454

Hungry
Posted on November 11, 2013 by David M Willis
ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1) Dumbing of Age Book 2 (and Roomies! Book 2) are now available in the store for holiday season purchasings! 2) In ten days I'm going to be in Bloomington, Indiana, again!  Check me out at Vintage Phoenix Comics on November 20 from 5-8pm. 3) In roughly a month I'm going to be in Austin, Texas, again again again!  Webcomic Rampage will be super mighty and at Dragon's Lair's new super mighty location on December 6 through 8.  Here's the schedule of happenings!  Every webcomicker you like will be there.

454 thoughts on “Hungry”

  1. Herohatch

    Riley has easily jumped up on my list of favorite characters.

    1. Tunaro

      Yup, this is definitely a girl who knows exactly what to do with life.
      Walky would approve.

      1. Neospector

        You realize that with this sentence, you have created the super-indecisive WalkyxRily ship, right?

        1. John

          Dude she’s twelve.

        2. rowanmikaio

          So she’s more mature than Walky, right? It’ll work.

        3. Volkai

          In six-plus years? Maybe.

          But probably not.

          Let’s not go there and say we didn’t.

      2. JetstreamGW

        Dina would too.

    2. newllend

      To bad she isn’t in the DoA poll

    3. Gaim

      She needs a spinoff.

      1. thecanvashat

        It’s Riley!

        1. Aizat

          Riley and Dina; Freelance Police.

        2. Keroshino

          Riley=Sam
          Dina=Max

        3. bibulb

          I APPROVE OF THIS IDEA.

          (“Sheesh, Riley, I’m a deinonychus! Look it up!”)

        4. Far

          How about “Life of Riley”?
          Or “Rile Life”

        5. Volkai

          So much yes.

      2. LiaHansen

        And in the spinoff, Riley’s younger sister, Rachel (who looks almost exactly like her) will come to visit for a short period of time!

        1. MM

          Wait. Are you saying Rachel is actually a DeSanto from the future?

        2. LiaHansen

          Not originally, it was just the first R name that came to mind, but now I totally am.

        3. roborat

          This is starting to sound disturbingly like a Sailor Moon plotline.

    4. Skull025

      Some one tell me who Riley is! I’m missing something here!

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Riley is Roz’s little sister.

        1. Skull025

          And like that it all makes perfect sense.

        2. Fritzel

          Skull, you do know DoA is currently updating on the weekends, right? It’s a reward for the Kickstarter having gone so well. I think this is the last month it’s doing it? Reread the last two comics. 😉

      2. Tunaro

        That girl up in the comic who wants cereal

  2. Vivvav

    12? Wow. I figured she was at least in high school or something. How much older is Robin than her?

    1. Heatth

      Well, Robin is at last 25, so she is at last 13 years older than Riley.

    2. agentksilver

      Robin has to be at least 25. So there’s at least 13 years’ difference between Robin and Riley. That puts Roz right there in the middle, at 18.

    3. John

      Robin is at least 27. She’s constitutionally required to be 25 to be a Congresswoman, and she’s been in office at least one (two-year) term, with an election coming up in a month or so (in-universe time; probably more like five years our time).

    4. Astraea

      Well, you have to be at least 25 to be a representative, and she was running for re-election, so she’s at least 27 (two-year election periods). Having a 16-year younger sibling isn’t *that* unheard of, though a bit of a stretch.

      1. Undrave

        I have a half-sibling that’s 19 years younger than me.

        1. kateastrophe

          I have three half siblings who ard 17, 19, and 20 years older than me. It’s my normal. It’s weird that people find it weird.

        2. chatokun

          I have (with different mothers) an older sister of unknown age (my (full) older brother is 33) and a younger sister who just started permits, so 15-16 (I don’t have her birthday memorized, sue me :P). Since my dad claims his first was before he met my mother, I’d assume at least 2-3 years older than my brother. At 35 to 15, that’s possibly 20 years.

        3. DarkVeghetta

          My little sister is 23 years younger then I am. I’m 29 and she’s 6.
          What can I say, my mother has always been… fertile. She managed to squeeze her through just before menopause.
          Imagine my surprise six years ago. 😛

      2. CRtwenty

        She could be a Half-Sibling, if their Dad slept around in this universe too.

      3. riteilu

        From Roz’s dialogue in the second panel, I get the impression that this is a half-sibling.

        1. Kladeos

          If Mark is Riley’s dad, why do they share the last name? It’s possible all three siblings have their mother’s name, I guess, but if their parents were married it’s more likely they have their dad’s.

        2. riteilu

          Fair enough, though I have also seen kids take the last name of their mother’s new husband (depending on their relationship with their father, etc).

        3. taekwondogirl

          It’s common for the mom to not change her last name once she’s divorced. It’s a huge pain to change your name. My mom and dad have been divorced for about 10 years now and my mom still hasn’t reverted to her maiden name.

      4. Kamino Neko

        My grandmother has a brother and sister (twins) who are the same age as my father. She has half-siblings who were born when Dad was ~10. And she’s not the oldest in her family. All told, there’s a stretch of about 40 years between my great grandfather’s eldest and youngest children.

      5. kelticat

        I have two full sibs that are 15 and 16 years older than me.

    5. TheKelliestKelly

      I poked around the archives and this comic says that Robin ran for congress at 25 and this strip mentions that Robin is running for re-election. So Robin is at least 27

    6. Kladeos

      It’s funny how five people all just told you almost the exact same thing, give or take 2 years.

    7. Wack'd

      I’m Connor Ratliff Robin DeSanto and I’m 35 25 years old. That’s old enough to be President a congresswoman.

    8. TheLurkerAbove

      Oh wow, 12? I thought she’d be like, 16.

    9. nothri

      Less than 20000.

  3. Zero Cool

    Honey Bunches of Lucky Charms. Flakes.

    1. mechaqua

      its too bad its November they wont have Count Chocula. :'(

      1. Jen Aside

        Actually, it’s still September-ish in-universe… they actually might =p

      2. Wack'd

        It’s still September, actually…so they still won’t have it.

        1. mechaqua

          CURSE YOU GENERAL MILLS!!!!!!

        2. LiaHansen

          Wait, what are you people are talking about? What do you mean, “still have count chocula”? WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO COUNT CHOCULA, GODDAMNIT?!

        3. mechaqua

          Count Chocula is seasonal or at least it is at Wegmans.

        4. mechaqua

          There may be some mythic grocery store that sells it year round I have yet to find this magical place. 🙁

        5. LiaHansen

          Oh thank god. I haven’t had it in a couple of years now, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it and Booberry at Target over the summer.

        6. mechaqua

          Booberry maybe delicious buts its not count chocula.

        7. Wack'd

          I’m still disappointed there’s no peanut-butter flavored monster cereal called Creature from the Cracked Legume.

        8. Valdrax

          @Wack’d: IT BURNSSSSSSSS! (It burnss sso good.)

        9. ProfessorZoot

          This year Target was licensed, for the Halloween season, to carry Count Chocula, Frankenberry, Booberry, Fruit Brute (cherry flavored) and even Yummy Mummy (orange cream flavored, I had heard of his but never seen it before) but I am an adult with no children and therefore I, sob, failed to indulge.

        10. vlademir1

          I’ve seen all three at some stores as late as Easter time, but that is really dependent on how they sell during the late season and after that.

        11. PBManning

          There is such a place! Some call it… Massachusetts! (DUN DUN DUUUUN)

        12. vlademir1

          They could… but the regions that get the earliest shipments (ie early to mid September) are those historically to have the highest sales of the three cereals in that line. I’m not sure if their area would be one of those.

        13. The Phantom's Belch

          Am I the only one that remembers Wolfruity, the fourth (unsuccessful, and hence short-lived) cereal in that line?

