154

Concludes
Posted on March 13, 2022 by David M Willis

154 thoughts on “Concludes”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    methinks your checklist needs some additions

    (hi from a completely new computer w/ monitor that shows everything darker and yellower than the prior one bc I guess it only takes an HDMI input, ugh idk)

    1. Mendel

      Even HDMI monitors have settings for color temperature (against yellow)(thoigh if it’s only yellow at night that’s a feature) and brightness/contrast.

    2. Needfuldoer

      Double check its color calibration settings.

      When I switched monitors a couple years ago, I had to mess with the color tone settings to get it to look ‘right’. (It’s a TCL 4K TV, and putting it in “Game” mode to disable all the color grading and “soap opera effects” made a dramatic difference. It was like night and day.) It replaced a couple 15-year-old PC monitors that were even worse! (And no matter what I did I could never get them to match even though they were the same exact model and originally bought at the same time… ugh.)

    3. Onihikage

      Ana, may I introduce you to the last LCD monitor calibration helper you’ll ever need?

  2. King Daniel

    Dom, Dina

    1. Chuck

      Dina has masterful mad scientist Dom energy.

    2. jeffepp

      Dom, de dom dom

    3. David M Willis

      comma comma

      dom dina dom dom dom

    4. NinjaNick

      Dino-dom!

    5. dej

      dom dom dina dom
      dom dina dom

      (to the tune of i get around)

    6. Deanatay

      dom Dina dom dom dom
      dom-be-dooby
      dom Dina dom dom dom
      dom-be-dooby dom
      wa-wa-wa-wa-ah

    7. sception

      Dina Dinodom, owner of the Dimmsdale Dinodoms?

    8. Decidedly Orthogonal

      I hear you Dina.

  3. The Wellerman

    You might be tempted to call that the end of the experiment, but if that’s true, then what’s gonna happen in the 22 Dina strips left?!?!

    The suspense is TERRIFYING!!!

    I hope it lasts!!!! ✌️?

    plays “Hurry!” by Koji Kondo on Hacked Muzak*

    1. Mendel

      Can’t be anything happening that would go on Slipshine, right?

    2. Ahecht

      What happens in 22 strips?

  4. Suet

    Becky is attracted on two things, by hair, by shoulders, and by words

    THREE things

    1. jeffepp

      “We’ll come back in again.”

      1. Deanatay

        “Among our many turn-ons are hair, shoulders, words, and a fanatical devotion to the Pope!”

  5. Doctor_Who

    Number one employee of Galasso’s Pizza…and Subs.

    1. Kim

      😀

      1. woobie

        Longest Brick Joke ever?

        1. Clif

          Maybe.

    2. Mturtle7

      Davis just gave this comment

      1. Mturtle7

        agh dammit there was supposed to be a link there! Anyway, I was trying to say that he gave it a special mention on his Twitter: https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1502872398646976512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5Eprofile%3Adamnyouwillis%7Ctwgr%5EeyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NrZWxldG9uX2xvYWRpbmdfMTMzOTgiOnsiYnVja2V0IjoiY3RhIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19zcGFjZV9jYXJkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9mZiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D%7Ctwcon%5Etimelinechrome&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dumbingofage.com%2F2022%2Fcomic%2Fbook-12%2F03-trial-and-sarah%2Fconcludes%2F

  6. RassilonTDavros

    ???

  7. Darkoneko

    o-oh my

  8. Yumi

    Oh, wow. Yes. Yes, I like this.

    1. Yumi

      Kind of an understated reaction for my Gravatar, really. But if Daisy were here right now, she might just die.

      1. Thag Simmons

        I don’t know if that’s a hard thing to accomplish

      2. The Wellerman

        If you like this, stay tuned!

        I’m working on something very much related! It involves scientifically accurate Dinosaurs too!

        And I’m gonna share a sneak preview with all of you!

  9. Delicious Taffy

    Finally, we’re back to the gay shit. Yessssss.

