206

Get on
Posted on October 30, 2018 by David M Willis
Folks over at Patreon voted for Marcie to be the subject of this month's first Patreon bonus strip!  And so there she is.  If you're a Patreon of any pledge level, you can go check it out. And don't forget, if you pledge $5 or more, you get to see tomorrow's strip a day early! it's going to be very useful soon

206 thoughts on “Get on”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    BIKER’S LAW, y’all

    1. not someone else

      Before I tapped that link I presumed you meant “gas, grass, or ass, no one rides for free”.

  2. Doctor_Who

    Sal’s expressions are all gold here.

    1. Needfuldoer

      That’s no excuse to not wear a helmet. She’s over 18 and it’s Indiana so she doesn’t have to, but that’s not an excuse either.

      1. HeySo

        In fairness, she’s presumably not driving very fast on school grounds. Then again, given the tire screeching, perhaps not.. ..and then there’s the fact that I don’t imagine that any respectable biker would be tearing up their wheels like that or taking such a risky stop maneuver in the first place- so, yeah.. I guess no matter what, there’s something there to criticize. 😛

        1. woobie

          I don’t think one can lock up both tires and stay upright.
          Rule of Cool, though.

      2. thejeff

        She normally does. Wonder if there’s some reason.

        1. hof1991

          Chekhov’s helmet. She would have to remove it before yelling at people and DYW would have to draw that, so no helmet.

        2. HeySo

          Actually, Chekhov’s [X] would indicate that the item in question is relevant to the plot, rather than that it isn’t. (Her helmet presumably wouldn’t be plot-relevant either way, thus the “Chekov’s” prefix wouldn’t properly apply.) Chekhov’s Gun is a subpoint of The Law of Conservation of Detail, which is what you’re actually referencing.

          That principle states that elements not essential to the story should be avoided so as to streamline and focus storyflow [That being a guideline which Robert Jordan adamantly opposed applying in his works.]. Meanwhile, Chekhov’s Gun is a complimentary point which states that if you do have an element introduced into the plot (such as a gun) then it should be used for the plot (as, otherwise, there was no need to introduce it into the story, regardless of how interesting a detail it may be to the broader setting lore).

          (Further, Chekhov insisted that such elements be used within the next couple of chapters/scenes after their introduction; While that expectation is generally disregarded as being needlessly restrictive for more involved genres, it’s still good advice for things like mindless summer action films, where the content presented is very “in the moment” and actively works against the establishing of strong lingering plot hooks, as they would just introduce bloat into the otherwise quick flow of the film.)

          [Meanwhile, writing classes will extrapolate off this principle to emphasize the need for foreshadowing. That is, if an element will be used in a plot-relevant way, then it should be introduced into the story at an earlier time.]

          Of course, if her lack of a helmet ever comes into play as being a plot point, then I suppose it’d be a Reverse Chekhov’s Anti-Helmet..? 😛

        3. Regalli

          Chekhov’s Gun as a rule is also way more relevant to plays than other media, because props and setpieces take a lot of work to acquire, have ready, and keep the clueless actors from breaking/fix when the clueless actors break them before the next time it’s needed. (It doesn’t matter the production. It doesn’t matter the prop. Something will break in your show.) If the stage crew has to move all these pieces on and off in a timely manner before anything can continue while the audience is right there, and put them in these very specific spots so that nothing blocks a view of a scene, you’re generally going to go for as few pieces as you can get away with. This means anything extra is more stuff for the crew to keep track of, and that the audience will pay attention to it because it’s what’s there. Want to spend entire chapters of your novel on the Battle of Waterloo when the only thing related to plot or recurring characters here is in the last seven pages? Go nuts, Victor Hugo. But if you’re adapting Les Miserables for the stage, that interlude is up there with the long aside about the history of this fictional convent and the author’s thoughts on convents in the abstract on the list of things to cut.

        4. woobie

          Jordan got so big he could demand an editor who didn’t edit.

        5. HeySo

          Haha, well stated.

        6. Nikol Geier

          Maybe she’ll be giving Danny the helmet and she only has one right now.

      3. Plasma Mongoose

        But helmets only are worn so the character can make a dramatic reveal, but since everyone knows who it is already, why bother? SAFETY? That’s for uncool people don’t cha know?

