292

Stepped
Posted on July 28, 2015 by David M Willis
2015-07-patreon1previewThis month's comic-by-popular-vote is up on the Dumbing of Age Patreon!  Mike won the poll, so we get a Mike strip.  He's Mike!  And he's in a comic!  Also, Amber's there. (Also folks who plege $5 or more to the Patreon get to read tomorrow's strip a day early.)

292 thoughts on “Stepped”

  1. Jen Aside

    “THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE SLIPSHINE WE WERE PREPARING FOR OUR WHOLE LIVES*! CREDIT CARDS READY! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!”**

    *since 10 September 2010

    **promptly spends hours reading Titty Time while waiting

    1. LeslieBean4Shizzle

      **reads alt text**
      What, the slipshine about Ruth getting hit by a truck?

      1. Rheios

        The now sentient truck gently squeezed Ruth’s shoulder. “Please don’t break me for hitting you it,” it wept. She grasped its tailpipe, “I won’t break you. I will DESTROY you.” *smut music plays*

        1. Cheryl

          Sploosh

        2. Spencer

          “Show me” says Ruth, only her neck’s broken so it comes out like “SHRRR MRRR”.

        3. Halloween Jack

          EHRMAGERD EHRM FEHRKIN EHR TREHRK

        4. Ozzi

          And a scream was heard as Ruth tore the femurs out of the truck.

      2. Jen Aside

        NO THE LIFE ALTERING PIZZA COME ON

        1. LeslieBean4Shizzle

          Act with integrity… no regrets!

        2. Rycan

          Sounds like something’s been added to the pizza. Anchovies, maybe?

        3. Ozzi

          LSD

      3. Em

        Well yeah.

      4. timemonkey

        I’d get off on it.

      5. thebombzen

        I’d rather Ruth get hit by an Ultra Car.

      6. Tomas

        **reads alt text**
        What, the slipshine about Ruth getting hit by a truck?

        Only if “the truck” is the nickname Ethan gave his penis.

        1. Mally

          I am ashamed of all of you.

          Continue.

    2. Aeron

      The dinosaur hat never comes off.

      1. MeHael

        Dino hat or no Dino hat?

  2. Nono

    DUN DUN DUN

    Or

    DAN DAN DAN

    1. A5PECT

      That is TOO MUCH DAN.

      1. Tayo

        this is getting DANgerous

        1. Nono

          Looks like it’s time for the same old song and DANce.

        2. Usayasha

          Now that’s just DANdy.

        3. OsoPescado

          DAN

        4. Lurlock

          DAB

        5. darkoneko

          No.

        6. Arduino J

          FACE FEMUR NICKEL
          … with my penis.

          We need to stop. Why can’t we stop?

        7. Deja Vu

          The name’s DANdy. Space DANdy

        8. HMRC4EVR

          Let’s
          Get
          Dangerous!

        9. Someone

          ♫Danny Wilcox!, When there’s trouble you call DW!♫

        10. a snow ʍousɐ

          “D.W.!”
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b53WaK71sMM

        11. dmaxx

          *blows whistle and pull up a yellow card* that pun was already taken by tayo, you should be ashamed of yourself using someone’s else pun>_<

        12. Robin

          DANger zone!

    2. Chaucer59

      Damn, Nono, you beat me to the organ music.

      (“Heh heh-heh, he said ‘organ’! Heh heh-heh “

      1. StClair

        “Lights! Organ! *organ music*”
        “Oooh, nice organ.”
        — Elvira and the Party Monsters (Bally/Midway, 1989)

        1. Bicycle Bill

          I wish I still had even half of the quarters I pumped into that machine…..

    3. Zaxares

      Goddammit, someone always says my joke before I do. ALWAYS. ;_;

  3. Hollister Dixon

    IT’S GAME TIME, THE PAST MUST BE RECKONED WITH

    1. otusasio451

      Oh, THAT won’t happen until Sal and Amber meet face to face. Then…THEN…it will be game time. That or STAB-PUNCH time. Either one.

      1. Hollister Dixon

        FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT
        KISS KISS KISS

        1. darkoneko

          Kiss kiss fall in love~

        2. Disloyal Subject

          Welp.
          Time to go listen to Liberal Me from Hell until I get that song outta my head.

        3. Disloyal Subject

          As much as autocorrect fills me with rage sometimes, that’s just funny.

        4. darkoneko

          mu ha ha ha ha ha

    2. Usayasha

      The future is in the past. ONWARD AOSHIMA!

      1. otusasio451

        +bleventeen internets

      2. Hollister Dixon

        I know the context, but without any context, that clip is some of the most over the top batshittery on the internet

  4. otusasio451

    What pizza party isn’t life altering, really? Or is it just the ones that I go to?

    1. JessWitt

      Um, those were all interventions.

      1. Mandy

        Pizza is served at interventions? Maybe I should pick up some vices.

        1. Inspector Hound

          Hello. This is an intervention. We love and respect you, but you believe you have no vices, and we want to talk to you about posting to webcomic forums.

          Here, have some pizza.

      2. Mr. Morningstar

        Pizza IS a good bargaining chip to kick an addiction.

