196

Colder
Posted on August 6, 2021 by David M Willis

196 thoughts on “Colder”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    Amber has her own GameFAQs entry

    1. Doctor_Who

      Are there any console commands, or do I need a GameShark?

      1. Wagstaff

        Who needs a cheat code? Us hardcore players aren’t afraid of a challenge!!!

        1. Wagstaff

          *We hardcore players.

          DAMN!!!

        2. Arian

          I’ll willingly excuse you for saying “us” where “we” is correct, as long as you promise NEVER to say “we” where “us” is correct. And also, never to say “I” where “me” is correct. Hardly anybody gets those right any more.

          I’ve told myself that the language changes and we must change with it, but it still sets my teeth on edge, far worse than the mistake that people are trying to *avoid* by making this one.

        3. Delicious Taffy

          Cheat codes have never been about “need”. They’re about fun and also letting the devs test out features without wasting everyone’s time. But mostly fun. And boy howdy, are they fun.

        4. Wagstaff

          For game development in lack of better tech, sure.

          It’s really a lot more fun to build incredible skill and/or find crazy smart solutions to apparently impossible problems. It helps if the game is well designed, of course.

        5. Delicious Taffy

          Yeah, most games with cheat codes did come out on earlier consoles. Some of those codes are still being discovered in recent years, usually in the form of level skips and debug menus. When you were making a game Back In The Day, I’d assume it was more convenient to hit a few buttons in a complex sequence than it would be to try playing your entire incomplete game up to the last level with whatever limited resources you’d placed. Nowadays, I assume you can just change the code while you’re playtesting or whatever. The end result for players, unfortunately, is that we see hardly any games at all with real cheat codes.

        6. Wagstaff

          Besides coming up with brilliant, unituitive solutions, I guess exploiting funny glitches could be kind of fun too (even though they eventually get patched up).

          Anyone want to share some of their favorite glitch exploits?

        7. Needfuldoer

          New games still come with cheat codes, we just call them “microtransactions” and they cost money now.

          Bring back real cheat codes! Like the old FUND and porntipsguzzardo cheates in SimCity 2000 Or all the button presses in Moto Racer that let you unlock everything in the game.

          I’d even take more strategies like in Gran Turismo 4 where you could grind a relatively short and easy rally that won you a race car you could sell for 240,000 credits. Beat it once, build a fast car specially configured just for that course, then easily win again and again. You’ll be able to afford a LeMans prototype car before you know it!

        8. Delicious Taffy

          The only cheating microtransactions are involved in is corporations cheating people out of money.

  2. RassilonTDavros

    Huh, it’s up early tonight!

    1. Delicious Taffy

      Or maybe you’re up late.

  3. Madock345

    Joe is just increasingly attractive

    Finally being a good guy is a good look on him, I guess.

    1. Common sense

      He was never really a “Bad” guy, as in evil. he was just misguided and everyone (including the comment section) painted him as a bad guy back then.

      1. Vulcanodon

        It’s a fuzzy distinction. If you do bad things, in that context you’re the bad guy. You’re only defined by it if you won’t change when the lesson smacks you in the face.

      2. thejeff

        Except of course for the people claiming he wasn’t doing anything wrong.

        And many of those who had problems with him really just wanted him to learn better. Which is still an ongoing process for him.

  4. Spencer

    Joe and Joyce? Really?

    Seems really forced. I don’t think they have any real chemistry.

    1. Thag Simmons

      Yeah, I don’t think anybody wants that to happen.

      1. Madock345

        I do!

        Even if it interrupts my almost two decade old Joe/Danny crackship XD

      2. Thulcandran

        I very much want it to happen, and think they’d be good for each other!

      3. anonymsly

        Sarcasm?

        1. Thag Simmons

          take a wild guess

      4. Yumi

        Oh man, I was hoping to get in a “in b4 anyone takes this seriously,” but I got distracted.

        1. Thag Simmons

          too late

          Was I too subtle?

        2. Thulcandran

          Well, you’re too subtle or we’re too obtuse.

        3. Rainhat

          Or both. I’ll cop to being obtuse, but I actually have to know who someone is before I’d know something is something “they’d NEVER say sincerely”.

        4. thejeff

          Poe’s law.

      5. cmasta1992

        I very much want Joyce and Joe to get together.

