306

Don’t care
Posted on January 23, 2015 by David M Willis
2015-01-patreon1previewThe first of two monthly bonus strips is up on the Dumbing of Age Patreon!  This month, folks voted for Dina, and so Dina gets her own bonus strip.  I'm surprised it took this long.

306 thoughts on “Don’t care”

  1. Khaner

    I want to know what Malaya accidentally said.

    1. Maveric1984

      Snotty nose

    2. Jen Aside

      *nose grab*

      1. Jen Aside

        well that Youtube link has failed like four times so n/m

        1. Jen Aside

          (it was “profanity in sign language” for the curious)

        2. Opus the Poet

          Just post the link naked, the forum software will make it clickable, like this: http://www.shortpacked.com/index.php?id=2189 See?

    3. Maveric1984

      Alien face grabber

    4. Plasma Mongoose

      “I blow my nose at you”

      1. Shadow12000

        Sometimes I wonder where you get all your nice pictures, Plasma.

        1. Plasma Mongoose

          Mostly from the ‘boorus but this picture of Azula I found on dA if I recall correctly.

          Also for anyone interested, I have been placing some information about the gravatars I have been using in my tumblr account as of a few days ago, so all you have to do is click on my user-name to check it out.

      2. esh

        “And your aunties.”

    5. Yotomoe

      “Here, take my nose”

    6. Ed

      I am going to figuratively remove my nose to spite my face.

    7. Tomas

      “I am a raptor. Snarl.”

      1. SilentSooYun

        But Snarl is a stegosaurus…

        1. David M Willis

          Not always!

    8. Aeron

      “Booger.”

    9. Vangeln

      I’ve got my own nose.

    10. Hinoron

      “If I rip off my face, I’m a Terminator underneath”/

  2. Dreadhawk177

    What does the sign language mean??

    1. Maveric1984

      It’s in the alt text

      1. Stifyn Baker

        What about for those of us who look at this site on a mobile device and can’t see the alt text?

        1. David M Willis

          click in the blank areas on either side of the strip navigation buttons

        2. Annie

          Ordinarily it drives me crazy that I can’t see alt text from my tablet (or at least haven’t figured out how to do it), but this is one of the very few times on the internet where being an ASL interpreter comes in handy. 😉

          Side note: David, you do an amazing job drawing Marcie signing in ways that make it very clear what sees saying. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to do in 2D still drawings. You go above and beyond to make the signing clear (and correct!) and I appreciate it just as much as I’m in awe of it. …which, in case that wasn’t clear is a whole hell of a lot. 😉

        3. Doctroid

          Every DoA strip should include Marcie signing the alt text.

        4. James

          And what about those of us on a computer that have never seen alt text? (On this site.)

        5. David M Willis

          You still have a Tandy 1000, dontcha.

        6. James

          No, ibuypower laptop, only 3 years old…the original model TRS-80 co-co hasn’t seen electricity in about 20 years.

        7. Packy

          THANK YOU! I’ve been going back and re-reading strips on my computer just to read the alt text!

          Oh, and seconding what Annie said: your renditions of ASL are amazeballs.

      2. Bill

        Yeah, but that is what she was trying to sign — Marcie is doing the sign correctly in the final panel.  The question is what it was that Malaya accidentally signed after looking it up on her smartphone.

        And then there’s those of us who wonder what Marcie was saying in the third panel.

        1. Packy

          It was pretty clear from context, but it’s also easy to recognize: Marcie took hold of the hand Malaya used to make the sign and then signed “no” with her other hand.

          http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/n/no.htm

    2. Doctor_Who

      “Got my nose!”

    3. otusasio451

      Ah, whatever. Don’t care.

  3. Anthusiasm

    Malaya you butt

  4. Idon'tcarenomore

    ah okay whats going on here. Marcie helped her out a bit?

    1. Suitora

      Danny did. And apparently didn’t Dan it up.

      1. Suitora

        Oh, you’re talking about the sign language. Malaya was trying to say, “Don’t care” in sign language, and Marcie corrected her.

  5. Doctor_Who

    “Yer actions are contradictin’ yer shirt, quit it.”

  6. newllend

    Was the hand thing in the last panel supposed to be blank?

    1. Maveric1984

      Huh? No it indicates movement

      1. newllend

        Is that Really why?

        1. Twirls

          To help us understand Marcie better because movement is pretty important in distinguishing sign language?

        2. Ed

          I wonder if an animated GIF was considered for this.

        3. Crazy Dina

          Oh, if only I could draw…

        4. Yotomoe

          Hahaha. If only I didn’t only use my powers for evil.

        5. Crazy Dina

          Oh, like you couldn’t use that for a third of the conversations on the internet!

        6. Kelly

          You can’t really bookify an animated gif.

          In general, Willis sticks pretty close to traditional formatting, especially since he started DoA.

        7. David M Willis

          GIFs are only 256 colors, and so they’d look pretty jagged around the edges and ugly on this site. PNGs look nice and smooth.

