307

And we’re back!
Posted on September 10, 2020 by David M Willis

Dumbing of Age turns TEN YEARS OLD today!  Enjoy a brand new semester.

wait i've never done a "this strip is ten years old today, enjoy more of this strip" blog post before usually the strips end before now how do i do this

307 thoughts on “And we’re back!”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    You put a keg on the flat side

    so it stands

    hence the name

    …duh

    1. Ana Chronistic

      also I guess you soft reboot it every ten years is how, blog post

      1. Gash

        Speakin’ ’bout blog weirdness, this site changed colors on that news box thingy and some names before i hit the road, so i spent several minutes trying to calibrate a laptop’s screen colors thinking it was off, cause last time i seen them at my home pc, they were more of a salmon color, now they’re more like a minecraft pig.

        1. BRYAN SCOTT LANGLEY

          I love that ‘minecraft pig’ is a color! Pantone should adopt it!

      2. clif

        It was a fast 10 years though. (Well deserved congrats, by the way).
        So we have Joyce and Becky, check. Next is Walky and Billie?

  2. Chris

    So very sheltered.

    1. JaneDoe

      You think that’s bad? I’m 35 years old and I’m STILL not sure what a keg stand is ?

      1. LauraS

        I think it involves a funnel. (27)

        1. Victor

          You’re thinking buttchugging.

        2. Needfuldoer

          Remember to mark those days on your calendars.

        3. FacelessDeviant

          I think you’re thinking of a beer bong.

      2. Victor

        I’m almost 50. I’ve seen video.

        It involves drinking beer from a tap on a keg while doing a handstand on said keg.

        It’s unbelievably stupid. As in, it’s so completely pointless and in no way looks fun that I can’t really believe anyone does it other than because someone told them that keg stands are cool or something.

        The last college party I went to (which was long after college, maybe a decade ago) I brought the keg. (Party was for my former neighbors who were graduating, keg was my homebrew that they’d helped make for the occasion. I had great neighbors, even if they were vegetarians.)

        Somebody made a joking comment about a kegstand. One of the former neighbors made a joking comment about breaking arms for disrespecting good beer.

  3. Foxhack

    Something tells me these girls heard about too many 80s college movies.

    1. Doctor_Who

      “Let’s watch this one! It’s about Saint Elmo, so it must be spiritual!”

      “No, this one! It’s about a house full of animals!”

      1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        This one is about an angel’s heart!

      2. fridge_logic

        “I bet it’s like Noah’s Frat House! Maybe there will be a flood.”

      3. Victor

        https://robertbowenart.com/wp-content/gallery/art/st-elmos-fire.jpg

        (Click it. Totally worth seeing. Not even joking, you’ve got to see this.)

        1. psychaondy

          I was not disappointed.

        2. He Who Abides

          It’s . . . it’s . . . BEAUTIFUL.

    2. 0kami

      Here’s a good one! It’s got that pig from the Looney Tunes!

    3. Geneseepaws

      Really, this one, looks a little spooky, but kinda Batman-esque…it’s about a flying guy, The Crow.

    4. Willoughby Chase

      TOGA PARTIES!

  4. Octopus Ink

    Happy DOAnniversary!
    (I can’t believe it’s been a decade!)

  5. Doctor_Who

    Becky’s hair has gotten even Beckier. But is she the Beckiest?

    Meanwhile, Dina has systematically replaced every item of furniture in her room with dinosaurs.

    1. Regalli

      Her desk is an Ankylosaurus! (With a flat surface over its back to make for an actual desktop, whatever.)

    2. All-Purpose Guru

      Im surprised she isn’t livin’ with Dina.

      True story, at my college a couple girls were dating and decided to become roommates, they’re still together 30 years later.

      1. Skater Girl

        My guess is that her religious sensibilities won’t let her live with her girlfriend until they are married.

        1. He Who Abides

          She finds Dina irresistible, and is worried that anything beyond kissing and cuddling will end in premarital hanky-panky.

    3. Twitcher

      Do you think we’ll be getting flashbacks to certain plot relevant moments? I want to see Joyce’s confrontation with her mother, or is that upcoming? How Is this 2020, or 2021? would Carol rationalize Trump’s associations with Ghislaine Maxwell?

    4. TheKelliestKelly

      The Beckiest Becky

  6. Slartibeast Button, BIA

    But what happened to the brown car?

    1. Doctor_Who

      Well, the Brown is here, presumably she arrived in something.

      1. Farmer_10

        Forget the car, what about the tree?! It’s storyline was finally getting good and now we cut back to these chuckleheads? Ugh, Willis’ priorities are wack.

    2. Deanatay

      You know how Willis does things – he cuts to another scene, just when the drama was getting good. You’ll have to wait another week or two for the automobile-parking-lot resolution.

    3. Kamino Neko

      It gets around town, it’s a brown car, it’s brown.
      It likes to get around because the car is brown.

      (Any excuse to link the Frantics.)

  7. BBCC

    Happy Dumbiversary!

    I love these two nerds.

    1. Zor

      Oh holy shit I just realized they’re mirroring the first episode that came out EXACTLY ten years ago this is amazing

      1. StClair

        omg, you’re right.

        … omg, that art.

      2. All-Purpose Guru

        Hopefully the inaugural poop is off-screen.

