hall
A living boy fights to save the City of the Dead.
Namesake
Isa, Meg
There's ghosts at your heels and fairy tale worlds ahead. What do you do? Jump down the rabbit hole!
Blindsprings
Kadi Fedoruk
Tamaura, wrested into a world 300 years in the future, must find a way to save the magic fading from her country.
The Messenger
indui
In a ruin-abound town cursed with bad luck, Kai and Kalla--a young boy and a fledgling dragonbird spirit--take on a quest in hopes the reward will solve all of their problems.
Sister Claire
Yamino
In the troubled aftermath of a great war between Witches and her fellow Nuns, novice Sister Claire just wants a purpose.
Monster's Garden
Ash G.
Champion pit fighter Kilo Monster was content to spend the rest of his days tending to his quiet garden alone... until he met a curious robot girl and her human family.
Stand Still, Stay Silent
Minna Sundberg
A few generations after the end of the world, a small, poorly financed research crew is sent out to rediscover whatever is left of the forbidden old world in the south.
Dumbing of Age
David M Willis
Joyce has been homeschooled her entire life until now, when she's suddenly a freshman in college! Things don't go well.
Empowered
Adam Warren
A sexy superhero comedy (except when it isn't) about the never-ending struggles of a plucky but very unlucky young superheroine.
Augustine
Winter Jay Kiakas, Windy
August and her ragtag group are just like everyone else, simply surviving in the treacherous Crater... When they stumble into what may be an artifact of the ancient past, their lives are thrown into a much bigger loop as they trifle with bounty hunters, monsters and gods.
Novae
KaiJu
A historical romance with a touch magic and a dash of astronomy. It chronicles the romantic adventures of Sulvain, a sweet tempered necromancer and Raziol, a passionate 17th century astronomer.
Freakshow
Scotty
A festival of broken people, blood flows in the center ring. Come one and come all, to the greatest show in all of Paris.
BOOKMARK
Click "Tag Page" to bookmark a page. When you return to the site, click "Goto Tag" to continue where you left off.
Goto TagClear Tag


BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

May 12, 2026

Dated

by David M Willis on June 26, 2021 at 12:01 am
  • 05 – As Long As It's Free
└ Tags: lucy, sarah

Discussion (123) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    June 26, 2021 at 12:05 am | #

    “You act like I’m a Chidi, but I’m much more an Eleanor”

    (Jason Mendoza FTW tho)

    • Mr D
      Mr D
      June 26, 2021 at 12:05 am | #

      How the hell do you even comment before the comic is even up???

      • Wagstaff
        Wagstaff
        June 26, 2021 at 12:06 am | #

        She probably pays to read tomorrow’s strip and comments on that.

        • King Daniel
          King Daniel
          June 26, 2021 at 12:07 am | #

          Tomorrow’s strip is available on Patreon, not on the DoA site itself to my knowledge.

          • Wagstaff
            Wagstaff
            June 26, 2021 at 12:07 am | #

            That’s what I mean.

        • Chris
          Chris
          June 26, 2021 at 12:08 am | #

          Even so, there have been days when she’s posted within two seconds after the new comic went live.

          • Wagstaff
            Wagstaff
            June 26, 2021 at 12:09 am | #

            She makes the comment ahead of time, and copies and pastes it real fast, like those guys who get Comicon tickets.

            • Mr D
              Mr D
              June 26, 2021 at 2:54 pm | #

              I was reloading the page over and over and over while waiting for the comic to be uploaded. Ana’s comment was already posted the milisecond the comic was up!

      • Roborat
        Roborat
        June 28, 2021 at 3:16 pm | #

        She has the super double secret patreon level.

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      June 26, 2021 at 12:31 am | #

      Tahani is my favorite.

      Also… is that supposed to be Sarah saying that? That seems like the only interpretation that makes sense in context, but I’m not… sure why Sarah would claim to be Eleanor.

    • JustcallmeSoul
      JustcallmeSoul
      June 26, 2021 at 1:20 am | #

      I kinda sorta hate that I understand this reference and 100% hate that I agree.

    • GreyICE
      GreyICE
      June 26, 2021 at 2:30 am | #

      Blake Bortles is relevant again!

