174

Caught
Posted on March 28, 2023 by David M Willis
The Dumbing of Age Book 12 Kickstarter is on! And it funded! And we've unlocked the first two stretch goals -- Liz magnets and renewing weekend comic strip updates for another year! It's bananas!

174 thoughts on “Caught”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    Soon: Each cast member has their own entry in the Suspiciously Specific Denial page

    1. Schpoonman

      Coward.

    2. True Survivor

      There is more than one wiki?

      1. Thag Simmons

        I guess someone decided that the biggest problem with TVTropes wasn’t being hosted by Fandom.

        1. Formedras

          All The Tropes also isn’t Fandom-run, it’s Miraheze. That’s all I know about it, though.

      2. Jamie

        That’s kinda the entire point of wikis. Even the Wikimedia Foundation runs like 10. Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikispecies, Wikibooks, etc.

        1. Dana

          Some wikis are only stubs.

        2. Shadowsnail

          Says who?

      3. Shay Guy

        There was a schism, like, a decade ago over editorial decisions and stuff.

  2. The Wellerman

    RE: Alt-Text… ? Oh no!

    1. True Survivor

      I know… either that or she decided to still be a politician after all?

  3. Yotomoe

    It won’t be Self Destructive. It’ll be Stealth Seductive.

    1. Schpoonman

      I doubt Dorothy has it in her to be stealthy right now, she’d probably just kiss Walky.

    2. a/snow/mous/e

      amazing pun, yoto, i love it

  4. Ray Radlein

    Many self-destructive things cause rashes

    1. True Survivor

      Is that why they are called rash decisions?

      1. milu

        probably not, but it would make a lot of sense

        1. Clif

          Most rashes are hasty and ill-conceived.

  5. Stephen Bierce

    And she’ll have Fun Fun Fun till—

  6. Skater Girl

    She’s going to seduce Walky, isn’t she? Oh, Dotty, this will not go well.

    1. Yotomoe

      He was a skater boy, she said see you later, boy.
      He wasn’t good enough for her.

      1. Shadowsnail

        She was a wannabe, and her head was in DC
        She needed to come back down to Earth.

    2. Amós Batista

      Or Joyce. She was looking for her, right?

    3. Masumi

      I think she just wants someone to talk things through with. Which is why she went to Joyce first.
      Wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up admitting remaining feelings during that talk though. Honestly I’m hoping for it. She deserves some self-honesty after all this trying to push through. But then again, that might end up with her getting hurt even worse. Eh, I dunno…

      1. Mark

        Sometimes speculation hurts worse than knowing.

  7. StClair

    (X) Doubt

    1. The Wellerman

      I am so tempted to turn this gag into an interactive web-thing.

      1. anon

        there are def enough ‘squinted/judgmental eyes’ panel reactions that’d fit in the ‘x to doubt’ meme

  8. Puppeteer Nessus

    Hooray!

  9. UrsulaDavina

    Why is so hard for people in this comic to call it a Switch? Walky and Booster have refered to as a Nintendo what is it 1989?

    Also Dotty no… don’t do whatever you think your going to do.

    1. UrsulaDavina

      I know the NES came out in 85 I I was born in 89 and didn’t have an NES till 94 Also there has been six main consoles (excluding handhelds) that have come out and none of the characters are old enough to have been alive when NES was called a Nintendo.
      It’s not that annoying but it is annoying enough for me to comment on it.

    2. jeffepp

      Less dating. Nintendo will make a game system in the future, but it may not be named “switch”. The DS references were outdated long before the time he was using them.

      1. Mano308gts

        On the other hand… I know for a fact that a significant share of middle-school-age students have/want handhelds such as the DS & GBA; if for no other reason than to play specific games (like Pokemon gens) that they can’t legitimately access elsewhere…

        1. Clif

          This is an alternate universe where Carla’s family markets them as Nintendos because they’re saving the Rutten name for the really good one.

      2. nobodybasically

        Weren’t those 3DSes?

    3. Alongcameaspider

      On the off chance the next Nintendo console isn’t called Switch 2 or Super Switch because the comic is in a sliding timescale

    4. Yotomoe

      Part of me wonders if it’s future proofing and part of me wonders if it’s a case of the age gap between the creator and the characters cuz I definitely have older friends that just call it “a nintendo”

      1. Yumi

        There are some kids now who call it “a Nintendo.” In my experience, this is a minority, but they are very insistent on this terminology. But I do agree that I hear “Nintendo Switch” or “Switch” more often.