    2. Twig the Troll

      I like them being friends, especially now that Joe’s actually being a GOOD friend, but I don’t really ship them.

      1. Jamie

        As a rule, I prefer everyone as friends and ship no one.

        But that’s entirely too mature for the internet. So I’m down with Joyce/Joe.

        1. Thulcandran

          There’s nothing at all wrong with preferring friends over romantic ships, but I don’t think it’s inherently more mature.

        2. Wereg

          That’s a kind of condescending take.

    3. DailyBrad

      Not trying to be dismissive, but have you been reading from the beginning? The two have been in and out of each other’s orbit quite a bit.

    4. Wagstaff

      Yeah I don’t think there’s chemistry here either.

      Come on. Surely there are more opportunities for JoJo references somewhere in this comic.

      OK I can’t think of any right now, but surely there’s gotta be something…

      1. Spencer

        Their relationship will be a Gold Experience.

      2. Wagstaff

        Hey JoJo fans, what kind of stands do you think the characters here would have?

        1. WanderingLynx

          Amber (not Amazigirl) would have something internet-related and rage-related. I’d call it Paranoid Android just because I love Radiohead lmao.

          Alternatively, Amazigirl is Amber’s Stand.

        2. Wagstaff

          Funny how you mention that! The first live performance I ever went to was by an alt rock band called the The Paranoyds! Perfect!!!

        3. WanderingLynx

          Imma look it up, alt rock is great ;3 And I’m glad you like the name! Have you seen the lyrics of the song it comes from?

        4. Wagstaff

          Listening now…

          It’s quite the song! And music video! Trey Parker would be so proud!

          I really had hoped that more people would hop on to the idea of DoA characters getting stands….

        5. WanderingLynx

          I’m really happy you liked the song, tbh! And since you did, I can only recommend more of the band – Their music is full of mathematical progressions and changes in pitch and rhythm, starting from that album and onwards. Also, I gotta notify you I found The Paranoyds on YT, and thought they were really cool.

          Wish there were more JoJo fans (this other JoJo) among the commenters TwT I wanted to know what people thought Joyce’s stand would be, Amber is easy!

        6. Wagstaff

          Yeah I thought there’d be more JoJo fans….

          Anyway, I’m off on another intermission to see if I can try deep frying hot dogs like McDonald’s McNuggets.

          *plays “Face First” by the Paranoyds on Voxola PR-76*

        7. WanderingLynx

          It doesn’t let me reply directly to the other comments so I’m doing it higher up: May your experiment be successful 8D And do tell me about the results. I’ve had the most powerful need for deep-fried Pan de Queso since I saw your other reply sldkfj

        8. Wagstaff

          Well here’s the bad news: the hot dog McNugget hybrid was a bust (maybe I should try freezing the battered up pieces BEFORE I fry them, like in the actual McDonald’s restaurants).

          But the good news is, I used the leftover beef tallow and canola oil to fry some Pan de Queso, and they turned out FANTASTIC!

        9. Opus the Poet

          I thought Paranoid Android was Marvin’s nickname on the original HHGTTG TV show.

        10. thejeff

          It’s used in the books too – though maybe not as often. Not sure about the radio play, it’s been a long time since I heard it.

        11. Formedras

          Marvin is the namesake of a LOT of things. Like, for example, my favorite Android custom ROM back in the 4.x days. I’m not so interested in it anymore because they took out the single most important feature for me, though. (Per-app DPI settings.)

      3. WanderingLynx

        There won’t be any Sticky Fingers soon, but you can bet the ship Stands to reason. Echoes to these two getting together can be seen through several storylines – The World is your oyster in that sense.

    5. Zach

      Less than Walky and Joyce, that’s for sure.

      1. Spencer

        This is a lie.

    6. RacingTurtle

      Spencer you delightful troll

      1. Spencer

        Hear that, y’all? I’m delightful.

    7. woobie

      Wayyy back, Joe mused that Joyce had touched him.
      He’s still feeling it.

      1. thejeff

        Nah, the bruises finally faded over the timeskip.

    8. Vulcanodon

      They do have chemistry, going all the way back to Joe providing emotional support texting while she was home over break and her church was being mean to Becky. If I remember correctly.

    9. Eclipsa

      IDK I think this version of Joe has potential. I’m not completely sold on a romantic pairing but I can see they’re good for each other as friends at least, with how much they text each other.

