Whyfor
Posted on January 14, 2026 by David M Willis

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Tags: booster, walky

98 thoughts on “Whyfor”

  1. Bill Erak

    So she does have her meds. Clever Gir- *gets mauled by Dina*

  2. jeffepp

    Booster us horny for drama.

    1. Stormtide Leviathan

      And possibly also just regular horny

      1. Thag Simmons

        Shipping is not necessarily horny. It often is! But it doesn’t have to be

        1. Bill Erak

          this is true!

          Booster is definitely horny tho

        2. GreyICE

          I don’t know if they’re horny, or just basically a voyeur for disaster. Since they’re genuinely the least helpful person in the comic, it’s hard to tell.

          They seem to rate relationships based on the personal amusement they get from watching them.

        3. Clif

          What? You maintain that Mary is more helpful than Booster?

      2. Needfuldoer

        Booster is attracted to Amber…

        1. MAC089

          I happened to re-read that strip yesterday. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2022/comic/book-13/01-bring-me-to-life-drawing/observe/
          Amber: I warn you. I’m going to be extremely boring.
          Booster: Will you? You yourself pointed out that I’m into people who’re “fucked up in the head.”
          Amber: You’re into hot people who’re fucked up in the head.
          Booster: Yes.
          Amber: :<
          Booster: 😀

  3. nadamás

    “This couldn’t be further from sexy i’m actually pretty stressed right now!”

    1. Doctor_Who

      Finishing someone’s Mario Kart laps has got to be SOME kind of base, right?

      1. Effie

        the kind of base that are belong to us

  4. Stormtide Leviathan

    Has it… been 6 hours?

    1. Pocky

      space is warped, and time is bendable.

      1. Effie

        wibbly wobbly timey wimey something something something

  5. Nono

    Walky, you know there’s a thing called… texting, right?

    1. Thag Simmons

      I feel like informing the roommate might not have been the first thing on his mind

      1. Felgraf

        also in this particular case where the police are specifically looking for someone matching Amber’s injuries and/or her costume

        texting is

        not a great idea.

    2. Stormtide Leviathan

      As willis has said in alt text before, if characters started texting to convey information all the time that’s 90% of what the comic would be

  6. Astariel

    Oh, good, they got her meds. I will tick that off my “ridiculously minor details that no one else worries about” checklist.

    1. Clif

      You are not alone.

  7. StClair

    Huh, I didn’t know you could get a prescription for that.
    (Not that she actually has one…)

  8. Sirksome

    “Keeping her drugged up, eh?”
    “Yeah. On oxycodone.”
    “Kinky.”

    1. Leorale

      eugh

    2. Pocky

      yeesh

      Booster does strike me as the kind to take a joke like that way too far tho

      1. Doopyboop

        I uh, don’t think they would make a joke like that, actually. Honestly there’s very few named characters in the cast who would. Ryan. That’s about it honestly. Maybe Mike but he’d turn it into more like a “she has to take oxycodone just to be around you” angle I think.

        1. Sirksome

          I mean I was specifically referencing the lyrics of Ja Rule’s “Always on Time.” A club rap song from the early 2000’s. The context of the song being he’s a playboy who has women waking up in his bed and he’s always ready to please them. A subject that feels relevant to the forced misunderstanding Booster is going for here.

        2. Doopyboop

          I understand that but I’m assuming Pocky’s mention of Booster taking the joke way too far would be. You know. Implying unsavory reasons for why a sexual partner would be zonked out on opiods. If that wasn’t the case I apologize Pocky.

  9. Dave Van Domelen

    Civilized countries have single player health care.

    1. Thag Simmons

      The fact that Amazi-Girl is a wanted fugitive means she’d probably be receiving substandard care regardless of how functional the country’s medical system is

    2. Jacey

      Speaking as an American… you’re not wrong

    3. Tequila Mockingbird

      I see what you did there, and it was brilliant. ?

      1. Leorale

        I love that people are unintentionally fixing this as “single-payer”. Yes, our healthcare system is super broken. And, Dave Van Domelen spelled it how he meant to. 🙂

    4. Kyulen

      But then big corporations wouldn’t be able to profit so easily off people getting sick or injured.