    1. King Daniel

      Haha, yes! Yes!

    2. Human Bean

      whole-heartedly agree 😀

  10. Joyfulldreams

    Wow. I am HARDCORE for Dom Dina now. Holy shit. Like I was a fan before but now…jesus.

    1. jeffepp

      I mean, she started this on her dino throne, giving commands.

  11. Mr. Random

    So Dina’s a capital D “Dom”.

    1. Shadowsnail

      She puts the Dom in Indominus Rex.

  12. Abel Undercity

    For Dina’s next birthday, a smart little outfit in black leather, I think.

    1. Delicious Taffy

      More people need little leather outfits, tbh.

    2. Bridgebrain

      Dragonscale leather

    3. michaelinasmeal

      ethan owns all the black clothes in town

  13. BBCC

    Ohhhhh these two are in for a fun time when they get married. XD

    1. Kyrik Michalowski

      I know this comic only covers freshman year but I kinda want an epilogue to see where they all end up because it would end things in this universe nicely. And because I want to see Becky and Dina do the horizontal tango, but only for those 2 reasons.

      1. Mr. Random

        Did Willis say he’s ending at the end of “Year 1”?

        1. Kyrik Michalowski

          I think so, but I can’t remember when or where he said it. We’d have to ask him again or wait for someone with the source to that statement.

        2. Thag Simmons

          I don’t think so

        3. Opus the Poet

          Same page he said nobody was gonna die in this comic, and we saw how well that went.

        4. eh, whatever

          Not nobody – no major character. You’ll notice that “major” was never defined.

        5. Adam Black

          what was defined was WHY.

          & instead we have a Major Character in permanent Bury The Gays Grief as a major plotpoint which we were doubly promised we wouldnt

        6. Adhemar Golden

          Well, considering that they’ve been freshmen for the past 12 years… I’m not surpised.

  14. Kyrik Michalowski

    Dina in panel 4 is the definition of: Hellooooooooo nurse.

    (Wish I could remember what that came from because I know I definitely didn’t start it.)

    1. Mark Sebree

      Animaniacs.

      1. Kyrik Michalowski

        Ah, thank you. I haven’t seen Animaniacs in a long time. I think I saw a recent ad for Animaniacs, I guess they’re doing new episodes? I didn’t listen to the ad, just looked at it long enough to see it said Animaniacs before I skipped the ad.

        1. David M Willis

          they’re doing new episodes but they’re not doing hello nurse anymore

          for clear reasons

        2. Kyrik Michalowski

          Great to hear, and yeah I expected that. Thanks for letting me know.

        3. Regret

          I dislike that lots of jokes are not told simply because they are offensive. Offensive jokes are a way for people to come together in their shared naughtiness. When aimed at the butt of the offensive joke, they allow the use of counter-signalling to strenghten social bonds.

        4. thejeff

          Not clear to me how “hello nurse” is aimed at the butt of the offensive joke. It’s certainly possible for some offensive jokes to be used positively, but those don’t tend to be the ones that aren’t told anymore – at least not for the same reasons.

        5. Regret

          That part was conditional, signalled by my use of the word “when”.
          I specifically went a little deeper in that subset because it is, by nature, the most likely to actually hurt someone.

        6. ValdVin

          And Dot is not doing Hello Mel either.

          For clear reasons. That Gibson is no longer under a Warner Brothers contract.

        7. Roborat

          And, sadly, they aren’t as good as the old ones.

    2. Delicious Taffy

      It’s from Zoolander 2.

      1. Shitbird

        Wacko’s wish….

  15. Yotomoe

    Hmmm. Dina would make a hell of a dom. A hell of a dom.

    1. Deanatay

      Take out the “would”, and exactly that.

      (Heheh, take out the wood, heeheh)

    2. Bagge

      as has been noted before…
      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/04-it-all-returns/quiet-2/

  16. CruizySuzy

    Look at those eyes! She knew what she was doing!

