156

Messed
Posted on October 15, 2022 by David M Willis

156 thoughts on “Messed”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    I would’ve thought Joe LOVED feeling things, especially boobs? ?

    …or does he want a sensory deprivation tank, but filled with boobs

    1. Doctor_Who

      Walkyverse Joe has probably invented that, and it made him a cool billion.

    2. Cholma

      He just can’t handle all these “feels”. 😀

    3. Yotomoe

      Damn, beat me to it.

    4. butts

      sensory titillation tank

      1. ButWhyASpoon

        This reminds me of kink cartoon art where 1 man is being covered in the tits of many eager women, to the point where one can barely see him.They are over his eyes, his arms and legs, feet and hands. There is definitely a woman on top as the leader of this kinky game, commander of the titty army of the supreme titf0ck.

        1. Yotomoe

          I uh…
          If you remember what that is, send it to good ol’ yoto cuz that seems right up my alley.

        2. ButWhyASpoon

          The reason I cannot direct to a source of this kink is that I have seen it in so many places that I consider it to be a genre unto itself.

        3. Ana Chronistic

          sounds like the one Oglaf comic but not quite

    5. Yoder of Kansas

      But not the heart feels!

    6. v.gay.person

      tmi, but one of the BDSM clubs I frequent has a sensory deprivation box and whenever I start getting overwhelmed I just go and sit in it with my flappy slappy paddle and stim. It’s 100% why it’s my fave kink space

      1. Librain

        That actually sounds kind of amazing. I never knew I wanted something like that, but it turns out I really do.

  2. Sirksome

    There’s a few if you know where to look. Amber just needs to switch genres from superheroes every now and then.

    1. anon

      in a more ‘low stakes’ thing i can understand enemies or ‘rivals’ to lovers but stuff like superhero stuff where the villain literally kills someone would make it seem kinda iffy then again fiction would hopefully be diff than a regular person dating a known serial killer lol

      1. Thanatos

        Most of the ones I’ve seen, the hero/villain pairing, the villain doesn’t really kill people. Batman/Catwoman, Spiderman/Black Cat (lot of cat themed villain love interests). With Daredevil and Electra, she does kill people, but for her it’s generally an antihero thing where she targets bad people to kill and canonically, it does interfere with them being together long-term. So, generally thieves and antiheroes.

        1. Awaiting Moderation

          Yes, but you’re talking about regular fiction. The world of fanfiction cares not for morality. Batman doesn’t get paired with Catwoman in the world of fanfiction. He gets paired with the Joker.

        2. Twitcher

          Why would enemies to lovers fanfic be at a dearth right now? Surely She-Ra is still fertile ground for fan content? And then there’s the Owl House, where Hunter obviously likes Willow, and then there’s Lumity…

        3. anon

          well batman and catwoman being flirty is one thing but other than the “oh that’s hot”, i’m not sure if i’d ship batjokes seriously as a real thing, other than ppl enjoying toxic relationship dynamics like whatevers happening in that interview with a vampire adaptation that’s happening now lol

  3. Yumi

    Joe, my giant baby ;.;

    1. Yumi

      Seriously, panel three hurts.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Yeah. 🙁

        I don’t think Joyce was disgusted, that was more of a “cough cough nothing to see here” cover before they “got caught”. The public façade of keeping each other at arm’s length must be maintained! For some reason!

  4. butts

    sorry, joe, you really danned this one up

    1. DailyBrad

      Can we retire this? Like when is the last time Danny’s been the most socially awkward guy in this comic? It’s been years by now.

      1. Doctor_Who

        There was his epic moment of oral diarrhea when speaking to Ethan about Mike.

        Post timeskip he’s been pretty okay, though.

        1. King Daniel

          As DailyBrad said, it’s been years.

      2. Kelibath

        PFP checks out!

      3. Ed Callahan

        True. Come on, people, cut Danny some slack.

