Briefly
Posted on April 28, 2014 by David M Willis

143 thoughts on “Briefly”

  1. Jen Aside

    NOPE NO ONE ELSE HAS EXACTLY THE SAME TRANSFORMERS AS AMAZI-GIRL NOPE

    1. David Herbert

      Damn, her poker face is too strong, how can I prove who she really is?

      1. Yotomoe

        I’d know that Amazi-rack anywhere!!!

        1. Kaiden

          Don’t forget the Amazi-Hair.

        2. ninja_jesus

          And dat Amazi-Booty.

        3. JustCheetoDust

          Indeed.

        4. nothri

          And that Amazi-ass.

          What? She uses a mule to carry her equipment on the really serious missions. She can’t keep everything inside a pocket, you know.

        5. killerbeareater

          Tell that to batman.
          CURSE! i forgot he has a utility belt

    2. GoldStarz

      If this were a suspense-thriller thing, then this would be the part where Dorothy either gets murderer or where Amber gets all creepy. But since it’s not. we get Transformers throwing!

      1. Unkind fish

        Even better than murder.

    3. Undrave

      I’d have the same Transformers as Amazi-Girl if they would come out. WHERE’S MAH TAILGATE HASBRO?!!

      1. David M Willis

        It’ll be a while before you have Crosscut.

    4. Prior Semblance

      It might not prove anything but the less evidence the better

  2. EvilPenguin

    Dorothy was engineered to be manhandled by Walky.

    1. Jay Eff

      …..who is sorta like a five-year-old, himself.

      1. Carlos

        I now find myself disturbed…. Thanks Jay Eff, I’m gonna go be alone for a while now.

        1. Andrusi

          Thoughts of Dorothy and Walky make us all want some alone time.

  3. Stephen Bierce

    Are we gonna call this Tailgate-Gate?

    1. LiaHansen

      Yes I believe we are.

  4. Hoboturtle

    For a brief moment I misread the comic. I thought Dorothy was going to touch one of the Transformers and Amber threw it yelling “hit the deck!”

    1. Yotomoe

      And then it blows up like a grenade. Dorothy actually found Amazi-girl’s secret stash of weapons cleverly disguised as Children’s toys.

  5. newllend

    Way to act like you have nothing to hide amber, smooth.

  6. ridtom

    Smooth Amber, now leap out the window while she’s distracted!

    1. Yotomoe

      Or when she’s not distracted. She won’t question you if she thinks you’re INSANE.

      1. JustCheetoDust

        It worked for Helga in The Oblongs.

  7. Wonder Wig

    Built for a five-year old, strong enough for an Amber.

  8. HMRC4EVR

    Hey…she’s terrified of what might happened, but she’s still got it together enough to know that’s the one toy Dorothy does NOT need to see.

    1. Kaiden

      What about the shoe and USB cable? Although, I guess the cable is pretty nondescript. Or… (gasp) the Amazi-Girl costume hanging in her closet?

  9. Rob S

    Is that Generations Doubledealer I see?

    1. Rob S

      Or is it Whirl? Hard to tell…

      1. Rob S

        … yeah, now that I really look at it, I think it’s Whirl.

    2. Kamino Neko

      In his post of the comic on Tumblr, Willis points out that the selection of toys are the crew of the Lost Light, so definitely Whirl. Also, Skids, Swerve, Tailgate (duh), Cyclonus, and Ratchet (I THINK…he’s kind of a white and red blob at this resolution, but the details SEEM to be Ratchet’s).

      1. David M Willis

        Crosscut.

        1. Kamino Neko

          Darnit. Ah, well, at least my guess made sense.

  10. JustCheetoDust

    Andy Samberg approves.

  11. Kaiden

    Somewhere, in another universe, Ethan is having a heart attack.

    Oh, yeah, and Amber is dangerously close to a nervous breakdown, what with beating the shit outta her dad and trying not to get caught.

    1. KingMabel

      “Feeling… disturbance….almost..as if…Transformer was…damaged in…some other dimension…

      1. Kaiden

        “It’s as if a million transformers collectors suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.”

        1. leftwingfox

          “It’s as if a million transformers collectors suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced won’t shut up already!”

  12. Yotomoe

    Tailgate? I don’t even know anyone who owns a transformer.

    1. newllend

      Willis probably has 30 in his room, 25 in his closet, And 200 in his basement. Which if he sold them he could make About $50,000, but not like he’s ever going to sell them.

      1. David M Willis

        I have probably 800 in my basement.

        1. newllend

          OK now I’m serious how many do you own I’m just curious?

        2. David M Willis

          Probably 900-1000. I haven’t counted in a few years.

        3. LWS

          Given the value, do you have them insured? I can just imagine the insurance agent’s face: “Hi, I’d like a quote on insuring 1,000 Transformers please.”