      4. Chris Phoenix

        I talked recently with someone who rides, who explained to me – thoughtfully, with both logic and statistics – how motorcycle helmets limit sensory awareness enough to actually reduce safety vs. going helmetless, at least in some driving conditions.

        1. HeySo

          That’s only true for full-mask helmets, and generally the distinction asserted on the matter is that such helmets make you more likely to have a minor accident while making you much more likely to survive a major one.

          You can still wear skullcaps/cavalry helmet/bicycle helmet -style helmets without any sensory issue, and only positives as far as safety is concerned [even just casually thinking on it, consider why such helmets are encouraged without restraint for horsemen and bicyclists despite their lower speed and risk]. However, such helmets are generally tighter on the skull, which makes them rather uncomfortable to wear; hence it becomes an issue of comfort versus safety. There’s absolutely no safety benefit to not wearing a basic top-cover helmet.

        2. woobie

          That rider may sincerely believe what they said, but it’s still a load.

      5. Roborat

        With that hair, she doesn’t need a helmet, it would protect her better in the event of an accident.

  3. Cheesy1

    “The Geeky One!”

    1. MatthewTheLucky

      “No, the love interest!”

      1. Tacos

        “The carbon-based life form!”

        1. Keulen

          “The one who breathes air!”

        2. Dean

          “You, with the brown hair!”

        3. Nobody

          “And knows amazigirl”

        4. Clif

          The one attracted to Apples to Apples.

        5. motorfirebox

          The shy one!

        6. StClair

          “You with the FAAAAAAAACE”

    2. Plasma Mongoose

      “Fuck it, threesome time”

  4. Shiro

    Technically I suppose Sal and Amber don’t hang, but since AG can’t get on the bike without her…

    1. BBCC

      I don’t know what’d be better. Sal and Danny hanging out more and possibly talking about her and Marcie (a feat in itself since I’m pretty sure the Walkerton family crest is a knight emphatically refusing to discuss his feelings) or for her to have figured out who AG is OR for her to recognize Amber and Ethan as friends and want to talk to her about him.

      1. Wright

        Or, you know, just have remembered that Amber’s dating her brother.

        1. BBCC

          That too.

    2. jeffepp

      They play cart.

    3. Terry

      A thought that I had is that she actually knows that Amber is Amazigirl even if she doesn’t know Amber’s real name. She was just talking about Amazigirl and decided to go talk with her about the evening activities, so she can address the pattern of beating people up. And it doesn’t occur to her that she shouldn’t know who Amazigirl really is because, seriously, the mask doesn’t hide he eye color or her hair color/style or her body shape.

  5. Red Comet

    This is good stuff right here.

  6. Cholma

    Sal really needs to learn names.

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Names are for tombstones.

  7. BBCC

    I can’t stop laughing. Oh, sweetie, I love you.

    Honestly, there’s really not much about this arc I haven’t loved. I love Sal, Marcie, their relationship, backstory and world building and I just love everyone in this bar!

    *Remembers Walkertons parents* Oh, right.

    I love MOST PEOPLE in this bar!

    On that note – Sal, you put your fucking helmet on, young lady.

    1. Clif

      Is that what the helmet is for?

      1. Geneseepaws

        The Nitrile or the latex one is for Danny’s little head, the Carbon-Fibre one for Sal’s thinking head.

      2. BBCC

        I walked right into that one, I suppose. 😛

        1. DSL

          The increasing use of “fucking” as a general-purpose intensifier is occasionally hilarious — always unwittingly so.

    2. Regalli

      They really are such wonderful faces.

    3. thejeff

      Yeah, seriously.
      Ride without your helmet and it’s really going to mess up the hair.

  8. Marsh Maryrose

    De-escalate, re-escalate…which is which again?

    1. Proxiehunter

      First you de-escalate, then you re-escalate, then you de-re-escalate . . .

      1. Brotato

        … or was it re-de-escalate…?

        1. FacelessDeviant

          As long as things are scalating!

      2. Schpoonman

        So boooycooott looove, detox just to retox…

        1. Godfather

          And I’ll PROOOMISE you anything for another shot at life!!

        2. Godfather

          Imperfect boooooooys with imperfect lives
          Nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy (wants to hear you sing about tragedy), whooaaaaooohhh

  9. ShinyNeen

    C’mon Sal, if you’d just gotten a bigger bike at some point you could be nabbing BOTH of them right now. Missed opportunity, Sal!

