Well it doesn’t have to be. On the other hand it can get a lot more complicated than this. Suppose Dorothy had weakened and then regretted it while Imaginary Mike had seized control of Amber.
I wouldn’t expect that anytime soon. Maybe after some more character growth, but the amount of spine it took for him to just give a single statement that his mom hadn’t been treating Sal well tells me that might be a while.
I see it as him testing himself and Dorothy to see if there was still something there. Dorothy turning him down proved that their romance is over, and he needs to focus on Amber and his family issues.
Garbage has a certain stability. If you’re expectations are low, it’s hard to be disappointed.
thumb
Wait, does the roof symbolise a safe and stable position from which you will eventually have to move because you can’t just live there?
And do the stairs represent the precarious change from one stable state to hopefully a more sustainable one?
Do the car chases embody the concept of running away from your problems while also taking them with you and how dangerous it can be when things come to a head?
Was the kidnapping basement the lowest point for our heroes?
Have I just dangerously galaxy-brained? Should you all keep a safe distance while my mind is blown?
clif
Sure. To all of the above.
Khyrin
There’s only one way to be sure: What does that goddamned Red Semi represent?
I really want them to make out on garbage roof. I want them to do OTHER things on garbage roof but it’s probably not the best time but I definitely want some garbage snogging.
I don’t know, makeouts/sex after such stressful events might be just the relaxer that they need. Besides, it’s better than talking about/thinking about Amber’s uncertain future at the school.
Wow, the social dysfunction’s gettin’ kinda thick ’round these parts.
Hopefully wacky hijinks will once again ensue pretty soon-ish. I love this comic and, like most here, have a longstanding history with them (or analogues of them).
It kinda actually pains me to see so many of them hurt so deeply and all at the same time.
There’s enough malaise IRL. These students need a break from all the “ugh”!
Bleh to Walky. I still remember how you tried to lowkey get with your ex the same day your “guilty pleasure” friend saved your life. You deserved a day with your shitty parents.
I dunno. After getting kidnapped, then botching guarding the prisoners, then seeing his Mom treat his sister like trash,… I’m not treating any of them too harshly. I can see Walky grabbing for any good feels he can as a way to block out the tragedy that is his life at the moment. He doesn’t even know if his room mate will live through the night.
I’m not judging any of them for flailing at anything to hold onto. They are not well experienced at this level of chaos, except maybe Amber and Sal… and Marcie.
Tragedy? Look I’m not gonna discredit the traumatic event they all went through, but Walky has it relatively easy overall. Like aside from recent events things just kind of work out for him. I’m not even sure how he really feels about Mike. They were not really friends or at least it’s not been depicted as a close relationship.
Geneseepaws
Yeah, imma gonna call what Walky is living, ATM, a tragedy, because he’s a tragic figure; He fails at everything. He is Unprepared for school (at this academic level), unprepared for love, for an invested adult emotional relationship. He is capable of going to class and getting his meals, but more than that, no, he is totally out of his depth. And doesn’t seem poised to change, to grow to meet his challenges, … and I think that makes him, if not tragic, then at least a doomed figure.
SalleighG
Traditional Greek tragedy required the downfall to be due to the person’s bad choices when they had the potential to do better. In modern times we would look at a story about (say) an innocent child struck by bullets shot through a wall and dying and say “What a tragedy!” but to be Greeks, Tragedy was reserved for failures caused by the self.
I mention this because so far it not clear to me that Walky *could* have done better.
thejeff
Walky’s smart. He could certainly be doing better at school. Probably couldn’t have kept Dorothy, since that was basically all about her.
Now you could say that his personality and upbringing made it so that he couldn’t put in the work to do better in school, but that’s basically how good tragedy (or any good characterization) works – they could chosen differently, but their choices grow out of who they are, so they really can’t.
That said, I don’t believe this story is a tragedy and I don’t think Walky is doomed. He will grow to meet his challenges. In fact, he already is. He’s just not all the way there yet.
He’s also shown the ability to step up and be very mature on some occasions, so the potential is there, which just makes it all the more frustrating when he doesn’t most of the time.
