210

This Was Halloween
Posted on July 2, 2022 by David M Willis

210 thoughts on “This Was Halloween”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    now for Willis to taketh away

    …

    END OF STORYLINE

    1. Yumi

      Yup, pack it up folks, no more to see here.

      1. Ray Radlein

        At least now we know why Ruth and Jennifer broke up

        1. Clif

          You laugh. Wars have started over less.

        2. Taffy

          Oh, you assassinate one Archduke and suddenly everything is in an uproar.

        3. Laura

          Much less abscond with one little queen!

        4. Rabid Rabbit

          I’m now wondering exactly which example of that you’re thinking of.

        5. Laura

          Helen of Troy! (Or Elaana of Troyius, if you’re a Star Trek fan…)

        6. davidbreslin101

          [accidentally flagged while trying to reply, please ignore!]

  2. The Wellerman

    So it really IS gonna be all in blue, isn’t it? ?

    I am at least mildly disappointed.

    But oh well. I guess you can’t get to a five-month buffer without cutting corners SOMEHOW.

    1. Thag Simmons

      I really don’t know how much easier doing it in bluescale is, by this point the palette for most scenes is pretty well established.

      1. The Wellerman

        ( I wonder if I could write an AI that restores the original pallete like the process that’s used on old black and white movies )

        1. huehuetotl

          There’s less shading in this one, so it’d look flat or uncanny. Kind of like colorized black and white movies, badum-bum-shish.

        2. Thag Simmons

          Yeah, I didn’t notice the missing shading at first, that simplification should definitely cut some time off.

        3. brionl

          Lately, some of the colorized movies/TV aren’t looking too horrible.
          For instance, I’ve got a DVD with the pilot episode of I Dream of Jeannie and it looks OK.
          They also colorized the first season of Gilligan’s Island, and again not too bad.
          Except for some reason, the episode with Wrong-Way Corrigan his airplane was still in B&W.

        4. Ellen

          Oh my god. I now have motivation for when I get to my machine learning classes…

    2. Bryy

      I spit out my water.

    3. King Daniel

      Has there ever been a flashback in the comic that wasn’t blue? Seems like it’d have been a foregone conclusion.

      1. Thag Simmons

        yeah

        1. Tan

          Being fair, that particular flashback started several strips prior with a very similar sequence to this one (first panel regular color in the present, subsequent panels, and subsequent strips, all-blue in the past)

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-9-comic/01-flyin-to-the-red/gofundme/

        2. Thag Simmons

          Oh, blue flashbacks are absolutely the standard and red or full-colour flashbacks are very much the exception

        3. Needfuldoer

          That’s the one I was thinking of earlier!

      2. Mano308gts

        Already confirmed, but flashbacks vary between blue-scale and red-scale depending on overall emotional state of the person remembering/what the flashback is about. Violence is usually always red.

        1. Thag Simmons

          I suspect we will be seeing some red flashback panels this storyline

    4. anon

      i think it’s a nice touch to indicate a flashback (tho an orangeish brown autumn/halloween palette would’ve been fun too)

    5. tunasammich

      I’m not very good at drawing, but from what little I do, I don’t think coloring in various shades of one color is easier than using a lot of colors??

      1. Jason

        It’s a different way of working, for sure! Two very different colours might be identical shades of grey (or blue in this case)- so what may have worked really well in colour needs to be redone for single colour. Finding the right shades to properly show what is where without confusion, and still getting a sense of the required atmosphere, can definitely be tricky.

        As for whether one is easier… well, that depends on who you ask. Personally I find colour more enjoyable and therefore easier, but if I wasn’t doing it for pleasure… monotone would likely be easier for me? Maybe? At least because I can be indecisive and that way I wouldn’t have to think about what colours to use!

        1. tunasammich

          Yeah it makes sense that it would be different for everyone. I’m personally incredibly bad at shading so grayscale or monotone is a lot harder for me

    6. Jeff K!

      Previous long flashbacks always begin in bluescale then transition to regular colors.

