446

Searching
Posted on August 5, 2015 by David M Willis

446 thoughts on “Searching”

  1. Jen Aside

    AND FANON BECOMES CANON

    or, some coincidence of not a very large leap of the imagination

    1. Jen Aside

      haha I read the tags too fast as “Diana Ross”

      1. JessWitt

        This situation is Supreme-ly distressing.

      2. Aisling

        It’s so close!

    2. otusasio451

      This has been recognized by the Willis Scientific Committee. Doasaurus hallucephalus is now under review as a valid synonym for Doasaurus lesbiensis.

      1. Deanatay

        Not Doasaurus digitopater?

        1. otusasio451

          Whilst that is a valid suggestion, the species name digitopater does not specifically refer to a phalanx of the feet, and could also mean “finger-father.” The prefix hallu-, on the other hand, is a reference to “hallux”, the big toe.

    3. A Scientist

      Dina is us. Dina is all of us.

      1. thebombzen

        Dina created The Algorithm.

    4. JA

      I’m not seeing the resemblance to a toe.

      1. raffriff

        At first I didn’t see it either, but now I just got it. His chin is the toenail, the tip of the toe is pointing downwards. (that was what confused me before, because I tried to find an upwards pointing toe)

        Lol, it’s right there in place of his head.

  2. dude27

    officially a toe!

    1. thebombzen

      Does his wife put her foot in her mouth?

      (he is a foot, get it, okay nvm it wasn’t funny)

      1. Yet_One_More_Idiot

        It might not be that funny, but I still laughed. xD

      2. neeks

        I hope not, Willis said on tumblr that Becky’s mom is dead.

      3. Julez

        “My wife is dead” …oh…

        1. Oddball

          “…and I’m out for revenge, I’M GIANT TOE MAN!”

    2. gwalla

      It’s toefficial!

  3. Mr. Random

    He is a foot.

    1. Jen Aside

      Dina got herself intoe a jam!

      1. brumagem

        Whoop, the game’s afoot.

        1. Foxhack

          She’d better toe around the situation.

        2. TheZachariah

          These puns just aren’t toeing the line as they usually do

        3. Blackbird

          Nailed it.

        4. GlaceEx

          Don’t you mean “toenailed it”? ;P

        5. Kryss LaBryn

          Well, sure, if you want to make poor Blackbird feel like a heel.

        6. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          You guys are the life and sole of this place! Never change! 😀

        7. iforgetwhatiputhere

          Well, in these situations someone has to foot the bill… But it’s toetally not blackbird’s fault for not seeing the obvious pun, I think the number of people who might come up with it are in the single digits…

        8. N0083rP00F

          The girls may end up in a jam depending on how the scenario runs.

        9. Jen Aside

          Don’t be so callus! That pun was a shoe-in!

        10. ozzi

          A man of his standing could toetally ruin any future boot knocking between becky amd dina.

        11. Shadlyn

          Standing? He’s a total heel! I hope Dina will sock him one.

        12. Screwball

          I guess they can’t just tell him to shoe, or throw 1 at him for that matter, he might realize something is afoot…

        13. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          Just be glad they’re not at the beach, or he might try to ruin things by throwing a bunch of sand-all up in their faces…

          (The worst one yet! :P)

        14. agentsarahjane

          Foot puns? Sock it to me!

        15. darkoneko

          Becky may be on her last leg here.

        16. Deanatay

          (The puns are slowly migrating up the body, I see…)

        17. darkoneko

          If it goes significantly higher than the knees I’m out.

        18. Ex_Ian

          Butt, why?

        19. darkoneko

          ’cause I can’t Stomach them !

        20. Screwball

          I guess they’ve got a solid footing & are stretching out when they can…

    2. lejwocky

      He heard someone say, the other day.

      1. Lord Stoneheart

        So his face tastes like a fallen arch? (I may not have gotten that reference right.)

        1. lejwocky

          😀

    3. General Tekno

      Crud; he was bad enough before, but now we find out he’s a minion of the Shredder?

      Not good.

    4. Plasma Mongoose

      Heel Ross, HEEL!

      1. Tacos

        Toe, actually.

  4. Evan

    nice.

    1. Evan

      Also, really loving his distinctive voice—I can almost hear it in my head. the voice of every shitty parent figure :/

      1. Cephalo the Pod

        I keep hearing a demonic rumble.
        I think I’ve been looking up too much Five Nights at Freddy’s in the last little while.

      2. Water

        I get a self righteous shitty parent, compared to an aggressive authoritative shitty parent I got from a certain other (thankfully hospitalised) parent. (Will history repeat though?)

  5. Cerberus

    Scouring the Archives to see if Dina actually knows that Becky was thrown out of school and that her Dad wants to “fix” her…

    Nope. Well, fuck… Our only hope here is that Dina has enough bad memories from the Blaine incident to be wary of overbearing parental figures claiming they only want to do what’s “best” for their daughters.

    1. Evan

      No, becky’s been hiding it from everyone because she’s breaking a bunch of rules by staying with joyce so far. (this was kinda hinted at in the last strip, where dina talked about becky having to “go back” (i.e. to college) soon)

    2. Rodimiss

      Please, please, Dina, let “save her from herself” be a tip-off not to give anything away yet.

      1. Jon P

        I think her past experience with Amber’s father, still fresh in her mind, will keep Dina from an immediate response. I don’t know that she’ll adequately warn Becky but I don’t think she’ll (intentionally) give her up.
        But it may take a moment for the new information to sink in.

      2. Disloyal Subject

        That, and remembering Blaine. And his admission that she ran away.

    3. Doctor_Who

      Anyone know if Becky is eighteen, and thus legally an adult? That may soon become relevant.

      1. Rodimiss

        I believe in a past strip, she did say that she is eighteen and so can do what she wants.

        1. zoomer296

          Not always. In Alabama the age of majority is nineteen, in Mississippi it’s twenty-one.

        2. Tenn

          This is Indiana, though, and Wikipedia tells me it’s not among the exceptions.

      2. Shira

        I was thinking the SAME thing! If you’re over eighteen and “of a sound mind”, and you do not want to be “found” by family or friends, even if you are reported missing through proper legal channels, you are protected. The police cannot/will not give up your info under privacy laws.
        Unless Dina or someone else decides to “help”, a la http://www.metro.se/nyheter/secret-identity-blown-after-plea-on-facebook/EVHmjv!OBNTJn7I6LZ42/.

        1. buckybone

          This is Indiana we’re talking about here…wouldn’t be surprised if the judge for whatever county that Becky’s from goes to the same church as her parents.

    4. ExplorerRowan

      I think Dina is likely aware of parents possibly being unhealthy influences. She knows Amber’s history, she knows Creationism doesn’t come from nowhere, and they did all just watch “Frozen,” a movie where getting over well-intentioned but ultimately negative influence from parents is literally the plot. As she screamed at the party, she’s not a child, she just has trouble with information overload and scaling her own reactions.

    5. timemonkey

      When wondering this question remember that only Joyce’s most trusted friends have been informed of Becky’s status. And Walky.

    6. Reltzik

      Actually, I think Dina’s going to figure this one out.

      She’s terrible at reading faces and tone, but pretty good at putting together explicitly-stated facts and more empirical observations, like Ethan being gay (based off of comments from Amber) and Amber’s alternate identity (based on appearance and evidence in the… nope, not finishing that sentence).

      So, what does she have to work with here?

      Fact: Toe-dad’s daughter ran away.
      Fact: Said daughter is Joyce’s friend.
      Fact: Only known friend of Joyce that hasn’t been here since start of semester? Becky.
      Conclusion: Becky is quite likely toe-dad’s runaway daughter.

      She figured out “Ethan is gay” on less than this. She’s a smart girl, she can make this out if the errant thought of “toe-head” isn’t firmly plantared in her path.

      1. Reltzik

        … and, on a second read-through, he said Becky’s name.

        Come on, Dina, you can do this!

        1. LaShawn

          Not to mention he’s putting up posters of Becky.

      2. gkheyf

        surely she’s a clever girl

        1. Roborat

          And there we go, I knew someone was going to say it.

    7. Random832

      It’s not gonna matter because the next student Toe-dad is going to run into will be Mary. Calling it now.

  6. Packy

    Not a heel?

    1. Mattyos

      Well he’s not a face…that’s for sure. I would even go as far as to say he’s a low carder. Let us hope that Dina does not botch the cover up and bring unnecessary heat upon Joyce and her compatriots.

  7. Cody

    This will end well.

    Also, no hope of a reformed Ross. Anyone think that Joyce might rat Becky out or no?

    1. Evan

      Absolutely not: Joyce defied (well, bent) her religion for her friendship with Becky. There’s no chance she’s turning back now.

      (whether things are going to get a little tense now that becky needs to find a different housing situation is another matter….)

    2. Cephalo the Pod

      Absolutely not. Joyce will not give up on Becky. My main concern is that she just won’t be able to stop Ross.