  5. Doctor_Who

    Surprised he had the guts to show up. Assuming he’s not also there for free pizza (and it’s Danny, he’d feel guilty if he took two mints from the bowl at a restaurant), then good for him.

    1. Doctor_Who

      Yay, messed up my italics tags. Go me. After midnight is smartness time.

    2. Jen Aside

      Tomorrow: Danny be all like, “This… isn’t Cici’s…”

    3. Deanatay

      WHAT?? TWO Mints!?! The sign CLEARLY says ONE mint per person! NO, I don’t care that Amber didn’t want hers! She should have taken one, and given it to Danny! Taking two for himself?!?! There are RULES to be followed, people! AN ORDER!!

      1. Khantalas

        Mark it zero!

      2. Robert

        Deanatay, the fact that you have Ruthless as your Gravatar while you wrote your comment, makes this thread a happy place.

    4. anonymsly

      Danny does appear to have a leaflet/pamphlet in his and and he’s reading it. I think he’s actually there for both the meeting and the pizza.

  6. Khantalas

    So while we’re thinking about Ethanny, let me start shipping Jim/Joyce.

    1. Nono

      What would you even call the strip? Jimce?

      1. Khantalas

        As good a ship name as any.

      2. Opus the Poet

        Joym… Seriously

      3. Hannah

        Joym

      4. Usayasha

        JoyJim
        JimJoy
        Jimmyce

        1. Mr. Morningstar

          jimmies?

      5. Deanatay

        You could keep it simple – JJ. Of course, I already use that for my fave ship – Joe/Joyce.

        Yes, it involves face punches. And kissing. That’s why it’s my favorite.

        1. Khantalas

          We could make it Jim/Joe/Joyce and name it the Daily Bugle.

        2. Disloyal Subject

          That is a pretty rad combination.

      6. Disloyal Subject

        JimmyJoy

        1. Soundwave the Superior

          JimmieJams.

  7. man pej

    come on man, danny isn’t worth losing ruth twice

    1. John

      Danny isn’t worth losing Ruth once.

    2. timemonkey

      Not Walkyverse Ruth, this universe’s Ruth is pretty terrible though.

  8. Kernanator

    Quick, Ethan, say that there’s no way you’d get a million dollars.

    1. Nono

      But Dan didn’t show up in a wedding dress.

      (Do I get points for a reference?)

      1. Kernanator

        I didn’t realize I was referencing anything in particular, but sure, let’s say you get points.

      2. Kinoko

        I understood that reference. :U

        1. Lou

          I understood that reference!

      3. saki

        All the friendly points!

      4. timemonkey

        Ah, the things you think are references but are just common phrases.

  9. Plasma Mongoose

    “Hey Dina, when did you grow so tall and why did you get that haircut, it makes you look kinda manly”

    1. Someone

      aw shit I hate when another person makes the same joke right before I do and I feel like an idiot.

      1. detective boomwolf

        Think of it this way amigo, great minds think alike.

      2. Plasma Mongoose

        *bwahahahaah!*

    2. WolfLann

      “I thought you were wearing your Tricera-Tops(tm) today.”

  10. Someone

    next strip

    Danny (talking to Ethan): Oh hey Dina!

  11. newllend(henryvolt)

    Hey Ethan the universe got tired of you complaining all the damn time so it decided to throw you a bone.

    1. The Kojie

      The best kind of bone!

      1. Khantalas

        The verb bone, not the noun bone!

        1. Mr. Morningstar

          give it a minute.

    2. JessWitt

      Or rather a boner.

    3. StClair

      “Here, here you go, now STFU.”

  12. RJ

    THIS IS THE MOST MUNDANE BUT STRESSFUL CLIFFHANGER I’VE EVER SEEN

    1. Meebo

      Tomorrow: Hey guys, I’ve decided to re-institute my weekends!
      Us: But it’s a Tuesday!
      Willis: Oops 😀
      Us: You’ve drawn already drawn it through October!
      Willis: Sorry, can’t hear you over the sound of my weekend!

      1. Disloyal Subject

        As much as I don’t see Willis doing that, it’d be hilarious.

    2. saki

      Okay but. What if none of them turns around? and Willis is just playing with us?

      1. Edupoet81

        Danny just spoke. He and Ethan have had conversations before, so Ethan would recognize Danny’s voice.
        I suppose it’s still plausible that Ethan could edge away out of sight while Danny is still absorbed in that pamphlet, leaving Danny none the wiser. Even so, Ethan definitely knows that Danny is there now.

        1. brumagem

          Having a mouth full of pizza can really disguise one’s voice.

    3. John

      This shipquake is threatening the beneficial Damber situation. I do not want to think of the fallout that would occur if Ethan makes Amber single again by being gay.

      1. gkheyf

        On the one hand, we know that Amber has fantasized about a devil’s threesome, but she also has the trauma of losing a guy she loves to the other side. How she reacts totally depends on timing.

        On a separate note, don’t events like this inevitably lead to meeting peoepl you know? Then you have to either come out or deny it, surely

        1. Lord Stoneheart

          I’m really confused by a lot of people implying that the second Danny becomes comfortable with the fact he likes guys, he will dump Amber for Ethan. He now knows it’s possible to like guys and girls. His defining trait is loyalty, and an unwillingness to recognize when a relationship/friendship is dead.