        1. Ana Chronistic

          It’s so far off screen it got deleted

          Srsly, Patreon bonus

        2. Deanatay

          Check the alt-text.

    2. Regalli

      It’s so nice to see Becky leveled up in lesbian over the break!

  8. CorporateDronesDontHaveMissiles

    Becky’s new hairstyle in profile is excellent.

    1. Leorale

      Absolutely, those long luxurious locks. She’s like a My Little Pony.

      1. Nono

        How hard is it to maintain that kind of hairstyle? You have to carefully keep the other side short and probably trim the long side once in a while, at least.

        1. Skater Girl

          It’s not that difficult. You take electric clippers to the short side every week or two. The long side you trimmed the same as you do any other hairstyle.

        2. Lexi

          It’s super easy! Best hair decision I made ever was to do a side shave. You know how some days (especially with curls) you wake up and half your hair is PERFECT and the other half looks like a bird’s nest? And you just know that you’ll never be able to match the bird’s nest to the perfect curls without like, showering or something?

          That doesn’t exist with a side shave. Either your hair is ALL perfect or ALL a mess, and then you deal with it. I love it. I just make my husband shave it for me every couple weeks or so.

      2. Undrave

        But is she as difficult to translate into a physical object as a My Little Pony?!

        1. Needfuldoer

          In order for her hair to work the same on a figurine as it does in the comic, it would have to be a solid piece of transparent orange plastic. Kind of like the late 90s iMacs.

          If they worked out a way to make Walkyverse Mike’s hair work as a serviceable figurine, this should be a walk in the park.

    2. Keith Curtis

      Think of the strain to keep your head upright, though!

  9. Buli-Buli

    I should have expected Joyce to not really change over the time skip. She strikes me as the type to pick a look and stick with it for the long haul.

    Though… where did they go on break? I cannot imagine Joyce would have gone home to where her Mom is. Yet, at the same time I cannot see Joyce spending Christmas of all things away from family.

    1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      Go celebrate with Joycelyne? (sp?)

      1. Mra

        Joycelyne? I thought it was Joshilyne.

        1. Norah

          Jocelyne

    2. Jamie

      Leather Jacket Joyce, though…

    3. LiterallyJustSomeGuy

      She spent it with Becky’s family! … Oh. Oh, uhh… Dina’s family?

      1. Undrave

        Sarah’s Family where she was the favorite? Or with her dad at his new bachelor pad?

    4. Rotunda

      Probably just celebrated with Hank and Jocelyne, since Hank and Carol are likely to be separated by now. Hank has been very nice to Becky, and we know that Becky and Jocelyne get long. So it could have been a pleasant time.

    5. BBCC

      If they’re not divorced or separated yet, it was probably awkward but survivable with her dad there.

      If they are, probably was with Hank.

    6. bryy

      Yeah, I 10000000000000000000% don’t see Christmas or even Thanksgiving at her moms.

  10. Schpoonman

    Damn, look at Becky. I wish I were that cool.

  11. Mra

    So are they sharing the dorm now? Where is Sarah?

    1. tim gueguen

      Hiding under the bed to avoid their cheerfulness?

    2. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      Shacked up off-campus with Jacob. But his brother still thinks he is with Joyce. Hilarity ensues.

    3. Blob

      And if they’re not roommates, who is Becky going to live with?

    4. showler

      I was thinking that Sarah might pair well with Dina.

      Also give Willis a good chance to shake things up a bit and torment us about where Amber is for as long as possible.

  12. Sirksome

    Yeah, Becky’s in school! That was an easy call!

  13. Cattleprod

    Becky has longer hair, and now I wish I actually *stated* that prediction so I could claim to be right about it.

    1. Jamie

      It’s important. How else do you get internet kudos?

  14. Nono

    In darker news, Sarah is now rooming with one of: Roz, Mary or Raidah.

    How to Get Away with Murder: Indiana Edition

    1. Undrave

      Isn’t she allowed to have a room to herself by now?!

      1. BBCC

        Unlikely, assuming she still lives in this floor of this wing. There’s only two singles to my understanding and one’s reserved for the RA. Carla has the other and is unlikely to relinquish it.

        1. thejeff

          Someone has to be gone to make room for Becky. There usually isn’t a lot of moving around between semesters. Be interesting to see who.

        2. Blob

          Worried about Amber, since the tuition thing came up with Linda…

        3. King Daniel

          Becky replaces Bloodrose then, problem solved.

        4. Chronos

          who?

          I’m not being snarky; I genuinely don’t remember who that is.

        5. He Who Abides

          She’s a background character/ascended meme from It’s Walky. Basically, a Goth Semme agent that Willis wanted to do something with but never did.

          She’s still gotta better chance of showing up than Guns, though.

        6. thejeff

          She always appeared just offscreen. Like a hand or foot or something on panel, but never a full body shot.

          It is assumed that she’s on the floor, but never appears on panel. At least not enough to be tagged.

        7. Lieutenant Dan

          You rang?

    2. Kyrik Michalowski

      I can guarantee murder won’t be the first thing on her mind, it’ll be how to get away with murder.

      Trust me, she’s in law.

    3. LiterallyJustSomeGuy

      I think Sarah and Roz would get along well enough, no? At least Roz would be okay with Other Jacob, lol!