      1. The Wellerman

        Sauce?

      2. Thag Simmons

        To my memory this has happened once/i> and it was specifically for the bit we’d already seen from another perspective. That’s not enough data to say somethings is always a certain way

      3. Thag Simmons

        To my memory this has happened once and it was specifically for the bit we’d already seen from another perspective. That’s not enough data to say somethings is always a certain way

    7. Decidedly Orthogonal

      The Willis _might_ do some kinda palette transition, if this is gonna be an extended flashback. Maybe. Perhaps.

      Let’s watch.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Maybe to blue-tinted desaturated colors? (Or is that reserved for dream sequences?)

    8. ScarvesandCelery

      Fair enough if you don’t like the artstyle, but I wouldn’t call this “cutting corners” to keep up the buffer when 1) Willis has never had to do an entire storyline in monochrome to keep the months-long buffer in over a decade of writing this comic and 2) this is just the established colour palette for flashbacks.

    9. zee

      It’s a flashback what the hell were you expecting? In what way is this “cutting corners” ? Kinda rude

      1. The Wellerman

        It takes much less effort to shade characters in this palette scheme.

        It was supposed to be a joke-ish kinda roast of Willis. Sorry if that implied tone was lost. I tried. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  3. Rororoyourboat

    Here we go. Spooky time is finally upon us

    1. Bryy

      54 more days of it!

      1. The Wellerman

        Yes…. YEEESSSS!!!!!

        Like Christmas in July, but BETTER!!!!!

        DEMON ENERGY AHOY!!!!

        ?????️?️ ???

        *plays “Vomitron Castlevania Mixtape” on hacked muzak*

  4. Thag Simmons

    This will not be the last time someone says “you have ruined Halloween” in this storyline, will it

    1. The Wellerman

      Even if their Halloween is ruined in a lot of major ways, I might just make a fan animation or fan game as a consolation. Which might also get released on Halloween IRL, maybe.

      1. anon

        Dina and Becky fighting off ghosts and ghouls with science and crucifixes 8D

        1. The Wellerman

          Tempting, tempting, but too predictable. Needs to be crazier.

    2. Bruceski

      If you don’t ruin Halloween can it really be called Halloween?

      1. Bratty Roger

        ?????
        (?)

  5. Nono

    It’s gonna be the bluest book ever.

    1. Thag Simmons

      Yep, welcome to Azure City everyone

      1. bubba0077

        I think you mean Goblintopia

        1. Thag Simmons

          Nah, Gobbotopia has more than one colour, on account of the giant green tower and the gaping hole in the universe.

    2. SeanR

      Somehow, I feel that avatar is appropriate.

    3. True Survivor

      The art historians shall know it as Willis’s Blue Period.

      1. Decidedly Orthogonal

        If your period is blue, you should **really** see a doctor.

        1. The Wellerman

          This had me in stitches ?

          But now I’m curious. Are there any mammals out there at actually have literal blue periods?

        2. King Daniel

          All mammals have red blood (unless there’s a serious and likely-fatal case of blood poisoning or something), so likely no.

          Unless you reeeally kinda stretch the definition of it to include unfertilized bird eggs, in which case…maybe for some species? On occasion?

        3. Laura

          “Robin’s Egg Blue”!

          Plus, today I learned…

          https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/if-blood-is-red-why-do-veins-look-blue.html

        4. Yumi

          In fifth grade, I was taught the whole “deoxygenated blood is blue” thing. Then I got to middle school, and my sixth grade science teacher was like, “I don’t know why they still teach that crap. That’s not how blood works.” I went back to visit my elementary school to inform my fifth grade science teach of this, but she wasn’t there that day.

          Not too long ago, I was recounting this to someone and could see the wheels turning in their head of of “wait, I was also taught that and never questioned it.”

        5. Laura

          What I still don’t get though is why low blood oxygen causes cyanosis? I should know this but I don’t. I look it up and just get the whole “deoxygenated blood is blue” explanation again.

