274

Gah
Posted on September 29, 2016 by David M Willis

274 thoughts on “Gah”

  1. AnvilPro

    Back to happy-Joyce. I can dig it

    1. Chronos

      I dunno, that smile of hers always makes me think of Galactus right before he’s about to consume a particularly tasty planet…

      1. Fart Captor

        Hey, any friend of Squirrel Girl’s is alright with me

        1. Chief_of_Staves

          Galactus itself is concerned about Joyce’s jaws and the unholy expressions they contain. Galactus reads this very webcomic in order to study her mouth. Sometimes the eater of worlds gets so worked up, it eats a planet that wasn’t on the diet plan. Billions meet their end , each one screaming “DAMN YOU WILLIS!”

        2. Fart Captor

          Pff, the only thing creepy about her is that she’s able to be so cheerful so early in the morning.

          Her smile is adorable and for some reason it makes me want to bake cookies. 😛

        3. Chief_of_Staves

          I baked pear spice cakes earlier today if you want a symbolic piece. I was testing a variation in a recipe for Sunday.

        4. Orion Fury

          That sounds nice. I’ve made a ‘Harvest Soda’ bread, with Ginger Ale, Apples, Pears, and Plums.

        5. Clif

          What does that symbolize?

        6. Falling Star

          YOUR IMMINENT DEMISE.

        7. Dex

          I am so far behind on Squirrel Girl comics and I really need to catch up. I love how her ultimate superpower is just the power of Friendship, but it works even on someone like Galactus because SG is just so damn awesome.

    2. Bluewind

      Happy happy Joyce Joyce
      Happy happy Joyce Joyce
      Happy happy Joyce Joyce
      Happy happy Joyce Joyce
      Happy happy Joyce Joyce
      Happy happy Joyce Joyce
      Happy happy Joyce Joyce Joyce!

      1. Fart Captor

        Hey, kids! I don’t think you’re happy enough!

    3. DarkoNeko

      let’s enjoy it while it lasts.

    4. Bluewind

      Ack! The filter ate my comment! Bad filter, BAD! *sprays with water*

  2. Ana Chronistic

    Creepy Joyce

    1. Deanatay

      The Triangle Smile Returns!

      (Somebody artistic: imagine the Batman logo, but with Joyce’s creepy smile instead of the bat.)

      1. ety

        Wouldn’t that literally just be shining a triangle shape into the sky….

        1. merbrat

          erg, now put Batman logo as Joyce smile.

  3. Nono

    Bedside Joyce is watching you sleep.

    1. Doctor_Who

      How long does she sit there, just silently waiting for Sarah to wake up on her own?

      1. tim gueguen

        As long as it takes.

      2. Roborat

        She never sleeps.

  4. miados

    at least now you aren’t worried i might kiss you.

    or was that never a worry?

    1. Orion Fury

      “Well it is now!”

    2. SgtWadeyWilson

      “More of a hope…”
      -Sarah in some Joyce/Sarah fanfic

      1. Emperor Norton II

        “AND THEN THEY ALL FUCKED!”

        -Yelling Bird, in everything.

  5. Kris

    There’s gotta be a middleground here.

    1. miados

      stare at her while sitting in a chair after attaching a mirror to the ceiling?

      1. Orion Fury

        Still creepy.

        1. SgtWadeyWilson

          What about a tripwire across the top of the ladder that starts a chain reaction to send a message to Joyce while allowing Sarah time to get out of bed?

        2. Falling Star

          Creepy…?

        3. Deanatay

          Cut a hole in the ceiling, and then perch in it, looking down at her.

          Ceiling Cat style!

    2. Viktoria

      Set up a webcam pointed at her bed so you can stare while far away from her?

      1. Kris

        Maybe a tiny remote drone with a camera on it?…Or multiple drones since she likes staring at Sal too!

        1. Disloyal Subject

          Some people have shrines to a single object of devotion in their closet.
          Joyce could have one of those classy surveillance walls, though she’d need some way of making sure not to accidentally witness premarital hanky-panky.

        2. Orion Fury

          3 Minute delay with Mike watching it live?

        3. Disloyal Subject

          What’ll incentivize Mike to actually warn her, though?

        4. SgtWadeyWilson

          Sarah’s face as Joyce greets her all cheerful-like.

        5. Roborat

          Or, considering her veiwee of choice, electronic hanky-panky.

      2. Reltzik

        Not the point. Joyce is there because she wants to excitedly and bouncily hug Sarah. Platonically, but happy-cheerful-morning-platonically.

        Hmmm. Middle ground: Hit the cafeteria or vending machine before Sarah wakes up, and have her favorite coffee ready for her to go with that grin. After a week of that, she’ll actually start to like it.

