Extra-curricular
Posted on January 12, 2014 by David M Willis

187 thoughts on “Extra-curricular”

  1. Vivvav

    TEENY TINY ROBOT EVIDENCE

    1. nick

      I feel like a picture is more damning evidence than an unremarkable toy

      1. Sageress

        Did you just call Tailgate unremarkable

        1. Mr. Random

          I believe he did. Sic’ him Internet. Attack until NOTHING REMAINS!

        2. sps48

          For some reason I read “Tailhook”.

          I dunno why, I blame being sleepy.

        3. Arkantos

          I don’t even know who that is.

        4. sps48

          Tailhook refers to the 1991 Tailhook Association scandal. SOme still refer to it as “alleged”, maybe because nobody had pics or video evidence.

        5. Sageress

          Yes.

      2. Rse

        what a great icon for your comment

      3. Kamino Neko

        The fact that she has a toy that isn’t out yet should make her easy to track down. :p

  2. Geminia999

    Tailgate: paint me like one of your French Women

    1. AgentKeen

      You seem terrified by the thought of your own comment with that avatar.

      1. AgentKeen

        Totally didn’t do a fangirl scream when I saw my comment got caught in the periphery of the screenshot on Willis’ twitter, nope.

  3. Bryan

    Looks like someone’s going to be found out…

    1. Thanks, I'll Have Another!

      How so? Can anybody else (besides Danny or Ethan, neither of whom are here) connect Amazi-Girl and Amber by way of a Transformers toy bot?

      1. Lukas Ramsey

        Methinks a Transformer would bring the search to Ethan for clues.

        1. timemonkey

          Why? This is DoA Ethan, he’s not Transformers obsessed here.

        2. fudo81

          Ahem, he is, definitely: http://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/ethan+transformers/

        3. timemonkey

          What was that tag supposed to prove? He likes them, but AMBER is the transformers obsessed one here. She got him into them.

        4. fudo81

          Oh I see, you meant obsessed literally. Well, where did we learn that Amber got him into them? Anyway, I would still call him obsessed nonetheless, as he “rambles non-stop about some robot guy called Chromedome” to his girlfriend, who clearly doesn’t find it particularly charming.

        5. timemonkey

          Willis mentioned it during Amber’s flashback. You can check the comments.

        6. Thanks, I'll Have Another!

          A brief, halfhearted archive search left me no clues: have Dorothy and Walky interacted enough with Ethan to know about his Transformers-fu? His main connection to both of them is through Joyce, who seems more intrigued by Monkey Master than Transformers at the moment.

        7. Mr. Random

          Walky will talk about it within earshot of Joyce, who knows Ethan watches Transformers and will, under false logic, think he knows who might own a Transformers toy. Therefore, ethan will be under assumed spotlight to ask about the toy.
          Wait for tomorrow’s strip where this will be completely disproven!

        8. Thanks, I'll Have Another!

          This is actually not a bad theory. I will call you out as a modern day Nostradamus if it actually comes to pass, Mr. Random (what an ironic name for a prophet).

    2. Undrave

      Amazi-Girl is obviously Cyclonus!

  4. timemonkey

    That bot will be her undoing.

  5. Wonder Wig

    She’ll get extra powers if she attaches it to her!

    1. Jen Aside

      Is it one of the Breast Masters?

      1. Sageress

        Breast Wars

    2. Plasma Mongoose

      Where does she attach it, does it have to transform first before she can attach it?

      1. Kiggy

        And into what does it transform?

        1. Plasma Mongoose

          Into a form she can insert I guess.

  6. Kiggy

    Can’t leave the prized toy behind.

  7. Doctor_Who

    “Well, if we catch her do I at least get some T & A?”

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Whose T&A, Dotty’s or Amber’s?

      1. Thanks, I'll Have Another!

        ¿Porque no los dos?

        1. CianM1301

          *Mexican music plays*

      2. Doctor_Who

        I was thinking Dotty’s was the goal. But as previously noted, she and Amber share an uncanny resemblance, so I imagine Walky wouldn’t mind.