          Besides, there’s other red flags in his relationship with Amber that have nothing to do with his sexuality. And some of those red flags got a giant spotlight on them last chapter.

        2. gkheyf

          who said anything about them breaking up?

          (reads other comment)…oh

          yeah, but i meant that she might have a bad knee-jerk reaction to finding out about danny even if he has no plans to leave her. i know that we pick on him a lot, but he does try to be a decent guy. and ethan is crazy-nice. and amazi-girl fights for justice! and amber thinks that yaoi is justice…

  13. Blaxon

    Just watch this potentially “life altering” moment be swept aside by one or both of them claiming they’re here for the free pizza, or accompanying someone for support. I am readying a “DAMN YOU WILLIS” for tomorrow.

    1. StClair

      “I-it’s not like I like you or anything…”

      1. Tacos

        Might as well throw in a, “B-baka!” in there while you’re at it.

        1. gkheyf

          Tsundanny? Sounds like a natural disaster. And it is natural, Danny

      2. chiscii

        nah dan already said that. the tsundere rulebook of shitty anime cliches lists that it’s time for a zany misunderstading that ends with danny blushing bright red as he runs away thinking “oh no he knows i’m hot for him,” ethan straight up confused and unaware that dan has the hots for him, only for it all not to be brought up again.

        lmao can you imagine

  14. Stephen R. Bierce

    *looks around for some Greg Kihn Band stuff in the record collection*

  15. nothri

    For once Danny learns to dan something up for good, not evil.

  16. Meebo

    That alt-text is so not cool, Willis. Not cool.

    1. nothri

      No regrets.

      1. podian

        Double not cool.

        1. Meebo

          Seriously. Does nobody act with integrity anymore?

        2. nothri

          Probably not, no. Statistically speaking, they have all likely been hit by trucks by this point.

        3. gkheyf

          Except for amazigirl. Trucks do not hit her , she hits them .

          I do make this response not having read the alt-text, so if it’s something serious, I do apologize. I’ve gotten it to pop-up accidentally a few times while reading on a phone. Anyone know how that works?

        4. Turbanous

          There is a invisible link in the empty space to the left of the First Comic link, as well in the empty space to the right of the Latest Comic link.
          This will slightly fade out the comic and display the alt text, tap the text or the blackened area to close it. If you hit the link more than once you will have to tap on each “layer” of alt text being displayed.

        5. gkheyf

          Have been unable to make this work. Any suggestions?

        6. gkheyf

          Nevermind. Kinda got it

    2. newllend(henryvolt)

      This comic is in the hands of a madman.

      1. Someone

        Was there a time when it wasn’t?

        1. TheZachariah

          Willis pulled the madness tag long ago

      2. Disloyal Subject

        Sanity is for the WEAK.

        1. TwinBladeWarrior

          Bah trucks are nothing more than METAL BOXES! you cowards! you fools!

        2. xKiv

          HEAVY MEATAL boxes, often moving fast.

    3. Deanatay

      What, too soon?

      People DO realize that he’s invoking, not only old Walkyverse canon, but Back To The Future, in that alt-text?

      I can’t really see Ethan/Ruth working, but heck, I love me some Florence Nightingale Syndrome!

  17. JessWitt

    Oh man oh man oh man.

    1. Leorale

      Yes, this exactly. I mean I know they’re probably gonna confuse each other a lot for a while yet, but the smooches get ever closer, I want them to smooch so much.

      1. JessWitt

        I want it badly too, but … Amber?!

        1. Kinoko

          The obvious solution is threesome.

          …And if that happens, I will totally pay for the Slipshine.

        2. Khantalas

          Or possibly discrete, fully informed encounters with both Amazi-girl and Ethan in the same period of time.

          Polyamory doesn’t necessitate threesomes, people!

        3. Roborat

          So, Polyamber?

        4. a snow ʍousɐ

          Polyamberous

        5. timemonkey

          The obvious solution is Amber getting some help until she’s somewhat stable and then getting a boyfriend who suits her needs.

        6. Khantalas

          I wonder if her needs can be met by a boyfriend, really. Eventually, perhaps.

        7. Spencer

          Amber has shown a strong desire for a healthy and safe relationship. A lot of her attraction to Danny came from him, like Ethan, being antithetical to how her father acts.

          So she has a lot of shit she needs to work through, but her relationship with Danny would be a positive development were it not for her Amazi-Girl act.

        8. Khantalas

          One thing I’ve learned through the years is that our desires are not always what we need. Like the Rolling Stones song.

        9. Spencer

          Amber’s attraction to traits like those Danny and Ethan have are rooted in her wanting to avoid the same mistakes her mother made in marrying Blaine. She’s outright stated that she’s scared of ending up with someone like her father, which is something that happens to tons of abused children, so she seeks companionship that is completely divorced from her perception of her father.

        10. Khantalas

          Trying to do the exact opposite of one’s parents mistakes often ends up with just another mistake instead of a healthy personality. Not always, but often.

        11. Spencer

          Okay, except she’s aiming at Danny, who’s the complete opposite of Blaine. He has some bad shit to work through himself, but Danny’s near constantly been a friendly and understanding person.