    1. ShinyNeen

      Wait, I see that in the news blurb. “It’s going to be useful very soon?”

      … Yeah, that’s fuckin’ ominous.

      1. BBCC

        I think my patreon account is quaking in its shoes.

      2. Yumi

        I have to admit, while I support supporting creators, I never really saw the appeal of getting the strips a day early. Sure, you see them sooner than others…but you’re still just waiting for the next day’s strip, right? The day you got it, it’d be cool, but after that, you’re pretty much in the same boat.

        1. ShinyNeen

          @Yumi: Yeah, that’s basically how I view that perk, too. You can get some use out of it though, certainly. Might depend on individual reading habits. Meanwhile, there’s the two monthly bonus strips for less money (minimum possible pledge. I think that’s pretty darn good value. And also slightly weird that those pledge levels aren’t swapped.

          @BBCC: Willis anglin’ to reveal the dreaded “2-day early update” tier, surely.

        2. thejeff

          How about the “Once a week you get to peek ahead” tier?

          Let’s you get a jump on that one cliffhanger, but not just shift onto the same treadmill one day ahead.

        3. Deanatay

          Willis is one of the few webcomic artists I’ve seen who could go further ahead than that, if he wanted to.

        4. ShinyNeen

          @thejeff: I like the way you’re thinking! That kinda just replaces the “one day ahead” treadmill with a “one cliffhanger ahead” version, but that can probably be workshopped. Though I’m certainly happy with the one-day preview, because I doubt Willis is looking to invest much more effort into creating Patreon rewards.

          @Deanatay: I will never not be impressed by Willis’s buffer size and dedication to keeping it. I imagine it carries some benefits creatively, too, which is really cool. It’s partly proof that Willis has been at this a lot longer than other webcomic artists, and I wouldn’t expect most of them to do anything similar, but it’s still really freakin’ impressive.

        5. thejeff

          Of course, you’d most likely break down and use your one look ahead only to find Willis has switched to another scene, still leaving you hanging. 🙂

        6. Inahc

          I thought I’d use it to think up funny comments, but in practice, the days I do that are the days I end up busy the next evening, so I end up not posting most of them.

          also I’m not actually reading all the comments any more. partly because patreon, partly because I’m not enjoying them so much lately.

      3. Regalli

        Yeah that is one of the most terrifying things I have ever read.

        1. ShinyNeen

          It most likely means that the Amber-Sal confrontation is imminent, yeah. But, hmm, the fact that he’s warning us like that so far ahead implies that that sequence, or whatever sequence it is, will be… especially hard-hitting. Yuh-oh

    2. Koms

      Or a 3 seated tandem bike. That would be fun.

      1. ShinyNeen

        Yes, but also if Sal is ever caught riding one of those then Danny and Amber will have successfully dragged her down into dorkiness with them.

      2. thejeff

        Sidecar!

        1. Shameless

          Sidecars are ONLY cool in the movies. The difference between empty and seated changes how you ride completely.

  10. jeffepp

    You’re going to need to be more specific.

  11. Yumi

    Don’t know how she could be any clearer.

    Names? Fuck off.

    1. Needfuldoer

      Wonderbread and Not-Wonderbread?

  12. LeslieBean4Shizzle

    … I will fully admit, I have no idea which one Sal means. Which actually makes the strip funnier.

    1. BBCC

      None of us on Patreon could figure it out either.

      Dammit, Sal, at least throw out a ‘Wonderbread’ or something.

      1. Katotsu

        “Wasn’t there two people I held hostage? If that guy is here, maybe that girl who seems to run off whenever she sees me is the other one.” Bit of a stretch, but it’s happening at just the right time.

        1. LeslieBean4Shizzle

          It might be more likely if Ethan said something (during the “off camera” part of the conversation) to confirm that Amber is indeed that person.

      2. thejeff

        I can’t really see how it could be Amber. I mean, there are reasons she’d want to talk to her, but no reason for her to think it obvious that’s who she meant.

    2. Nono

      Unless she’s figured out Amber = Amazi-Girl (and we’ve been given no indication that she has), it’s likely Danny, because Sal knows that Danny is (or was) dating Amazi-Girl.

      1. not someone else

        Yeah, given the alt-text, it’s Danny, since she doesn’t know Amber and Amazi-Girl share a body and Amber may not be entirely up on Sal’s continued friendship with Amazi-Girl.