        6. Uly

          Oh, biology through high school is full of garbage. Not just biology – schools still teach that “balance eggs on the equinox” thing, for example.

        7. Yumi

          I had to look up what that was, but… that’s a bizarre thing to teach.

        8. Laura

          Veins look blue for the same reason the sky is blue:
          https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29405048/

          “Tell me why the stars do shine?
          Tell me why the ivy twine?
          Tell me why the sky’s so blue?
          And I will tell you just why I love you.

          Nuclear fusion makes the stars to shine.
          Phototropism makes the ivy twine.
          Rayleigh scattering makes the sky so blue.
          And oxytocin is why I love you.”

          …A new take on an old song.

        9. The Wellerman

          That is beautiful. Thank you Laura. ???

          (re:oxytocin, it’s a lot more complicated than that, what between the many nuances of the related concepts we call”love” in English as well as just how little we know about the brain and how it works). Still tho, thank you.

        10. Laura

          Any time, NG.

          OK, how about
          ENDSOC is why I love you?
          Endorphins
          Norepinephrine
          Dopamine
          Serotonin
          Oxytocin
          Cortisol

          …That cover the gamut of physiochemical reactions known as “love”? 😉

        11. Laura

          Oh, dang, I guess the hormones come in there too, not just the neurotransmitters. Darnit, now I gotta rework the song! ;-D

        12. The Wellerman

          Even then theres so much more, the structures of the brain play a role too, but even before that, one must consider all the things that are put into the concept of love as we speak of it, at least in English.

          To see where I’m getting at, consider this: did you know that the ancient Greeks had FOUR different words for the different kinds of love and their natures?

        13. Laura

          Not just 4!

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words_for_love

  6. DailyBrad

    On one hand, I would find this excessive. On the other, this helps me avoid the pieces I don’t want.

  7. RassilonTDavros

    …this is it.

    This is the most Joyce-y strip that ever Joyced.

  8. Sirksome

    I’m blue, dabu dee dabu da dee.

    1. Laura

      (*Plays “Batman sings ‘Am I Blue?'” on the hacked muzak*)
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57zFkL9GSZA

  9. Bryy

    OMG

    Not only is it a DORM HALLOWEEN PARTY

    it’s BABIES FIRST DORM HALLOWEEN PARTY!

    and furthermore, it’s JOYCE’S FIRST HALLOWEEN PARTY

    1. King Daniel

      Not Joyce’s first Halloween, though.

    2. True Survivor

      Wait do college’s actually do Halloween parties? At my school the professor’s celebrate the holiday by assigning such a terrifying amount of work that everybody ends up looking like zombies.

      1. Needfuldoer

        The students do.

  10. Cattleprod

    Ah, I assumed Halloween got timeskipped so you wouldn’t have to draw everyone in costumes and decorations everywhere for literal months, keeping it in a flashback story means you can skip over the build up of people getting ready and all that.

    1. Bryy

      ……. huh. Never thought about it like this before.

    2. Rotunda

      But also so that there could be some gradually-revealed backstory to mine over a long period, analogous to the way the convenience-store robberies came into focus over years of the comic.

    3. vancore

      Early Halloween jump but ah well we waited long enough to see these characters wearing costumes.

  11. BBCC

    OhJoyce. Honey. It’s too late. The tastes have mixed. The snacks came pre ruined.

    1. anon

      i haven’t had chex mix in a while but other than like some of the chocolate melting or so, the flavors aren’t too diff to where it’d be clashing (well i suppose the point of chex ‘mix’ is flavors that go well together)

      1. Needfuldoer

        Yeah, they’re all seasoned with the same stuff, so this has to be a texture-motivated sort. The circle pretzels, Chex, and pumpernickel chips must remain separate!

      2. Azhrei Vep

        Wait, chocolate? What kind of heathen Chex Mix abomination have you been consuming?