      1. Cody

        Ruth and Amazi-Girl team up to take out Ross.

        I will bet on it.

        1. Reltzik

          Ruth’s not going to defend a squatter in her hall. She might remove Toe-Dad’s femurs on general principle, but it will be on general principle, and not in defense of Becky. She also would not team-up with Amazi-Girl, because Ruthless is just badass solo and that’s the way she likes it. Conservation of Ruthjitsu and all that.

          Which is good, because Amazi-girl has rules, and Ross has yet to cross any of her lines, so she’s not gonna team-up either.

          Also, I think Ruth might beat up Amazi-girl on the principle of “only I get to dominate this wing with violence”.

        2. Screwball

          I don’t know, Ruth might defend Becky after all. From what I remember, she’s got enough info to possibly work out Becky’s got problems (pretty sure, can’t find examples tho). Add that to her own parental authority figure problems, I can see her potentially sympathizing with Becky. Then probably finding some way to blame Billie later, they do their argue/flirt thing…

        3. Bagge

          Unless, perhaps, Billie asks her to…

        4. Bagge

          OK, here’s to not messing up the HTML…

          Ruth’s not going to defend a squatter in her hall.

          Unless, perhaps, Billie asks her to…

        5. Bagge

          Nearly there…

          Ruth’s not going to defend a squatter in her hall.

          Unless, perhaps, Billie asks her to…

        6. Bagge

          Yey me!

      2. Jon P

        The problem is going to be that there are two responses Joyce could give:
        1) “Leave her alone!” gives away that Joyce knows what’s up with Becky and is not going to result in Ross going away.
        2) “I don’t know where she is” is a lie that Joyce cannot possibly say convincingly. She is not good at lying.

        1. neeks

          Well technically since Becky isn’t with Joyce–or wasn’t last we knew–she could be anywhere, so even if Joyce left Becky to chill in her or Sal’s room, Joyce doesn’t know for sure where she is, only where she was. Not that Joyce is an expert on the nuances of misdirection like that or anything.

    3. Greenygal

      Joyce would never give her up intentionally, but her skills at deceit are sufficiently nonexistent that I really hope Dina can get up there to warn Becky before it comes to that.

    4. Foxhack

      There’s a chance, albeit small, that Ross might in fact change his ways. But who knows.

      1. Screwball

        “I must save her from herself” doesn’t seem to wanna translate that way, sorry…

      2. Tacos

        Let’s be honest, how many of us actually believe that? Not that many.

    5. Kamino Neko

      No way will Joyce betray Becky.

      Dina will come to her, discreetly, and tell her Becky’s dad is there.

      Then she will help hide the body.

      1. darkoneko

        I doubt even the three of them could carry THAT.

      2. Opus the Poet

        Well there is already one parent recovering from a beatdown at a hospital, just leave the body where it falls. Willis has already said nobody dies in the Dumbiverse, so no attempted murder charges etc.

    6. BenRG

      Joyce isn’t a particularly good liar but I can see her refusing to answer questions and Ross pulling the “I will tell your parents about your complicity in my daughter’s sin” card on her.

  8. nothri

    You guys nailed it!

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Toe-nailed it in fact.

      1. nothri

        That was the joke, yes.

        1. nothri

          I hope you weren’t trying to get a leg up on me there.

        2. detective boomwolf

          There’s something afoot here. I suspect he was.

        3. nothri

          Well, I won’t stand for it.

        4. nothri

          Have to put my foot down on this one. I don’t want to get into a hoof over this, but I can’t just walk this off. I’ll try to paws and count to ten, but there might not be enough digits to calm me down.

        5. Soundwave the Superior

          Don’t let this fly out of hand.

        6. Screwball

          Yeah, come on guys, toe the line already…

  9. Kris

    Saving his daughter from herself. A real hero this Ross guy.

  10. KKoro

    Does he usually talk like that, or is that just how Dina is filtering it? It’s very stilted.

    1. captainswift

      Or rehearsed, perhaps.

    2. heinousactszx

      I imagine someone as controlling as Ross seems to be takes care to make sure he is understood the way he wants to be.

      Actually, thinking on it, Dina speaks almost the same way for similar reasons. Maybe the whole reason this storyline is from Dina’s perspective is to set up Ross and Dina as foils for each other?

      1. gkheyf

        are you suggesting some kind of ill-fated ‘mrs. robinson’ vibe? because the fandom will not stand for that

    3. LiaHansen

      I imagine he’s got kind of a Ron Swanson thing going on

    4. Dean

      His affect is so flat that he seems like a character from a computer game.

  11. brumagem

    This man has only one expression and that expression is disgusting to behold.

    1. newllend(henryvolt)

      I’m just realizing this (I might be wrong though) I think the only time anybody in this comic opens their mouths when their talking is when their yelling.

      1. MeghanTheWorldEater

        Nope.
        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/01-move-in-day/home/

        1. newllend(henryvolt)

          Teeth still being gritted they talk still counts to me as not being opened.

        2. Disloyal Subject

          Try this then.

        3. newllend(henryvolt)

          Ya that’s more convincing.

      2. Élie de Combys

        It can’t be teeth, since there are no lines. Unless they have a uni-tooth that covers their whole mouth opening, but my other guess would be that they simply are severely anemic and thus have white mucosal membranes. White mouth interiors.

  12. Someone

    http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AscendedMeme

    Just gonna leave that there

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Nice link, I had a quick look.

      1. dmaxx

        “Had a quick look?” You just DON’T have a quick look at TT, it’s not possible unless you have already read everything else that may be there already >_<

        1. Disloyal Subject

          After enough binges, some tropers develop a resistance. Mongoose’s is particularly strong.

        2. dmaxx

          Considering PM past records i have no qualms at believing such a thing for a moment as a matter of factly xD

        3. MeghanTheWorldEater

          I used to visit tv tropes almost daily. Then I start to run low on new pages to find.

        4. MeghanTheWorldEater

          Actually come to think of it Tv tropes was how I discovered this comic.

          From this page.

          http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GoshDangItToHeck

        5. Someone

          First I got through all of the tropes…then I started editing. Currently creating the Its Walky! character page.

        6. neeks

          Tvtropes is why I started reading homestuck

          Insert gateway drug joke here.

        7. Rutee

          It’s easy, honestly. After a certain point you get jaded. And I never had it for TVTropes in a way I didn’t have it for wikipedia. It’s just that only one of them, I still have something.

        8. Plasma Mongoose

          Yes it is perfectly possible to just have a quick look at TVTropes since I have done archive binges in the past thus allowing me to resist archive binging especially when I have other stuff to do that day.

        9. karfsma

          Yeah, after a couple years you kinda get inured.

  13. newllend(henryvolt)

    Toe hear or Toe face witch name sounds better?

    1. Deanatay

      “Toedad” describes the whole package.

    2. Roborat

      Toe FAAAAAACCCEEE!

      -runs away

  14. Cephalo the Pod

    Forget the head; his chin looks like a used staple!

    1. JessWitt

      And his mouth doesn’t move when he talks! Gaaah, what is he?!

      1. Bicycle Bill

        His mouth moves; it’s just hidden underneath that shaggy ‘stache.

  15. les-be-friends dinosaurs

    Aww crapbaskets

    1. Cephalo the Pod

      Oh, you say that too.

  16. Plasma Mongoose

    NO TELL! NO TELL!

    1. nothri

      Dina, no tell if you ever wanna take becky to the no tell motel.

  17. Viktoria

    Dina’s smart. After the thing with Amber’s dad I doubt she’ll fall for this. Now, she might be angry at Joyce for not giving her all the information in the first place, but that’s not relevant THIS MINUTE.

    1. Sigurther

      I hope she exhibits some uncommon sense here and realizes what’s afoot. Pun intended.

      1. Tenn

        Nothing’s afoot, but something is atoe.

  18. Captain Batson

    Dangit, I just realized that Toe Dad actually tries to be a good dad, but his ideas and morals are such that when he tries to be good, he’s bad. JUST LIKE BIZZARRO. Now I’m crying a little.

    1. Viktoria

      No one wants to be a horrible person. The vast majority of real-world villains will tell you that he’s a good person who’s just taking some reasonable steps to (accomplish goal). If someone dies/suffers/is hospitalized, well, that’s not his fault, he was just looking out for her immortal soul/the shareholders/his retirement account. Everyone’s the hero of his own story.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Beat me to it.
        All that said, though, there are some who choose to be assholes, but they seldom commit enough to accomplish outright evil. Still, there are a rare few that do; it is unfortunately true that “Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

        1. Soundwave the Superior

          Goddammit Ross.

      2. newllend(henryvolt)

        Case in point Mary.

        1. Someone

          I can actually see Mary pulling a heel face turn.

        2. Viktoria

          Nah, Joyce already has that plotline. Mary learning to not be horrible just because God says it’s okay would just retread old ground.