        …Unless the alt text is a joke based on exactly that premise, but I think it’s Danny?

        1. LeslieBean4Shizzle

          I think the joke with the alt text is that, that too, is also both of them.

  13. Doopyboop

    MY LOVE TRIANGLE THEORY IS BECOMING TRUTH! THEY SINCERELY DON’T KNOW WHO SHE’S TALKING ABOUT! In this case, I do think she means Danny but I’m not sure what for. Is she gonna wave him at Marcie? “Look see, I got the whitest, most wonderbread kinda guy and Ah’m teaching him ’bout music. It’s so tame! Ain’t we tame, Wonderbread?” “One time my ex caught me talking to Sal and broke up with me on the spot” “Damn it Wonderbread.”

    1. ShinyNeen

      … Yeah, that’s pretty much exactly how that punchline would go!

  14. pablo360

    Alright, where are we going with this? (I mean this question literally.)

    1. BBCC

      Patron is only $5 to find out.

    2. fire_daws

      At a stretch to take a selfie with Amber so she prove she was telling the truth to Marcie.

    3. BenRG

      At a guess? A crying Sal and Amber holding each other as they remember the worst day of their mutual lives as a helpless Danny tries to comfort them.

  15. Stephen Bierce

    *plays “Roll Me Away” on a hacked P.A. speaker out of frame*

  16. Irredentist

    She’s progressed from robbery to kidnapping! Jk, I’m almost certain she means Amber. This is gonna be a helluva strip coming up.

    1. BBCC

      I know right? Either person, it’s gonna be good.

  17. Roger

    third base!

    1. jeffepp

      So, who’s pitching?

      1. Keulen

        No, who is on first.

    2. LeslieBean4Shizzle

      ??? Um… unless you are reading a very different comic than I am, no one here seems to be getting to third base.

      1. Dr T

        No, I Don’t Know is at third base.

      2. Shameless

        google “Who’s On First”

        1. Ainara

          Naturally.

  18. Pacce

    Sal, this is why Malaya thinks you’re a jerk. Also because she’s in love with you in a 5 year old kinda way, but mostly stuff like this.

    1. Godfather

      Wait….what?

  19. Mr. Random

    … Is this where Sal learns that Amber has alters or is this where she learns that Danny is available to de-stress with?

  20. DailyBrad

    I fucking love this strip.

    Also, I wonder if they’re just getting out of class or if they’re hanging out again. We already know that they’re on speaking terms, at least.

  21. Reltzik

    …. Amber is taking this remarkably well.

    She is too! See? I remarked on it! Just now! THAT’S REMARKABLE!

  22. foamy

    Come with me if you want to live!

    1. Yumi

      I was going to make a joke about Amber not moving, but then I realized that that’d actually be really sad. “Haha, I wanna die” culture leads to depressing impulsive jokes.

  23. abysswatcher1993

    “I am talking about the geek one.” Both are confused. “The one that had a crush on Ethan?” Both look awkward at each other. “The one that is into super heroes?” More confusion. “The one that knows Dorothy?” Both point at each other. “The one has romantic issues?” Both cry.

    1. Nono

      “The one who’s confused about having had an attraction to my twin.”

      1. jeffepp

        “The one people keep shipp’n me with.”

        1. Geneseepaws

          So,… That would be the sub-set that contains the set of all people on Campus that are not Mike?

    2. LeslieBean4Shizzle

      I honestly hope that the next comic is basically your post, Abysswatcher1993. With Sal looking more and more annoyed and frustrated as it continues.

    3. Monito

      Not related but I see your comments here all the time and just wanted to say I really enjoyed your boss fight.

  24. Archivist

    Okay, this whole strip is fantastic and I love it. The beats, the relationships, the fact that I have no idea who she wants, the HIGH DRAMA SKREEP.

    1. Archivist

      THE SYNCHED POSES.

  25. Yumi

    New theory: she’s not talking to either of them; she’s talking to Dina, who is actually Right There.

    1. ShinyNeen

      There’s a bit of green behind them! She could totally be there!

  26. RacingTurtle

    …Sal has never had to learn to talk to more than *one* friend at a time, has she?

    It’s complicated in this case by the fact that she isn’t aware Amber is (sort of) her friend, sure, but.