    5. Yotomoe

      Some sorta healthcare masturbation?

    6. Doopyboop

      Friend of mine got a compound fracture in his back and developed an abscess. He had to have surgery for it and, as you can imagine, needs physical therapy. His insurance denied him and it took an additional three weeks of him wasting away in his hospital bed for it to finally be appealed. American healthcare is a BITCH.

    7. Sharizard

      We need to campaign for the healthcare system to include a gamer for every incapacitated patient, who will finish your laps for you.

      I’m serious. I’m hoping if this gets enough traction it’ll confuse the system just enough that we can sneak some actually decent legislation through.

  10. CriticalQuit

    Its nice to see we can count on Walky when it matters

    1. darkoneko

      yeeesss

  11. darkoneko

    At this rate you’ll have to help her pee too

    1. Sirksome

      Damn, didn’t know Walky was into toilet play.

  12. Kyulen

    I see Booster is back to reminding me why I dislike them again.

    1. NGPZ

      they joke about Walky playing doctor now,

      but just wait till they discover what malpractice insurance is :p

    2. nadamás

      Ohhh yeah how awful that… Thing, they surely did, how dare they.

    3. zee

      I see booster is back reminding me why they’re the best character in the strip

  13. noisy

    Booster making an unforced ass of themself here. “Don’t take that the wrong way, even if you’re super gonna” should definitely have clued them in that something else was going on.

  14. Yotomoe

    To be fair, administering prescriptive medicine every six hours could be a really committed kind of sexy play.

    1. NGPZ

      I mean, as long as you don’t mind your partner sleeping 20+ hours a day while they try to deal with agonizing pain T~T

  15. HueSatLight

    “Amber is in my bed” is the way to avoid saying, “Amber’s not feeling well” because you want them to take it the wrong way.

    1. Yotomoe

      I feel like “Amber is in my bed” is a contextual prerequisite to “amber’s not feeling well”. Like even if he just said “Amber’s not feeling well” the followup would be “oh, is she in your bed?”

    2. Needfuldoer

      “Amber isn’t feeling well” would just lead to “then why is she here and not in her own room?”

  16. IntangibleMatter

    Booster, you’re worse at reading appropriate context than anyone else in this strip, and that’s saying something.

    1. Effie

      Ruth had the best summary ever

      1. NGPZ

        off:

        Jennifer look hella cute in that outfit

        1. Yotomoe

          She does but also remember that one red outfit she wore? God DAMN.

        2. NGPZ

          hehehe ya know that’s something

          for so many folk red is the color that gives the hots

          but for me it’s yellow, especially orange-ish yellow hahaha

  17. Pocky

    Can we just push Booster over to Raidah, and let them be their terrible selves together?

    I NEED to see this.

    1. Blue

      I actually love Booster but I would very much enjoy them with Raidah.

      1. anonymsly

        I think they ight genuinely be good for Raidah, in that they’d read her instantly and then start teasing her about who she really is, and she’ll either double down (interesting) or be stung into shifting her behavior (also interesting) and either way she grows as a person.

    2. nadamás

      Literally what did Booster ecen do now?? They just got here!

    3. zee

      Mmmmmm that’d be delicious. Maybe raidah can finally have some depth injected into her

  18. JessWitt

    Seconded.

    1. JessWitt

      Oops, that was meant as a reply to Pocky.

  19. Yotomoe

    Walky: Booster, please. Amber’s dying.
    Booster: Yeah! Dying to get that DICK!
    *Amber coughs up blood*

    1. Doopyboop

      This would make for a darkly funny lil comic strip actually.

  20. Newlland(Henryvolt)

    You know at some point I was going quote Draxes “Life is like a pound” line from GGvol.3…but since Walky seems to not have a choice what girlfriend comes and goes in his life I’ll save that for Joe. I loved Amber & Walky don’t get me wrong.

  21. Dante

    It’s always great to see that some light teasing lands Booster once again in the “Most Hated By Commenters” position.

    Can we at least wait to see if they’re trying to lighten things up or whatever, ye of little faith.