        8. LazerWulf

          Can’t PNGs also be animated?

        9. Thomas64

          There are tools that can convert true-color images to pretty good-looking 256-color, by finding a palette that is optimized for the image in question, and using error diffusion dithering for the colors that can’t be represented exactly. I’ve gotten nice results with netpbm and xv.
          That kind of stuff should work *very* well on graphics like DoA.

        10. David M Willis

          I use way too many colors, and I hate dithering so so much.

        11. Kelly

          Doh, yeah, that is very true. I forgot to consider that aspect.

          LazerWulf, they *can* be, but there isn’t a good standards situation for apng. Some programs support the fairly simple apng format, others support the more complex and older mng format. Some programs don’t support either.

          So in practice it isn’t something you could really use on your widely read webcomic. This isn’t the 90s when it was considered ok to tell your audience to use this or that browser (though you can tell them *not* to use IE 😛 )or “go download this plugin/addon to view”.

        12. Thomas64

          http://thomasokken.com/2015-01-23-dontcare.gif

        13. David M Willis

          Marcie’s goggles are now gray, some of the colors have shifted, and most importantly this does not demonstrate whether the lines around the characters are jagged when on a transparent background. PNGs offer levels of transparency, which smooths the transition from opaque to transparent, which is especially noticeable in rounded shapes like in that second panel. No GIF is going to replicate that. You can do some translucent dithering, but not at that scale.

          So

          Please.

          Please.

          For the love of god.

          Stop trying to GIFsplain me or whatever you’re doing.

          I have been doing webcomics for 17 years.

          I know my fucking shit.

        14. StClair

          bah. comment was supposed to go here.

        15. Thomas64

          OK, OK, I’ll stop my relentless campaign of pestering you with useless and condescending advice. Please accept my apologies. I won’t bother you any more.

        16. Sailor_Arashi

          It took several viewings to realize that Marcie doesn’t actually accessorize with a single pale blue opera glove (yes, I’m unobservant). Faded color might be a better choice.

        17. Packy

          My favorite word of the day is “GIFsplain”.

        18. Kelly

          Haha, “GIFsplain”!

          “Not all GIFs!”

        19. StClair

          He’s even started doing webcomics about fucking.
          So there.

        20. Plaid Wolf

          With signing, you need to be really careful with not just positioning, but also movement…i had a sign language instructor in college who recounted the dangers of ignoring this when she was at Gaulladet (sp?) ….she was supposed to sign a demonstration speech about making a cake. She was nervous and trying to focus on everything when her classmates suddenly lost it, and she couldnt figure out what she did that was so funny. After her class, a couple of her friends advised her that instead of one motion for ‘make’, she used multiple motions and that changed the sign’s meaning to ‘masturbate’!

        21. Crazy Dina

          Of course, it had to be “masturbate”. (Nah, I’m LOL in the real world.)

    2. cesium133

      I have to admit when I first saw it I thought, “when did Marcie get a robot hand?”

  7. rezby

    At least Malaya is trying.

    1. newllend

      Hod knows what she actually said though?

      1. newllend

        Who, but go ahead and make as many jokes as you want

        1. Disloyal Subject

          Hodor hodor!

        2. Gamaran Sepudomyn

          Hod was actually a Norse god though, so it’s a surprisingly logical error.

          Yes, that was the first thing I thought of. Stop laughing, it’s not funny.

        3. weirdquark

          Hod was blind though, so he actually wouldn’t have a clue what someone said using sign language.

        4. Gamaran Sepudomyn

          It makes sense in the context of “God knows”, though.

        5. Roborat

          Thought you were making a reference to another web comic.

      2. rezby

        It was obvious enough through context and close enough-ness that everybody understood what she meant to say, so by how language works, she succeeded at communicating what she intended to communicate.

        Her form was off though and Marcie did correct the equivalent of a typo.

        1. newllend

          I was wondering what she said by accident though

        2. rezby

          Honestly, I don’t think that gesture means anything. Not all typos are different words. sometimes its just a word horbly splred rong

        3. JohnnyO

          Not every potential movement is a sign.

      3. Plasma Mongoose

        “I fling my mucus at you!”

      4. John

        Hod is unlikely to know what Malaya said. Being blind and all, I suspect His ASL skills are limited.

        1. Gamaran Sepudomyn

          Also, being dead. Mistletoe has a very different meaning for him.

        2. KKoro

          Hod was the one who was tricked into throwing it, not the one who got killed by it. That was Baldr, the god of light.

      5. Opus the Poet

        I use the pseudo-code [$DEITY] when I desire the use of deity in forum conversation. And I hope that pseudo-code doesn’t get wiped by the forum software, because I’ll have to go back and post it using the HTML equivalents and that’s a pain.

    2. Deanatay

      Might Malaya be… LEARNING?

      It…. it can learn…. *shiver*

    3. Bliisk

      See Malaya is great, dont hate the Malaya

  8. Knifleman

    Who wants to bet Malaya’s only learning it to insult people?

    1. Doctor_Who

      I’m not convinced that’s not the only English she bothered to learn as well.