    10. Steelbright

      I’m really torn. NGL, the feral shipper part of me got all tingly when I read this update. But, these two have great friend chemistry and romance isn’t necessary to keep it good, or even to keep their dynamic interesting.

      also, just because somebody with (typically) poor social judgment has voiced that Joe has a crush on Joyce, doesn’t mean that’s actually a reality. Could this be the moment when something, ANYTHING will depart from the time-honored romance trope where anytime some rando says two people are into each other, their observation has absolute authority? could it be that Amber is just WRONG?

      1. Spencer

        I mean, it’s not like that’s all there is to go off of. As early as last year with Joe’s “one day she’ll be perfect and you’ll wish you had gotten in on that” speech to Jacob it’s been pretty clear he’s got it bad for her. Now he, a man who only ever does things that don’t matter because nobody ever gets hurt, is spending his day bouncing around looking for advice from Becky and Amber because Joyce is looking at her phone all sad and he’s worried, then gets into another tiff with her before being about as forthright with his feelings he’s ever been before.

        Amber isn’t saying this because the story has flipped the “Joe likes Joyce” switch and now all the characters are gonna ship them until they eventually hook up, Amber’s saying this because it’s been blatantly obvious for over a year now that Joe’s emotionally invested in Joyce and in a way he’s never been with anyone.

        1. UmberGryphon

          I think “emotionally invested” is the best way I’ve seen anyone put it so far. It isn’t necessarily romantic at this point, but Joe cares in a way that he isn’t used to caring, and it’s messing with his equilibrium.

        2. Spencer

          I definitely think it’s romantic on Joe’s part, but I think the more pressing issue for him is that he’s caring this much about another person at all, so he’s getting blindsided by all these new feelings and experiences because he’s maladjusted when it comes to emotional intimacy. He cares a lot about Joyce but he only really knows how to express that by dialing it up to 11.

        3. Eclipsa

          This is a good discussion here. My two cents: I think Gryphon is right, it’s not necessarily romantic, but maybe Joe isn’t used to CARING about people like he cares about Joyce, so maybe he’s confusing “I care for my friend” feelings with “I’m attracted to my friend” feelings. I wouldn’t be surprised if he grows to love her like a sister.

          BUT I am also partly in the “Joe and Joyce sitting in a tree” camp because that would be cute, NGL. Haha

        4. Steelbright

          All points taken. I only vaguely remembered Joe’s discussion with Jacob. Emotionally invested seems a good term. And a good reason it still could pan out well either romantically or friendship…ly.

          And given that I just saw the alt-text is “I didn’t hear a no”…kinda supports Amber’s observation, heh.

  5. tim gueguen

    Amber’s Considerable Wrath is a band name in waiting.

    1. Clif

      You have to admire her eye for the bottom line.

      1. Clif

        And how to make an offer that’s difficult to refuse.

        1. Formedras

          That was her dad. Thankfully he won’t be making any offers anytime soon. Or ever again.

  6. Sirksome

    Whatever Sarah ordered from El Bistro because of this pointless conversation. I hope this fledging JoJo ship is worth that sacrifice.

    1. Sirksome

      RI meant to put “is cold” in there somewhere but I think the general tone of the message still reads.

      1. Clif

        Joe already mentioned that Sarah is cold and we knew you meant that Sarah ordered from El Bistro just so that this pointless conversation would take place.

        All is proceeding according to Mike’s plan.

  7. Josh Spicer

    That’s a callout Joe. You’re usually supposed to vehemently deny it, thus proving that you do.

    The silence very much says more.

    1. Clif

      The silence was Joe denying it to himself.

  8. Joyfulldreams

    I AM CACKLING. YES. YEEEES. YEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!!

    Now I’m worried that this means we’re going to get a JoJo storyline. And as much as it might be everything I desire, that then leaves open the possibility of them breaking up and not being endgame.

    I’m so torn. Should the burn be somehow slower??? Or should I just accept it and enjoy it while it lasts???

    1. Spencer

      Oh they’re gonna constantly try to be emotionally available to each other, just never at the same time.

      I think it’s going to be a slow burn whether or not it’s an endgame ship, because it started in 2017 with some glimpses her and there until we finally get the big, on-panel reveal that Joe does in fact have The Feels for Joyce, and Joyce’s first boyfriend who isn’t gay is a pretty significant story development.