      4. Decidedly Orthogonal

        Years? Danny, Danny, Danny-boy. It’s been a little over *one* semester. At this rate, Danny will have to wear his awkward forever.

    2. thakoru

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-12/01-sister-christian/blurtout/ Maybe?

      1. True Survivor

        Yeah, that works.

  5. Johan

    I mean she didn’t need to shake her hand and make a face when all she wants to do is hold his hand.

    Man, Im so glad my only crush is on my husband.

  6. shadowcell

    Dumbing of Age Book 13: There’s No Good Enemies-to-Lovers Fanfiction Right Now

    1. LiterallyJustSomeGuy

      I Have to Write Them Myself! — David Willis

  7. Suet

    By a cruel twist of fate, this whole series is just a visual adaptation of Amber’s AO3s.

    Do I smell deep-rooted sexual shame from Joe, of all instances?

    1. anonymsly

      I think it’s more romantic shame, plus a healthy dose of self-hate, probably plus ‘this has never happened before! What do I dooooooo’ because he’s never LET himself like a girl before.

      1. teebee

        It could definitely be leftover sexual shame from his interaction with Liz

  8. Yotomoe

    I like boobs AND feeling things.
    Especially if those things are boobs.

    1. newlland(Henryvolt)

      I do aswell, but I’m starting to wonder if I’m asking for to much for wanting those things.

      1. Yotomoe

        The heart wants what it wants. Asking for too much is part of the human experience.

        1. newlland(Henryvolt)

          Hmm I suppose.

    2. Taffy

      As a fellow boob-feeling hobbyist, I support this.

  9. RacingTurtle

    Joe you beautiful mess

  10. Sol

    God I so, so want Joe and Joyce to get together – have so since seeing that one storyline in Its Walky! where Joe and Joyce have a little… thing… going on – but I fear that, with the way this comic works, it’ll go so badly ;-;

    1. Regalli

      My feeling is that the longer we’re waiting on this one, the more likely it is that when it DOES get payoff, it’ll stick.

      They’re already one of the slowest burns of all, spanning decades and two continuities. I can be patient longer. Totally. I’m not in denial at all.

      1. Sol

        I’m often cursed when it comes to ships I like (barring 2 book series) so I tend not to hold out hope for who I think should get together and kiss.

  11. Stephen Bierce

    RADIO DJ: Speaking of “boobs”, we’ve got some Ozzy and some Ted Nugent coming up later…

  12. Sajuuk-Khar

    Joe was is feeling feelings! It was is FEELS TIME!!

    (An Internet cookie to anyone who recognizes the YTP that’s from

    anyway I love Emotional Basket Case Joe so much)

  13. DailyBrad

    Damn, I didn’t know this is why Joe bolted. Interesting.

    Also, I love these two and their interactions.

  14. Yotomoe

    Joyce even called him a “Completely Unremarkable Male body shape of no particular enjoyable smell”. I guess it’s official, dude. Joyce hates ya.

  15. Carms

    Yesssssss I lov iiiiit
    Yesssssssssssss
    I KNEW he’d pissed off quick out of Feelings!
    Huheehuheehuhee

  16. newlland(Henryvolt)

    Amber is used to being the one running to someone in order to vent about her social anxiety not the other way around.

  17. FaerwenOfValenwood

    I LOVE In His Feelings Joe. Sincerely hope Joe gets even more In His Feelings.

  18. System_Anomaly

    This could be outdated, but for awhile I’ve kind of felt like certain things about Joe’s character have been misintepreted a fair bit by some people. Like it took a long time for the general consensus to be what seemed obvious: he hates himself, likes joyce, and is hiding behind his persona because he feels that is all he deserves. I don’t take it for granted because i remember *years* of seeing comments where people actually did not get that. I’m glad it’s getting more explicit.

    1. Needfuldoer

      He also saw his parents’ marriage implode due to his father’s adultery, and he’s desperately afraid of following in ol’ dad’s footsteps, so he intentionally avoided romantic relationships. That way he can have casual sex with no emotional stakes.