          And, seriously? I hope I’m reading way too deeply into your comments, but Amber is totally justified in her fear. That shit happens all the time to abused kids, because they grow up in that environment and it’s all they see. Amber is not mistaken for deliberately seeking companionship that doesn’t set off any of her warning flags.

          Amber makes a lot of mistakes, there’s lots wrong with her, but “I don’t want to end up like my mother” is perfectly rational.

        12. Khantalas

          Yeah, I think we’re having a miscommunication. What I’m saying is that the mere state of wanting a relationship doesn’t mean we need it or are equipped to handle it.

          As for “I don’t want to end up like my mother”, I’ve found that being the mirror opposite of my mother makes me as unhealthy, just in a different way. I might be so worried for Amber for exactly that reason, to be honest: she is still learning to choose her own future, instead of reacting to her past.

  18. Wack'd

    They already know what each other’s asses feel like! That’s a solid basis for a relationship.

    1. JessWitt

      For such purposes, I recommend the hiney liney dance.

  19. Tacos

    And so it begins…..

  20. Liz

    THIS must be why Dina’s so easily overlooked! It’s the hats!

    Ethan, congratulations. Stealth mode activated.

    1. Someone

      It was weird when Danny managed to bump into no one…and who was Joyce talking to in those first 2 panels?

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Truly his Danning skillz are impressive.

  21. Captain Batson

    I cannot recall having ever been less willing to wait a whole 24 hours for the next strip.

    1. HMRC4EVR

      you realize Willis can always switch back to say Becky and her new roommate, or Billie and Ruth, or even say Blaine waking up in the hospital and asking the nurse to call the police.

      And I’m not giving him ideas; he’s thought this out long before now.

      1. saki

        Actually, no. The only thing he can switch to is Dina deciding to occupy herself with something else than these two adorable idiots, since this chapter is about walking with Dina.

  22. SinnAmi

    Aw, man. Harshest altscript ever…

  23. Sam

    WELL WELL WELL

  24. JefferiesTube

    is that the same paper from:
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/resources/
    (hopefully that worked)

    1. Opus the Poet

      Might be. BTW the best comic was the next one after that.

      1. gkheyf

        Dunno. 4 and 5 after have becky being pretty awesome. And 6 after is amusing both because Joyce is awkward and because Ruth’s anger abates so quickly

    2. Kamino Neko

      Since Danny, who’s hardly ever interacted with Joyce at all is holding it, that seems highly unlikely…

      1. David M Willis

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

        1. Spencer

          Dang, we just got Chekov’d.

        2. Kamino Neko

          Chekhov. The version without the h is the Star Trek character (or the crater), the writer is with.

        3. chiscii

          PFFFT, BRILLIANT

        4. Kamino Neko

          Huh

  25. Greenygal

    It occurs to me for the first time to wonder if Ethan knows that bisexuality is a thing.

    1. Usayasha

      He shamefully binge watches enough gay porn that he’s probably at least seen the tags for it. I get the feeling that Ethan isn’t really lacking in the knowledge to define himself so much as he’s overtly aware of how others define him.

      I can sympathize – I did a lot to downplay my sexuality after coming out, because I also didn’t want it to take over my entire identity.
      (Apparently there were a bunch of people that thought I was straight because of that, many of whom should have totally known I was gay.)

      But if that’s the case, then Ethan can help inform Danny, and Danny can help Ethan maintain his identity without hiding his sexuality. Even if it takes a while for them to act on their sexual tension, their friendship ought to be a good for each other in the meantime.

      1. timemonkey

        Bisexuality being brought up in gay porn is pretty rare.

    2. Deanatay

      He’s had two opportunities to get into girls, and he seems to have made game attempts to make it work, but with no success. It could have been just neuroses, but it doesn’t seem to hold him back with guys, and he should have more neuroses about them, given his upbringing. I’d say he’s pretty high on the Kinsey scale.

      1. Greenygal

        Oh, I didn’t mean Ethan might be bisexual; he’s clearly not. I meant, will he understand that Danny could be bisexual, or if he’ll assume that he’s gay, and is going to wind up hurting Amber the same way Ethan did.

        1. Jason

          Well this would seem to be the right place to learn about bisexuality….

  26. chris73

    For someone who was very nervous and unsure about his feelings Danny is looking remarkably composed though I guess that’ll change when he turns around

    1. Lawzlo

      What I really want to know is why Danny was walking around backwards while eating pizza and reading a pamphlet.

      1. chris73

        Maybe he thought it was the best way to be inconspicuous

      2. Nono

        That’s what I thought, but my guess is that Ethan grabbed a slice and stepped backwards, only to bump into Dan who had decided to stand right there for some reason.

      3. gkheyf

        perhaps he backed into ethan…on purpose! or his subconscious is playing mean tricks on him

      4. Edupoet81

        I am uncommonly clumsy and physically awkward, but I’ve bumped into people backwards like that many times. I’ll be standing somewhere, looking at something, or thinking about something, forgetting to attend to my surroundings as I often do. I’ll unconsciously shift my feet, because standing in one place is the most exhausting thing ever for a person whose sense of balance is as screwed as mine. This unconscious shifting of feet leads to a collision with someone who was behind me.
        This is a regular occurrence in my life. I recognize that this probably isn’t normal, but then I’m not normal.
        To the best of my recollection, none of these occurrences in my own life have led to a DUN DUN DUN sort of moment such as the one in that last panel.