  27. Tacos

    Just say Wonderbread or Not-Wonderbread. That’ll clear it up.

    1. Dr T

      Actually, would Amber actually know that Wonderbread is Sal’s nickname for Danny and not Sal’s hint that she know’s she is AG?

  28. Xccj

    Huh, what I’m more concerned about is how Danny and Amber are that quickly back to friendly walking status.

    1. the final pam

      Well, the last couple of times they’ve interacted have gone relatively well. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-9-comic/01-flyin-to-the-red/capture/

      Amber might be a little distracted by things with Walky to try pushing Danny away again.

      1. thejeff

        Until Danny finds out about Walky at least. That’ll be fun. 🙂

    2. jeffepp

      As this whole page indicates, they’re too much alike to really date. They’re more like twins than the twins.

  29. PB

    https://tenor.com/view/indecision-night-at-the-roxbury-bar-point-confused-gif-4965431

    I had to. XD

  30. Rabid Rabbit

    Holy shit. Not wearing her helmet.

    That is, I believe, a Big Deal. She’s never left her helmet off before that we’ve seen, has she?

    1. jeffepp

      Well, we have to see her hair, now, don’t we? And, we still need a tag for that.

      1. BenRG

        This is the one thing that Sal and Amazi-Girl have definitely in common: An instinct for the dramatic and cinematic.

    2. BBCC

      Nope, every other time she’s ridden her bike, she’s worn her helmet. Trust me, I did the archive dive when this went live on patreon.

  31. Keulen

    Wouldn’t stopping like that damage the tires on her bike or something?

    1. thejeff

      Brakes are shot. It’s the only way she can stop.

  32. Durandal_1707

    Well, the bonus strip preview panel seems to confirm that Marcie did, in fact, get fired from her security job. 🙁

    1. Brotato

      Maybe she has multiple jobs?

    2. MatsuoTanuki

      But if the bonus strip is set in the current timeline, she at least landed on her feet and got a new one. Better than nothing.

      1. David M Willis

        Retail stockperson is her previous job, the one she wanted to move on from.

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/04-it-all-returns/cadet/

        1. Pablo360

          God, it’s like people don’t even memorize single lines from over two years ago!

          (I kid, I kid, I was one of the people who remembered)

        2. MatsuoTanuki

          Oh. Well poop…

  33. Opus the Poet

    “Not you, her!”

  34. Opus the Poet

    Akira homage…https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–PnCtz9Pp–/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/aqglwkj412woc7ffmyrk.jpg

  35. Alanari

    Huh. No red panels or any fearful reaction. That’s a surprise. Is this Amber or ag?

    1. Needfuldoer

      Cheek blushes, scared expression, and tags all say “Amber”.

    2. BenRG

      It’s difficult to freeze up and start having flashbacks when your brain isn’t sure if this is reality or if someone has dropped you in the middle of an action-adventure flick.

      1. Alanari

        Flashbacks don’t care about anything. They come from the subconscious.

        Hm. Not sure what to think about this. Even if it doesn’t trigger, most people with ptbs I know are deeply afraid of things that can trigger them.

    3. Regalli

      Amber has occasionally had moments of interacting with Sal without severe emotional distress – the most positive was challenging her to Mario Kart in the lobby under controlled circumstances in that brief timeframe between the rally and Amber stabbing Gashface, but she also apparently handled seeing Sal after the grade-changing without serious incident. It shocked her, but it apparently didn’t induce a panic attack or her having to fight off dissociation the way their encounter on Garbage Roof did. Given the circumstances, that is definitely a thing worth noting.

      I guess despite the issues and the odds, that controlled exposure helped and the stabbing didn’t make her lose all the ground she had gained with being able to casually encounter Sal? I’m not sure.

      1. Alanari

        Her condition got worse after the stabbing incident (which nakes sense because this most likely retraumatized her, which can undo a lot of progress), so I’m not sure whether the first one really counts. Anyway, in both encounters, she was afraid. Really, really afraid. There’s no reaction at all here.

        1. Regalli

          Like I said, it is odd. But I will note that pretty much all the ways her condition worsened after the stabbing have been independent of Sal. The dissociation? Sal can still trigger it, but Amber losing memories was probably because of the stabbing or her indication AG lost. Similarly that scene where AG’s costume speaks as her. Amber deciding she was the monster and AG failed to keep her in check is mostly unrelated to Sal as anything but a data point.