      Then he met Joyce.

      1. System_Anomaly

        Yep

  19. Nathan

    YOU POOR STUPID BABIES

  20. Sirksome

    All this from a handshake. Looking back Joyce was just shaking her hand for bit.

    https://www.dumbingofage.com/2022/comic/book-13/01-bring-me-to-life-drawing/blobs/

    Was it disgust at touching the horrible misogynistic Joe who ruins every woman he lay with, or was his hand just sweaty? I guess we’ll never know.

    1. Cerusee

      It’s this: https://media.tenor.com/as-jpBPlt5EAAAAC/pride-and-predjudice-hand.gif

    2. Yotomoe

      Were his palms sweaty? His knees were weak, his arms were heavy. He was Nervous but on the surface he looked calm and ready.

      1. Taffy

        There’s spaghetti on his nervous, mom’s weak, arms are surface.

        1. Sajuuk-Khar

          He’s spaghetti, but on the spaghetti he looks spaghetti

        2. Taffy

          He drops bombs but he keeps on forgetting to drop bombs, he opens his mouth but bombs come out (Blaow!)

        3. Yotomoe

          His arms spaghetti, Knees weak Palms Spaghetti, There’s spaghetti on his sweater already, mom’s spaghetti. He’s nervous but on the surface he’s Calm Spaghetti, To drop bombs but he keeps on Spaghetti. What he wrote down, Spaghetti goes so loud. He opens his mouth, Spaghetti won’t come out.

        4. Sirksome

          His palms were sweaty but he had a sweater on so his mom was ready
          Ready for the sweater made from mom’s spaghetti, so he drops bombs till his mom tells him he’s armed and sweaty like the palms full of bombed spaghetti palms are ready!

        5. Clif

          I feel I’m missing an important cultural reference.

        6. Taffy

          Go on YouTube. Look up “mom’s spaghetti”. Context acquired.

        7. Plain Marie

          I finally got this reference! I feel so proud of myself. lol
          I like it, other than, sadly, the mom’s spaghetti part.

    3. DailyBrad

      Admittedly, while I assume you’re being facetious, if you’re not, she’s also biting her lip, which would definitely not suggest disgust.

    4. Jeff K!

      It’s “Oh, I need to clear my head and my hand’s all tingly because it was just touching a person I like. Stop tingling, hand.”
      -from experience.

    5. Huehuetotl

      It’s what happens next in the script in how she’s supposed to react.

  21. Cerusee

    No, no…I’ll help, Amber. The least I can do here is offer to beta-read for characterization and continuity errors.

  22. AbacusWizard

    So is Amber effectively writing Dumbing of Age fanfic?

    1. k

      She DID write that one about falling for her nemesis’ identical twin of the opposite gender, so yes.

    2. StClair

      Yes.

    3. v.gay.person

      now I want to do a short fancomic series of Amber’s fanfiction based on her friends’ drama so it’s like Batman/Supergirl* but drawn with Joyce and Joe and very poorly veiled.

      *I just realised my gay ass legitimately does not know any believable m/f pairings

      1. Axel

        idk if I know any non-canon ones

    4. Heather

      She should join forces with Joyce and be a Co-writer. What an epic disaster that would be to behold.

  23. Taffy

    Pff. I dig Amber’s vibe here. “Joe, what the fuck are you talking about? Hey wait, come back??” It’s very fun, their dynamic.

    1. Regalli

      I love it. Their being stepsiblings (which I still expect to end in tragedy and woe thanks to Richard EVENTUALLY, but that could be a good LONG while) is entirely worth it for how fun it is.

      1. Taffy

        It’s also weirdly uncomplicated, for how muddy it technically is. I appreciate that a lot.

        1. Axel

          I don’t want Richard to suck, but also to do a prediction or at least a thought- Joe yelling at Richard because he actually really liked having Amber as a sister, and Richard (or someone) pointing out that most adult step-siblings don’t consider each other siblings anyway and he can be actual, legitimate friends with a girl without any desire to hook up.