        I mean, hey, if she’s wide awake anyway, she can go fetch stuff while you sleep in. Little sisters are like little gofers.

        1. Clif

          I’m suspecting that either you haven’t actually experienced a little sister or it’s been long enough that you’re memory is making stuff up to fill in the gaps.

        2. Roborat

          Or Reltzik was a single child, and the “little sister” was an actual gopher.

        3. Reltzik

          WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

    3. trlkly

      About the only thing I can think of is “stay in bed, and talk without looking at each other.”

      1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        Remember how that turned out for Becky and Katlin…

        1. trlkly

          I didn’t mean the same bed!

        2. ety

          They didn’t start in the same bed 😛

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-5/01-when-somebody-loved-me/definitely/

  6. Stephen R. Bierce

    *tests out the repaired Muzak-hacking equipment with The Mamas & The Papas’ “Monday Monday”*

    1. Orion Fury

      The way things have been, I’m figuring it’ll be a bit more manic.

  7. caesaria82

    Man, Sarah makes some EXCELLENT faces in this strip.

    1. Orion Fury

      I think we can all agree that all the faces are great now. Except for Jessica’s since we haven’t seen her’s yet. But I think it’ll be safe to assume that it’s good too.

      1. Bagge

        I’m sure the congress woman agrees with you

        1. Emperor Norton II

          Are you imagining Robin and Jessica smooching right now?

        2. Bagge

          …maybe…

        3. Emperor Norton II

          …Are you imagining them doing more than smooching?

          Like, smooching -and- looking at pictures of dinosaurs between smooches?

        4. Bagge

          …mayyyyyyybe…

        5. Deanatay

          OOH! OOH! You’re imagining them HOLDING HANDS, aren’t you?

          AREN’T YOU.

        6. Bagge

          …mayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyybe…

        7. Spencer

          *monocle shatters*

        8. Emperor Norton II

          Are you imagining them being nekkid while smooching, holding hands, and looking at pictures of dinosaurs?

        9. Bagge

          …mayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyybe…

        10. Slartibeast Button, BIA

          Holding hands is “Second Base”, right?

          [/Dina]

  8. Dean

    In panels 3 and 4, Sarah’s eyes have retracted inside her head for safety.

  9. Tom T.

    Is Joyce wearing a flesh-colored pencil skirt? Spanx? A classic girdle?

    1. DarkoNeko

      I suspect she’s in undies.

      1. Orion Fury

        I wonder if Willis is dreading another request for only that.

        1. Falling Star

          Too late.
          SO MANY

      2. Bicycle Bill

        This is about as close as we’re going to get.

    2. Shiro

      Oversized sleep shirt?

    3. Gordon

      I’m pretty sure she usually wears light orange shorts.

      1. Joe Archer

        Yep – these already featured under her dress in her date with Joe chaperoned by Mike.

  10. DarkoNeko

    Nooo. not the horse mask. NOPE.

    1. Disloyal Subject

      YUP.

      1. Reltzik

        Instead of looming over her with the mask on, for the first few days just leave the mask off and have it next to her in bed when she wakes up. That way she’ll get to acclimate to it.

  11. Shiro

    I love the colors of this one. So warm and homey and early-morning. Also I just generally like those shades of purple and orange together. Such a soothing strip.

    1. Orion Fury

      Perhaps if it was shown to Sarah, she’d feel better.

      1. Reltzik

        More likely she’d feel spied upon.

    2. Lipke the Articulate

      Something I think we can all agree we desperately needed!

    3. Leorale

      I agree! I really like the look of it, and also how Willis is always using the colour palette to show what time it is.

      1. Orion Fury

        As well as movement!

  12. Rukduk

    How about sitting in a chair on the floor while waiting for you to wake up? Would that be better Sarah?

    1. Just Me

      More like sitting in a chair in someone else’s room, far away. That would be better.

    2. Deanatay

      “But then I wouldn’t be able to tell the EXACT MOMENT she wakes up and be able to tell her ‘GOOD MORNING!’ as the VERY FIRST thing she hears that morning, ’cause it’s SUCH a GOOD MORNING!!”

  13. Tenchan

    Well, it could have been worse: she could have suggested to Sarah that they should be “shower buddies”.

    1. Orion Fury

      Becky: *Internal Screaming*

    2. Dean

      Or she could be holding Other Jacob.

  14. nothri

    “But this way I’m not close enough for you to try to immediatey strangle me like Sal does.”

    “EXACTLY!”

  15. Tacos

    Well that’s terrifying. I don’t think this is something with a middle ground.

    1. Orion Fury

      Joyce happily waiting for Sarah to wake up, just for that, will most likely always annoy her. Until Joyce isn’t there to do it.

      1. Bagge

        That sums up a lot of Sarah

        1. Orion Fury

          It does, doesn’t it?