          Maybe if she was being triggered by Walky without realizing, that’s also somehow helped her?

          It doesn’t make a lot of sense, and I think this is one of those moments where the comedy overrides drama and realistic reactions for a bit. I’m trying to no-prize it, but honestly it is super odd.

  36. motorfirebox

    Oh my GOD you mangos she’s obviously talking to the shrub.

  37. Clif

    I predict this will go well.

  38. Danielle

    the one with brown hair!

    1. Heavensrun

      THE COMPUTER GEEK.

      AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

  39. Bobcat

    Pretty much like whenever my wife asks me something.

    “Honey, can you pick that thing?”

    “What?”

    “That stuff, it’s up there”

    “Alright.”

    1. DSL

      “No, not the thing. The thing.”

  40. Bagge

    “THE DWEEB! NO, NOT THAT DWEEB!”

  41. Heavensrun

    So the question is, is she picking up Danny, so he can vouch for AG and Sal as legit do-gooders that know what they’re doing, or is she picking up Amber, because she knows who she is and she wants to prove to Marcie that she’s making amends for her past mistakes?

    1. Alanari

      Or is she picking up Danny because he’s the ex of ag (or boyfriend if she doesn’t know about the breakup) and as such probably knows how to contact her? So that she can talk to ag?
      She might even be cancelling the sidekick – thing for marcies sake.

      Marcie knows that sal isn’t a bad person. That’s not the complaint. It’s that sals actions have a tendency to backfire at her. So vouching for sal and ag most likely doesn’t make a difference. Won’t change the fact that it can have severe effects on marcies life and she needs to protect herself from that.

      1. Axel

        Or as the ex to AG, to prove she has been trying to deescalate Amazigirl for quite a while

  42. Ray Radlein

    Aw, c’mon! You came THIS close to being able to draw Sal doing a full Akira skid

  43. HeySo

    Can anyone point me to the strips where Wonderbread and Not-Amazigirl started being so friendly to each other again? I seem to have forgotten that sequence, as I still have them in mind as being on iffy terms. =O

    1. BenRG

      I think it’s more of a case that they go to the same classes so, statistically, this was bound to happen eventually. Then the Rule of Funny kicks in and it happens just at the time it is least convenient to Sal for it to do so.

    2. Bagge

      They had to deal with The Faz together, which is always a bonding experience.

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/03-faz-is-great/creeping/

      1. ShinyNeen

        Heck, it was such a bonding experience that some characters accidentally bonded with Faz!

      2. HeySo

        Ah, right! That explains why I forgot it- not only was the encounter quickly passed by, but the matter was wholly overshadowed by The Faz. 😛

        1. Bagge

          The Faz tends to rise over anyone else.

          Much like his penis.

          I’m sorry.

        2. HeySo

          So what you’re saying is.. The Faz has graduated from getting a rise out of other people, to getting a rise out of himself? :/

  44. Wright

    My gut is that Sal isn’t speaking to either of them, but an off-camera third person, and Danny and Amber are just the joke red herring. Maybe Malaya. If Sal is ever going to prove that she can control herself and not escalate a situation, that’s who she does it with.

    Also, just want to point out that if Sal donned a mask and cape, too, and maybe went by Incredi-Girl or something, Marcie would be none the wiser. Clark Kent effect, after all. Only Dina would know.

    1. BenRG

      The Clark Kent Effect only works if it isn’t plausible that the civilian identity could be a masked adventurer. Sal is so plausible as a superhero that Billie has been convinced that she is Amazi-Girl from the start.

      1. thejeff

        “Don’t be ridiculous. Sal couldn’t be Incredi-Girl. Sal’s obviously Amazi-Girl.”

      2. Emily

        The Clark Kent effect doesn’t work period if you know both identities.

        1. thejeff

          Except in comics.

          Oh look, this is a comic.

        2. the final pam

          Except superheroes regularly get their secret identities figured out by the people closest to them who know both identities (until it gets retconned away): Lois Lane, May Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Pepper Potts, etc.

        3. the final pam

          It’s an actual trope too, if you were wondering: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SecretSecretKeeper

        4. thejeff

          Generally after decades of not figuring it out.
          Followed by more decades after it’s retconned away.

