224

Air
Posted on May 9, 2017 by David M Willis

224 thoughts on “Air”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    I think you have too-high expectations for Joe, Dotty

    1. gkheyf

      ya! also, i don’t even get it, dotty.

      1. ditrysia

        course as in the classes and also the expression course correcting

        1. butts

          It’s just… not very… funny.

        2. Reltzik

          It’s a well-crafted stealth pun.

          Funny? No. Art? Yes. Worthy of kudos? Of course it is.

        3. Zer0

          To be honest, that level of comedic excellence is par for the course for Dorothy.

        4. Clif

          Garf.

        5. Schol-R-LEA

          Yeah, this is less a “LOL!” than a “Well played, Dottie, well played”.

        6. Reltzik

          Mine, on the other hand, was just a pale imitation.

      2. JetstreamGW

        She’s doing suboptimally in her courses, so she needs to… correct… that…

        1. SgtWadeyWilson

          Is one of those courses Intro to Comedy? *Rimshot.*

        2. A Different Sierra

          Nope, she’s getting a C, not an F.

        3. Sunny

          I don’t get it.

        4. user18

          Dorothy would be doing worse than a C in Intro to Comedy?

      3. PyrrhusDuAekillhus

        It’s not really wordplay, as “course” isn’t actually a pun, just the same word (when describing a class it’s short for ‘course of study’ as in the direction of your studies, and for ‘course correct’ it’s correcting your direction).

        An attempt was made, though, and they can’t all be gems when you’re trying to argue and pun at the same time.

        1. Deanatay

          Using double-meanings is valid wordplay. It’s not just about puns.

          You can use homonyms, of coarse.
          If you don’t understand oxymorons, you’re clearly confused.
          With Spoonerisms, you can always back something getwards.
          “I’m getting tired of Swift-isms!”, Tom displayed.
          And, with mother-in-law = woman Hitler, anagrams end the list.

    2. Wraithy2773

      …I think her expectations of a dumb, bro-y teenage boy living away from home for the first time ever is pretty accurate:

      Dumbass, jackass, asshole, but if he could grow his ass up a bit, he can be a fine person.

      …but seriously, teenage boys are jackasses a lot of the time. Not an excuse, but on a lot of them, it’s a temporary thing that they grow out of.

    3. Stairmasternem

      Hey, wordplay isn’t everyone’s schtick. If she was hanging around literature majors, MAYBE she’d get a high five.

      1. zoelogical

        im an english lit major and i literally just got this this morning

        lmao i was wandering around last night “where’s the wordplay?? … eh it’ll make sense later”

        1. Leorale

          It’s not just your major; I majored in Religions but I got distracted by her pun before I even read that she made it intentionally, because my dad puns constantly. It was the best way to get attention in my family and I have literally punned in my sleep. Maybe Dorothy comes from a family like that, or maybe she’ll start one someday.

        2. zoelogical

          lololol oh man

          i have a friend who puns like that and i gotta say my puncraft has gone up exceedingly i can’t even imagine what it’d be like to live with it dayin dayout

  2. butts

    kissing Walky on the nose, something which (if his personal hygiene is any indicator) he probably picks regularly

    nice choice, Dotty

    1. Foxhack

      Well if he picks it then that means it’s clean right

    2. Doctor_Who

      Is a freshly picked nose more or less dirty than otherwise?

    3. butts

      picking your nose is hygienic as long as you wash your hands frequently, you are wrong and therefore terrible Butts

      1. butts

        hey screw you

        1. butts

          nah, nah

          screw YOU

        2. Doctor_Who

          Is Disassociative Identity Disorder a symptom of Butts Disease?

        3. butts

          i don’t know, you tell me

        4. MatthewTheLucky

          He’s not that kind of Doctor.

        5. Chris

          He’s only the 11th!

        6. Willinwoods

          It’s a metaphor. One butt, two cheeks, go figure.

        7. Kamino Neko

          One cheek, two cheek, red cheek, blue cheek.

        8. vlademir1

          If you’re going at it until they’re turning blue, you need to back up and make bloody sure everyone involved is aware of and ok with the associated risks of damaging skin that deeply before going so far. Well, either that or just enjoy your body painting experience, whichever…

      2. Deanatay

        As opposed to constantly touching your Butt?

    4. Roborat

      There is a difference between kissing him ON the nose, as opposed to sticking her tongue UP his nose.

  3. Shiro

    Sugar packets in soda. Part of me is repulsed, but part of me is intrigued

    1. Foxhack

      Part of me is channeling Wilford Brimley.

      1. Doctor_Who

        Okay, so you just made me remember something I haven’t thought of in 25 years. There was this episode of Tiny Toon Adventures where Plucky wants Shirley to psychically allow him to channel Albert Einstein so he can pass a math test.

        And he’s like “Can’t I just channel a little Einstein? How about his mustache?”

        So basically I’m just imagining you sprouting a Wilford Brimley mustache, which is a trick since I don’t know what you look like, but I imagine anyone looks pretty damn hilarious with Wilford Brimley’s mustache.

        1. SgtWadeyWilson

          I am now imaging Foxhack’s Gravatar with Wilford Brimley’s mustache.

    2. boop

      i like putting coffee creamer tubs in root beer

      super poor float mmmmm

      1. JetstreamGW

        That sounds atrocious.