  16. Chief_of_Staves

    The worst part? She’s SMILING. She’s smiling, first thing in the morning. Sarah is right to be freaked out. Anyone super-perky and aware before breakfast is a dangerous one, likely a pod person.

    1. Lipke the Articulate

      Or a reptilian.

      1. zoelogical

        or an ape.

        apes smile to show aggression.

        1. Chief_of_Staves

          Our Lady of the Triangle Grin makes silverback gorillas nervous.

        2. Bicycle Bill

          Or a Stepford Wife.

        3. Abel Undercity

          Or the Joker.

        4. Deanatay

          When the Joker frowns and says, “Ok, THAT’S creepy”, you know you’re dealing with Triangle Joyce.

    2. Fart Captor

      There really isn’t anything quite as disturbing — especially to a misanthrope like Sarah — as an unreasonably cheery morning person. It shouldn’t be possible to be so happy that early. The only way it makes since is if she has already committed several gruesome murders. That also explains why they’re up so early. Gotta hide the bodies while everyone except other serial killers is still sleeping.

      Dorothy is the one to watch out for, imo. She gets up early and works out. I don’t even think she gets coffee first. No part of that makes any sense.

      1. ety

        “Take an 8 am weight-lifting class” they said… “It’ll be fun” they said…

    3. Andy

      As a lifelong morning person (usually up and perky, on my brain’s alarm clock, by 5am, and don’t need caffeine until the afternoon) I don’t understand this hatred. Mornings are SO COOL and there’s SO MUCH TO BE DONE! Those early morning hours when the day holds so much possibility are almost holy.

  17. newllend(henryvolt)

    Well…it’s a step a start in right direction and it’s just a bit more cute then it is creepy

    1. newllend(henryvolt)

      Still fucking creepy though

    2. Bagge

      That sums up A LOT of Joyce

      1. Emperor Norton II

        It does, doesn’t it?

        1. Bagge

          Thank you Emperor, thank you so much for running with the gag. That’s half the fun around here!

        2. Emperor Norton II

          The other half is blowing things up.

        3. Bagge

          “Blow things up, he says what we all are thinking”

        4. Deanatay

          Don’t say that. Now I’m co-thinking of Emperor Norton II and Donald Trump. Emperor Trump? The Second??

          *whimpers, curls up in corner*

  18. inqntrol

    If she tries this with Sal, she’ll still grab her neck no matter where she’s standing.

    1. Orion Fury

      “I was in the next room! How?”

  19. tgall16

    Anyone else reminded of Lonely Island’s Jack Sparrow?

  20. AngelBadman

    Literal laugh out loud strip.

    Boundaries!!

  21. Renshear Blade

    That smile is shooting beams of light. Most people are some kind of vampire when they wake.

    *groan* “is it morn..
    WELL GOOD MONRING!!! *smile*
    Noo AaaaAhhhhh *Ash death*

    1. Bagge

      It buuuuuuurns

      1. Orion Fury

        with the fury of a thousand suns!

    2. Chief_of_Staves

      You be a vamp, but when I first wake up, I’m a zombie— and I WILL eat your brains or at least gnaw at your skull if prevented from a cereal breakfast rather than a serial one.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        I, for one, welcome our new raptor zombie overlords.

  22. nobodybasically

    I imagine that no matter what direction Sarah looks in, Joyce will somehow always be sitting there, smiling.

    1. Bagge

      Forever and ever and EVER

    2. Leorale

      Her unceasing smile follows you around the room.

      1. Chief_of_Staves

        She’s like the Mona Ogg. Her teeth follow you around the room.

        1. Bicycle Bill

          +2 for the Pratchett reference.

    3. anonymsly

      She’s taking lessons from Creepy Dr. Watson.

  23. TheOthin

    Is Joyce just sitting on top of the bunk bed ladder or is there something more substantial under her that I’m not seeing?

    1. Bagge

      She floats on a cloud of happy thoughts

      1. Fart Captor

        …yes, of course… “thoughts”

        1. Orion Fury

          NOT HARD ENOUGH!

        2. Fart Captor

          Well she’s already partially levitating, so any harder and she’ll need to throw out those shorts :/

        3. Orion Fury

          True. Just a fan of posting that, seemed like the best place.

        4. Fart Captor

          Oh my god I just realized that Sarah’s expressions are AMAZING if you imagine that Joyce is farting the entire time.

        5. ety

          You really live up to your name don’t you? 😛

        6. Fart Captor

          -_-;;

        7. Orion Fury

          They are.

    2. Fart Captor

      Looks like she’s sitting balanced on the railing, with most of her butt hanging in the air.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Much comfier than leaving any of the pelvis in direct contact with the railing for prolonged periods of time, even with a plush posterior.