      3. BenRG

        That last phrase, ‘Everyone’s the hero of his own story’ is, basically, the sole root cause of almost everything bad that’s ever happened from jaywalkers getting run over right up to World Wars and genocides.

  19. T Campbell

    On the one hand, DoA has already done an “evil dad shows up and tries to assert his dominance” storyline, and that would normally seem like the kind of theme you shouldn’t repeat. On the other hand, if Dina didn’t have experience with Blaine, she wouldn’t have a chance of recognizing Ross for what he is.

    And, on first impressions at least, Ross seems more dangerous than Blaine ever was. I mean, just LOOK at that guy, he’s built like a BATTLESHIP. He might even be a match for Amazi-Girl if it came to that.

    Blaine was also prone to deluding himself and never let go of old tactics even when they stopped working. It’s early yet, but Ross’s delusions seem to be less likely to cloud his practical insight. Apart from the fundamentalism, there’s seems to be a lack of emotional control, but his plan of putting up “Missing” posters is a lot more solid that Blaine’s “waltz back in to my young adult daughter’s life and try pushing her around like she’s still seven.”

    1. Evan

      Also, Ross is much, much more likely to have institutional power over Becky. She might be a legal adult, but if he finds out she’s living with Joyce, he could get them both in a lot of trouble if Becky doesn’t come back with him. (How much trouble is debatable—they probably haven’t broken any rules yet, considering it’s only been a few days and they’re probably allowed to have visitors for at least short periods of time. Its more like the threat of imminent trouble that would be the problem.)

      1. Zatar

        On the other hand Blane actually did a decent job of manipulating Danny. He naturally has to know how to lie like this because his rather nasty personality is something he needs to hide. In Shortpacked there was even a comic that showed there were a lot of people who saw him as a good person.

        Meanwhile Toedad probably never had to hide his toxic views toward homosexuality because his community shares his beliefs. His flat facial expression and overly rehearsed speech pattern also suggests that he may be less socially adept.

      2. Captain Batson

        Bright side: As of last night, Becky’s living with Sal, not Joyce.

        1. darkoneko

          But since she’s on the computer, which I assume Joyce’s, then she mosst probably is in Joyce’s room right now.

      3. Deanatay

        Not sure about IU dorms, but in many dorms, they’ve technically broken the rules, already. Fortunately, most dorms are not run by dicks (yay Asma?), and they will politely ignore a friend who spends the weekend. Unless pressured, by parents, for example, into disciplinary action.

    2. LiaHansen

      This week: Amazigirl vs. The Big Toe in “Who took the FUN out of FUNDAMENTALIST???”

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Glad I’m not the only one aboard this hype train.

      2. John

        Amazi-Girl/Ruthless tag team. But they’re really just the distraction while the Clever Girl he didn’t see comes in from behind and hamstrings him with her hooked claw.

        1. Disloyal Subject

          Why tag team when you can flank?
          Well, there are several reasons, but I doubt a dude shaped like that can take full enough advantage of them to matter.

        2. jesslin

          “Why tag team when you can flank?”
          Exactly! That way you get a +2 to hit!

        3. Opus the Poet

          And your rogue gets surprise attack damage. Is Dina a rogue?

        4. Disloyal Subject

          I get more of a Bard feel, actually, so long as she can somehow substitute Knowledge (Dinosauria) for Perform.

        5. SeanR

          Won’t low Cha impede her spellcasting ability?

    3. tim gueguen

      He won’t be able to stop a tag team of Amazi-girl and Ruth. (We really need some background on Ruth’s apparent martial arts training at some point.)

      1. MeghanTheWorldEater

        Simple, she found herself in a lot of fights after Maple Leafs losses.

      2. Disloyal Subject

        True, but if he puts Amazi-girl out of commission in their first encounter… Well, in that case Ruth can just call in Campus Security to back her up. Less satisfying than a beat down, but you work with the tools you have.

        1. Rabid Rabbit

          Before security shows up, Asma shows up (as we’ve seen). That would probably leave Ross cataleptic, so everyone wins.

    4. Someone

      Currently what makes him dangerous has nothing to do with his size, but the fact that he hasn’t technically broken any laws and Joyce’s parents are (presumably) on his side. With Blaine he could be defeated with a call to the police, you can’t do that with toe dad.

  20. Chubomik

    I don’t know, Becky’s dad always looked in the ball park of that one obnoxious Toy guy in Shortpacked who always complained about everything. Not as some intimidating figure that I’m supposed to shudder at the sight of. Might be the fact that his mouth is his chin.

  21. LiaHansen

    oh man i have the best voice for this guy you guys are missing out

    1. Cephalo the Pod

      Ross O’Donovan?

      1. LiaHansen

        yeah. he talks like (me doing a bad impression of) a mix between nick offerman and john goodman

        1. Scott John Harrison

          I was thinking his voice would be a mixture between Nick Offerman and J.K. Simmons myself.

  22. Flimsyfishy

    Don’t move… He can’t see you if you don’t move.

    1. JessWitt

      Distract him with dinosaur facts! He’ll want nothing to do with you!

  23. Catullus

    If there’s any consolation, it seems that Becky’s haircut might buy her some time before any unknowing passersby see the “missing” photos and decide to help out.

    1. Cerberus

      Yeah, I thought at the time that Becky’s aesthetic transformations might be super useful in providing some obfuscation. Still won’t help that he’s using her name to everyone he meets, but eh, points for trying.

    2. Opus the Poet

      Given that most people don’t recognize Amber after she ties a strip of rag across her face, I think a haircut is sufficient disguise.

  24. Karen Lynn

    Dina: I must tell him. It is the correct thing to do. I must tell him his head looks like a giant toe.

    1. darkoneko

      Hehehehehe.

  25. Shrugs

    Really looking forward to the arc where Blaine and Ross meet and become best buds.

    1. LiaHansen

      NOOOOOOOOOOOO Ross will be redeemed! Becky will deliver a stirring speech on being true to one’s self and he will shed a single manly tear and they’ll hug it out. #Rossdemption2k15

    2. Plasma Mongoose

      Willis wants our tears not our projectile vomit.

    3. Dean

      I like to think that even Ross would realise what a jerk Blaine is.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Now that’s a meeting I would like to see. Ross may be horrible, but at least he means well. I suspect he could break Blaine in half while the latter was busy monologuing.

      2. Someone

        Okay okay this is the last one

        http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvenEvilHasStandards

        look its not my fault, you guys just give too many opportunities.

    4. Undrave

      It would be like when Dr. Wily and Dr. Eggman worked together! They were the best Mad Science Buddies! But then Eggman tried to kill Dr. Light and Wily thought that was going too far…

    5. Deanatay

      And then make out.

      I’d add it to my list of horriblicious ships:

      Blaine/Ross
      Ross/belt sander
      Blaine/acetylene torch

      1. Tenn

        No way, I’m shipping Ross with the acetylene torch. He would look glorious with his hair on fire.

  26. dailybrad

    He’s a loathsome creature. I hope Dina recognizes that after her experience with Blaine.

  27. Someone

    It would be kinda funny if after multiple experiences trusting her friends evil fathers, Dina stops being trusting and then a dad who legitamly wants to help his daughter comes along…Hijinks ensue

    1. Dean

      No, that’s a different strip.

      1. Opus the Poet

        Completely different, it’s called Sharksplosion now.

    2. timemonkey

      A good father would know where his daughter is and be able to just contact her himself.

      1. neeks

        Next arc, dorothy’s dad comes back to campus to meet up with her and Dina leads him on a merry chase around campus to keep them apart.

        1. Gigafreak

          Dina is not immune to such misunderstandings, after all.

  28. Bicycle Bill

    Well, that gives me an answer as to what he was holding in his right hand in yesterday’s strip.

  29. David Alexander McDonald

    Toed Ad.

    1. Leorale

      What you did there, I see it

  30. otusasio451

    Scientists have now confirmed that Doasaurus saruyamensis interacted with the adult male members of Doasaurus lesbiensis. Paleobiologists have onsidered renaming the species D. hallucephalus, due to the unique shape of the head f the adult males. However, the females of this species do not show this morphological anomaly, so this name is still under debate.

  31. Abel Snowbeak

    well, this is going to end well, and am I the only guy who pictures this guy with a very stereotypical redneck accent?

  32. Romanticide

    This guy honestly worries me because I am sure he means everyword of worry and wanting to save Becky from herself… and that is exactly the problem…

    1. Disloyal Subject

      It makes one feel sorry for him, without making him any less the enemy.
      And it happens all the time.

      1. Someone

        http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WellIntentionedExtremist

        This is the last one I swear!

        1. StClair

          The next one will be

        2. StClair

          http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ILied

  33. Emily

    does anyone else see a mustachioed matt dillon

  34. Agemegos

    Why does he have to ask bypassers whether they have seen Joyce? If he were on the level he could just phone her or inquire or leave a message at the administration desk.

    Bloke is fishy.