      2. David M Willis

        mostly i think it’s hilarious for everyone to just call it a nintendo

        it just seems funny to me

        1. UrsulaDavina

          Ok that answers that makes sense thank you for clarification

        2. Thag Simmons

          it is a funny word

        3. UrsulaDavina

          Fakakta is a funny word.

        4. Clif

          Aunt Fakakta would disagree.

        5. UrsulaDavina

          I don’t know what that is a reference to but Fakakta means ridiculous or silly

        6. nobodybasically

          Is the actual device Booster is holding meant to be a Switch or just something vague enough to cover the sliding timescale?

        7. GholaHalleck

          Its in a travel case.

          And I don’t get the big deal, no one calls the new xboxes anything but “xbox.” and playstation is forever playstation, regardless of number.

        8. Rayndel

          In my house we had “the 360” and “the One” but now it’s back to “the Xbox” because “XSX” is too much, somehow.

          (Most of the time. There was once I came home and the Kinect picked me up as I came in the front door and logged me in, going “Hello, Rayndel” and my response was “Hello, XBox.)

          The Playstation bounces between being ‘Playstation’ or “PS5”.

        9. Jamie

          It’s like everyone deciding that search engines should all be referred to as “Google”. Wait. No. The inverse of that.

        10. Clif

          AI assistant. Search engines are so 2022.

      3. anon

        https://pixietrixcomix.com/sandra-on-the-rocks/they-stopped-making-those SOTR did a similar joke lol

        1. Jeff K!

          Having worked in a video game department, that is an extremely unhelpful associate. This lady is trying to get into video games and clearly doesn’t know what she’s talking about. That’s your cue to excitedly explain the basics and invite her into a new hobby!

        2. Opus the Poet

          Part of the joke in that comic was they were speaking French… And those phonetics have a different meaning in French.

    5. UrsulaDavina

      Ok i get it sliding time scale makes sense so hopefully no one else comments about a sliding time scale on this thread no need to be redundant.

      1. Radiance

        The sliding timescale means that people will always be having a conversation with you about the sliding timescale, no matter what day or year it is.

  10. jeffepp

    She’s going through a list of who she wants to make a sex with. She started with Joyce.

    1. Yotomoe

      If she could work out some sorta threesome she’d make it happen.

      1. jeffepp

        They have all three fallen asleep together in a bed. Just, you know, get a little more comfortable. With each other.

  11. not someone else

    You know, it occurs to me… Walky and Sal exist, but IRL, you don’t generally get identical twins of different chromosome types by definition, unless one of them has something wonky happen.

    It would amuse me given everyone’s assumptions if Booster were actually AFAB, but I think I prefer the headcanon that their sister is transfem.

    1. jeffepp

      It’s also common for non-identicals to seem identical. The Olsen Twins were treated as identical until they were in their teens.

      For comedic and drama reasons, having the gender opposite twins has all kinds of potential. Especially if one, the other, or both can pass. See Shakespeare. Or, the Go Get a Roomie rerun right now.

      1. Plain Marie

        Cesario, oh Cesario. Oh hi, Sebastian, it’s you.

    2. Steelbright

      I like this headcanon :3 unrelatedly tho, I see no reason to think Walky & Sal are meant to be identical rather than fraternal twins? Unless the Willis hath rendered them identical through author powers…

      1. GholaHalleck

        Other then Walky saying he was repeatedly mistaken for his sister before, probably before Sal got the growth spurt.

        1. Daibhid C

          Identical twins look identical, but not all twins who look identical are identical twins. Don’t blame me, I didn’t invent the language.

        2. Clif

          The standard move in English is to blame the French.

    3. Thag Simmons

      Walky and Sal probably are not literally identical twins, they just closely resemble each other

      1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        ObQuestionableContent: Claire and Clinton aren’t twins at all, despite extremely similar appearances.

        1. Opus the Poet

          Claire despite being shorter and the more slender of the two is in fact the older sibling.

      2. saltchocolate

        In grade school, I knew boy/girl twins that looked exactly alike, to the point that I could not internalize the fact that only SS twins can be identical till I was fully fully grown.

    4. Aelfwine

      What in the world are you talking about? Walky and Sal are NOT identical twins, as evidenced by the fact that you can tell them apart and also the fact they have different genitalia.

      Why do you start out with the bizarre assumption that they are “identical twins” when they (clearly, obviously, blatantly) aren’t?

      1. zee

        They meant they look the same. It’s referenced in comic constantly. Chill the fuck out dude

      2. Opus the Poet

        Have you not heard of androgen insensitivity syndrome?

        https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/androgen-insensitivity-syndrome

        Genetic male, physical female. Have been known to have the aggressiveness of physical males, which could explain Sal’s history. But Word of God is that Walky and Sal are very similar fraternal twins.