      2. Orion Fury

        For me, based off of angles and such, Joyce’s butt would have been resting to the side of Sarah’s right arm when she’s laying down. Like Joyce was happily sitting on the side of Sarah’s bunk, waiting for her to wake up, glancing back occasionally.

        1. SgtWadeyWilson

          “Sarah wakes up to an odd sensation on her right arm. It’s as if the warm softeness of Joyce’s plush posterior were… She opens her eyes and quickly shouts, embarrassed of her true feelings.”
          -Narrator in some Joyce/Sarah fanfic

          Not actually shipping them, but there seems to be a ton of fodder for this joke lying around, so…

    3. Reltzik

      Like a good video game protagonist, Joyce is on a rail.

      1. SgtWadeyWilson

        So… Edge from the first Panzer Dragoon?

        1. Spencer

          omg somebody else has played panzer dragoon

        2. SgtWadeyWilson

          I played(and loved, obviously) the first three, but I never got my hands on Orta. It seemed silly to buy an Xbox just for one game.

        3. Spencer

          Orta is the best rail shooter of all time though!

          I’ve never played Zwei and Saga because Saga is like 600 friggin’ dollars!

  24. (((Mkvenner)))

    I am glad joyce is starting to feel better.

    1. Bagge

      She smiles again!!!

    2. Leorale

      Me too! Guess that trip home was reaffirming after all (if only because her dad was cool and then it ended).

    3. Dara

      RETURN OF DUMBING OF TRIANGLE

  25. Bagge

    Little sis is back!!!!

    1. Emperor Norton II

      And you couldn’t be happier if you had the world’s best smørrebrød in front of you right now.

      1. Bagge

        Is smørrebrød a Norwegian thing to, or is it only the Danes?

        1. Emperor Norton II

          Only Danish, but I know a few things about Danes.

          Mostly by reading Scandinavia and the World.

        2. Bagge

          Seems a legit source to me.

          …I mean, it’s not like I trust my own preconceptions as a Swede more.

        3. Emperor Norton II

          All I know about Swedes, I learned from watching Season 1 of “Broen”.

  26. Bluewind

    She scared the scarf out of Sarah… or off of at least. Even came untied as it flew off her head. O_O

    1. A Scientist

      Beat me to it by 4 minutes…

      1. Bluewind

        But you beat me in commenter replies 😉

  27. Kernanator

    Bluebirds are going to start landing in her hair.

    1. Orion Fury

      Better than rats sewing her outfits. The make terrible tailors.

      1. Bicycle Bill

        I think the mice sewed the outfit…. not that this is a whole lot better.  The rats became the horses.

  28. Lipke the Articulate

    Man, with two fairly large archive binges in half as many days, I’ve spoiled myself and the fact that it’s been twenty four hours since the last strip is suddenly and illogically ridiculous to me.
    I suppose I have ety to thank for that.

    …well, at least it’ll feel normal again in a day or two.

    1. Orion Fury

      Careful, you don’t want to be come ‘Lipke the DoA Junkie’. Top tier Pateron, buying all the DoA books, then Shortpacked! on eBay, Keenspot comics at conventions…Well, at least those last two, Willis won’t get anything from those.

      1. Lipke the Articulate

        If I had the money it would have already happened -.-‘

  29. A Scientist

    Sarah was so startled, a double-knot (I presume) undid itself spontaneously. That’s impressive.

    1. Leorale

      It’s kinda like when Sal’s hair goes FOOMF. The shock cannot be contained!

      1. Idontcarenomore

        This is funny, but I don’t think anything can match Sal’s hair when she saw her report card.
        Wonderful.

        1. Disloyal Subject

          I think Walky’s hair came close. What it lacked in volume it made up in irony.

        2. Orion Fury

          Sal’s probably in the next room wondering where that scarf came from.

        3. Deanatay

          *FWEEP*

  30. Idontcarenomore

    Now that’s funny. Laughed out loud at Sarah in 3rd panel, flying hair scarfs and all.

  31. Griffin

    A bit not good, yeah.

    1. Orion Fury

      Just a smidgen, really.

  32. Idontcarenomore

    Agree. Creepy yes. But Joyce has that ability. Still funny.

  33. motorfirebox

    Ninja Rick would be jealous. Only the true master of stealth can jump-scare a headscarf.

  34. Orion Fury

    Cerberus (and others)! It’s safe!

    Well, for today at least.

  35. Heavensrun

    OH MY GOD PANEL3 IS THE CUTEST JOYCE EVERAARRGHPBLEBLHGHTL

    1. Bagge

      The cutest Joyce ever UP TO THAT POINT, yes. Then panel 4 happened…

      1. Emperor Norton II

        And if Joyce had made an even cuter face in panel five, Bagge’s head would have exploded from overload of cuteness.

