200

Limb
Posted on May 19, 2015 by David M Willis

200 thoughts on “Limb”

  1. Jen Aside

    Danny: “Slipshine!”

    Ethan: “…what?”

    Danny: “ohnothingreallyIdidn’tsayanythingIswear”

    1. Someone

      Dammit Danny we already have to much force wall breaking in this strip!

      1. Someone

        fourth wall* unless Danny is a jedi.

        1. Doctor_Who

          Still less of a whiny dork than Anakin.

        2. Disloyal Subject

          …my word, you’re right.

        3. Rich

          That is a very, very low bar to set.

        4. Deanatay

          So, you’re saying Anakin could conceivably out-Danny Danny?

        5. Gigafreak

          Dannykin Skywalker has opinions about sand.

        6. gwalla

          Source Wall if he’s one of the New Gods.

        7. Daibhid C

          Then his name would have to be Daaniy or something.

    2. pumacatrun2

      Dang I’d read that.

    3. JD

      That would actually get me to subscribe.

  2. otusasio451

    sliiiiiiiiipshiiiiiiiiiiine…

    1. thebatman22

      Willis hasn’t done a slipshine woth two dudes yet has he?

      1. Catullus

        No, not yet.

      2. LiaHansen

        Danny and Ethan are definitely gonna happen though, so that’s comin

        1. Doctor_Who

          Danny and Ethan Perform Awkwardly.

        2. Emily

          Danny And Ethan Fail To Perform Due To Anxiety And Self-Doubt

        3. DarkoNeko

          Ooouch.

        4. J42

          Cumming right up

        5. Paradoxius

          Ethan and Danny Complete the Triangle

        6. timemonkey

          He said two dudes would definitely happen, he didn’t specify who they were. We just assume Ethan/Danny because they’re the only current option.

        7. Havtorn

          Jason/Walky in a hi-larious drunken sibling/blond person mixup… ok, Walky would probably have to get _really_ drunk for that to happen.

        8. Rich

          No, no, it’s family tradition to sleep with your math tutor.

        9. Rycan

          So, two beers?

        10. Rich

          Three, if Jason asks him to cosplay as Sal with a wig and some gloves.

      3. Plasma Mongoose

        Is Willis high enough on the Kinsey Scale to be able to draw up a bunch of gay slipshine comics?

        1. Em

          He said that he’s going to.

        2. lekoppa

          He’s stated a few times that while dude/dude isn’t his thing, it’d be interesting enough as a technical exercise. The lack of m/m slipshine updates isn’t reflective of Willis’ Kinsey Scale rating; it’s because there are no dudes in the story who are cannonically banging. Yet.

        3. JessWitt

          Would’ve been nice to see Ethan x Manny from the Shortpackedverse tho.

        4. otusasio451

          Perhaps the sheer amount of awkwardness created by their combined sexual insecurities will generate a rift in dimensional space, allowing that to actually happen. And then…SOGGIES MAY RULE DoA.

        5. Someone

          Crossover! I would pay just to see DoA Walky and Joyce’s reactions to Joyce and Walky’s relationship in the Walkyverse.

        6. Rycan

          PREMARITAL HANKY-PANKY!

        7. Someone

          but Joyce and Walky are married now. Its MARITAL HANKY-PANKY!

        8. John

          Eh. Manny is basically a complete non-entity. He has basically no existence outside “gay dude who’s not an asshole for Ethan to hook up with”.

        9. Nono

          I’d have put my money on the Ethan/Drew Riddler/Batman? sex myself.

        10. Captain Batson

          I feel like Drew might’ve been Catman, but probably not, since Ethan didn’t notice the similarities until immediately after the breakup.

        11. Packy

          But one of the Slipshines is Amber and Mike in the Walkyverse. So he has done Walkyverse Slipshine, and there are m/m pairings there.

        12. fogel

          Including Mike & Ethan, at least once.

        13. Smiling Cat

          Do a slipshine of the entire event! “Mike performs a metaphorical crotch-kick, with a guest appearance by Faz”.

