155

Standing
Posted on August 26, 2021 by David M Willis

155 thoughts on “Standing”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    sounds like the guy shouting at the driver camping in an intersection near me the other day, except different expletives (I was parked)

    1. Jon F.

      Parked in the intersection, I take it

      1. Ana Chronistic

        I WAS IN A SPACE SHUT UP

        driver in the intersection couldn’t decide whether to make the turn

    2. Needfuldoer

      ‘EY AHM’ WALKIN’ ‘ERE!

      1. MIB4u

        … GTA2?

        1. Azrael

          “Midnight Cowboy” (1969), I presume.

  2. Doctor_Who

    “Man, emotions that aren’t horniness are rough.”

    1. Clif

      You want emotions, wait till people find out we’re about to do another time skip.

      1. Felix

        “Oh. no!” Anyways…

      2. Doongus

        I beg your pardon

    2. Dana

      My dad is a nudist. At least I can feel comfortable with having non-horny emotions around him when I’m trying to make him feel at home in my home by wearing only underwear and shorts. Horny ones, yeah, I want me or my dad to leave the living room.

  3. Wagstaff

    Talk about adding insult to injury…

    There’s probably not even any cake left now, is there?

    1. Sirksome

      Let’s be honest here, Joe doesn’t deserve cake. Not yet.

      1. King Daniel

        He’s already a beefcake, we don’t need a beefcakecake

        1. Clif

          He’s blocking the door, still paralyzed by the carnage of Carla and Amber’s epic cake conflict.

      2. Lorien Inksong

        I am a soft touch for sure, but I think Joe does deserve cake. :<
        He made some mistakes but they're a bunch of new adults in college, all of the DoA cast has messed up, but he's put in a great deal of work for the well-being of those around him. These strips to me read as Joe self punishing and denying himself connections. And I understand his feelings and the people who are still mad at him but this self punishment and isolation cycle doesn't end with a better dude. ;_;

        I dunno I'm just soft and want Joe to go in and be with the others, especially Joyce. Those two seem to be helping each other a great deal via emotional honesty so regardless of what form of relationship they end up in I think they're good for each other? And the soft hearted ace agenda means I want people who want cake to have it, its very important. :B

    2. DailyBrad

      Yeah, either Amber or Carla got to the last piece already by now.

      1. Thag Simmons

        Alternatively they destroyed it in their conflict. Or they split it up. Or Amber conceded

        1. Doctor_Who

          Or Carla brought pie.

          Just in case Mary showed up, but she didn’t, and it’s a shame to waste pie, so Carla shared.

        2. RassilonTDavros

          They attempted to split it peacefully, but Amber tried to convince Carla to split it in thirds for the two of them and Amazi-Girl, and peace talks broke down from there.

        3. Thag Simmons

          That is a bold diplomatic move and I don’t know if Amber’d be up for it

        4. Reltzik

          Oh no.

          Carla’s an engineer and Amber’s into programming.

          Both fields are mathy.

          Mathy people and trisecting angles can get… interesting.

        5. Wagstaff

          I was thinking more along the lines of building some awesome robots, but that works too!

        6. Needfuldoer

          Somebody should have brought a scale so they could divide it by weight.

          (Just weigh the icing separately.)

    3. Wagstaff

      Not to say he didn’t deserve that injury…

      But fear not, for watching from the sidelines as that last piece of cake gets eaten all while getting reprimanded by that new favorite character is probably not going to be the end of Joe’s retribution.

      1. Clif

        New character is door-shaming a man clearly undergoing an existential crisis. New character lacks empathy.

        1. Delicious Taffy

          Also lacks basic manners and the ability to remove his head from the confines of his own colon.

        2. Wagstaff

          Hey now, I didn’t say they were MY new favorite.

        3. Clif

          True. True.

          And yet there is a strong implication that they are SOMEONE’S new favorite. And so the natural questions are, first, whose new favorite they are and, more puzzling, why ever would you think that.

          What did you know and when did you know it?

          Confess Wagstaff. Confess to engaging in harmless sarcasm!

  4. Sirksome

    I like this new guy.

    1. RassilonTDavros

      See, I could swear I’ve seen him somewhere before.