      2. Rabid Rabbit

        I honestly think it would be a lot more fun if the tragedy and woe were due to Stacey. And given how much Willis likes torturing us, I have not lost hope that that’s how it will happen. Admittedly, Richard suddenly getting hit by emotion might be too much of a parallel to his son, but still.

        1. Azhrei Vep

          Personally, I’m hoping for a big dramatic discovery of him sleeping with someone other than Stacy, an angry Joe, a depressed and angry Amber, all defused with Stacy point blank telling them that he was honest about his problems in the past, and they came to the conclusion going in to keep things open.

        2. thejeff

          That would be great, but it explicitly contradicts what Richard said to Joe when they first talked about it. It’s possible that’s changed, but there’s been no sign of it.
          It’s not going to happen. Richard isn’t going to have an offscreen epiphany and suddenly fix all the problems that screwed up Joe’s life/

        3. Azhrei Vep

          Aw, damn. I had forgotten about that.

          It’d have been so funny, too…

  24. Carla's #2 Fan

    Amber, it might be time for you to break into new fiction, stuff that’s not fanfic. There are so many good enemies-to-lovers books! And of course I talk about my love for them so often that text predict has the trope name ready to go for me :p

    1. StClair

      “not… fanfic?”

      1. Carla's #2 Fan

        I know, controversial! Although, admittedly some of those still could kind of count as fanfic. Like Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur references Pride and Prejudice a lot…

    2. Alex

      Any recommendations?

      1. Violet

        Best enemy to lovers fan fic = Zutara ship fiction from Avatar the Last Airbender community;

        1. Heather

          Theoretically given its size a good zutara fanfic probably exists but tbh that would be like finding a needle in a hay stack. It’s generally terribly ooc in my experience and as a bitterness and hatred for the show that leaves me cold.

      2. Carla's #2 Fan

        I have lots! Any genre or gender specifications before I start?

        1. Carla's #2 Fan

          General recommendations:
          -Husband Material by Alexis Hall (contemporary romcom gay)
          -Well Met by Jen DeLuca (ren faire rom com, straight)
          -She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen (teen contemporary romcom gay)
          -She Gets The Girl by Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick (college contemporary romcom gay)
          -Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon (teen contemporary romcom straight)

          I haven’t come across anything I’d recommend for scifi or fantasy but I’m sure it’s out there. Tarnished Are The Stars by Rosiee Thor is kinda close, but they more work for opposing causes when they meet than are the actual enemies-to-lovers trope.

  25. Meagan

    This is my favorite strip in a while. There’s so much good stuff going on here both story-wise and visually. But I am too tired to name it. Zzzzz.

  26. Black

    Fuck, Amber, get some goddamn help! Life isn’t some fucking fanfiction for you to enjoy!!!

    1. Rabisch

      The hilarious thing is how she was disgusted by Booster for doing something very similar. They are the same but she has a brother and some friends.

  27. The Oracle

    This is nice. I’m sick of Dorothy. Give me Thicc Brown Dorothy all day forever and I will be a happy whatever.

    1. Yotomoe

      Thicc brown Dorothy? Do tell.

      1. Sirksome

        Amber is as coined by Walky, “thicc Dorothy” with brown hair. Although I would be here for a thicc brown Dorothy!

        1. Yotomoe

          I will say I find Amber exceptionally attractive so it tracks.
          She’s plenny THICC

      2. Laura

        Liz is thicc brown Joyce.

        1. Yotomoe

          Much like chocolate and Vanilla ice cream I’d really like to enjoy those two as a swirl.

        2. Nicoleandmaggie

          Not cool to metaphor women as food, especially POC women. There’s a racist history of people doing it.