    2. Jamie

      I thought about pointing that out several strips back, but I felt like I’d be killing the mood if I did so.

      Yeah: the more I like a pairing, the less I want it to actually happen in text, generally. QC got past this (I really like the Marten/Claire pairing) by changing up the focus. Willis has some ways to get around this, but not quite the same wiggle room. So we’ll see.

    3. Sirksome

      Endgame is relative. Joyce and Joe have only known each other for like 4 months maybe. If they get together a year long relationship could last until the end of this comic.

      1. Joyfulldreams

        Exactly. When I mean endgame I mean married.

        But if that were the case, they’d be will they/wont they for literally my entire lifetime probable.

        1. StClair

          All relationships end, either in breakup or death.

          (If you’d prefer something more poetic, how about “A thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts”?)

        2. Spencer

          Eh, they’d only ever break up if ideas ran out and the dynamic wasn’t interesting as is.

          Ruth and Jennifer were linked from the very first strips, got together in 2014, and then were glued to the hip until the timeskip in 2020. That’s a whole decade where those two were romantically involved in some capacity, and it’s clear from the way Jennifer is now that there’s more drama to be plumbed, it’s just that drama is getting plumbed from them being broken up.

          Meanwhile I physically cannot fathom the possibility of Becky and Dina ever breaking up, and I don’t think that makes for “boring drama” or whatever, I think that means I just want to see them work things out.

          A Joe/Joyce romance and eventual relationship is absolutely going to be a slow burn, because we’re dealing with two people who are going to get more irritated the more they’re forced to confront the fact they’re dealing with things they’d rather not (Joe with an emotional attraction to someone, Joyce with a physical one), and have already displayed a pretty frequent case for misunderstandings where they’re not great at being emotionally available to each other at the same time.

        3. Joyfulldreams

          Ok I feel better about this now and am rooting for this to happen. THANK.

        4. thejeff

          It’s not like getting married is always the endgame either.

          Nor is it going to happen in this comic. None of these characters are getting married in college – though they could certainly start dating the person they eventually marry. We might find out in some kind of afterword when the strip ends.

    4. Reltzik

      This thing got put on the front burner in the first week of class, promptly got taken off the front burner, and it’s been simmering on the back burner ever since. That’s about as long of a burn as this comic has.

      …

      Of course, that’s probably better for the final product than the inevitable dumpster fire would be.

  9. Wagstaff

    You’re getting warmer!

    1. WanderingLynx

      Nahhh, Amber has figured it out, beyond lukewarm reason and doubt.

      (Joe’s getting hot too. Somehow. *whistles Jakety Sax*)

      1. Wagstaff

        I was talking about Joyce finding Sarah, or unwittingly finding Becky instead!

        1. WanderingLynx

          What do you think would happen first? 😀

        2. Wagstaff

          For all I know, something rather surprising is gonna draw both of them together! The way things are going is anyone’s guess at this point.

        3. WanderingLynx

          Yeah, honestly, I could anticipate some of the things in this comic before (though Willis always found a way to keep surprising me), because it was following a pattern of storylines set over a decade ago. Now? I’m but a passenger on this wild ride, willingly blindfolded and all :’)

  10. plasticwrap

    Is Amber taking all online classes you think?

    1. plasticwrap

      I’m sure the Corona lockdown would have suited her just fine.

      1. RassilonTDavros

        She wouldn’t even notice.

    2. Keulen

      I was assuming she didn’t mean “never leaving my computer” literally, as she presumably has to leave it to go to the bathroom, eat meals, and I doubt taking all classes online is an option in the DoA universe where the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t seem to exist.

  11. BlackScarabFilmZ

    Amber’s a cruel but fair needler. She stays in her domain unless otherwise provoked.

  12. RassilonTDavros

    Joe getting shiny eye-dots over Joyce in Panel 3 is a sight to behold.

    (joe has dots for eyes, joyce has eyes for dots)

    1. ValdVin

      Ohhh, is that panel ever a sight.

  13. asphy

    YESSS I’ve been waiting for this ship to sail for SO LONG!

    1. Galen Wheeler

      Ever watch the old films of supposedly well built vessels sink as they leave the slipways?

      Good times…gooood times.

      1. Demoted Oblivious

        They all sink as they sail away over the horizon…

        And finish burning down to the water-line.