  3. LiaHansen

    Politely Sad is one of the things Danny does best!

    1. thecanvashat

      Next to availability, earnestness, and Dannying!

  4. Plasma Mongoose

    Poor Danny, if only you knew the truth…

    1. LeslieBean4Shizzle

      Utena avatar! ^^
      (Everyone but PM can just ignore me – fangirling over here.)

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Utena doesn’t get much love anymore, I wonder if they will ever remake it, I just hope that if they do a remake, it will be a better job then Sailor Moon Crystal.

        1. Opus the Poet

          The series was totally surreal, but I liked Utena, she was a badass chick with a sword. Never did figure out what the deal was with the ’50s Vette.

        2. Gigafreak

          I choose to believe that someone horribly misunderstood the script when it said “…and then she takes her for a ride!“

        3. Usayasha

          My question for Utena is why she’s supposedly wearing a “boy’s uniform” but none of the other boys at her school are wearing that uniform. I mean, I’m still going through the series (my friend introduced me recently, and I’m loving it), but that is a question that I don’t think is getting answered any time soon.

        4. Romanticide

          I don’t think they will ever remake it, but at least the remastering was good

        5. DarkoNeko

          Nooo they shouldn’t remake it. Even back then, it looked pretty “antiquated” and it was awesome that way.

        6. DarkoNeko

          NB : zettai unmei mokushiroku.

        7. LeslieBean4Shizzle

          My biggest problem with Crystal was that it squandered all opportunities by just being the manga again. An anime based directly on the Utena manga would actually be kinda neat – so long as it actually expanded the manga rather than doing a scene for scene remake as Crystal did. So much potential squandered.

        8. Roborat

          Yay me, I got that one. I’m hip or something.

  5. Dean

    Danny’s ex-girlfriend will be there as well, so that should help the awkwardness.

    1. JessWitt

      Ain’t no party like an awkward party.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Still much better than a Lemon Party.

        1. brute

          Speak for yourself~

    2. Rich

      Danny’s awkward enough for an entire party by himself. Doesn’t really need any help.

      1. Rycan

        Oh, there will be help. Plenty of help.

    3. Lucretiel

      Are any ex-couples… not going to be there? It seems like we’ve got every one.

      1. Rich

        Do Sal and Jason count as an ex-couple?

        1. tim gueguen

          Do they count as a couple?

        2. DarkoNeko

          …nooope.

        3. Rich

          So, they were just coupling, then?

        4. Kaoy

          Or just copulating.

        5. Rich

          Synonyms are fun.

        6. fogel

          The last we saw them in DoA, I thought that maybe they could become a couple &/or friends: Jason seemed genuinely concerned about Sal.

      2. Kinoko

        They’ll have Billie but no Alice. Which is probably for the best, honestly. Billie deserves to enjoy her hard-won drama respite.

        1. Rycan

          You think this party will be the place for a drama respite?

        2. fogel

          Becky will pull a Plus-Ultra-Drama Tag that she finds at the back of Joyce’s closet and ask “What’s this?”. (plus ultra = Latin for further/more beyond)

    4. hof1991

      So Danny will see:
      His ex-girlfriend
      His current squeeze, who may or may not acknowledge it depending upon her masked status
      Someone he is dreaming about
      The girl who tried to tear his clothes off

      Nope. No drama possible.

      1. fogel

        You mean the girl who almost made Joe proud of Danny till he Dannied up that opportunity?

      2. fudo81

        I’m a bit puzzled by Danny’s words, in fact; “this party is just going to be me, you and your girlfriend?”… did he forget about Becky inviting Dorothy, or did he just fail to connect the dots?

        1. Rich

          Becky did the Jedi mind trick on him during that conversation. Apparently it worked really well.

  6. Rich

    Magic tricks? I assumed Amber was off practicing her bullfighting skills.

    1. Doctor_Who

      “I shall now make crime disappear!”

    2. Rycan

      Trying to stab criminals with a rapier without getting gored? Interesting crime-fighting tactic.