        1. Bagge

          That’s a real risk

        2. Bagge

          In fact, Panel 5 is darn cute. All sisterly concern and innocence far to early in the morni… ACK, MY HEAD

        3. Deanatay

          CLEANUP ON PANEL 5!

    2. Bicycle Bill

      If I had known Joyce when I was 18 or 19 I would be married to her today.
      If I could find a Joyce in real life I would marry her tomorrow.

      1. Reltzik

        …. but what makes you think that Joyce WANTS marriage with a random man who just came out of nowhere out of attraction to her sunny disposition and cuteness?

        ….. oh, wait, that’s pretty much her entire goal in life.

        1. KaitouKidisBae

          Except he’s gotta be christian, supportive of her gay friends, and not a rapist douchebag. Shouldn’t be too hard to find.

        2. Bicycle Bill

          Check, check, and double-check.

        3. Heavensrun

          Christian is negotiable. I mean, we all know she’s gonna end up married to Dotty anyway.

        4. Emperor Norton II

          Not her -entire- goal. She also wants to be a fighter pilot with her own cartoon show.

        5. Slartibeast Button, BIA

          But will her fighter transform?

      2. Deadlinedance

        Not if I wasn’t married to her first.

        Ah, the way my youth went, she probably would’ve never noticed me…

        Of course, now I just want to give her a hug and talk out her problems. I’ve been wrestling with my faith for many years now. I don’t know how much I could help, but I could listen.

  36. Tomas

    Try again tomorrow with clown face paint.

    1. Roborat

      Better yet, the pony mask AND the clown face paint.

  37. Derek

    this is honestly one of Joyce’s worst traits, I do not find it endearing it honestly pisses me off viscerally every time she does it

    1. BenRG

      To me, it’s a reminder that Joyce is actually very young in emotional and behavioural terms. In some ways, she’s still only twelve years old!

      1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        Does she separate out her lucky charms cereal?

        1. Joe Archer

          Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live…

        2. Orion Fury

          That’s racist.

  38. Reltzik

    “… but you said we were going to make things better…” *puppy eyes, lip quiver*

    “NOT BETTER!”

  39. Yotomoe

    Does Sarah sleep with her makeup on?
    http://imgur.com/20Qs5sg

    1. JessWitt

      That art.

      My sister sleeps with her makeup on a lot. One of her many fine healthy habits.

  40. BenRG

    I think that everything Joyce says and does is just too Uncanny Valley for Sarah’s peace of mind!

  41. Delicious Taffy

    The First Rule for survival outside of the safe areas: If you come across a Joyce, a Dina or a Ruthless, do not run or call for help but stand still and stay silent. It might go away.

    1. Emperor Norton II

      You do not come across a Dina. A Dina will come across you, and you will not even see her before it’s too late. Because she is a smart woman.

      And if you try to stand still, she will remind you that she are capable of spotting humans even when they are not moving.

      On the other hand, if you just stay silent, you will be her new (second) favourite.

      1. SgtWadeyWilson

        9/10, could have said “Clever girl,” but didn’t.

        1. Emperor Norton II

          That was the whole point.

  42. Emperor Norton II

    I wonder if the alt-text was inspired by yesterday’s comments. I seem to recall that Willis might change them on the spot based on whatever is currently on his mind.

    1. Deanatay

      From what I recall, he adds the alt-text at the last minute, so it tends to me more ‘current’ than the comics themselves.

  43. ety

    The bunks in our dorms didn’t have railings…

    1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      How did you ride people out of town, then?

      1. Clif

        Bridles, stirrups, whips. You know, the usual.

        1. ety

          Is that not what everyone else does?

  44. Eldritch Gentleman

    Don’t worry Joyce, even if naked Ethan with angel wings appeared before her and asked her to marry him she’d still be unhappy.

    1. Emperor Norton II

      I believe you meant Naked Jacob, right?

      1. Eldritch Gentleman

        Oh yeah. I really shouldn’t trust my brain to write my posts in the morning.

  45. NinjaNick

    Cute, Joyce.

  46. Council

    She acts like how Japanese spirits do in lighthearted anime.

    1. Council

      That is, sitting nearby while you sleep not understanding how creepy that is, and scaring you half to death as you awake is played for comedic effect. Bonus points if they have a highly stylized scythe or something.

      1. Emperor Norton II

        Someone should draw a scythe into Joyce’s hands in Panel 3.

      2. BenRG

        Or, in Western entertainment, a genie. Put her in a harem girl costume, have her call Sarah ‘mistress’ all the time and the match-up with the trope is nearly perfect.

        1. Deadlinedance

          D-don’t tempt me to PSL with Joyce as subject like that!

        2. Spencer

          Joyce invented PSL.

