265

Smol
Posted on March 26, 2020 by David M Willis
March's first Patreon bonus strip is here, and you voted for MARCIE!  Also, bonus Malaya?????  All Dumbing of Age Patreon patrons can come check out this bonus strip (and like a hundred previous bonus strips) at the Dumbing of Age Patreon! also hey you can pledge up to see tomorrow's strip early, so, just putting that out there

265 thoughts on “Smol”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    and deFEET

    and TOErment

    and

    uh

    NAILhilism

    1. Kyoulkoa

      Cosmic nailhilism?

    2. Jhon

      At least we have the dead toenail out of the way…

      1. Jdorr

        What if that was symbolic foreshadowing for something to do with toe dad? Now the only question is what it could be

    3. DudeMyDadOwnsaDealership

      And “How is this Man-Baby Gonna Last as a Korean Gangster?”ment

  2. Suet

    Nah, no shocker.

    1. Doctor_Who

      Oh man, imagine if it was The Shocker, yellow quilted costume and all. That would be a twist!

      1. clif

        Shocked I tell you!

      2. Juanoku

        I’LL CHASE YOU TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

    2. Rose by Any Other Name

      Ah well – my theory has been blown. I am very mildly sad it wasn’t Mike kidnapping them.

      1. Agemegos

        I also am disappointed — that Mike wasn’t holding the Ross in durance at the bottom of a dry well under an abandoned house. I have to say, too, that I have little hope at this stage that he is holding Blaine either.

        1. clif

          But. How to explain all that lotion?

          When they finally get out of the duct tape, someone should check out that old well.

        2. Agemegos

          In all the covid-inspired buying sprees, adult shops in Australia have sold out of lube…

        3. desolation0

          Do expect a spike in baby announcements and carpal tunnel in about three months.

    3. Yotomoe

      Yeah I’ve heard most girls don’t actually like the shocker.

    4. Undrave

      If it had been Shocker they could have turned Amber into a cyborg!

      1. EvilMidnightLurker

        And forgotten to brainwash her first!

        HEN — SHIN!

  3. Ohmsford

    Suddenly TOEDAD!

    1. DrWattson

      That was my least favorite Menken/Ashman song.

      1. Arianod

        Toedad’s your FRIEEEEND

  4. Stephen Bierce

    *cues up Streissand and Summer’s “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) for the hacked Muzak*

    1. auroki

      I saw No More Tears and immediately defaulted to Ozzy Osborne

      1. He Who Abides

        YES.

        1. Stephen Bierce

          Maybe I will…just this once…

  5. Lily

    Oh shit! Get ‘me, Joyce!

    1. Lily

      *em
      not me

      1. RacingTurtle

        Too late. Joyce is gonna getcha!

        1. N0083rP00F

          ♫ She’s gonna getcha while She’s gotcha in sight ♪
          ♪ (She’s gonna getcha) ♫
          ♫ She’s gonna getcha if it takes all night
          ♪ (Yeah, you can betcha) ♫

        2. Roborat

          Ah, I was thinking Blondie, not Shania.

    2. Wraith_Ferron

      Now we know Shocked Pikachu has a thing for triangle smiles

  6. JetstreamGW

    Okay. So Blaine might’ve called in some thugs. That makes some sense I guess.

    Sorta.

    I still wanna know how the hell they managed to snag so very very many kids so quickly.

    1. Dr. T

      I’m more interested in why he thought involving Faz was a good idea. I’m pretty sure he’s the left-most silhouette.

      1. clif

        He came as a package deal with his mom. I just can’t figure out the one between her and Blaine.

        1. Needfuldoer

          It’s possible any of them are there to keep an eye on Ross, but none of them are tagged.

        2. Dr. T

          I’m still expecting that it could be Ryan, who would have it in for:

          1) Joyce
          2) Amber
          3) Sarah (she beat him with a bat)
          4) Sal (who Walky strongly resembles, especially in the dark)
          5) Dorothy

          What I don’t get is just what is Blaine’s plan? Kidnapping them doesn’t void Amber’s tuition or room and board. He can’t seriously think Toedad will exclusively take the fall for this, especially once the gang testify that he had help. The guy who bailed him out would be the prime suspect. He can’t be planning on killing the group, is he? I mean, Toedad probably would remember that there was a Commandment against that.

        3. Khyrin

          Ross is willing to die to ‘save’ his daughter. It’s not a stretch that after his failed first attempt, he’s willing to kill.

        4. Dr. T

          There are limits, I think. He wanted to force her to go to conversion therapy. Far too many die from the abuse, which some deem preferable to letting their kids be gay. Therefore, I have no doubt that Ross would kill Becky. Other people, on the other hand……

        5. ensiform

          Ross showed reluctance to kill Mike even while Mike was actively foiling their plan. I highly doubt Ross would sign on to kill six helpless and tied-up kids.

        6. Andrusi

          I’m guessing Blaine and Toedad have different ideas of what the plan is because Blaine’s a lying liar who lies.

      2. Sunny

        Faz is there? Faz really liked Joyce, and chances are he’ll free them then and ruin all of Blaine’s plans.

        1. Agemegos

          Asher isn’t reliable, either.

    2. Bicycle Bill

      Well, there’s Ross clearly identifiable, at least four other figures/silhouettes behind him, and heaven only knows how many others that are not shown (yet).  With that much muscle and manpower, dealing with — well, kids — it wouldn’t have been that difficult.