    1. Agemegos

      Becky’s been missing more than 24 hours: shouldn’t he have informed the police?

      1. MeghanTheWorldEater

        I mean she’s an adult so it’s not like she’s not allowed to just leave.

        1. Agemegos

          I thought the police were interested in finding missing adults, not just recapturing runaway children.

        2. MeghanTheWorldEater

          Yeah but once found they can’t be forced to go anywhere against there will.

        3. timemonkey

          “I pulled my 18 year old daughter out of school for succumbing to the evil of homosexuality, but when I tried to force her to go to de-gaying camp she ran off.”

          Somehow I doubt the cops would help him find her. And unlike Blaine he thinks he’s fully justified so he won’t lie about it.

        4. Kryss LaBryn

          “She was having a rough time at school, and I think she fell in with a bad crowd; and now she’s disappeared and I can’t find her anywhere. She’s not even answering her phone.”

        5. Rutee

          What Timemonkey is saying here is that athough he COULD lie, he’s not going to think to. I don’t know whether that’s true, but the logic seems solid. I mean, the fact that he’s here means the police probably haven’t been helpful.

        6. timemonkey

          Exactly, he could vague it up and make himself sound better, but that would mean admitting he was doing something that others would find terrible.

        7. darkoneko

          As far as he knows, wasn’t she forbidden from having a cell phone ?

          (actually, I do not think he owns one either)

      2. Leorale

        He can if he likes, but he has no legal power over her anymore. If he tries to take her anywhere against her will, it’ll be considered kidnapping.
        (This doesn’t matter to him, of course, but it does matter to the cops.)

      3. neeks

        I think it has to be 48 hours but that still applies here

    2. Undrave

      Also notice his choice of term ‘Ran away from me’, not ‘ran away from home’ or ‘is missing’, no… ran away from “me”…that’s a bit too posessive.

      1. SDGlyph

        I was just going to comment on that phrasing too. Nice little touch.

        1. John Merklinghaus

          Me also, but I wanted to scroll down and make sure other people hadn’t already.

      2. timemonkey

        She ran away from the car when he tried to take her from school. She is literally running away from him.

  35. Tacos

    It’s like Dina is transfixed by that toe-like head. Frankly I wonder if she even heard anything he said after the initial introduction. I know I’d no longer be listening.

  36. John Madden

    “from herself”. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

    1. Disloyal Subject

      It’s occasionally a valid argument.
      For example, Dana.

      1. timemonkey

        See also, Billie and Ruth.

  37. Chris

    Oh no

  38. Sam

    QUICK DINA, SAY YOU DON’T KNOW ANYONE BY ANY NAME AND FLEE.

    1. Leorale

      DISTRACT HIM WITH DINOSAUR FACTZ

      1. detective boomwolf

        START TALKING ABOUT EVOLUTION! HE’LL EITHER NOT GET IT, OR GET ANGRY AND LEAVE!

        1. Captain Batson

          Seems likely, Ross doesn’t like associating with anyone whose views are even slightly different from his own.

        2. detective boomwolf

          Wiat fo reals? I was right? I don’t know anything about people in the Walkyverse beyond what i’ve seen so far, so that was kind of a shot in the dark.

        3. jesslin

          Funny, that was exactly what I was thinking. Dina, on the evolution of the toe-shaped head and why it may or may not contribute to females of the species being lesbians. Because evolution says, no one should breed more heads like that 😛

      2. zach

        Dina used FLIRT!
        It’s super effective!
        Conservative man runs away.

    2. Dean

      The smart thing would be to stick to the truth: “Well, if I see that girl, I’ll tell her that you’re looking for her.”

    3. newllend(henryvolt)

      Or just that exact thought out loud and he’ll leave the campus offended.

  39. Professor Fate

    Dummy up, Diana. The dude’s bad news. Oh yeah, “Save her from herself’ sounds like “We had to destroy the village in order to save it.” If Dr Scholl has his way, poor Beck will be in a Fundie Re-Education Camp For Gay Children faster than you can say “Homophobia.” Run, Becky run!!

    1. Professor Fate

      Agh! I meant Dina! Damn you autocorrect!

    2. Karen Lynn

      Sometimes you have to burn a town to save it from itself. You ever try stopping a shadow war between ghouls and vampires in a populated city? Fire. Fire solves everything.

      1. Gigafreak

        Fire solves everything except fires.

        Oh, wait!

  40. Heavensrun

    My first thought was “Shit, Dina’s naivete could seriously screw this situation over” then it occurred to me that her encounter with Blaine might actually help her respond to this appropriately.

    Although when he runs across Mary…

    1. Disloyal Subject

      Ross and Mary in the same room?
      …why don’t I own any incendiary weapons?! I need to cleanse myself of the mere THOUGHT of that encounter… So much self-rightousness in one physical location just isn’t right.

      1. detective boomwolf

        Mary and Ross, the 2 Horsemen (or Horsewoman and HorseGiantToeHead in this case) of the Dumbpocalypse.

        1. Rutee

          Ironically, they hate each other even more, because of differences in their tribulation checklists.

        2. darkoneko

          Aaaaand here comes the next slipshine.

          (not)

        3. detective boomwolf

          Oh that just put an image in my mind I did not need to see….

        4. darkoneko

          You are very welcome.
          hehehehehe

        5. Disloyal Subject

          Forget the flamethrowers; this calls for white phosphorus.

  41. Usayasha

    While I know Dina is a quick enough learner to know not to trust scary looking fathers looking for their daughters, i’m worried that she son’t have the best response for him.

    Rather than, “I do not know of this Becky.” I worry she will say, “I will not let you see her.” You know, trying to hide her but maybe being a tad too direct about it. But luckily there are more positive scenarios that may occur.

    1. Agemegos

      This is the time for Dina to give the impression that she is either twelve, or autistic, or both. She had Raidah’s posse and many of us fooled, and Becky’s Dad doesn’t strike me as especially perceptive.

      Pretend to be stunned or distracted, Dina. Give a non-responsive answer. About dinosaurs, for preference.

      1. darkoneko

        Well she is genuinely distracted right now.

    2. Opus the Poet

      “She is not here any more, she came and left. I do not know where she went.” Only the last part would be a fib.

  42. MidnaMajora

    I have this terrible feeling that this is ultimately going to end with Becky’s suicide. I sure hope I am wrong.

    1. Leorale

      You are thankfully wrong. Willis has said that nobody will die in this comic, largely because the pace of it would mean that the characters would be in mourning *forever*, which would be unbearable to write or read.

      1. MidnaMajora

        Oh, that’s good at least. I still don’t have a good feeling about Becky’s future, though. But at least we’ll be spared deaths. Thanks, all who replied.

    2. MeghanTheWorldEater

      Nobody dies. Willis has promised this.

      1. Captain Batson

        Yeah, but there’s that ambulance preview panel. I don’t think he ruled out attempted suicide… Why did I just put that thought into my own head?

        1. MeghanTheWorldEater

          Wait what? When did he post that?

        2. Opus the Poet

          My psychic powers tell me the ambulance is for Toe Head. Spoiler alert: he survives.

        3. MeghanTheWorldEater

          Alternatively Becky decides to become a paramedic.

        4. Captain Batson

          Given the preview panels we’ve seen for the next storyline… I sincerely doubt it’s anything so positive.

        5. neeks

          Last day or so, it’s a November strip.

  43. John

    “So, hypothetically, if you were to find that she was demonstrating to me the proper usage of ‘bases’, what consequences would this entail?”

    Becky’s haircut’s looking like it might have been a good idea. I mean, if no one recognizes Amber when she puts a band of cloth around her eyes, Becky’s silly haircut will ensure that shitbrick can look right at her without recognizing her. “That looks much like my daughter. However my daughter has a proper Christian haircut. That is not her.”

    1. Disloyal Subject

      Hmm… coupled with her changes in attire and attitude/body language it just might work, so long as she doesn’t notice him and give herself away by her reaction.

      1. Kryss LaBryn

        I once walked right by my Mum in the mall by taking off my glasses and borrowing a friend’s coat. Mind you, Mum wasn’t actively looking for me and didn’t have any reason to suspect I was there instead of school, but still. I also used similar techniques in school to avoid people who were actively looking for me. Once even had one of them and their friend sit down next to me at the top of the stairs, chat to each other a bit, and then move on, without ever recognizing me, because I’d taken off my glasses and my trade-mark, ever-present hat when I saw them coming.

        Becky’s changes in hair, attire, and body language may just be enough to not trigger his recognition, so long as they don’t come directly face-to-face, and he doesn’t twig on the hair. I know as a parent myself I look for hair colour first and then check if the clothes match (when I’m at any distance) because my kids are both very blonde and in the town we first lived in they really stuck out. I’m on the East Coast now and there’s a lot more blonde kids so the technique doesn’t work anymore, but it’s still habit. So it may come down to whether or not red hair is something he strongly associates with Becky in particular.