      1. Rich

        The tricky part is finding good banderilleros for your entourage. Very rare in the Midwest.

  7. JessWitt

    Or maybe Amber’s LARPing it up instead.

  8. HeinousActsZX

    This is killing me.

    My desperation for a m/m pairing grows more feverish by the day, and Danny continues to dance around it.

    Damn guy has to be so damn faithful grumble mutter

    1. Jon

      I know, fuck honor right

      1. fogel

        Who is Honor? Does she live in Clark or some other dorm?

        1. Usayasha

          Tell me when you find her – my friend Zuko is looking for her. I hear she’s aviator.

  9. maxyai

    Everything is better with a cape.

    1. Kernanator

      Imagine an ape in a cape.

      1. boomwolf

        An ape in a cape with a grape taped to the nape of his neck?

        1. Gigafreak

          …Cosplaying Professor Snape out of shape with mouth agape, stuffed with a crepe?

      2. thecanvashat

        An ape in a cape eating grapes.

    2. Rich

      Dollar Bill from Watchmen begs to disagree.

    3. Dean

      NO CAPES!

      1. Architex

        Do you remember…Thunderhead?

        1. boomwolf

          Anyone else notice that Syndrome’s cape was the reason he died? And that his fape almost got him killed near the beginning during that scene with Bomb Voyage? Guess you could say he had his cape and met his doom…. get it? Like had his cake and ate it… whatever, I’m gonna go stand in the corner forever…

        2. Someone

          I’m fairly certain that Syndromes cape killing him was the entire reason for the setup.

      2. John

        Counterpoint.

  10. caesaria82

    Ethan is so happy to be single, haha. It’s kinda nice to see Ethan in a lighter mood for once 🙂

    1. Rich

      Most of Happy Ethan has happened around Danny. Funny, that.

      1. fogel

        Joe should have a “serious” talk with Ethan.

  11. Too Old To Be Cool

    Let’s see how much Danny and Amber wind up giving away to their friends…

  12. JessTheBest

    “Yes but is it art?”

  13. Koms

    Danny is definitely not sad. He must be squeeeeeing from within.

    1. Leorale

      I am, too! Eeeee I sure hope they are super awkward ^.^

      1. Rycan

        That’s like hoping for the sun to rise tomorrow.

    2. ditrysia

      He’s sad because now it makes it even more complicated for him to control his attraction towards Ethan, as he’s now available. But Danny isn’t. Hence the inner turmoil, hence the sadness.

      1. No Name

        In other words, he’s sad, because he’s happy.

        1. DarkoNeko

          …I see what you did there.

      2. Lord Stoneheart

        Technically, Danny doesn’t know that Ethan is available in that sense. He doesn’t know that Ethan’s gay. (Amber knows for obvious reasons, Mike knows because he went to high school with Ethan, Sarah knows because she can read a “I’m living a lie and I hope no one notices face.”, Joyce knows for obvious reasons, Dorothy pieced it together via Joyce’s cryptic confession, and Walky assumed because of Ethan’s lack of initiative around Joyce. Every other student that Ethan has interacted with believes he’s straight.)

        1. fogel

          Dorothy figured it out the very first time she saw Joyce with Ethan (and Mike) in the lobby, after which Joyce told her that Ethan was different than other boys in the way he looked at her — or, didn’t look at her — which made her feel safe with him.

        2. Lord Stoneheart

          Had to recheck a strip that I only knew was vaguely in book 2, but yeah Dorothy makes an offhand comment after Joyce says that “Hanky panky doesn’t even register on his mind!”, which Joyce brushes off. The next time she sees Ethan he’s identified as Joyce’s boyfriend. And from what she says here: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/unpretty/ she didn’t think that Joyce would actually try to change someone’s sexual orientation like that. I’m pretty sure she thought he was straight until http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/beard/

  14. Kraken

    Ethan: “You, me, my ex-girlfriend, your girlfriend-who-is-also-my-ex-girlfirend, your ex-girlfriend, that girl you let down before even establishing interest, that girl who was gonna bang you until you rejected her and your ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend. Oh, and Becky.