        1. Needfuldoer

          I don’t know, but it looks incredible.

          https://www.chex.com/recipes/rich-chocolate-chex-mix

        2. Laura

          We called ‘em “muddy buddies” when I was a kid. You melt a bunch of chocolate chips and then toss the Chex mix in the melted chocolate until all are coated, and then you cool them in a fridge or freezer. A large zip-loc bag and lots of shaking was involved. Plus, the characters from “Peanuts” acted out the recipe instructions on the back of the Chex box.

        3. Yumi

          https://www.chexmix.com/products/chex-mix-turtle/

          I’ve had the Turtle Chex Mix. It’s not bad. I really like the Honey Nut Chex Mix.

        4. anon

          I think i’ve only had the ‘smaller bag’ kind or variants with chocolate mixed into it as opposed to a bigger thing you’d buy for an overall party that you’d pour out into a serving bowl lol but yeah i assume there’d be diff variants of marshmallow or chocolate (pretty sure i’ve seen ‘cereal’ chex mix too

        5. Yumi

          Are you sure you’re not just thinking of…you know…Chex?

    2. Victor

      Yeah, it’s already pre-ruined in the bag. Things that should be sweet have salt all over them. And it’s got pretzels in it, the pretzel flavor has contaminated everything else.
      The proper way to do chex mix is to buy all the components separately (except the pretzels, because eww) and NEVER mix them. Once it’s mixed it’s only for decoration, you throw it away at the end of the event. (Ever ended a party and not had to throw away chex mix? The only times I haven’t are when I’ve insisted it’s not allowed in the building in the first place.)

      1. Uly

        I have never once seen somebody have this strong a reaction to pretzels.

  12. Claire

    HALLOWEEN!!! SO EXCITED I’ve been waiting 10 years for this

    1. Clif

      And we start off with Joyce ruining Halloween. Not the most auspicious of beginnings.

  13. alongcameaspider

    Ok but Joyce’s idea here is actually genius, give people small cups and let them decide what they want in their chex mix so they can avoid the crappy pieces

    1. SneakyBones

      I was initially very upset by the separation for some reason, but this is very solid reasoning. It does use up a lot of table space though.

    2. PirateTawnee

      chex buffet isn’t as close a rhyme tho, however good an idea it is.

      1. Nova

        I’m just disappointed that no one else seems to call it “Hex Mix” at Halloween.

        1. Needfuldoer

          Maybe if you make Mix with hexagon-shaped knockoff store brand Chex…

          (Hexagons are the bestagons.)

        2. Nova

          Wrong kind of “hex” but I do love a good hexagon!

        3. temporaryobsessor

          Everyone knows triangles are the best.

    3. Swissaboo

      Genius until I personally eat all the rye pieces before anyone else can get to them, maybe :v

      1. Taffy

        You’ll have to pry them from my cold, living hands.

        1. The Wellerman

          Does that also happen to be your favorite kind of bread?

        2. Taffy

          No, not especially. I just like those chips.

        3. Needfuldoer

          If your hands are cold all the time, you might want to see a cardiologist…

        4. Taffy

          What, and get charged several thousand dollars to be told I should exercise more?

      2. Mo

        Not hard. There’s only like five in the bag, compared to 50% those crappy breadstick things. Representation here is so unrealistic.

    4. Chaucer59

      It’s Chex mix. It’s ALL crappy pieces.

    5. anon

      i don’t mind a ‘make your own buffet’ type thing but i’m sure you can buy those kinda things pre separated at this point

    6. Tricia

      Except for all the people that don’t want snack mix that someone already handled. I know covid isn’t a thing in comic, but even pre-covid I would have found that disgusting.

    7. autogatos

      Seriously Joyce is doing a great service here. Chex mix is like…half good stuff and half bad. And no one can agree on what should go or what should stay. This is the perfect solution.

      1. Keulen

        Yeah, this is actually a good idea, people can more easily eat the parts of the chex mix they want and avoid the parts they don’t want this way.