      …wait a sec! (minor spoilers for Joyce and Walky! incoming)

      Jordan Brown, is that you?

      1. Thag Simmons

        I don’t see it, truth be told

      2. RacingTurtle

        Door Guy also bears a passing resemblance to Chick-Fil-A Guy: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/02-that-perfect-girl/trickledown/

        Why would Jordan be semi-secretly living in Joyce’s residence hall?

        1. thejeff

          He doesn’t have to be living there, he could just be coming to visit Joyce.

          Chik-Fil-A guy is more likely though.

  5. RassilonTDavros

    Preeeeetty sure

  6. Yotomoe

    The place you can’t return to.
    Can’t Return (Still trying).

  7. Dave

    People just standing around right in the middle of walking paths is in my top five pet peeves, so… fair.

    1. Wagstaff

      FINALLY!!! Someone who understands!!!

    2. Wizard

      Even better: people who insist on standing in front of a door, and then get totally butthurt when someone opens the door and hits them with it. Just keep the doorway clear, and you won’t have that problem.

    3. Reltzik

      Add them smoking right in front of a door I have to walk through and it’s in mine.

    4. Needfuldoer

      Right? Either keep moving or get out of the way. Also yield to faster traffic.

      It’s as bad as people in stores who keep one hand on their cart and reach across the aisle for something on the shelf.

    5. Keulen

      I find that annoying too, especially when they act like you’re the asshole for asking them to move when they’re the ones blocking the path.

  8. Thag Simmons

    Well, I think that’s a wrap on Book 11: (title pending)

    I think it was pretty good! Would have liked more roller derby, and Booster doesn’t feel like a main cast member yet.

    1. RassilonTDavros

      Personally I’m super hyped for “Sister, Christian.” Jocelyne here we (hopefully) come, baby!

      Also– not currently a Patreon subscriber, but after their conflict in Shortpacked! it’s nice to see Galasso (seemingly) treating Connie like a worthy heir this time around in the preview panel.

      1. Thag Simmons

        The comic’s been on a roll lately so I’m excited to see where it goes

      2. a/snow/mous/e

        Oh the time has come!

        1. RassilonTDavros

          Or, in Latin, venit aevus ille.

  9. Wagstaff

    Looks like Joe’s road to redemption (provided there is any) will be a long one.

    *plays “The Road for the Lost” by Naoko Mitome” on Voxola PR-76*

    1. Sirksome

      I don’t know if Joe needs redemption. The Do List was pretty obnoxious but I don’t think it hurt anyone too badly (as far as we know) he just kind of needs to be better at presenting his more genuine self instead of what is now the mostly performative sex hound dude bro personality.

      1. Thag Simmons

        More of a gradual climb to being a better more mature person

        1. thejeff

          Yeah. Redemption is a lie. Growth is not.

          Mostly Joe needs to learn he’s not doomed to be his father.

  10. Cattleprod

    Why isn’t my new favorite character tagged? This is relatable content.

    1. RassilonTDavros

      My theory is that he’s Jordan Brown, in which case tagging him would kind of be a massive spoiler.

      1. Lars

        That is either Dexter or Sydney Yus in disguise.

    2. woobie

      There is a Sarah tagged, and I don’t see Our Sarah, therefore this is Other Sarah.

      1. RacingTurtle

        Sarah’s standing behind Joyce. You can’t see her face

        ….her FAAAAAAAACE

      2. Wagstaff

        Yeah only her pants are visible….

        Like I’m ever gonna search comics by tag just to look at a character’s impressive-looking pair of pants….

    3. Tim

      https://www.itswalky.com/character/lv/

  11. mrj

    “There was a door
    And I could not open it. I could not touch the handle.”

    “The hell are you just standing in front of the door for? People walk here, you asshole!”

    1. bemisawa

      Beautiful T.S. Eliot quote, thank you!

  12. Cholma

    Jean-Luc Picard in another timeline: “There are *TWO* doors!”

    1. TemplarKnight

      THANK YOU! In fact Joe is standing in front of the LEFT door, so if someone was coming through, he would see it and move, whereas the door on the right is freely available for anyone walking through on that side to easily walk through. Sorry for the inconvenience of making you walk through the socially accepted right hand door!