105 thoughts on “Belong”
Ana Chronistic
“our ‘it’s complicated'”
“idk, garbage doesn’t seem too complicated”
clif
Well it doesn’t have to be. On the other hand it can get a lot more complicated than this. Suppose Dorothy had weakened and then regretted it while Imaginary Mike had seized control of Amber.
Khyrin
The image that conjures in my head is Imaginary!Mike-controlled Amber/Dorothy makeouts.
Sunny
Garbage can get really complicated if you want to sort it for recycling, though.
Doctor_Who
I’m in the alt-text and I don’t like it.
not someone else
Why they gotta come for us like that mang
StClair
yup.
either “guilty” or “meaningless and irrelevant and why are you trying to distract yourself from the thing you should be obsessing about right now“
LiterallyJustSomeGuy
I feel targeted
AndieStardust
Yep, so intensely
Deanatay
Alt-text calling me out
JetstreamGW
Hahahahahahahahahahahaahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha *gasp* ahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahaha….
Scott
Good to see this couple interacting again. I hope Wally fights his parents for Amber.
Mra
I wouldn’t expect that anytime soon. Maybe after some more character growth, but the amount of spine it took for him to just give a single statement that his mom hadn’t been treating Sal well tells me that might be a while.
Bicycle Bill
Ah, to be young and unsure whether you’re in love, in like, or in lust.
Geneseepaws
Well, it’s complicated
clif
Particularly since none of them are mutually exclusive.
Needfuldoer
And neither of them know if they are, either.
Deanatay
‘or’ can be inclusive?
Julez
In logic, yes. ‘Or’ kind of means ‘either’ so regardless of if one or both conditions are met the statement is true.
Mra
Well, it’s good Sal has at least one family member willing to stand by her.
LiterallyJustSomeGuy
Right? It’s great to see Billie standing up for Sal!
clif
Agreed. Though to be fair, it was only because she was her brother’s sister.
Spencer
I wasn’t the only one who read Walky’s last talk with Dorothy after the kidnapping as him saying he still wanted to be with her right?
BBCC
I definitely got the vibe feelings were still there, yes.
clif
That’s definitely how she read it. But she isn’t going to let what she wants interfere with her goals.
Scott
I see it as him testing himself and Dorothy to see if there was still something there. Dorothy turning him down proved that their romance is over, and he needs to focus on Amber and his family issues.
Bagge
Garbage roof is back on!
…one of them is going to break up with the other for stupid reasons, aren’t they?
Kyrik Michalowski
I was thinking the exact same thing honestly, this relationship is too good to not be destroyed by Willis.
LiterallyJustSomeGuy
They can’t break up (again)! They aren’t on The Stairs!
Bagge
as long as they stay on the roof they are fine.
clif
Garbage has a certain stability. If you’re expectations are low, it’s hard to be disappointed.
thumb
Wait, does the roof symbolise a safe and stable position from which you will eventually have to move because you can’t just live there?
And do the stairs represent the precarious change from one stable state to hopefully a more sustainable one?
Do the car chases embody the concept of running away from your problems while also taking them with you and how dangerous it can be when things come to a head?
Was the kidnapping basement the lowest point for our heroes?
Have I just dangerously galaxy-brained? Should you all keep a safe distance while my mind is blown?
clif
Sure. To all of the above.
Khyrin
There’s only one way to be sure: What does that goddamned Red Semi represent?
Bagge
*mind blown*
Needfuldoer
They had better not!
At least let Linda find out first…
Bagge
I really predicted Walky threatening to leave college if Linda didn’t back off from being mean to amber, but it seems he won’t have to.
Zee
Technically they are broken up, they just don’t act like it.
Yotomoe
I really want them to make out on garbage roof. I want them to do OTHER things on garbage roof but it’s probably not the best time but I definitely want some garbage snogging.
Kyrik Michalowski
I don’t know, makeouts/sex after such stressful events might be just the relaxer that they need. Besides, it’s better than talking about/thinking about Amber’s uncertain future at the school.
Bagge
If they manage to shoot this relationship down before we get a slipshine out of it I’m going to be SO CROSS
Yotomoe
If they do I guess I’ll just have to draw it myself…y’know…at my leisure. very slowly. I’d make it kinky as hell though.
Bagge
You have the power!