  14. Caro

    inb4 the blue slooooowly fades to normal color, and then VERY ABRUPTLY goes blue on the last strip before snapping back to regular color in the present day on the last panel

  15. Caro

    or the blue like fades back in in stages

  16. Stephen Bierce

    *since it is a FLASHBACK–*

    *plays “Spooky Scary Skeletons” on the doomed hacked Muzak*

    1. The Wellerman

      Classic!!!! Love it!!! ?

    2. woobie

      Want my 3-y/o to dace? Play that.
      (I forget which version).

  17. newlland(Henryvolt)

    And then after that a crap tone of pandemonium happened and the night end wit Joyce asking “Did all this happened because I separated the chex mix?”

  18. Dara

    I see, I see. Dumbing of Age XII: The Halloweenies will be much cheaper to print, requiring only two ink colours per page on most pages. Very clever, Willis.

  19. crow

    It’s weird that Mary is written as this unredeemably evil and annoying person, but Joyce and Sarah still like her enough to have her draw them seasonal anime portraits

    1. crow

      Like how does that conversation between Mary and Sarah go

      1. Thag Simmons

        I think it would go something like this

        1. crow

          Yep, guess that answers that

    2. True Survivor

      If you zoom in you can see that Mary drew Sarah as a burning, laughing witch just like she requested. Willis has a good eye for continuity.

    3. BarerMender

      Not a new question: Do you reject good art because the artist has done evil? I say no. I’ll never give up _The Mists of Avalon_, even though MZB has been reported as a ghastly child abuser.

      1. True Survivor

        Art itself has value beyond that of the artist. However, it is probably best if you ensure that purchasing a piece of art is not funding evil individuals.

      2. Thag Simmons

        I don’t know if Mary’s a good artist, but she’s definitely an affordable artist

      3. Bryy

        Child abuse, homophobia, etc. is the line for me. Dead authors have more leeway.

    4. autogatos

      People are suckers for free art. Or at least…art priced at the low rate of 1 exposure and 2 pretzels.

    5. Amelie Wikström

      When you can’t destroy your enemies, making them feel appreciated for something they like to do that isn’t actively harmful is a pretty good deal.

    6. anon

      well they are teens that can temporarily have a civil enough conversation to bribe each other for stuff but i assume most ppl would just ask another person in an art class

  20. huehuetotl

    rage triggers will be in magenta.

  21. MugiwaraNoPancakes

    Joyce never change. Also HALLOWEEN FLASHBACK LET’S FUCKING GO!!!

  22. Roe

    Can any of you fine master searchers link me to the first mention of something major happening on Halloween? ⏱️

    1. RassilonTDavros

      …I think it was this strip. I’m not 100% positive, though.

    2. Thag Simmons

      First one I remember, at least

  23. Dana

    Huh. So that’s what happened on Halloween. All our questions have been answered.

    1. King Daniel

      Jennifer took one long look at the sorted Chex Mix, and was so disgusted that she had no choice but to transfer the object of her disgust to Ruth. Breaking up with her, she declared that she would be known as “Billie” no longer, and the volume of her yelling dislodged a misplaced box of styrofoam Magenta Alienite which then fell on Amber, instantly turning her into the evil Astounding-Dame.

      Meanwhile Mike had just gotten out of the hospital and had texted Ethan and Walky to meet him at a certain location near the park—but he was then distracted by a yell! It was Astoundi-Dame, performing a necromantic ritual to grant herself a new minion, the undead Stubbed Toe. Horrified, he rushed right past Joyce, stopping only to grab the unmixed Chex Mix to use as improvised weaponry. Walky arrived on the scene first and saw what he thought was Mike atop the tower defending an unsuspecting Amber from the Zombie Toe and raced to pull on his most heroic jammies, but tripped over his bathroom towel on the last step up and went tumbling, careening over the edge. Fortunately Mike saw this at the perfect moment and spin-kicked Toedead off the roof to an uncertain demise (he may return in the sequel), before yeeting himself over just in time to block Walky’s fall—but the momentum sent him over instead! Amber, having managed to shake off the effects of the Magenta Alienite through the heroic willpower of seeing Mike alive, ran to grab his hand and took hold of his wrists…and then the Soggie Containment Unit in the tower basement exploded. Mike saw this and saw there was no way for Amber, Walky, and an inexplicably-present Donna to survive with his added weight, so he threw himself off the tower again…

