193

Fine
Posted on July 21, 2014 by David M Willis
I have another guest strip up over at Questionable Content! I'm spending the rest of the week over in San Diego for some reason Comic-Con, and I'll see you either there (booth 1330) or when I return!  Comics here will continue as normal, what with the buffer.  It just hit December!

193 thoughts on “Fine”

  1. An Average Loser

    Belligerent Sexual Tension at its finest.

    1. Nono

      Billiegerent.

      1. Cheryl

        What you did there… I 0_0

        1. Arkadi

          …we saw it! ^_^

    2. Jen Aside

      “fucking liar” being one who lies while fucking?

      1. Jen Aside

        by the way
        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/03-men-are-from-beck-women-are-from-clark/boyfriend/

        1. liahansen

          Heh, the first comment.

        2. Sambo

          0.0

          DUN DUN DUNNN

        3. Tenn

          Could this be the first actual case of the comments affecting the strip? The buffer rule does not apply here! *excited like a historian*

        4. Jeffrywith1e

          Thanks. I was going to go look.

      2. Aizat

        Or someone who is fucking a liar?

        1. Arkadi

          No, that’d be a liarfucker. And they should shup up their fuckin’ face.

    3. takashid

      i honestly don’t see the sexual tension here. Ruth is pissed and has good reason to be.

  2. Mr. Random

    We were doing okay, friendly banter. And then…

    1. buckybone

      In a continuation of today’s QC strip, Faye walks in.

      1. Adam

        And they all die of Butts Disease.

  3. Yotomoe

    Seriousely Billie. Stop trying to prove how much of a liar you are. We get it already!

  4. Plasma Mongoose

    JUST DOOOOOOO ITTTTTT!

    1. newllend

      There’s a bed right THERE!

      1. Aizat

        Heck, Billie’s sitting on one right now.

      2. Yotomoe

        It’d be the first time anyone’s done it in THAT bed. HEY-O!!!!
        (I know the fact that Walky is in one of the only functioning relationship makes this joke have a lot less weight but it’s still probably true)

        1. EvilPenguin

          They probably tried it once but its harder to make Mike leave the room than Sierra.

        2. David

          Oh, he’d probably get Daisy. “Is that the R.A. you wanted to write about?”

        3. Anarchy 101

          Who knows who had that bed before them though?

        4. Fred

          This is something that you must never contemplate if you ever want to touch any surface in the dorm again.

  5. cmd1095

    ruth is handling this shockingly well so far

    1. AgentKeen

      I think her being calm is scarier than her yelling.

      1. rachel

        yeah for real. before even the really mean edge of the last line, her “teasing” remarks are killing me

        1. David

          The last line actually is the compassionate one. It’s “I don’t buy you being fine, we have to do something about it, that’s why none of is going anywhere, so let’s start with getting the things between us in the clear first” in Ruthspeak.

          She really is my kind of asshole. I don’t know whether her approach will work out.

        2. cmd1095

          exactly, she’s mad at Billie about lying, but she recognizes that Billie isn’t fine and is buckling down and gonna make sure she helps her. Ruth is handling this shockingly well, putting aside her own (very severe) issues to help someone in need. That’s admirable.

      2. Bibulb

        THAT. LAST. PANEL.
        Verbally, Ruth’s been known to play hard, and even relatively subtle (for what we expect from the Femurnator). But that – that was a scalpel drawn across a muscle, verrrrrrrry slooooooowly and carefully.

        I’m not gonna joke about the sexual tension on this – this is too damn harsh for that.

  6. Doctor_Who

    Walky’s gonna come home to TWO girls in his bed.

    1. Yotomoe

      Walky: Caramel Abs, Great Grades, Favorite Child, Hot girlfriend who has gone all the way with him, Metabolism of a god. Yeah. All he needs is Lesbians making out in his bed and he will have achieved college student Nirvanah.

      1. liahansen

        damn, I never really thought of Walky like that. Kinda makes me wanna root against him.

      2. JustCheetoDust

        Smells like teen spirit discharge.

      3. timemonkey

        1) They’re bisexual
        2) he thinks of Billie as a sister

        1. showler

          To quote Tedd: “ugly cousin! ugly cousin!”.

        2. Arkadi

          You beat me to it! Curse you!

      4. TFC

        Weird, my reaction to two leasbians making out in my bed would be…”if you have fucked in my bed you will have to pay the washing machine”.

        1. Yotomoe

          I think you’d still be able to use it as bragging rights.

      5. cmd1095

        not to mention his alternate dimension version of himself is a freaking superhero

    2. LJoL

      He’s already fantasizing of that happening with Dorothy and Joyce. And with the way those two occasionally speak it might not be all too long off of an event.