        1. thejeff

          But it’s caused by genetic differences on the X chromosome, which means they wouldn’t be genetically identical anyway.

        2. Proxiehunter

          “Aggressiveness of physical males”? That’s some TERF bullshit right there.

  12. newlland(Henryvolt)

    It’s time to live up to the name of this story I suppose.

  13. Sirksome

    Yo, if Dorothy puts it down on the Walkman on top of that snow pile I will suddenly respect her a little bit more than I do already!

    1. GholaHalleck

      Way less respect for Walky, considering he tactically agreed to saying he loves Lucy. I don’t have a lot of respect for Dotty on the whole, so this is pretty much where I expect her to go.

  14. newlland(Henryvolt)

    Reddit post for Ethan for today: https://www.reddit.com/r/dumbingofage/comments/124c7zn/dumbing_of_age_headcanon_back_in_the_day_ethan/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

    1. True Survivor

      The actual cannibal?

      1. newlland(Henryvolt)

        Sometimes people end up falling for the wrong person.

  15. True Survivor

    Booster knows a ton about Walky. I had two roommates in college. I can’t tell you what city they were from (despite asking and being told probably a dozen times) or name a single one of their other friends much less the friend’s schedule. Booster is creepily well informed (or maybe I was just a bad roommate).

    1. RassilonTDavros

      Plot twist: The real reason Booster knows everything about everyone is that they found Mike’s notes.

      1. Jamie

        Damn. That’s a thought.

      2. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        Nah, Mike’s ghost is Booster’s spirit guide.

      3. GholaHalleck

        Still say Booster is Mike. Somehow, someway. The art matches too well and it bugs me.

      4. Tan

        I fully support the idea that Mike’s notes included Lucy’s class schedule for the spring semester, despite the fact that Lucy and Mike never met and spring semester class signups were well after Mike died.

        1. Clif

          All, is going in accordance with Mike’s master plan.

    2. Keulen

      I also had two roommates in college, and I remember more about one than the other, probably because we had more in common. The first roommate was from a different city in my state, while the other was from Japan. The first one and I both liked playing video games, while I’m not really sure what my Japanese roommate did in his free time, but he wasn’t into the same stuff as me and he didn’t spend much time in our dorm room outside of his classes. I got along with both of them pretty well, but I’m not sure if it’s normal to not remember a lot about your college roommates.

    3. thejeff

      How much of that is remembering things well after the fact vs never knowing them at all? I mean, I don’t even remember my freshman college schedule, much less my roommate’s girlfriend’s, but I definitely knew it at the time.

      Here it could easily be something Booster just heard recently, rather than creepy stalking.

  16. Steelbright

    Dorothy did a Joyce right there, haha

    1. RassilonTDavros

      Dorothy Does a Joyce: a Dumbing of Age Pornographique

  17. cbwroses

    I’d rather Walky break up with Lucy rather than cheat on her (if that even happens).
    Even if it were Amber instead of Dorothy, I’d prefer him to break up with Lucy rather than cheat, though at least they’d have the precedence of being garbage and can be a garbage pile on top of a snow pile.

    That said, I do not expect any cheating, though I do think the result of this will push Lucy to trying to jump Walky’s bones, third date be damned, and we’ll see if the Walkman will rise to the occasion.

    1. Steelbright

      Agreed, any of them cheating would suck. :/ Though I suspect Dorothy’s version of doing something wild and crazy will just be to go declare what she actually WANTS rather than try to skip ahead to the emotional closure she desires to accomplish

    2. Sirksome

      Honestly I’m kind of for it. Not really the cheating aspect of it, but if this wakes Walky up to his relationships and what he wants then good. Walky and Lucy have been dating maybe two weeks, ultimately that wasn’t much investment. Lucy might get hurt, but not as hurt as she could be down the line.

      1. Clif

        What is this cheating business? In order for cheating to occur you have to be in a committed relationship. Where did either ask the other to date them exclusively? Is playing the field a dead concept that somehow became evil?

        1. Sirksome

          I don’t know if they ever talked about it, and if it were any other person, I’d say who gives a fuck, but Lucy specifically acts like a girl who cares about exclusivity since she’s dropping the big L-word so early.

        2. thejeff

          Playing the field is still a thing, but it’s very much not a thing that either Walky or Lucy think they’re doing. Even if they haven’t specified on screen that they’re exclusive, they’re still treating it like a committed relationship.