        If only Amber was into egomaniacal aliens who order robots around and try to take over the world instead of Trans..formers…

        Hmmm, maybe they could bond over shared appreciation of Megatron.

    2. GoogerGeiger

      “If I get my Q & A, you get your T & A.”

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        and end up covered in your DNA. 😛

        1. Krell

          ew

        2. Joe Schmoo

          My admiration for that pun has surpassed my gag reflex. You win.

        3. Plasma Mongoose

          YAY!

  8. Super Duper

    Robot toys from the near future are important.

  9. Plasma Mongoose

    I wonder if she also did the high-jump in school.

    1. KingMabel

      Most likely the long jump.

  10. Intie

    Dorothy is still kinda creeping me out with this behaviour

    1. Devlerbat

      What behavior? Her journalism behavior?

      1. Intie

        Basically hunting down some weirdo girl dressed as a superhero. I don’t find that to be normal. Especially since she just reminded us that she wants to get ino Yale – and also eventually run for presidency.
        You don’t chase weirdo collage girls with these in mind is what I’m sayin’.

        1. timemonkey

          She works for the newspaper. Daisy gave the Amazi-Girl story to her. She needs results and the best way to get them is to talk to Amazi-Girl.

          Also, as has been said before, and likely will again, Amazi-Girl is an out of control vigilante, she is not of the good.

        2. Intie

          And if you’re an aspiring future president you sure think that some college newspaper and some possibly mental girl running around the campus is very important.
          Is it still not clear what I’m trying to say.

        3. Hythrain

          What you’re trying to say is that you don’t think her chasing Amazi-Girl around to try and get an interview will help her goal and instead makes her look weird for doing it with such zeal. However, this isn’t true.

          Keep in mind, future president is the end goal. You have to look at it from a linear progression. Getting into Yale is a huge step to that end goal, and to get in there she needs excellent marks and extracurriculars to beef things up. The college newspaper is one such extracurricular, and she was assigned the job of writing about Amazi-Girl. As timemonkey said, this is the best way for results.

          So let’s chain it: Amazi-Girl interview leads to great story article in college newspaper leads to great extracurricular for helping her get into Yale leads to helping her become president. The interview is a short term goal to help further long term goals.

        4. Vucub

          Landing a big story can look great on college apps. Plus, She takes assignments seriously even if it is just from the college newspaper.

        5. JohnnyO

          Unless she’s applying to Journalism school, I’m not feeling. I wrote for my school newspaper in high school and college. Never in any college applications I’ve filled out (including transfer apps) has there been a “copy and paste your best piece of writing here.” What would make her look good is getting an editor position. I guess you could argue that this is a step on the road to that, but she could also just write enough normal articles and get the same result.

          There’s also the question of why is NEWSPAPER so important to someone who dreams of being President? College is a time to decide what your goals are. She went away from studying to stalk Amber and follower her around on some crazy movie chase, which seems to indicate newspaper writing is her most important extracurricular. If she’s so goal-focused, what she SHOULD be doing is things like debate team and getting involved with a local political party.

        6. Intie

          This, exactly.

        7. AHR

          But newspaper stuff means letter of recommendations, connections, etc. etc.

        8. John

          Amber isn’t using her powers for good. She’s using them for amazing.

        9. Black Bumblebee

          Worked for Clinton

    2. timemonkey

      Look at her, doing her job. What a freak.

      1. Sageress

        It’s disgusting.

    3. Mr K

      She’s gonna become a stalker.

  11. Doctor_Who

    Faster than a pair of freshmen!
    More powerful than a pair of freshmen!
    Able to leap a pair of freshmen in a single bound!

    1. Kernanator

      A pair of freshmen is a standard unit of measurement.

      1. MrMyerst

        We will store “A pair of freshmen” next to other well known units of measurements, notably:

        – The football stadium.
        – Sperm whales.
        – Wales.
        – A double deck bus.

        Now, if only we had some way to compare these units.

        1. Plaid Wolf

          You forgot the most important measurement….”that tiny fraction of a second from the time the light turns green and the guy behind you is blowing his horn in your ear.”