      Kind of…

      • Ana Chronistic
        Ana Chronistic
        June 27, 2021 at 1:09 am | #

        I just finished bingeing is why I mentioned

        also why I was late for tomorrow’s (6/27’s) comic but my prepared comment was pretty Jason-worthy so w/e

  2. King Daniel
    King Daniel
    June 26, 2021 at 12:06 am | #

    Did Sarah have a falling out with Other Jacob???

    • Wizard
      Wizard
      June 26, 2021 at 12:31 am | #

      His batteries died, and she didn’t have any spares. It was tragic.

      • Wagstaff
        Wagstaff
        June 26, 2021 at 1:07 am | #

        When life gives you lemons, fashion them into a battery!

        • Sunny
          Sunny
          June 26, 2021 at 6:44 am | #

          With one copper spike, one zinc spike, and some wires it can be done.

      • He Who Abides
        He Who Abides
        June 26, 2021 at 1:07 am | #

        I have a potentially relevant comment, but I need to check and see if it’s okay to post. Might be a few hours.

        • Wagstaff
          Wagstaff
          June 26, 2021 at 1:09 am | #

          If it’s about the Energizer Bunny, go ahead!

          • He Who Abides
            He Who Abides
            June 26, 2021 at 3:08 pm | #

            Nah, it was about my high-libido friend and her increased need for batteries over this past year.

            • Wagstaff
              Wagstaff
              June 26, 2021 at 3:23 pm | #

              Dark chocolate and oysters could help, otherwise I don’t know….

            • Roborat
              Roborat
              June 28, 2021 at 3:17 pm | #

              Rechargeables are your friend, and budget saver.

  3. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    June 26, 2021 at 12:07 am | #

    Huh, now I’m kinda curious. Has this part of Sarah’s past come up before and am I just forgetting it, or is this something the comic has never gone into?

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      June 26, 2021 at 12:11 am | #

      It’s new! Bring on the red panels.
      (Though I hope it’s just mundane blechy dating, not trauma.)

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        June 26, 2021 at 12:17 am | #

        “Not everything’s a goddamn CW drama.” It was probably just bleh. Young relationships are usually brief or disappointing.

        • Thag Simmons
          Thag Simmons
          June 26, 2021 at 12:28 am | #

          Yeah Sarah’s fairly mundane compared to the rest of the cast and I doubt she has the sort of complex interlocking superhero origin we see with some of the other characters

          • Delicious Taffy
            Delicious Taffy
            June 26, 2021 at 12:40 am | #

            Nope. If we’re going by CW standards, Sarah must have dated Joyce’s brother or possibly her own (unknown at the time (to her)) cousin. Also probably bit resulted in a queer person getting chopped up and chucked in a bathtub or something equally terrible that people would still defend.

            • Regalli
              Regalli
              June 26, 2021 at 1:36 am | #

              Sarah’s twin was killed after discovering the truth of the local drug smuggling/body harvesting cult, and also that their family carries the serial killer gene. Or something. I know those are all plot points from Riverdale but I have no idea how much anything fits together there.

              • The Lurker
                The Lurker
                June 26, 2021 at 9:47 am | #

                Is the CW still a thing or are we referencing historical events?

              • RassilonTDavros
                RassilonTDavros
                June 26, 2021 at 9:49 am | #

                W…well I guess that explains why we haven’t seen Liz Clinton in the Dumbiverse

                (yes i know she was sarah’s younger sister, but many age gaps are radically different in this universe)

                • King Daniel
                  King Daniel
                  June 26, 2021 at 12:33 pm | #

                  It’s also possible that Liz could be Sarah’s older sister here – Riley was older than Roz in the Walkyverse.

                • RassilonTDavros
                  RassilonTDavros
                  June 27, 2021 at 12:05 am | #

                  @King Daniel: …was she? I don’t recall it being stated that Riley was older than Roz in Shortpacked! Riley looked pretty dang little in the flashback to Robin running away from home and that was explicitly stated to be after their dad abandoned his family. That flashback took place when Robin was sixteen, and Walkypedia gives her date of birth as 1980 (though admittedly it’s been wrong before– I have my doubts about Walkyverse Billie being born in 1981). Assuming Roz was at least 18 when she first appeared in 2009, that means she would have to be at least 5 in 1996, which is older than flashback Riley looks. Sure, Riley was taller than Roz as an adult, but that doesn’t mean anything.