      2. Rukduk

        Hmmm. Well, now I have to try that.

      3. trlkly

        You can get even closer if you have one of those French Vanilla flavored creamers.

    3. bryy

      It tastes like shit.

    4. Kris

      Part of me is wondering why he doesn’t have diabetes.

      1. Rukduk

        Lucky genetics? His body naturally produces too much insulin so he needs to ingest more sugar and fat as a result? His parents had him on a stricter and healthier eating regiment and he’s only recently been massively indulging in mass sugar and fat intake? All are options.

        1. Gesc

          He’s young. Hell get it later.

        2. vlademir1

          Possible, but some people can/do eat like that without ever suffering the effects of Type 2 from it. My dad is a very good example. All his adult life he’s indulged in sugar at quantities that would make me feel ill and would have killed my mom (who was suffering from the effects of diabetes in her 20s, an issue thats hit most of her side of the family at some point during their adult life) he did eventually end up having to curb it but only because a medication change last year (his 75th) caused him to temporarily go diabetic. He’s now back to his former habits like nothing happened with no ill effects. Some people are just lucky like that.

      2. PyrrhusDuAekillhus

        There’s an element of genetics, but mostly type 1 diabetes is something you’re typically either born with or not born with, and type 2 diabetes is typically obesity-triggered. If he stays active enough to keep his weight down as low as it is, he could eat nothing but deep-fried mars bars and never get it.

        I mean, he’d probably die of malnutrition, and if he ever plumped up and triggered it he’d immediately be screwed because it doesn’t go away after it’s triggered. But still, it’s not unusual for even people with the predisposition to have no issues when they’re young and active despite eating terribly.

        1. DinaWho

          Well, you aren’t technically born with Type I in most cases. It generally results from something provoking the immune system to attack and destroy the islet cells of the pancreas. Sorry I’m a total pedant and immunology/autoimmune disease nerd

      3. Remmington Steele

        Or any teeth left.

      4. Li

        Diabetes isn’t actually caused by diet, as far as we know.

        1. begbert2

          Well, aside from the part where you become a blimp. But if you can avoid that then yeah, eat whatever you want. There will be no negative consequences whatsoever.

    5. Chris

      Now if it was hard Rootbeer… You could be drunk and sugar high!

    6. Stephen Bierce

      Wouldn’t that, just, like, MENTOlize the beverage?

      1. Shiro

        You mean like geyser style? Probably not, you might get some bubbling but the mentos reaction comes from tiny little hollows on the surface of the candies making a whole ton of bubbles generate at once.

        1. Schol-R-LEA

          Opa Geyser Style?

    7. zoelogical

      ok so as a kid my and my siblings would go to fast food places and dump all the sodas into our cups

      me, i was a connoisseur, i put like. orange soda and lemonade and sprite together. but some of the things my brother came up with?? heinous

      1. Chris

        Crush and Orange Whip! Sprite and Lemonade! Coke and Rootbeer! Suicides galore!

        1. zoelogical

          frickin

          yes

        2. Chris

          Whenever my family isn’t looking… *Does three*

        3. zoelogical

          gdi chris you need those teeth

        4. Chris

          Naw it’s good! I only drink soda once a few months

        5. zoelogical

          !!!

          smarter than i am lmao

        6. Chris

          🙂

      2. Keulan

        I’m in my late 20s and I still do this.

        1. zoelogical

          i cant, i just cant do the sugar

        2. Needfuldoer

          Same. I stopped drinking tons of sugar a few years ago. Sugars and fat stick around a lot longer at 30 than they do when you’re 20. It’s all Pepsi Max, Coke Zero, and aspartame for me now!

          Except Pepsi Throwback. You can pry that stuff out of my cold, dead, isulin-shock-convulsing hands.

        3. CoMa

          Or if you have REALLY bad genes they can get stuck to you in your teenage years already – and it’s hard work getting them off, but better one starts earlier than later (as it gets more and more difficult to lose fat the older you get – depends on the genes and body type too, though).
          If I compare my drinking habits to ten years ago…I drank coffee with at the most six spoons sugar in it, and now I drink it without any sugar, slowly decreasing it over the years because friends told me: That’s too much sugar.
          Now it’s only: That’s too much coffee.

        4. Needfuldoer

          No such thing as “too much” coffee.

        5. Inspector Hound

          Similar conclusion, but different method: I realized that there was way too much sugar in my diet, but was wary of the artificial sweeteners. I already knew that the taste buds were to some degree “trained” to recognize the “right” amount of a flavor based on how much you consumed (if you salt everything, nothing seems salty enough, so you salt more…).

          So I went cold turkey. Didn’t sweeten anything, and didn’t eat sugar-and-nothing-else foods. Soft drinks were right out. And yeah, for a while, it was terrible. Until my taste buds recovered, and I could actually taste things properly again.

          I’ll have an occasional Coke/Vernor’s/Dr. Pepper now, and can eat deserts again. But I’m amazed at how good tea tastes without sugar if it’s brewed properly.

        6. Li

          I eat plenty of sugary foods and still enjoy unsweetened tea so idk. YMMV.

        7. zoelogical

          i want to stop with the sugar but my grandma keeps bringing it home >> >>

        8. Roborat

          Only problem there is that the additives they use to make drinks sugar free, including aspartame, are worse for your body than the sugar they are replacing. Not to mention how horrible they taste.