        Heh. If we’re lucky he’ll see Ruth from behind, think it’s his daughter, and grab her. And then it’ll be popcorn for everyone.

        1. Bagge

          FEMUUUUUUUURS

        2. Deanatay

          But, Toedad doesn’t seem to have any – his legs start at the knees. He is immune to Ruth’s worst attack.

        3. Kamino Neko

          … I have seen you share this story somewhere else recently, have I not?

        4. darkoneko

          I was wondering the exact same thing.

  44. MeghanTheWorldEater

    So I just remembered something.

    I remember a lot of people suggesting that Becky move in with Marcie on account of her living off campus, but then the problem was that Becky didn’t really know Marcie, nor did she know Sal well enough to meet her.

    Consider where she lives now.

    1. Disloyal Subject

      Huh. Good catch; I feel like I should have noticed that by now. This is an excellent tiding.

    2. timemonkey

      But she now lives with Sal because Billie gave her her room. That’s very different.

      1. MeghanTheWorldEater

        Yes but it gives her the opportunity to get to know Sal.

        1. timemonkey

          Ask Billie how well sharing a room let them get to know each other. Sal’s not social with anyone but Marcie.

        2. MeghanTheWorldEater

          Fair enough.

          Although she seems to be pretty chummy with Carla too as of late.

        3. jesslin

          Hey, there was jacket sharing. There is always hope.

  45. Ghostforge

    *reads second to last panel* *wants to step out of the next shadowy spot the toe-head walks by, kidnap him and give him the “1984 treatment”. you know, the bit with the rats.

    1. Fiona

      Gravatar checks out.

    2. detective boomwolf

      And with that, I know wanna know what the 1984 treatment is. Though thanks to that rats comment, I imagine its a bit like the swarm of rats power from Dishonored.

      1. MeghanTheWorldEater

        Hey you’re a detective again! Congrats and don’t look in my freezer!

        1. detective boomwolf

          It was mostly accidental (when did my ex part get removed?), but now I realize I can’t give up. There are too many crimes in this world, too many soft serve incidents left unsolged. And someone has to be the guy who cleans up those messes.

          Now about this freezer…

        2. MeghanTheWorldEater

          -waves hand like a jedi- There is no freezer.

        3. detective boomwolf

          There… is no freezer.

        4. Someone

          You’ll never stop me detective! Mwahaha

        5. detective boomwolf

          I’LL GET YOU YET SOMEONE! …. Wow, without conotation, that would bring my credentials into check

          But mark my words, you shant slip through my fingers!

      2. Zatar

        Trust me, you really really don’t want to know the answer to that question.

      3. Ghostforge

        you stick a cage on someones head with about 4″ clearance and then fill that clearance partially w/rats. to perform it Properly though, the tourturee’s Worst Fear must be rats.

        1. detective boomwolf

          Wow… that sounds a lot worse than the swarm of rats deal.

        2. Ghostforge

          it’s even worse in context. (brainwashing’s involved)

        3. detective boomwolf

          Wow…1984 was a bad year for torture.

        4. Ghostforge

          the book was first published in 1948 as Dystopian future speculative fiction. I highly recommend it for anyone who pays attention to the news.

        5. Rutee

          Right, just like the last 7 times it was confidently declared as the next step.

          I’ve got ‘imminent dystopia’ just above ‘imminent apocalypse’ on my list of accurate predictions.

        6. Deanatay

          What do you mean, ‘imminent’? Many would say we’re living in a post-9/11 dystopia, right now. Civil rights vanishing, eternal war, fictitious national enemies, torture and brainwashing…

        7. Rutee

          Civil rights have, overall, been eroding for more than 40 years (at least, vis a vis the state, the citizen, and the state’s right to impose on the citizen). The US has been manufacturing wars for itself since the 50s. Usually, people mean something worse than was had before they were born.

        8. Ghostforge

          but really, i think where we are headed is more likely “High Chancellor Sutler decrees that any mention of the Terrorist known as “V” in a positive light shall be taken as an Act Of Treason and treated as such. now please sit back and enjoy this rousing rendition of God Save The Queen As performed by the National Patriotic Music Band.” But you know, American.

        9. Kryss LaBryn

          Canada’s Prime Minister is trying to get a piece of legislation passed that would potentially make it a crime to portray terrorists in a positive light, which is deeply concerning to me and my “V for Vendetta” fanfics. 🙁

          Can’t wait for the election in October…

        10. StClair

          So, they’ll be banning the (original) Star Wars trilogy, then?

        11. Captain Batson

          One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.

        12. darkoneko

          Ah, but the state knows what is good for you, and who the enemies are.

          We are at war with Eurasia. We always have been.

      4. Ghostforge

        what’s Really freaky about that book these days is just How Little it would take for it to become reality. heck that realization is why for the past 5 or so years my stance on paranoia is “Better to be paranoid and be proven wrong, than not be, and find out you should have been.”

      5. Opus the Poet

        Wiki “room 101”.

      6. Bicycle Bill

        boomwolf said: “And with that, I know wanna know what the ‘1984’ treatment is.”

        You should have no trouble finding a copy of the book in any library.  I’ll just say that if someone knows that which you fear the most, you are totally and royally screwed.

  46. The Cerfuggler

    If you see his chin as a giant smiley face you can never go back

  47. Arkantos

    His speech patterns are so fucking weird.

  48. Victor Riley

    I never understood the whole “must save them from themselves”. I’ve never known anyone in history that had to be “saved” from themselves. They’ve had to be saved from depression (which itself can cause self-destructive tendencies), or addiction… but I always thought that was a much different thing.

    Is it because it’s a catchy saying?

    1. Jack Faire

      It’s because it covers sins. “Saving them from themselves” covers up the fact that they are about to torture and abuse their children. Some child abusers will claim “they were a naughty child I had to beat the evil out of them I had to save them from themselves”

      They genuinely believe that in some way they are saving the person and can’t make the connection that they are really the one destroying said person.

      1. Victor Riley

        I think that’s a great explanation… humans always seem to find excuses to be jerks.

    2. Laughinggamer

      Now hold on there have been people who needed to be saved from themselves before. People who participate in self harm for instance or in abusive drug use are often forced into therapy or rehab. Now of course in this instance its completely wrong and he is abusive but there are times when saving someone from their self is a necessary thing.

      1. Cerberus

        I think that’s covered by “saved from addiction” and “saved from depression”.

        There’s also the fact that forcibly “saving” someone from self-harming or addiction spirals can actually make things worse. Most forms of self-harm and drug abuse come from a place of being an unsafe coping strategy for something that is viewed as worse and so taking away that coping strategy because it is bad without replacing it with anything can be viewed as leaving them with no tools to survive with and prompt more final or painful actions.

        As such, there’s a theory in a lot of dependency treatment programs of harm reduction or seeking safety in which you try and encourage slightly safer forms of self-care before seeking to discourage the unhealthy and unsafe form of coping.

        I see that actually possibly being the case for Dana what with Raidah saying she is miserable at home and Dana being just as good as Becky in playing the “everything is fine at home, no really” role with friends.

        Plus, stating you are saving someone from themselves, even when earnest and well-intentioned is rarely going to be accepted very well because the very construction of it makes the person being helped feel that they are so powerless that random people think they know better on how to handle their shit and so become more likely to resist healthy healing just out of spite.

        It’s why an intervention is one thing and physically dragging someone to a treatment center is another.

    3. timemonkey

      There are at least three characters in the comic that need/needed saving from themselves. They are Dana, whom Sarah thankfully intervened with, as well as Billie and Ruth, who are self destructing in front of us, though it seems a large portion of the readers are too busy calling them cute to notice.

      Behaviours such as these characters perform will nto get better without outside interference, they’ll simply hide their behaviour and lie about it but it will continue and worsen.

      1. Rutee

        You know, some of us have been where Ruth or Billie have been. Getting help would have been way better, and things could have turned out worse… but there are reasons to think they’ll manage to pull through.

        1. timemonkey

          Ruth has already accepted death as inevitable and Billie didn’t even make an attempt to stop drinking despite it costing her everything that was important to her. Neither of them will be helping themselves. The best we can hope for is one or both of them gaining the strength to stop the other.

        2. Rutee

          Death is rather inevitable, much like entropy. She hasn’t killed herself, so she’s by no means gone. She should absolutely seek counselling – most of the cast list should (Even Dotty could probably use a chat, even if she’s not in need of anything intensive). Currently, Billie’s drinking actually does seem fine now that she’s not drinking herself into a stupor. In what I imagine is not a surprise, I am not haunting a comments section from beyond the grave – it can absolutely get better, stubborn iconoclasm notwithstanding

          It can also get worse, which is why I’d like them to get counselling. The fact that they’re often cute changes precisely none of this.

        3. timemonkey

          Billie’s not getting better, she’s a high functioning drunk that can’t stop drinking, even at a party she knows there’s no drinking, but got the rest of the guests wasted as well.