        2. sps48

          That has never happened to me.

        3. Opus the Poet

          People blow horns at me before the light even changes to green. I guess they object to not being in front of me.

  12. Gram91

    Not really liking Dorothy right now. She’s prioritizing her own goals and aspirations over good being done, granted that “good” is a slightly emotionally scarred vigilante.

    1. Thanks, I'll Have Another!

      Slightly?

      1. Doctor_Who

        Girl’s got more issues than National Geographic.

        1. Thanks, I'll Have Another!

          Or The Nation Magazine, for that matter.

        2. Arkantos

          Or Times magazine.

        3. Gram91

          Yeah, I must have been high on something when writing that. This is the girl whose Walkyverse counterpart is married to Mike.

        4. fogel

          Short Pack Amber is pretty together & her marriage with Mike is a good one.

        5. Sageress

          More problems than a math book.

        6. Bill

          Excellent metaphor, my good Doctor.

        7. The Sandman

          More baggage than a 747’s cargo hold.

    2. Devlerbat

      Is Dorothy? The bike thief is stopped and Dorothy wants an interview not to unmask Amzi-Girl. What good is being interfered with here?

    3. Gordon Blvd

      um, so how’s that making Dorothy and diff from Amber? who’s ALSO prioritizing her own goals and aspirations (taking law into her own hands, making herself the hero) over good being done (oh, say, criminal being detained, prosecuted, AND CRIME ACTUALLY BEING DOCUMENTED!!!! – which kinda beats just telling a crook “hey, dont do that again:, ok kids?)

      p.s. while this all going on with her and the cutesy twins, bike thief already been to Lowes, shoplifted another pair of cutters, and is back on campus working on his third bike of the day

    4. timemonkey

      Honestly, Amazi-Girl scares me more than campus bullies or bike thieves. She’s not remotely stable.

      1. Sageress

        Or reasonable.

    5. Joe Schmoo

      Rule one of journalism, buddy: Don’t get involved in the story. She’s doin’ pretty well, if you ask me.

  13. JustDucky

    I’m kinda hoping they catch her and she keeps her word and talks to Dorothy. Amber needs more friends and maybe the interview could be the first step towards that.

    1. Thanks, I'll Have Another!

      Dorothy has already made clear to Amazi-Girl that she can be either a help or a hindrance as a journalist: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/04-time-keeps-on-slippin/side/

      The question is whether Dorothy can track down enough clues to force Amazi-Girl to either divulge some information and make Dorothy a privileged informee or else risk being unmasked in the paper.

      1. JustDucky

        Exactly. And at the start of that exchange, Dorothy tells Amber that she thinks she’s awesome. So I think we can be fairly confident that Dorothy would prefer to be a help over being a hindrance.

        I don’t think Dorothy even necessarily needs to unmask Amber for the two of them to begin to develop a rapport.

        1. Thanks, I'll Have Another!

          I personally am rooting for a Dorothy/Amber friendship because I think both of them need more friends and because they have a lot in common (dedication to their respective commitments, interest in various nerdly hobbies, questionable taste in boys, etc.)

      2. fogel

        Well, it’s an interesting contrast. Amber is doing what she sees as good because she’s messed up. Dorothy is driven by personal ambition, has she ever expressed any concern with anything more? She may have done nothing wrong yet (dump Danny…), but she hasn’t express any goal but advancing her career, and does she have any moral limits on that, in case a moral question comes up?

        1. JustDucky

          She’s already had to choose between moving closer to her goal and keeping her word. She chose keeping her word:

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-3/01-if-the-shoes-split/stakes/ (and the comic right after it)

        2. JustDucky

          And as an aside, being an open atheist shows a lot of integrity. Lying and claiming to be a protestant Christian would be much more advantageous for her pretty much across the board and it would certainly make her life easier as well.

        3. begbert2

          Not to disregard a compliment, but it’s actually kind of hard to go through the motions of belief, particularly if you have a shred of integrity. Not only are you going through the motions a particularly foolish, expensive, and time-consuming role, it’s also living a lie. Better and simpler to just politely say what you believe if asked but otherwise just avoid the whole mess and hope that the more psycho theists don’t notice you.