    2. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      Now imagining the DoA remake of Ah! My Goddess!:

      Joyce as Belldandy
      Danny as Keiichi
      Billie as Urd
      Riley as Skuld

      1. Deadlinedance

        …this would work. Almost a little too well. Oh My Goddess was my jam.

        1. ety

          That…does seem like it’d work surprisingly well…

          also, Slartibeast Button, BIA I’m not sure why I didn’t recognize that gravatar at first, but I just did now.

    3. Roborat

      Too bad it’s not the ghost in Monster Musume.

      1. Roborat

        Oops, wrong anime, I meant To Love Ru.

  47. Keulan

    Joyce has mastered the art of creeping people out when they wake up.

    1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      She has Dina’s stealth power, but with the limitation “only sleeping people”.

  48. Sazazezer

    HEY BART DO YOU LIKE MY CHAINSAW AND HOCKEY MASK!?

  49. Abel Undercity

    And with this strip, the only thing standing between my cat turning into Joyce is a conversion to Christianity.

    That hurdle may be insurmountable, though, as cats recognize no Higher Power than themselves.

  50. podian

    Try hanging from the ceiling.

    1. BenRG

      Or ask Dina for unnoticability lessons.

      1. Bagge

        You’ll have to find her first.

        1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

          Bait a trap with unpublished dinosaur articles.

        2. Falling Star

          Or Becky.

        3. Slartibeast Button, BIA

          I’d have to clear that with the Legal Department first.

        4. Bagge

          Yes, that is a VERY GOOD idea.
          There is NO RISK of anything going wrong.

          https://youtu.be/9CcDXRwqtF8?t=20

  51. Kim

    Love the colours in this one

  52. Spencer

    Joyce continues to the best character.

    She might as well be a space alien to me. Unlike nearly every other character Joyce is someone who I don’t have much personal resonance for, folks Amber, Walky, Ruth and Sarah are characters I can look at and go “yes this is me”, but everything about her is so fantastically realized. She feels alive.

    1. Fart Captor

      If THAT makes you feel dirty never look at anything related to American politics on twitter, because the actual pro-Trump rhetoric out there is so much more toxic.

      1. Fart Captor

        Whoops that was supposed to be a reply to JBento’s comment much further below.

        No idea how the heck that happened. :I

  53. Falling Star

    Yay, she’s healing!

    1. Deanatay

      If you make that face while you’re healing, it’ll get stuck like that!

      -said Joyce’s Mom, in fifth grade

  54. BenRG

    What is interesting is that Sarah is so used to Joyce leaning over her when she wakes up that she’s actually slightly worried if it isn’t happening. That’s my interpretation of panel 2, at least. “Where’s Joyce?” The answer, sitting at the top of your bunk, watching you with a demented grin.

    The horrible part of this is that I can’t think of any character less likely to be a psycho slasher stalker than her, yet she plays the part so well!

  55. Liliet

    Joyce is TRYING HER BEST. She sees that she’s making Sarah uncomfortable and she TRIES TO FIX IT.

    …she’ll get it right sooner or later

  56. JBento

    Oh, good, a light-hearted strip that coincides with more of my befuddling by the US government, so I can ask for explanation without detracting from a discussion on an important issue:

    So, uh, US Congress has told the families of Twin Towers attack victims that they can sue Saudi Arabia for it. I, uh, how does that work? This was a political please-re-elect-me thing, right? No-one thinks this is actually enforceable, do they? I mean, how? Does this mean Iraq, Syria, Vietnam et al can now sue the US? How? I mean, uh… what?

    APPARENTLY, and if I understood the news I read correctly, in return for Democrats helping to pass that bill, Republicans pinky-promised that, come next year, they’ll totally vote “yea” on allocating funds so that Flint people stop being poisoned by tap water (the wtf levels are ridiculous on this). Does anyone expect them to actually do this? A cursory internet search tells me the whole thing started in 2014, but after two years of blocking help, they’re totally changing their minds next year? Do people believe this? Should I start a betting pool on what excuse they’ll give next year to not pass it, ranging from “Budgetary needs have changed” to the classic “”We never said that” turning into “Oh, we had our fingers crossed” when actual footage is presented?”

    I mean, Congress is… elected, yes? It’s not a lottery? USAmericans VOTE for these people, based, one would hope, on their competence rather than entertainment value? OUR politicians do a lot of fucked up stuff, but I never heard any of them go “their tap water is poisoned? So? It’s not MY tap water, let the fuckers die.”

    1. BenRG

      Usually, they are elected on the basis of tribal loyalty to the party, something that has built up over generations and is largely regardless of any facts about platforms, policies and ethics. In some areas, a political seat is so inviolable to any challenge (simply because the majority will reflexively vote for that party) that it is a job-for-life and an open door to unlimited access to the public sector gravy train/pig trough.