                  You might be thinking of Danny’s brother Randy, who was younger in the Walkyverse but is older in the Dumbiverse.

        • zee
          zee
          June 26, 2021 at 10:48 am | #

          Man i wish my young relationships were just disappointing. My love life was a damned cw drama

  4. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    June 26, 2021 at 12:07 am | #

    Heh, grouch. I could see this being just Sarah being prickly, or maybe she legit has not dated. We’ve seen how she prioritizes her studies, after all.

  5. Beau Kirin Maysey
    Beau Kirin Maysey
    June 26, 2021 at 12:08 am | #

    “not everything’s a gd CW drama” NOT YET, SARAH. NOT YET…

    • Cattleprod
      Cattleprod
      June 26, 2021 at 12:11 am | #

      There’s some pretty terrible parents in DoA, but there’s a lot of ground to cover to catch up with Riverdale’s cult leader, serial killer, biker gang leader, and maple syrup-based organized crime.

      • jothki
        jothki
        June 26, 2021 at 12:19 am | #

        You never know, the strip could end up pulling another It’s Walky.

      • BarerMender
        BarerMender
        June 26, 2021 at 1:02 am | #

        Is this the Rivedale from Archie comics, or is this some other Riverdale?

        • brionl
          brionl
          June 26, 2021 at 1:05 am | #

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverdale_(2017_TV_series)

          On the CW, of course.

          • Daibhid C
            Daibhid C
            June 26, 2021 at 8:47 am | #

            I don’t watch it, but every so often someone in social media mentions a plot point and I think “And this is based on the old comic strip/cartoon with ‘Sugar, Sugar’ and the kid in the silly hat? I mean, what?”

        • Thag Simmons
          Thag Simmons
          June 26, 2021 at 4:05 am | #

          yes

      • Cattleprod
        Cattleprod
        June 26, 2021 at 9:19 pm | #

        I was in the middle of typing out a correction that Betty’s mom wasn’t actually the leader of the cult (at least by the point I was still watching) but then I remembered that Veronica’s father was also a cult leader. I honestly can’t remember if Mr. Lodge was the secret mastermind behind the first cult or the leader of a totally different one, it’s a convoluted show.

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      June 26, 2021 at 9:51 am | #

      Someone contact CW and get them to offer Willis a contract!

      • RedCat
        RedCat
        June 26, 2021 at 12:38 pm | #

        content warning?

        • C.T. Phipps
          C.T. Phipps
          June 26, 2021 at 1:47 pm | #

          “May contain teenagers acting stupidly.”

  6. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    June 26, 2021 at 12:11 am | #

    Am I suddenly interested in Sarah’s relationship history!?!?……No….No not really.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      June 26, 2021 at 9:27 am | #

      Accurate Sarah grav is accurate

  7. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    June 26, 2021 at 12:11 am | #

    Somebody hid my Archies music–or maybe it’s at my brother’s house.

    • Wagstaff
      Wagstaff
      June 26, 2021 at 12:15 am | #

      I can’t think of anything to play, either.

      By the way, a few strips ago, what did you mean by “don’t parody a parody”?

      • Stephen Bierce
        Stephen Bierce
        June 26, 2021 at 12:17 am | #

        Recognizing when something is a spoof should be a sign not to spoof it.

        • Wagstaff
          Wagstaff
          June 26, 2021 at 12:23 am | #

          Huh. Anything I may have used?

        • Thag Simmons
          Thag Simmons
          June 26, 2021 at 12:30 am | #

          You can totally parody a parody, especially if it’s a bad parody

          • Wagstaff
            Wagstaff
            June 26, 2021 at 12:57 am | #

            Yeah, if that alleged “rule” about parodies always applies, then titles like Angry Birds would be neither functional not popular.

            • milu
              milu
              June 26, 2021 at 5:33 am | #

              I got the feeling those were rules Stephen’s own personal set of rulea for posting song titles here, they weren’t demanding other people follow them!

              • Stephen Bierce
                Stephen Bierce
                June 26, 2021 at 9:57 pm | #

                Exactly this. Nothing about Wagstaff. I put this rule in place for myself even before I hit the Internet some two decades ago!