        5. the final pam

          That doesn’t disprove my point, you know. That’s bringing up the meta of cape comics timeline having running since the 60s. However, thanks to comic book time and a sliding timescale, at best it’s only been a few years. Which, hey, this comic also has! And since I highly doubt that DoA is going to run for 50+ years, it wouldn’t even have that problem with decades between retcons.

          I’m just saying, you keep going on about how this is a comic emulating superhero comics and it has to adhere to these super strict rules, except that even in the cape comics you’re talking about these rules are NOT universal and have been changed up, twisted, inverted all the time.

        6. thejeff

          No. It’s not that it has to adhere to super strict rules. It’s that there’s a lot of stuff like this that you can’t rely on “realism” for a lot of the Amazi-Girl stuff.
          I was replying to a post that said it “doesn’t work period if you know both identities”, which certainly doesn’t match comic book reality. Even if some of the big name pairs eventually figure it out. Lois did. MJ did. The vast majority of other people in comics who know superheroes in both identities don’t. Certainly not quickly.
          Yeah, Willis could choose to change it up. Hell, he has – Dina didn’t realize there even was a secret. But it’s sure not the case that everyone who knows both of them will recognize her. The effect still works, even if it’s not always.

    2. Regalli

      Marcie also already knows Sal’s hanging out with her. The new identity won’t fool people who already have things worked out. This isn’t the Silver Age after all.

  45. BenRG

    Danny and Amber should feel better about themselves. I’m not sure who Sal is talking about either. I’m wondering if we’re about to have confirmed that Sal always knew who Amazi-Girl is (or, at least, whose meat she shares).

  46. chris73

    Yeah Sal this is probably another reason why Malaya is, rightfuly, down on you. Firstly the demanding “You. Get on” without any explanation (because why would anyone question the opportunity to hang out with Sal) and then the not saying the persons name (because explaining is beneath Sal)

    The more Sal is featured the more I wonder (and impressed by) just how much patience Marcie has to put up with Sal and her martyr complex

    1. Sam

      Sal isn’t going ‘I’m cool so hang out with me’ here, she has actually been shown to dislike that people try to hang out with her just because they think she is ‘cool’, she wants to have a serious talk and she thought the one she was talking to was obvious. Sometimes people think they are being more clear than they actually are, it happens.

      And Sal doesn’t HAVE a martyr complex. Mary might, but Sal doesn’t. If anything Sal runs closer to having a saviour complex of feeling guilty when she doesn’t help people when she sees they are in danger.

      1. chris73

        For someone that doesn’t want everyone to think shes “cool” she sure seems to go out of her way to give that impression., at the very least I can understand why Malaya would think that

        Sal took the responsibility to fix Marcie on herself and was willing to go any lengths to make it happen and gave no consideration to the ramifications to herself and whether Marcie wanted to or not

  47. Wraithy2773

    “Look, you idiots, she obviously means that she wants to talk to Amb-”

    *looks at Alt Text*

    “……….like I said. AmmmmDanny. It’s an accent thing. Honest.

    1. BenRG

      Actually, if she’s seen through Amazi-Girl’s mask, then the alt text just makes it even more confusing!

  48. Regalli

    If we are going to the absolute most drama-inducing option, this would be why I wanted Ethan texting Amber. Because Sal’s now way more primed to figure things out the way Amber did, and I really think that’ll result in at least one of them having a really bad reaction. Either Sal has the sudden realization with pain the same way Amber did, Sal springs it on Amber who’s unprepared and probably panics, or both. Amber isn’t ready to deal with things, but with the two of them set on a collision course letting them have warning and know they’re walking into the Trauma Zone seems like a better option than them being surprised by it.

    Like, there’s no way they don’t have that encounter anymore. It’s coming. So all I want now is for it to be under the best possible circumstances for them both to get out relatively okay.

  49. Bagge

    Poor Sal, all she wanted was to play some Mario Cart and they had to be all dramatic about it.

    1. Godfather

      Mario Cart?

      Mario CART?????

      It’s Mario Kart, you heathen!!!

      1. Bagge

        Heh, I honestly didn’t know that.

        What? If they are into poor spelling they should add an umlaut and call it MÄRIO KÄRT and be done with it.

  50. JBento

    And today’s lesson is about the importance of names.

    1. BenRG

      With the exception of Marcie and people who annoy her, Sal rarely uses names!