      Either that or I’m just a crazed JxD fan seeing things in my own dreams. xD

  7. newllend

    Way to make this easier Billie.

  8. HeinousActsZX

    Ruth jumps right to the anger again.
    Run, Billie, she’s no good for you, get out before you get hurt.

    1. Arkadi

      Billie jumps right to the lying again.

      We’ve already established that they’re no good for each other.

      1. Lanval

        Saying “I’m fine” when you don’t want to talk to someone about your problems isn’t really a lie per say.

        Ruth is still doing her job as an RA to check this out and not just dismiss it at that, but insulting her when she’s been called to help out is sort of shitty. Though it is long established that Ruthless isn’t winning any RAing based awards.

        1. xKiv

          It’s also established that Billie is a liar.
          It’s also established that, try as she might, she isn’t fucking.

  9. Camachri

    Aww, Ruth, have a little fai- actually, nevermind.

  10. Kodra

    At least they are talking. Well, talking-soon-to-be-yelling I think.

  11. Masaru

    Woo boy.

  12. Raine

    Everyone’s head shrank in 2 weeks.

    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/03-men-are-from-beck-women-are-from-clark/boyfriend/

  13. Wonder Wig

    And I’m a masturbating honest person.

  14. Khaner

    Somebody’s jeeeaaaallllouuussss…

  15. Plasma Mongoose

    The comic mentioned in the hovertext.

    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/03-men-are-from-beck-women-are-from-clark/boyfriend/

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Everyone had the same idea.

      1. Arkadi

        For Grud’s sake Plasma, that’s today’s update of EGS. Seriously, how do you even do it O_o

        1. Mal

          Must… stop… the italics…

        2. Mal

          Dang. That didn’t work. Maybe this will

        3. Arkadi

          I tried to stop it and failed too T_T

        4. jy2

          Hmm. I wonder…

        5. jy2

          Okay, let’s try this:

        6. Plasma Mongoose

          I believe only Willis can fix the italics problem now.

        7. Plasma Mongoose

          Arkadi: With Photoshoptechnically its actually Corel PhotoPaint ninja skills of cause. 😀

        8. Arkadi

          Instant-cool-avatar-no-jutsu?

        9. jy2

          Well, phooey.

        10. gwalla

          Here goes nothing…

  16. spriteless

    I am helpful! http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/03-men-are-from-beck-women-are-from-clark/boyfriend/

    1. TheOthin

      that is one BIG art upgrade

      1. deepblueink

        I agree. I thought the mark making and proportions were perfect before, but now there’s a boost in confidence to go with it. Bravo Willis.

        1. deepblueink

          Stop yer Gravatar glaring Mary. That was meant to be a compliment.

    2. Vancore

      You are helpful!

  17. Emperor Kiva

    Wow Ruth now tell us what you really think.

  18. Aizat

    BTW, what’s the brown stuff under Billie’s eyes?

    1. JessWitt

      Eye goop?

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Her cheeks?

    2. JessWitt

      Caramel.

    3. Yotomoe

      Sobering blush marks?

    4. quix

      I believe Billie is supposed be looking extra pale, drawn, and unhealthy at the moment.

    5. GoogerGeiger

      I’ve been trying to figure that out for a while now.

      It’s easier a result of her drinking or her depressed crying. Maybe a combination of both.

    6. newllend

      She hasn’t slept all night and I think she still has a hangover.

    7. Theresa

      OMG guys! guys! She got shitfaced!

    8. Arkadi

      Unhealthy blushing.

  19. JessWitt

    “Billie the Liar” has a nice ring to it.

    1. Hollister Dixon

      “Billie Liar with her hands in her panties,
      Starin’ over at her RA’s knickers down…”

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmp7-EpNsbY

  20. saltchocolate

    So…. not fine?

    1. Yotomoe

      Oh Billie’s Fine, all right. Even in an otherwise uninteresting plain yellow v-neck shirt.

      1. newllend

        True dat.

      2. Gigafreak

        “I’m Joyce. Nice to meet you, Fine!”

      3. maxyai

        And a fine pair of jeans, I might add.

    2. xKiv

      Closer to fine.

  21. Boomwolf97

    ouch… cold don’t begin to describe that glare.

  22. newllend

    So let me put this in perspective Billies problem is that she thought she could help make other peoples lives better, but now she’s convinced that she can’t even help herself. I’m not too far out in left field with this am I?