          And seasonal? BAH! We had them year-round growing up in Pennsy.

        14. Kiggy

          Actually Fruit Brute made a comeback this year

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mills_monster-themed_breakfast_cereals

        15. mechaqua

          The cereal use to be sold year round but now its seasonal.

        16. Bryan

          So it’s almost time to wake up those guy’s from Green Day?

      3. sps48

        It’s in the 50% off section here!

    2. Tunaro

      Special Mini Frosted Honey Apple Nut Cocoa Bran Chocula Krispie Pebble Loops

    3. Jay Eff

      Cinnamon Toast Waffle Berry Puffs Bunches of Oats Cookie Crispix Smacks.

  4. Jack Napier

    New favorite character? New favorite character.

    1. Aizat

      Still can’t replace Dina in my rankings.

      1. timemonkey

        She and Dina will sit quietly and eat cereal together. For a month.

        1. Aizat

          My brain…it cannot contain the adorableness…must watch something awesome…

        2. Aizat

          If you excuse me, I’m going to watch a video clip in which Ryoma Nagare punches dinosaurs..

        3. Keroshino

          This is a thing?

        4. Aizat

          Yes, here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT-5RFfvkAw

        5. Farmer_10

          What kind of National Lampoonery is this?! Those aren’t dinosaurs, they’re lizardmen!

        6. Aizat

          Lizardmen? For shame, good sir, for shame.

        7. CanvasWolfDoll

          have to be perfectly honest: if that’s how the next 30-31 days go, just strip after strip of riley and dina sitting at a table, eating cereal, occasionally getting up to get more cereal after we watch the bowls slowly empty between the panels, i would not object in the slightest. it would be such a silly thing to watch happen.

          plus, i just know the comments will split into ‘pro-cereal saga’ and ‘get on with the plot already, willis!’ camps, which will be very entertaining.

        8. begbert2

          Dumbing of Age!: The Endless Ate Saga

    2. Glockenspielberg

      Maybe not favorite but she’s definitely up there for me

  5. mechaqua

    Who needs Orgasms when you can have Cereal!!!

    1. GoSpeedRumpist

      Why not both?

      1. LiaHansen

        For one, I think your pleasure centers might explode.

        1. mechaqua

          Its also very messy!

        2. GoSpeedRumpist

          Cereal and orgasms are equally messy for me. Might as well get them done at the same time so that I only have to shower once.

        3. Arkadi

          Your reasoning is flawless.

    2. Skull025

      Who says you can’t have both?

  6. EvergreenFir

    Cheeriosexual

    1. Doctor_Who

      Chexual.

      1. Gadfly

        Omnicereal.

        1. EvergreenFir

          Apple Jacker?
          Creamer of Wheat?
          Grape-Nutter?
          Muesliphile?

        2. TCS

          Okay, I’ve switched camps from “okay with the cake joke” to “we hates the cake joke.” ( http://www.asexuality.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cake )

        3. xKiv

          The cake is fake???

        4. Vash

          The cake is a term meaning an individual has not told you the truth.

      2. Skull025

        She gets off on Life.

      3. Tunaro

        Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs

    2. Valdrax

      Cereal monogamy.

      1. EvergreenFir

        Ooo good one

      2. Kamino Neko

        Two thumbs up. Would LOL again.

  7. Super Duper

    So, she’s Captain Jack Harkness before the operation?

    1. Doctor_Who

      Or after. Hard to tell with Jack.

  8. KingMabel

    So does this make Riley “Pancereal”?

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Does liking 5 different cereals count as a pancereal?

    2. David Willis

      according to the hovertext, yes

      1. HAB

        Never doubt the hovertext

        1. mechaqua

          T o be fair if your reading this from your tablet or smart phone its hard to read the hovertext.

        2. Kiggy

          Yup :/

        3. Kernanator

          The hovertext is your friend. The hovertext will never betray you.

      2. Far

        Mr. Willlis, has it ever occured to Roz that maybe her little sister just isn’t interested in sex or sexual preference yet?

        1. David Willis

          Mr./Ms. Far, has it occurred to you that maybe that conflict is explicitly the point of today’s comic strip.

        2. Far

          Ah, the clarifying point I was seeking.
          Thank you.

    3. Valdrax

      She keeps it up, and she won’t be pancreal anymore.

    4. Jack Finch

      I’m a cereal nom-nom-agist myself.

  9. Maxy

    Finally! Age related knowledge! We can stop guessing. 🙂

    1. Aeron

      And with that, Joe set a reminder on his phone for six years in the future.

      1. brionl

        I’ll be sure to check back with the strip in 2040.

        1. Wack'd

          That’s a very optimistic estimate.

  10. OkamiKing

    So whose saying I choose all of them? Cause the context of statement REALLY changes depending on who says what.

    1. Baroncognito

      I don’t believe you can be bisexual and asexual.

      1. FinalOwen

        There’s bi-romantic, which is the midpoint between them.

      2. Kladeos

        I don’t believe you can be asexual and Roz.

      3. Schequeerazade

        This is where terminology becomes problematic. Does someone who is not interested in having sex, but has romantic feelings for men and women still qualify as bisexual? Could they potentially qualify as pansexual, since there’s no ‘sex’ involved?

        We keep coming up with more and more words for ourselves, but areas like this where multiple things apply are where I start to give up. Every day, I love the word “queer” more and more. It’s easier than saying “I’m a bio-male non-cisgendered transfag still in a male body who doesn’t want to transition to a female body because ultimately I’m not at home in either, who is sexually attracted to the physical attributes of maleness/androgyny at equal and different measures at equal and different times, (so-called ‘butch’ girls, so-called ‘bearish’ men, etc.) prefers the social company of females, and sexually identifies as more of a ‘bottom’ than any other term because I have this crazy idea of myself as some primal sexual goddess who likes to receive in order to give pleasure.”

        It doesn’t even fit on a gay business card!

        1. Kladeos

          Dude are you alternative universe reflection of myself?

          “Transmasculine but I may as well call myself a guy to make life easier even though I’m only 85% guy but how much do I want to transition and when will I out myself to my family so I can stop living a double life where everyone from employers to friends know but not my folks; into girls usually but weirdly maybe it’s more about being into female bodies (and is that problematic?) because while most people I date identify as girls I’ve dated two trans guys who came out as trans after I started dating them but in the end I love androgynous and/or masculine and/or badass presentations on female frames; hey if I identify as a guy why are all my friends and fictional role models women??? why do I identify more with female characters???; in summary I am not straight!”

          I also just call myself queer.

          But to go back to your original argument, I don’t find it hard to separate romantic and sexual orientations. I’m gynophilic for sexual orientation and probably(?) panromantic. I want to bang female bodies but your gender can be whatever. Except because of my own gender issues dating another transmasculine, or even trans* at all, person would be uncomfortable, so in practice I try to date pansexual cisgender girls, which has worked out well enough.

        2. Kladeos

          We even have the same gravatar!

  11. Plasma Mongoose

    12? She’s more than old enough to be going on a Pokemon journey.

    1. mechaqua

      But she seems to enjoys animal crossing more.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        AC doesn’t have animal fights does it?

        1. Tunaro

          Animal Fight Club, maybe

        2. mechaqua

          No it doesn’t it also doesn’t send pre-pubescent teenagers to capture dragons dinosaurs and whales and train them to battle. hence why Pokemon is awesome!

        3. Mr. Random

          In the original, and it’s remake, your rival tells you, at the championship match, that he is the pokemon champion. That he “is the most powerful trainer in the world!” Someone, who is roughly ten/eleven and quite a big ego, has more power than anyone else. No wonder his uncle came when he heard his nephew won.

  12. HAB

    Call me old fashioned, but i too felt that sex was creepy when I was 12.