      There might also have been a display of weapons involved, which would tend to quell resistance and ensure submissiveness very quickly.

      1. Agemegos

        One of those kids is Amber, who will confidently and successfully attack three or four bullying college-age jocks. They got her without giving her a chance to yell.

    3. AquariusLoser

      Am I the only one thinking those shadows in the background are gonna end up being the other terrible, terrible members of Joyce’s church?

      1. Hugo Bedward

        Would her mom be part of it then?

        1. AquariusLoser

          It would certainly add a whole new level of screwed up to what she said to Joyce on the phone.

      2. Screwball

        Daniel here. Could be, but not as sold on that. Toedad was “doing the right trying to bring his daughter back to God”. He’s dumb enough to be tricked by Blaine, but tricking more members of the church group would be pushing it…

        Question is then, random hired grunts or someone else we know?

      3. George the Archon

        That was my assumption too. Abusing people being acceptable to ‘save’ them is a thing for the more extreme church-types.

        But then, that look on his face suggests that – just maybe – even Toedad realised he’s been oh-so-easily played, here.

      4. Zaxares

        That was my suspicion a couple days back. I wrote that it couldn’t have been possible for just Blaine and Ross to abduct SO many people on their own; they had to have called in help, which means that either Blaine got in touch with his mob contacts, OR Ross called in the church members. Which, tbh, is actually even scarier, because it means that ordinary people were fine with just kidnapping a bunch of kids because “it’s the right thing to do”.

        There is at least a 50% chance that Joyce’s mom shows up in tomorrow’s panel. If that happens… I have no idea how Joyce’s relationship with Carol will survive.

    4. ReFlex76

      Called it . . . kinda, that might not be Blaine behind Toedad

    5. Ghastly

      It’s become clear at this point that Indiana U campus security just isn’t a thing.

      1. thejeff

        What would you expect campus security to have done? Campuses are open to the public, so keeping them off campus entirely isn’t an option and these guys are apparently good enough to grab multiple kids out of a crowd without anyone noticing.
        Realistically, what’s even a competent security force supposed to do here?

        1. N0083rP00F

          Well it all depends on how the campus is physically laid out.
          One of my old campuses had a bottleneck via the boulevard entrance road.
          It was very easy to block off and was as Standard procedure whenever an alarm sounded to allow the swift passage of emergency vehicles.
          My city core campus on the other hand – Oy vey what a nightmare that was for access control with century old buildings – fixed now since they bought the old Holiday Inn and renovated it – Security so tight you can’t even fart in the airlocks.

        2. thejeff

          But no alarm has been sounded. IU’s a pretty open campus, sitting in the middle of Bloomington, with multiple roads running through or around it. The campus itself has no security in the sense that it’s open to the public. Dorm buildings at least are locked during the night – but can apparently be entered by any student – thus Asher was able to get in and set off the fire alarm.

          That matches my expectations for at least large universities. IU has ~40,000 students. The buildings can have access control, but you really can’t lock down the whole area. Like controlling who has access to a whole town.

        3. Agemegos

          A fire alarm has sounded. Campus security ought to have attended.

        4. Bicycle Bill

          Speaking as someone who worked with campus security at a small (less that 10K student) Midwestern university, a fire alarm is a local alarm only unless someone calls security to report it.  And there has usually been enough prank fire alarms that by about the third or fourth week into the semester, the only time someone calls security flor a fire alarm is if they actually see flames.

    6. Rectilinear Propagation

      I was more confused about how no one saw it happen.

      My guess is Faz lured Amber away and the rest were a series of “where did X go, better go find them”.

      I guess the crowd of the entire building being outside is large/chaotic enough for no one to notice people leaving? Ruth had started counting people but they weren’t all in one spot (Dina was behind her) so she would have had to turn around to find everyone.

  7. Mra

    I would have thought Betrayal would have maxed out when he pointed a loaded gun at her. Why did they drag Ethan and Sarah into this though?

    1. Yotomoe

      Maybe Blaine’s not who she feels betrayed by.

      1. Agemegos

        Why would Joyce feel betrayed by Blaine? I don’t think she has ever met him.

        1. Yotomoe

          I meant toe dad I forgot his name.

        2. Agemegos

          Ross. He’s tagged.

      2. thejeff

        Right. Is that a clue she saw someone else?

    2. Needfuldoer

      Ethan and Sarah were witnesses.

    3. Liz

      Likely some added betrayal and rage directed toward her church and her mother who are responsible for him getting out.

    4. JetstreamGW

      Her mother. She’s talking about her mother. Who helped let the asshole out.

  8. Yotomoe

    And here I thought it’d be Sidney Yus.

    1. Doctor_Who

      Far too pedestrian. Sidney would never engage in a plan that didn’t involve at least one lava moat or explosive shark.

      1. Arianod

        With frikin’ laser beams.

    2. clif

      Wait for it.

    3. Needfuldoer

      Sydney gets their revenge with an elaborate plot to steal TP from Galasso’s.

      Phase two of the plan is stealing the stapler from Pamela’s desk (which she just hands over willingly because Sydney needs it).

  9. FaerwenofValenwood

    Worst. Toe. Ever.