          I mean, she’s young enough that society might have matured enough to elect and openly atheist president by the time she’s old enough to be elected. Which, thanks to comic time, will be sometime around the year 2500.

        4. JustDucky

          I’m an atheist, too, and I live in the South. Especially when I was in high school (but even now) people said (say) really horrible things in front of me on the assumption that I agree with them. If I open my mouth, they will promptly say really horrible thing to me and often those horrible things are dovetailed with stated or implied threats of violence. It’s easier to stay quiet. But it’s also wrong.

          As for going through the motions of belief, it’s certainly not any more time consuming than all of the studying Dorothy is doing. But you’re right about how it feels if you have integrity. Which was kinda my point.

  14. wakeangel2001

    you know, with the pose and colors, that Tailgate figure made me think of Moonracer, but then my brain automatically assumes fembots

    1. Doctor_Who

      What does the dude who runs the Island of Misfit Toys have to do with Transformers?

      1. masterofbones

        Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. A long time….

  15. Rani

    TOYS ARE THE RIGHT OF ALL SENTIENT BEINGS

    1. Doctor_Who

      If Hasbro made this their actual motto I would love them forever.

      1. Sageress

        I’d buy every toy

  16. Kernanator

    A GOOD VIGILANTE NEVER LEAVES A MAN BEHIND. EVEN WHEN THEY ARE A TINY TOY ROBOT.

    1. KingMabel

      ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE A TINY TOY ROBOT!

      1. fogel

        But Dorothy plans to leave Walky behind, doesn’t she? (Does he fully get that? Does he care?)

        1. Arkantos

          She’s not a vigilante, though.

  17. Idon'tcarenomore

    They have her shoe, and transformer and pictures. She can’t do much about the pictures but she can get the rest of it.

    Go Amazi-girl.

    I don’t see any good coming of them catching her. It will strip her of her last place of refuge. If Dorothy could help her it would be different, but she won’t imo, she’s after that almighty story.

    1. Devlerbat

      She can get the story and help here, you know. As was mentioned at a previous comic commentary the story is less interesting if Amzi-Girl is unmasked. (And an even earlier comic shows that Dorothy could probably find out who Amzi-Girl is if she really wanted to.) Dorothy only wants an interview.

    2. Magyk

      Maybe, but a pic or two and quick interview won’t hurt, losing the identity would.

      1. Devlerbat

        Oh yea, but I can agree to that. I just really don’t think an unmasking is Dorothy’s goal here.

        1. Sageress

          And really, losing the whole Amazi-Girl thing might be beneficial, in the long run.

        2. fogel

          What is Dorothy’ s goal–what is the story? And has she thought out what possible impact HER goal might have on AG? She knows AT doesn’t want an interview – which can only contribute to her identification even if that isn’t part of Dorothy’ s story – she doesn’t care.

    3. JustDucky

      Possible good: Amber having someone to talk to who is not Danny.

      1. timemonkey

        She talks to Dina.

        1. Lucas

          She talks AT Dina

        2. timemonkey

          No, Dina listens closely to everything she says. She doesn’t always understand it, but she’s always listening.

        3. fogel

          And she’s listening because she wants to do right by Amber. She wants to learn how to be a proper friend.

    4. ninja_jesus

      Maybe stripping her of her last place of refuge will finally make her acknowledge that she has problems that she cannot control and require professional help.

      1. The Sandman

        Or maybe it’ll cause a psychotic breakdown.

  18. Keroshino

    Good Amber, Rescue that Bot!

    1. Sageress

      Ha

  19. Bill

    Dorothy could get an “A”, but she’d have to tear it off Amazi-Girl’s jumpsuit.

    1. Sageress

      Or the Amazi-Condoms. She could get an A and a D at the same time!

      1. Krell

        Where is the thumbs-up button for this pun

  20. The Candyman

    I’m still not feeling panel 4. If Amber just knocked them over, then alright, but it almost looks like she suddenly developed flight there.