      …just as a horrified Ethan arrived on the scene. Before he could say or think anything more, a Venomous Soggie infected him, making him think that Amber and Walky had just conspired to kill Mike just to make him miserable. And a new villain in the making was born…

      (The story will continue in Ruining Halloween V: The Search for M’aiq and reach an epic climax in Ruining Halloween VI: The Rise of Emothan.)

      In the post-credits scene, Amber and Walky break up three minutes before midnight due to an argument over pineapple on pizza. Danny trips over his own shoelaces, falling at the feet of a mysterious figure…

      1. Adam Black

        This annoys me, because its significantly more entertaining than everything since the Time Skip.

  24. ADLegend21

    when we were a proper comic strip

  25. Johan

    Fuck, chexmix sounds so good rn.

    I have a tummyache and ginger ale isn’t soothing. 🙁

    1. Laura

      So sorry to hear about your tummy ache!
      Might plain yogurt help? That always soothes me. And mint.

  26. Rabisch

    That Halloween really started with the wrong foot. But Joyce was so happy ♡ .

  27. Mr D

    Thanks I hate it.

  28. PirateTawnee

    Having now looked up what chex mix is, I feel like I’m with Joyce on this one.

  29. Diana Nock

    Ohh, Joyce is Rapunzel, isn’t she?

    1. Needfuldoer

      She and Becky snuck out to watch Tangled despite Carol’s disapproval. The irony was not lost on her.

    2. Rabisch

      Now I kinda hope to see Jack “casually” dressed as Eugene.

      1. Rabisch

        Oops… Now I kinda hope to see Joe “casually” dressed as Eugene.

        1. Diana Nock

          I had the same thought. Not gonna happen, but it would be cute.

        2. Bryy

          Joe will be a Sexy Dracula.

  30. Twig

    OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH ARE WE FINALLY GETTING THE FLASHBACK TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH BILLIE AND RUTH AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE GFADILGFAKJLGHAKJHFAKHAJKHGXJKGNJLCSHGLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. The Wellerman

      Right?!?!?!

      I can feel your excitement here!!!

    2. alongcameaspider

      Worth remembering that it’s also been implied that this is when Amber and Walky broke up too

      This is likely going to be the most drama filled chapter since the timeskip

    3. eh, whatever

      tell us how you really feel

  31. JessWitt

    Love the concept art of Joyce in her costume, especially the prop on her head.

  32. Mr. Random

    That’s actually pretty impressive.

  33. Suet

    ♪ Boys and girls of every age ♪
    ♪ Wouldn’t you like to see something strange ♫

    Wait ’til she separates a bag of Munchies, cheese fingers and all. Or a variety pack of Tootsie Roll, or Hershey’s…

    1. not someone else

      Come with us and you will see, this our town of Halloween~

      Only four months away, kids!

  34. Taffy

    Oh, so this is why Ruth and Billie broke up!

  35. Taffy

    >Flashback starts
    >Three iconic synth notes play
    >YO, LISTEN UP, HERE’S THE STORY

    I fully expect some sort of plant-related explosion, an upset nerd on the rooftop, and a cameo by Jon Favreau.

  36. Bagge

    Halloween is the devil’s night after all
    https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/03-sometimes-the-sky-was-so-far-away/devilsnight/

    1. ValdVin

      Boffo callback!

      Also, that fat-fingered thing where someone hits “flag” without meaning to? Welp, there’s a first time for everything.

  37. Cass

    Hidden between all the bowls is the one little dipping sauce cup that holds all the rye chips General Mills deigned to give them.