      Out of despair at this was the Donald Trump phenomenon born.

    2. Council

      The US is just… or, rather, “just” the same situation as anywhere else, taken to a massive extreme due to the polarized politics. US citizens do everything big – the elections themselves last far longer than they sanely should and cost even more, just to give an example – and more to the point, they LIKE it big, in general. The need for extremes means they elect more extreme officials, who then encourage extreme behavior, so the next is election cycle is even worse, and so on. And that’s only in a vacuum – the extreme behavior makes the differences between the two parties more pronounced and visible, which makes them more hostile to each other.

      This process continued for hundreds of years to get as bad as it is now, even as the parties sort of switched roles in the early 20th century.

      Hence why, both of the parties ended up with presidential nominees who are ridiculous caricatures of their respective party. Hillary Clinton is detached, beholden to her focus groups to appeal to the ridiculously diverse voter base Democrats fostered, and jollily decieves, cheats or just simply withholds important information to get her way(“For your own benefit”, of course), while Donald Trump is a xenophobic, inveterate liar, to both himself and others, terrified of everything outside his narrow comfort zone, who doesn’t even respect his voters enough to cover up his nonsense.

      For their credit though, these people are so extreme that many more reasonable Americans stopped in their tracks and asked each other how did they get there. It’s like seeing yourself in a broken, distorting circus mirror.

      With the above demonstrated, it’s easy to see why conservative politicians in the US are perfectly comfortable in being upfront and obvious in their disrespect for their voter base. They spent decades upon decades to appeal to the people who do not inform themselves, and they fostered and encouraged that attitude to be able to keep going. They know that jack all of their voters will call them out on their bullshit. Within a certain threshold of outrage, they can do whatever they please, and that threshold widens every year.

    3. Fart Captor

      The internet and 24-hour cable news have made it possible for people to completely avoid ever being exposed to ideas they don’t already agree with, and since people generally prefer having their opinions reaffirmed rather than challenged, even previously reputable news outlets are afraid to actually call anyone out for being batshit insane or clearly bigoted because they can’t afford to lose what audience they’ve held onto.

      To make matters worse, the competition for viewers has also lead news outlets to try and make stories ”more interesting”, which is really harmful because that means they’re looking for a narrative rather than the truth, and focusing on gossip rather than what people really need to know.

      Trump himself is the inevitable result of over a decade of the far right and outlets like Fox News selling their agendas almost exclusively through fear and hate-mongering. It was no longer enough to say their political opponents were wrong, they were corrupt, unpatriotic, idiotic degenerate criminals who want to kidnap your children and destroy everything ”Real Americans” stand for. Anyone telling you otherwise is either foolishly naive, or in their pocket.

      Many conservatives are realizing too late the monster this has created. The Tea Party was simply the logical result of people actually believing what right-wing politicians have been telling them, and noticing how their actions were not proportional their rhetoric.

      That’s what frightens me most about this election cycle. So many of Trump’s supporters can’t see Trump for what he is, because they’ve been stuck in an echo chamber that has convinced them the alternative is even more terrible, and they’ve been instilled with a mindset that will defend itself even against reason and reality.

      I’ve absolutely no idea how to get through all that to walk these people back from the precipice. With the way Trump has not-so-subltly been suggesting that the election might get rigged against him, and that maybe violence would resolve that, I am scared as hell about what will happen in November, no matter which way the election goes.

      And before anyone takes that last sentence as an endorsement for their alarmingly foolish plans to vote third party our not at all, this is not the election for protest votes. Even if you see it as picking the lesser of two evils, only one of those evils has been endorsed by the KKK, and was then reluctant to call them ”deplorable”, or any other adjective that would have been suitable for a major white-supremacist hate group. Even if every bad thing said amour Hilary were true, we’ve had presidents who were guilty of far worse and still left the country on reasonable shape. Hold your nose and do it. If you want to fix how presidents are elected, start paying attention to senate and house races, because a long-term solution is going to take legislation.

      1. JBento

        The advice I see on news sites on how to help fix the issue is: “stop believing elections only happen every 4 years; vote down”… ticket? ballot? which I’ve sorta deduced is US slang for “vote for the incumbents of regional positions, you dimwits, because those are the people who set policy.”

        The POTUS elections, as far as I can tell, are mostly for rah-rah purposes, because Congress can sort of hold most of presidents’ ridiculous crap at bay… except, as luck would have it, this year, because the next person in the Oval Office is going to pick 1-4 SCOTUS justices, which are ALSO people who decide policy. One of them is Scalia’s replacement (the bastard died half a year ago and Congress is STILL not voting on the nominee; do those people work?), and… I assume 3 of the remainder are so old they’re expected to kick the bucket in the next 4 years?