    If they all show up.”

    1. Rich

      Danny: “When you put it that way…”

      Turns around and goes back to his room.

      1. Bagge

        Joe silently hands them the sock and leave

    2. Rycan

      And that girl behind the door. Can’t forget her.

      1. Kraken

        Darn, I totally forgot Dina!
        I also forgot Roz. I wonder if that sex tape drama has run its course…

        1. Rich

          Considering Roz was making a play for Jacob and he’ll be at the party at some point, an ill-timed cameo by Roz might produce some sparks too – especially if she manages to wreck a reconciliation between Jacob and Sarah in the process.

          Or Roz and Joe could wind up rehearsing for a sequel, leaving Danny socked out of his room when the party breaks up.

        2. Greenygal

          Oh, good lord, I’d totally forgotten about Roz and Jacob. I’m tempted to think that was set up specifically so things could get awkward at this party. (I realize that strip was over a year ago, but you never know.)

        3. No Name

          Greenygal, this is Willis we’re talking about. Of course that’s why he set that up.

        4. Rycan

          Joe was explicitly uninvited, though. He’ll be back in his room, furiously tapping an index card.

        5. Rich

          You’re looking at it wrong. Joe knows he has the room to himself for at least a few hours. Good odds that Danny will come home to a sock on the doorknob.

          Maybe Danny can crash in Ethan’s room? Or maybe they’ll both have to go spend the night at Amber’s when Jacob and Sarah sock them out of Ethan’s room. At least Dina can have Sarah’s bed in that scenario. 🙂

    3. fogel

      Wait, which is “that girl you let down before even establishing interest,”?

      1. Greenygal

        Sarah.

  15. Siddlaw

    Listen Ethan, if sitcoms have taught me anything, you DON’T want to go to a party with two exs and a potential new fling. Hilarity is going to happen.

    1. StClair

      It’s worse than that; see Kraken’s post, above.

    2. Historyman68

      But I love hilarity!

      1. insomniac

        Not just hillarity. Shenanigans for certain, plssibly even wacky hijinks.

  16. J42

    Wouldn’t Danny totally recognize what “caped” means, and that they both know Amazi Girl’s identity?

    1. A5PECT

      Both of them already know the other knows Amazi-Girl’s real identity.

      1. A5PECT

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/03-up-all-night-to-get-vengeance/nightclass/

        1. J42

          Oh yeah! Thanks

    2. Catullus

      Ethan intends for Danny to recognize what “caped” means, he’s just using it to dance around the point in case anyone else is listening.

      1. neeks

        Honestly he could have just said “stuff” to make his point without the word “caped” in front of it. Danny would take like half a second’s thought of “stuff? What kind of stuff would Amber–oh right” to figure it out, probably, but whatever.

        1. Rich

          To be fair, “stuff” could include “she’s obsessed with a game/fanfic binge and I couldn’t get her off the computer” in Amber’s case. Adding a qualifier about what kind of stuff it is isn’t unreasonable.

      2. Historyman68

        It’s not much of a euphemism. Ethan might as well have said, “Amber’s one amazing girl, isn’t she! Anyway, she’s busy tonight. Did I mention how she’s amazing yet?”

      3. fogel

        To be really careful he should have put on an Amazi-Mask and then nobody who overheard him could have understood what he meant by “caped stuff”. Or an Amazi-Condom?

  17. newllend(henryvolt)

    If you guys haven’t noticed yet that this is going to be one huge disaster than its already to late.

    1. chris73

      We know and we’re looking forward to it

      1. Rycan

        It’s a train wreck without all the death – fun to watch, and you don’t feel too horrible for enjoying it!

  18. Captain Batson

    I just noticed that this version of Ethan seems much hunkier than Walkyverse Ethan. Cool.

    1. No Name

      Well, he is younger.

  19. Ashley

    If you want Amber, Ethan and Danny to be in a polyamorous relationship clap your hands.