      In my headcannon, Mary has transferred to another building to try to establish herself there, since no one on this floor likes her (or submits to her). Then Roz gets a non-Mary roommate and we never have to see Mary again! Win-win!

      (I think Roz is the only one we know requested a room transfer, though. Someone please correct me. I don’t want Sarah or Becky rooming with Mary. I don’t wish that on anybody.)

      1. Reltzik

        I second that Sarah and Roz would mostly get along… in that they’d agree not to pester each other too much, Sarah would agree with Roz’s causes but be too cynical to think Roz can accomplish much with them, and Roz would agree with Sarah’s cynicism but insist they have to try anyway.

      2. thejeff

        In a twist, she goes to Forest and competes with Billie for dominance there – while Billie keeps trying to not be dominant, but also not let her take over.

      3. Needfuldoer

        Maybe Mary transferred to Anderson, since there was an opening there. Turns out she’s the only one who genuinely believes toxic bigotry over there and she’s still miserable.

        There’s our spinoff!

      4. Roborat

        Mary had to drop out because she got pregnant.

        1. Dr. T

          Willis did that story already. Well, kind of, at least. If I recall correctly, miss high and mighty got an abortion.

        2. He Who Abides

          And Peter Paul dropped her like a greasy turd once he found out about it.

    4. Norah

      I hope Sarah gets a nice roommate, or at least a civil one. I don’t like the idea of Roz as her roommate. Though it’d be better than rooming with Mary, still I could see Roz making fun of her and a Sarah reacting angrily.

      1. Norah

        Roz might make fun of Sarah’s lack of socializing. Or keep after her to socialize more, which would piss her off too.

    5. Tan

      Sarah is now sharing Becky’s apartment with Robin (iirc only freshmen are required to live in the dorms).

      Alternatively, Joyce is just helping Becky get moved in and still rooms with Sarah. I’m hoping for this as I think Becky and Roz would be good roommates.

      1. thejeff

        That seems more likely to me.

        Not sure who Becky is rooming with though. Maybe Bloodrose. Who we will still never see.

      2. Dr. T

        Actually, freshmen who have family within 50 miles of campus are not required to live in the dorms. If Robin is living in that apartment, that is less than a mile from campus and Roz *could* live there if she actually wanted to if Robin had done a complete 180 in her politics over the time skip.

  15. LiterallyJustSomeGuy

    And We’re BACK!

  16. butts

    SO MUCH BECKY!!!

  17. danielle

    well this is exciting!

  18. Ray Radlein

    Are they roommates? Would Joyce cruelly abandon Sarah?

    1. Reltzik

      Depends how hard Sarah begged her to.

      1. Ray Radlein

        I imagine Sarah is of the opinion that a replacement for Joyce would be a heck of a crapshoot (consider her previous roommate, for example)

    2. Bicycle Bill

      If you look at the very first strip, the door to Joyce’s room was hinged on the left (as you look at it from inside the room).  This door, from the same perspective, is hinged on the right.  Hence, this is Becky’s new room, and Joyce and Sarah are still roommates somewhere down the hall.

      Becky’s new roommate (and new character) coming up in three…. two….

      1. Ray Radlein

        But if Joyce abandoned Sarah, she would be moving into a different room, with, one assumes, a different door (because they tend to frown on people taking their old doors with them when they move)

      2. showler

        Also, Becky abandoned her jacket in three seconds flat while Joyce still has hers on. So this could indeed be Becky’s room and Joyce hasn’t proceeded to her own room yet.

        1. thejeff

          That’s my theory, but we’ll found out soon.

        2. He Who Abides

          Agreed, Joyce isn’t abandoning Big Sister #1 (to her knowledge, not ours) that quickly. Just wondering who Becky’s new roomie is.

          Bloodrose? Guns? Wen? Someone I can’t think of right now?

  19. King Daniel

    Ah, the joys and wonders to be found in…*checks what month it is currently in DoA*…January 2020.

    Anyone else still remember how January seemed such an awful month?

    1. leaf

      I mean I think there was a big amazon fire that was kind of worrying but it wasn’t immediately, directly affecting me and oh my god is the Amazon still on fire???

      1. King Daniel

        Believe it or not, those notorious Amazon fires were a year ago.

        Now Australia, on the other hand, didn’t stop burning until just five months ago, and was definitely still burning in January. And let’s not even get into that brief WWIII panic certain parts of the Internet stirred themselves into in January 2020…

        1. EvilMidnightLurker

          Meanwhile on the California coast, the sky is so orange I keep trying to pull sorcery from the Imperial Orb.

        2. Agemegos

          Brust?

        3. Slartibeast Button, BIA

          Must be the Interregnum.

        4. EvilMidnightLurker

          Indeed.

        5. drs

          I did not expect a Brust comment!

        6. Deanatay

          I was walkin’ along, mindin’ my business… WHANG! BAM! ALAKAZAM!

        7. Agemegos

          Yep! Where I live we had three years of drought culminating in no rain for ten months until February 2020, and didn’t see the sky for forty-nine days from the seventh of November 2019 because of smoke.

        8. Norah

          And we were starting to hear about a scary virus ? in January.

        9. Agemegos

          I didn’t start writing panicky letters to my political people and newspapers until the second week of March. We had had four weeks of no-disaster by then.