      1. Gigafreak

        I learned a few phrases in German for the express purpose of making fun of German.

        My German friend heartily encourages me to continue.

        1. oldFart

          I know things in Thai I wish I didn’t know. Seriously, it takes a lot of cultural literacy to use profane and vulgar language safely and effectively. You either sound stupid or get your ass kicked AG-style.

        2. Yet Another Laura H.

          “Wait, ‘Ich’ is not the pronoun that means ‘that guy over there,’ in the pejorative sense?”

        3. Opus the Poet

          JFK actually said, “I am a jelly doughnut” instead of “I am a Berliner.”

        4. Pope William T Wodium

          It’s not as bad an error as that translation makes it sound. It’s roughly as bad as it would be for the Italian prime minister to come to America and say “I am an Americano.” No one would actually hear that as “I am a cup of coffee.”

      2. Plasma Mongoose

        But isn’t that why most people would want to learn sign language?? 😛

      3. Boomwolf

        I went out of my way to learn several spanish insults.

    2. Crazy Dina

      I’ll bet one internet that she’s doing it MOSTLY to insult people, but does have a second reason. Let’s get a pool going here people!

      1. Ed

        Maybe she wants to get in the pants of someone who uses sign language. Maybe it’s Marcie!

        1. Crazy Dina

          And how much do you put up for that? A cookie? An inernet? We must know to add you to the pool.

        2. Plasma Mongoose

          I can’t exactly blame Malaya if she does want Marcie.

        3. Bagge

          Maybe she wants to make friends with a team mate?

        4. Ed

          Get out of here with your normal, mundane reasons!

        5. Bagge

          It amazes me how rarely the friendship option is explored in fandoms compared to the sexytimes option.

        6. Crazy Dina

          … Considering you’re the one who found a TETRIS romantic fanfic, you’re not one to talk…

    3. Kris

      Also so she knows when they’re insulting her.

    4. Yotomoe

      Are you telling me you DON’T learn languages for the sole reason of insulting foreign people?

      1. Opus the Poet

        As a military brat, we tended to learn the local curses and deprecations so we would know when he had screwed up. Before the wreck i could curse fluently in Arabic, for example.

    5. Deanatay

      I know just enough Yiddish to say ‘mesuggeh’, so there’s some precedent.

    6. Lord Geovanni

      hell thats what im gonna use this one for

  9. Emperor Kiva

    ?????

    1. exegesis

      Malaya looks up, on her phone, how to say “don’t care” in sign language, in response to Sal talking about her mark.

      Marcie then takes her hand and demonstrates the correct movement, to the indignation of Sal.

      1. Deanatay

        “Dammit, I didn’t actually EXPECT Malaya to try to learn this stuff! The only one who understands your cryptic hand waving is MEEE!!”

        1. Bagge

          *singsong voice* someone is jeeeeelous

  10. Dreadhawk177

    Marcie’s arm turned blue and split in two in reaction to the scores.

    1. Kelly

      Makes me think of a Mistborn burning Atium…

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Ooh, thanks for reminding me to read those next. I’m almost done with my current leisure read…

        1. Kelly

          Nice!

  11. Plasma Mongoose

    I get that Marcie corrected Malaya about how to say “Don’t Care” but what does Malaya’s sign actually say instead?

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Never mind…

      1. Opus the Poet

        The ASL equivalent of a bad accent…

    2. Edifus

      It probably doesn’t mean much of anything, but was close enough to “don’t care” that Marcie was able to tell what she meant.

      And it’s nice to see her trying to learn it so that she can actually communicate with her.

    3. Yotomoe

      Probably something that’d translate to “Donth Cere.” In the sense that it’s wrong and probably means nothing.

    4. None

      Her mistake is fairly close to the sign for hot (as in temperature).

  12. LiaHansen

    The hebrew sometimes is too

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      too what?

      1. Crazy Dina

        Probably shortpacked. You will be missed. 🙁 (even though I was a fan for like, one week)

      2. No Name

        Translated in the title. In Shortpacked as Crazy Dina says.

  13. dailybrad

    Sal’s enthusiasm is very cute and awesome. I’m glad Danny’s tutoring is helping her out.

  14. Thomas64

    Yes David I have noticed. I’m also noticing you didn’t provide a translation this time. Aaargh

    1. David M Willis

      what

      1. rezby

        gosh willis, if only you posted the words that are a translation anywhere on this website, alas, it seems you have not.

        1. John

          Yeah, he should print it in big red letters below the strip.

      2. Thomas64

        D’oh, my bad — “title” is not “title text” — sorry
        Still confused though

        1. Tenn

          Well, at least you called it “title text” and not “alt text” like the peasantry. 😛

        2. Rowen Morland

          You’re getting shot in the Alt revolution, Tenn. At least your last words will hover above you as you fall.

    2. Carriethedragon

      …I think Malaya meant to say “don’t care.” Which is the strip title. There’s also Malaya’s mistake to worry about, but it probably doesn’t actually mean anything.