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      June 26, 2021 at 12:20 am | #

      I’m reminded of Archie’s Weird Mysteries, specifically the episode where Archie and the gang trap a genie in a bottle of ketchup.

    • Roborat
      Roborat
      June 28, 2021 at 3:23 pm | #

      Sure they didn’t take it out in the backyard and gave it a quiet burial? Or maybe something akin to the Surfing Bird conclusion in Family Guy?

  8. Spencer
    Spencer
    June 26, 2021 at 12:12 am | #

    What if Sarah takes Joe up on his offer to be used as a receptacle for Sarah being angry, and then Joyce assumes something is going on.

    You’d best start believing CW Dramas, Sarah, yer in one.

    • He Who Abides
      He Who Abides
      June 26, 2021 at 1:10 am | #

      Considering how much speculation goes on around here about which characters are going to get together, Barbossa’s “Now, what’s happened to my ship?” line seems pretty relevant sometimes.

  9. BBCC
    BBCC
    June 26, 2021 at 12:12 am | #

    *chanting* Story time! Story time! Story time!

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      June 26, 2021 at 12:23 am | #

      *pounds tables* STORY TIME!

    • StClair
      StClair
      June 26, 2021 at 12:23 am | #

      Sarah: “NO.”

      • Thag Simmons
        Thag Simmons
        June 26, 2021 at 12:29 am | #

        someone go get the iguana

        • Sunny
          Sunny
          June 26, 2021 at 6:46 am | #

          .

    • RacingTurtle
      RacingTurtle
      June 26, 2021 at 12:32 am | #

      Storytime with Sarah!

      …or not

    • deathjavu
      deathjavu
      June 26, 2021 at 3:38 am | #

      Once upon a time, it wasn’t story time, and Sarah was much happier.

      • milu
        milu
        June 26, 2021 at 5:38 am | #

        *gasp* that was PERFECT

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      June 26, 2021 at 4:09 pm | #

      Storyyyyyytiiiiiiime!

  10. Ray Radlein
    Ray Radlein
    June 26, 2021 at 12:29 am | #

    PULL THE MELODRAMA TAG

    • Demoted Oblivious
      Demoted Oblivious
      June 26, 2021 at 6:47 am | #

      There’s nothing mellow about it!

  11. Smooti
    Smooti
    June 26, 2021 at 12:33 am | #

    … Yknow, Luce, sometimes people just … don’t date and don’t like doing it. And they live perfectly happy and normal lives!

    That being said I really don’t know who else in the cast would be good for date advice. Dorothy, I guess, but that’s kinda muddled by her being an ex of someone involved

    • Mnemnosyne
      Mnemnosyne
      June 26, 2021 at 12:54 am | #

      Someone who hasn’t dated and doesn’t want to is fine; but they shouldn’t be giving advice of ‘don’t’ to someone who clearly does want to, especially when going along with the assumption that they have experience, creating a false sense of authority about the situation.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        June 26, 2021 at 1:02 am | #

        Lucy did ask for Sarah’s advice. That’s just her opinion. Lucy doesn’t have to take that advice. She’s the one assuming aSarah has any authority on dating just because she’s older. Only maybe a year or two older too. Exactly how much more experience could she have?

    • Rowan
      Rowan
      June 26, 2021 at 3:21 am | #

      I’m pretty sure Sarah isn’t one of those people, given her crush on Jacob.
      My bet is, she’s had a fling or two with intensely dissapointing guys and it went poorly so now she’s sour to relationships as a whole, though would still secretly like one.
      The same way she acts as though she doesn’t want friends but she clearly values Joyce’s friendship, it’s just hard to get through her defensive layer of prickles

      • Geneseepaws
        Geneseepaws
        June 26, 2021 at 8:50 am | #

        Doing the right thing from the moral high ground’ and feeling betrayed your friends — I get Sarah. I’m just sorry for her pain.

      • zee
        zee
        June 26, 2021 at 10:53 am | #

        Well, the reason her crush on Jacob died in the first place is because she wanted meaningless sex with him because he’s hot, and he wanted a serious committed relationship

      • ValdVin
        ValdVin
        June 26, 2021 at 4:12 pm | #

        I can see that having happened, and with the drama over her ex-roomie she basically wants to buckle down, maintain her scholarships, and get thru college and law school.