    2. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      Exactly, unless this is one of those stupid situations where one on the double doors is always locked.

      And of course, he could just say “Excuse me, please.” But that would be conceding dominance or something.

      1. Delicious Taffy

        Yeah, but if he wasn’t immediately a dickhead, something something allowing people to walk all over him, something something rudeness is virtue.

  13. Citizen Octopus

    So much for The Feels.

  14. Pizzawiz

    Come on there’s another door right there you can use. Unless it’s looked or something. Can’t you see Joe’s contemplating?

  15. Grimey

    I’mmmmmm the Joe in the box!
    Buried… In my list!
    Woonnn’t you…Come redeem me! Redeem me!
    In my feels, can I shut them off!
    Joyce Brown, deny my horny!
    He who never tries, can miss cake!
    In my feels, didn’t shoot my shot.

    NAAAH NAH NAAAH NAH NAAAAAAAH.

  16. Yotomoe

    This reminds me of listening to Ed Sheerans “Perfect” and thinking the most poignant line is how many times the song repeats the phrase “I don’t deserve this”. Like you might overlook it or just think it’s just because this woman is so fantastic. But that idea of lovingly embracing someone, dancing on the grass and listening to your favorite song and yet the most prominent echoing thought on your head. The most unshakable feeling is “I don’t deserve this”. That someone as beautiful and wonderful would love someone like you is it’s own horror because you think they deserve better.

    It Hurts

    1. mrnoidea

      *hugs if warranted*

  17. Dr. T

    What the? You’re ending a book on a strip that doesn’t include people going to bed?

    1. Black Drazon

      Random Stranger is about to knock Joe the fuck out.

      1. Delicious Taffy

        Random Stranger can knock himself out and let someone yell at him for sleeping in the hallway.

    2. a/snow/mous/e

      Season 2: all storylines end with someone calling someone else an asshole

    3. King Daniel

      Huh, guess it took eleven books before one finally ended without everyone in bed.

      1. Reltzik

        Well, that was the tradition all through… you know what? I’m hereby dubbing the first semester “Volume 1”. That was the tradition all the way through Volume 1. But with Volume 2, I think Willis has decided to put that tradition to bed.

        1. King Daniel

          Think he might sleep on it and insert a last-minute new strip into the buffer come the morning?

        2. Reltzik

          Last minute buffer changes like that would be alarming. Not restful at all.

    4. Bunk

      Didn’t Book 10 ALSO not end with everyone in bed? It ended with the months passing.

  18. Ian livs

    Come on, random guy, have you never seen Agonizing Pining before or somethin’? ?

    1. Deanatay

      Agonized Pining

      1. Roborat

        for the fjords?

  19. plasticwrap

    Damn, that’s rude. Just say “excuse me”

    1. Delicious Taffy

      It’s a fucking double door, too. Just don’t say anything and go through the other half, instead of playing Door Police.

      1. MrSmith

        Also it’s generally not a good idea to go around insulting people that are noticeably bigger than you

        1. Delicious Taffy

          Yeah, that too. Especially in place of any sort of greeting. You don’t just walk up to someone and immediately start berating them for something that’s not even a problem.

        2. MrSmith

          Absolutely agree

    2. thumb

      It’s rude to just stand in front of a door and NOT DO ANYTHING! Just being an obstacle in a main passage here for no reason.

      1. Superducked

        Thus the “excuse me”, at which point most people will realize their mistake and move aside for you.

      2. Delicious Taffy

        People in the way are still people. Why dehumanise when you could communicate?

        Or just try the other door, which we have no evidence this guy’s done, and even if he had, the hyperaggressive non-greeting still isn’t warranted.

        1. Fist_of_Life

          “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” – Robin Williams.

          I feel like this applies to the situation.

        2. David M Willis

          that quote’s from John Watson, 1897

        3. Delicious Taffy

          Yeah, but I won’t tell Johnny-boy if you don’t.

        4. JBento

          I was going to say “Eh, he probably heard it from Sherlock Holmes first anyway”, and then I remembered that Holmes was a monumental ass who would never advocate for being kind.

  20. Black

    Okay, seriously, what the fuck was Joe’s life like BEFORE he started having sex? What was his personality like before he became a sex addict?

