Joe is obviously not putting her in the queue. Is Jacob a little oblivious? Or does he simply not see the ellipsis that we can see? Or does he not know that Joe and Joyce are friends… or at least friendly?
I don’t know if he knows that Jow and Joyce are friends but I think he is just missing the difference of tone that Joe is using. To be fair to Jacob though, he has stuff on his mind, figuring out whether or not Joe is actually planning to do someone is not first on his mind.
Joe is bringing the topic up as he saw it coming, though he objected to it in the first place. I almost forgot that myself as it has been some time ago. It was even before we started the unending wait to learn Mike’s fate. Then again, how long did we have to wait to learn whether or not Amber straight up murdered Ryan?
It was at least a month or so, if I recall. With that as precedent, I expect to see any sort of clue as to the outcome no sooner than mid-February.
Dr. T
I went and looked. The final Ryan strip (to date) was on June 4, 2017 (well, it was the final strip for parts of him. The last time his scarred mug showed up was the day before). The confirmation that he did not die came from Joyce on July 30, 2017, when she told Amber she wished that she had killed Ryan.
ktbear
Mid February you say? So, like, February 14th?
Clif
Hmm.
dralou
Yup, “look what a nice present the kitty brought you: a dead Mike. It means your kitty loves you veeeery much (and thinks you can’t hunt for yourself even if YOU give it food every single day)”…
1. Jacob did apparently miss the whole passive aggressive pizza lunch thing’s subtext, so yeah, fairly oblivious at the best of times.
2. Yeah, what everyone else said about being distracted, too.
Their friendship has always been pretty superficial. I don’t think we’ve seen them talk about Joe’s recent attempts at change and absent that, Jacob’s assumption is perfectly in line with Joe’s presentation. He did tell Danny he was putting Dorothy on the List within minutes of them breaking up. It’s the problem with acting like a creep – people believe you.
It’s obvious to us that’s not what Joe was aiming for here, but that’s because we’ve got lots of context Jacob doesn’t have.
Jacob has always been shown to be oblivious but this is also just a case of Joe brought that assumption on himself with his past behaviour and Jacob still being hurt by Joyce’s actions so he is looking for ulterior motives from others now.
He was always aware of ulterior motives in people, he was just bad at spotting them. I think he’s just bitter that yet another relationship was spoiled by them. He’s also annoyed that he just realized that his “list of criteria” (which Raidah fit almost perfectly) isn’t actually what he wants (someone like Joyce is). He doesn’t have a plan now and that’s upsetting.
Further, he’s upset with his own ‘infidelity’ to Raidah by going along with Joyce’s deception.
There are bad feelings all around and it sucks. This was an ugly breakup so of course he’s irritable despite his workout which usually makes him feel good.
Sam
I assume that yes he was always aware that other people have ulterior motives but right now he is actively *looking* for them in the people that come to him rather when usually he just looks past things. It’s a temporary hyperawareness like when you learn a new word then suddenly it turns up everywhere you look. He has a lot of bad feelings to feel right now.
That was said in the heat of the moment. Willis was always going to cool down, get back in the saddle, and up his art game by drawing stuff outside of his previous comfort zone. We just had to weight.
Jacob you could also invoke bro code and have Joe not put her in “the queue.” Although based on Joe’s inflection, I don’t think he actually plans to anyway. I’m guessing recent events are leading to a Joe change of ways?
Yeah, Jacob seems real likely to say “I broke up with Raidah, but she’s still my property, so you’re denied permission to use her for fucking.” Am I understanding this “bro code” thing correctly?
Personally, I think Jacob would be glad for Joe to pick up Raidah since it would be making his decision final. The “bro code” thing is not as much about protecting Jacob’s property but about not creating an impediments to bros hanging out and talking about common things on their mind.
The bro code isn’t about the women, it’s about the men. It’s about jealousy and the risk of male friends being compared unfavorably to each other by women. It takes “plenty of fish in the sea” and extrapolates it to “Don’t cause emotional issues for your friends by bringing their exes back into their lives.”
“Bro-code” and “property” aside it’s pretty commonly considered at least rude to hook up with a friend’s ex right after a break up. Male or female. Give it a little bit of time for the worst of the pain of the break up to wear off.