    1. Undrave

      I’m wondering if Blaine will do something that will make Toedad realize he’s not his brand of Christian?

      1. Bagge

        apparently that whole “kidnapping and hurting teenagers” thing is perfectly on brand for Toedad’s brand of Christian.

        1. Undrave

          He’s looking a bit more human in that last panel.

    2. King Daniel

      “If thy toe offends thee, cut it off.”

  10. Shiro

    Oh I don’t like those silhouettes either

    1. clif

      Untagged silhouettes.

      1. Segnosaur

        Just wondering… Has Willis ever gone back to previous comics and changed tags after a “minor” background character gets more of an identity? Could the tags be changed later to add “Blaine, Faz, etc”

        1. Norah

          Yes, Willis did change tags at least once. After Jocelyne came out as trans to Ethan, Willis went back and changed her tags fro “Joshua” to “Jocelyne”.

        2. thejeff

          Ryan wasn’t tagged in his first few strips.

        3. He Who Abides

          Having started with DoA, I didn’t like that change. I mean, I appreciate Willis respecting trans people, but it meant that Ethan finding out Jocelyn’s real name wasn’t a surprise to me, just a “heh, that’s what’s up with the tags” that was kinda spoiled by that.

        4. Adam Black

          If she was going by Joss publicly , willis couldve kept it up longer without deadnaming her.

          maybe the Mystery of Jordan will get solved soon too

  11. clif

    Good thinking Walky. Maybe a trifle slow though.

  12. jmsr7

    Well, that explains how they managed the multiple kidnappings. I count at least 4 other people in the background. I’m guessing Blaine is the square one on the right and I think Faz is the little one on the left partly concealed by the door; however they’re not tagged.

    Oh, and it seems that Asher’s role was limited to pulling the fire alarm?

    1. King Daniel

      That was always the plan. Asher only went along (after being blackmailed with the money he stole from his mob-boss grandfather to pay for college) because he was assured “nobody would be hurt”.

    2. Agemegos

      I still reckon that it’s not adequately explained how they snatched even one person cleanly out of a crowd without being noticed. Six? It’s not like they were walking alone at two-minute intervals along a narrow winding path with no-one in earshot.

      This is a job for a Star Trek transporter or phaser-set-to-stun.

      1. King Daniel

        Yeah, I’m still hoping we’ll get an explanation on that.

      2. Huehuetotl

        It’s possible they weren’t taken from the crowd. Someone may have gone off to look for someone, and the rest may have followed.

        1. Agemegos

          Hella planning to pull that off six times without even one pair going together, nobody saying anything to anyone as they leave, etc. outside of Warner Brothers cartoons it takes four assailants to make a clean snatch on one person, and the act is pretty blatant to anyone looking in the right direction.

      3. N0083rP00F

        Easy enough with three (or more) teams of “Good Fellas” experienced in collecting persons of interest with little muss or fuss.
        Well that is my explanation for the unnamed silhouettes in the background.
        (The lil guy is sicilian)

      4. ensiform

        This sometimes-unrealistic comic strip is being unrealistic!

    3. Dunedon

      But really … a group of church fanatics can take out 6 18-20’ish kids from a public place and NOBODY notices anything?

      I used to think that DoA did a pretty good job of being “realistic”, but this just isn’t really possible and feels quite forced. Wondering how this is going to play out to explain, what to me, is a very unlikely occurance.

      1. Agemegos

        It has been decidedly unrealistic before. There’s Amazi-Girl’s combat prowess against multiple simultaneous foes for a start. Then there is the time Amazi=Girl fell of the trunk of Toedad’s limousine. Realistically, she ought to have continued to share the forward motion of both cars as she fell to the ground, and only slowed significantly after she hit the road. Instead, she did not fall at all, and accelerated rearward so much that she hit the following limousine with enough speed to smash its windscreen.

        Explanation? “Sometimes God answers lesbian prayers.”

  13. Cmasta1992

    Blech Malaya no thanks.

    Also things are progressing well here. Which is to say they’re progressing horribly but I’m on the edge of my seat more than normal.

  14. BarerMender

    There seems to be a notable absence of Blaines.

    1. clif

      Silhouette on the right.

    2. Some Ed

      Blaine’s probably keeping back, because unlike Toedad, he realizes that what he’s doing is considered evil and even though most of the people in that basement won’t recognize him, he’d rather not have witnesses that can pick him out of a lineup.

      I suspect he’s not only letting Toedad get more of the spotlight, but everyone else from Toedad’s church.

  15. DailyBrad

    Ross’s expression is an odd one here. We have Blaine in the back, but not sure yet who is with him. Could be some of the Korean gang thugs he’s worked with, but this feels like a lot of favors to call. College is expensive, yes, but could Amber’s tuition really amount to enough to call in these kinds of favors?

    1. Segnosaur

      Could be self-preservation on the part of the mob… They might think there are too many loose ends (what with mike revealing Ross’s secrets within Amber’s hearing) and so helping Blaine would be in their best interest.

      Or maybe the silloettes are something else… Joyce’s former church congregation trying to “save” them from sin. Or maybe they are all known characters associated with blaine… Blaine Asher and faz.

    2. thejeff

      This isn’t really about the money.

  16. FLUFFY

    There’s someone else involved here that would’ve pissed Joyce off even more.

