The Dumbing of Age Book 10 Kickstarter is live!
This book will collect "Year Ten," spanning the four storylines that start on August 18, 2019, and complete on September 9, 2020. This includes new commentary, behind-the-scenes artwork, and new character designs into an 236-page tome with luxurious glossy paper all bound up into a sturdy presentation. Our biggest book yet! And there will be a foreword by Seanan McGuire!
The book is titled Renounce Magical Thinking and Embrace Empirical Evidence, and it's the culmination of a full decade of Dumbing of Age stories! This is the big one! With kidnappings and van chases! The Ending With A Huge Timeskip one!
$1500 until we unlock the next character magnet! 10 days to go!
163 thoughts on “Don’t”
Ana Chronistic
need some medicinal ice for that SICK BURN??
Thag Simmons
It’s not really an insult? More just like an accurate assessment of character?
Carms
The best burns always are
Clif
Sal does not fight fair.
Makkabee
She fights to win.
FacelessDeviant
Was it a burn?
I think it was said in order to advice, not to sting.
Jason Rivest
I think she feels burned, and that’s what matters.
I certainly agree it wasn’t mean spirited.
Stu
Pretty sure the ice was just thrown onto her smouldering libido.
Sirksome
Interesting point made by Sal. Counter point: Walky’s ass. Nough said!
Sirksome
Also I still have yet to discover a reason why Dorothy hooking up with Walky again for any amount of time is a bad thing? Except maybe it would upset Lucy with is neutral at best.
Thag Simmons
Well the only one really complaining is Joyce, who thinks Dorothy is much too good for him.
C.T Phipps
I think it has to do with the fact that Dorothy got emotionally invested in Walky, screwed him up bad when she dumped him, and is planning on leaving again. Basically, she’s not abiding by the “just for funsies” rule and it’s cruel.
cmasta1992
Bullseye.
Diana
REALLY funny that you have a Joe pic by your name for that comment
Sirksome
I feel like that’s putting on lot of the responsibility on Dorothy. Relationships go both ways and Walky got just as invested knowing it was a “Just for fun” casual relationship.
Skater Girl
While that is true and justifies her previous behaviour, now that she knows his feelings for her are more than that, it would be unkind to rekindle that relationship with no intention to pursue it further. Both to Walky and to herself.
Johan
He didn’t until Dorothy added feelings and then got mad he didn’t feel the same and then dumped him once he did.
Adam Black
It WAS on Dorothy.
She Broke the funsies rule early on.
Then she told him she loved him.
She pushed him over and over to treat her as a serious Gf.
Walky was always fairly consistent. She dumped him when he became slightly inconvenient to her , even though ( unlike danny ) he always believed in her and her goals.
Sirksome
It’s really weird to me that we’re ignoring Walky’s agency in any of this. He’s not a child, but it really sounds like people believe Dorothy took advantage of him and discarded him when inconvenient or that somehow them hooking up would result in Walky falling for her again. They’re both adults(ish) and in different spots emotionally and mentally.
Jason Rivest
I’m with you. I thought that relationship was pretty healthy in general, while it lasted. It didn’t work out in the end, but neither were abusive to each other, and they remained friends. I don’t think them rekindling their fling would be the worst thing ever, as long as they are honest with each other and with themselves. I liked them as a couple. (Then again I really like Lucy too).
The thing is, Dorothy is more emotionally mature than Walky by a mile and a half, but she’s still in her teens. She doesn’t know what she wants. She knows what she wants to want (Yale), but what she actually wants is to maintain the relationships she’s made here. She’s happy here.
With Walky, she wants to want a “for funsies” relationship, but what she really wants is an emotionally commited relationship.
Lord_Circe
It’s not really that they are ignoring Walky’s agency, it is that they are recognizing that no amount of “well, Walky could just say no” is going to change the fact that it was Dorothy’s mismatch in what she thinks she wants vs. what she actually wants that led to the original relationship breaking down. And if she goes into the relationship with the same mismatch of goals, it will likely lead to the same outcome.