160 thoughts on “Unattached”
Ana Chronistic
did you want specifics about Sarah’s reasons tho or did you guess
Ana Chronistic
how many asses does Jacob have, alt-text =o
Doctor_Who
Some of them might be tacos, jury’s out.
purblebirb
Butt-Tacos?
Felian
maybe having one attracts more sweet asses around him?
Bryan Langley
Like gravity…but with asses…
BBCC
After yesterday, I’ll bet it is.
Stephen Bierce
*plays “Benefit Of A Doubt” on the hacked Muzak*
DaveM
suggests Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back as a followup (even if the lyrics don’t suggest Jacobs butt 🙂 )
Dandi_Andi
Joe is obviously not putting her in the queue. Is Jacob a little oblivious? Or does he simply not see the ellipsis that we can see? Or does he not know that Joe and Joyce are friends… or at least friendly?
Mr. Random
He’s still probably a little in his own head about how f’ed up the whole thing was.
Heck, he’s probably working out to clear his head a little.
Kyrik Michalowski
I don’t know if he knows that Jow and Joyce are friends but I think he is just missing the difference of tone that Joe is using. To be fair to Jacob though, he has stuff on his mind, figuring out whether or not Joe is actually planning to do someone is not first on his mind.
Dr. T
Joe is bringing the topic up as he saw it coming, though he objected to it in the first place. I almost forgot that myself as it has been some time ago. It was even before we started the unending wait to learn Mike’s fate. Then again, how long did we have to wait to learn whether or not Amber straight up murdered Ryan?
King Daniel
It was at least a month or so, if I recall. With that as precedent, I expect to see any sort of clue as to the outcome no sooner than mid-February.
Dr. T
I went and looked. The final Ryan strip (to date) was on June 4, 2017 (well, it was the final strip for parts of him. The last time his scarred mug showed up was the day before). The confirmation that he did not die came from Joyce on July 30, 2017, when she told Amber she wished that she had killed Ryan.
ktbear
Mid February you say? So, like, February 14th?
Clif
Hmm.
dralou
Yup, “look what a nice present the kitty brought you: a dead Mike. It means your kitty loves you veeeery much (and thinks you can’t hunt for yourself even if YOU give it food every single day)”…
Bagge
What are you talking about? She’s on the list! Joe would never lie about something as important as the liiiiiist, would he?
JBento
Of course not, but he would lie about the queue.
Regalli
1. Jacob did apparently miss the whole passive aggressive pizza lunch thing’s subtext, so yeah, fairly oblivious at the best of times.
2. Yeah, what everyone else said about being distracted, too.
Tan
Joe’s gone to pains to demonstrate that he does not care about Joyce.
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/02-everything-youve-ever-wanted/boyspizzaretreat/
miri
Methinks the man-child protests too much…
Tan
Oh he absolutely does. I am just pointing out in regards to Jacob’s presumable impressions.
thejeff
Their friendship has always been pretty superficial. I don’t think we’ve seen them talk about Joe’s recent attempts at change and absent that, Jacob’s assumption is perfectly in line with Joe’s presentation. He did tell Danny he was putting Dorothy on the List within minutes of them breaking up. It’s the problem with acting like a creep – people believe you.
It’s obvious to us that’s not what Joe was aiming for here, but that’s because we’ve got lots of context Jacob doesn’t have.
Woomy
Jacob’s in self-pity mode and wants to believe everyone’s out to get him
Sam
Jacob has always been shown to be oblivious but this is also just a case of Joe brought that assumption on himself with his past behaviour and Jacob still being hurt by Joyce’s actions so he is looking for ulterior motives from others now.
jmsr7
He was always aware of ulterior motives in people, he was just bad at spotting them. I think he’s just bitter that yet another relationship was spoiled by them. He’s also annoyed that he just realized that his “list of criteria” (which Raidah fit almost perfectly) isn’t actually what he wants (someone like Joyce is). He doesn’t have a plan now and that’s upsetting.
Further, he’s upset with his own ‘infidelity’ to Raidah by going along with Joyce’s deception.
There are bad feelings all around and it sucks. This was an ugly breakup so of course he’s irritable despite his workout which usually makes him feel good.
Sam
I assume that yes he was always aware that other people have ulterior motives but right now he is actively *looking* for them in the people that come to him rather when usually he just looks past things. It’s a temporary hyperawareness like when you learn a new word then suddenly it turns up everywhere you look. He has a lot of bad feelings to feel right now.