    1. NGPZ

      i admit while they can be a bit much, they do seem to genuinely care about Walky and wants him to be happy with Amber

      even if that seems to be at least partly for their own shameless pleasure XD

    2. Yotomoe

      I’m firmly indifferent to Booster. True Neutral on Booster. They’re not interesting enough for me to dislike them. I’d happily accept 4 straight months of booster over certain other characters.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Indeed.

        They may be the caffeine-free diet store brand cola to Mike’s Coca-Cola Classic / Pepsi, but at least they’re consistent.

    3. eh, whatever

      If they really believe this would lighten things up, they’re starkly incompetent.

  22. Lys

    Walky, that’s playing nurse.

    1. Reltzik

      Stole my comment.

  23. NGPZ

    off topic but like

    what some savory dishes you like when you feeling down?

    i need to take my mind off shit somehow, trying so hard not to spiral, feeling dead inside

    1. Yotomoe

      Fetuccini Alfredo.
      You can put italian sausage in it.
      Put some shrimp in it
      Throw in some mushrooms
      Some grilled Chicken
      Lobster
      it don’t matter. It’s so good.
      You can even eat it plain. Or mix in some parmesean
      Dip your bread in it. It’s the perfect pasta.

      1. Doopyboop

        Spaghetti, pizza, pigs in a blanket. If you sprinkle some shredded cheese and/or baste the top of the croissant with some melted butter, parmesan, and parsley, it is super banging.

        1. StClair

          Pasta + sauce (marinara or alfredo) is one of my regular dinners, usually alternating with rice + chicken + sauce (soy, BBQ, or other).

        2. Doopyboop

          Auuugh if I could eat pasta every night I would. Another savory meal that brings me up is a tasty roast beef but that takes quite a while. If anyone ever wants to try it though, the best way to get a buttery and soft roast beef is to rub salt and pepper on the meat (more marbling the better) and then sear all sides of it in a pan with a bit of oil. Just enough to get a good golden brown, then put the roast into a stock pot with broth, choice of veggies, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours depending on preference. It comes out so tender and succulent.

    2. morleuca

      Grilled pork tenderloin with roasted new potatoes. Asparagus with spicy hollandaise sauce. Chocolate covered pretzels. Grilled chicken that’s been marinated in the state fair chicken marinade my grandfather helped develop. A good spiedie. Corned beef and cabbage omelets served with boxty or colcannon. Decent Chinese take-out. A mongolian grill. A Brazilian rodizio. Caesar salad with chicken and blue cheese. A solidly curated charcuterie board with lots of stuffed olives. A simple dill and garlic pickle.

    3. Anonymous

      Though likely redundant and off-topic, I urge a daily half-hour of outdoor air and sunlight (while walking). In the past that has always prompted the greatest positive shift in my mood, even when it seemed nothing else could.

      For food, my comfort foods are mostly sweet things, and for savory things that suits your own personal tastes closest may be most important, but “When in doubt, eat fish”: 300g of frozen fish cubes (e.g. pollock or salmon), one layer each in two bowls (~150g fish each), microwaved together for 45 minutes on 100 Watts is reliable for me. A little salt (more savory) if it’s pollock, 10g honey (5g per bowl) if it’s salmon. The salmon is higher-calories than pollock, but has more good-for-brain healthy fish oils.

      A daily multivitamin tablet can also be meaningful in not accidentally suffering from any common nutritient deficiency which could have unfortunate effects on muscle-or-otherwise health and/or downstream effects on mental state.

      No matter what, prioritise/maintain dental health, both to stay out of an unable-to-eat-easily vicious spiral and because unhealthy gums and teeth directly affect the health of the rest of the body (and thus brain).

      Eat well–at least 1200 kilocalories per day to not be hungry, and if at all possible with several servings of whatever fresh fruits you most likely–sleep well, and get outdoor light and movement every single day (unless it’s perhaps pouring with rain?).

      Good luck.

      1. NGPZ

        I mean walking isn’t really an option for me atm cuz *gestures at leg*

        but yeah ive been taking vitamins every other day and eating tons of fish lately

        healthy as i try to keep my diet, still depressed and concerned about my foot now slowly swelling like Violet from Willy Wonka ;-;

    4. Gravios

      “Whatever We Got Curry” is my go-to lazy meal – japanese curry (usually just get golden curry brand and follow the box instructions + stir fry the actual curry block a little bit before adding water to get those aromatics going), onions+carrot+whatever veg is in the freezer, grate a little apple into it, throw in whatever protein is on sale at the grocer. Serve on rice or dip some toasted bread in it! Easy and filling.