    1. Devlerbat

      Some people can jump that high. Though I will admit it is possible she is using the wrong technique for that.

    2. Sageress

      This whole situation is unrealistic and frustrating.

      1. Kryss LaBryn

        There was this one famous Renaissance painter, apparently (I don’t remember who offhand tho I’m afraid) who could apparently do a standing jump right over someone’s head. So I don’t see this as completely unrealistic.

        Check out gymnastics competitions sometime. It’s pretty cool what ordinary (i.e. non-super-powered) humans can do! 🙂

        1. JustDucky

          This jump would put her in the range of the women’s high jump world record. Do you know how much time Olympic athletes spend training? I find this situation unrealistic and a bit frustrating, too.

        2. JustDucky

          These jumps*

        3. Carlos

          You have to remember, she jumped over Dorothy and Walky. Neither of whom are very tall

        4. xKiv

          Looks more like *between* them. And more like a shinespark than just a jump.

        5. John Small Berries

          Of course, they are in a park with trees, so it’s quite possible she did another parkour wall run against a tree trunk, to gain altitude and reverse direction (as she did previously using an actual wall).

        6. The Candyman

          It looks pretty open to me.

        7. Sageress

          Plus, the FIRST jump was just as unrealistic. It should have slowed her down enough to be caught.

    3. TheJesterKing

      Read a damn comic book some time. If your a super hero and you can’t jump over a human being your in the wrong friggin profession. You know where Batman would be if he could jump over roofs? A smear one the concrete of a Gotham sidewalk.

      1. Reltzik

        Poor Professor Xavier. Eliminated from the superhero pool by a new physical qualification exam.

        1. The Phantom's Belch

          Chuck has the excuse of having a long-range support power (telepathy), so his being in a wheelchair isn’t really hindering him. Besides, he’s more of an organizer and a teacher than he is an active in-the-field superhero.

          When he actually has legs (which has happened in the past, cloned bodies and all that comic-book superscience) he’s not that shabby. Athletic, but still not superhuman or even close to peak human.

        2. TheJesterKing

          Yet by super hero logic still probably able to jump over a person.

      2. xKiv

        Forget super heroes. Look how high you have to jump to be a *plumber*.

    4. Opus the Poet

      Yuo can see her in a tree in the first panel.

  21. SilverArrowArtemis (All Else Fails)

    N-No! Not my very special toy!

  22. Leorale

    Amazi-girl is so awesome in this continuity!

    I hope Dorothy gets to talk with her, and I don’t see why she’d have to unmask her to do so. Amazi-girl would have a sweet newspaper article and even more fans on campus, plus somebody to talk to who isn’t Danny or Ethan. But that would be a good thing happening to Amber, is that allowed?

    1. Lucas

      Only if it’s balanced out with something horrible. For instance, if she ran into Danny daning it up with her dad right now, that would balance out any good later

      1. Leorale

        Good point. Like if those two are sitting in front of a window, or if Blaine walks Danny back to campus. If only they were just criticizing her, she’d be immune!

      2. Historyman68

        Danny dancing with her dad?

    2. Alden

      But is the mask actually effective at disguising her identity, or does it only work on Danny because he’s Danny?

      1. ninja_jesus

        So far, everyone’s been fooled, so I think it’s safe to say that yes, the mask is effective.

        1. timemonkey

          So far everyone IS Danny since he’s the only person to have a prolonged encounter with both her identities.

        2. begbert2

          Danny, Billie, everyone at the Ryan party, some sign vandals…

          Of those, Danny is the only one who never saw her in a well-lit area.

        3. timemonkey

          PROLONGED exposure. He’s the only one to have speant a lot of time with both Amber and Amazi-Girl. Why is this so hard for people to understand? Seeing someone once for like a minute isn’t going to keep a clear image of them in your mind.

  23. sps48

    I’d’ve just left the thing.

    1. John

      That’s why you’re not Amazi-Girl.

    2. Opus the Poet

      Any good person picks up their toys when they’re not using them. I’m not a good person, but I know how to act like one.