        10. Needfuldoer

          Everything was fairly normal around here until the TP disappeared.

        11. thejeff

          It was normal here, but if you were paying attention to what was happening in Wuhan it was clearly a threat in January and spreading worldwide (Italy & Iran) in early February.
          At that point, we could still believe that the CDC wasn’t compromised and would be able to keep things under control here. Now we know that Trump knew at the time how serious a threat it was and was deliberately downplaying it for political reasons.

        12. Needfuldoer

          Oh absolutely. It’s good to have our suspicions confirmed, or at least substantiated, though.

          Around here, for the average citizen willful ignorance and belligerent contradiction were out in full force until it hit home. (Even if the shortages only lasted all of two weeks if you knew where and when to shop. Thanks, Market Basket.)

        13. Roborat

          Then the fire nation attacked?

        14. Needfuldoer

          Only the master of all four elements (masks, TP, dimensional lumber, and pasta) can return our nations to peace.

      2. Nono

        At this point, Australia had been on fire for months.

        1. Agemegos

          17 million hectares of land burned (43 million acres). 3,094 houses were destroyed. 33 people were killed and more injured.

      3. Roborat

        Well, it is a big warehouse.

    2. Keulen

      I actually thought 2020 might be ok at the start, but it went downhill really fast.

  20. leaf

    Who the hell are these people?

    1. abysswatcher1993

      Less naive Joyce and gayer Becky.

      1. Deanatay

        As in, Becky’s TOTALLY happier!

  21. Mra

    Becky’s bangs seemed to have grown a lot longer than the rest of her hair in the same time

  22. JetstreamGW

    I am completely in to seeing plastered Joyce.

    Do it.

    1. Reltzik

      Probably too reminiscent of roofied Joyce.

      1. JetstreamGW

        Unlikely.

      2. Devin

        Yeah, I don’t think that’ll go very far past learning what the thing means.

  23. Dave Van Domelen

    Students coming back from break with significantly different hairstyles (even just growing it way out) really messes with my ability to recognize them.

    1. Dave Van Domelen

      (Especially now that hair and eyes are about all I see of their heads!)

    2. Undrave

      Everybody’s getting new design. Maybe someone’s gone cueball?! Maybe we’ll get new characters?

      1. Greebs

        Certainly whoever was wishing for Sal to dump straightening her hair might be getting their wish.

        That silhouette lineup contains a high concentration of *pomf*.

        1. Dr. T

          A lot of people’s hair look’s like it is going to be a pain to draw. Obviously we see Becky’s glorious ‘do. Both Sal and Walky look like their hair are going to be nice and lush. Whoever Fuckface is sitting on (Dorothy?) will also take more work than before. Even Danny’s seems that it could be reverting to a terrible 90’s mullet. The one that could be Mike would be at least more subtle than in the past, but I don’t know if that makes it harder or not.

          While it’s nice that it looks like Lucy is getting elevated to the main cast, I am disturbed by the shocking lack of both Jacob and Ethan in that image.

        2. Dr. T

          Oh, and we cannot ignore that it looks as though Sarah has stopped wearing her headscarf and let her hair down. I’m looking forward to seeing that.

  24. Sirksome

    Ten years. Y’know when this comic started I was just starting college myself and could relate to these characters. Now I’m an old and bitter adult that would actively be working against them if I existed in their universe!

    1. UrsulaDavina

      I was also sitting in college to and I still am beacuse Dissertations are hard made harder when they cut your funding beacuse of Covid budget constraints!

  25. Stephen Bierce

    Bless ‘Em All, Bless ‘Em All
    The Long and the Short and the Tall
    Bless all the sophomores and the Room Admin gals
    Bless all the lesbians and underage pals…
    ‘Cause We’re saying goodbye to them all
    As back to their dorm rooms they crawl
    You’re still just a frosh and this term’s been a wash
    But cheer up for now, Bless ‘Em ALL!    –apologies to the Air Corps

    1. Deanatay

      Hijacks the Muzak to play “Under An Orange-Colored Sky” by Nat King Cole

      Sorry, I’m in California…

      1. Stephen Bierce

        Lynda Carter remade that with The Muppets. Classic.

  26. Shiro

    Aaaaaaaaa I love Becky’s new look!!! ♥

  27. Cholma

    Happy Walkyversary!

  28. Octo

    So at this rate, only 70 more years until Joyce graduates!

    1. Deanatay

      Unless Willis decides to time-skip again…

  29. Joyfulldreams

    Becky….your hair. My god.

    1. Needfuldoer

      Next semester she’ll be Rapunzel on one side, and Sinead O’Connor on the other.

      The sides will be flipped, no explanation given.

  30. Androiddreams

    Happy ten years!!!

  31. Suet

    To ten more years with only 90 days worth of storyline!!!

    *adds “Joyce Finally Learns What a Kegstand Is” to the long shots*

    1. Reltzik

      “Kegstand”.

      “Long Shot”.

      ISWYDT.

  32. Mra

    Becky looks ready for a shampoo commercial.

  33. DrWattson

    We’re entering year 11 of a Willis comic. This is uncharted territory.

  34. Joe Moose

    [Lemon Demon’s ‘Birthday’ plays on hacked Muzak speakers]

  35. Kyrik Michalowski

    Just ask Billie, she’ll tell you what keg-standing is and you will immediately realize why you won’t do it.