        3. Anon A Mouse

          I would say around the point that Walky committed to the “I love you” part. I realize he is still navigating how he ACTUALLY feels, but I it still seems like an obvious “relationship” moment that counts as exclusive until otherwise discussed.

        4. zee

          Typically when you reach the “boy/girlfriend” stage and you’re introducing them to your family members, that’s exclusive. Unless you’re poly it’s rare that actually needs to be discussed

        5. Taffy

          Yeah, I think the general assumption is that if you’re putting a label on it and haven’t discussed otherwise, you’re most likely exclusive.

  18. Regalli

    Ah yes, the Nintendo, held horizontally because eventually there will be a successor to the current console and we‘re going to be VAGUE.

    1. Jamie

      Aaaaaaaany day now, Nintendo. I’m not excited for it, but I’m tired of people looking forward to it.

    2. The Wellerman

      Hey good point.

    3. anon

      one of these days they’ll run outta names and will have to use the letters/initials to spell out nintendo lol

      1. Taffy

        Their names have almost universally sucked since the NES. Initials would be an improvement.

  19. Reltzik

    Dorothy, I have absolutely no idea what your plan is, but I’m absolutely sure nothing can go wrong with it and I unreservedly endorse it.

    1. milu

      your “i’m not about to do anything rash and or/self-destructive” T-shirt wholly sets to rest any misgivings i may have had.

  20. Marvelman

    Is Dorothy contemplating suicide? Don’t do it, Dorothy! You can still be president of some not-for-profit.

    1. anon

      i mean jumping to that after mentioning walky seems a bit extreme, i just interpreted it as, “i might proposition walky despite knowing he’s dating lucy” but hopefully she can find an alternate way/person/etc

    2. Proxiehunter

      She’s contemplating doing Walky on top of a snow hill.

  21. Lily

    I mean, within reason, being rash/self-destructive seems like a rite of passage among the college experience lol

    1. anon

      also, isn’t the snow hill melted by now?

      1. milu

        Not likely, ita still mid-january, and anyway packed snow lasts longer. Still climbable is a different matter. if there’s been a few warm days it might now be covered in ice

        1. thejeff

          There was a strip about it earlier. It’s just a pile of gravel and exhaust now.

          How those piles tend to go. The snow melts from the top leaving behind all the dirt and nastiness that was mixed in as a cap layer.

        2. milu

          Haha true =) i stand corrected

  22. BBCC

    Dorothy, you know that’s not how this comic works!

  23. Proxiehunter

    Is Walky on top of the snow hill rash and/or self destructive?

    1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      Since the snow hill will contain road salt, traces of engine oil, and who knows what else, doing Walky there might well cause a rash, yes.

  24. Kitschensyngk

    Spoken like someone about to do something rash and/or self-destructive.

    1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      She was just asking Ruth for advice, what else did you expect?

  25. RassilonTDavros

    Look Dorothy go ahead and be rash and self-destructive if ya wanna, but maybe don’t try to destroy your ex-boyfriend’s current relationship?

    1. GholaHalleck

      Just waiting for the “you’re only my ex because I *let* you leave, now I want you back, so it’s all good now” speech.

      1. Plain Marie

        If so, I hope Walky gives her the Don’t Yank Me Around I Have A Girlfriend speech.

  26. HueSatLight

    Anyone else seeing the wrong book/chapter for today’s strip? It’s the right strip, but the site is saying its from book 14, chapter 1 for me.

    1. RassilonTDavros

      Hmm, I’m seeing that too. This strip does appear to be filed incorrectly in the system.

    2. HueSatLight

      fixed

  27. Schpoonman

    You were trustworthy 3 days ago, Dorothy.

  28. CMasta1992

    I’m jealous of the DinaxBecky shippers who never have to see their ship imperiled. Dorothy is trying to attack both my lil boats

    1. CMasta1992

      Related: even if the name may prove to be false, if it hasn’t been coined yet I’m calling WalkyxLucy Lucky

      1. Dana

        So if Dorothy breaks them up, did she get Lucky?

      2. chuckroast

        Pronounced “Loose-Key” of course.

        1. eh, whatever

          Luçky

  29. Coco Pommel

    DOROTHY NO

  30. Suet

    About that…

    While Booster might be psychoanalyzing Dorothy soon, the weekend strips can’t be. Yay, it’s renewed!

    1. Mark

      When is Booster not psychoanalyzing whoever is close by?

  31. Carla's #2 Fan

    Is Dorothy trying to bait Booster into using their invasive psych powers? I wonder if it works when you ask for it…

  32. PirateTawnee

    Ha ha, they said McNutt.