    3. Crazy Dina

      I… Don’t care.

      (When you get it)

    4. begbert2

      I get what’s being said in panels 3, 4, and 6. (And 1, for that matter.) But what’s Marcie saying in panel 5?

      1. No Name

        I thinks something along the lines of “No, that’s not it”, but some one who knows ASL would know better.

    5. Crumplepunch

      Appropriate gravatar is appropriate.

  15. AHR

    Sal showing Marcie her grade in happiness is adorable. Malaya trying to learn sign language is adorable. Marcie correcting Malaya is adorable. This whole strip is adorable.

    1. Dreadhawk177

      All that’s missing is Dina doing a dinosaur walk.

      1. Crazy Dina

        Wrar. ^.^

        1. Kryss LaBryn

          Snargle.

      2. Yotomoe

        Dina’s over-rated. There I said it. Come at me!

        1. Crazy Dina

          Oh, I’m coming. And I’m bringing the Velociraptor. You will RUE the day you spited Dina! I may just do you and FAZ, WRONGSTYLE to prove my point. (Okay, that’s too far for me, I can’t really handle images that close to porn) But you will pay.
          You will definitely pay…
          YOU SHALL PAY!

        2. Crazy Dina

          Darn it, I forgot < and > turn their contents into tags weather or not I’m using a real one. 🙁

        3. Disloyal Subject

          Spite? Sure, he slighted Dina, but it didn’t seem to be out of spite.
          Besides, Dina IS overrated – which is saying a lot, considering how great she is.

        4. Gamaran Sepudomyn

          Yeah, my Dina worship went down a notch when it turned out that she was willing to drink Mountain Dew. The same goes for any fluid that is an opaque, fluorescent yellow.

        5. John

          Caffeinated antifreeze is good for you!

        6. Kelly

          Oh now you’ve done it! And to think I defended you down the thread! 😛

        7. Yotomoe

          Well I appreciate the sentiment anyway.

        8. Opus the Poet

          I have Dino-cycles coming for you! (I figured out how to fit a bike to a T-rex AND the Jurassic Park version of a velociraptor, that one is a velocirapede)

        9. Bill

          I don’t think Dina would have anything to do with ‘Jurassic Park’, especially since their logo (a T. Rex) is actually a dinosaur from the Cretaceous period.

        10. Paul

          You would be wrong:

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/01-if-the-shoes-split/piano/

        11. Bill

          Overlooked that on my first binge-read of the comic.  Incidentally, compared to some of the other versions I have seen and heard, that is a very rich, very full arrangement she is playing.

          John Williams can sure write some damned good music, can’t he?

        12. tinfoil theory

          Velo means bicycle in Swiss German.

        13. Deanatay

          ‘velo’ means ‘fast’, in Latin. Thus, velociraptor = ‘fast hunter’. I highly doubt it means ‘bicycle hunter’.

        14. Deanatay

          BTW, the ‘velo’ used to refer to bicycles is actually short for ‘velocipede’ (‘fast foot’), referring to an entire class of machines, of which the bicycle is the most common type.

        15. Opus the Poet

          And the portmanteau of velociraptor and velocipede is velocirapede or “bicycle built for velociraptors”

        16. Airyu

          Yeah but Becky is like eight times as overrated.

    2. Shrugs

      Agreed!

      Also it’s kind of adorable that Danny is known as “some harmless dork.”

  16. Kris

    Danny is not some harmless dork! He’s a harmless nerd get it right!

    1. Jen Aside

      Look, he can be intellectually obsessive AND socially inept!

      1. Kabo

        “I’m not a nerd, Bart! Nerds are smart!”

    2. No Name

      In the Deep South, “dork” is sometimes considered a synonym of “geek” and “nerd”. That is to say, it’s part of the debate over the difference between “geeks” and “nerds” and gets its own category. Considering where Sal went to high school, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think Sal is conflating the three words.

      1. Sailor_Arashi

        +1 confirm. In my part of the South, “Dork”, “Geek”, and “Nerd” are pretty much the same word so far as the average person is concerned.

  17. LiamAldam

    Those shorts can’t be legal on a college campus.

    1. airyu

      I’ve seen people wear way shorter at sfstate…

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Those shorts are too short in both directions, not that I’m complaining… 😀

      2. Yotomoe

        I too have seen people in their underwear.

      3. brionl

        On the 3 days a year the temp is over 60?
        😉

        1. Yotomoe

          Temperature over 60? you mean spring. Get on my level, midwest. The south will rise again.

        2. Gadgeteer Smashwidget

          I think you mean “not January”

        3. Plasma Mongoose

          I’m assuming that you mean 60F(15C) not 60C(140F).

    2. airyu

      Like, it’s college, not 2nd grade…

    3. Blue

      Colleges have dress codes?

      I graduated less than a year ago and this is news to me.

      1. JessWitt

        I’m more concerned that it seems cold to wear shorts like that in fall semester. Maybe Carla and Malaya can handle the cold better than most.