    1. March

      Me too. Hell, I still thought sex was weird after I had it, and I was fifteen then.

    2. Gaim

      As did many others.

    3. ADHadh

      From a kid’s point of view sex just doesn’t make sense.

      1. The Candyman

        It doesn’t even make sense from an adult’s point of view, sometimes.

    4. kelticat

      The scariest thing I ever heard was a 10-year-old yelling that something was better than sex. How would she know?!

      1. David Willis

        Well, it produced her, so from her point of view it can’t be all that bad.

  13. Wonder Wig

    Riley is like me on tumblr.

  14. Urzu13

    Riley just became favorite character, unquestionably. Billie, Ruth and Mike are all knocked down a peg. All hail Riley’s awesomeness.

  15. Regalli

    Poor li’l Riley.

    1. Regalli

      ‘Cause seriously, Roz. GET YOUR LITTLE SISTER SOME FOOD.

      1. Aizat

        Yes, sisters are like Sims.

        1. Plasma Mongoose

          Does that mean if you take out the ladder from the swimming pool after she goes in, she will drown?

        2. Regalli

          Depends on the version. Sometimes they can get out if the sides are unobstructed.

        3. That Damn Rat

          They speak inane gibberish, and are fun to torment. Yes, sisters are like Sims.

        4. Opus the Poet

          I never had a sister, little or otherwise so I’ll have to take your word on that. I do know that little brothers would trade your toys for ones they wanted, however.

      2. Hoboturtle

        Little Sis needs food BADLY.

        DO NOT shoot the food.

        1. Regalli

          Aww, but what else am I supposed to do with this gun? These cereal buffalo aren’t gonna shoot themselves to extinction!

        2. Aizat

          Ooooh, the boat is now finished
          But there’s still something on the wish-list
          To keep us all going through the wind and the rain.

          There’s no food on the table
          And we can’t sail unless we’re able
          So we ain’t going nowhere ’til we get some grain.

          eidle eidle eee
          eidle eidle eee

          we simply can’t leave until we get some grain.

          Therrrre’s no food on the table
          And we can’t sail unless we’re able
          So we ain’t going nowhere ’til we get some grain.

        3. StClair

          “Ooo, a sheep! Sheep have many uses.”

          (… Don’t make me smite you.)

        4. Luke

          My EXTREMELY Scotsman father would definitely agree with you. I hear sheep are afraid of the sounds of zippers…

        5. The Candyman

          Why else do you think they switched to kilts?

        6. ProfessorZoot

          From longish shirts with belts? Don’t think I see the advantage for that particular border pastime.

        7. Aeron

          White DeSato needs food badly!

        8. begbert2

          Buh-what? From her it looks like Riley has *exactly* the same skin tones as her sister.

        9. Beachfox

          It’s a Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauntlet_(1985_video_game)

        10. roborat

          I make a similar reference from time to time when I am hungry. Very few people get it.

      3. Kladeos

        It’s past noon, poor thing.

  16. Doctor_Who

    I hope she meets Dina. They can bond over cereal. Then Dina will have 2 friends.

    1. Opus the Poet

      Are you sure Dina doesn’t have any friends off-camera?

      1. timemonkey

        Dina doesn’t really talk to people she doesn’t know unless they make the first move. Or at least she didn’t in the other universe and since characters are remaining consistent in their personalities for the most part.

    2. Jay Eff

      “I can teach you much about cereal, young apprentice.

      And dinosaurs.

      Cereal and Dinosaurs. You shall learn about them.”

    3. EvergreenFir

      I’ll bet you Dina rages over any of the Pebbles cereals for being historically inaccurate

      1. Mr. Random

        She will feel conflicted about eating it, like Walky with a perfectly symmetrically wrapped burrito.

  17. newllend

    If she was a little older and still kept this mentality, she would easily get along with walky

  18. Aizat

    Damn, it’s like looking at a 10 year old version of myself.

    1. Jesse

      Twelve. She says it right there.

      1. Aizat

        I know but she acts like a 10 year old version of myself.

        1. Jesse

          Oh.

  19. Cheryl

    I really want an everycereal bowl of cereal

    1. Aizat

      I want cereal bowlful of cereal coated cereal.

  20. Jesse

    It seems out of character for Roz to say asexuality is a choice.

    1. JessWitt

      She’d say anything to quiet down her little sister.

    2. Wack'd

      Um…not really? I mean, she’s in favor of open sexual expression, doesn’t mean she assumes everyone wants sex.

      1. Reynard-Miri

        I figure Jesse was focusing on Roz appearing to imply that it is a choice (instead of being inherent).

    3. Shrugs

      Hey, just because she likes something doesn’t mean she thinks everyone has to like it.

    4. Ridureyu

      Yeah, Roz is declaring sexual preference to be a choice.

      1. Kladeos

        Not really. Roz is declaring that whatever Riley’s sexual orientation, she’s cool with it. I doubt “choice” is being used literally.

      2. Reynard-Miri

        Given that Roz doesn’t appear to be fully awake yet, I’m more than willing to forgive her poor word choice.

    5. Spiridion

      I see no reason why Roz wouldn’t be okay with asexuality. It’s just another sexual orientation, albeit one that involves a lack of sexual attraction.

    6. Jesse

      Do I really have to spell this out? Asexuality isn’t a choice. If Roz is so accepting of people’s sexual orientations, she should know that.

      1. Kladeos

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/hungry/#comment-171762

        1. Jesse

          You win this round, Kladeos!

        2. Kladeos

          I win every round!

  21. March

    See, this is why Roz sort of rubs me the wrong way. It’s the same reason people like Mary bother me. Both of them are way too in to other people’s business, and it’s creepy and kind of invasive. The sex-positivity, the BC campaigning, that’s all great. People need to hear that, and college is a great place since a lot of people come from families where that sort of thing is taboo.

    Roz just takes it too far though, the same way Mary takes her particular flavour of Christianity too far.

    I mean, Riley is twelve for chrissakes. The kid just wants some damn cereal, not a pep talk.

    1. Camila

      But Roz didn’t do anything wrong in this strip….she just told her sister that sex isn’t creepy, how is that taking it too far?

      1. Wack'd

        I’ll be honest I could’ve used someone being this open with me about sex when I was twelve.

      2. March

        Because I feel like that’s all she ever talks about.

        1. AHR

          Also, if she was like Mary, she’d stop at “like girls too” and not mention asexuality. Roz isn’t for everyone to have sex like her, just for everyone to be ok with it.

          And yeah, it is a bit odd, but it’s also the type of thing where parents probably go “and I’ll make sure MY kid knows it’s ok to be whatever orientation!” And the kids just go “what” because they usually are unaware there was an issue in the first palce.

        2. gangler

          In this instance her sister did kind of bring it up. Unless Riley was talking about that Feminist Arm-Flexing Wrench-Wielding icon poster (don’t know her name), and Roz just jumped the gun assuming that it was about some of the more sexual posters.

          Though then I have to wonder what Riley finds so creepy about flexing women.

        3. Norah

          The arm-flexing woman is Rosie the Riveter.

      3. Valdrax

        Depends on what the posters are.

        1. Opus the Poet

          Well at least one of them says “Periodic Table Of Sex” right there next to Riley.

    2. Ridureyu

      Roz also declared sexuality to be a choice. Sure, she AFFIRMS that “choice,” but it’s a “choice.” So, you can choose to be gay? Choose to be hetero? Choose to be asexual?

      Wow, Roz. Just wow.

      1. David Willis

        “A fine choice” is colloquial language, not something she’s meaning literally. Even so, one can choose how to define or label oneself.

        1. JetstreamGW

          It is also completely valid to, if you choose, disregard your sexuality and leave a life of total abstinence.

          That’s not REALLY asexuality, but it could be close enough for government work.