  38. bcb

    So, what’s probably the final chapter of Book 12 will finally show us a flashback to Halloween. But probably not the whole story of what happened: we’ll get lot’s of tiny hints about it over the next few years like we did with the gas station scene.

  39. Lone Duck

    Welp, that’s how Halloween was ruined. End of flashback, nothing else to see here.

  40. Farmer_10

    Huh, how long after the kidnappings and all the stuff was this? I distinctly remember Sarah getting excited for Halloween and decorating, but I don’t remember how long that was before the drama hurricane.

    1. Needfuldoer

      IIRC, “Is a Song Forever” (the last chapter before the skip) worked out to October 21st. We can assume the kidnapping was the day before, because a time skip wasn’t called out in between.

      1. Bryy

        Joyce is doing incredibly well, then.

  41. Needfuldoer

    Cheez-It Snack Mix is superior to Chex Mix.

    1. The Wellerman

      Ooo! Speaking of Cheez-Its,

      Did you know that Taco Bell is test-marketing new Tacos inside giant Cheez-Its!?!?!? ??

  42. Amós Batista

    Willis will have to draw the entire chapter with old Joyce’s hair (It is less fluffy and smaller than now). The artist struggling is so real …

  43. Amós Batista

    The Devil’s advocate again: actually I prefer separated snacks than Chex.

  44. Wishwater

    YEAAAAAH HALLOWEEN LETS GO! I’m hoping the blue fades away like when flashbacks are in sepia then fade into colour but we’ll see. And I better see at least one person in costume!

    1. Daibhid C

      Achievement unlocked!

      (Look at Sarah.)

  45. Wendy

    Joyce is performing an underappreciated public service. Now all us autistics at the party can carefully curate our ideal chex mix portion ratios.

    1. The Wellerman

      She’s helping all kinds of neurodivergents with the food pickiness stripe, not to mention neurotypicals with certain allergies. ?

      Speaking as a genderfluid neurofluid who is currently an autistic girl.

      1. Bryy

        I’m proud of you, Wellerman.

        1. The Wellerman

          ??? Thanks. I might not be autistic tomorrow tho, just so you know.

          I’m only ever gonna use autism in this comments section as a private label, and if so only when I feel like it, if only to connect with others on shared experiences.

          And if that, I’m only and only ever gonna use the comments section’s definition of it, where it’s allowed to be fluid and diverse the same way gender is.

          In fact I’m writing a little guide about it in case I have to explain it to newcomers to the comments without having to type up a mega-paragraph here every time. Would you like to see it? I aim for it to be very concise and clear, I hope.

  46. Ashley

    Real question: has anyone done this or seen anyone do this?

    No shade, I separate my M&M’s by color before eating them. :V

    1. Big Z

      I mean, I separate any skittles-like object into flavor piles, myself, but Chex Mix not only HAS to be mixed, but must be eaten in such a way that you don’t run out of rye chips before the bag is empty (they tend to float to the top for some reason)

      1. davidbreslin101

        [sorry, accidental flag AGAIN.]
        Bombay Mix also HAS to be mixed, which is challenging as some of the components are like 20 times the size of others.

    2. Alex

      I don’t always do this but I admit it’s very satisfying when I do.

      1. Alex

        Update: I meant m&ms like OP.

  47. Plaaaa

    So that’s why Ruth and Billie broke up!

  48. Adam Black

    Aren’t you supposed to clump them together with butter or something.

  49. Sambo

    It’s gross to me that she had to touch each piece individually to separate it all out.

    1. Yumi

      I felt that way at first too, but then I thought, well, if Chex Mix is served at a party in a more typical way, you still have people reaching in and taking some, hands probably touching pieces they don’t take, and then you reach in and take some, so…

      I also wondered if Joyce wore gloves during the process.

    2. RedCat

      She could have used chopsticks.

  50. Willoughby Chase

    Can Christmas Pudding or Cake be considered a food?