  28. bagge

    if amber is this much into other people’s drama she and booster might have something in common after all

    1. v.gay.person

      I was just thinking this

  29. BBCC

    Uuuuuuugh, it’s so much more fun if other people write it and it hits all the right emotional buttons

  30. StClair

    Dina is the only person mentioned in this comic who is not deeply in denial about something.

    1. poofdepoof

      What is Joe in denial about here? He seems to have embraced that he’s crushing on Joyce

      1. StClair

        nope nope nope! he’s not crushing on anyone (especially not Joyce) because he doesn’t have feelings! he’s just a shallow Giant-Sized Man-Thing! who was never here, you didn’t see him! *flees*

  31. Laura

    *Plays “Old Town Road,” on the hacked muzak*
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Ov5jzm3j8

    1. Laura

      *Plays “Forever Young” on the hacked muzak, after that:*
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1TcDHrkQYg

      Basically, songs about learning tough stuff the hard way. :-/ 😐

  32. Mr. Random

    The trick is organically creating a situation in which they both have to set aside their differences to get around an exterior challenge AND all their armor falls off.

  33. Rabid Rabbit

    Joe, I hate to remind you, but based at the very least on Ruth’s response to the word “jugs” in connnection with her, “I like boobs” is not a way of denying an interest in Joyce.

    1. Yotomoe

      Normally he likes people because of their boobs but he likes Joyce AND her boobs.

    2. Alex

      He likes boobs, not the girl they are attached to.

      1. Yotomoe

        I dunno. Boobs without girl is like Icing without cake.

        1. thumb

          I’d say it’s more like a serial killer trophy, but to be fair, I don’t know how you like your icing.

  34. anon

    it’s a good thing most of the ppl in her dorm room don’t care that’d be awkward to stumble upon this information (then again if they’re not also mutual friends with joyce it’d just sound like amber shouting ‘nerdy’ stuff as usual lol)

  35. Needfuldoer

    Aww, he’s panicking and assuming the worst.

    1. Mark

      Yup. Because this relationship, whatever it is, has become important to him, and he’s not accustomed to that, and doesn’t know how to handle it.

  36. Blume

    Is this just a trope I like? Because I’m loving this Joe panic right now. The “I’ll ruin her” thing he has going on in his head is immaculate, and I hope he has a real convo with Joyce soon.

    1. Blume

      It’s also interesting to see just how much he really likes her… Which is a lot!!

    2. Axel

      I mean, it’s a very fun trope when done well

  37. Lone Duck

    I like boobs and not ever feeling things!… … … Except boobs!

    1. Yotomoe

      Same.

  38. Heather

    Amber is going to love the working world: where meetings could be emails and phone calls could be texts is a common occurrence.

  39. Rabisch

    Joe looks so desperate. Good thing he has a sister now and he can tell her everything. I love how much he’s counting on Amber and how she’s grumpy but also very interested in his love/feelings complexes. I wonder what will Amber do with the new information. A part of me want her to ask Booster for advices. They are a little creepy, but seems to understand something about others. Plus, Amber just admitted she enjoys hearing others people dramatic love stories, she’s not so different form Booster.

  40. Needfuldoer

    I hope “I didn’t say anything real” means “I didn’t seize the opportunity to tell her how I feel about her”, not “I gave her nothing but empty platitudes”.

    1. Daibhid C

      It apparently means he shared some real information about his mother that explained why he related to Joyce’s situation, then made an attempt at getting her to feel better about herself without downplaying her feelings, then made a light joke about her not being great at high-fives.

      Then again “We accidentally touched hands, and she pulled hers away and was disgusted” apparently means “I offered her a high five that lasted a little too long, and then I pointed it out and she was embarassed.”

      It’s possible he’s not remembering this 100% accurately.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Yeah, he’s hyperfocusing on the things he did “wrong”, or at least didn’t do absolutely perfectly.

        I just hope the story about his mom wasn’t completely made up, is all.

  41. Rainhat

    Well, this just looks complicated.