          Ruth has said outright the only thing keeping her alive is the thought of Billie being sad at her death. They have reached a weord kind of co-dependant stability but it’s temporary.

        4. Cerberus

          Actually, there is a strong argument that both are moving in a healthier direction compared to where they started. Ruth is being able to actually feel emotions other than anger and numbness, which is a major improvement for her (hence the “the fact that I’m up and crying is a good thing” talk with Billie). And Billie is actually moving in a direction of abusing alcohol less even if she is still getting drunk every night (and its worth pointing out that quitting alcohol cold turkey when one is an alcoholic is actually really dangerous and leave a person more prone to relapse).

          The problem with both of them isn’t that their coping strategies aren’t working in that they are moving in the right direction, it’s that their coping strategy is incredibly temporary and they are both at risk moving back into their worst states or worse when it finally collapses.

          They’ve both decided to “solve” their problems with a codependent relationship and the rush of New Relationship Energy to carry them through, which means that when that falls apart or if they start having frequent arguments, it will be easy for both to fall back on old coping strategies because the “safer” one is falling apart.

          And the way they are doing it means they are really at risk for all of that. Ruth burst in on the party because she recognizes Billie as a healthy influence that leaves her access to emotions (good), but does so because she can’t bear to go an evening without said emotional outlet (bad). Billie uses her caring for another person to reduce the self-destructive spiral with regards to alcohol (good), but she has put all her self-worth eggs in a basket of “saving Ruth” and taking whatever she can dish out (even when she is acting abusive) because she is seen as “her last chance of love” (bad). And even worse neither has any other form of coping mechanism that’s healthier yet. Billie especially has put almost everything in the hope that the relationship can cure her (even moving out of her dorm room and giving it away meaning she has no real place to leave to if things do turn sour or end).

          The best thing for both would be to use the respite from the storm to seek other forms of help and mental health aid, but since they both think the relationship is doing enough and is “the only good thing in my life” neither feels an impetus to do that yet because after all, this is still currently working for them.

          And since both view the relationship as a type of therapy, they are both putting way more stress on it than they should, because both view it as the thing that will save them or at least help delay them from losing to their diseases (depression and addiction).

        5. Bagge

          That’s a great analysis. There are so, so, so, SO many things that are wrong with Billie and Ruth, but their relationship is actually not one of them – the problem is that it makes it more difficult for them to find other solutions to their actual problems and locks them in the current situation (there are some parallels to Amber and Danny).

    4. darkoneko

      D. Willis once linked a serie of articles about how Christians considers themselves “the designated driver”, you should look that up on his twitter or something.

      1. Darkoneko

        ah, found one : http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rolltodisbelieve/2014/10/24/christians-are-not-the-designated-adult/

        there were some other insightful articles, not sure it was on the same website but it wa sthe same vein.

    5. Deanatay

      There are arguments that even in the case of depressive or self-destructive behavior, that forcing a person to change is abuse. Who are we to say what the right way for a person to live their life is? Even if their choice is to try and end their life, it is their choice, and they have a sovereign right to make it.

  49. Jack Faire

    I wonder how these people reconcile doing great evil to their children with their beliefs?

    1. Captain Batson

      They don’t consider it a great evil, they consider it help. They think they’re guiding the misguided, or otherwise helping them overcome their inherently sinful nature.

    2. Cerberus

      Their children are lying. Their children are possessed. Their children have fallen from the path. Their children is risking something far worse than anything on this world. Their children don’t know any better. Their children need tough love to be shaken out of themselves.

      I wish I could say I had less personal experience with all the excuses shitty parents use to justify poorly treating queer or “disobedient” kids.

  50. Kaara

    SHE IS AN ADULT. YOU CAN’T JUST STALK HER AND TAKE HER BACK.

    1. Mr. Random

      His daughter ran away from a place he thinks is safe in order to engage in what he considers self-destructive behavior.
      Of course he’s trying to find her.

      1. ShadowDJ

        Is she using drugs? No? Then what’s the problem?

        1. Mr. Random

          He considers the fact that she considers herself gay, and is, to be harmful to her soul.
          He probably thinks that if he can “help” her and “fix” her, that she’ll still have a chance to go to heaven.

          At least this is based on the average homophobic assholery of a religious flavour.
          (Basing these on the fact A: Becky and Joyce grew up in what we know to be a close knit community based around a strict religious and mental mindset. And B: He pulled his daughter out of school instead of disowning her completely on the spot. Finally C: “save her from herself”)

        2. Cerberus

          This. Hell is eternal terribleness in their eyes so no amount of Earthly misery, suffering, or self-denial is too much if it means avoiding it and since everyone wants to have their full family with them because part of the allure of being in Heaven (which could be any day now thanks to the Rapture) is being able to laugh at all the sinners in Hell and that gets awkward when there is a loved one down there.

          This is also the reason why it becomes necessary to disown and disavow knowledge of the child if they insist on being damned. So that your soul is not tainted by their sin and force you into instant Hell points of view like “maybe the Church is wrong about my queer child being the ultimate face of evil” or “huh, the God I’m worshipping is kind of an abusive dick*”

          *Their particular flavor of God being the operative word here. The God that these particular flavors of Christianity love seems to be all about using threats of Hell to bully believers into behaving in a very narrow way. Other Christian ideas of God present someone more genuinely loving and caring.

        3. Agemegos

          Ending up in Hell. If one believed in it, how horrible to imagine ones beloved there!

  51. William Morne

    So here’s a thought. We only have Becky’s side of the story from when she was highly distraught and emotional from a betrayal (her roommate/girlfriend of the time). In her very confused and emotional state she may have misinterpreted events as how she told Joyce what happened. I mean look at the man he appears to be wearing a stained white shirt and pajamas. Clearly he has been looking for Becky for a while now. I’d like to at least ” Hear ” his side of the story before deciding that he is an asshole.

    1. timemonkey

      Spoiler alert, he really is an asshole.

      1. Bagge

        WHAT A TWIST

      2. Mr. Random

        How often again does Willis pull the “not really an asshole” twist?

        1. timemonkey

          Never. Everyone’s always been an asshole and tend to simply become bigger assholes over time.

        2. Opus the Poet

          When they are a “butt opening”.

      3. tim guegue

        He certainly doesn’t have the look of a distraught father here. More the look of “Please help me find my property.”

        1. Mr. Random

          Well, based on his expression in panel 2, he might not like Joyce.

    2. Dean

      I think Ross is supposed to be wearing camouflage-pattern pants.

    3. Spencer

      This is sarcasm, right? Guy was talking about “saving her from herself.” We know what that means.

      1. timemonkey

        Yes, but the point is that HE doesn’t understand that it’s horrible. So the OP is hoping this is all some big misunderstanding and the Dad’ll understand and everything will be fine.

        1. Spencer

          I really can’t ever see Toedad change. The Browns might have a better chance of growing, but this guy?

          I mean, have we gotten any indication that this isn’t “my daughter is a horrible sinning harlot who must be saved through corrective therapy” at any point?

        2. darkoneko

          Once the rest of their kids flee from them as well, perhpas.

    4. Cerberus

      Totally. Sure, he is talking about how he needs to save his daughter from herself and everything we’ve been shown in flashback demonstrates his controlling nature and his urge to get her “fixed”, but maybe all of that was just to hide how much he wants to be her a rainbow unicorn pony before revealing his secret PFLAG shirt.

      Okay, yes, I know I’m being sarcastic a lot on these, but it’s a little disturbing how many people want to see the best in someone who has already demonstrated that he’s an abusive asshole (and in the process disbelieve the queer kid most affected by said asshole).

  52. Sibre

    I’m hoping he’s going to get Joyce-owned.

    1. timemonkey

      I’m hoping he breaks into Joyce’s room, Sarah breaks her bat over his head and then he spends the remainder of the comic’s length in prison/hospital.

  53. Resulli

    THANKS DINA. CANNOT UNSEE.

  54. Pasta

    I’m pretty sure Toeface here is one of Faz’s progenitors. His and Blaine’s collective gimcrackery oozed out onto the floor of a 7/11, and from it spawned Faz.

    1. Captain Batson

      I think it as a Fazoli’s, actually.

      1. Captain Batson

        *was

  55. Idon'tcarenomore

    Joyce can’t lie convincingly BUT she is very good at bending reality to match her religious beliefs. Note the way she reconciled her friendship to Becky after Becky came out, quoting the bible in the process.

    If asked, Where is Becky?. Joyce may well say, I don’t know. Justifying that statement,by taking it literally, as in “at this very moment in time, I don’t know where Becky is”. That could be the truth: Becky could be in Sal’s room, in the hall, the bathroom: so Joyce really would not know where she was-exactly.

    Looking at Dina’s face, two thoughts popped up at the same time. She’s afraid of Ross, and she doesn’t trust him. Her face looks frightened. And hearing that, ‘I’ve got to save her from herself” line: may trigger memories of one asshole parent she’s seen in action. She knows Becky and she knows that even thought Joyce is her friend Joyce doesn’t approve of her actions and would like to ‘save her from herself’. I bet that Dina does not think Becky needs saving from herself.