      1. BBCC

        Not true. Sal uses nicknames with people she doesn’t know very well, or when she’s annoyed at them. The only exception is Danny with ‘Wonderbread’, which started as the former and moved on to something fond. Once Sal knows someone she generally uses their names.

        1. thejeff

          It’s unclear. Have we ever seen her transition from nickname to name?

          Her earliest interactions with Carla and Malaya (and obviously Marcie, but she’d known her) were using their names. I’m not sure who else she’s used names with? (Walky and Billie? Though I don’t actually recall either names or nicknames.)

        2. BBCC

          She’s used nicknames for Dorothy and Joyce when she first met them. Also, during her first meeting with Marcie, she just called her ‘weirdo kid’. She’s also called Ethan and Amber names that weren’t so much nicknames as where she knew them from (before Ethan was ‘Apples to Apples’ it was ‘tall hunky guy’). She also calls Joe ‘list bro’ but I doubt we’ll see that transition soon. Heck, at the start, she just kept calling Walky and Billie ‘bro’ and ‘roomie’. She also used to call Ruth ‘Ruthless’, ‘freckles’, and (my favourite) “Margaret from Dennis the Menace.”

          Seems to me like she uses nicknames until she knows them well enough to recognize them by name. Keep in mind we never actually saw her first meeting with Malaya or Carla.

        3. BBCC

          * Slight correction – she does refer to Walky and Billie by their names (or, in Billie’s case, the name she goes by) at the start, as well as occasional nicknames.

        4. thejeff

          Does she use names for any of those people now?
          Outside of the few where she started by using their names – Marcie/Malaya/Carla/Billie/Walky.
          Definitely not with Ethan and Amber or Danny. Or Joe. Maybe Dorothy or Joyce, but I don’t recall.

        5. Liquid Len

          Well, Ethan made it a point with his name a few strips ago after the awkward conversation about the convenience store. We’ll see if she continues to use it. And I think she’s addressed Joyce by her name, especially right after the whole Toedad thing.

        6. thejeff

          That’s true. And she did use it that once. That may be a start.
          I’m just not convinced there’s that much of a pattern.

        7. BBCC

          Yes. She uses Dorothy and Joyce’s names regularly, unless they piss her off (which is why she called Joyce ‘Pollyanna’ this storyline). She doesn’t know Joe, not really, and she doesn’t really know Amber yet either (though I’m pretty sure that’ll change). She’s started using Ruth’s name now that she knows about Billie and Ruth, and she’s used Jason’s name when she’s not annoyed with him.

        8. thejeff

          Fair enough.

  51. tirachokko

    Oh Sal

  52. hof1991

    This feels like a choose your own adventure. Is Sal connecting with the other person from the robbery (who she probably doesn’t know)? Does she need to talk about de-escalating (with AG, but does she know Amber is AG)? Or is she escalating things with Danny?

    Librarian recommendation for Choose your own adventure fans: from Ryan North . Also available at your local library.
    http://romeoandorjuliet.com/
    The Magicians author Lev Grossman, described the book as “an idea that is, by most conventional literary standards, terrible, but pushed so far past terrible that it wraps around like a comet slingshotting around the sun and comes back as utterly brilliant.”

    1. Bagge

      Do you pick…

      UKULELE DWEEB?

      1. Bagge

        UKULELE DWEEB plays STUPID SONG your STUPID BROTHER likes to sing. -1 COOL POINT.

    2. Bagge

      MARIO CART NERD?

      1. Bagge

        MARIO CART NERD hides behind a CUSHION FORT.

        Suddenly a wild AMAZI-GIRL appears. She wants to HIT SOMEONE IN THE FACE. Do you

        Agree?

        Not agree?

  53. Captain Button

    No time to explain!

  54. wakeangel2001

    just say boy or girl…

    1. Bagge

      Geek or Dork

      1. ValdVin

        Is that specific enough?

    2. Reltzik

      “The one on the left!”

      “…. your left or our left?”

  55. figureaddict

    Best frustrated Sal face ever.

  56. Gin

    “Yes you, the one I have never met before. I need you to tell me the name of the transformer nerd. You may not know this, but I held a knife to his throat once and now **I WANT HIS NAME**”

  57. Moon

    Oh good now I ship Sal/Danny

  58. Stoodmuffin

    sorry

  59. Stoodmuffin

    THEY BOTH LOOK SO CUTE HERE

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.