      2. Lee

        people can, in fact, choose their sexual orientation in many cases! for example, i’m romantically attracted to individuals of all genders, but i choose to identify as gay because i feel uncomfortable with the power dynamics of heterosexual relationships. people make conscious choices about their sexuality and identity all the time, & it doesn’t make any of those decisions less valid.

        1. PBManning

          I may be wrong but I think that’s behavior, not orientation. Also sexual attraction is different from romantic attraction. Here.
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXAoG8vAyzI

        2. Sam

          That’s not choosing a sexual orientation, that is choosing the gender you wish to pursue which is an active choice that anyone on the freakin’ planet can make, but that does not change their sexual orientation at all. Regardless of who you pursue, your sexual orientation will always include both males and females, because that is the way YOU are. You never chose to be that way, you just are and you can’t remove your sexual attraction to a gender, you can only choose the one you wish to pursue.

          However, someone like Ethan, who is gay, and is not sexually attracted to girls, will never be sexually attracted to girls. He can pursue a relationship with Joyce all he likes, he can try to chase girls all he likes, but he will still only be sexually attracted to guys and he can’t change it, he cannot choose to be attracted to girls sexually. It is not something he can control.

    3. Kladeos

      Roz is awesome. Though if I were her I would’ve at least taken down some of the more explicit decorations.

      But seriously, knowing you can talk to a family member openly about something like this without receiving judgement is pretty great.

    4. Greg

      Yeah, agreed. I don’t think it has anything to do with the topic, it just feels like Roz only wants to talk about one thing and one thing only. I think I would find her boring as a person!

      With Riley on the other hand, we know she is into two things: Animal Crossing and cereal. That is the kind of character dynamic that I can support.

  22. Plume

    Let’s see, Robin’s obsession:sugar in all forms. Roz’s obsession: sex and sex activism. Riley’s obsession: …Cereal?

    1. JessWitt

      So Riley takes more after Robin then. A more refined palette of sugar you might say.

    2. Aizat

      And it turns out that Riley is actually 5 as she fast forwarded through her life through a cereal induced sugar rush.

  23. AHR

    I can’t help but like Roz. Even if you don’t like sex with anyone, she understands. Heheh.

  24. C.

    Even Product 19?

    1. Valdrax

      I loved Product 19 as a kid. It’s even better when you pour honey and/or sugar in the bowl, but the simple rice flakes pleased me enough on their own.

  25. Plasma Mongoose

    A 12yo who isn’t interested in boys or girls in the 21st century? 0.0

    1. Aizat

      So? I’m not interested in boys or girls when I was 10. All I’m interested in is fighting and giant robots.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        All the kids I know in this century has shown an interest in having boy/girlfriends before the age of 10.

        I didn’t show any interest in 3D girls before I was 15 but that was back when owning a colour TV was a big deal.

        1. vlademir1

          Hell that’s not even all that new. I remember a lot of…precocious exploits… being a thing around the point I was in that age range during the late ’80s. Though dating at that age was an atypical thing for parents to allow back then, it’s become a more normalized, if heavily supervised, thing in the intervening years (per friends and coworkers who have kids in that age range).

        2. Aizat

          Well, when I was 12(when was that? 2004 or something), there was this girl I’m interested in…but nothing ever came out of it.

        3. Wack'd

          Impossible! The bodily waste would build up inside her and kill her.

        4. Anywhere

          Also entirely possible that the experience is different for everyone. 😉 Some people start crushing by age 10 and by 14 are ready to implode from hormones. Some people just don’t have any interest until they’re much older. Some people PRETEND to be interested or disinterested to fit in with their peers, depending on what their more outgoing friends or popular kids are like.

          tl;dr confirmation bias

          I’d also say it’s pretty likely Riley may find a poster of sex positions vaguely creepy if she’s not shown interest in sex before and is suddenly confronted with something unexpected. ^_^;

        5. John

          Roz is her sister. I doubt it’s the first time she’s been confronted with something like that,

    2. LiaHansen

      I’m still not particularly interested, and I’m like, a thousand. Come to think of it, at this point in my life, Cereal options actually have played a bigger role than romantic ones. Of course, Count Chocula fulfills my needs in both categories.

    3. agentksilver

      It’s not unheard of. At all.

  26. Gram91

    Shit, she’s adorable

  27. Shrugs

    I like her eyebrows.

  28. Kernanator

    That is an excellent choice, Riley. In fact, I will put it into action tomorrow.

  29. timemonkey

    When I was her age I was having funny feelings about guys already. And by guys I mean power rangers. Specifically Billy.

    1. Gaim

      Tommy’s always been my man.

      1. timemonkey

        I liked Tommy but he always ranked third for me, after Jason and Billy. Though these days i’m noticing Adam isn’t too bad either, And blue suited Rocky better than red ever did.

        Fricken Power Rangers totally made me gay. XD

    2. Kamino Neko

      By the time I was her age, I was 7 years past my first crushes.

  30. Mkvenner

    roz stop pressuring your little sister.

  31. Ry

    Pancereal? More like PanCAKE!

    dohohohohohoho-*is shot*

    1. Aizat

      Bacon pancake.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Yeek, I rather have butter on my hot pancakes.

      2. Opus the Poet

        Bacon waffles http://groovykinda.org/comic/the-waffle-truth/

    2. Anywhere

      YES THIS IS MY NEW SEXUALITY. I AM PANCAKE.

  32. CthulhuPanda36

    Choosing to eat all of the cereal is both Chaotic and Evil. Cthulhu approves!

  33. Saru

    lol at all these age calculations assuming that riley and robin are full sisters.

    1. Astraea

      Fair point. But again, it’s possible they *are* full sisters since 15 years isn’t an entirely unheard of age difference.

      1. CthulhuPanda36

        Roz says “Mom and Mark” so Mark probably isn’t their father.

        1. insomniac

          Or, at least, isn’t Roz’s.

    2. Regalli

      Eh, not impossible. My dad’s the oldest of five and there’s a twenty, twenty-two-year age difference between him and his youngest brother. And yeah, they’re full siblings. It can happen.

    3. M.

      A friend of mine has a (full) brother who was born right when we were 15; probably he wasn’t exactly planned, but I’m just saying that it’s not that strange.

      (jeez, he was born when I was in high school and now he’s a 5th grader… I feel old 🙁 )

    4. Schequeerazade

      I’m confused–does the age difference change if they aren’t related? We have an established age for Robin of at least 27, and an established age of Riley as 12. Lineage doesn’t play much role in that math.

  34. Astraea

    Oh, Riley, I remember being you, honey.

    I remember being 12 and being creeped out by anything regarding intimate contact with people other than my family (not including hugs, and even those were only for girls). It was nothing to do with sexual activism and everything to do with needing boundaries at that age, physically and emotionally. Only difference is I was the oldest of my siblings and cousins, so I didn’t get exposed to a lot of sex talk for a couple more years.

    I don’t think I would have liked Roz as a sister…

    1. Astraea

      Aaaaand gravatar irony -___-

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Randomly assigned DoA avatars are like that.

      2. Big Drahma

        To be fair, I’m not 100% sure Robin’s on board with Roz as her sister.

    2. agentksilver

      I was much the same way. I had had crushes in elementary school, but in middle school I didn’t want to touch anybody. At 12, I was in the totally normal need-boundaries no-sex-talk-please phase.

  35. Lanval

    Is it just me or is Willis using this to drive the point home about the unveilling of Riley where everyone was speculating if she was legal age for certain activities?

    All the same, if I was a twelve year old waking up in Roz’s bed, the melancholy face and wish for cereal to make me forget would be foremost on my list of wants as well. [Not to judge Roz who is taking to her hangover wake up call far better than most would].