  17. Carms

    Hahahahaha yessssssss

  18. Bicycle Bill

    But it can’t be considered scientific data unless similar data can be obtained in multiple trials by different teams repeating the experiment using the same experimental data and methods, under the same operating conditions, in the same or a different location.

    1. Kimi

      I also feel like there would be a lot of other factors too, both biological and environmental. Where Dina is on her monthly cycle could be a factor. Like you said, location could also be a factor. Lightning, sound, and other environmental factors could play into it. Spontaneity could also be a factor, since you telling someone to do something is a lot different than them surprising you with it. It’s like the difference between telling someone to make you dinner vs them surprising you with a dinner when you didn’t expect it. You are grateful either way but one comes with more of a perception that they were thinking about you and caring about your needs. Becky surprising Dina in a dinosaur outfit and other things that Dina likes when Dina is having a bad day is going to hit differently than just telling her to do it. You have to account for all those factors, though any good study addresses its own biases and weak points.

      1. thejeff

        OTOH, Becky doing what she’s told may have it’s own effect.

    2. Regret

      The first experiment’s data has to be considered scientific data, otherwise logically speaking science is impossible. Because you can’t have a reproduction of a scientific experiment until you have a first scientific experiment.

      To be precise, if the first experiment is not scientific because it isn’t a repeat of a scientific experiment, then the second experiment technically is the first scientific one. This makes it not scientific for the same reason why the first wasn’t. Repeat forever. Also, since the second isn’t a repeat of a scientific experiment, it itself is not scientific either, if it were, it wouldn’t be an exact repeat.

    3. thejeff

      Theoretically, but a lot of science doesn’t actually get replicated. Dina just needs to publish. Put the details of the experiment and results out there for critique.

      Of course, it would also be hard to replicate with a different team, since they’re specifically testing Dina’s response to Becky.

    4. Mturtle7

      …You know, I think most people wouldn’t have actually taken Dina seriously when she said this was a scientific experiment. You, sir, and all the other extremely serious people replying to you in this thread, are true heroes of scientific rigor and peer review, and I salute you.

      1. The Wellerman

        Just for the record, I was among those who acknowledged this as a scientific experiment.

        Speaking of peer review, ya think Leslie would be the go-to or someone else?

  19. Amelie Wikström

    Thought experiment: Becky discovers there’s no actual way for her to legally marry Dina in the eyes of God. The only way for her to have legitimate sex is by whatever process she herself decides is legitimate. (Dina, of course, happily plays along.) Will Becky devise a marriage ritual so convoluted it can never be completed, or one so simple it can be done before the end of the day? I figure those are the only two options.

  20. Shitbird

    Dina is a Dom….

    1. Loki

      I think what’s more interesting is that Becky is a sub.

      1. King Daniel

        Her working for Galasso’s should’ve been the first sign.

        1. Delicious Taffy

          Is it distasteful to insinuate that her fundie upbringing also contributes to it?

        2. Nova

          Personally I’d prefer my sexual orientation/kinks/preferences were attributed to me rather than my hyper-religious upbringing.

          Counterpoint – There’s no real way for me to know how many of those were influenced by that upbringing.

          Personal Conclusion – It doesn’t feel distasteful exactly… just a little squicky to acknowledge.

        3. Doki

          I generally go with your counterpoint, honestly. There’s no real way to know, and I think that’s okay?

          Doesn’t mean your kinks aren’t real! We are all products of what happen to us, after all.

        4. Spencer

          Kinks be like that.

          Becky grew up knowing her place as Ross’ Godly Daughter. Her status quo is that someone tells her what to do, say, think and act. Now she knows that’s wrong, but she doesn’t have all the immediate responses and impulses up to date and especially when it comes to sex, which is something she still relies on the standards of her now-rejected upbringing to dictate for her.