    Also, happy anniversary Willis, and everyone else. What is your favorite strip from the past decade?

    Mine: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/02-that-perfect-girl/fox/

    1. Peter

      For me, it has to be one of these two:

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/02-everything-youve-ever-wanted/approachable/

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-7/01-glower-vacuum/cobwebs/

      1. Kyrik Michalowski

        I’m a big fan of the second one, it’s always nice to see Becky and Dina.

    2. Reltzik

      Billie’s an English major, and one of the top rules of writing is “show, don’t tell”.

      1. BBCC

        Ruth’s an English major, Billie’s a journalism major.

    3. SuperFroakie82

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/02-everything-youve-ever-wanted/blame-2/
      Maybe not my absolute favorite, but I’ve always really liked the colors and expressions in this one specifically for whatever reason (and the one before it I suppose).

    4. BBCC

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/erase/

      This is my favourite. It always makes me smile.

    5. Tan

      I don’t know that I have a specific favorite, but I am nonetheless going to throw this one on the pile: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/criminal/

    6. He Who Abides

      I can’t make links on my phone, so I’ll just say either “You gotta fuck the shit outta Ruth!”, that one where Billie punches Mary’s block off, or Becky and Dina sharing a bed after the birthday party.

  36. TomHCinMI

    I guess Indiana U (or is it U of Indiana?) doesn’t have “Jan terms” like my 4-year college did?

    1. Regalli

      Looks like IU does summer terms, but since their spring semester starts in mid-January or so there’s not really time to have even a three-week one when you account for Christmas/New Year’s. (Since fall semester apparently only ends December 18, they can’t shove one in before, either.)

    2. KJ

      Indiana University, University of Indiana, and Indiana State University are three separate colleges lol…Indiana University also has 8 distinct campuses (that are separate colleges, although a large number of resources and systems are unified across the campuses).

      I think IUB has a few winter courses, sometimes. Not very many, though.

  37. bea

    It’s so weird–I started reading this in high school, and when I got to college & hit midterms freshman year I remember I took special care to look around and be like “I am, right now, at the same place as the DoA people”. but time kept moving. i already had my second semester of freshman year and they’re having it now. kinda surreal tbh

  38. Opus the Poet

    First, happy decennial, which spell check confirms is a real word that I spelled correctly.

    Second I don’t think they would have been nearly as happy to be back if they had a good winter break, and I don’t see how Becky could have had a good break in her and Joyce’s home town, so yeah she is Very Glad to be back. And I’m betting she and Dina got together over the break and did The Dirty, so their meetings will be total dorkfests as they try to pretend they didn’t while getting together as often as possible to repeat the act.

    1. Axel

      Becky did at least have her own place, so it might have been a choice of lonely rather than horrible hometown (since she probably couldn’t stay the entire time with Dina)

  39. MugiwaraNoPancakes

    And so season 2 begins

  40. Kater

    Becky looks fantastic

  41. whatthelewis

    BECKY??? holy shit

  42. abysswatcher1993

    NO PUEDE SER! JOYCE FINISHED A SEMESTER! THIS IS A FIRST TIME IN THE WILLIS MULTIVERSE!!!!

    1. David M Willis

      joyce finished three semesters in roomies

      1. abysswatcher1993

        Bad brain! I I just realized that now! Dammit retroactive Willis!

  43. Axel

    becky’s gonna steal cameron esposito’s look

    1. JessWitt

      That’s who she reminded me of! It was on the tip of my tongue.

      1. Axel

        I watched one of her older specials recently, so that helped

  44. Reltzik

    Leaving aside the question of whether Joyce and Becky are now roomies (mostly because everyone else is fielding that ball), I have to glom onto Becky’s “best friends in Christ” line.

    That’s… not where we left Joyce, spiritually-speaking. So what’s happening here?

    As she still not shared her religious doubts with Becky in a clear way that Becky can understand?

    Have several months of (presumable) peace and happiness helped quiet those doubts so that she can go weeks without wrestling with them, to the point where she doesn’t really remember they existed most days?

    HAS she told Becky, only for Becky to be in complete and pointed denial about it?

    1. Reltzik

      *Has she still not shared grrrrrrrrr

    2. Alex Boston

      Maybe they found a more gay-friendly branch of Christianity?

      1. Reltzik

        Well that would solve all the problems that Becky might have had. But Joyce, not so much. Joyce was questioning whether she’d ever actually had a personal relationship with a God at all, whether the people who’d taught her about God were trustworthy in the first place, etc. Finding Christians who aren’t all “kill da gays” is nice, but doesn’t deal with those other concerns.

        1. C.T Phipps

          Becky being in denial about Joyce’s loss of faith would be an interesting but unexpected plotline. Especially if Becky held onto her faith through what she viewed as a much worse tribulation.

          (Loss of faith doesn’t work like that–only in movies–but Becky might not know that)

          Or maybe Joyce has zig-zagged on that.

      2. Needfuldoer

        Maybe she just put up a facade to make spending time in La Porte (and especially proximity to Carol) more tolerable, and hasn’t dropped it yet.

      3. Roborat

        With Big Gay Al as the minister/pastor/whatever.