      5. Disloyal Subject

        Step 1, acquire pizza.
        Step 2, acquire pamphlet.
        Total distraction in 2 easy steps, so he just stands there like a fool as Ethan backs away from the ‘za.

        My interpretation, based on how such bumps usually come about for me.

    2. timemonkey

      Well, he’s accepted that he’s hot for both genders, he talked about it with someone he trusted and was assured it’s fine and normal, so while he’s looking for someone whose actually dealt with what he’s going through he should be fairly secure at this point.

  27. AgentKeen

    -facedesks-
    Of course.
    How did I not see it coming?

    (Same way Danny didn’t see that truck coming, hey-oh!)

    1. HMRC4EVR

      they’re still in public.

      neither one of them are…no I’ll just leave that joke laying here for someone else to pick up and give a good home.

  28. Idon'tcarenomore

    Ouch. Harsh hovertext Mr. W.

    I kinda thought the whole idea of this pizza party could be to really be life altering Ethan, you big dummy?

    Joyce really have a sex question?

    1. Lou

      No. She has a “are there resources for lesbians running away from home” question.

  29. Tayo

    hovertext: isnt that plot of Yu Yu Hakusho?

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      That would make Billie Keiko then.

      1. Tacos

        Then who’s Kuwabara?

        1. Plasma Mongoose

          In a way, I think Billie is also Kuwabara.

    2. darkoneko

      Noow that you mention it, it totally is.

    3. Deanatay

      I thought Back To The Future, but I’m old and American. Your kink works, too.

  30. Peter Sadlon

    Dave, dude, that is evil, like Mike evil. Just saying.

  31. TheOtherDibbler

    I AM SO EXCITED.

    I mean, I’m pretty sure there’s just going to follow an extremely awkward conversation of mutual awkwardness, but SO EXCITED.

  32. Trigger

    Poor Amber :c

    1. Steven

      Nah, Amber is such a stable person. She’s not about to let one incident dictate her whole life.

    2. Spencer

      Isn’t it sad how her relationship has immediately been eradicated from history because Danny bumped into Ethan? It’s such a common occurrence!

      1. timemonkey

        It’s not unusual for a fanbase to ignore a terrible, unhealthy, doomed to fail relationship in favor of one they see having a lot of potential.

        Danber is a bomb with a fuse of unknown length. It’ll detonate eventually the only questions are when and how.

        1. Spencer

          I think the Billie/Ruth shippers missed the memo.

        2. Steven

          Yeah but Billie and Ruth don’t really have any potential with anyone else and as self destructive both are, their current relationship is the life raft that keeps their head above water.

          While in the case of Danny/amber/Amazi-girl the relationship is jst furthering Ambers psychosis. Danny is an enabler that allows Amber to continue to run from her problems.

        3. Spencer

          A relationship isn’t only problematic because there’s a better one to enter. Billie/Ruth is super fucked up for a ton of reasons.

          Danny is enabling her fantasy, but as far as he’s aware Amazi-Girl is just a badass superhero who does awesome things for the sake of being awesome. I feel they’re still salvageable, should Amber start undergoing some long overdue therapy.

        4. Li

          I think that’s a bad comparison?

          The argument isn’t that people are shipping Danny/Ethan BECAUSE they don’t like Danny/Amber, it’s that people who ship Danny/Ethan don’t feel guilty about it because Danny’s existing relationship has issues.

          At least, that’s where I kind of stand. (Though I usually don’t feel guilty about my shipping at all, since they’re not real people and it’s not even like I’m lobbying the author to change ships… so if they break up, I have nothing to feel guilty over because I had nothing to do with it happening.)

          Like, I’m not claiming moral superiority over anyone who prefers Danny/Amber, so if I also ship Billie/Ruth there’s no “inconsistency” on my part.

          And for people who DO claim moral superiority… I doubt they ship Billie/Ruth. (IIRC, for example, timemonkey doesn’t.) So again, there’s no hypocrisy.

          It’s tempting to speak about the fandom as a singular entity — we all do it. (I’ve been guilty of it with comparisons between Becky hate and Mike love/indifference.) But such attempts usually fall flat.

        5. Spencer

          I’ve never once tried to shame people out of shipping Danny/Ethan, since, you know, I do it too, and my comparison to Billie/Ruth was that those two are incredibly messed up, but still get tons of people who love it, so a fictitious relationship being problematic clearly isn’t an automatic death knell. If Billie & Ruth were real people I’d want them to stay the hell away from each other, but they’re comic characters, so I’m enjoying the violent tailspin downward.

          My issue isn’t that people ship Danny/Ethan, it’s that some of them plain ignore his current relationship and call for them to immediately fuck, like there is literally nothing else important about Danny.

        6. Li

          Right, I understood how your comparison to Billie/Ruth was intended. I’m just saying, it’s not that people who ship Danny/Ethan are objecting to Danny/Amber solely on the basis of it being an unhealthy relationship, so when you say “problematic clearly isn’t an automatic death knell”, that’s not really relevant.

          You’re taking Danny/Amber’s issues as being a reason for disliking the ship, instead of an excuse for continuing to ship Danny/Ethan.