        1. Thomas64

          Wikipedia tells me that the average daytime high in Bloomington is 79.7 °F in September and 68.4 °F in October. Since we’re only in late September in DoA time, I’d say that the outfits being worn in this strip are totally plausible.

        2. Wack'd

          Yeah, people should be nitpicking the proliferation of hoodies.

        3. JessWitt

          It’s STILL September? Egads.

    4. das-g

      RA: Hey! Hey, you. Yes, you. Short shorts, like the ones you’re wearing, are illegal on school grounds. I must ask you to take them off or leave the campus immediately.

  18. Cheryl

    Did you know that the M in David Willis is silent?

    1. Gigafreak

      Yes, it’s short for Dmamvmimd Wmimlmlmims.

      1. HeySo

        Wait, wait, wait. DAVID Willis? This whole time I thought his name was Dammit Willis- I mean, that’s all everyone ever references him by.. 0:P

        1. Clif

          Da it Willis. The m is silent.

  19. Idon'tcarenomore

    I’m missing something.
    Sal got a good grade.
    Malaya, while doing good learning sign language is great, and I take is she is saying she ‘don’t care’. Would be sop for her character.
    Malaya then is showing her the correct way to say it? And Sal is angry why?

    1. Crazy Dina

      My guess: threat of overuse.

    2. Twirls

      I’m not sure what Malaya is signing instead (only in asl 2) but I’m assuming she signed something embarassing so Sal wants her to… be embarassing I guess? Plus, she’s really proud of her grade and it’s probably kinda insulting that Malaya is saying she doesn’t care

      1. Clif

        Sal is angry because Malaya insists on being a jerk and butting in where she isn’t wanted and Marcie is encouraging her, and Sal is too cool to offer Malaya $20. to go away.

    3. Yotomoe

      Sal is saying, “Don’t correct her” cuz then she’ll know the correct way to be a bongo with her hands.

      1. Clif

        That too.

    4. Kabo

      Because Malaya was being a bongo to Sal, and Marcie helped her along.

    5. Bagge

      Because Marcie is SAL’s friend

  20. Ashley

    I like that Malaya makes an effort to show her supposed indifference in as many languages are necessary.

  21. The Wizard

    Sal..
    …..

    That is all!

  22. Ed

    I like how Marcie (apparently) knew exactly what Malaya was trying to say. I suppose Malaya’s… challenging attitude is already apparent to all and sundry.

  23. dmaxx

    Well, malaya can’t be as bad as some people would like to believe as she aleast seems to try make a effort to communicate better with others and show willingness to learn new things…. If that’s because she want to be able to be bongoy in multiple ways or not is something we have to see 😛

    1. Yotomoe

      That’s more than I’ve ever done for anyone ever.

      1. Crazy Dina

        Says the person who drew… you know what, I’m going to just pull out /r/eyebleach before you yotomoe it up again.

        1. Kelly

          He drew some great stuff for me!

        2. Crazy Dina

          You rued defending him. You admitted it. And this is a locked comment section. You can’t take it back.

        3. Disloyal Subject

          Which stuff was this? I missed the comments a few times in the last few weeks.

        4. No Name

          Look up.

        5. Kelly

          Oh, this was way back. He drew Billie in that outfit she showed Ruth. There is a link in the comments a day or two after that strip I think.

        6. Yotomoe

          I didn’t do that FOR anybody though. I don’t even know why you’d bring it up! Stop being silly, you friggin’ silly head.

        7. Swoop

          Potty mouth.

    2. Gigafreak

      Being able to swear silently has its uses. In order to keep my sanity at a customer service job answering phones, I started making rude hand signals to release my frustration in a way that callers have no way of noticing. Specifically, I make the Two Finger Salute and/or the sign language symbol for “asshole” (the version shown in Mr. Holland’s Opus, not the “tap symbol A to your head” version). If anyone asks, I tell them I’m making the “Peace” sign and the “I’m OK” sign at myself to keep my composure during difficult calls. (Nobody’s asked yet, but I am prepared in case they do.)

  24. AgentKeen

    The comics have titles?!?!?
    -wishes avatar was Joyce freaking out face for maximum effect-

    1. Gigafreak

      The page title is in the blog box directly beneath the comic, and also in the URL. Today’s page title is “Don’t Care.”

  25. Plasma Mongoose

    Australian Sign Language(Auslan) for don’t care

    1. Kelly

      I like it

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        I wanted to show if there was a difference between ASL and Auslan.

        1. Ed

          It’s similar to the chin flick. I wonder if that was intentional?

        2. Plasma Mongoose

          That would be consistent with traditional Aussie ocker values.

        3. oldFart

          ASL is limited to the US and parts of Canada AFAIK. Unlike English, it was not imported intact from somewhere, but developed in the deaf residential schools from various influences, including French Sign, Martha’s Vinyard Sign (which MAY have decended from Kentish Sign), and various local and household languages the first generations of students brought with them to the first school. Luckily I have forgotten too much Deaf history to write more…

        4. Paul

          I would think it would be a little more widespread than that…my understanding is that there are far fewer sign languages than spoken ones, with countries that have different spoken languages sharing the same sign language. I would expect ASL to be one of the big ones. Is that not the case?