  23. Hoboturtle

    Is everyone posting this link?:
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/03-men-are-from-beck-women-are-from-clark/boyfriend/

    Okay I did it. Am I cool now? I want to be cool.

    1. xKiv

      Not all men.

  24. Kernanator

    “Look, the sky is blue.”

    “I don’t believe you, Billie!”

    1. Aizat

      Of course she’s lying. The Crisis is happening in the DoAverse.

  25. Angafirith

    Wow, the alt text made me realize that you’ve been doing this since September 2010. This comic has been running for 4 years now.

    Are we still in the first semester?

    1. Catullus

      Hell, we’re barely out of the first month.

      1. Angafirith

        Assuming that this webcomic skips all vacations, covers only two 16-week semesters per in-comic year, and that it will run for 4 in-comic years, we have 128 in-comic weeks. You say we’ve done about one in-comic month, so we’ve done one in-comic week per real life year. Assuming the current velocity holds, this means that it will take about 124 more years to complete this webcomic.

        Did I get my math wrong anywhere?

        1. David M Willis

          Why do people think the story “completes” when everyone graduates rather than when the dang story’s over?

        2. NightmareWarden

          Perhaps because fanfiction will pick up wherever you leave off?

        3. David M Willis

          If Dumbing of Age stops, it’s because a meteor has destroyed all civilization.

          And that’s canon.

        4. Bibulb

          Wait, you’re moving the hosting of the comic to Yahoo? Why would you do that?

        5. etybolik

          Screencapping this for possible future shenanigans.

        6. Darth Cariss

          You actually plan to keep this comic going until you die? Well, shortly after that because of the buffer, but you know what I mean. Pretty hardcore.

        7. Doctor_Who

          Once civilization is destroyed, aliens will visit after thousands of years to soft through the ruins. They will stumble upon this website, still updating at 12:01 every night.

        8. Henshu

          Currently hoping that he keeps a meteor-death strip at the end of his buffer at all times, just in case.

        9. tinfoil theory

          So that is how DoA is going to end. Damn, you’ve spoiled it!

        10. timemonkey

          I figured Dumbing of Age stops when you die, unless you’ve discovered a way to become immortal. No meteors necessary.

        11. Anarchy 101

          He never said to what December he has the buffer to, it could be the December of 2020 or something around there.

        12. TheKelliestKelly

          A meter is the only thing that could kill Willis. And even if it weren’t, I’m sure he would continue the comic even after death. I mean, haven’t you ever heard of a ghost writer?

        13. Aolbain

          It scares me a bit that I might read DoA for the majority of the rest of my life.

        14. Bill

          Why should that scare you?  People read “Peanuts” for almost fifty years and “Doonesbury” for over forty (and are still reading the re-runs of both), and they would probably still be reading “Calvin and Hobbes” and “The Far Side” if Bill Watterson and Gary Larson had kept on drawing them.

        15. Deanatay

          Of course, that’s the in-comic universe that gets wiped out, not ours.

          Or, in GM terms, “Rocks fall, everyone dies.”

        16. xKiv

          Roll reflex saves.

        17. Deanatay

          Sure, DC 10,437. 🙂

        18. JWLM

          What if the heat death of the universe happens before that?

        19. saltchocolate

          Because graduation’s the only thing that could put all these folks out of their misery . . . 😀

  26. EvilPenguin

    What’s the deal with Ruth’s hand in panel 1?

    1. Opus the Poet

      She just dropped the condom she was about to give Billie? (and yes, I know that was the deadbolt, not a condom)

  27. T Campbell

    We get to see a pretty wide range of Ruth characteristics here: Ruth the would-be sweetheart, Ruth the bully, Ruth the responsible R.A., Ruth the alcoholic who despises all alcoholics, all of them neatly converging in some brief, crunchy dialogue that flows smoothly and organically to one hell of a cliffhanger. Billie has less to do, but we do get to see her fear, denial and mostly forced anger. And I can see why David called this installment one of his favorites.

    1. David M Willis

      bless

    2. takashid

      Yeah, this is really good. Im on the edge of my seat to see what happens next.

    3. Arkadi

      This.

      1. Anarchy 101

        *pushes takashid out of the seat

        1. Deanatay

          Even better…

          *pulls the chair back*

  28. Jake

    wow, the alt-text is right. their proportions made them look like children back then. it also doesn’t help that Billie is throwing a temper tantrum.

    1. Cattleprod

      To me it registers as their bodies shrinking, not their heads getting bigger. But same general idea, the random button + art evolution = weirdness.

  29. Jon P

    So is Billie lying about being fine, about not fucking Walky, or both? I like how none of this even fazes Ruth anymore.