        Also, you typo’d “amour Hillary,” and that made me chuckle. Here’s a cookie.

        1. Fart Captor

          Its more that we don’t pay attention to the smaller races, and almost always vote either based solely on party, or for the incumbent. And turnout for midterm elections is abysmal.

          Almost nobody pays attention to state and local elections which is pretty terrible, as those have a far greater effect on our lives.

          And I have no idea why my phone’s dictionary has all these non-English words I never use in it when I keep finding much more commonly used English ones I have to add myself -_-

        2. JBento

          Clearly, it’s the evil foreigners invading ‘Murican phones! Vote Trump to keep dirty for’ners out of ‘Murican phones!

          …

          Excuse me, while I go and bleach my fingers.

        3. thejeff

          It’s not just that turnout for non-presidential election years is lower, but it’s not evenly lower. Demographics that tend to vote Democratic tend to vote less reliably. They’re less likely to turn out in off-years than Republican voters are. So off year elections tend to skew Republican.
          So pushing people to vote down ballot and turn out for off years changes the balance.
          The Presidency isn’t quite just Rah-Rah, though not so dominant as the media might portray it. They have a lot of direct influence on foreign policy & diplomacy, most obviously. They can veto any legislation, which is hard to override. They tend to set policy direction and priorities. And they oversee most of the bureaucracy. Competence there matters alot, even if it’s just appointing competent people.
          The Court is also important, as it is in every election. And it’s not so much that Congress doesn’t work, it’s that the Republicans in control are deliberately stalling in hopes of a Trump victory and a chance for another conservative Justice. Since he’d be replacing Scalia, even the fairly moderate Garland would be a drastic shift in the balance of the court. Likely the first liberal dominated court since the early 70s.

  57. bunivasal

    I remember when my roommate would materialize in his underwear on my bed as I was waking up.

    Honestly, it was kind of preferable to him whispering across the room, unseen: “I’m naked.”

    1. JBento

      I… I can’t tell if that’s disturbing or hilarious. On the other hand, I reflexively hit things that aren’t supposed to be there when I wake up, so I’m going to go with “disturbing, and only hilarious because it didn’t happen to me.”

  58. Mr. Random

    … A Little better.

  59. Regalli

    Honestly I think that one might be even worse.

  60. zoomer296

    What the hell are you doing over there?!

    Me? Nothing. I was just uh…well, you know how I always say…um, I just uh…I like to watch you sleep sometimes. And by sometimes I mean often.

    1. Roborat

      And by watch you sleep I mean do your hair and makeup.

  61. Firedaws

    WAKEY WAKEY CHICKEN BAKEY!

    1. Bagge

      +1

  62. Bicycle Bill

    Imagine a pointy hat on her head, and Joyce sorta looks like “The Elf on the Shelf” perched there.  Too bad this didn’t come out a couple of months later, in late November/early December.

  63. kaunisenkeli

    Well, baby steps and all that. At least Joyce is making an effort.

  64. chris73

    Definitely another one of the funny in a comic situation but highly inappropriate in real life…

    With Joyce you have to let her know, at the time, that her actions are unwanted because she’ll just forget about it later, bit like my dog come to think of it…

    1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      So, squirt her with water every time until she stops?

      1. chris73

        That would probably work better then what I normally do which usually involves letting them on the bed and playing with them…

    2. Fart Captor

      Learning to respect other people’s boundaries, even when they’re so different from your own that they don’t even make sense to you is something a lot of people are still learning at that age. I would guess just assumed Sarah was just crabby, and didn’t consider that it might make her uncomfortable.

      I think now that she sees that, she’s making an effort to adjust her behavior. She’s just underestimated how different Sarah’s boundaries are from her own.

      1. chris73

        Yeah hopefully because she is good at learning boundaries…well most of the time

  65. JohnnyO

    It’s been almost a month since we’ve seen Joyce. Is that a record?

  66. Tenn

    “Hnrgh.”

    “Joy–”

    “Joy Division… reunited? But how is that poss–”

    Galasso: “I brought back Ian Curtis (and subs).”

  67. Porto

    PJ Joyce is adorable. Holy butttttttttssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

  68. chris73

    I’m trying to imagine the scene if it was Joe in bed instead of Sarah

    1. Spencer

      so am i

      ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

  69. Michael

    I can empathize with poor Joyce. There was this person I cared about so much in college, I came into their room and watched over them while they slept all night. I made sure to never even blink!
    My thoughtfulness did not seem appreciated for some reason.

  70. DarkoNeko

    WAKE ME UP INSIDE

  71. Tenchan

    Joyce: *sings* “I hear the secrets that you keep/when you’re talking in your sleep!”

    Sarah: What did you just say?!

    Joyce: I was only seeing a song Sarah! *smirks mischievously

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