  45. UrsulaDavina

    If you do all of those things( except the pajamas) you will regret them latter.

  46. smatterguy

    Wait so they’ve been away for 2-3 months?
    Was college in break?
    Was it a long holiday?
    Is that why they were away for so long?

    I have no idea how USA colleges work with semesters.
    I’m European.

    1. Regalli

      The rest of October, November, and December were uneventful. Colleges in the US usually have a break from mid-late December to mid-January for Christmas, New Year’s,* and everyone taking a breath for another few weeks before they plunge back in again (so that out of state or international students can actually come home, for instance,) though some colleges offer optional, shortened winter terms January.

      * The US academic calendar is extremely Christian-centric as a whole, so even though there are other winter holidays that’s the one it’s built around. Public schools in my area started giving Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur off sometime around a decade, decade and a half ago, but that’s not universal and it was only the mandatory schooling, not college. You’ll generally get excused from class for them if you ask, at least in my area, but the onus is on you to ask whereas it’d be unthinkable to schedule a school event on Christmas.

      1. Kyrik Michalowski

        Damn, you beat me to it, I was taking too long to write my comment.

        1. Regalli

          Given how long I took on that asterisk, it was mostly luck.

      2. Regalli

        By which I mean in that asterisk, if high holy days involving fasting from one of the more visible and (relatively) accepted religions aren’t considered by a lot of public calendaring in the US because they’re not Christian, why the fuck would anything else be?

    2. Kyrik Michalowski

      They weren’t gone for 2-3 months, they are back from winter break, which is typically 2-3 weeks, I believe. The reason we didn’t see the rest of October, November, December and the first bit of January was because Willis wanted to skip ahead to the new semester.

  47. Curiosity

    Is it just me, or are they taller than before?

  48. Regalli

    So in the weeks to come ignore the pageants that they’ll hold,
    Skip the football matches,
    And the globes made out of gold,
    Screw all those apprentices,
    And every bachelorette,
    Give into the miracle that no one thought we’d get!
    IT’S A NEW SEMESTER though it will be quite long,
    A new semester with some slightly new shadings,
    There’s still no reason comments burst into song,
    You’ll know hell’s freezing if Malaya’s not grating!

    (… Look, it wouldn’t leave my head so I had to try.)

    1. JaneDoe

      Does this mean the semester ends with a huge battle between rival dormitories? And a wedding planner/evil sorcerer?

      1. Regalli

        Forrest Quad’s secrets are finally revealed.

  49. Cool Beans

    Happy Dumbing of Age 10th Anniversary! And congratulations on continuing past ten years!

  50. Devin

    I have just…so many questions.

  51. Jem

    honestly, I am HYPE for all these time skip reveals. is Mike now a masked avenger? is Walky snogging….actually, IDC. did Joe and Amber have familial holiday bonding?

    1. Regalli

      God what I wouldn’t give to see flashbacks to that Thanksgiving.

  52. C.T Phipps

    Oh no, Becky no longer looks like Sombra!

  53. Siddlaw

    Anyone else playing Who’s that Pokemon with cast?

    1. SuperFroakie82

      I’m pretty sure the Mike looking one is Mike, so he’s probably not dead unless brain Mike got a hair cut. Also, the apparent absence of Ethan is a bit strange, but probably nothing.

    2. Keulen

      Walky’s the second on the left, with his shoelaces untied.

    3. Poskie

      Yes! My list from left to right is Sal (rocking her natural hair!), Walky, Ruth, Dina, Dorothy (with Fuckface on her head??), Carla, Joe, Sarah, Mike, Amber/Amazi-Girl, Billie, Danny, ???, and Malaya.
      Any guesses as to who’s between Danny and Malaya??

      1. Poskie

        On second glance, I feel pretty sure it’s Lucy.

      2. AngelVS20

        Roz

      3. JessWitt

        I was wondering what that thing was on Dorothy’s head. Looked like a weird skull or a Garbage Roof hat.

        1. Poskie

          it’s Fuckface wearing a weird skull!

  54. Rikunda

    Wait are they roomies now?! That is probably the best news we are going to hear. Eventually we will hear about Amber and need to cry, and then remember Mike never woke up… ENJOY THIS TIME!

  55. Moon

    i keep thinking doa is like 6 years old? 10 years ago i was in elementary school whadda hell

  56. Moon

    wait where’s sarah….

  57. Keulen

    So does this mean Becky and Joyce are roomies? And if so, who is Sarah rooming with now?

  58. Sporky

    I guess Becky REALLY doesn’t mind only being able to see out of one eye.

    1. Roborat

      Depth perception is so overrated.

  59. Robert

    Just went back and reread the first twenty or thirty strips.

    That was a real mind-stretcher.

  60. Sneaky

    Is that sal with her natural hair on the left!! And billie with short hair? And Sarah with a different style?? Yes i only focus on the hair shut up

    1. BigDogLittleCat

      I think so! It seems good that Sal is reclaiming her natural hair. If she wants to of course.

      1. BBCC

        It’ll be awesome but I’d be kinda sad we didn’t get to see her make that decision in real time.

        On the other hand, her parents are the worst and there’s only so much of their bullshit my blood pressure can take.

  61. Nelly Dreadful

    Pyjamas are a social construct. Learn this wisdom in college, carry it with you for life.