SeanR
It’s been long enough, I’ve almost forgotten that we’re still waiting on resolution on what happened to Mike.
Doctor_Who
He got transferred to Miss Zarves’ class on floor 19.
Yumi
fUCK
Have an upvote.
Time Sage
There is no 19th floor. There is no Miss Zarves
Bickendan
…so what does Mike Warner flavored ice cream taste like?
…and how did Mrs. Jewels acquire it?
Keulen
It tastes like your mom, and it costs a nickel.
a/snow/mous/e
Oh no! But that’s the NORMAL class!
a/snow/mous/e
Imagine Mike in a class of oddly well-behaved middle-schoolers…
Schpoonman
He’s absolutely chill, but any questions he is asked are answered as brutally honest as they can be.
Sambo
God dammit I am a sucker for nostalgia. Your comment makes me laugh every time I read it. Have all the upvotes.
vlademir1
Damnit but that takes me way back… Like around thirty years back.
Tan
Y’know, if Mike does turn out to be dead, points to Danny. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-10/02-to-remind-you-of-my-love/clingyweirdos/ (last panel)
Mr. Random
Yeah, having a reputation sucks for multiple reasons I guess.
Opus the Poet
Nice to know where you stand, Joe.
Opus the Poet
And is it just me or does Jacob look a little Picasso-ish in the final panel?
Doctor_Who
Jacob never skips cubism day.
woobie
The art looks kind of off on this one (after many thousands of strips), even after I realized Jacob’s shirt has white side panels.
AntJ
hey look it’s the exercise machine Willis vowed to never draw again
we should feel honored
Reltzik
That was said in the heat of the moment. Willis was always going to cool down, get back in the saddle, and up his art game by drawing stuff outside of his previous comfort zone. We just had to weight.
King Daniel
I see you’re exercising your punning skills yet again.
Reltzik
Well I do have a rep.
Jeff K!,
-utation or -ertoire?
Reltzik
It’s part of my set, but it’s not -ertoire.
Agemegos
-etition, I think.
Reltzik
Either way, it’s part of my routine.
Kim
Lats not overdo it.
Joe Covenant
I was gonna muscle in here and add one of my own.
Couldn’t think of one.
Makkabee
That’s okay, Joe. He abs-olvo.
Makkabee
Te. Thrice-accursed Latin-illiterate spell-checker ruined my joke.
Roborat
Good puns, I can’t pec the one I like the best.
Amazi-Stool
Adidas like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee.
Makkabee
Te. Thrice-accursed Latin-illiterate spellchecker ruined my joke.
Clif
Willis said he would never draw the exercise machine again? Well I did hear he was going to be breaking one of his own rules.
Wouldn’t that be a relief?
Kyrik Michalowski
Jacob you could also invoke bro code and have Joe not put her in “the queue.” Although based on Joe’s inflection, I don’t think he actually plans to anyway. I’m guessing recent events are leading to a Joe change of ways?
Chaucer59
I also don’t think Jacob gives two shiny shits what happens to Raidah.
Delicious Taffy
Yeah, Jacob seems real likely to say “I broke up with Raidah, but she’s still my property, so you’re denied permission to use her for fucking.” Am I understanding this “bro code” thing correctly?
David
Personally, I think Jacob would be glad for Joe to pick up Raidah since it would be making his decision final. The “bro code” thing is not as much about protecting Jacob’s property but about not creating an impediments to bros hanging out and talking about common things on their mind.
gears
The bro code isn’t about the women, it’s about the men. It’s about jealousy and the risk of male friends being compared unfavorably to each other by women. It takes “plenty of fish in the sea” and extrapolates it to “Don’t cause emotional issues for your friends by bringing their exes back into their lives.”
thejeff
“Bro-code” and “property” aside it’s pretty commonly considered at least rude to hook up with a friend’s ex right after a break up. Male or female. Give it a little bit of time for the worst of the pain of the break up to wear off.
General Tekno
Joe’s totally going through the motions
Walking through the part
Nothing seems to penetrate his
HEAAAAAAART
Ferret
Will he stay this way forever, sleepwalk through his life’s endeavor?
drs
Is my homeboy too far gone to care?