    1. Me et al.

      @abysswatcher1993 seems to have it. Based on her mom’s saying so, I suspect Blaine and Toedad have pulled Joyce’s old church into this. Obvs not the whole church, but certainly more folks than just Toedad.

      1. SuperZero

        She already teamed up with Blaine to sic Ross on them, and she knew her husband had just spoken to Joyce about that. She wasn’t necessarily referring to anything else.

      2. Needfuldoer

        Maybe they arranged a mini-crusade of midwestern fundies and a church van or two.

    2. clif

      That lurks as a possibility, yes, but I really don’t think Joyce’s mom has crossed the line into kidnapping.

      1. auroki

        It’s not kidnapping if ya relabel it as saving them from “Mistakes in God’s Eyes”

      2. King Daniel

        She was willing to condone Ross’s previous attempt at kidnapping. She might not engage in it herself, but she could easily be willing to turn a blind eye.

        1. Liquid Len

          She also really doesn’t like Joyce being at IU
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/squeezing-2/

    3. Yotomoe

      Becky threw them down here.

  17. Joe Moose

    Oh wow, everyone is here? Daaang…

  18. abysswatcher1993

    Joyce, they are rage, brutal and without mercy, but you will be worse. RIP AND TEAR, until it is done.

    Seriously, what do these Christian fundies think they will get from kidnapping a bunch of teenagers? Are they going to sent them to a Latin American country in the Caribbean to be tortured until they convert? Do they plan to force them to conversion therapy? What do these evil people want?!

    1. Needfuldoer

      My guess is they’re “we have all your little friends” leverage for Toedad and the Blaine to use against Becky.

      Though none of them are blindfolded or gagged, so either the mob doesn’t expect them to ever say anything (so much for “nobody gets hurt”) or Blaine the contractor hired out bottom-bidder untrained thugs.

    2. Ron again

      I think the “plan” is as needful says, use the friends to force becky to come with Ross. Worked last time. However, Blaine does not care about that at all. He just wants Amber to be so afraid that she quits school. Afraid of the place she sleeps, afraid of having friends, afraid of going outside… He does not care whether the Christian endeavour succeeds, he just wants to traumatise his daughter into submission.

    3. Sombrero

      They have no plan, its Blaine’s plan. They are being tricked/bought to be the executers in exchange from getting Becky (and maybe Joyce) out of Bloomington. They will end being the fall-guys and, if Willis really was serious about breaking the “no deaths” rule, Toedad will not come out alive of this.

  19. Undrave

    Hm… why did they grab Sarah but not Dinah??

    1. SuperZero

      They didn’t see her.

    2. Yotomoe

      The guy they sent to grab her lost an arm.

  20. BigDogLittleCat

    Damn Ross is a dumb mofo. It’s obvious Becky got her brains from her mother. And her morals and her personality.

    Sure looks like Faz. Was her brought along or did he invite himself?

    1. Some Ed

      It’s incredible just how dumb an otherwise smart person can be when they refuse to think about a subject. My father’s a scientist with multiple discoveries to his name but I could imagine him pulling this shit given the right context.

  21. pjeseb

    Joyce: “Huh. This is a new feeling. Fear for someone other than Becky…”

    *Ross appears at the top of the stairs*

    Joyce: “Unfortunately it’s overshadowed by all this UNYIELDING RAGE!!!”

    *Ross flips off the lights*

    Joyce: “AH! My rage has blinded me!”

    1. Kyrik Michalowski

      I approve of this reference. Well done.

  22. woobie

    I love Sarah.

    1. BBCC

      Me too.

  23. BBCC

    https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/02-to-remind-you-of-my-love/therightthing/

    That comment about betrayal makes me wonder if the church are the helpers here, not the mob.

    1. clif

      Maybe, but I expect it’s directed at the Toe.

  24. Yotomoe

    Also forgot to say this yesterday, but Dorothy, Joyce, Walky and Amber are kinda my ideal fourway.

    1. clif

      Sal, Danny, Ethan, Amber.

    2. Schpoonman

      Oh, shit.

    3. Xenocide

      Somehow I think that Joyce would find multiple aspects of that horrifying.
      The others probably wouldn’t be fundamentally against it though.

      1. clif

        I mean, Joyce and Walky? Ew! Gross.

  25. JessWitt

    Oh wow that’s a lot of hostages… and a lot of bad guys.

    Either Toedad goes back to the clink for good or he’s off this mortal coil.

    1. Dr. T

      If no one dies then he’ll still be eligible for bail. Granted, it should be quite massive a second time.

  26. Keulen

    I’m assuming one of those silhouettes behind Ross is Blaine.

    1. Agemegos

      Could be Blaine, Asher, Yuri, and Faz. But you’d expect them to be tagged.

    2. Bicycle Bill

      I don’t think so.  Blaine always seems to have that shit-eating grin about him (except for when Amber was beating the shit out of him), so his would be the only silhouette showing teeth.

      1. thejeff

        Though that square headed one on the right kind of looks like Blaine in his super villain form.

  27. Lawzlo

    I’m really hoping that the second silhouette from the left (the one with the spiky hair) isn’t Asher. I don’t think so, but it’s hard to tell.

    1. King Daniel

      Asher only submitted to Blaine’s blackmail after he was assured no one would be hurt. So fortunately for him, I doubt it’s Asher in the background.