  62. Bagge

    I love how this is a callback to the first strip.

    I love Beckys’ new haircut (extra rad. Hey, aren’t you happy toe-jerk, she ‘reclaimed her womanhood’)

    I love Becky and Joyce being their usual double act.

    and I love, love LOVE that Becky finally is a student. This will be epic.

    1. Regalli

      … I did not get the metatextual dig at Toedad of growing her one side out but YES. She took a level in lesbian while ‘reclaiming her womanhood,’ beautiful.

  63. Lexi

    Becky that hair is fabulous.

  64. SalleighG

    On the question of what Joyce did during the elapsed time: got to meet John’s wife Christi would be one possibility.

    https://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/christi/

    1. thejeff

      Offscreen?

      Not allowed.

  65. Green

    Yes yes yes yes, Becky making her big debut as a student! Someone who learns all sorts of things! Someone who’s gonna be a SCIENTIST!

    Also, don’t feel too bad, Joyce. I’m not really sure if I know what a keg stand is either, and now I refuse to google it. Solidarity

    1. Sunny

      I looked it up on duckduckgo. It would be more fitting to call it a keg handstand.

      1. Green

        Oh hot dang, a loophole that I definitely should have seen coming.

    2. Roborat

      It is the stand you put the keg on, those suckers are heavy.

      -looks at camera and blinks innocently.

  66. saltchocolate

    Happy Dumbiversary, Willis! As others have said here, I cannot believe it has been 10 years!! Thanks for all the feels! And please don’t stop anytime soon, or the rest of us will be wandering around going “Life after Dumbing of Age?? How do l do this?”

  67. BenRG

    I think that this is the first time we’ve seen the ‘real’ Becky – the girl she would be, aesthetically speaking, if she hadn’t had someone else’s standards imposed on her.

    Oddly enough, the only thing in my head is whether that ‘do would make her head feel lopsided in terms of weight distribution!

  68. Vancore

    Wow, guess that answers how you were going to do Halloween, Thanksgiving and Chrismas. As slow as the comic was going it would have been years in each Holiday. It makes a lot of sense that they had those months off though, after what they’ve been through with the last Arc. Anyway, good job at skipping those Holidays Willis, guessing were gonna get some flashbacks at some time though.

  69. Slartibeast Button, BIA

    By the way how did we get through the previous four strips without any Rapture jokes?

    1. Roborat

      Too obvious.

  70. Lexi

    BECKY!! THAT HAIR!! BACK IN ACTION AND READY FOR A NEW SEMESTER!! YES!! I AM HYPED!!

  71. Delicious Taffy

    Joyce is gonna try alcohol exactly one time and instantly become a booze savant.

    1. Alan in DC

      Hope not… that bit was done in “Questionable Content” some time back.

      1. He Who Abides

        It took Claire two drinks to do that. Joyce could do it in one, I bet.

  72. Rabid Rabbit

    Man. Becky is looking… shapely, all of a sudden.

    I mean, she’s got hips, and bosoms. Where did those come from?

    1. BenRG

      It wouldn’t surprise me if she deliberately tried to cover that stuff up due to Ross telling her that her body was intrinsically shameful and only to be shown to her husband.

      1. Roborat

        Possibly she was not eating properly due to stress, and is now catching up, or she had a really good christmas.

    2. Eldritchy

      Her hair thingy also seems longer and more lively.

    3. Delicious Taffy

      She looks about how she did during Joyce’s party, maybe a little curvier. It’s amazing what a couple months of freedom can do for your figure, though. Oh, and the flannel+vest combo has some sort of magic that makes people hotter. Maybe that’s just the Italian in me talking.

      1. StClair

        Freedom and eating regularly / not (under constant threat of) being homeless.

    4. Bagge

      Not that Dina has noticed or anything…

      1. Sunny

        Dina probably has noticed, but she strikes me as someone who approves of a healthy metabolism and some fat reserves since those signal that Becky is a mating partner who’s likely to survive winter and strong enough to raise offspring. Just like dinosaurs would’ve done back when.

  73. NinjaNick

    Becky’s growing out that hair. I like it.

  74. Acher4

    Happy 10 Anniversary!!!

    Re-starting… 😛

  75. Buggman

    How in the heck did Becky’s hair grow six inches in six weeks?

    1. BBCC

      ? We skipped November and December, it’s been at least 8.

      1. BenRG

        Closer to 10 to 12 weeks, IMO.

        1. BBCC

          Well, 10 days of October, so at least 9, plus however long in January they’re off for winter break.

        2. Buggman

          Okay: How in the heck did Becky’s hair grow six inches in ten weeks?

    2. Delicious Taffy

      The American Midwest has an excellent climate for rapid hair growth.

  76. fudo81

    Hooray for the new semester!
    I’ll need a TON of flashback strips to catch up on what we’ve missed, though.

    1. BenRG

      Advice: Don’t hold your breath for too many flashbacks.

  77. Taigan

    I’m sorry we missed thanksgiving. I figured that was going to be a chance to see more of Jocelyn.

    1. BenRG

      FWIW, I suspect that the current atmosphere in the Brown parental home is so tense and toxic that none of the children are happy to be there, not even John.

  78. Booker

    So….no Holloween costumes. Alright team headcanon let’s go! What did everyone dress as?!