Yotomoe
Let’s not forget I have done it before
https://imgur.com/a/W3bImzi (NSFW)
clif
You could make a regular feature of it and name it Garbage with Benefits.
Bagge
That’s really hot! Especially amber’s kinda annoyed expression
LiterallyJustSomeGuy
That’s great, Yotomoe!
In terms of a Slipshine from Willis, I guess we could already get one for “dry humping to climax” instead of studying?
a/snow/mous/e
Nice~ <3
Captain Oblivious
Nah, it’d end up just bein another trashy sex scene.
wwwhhattt
That would be kinda rubbish
Stephen Bierce
Love will lift us Up Where We Belong…
Captain Oblivious
Mr. Bierce, Where does your extensive knowledge of music come from?
Octopus Ink
Wow, the social dysfunction’s gettin’ kinda thick ’round these parts.
Hopefully wacky hijinks will once again ensue pretty soon-ish. I love this comic and, like most here, have a longstanding history with them (or analogues of them).
It kinda actually pains me to see so many of them hurt so deeply and all at the same time.
There’s enough malaise IRL. These students need a break from all the “ugh”!
clif
Well, we know the blanket warning extends till June. We just don’t know which June.
Deanatay
What if it’s IN-COMIC June?
thejeff
Their June.
Which will be something like our 2050.
clif
At which time I’ll be 101. I hope my eyes hold out.
Captain Oblivious
Surviving to 101, I’m less worried about my eyes holding out, than Willis’ ability to draw/create.
Rose by Any Other Name
#GarbageScowForever
clif
#LongMaySheSail
Kyrik Michalowski
Garbage Roof love prevails where all others may fade away. Truly this is the relationship we need, if not the one we deserve.
Also what are the odds one of them ends this relationship in the near future?
clif
We really don’t want to know.
Keulen
I have hope that the SS Garbage Scow will keep sailing for a while longer. Not much hope, but a little at least.
BBCC
I’ve heard of worse labels!
Sirksome
Bleh to Walky. I still remember how you tried to lowkey get with your ex the same day your “guilty pleasure” friend saved your life. You deserved a day with your shitty parents.
Geneseepaws
I dunno. After getting kidnapped, then botching guarding the prisoners, then seeing his Mom treat his sister like trash,… I’m not treating any of them too harshly. I can see Walky grabbing for any good feels he can as a way to block out the tragedy that is his life at the moment. He doesn’t even know if his room mate will live through the night.
I’m not judging any of them for flailing at anything to hold onto. They are not well experienced at this level of chaos, except maybe Amber and Sal… and Marcie.
Sirksome
Tragedy? Look I’m not gonna discredit the traumatic event they all went through, but Walky has it relatively easy overall. Like aside from recent events things just kind of work out for him. I’m not even sure how he really feels about Mike. They were not really friends or at least it’s not been depicted as a close relationship.
Geneseepaws
Yeah, imma gonna call what Walky is living, ATM, a tragedy, because he’s a tragic figure; He fails at everything. He is Unprepared for school (at this academic level), unprepared for love, for an invested adult emotional relationship. He is capable of going to class and getting his meals, but more than that, no, he is totally out of his depth. And doesn’t seem poised to change, to grow to meet his challenges, … and I think that makes him, if not tragic, then at least a doomed figure.
SalleighG
Traditional Greek tragedy required the downfall to be due to the person’s bad choices when they had the potential to do better. In modern times we would look at a story about (say) an innocent child struck by bullets shot through a wall and dying and say “What a tragedy!” but to be Greeks, Tragedy was reserved for failures caused by the self.
I mention this because so far it not clear to me that Walky *could* have done better.
thejeff
Walky’s smart. He could certainly be doing better at school. Probably couldn’t have kept Dorothy, since that was basically all about her.
Now you could say that his personality and upbringing made it so that he couldn’t put in the work to do better in school, but that’s basically how good tragedy (or any good characterization) works – they could chosen differently, but their choices grow out of who they are, so they really can’t.
That said, I don’t believe this story is a tragedy and I don’t think Walky is doomed. He will grow to meet his challenges. In fact, he already is. He’s just not all the way there yet.
He’s also shown the ability to step up and be very mature on some occasions, so the potential is there, which just makes it all the more frustrating when he doesn’t most of the time.
Delicious Taffy