    1. timemonkey

      He’d have to be psychic for it to be anything like that. Months ahead in the buffer, remember?

      1. Greenygal

        It’s been almost two months since Riley was first shown. I don’t remember how far ahead the buffer had gotten at that point, but it’s theoretically possible.

        1. xKiv

          /me points up at “BUFFER WATCH …: FEBRUARY 16, 2014” – buffer is currently roughly 3 months big.

          I think it was slightly less big earlier?

    2. Aizat

      Well, if I was twelve and I woke up one morning next to a teenager, the first thing I’d ask is “What did I do last night?”

  36. Ridureyu

    Did Roz just declare sexual preference to be a choice?

    1. gangler

      Probably just poor wording. She’s hardly even awake right now.

      1. Ridureyu

        Yeah, when you’re tired you tend to censor your speech less.

    2. David Willis

      please read my response to you above

  37. asmcint

    Riley: Pancearealsexual.

    I regret nothing.

    1. David Willis

      You regret not reading the hovertext first!

      1. PBManning

        Seeing Riley in all her adorableness and watching everybody fall in love with the character (myself included), a part of me can’t help but wonder if and how Mister Willis is going to use her as a way to crowbar open our hearts that he might rip them in half.

        1. David Willis

          she’s not in college so she doesn’t get to stay

        2. Farmer_10

          So that’s how it is. You give us joy and then take it away. That should be on your family crest.

        3. PBManning

          Will she at least be in the next gravatar pool?

      2. asmcint

        I was tired at the time. As such, my regrets remain nonexistant.

  38. Deathjavu

    I was going to celebrate how great Riley is by eating some cereal…

    and then I checked and realized I was out of milk

    sadness. sadness forever

    1. Norj

      Cereal and milk? You Americans have strange eating habits.

      1. M.

        What’s wrong with cereal and milk? I’m no big fan of cereals, but here in Italy I always saw them eaten with milk or yogurt…

      2. The Candyman

        What do you put in it, water?

        1. Crimson Doom

          My guess is, nothing. That’s what I do with my cereal. I never eat cereal fast enough to prevent sogginess, and honestly, I don’t see why milk in cereal is even a desirable thing anyways.

          Then again, I also dislike peanut butter and popcorn, so you can probably just write me off as an anomaly without much trouble.

        2. Deathjavu

          Yeah, maybe it’s just me but Peanut Butter Captain Crunch is way too goddamn sweet without milk. And even Multigrain Cheerios is far, far too dry. Of course, the root of this is that milk is how I’ve always eaten cereal and I’m used to it, but

          “dislike peanut butter”…“write me off as an anomaly”

          Yeahhhh, I’ve already put you in the same category as “people who don’t like chocolate”, i.e. aliens wearing human disguises.

          I’m on to you…

        3. Kladeos

          Multigrain Cheeries is better without milk! I pour it into a bowl and pick out the blander ones (wheat and rice) first, then eat the bran, and save the sweetest corn ones for last. But maybe I have issues.

        4. Deathjavu

          Nah, only really level-headed, super normal people pick apart their food in very specific ways and eat the separated components in a certain order.

          Like Joyce, for instance.

          😛

        5. Kladeos

          OH GOD NO. I am NOT like Joyce!

        6. agentksilver

          Chocolate is always way too bitter or way too sweet. I just avoid the stuff in general.

        7. norj

          Soggy cereal tastes terrible and there are some food that should not mix.

        8. kelticat

          My nephews used juice on their cereal. But their mom is lactose and kasien intolerant. And allergic to soy, so that limited their options.

        9. Kladeos

          That sounds really gross and sweet. Almond milk? Lactose-free milk? Kids can drink milk even if mom can’t. I’m lactose intolerant so my mom has regular 1% and I have my own lactose-free 2%.

  39. Regalli

    Huh. That mention of Mark- does that mean we can assume Mrs. DeSanto is divorced and remarried, at least in this universe?

    1. Schequeerazade

      Given the depiction of Roz, it’s not entirely assumable. Her activism seems to cause conflict with her family, and it’s not altogether-uncommon for the greatest conflict to be with the paternal figure. My parents are still married, and my brother and I call them separate things–For me, they’re Mom and Bernie, and for my brother, they’re Mom and Dad. But then, he and my Dad like each other, so it changes things.

      Not saying it’s not a definite possibility, but if Willis has taught us anything about family relationships, it’s that assumptions at all are often incorrect.

  40. Emoroffle

    Greedy much?

  41. Kladeos

    Despite Roz’s slightly disturbing nonchalance about exposing a 12-year-old sibling to R-rated materials, I like her more and more!

    1. Kirby

      I doubt Roz has anything actually pornographic on her walls. Just the entire DoA Pinup line.

      And I say I doubt because I don’t think Mary would let her (although people do keep walking in on her naked). But, I do not know for certain.

      1. Kladeos

        Would not display this around kids OR family.

        1. Leonou

          Heh, my familly let worst things lying around when I was a kid.
          Still, I can vouch that all my weirdness comes from being showed the Rocky Horror Picture Show at 10 (Totally woth it, I regret nothing !).

        2. Casey

          High Five for Rocky. I was the only kid in my Catholic Elementary School who knew what a transvestite was, and I can tell you the nuns did NOT like me singing Sweet Transvestite in the talent show.

  42. JetstreamGW

    And Riley makes the correct choice.

  43. Tahkuya

    careful Riley that’s a dangerous amount of power to be carelessly be weilding

  44. NF

    Riley is adorable.

  45. someguywithakatana

    I can just see Willis, inundated with all of these inquiries into Riley’s age, the implication being “Is she fuckable?” getting fed up and going “Mother fucker, she was til you asked. Now she’s 12!”

    1. Aizat

      Why would someone even asked that? You can’t see my face but imagine the face of a horrified madman.

      1. someguywithakatana

        Apparently it was actually quite the problem.

  46. Bilfred

    I bet Dave already filled out the whole periodic table of sex. I bet he’ll post it up here in a week or two.

    (hint hint)

    1. David Willis

      I don’t have to. It’s an existing thing. Google it!

      1. Bilfred

        I bet you’ll post it here so I don’t have to.

        (hint hint)

        1. David Willis

          no

        2. Bilfred

          I lost both of my bets! 🙁

        3. MM

          Good thing there was no money riding on them…right?

        4. Bilfred

          my life savings!

        5. MM

          Oops. Oh, well. At least you have an excuse to damn Willis.

        6. Leonou

          If you want to bail on it on a technicality, someone posted a link to this poster in yesterday’s comments.

        7. Heavensrun

          All 20 cents of it?

      2. Aizat

        Wait? It exists…YEAH! SCIENCE!

        1. Kaci

          Dude of course it does. Who so you think MAKES science? Horny geeks

  47. Raibean

    so cereal is an acceptable substitute for sexuality let me tell my mom

    1. Blue Dragon

      I expect my Mom would tell me that the reverse isn’t true, though.

  48. DeathsApprentice

    Riley definitely has her priorities straight!

  49. aqua

    so Robin has a sister about 16 years younger than her, in short packed she mentioned that her and her sister used to hate her father as kids for abandoning them. In DoA her fater had to have been around while she was 18. hey maybe, just maybe robin’s parents have been happily married all this time in this universe. (i can hope)

    1. MM

      I think Roz’s reference to “Mom and Mark” suggests otherwise.

    2. Kladeos

      Note “Mom and Mark.” People who call their parents by the first name probably don’t just single out their dad.

      1. Aizat

        So either Mark is their stepdad or Mark is the older brother?

        1. Kladeos

          They don’t have any brothers. I was thinking mom’s boyfriend.

      2. horrorshow88

        Actually some do. For reasons I don’t remember, when my brother was a kid he started calling our dad by his first name. My other brother and I picked it up, and we’ve done it ever since. I know it’s weird and that that probably isn’t the case here, but it happens!