      If you really want to punch it up, you can do a lot, too: serve with an acidic side – i like fukujinzuke or rakkyozuke, add shallots and garlic, throw in a bit of heat (i bought a jar of just straight capsaicin powder at an H Mart years ago and sprinkle a pinch into just about everything), rinse the rice and then soak in ice water overnight before cooking it + use a nice short grain like koshihikari, throw a little heavy cream or worcestershire or fish sauce on top….

      Hard to screw up, easy to make in big batches, can freeze for later…

  24. Acher4

    Plot twist for the bonus strip.

    The burning skull was just a weird candle to make the atmosphere nicer for Amber. 😛

  25. nadamás

    https://bsky.app/profile/damnyouwillis.bsky.social/post/3mc6e2pgyi22l
    Fells appropriate to put this here.

    1. Acher4

      wow…. I did not know there was this hate towards Booster. :/
      And then I checked the other comments in today’s update.

      What’s going on with the commenters over the last year?
      Is it the exhaustion with RL causing this towards fiction characters?
      People are so ready to be very hateful…and for things that were never real facts for the chars. :/
      sheesh

      1. Doopyboop

        Sometimes I think people take the strips on their own and get mad about it rather than remembering that there’s set up before and pay off in following strips. Like if this was the only exposure in this strip that we had of Booster, I would agree that this is an unpleasant interaction.

        However, the last time Booster and Walky talked, Booster tried to nudge him to hanging out with Amber. Walky was resistant to hanging out with Amber because of her prior rejection and the dumping, now a couple hours later she is “in his bed, her pants on the floor” and Booster is just teasing Walky about that because from their POV Walky “escalated” from ‘I can’t hang out with Amber’ to potentially sleeping with her or at least maybe having some spooning or something. I’m sure next strip will have Booster asking why Amber is taking pain meds, learning she got hurt, and having the appropriate response but since all some readers see right now is the teasing it’s like some sort of object permanence.

        1. nadamás

          You put it perfectly

        2. Big Z

          I don’t even think it’s that complicated, honestly. I’ve had acquaintances like Booster whose style of humor was “jokingly stirring the pot” in various ways.

          It gets old. And, like today, it’s often the case that the joke lands BEFORE the friendly concern you’re assuming will happen tomorrow, which is also irritating even if that ends up being the case.

          They might well mean well. That doesn’t make it any less of a “not NOW, jackass, my friend is having an ACTUAL problem” situation.

        3. Big Z

          (I’ve said it before: Booster’s a fun character to watch, but not the kind of person I’ve liked to have in my circle of friends in real life.)

  26. Anonymous

    As being readable as a direct explanation of the pants on the floor, I admit “administering” made my thoughts go directly to suppositories.

  27. GUIGUI

    “prescription”

  28. Martin Smith

    When oh when will Americans finally get themselves a proper healthcare system that sufficiently covers blue sparks?!

  29. Clif

    Blue sparks? Does the ionization of nitrogen have previously unknown health benefits? Cause that’s what usually causes blue sparks.

  30. Alan in DC

    Totally having nothing to do with today’s strip, but yesterday I tried Google’s goofy AI engine to see what it would come up with. I asked for a photorealistic image of “Dorothy Keener from the webcomic ‘Dumbing of Age’.”

    Crummy thing didn’t even come close! It created a picture of a young woman on a college campus, yes, but she was thin and tall, with no glasses, and had dark brown hair in a style that Frank Zappa would have called, “a hairdo that rinses”.

    Folks are crowing about how wonderful AI is and are exploiting the artistic results as much as possible. But sorry – the results I got were laughable at best and not even in the same world as us.

    1. Alan in DC

      And this morning it gave me a blonde Goth Amber in a dark off campus apartment.

      To hell with technology….

    2. Ilucuthen

      This is your sign to go draw your own Dorothy fanart (please)

      1. Alan in DC

        Going back to that now, thanks. Time to wear down a few more Prismacolor markers

  31. zee

    The goat has returned to my screen. Nature is healing

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