    Dina has proven to be a lot more discerning than given credit for: maybe because she is full of surprises.

    I think (and hope) Ross has set off Dina’s fight or flight warning system and she goes to Becky with warnings her father is on campus. If for no other reason that to explore further her experiment in interpersonal relationships.

    1. BenRG

      I suspect that Dina may respond very strangely to the phrase ‘save her from herself’.

    2. sjmcc13

      “If asked, Where is Becky?. Joyce may well say, I don’t know. Justifying that statement,by taking it literally, as in “at this very moment in time, I don’t know where Becky is”. That could be the truth: Becky could be in Sal’s room, in the hall, the bathroom: so Joyce really would not know where she was-exactly.”

      Better yet, all joyce needs to do is tell the truth, up until the point Becky kissed her, and ran out crying when joyce did not reciprocate her feelings. she could even say she ran after her, but it took her to long (as she kind of went into shock). If she stops there, he will probably assume that was the last joyce saw of becky.

  56. Random Comment

    I don’t think he looks like a toe.

    1. detective boomwolf

      Instead of a toe
      He looks like Joe
      At least if he had let himself go
      But something I think we all know
      Is that this big guy is for sure not a bro.

    2. Darkoneko

      Me neither, but Toedad is easy to remember, so I’ll just use that.

  57. AgentKeen

    Looks like a giant toe, is actually a huge butt.

  58. Bagge

    Here to offer some fatherly help?
    Pull your daughter from school?
    Tell her that what she is is wrong?
    Withdraw funds and resources?
    Drag her away from friends and lovers?
    Send her away to be abused at a camp?

    FUCK YOU ROSS!!!!!!!

    1. Cerberus

      Right? Clearly Father of the Year candidate material right there! (/sarcasm)

      1. Bagge

        Heh, I almost used that quip yesterday in response to one of your comments. Sarcastic mind thinks alike.

  59. Rufus Saltus

    But he can’t be a toe head! He’s not even blonde!

    1. Reltzik

      Maybe he dyes his hair? And mustache? And eyebrows?

      1. m2iCodeJockey

        While I do know a person that does this because all of his bodily hair is white, I think the short answer is ‘that’s not Becky’s biological father.’

        I don’t see how it’s relevant, yet.

        1. timemonkey

          But having entirely white body hair is awesome! I hope to achieve it someday.

        2. m2iCodeJockey

          He just thought it made him look old (instead of, you know, the face wrinkles and crotchedy attitude toward new technology…)

    2. Deanatay

      ‘Toe’, not ‘tow’! 🙂

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Toe, toe, fight da powah!

  60. timemonkey

    I’d stay away from Joyce, man, she’s got enough connections at this point to have you violently removed from the building in the manner of her choosing. She’s got options.

    1. Bagge

      And after everything she’s been through, and after taking a stand for Becky vs God, I don’t she has THAT many fucks to give about toedad

      1. Darkoneko

        She spent her whole life relying on adults (and especially paternal figures) ; it’s kinda hard to shake out.

        1. timemonkey

          It can also make you REALLY mad when the people you’ve been conditioned to trust turn out to be horrible.

        2. darkoneko

          I hope.

        3. John

          Becky explicitly told Joyce that she doesn’t want shitbrick involved.

        4. darkoneko

          Yes, to which Joyce proposed to call… another dad ; it’s that very strip my comment stemmed from.

  61. Reltzik

    MY big concern is that this is a storyline focusing on Dina’s internal thought process. This could possibly end up with her getting kablooied.

    1. gkheyf

      or ‘kaboodled’ 😉

  62. Torra

    Ahhhhhhhh toe daddddd. I’m really hoping Dina doesn’t just show him upstairs, but I don’t think she will.

    I genuinely love the fact her first thought about Becky’s dad is that his head looks like a toe

    1. Disloyal Subject

      I misread that as “I’m really hoping Dina just shoots him upstairs, but I don’t think she will.”
      I think all the violent suggestions above got to me.

  63. The Thing

    ~sigh~

    I see the Drama Llama coming, and I already want it to go and stay go.

  64. BenRG

    I can’t stop laughing right now, no matter how inappropriate it is. It’s that last panel and the realisation that all that poor Dina can think of is the weird shape of Ross’s head! 😀

    Now, what game is he playing? Surely he could have asked in Administration for Joyce’s location and even for her to be officially asked if she will meet with him? I’m wondering if he’s burnt some bridges due to the violence of his reaction. It’s possible that the Browns and the administrators at Anderson are concerned that he may be dangerous; that would explain him ‘going under the radar’ like this.

    Dina is about to learn that she has not encountered even a fraction of the limits of human irrationality yet!

  65. espanolbot

    Hm, it’s telling that the guy is hanging either inside or near a meeting for LGBTQ students… like he’s aware where Becky might attempt to go to try and get help or advice, so he’s hanging around in order to either snatch her when she attempts it or to keep her isolated.

    1. BenRG

      FWIW, I don’t think he’s anywhere near Galasso’s; I think that he’s at the Hall of Residence.

      1. Blue

        I’m pretty sure that the meetup is in the residence hall, just catered by Galasso’s.

  66. Doxkid

    In before he’s a crazed murderer, pedophile, kaiju here to claim his last kill before ascending to his true form

  67. DuckDuckMoose

    If no one else has called it yet, I’m calling it now: Joyce is gonna get on the board because of Ross. I see a “Fuck you, Mr. MacIntyre” looming in her near future.

  68. The Magus

    C’mon, Dina, you’ve had practice! Last time you led a friend’s father to them it was Amber’s abusive dad – please please please see the pattern!

  69. Em

    Dina Dina Dina do not tell do not tell

    But the look of horror on your face tells me that you understand! At least…I think it does? Did Joyce mention Toe-Douche at all? I DON’T REMEMBER.

    1. gkheyf

      she is staring blankly. perhaps it is acknowledgement?

  70. ninja_jesus

    COMMENCE USUAL AFFECTATION! GROWL!

    Dina, please don’t out Becky or Joyce. I hope you understand the signs. His choice of words, his facial expressions. “She ran away from me” as opposed to “she ran away from home”? “I must save her from herself”? His face indicates anger rather than worry. He is not there for a tearful reunion. He will take her away from you. Fight him, Dina!

    1. Bagge

      “The raptor prepares to defend her mate…”

      OK, I’m calling it, we are all going to say “clever girl” a lot in a few day’s time.

    2. BenRG

      I really don’t know how Dina will react to Ross. He seems to have already weirded her out enough that a completely random response is quite possible, one that will send him on a wild goose chase to the great dinosaur bone fields of the Montana Badlands or Utah.

  71. Bagge

    “Huh, that photo kinda looks like the friend of that bible girl in Clarke Wing”
    “Nah, man, don’t you remember – that girl has a rad haircut.”

    1. Captain Batson

      Probably how the thought process will go, yeah.

    2. electromagneticDestroyosaur

      As Amber once said, “Sometimes, you need the right context clues to make an obvious connection.”

  72. blegh

    oh no becky 🙁
    protect ur gf, dina

  73. BenRG

    Sitting here, I suspect that Ross is going to get a very strange response from Dina to the trigger phrase ‘save her from herself’. There is a chance that Dina will be overjoyed and launch into an impromptu discourse about the follies of Young Earth Creationism and how glad she is that Becky’s father wishes to remedy this lack in her education.

    There can be no good but many funny outcomes to such a scenario but it would fit with this remaining a chapter focussed on the workings of Dina’s inner self. It should create enough time for Joyce to return to the hall with Danny and Ethan and for her to pick up the ‘keep Becky hidden’ ball. Ethan and Danny, at least, would recognise a Blaine Mk.2 on sight; things would escalate from there.

  74. What Was The Question Again?

    50/50 this ends in evisceration

  75. Spencer

    Probably a dumb question, but a guy can’t just walk up to the front desk and say “I’m looking for this student, tell me where their room is” right?

    1. Christopher B. Wright

      It probably depends on campus policy.

      When I was in college we were all listed in a campus directory, and all you had to do was look up our name and you’d get the dorm, room #, and extension. It wasn’t considered private information. These days? Maybe that info is only available to credit card companies.

      1. Bicycle Bill

        Likewise, although it was usually hopelessly out of date by the middle of the semester as people moved, changed roommates, or dropped out.

    2. BenRG

      I’m told that the answer is ‘probably not’. There are Federal regulations in place. He’d have to tell more-or-less the whole story to the administrators and they might not be inclined to co-operate. He could probably tap-dance around the regulations by getting the co-operation of the Brown family but that would take time and I think he’s a bit too impatient for that.

      1. ninja_jesus

        Also, his tap dancing skills are weaksauce.

        1. A Scientist

          He is all toes.