        4. Ocbrad1

          Definitely a conversation to be recorded!

        5. Bill

          Something like that would definitely be a dealbreaker on “Baggage”.

    2. Jerden

      That’s because, apparently, Willis has them all.

    3. OldFart

      Whew! Thought I was the only one, like maybe Transformer obsession was a requirement for readership. Thanks for setting me straight, Yotomoe.

  13. Henry

    So I’m sort of rooting for Dorothy to become the Lois Lane to Amber’s Amazigirl. Yes, like that. I ship it.

    1. LiaHansen

      Oooooooohohoho, I hadn’t even thought of it that way.

    2. Historyman68

      Danny would be even more pissed.

    3. JustCheetoDust

      I never would have expected the Spanish Inquisition to be a fan of the Amber x Dorothy pairing.

      1. Jerden

        No one expects…

        Sorry. I’ll show myself out.

        1. xKiv

          That’s a highly dubious statement, considering the rate of birth in the world.

  14. Shanunu

    Hmm, is Amber nervous about being caught or is she reverting to shut in Amber?

    1. Kaiden

      Both.

    2. Sam

      Pretty sure she is nervous about Dorothy recognising that transformer and putting the dots together that she is Amazi-Girl, which is why she quickly found a reason to throw it far away from her.

    3. insomniac

      Keep in mind, we know Dorothy’s following up a vague lead about it being Amber’s dad who Amazi-Girl beat up.

      For all Amber knows, the jig is up and she’s already been found out.

      Which is a problem for someone who created the entire persona as a way to hide parts of herself, as well as being a source of perfectly rational fear of going to jail for assault and battery.

  15. MM

    So…best-case scenario, Dorothy decides Amber is way too flaky to have engineered a beating and fled the scene?

  16. Doctor_Who

    If this story ends with Dorothy finding some evidence that Amazi-Girl lives here…and deciding it’s Dina, I’ll be SO happy.

    1. Yotomoe

      Of course. It was right in front of my face. The Athletics. The full Figure. The hair and voice. It could ONLY be Dina.

      1. Doctor_Who

        Well, you know how when Superman pretends to be Clark Kent he acts all timid and shy, so you’d never suspect him in a million years?

        Clever girl.

        1. KingMabel

          And look at you! I’ve discovered your secret identity and you haven’t moved a muscle. As if you have no grasp on the concepts of surprise or fear.

      2. newllend

        Of course! Who just stands in the same place all day it hast to be her!

        1. Blue Dragon

          Once people get used to her standing in the same place all day, she cleverly replaces herself with a cardboard figure while she goes out to fight crime.

  17. LiamAldam

    Hmm, Amber has a really powerful throwing arm for someone who plays on her computer all day.

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Rage-quitters are known for their throwing skills.

      1. John

        Amber can play Mario Kart with gloves on while beating up purse-snatchers. I’m thinking she doesn’t have a need to rage-quit very often.

        1. No Name

          But Dorothy doesn’t know that.

    2. Prior Semblance

      Throwing a toy halfway across a tiny room = powerful throwing arm?

  18. otusasio451

    She’s losin’ it. SHE’S LOSIN’ IT!!

    1. KingMabel

      Did she ever have it?

      1. Some1udontknow

        Didnt she just have it in her hand?

    2. maxyai

      abandon ship! Abandon ship! Jettison the lifeboat! Shutdown imminent!

  19. Maycroft

    Amber’s just reeeeally enthusiastic about transofrmers.

  20. Deathjavu

    Oh man, Amber’s only going to get more jumpy when Dorothy starts asking her questions.

    I know I should feel bad because Amber’s obviously super stressed, but Dorothy is too nonthreatening and these antics are far too silly.

  21. GoogerGeiger

    Amber really can’t catch a break, can she?

  22. timemonkey

    Amber’s already losing it and Dorothy hasn’t even mentioned Amazi-Girl or her dad yet.

    1. Clif

      Amber’s not loosing it. She’s taking a coolly rational action to remove a piece of relevant evidence.

  23. Jack Finch

    OK. I’m missing what that transformer has to do with being identified as Amazi-Girl. (help me out here, it’s too late to scroll back through the comics)

    1. KingMabel

      It’s not.

      It’s supposed to prove that she is nervous/guilty/sleep-deprived/crazy/a bit hungry

      1. Clif

        I’m not sure what comic you’re reading here.

    2. No Name

      That particular Transformer is the one Amazi-Girl rescued back when Dorothy and Walky were chasing her. As the title text states, It’s probably still rare, if not unique, in this universe, and therefore a definite connection between the two identities.