  33. lamppost

    Does Booster’s sister go to the same University as them? It would be fun to see her.

    1. Needfuldoer

      She’s not tagged yet, but she’s probably this character in Leslie’s class with Carla, Jennifer, and Ruth:

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/supremacy/

      1. Lamppost

        Ohhh thanks I forgot about that!

      2. HueSatLight

        It’d be really funny if that’s not her, though.

  34. AGV

    “I think that you’ve bumped into just the right psychoanalyzing enby”
    “But I already got life advice though”

  35. sdrainbow

    “the nintendo”, Booster said, being a 65 year old

    1. sdrainbow

      yes I see the response upthread, I am guilty of commenting before perusing

      1. Needfuldoer

        I can’t remember how many times I’ve done that. Replying to comments from the bottom of the page up is a tough habit to break!

    2. Needfuldoer

      I hope they remembered to rewind the Nintendo tapes.

      1. Sharaku

        I think that’s supposed to be a Nintendo Switch. They use CDs, not tapes.

        1. Needfuldoer

          Fine.

          I hope they remembered to rewind the Switch CDs. They can just pause their game of ForKnife to take care of that.

        2. Taffy

          Switches use cartridges. The CD one was the GameCube. Or the Wii.

      2. Shadowsnail

        In Soviet Russia, Tetris tape rewinds you!

  36. CJ

    If you wanted Booster to pay attention that was the right thing to say…

  37. DarkoNeko

    Maybe it’s their time to shine

  38. Amelie Wikström

    I refer to my PS3 as either “the DVD player” or “the game machine” so people in my life who care nothing for Nintendos or Pokemans will know what I’m talking about. Wait, is my life more future-proofed than the comic is?

  39. Zaxares

    Booster, I gotta say you have an AWESOME “sus” face. 😉

    1. Blue

      I love all of Booster’s faces

  40. thumb

    It better not be trying to screw around with your ex who’s in a good relationship despite the insecurities he’s just confided in you. It can be a lot of rash and self destructive things, but it better not be that.

    1. Mark

      Seems to me like “I need to talk to someone I trust with very personal issues, and one by one I’m finding they are all out.”

  41. pope suburban

    Booster. Booster please, although I feel lukewarm toward you and I admit I have not yet gotten over the whole “taking photos of Amber without consent” thing, I am begging you. Please do that which you do. Right now. I think you may be able to help, but, failing that, the chaos that will ensue would be magnificent. I am hoping for help, though; Dorothy has been through a lot and done a lot for others and she really does need to be the one getting support from a peer right now instead of vice versa.

  42. Wendy

    DOROTHY NO

    1. Wendy

      Speaking of Dorothy, here’s an old colored pencil drawing I did of her years and years ago! I should do an updated one with her newer hair soon.

      https://twitter.com/namioshiro/status/1640748272334561280

      1. milu

        Iiii very cute

        1. Wendy

          Thank you!

  43. poyo

    now dorothy im all for self destruction but consider the possible casualties in this endeavor.

    …..Lucy. It’s Lucy. If you break Lucy’s heart i will end u

    1. thejeff

      Reminds me of when Joyce was after Jacob. I loved that ship and think they would have done well together, just like I loved Dorothy and Walky together, but the circumstances where Joyce was going after him meant it was a disaster that couldn’t possibly work out.

    2. HueSatLight

      Dorothy will ironically cause fewer casualties (and maybe less self-destruction) when she’s knowingly doing something rash than when she thinks she’s being responsible (yet still doing something rash).

  44. Yeet

    Maybe she’s just looking for reassurance about ditching yale from someone else who consciously chooses not to put in maximum effort at everything

  45. milu

    Booster: “… What? Oh no, i know you’re gonna do something screwed-up, like, obviously. i meant, you’re not gonna say anything about the Nintendo, right?”

  46. YordleJay

    *pushes lucy out of the picture* out the way boring the best ships gonna set sail again

  47. LaGrosseLegume

    I finally caught up with ongoing!
    Yeah! Hooray!

    1. The Wellerman

      Congratulations!!!

    2. elfroyalty

      welcome! hope you enjoyed your ride here!!

  48. Needfuldoer

    Happy birthday, Carla!

    (She’s not in this installment but we all know she’d appreciate the attention regardless.)

    1. The Wellerman

      Happy Birthday Carla!!! ?

  49. Bryy

    Are we getting a Dorothy/Walky/Jennifer scene with the promise of a Ruth convo?

  50. DiDi

    Considering the whole fuss she did over Joyce’s actions or intent… this would be *really* bad form.

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