    8. Stairmasternem

      Generally a terrible idea, unless you like accelerated flatness to your soda.

      Don’t mix seltzer and sugar either. It doesn’t help.

  4. Leorale

    The comments section noticed, Dorothy!
    …this would be a very different comic if the characters could hear us in the peanut-gallery.

    1. butts

      …for one, all of the people screaming “HE’S BEHIND YOU” yesterday might have changed things around just a bit

      1. foamy

        Is this where I point out that Joe turns around and looks back towards the doors? Betcha he saw Ryan leave.

        1. smashman42

          Maybe he did notice the shifty bastard and tagged along not just to further antagonise/apologise?

        2. Inspector Hound

          I would love to believe that, but it could also be he’s giving Walky and Dorothy a little space for their talk.

    2. Chris

      Then they somehow would’ve opened a portal for us to go to the Dumbiverse so we could’ve helped Joe beat Ryan up and help Taffy loot him.

    3. Stairmasternem

      I think Dumbverse suddenly hearing fourth wall information would lead the strip ‘s characters to all become institutionalized.

  5. nightsbridge

    Can we just talk about how even when he earnestly tries to apologize, Joe STILL won’t stop attacking people?

    Like, that is the reason that Dorothy got upset with you. And you’re still doing it.

    1. boop

      but how will he prove he’s manly if he doesn’t keep flaunting his ability to criticize cleverness

      1. boop

        ‘cleverness’ was not meant to be struck out

      2. zoelogical

        i mean like on the one hand part of walky’s…charm…is his ability to imbibe that much sugar and survive

        on the other hand it’s really very genuinely gross

        on the other other hand, the fact that these two things are prominent parts of walky’s personality and he has a girlfriend vs. joe’s meticulously crafted dude-persona and emptiness in connection to people has got to be baffling this kid

        like. if you want genuine connections with people you have to be genuine with them?? who’d have thought??????????

        1. Reltzik

          First, just think of Walky as a beautiful hummingbird. Flitting about, being unproductive….

          Second, I don’t think Joe WANTS a genuine connection. He’s not comfortable being genuine, so he sticks with shallow partly as an alternative and partly as a defense mechanism. Approach him with the offer of a genuine relationship, and he’ll go toxic partly to reset the conversation to his terms, and partly to drive you away.

        2. zoelogical

          ……………………..this is a beautiful thought and i honor it

          you know who else is a beautiful hummingbird??? leslie knope. hummingbirds get shit done

          yeeee i mean, just because joe doesn’t want genuine connections right now doesn’t mean he doesn’t need genuine connections. and i mean he is kind of going a ways in order to maintain this one!! although not very well since…he’s not leaving them alone

        3. Reltzik

          … I suppose he does flit about pollinating minds with his critical silliness.

          …. but nope, he’s no Knope. Nope, no Knope, nope.

        4. zoelogical

          lolololol

        5. Zer0

          Yess! Knope/Wyatt 2020!

          Also, I feel like Joe is a character I just can’t figure out. I think he wants connections, like real friends and that is why he is trying to make that happen. But at the same time I don’t think he’s ever tried empathy and does not get how people make connections. I could be wrong, but I really do not think he is trying to push people away. Just my view of him at this point.

        6. Reltzik

          Here’s my take:

          Joe’s got this macho, self-sufficeint maleness ideal that he by-and-large lives by to such a degree that he doesn’t recognize the legitimacy of any other goal, and that ideal rejects anything more than superficial bro-friend connections. (Maybe there’s a place for family.)

          He automatically encourages and expects others to conform to something similar, which is why he doesn’t recognize that others NEED empathy. Processing emotions in a healthy manner is easy, right? It’s easy for HIM (he thinks) so it’s gotta be an objectively easy task. And if someone’s having emotional troubles, well, he didn’t sign up for that and he doesn’t know how to deal with it, so he’ll just clear out until whoever-it-is has their crap together.

          The few times he’s encountered that sort of deeper connection (like texting with Joyce), he’s been drawn to it without knowing what it is. But because he doesn’t know what it is, he doesn’t recognize that it’s a conflicting ideal/way to be.

        7. Roborat

          All the sugar is why Dorothy likes him, it turns him into a human vibrator.

        8. zoelogical

          this answers so many questions and raises so many more

        9. thejeff

          No. That’s SP! Robin.

    2. Bagge

      The strip kinda answers the question in the alt-text. Joe has alienated quite a few possible friends, hasn’t he?

    3. PyrrhusDuAekillhus

      It explains how he gets along pretty well with the other half of the cast despite no real shared hobbies etc, though. A lot of the core cast _likes_ to bicker and do the verbal-sparring thing just as much as Joe does.

      I mean in general, obviously in the last five minutes of in-comic time he’s temporarily overplayed the class clown thing and people don’t want to talk to him for a bit. But it’s not like he’s a monster pushing himself on people unwillingly, most of the time his schtick is pretty well-received by his peer group, which is why he’s unlikely to stop no matter hos much the comments section complains.

    4. Wraithy2773

      Oh, Joe’s got issues, no question.

      But Joe’s known Dorothy for a while. Dunno if we ever found out how long, exactly, but it seems long enough for them to understand each other.