          As for why Becky has a permanent residence at the bottom of a barrel found in a submarine, and maybe this is a little too Freudian, but she has all those impulses going “someone tell me what to do!” and, in most parts of her life, she recognizes that as something to ignore.

          But when your formative years are so entrenched in being controlled, it starts to feel comforting. Exploring that through sex is a way for Becky to get that sense of comfort and stability back in a way that she can safely compartmentalize. Yeah Dina can drag her around on a leash, but then the leash eventually comes off and Becky doesn’t have to worry about becoming a pregnant housewife the rest of the life homeschooling the children she’ll subject to the same fate, she just got to have that sensation of “I am being controlled, I am being told what to do” in a scenario that’s about making her happy instead of having to please her authority figures.

          tldr: Becky used to have a boot on her head and now the boot has heels.

        5. drs

          The first sign was her saying that if girls like Billie had pushed her into lockers, she would have figured out being lesbian a lot sooner.

        6. Delicious Taffy

          That’s super relatable. Woulda been great if some of my bullies had been hot ladies, but nooo.

  21. Queen Anthai

    Ohhhh, so THAT’S what an ace domme is.

  22. Puppeteer Nessus

    Dina clearly appreciates the mad sciences

  23. Dara

    Dumbing of Age/Sunstone crossover when?

    1. jeffepp

      When Becky discovers her glasses kink.

  24. Yotomoe

    https://imgur.com/a/EZrywm0

    1. michaelinasmeal

      bring on the NTR!

      1. Francoinblanco

        Relase ugly bastards

    2. StClair

      Love it. 😀

    3. Deanatay

      Pawsing for boobs inspection…

    4. The Wellerman

      Sweet bruh!!!

  25. PirateTawnee

    Well this is just perfect.

  26. Throwatron

    AM I BECKY? BECAUSE THIS WOMAN IS ACTUALLY GOING TO MELT ME

  27. Opus the Poet

    Probably should have kept that one as the internal monologue, unless Becky liked it.

    It comes off kinda creepy otherwise.

    1. Imogen

      That’s why Dina immediately checked in to be sure it was okay for her to flirt like that. I think Dina’s fine here.

    2. Doki

      Conversely, I think being open about these thought processes is the only way they will achieve true sexual intimacy. And I think it’s pretty clear from context Dina doesn’t actually want to control Becky, with the constant consent checks they had during their session.

      But I’m pretty ~anything goes~ with my partners, so your mileage may vary.

    3. Spencer

      We definitely wouldn’t want this conversation to involve Dina’s input on the part of doing not-sex things with her girlfriend she enjoyed.

  28. Imogen

    Hot take: While Becky’s wish to avoid sex is totally valid and her choice, I kind of think in this case it’s more a symptom of an unhealthy religious conviction that sex is something unclean. Like, she clearly really, really wants to have sex. She wants to *not* want to have sex. It’s very Joyce “resist temptation”-y.

    1. Doki

      As an atheist… yeeeep that’s my read. I can’t see this as very healthy for Becky, even if she says it’s what she wants. :C

      1. Doki

        Like, I wouldn’t actually want to tell a real person what to do in this scenario?

        But since Becky is a fictional character, we see more scenes that give us insight into what makes her tick. And I can’t help but feel this unhealthy relationship with sex and sin is hurting her, even if she says her Christianity gives her strength in general.

    2. Spencer

      I mean yeah that’s exactly it and has been this entire time.

      Becky’s not really choosing it in a vacuum, she’s been violently traumatized into thinking sex is inherently degrading and will taint her soul.

      Did anyone think Becky was doing this like “oh I just want to wait before marriage” completely of her own volition? She’s more than once expressed a hope that Dina will become so massively horny that she pressures Becky into it.

    3. Keulen

      I’m pretty sure her unhealthy religious teachings about sex are the only reason Becky has been resisting sex with Dina so far.

      1. Steve C.

        Yeah I know, but give Becky some credit. It couldn’t have been easy for her to deal with the realization she was a lesbian. “One step at a time” and all that.