      1. Segnosaur

        It could still be asher.

        First of all, define “hurt”. He could justify the kidnapping by claiming “every one will be released later with no harm”.

        Secondly even if the promise was that nobody would be hurt, things can spiral out of control… Blaine tells him “just pull the fire alarm”… Then after that says “now you are implicated, just help me grab this person”. And so on …

        1. thejeff

          Though the disappearances had already happened when we saw Asher walking away texting “It’s done”. Wouldn’t really fit if he was also actively pulling kids into the van.

        2. Segnosaur

          Well we don’t know the exact timeline…

          It’s possible that are actual kidnappings started only after Asher sent his text (since we don’t see Walkley tied up until later)

          Or it’s possible blaine started with kidnapping walkthrough and Joyce but asher assisted in later kidnappings.

          Or it’s possible that Asher just sent the text but joined the group after the kidnappings were done.

        3. thejeff

          Possible, but the kidnapped people had already disappeared.

  28. Schpoonman

    Fuck you, Ross.

  29. Ghastly

    So I guess the first hospital bill and jail time wasn’t enough, eh Toedad?

    1. jmsr7

      Don’t be silly. Such worldy misfortunes are but a trifling to an eternity of torture at the hand of Satan, and of no concern to the mind of a religious zealot.

      Obey or burn. This is the message of Ross’ sect of Christianity.

  30. MondayLiker

    After Willis’s deliberate tagging of Ethan up in a distant window earlier this arc, my vote is fully on Blaine himself not being the Blaine-like silhouette. I also wonder why he wouldn’t separate Amber from the rest? Say a word to her as she was tossed in? He did that whole supervillain thing for Amber, not Amazi-Girl, right? I don’t recall Amber even meeting Super Bad Blaine…

    Dang, I gotta get on that Patreon.

    1. Needfuldoer

      I’ve been having fun guessing what happens next from the blurry versions Patreon shows the public as teasers. The “WHUMP!”s have been obvious, and today was clearly going to be some kind of scene change or reveal, but specifics are still a surprise.

  31. ADLegend21

    [chanting] JOYCE IS GONNA KILL YOU! JOYCE IS GONNA KILL YOU! JOYCE IS GONNA KILL YOU!!!!

    1. Icalasari

      I kind of hope at least ONE of the Derelict Dumbasses die in this

  32. Meagan

    Shouldn’t that be “gonna hafta” not “gotta hafta”?

    1. Ron again

      Yes

    2. Cybersnark

      Joyce is so angry she can’t enunciate.

  33. DuckDuckMoose

    I see him too, Joyce, and that’s got to be Blaine’s stupid hair behind him on the right, but who the hell else joined the asshole brigade? Faz? Youth pastor Powers? Maybe the other minister too, the beardy one?

    1. Needfuldoer

      If Carol’s there, Hank’s going to wake up to an empty bed, empty house, and empty driveway. It would be interesting to see him try to investigate what’s going on from La Porte. Maybe talk to the pastor, who’ll be surprised Carol didn’t tell him about the wonderful news.

  34. Dwayne

    Is that Faz?

  35. Johan

    Joyce is so cool sometimes and Sarah is a sweet baby.

  36. Reltzik

    No one’s got the right hair style for Yuri. I mean, maybe she really changed her hair in the past week or so, but I doubt it.

    I count from (our) left to right Faz, ?, Asher(?), and Blaine.

    … that one next to Faz looks almost like a match for Sydney. Could she be mad at Becky for taking her job? That feels more like a Shortpacked plot twist than a DoA plot twist.

  37. Mr. Random

    Look, I’m assuming flattop in the back right is Blaine, but….
    the heck is the legion of doom next to them.
    That’s at LEAST 3 other people.
    …
    Is her mom in on this?
    I’m assuming not, but…
    is she?

    1. Beef

      Really curious to see how her mom reacts to all this actually. Judging by how Willis has spoken about his own relationship to his mom I don’t have high hopes

    2. Bagge

      ….is she?

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/02-to-remind-you-of-my-love/therightthing/

  38. Amphibianlass

    I knoww this is a serious moment but part of me is now imagining Joyce as the punisher idk why

  39. LBD "Nytetrayn"

    Hmm… I want to say that kidnapping a group of adults ought to get him/them put away for longer than before, but considering how easy he got off before… I expect the system to disappoint us all once again.

    1. King Daniel

      Ross hasn’t even been put on trial yet, he’s still awaiting that part. Indiana state law mandates bail to be set for anything short of actual, successful murder.

      On the bright-ish side, that means that if Mike is dead and it can be traced to him, he’s gone for good if he gets locked up again.

      1. jmsr7

        I don’t think he’d be gone for good, or even all that long. Mike fell off a balcony during a fight (i expect neither Ross nor Blaine to argue that he was pushed), so it’d probably be manslaughter. Which is much, much lighter.

        Mind you, the “and just what were you doing around your daughter’s university campus within blocks of her apartment at that time of night, mister ‘i chased my lesbian daughter across campus with a loaded rifle?'” might push that into the category of premeditation…

    2. Needfuldoer

      I’m sure the mob will be able to pin it all on Blaine. There’s a reason he’s a stooge, not a Don.

  40. Doom Shepherd

    Aw poop. It’s not just the Crapdad Duo, it’s the whole damn cult, isn’t it?