    I would assume he has some sort of baseline personality to fall back on that isn’t getting pussy.

    1. Madock345

      Ever met a middle schooler who is obsessed with talking about how much sex they’re totally having with a bunch of girls you have never met? Remember Joe learned this routine from his dad, so he’s probably been talking the stud talk way before he could back it up.

    2. Yotomoe

      You can be super interested in sex even before having sex.
      t. yotomoe

      1. Wagstaff

        Yeah! Remember Eddy from Stephen King’s IT remake?

    3. BBCC

      In patreon, before he hit puberty he was described as kind, courteous, and into philosophy.

    4. Joyfulldreams

      IDK if he’s actually a sex addict. I don’t feel like that’s a definitive yes but also I don’t know if I can say it’s a definitive no, either.

  21. Bryy

    Classic college.

  22. ADLegend21

    ay bruh you got a whole other door, fuck off pal.

    1. Delicious Taffy

      All I wanna do
      Is see this guy walk through
      The other doorway (the fucking doorway)

  23. Scoops!

    Dumbing of Age: People Walk Here You Asshole!

    1. LiterallyJustSomeGuy

      Best book title. It means the title drops at the end of the book and everything.

  24. BarerMender

    Joe (me): Listen, titface, if you see an asshole you can get down on your knees and suck his dick.
    Titface: Hey, take it easy, buddy.
    Joe: Buddy my ass. You could’ve said, “Excuse me.” Instead, you went to verbal assault. Now you have to go through me or find another door. What will it be?

    1. Delicious Taffy

      Until proven otherwise, this dweeb’s name is now Titface. Rude strangers are The Worst.

      1. Alan in DC

        I’m kinda partial to “Babydick” as an insult to a rude dude.

        A.I. “May”, over in Questionable Content, used it on a super-rude coffeeshop customer. It’s been my favorite slam since.

        1. BarerMender

          Jeph has some good ones, but I like to make up my own.

        2. Delicious Taffy

          This Content thing sounds a little interesting.

  25. BBCC

    Joe, no, don’t be that guy. Nobody likes that guy.

    1. BBCC

      That said, damn, other guy, nobody likes that guy either.

  26. Kravis

    There’s even a kid that walks through this door so much his name is Walky!

    1. Delicious Taffy

      Dude, spoilers. I haven’t read that far, yet.

  27. MrSmith

    Well that escalated quickly.

  28. Bagge

    D’awwww. That’s such a cute shot of Dorothy and Joyce in panel 2.

    1. Delicious Taffy

      They do tend to be especially cute together.

      1. Bagge

        Not that Joyce has noticed or anything…

        1. Delicious Taffy

          I think if she notices, the comic has to end.

  29. Juanoku

    EY
    I’M WALKIN’ ‘ERE

  30. Delicious Taffy

    This book feels like a nice sort of breather, especially after Book 10. Just re/establishing character dynamics and laying some groundwork.

    Also, looking at the archive, there appears to be a Black Parade lyric as a chapter title, which is slightly concerning if you’re familiar with that particular song. But also slightly optimistic for the same reason? That should be interesting to see.

  31. BenRG

    To quote the classic 1960s British film comedy The Wrong Box: “He worshipped her from afar!”

  32. Kravis

    Holy shit, how I hate them motherfraggers that do that, just freakin’ STAND there as if they’re planted in that spot!

  33. Mel

    There you see her
    Standing just across the way
    You both had a lot to say,
    And it might have just helped her

    You’re a pervy guy,
    But you’ve started to try,
    You wanna kiss the girl

    Shalalalala, burn that list
    Don’t be misogynist
    Before you kiss that girl (whoa whoa)

    Shalalala ask her first,
    Then see if those lips purse,
    Before you kiss that girl

    [Obviously this does not cover all of the possible reasons for a woman pursing her lips that do not involve an invitation to kiss her, this is not meant as a literal field guide for successful consensual kissing]

  34. Nono

    The last word of this book is ‘asshole’ and we got no MxM content! Anarchy!

    1. Wagstaff

      An appropriately awkward end to precede the awkward events to come, don’t you think?