    4. Mturtle7

      The funny thing about this is that, Becky has actually very explicitly confirmed this is true numerous times now in the comic, and that’s WHY I think that their relationship is going to be just fine. Like, Becky may have a lot of messy conflicting emotions about this, but since she is AWARE of that conflict and actively trying to work around it via honest communication and collaborative problem-solving with Dina, I’m not too worried about it; in fact, I don’t think I can even really call it “unhealthy” anymore!

      Sexuality is weird, and oftentimes our brains can create associations around it that we don’t like, and/or that we feel are acting as obstacles to our happiness. But they don’t actually have to just be obstacles; if you’re honest and accept them, they just become KINKS, and there’s literally an entire culture out there dedicated solely to exploring the beauty of the infinite world of kinks, and helping people incorporate it into their lives in a healthy way!

    5. zee

      That’s less a hot take more the explicit text

  29. AKP

    Dina continues to be peak representation for my asexuality specifically.

    It is friggin insane to see my exact thoughts, feelings, and framings on the page almost every time her asexuality is discussed. It feels like Willis is reaching directly into my brain. I kind of really want to know where he’s doing his research, because I don’t resonate with a lot of the ace community discourse I run into but this is perfect.

  30. Spencer

    “Yeah, no shit” – every single organism in the entire universe, simultaneously, when learning Becky is a bottom.

    1. Keulen

      I’m sure there are a few amoebas on a distant planet somewhere that are surprised to hear that she’s a bottom.

  31. Rabisch

    Nice to see everybody is happy.

  32. Purblebirb

    Becky’s new favorite dinosaur is the Dommasaurus

    1. OBBWG

      Or a Domiceiomimus.

  33. Eldritchy

    Why am I getting a mental image of Dina riding Becky (like a horse) while Becky is wearing one of those Dino pajamas…

  34. Yugnat

    Amateur: “Dom Dina”

    Connoisseur: “Pred Dina”

  35. Deanatay

    # of things Dina found sexy about Backy: 0

    # of things Becky found sexy about Dina; 2,44- Let me get back to you

  36. True Survivor

    The fact that Dina’s pupil’s are glowing white and horizontal during panel 4 is absolutely terrifying – especially in that panel’s wider context.

  37. Juanoku

    I dunno, that looks like sexual attraction right there

  38. Mturtle7

    Gosh, Becky! Maybe the REAL sexual attraction was the BDSM dynamic we made along the way!

    (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WorthlessTreasureTwist)

    1. Mturtle7

      Wait crap I should have put a content warning above the TV Tropes link! Beware, people! Clicking on that link may lead to TV Tropes addiction!

      1. woobie

        too late, I am just now returning after 12 hours

  39. jdorr

    My current theory is that we will find out Dina is some form of ace.

    1. Spencer

      Then we might learn Danny is bisexual. I’ve had an inkling about that.

      1. King Daniel

        Might we learn that Carla is trans, too? Just a hunch I’ve had.

        1. zee

          I kinda have a feeling Ethan might be gay too

        2. Delicious Taffy

          High probability of Ruth liking girls.

        3. Spencer

          Oh, so you mean she’s a lesbian.

        4. Dana

          She’s had a boyfriend, so the girl thing is just a phase.

        5. Delicious Taffy

          Can she like both? Is there even a word for that?

        6. King Daniel

          I think the word is “hoterossexual”. Because you have eros, romantic attraction, to anyone who’s hot?

  40. Disastroid

    Dina’s going to show up in a three piece suit one day and Becky is going to break down into her base elements like a horny periodic table crash dummy

  41. zee

    Ahhh
    After days of conflict, we can finally have healing

    1. Spencer

      I know, I’m absolutely livid.

      I was hoping so hard that Becky would say the wrong thing and drag Dina into the Faith-Off. I am forced to consider the nightmarish possibility that this is just going to be an entire month of Dina and Becky having a delightful time with mutual healthy understanding and zero negative repercussions.