      This was an interaction between two people that know each other, even if they’re not exactly friends, they’re still generally friendly. Joe wasn’t trying to hurt Dorothy, he was just trying to make a wisecrack, and Dorothy knows that, hence why she’s willing to brush it off.

      And Joe does care what Dorothy thinks and probably cares about her as a person too, hence why he ran after her to apologize more clearly, and not trying to do any “protecting man card” bollocks.

      Now, once can have lengthy as hell discussions about how healthy their relationship is, but I do think Joe’s snarking is rooted in respect and appreciation for Dorothy. It’s why I kinda want Joe to get a mini-arc at some point, to smack him in the dick a few times about why growing up isn’t a bad thing… because he’s not inherently a bad person, just a teenager acting like a douche.

      also walky seriously i love myself some root beer but adding more sugar to it’s just disgusting.

      1. shammers

        I was about to say the same about Joe. He’s no stranger to Dorothy, so I think this is more lil kids picking on the ones they care about

    5. Stairmasternem

      Joe is a bit dense. I don’t think he’s “attacking” in this case, more trying to read the situation, since Dorothy’s been a sort of mixed signal about her relationship with Walky. Is it meant to be temporary? Did she fall for how Walky was without her trying to correct him a bit? Does she prefer Walky on a sort of leash, much like Dina did in Walkyverse?

  6. Bicycle Bill

    When I went to college, my idea of “course correction” consisted of dropping classes before mid-semester so I didn’t have a bad grade or an “incomplete” on my transcript.

    1. Gwen

      Not actually a bad strategy sometimes

      1. PyrrhusDuAekillhus

        If it wasn’t sometimes a good option it probably wouldn’t be an option, the college wants to avoid wasting your time just as much as you do. I’ve straight-up advised students to drop my course to take it again in a later semester a few times, even teaching major-required courses.

        It hurts the university if you don’t actually learn the material, and you learn it better with a balanced class load that lets you focus on what you’re studying.

    2. Stairmasternem

      I had to do this once. Final year I had to take care of my language, so I took Spanish 101 while also balancing Thesis projects and the like. Probably wouldn’t have been so bad in my first semester when I didn’t have as much pressure from my degree’s courses, but trying to learn another language while dedicating every waking hour to the grand finale was tough.

      Turns out I didn’t even need to take a language course because the credit was taken care of by my High School class (I took Latin). My guidance counselor in college forgot to mention this. I was relived and very upset – I could’ve taken a cool relaxing course! Instead I wasted a few weeks.

  7. MatthewTheLucky

    You know, I’d forgotten that Joe and Dorothy are friends.

    1. Fart Captor

      Joe, you could have real human interactions all you want without eavesdropping if you would just actually try to have real human interactions instead of being an insufferable trash monster all the damn time.

      1. Fart Captor

        Dangit, that was not meant to be a reply

      2. zoelogical

        this tho!!!

        unfortunately it’s a hard habit to break

    2. Bagge

      I don’t know if they are friends, but at least they seem to have some residual respect from high school. They shared a project in Danny and they have tried to help each other during the comic (with mixed results), such as when Dorothy wrote the article about the sex tapes, or when Joe tried to “soften the blow” for Danny during the breakup.

      1. PyrrhusDuAekillhus

        They’re pretty similar personality-wise, I’m not sure if that makes them more or less likely to be friends. They obviously have some level of mutual regard, though, even if both of them being rather aggressive also leads to the occasional clash.

        I mean, knowing her well enough to recognize when their usual verbal sparring bit has crossed a line and apologize at least hints at them being friends, Joe tends to normally be pretty immune to the disapproval of others.

    3. Deanatay

      They’re stuck with each other.

      After all, Dorothy knows about The Dragon.

  8. Leorale

    No Ryan in this one.

    1. Some1

      Joe walks back into the classroom to see Ryan standing with blood on his pants and a gun in his hand, bodies pile the classroom.

      1. Chris

        *Rushes forward, ducks first shot, rolls northeast, jumps too the side, grabs gun, holds Ryan up, throws over shoulder into wall, waits for Ryan to recover, runs up, dodges punches, and slams the butt of the gun into Ryan’s temples to effectively knock him out.*

        1. Chris

          *Alternative ending: Slams gun into his forehead, throwing Ryan back into the wall, moves forwards, and fires as he pulls himself up*

      2. Marsh Maryrose

        “Jeez, Joyce, this is your room?”

        “It is! I’m going to be living here.”

        And then the murders began.

        #LaidlawsRule

    2. foamy

      Not explicitly, but look where Joe’s watching in panel #3.

      1. Sunny

        At Walky’s butt?

  9. Meta

    Dorothy’s dealing with this pretty well I think? She recognizes that she still needs her downtime rather than simply taking on more work.

    1. Meta

      Also, Joe should… probably be leaving her alone at this point…

  10. Kris

    I mean…..he probably is. He’s doesn’t get much screentime and I don’t see a major storyline coming his way anytime soon.

    1. Lingo

      Man, I remember, in the beginning, according to the constantly-updating top banner, Joe was frequently the 3rd-most appearing character for a little while.

      1. Stairmasternem

        I think early on David Willis was really working with the old Roomies! cast, but things developed the way they did and Dorothy’s side of things became more important.

        It’s just good the Sarah/ Dan and Joe/ Joyce thing never worked out. I think that was the major breaking point.