  41. Sirksome

    I refuse to believe Ross is capable of capturing all of them with this much speed and efficiency! I REFUSE!

    1. Shane

      It is straining my suspension of disbelief that a half dozen students, presumably standing in a big group, could all be picked off without one of them screaming or one of the dozens of students noticing. I think loading tied up people into a van would look pretty sinister.

      Plus Ruth is actively trying to take muster, I THINK she’s going to notice if a ton of her students are randomly just not there.

      But whatever, the show must go on. YOLO!!

      1. BBCC

        Ruth DID notice they disappeared, but she hasn’t puzzled out kidnapping yet.

        1. thejeff

          Noticed they’re gone, but no one saw the grabbing? None of them even let out a yell of surprise? Amber didn’t reflexively throw someone when she was grabbed?

          One would be possible, but still risky.

        2. Sirksome

          Amber is sleep deprived. I’m pretty sure that was established specifically so she’d be in a weakened state for this event.

      2. Shariku

        The lack of gags is kind of an issue.

      3. Exarch

        Each of the kidnapped characters had reason to separate from the crowd. Joyce, Sarah, and Dorothy may have left to go see Becky; Amber left to get her phone; Ethan and Walky left to go after Amber. It’s likely the kidnappings happened when they were a little distance from The rest of the crowd. Also, very few people are fully awake/with it during a 4 am fire alarm, so if the kidnapping didn’t happen RIGHT in front of anyone, it might have gone unnoticed.

        1. thejeff

          It’s possible, though none of them where shown to have left and their disappearances were immediately commented on.

      4. Nono

        Yeah, I’m slowly noping out of this storyline not just because it’s a highly stressful situation, but also because my suspension of belief is extremely stretched, as it always does whenever there’s an Amazi-girl storyline.

        I know this is a ‘big’ storyline, but after this, I hope we’re done with Amazi-Girl storylines for good if it keeps leading to situations like this.

  42. Segnosaur

    So what main characters that are left free who could intercede?
    -Ruth (has some authority, already suspects something wrong)
    -Dina (can easily go unnoticed)
    -Mike (nobody has seen him so we suspect the worst… But he is smart and may have been hiding for the past day for safety)
    – Becky (although she doesn’t live on campus so unlikely she would know what’s going on yet)

    1. Segnosaur

      Forgot to include:
      -sal (sort of amazigirls partner for a while… But she hasn’t been involved with blaine before)
      – Danny&Joe.(friends with kidnapped victims but not really known for fighting)

    2. Ron again

      Dina is also rumored to have seen what happened. Dina+Ruth make a good team.

      1. Agemegos

        Yeah, they can call the police. This is a job for a SWAT team.

    3. Andrusi

      Becky could potentially find out fairly quickly what’s going on via Ross just outright calling to tell her, being dumb enough to think now that she doesn’t have her friends actively “corrupting” her she’ll immediately agree to come back to him.

      If Becky does find out quickly, she obviously has Robin at her disposal. She might also think to contact Hank, who’s potentially in a position to get useful information.

      1. jmsr7

        Becky already had the whole damn police force on her side after the ‘chased across campus by a gun-wielding dad’ incident, but now she’s got an effing US SENATOR UP FOR RE-ELECTION MEDIA WHORE (? dunno how to put that politely) on her side.

        The only question is whether she realizes this and thinks to act on it. She’s still basically a kid after all; and one used to going it alone at that. I give it 50/50 odds she’ll call them in.

  43. Bagge

    FUCK THAT GUY!!!

  44. Nenja

    Okay, so there’s more people than just Blaine and Ross, that makes more plaudible how they managed to snatch all these students. I wonder who these shadowy figures are?

    1. abysswatcher1993

      Possible suspects: Faz, Faz’s mom, Carol, Gash face, mobsters, religious fanatics, etc.

      1. Ron again

        For hairdos of fanatics, see: this comic. Carol and the youth pastor might match. But if that’s true, why is Joyce so mad at Ross and not at her church mates.

        1. thejeff

          She doesn’t actually say it’s Ross. He’s the one coming down the stairs, but the rage and betrayal could be aimed at someone else.

  45. NinjaNick

    It’s Mr. Toe and the Foes. Where are the SWAT team when you need team?

    1. Bagge

      Joyce is right there. She will swat him plenty

      1. Needfuldoer

        Waiting for her to Hulk right out of the duct tape and stub the toe.

  46. Bagge

    It’s kinda sweet how both Ethan and Sarah immediately worries about the people they feel protective of.

    as does Joyce, even if she immediately went past worry and directly to rage.

  47. Hampsterpig

    I really respect Sarah’s immediate thought process on making sure Joyce is alright, despite the bad situation. It can be a struggle to be mindful of other’s mental states at the best of times and even despite being kidnapped, her first instinct was to take care of others.

    1. abysswatcher1993

      In situations of stress facades can break, and in this case Sarah shows her true colors as a compassionate person. Also, Joyce is showing her true colors as a vengeful person ready to RIP AND TEAR.

      1. PiotrW

        And now I have the mental image of Joyce being the protagonist of the classic Doom comic… Thank you 🙂

  48. Sean Smith

    This is an awful large number of people to abduct. I have a hard time thinking of any goal or strategy that would justify this amount of risk.