          Ah, here we go…it has a fair bit of territory outside of North America, but the distribution is kind of surprising:

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language

  26. Spencer

    “harmless dork” is one of the highest compliments available for Danny. Right up there with “adorable” and “likes girl parts.”

    1. insomniac

      He also likes boy parts, although only in theory

    2. Bagge

      That he sorted stuff out for Dahl puts him in a rare and awesome category of people. Go Danny

      1. Bagge

        Sal

  27. John

    Learning new languages so you have more options for being a jerk to people. Oh, Malaya, don’t ever change.

  28. Keroshino

    Ya know…im starting to kinda feel bad for Malaya

    …kinda.

  29. advancecasette

    look, I’m not saying this comic is going to be the reason I learn sign language

    b-but it might be a contributing factor

    1. oldFart

      Another possible reason for learning: http://www.thatdeafguy.com/

  30. Spencer

    So this ultimately ends up with Sal talking to Danny in the midst of Amber and then the drama bombs get let loose, right?

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Dama bombs or Jager bombs?

      1. Spencer

        One of the preview pages for this arc did show Sal at a bar, so you may be onto something.

      2. Keroshino

        Either way…someone is gonna get “Fucked-up”

        1. Spencer

          Oh Jesus, Sal and Amber are going to have that fight, aren’t they?

        2. Crazy Dina

          Sorry, Jesus is not in this comic. You’re thinking of shortpacked.

        3. Spencer

          Oh, you.

    2. Paul

      So this ultimately ends up with Sal talking to Danny in the midst of Amber

      You really think Sal would try to talk to Danny when he was in the midst of Amber?

      1. Spencer

        It’s not like she knows she’s Amazi-Girl. Amber barely registers as a blip on Sal’s radar.

        1. begbert2

          Sal would hopefully register if Danny was “in the midst of” (having sex with?) her, though.

        2. Heavensrun

          “In the midst of” means something like surrounded by or enveloped by. If you’re “in the midst of” one person, it implies something rather intimate, as begbert already alluded to.

        3. Spencer

          Oooh. My bad. I meant more that she’d approach him while he was hanging around Amber.

          I don’t even know why I went with “midst.”

    3. segnosaur

      Well, Amber has seen Danny talking to Sal. It was in one of her more… stressed situations, but she never confronted either and just ran off.

      So she knows they have interacted… probably just not how much.

  31. Really shouldn't be reading this Comic Says

    Hey David, If I sign up for Paetron, will I be able to view previous bonus strips?

    1. David M Willis

      Yup.

  32. Yotomoe

    The real reason Malaya isn’t talking is cuz she saw Marcie’s “Shut up” shirt and took it to heart.

    1. Kryss LaBryn

      If only.

    2. Disloyal Subject

      That was my thought. Or someone’s paying her to shut up.

  33. Orangey

    I like that instead of just saying ‘i dont care’, Malaya actually went through the time to look up the hand gesture on her phone. Oh Malaya.

    1. segnosaur

      You know, to be honest that actually went right over my head. Saw her with the phone, but couldn’t figure out what she was doing with it. Guess I had a massive brain fart.

  34. Darth Cariss

    Oh boy, another of these “Let’s find the punchline in the comments!” sign language strips again. It’d be great if we had text on the bottom of the panel telling us what they’re saying (and I don’t just mean what Marcie is saying, but what Malaya is unintentionally saying too).

    1. David M Willis

      Yeah, it would be nice if what Malaya was signing was written directly under the comic itself, wouldn’t it. It would be even cooler if this were the way things were usually done!

      1. Gamaran Sepudomyn

        Exactly what he said, but without sarcasm?

        1. Gamaran Sepudomyn

          Or she/other.

      2. Darth Cariss

        According to other people in the comments, Malaya’s “Don’t care” sign was incorrectly done and actually had another meaning. It was Marcie’s signing (which I recognize is the title of the comic as the alt-text points out) that was correct.

      3. Darth Cariss

        It’s fairly typical in the “character speaks in another language but says something silly because they don’t fully know how to speak it” gag that the audience is told what they actually said so they can laugh at it. Otherwise it’s just “Oh, they were wrong, but they got corrected now” which isn’t really that funny.

  35. Gareth

    @ Willis – I had not noticed that before.

  36. Kathleen

    I like that you guys think she went through the trouble of looking up “don’t care”– I think she already knew that phrase and then demonstrated her lack of caring by flipping through her phone while doing so.

    1. Jason

      I like that interpretation.

  37. Bill

    Just in case anyone else wants to look up these signs, here’s a good site —
    https://www.signingsavvy.com

    1. Paul

      That site has a way to look up the sign for “I don’t care”, but how do you look up the meaning of what Malaya signed instead?

  38. begbert2

    While I understand that position is enslaved to narrative, the characters seem to be teleporting a little more than usual this strip.