    1. Ashley

      *clap clap*

    2. Sam

      *clap clap*

      If you want a depiction of healthy polyamory in your fave webcomics, clap your hands.

      *clap clap*

      1. Ashley

        *clap clap*

      2. apostateCourier

        *clap clap*

      3. tim gueguen

        Aren’t they a bad trio to pick for healthy polyamory?

        1. Ashley

          There might be some wrinkles to iron out but all relationships have that, don’t they?

        2. Rich

          They’re young, Amber has serious mental health issues, Danny is struggling with his own sexual identity, and Ethan isn’t entirely comfortable out of the closet yet either. So yes, a poly relationship between the three is likely to be rocky.

          OTOH, the fact that they could provide each other with a lot of much-needed mutual support makes them interesting from a story-telling POV, and they’re not at all implausible as a trio. If you want to do a positive depiction of a poly relationship, showing how mutual affection and faithfulness can improve everyone’s lives would be a good start.

          The stable long-term poly groupings I’ve known in real life have been more about mutual trust and understanding than some racy swinger lifestyle fantasy. Those folks were all past their teens and looking for different things out of life than a bunch of college freshmen, though.

        3. Ashley

          I think Dumbing of Age in part deals with how young people deal with relationships, feelings, sexuality and stuff like that. I don’t want the three of them to magically work together, but I do think it would be interesting to see. Yes, stable long-term poly relationships would be great, but there’s also something to be said for people experimenting and learning.

      4. timemonkey

        If you want a depiction of healthy polyamory with characters that could actually pull it off instead of just the first lust triangle that presents itself clap your hands.

        1. AlexGR

          *clap clap*
          Any decent webcomics out there containing something along those lines?

        2. KarlBob

          I suggest Leftover Soup

        3. Ashley

          Maybe they won’t be able to pull it off. Maybe it will be messy and leave someone heartbroken. That doesn’t mean the possibility should be off the table.

      5. Rich

        *roar of applause*

        1. Rich

          Damn this formatting, that’s in reply to Sam, not the timemonkey.

        2. timemonkey

          It’s in the right place. But now we are enemies.

        3. Rich

          Glad to have a nemesis. Especially a temporally-mobile simian. Haven’t had one of those in a while.

    3. Disloyal Subject

      *clap clap*
      It’s like Danny is a catalyst for unspeakable cuteness

    4. John

      It’s kind of weird… I don’t think any two of them should be in a relationship, but I’m all for all three together.

    5. Li

      I kind of feel like Ethan’s lack of sexual or romantic interest in Amber would prevent it from being fully poly, but then again I’ve heard of plenty of poly relationships where two people were both romantically involved with the third but NOT each other.

  20. V

    Illusions. She’s doing magic illusions in the quad.

  21. Bagge

    When Ethan and Danny finally get together they will start by making diagrams sorting out their relationships

  22. Architex

    You people cry “Slipshine” when it really should be “Party Time”

    1. Rycan

      If Party Time turns into Slipshine, Joyce will not be happy, to say the least.

  23. Emoroffle

    Danny: “Well just bone me.”
    Ethan: “What?”
    Danny: “Just shoot me. I said shoot. Because I’m boned. Not your bone. I mean oh god why am I still talking! I’m going to be very uncomfortable at this party”

  24. Disloyal Subject

    As a wise woman once said…
    “Just fuck already!”

  25. Idon'tcarenomore

    As has been noted by several people already: this party is a train wreak preparing to happen.
    Ruth already knows there’s a party and may just decide to check it out later.
    Becky’s parents are coming to the college, you just have to bet on that.
    I’m surprised that Joyce’s haven’t arrived, to save her from Mike’s phone answering service.
    And Blaine just has to show up eventually.

    So many ways to go. And nothing awful has happened in, what 3 days?

    1. Nono

      Does Ruth even have anything to hold against the party? Nobody’s drinking alcohol or doing drugs, and as long as they keep the noise to a respectable level there isn’t anything they can do that’s ban-worthy. Except, y’know, have a giant rolling orgy.