    1. Bagge

      It’s about Blaine’s and Toedad’s priiiiide. Whatever could be more important than that?

    2. Shariku

      Yeah, the number of people quietly kidnapped here is almost pushing believability in the first place (makes sense with more people helping out, but still). Not to mention some of the people getting kidnapped don’t really feel like they need to be kidnapped. Sarah and Dorothy are very odd choices (unless Ryan’s here as well… somehow).

      But then we have to remember that the goal itself is stupid on Blaine and Toedad’s behalf. Toedad is doing this to ‘protect his daughter from gay sins’, and Blaine is doing it because he doesn’t like paying tuition fees (though it’s more his stupid pride at this point).

      The simple truth is that they’re so far gone at this point that risk and reward don’t really mean anything. What’s important, to them, is the feeling of control and power they get from this. Might makes right, even if what is ‘right’ has long since been dashed from their minds.

  49. Romanticide

    Joyce has not forgoten she still has an unhurt hand and she seems serious about using it to amputate a toe.

  50. brasca1

    So Ross has more than one accomplice from the looks of it and I’m not counting Blaine since he’s the mastermind. It’s either the Korean mafia or Joyce’s church and I’m leaning on the latter because there is no profit and plenty of risk kidnapping 6 people. This is the kind of stupidity only religious fundamentalists would do. The upshot is when all this is done they’re looking at being tried in a federal court and not a friendly state and local court.

    1. Ron again

      I agree on the church likelyhood. I think I recognize the hair of the youth pastor in panel 4 of this comic from a while ago. What I don’t understand in that case, is that Joyce is only angry with Ross. If her church were involved, she would have recognized more than one. Or she doesn’t feel betrayed by Ross, but by one of the other figures in the background. Her mother, maybe?

      1. brasca1

        I think she recognizes the silhouettes which is why she feels betrayed. She already knows what kind of person Ross her esteem of him couldn’t get any lower.

        1. Agemegos

          Good point. Feeling betrayed by Ross now, after he already threatened her with a gun, kidnapped Becky, and tried to kill Amazi-Girl, seems a bit odd.

      2. Some Ed

        Who says she’s only angry at Toedad? He’s just standing in the doorway blocking the view of all of the other people that betrayed Joyce. I’m guessing it’s all the figured in the doorway besides Toedad. Even the one on the right, because it isn’t Blaine.

        She’s not feeling that intense anger at Toedad because that sense of betrayal is a bit worn already. She’s still upset by him, but she expected this sort of thing from him. Not them.

    2. Segnosaur

      Actually there is profit for the mob to kidnap students, if it prevents any of them from talking about anything Mike might have revealed about Blaine’s financial activities.

      Although it’s still possible that it is the church group.

      1. Agemegos

        I don’t think Blaine would tell the Mob that he had let their financial secrets leak to Mike. And he wouldn’t be blackmailing Asher into helping if he could command the services of Mob goons. He’s moonlighting.

  51. BenRG

    Don’t waste your energy on hate, Joyce. I really don’t think that Ross has a sufficiently-developed self-awareness to really understand your emotions or why he should care about them.

    1. Bagge

      I think he SHOULD spend some time pondering the fact that this time Becky is not around to hold her back.

      1. Kim

        Nice!

  52. EvilMidnightLurker

    “Hello, Ross. You might want to know that you, you personally, are why I’ve lost my faith in God.”

    1. Shariku

      Aw man. I hope we get that line or something close to it.

    2. Bagge

      I would have hoped Ross would have got the hint of how little faith God has in him back when he and Joyce last had a friendly little chat, but noooo

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/strength-2/

  53. BigDogLittleCat

    Joyce lost an ugly Little toenail yesterday.
    Today she destroys an entire big ugly toe.

    1. David L.

      I love it.

    2. Bagge

      Foreshadowing!

  54. sillygoosE

    Have you learnt nothing from horror movies?
    First, you entice one of them away from the group – with a weird noise, or possibly by having Faz wave at her from a distance.

    Then the others go one by one to investigate why the first to go never came back. One by one, that’s essential.

    1. Some Ed

      They learned from horror movies, which is why they were in pairs. But these asshats were ready for pairs, too.

      1. SillyGoose

        Damn, you mean horro movie goons can EVOLVE? We’re doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooomed

  55. Koms

    I doubt Ross realizes anything or feels guilty at this point. He’s too far gone. They’re going to use the abductees to get Becky to go with them. Is it possible that Robin and/or Leslie can save them and put these villains away for good? I hate them so much.

    1. Some Ed

      Of course Ross realizes something. He realizes that he’s captured enough of Becky’s friends to work as a sufficient lure. He realizes he has enough support from all of his friends from church that he can’t possibly fail, even if his new friend Blaine is for some odd reason strangely needing to spend time working on parts of this plan which require him to not be here at this moment.

  56. Mr.Morningstar

    Ah theres uh.. alot of dudes behind Ross huh

  57. Bryy

    Can I also just say that the forced perspective in the last panel is fantastic?

  58. BenRG

    Who’s the third guy in the line-up behind Ross, I wonder? That guy that Amber disembowelled?

  59. GUIGUI

    The shocking part is that he has managed to find even more people to help him in his crazy kidnapping scheme.