          Without a competing ship to ship, the people who like Danny/Ethan and shrug off Danny/Amber as “eventually doomed” have no reason to go after or object to Billie/Ruth, because their motive is missing.

          I can’t speak to anyone else’s feelings about Danny/Ethan, but I can see myself going “now kissssss!” in the comments without actually meaning that I think they should immediately start a relationship with Danny without resolving anything. I’m not even all that serious about wanting them to kiss, even though I ship it. I don’t know if that makes sense.

          My shipping is a casual, frivolous things. I don’t always “respect” existing relationships the characters might otherwise engage in…. because, again, it’s not like these are real people, or like my shipping them in different relationships does anything to damage the relationship they have in canon.

          I’d feel differently if Danny were in a relationship with Ethan and people were shipping him with Amber, but that’s because queer representation is in need of protection and defense, not because anything intrinsic about his relationship with Ethan would necessarily be “better”. Like, in a perfect world where queer representation saturated the media and everyone got fairly represented, I wouldn’t care about the canon sanctity of ANY pairing.

          No one is obligated to like or care about a relationship just because it’s canon. No one is obligated to “respect” a creator’s preferred relationships. (Like, except for not going into Willis’s inbox to shout at him about how he should write other pairings. Obviously that’s just shitty treatment of a person. But if I write a fanfic, I’m not actually obligated to “do right” by Danny/Amber.)

          Having said all of this, I will say: there IS a real-world issue of misogyny that comes into play where people fail to respect female characters when creating m/m queer pairings. But you CAN not give a shit about Danny/Amber without treating Amber disrespectfully (e.g., making her the villain in your story) (although one of the most traditional ways of half-assedly vilifying a female character is to make them abusive, and it’s possible to imagine Amber striking Danny, and it not turning out as well as it did when she struck Mike).

  33. Nena

    Uh oh!

  34. Steven

    My interest in this party may have just doubled.

  35. Professor Fate

    “They said I was a fool to dream and then, on that day, in that moment, I met HIM and everything changed, forever.”

    Tune in tomorrow, when we hear Ethan say “Spicy pepperoni makes me fart.”

  36. feli

    Did I just hear the whole readership of this comic scream “Oooooooooooh” in unison? No? Must be my imagination…

    1. Steven

      Definitely not I mean not everyone would tune in at the same exact time silly willy.

  37. The Alexicon

    hahaha THAT ALT TEXT THO

  38. zebrathinker

    omg……………….. omg….

    willis you better not cut away to a different thing entirely i will die

    1. Demon Something

      Yeah, that’s gonna happen, knowing that this storyline focuses on Dina.

    2. Disloyal Subject

      Tell us, what would you like engraved on your tombstone?

      1. darkoneko

        “He died doing what he loved : trolling his readers”

        (as Megatokyo’s author would put it, it’s half the fun of making your own comic)

  39. brumagem

    Oh my god Willis that alt text. I hate you so much (I love you so much).

  40. Morty

    *reads the alt text* WOW. RUDE. http://www.itswalky.com/comic/act-with-integrity/

  41. doffsFedora

    dang alt text, that’s cold

    1. A Scientist

      Yeah, but, really, what’s a truck even doing inside a university building?

      1. Johnny!

        Truck-kun is also questioning his sexuality.

        1. StClair

          well, that is the right of all sentient beings.

        2. m2iCodeJockey

          Jim: “…You may-as-well have some pizza now…”
          Truck-kun: *… HONK!!!*

      2. Turbanous

        Truck-Kun just wants his sempai to notice him

        1. Spencer

          It was super moe when Truck-Kun bumped into Ron’s car-Chan.

        2. Khantalas

          What would be the vehicular equivalent of Zettai Ryouiki?

        3. Disloyal Subject

          Tire chains?

  42. Karen Lynn

    *insert Joe*

    … Now kiss. Kiss, dammit.

    1. Daashi

      *snickers at the “insert Joe”*

      I hereby decree that there is now Joe/Danny/Ethan ship.

      1. gkheyf

        please stop breaking the internet. we are running out of duct tape

        1. Karen Lynn

          NEVER!

          Walky films it for more free pizza.

        2. Soundwave the Superior

          Then Mike walks in, and just joins in, not saying anything.

        3. gkheyf

          …that may be the scariest thing he could do. He’s messing with our minds!

  43. RamOFT

    I don’t like this…i hope this ship doesn’t happen. Please Dan don’t mess it up with amazing girl…

    1. Khantalas

      He doesn’t need to mess it up with Amazi-girl. He can date or be in relationships with multiple people at the same time.

      1. Aolbain

        But he won’t.

        1. Khantalas

          Of course not. He is Danny. Danning is his forte.

        2. timemonkey

          Not being polyamorous isn’t Danning. Also not starting a polyamorous between three people, none of whom are emotionally stable or mature or secure enough to handle it, is not Danning.

        3. Khantalas

          No, I specifically meant he won’t not mess this up. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.

  44. Kraken

    He hates Gay Pizza Meetups, but I wonder how Ethan feels about Bi Danny Encounters…

  45. quix

    Neither one turns around, plotline ends.