        In the future, who knows? But I’m older than Willis and will not survive the in-universe time, advancing at one week a year, getting there, even if Willis doesn’t wrap it up at or before graduation.

  12. Joyfulldreams
    Joyfulldreams
    June 26, 2021 at 12:35 am | #

    I’m ace so my instant reaction to this sort of thing is to roll my eyes and grown. Ah yes, the only reason a person could not like dating people is TRAUMA….

    • eh, whatever
      eh, whatever
      June 26, 2021 at 3:38 am | #

      Sarah, though, is well established as neither aromantic (see: Jacob) nor for that matter asexual (see: Other Jacob).

      • milu
        milu
        June 26, 2021 at 5:24 am | #

        Well, but Lucy isn’t aware of either of these Jacobs. she’s just assuming.

        • ValdVin
          ValdVin
          June 26, 2021 at 4:14 pm | #

          The normaller and more presentable Lucy has promised to stay away from whoever that is.

  13. SomebodyOnceToldMe
    SomebodyOnceToldMe
    June 26, 2021 at 12:43 am | #

    Honestly hoping it was just really stupid. With all the other drama happening it’d be kinda funny and bit of a twist lol

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      June 26, 2021 at 1:45 am | #

      Yeah, I am team ‘Sarah casually dated in the past with some High School/College Freshman Dude and they were just really mediocre.’ No date rape, no familial nemesis history, merely the kind of dude that stars in Overheard Terrible First Date Twitter Threads or the like.

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        June 26, 2021 at 1:46 am | #

        Unless her tragic backstory (apart from Dana, of course) is that she dated said Mediocre Dude for like a month or more before realizing she didn’t actually like this guy once the immediate Asked Me Out hormones wore off.

        • milu
          milu
          June 26, 2021 at 5:43 am | #

          “Asked Me Out hormones” XD
          Yeah she absolutely wouldn’t want something like that to leak out.

  14. Tawnee
    Tawnee
    June 26, 2021 at 12:58 am | #

    Hi, local friendly confused Brit here, I had to look up what a CW is, and as someone who grew up in a time where there were only three (4 as I approached adolescence) TV channels, it still slightly blows my mind how specific channel branding can be.

    I don’t watch a whole bunch of TV now either, so the concept is still taking a while to grok.

    • StClair
      StClair
      June 26, 2021 at 1:27 am | #

      For what it’s worth, we had a similar number of channels when I was growing up.

    • bleepbloop
      bleepbloop
      June 26, 2021 at 3:23 am | #

      Yeah, the CW is basically teen dramas and superhero shows (sometimes a mix of both). Mostly known for being extremely corny and/or low budget. A very interesting mix of content.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        June 26, 2021 at 11:46 am | #

        Warner’s intellectual properties, UPN’s production value.

  15. Dean
    Dean
    June 26, 2021 at 1:04 am | #

    Sarah has the serial killer gene!

  16. brionl
    brionl
    June 26, 2021 at 1:04 am | #

    Coming up next, Robin pulls the CW Drama Tag!

  17. Bagge
    Bagge
    June 26, 2021 at 1:14 am | #

    Lucy narrating in the last panel make me laugh.

    • Lone Duck
      Lone Duck
      June 26, 2021 at 5:28 am | #

      Lucy: Clearly, she’s experienced SO MUCH trauma, her only way to cope is to repress it. *sniffle* Sarah’s so brave, and yet so fragile…
      Sarah: I’m still here!!
      Lucy: And yet she still struggles through it all, and let’s me know she’s here for me…
      Sarah: This is why I hate everything.

      • StClair
        StClair
        June 26, 2021 at 5:53 am | #

        “Your latest issue of Hating Everything magazine is here.”
        “I hate latest issues.”

  18. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    June 26, 2021 at 2:00 am | #

    Sometimes I’ve the weird impression that everything in Sarah’s past was traumatic or she just hated it.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      June 26, 2021 at 2:39 am | #

      Regrettably, some people’s lives are like that.

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      June 26, 2021 at 5:55 am | #

      It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the case.

  19. Alice Macher
    Alice Macher
    June 26, 2021 at 2:03 am | #

    If this were like the CW’s Riverdale, Ruth’s grandfather would be around constantly and woudl be the Big Bad behind everything.