It is possible that it won’t, but if that is the case, it will be because of ‘Walky’s agency’, specifically the budding bit of maturity that he is slowly, slowly growing. But I find it much more likely that the emotional pressure that broke their first relationship would break a follow-up, and would lead to Walky backsliding.
BBCC
I’m with you, Sirksome. They were pretty healthy, all things considered. Maybe Dorothy will just consider a long distance relationship when she heads to Yale.
poofdepoof
Yes, this is what bothers me too
Johan
Prolly wouldn’t be good for Walky? He does love her.
Alex
Hooking up with an ex that you loved can rekindle old feelings and cause you to get hurt.
Jhon
Walky will not follow her to Yale.
Joe Moose
I did hear though the grapevine that his ass is considered a wonder. Who’s wondering, I cannot say.
StClair
HOW FINE REPEAT HOW FINE IS WALKY’S ASS THE WORLD WONDERS
BarerMender
More to the point, Walky’s hair.
paleotectonics
And the cellular tower he’s got stuffed in his trousers.
Delicious Taffy
Is that why he’s a telecom major? Gotta use that thing for somethin, I guess.
Needfuldoer
Damned 5G’s going to get everybody, isn’t it…
/s
Deanatay
Tap dat broadband coverage
Keulen
And apparently he’s sculpted out of caramel when shirtless.
Didn’t realize how far back that strip was.
butts
“dangit, foiled by my own crippling addiction to success”
Doctor_Who
I mean, it’s not like hooking up with Walky was a wise decision the FIRST time, and he’s hotter now.
Reltzik
So the question is whether how much Dorothy learned from her learning experience outweighs how much hotter Walky’s gotten?
CC
Is he hotter, or does he just have Faz Mouth Syndrome
Yotomoe
https://imgur.com/a/X2cXYIk
More Walky shipping. Featuring Joyce being just a little bit Roomies! amorous.
King Daniel
Methinks the Joyce doth protest too much
Yotomoe
I’m just gonna say this now. I am all ABOUT characters being covered in lipstick marks in the aftermath. It’s such a good visual shorthand but it’s honestly pretty hot.
Tawnee
Agreed on it being good visual shorthand but one thing that’s always bugged me is how perfect the lipstick marks are. Where’s the smearing from a slide, a lick, a nibble, a drag, a… umm, you get the idea… I’m gonna go now.
Yotomoe
Oh I’ve definitely done the lipstick smudging and smearing before in drawings. The only issue is in smaller drawings the effect kinda gets lost and it looks messy. Basically you gotta do it in a large decently sized image to get it to look good. But yeah don’t get me wrong. Smudges and smears are LEGIT!
JetstreamGW
… I actually really like that style? Like, Joyce looks super cute in it?
Yotomoe
Haha Thanks for the compliment?
OBBWG
Your art continues to make my day better.
StClair
“… baka.”
Tus
Really really love your art!
AGV
That’s adorable
milu
Awwww man you’re amazing
Keulen
Nicely done.
ValdVin
Hot. Yet in the realm of possibility of character.
milu
way more realistic than yesterday’s where he willingly offered some of his nugs.
C.T Phipps
I think we should have Walky turn her down. Is it weird that I like Dorothy best when she’s utterly fumbling around? Those are some of the most relatable parts of the comic–when, the type A girl just doesn’t know what to do.
Diner Kinetic
Honestly I’m the same way, the less she acts like a mature adult the more she feels like someone I, a ‘mature adult’, would hang around for fun
Jason Rivest
A distinct possibility. Walky may have held Dorothy on a pedestal, but it’s very possible he won’t feel up to ride that emotional roller-coaster a second time, and decide they are better as friends. I liked them as a couple, but this is a development that would show some emotional growth on Walky’s part.