      2. sjmcc13

        I think he already asked the Brown’s since they called joyce to see if she had seen Becky, and they trust joyce to not lie to them.

  76. foducool

    “his head looks like a giant toe” CAN’T UNSEE

  77. Spencer

    Toedad is much more amusing if you picture is chin as a giant smiley face.

    1. Aislashu

      That actually makes it more disturbing… o_O

  78. Jack Stamper

    Is that Admiral Ackbar I hear? Meh, best to ignore him…

  79. darkoneko

    Now don’t Dina it up, Dina !

  80. Lordess of Madness

    Good to know I’m not the only one who noticed the resemblance…

  81. Foolong

    Toesaurus

  82. darkoneko

    Toedad has expressive eyebrows.

    1. Deanatay

      Which is good, since the rest of his face doesn’t seem to move…

      1. A Scientist

        His mustache talks instead of his mouth. I thought that was reserved for much larger mustaches than his, but he’s accomplished it anyway.

        Impressive, for a toe.

      2. darkoneko

        Comes with the lack of neck I’m afraid.

  83. Edupoet81

    I think Dina understands this situation. She knows that Becky is Joyce’s homeschooling friend, and understands the implications of that. She may perceive the world in a way that would be regarded as atypical, but she is perceptive. She did recognize that there was a problem when Amber’s dad showed up, her parents just overpowered her in their insistence on common courtesy. I expect she knows that leading this man to Becky, or Joyce would be a bad idea.
    I don’t know how skilled Dina is at lying convincingly. Of course, there are other ways of fending Toedad off. She has become aware that others see her as strange; this would be a good time to own that and make use of it to diffuse the situation. If Dina were to spout of a series of disjointed non-sequiturs about dinosaurs, he would likely just walk away.
    Of course, that wouldn’t solve the larger problem. Toedad appears to have a whole stack of those photos, and he most likely intends to post them all over campus. I somehow doubt Mary would protect Becky if she were to come across one of those photos. Still, Dina could at least buy them time by dialing up the strange factor.

    1. Palamdrone

      Now would be an excellent time to enact “the usual affectation”.

    2. Badtux

      Question is whether Toedad is tresspassing. Generally non-students are only allowed into a small subset of the campus — the administrative offices and perhaps the student bookstore. On the other hand, Becky has no more right to be there than Toedad, so if someone calls the campus police to arrest Toedad for trespassing and Toedad claims that there’s a non-student trespasser on campus and the campus police launch a search… oh boy.

  84. Professor Stahp

    Mary will show up and, expose Becky and embarass Ruth.
    I can feel it in my bones.

    1. gkheyf

      she will be cut short by the simple observation “mary, i did not realize that you are questioning as well”

      1. Egwenna

        LOL! OMG, that would be AWESOME.

  85. Pat Myers

    “She ran away from me”. Can anyone help him? One of his females has gone missing. It will die without the protection of a man.

    1. darkoneko

      Like her mother did.

  86. sjmcc13

    So, if Dina realizes to misdirect ToeDad because of her encounter with Blane, would that mean He actually did good?

    His actions did lead danny and Amber to a new level of trust intheir relationship, so in a sense he did help them…

  87. Hinoron

    Oh dear… I fear he’s too big for even a drunken R.A. to flip.

    1. darkoneko

      th’bigger they are, the harder they fall.

  88. Vree

    Ross: (Why is everybody silent? Could it be…The majesty of god shining through me?)
    Everybody: (HOW THE HELL DOES HE SHAVE)

  89. gkheyf

    dina is very priority-focused. that is why she followed raidah upstairs, why she returned immediately to sarah, and why she makes careful note of the most important information during her conversation with the in-law there.

    or maybe she is repulsed by the thought of what her offspring might look like

  90. bunivasal

    After Blaine, I’m really hoping things are different here. I’m hoping there was a misunderstanding, and that Beckydad is gruff, charmless, but also understanding and kind.

    I can really only see this going two ways: in the way that we’re being lead to expect both by the nature of Willis’ narratives AND Becky’s version of events, he’s bigoted, confused, and angry. He pulled Becky out with the intention of taking her to some sort of purity event/pray away the gay thing. When confronted, he’ll realize he can’t do any of that, but he’ll swear Becky off and leave her a Homeless Gay Youth.

    In the happy shiny rainbow version I’ve constructed in my head, his initial reaction was anger and fear and confusion, but he got over that or will be persuaded to get over it, and out of his love for Becky he will enroll her at Indiana U. I’m hoping his dumpy, ugly design is another attempt to mislead us into thinking he’s a monster when he’s actually a caring dad.

    To those of you reading this and confused by my optimism, well, David’s stories are great. But they get better when you spin a web of hope and optimism that can then send you tumbling to earth like Icarus.

    1. Bicycle Bill

      I’m inclined to follow your way of thinking.  We’ve seen Ross only once before, and the only other information we’ve got is Becky’s side of the story …. as told by a very troubled, distraught little-girl-lost.

      Even though he is still using the line about “saving her from herself” and “running away from me” (which, according to Becky’s story in this strip, is 100% the truth), I’m also picking up on some parental concern where he says that he is “extremely worried for her”.  Not “about her”, but “FOR her”.

      And then there’s his request that Dina help him if she can.  He says, “Please … please help me if you can”.

      There’s more to Ross here than initially meets the eye.

      1. Bicycle Bill

        Doggone HTML!!  I was trying to link a quote…..

        To continue:

        And then there’s his request that Dina help him if she can.  He says, “Please … please help me if you can.”  Now where have we heard a line like that before?

        There’s more to Ross here than initially meets the eye.

        1. Spencer

          I can promise you there is at most a 0.1% chance that Willis has been screwing with us and Ross will totally be legit.

          He was a total asshole in Joyce & Walky who lorded his religion over his neighbours and begrudgingly tolerated Joyce’s friendship with his daughter. In Dumbing of Age he pulled his daughter out of college because she kissed a girl, and, in very plain, unambiguous text, it was made clear that was going to “fix” Becky.

          I have no doubt that he probably thinks he’s a loving, concerned parent out to save his daughter from the evil of the life of sin she’s debasing herself in, but Ross is about as close to being human shit given life as would be possible in this series.

    2. sjmcc13

      My optimism is that since becky’s mother is gone, there was some stipulation/arrangements she made in her will/life insurance/etc that forces ToeDad to keep Becky in school somehow.

    3. Bagge

      I had great fun with the #RoseColoredGlasses running gag a while back (actually, by the time we first got the story about Toedad McAbusivePants), but I don’t believe it in this situation for several reasons (most of which have already been better described by other people today and yesterday).

      From a purely narrative point of view, a gruff but caring father who actually does his job as a father when the chips are down would cheapen the drama of Becky’s situation and make TONS of dramatic scenes – including Joyce’s and Becky’s heartwarming interaction after the kiss and Joyce’s breakdown during gender studies (and the “sweet lesbian facts” presented there) in essence red herrings.

      Now, that WOULD be a well constructed twist, but it would also reduce a lot of our investment in both Becky and Joyce. “Joyce defied God so her best friend… won’t have to learn her father’s true colors a few days earlier”.

      But I completely agree with your last sentence. Let’s read each strip with the sincere conviction that everyone will be happy, and let’s our hearts break again and again.

  91. Pinja

    Fuck this guy

    1. Bagge

      I know, right. Fuck him and his stupid toeshaped head.

      1. Darkoneko

        eh, please keep your sexual fantasies in check.

        1. Bagge

          ewwww, ewww, eww, eww, ewwwwwwwww

  92. Roborat

    Isn’t Joyce right in the area? she was just two panels over yesterday. I assume he knows what Joyce looks like. I hope Joyce spots him before he sees her, as I doubt Joyce can lie convincingly.

    1. Blue

      Alternately, he spots her and goes over but is interrupted by one of the meetup leaders and learns its purpose. And while his attempt to drag Becky back might be unsuccessful, he could pass something like that onto Joyce’s parents, who would almost definitely react poorly. (Next storyline we do see Joyce looking at her phone in horror)

    2. Agemegos

      I think Dina has passed from the space in which the meeting is being held into an adjacent lobby.

  93. BassBone

    Toedad is an asshole.

  94. motorfirebox

    Basically anytime someone talks about “saving” someone else “from themselves”, you have two options:

    1) You can run away.

    2) You can punch them in the face and then run away.

    1. Jen Aside

      3. “Hey, can you hold this for a sec” *hands a target* *turns on crane with wrecking ball*

      1. ninja_jesus

        I HIT HIM WITH A WRECKING BALL!

  95. Anywhere

    I can’t stop picturing his mouth being under the first chinfold, because panel 5’s second word balloon is pointing really there. Is that where is mouth is? Is there another person living in there?

  96. Kyle

    “save her from herself” more like eat my entire ass i will fight this joker

  97. Just Here

    The phrase ‘save her from herself’ is one that should always be viewed with caution.

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