    2. Reltzik

      This ship sailed on the first week of classes and promptly sank. Now it’s back from the drydocks and is smoothly and gracefully reporting to the dock to take on fuel and provisions for its second attempted maiden voyage.

      ….

      *obligatory link to video of the MSC Opera in Venice*

  14. Dean

    Generous of Amber not to needle him by text or email.

    1. Clif

      Her grasp of siblinghood is incomplete.

  15. William Leonard Reese Jr.

    . . . This is a fun dynamic. I like the siblings . . .Rosenthal?

    Did Amber and her mother take Joe Sr’s surname? Has that been discussed as of yet?

    1. DailyBrad

      You know, I am not sure, good question. I could see Amber’s mom being pretty keen on it, dunno about Amber, she I think is already legally an adult and I think that’s considerably less common.

      1. William Leonard Reese Jr.

        Maybe? It’s not really a statistic I’ve ever had the need to look up.

        But I could maybe see Amber also changing her name regardless. Just another step to remove herself from. . . uh. . . “He who has been *taken care of*”.

      2. Jamie

        I’m 90% sure it’s not automatic: they’d have to file paperwork and go through procedure to get Amber’s name changed. I think Stacy would have pushed it a little, but not very hard. It depends on how much Richard (Joe’s Dad) cares.

        If he cares a lot, he might be persistent enough to convince Amber it’s easier to get the change. If not, then between her self-loathing and the yawning abyss of inertia, I doubt Amber would do it.

        1. Demoted Oblivious

          Depends on jurisdiction. Iff IRC when I was looking at divorce filings in Ontario, it had lines for the spouses names post divorce, and also the childrens’. So presumably a marriage license would be similar?

          If course Amber and Stacey could have dealt with the name during the divorce, unless it was triggering Blaine. (not because he deserved consideration, but sometimes people really are more trouble than they’re worth)

        2. thejeff

          Pretty sure Stacy had gone back to her maiden name. Amber didn’t change her name then. No reason to think she’d do so now.

          She doesn’t seem to fond of Richard or thrilled to be part of the Rosenthal family. Or likely very trusting that it will last.

    2. Deanatay

      They’re going with ‘Rosen-Bran’.

      o_O

      OMG ROSEN-BRAN SOUNDS LIKE RAISIN BRAN I LOVE IT

    3. Alex

      Children typically keep their last name when their parent remarries. Amber may be a special case because I doubt she much likes O’Malley.

  16. Stephen Bierce

    What happened to the Joe who went out and in windows?

    1. Wagstaff

      For all we know, he put on a few pounds during the holiday.

      1. Clif

        Besides, that wasn’t Joe. That was Sal back when she was Amazigirl.

  17. WanderingLynx

    Today’s strip could be alternatively named “Truth Coming Out Of Her Compy To Shame Joekind.”

    I don’t know how this happened but I want a JoJo endgame now. And at least a hundred more strips with these odd step-sibling dynamic I’m finding I truly enjoy.

  18. TheKelliestKelly

    Such a win-win for Amber. Either Joe leaves or she gets to keep needling him. Well, I suppose it’s more of a win-conciliation considering how much she hates interreacting with people.

  19. Audkitten

    Jumping on the JoJo train. Or would it be a boat?

    1. Demoted Oblivious

      Some boats transport trains (like a barge with tracks in it). Some trains pull boats (like thru a lock).

      So maybe JoJo will pull a train on a boat?

    2. Spencer

      It’s the last train home.

      1. RassilonTDavros

        …I’m sad now.

    3. Deanatay

      BOAT? It’s a fleet.

  20. Blibdoolpoolp

    Good she said it.

  21. Galen Wheeler

    I concede Joe *might* have a passing infatuation over Joyce.

    Joyce on the other hand still has a formidable, nigh impermeable emotional/psychological wall regarding unsanctified intimate relationships.

    So unless Joe is prepared for a siege ofv3xtended duration, his boredom will overcome his moment of relative decency.

    1. Spencer

      Well, of course he thinks she’s worth the effort. One day she’s going to be perfect, after all.

      The problem is that he thinks he’s not worth the effort.

      1. Galen Wheeler

        Lofty pedestals make lousy foundations for relationships.

        1. Spencer

          Is it really a pedestal when Joe thinks Joyce is going to be perfect because she tries her hardest all the time to be a better person than she was yesterday, instead of “she’s already great and wonderful and doesn’t has to put effort into anything”?