      1. zee

        Lmao
        Honestly i was so happy when i saw Becky here. She has no problems with not having turned Dina on and is just happy they had an enjoyable experience together. Its So sweet. These two are gonna be just fine

    2. Delicious Taffy

      Uh, yeah. Healing. Or at the very least, less scolding.

  42. Wakeangel2001

    Panel 4 is a REALLY college-y way to say “I get off on being in control”

  43. Greg

    SuBecky and Domina, oh yeah.

  44. Heather

    No upstairs nasty? So no third base?

    (Is that third base? I hear it can differ place to place and like I’m not even American. So.)

    1. woobie

      1B- kissing
      2B- boobs
      3B- touching downstairs
      all the way ( I never heard ‘home run’) is heteronormative penis in vagina; obv this metaphor needs updating

      1. Heather

        Ah: thanks! Yeah it’s a very limited view of sex, even keeping it within heterosexuality honestly. Like is oral sex really just hardcore third base? Seems like it’d be just as big a deal as a home run even if pregnancy is impossible.

      2. Zaxares

        Huh. I thought it was:

        1B – Kissing/making out
        2B – Boobs/Crotch, but touching only
        3B – Oral sex
        HR/All the way – Intercourse

        Granted, I’m not American so growing up my circle of friends never used that metaphor. We tended to be way more direct. XD

    2. Uly

      I don’t think anybody agrees on any of the bases other than that there’s a clear progression and that “all the way” is sex-sex-sex-sexytimes.

    3. thejeff

      The clear definitive explanation of the base system.

      1. Heather

        I ponder if Dina would appreciate this particular comic strip.

        (Though she may cross out fursuits for dino-wear).

  45. Bagge

    Clever girl

  46. Enkrod

    Abd… buuuuuuh… huuuuhhhh… wow. Has it gotten hot in here or why am I sweating?

  47. Heather

    Honestly it seems like if anyone took on the huge task of doing a comic dub, 50 percent of Becky’s blushing expressions should have the old internet dial up sound as she registers what was said by Dina and I love that.

  48. cmd1095

    So Dina is a dom confirmed

  49. Laura

    Not sure about the whole “sexual repression is a product of trauma” thing. I mean, sure, Becky has religion to back up her choice, but plenty of Gen-Z folks are waiting before their first sexual experience these days.

    When & where I was growing up, it was considered rare to reach 16 (the legal age of consent in my home state) before your 1st sexual experience. These days, many folks are waiting until well into their 20s to explore sexual intimacy.

    I also know plenty of non-ace/allosexual Gen-X-ers and Millenials who were sexually active when younger but now choose to refrain from sexual intercourse, even within the context of committed long-term safe relationships. “Loss of libido” isn’t necessarily a psychological symptom, at any age — it can just be the way one’s life is.

    It’s just a personal choice, and choices evolve over time with different upbringings. Choosing to refrain, or to wait until one is mature enough to handle the emotional overwhelm that comes with sex, isn’t necessarily just a symptom of something. Abstinence can be a rational choice, even if you choose to rationalize it with religion.

    1. Laura

      Sorry, I know that’s kind of a “Thank you, Captain Obvious” observation. I just wanted to stand up for Team Becky, that it’s OK for Becky to be uncomfortable with sex, no matter what her stated reasons.

    2. thejeff

      It doesn’t have to be and it’s okay for anyone to be uncomfortably with sex for their own reasons, but Becky’s reasons are clearly trauma from her religious upbringing. As are Joyce’s hangups, for that matter.

  50. Zaxares

    Ohoho, is Dina discovering a D/s fetish? It’s entirely within the bounds of possibility, as I have known a few people who either prefer to keep their sex and kink entirely separate, or who are ace, but nonetheless find the sensations and mindspace of BDSM to be extremely cathatic/satisfying.

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