  24. Tom Speelman

    Should have asked this with the earlier comic, but when in the heck IS Tailgate supposed to come out? Anyone know?

  25. Idon'tcarenomore

    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/flowers-2/

    “Busting this whole Amazi-girl thing wide open…” sounds like more than an interview wanted to me. But maybe that’s just my natural paranoia coming thru.

    1. Norah

      I agree, but that was coming from Walky, not Dorothy. His idea of what they’re going to do might be more extreme than Dorothy’s.

  26. TheJesterKing

    Blast! Everyone knows tiny plastic transforming robots are Amazigirls only weakness! Who knows what will happen if it falls into the wrong hands!?

  27. Ryan

    Catch her? And do what, exactly? Hold her against her will? Hold her down and make her answer questions? These idiots haven’t really thought this through have they.

    1. fogel

      It’s part of Dorothy’ s plan to help Amazigirl, chase her across campus… (Plus now Walky’ s own ego is engaged in chasing and trapping her because she dodged them.)

    2. begbert2

      Twice now Amazi-girl has said she’d give an interview if caught. Dorothy is only following instructions.

  28. ridtom

    Wait did Danny give her that toy? If so D’aaaaaw! If not then why?

    1. Toad

      A. It’s her property that she paid money for, and she’d prefer not to lose it.
      B. It is evidence that could possibly be traced back to her, a known Transformers toy collector.

      1. Cybersnark

        C. It’s the Goddamn Tailgate.

    2. timemonkey

      Amber’s a huge transformers fan in this universe.

  29. Ancestral Hamster

    Since Amazi-Girl keeps leaping over them, shouldn’t she poop on them? That’s a standard superpower in the Willisverse, isn’t it?

    1. ironbillie

      No just a Justice Fart.

    2. Plasma Mongoose

      Only if they are Cyclops fans.

  30. rachel

    FIRST PANEL

    GIANT BLUE AMAZIDONG

    cannot unsee

    1. ironbillie

      The Strap-On of Greatness will punish you!

      1. The Sandman

        But only if you’re into that kind of thing, and have a safeword.

    2. locixloci

      Glad I’m not the only one who thought that.

    3. LiaHansen

      This adds a whole new meaning to Walky and Dorothy’s faces in panel four

      1. Mr K

        Dorothy: I wish Walky’s was as big as that.

    4. ninja_jesus

      YES MY FANTASIES HAVE COME TRUE

      I mean eww, that’s so gross.

  31. Mayonnaise

    TAILGATE

  32. CianM1301

    How did she not knee Walky in the face with that jump?

    1. Bill

      She is jumping between them.

      1. CianM1301

        Oh. Her knee looked very close to his face.

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

      AMAZIGIRL IS CAPTAIN FALCON.
      HOW DID I NOT SEE.

  33. GarethGillatt

    1. Charlie B. B.

      Indeed.

  34. turbanous

    Walky, you shouldn’t be throwing Dorothy’s vigilante evidence into the grass as you try and catch her.

    1. T Campbell

      No disrespect, but unless Dorothy pays for a DNA screening that toy isn’t going to do her a lot of good. “Yes, a TRANSFORMER! Also a SHOE! And some CONDOMS I totally didn’t draw on myself! What do you MEAN I sound like Billie? I AM NOT CRAZY!”

      1. Stephen Bierce

        What about a a screening using fishbowl and a tube of Super Glue? Didn’t you see BEVERLY HILLS COP 2 and how Axel lifted fingerprints? 🙂

  35. Kyle

    This continues to be the best superhero comic I have ever read.

  36. LiamAldam

    Tut Tut looks like rain.

  37. Mr K

    Amber can time travel. That’s where she got the Tailgate from.

  38. nate

    Great comic!!!!

  39. Jake Stein

    Amazing Girl Begins
    The Dark Amazi-Squirrel (The Joe-ker kills Danny maiming Ruth in the process creating the villain Ruth-Face)
    The Dark Amazi-Squirrel Rises (the Return of Roz-al-Ghul)

  40. nothri

    Priorities!

  41. JohnnyO

    Chekov’s Robot

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