        1. Norj

          My brother and I call our mother by her first name, we think calling her as mom, mommy or mother is just plain bizarre.

        2. Kladeos

          That’s weird! I think my parents would find it disrespectful if I did.

        3. norj

          My mother calls my grandmother by her first name as well don’t ask me why my family’s like this I honestly don’t know.

      3. bix

        Actually I have a friend whose parents have been married her entire life and among us she will, at times, refer to her dad by his first name.
        Have you ever watch That 70s show? Eric Foreman referred to his father by name to other people pretty much all the time.

  50. DT

    Dammit Riley, stop trying to out-adorable Dina!!!

    Also, Roz, seriously, give the far-left ramblings a rest, will ya?

    1. Kladeos

      There’s nothing far-left about not being homophobic or against asexuality. :/

    2. David Willis

      please explain how roz’s ramblings here are “far left”

      1. Kladeos

        Depriving children of no-doubt GMO-derived, unethically sourced, non-locally produced sugary cereal full of artificial flavours and colours is very far-left these days, I’ve been told.

        …I dunno.

        1. Deathjavu

          No no, it’s clearly because Roz is on the far left side of the bed.

          Eh? Eh?

          (I’ll show myself out)

        2. Kaci

          Fozzie Bear would be pleased

        3. moby

          Except from their perspective, she’s on the far right.

          (But that totally made me laugh, yeah)

        4. Deathjavu

          Well that’s the thing about any political spectrum, what’s “left” and “right” is all based on your perspective.

          Apparently some people’s perspective is so warped that a statement of basic sexual acceptance is leftist.

          (also, I’m surprised anyone laughed, I was expecting groans)
          (fortunately groans are also a win-condition for puns)
          (this is why puns are the best)

        5. DT

          Yeah, I got no issues with “sexual acceptance”. It’s when a 12-year old says “boys are gross” and she starts saying “Well there’s girls too” and “Oh, so you can be asexual” and she’s twelve and just wants some damn cereal that it hits an extreme on the left.

        6. Deathjavu

          I should’ve just left it at a joke, because your actual explanation- as expected- makes no sense to me.

          I mean, what, she doesn’t try to counteract her sister’s (societally inherited) view that sex is gross? And it’s not like she’s not waking up while this conversation is going on. She’s trying to teach her younger sibling something and her sister’s not interested.

          I find it extremely rightist that you’re either against teaching in general or think the mere existence of sex is some kind of special knowledge that should be withheld from kids.

        7. Deathjavu

          Also I find it hilarious that we both have Roz gravatars right now.

        8. moby

          I’ve finally figured it out!!! I am PANCEREAL. Thank you so much, Willis. ;_; I can’t wait to finally come out to everyone.

        9. moby

          also, wrong comment location

        10. John

          It’s also hateful to otherkin.

        11. EvergreenFir

          Depriving children of no-doubt? Every child deserves Gwen Stefani

        12. mechaqua

          I am pretty sure the UN Convention on Right of the Child expressly condems the listening of Gwen Stefani post no doubt by any Child!

      2. Valdrax

        Maybe under the sad rule of thumb that any political belief you disagree with is “far” something or other that isn’t you.

        1. Gordon

          She didn’t express anything political.

          Hell, she barely expressed an opinion.

      3. DT

        It’s not just this one. It’s also the stuff she put in the roommate agreement with Mary. I may not be speaking strictly from a political standpoint, left and right are ideologies you can find in most places. And in this rant, it’s very much regarding sexuality. Let’s face it, Riley doesn’t want to hear it right now, and Roz won’t let her keep her perfectly-normal-to-have-for-a-12-year-old-girl stance on it.

  51. Mattyos

    Riley is so adorably innocent! I want to give her the biggest of hugs!

  52. Wack'd

    I can’t help but read some of Roz’s dialogue as potential Peanuts specials.

    Sex Isn’t Creepy, Charlie Brown!

    It Doesn’t Have to be with Boys, Charlie Brown!

    1. Schequeerazade

      And this is why I recommend the play “Dog Sees God.”

    2. Mr K

      The editors did not accept them, for some weird reason

  53. Gottawonder

    You can be anything you want to and call yourself anything you want to. But humans are not ‘asexual’. You can be a nun or a monk. You can willingly abstain.
    But people ain’t asexual. Not biologically possible.

    1. Kladeos

      You are wrong.

      1. Kladeos

        Here is an organization telling you that you are wrong.

        http://www.asexuality.org/home/

        1. madd

          My brain first interpreted the url as asexualityorgohome. It only had to add an o!

        2. Kladeos

          That is impressive. Way to send subliminal messages, AVEN.

    2. Wack'd

      I’d say “fuck you”, but…

    3. Plasma Mongoose

      I used to be asexual myself but when I realised that if didn’t stop multipling by two every week, I would have out-numbered humanity within 33 weeks. 😛

      1. nekobawt

        ah, the amoeba argument.

    4. nekobawt

      uh, yeah, there’s a difference between voluntary celibacy and just not being interested in the first place.

      i still don’t get how people can accept the natural existence of highly libidinous people, yet deny the natural existence of people who literally could not give a fuck.

      1. xKiv

        Or maybe they actually parse “asexual” to mean “has no ‘biological sex’ property” and then say that everyone is some combination of male and female, based on chromosomes, if nothing else. (what’s left if you can’t have X chromosomes, and also can’t have Y chromosomes?)

        Then they fail to recognize that the word “asexual” can mean at least seven different things, depending on context, parsing approach, phase of moon, mood of the DAB and well-doneness of yesterday’s pie.

        1. Kladeos

          Sex isn’t binary. Even on the chromosomal level, you can’t say “females have two X chromosomes” because there are XXY people. You can’t say, “males only have one X chromosome” because there are XO people.

        2. xKiv

          That’s why I useed such ridiculous and convoluted phrasing.
          For example, your “XO” and “XXY” both have at least 1 X in them, so neither is asexual in that particular meaning.

    5. Valdrax

      Asexuality isn’t a matter of “biology,” as you use the word. You can be physically capable of sex but just simply uninterested for a variety of reasons. Around 1% of the population is asexual by some estimates with a slightly greater number of women than men identifying as such.

      Please do some reading before denying a notable segment of the population’s identity just because it boggles your mind. Asexuals face a lot of discrimination similar to the words you just spoke from people who don’t bother to understand that someone might simply not be interested in what, for them, is an important part of their own lives. This is especially ironic when it comes from the LGBT community. (Just another sign that being discriminated against is not magical ward against discriminating against smaller minorities “lower” on the pecking order.)

      1. Kladeos

        Nope, there is zero possibility of biphobic, transphobia and discrimination against aces in the LGBTQA spectrum (“A” is for “Allies!”)! Cease your blasphemy!

    6. Lee

      in a stunning turn of events, words can mean multiple things!

      1. Lee

        ohhh i just realized that this person is not denying the label “asexual,” but going even further by denying that human beings can experience a lack of sexual attraction.

        ok! never mind. the proper response was “fuck off.”

    7. Ace

      You are completely wrong. Educate yourself before speaking about something you have absolutely no fucking clue about.

  54. Gottawonder

    Gottawonder how we can survive the double adorableness: both Dina and Riley?

  55. Plasma Mongoose

    What Riley really needs is a nice bandana.

    http://plasma-mongoose.tumblr.com/post/66655049369/an-edit-of-dumbing-of-ages-riley-to-give-her-a

    1. Aizat

      Solid Snake style Bandana that is.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Bandanas are awesome. ^_^

        1. Aizat

          Everyone looks good in them. No exceptions.

        2. Valdrax

          I’m an exception. Putting anything on my head causes my hair to rebel and try sticking out in all directions. I wish I could wear a hat.