    1. zee

      No, it’s a crime

  51. RedCat

    Hmmm, no I agree with Joyce. If it’s all seperated you can mix them however you like, and avoid stuff you don’t like more easily.
    But a downside is, some people only like 1 thing and only eat that, and it runs out too easily.
    Just get chips.

  52. food shouldn't touch!!!

    oh my god i feel called out by this comic… growing up (and honestly to this day unless im intentionally masking) i had to eat chex or trail mix one “category” at a time (pick out and eat only pretzels till theyre all gone, then do the same for nuts, etc etc) because to alternate between different component pieces out of order would constitute in-mouth flavor mixing. unconditional support for my girl joyce

  53. Amós Batista

    Is this the time when Joyce finally will know her lost kin, a secret Willis was keeping for years?
    (I forgot their name, and the page they appears together with Joyce at Halloween, it’s a flashback. If anyone remember, I’ll appreciate the help)

    1. Laura

      Jordan’s river is chilly and cold…

  54. ischemgeek

    For most snacks I am not like Joyce but for 3 things I am: candy-covered chocolates (Canadian Smarties and M&Ms), Skittles, and chex mix.

    Oh also trail mix but in that case mainly because I need to pick out the raisins.

    Oh I guess granola with raisins too. And oatmeal raisin cookies because I can’t be rude and refuse them but also raisins, eugh. Hateful little nuggets of despair that they are, they must go. I literally will gag if I get that texture in my mouth.

    Huh… Y’know I’ve always said I grew out of my food stuff but I guess I might relate more to Joyce’s food issues than I thought. I guess I’m just good at accommodating it.

    (Also the little ring things in chex mix have the WORST after taste and it sticks with me for hours if I don’t brush my teeth. How does anyone like them?)

    1. Taffy

      The pretzels?

      1. ischemgeek

        No in the Chex Mix we have in my end Canada there are these corn cracker cylinders that always taste half rancid to me. They’re disgusting. Not sure if the recipe is the same everywhere.

        I actually don’t mind the pretzels.

  55. Yumi

    Excited to announce that I am susceptible to the influence of webcomics and now have plans to buy Chex Mix later.

    1. Taffy

      At least it’s not a $30 Leafs shirt that’s just gonna fade and the paint’ll come off within a year. #DefinitelyNotMad

      1. JBento

        Wow, the Leafs really aren’t good at ANYTHING are they? Well, besides losing.

        1. King Daniel

          They’re good at getting seats in stadiums. Home games are practically sold out every time, from what I hear.

  56. poyo

    this is the absolute most hilarious way to start this flashback considering joyce’s recent revelation. bravo

    1. thejeff

      It’s actually going to be really interesting going back in time like this for an extended period. Not only watching Joyce without benefit of her new diagnosis suggestion, but also without having come out as atheist (probably even to herself). Same for changes in the other characters.

      Got to be kind of weird for Willis to write the characters in their old states for an extended period – as well as draw them in their old styles.

      1. alongcameaspider

        It’s unclear how involved in the events we’re about to see Joyce was but I wonder if part of what happens is what causes her to finally admit her Atheism to herself

  57. Friendly Frankenstein

    …You know I’m pretty okay with food touching, but i have to admit, sorting out chex mix sounds INCREDIBLY soothing…..

  58. Raptorofwar

    I’d love sorted chex mix, so I could grab the things I want the most.

  59. Kazuma Taichi

    I am simultaneously enraged, but also I will take the bowl that has only the chex in it and never look back

  60. Pinkie

    TBH I might do this with trail mix. Resolves the problem of how much nuts vs. how much raisins, whether to put in chocolate (always), and do we really need cereal.

  61. StClair

    yeah, I don’t see how anyone could have guessed she might be on the spectrum.

    1. The Wellerman

      Do people really use that a lot as a sure-fire way of deducing that particular neurodivergence?

  62. CianM1301

    Sarah looks to be genuinely concerned for Joyce in that fourth panel.

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