  46. podian

    That alt-text warrants a “Damn you, Willis!” all by itself…

  47. MrMyerst

    Ok, new ship: Dan with Ethan and Amazigirl both at once. she’s fine with it, ‘cuase like… yaoi. Ik, it’s unrealistic, but…

    1. Khantalas

      Why at once? We can have have him in separate, serial encounters with both of them.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        I believe that’s what they meant. ,Both at once’ meaning simultaneous relationships, not necessarily physicality.
        It’s nice to have someone pointing out that polyamory is a thing, but keep some perspective.

  48. Heavensrun

    CALLED IT.

  49. zmm

    Oh hell no please don’t break up with amber!

    Well i mean if you decide you don’t like her then yeah don’t lead her on. but i mean like Be a good person about anything like that. Talk through it all and such.

    She’s messed up, you were messed up until she helped you, and Ethan is borderlin of getting messed up.
    Tread carefully Danny. Your actions will determine a lot

    1. Em

      I mean yeah.

      But Amber/Danny is so fucked up, she so wrong for him. I just HATE the whole ‘you’re not my boyfriend danny, you’re amazi-girl’s boyfriend’ thing.

      Though I DO NOT CONDONE CHEATING. If Ethan/Danny happens, Danny and Amber have gotta be over. Crushing on each other is fine, shit fuckin’ happens. But if he’s gonna act on it, he’d better break it off with Amb–excuse me, Amazi-Girl first.

      1. Khantalas

        I’m thinking of a nice, three-way relationship where no cheating is necessary and everyone communicates properly and no jealousy is needed.

        But this is Amber and Danny we’re talking about. Of course they’ll screw this up.

        1. Willoughby Chase

          Technically, isn’t it a four-way? A ménage à quatre?

        2. Khantalas

          No, you are assuming Amber and Amazi-girl can be in it at the same time.

        3. Spencer

          Not wanting to be in a polyamorous relationship – let alone after everything we know about his character indicating he’s monogamous – isn’t a mistake. He’s not “screwing up” because he doesn’t want to act on on his feelings for Ethan.

        4. Khantalas

          There are multiple ways of not screwing things up. I don’t trust Danny or Amber to do any of them.

        5. Spencer

          Okay so what does not being polyamorous have to do with that?

        6. Khantalas

          I don’t know. I never said they had to be polyamorous to not screw this up. I only said I’m certain they will screw this up. Mostly because they are not very good at communicating.

      2. Turbanous

        You don’t have to worry about Danny cheating on Amber. Remember during Family Weekend Danny pretended to be in a relationship with Amber on the condition that he tell Amazi-girl. At the end of the day he told Amber that they shouldn’t hang out as much because there was attraction and that it felt like cheating when she backed him into a corner about their “relationship” in front of his parents.

      3. Spencer

        Danny cheating on Amber is literally an impossibility. Apart from the horrible implications that Willis is smart enough to avoid, Danny is so serious about commitment that he tried to friend-dump Amber when he realized he had feelings for her.

        However it plays out, it’s not going to happen that way.

      4. timemonkey

        I doubt they’ll be cheating. Danny and Amber will break up, then Ethan and Danny will be just friends for ages and then something will finally happen ina few years.

        1. Spencer

          I honestly hope that’s how it plays out. We know Danny and Ethan are going to get together at some point, but I don’t want Danny’s relationship with Amber to be treated like a stepping stone until he goes onto his magical perfect dude romance that solves all of his problems.

          I have a lot of knee jerk reactions to Danny/Ethan, mostly because of the comments section, but I know Willis is going to deal with it in a sensitive and thoughtful manner, and I don’t get to dictate what is or isn’t the best way for how Danny deals with his sexual identity.

    2. StClair

      But he’s not dating Amber. He’s dating Amazi-Girl.
      Amazi-Girl.

  50. saki

    I can see Danny and Amber’s relationship imploding after an escalation of the Danny wants to date Amber openly VS Amber doesn’t think she deserves him so she can only date him as AG argument.
    I was telling myself that could lead to Danny and Ethan becoming a thing, but just realised it wouldn’t be anytime soon, because Amber would most likely turn to Ethan for comfort. Which would sort of put Ethan on Amber’s side. Which in turn would make him incapable of starting anything with Danny because Amber would feel betrayed and it would make a whole big mess of her, and I don’t see Ethan doing that to her. *just disappointed herself with her own predictions*
    Conclusion: the only way Danny and Ethan can be together is if Amber for some reason breaks up with him but doesn’t hold a grudge.

  51. darkoneko

    That alt-text is just mean.

    1. Kim

      “Mean” as in “WICKED!” 😉

  52. Azukar

    Much as I’m hoping to see this ship sail, all the attraction we’ve seen so far has been Danny for Ethan. Never the other way around – who says Ethan has any interest in him at all?

    I feel like that’d be the ultimate “PSYCH” for this arc: they find out the other is bi/gay, but Ethan is the one rejecting Danny!

    1. Lord Stoneheart

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/04-the-whiteboard-dong-bandit/wrongway/

      Before Danny told him that he wasn’t gay, some of the stuff that Ethan told Danny comes across as pretty flirty. Since Ethan now thinks that Danny is straight (his response to Danny saying that he’s not gay is a really defensive “Me neither!” He’s so caught up in trying to maintain the integrity of his closet that he didn’t realize that Danny’s sudden declaration was a bit strange), he’s been acting less flirty towards him.