        3. GoSpeedRumpist

          You could cut off all of your hair.

        4. madd

          I’m an exception. Neither hats nor bandanas look good on me. Either they conflict with the shape of my face, makes my very curly hair poof out from underneath for a clownish effect or both.

    2. tahrey

      That’s…. nice.

  56. bibulb

    Well, I called the D’AWWWW pretty effectively, I’d say.

    Also, wasn’t Asexuality Awareness Week a couple of weeks ago? [flinches]

    1. Wack'd

      It was! We got ~~~~~~~~~ Awareness Week instead over at Shortpacked!.

      1. John

        It’s kind of hilariously ironic that her name gets censored in that context.

        1. Wack'd

          I wasn’t sure if it was so I actually just typed out the ~s.

        2. Bibulb

          And that would be the cause for the [flinch]…

  57. Keroshino

    This girl…I like her!!!

    I demand more Riley, it doesn’t matter if its here…or in shortpacked…
    All I know is I want more of her!!!

    1. Aizat

      Riley and Dina….never shall these two meet…or else we’d go squee…

      1. Keroshino

        And now…because of all the Dina & Riley talk…

        I now want a picture of Dina giving Riley a hug!!!

  58. CarlaGriffin

    Riley is adorable, she and Dina would probably get along well, they could bond over a love of cereal.

  59. Kennerly

    All of them? Even Bran Flakes? What about that shredded wheat without the frosting, that you have to break apart to eat?

    1. Aizat

      New Bran Flakes: Bold new taste! Bran Flakes! And it’s a nice cereal box too.

    2. tahrey

      As if you’re going to find either of those in a college dorm kitchen, like, come on.

      1. Qihf

        My college had Bran Flakes. You had to get there early if you wanted Lucky Charms, and sometimes the Life and Cinnamon Toast Crunch dispensers would run out too, but Bran Flakes and Corn Flakes were always full.

        1. tahrey

          Wait, who’s refilling those? Is cereal included as part of your dorm fees? Are there particular staff who go in and refill them? Or is it a sort of money-in-the-kitty, rota based system?

          Or are we talking dorms which don’t have their own kitchen, merely a refectory kind of arrangement in the very same building? Do you, like, have to pay every day in that case? Erm.

          (My own university only had one of its blocks set up like that, and it’s one that has since been demolished (good thing too, as it was a friggin’ ghetto). It was open to all students as well as those living above it, went in there maybe twice out of my entire time there. Utterly rank, yet still overpriced. Much preferred to just stick with our surprisingly spacious and moderately well-equipped shared kitchen…)

          And I must say, I’m still surprised at the appearance of extreme healthfood cereal even so. I think the best we would have had would have been a choice between cornflakes or rice krispies, with an option on cheerios and weetabix.

    3. xain

      soggies arn’t cereal

  60. DFS

    I see this and I just remember, sometime in late September/ early October, when Willis dropped the first artwork for Riley, and then subsequently stated that he:
    “should have known better than to trust folks wouldn’t immediately ask the INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT QUESTION as to whether she’s old enough to be fucked”
    I wonder how all those questioning folk are feeling, now that her true age has been revealed.

    1. Paul

      I wish my faith in humanity was high enough. I tend to think those folks are not feeling nearly as crappy as they ought.

      1. Jenny Creed

        Something I always wonder when people talk about lack of faith in humanity. Don’t you think humanity needs you to believe in it if you want it to do better than it does at something? Do you think it’s going to improve faster if you complain about what it does wrong or if you help?

        They say your friends are the ones who love you the most when you deserve it the least. I’d rather be a friend to humanity than a bystander, but maybe that’s just me.

    2. Jenny Creed

      I like that she’s still in the cooties stage (and/or potentially asexual), so not even the fourteen year old boys who probably posed that question can be satisfied to find out. They’ll be reading this and be all like “This did not go as I had planned”.

      Um, it’s not creepy to mock hypothetical fourteen your old boys for lusting after a drawing of a girl, is it?

  61. Fuzzydaemon

    Count Chocula is available on Amazon, Right NOW!

    1. Kennerly

      Isn’t Count Chocula the one monster cereal that’s available all year long?

  62. Fuzzydaemon

    No, I don’t think so. The Frankenberry and the Booberry are also available on Amazon.

  63. Lee

    i love every DeSanto in this universe. i honestly wish i had someone in my life when i was twelve to challenge all of the heteronormativity and sex-shaming in my life. some would say that Roz is going to far, but man, i don’t think it’s ever too early to let a kid know that they can be positive about their body and their desires, no matter what those are.

    i mean regardless, Riley’s twelve. i’m sure half the kids in her class are already talking about sex & dating.

    1. tahrey

      You realise you’re basically saying these things out loud, right…

    2. Andiemus

      There’s a difference between letting a kid know that they can be body-positive and shoving sex in their face when it’s not wanted. Yeah, Riley’s in her sister’s space, but she’s twelve, if I had that stuff laying about my dorm room and my fourteen year old sister came by I’d clean it up just because she doesn’t want to think about that stuff around me and I’m not an asshole.

      1. bix

        exactly! All my love for Roz but she isn’t the perfect person yet, nor is she the most open. One day she needs to learn a bit of tact and learn that unless her sister COMES to her with questions or unless she is presented with an opportunity (like discussing a book character or something seen on t.v. or in real life) to discuss sexuality with her 12 year old sister, it’s okay to try and understand that some people (including almost teenage children) are going to be a bit uncomfortable with graphic sex things surrounding them and it doesn’t make them a bad person.

    3. caesaria82

      I completely, 100% agree with you. Roz is a wonderful person & sister.

  64. GoSpeedRumpist

    I’ve never thought about having a cereal based orgy, but now I am.

    1. GoSpeedRumpist

      You know, when I think about it, that came out much wronger than intended…

      1. tahrey

        It just sounds… well… painful

  65. Darth Cariss

    Haha, had to get the age in there for all the creeps.

  66. tahrey

    This is going to sound like a really weird thing to say, but she has awesome eyebrows.

    And now I’m going to spend half the morning trying to figure out who else she reminds me of as a result. I *think* it’s another comic/cartoon character…

    1. tahrey

      …the kid from Book Of Kells? Erm. Not 100% sure that’s the one.

      also
      [looks squintily at everyone]
      =_=
      YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID

  67. tahrey

    WAIT WAIT WAIT

    Is this going to include… the Cadbury Egg Cereal?!?!

    ‘cuz I for one can’t wait to see what kind of wacky hijinks are alluded to in the strips following her eating that and then coming round from the subsequent blackout.

    1. timemonkey

      The only person who blacked out from eating that was Robin, because of superpowers.

      1. tahrey

        She has also been the only person who actually ate it, though (afaik). We can’t be sure it doesn’t also confer at least SOME minor superego wacky-hijink abilities amongst the wider population. And they ARE related after all… could be not all of Robin’s abilities were alien-granted.
        /wildmassguessing
        /whisperingtrees
        /etc

        Also, preteen + mass amounts of sugar = oh god make it stop how can they move that quickly and be that loud
        Adult + mass amounts of sugar = headache, nausea, and an extra half inch on your wasteline

      2. tahrey

        Hang on – didn’t Robin at one point momentarily grant someone a bit of superspeed by eating the cereal then kissing them? Or did I dream that whilst out of my mind on a mixture of flu, and poorly formulated value-brand flu remedies?

        Possibly even it was the other way round. Erm.
        *picks up antique looking phone, cranks handle* … WACK’D GET IN HERE I WANT YOU

  68. CianM1301

    Is it just me, or does Riley have HUGE eyebrows?