    1. Arkadi

      Since all she said is “I’m fine”, that must be what she’s lying about ;3

  30. David

    Should be “Before I thought thou dost protest too much”. The Shakespeare line this alludes to is “The lady doth protest too much, methinks”, but let us assume that Ruth has a major allowing her to conjugate basic Early Modern English. It’s do/dost/doth for I/thou/she.

    Sorry, it’s just a stomach-turner for me. Coming from a Germanic language with non-streamlined grammar, Early Modern English forms are sort-of natural for me and so riding roughshod over it probably throws me off a lot more than the typical audience.

    1. Hollister Dixon

      I really wouldn’t put it past Ruth to fuck up the phrasing.

    2. David M Willis

      Ruth is an English major and so I changed it.

      1. David

        My heartfelt thanks for that.

  31. Philip Marlowe

    Ruth’s hand in the first panel is bothering me.

    I think this week should be interesting to read.

  32. averystrangeplace

    As someone who spent this entire day trying and failing to draw faces, I just have to say that I love how much emotion you can get out of these characters. I mean, holy hell, look at all the subtle differences between panels five and six. The eyebrows arch slightly, the line work gets thinner around the irises, that twitch-

    …

    Any chance I can steal Willis’s art ability with a magical Space Jam basketball?

  33. Idon'tcarenomore

    I think Ruth is aware of the fact that Billie did not sleep with Walky: maybe due to Walky’s impassioned plea in his underwear for her help and his obliviousness to their on again off again relationship.
    Looks like Ruth is keeping her promise to Walky, she’s talking to Billie. And can’t blame her for getting her digs in. Billie’s hurting big time, but she hurt Ruth pretty bad with her lying.
    Hope this gets them started talking honestly and for cripe’s sake go to AA, both of you.

    1. Bibulb

      Ruth knows damn well that Billie and Walky didn’t do anything – she just wants to get that knife in.

      She might even want to help afterwards, but she first off wants to make it clear to Billie what those consequences were.

  34. Aolbain

    OK, yeah, my idea of what was going to happen was pretty naive.

    1. Arkadi

      You seriously thought that?

      1. Aolbain

        If by “that” we mean “no yelling”, yes.

  35. Tom Speelman

    And cue the dramatic music!

  36. nothri

    Okay, Ruth, this will definitely get to the heart of the problem. I think Walky was hoping for an approach using a chisel more than dynamite, though.

    1. David

      Walky did not see the sculpture, let alone think about the appropriate tool to use. I mean, I’m envious of him. He gets more stuff right without half trying than he is entitled to.

      No wonder Sal is not a fan of him.

  37. Axel

    Man, this is intense. Good quips, also y’know, heartbreaking. Not really sure how to feel about this exchange.

  38. Joh

    Now, Kiss!

  39. Romanticide

    ouch right on nerve

  40. nothri

    Also, questionable content today. What is even the fuck?

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Willis is obsessed with butts and what comes from butts besides shit? Well there’s your answer.

      1. nothri

        Man, what an asshole…

        Get it? Cause the comment on his previous guest strip was “man, what a jerk” and assholes are part of butts, so…moving on…

      2. Deanatay

        Heh… Shithead. She-Tedd.

        1. Michael

          I see what you did there…. and approve!

        2. Plasma Mongoose

          I buy that one for a dolloar!

      3. PlainMarie

        He’s been hangin’ with Pintsize and/or Dooce, and therefor: butts? That’s my guess.

  41. EvergreenFir

    Ruth is my favorite. Most complex but sympathetic character.

  42. Beachfox

    I love this strip.

    Ruth trying so hard to just… Ruth her way through this encounter until she’s forced to call Billie on her bullshit. The expressions, oh god, the expressions.

    Like, you can tell she’s -trying- to be “Mean Ol Ruthless” there in panel two, but it’s cracking around the edges.

    I can’t wait to see how this rolls.

    1. nothri

      You can tell she’s been wanting to say something like that in the last panel for awhile now. Which begs the question why she’s been avoiding talking to Billie. Afraid having it out might lead to forgiveness, perhaps?

      1. Eukie

        One thing to note about the final panel is that, for all that it’s a harsh comment about Billie, in context it is also “I don’t believe you are doing fine and I am here to try to help you with that.”

  43. takashid

    AWOOOOGA!! AWOOOO))))GA!! all hands on deck for the ship of Bille/Ruth! We’ve got incoming canon fire and we are taking on water!!

    1. Tenn

      That was months ago. We’ve been sunk at the bottom of the ocean since then. What you just felt was a kraken picking up the ship and throwing it away. If we’re lucky, we might break the surface for a breath of air before we start sinking again.