      1. Rycan

        She knows who’s hosting the party, so she already suspects the worst that could happen is somebody says “god dammit”.

        1. DarkoNeko

          *gasp*

        2. neeks

          *silently judges you and points to the swear jar*

        3. Gigafreak

          God Dannit!
          Oh wait

    2. timemonkey

      Becky only has a dad, her mom is long dead. And if he shows up Joyce and Sarah can tell him that he can’t come in, can’t look for Becky and to leave before they report him for being there without a proper pass. And if Joyce’s parents call to object Joyce can just tell them Sarah doesn’t like strange men trying to get into her bedroom. It’s not even a lie!

    3. Amazistool

      And nothing awful has happened in, what 3 days?

      Something very awful happened about half an hour ago!

      1. Kamino Neko

        Link’s broke. Was it meant to go here?

  26. Zuzi

    Yep,
    You’re definitely over Joyce
    totally

  27. Nono

    My brain thought the two were holding hands in the first panel before it corrected itself.

    1. Rycan

      Ethan’s in the right position. Danny just had to Danny it up by putting his hands in his pockets.

  28. Willoughby Chase

    The party’s going to be fine. No drunks. No drugs. People will stand around making small-talk, listening to the wonderful music.

    It’ll be fine.

    Trust me.

  29. DarkoNeko

    2nd panel kinda breaks my heart.

    “yeah… I’m very close with my lifelong friend, Joe. Of course. I can talk with him about anything…”

    1. Jimmy

      Agreed. It sucks to have a “best friend” who you can’t really talk to about anything without him saying you’re boring or ignoring you altogether.

    2. Li

      This.

  30. Iris

    I know I’m finally going to cave in and buy that damned subscription if we get a Danny/Ethan slipshine. Gaah this is going so slow TT.TT

  31. Spencer

    Danny’s face in panel two is just all kinds of heartbreaking.

  32. Keeveet

    This whole situation is so perfectly set up for Dan to Dan it up. But waiting to see just HOW he’ll Dan it up is so suspenseful!

  33. Ragnalok

    For some reason I can’t stop hearing Ethan as the voice of young Brad Garrett. Ca;; me craazy.

  34. Rheios

    So…awkward thought…do you think Sal’s invited?

    1. Rich

      So she can show up the same time Amber does, right?

      If Sal got invited it was off-panel. Maybe Joyce was so intimidated by her coolness that she didn’t dare put Sal on the invite list.

      1. timemonkey

        Sal was probably invited, and probably won’t show up.

        1. Rheios

          That DOES sound appropriately Sal.

      2. Rheios

        Or even, y’know Ethan. Who seems a lot cooler with that understanding but I figure SOME discussion would take place. Even Sal going, “Ya’ look familiahr. Do I know you?” (I know people with a southern accent and still can’t write that dialog.)

    2. Bill

      I think Sal was definitely invited, and was told to bring her motorcycle.

  35. Stephen Bierce

    Alas, my previous Muzak play didn’t take overnight.

  36. mick4state

    The comic passed the Reverse Bechdel Test for a whole two panels. WE DID IT!

    1. Lord Stoneheart

      It did pass it quite a while ago. Way back here: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/03-men-are-from-beck-women-are-from-clark/mcnuggets/

      1. mick4state

        That was still only three panels. Anything 2 or greater is fairly rare.

    2. brumagem

      It also happened like a year ago when Danny and Ethan talked about comics, and like two years before that when Ethan and Mike were talking about the ethical ambiguity of a gay man enjoying Chick-fil-A. Also a couple months ago when Joe and Dan were talking about friendship dynamics, and wow there are a lot of moments now that I think about it.

      1. Greenygal

        Plus, you know, yesterday.

    3. Rowen Morland

      And this strip wouldn’t even pass, would it?

  37. Eric

    Does Danny know that Ethan is gay?

    1. timemonkey

      No. Only Amber, Joyce, Mike, Walky and Dorothy know.

    2. fudo81

      Not yet; as far as we know he doesn’t.

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