      2. DailyBrad

        Yeah, Joe’s biggest issue has been feeling like he’s fated to be like his dad, though I wonder some if that notion is not challenged just by Joyce’s changes, but given Richard so far has seemingly got his act together with Amber’s mom, at least for now. Which does make me wonder about Joe’s mom since I don’t think we’ve ever really heard anything about her before.

        1. Spencer

          Richard’s gonna get his act together long enough for Joe to think he can change and that Joe isn’t doomed to become like him.

          And then history, as ever, repeats.

    2. DailyBrad

      We already know she has become an atheist, so you sure about that “impenetrable” talk?

  22. BBCC

    Ahhhhhhh, siblings.

  23. DailyBrad

    It’s interesting Joe offers no denial or protest, but I think he knows when someone’s got him dead-to-rights.

    Also, I already dig this sibling relationship.

  24. MrSmith

    The eyes definitely have it here

    1. Demoted Oblivious

      *golf clap* classy.

  25. ian livs

    In this universe*, Amber gets to have a relatively nice relationship with her stepsibling, and you know what? Good for her. (For real though, I feel like I’ve said that last line of hers to my brother before, more or less.)

    Also, Joe in the middle panel! Asdfkljsdlkja

    *Did I just want to make you guys remember because I had to? Yup.

    1. Spencer

      I’m pretty sure Shortpacked!Amber and Faz were blood siblings.

      1. Clif

        And in this universe as well.

      2. ian livs

        True, true. This is what I get for commenting while sleepy, lol

      3. Regalli

        Yep. Half-siblings by blood, along with at least two others, most likely more.

    2. Deanatay

      Of course, this means Joe and Faz are now step-siblings-in-law(?).

  26. chuckroast

    Joe? You okay there, bud?

  27. Johan

    Hah!

  28. hausu

    Why is Joe making the mocking spongebob face in the last panel?

  29. cmasta1992

    No chance. No way, I won’t say it, oh no!
    ~You swoon. You sigh. Why deny it uh oh~
    It’s too cliche, I won’t say I’m in love

    1. WanderingLynx

      You, my friend, truly need to hear this record of the song with pitched-down lyrics 8D

      1. Alex

        This is fantastic.

    2. Schpoonman

      Disney’s Hercules was a gift.

  30. Rabisch

    Joe is aware… he doesn’t even try to deny. Poor Joe ♡. Amber is the first of all who understood that. She is doing a good job as a sister ♡.

  31. Bryy

    Oh no, the idea has been voiced. It’s out there now. In the world.

  32. BenRG

    Please notice that Joe didn’t deny it. If anything, he thought about it and then still didn’t deny it! Given that this is Joe, that’s a remarkable thing in many ways. I also wonder if he’s planning his revenge on Amber by saving her (something that she definitely doesn’t want)!

  33. TheKelliestKelly

    Amber’s seen the slipshine Joe was in. (Was he in more than one?) That’s how she knows.

  34. Joyfulldreams

    Genuinely losing my shit with old-fashioned “SQUEE”-ing at the idea of just. Joe working himself up to not only being okay with, but WANTING to engage in sex not just for fun, but with FEELINGS involved. FOR FEELINGS. To EXPRESS A LOVE HE HAS FOR SOMEONE VIA INTIMACY.

    Yet again I wanna write and/or read fanfic. Anybody wanna workshop some JoJo fanfic ideas with me that aren’t *just* The First Time(tm).

    1. brionl

      Or maybe even having a relationship with somebody w/o jumping in the sack first thing.

      1. Delicious Taffy

        In these troubled times? That’s a real tough thing you’re asking.

      2. Joyfulldreams

        I mean. I don’t think the idea of being in a relationship with someone and not having sex with them is the big thing? The big thing is being in the relationship at ALL, because it’s emotional attachment and intimacy that Joe is afraid of above all else.

        Joe doesn’t have a long history of dating girls only to shag them, he mostly does the shagging without the date. He goes on like, exactly ONE date, and that was WITH JOYCE, and that was kind of only because that was what she expected. This isn’t a pattern it would be groundbreaking for him to break out of.

        What IS a pattern is Joe sort of compartmentalizing any emotional intimacy or closeness he has with others as distinctly separate from sex, now that he’s past the point of trying to deny he has feelings altogether. Being emotionally close to Joyce (outside of sex) is not new for him either, so the real landmark of growth would be for Joe to be able to have sex with someone in a way that involves emotional intimacy.