  44. etybolik

    Should be interesting to see this scenario play out, though I don’t think they’ll be making out or sexing it up any time soon. Both characters have so many flaws and a bunch of things to discuss and apologize for. I can’t really side with one over the other.

    And as others have mentioned, this here is gud arts.

    Also butts.

  45. David

    One scary redhead lady coming up.

    1. Lamachine

      Make that two, to go, please.

      1. David

        I think your eyes are bigger than your femurs.

        1. Clif

          +1 Internets.

  46. spw44

    Honestly… I think Ruth is being overly sensitive. Billie is an alcoholic, which means she’s addicted, which means it’s very hard to quit cold turkey. What they should be doing is encouraging each other to quit and supporting each other through the struggles and setbacks. Not blowing up like Ruth did because Billie didn’t beat her addiction on the first try. Just saying 😛

    1. Wack'd

      As Ruth asserts here, her problem isn’t that Billie fell off the wagon, it’s that she told Ruth she was still sober.

  47. smartkitty

    Man, I love me some Ruth

  48. I don't know what to put here.

    HOH DAYM
    I FEEL AN ARGUMENT THAT ENDS WITH PEOPLE CRYING COMING.

    1. Lamachine

      OR PEOPLE KISSING. YOU NEVER KNOW WITH THESE TWO.

      1. David

        Why choose when you can have both?

  49. Sam

    Linked over here by QC. Binge-read all of comic in a night. Love it. *passes out*

    1. Charlie B. B.

      Congrats. Little bit hardcore, but I actually think this happens fairly frequently with webcomics, lol. The idea of this comic is pretty similar to QC, so it makes sense.

  50. Arkadi

    Ruth wins so hard in this strip. The lady’s frakkin’ METAL!

  51. hof1991

    Smiling Ruth is kinda terrifying, because you know what’s coming. Much prefer the dead pan Ruth, where the pain is out in the open.

  52. Chas. Owens

    For some reason I went back to the Dec. 10th comic (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/03-men-are-from-beck-women-are-from-clark/snipped-2/) instead of the Dec. 27th. As chance would have it, my head still exploded.

  53. Neonix

    Get some ice for that burn.

  54. Corvidium

    Yay, Ruth is back!

  55. JWLM

    Well, let’s not say that Ruth can’t get back for being betrayed. Of course, this is why RA’s and other authority figures shouldn’t have intimate relationships with their charges…

  56. Jimcat

    I just saw your guest strip at Questionable Content. WTF, seriously? Why did you waste your time and ours with that?

    1. David M Willis

      Welcome to my website.

    2. xain

      Because he has a reputation as a jerkface that he has to do justice

    3. Deathjavu

      Butts Disease is a lifetime affliction with no known cure. Much like herpes, it has periodic flareups where it becomes more visible.

    4. Jackson

      Nice Mary gravatar you got there.

    5. AgentKeen

      I’m guessing you like Jeph’s work. You do know he took some of Willis’s strips and overlaid similar sound effects at least a couple of times? Not to mention Willis doesn’t just get to unilaterally put something up on Jeph’s site? He thinks it’s funny, too (and so did I).

    6. gwalla

      He and Jeph have this butt-centric pseudo-rivalry going.

    7. Animal

      You’ve obviously never met Mr. Willis in person. Incapable of speech, he communicates by means of farts and tap-dancing. His guest strip is just a small illustration of his real-life social interactions.

      1. hof1991

        Like Rowan Atkinson as Dr. Who, where he warns the Master via carefully controlled farts.

        http://youtu.be/Do-wDPoC6GM

  57. Asurasur

    *slow clap* last frame KILLS it!

  58. Brainstone

    I want to add here, that although the heads were notably bigger three and a half years ago, that’s not a bad thing per se. It never botherd me in the slighest way. I fell in love with the look of this comic from the very beginning. I’d even say that for the reader to identify with comic figures, they MUST be cartoon-like to a certain degree and not drawn too realistically.

    1. WeezerLuvr3030

      I’ve spent the last 10 years hating the Bratz doll inspired aesthetic that I got to watch conquer bobble head toys that were the cheapest plastic schlock that could be given away free as promotional material, then cartoons, then comic strips, then action figures (colonizing children’s imaginations with the cheapest schlock), then webcomics. The sooner bobble heads are out of fashion, the better.

      I have SO MANY feels about this.

  59. Bill

    All cartoonists do it.  Click here to see how much Charlie Brown and Snoopy changed over the years.

    1. liahansen

      Wow, like, barely at all after 1960

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