    He’d also be younger and super-hot, and have shirtless scenes.

    • David M Willis
      David M Willis
      June 26, 2021 at 2:53 pm | #

      I can still do the shirtless scenes

      • He Who Abides
        He Who Abides
        June 26, 2021 at 3:11 pm | #

        No, bad Willis.

  20. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    June 26, 2021 at 2:07 am | #

    https://imgur.com/a/FdwP45e
    I just realized I wanted to draw Joyce. Being a little bit uncharacteristically saucy but cute.

    • milu
      milu
      June 26, 2021 at 5:52 am | #

      Joyce: What? I’m overdressed.
      Joe: *audible gulp*

    • zee
      zee
      June 26, 2021 at 10:59 am | #

      Your Joyce drawings are my favorite

    • Roborat
      Roborat
      June 28, 2021 at 3:28 pm | #

      I think I like your version of Joyce better than the original.

  21. NinjaNick
    NinjaNick
    June 26, 2021 at 2:32 am | #

    Melodramatic much?

  22. BenRG
    BenRG
    June 26, 2021 at 2:38 am | #

    Maybe she is, Lucy. However, that doesn’t mean that it is a good idea to go rooting around trying to get her to tell you what it is!

  23. Keulen
    Keulen
    June 26, 2021 at 5:55 am | #

    DoA Book 11: You’re Traumatic

  24. hof1991
    hof1991
    June 26, 2021 at 8:25 am | #

    Betting there was fallout from her first year roommate drama that ruined a relationship. That convinced her that she can’t have nice things. She can grind away at life, enjoy other jacob and have a little sister, but the way the freshman pursue sex and comfort seems stupid and pointless to her. Dorothy is her positive mirror image. She takes things on their proper proportion and is at college for the academics. Most of the rest of the cast is there for late adolescence with a side of academics.

    Sarah is there for the academics alone and has shut down everything else. Her whole first year was trauma and third semester brought even more. She could use a lot less drama in her life. So she has no time for Lucy’s love life.

  25. Spencer
    Spencer
    June 26, 2021 at 8:43 am | #

    Maximum drama: Sarah started dating Dana’s boyfriend.

  26. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    June 26, 2021 at 9:51 am | #

    Head canon until proven otherwise: Sarah actually just wanted a relationship about sex but her boyfriend kept trying to invoke feelings.

    • He Who Abides
      He Who Abides
      June 26, 2021 at 3:14 pm | #

      That’s happened to a friend of mine. Like, at least three times now where she’s had to stop sleeping with someone because they caught feelings.

  27. Deanatay
    Deanatay
    June 26, 2021 at 10:10 am | #

    Lucy: But, I’m just a sweet, young innocent girl with no malicious intent whatsoever!

    Malaya: YOU! THE DEVIL!!

    Sarah: YOU’RE Traumatic!

    Conclusion: Lucy grates on people whose personalities are like human sandpaper.

    • Council
      Council
      June 26, 2021 at 11:31 am | #

      For Sarah, that fits

      I’d describe malaya more like poorly made asphalt that gets all gooey in bad weather and makes your boots stick to everything

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        June 26, 2021 at 2:03 pm | #

        I just thought of something.

        My read on Malaya isn’t necessarily that they’re just an aggro dickhead all the time because they feel like it, but that they don’t have time for people who pretend to be something they’re not. Mary preaches piety and refuses to develop her artistic skills, Sal is transparently living out of the most cliche teen rebel handbook imaginable where she very tellingly only starts making some positive headway as a person when she stops being an isolated douchebag, patches things up with Walky, makes friends with Danny, Carla and Amber, and finally joins a Roller Derby league despite her stated hatred of “organized anything.

        So it’s possible it’s just that the joke is Lucy is actually as sweet and kind as she acts and Malaya’s reaction is inappropriate, but I wonder if maybe Malaya gave her such a hard time because she views Lucy’s constant sunny demeanor as inauthentic? Not that Lucy isn’t supposed to be happy and well adjusted, but that Lucy isn’t but forcing herself to appear that way as a result of some foreshadowed loneliness.