  35. Tim

    https://www.itswalky.com/character/lv/

  36. Rabisch

    It’s so sad … Poor Joe. If he’s so unable to go into the hall, he better leave. Maybe he could run into Danny outside and talk to him about this. Completely interrupting whatever is going on between him and Sal

    1. BenRG

      “Dude! I am talking with my girlfriend! Come. Back. Later!“

      1. Rabisch

        Joe turns sadly and walks away along an endless road…

        1. BenRG

          Backing music: https://youtu.be/k_lYcTxncNg

        2. milu

          Or maybe: CXG – The end of the movie. (Give or take a couple lines.)

  37. Bobcat

    That’s Lucas Turnbloom “How to Cat” owner 😀

  38. Nenja

    Book 12 already? Time flies!

    1. BenRG

      Should be interesting too! Either Jocelyn or Joyce telling Becky that she’s no longer feeling particularly religious.

      1. Amos Batista

        …or not. It could be a chapt focused in Lucy.

  39. Keulen

    I feel for Joe because he’s clearly having a tough time here, but at the same time I relate to this random guy since Joe is kinda in the way of where people walk. Random guy could be a lot nicer about it though.

  40. Buli-buli

    Did Joe leave by another door and walk around the building just to have a better view of Joyce?

    That’s creeper territory Joe.

    1. BenRG

      I’m pretty sure that he’s thinking “I am not worthy to be in her pure presence” and everyone who knows he’s got these feelings will be getting seriously annoyed with him behaving like the protagonist in a cheap romantic drama.

    2. Spencer

      He’s still at the same spot he was when talking to Amber.

  41. Spencer

    This guy’s just been off-panel every time one of the cast does something dramatic in a public space that inconveniences traffic and he’s finally letting them have a piece of his mind.

    1. JBento

      He’s DoA’s Agrajag.

  42. thumb

    Yeah, asshole! God I hate Joe. He’s so much like me right now I want to punch him in his stupid face.

  43. JBento

    As someone who once had to forcefully shoulder aside 3 women who were talking to each other standing in front of the cafeteria door and looked at me like if I had insulted them after I asked them if they could please move so I could get lunch, I stand with untagged guy.

    1. Delicious Taffy

      Sure, if he’d even tried a token “‘scuse me” first, he might be a little sympathetic, but going aggro as a first resort is a bad look.

      1. Zaxares

        Agreed. Nameless guy escalated the situation for no real reason. It’s not much different than, say, somebody getting their order wrong in the restaurant and instead of just calmly pointing it out to the staff immediately flies into a screaming fit.

        1. Delicious Taffy

          Being a guy-looking sort, he’d probably also screech something about “This is America!” and refuse to elaborate what he thinks that means. Yes, I’m assigning much malice and shittiness to this random dude who may not ever appear again.

  44. hof1991

    I think his name is Godot. Joe was waiting /not waiting for him now that he’s finally arrived joe can either join the gang or leave.

  45. Smooti

    Go to her Joe. GO TO HER.

  46. bcb

    This was a far more…I’m going to say “relaxing,” chapter than anything in Book 10.

    Time to reread.

  47. Amos Batista

    This chapter showed for us that the title (Like As long as its free), doesn’t need to be spoken by any character.

    1. Yumi

      Isn’t that true for most of the title chapters? Some are said, sure, but it’s always seemed like a lot aren’t.

      1. thejeff

        Book titles are quotes. Chapter titles don’t need to be.

  48. Jade

    To be fair, there appears to be two doors right next to each other, and unnamed character is clearly in front of the door that isn’t blocked, so there doesn’t seem to be a reason to yell at Joe.

    Also, even if that door is locked and he needs to get through the door Joe’s in front of, it seems kind of harsh to lead with “You Asshole” right off the bat. Like if you asked several times for him to move and he didn’t acknowledge you or was rude, then by all means, call a spade a spade. It just feels like we’re escalating things pretty quickly for something pretty small.

    I hope Joe, feeling sad, decides to unload all his emotions onto this unnamed character, who now needs to deal with a large weepy man and has to get to class on time.

  49. Michael Haneline

    Anyone else hear hoody guy in a Brooklyn accent?

  50. mrnoidea

    No one knows what it’s like…
    To be the bad Joe…
    To be the sad Joe…
    Behind dual doors!

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