  39. AnvilPro

    I get the feeling “Don’t Care” is the only sign language Malaya cares to learn

  40. Bagge

    Yey! Malaya and Marcie are bonding.

  41. 4th Dimension

    Wait? Isn’t Marcie only mute but not deaf? So why is Malaya signing? Is it because she is purposfuly trying to annoy Sal, by showing her she can look up ASL (allthough finding English to ASL translators on your phone is not the same as being able to do it the other way around), or is it Malaya again being Malaya and thinking Marcie can not hear her.

    1. Bagge

      Or does she try sign language to bond with Marcie? note how it immediately gave Marcie the chance to explain what she did wrong and gave them a shared experience

      1. Gamaran Sepudomyn

        Seems logical. Malaya isn’t a completely horrible person, just mostly. Maybe she just wants a friend. Or a fuckbuddy.

    2. Ed

      I think Malaya found out in a past strip that Marcie was mute, not deaf.

      1. Gamaran Sepudomyn

        Yup.

  42. segnosaur

    Is anyone else a little annoyed by Sal referring to Danny as a “harmless dork”?

    Danny is certainly an… awkward individual. Might even be a dork. But, he tutored Sal (for free, and with no expectation of sex). His assistance at that point is more or less the result of him being a nice guy. You would figure that would at least give him enough respect in Sal’s eyes to avoid insulting descriptions (even when he’s not around to hear.)

    Perhaps its me kind of identifying with Danny, since when I was in school I often did the same thing (helping people with their schoolwork), and I’d probably be annoyed if I found out that they were calling me “dork” behind my back after helping them through school.

    1. begbert2

      Yeah, I’m with you here. I find myself assuming that this is Willis pandering to the irrational Danny-hatred of the base.

      1. Spencer

        Willis has been more supportive of Danny lately, though. He’s been written as a much more sympathetic, likeable character and I can recall a specific case where he defended Danny’s inability to figure out Amazi-Girl’s identity by pointing out that Dorothy should have been able to do so as well.

      2. Tenn

        I think “harmless dork” is a perfectly accurate description of Danny, and I was against the irrational Danny-hatred before it was cool to be against it. Whoop, hipster points!

        Why am I collecting these things, anyway? It’s not like I can exchange them for internets or anything.

    2. Heavensrun

      I read it almost as a term of endearment, honestly.

    3. Kk

      A lot of people use dork of a term of endearment nowadays. I call almost all of my favorite characters dorks, even if they’re like, the coolest person on the planet. But I can see where you’re coming from, especially with how this fanbase treats Danny.

      1. segnosaur

        Yeah but would Sal be the person to actually use ‘dork’ as a term of endearment? I could see a close friend, or someone with a similar background (e.g. Ethan, whom he shares an interest in comics). But would Sal be considered a close enough friend to qualify? Or would it be more like Ogre shouting “NERDS!”

    4. Spencer

      Harmless is a pretty good word, considering. She thought he was tutoring her with the expectation that it would go somewhere, and he outright stated that he wasn’t interested.

      And the guy tried talking to her using a 3DS. That’s like, the most intensive dorking ever.

    5. Charles Fee

      I would say expecting sex from it would make you a scumbag, not that not expecting it makes you a good guy. From Sal’s point of view it’s a pretty fair and inoffensive statement, but I getcha.

      1. segnosaur

        No, not expecting sex doesn’t automatically make you a good guy. But spending your time helping out someone might. (Time that in theory Danny could have spent reading comics, or doing other stuff.)

      2. Spencer

        Wouldn’t helping someone out and being nice without secretly just wanting to bone them be proof that one isn’t a Nice Guy TM? That’s like the whole idea behind them; that they’re just “nice” because they expect sex or some kind of reward.

        I really do hate the idea some of the commenters here have that Danny is a Nice Guy TM. He’s flawed enough without inventing more for him.

        1. segnosaur

          I don’t quite get your argument here. (I think you have too many double-negatives.)

          Helping someone out and NOT expecting sex (or money or anything similar) is not the sign of a bad guy… its the sign of a nice guy. Danny doesn’t want sex from Sal. He made that clear.

        2. No Name

          You’re right up to a point. A nice guy wouldn’t expect sex. A Nice Guy(tm) would.

        3. Spencer

          Nice Guy TM is a term used for people who befriend and hover around women, doing favours for them in the hopes that their “perseverance” will eventually get them laid. Danny is not that.

        4. segnosaur

          Ah that explains my confusion. I was not aware that “Nice Guy TM” was a description of someone giving a false impression of being a Nice Guy but with alterior motives.

        5. Marie

          To further clarify, Nice Guy(tm) or Nice Guy (in general when using caps), refers to the phrase “But why won’t she have sex with me? I’m such a NICE GUY,” (or variations thereon), generally following things that any half decent person would do (being a friend, not raping someone, etc).

          Just to add some context.

        6. Marie

          Someone who helped without any ulterior motives would be a good person (assuming they’re helping a stranger and stuff, not just existing and not demanding sex. That just makes them a person).