        • Regalli
          Regalli
          June 26, 2021 at 3:01 pm | #

          I personally think Malaya’s assumption people are always fakers is in no small part projection because they felt they were putting on an act (either the act of being female or the ‘act’ of being nonbinary because they had imposter syndrome,) so obviously everyone else does too. Might have above-average perception, but they misread Sal’s motivations for the parts of her persona that aren’t 100% sincere (she doesn’t really think she’s better than everyone so much as she keeps people at arm’s length since it seems like she never had many friends – and knew Asher had sold her out to cover his own ass, which doesn’t inspire efforts to make new ones.) That said, I think you’re onto something with Lucy being so perky in an effort to be popular because she’s jealous of the cool kids, and I could see Malaya recognizing that quickly. When we’ve seen Lucy’s disappointment come out and the mask slip, there’s a definite vibe of desperation there.

          • Spencer
            Spencer
            June 26, 2021 at 4:15 pm | #

            Yeah like, the core of every Lucy strip to me seems to be desperation. Walky asking her out didn’t feel like just getting noticed by a guy she had a crush on.

            “Let’s talk about when we first realized we liked each other!”, like, that is hiding something.

          • Saria
            Saria
            June 26, 2021 at 5:49 pm | #

            I would agree with that Lucy is trying to project a friendly, upbeat vibe in the hopes of making friends, and that Malaya could be sensing and being put off by Lucy pushing that persona… But I feel bad for Lucy since I don’t think that’s a bad thing to do? I actually feel a lot of connection to Lucy, since I was very quiet and shy but at one point I decided I was going to try to make more friends – and acted kinda like Lucy, trying to be more upbeat and outgoing, and organize events for people to do together. In a way, that reaction is what you are afraid of – that putting yourself out there like that just makes it seem like you are trying too hard and backfires. Makes it a no-win situation if you can’t fake social confidence until you get enough experience to make it.

            • Regalli
              Regalli
              June 26, 2021 at 7:09 pm | #

              Yeah, I feel bad for her on the whole. Especially when, say, she’s hurt by people not attending her movie night unless Jennifer shows up, especially since Jennifer was getting the popularity solely on Being A High School Cheerleader. I think the issue with Malaya was a combination of Malaya assuming the worst of everyone (especially people who are cheery) and Lucy continuing to try and push Roomie Friendship, but that’s a thing plenty of college freshmen do because it’s often their first time having a roommate like that, and anyway Malaya wanted out IMMEDIATELY so Lucy leaving them alone probably wouldn’t have changed much. Lucy’s been pretty much a Nice, Normal Person, and even if she has some insecurity under the surface like we’re guessing, it’s still on a firmly relatable level. (I can’t see her pulling the ‘You WILL pick me up at 7’ or whatever line we saw from Mindy on Leslie.) Also Lucy needs some form of weakness or pressure point to exploit to carry arcs long term, so I think we’re trying to figure out what that might be since so far, she’s only had hints. (That’s not criticism of Lucy, that’s just ‘narratively you can only do so much with someone without a clear weak point.’ Bring on the depth!)

              And having the degree of social anxiety that I just don’t do much, gotta say, kudos to those who do put themselves out there even if they’re terrified.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      June 26, 2021 at 11:33 am | #

      Therefore, Lucynis either lower-grit sandpaper, or a smooth surface unaffected by silicon carbide.

  28. davidbreslin101
    davidbreslin101
    June 26, 2021 at 4:51 pm | #

    Well, a bit of googling told me that “The CW” is a TV network. But I prefer to think that it stands for “The Clone Wars,” which in the Dumbiverse is notorious for its overblown relationship drama.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      June 26, 2021 at 5:34 pm | #

      Just so you know, CW is notorious for its dramas (even shows that you’d presume to be action-oriented, like superhero shows) to predominantly have scenes where two are characters sitting or standing still in a static frame talking about their feelings and other angst-inducing topics.

    • Hinoron
      Hinoron
      June 27, 2021 at 2:54 am | #

      Oh good, so I wasn’t the only person unable to get that reference without some research.
      …Still falls kind of flat to anyone who hasn’t heard of one particular TV network local to one particular country.

  29. bcb
    bcb
    June 28, 2021 at 11:53 pm | #

    Yes, let’s home there will be no straightwashing of ace or aro characters!

Who should be the default doodle for Book 14?

View Results

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


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

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