      1. tinfoil theory

        But Dotty doesn’t know that.
        (But Amber doesn’t know that Dotty doesn’t know.)

    3. ninja_jesus

      This.

      1. Rybridge

        Yeah, crazy as it seems, that was a strategic move on her part.

  24. Kernanator

    Amber is as smooth as sandpaper.

  25. Idon'tcarenomore

    Amber is skating on thin ice, but still has enough presence of mind to get the transformer out of Dorothys line of sight.

    Someone asked what she has to worry about from Dorothy? Dorothy is a reporter, and one who is too close. Amber has a lot to fear from her snooping.

  26. Ridureyu

    As Dorothy well knows, haphazardly throwing toys is a mating ritual.

    1. JustCheetoDust

      By that logic Amber is wooing the carpet floor.

    2. John

      And Joyce totally wants Dorothy.

      1. Heavensrun

        I ship it.

        1. Jerden

          I think we already have.

  27. Ancestral Hamster

    Are Transformers really engineered for manhandling by five year-olds? My experience of toys is unless they were the old-style Tonka trucks made of steel, toys ain’t engineered to stand up to nothing.

    1. JustCheetoDust

      Perhaps you’ve exposed an elaborate ruse to get people to try it out of misguided curiosity, thus driving up the value of toys owned by those who know better?

      1. Ancestral Hamster

        Could be. That reminds me of an acquaintance who would buy Star Wars figures and actually take them out of the blister! Other people were shocked and would advise him to keep them “Mint in box”. His response was, “You should thank me. I’m increasing the value of your collection.”

        I agree with him. Have not bought many action figures, but they are posed on my bookshelf, not MiB. And in theory my miniatures are meant as game pieces but in practice spend more time in storage than on the tabletop. Basically, I collect, but I want to play with my collection, not keep it pristine for posterity!

        1. Bill

          I thought everybody had seen “Toy Story 2” and realized that toys were meant to be played with.

        2. Ancestral Hamster

          Some people treat toys as investments for the future. *Shrug* Doesn’t seem much fun to me.

        3. JustCheetoDust

          I have more stuff packaged rather than out in the open despite my preference for the latter, but that speaks more to my inherent laziness.

    2. David M Willis

      If I recall, your experience is a few decades out of date!

      1. Ancestral Hamster

        Yes, yes it is!

        1. David M Willis

          Well, starting in the mid eighties, toys started being generally indestructible. Child safety laws are pretty damn strident.

        2. Jerden

          From my childhood memories, they don’t make them durable enough.
          I mean, the rotors on toy aircraft should be able to withstand being dropped down stairs.
          And what’s up with Action Men breaking after being bashed against climbing frames and then left outside in the snow?
          And little plastic army men should be able to withstand the full weight of a human body!
          Okay, maybe me and my brothers were very destructive. In my experience, actual action figures can withstand everything short of an act of God, but the vehicles they come with are considerably less resilient.

          And Lego is, for all intents and purposes, completely indestructible outside of a lab.

        3. John

          I have a lot of broken Lego pieces. The weapon clips on probably half my saddles are broken. I’ve got quite a few broken minifig hip pegs (though I took those apart more than I think you’re intended to), hinges, and the like. A fair few of the long Technic beams with the holes in broke near the middle. I even managed to break a 4×12 plate in half once. A lot of clear 1×1 plates, especially the round ones, where the edges have broken off… the bases of clear antennae, too. The clear plastic was more brittle than the opaque. I think they’ve changed the plastic to something a little softer and more resilient now, though.

        4. xKiv

          I think I have a lego figurine somewhere that is missing a leg (unintentionally).

        5. Ancestral Hamster

          Thanks for the answer.

          Re: Industructible. That’s good, both from a parental POV and a child’s view.

          Re: Lego. Lego is pretty durable overall, although some of my childhood Lego is broken. The fancier pieces John mentioned below seem like they might suffer under much handling, but those came after my childhood and so the ones I have were purchased as an adult.

  28. Bruticus1254

    am I the only one who noticed that her Transformers are the cast from IDW’s More than Meets the eye Comic?
    From left to right its Tailgate, Skids, Swerve, Cyclonus, Ratchet and finally Whirl :O

    1. David M Willis

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/02-i-was-a-teenage-churchmouse/briefly/#comment-220764

  29. JustCheetoDust

    Perhaps you’ve exposed an elaborate ruse to get people to try it out of misguided curiosity, thus driving up the value of toys owned by those who know better?

    1. JustCheetoDust

      Damn, reply fail.

  30. Rybridge

    Dorothy should go into product testing.

  31. Nafanid

    The dino crossing sign in the last panel has me hoping that Dina will make an appearance soon. Than again, I’m always hoping Dina will make an appearance soon. I wonder if Dina were not so elusive would I love her just as much? The answer is yes. Most definitely.