          Someone who helped someone with the expectation of sex in return would be a douche and possibly a predator.

          Someone who helped and said that unlike all those other men out there, they weren’t doing it in order to get sex out of her, and then got aggressive and angry at the fact that she didn’t have sex with them anyway, even though they were so nice to say they weren’t doing it for sex, would be a trademark Nice Guy.

      3. Greenygal

        Not expecting sex in exchange for helping someone does not make you a good guy. Helping someone in exchange for nothing, however, does make you a good guy. I mean, it’s not throwing yourself on a grenade for them or anything, but it’s definitely a plus on the goodness scale.

    6. Bagge

      I think it is less about Danny and more about Sal. I think it says something interesting about how Sal views the world, but I’m not exactly sure what. That it’s important to label people “harmless” or “not harmless”? That the fact that someone helped her made that distinction important? That hanging out with dorks is a notable exception for her?

      Either way I think Danny would be right to be unflattered.

      1. Marie

        I really like this explanation!

  43. Kk

    Huh. Guess Malaya is following Sal’s advice.

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      …and that advice was…?

      1. Bliisk

        Learn sign language.

        1. Plasma Mongoose

          AH!

  44. Rowen Morland

    If someone wrote an a smartphone app that was very good at translating sign language when you pointed the camera at people would the deaf community see that as a positive thing or would a bunch of people be annoyed that it was letting ‘lazy’ people understand them?

    1. Bagge

      My guess, not belonging to said community and thus just pulling stuff out of holes, is “yes”.

      Well, I think they would spend the first ten years laughing at how buggy it would be, and when it finally worked decently it would be too useful not to use. Kinda like google translate.

    2. Yet Another Laura H.

      It may not be representative of them as a whole, but I recall a deaf activist being irritated at people who weren’t deaf and didn’t have a pressing need for it learning ASL. She equated it with both invasion of privacy and cultural appropriation. The friendly-acquaintance who caused this piece to pass through my life (gah! 2004 was ten years ago!) seemed to think the author to be a bit strident.

      Although in my experience, “strident” rarely appears when it’s not called for, even though it can be misdirected.

      1. Sterling

        That’s kind of ridiculous. It’s a language. Becoming bilingual isn’t cultural appropriation.

      2. Rowen Morland

        Interesting. The reason I wondered about it was that I heard that the deaf community could be very close and had its own sense of culture… and something about considering people who choose to getting hearing aids and medical treatment as ‘traitors’.

        I don’t have any direct contact though so I’m really unsure how to read such rumours.

      3. Crazy Dina

        But… ASL has so many uses! Imagine being able to talk freely in noisy rooms where you can’t hear each other! Or talking so that microphones can’t hear you and throw a blanket over the two of you so that no one can listen in! And babies can learn ASL before they can talk! Then there’s talking once you’ve stained your voice! And talking behind people’s backs without them knowing… SIGN LANGUAGE IS EPIC!

        Now I just need to learn it. -_-

  45. Terygon

    Just a hopefully helpful comment. In deaf culture it is considered very rude to grab someone’s hand while they’re signing, correctly or not. It’s kind of the equivalent of putting your hand over someone’s mouth while they’re talking.

    That aside, I love your comic.

    1. Bagge

      Being rude seems to be the standard way of communication between these four

    2. John

      This is the same girl who wanted to give Amazi-Girl a medal for clotheslining Malaya.

    3. DSL

      After you’ve known Malaya a while, you’ll understand the impulse.

  46. Nrrfhrrdrr

    I get that she signed “three’s a crowd” but I’m not sure what she’s trying to refer to exactly? Is she referring to Sal/Danny/Amber? If so how would she know he and Amber/Amazi-girl are happening? I understand the ASL I just still has a confuzed.

    1. Jason

      You don’t understand the ASL.

      1. Nrrfhrrdrr

        oh god I’m an idiot I read the wrong thing bwuh *digs hole to hide in forever*

    2. No Name

      She signed “don’t care”, the title of today’s comic.

  47. Vangeln

    Jason cares.

  48. Aslokaa

    Why shouldn’t she correct her?

  49. Tenn

    Dinas #1 vote was hiding behind the door all this time.

    1. Tenn

      *Dina’s

  50. Dana

    “I don’t know” is the same sign as “I don’t care” articulated at the forehead rather than the nose, so “I don’t know and I don’t care” is pretty fun to sign. Bit of a tangent.

  51. Heavensrun

    There’s something hilariously tsundere about Malaya learning sign language so that she can talk to her friends and tell them about how she doesn’t give a crap about them.

  52. Dixie Normous

    Took me about, pff, two and a half days, but I went through the whole comic. I love it. It’s so good, and half past three in the morning brain power can’t put it into words quite well.
    <3

  53. shab

    I thought marcie was part robot this entire time. I just realized she’s signing.

  54. a4lbi

    I love webcomics that teach me things.

    Today I was sorely tempted to use the sign for “Don’t care.”

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