    1. Eldritchy

      Dina wore an anatomically incorrect dinosaur outfit… because it’s disturbing as far as she is concerned.

    2. BenRG

      Joyce and Sal wore Black Canary and Huntress costumes on a dare. There was an incident where corrupt cops and the local mob were up to no good in which Amber/Mazie (dressed as Kate Kane/Batwoman) became involved. The next day’s newspapers were… interesting reads.

      The ladies directly involved are treating it as a Noodle Incident.

    3. Spencer

      Danny strikes me as a Spider-Man.

    4. King Daniel

      Someone a few days ago linked art Willis drew of DoA!Joyce in a Rapunzel costume and talking about how she’d once snuck away to watch that movie with Becky (and how the irony of doing that was not lost on her when considering Tangled‘s plot), so maybe that’s what Joyce went as?

  79. Shmid

    Becky with the good hair ?

  80. CMasta1992

    The Gang Goes to a Frat Party

  81. thumb

    The Big Leagues: Part Deux

  82. Willoughby Chase

    ROAD TRIP

  83. He Who Abides

    Happy tenth, DOA!

  84. Username Taken

    10 more years! 10 more years!

  85. Sombrero

    Welcome, DoA Season 2!! (will we get to know WTF about the cars?)

  86. ValdVin

    Happy ten years! I feel like I’m a latecomer having only been onboard for not quite four of them.

    Love how Becky’s hair is growing like realtime.

  87. Kaidah

    At this rate they’ll finally finish college in, what, 70 years real time? Hmm…I might have to make some changes to my lifestyle so I can live that long. lol

  88. Makkabee

    That’s a lot of hair growth for Becky in just three months.

    And while obviously I don’t have a deciding vote here, I prefered it short.

    1. StClair

      Hie thee to Jeph’s comic, then.

  89. oh hay

    Soooo… where’s Ethan at.

    1. Spencer

      I don’t think he’s in the cast of silhouettes, unless he changed his hair.

  90. Eric

    February.

  91. llamaman

    So, ten years per semester? I look forward to seeing the cast graduate just short of my 110th birthday…

  92. Rabisch

    HOORAY!

  93. John

    Aww, are Joyce and Sarah not roommates anymore? Sad.

  94. JessWitt

    Wow! I mean, there’s no other way to start the story than calling back to the first strip, Becky’s new hairstyle, and she’s finally an IU student!

  95. Spencer

    Heavy post-Dark Cybertron MTMTE vibes in panel one.

  96. Cybersnark

    Happy Decade of Age!

  97. Megan Rivera

    Aw, look at Becky’s hair! It got so long!

  98. Arioch

    So, someone commented I think yesterday about a vaguely Mike silhouette is the picture that now seems to be filling in and I looked at it today… Is it just me or is there no Ethan silhouette?

    1. Spencer

      Yeah I’m pretty sure the tall guy is Joe.

      Ethan died on the way back to his home planet.

    2. Dr. T

      No Ethan or Jacob. Dorothy might be missing as well unless that is who Fuckface is using as a perch.

  99. bcb

    Happy 10 year anniversary!

  100. psychaondy

    Becky’s hair looks great.

    Also, congratulations on TEN YEARS of daily updates!

    1. bryy

      like, holy jesus.

      1. thejeff

        Wasn’t daily for the first little bit. Skipped weekends, I believe. Daily updates were an early book Kickstarter goal.

  101. whatthelewis

    With the silhouettes, I’m actually really excited to see how Malaya looks.

    1. Spencer

      Far right, I think they still have their new haircut from a while ago.

  102. Rinkaaaaa

    Gaaaaaaaah Becky and Joyce look amazing, let’s just ignore all the trauma and enjoy BECKY’S HAAAAIIIIIR AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

  103. ziggy78eog

    You put the keg down, so you can stand on it, like a step ladder. You’re welcome.

  104. MyaApplesauce

    Becky’s hair is so rad, I might have to steal it for one of my own characters.

  105. Raptorofwar

    Ooooh, a fourth wall break. Joyce knows what’s up.

  106. Ryan

    Am I not the only one wondering where Joyce went over the break? Surely not home.

  107. Akimaye

    First Time comment. I just noticed that this page parallels alot with the first page of the comic, only that Joyce is helping Becky move in… and maybe that’s Hank behind them in panel 1 with the box? (it’s a small detail, but look!)

  108. Leadsynth

    Huge congratulations to Willis! <3 Happy birthday, DoA!

  109. DarkoNeko

    Dang, it’s so long now

  110. Roborat

    OMFG Becky, that hair, you are the very incarnation of the flaming lesbian.

    1. StClair

      (cue the Gilbert and Sullivan tune)

    2. Axel

      I already made this joke, but she saw Cameron Esposito between then and now

  111. Axel

    I hope they at least talk about some of the missing time. Did they have a Friendsgiving and/or Friendsmas? Were they excused for the rest of the semester (and if so, is Sarah’s scholarship and academic standing in order to keep it still okay?). Did Joyce get to see Jocelyn, even if she hasn’t come out to Joyce yet? Where did Joyce and Becky go over the break (whether several-month or just winter)?

  112. IsakGlaser

    Time Keeps Jumping Forward
    Congrats on the decade of college

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