        Also I don’t think abstaining from sex would be good for hypothetical JoJo because like. It’s stated multiple times Joyce is just. SO horny. There is no growth on HER part to just continue to repress her sexuality. It’ll be SMARTER for her to EASE INTO it instead of just jumping in crotch-first, and that might cause her to hit some distressing roadblocks, but this comic isn’t called SMARTING of age now is it???

        But quite frankly, of the potential partners Joyce were to have who would know how best to ease Joyce into being comfortable with sex, Joe is pretty high up there imho. He just has to be motivated to want to do things that way, because he cares about Joyce. THUS where the emotional intimacy rather than just shallow pleasure-seeking comes in. IT’S PERFECT.

        1. thejeff

          Joe isn’t so much afraid of emotional attachment and intimacy as he’s afraid that if he takes that route he’ll inevitably be like his father and cheat, thus hurting the girl. His entire persona and dating/sex practices were designed to keep any of the girls from caring about him and thus getting hurt.

          Until Joyce pointed out that his behavior was damaging anyway and he hasn’t really figured out how to cope with that yet.

        2. Joyfulldreams

          I’ve seen people repeat this sentiment a lot and while it’s definitely true, I think that this is perhaps a bit too shallow of a read. It’s not JUST about his dad. It’s the fact that the stuff that happened with his parents has instilled in him a fear of emotional intimacy in general, because he has intimate experience of the pain that is caused when you open yourself up to others.

          Like. Do people think he ONLY identifies with his dad? That he never saw the pain his MOM went through as a result of his father’s actions? That he isn’t just as afraid of allowing himself to become vulnerable, lest he be hurt like his mom was? It’s on BEHALF of the pain his mother went through that he was even pissed at his dad in the first place, she’s not a non-factor.

          Joe doesn’t just think that HE will inevitably cheat, he acts like EVERYONE inevitably betrays SOMEBODY’S trust, and he spent a long time pretending not to even HAVE feelings that weren’t “want to bone” so he could both protect others from him, AND to protect HIMSELF from others. He’s grown quite a bit from that, though, since the start of the comic.

        3. Spencer

          Yeah I think it’s a combo of shit laid out in this strip.

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/04-the-do-list/shallow/

          Joe tells himself and everyone around him that he’s a shallow douchebag who just wants to bone, and therefore his actual mistakes have no consequence that can’t be solved by apology donuts.

          “If I let anything I do matter?” is, I think, something said in response to his dad’s actions, because Joe’s dad mattered to his wife and look what happened, and so Joe fears hurting anyone and so makes it as abundantly clear as possible that the only thing that matters is that he’s DTF, therefore everybody is automatically repulsed and everyone else who takes him up on that knows what they’re getting out of him.

          “Do you realize how much worse it would be if anyone actually cared about me?” on the other hand, that’s something I think that’s in response to his mom, or at least the concept of her relationship with Joe’s dad. If anybody cared about Joe they’d hurt him, and he’d hurt them, because as far as Joe knows that’s all caring about someone can lead to.

        4. thejeff

          Hmm. I can see that, but I can also see it as all the same train of thought. Now he can fix it with donuts, but if they really cared about him then he could really hurt them. What he did would matter and he wouldn’t be able to fix it with donuts.

        5. Steelbright

          …this is a nice analysis. And I think it’s good because it contains both all the reasons JoJo could work out really well, and all the reasons it could go so, so poorly, hahaha–really depending on whether they could work out the aforementioned issues. (One being that Joyce probably *needs* to get laid, but how long it’ll be before she’ll be able to acknowledge the fact…up in the air.)

        6. Joyfulldreams

          Thus far the only person who has been willing to compassionately talk to Joyce about her issues with repression has been Dorothy. Sarah has been exasperated by it, but hasn’t tried to actually confront Joyce with it beyond just messing with her–and Ruth has mentioned it in passing. Dorothy hasn’t brought it up in a long while though, and to be honest, I would be really down for JOE to reach a point where HE tries to talk to her about it honestly. Whether Joyce would listen to Joe, and whether Joe actually understands enough to not fuck it up, is another matter, but….