  11. Stephen Bierce

    …So forget all that you see, It’s not reality
    –It’s Just A FANTASY!
    Can’t you see, what this crazy life is doing to me?
    Life is just a Fantasy
    Can you life a Fantasy life?    –Aldo Nova

  12. Chris

    The door shut when Joe turned around! We now know Ryan’s afraid of him. Now if everyone lived in one dorm and Joe guarded the doors we would be fine

  13. Bluewind

    *awaits death screech of that one commenter that only posts about how much they hate Walky*

    1. Kamino Neko

      I came in to see their comment, too. There may be something wrong with us. >_>

      1. Bluewind

        Or maybe we both read Willis’ tweeter 😉

        1. Chris

          I was waiting for this…

    2. Passchendaele

      I’m probably going to be asleep before then, but I’ll 100% admit that this has been in the back of my mind when I’ve been reading through the comments here.

    3. Stairmasternem

      It’s like me and looking through io9’s comments for entertainment. It amuses me whenever there is a Climate Change article.

  14. zoelogical

    omg walky why would you need to dump sugar packets in your root beer isn’t it sweet enough

    i love root beer but right now it just feels tainted

  15. Passchendaele

    A replacement, eh?

    *imagines Daisy breathing and talking hysterically while with AG*

    *imagines Billie making a nerd joke at least once*

    …oh dear, Walky might somehow be the best option. 0-0

    1. MatthewTheLucky

      Well, who does Dorothy know well that’s trustworthy and a pushover?

      Uh oh.

      1. nightsbridge

        Danny’s not with the reporters.

    2. Lingo

      No Billie will keep saying “Cmon Sal, I know it’s you” while AG grits her teeth and hyperventilates.

      1. SarahSaur

        Yeah, that is the biggest problem I see with Billie interviewing AG!

        I sort of want it to be that Dorothy asks Amber to fake an interview with AG… Not realising that it really would still be an interview. It might create a way for AG and Amber to talk to each other about stuff in a way that neither got to defensive. Or maybe they’d just get pissed at each other. I don’t know.

  16. Larkle

    And Joe is just awkwardly self-including.

    1. Reltzik

      Hey! Awkward self-inclusion is all the social life some of us have!

      …. but yeah okay Joe’s not in dat boat, fair shout.

    2. Stairmasternem

      He probably realizes he isn’t interrupting anything romantic, so he’s sticking around.

  17. Rukduk

    The optimist in me is hoping that in panel three Joe’s looking around to make sure Ryan isn’t following Dorothy. The pessimist in me thinks Joe’s thinking “Hey, where the hell did everyone go?” But on the bright side, hey Joe apologized. And he seems a little guilty about the overhearing part.

    1. Sam

      I hope so to as it looks like he turned around to go then specifically turned back to following them again.

  18. Li

    I see a lot of good signs for Joe’s character development in the last few comics.

    It will probably not be fast enough for a lot of people, and if Joe was an actual person I knew I’d probably minimize my interactions with him because he’s said a looooot of things that would have just built up and made me feel increasingly uncomfortable around him.

    But in terms of a character, I think this is kind of about as much progress as would be realistic within a few comics. It reminds me of all the time he spent listening to Joyce’s problems while she was at home, and while it may in part be because Dorothy and Joyce are girls, this feels like a marked improvement over how well he reacted the last time Danny tried to have a meaningful conversation with him.

    (The reason why I say ‘because’ is that the stigma against interacting emotionally in American masculine culture is definitely especially strong where other guys are concerned. With women, you’re often (if not always) allowed to be more emotionally open. It might well be easier for Joe to chase after Dorothy and apologize for hurting her feelings than it would have been to chase after Danny.)

    I also hope that Dorothy notices how anxious Walky is, and how he it really has not subsided despite her initial reassurances. (I wouldn’t blame her if she was distracted by her own reaction to the things Joe is shouting after them.) Because while the last couple of comics definitely seemed to me like positive strides in their relationship, Walky’s anxiety seems like it’s festering here. 🙁

    1. zoelogical

      it’s weird but i feel like this is going to be the impetus for walky to start to learn how to get his shit together

      like. his girlfriend needs him to get his shit together, so that she doesn’t have to worry about getting his shit together and can rely on him and handle getting her own shit together. if everyone gets their shit together they can work together better and not have to worry about each other. that’s like rule one of being part of a team

      1. missilentmurmur

        I like this idea very much, Walky is one of my favourite characters. But being a bit like him academically, it is not that easy, you don’t just decide I won’t be anxious anymore. I started getting my shit together when I got together with my now two and a half year boyfriend, and still couldnt manage to finish the thesis on time this semester, because of the same crippling thoughts Walky has.

        1. zoelogical

          -nod nod-

          sometimes it’s a little easier when you can do it for somebody else instead of just yourself

      2. li

        It might be a step

        but I feel the need to always remind myself of the comic title. That plus the pace reminds me not to expect too much shaping up at once. 🙂

        1. zoelogical

          lol truth

          the art of loving yourself through discipline is hard to manage!!

    2. BBCC

      It’s a good first step for Joe! It’s just he has such a long way to go that he’s still irritating.

      1. li

        No disagreements!