It’s also possible he’s just not interested in dating anyone right now. He’s had two girlfriends last semester, he got kidnapped and his roommate died.
He Who Abides
Damn you S-wait a minute, Sal? That can’t be right. Ah well.
Damn you Sal!
BarerMender
Sal spent a long time learning to watch the people around her. Watch and understand, but not trust.
RassilonTDavros
Aww, it’s so sweet that Dorothy doesn’t get off on doing things Joyce doesn’t want her to do! #relationshipgoals
Jhon
But does Dorothy get off on doing things Joyce does want her to do?
( sits down to draw venn diagram )
annarchy
Getting Syllogistic up in here.
Stephen Bierce
Is Smug Joyce auditioning for the role of refrigerator magnet?
Stephen Bierce
BTW, I found a diecast of the BMW motorcycle I think matches Asher’s this evening at WallyWorld. Bought it. Will mix paint for it tomorrow…and pictures of it may show up at Tumblr and Twitter.
Mr D
Can I just mention that, Joyce doesn’t get to tell Dorothy not to do shit? Despite what many in the comment section want, Joyce ain’t Dorothy’s GF. She can tell her she thinks it is a bad idea, or that she thinks she shouldn’t do it…
Yotomoe
I mean…anyone can tell you not to do shit, girlfriend or otherwise. Whether or not you feel inclined to listen is a whole other matter. She may be phrasing it like a command but it’s more of a suggestion, just like dotty telling joyce to get glasses.
DiDi
Eh, but the implication that it’s a bad idea is pretty heavy here. So far, Joyce hasn’t actually demanded.
It’s more like when there’s an opening for a crude joke and you know you’re friend might say it, so you’re like “Don’t. Noooo. Don’t say it.” Not an actual order at all. Just a strongly worded imploring.
Black
To be fair, are we sure she ISN’T Dorothy’s girlfriend?
Sometimes it’s hard to tell with Joyce if she just has genuine issues with respecting personal space, or if maybe she has some deeply-buried bisexuality she’s dealing with.
King Daniel
Even if Joyce is bisexual, that still doesn’t make her automatically Dorothy’s girlfriend. Pretty sure relationships are supposed to be a mutual thing.
Sirksome
True, but I do feel if either one of them were a boy they’d be dating and/or banging right now. Their sexuality repressed or not is the main factor keeping them as friends.
Nono
I don’t think they would. Even if they were sexually compatible, Dorothy right now is trying to avoid anything but ‘for fun’. Joyce wants a spouse and a house.
Just because two people can be best friends doesn’t mean them dating is a good idea.
Sirksome
I don’t think that actually disqualifies it. Having different relationship goals only means there would be conflict. I don’t even think Dorothy is only looking for fun as much as she’s just trying not to repeat what happened with Danny. As in dating someone willing to give up their own life goals to stay with her. (And Danny’s main flaw was less that he was too attached and more that he didn’t believe in her or himself.)
thejeff
Dorothy’s still planning to leave for Yale, as far as we know. She’s trying to avoid a serious relationship because she knows it would have to end. (And she failed pretty badly at keeping her Walky relationship not serious.)
Joyce is looking for a romcom version of true love and she’s been raised to not have any life goals of her own but to find it and then raise a bunch of kids. She’s shedding that, but she’s perfectly primed to drop everything for a romance.
Plus Joyce would likely be more demanding than Walky in terms of time and that’s the other reason Dorothy broke up with him in the first place.
Sirksome
There are nuanced differences between Joyce and Walky that would make the relationship with Dorothy completely different. One example is that Walky agreed to the breakup in part because he felt like a burden to Dorothy’s time. Specifically because of her wanting to help him with his failing math grade. That’s one specific thing that just wouldn’t be a stressor if Joyce and Dorothy got together.
There are other examples too, for instance I think Joyce could probably handle a “pause” better than Walky and not completely default back to bachelor mode and ignoring her responsibilities.