  32. Zoop

    Dorothy has actually met Amber twice–once with Danny and Joe, and then again when Amber discovered Ethan was dating Joyce and stormed up on their double date.

  33. Bill

    Is recognizing a specific Transformer as dorky a skill as my being able to recognize a specific make of bicycle at a distance by its color?

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      While Dotty might not recognise Transformers by name, Dotty might be able to recall seeing a similar looking light blue and white figurine that Amazi-Girl was holding before.

  34. Megatron

    That Autobot had it coming.

    1. Cybersnark

      Just a pity it couldn’t be Whirl.

  35. Thasvaddef

    Playin’ it cool.

  36. ZORK

    Is Tailgate that rare, even in the US? I mean, I live in Germany, I’m used to to the fact that most Transformers toys won’t get released here, but North America?

    1. No Name

      It wasn’t actually available when Amazi-Girl dropped it, but Willis thought it would be when he wrote about a month before. Apparently, it’s still not out. I wouldn’t know. I’m not a Transformers nerd.

  37. Carlos

    Very smooth Amber. I’m sure chucking a transformer toy across the room, on the floor, and under your desk is very normal behavior. There’s NO way Dotty will find that AT ALL suspicious.

    1. LimeTH

      Considering she met Walky when he threw a toy at her head, she might find it arousing!

  38. AgentKeen

    “I TAKE CAR FROM YOU!”

  39. Keith the verbos and boring

    I’m not a collector…honest. But, lucky her

  40. Kschenke

    This is how I imagine Clark Kent acting all the time.

  41. Pat Myers

    I’ve been waiting for that little guy to come back.

  42. MrSirk

    Hey there trying to get along. This all might work out after all.

  43. Al Schroeder

    It would be funny —since, as remarked before, they are practically identical except for the hair color—if people started suspecting DOROTHY of being Amazi-Girl, on the theory that, like Clark Kent, she is reporting all of Amazi-Girl’s doings. Of course, Walky would know better, but people seeing how smitten he is with her would realize he’s hardly a disinterested source.

    1. Deathjavu

      Their body types are really nothing alike, the only real similarity is their face.

      Which is the least likely thing to trigger an association, what with Amazi-Girl not wearing glasses and having a mask.

      1. John

        Not even their faces. Willis has a handful of basic faces he uses, and Amber and Dorothy have different ones. Dorothy’s is a rounded oblong while Amber’s is heart-shaped. I mean, look at panel one of this strip.

        Their biggest similarity is that their hairstyles have roughly the same silhouette. And they wear glasses. (Which Amazi-Girl doesn’t. And she changes her hair, too.)

        Willis seems to be drawing them more differently now than back in the beginning of the strip (some of which I think is just part of a general trend towards more realistic head/body proportions, which makes the difference in builds more obvious), but even back in that strip where Joe lampshaded the “clone” thing, the main reason they look so alike is just that they’re in the same pose.

    2. Kamino Neko

      I thought the fact that Lois was the one who wrote most of the stories on Superman was pretty well known…it made it into the Reeve movies and all…

      A lot of the time Clark actually refuses to report on Superman – sometimes because it feels weird and dishonest to report on himself, sometimes because he feels there’s more important things to report on. And when he’s not being too Boy Scouty to report on himself, Lois regularly beats him to it honestly, or is actively assigned the story by Perry.

  44. OmegaDez

    I’m always super happy to see Amber and Dorothy in the same panel. =D

  45. Jerden

    Panel 2 is why nobody suspects her of being Amazi-girl (in universe).
    She just looks so vulnerable. There’s no way she could beat anyone up!

    As she said, I think that wearing the mask helps.

  46. Charles Phipps

    This should end up with Dorothy unconscious due to getting clubbed with a laptop from behind.

  47. SilverArrowArtemis

    You found Sanity!
    Who does this belong to?

    1. StClair

      Nobody here, that’s for sure.

  48. Pickle

    For some reason, people always seem compelled to throw toys whenever they meet Dorothy for the first time. Compare when Walky first met her: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/02-uphill-from-here/throw/

    1. John

      It’s the accepted method of showing romantic interest in the Dumbiverse. Joyce also threw a toy at Dorothy’s head.

      Ruth’s main problem is that she got flustered and threw Billie instead of throwing something at Billie.

      1. xKiv

        She also threw *up at* her, which is probably not any better.

  49. Charles Phipps

    Will Amber call Ethan to dispose of Dorothy’s (still-living) body? Because, I think I’ve seen this movie before.

  50. showler

    Will we see the ultimate Danning it Up?

    Dan comes to see Amber and yells at Dorothy “I told you to leave her alone.”

  51. man in black

    She’s not nervous at all

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