    3. Stairmasternem

      Early comics Joe annoyed me, however he’s been growing for a long time. His “friendship” with Joyce is the most interesting. I think Joyce still speaks to him a lot because of the same reasons as Ethan – they both aren’t going to try anything with her. That and I think she genuinely feels bad for Joe for various reasons.

      I’ve liked Joe a lot more for a while. Probably since 2 years ago? His growth is more subtle, mainly due to his personality and lack of screen time compared to others.

    4. anonymsly

      I don’t think Joe and Danny are ever going to have any kind of conversation again, or at least not for a long time. Neither of them are likely to try, because I can see both regarding that particular conversation as a total failure.

      Joe tried to determine which conversation was being had, so that he (as the best friend) could deliver the appropriate responses, either casual answer or the longer-term and less fun emotional support and handholding. (Which he didn’t WANT to do, but was on board with doing as part of his friend responsibilities. And I can’t fault him: I don’t exactly look forward to holding my friends while they weep and exercise circular logic until it somehow turns into a spiral that goes somewhere. I do it because I love them, not because it’s a fun thing I want to do.) Danny blew up at him rather than give him an answer either way.

      Danny tried to kindasorta edge in the direction of maybe coming out, and Joe responded by referring to talking about Danny’s emotions as a time-consuming and painful process that he didn’t actually want to do. Danny promptly shut down and refused to continue at all at any time. Which I understand; he wasn’t ready to be the kind of direct and clear that Joe was asking for, and resented that his supposed best friend didn’t even know him well enough to just know.

      So yeah. They’re roommates. But I don’t honestly think they’re any kind of friend anymore.

      1. Li

        Entirely beside the point of whether or not Joe deserves it, I don’t think Danny is the type to give up on people long-term.

        Also, “exercise circular logic” is a pretty uncharitable way of describing depression spirals. Makes it sound like you think your friends are doing it on purpose. Which, as someone who has been on the other side of that, I can assure you they are not. Depression is not easily reasoned with, or argued away.

      2. zoelogical

        eh i kind of think joe making it seem like sitting with his friend through his emotions was a burden was a pretty douchey thing to do

        like. made it clear he wasn’t the person to go to about this. made it seem like danny should just be repressing his emotions like every other dude. made his friend feel like an obligation, quite frankly, and that’s not a very friendlike thing to do

        so i mean like you said they’re not friends right now: but they could have friend potential

  19. fillerusername

    That scruff does kind of give me the vibe Joe’s going through something offscreen. Maybe he is lonely? I feel like he and Danny haven’t been as close since Joe kind of botched Danny’s timid attempts at coming out. Speaking of Danny, I hope Dorothy isn’t thinking of him as the “someone close” to talk to Amazigirl. Billie’s probably the likliest option now that I just this second remembered she’s also on the newspaper with Dorothy.

    1. Kris

      I thought the scruff was just a design choice. I think Willis once said something about liking Joe with five o’clock shadow.

      1. fillerusername

        Well yeah originally I thought it was just a design choice too but the alt text (and him reaching out to Joyce) makes me think there might be more to it. It could be Joe is just trying to grow a beard or it could also mean he’s not keeping up with personal grooming which could be a sign of loneliness/mild depression. I’m not saying he is depressed/lonely just that if it’s revealed he is this could be an outward sign.

    2. Stairmasternem

      He probably has been going through stuff throughout the series. Joe’s summary is “Into chicks, if interested” however he’s been growing as a character since day one. He doesn’t get as much “screen time” as others do, but he’s getting there.

      I think he is lonely though. He mentioned the day before that Danny’s been in bummer mode so not very available to hang out. I mean typically Joe’s with at least SOMEBODY when he shows up, so maybe he doesn’t like being about by himself?

      1. anonymsly

        I wouldn’t be surprised if Danny’s been avoiding Joe as much as one can avoid someone one shares living space with, honestly.

        And it’s probably good for him to do so, since their communication styles, at least re: emotional trubs, really do not mesh at all. Joe wants to be direct and clear (tell me what conversation we’re having so I, as your best friend, can know and deliver the appropriate set of responses) and Danny often avoids direct and clear like the plague (why does it matter? why don’t you already know?). Them hanging out and trying to talk would only exasperate one or both of them.

    3. zoelogical

      maybe he thinks a five o’clock shadow makes him look like a badass

  20. RacingTurtle

    Huh. I think Joe noticed something weird was going on with Ryan hanging around. How much he’s noticed, or whether Ryan is/was following Dorothy, I’m not sure. Whatever the situation is, I’m glad Joe noticed and that he’s sticking close, even though he’s being a pain in the ass in the process.

  21. Questionor

    Seems like what Joe’s been doing to Walky would be against Joe’s bro-code.

    1. Reltzik

      Don’t you remember? Joe is the worst wingman ever.

  22. Reltzik

    *squints at background*

    …. that’s right, asshole. You STAY gone.

    1. JBento

      He’s probably going to STAY gone as long as Joe’s around. Ryan is under no illusion about how people feel about what he does. Maybe he can take out Walky, maybe he can’t. But Joe is big and broad, and I think it’s obvious to everyone he’d fuck Ryan up.

      1. Reltzik

        (CW: brief discussion of a sex offender’s MO)

        Also, Ryan’s very much a coward when it comes to physical violence. His strategy for raping women is to drug them, not overpower him. When he recovered his senses at the party, he ran rather than fighting. When faced with Amazi-Girl and Sal at the rally, he abandoned his broheims in combat and booked it. The only time he’s ever chosen violence was against Joyce who had just A) majorly pissed him off and B) was succumbing to a roofie.