      1. Pilgrim

        I don’t think that’s quite it. I think Ethan suddenly found that dammit this topic I don’t want to think about just came up again, why can’t life be simple, I just want simple, and Danny went from being a geeky guy to a geeky guy who (in Ethan’s eyes) suspects him and wants to shove him back out of the closet.

        Danny became work, and then they found out they both know about Amber.

        Ethan might go along with Danny – a nerdy boy would be his path of least resistance whether he’s attracted or not.

        1. Lord Stoneheart

          Ethan and Danny both knew that the other knew about Amber being Amazi Girl before their trip to the comic shop.

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/03-up-all-night-to-get-vengeance/nightclass/

          And yeah, I meant to imply that Ethan is trying to be more on guard with Danny, because he thinks that Danny suspects that he’s gay. Though that doesn’t mean he’s always successful at hiding it if this comic is any indication.

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-5/01-when-somebody-loved-me/orders/

  53. overdosed

    well shit
    why didn’t we see this coming
    (dirty joke not intended)

  54. Zoinker

    I laughed so hard at that alt-text! Does this make me a terribad person?

    1. gkheyf

      yes, but you’re in good company. let’s all enjoy it together

  55. Spencer

    OMG

  56. Sigurther

    And then nothing happens anyway, just to throw a wrench into the works.

    1. Spencer

      Nothing’s going to happen for a very long time.

      Nor should it.

      1. Spencer

        That seemed needlessly confrontational of me.

        How I should have phrased that is “Nothing’s going to happen between Danny and Ethan for a while, because there’s a whole bunch of other stuff to deal with beforehand.”

        1. Sigurther

          Hah, not at all.

  57. m2iCodeJockey

    “Aaaand that was one open-faced Danny-Sandwich,” *receipt printer sounds*
    “On a slice of Ethan bread,” *receipt printer sounds*
    “Covered with Amazigirl. Will this complete your order?” *receipt printer sounds*

    1. Blue Dragon

      Actually, could I also have a waitress, over easy, with nothing on it?

  58. Shadow12000

    NOT THE TRUCK! DAMN YOU, SEO!….I mean, um….carry on! ^^;;

  59. R

    Shameless foreshadowing. 😛

  60. gkheyf

    On the one hand, we know that Amber has fantasized about a devil’s threesome, but she also has the trauma of losing a guy she loves to the other side. How she reacts totally depends on timing.

    On a separate note, don’t events like this inevitably lead to meeting peoepl you know? Then you have to either come out or deny it, surely

  61. Bagge

    “Oh, Ethan… gasp, you have a dinosaur hat?”

    1. gkheyf

      why, mr. darcy!

  62. cts

    will he recognize ethan with the hat on????

    1. A Scientist

      Dina! That’s some growth spurt you had overnight!

      1. Mr. Morningstar

        holy crap Dina when did you get such chiseled features?

  63. Willoughby Chase

    Something just came up!

  64. Deanatay

    Taking bets – what do you want to bet, that Danny and Ethan DON’T turn around and see each other? That they both attend this event, and never realize the other was even there?

    Could Willis be THAT cruel to all the Ethanny shippers? Of course he could.

    1. BenRG

      I think that the two of them will nervously exchange pleasantries and then sit on opposite sides of the meeting because of the terror that someone they know has seen them there.

  65. Aislashu

    KNEW IIIIIIIIT

  66. BenRG

    I’ll be laughing my butt off if, after exchanging a few vague pleasantries, Danny and Ethan walk off in opposite directions and don’t interact again for scores of strips!

    Seriously, I do think that Ethan could help Danny if taken into his confidence. Ethan could help Danny believe that his orientation, whatever it is, does not have to affect or change his life. “You like Amazi-Girl? Then stick with Amazi-Girl! Who says anything has to change because you’re attracted to men as well as women?”

    1. Spencer

      The shippers, mostly.

  67. Pinja

    Danny doesn’t recognise him wearing the hat.

    Seriously tho, bone

  68. Someone

    Ethan has acquired Dino hat!
    Sneaking +5

  69. Tenn

    I WILL SHIP MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE SHIPS AND YOU CAN’T STOP ME!

    *grabs anchor of the rapidly ascending SS Ethanny, which has just remodeled itself into an airship*

    *still stands firmly on deck of the steadily cruising MS Danzi-Girl, legs extending as the distance between the two ships increases*

  70. maxlines

    Slipshine!!

  71. xKiv

    Well, at least it’s the truck, not monkey master.

  72. Brady Kj

    You know, there are people in this world who claim that only Minnesotans use the phrase “come with” without putting a word like “me” afterward. I’m glad to see those people are liars.

  73. Les

    Could this lead to things going bump in the night…?

  74. Black

    And then the whole meeting got incredibly awkward when Ethan grabbed Danny, bent him over the folding tables, and fucked his ass over and over again.

    People could only stand there and watch, unable to get more pizza or to turn away…

    1. chris73

      I can totally see Danny being the mommy in that situation

  75. Anima

    Honestly, this is the storyline I care the most about xx

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