    2. Delicious Taffy

      Alright, so check this out. Joe and Joyce meet in the hallway by sheer coincidence. They lock eyes. They walk right up to each other, standing 20 inches apart. At exactly the same time, both of them ball their hands up into a fist, haul their arms back, and then let loose, just absolutely raining hell on each other’s faces with the force of a jackhammer. They’re sent flying apart and when they get back up, there’s a brand new understanding between them. Then follows a vigorous smooching session.

      1. Joyfulldreams

        Riveting stuff. Some good material there. I’m taking notes.

      2. nightshade

        ive seen that in high school lol 2 girls were in a fight over a guy that didn’t know they existed it built up for weeks friends got involved and then the fight happened …..although only a few saw the kissing …… and they made up and became best friends ..

        At the last class reunion they were showing baby pictures of their 6th kid lol

        1. Spencer

          That was an adventure and a half.

    3. thejeff

      Yeah, but he can’t do that. If he does, it’ll hurt Joyce so much worse when he inevitably cheats on her.

  35. Acebender

    Oh hey! Confirmation of what we already knew!

  36. adam Black

    ambers Dialogue sounds like … MIKE

    is he still in her head?

    1. Clif

      Only a poor imitation.

  37. AGV

    Omg work on that Joe, I believe in you

  38. Reltzik

    … oh, hey, I just realized. Amber is BIG sister, not little sister.

    1. Delicious Taffy

      Do we measure cartoon sister sizes by booty units? More booty = bigger sister?

      1. Reltzik

        I want to say no, but bigger sisters can be more in the way of asses, and little sisters are a bit cheekier, so… maybe?

  39. darkoneko

    Man, that can’t be good for her eyesight

    1. Delicious Taffy

      Eh, she got glasses. It’s like vaccines and heart surgery; get ’em once and ya don’t need to worry for the rest of yer life.

      1. Wagstaff

        Uuuhhh…. you need to update vaccines.

        1. Yumi

          Yes, what Delicious Taffy said is not true for any of the things listed, thus the joke. That said, I do appreciate the effort to ensure proper information distribution about vaccines.

        2. Wagstaff

          Well, the survival of millions of people around the world (as well as my own) depends on it, so yeah.

        3. Yumi

          And yet that doesn’t seem to motivate some people.

        4. Wagstaff

          What do you propose we do if there are still people in denial about vaccines a decade AFTER the pandemic is over?

  40. Keulen

    Joe definitely didn’t deny it. The Joeyce ship is getting closer to sailing.

  41. JediMB

    I’ll friend-ship JoJo, but that’s as far as I’ll go.

  42. Bagge

    Too subtle, amber

  43. Spencer

    Oh right, forgot to ask. I was told on Patreon that the Joe/Malaya slipshine had some hints that Joe had caught feels for Joyce. What happened there?

    1. Clif

      Pay for Slipshine and find out.

      Personally, I’m collecting the books as they come out and calling it a win.

      1. Steelbright

        Are the slipshine comics in the books??? If so there’s WAY more need for me to buy all the books

        1. Wagstaff

          Probably not…. otherwise Willis wouldn’t be able to sell them that easily.

          Speaking of which, do any of you think the frequency of ANY Slipshine releases (pin-up or otherwise) has dropped significantly since the release of that “Socially Isolate Responsibly” banner?

        2. Clif

          No. Sorry, I didn’t mean to indicate the slipshines were in the books. I was just urging other people who are not me to spend money on the slipshines and support our favorite pornlord.

  44. Jammy

    Is it a needle or a…
    Shot to the Heart!

    1. RedCat

      And you’re to blame

      1. nothri

        I have indeed given love a bad name.

        My name for love is Gracklesnotbagmorr. As you can tell, love is a much better name for it.

    2. Roborat

      Better than a boot to the head.

  45. egg egg

    In the distant future when Dumbing of Age has finally ended, the next strip comes… and is called JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.

    1. BenRG

      I’d buy that!

  46. Deanatay

    OMG Amber character 1337 |-|@><012 #l:

    UDLR (unlock door leave room) 2 stop em0 dmg spam main attk

  47. Eldritchy

    Joe, turn around and unleash your newfound concern on your sister! She deserves it for all the edgelordery.

  48. Emily

    I’m really digging the art style development!

  49. keet

    joe in panel three! i feel ya bro.

    1. Steelbright

      a sentence I usually would not relate to when it’s Joe…but definitely do in this instance

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