        I think even Walky could hold him off just by being a potential threat. Ryan doesn’t know better. He’s a poisoner and an ambusher and a sneak and a weasel and a lying liar, but he’s not a fighter.

        1. thejeff

          Ah. A smart predator.

          Never risk a fight with any prey that might actually hurt you.

        2. shammers

          Like Aku

  23. BBCC

    My guess for the replacement is either Billie or Sal. But Daisy and Amber have been guessed and I think would be interesting.

    1. Lingo

      …Amber??

      1. Needfuldoer

        A superhero’s secret identity gets their cover from working for a journalistic institution, under a manager who wants a constant stream of action photos of said superhero…

        Nah. That could never happen.

      2. BBCC

        The idea was Dorothy would ask Amber to do it. Dorothy would probably think this would be some ‘Clark Kent writes about his day as Superman, claiming it was an interview’ type deal. Meanwhile, Amber would have a chance to do some much needed straightening out with AG. Either to help with an over-compartmentalization issue or as one alter talking to another.

        1. Reltzik

          ….. I’m trying to imagine Amber doing journalism.

          …..

          …. nope.

          Nope nope nope nope nope.

          “Ability to interview complete strangers” is a job requirement.

    2. shammers

      Hey that’s a pretty good idea. Allows for a lot of introspection, which is all we can hope for with Amber as she’s not even admitting she has a problem and seeking help

  24. Bagge

    It IS a great word-play Dorothy, and a cute nose-kiss. You will do fine.

    Good boyfriending, Walky. Just believe in yourself. Dorothy does.

    Decent, apology, Joe, and I’m glad Dorothy took time to accept it. Just don’t immediately follow up with belittling her boyfriend.

    1. ValdVin

      That kiss is adorbs. My chin clears the top of Spousal Ms. ValdVin’s head by a couple inches, so I’ll never know what it’s like to get a spontaneous kiss on the nose.

      Last panel: How does Joe know so much about Walky? His own observations, or from Dorothy or Joyce? Is he closer friends with either of the latter than has been shown “on panel”?

      And add me to the list who think Joe is lonely now that Danny isn’t spending much time with him.

  25. Reltzik

    Walky’s Brain, Panel 5: “But ‘myself’ is the stupid dweeb who isn’t even smart enough to pass a math class without help and I’m just going to screw everything up and all the responsibility is on me now and I just want to be a goofus with no responsibilities and I think I gotta go potty ‘cuz Nachitos are low-fiber.”

  26. Zatar

    Aw, Walky really wants to help Dorothy in a more concrete and specific way then just being fun to be around, but as he is now he can’t. That’s got to hurt.

  27. Lingo

    So Dorothy, in Panel 2, are we really talking about journalism, or are we talking about ““?

    1. Lingo

      Dammit I don’t know how to do links. It’s supposed to say “journalism” with a link to this: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/02-choosing-my-religion/journalism/
      Thanks for ruining my joke, HTML!

      1. Bagge

        She “loves” to “talk” to Amazi-girl

        1. Emperor Daniel

          If you “know” what I “mean” when I put “things” in “quotes” (like “this”, see)?

        2. thejeff

          Say no more. Nudge, nudge, wink wink.

        3. MatthewTheLucky

          Is your wife into journalistic photography?

        4. Lingo

          No see, I was talking about her and Walky’s sex actually. And her talking about quitting “journalism” would make him panic … yeah my jokes are crap, why do I even bother?

    2. shammers

      Does Dorothy know about Amber/AG internal struggles?

  28. PyrrhusDuAekillhus

    I laughed when I realized that for the last couple strips Joe has just openly been a part of the conversation and standing right there without actually hiding or anything, and the other two are just so wrapped up in their thing that they keep forgetting he’s there.

    I think I’ve been in that conversation.

  29. BenRG

    I think I see what Willis is saying in the alt text today. Joe’s behaviour is weird; he isn’t obviously enjoying teasing Walky or Dorothy, rather he just doesn’t seem to want to go away for some reason. So, yeah, maybe he’s lonely. Being a ‘stud’ might mean that he never lacks for a sexual partner but he lacks something else that I bet he never knew he wanted or needed: an emotional connection.

    The other big moment in this strip is the real possibility that we’re going to see Danny officially appointed as Amazi-Girl’s new contact point with the real world. Something tells me that the weird relationship triangle is only going to get weirder!

    1. PyrrhusDuAekillhus

      … might wanna look over the last couple comics. A certain character is in the background, and one of the things we know about Joe from previous actions is that he is pretty protective.

      I’d suspect he’s refusing to bow out of the conversation for a much more practical and less emotional reason than you’re thinking.

      1. chris73

        I so want this to be the reason but its DOA so I won’t hold my breath

  30. JessWitt

    You gotta know your audience, Dorothy. Although given this is Joe, best not to know.

  31. Gesc

    Joe might be following Dorothy because he knows Ryan is nearby and doesn’t want to say that out loud. Him being well, himself is just part of the whole thing to not look like he knows Ryan is there somewhere.

    I mean, it would be nice if that was what’s happening.

    1. CoMa

      I have to agree.