    1. BenRG

      There are a lot of stupid and/or hateful people in this world whose sense of entitlement and grievance are so strong that they think it grants them exception from society’s rules.

    2. frogger44

      Chances are the people that are helping him are Blaine’s gang contacts.

  60. Sombrero

    There’s still time for Penny’s gang of Brexitjas to steal the group from Blaine/Toedad forcing Archer to confront her in a glorious slipshine. Just sayin’.

    1. Roborat

      Does that mean Lana will be there as well?

      1. Sombrero

        Lana, yes. It would be also great to include Jason, just for funsies.

  61. Vulcanodon

    After this Joyce becomes an anti-hero in a cool leather jacket. Wearing mechanic’s gloves with the protected knuckles.

  62. Kim

    Really great coloring work in this one! :O

  63. Booker

    So. This whole time. The thing about Toedad is that very rarely does he look genuinely angry or even malevolent. That last panel. He looks like he is about to spill ut his art and explain his (bullshit) reasons for everything. He is actually pulling off the villain who is truly convinced he’s the hero. But yeah….his expression…mostly the eyebrows…its almost too kind looking.

    1. Needfuldoer

      He is conflicted about Joyce’s involvement. I think if anyone’s going to reach him, she is.

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-10/01-birthday-pursuit/connected/

    2. Chris

      He reminds me too much of “Mommy Dearest”.

      I’m wondering how long before an FBI investigation is launched into Joyce’s old church, because without the right Deputy Director in charge that can calm tensions, this is how bloodbaths like Waco and Ruby Ridge start.

      As much of a political conservative I am, I’m hoping Joyce’s dad has a much needed epiphany regarding the limits of religion, faith, and where family loyalty stops.

  64. DarkoNeko

    Fuck, how many of his goons did Blaine bring ? Aaaaand that’s gonna end pretty badly for Asher…

  65. SlothfulCobra

    Walky don’t look right with sclera.

  66. Jhon

    So the SMOL is some kinda campus hangout?

    1. clif

      SMOL = Secret Masters of Literature. They’re a fun bunch to hang out with.

    2. Jhon

      I’d hang with them!

    3. Bicycle Bill

      It’s the way educated college students spell “small” nowadays. (/sarcasm)

  67. Rabisch

    Who are those very scary shadows behind Toedad?

    1. Bagge

      a bunch of assholes, most likely

  68. clif

    Okay, left to right. Faz, Yuri, Archer, Blaine. Not confident about Archer.

    1. King Daniel

      They have an archer in their evil adventuring party, too?

      1. clif

        The spell correct is helpful enough I really need it, but every so often it miscorrects and I don’t catch it.

  69. Anikiki

    Dun dun DUUUUUUUUNNNNNN!

  70. Geneseepaws

    Down at the bottom of the list, here. I am not sure the peanut gallery, (as in circus audience, not as in little kids), don’t think the commenteers are giving His Nibs credit for how clever His writing is and how this will play out.
    And keep your eyes on Joyce.

  71. hof1991

    If not Asher, then it might be Joyce’s not-good brother. He would be up for this kind of thing. Let his name be forgotten.

    1. Bagge

      Christ, what an asshole

    2. Paul

      John’s hair is wrong for the people in the silhouette.

  72. Paul

    The silhouette second from left looks like Youth Pastor Powers:

    https://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/youth-pastor-powers/

    1. Adam Black

      you RE right. Based on Joyces anger I think its Powers and Carol

      Powers is an espy for Willis, too.

      I think this will be his version of “the guy i almost was”

  73. ValdVin

    Five others in this pile and Sarah immediately is concerned for Joyce. That’s some very good big-sistering.

  74. DudeMyDadOwnsaDealership

    Blaine know who Walky’s Mother is? Or is he thinking “I’m a dead man anyway, so I might as well go for broke!”?

    1. Sombrero

      Do they even know they have Walky? Anyway, we are slowly approaching a face-to-face Linda Walkerton vs. Youth Pastor Powers. Walky is going to discover another bit of his mother’s “romantic autonomy”.

  75. Roborat

    I am really hoping the background goons are church people, and not mob goons, because that means they are amateurs, and the kids have a reasonable chance of overpowering them and escaping. Mob goons, not so much.

  76. bcb

    So Ross is alive, which means it’s more likely Mike also survived the fall, at the very least.

    1. Agemegos

      How do you figure that? Mike and Blaine fell; why would Mike’s death kill Ross?

      1. King Daniel

        Blaine also grabbed onto the rope, while Mike never tried for it in the first place.

      2. thejeff

        Cause it means Amazi-Girl didn’t kill them in a blind rage after Mike died.

  77. Vulcanodon

    I don’t see Dina. And she is a Clever Girl.

  78. Nah

    4 people behind toedad?

  79. Bicycle Bill

    I just watched “Taken” again the other day, and since we don’t know that much of Hank Brown’s backstory I had this weird vision that he would show up, give that “unique set of skills” speech, and then proceed to lay waste to Toedad AND Blaine … and anyone else that got in his way.  

    1. Agemegos

      I suddenly see him as the sadistic dentist in Little Shop of Horrors.

  80. Chaucer59

    OMFG! That murder-face on Joyce—holy dominatrix, Batman! I can’t remember the little Bible-thumper girl ever looking so smokin’ hot before.

    1. Jhon

      And next the inverted Triangle Smile…

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