    1. David Willis

      is it just me or is there a better way of expressing allcaps incredulity at a physical characteristic many real humans possess in front of other humans

      1. Alexis

        A form of expressing incredulity at other people that’s better than all-caps?
        What?
        ABSOlutely NOT. Don’t be RIDICULOUS. GodDAMN.

      2. Blue Dragon

        Upon first consideration, the use of allcaps seems like a very good way to express allcaps incredulity. However, a closer examination of the post you replied to reveals some ambiguities that might make it not the best way of expressing that. First, the use of allcaps might be a modifier of “huge”, meaning “very huge”. In this circumstance, it is probably an expression of some other form of incredulity, and not allcaps incredulity. Second, the opening clause is open to the interpretation that the poster claims to have very huge eyebrows, and wonders if Riley also shares that characteristic.
        Given these possibilities, if the poster’s intent was to specifically express “allcaps incredulity” then there was probably a better way to express this.
        But that isn’t what you asked (anymore).
        Since you used the same opening clause, you could be asserting that YOU are a way of expressing allcaps incredulity at a physical… etcetera, and are wondering if there isn’t a better one.

        That’s a question that will require some research.

      3. CianM1301

        Oh God, I offended David Willis!
        *bows down*
        I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it!

        1. The Candyman

          Can’t tell if sincere or not.

        2. CianM1301

          Yeah, that’s the unfortunate thing about typed comments. You can’t really tell if a person is being sincere or sarcastic. But that was indeed sincere.

      4. tahrey

        She does, though.

        And they are magnificent, too. Hopefully CianM1301 wasn’t being disparaging of her glorious forehead-caterpillars.

        /notevenbeingsarcastic
        /upwiththissortofthing
        /morebushybrowedcharactersplz

    2. Doc Harleen

      I had bigger eyebrows in my early teen years than I do now, because I hadn’t started tweezing and shaping them yet. So that’s pretty realistic.

      1. tahrey

        Rather appropriate that your gravatar seems to have no eyebrows at all

        I don’t know why – excusin’ your presence … er, ma’am?? – it’s become such a common thing for people to obsess about them. So long as you haven’t got a slightly threatening monobrow going on, having a little extra protective eyefuzz looks perfectly good. Overly messed-about-with ones run the risk of making you look like a vampire… 🙁

    3. John

      She’s got nothing on Mighty Eyebrows Boy.

      1. tahrey

        Oh come on, those have clearly been applied with a flipchart marker.

  69. Rusty

    I’m just gonna go ahead and say, I love ya DoA comments section. If nothing else than for fighting against idiots that know nothing about asexuality or know nothing about politics and just wanna say something is wrong.

    Thank you, DoA comments section always makes me happy, even moreso when it’s things I care about.

    1. tahrey

      Certainly they can be infuriating or even terrifying at times, but you can be assured that they’re never dull…

  70. StClair

    That’s an epic pout in panel 4.

  71. owltawny

    Riely is my new hero.

  72. caesaria82

    Roz remains my fave. Whatever Riley’s romantic life is gonna be like in the future, once she’s into sex (or not at all, as it were), she’s gonna have the best, most supportive sister around 🙂

    1. clodia

      I agree, I love Roz so much. I’m glad we get to see more of her today. (And Riley! Who is adorable!)

    2. Kamino Neko

      On the other hand, she’ll have Robin, who, by that point, will probably be angling for a presidential run.

  73. nothri

    Be careful, Riley. Soggies may rule.

    1. Jack Finch

      I think it’s on the Desanto coat of arms.

      1. nothri

        If it isn’t, it damn well should be.

  74. sandbridgekid

    We need Laci Green (no relation to Bros. Green) to wade in here with one of her {Don’t Forget to be} Awesome videos on sexuality and stuff! Go Green18!

    1. Kladeos

      Eh, she’s really problematic. I wouldn’t advocate for some who is transphobic, Islamaphobic and anti-religion in this comic. Speaking of which, we need to see more Asma.

      1. Ellie

        Is she really transphobic though? I know she said the t-word way back when, but lately her videos have been pretty trans friendly? Correct me if I’m wrong, of course. I’m not trying to start an argument.

        1. Kladeos

          I don’t follow her. I’ve just heard the complaints and backlash.

        2. Kladeos

          A Google search of “Laci Green problematic” turns up a bunch of stuff.

        3. Ellie

          Thanks, I’ll look into it.

  75. Arkadi

    Riley has her priorities straight. Go cereal girl! ^^

  76. Crimson Doom

    So, Riley is a cereal girl in all the cereal worlds?

  77. Angel

    wait, she’s TWELVE?! Roz’s room mate honestly believes a twelve year old can be a horrible person?

    1. Trolldrool

      People can be horrible persons when they’re seven and eight, which is when I went through my time of being bullied, and nine and ten as well, which was around the time I became a bully myself. But granted, given Mary’s character that’s probably not the sort of horrible she’s thinking of.

    2. Jack Finch

      Wasn’t that the point of Lord of the Flies?

    3. John

      Mary knows that a twelve-year-old can be a horrible person. She was twelve once, after all.

    4. bix

      trust me, some of my little sister’s friends can be pretty awful. They’re all around 12 and hearing about some of them makes me think they deserve a pinch

    5. The Candyman

      I tend to assume that everyone under the age of 16 is by default a terrible person. And everyone over that limit too, actually.

      1. Kernanator

        So 16-year olds are the only good people in the world?

    6. tahrey

      tl;dr version: Kids are little shits, and don’t ever let them con you into thinking otherwise.

      There’s a reason we don’t let them drive, drink, fly aircraft, vote, or do any number of other things. They’re a perfect ball of untempered, semi-feral id.

      Occasionally cute, yes, but still little monsters inside.

      PS, as the T-shirt goes, don’t trust anyone over 30. Basically, late teens to late 20s is the most honest, proactive and dependable age. Which is why protest groups are mainly made up of people in that bracket.

      /ahemisactuallythirtyonealreadyahem

  78. Jack Finch

    One of my favorite qualities in a person, especially a young person, is their willingness to just be the age they are. It’s a good barometer of future mental health. Way to go Riley.

  79. Blob Marley

    My God… she’s like a little lady-Walky!

  80. Galatine

    What is Roz’s actual name? o.O

    1. Ole

      Roz DeSanto

    2. nick

      Rose I would assume

    3. Schequeerazade

      If you’re asking, “what is Roz short for,” then Rosaline/Rosalynd/Rozaline/other spellings are a pretty logical choice, but if it’s been explicitly stated, then I missed it.

    4. tahrey

      Presumably it’s “Roz, as in Roz From Frasier” 🙂

  81. brutus

    welp. i’m definitely a fan of Riley.

  82. maycroft

    Cereal, the toughest choice in life.

  83. Narf

    Riley is a person after my own heart… I was and remain sincerely pancereal.

  84. Pointing-out

    Huh, normally at 12 many people actually start to develop their sexuality. Though not everyone so i guess it’s fine Riley’s just pancereal.

    1. agentksilver

      Even if one starts to develop their sexuality at 12, they might not feel comfortable expressing it or acting on it until much later. I say this as someone who started developing at 9.

  85. Dean

    Riley, you can only like one type of cereal, and society will judge you based on the kind you like.

  86. kelticat

    I wonder if Mark might be the youngest DeSanto. As in Dad kept trying until he got a boy.

  87. roborat

    Sex posters on the walls huh? Mary must really love that.

  88. SgtNumnum

    Are twelve year olds supposed to be like that?If that’s the case, then I’m WAY ahead of my age

  89. LiveWire

    Alt-text: did anyone else read “pancreal” (like “of the pancreas”)? No? Just me? Okay, well no one will be back to read this, anyway…

  90. Meagan

    Kudos for knowing what asexuality is!

  91. man jean

    speaking as an ace, this is pretty much what being ace is like

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