      In the third panel it does look as if he spotted a specific someone…

    2. BenRG

      Do you think that Joe may know Ryan personally? They strike me as the sort of guys who would run together but, in the end, Joe believes in consent and considers Ryan’s behaviour as bad news even though he feels unable to act more directly on the grounds that, at one time, they were sort of friends.

      1. ValdVin

        I always wondered about the arc of Joe’s friendships.

        I’m an introvert so I don’t know what it’s like to go to a group of new folks in a social setting and look forward to interacting with them. Joe, however, can, and I appreciate that.

        He’s still fine with Danny (in the role of Danny) but I’m sure he’s not specifically looking to add another friend like that. Ethan and Jacob, yes, there’s enough intersection there. And I think he has enough Mike in his life already (like many of us).

      2. ValdVin

        Ugh. I meant to include:

        I don’t remember how much has been shown re Joe’s knowledge of Joyce’s situation, how much he’s read, if he’s studied that blurry photo, etc.

        If he knew Ryan personally and somewhat closely, I think that would’ve been revealed already, or a big “footage not found” item will be forthcoming. (Joe hasn’t seen Ryan in three or four years, etc.)

    3. shammers

      Do you think he knows that’s Ryan? Wait I forget does Joe know specifically what happened to Joyce or does he just think Dorothy is being followed?

      I ask because if he knew that’s a a suspected rapist you’d think he’d clock him

      1. Fart Captor

        Joe has no idea whatsoever what happened. He must have just noticed something odd, or else was turning to leave but changed his mind

  32. Kilgaen

    Joe’s noticed something . . .

  33. Freezer

    Dammit, Joe! You’re like Mike, without the self-awareness!

  34. Stairmasternem

    Current thinking: Joe noticed they have a tail and sticking with. Either that or he is genuinely concerned about Dorothy.

  35. Schpoonman

    Fuck. Do you know what’s going to happen? Walky’s gonna get home, he’s gonna crack the books, and Mike’s going to be the void of positive story influence that he is and say some asshole thing that’s gonna mess Walky up for DAYS because of how beaten Walky is right now. I don’t know why this just occured to me, but here I am.

    Goddammit.

    1. Stairmasternem

      Mike is pre-occupied with other targets. And I think Mike’s rather hands free with Walky of late because…well, he doesn’t need to do ANYTHING to make his day worse.

      1. Greenygal

        The last time Mike said something, he was targeting Walky. And “Wouldn’t it be better for Dorothy if you stopped taking up her time with your neediness and childishness?” would be just exactly his style.

        1. Stairmasternem

          Fair enough, although the comic right before that was him directly focusing on Ethan still.

          And I guess this depends on if he’s even there when Walky gets back.

        2. Stairmasternem

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/03-the-thing-i-was-before/catches/

          Also worth noting: via text to Joyce, Mike was probably right on with his comment.

        3. Fart Captor

          Not really. Dorothy probably would’ve burnt out even sooner without Walky distracting her

        4. Stairmasternem

          I meant that she was passive aggressively reminding him to GO TO CLASS.

        5. Fart Captor

          oooh.

          I may have developed a slight knee-jerk reaction to sentences that include the words “Mike was right”

  36. AeroQC

    Hey Joe:

    Do you feel lonely?
    I see the shadows on your face…
    People have told me
    You don’t look the same.

    Maybe you lost weight
    While you’re playing hooky
    With the best of the best.
    Pull your heart out of your chest
    So that we can see it too.

    You’re walking the long road,
    Watching the sky fall,
    The lace in their dress,
    It tangles your neck;
    How do you live?

    1. Stairmasternem

      Weird combination: reading those lyrics with the male singer’s voice, picture of surly Raidah apparently singing it instead based on the avatar.

  37. Ferret

    It’s weird but this particular arc of DoA is also turning into a game of Where’s Waldo, but with a scarfaced rapist.

    1. Bagge

      Which, horrifyingly, has been Joyce’s life for the last past weeks

      1. Stairmasternem

        Man that really puts things into perspective. Joyce has been dealing with this for weeks, we’ve been experiencing her pain for years.

      2. Deanatay

        ‘cept with Joyce, it’s one of those ‘Land Of The Waldos’ pictures.

    2. zoelogical

      i know

      it’s like watching Cosette and Marius’ scenes in Les Miz but seeing Jack the Ripper every so often in the background and having to wonder when he’ll show up next and what he’ll do

  38. Shadow12000

    Joe’s face after Walky says she loves Amazi-Girl is priceless.

  39. Micki

    Dorothy is my spirit animal.

  40. George W Harris

    Wouldn’t one kudos be a kudo?

    (actually, kudos is a plural noun; you’d say “no kudos for my course correct pun?”)

  41. Ryan

    Is Joe sticking around them both because he noticed Rapist? I feel like that’s what’s happening.

  42. Jhon

    Lonely? Dorothy should introduce Joe to Daisy.
    For Journalism.

    1. Reltzik

      Daisy: “He’s a man? …. meh.”

      Joe: “She’s full-on lesbian? Not into guys at all? …. meh. Hot, but meh.”

      Hardly leading-story material.

      No, Dorothy should introduce Daisy and Leslie.

  43. Makkabee

    I’m so glad she knows “kudos” is singular.

    But I expected nothing less.

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