  42. Derek

    Amber may be the skeeviest and grossest member of the cast since she continues to unapologetically fetishize real people in her life for her sexual fantasies.
    This is one thing she should feel bad about and it seems like the thing she’s least ashamed of

    1. Alex

      If this was me I’d be invested in the drama without it being a sex thing.

    2. Wendy

      I wouldn’t say she’s quite THE skeeviest or grossest – at least, IMO – but I’ll hand it to you that she’s pretty high up there.

  43. nothri

    Suddenly Amber finds herself inexplicably pulling a squit bottle out of her pocket and turning it on herself. The side of the bottle has a note which reads “Hi other me, as you have no doubt noticed I’ve taken the liberty of arming ourselves with a deterrence in case you start acting like a sex goblin around other people.”

    1. StClair

      replace “in case” with “for when”. it’s not a question of “if” with Amber. 😐

  44. Greg

    I… have zero interest in Joyce and Joe’s will they/won’t they, so I guess I’m glad a lot of you folks are having the time of your life with it.

    I do not see them as characters that actually have any interest in each other beyond the fact that they’re both different types of people than they’re used to being interested in. I kinda hope we can just power through this and move onto something else.

    1. Alex

      But you gotta admit this interaction with Amber is pretty funny. It was science!

    2. miri

      I am still sitting sadly in my little Dorothy/Joyce rowboat even with the certainty that it is not going to happen.

    3. Cerusee

      In a return spirit, I hope YOU don’t get what YOU want! Have a great day!

    4. teebee

      “Glad you guys are having the time of your life, I on the other hand hate it and can’t wait for it to end”

  45. Antonio Tyler

    Been trying to comment but a Got Milk ad kept overlapping the comment link.

    And wow Joe went “Full Danny” here. Never go full Danny, Joe.

    1. Keulen

      Danny is dating Sal mostly from just being himself, so maybe Joe could go at least partially Danny.

  46. Ophidiophile

    Joe comes out as…romantic?

  47. Scrawler

    I am very much enjoying everybody’s character arcs right now.

  48. ButWhyASpoon

    It would be awesome to have a Marvel Vs. Capcom Style Fighting game that uses these College Drama Aspects instead of Violence.

  49. ADLegend21

    hope this is a step toward him dealing with all that self loathing!

  50. C.T. Phipps

    I hope Joe can finally divorce himself from these feelings and become the selfish sociopath he thinks his dad is. It’s kind of fascinating he hates his dad but the things he tries to be are the things that he most hates his dad for.

    Like…Freud would have a field day.

    It makes me wonder if Joe’s dad is like Joe but his habitual cheating is a line would never cross.

    1. StClair

      That’s a hell of a thing to wish for. 🙁

      1. C.T. Phipps

        Oh wait, I forgot my sarcasm tag for the first part.

        🙂

  51. Laura

    Anybody besides me freaking out as much as Joe is about it being the final day before the extended tax deadline?
    …Full on paperwork panic.

    1. Amós Batista

      I know very well this trauma, but here I’m able to send whatever info I have, and send all information after.

      1. Laura

        Thank you, Amos.

    2. Taffy

      Wait, they extended the deadline? Shoot, I never even heard about that.

      1. Laura

        10/17/22
        https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-dont-miss-this-important-oct-17-tax-extension-deadline

  52. Wendy

    I like Joe/Joyce because what Joyce is attached to in Joe is the part of him that he tries to suppress, the part that hardly anyone else sees or appreciates, but that is very much there: the part of him that listens to people, that sees people for who they are, the part of him that wants to be there for others, the part of him that’s humane and a good friend in spite, uh…all the other stuff about him haha.

    And I feel like if he just let himself Experience His Feelings after all – and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t eventually happen – Joyce would move him to bring all his goodness out to the fore.

    And he sees Joyce in her fullness – her flaws and her strengths – and likes and cares for her exactly as she is.

    Gotta admit I’m hugely a sucker for that type of dynamic.

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