Blaine: “I am inevi-.”
Sydney: *Punches him* “No, I am inevitable! You are just an ant that I can squash with my foot!”
Ruth: “And I am Ironman! Weeeeee!!!!!”
“You think you’re the only asshole out there? There’s a whole universe of assholes. You just don’t know them yet. Big assholes. Small assholes. Wide assholes. Ti-I’m sorry this is this is turning into a Slipshine comic let me start over.”
This is legit starting to, like, feel dumb, though. Am I the only one who feels like this is dumb? I swear I hope Willis has some good reason for this and it’s not gonna be as dumb as it feels, I don’t wanna be a negative nellie, it just feels really dumb right now.
GoblinScribe
Dumbing of Age tries to be marginally more grounded than its sibling comics and, this, this whole “Asshole Initiative” thing, it felt dumb with Toedad and it feels dumber here. Everybody can’t know each other. Blaine can’t just be uniting an Axis of Awful to get revenge on Amber. It just feels dumb.
Undrave
Turns out Blaine is ALSO a huge nerd and really want his own Legion of Doom. Also, we only see his initial approach, it’s possible he’s just failed at everything so far.
BarerMender
Yeah, Amber didn’t know Asher. How did her dad?
Kammon
Given Blaine’s record? I’m guessing Asher is another child he’s spawned then discarded along the way.
Oz
Hmmm Maybe Blaine knows Asher because Asher was there when Sal robbed the convenience store? Trying to look like the good kid and calling the police?
Clif
For crying out loud. Asher’s gang probably had mob connections. Blaine can’t operate freely on campus so he attempts to recruite an old acquaintance who can. Nothing dumb about it. If you think it’s too much of a coincidence that this is the same gang that started to use Sal to be realistic, then I have to remind you that this is a story. It has no obligation to be realistic. It has an obligation to be interesting. Tell me this development isn’t interesting.
thejeff
And he’s already established as an Asian kid in a criminal gang, while Blaine is established as linked to the mob – with at least hints (Yuri) that it’s an Asian mob. (I can’t remember if it’s been explicitly called out as Korean or if I’m just remembering SP!.)
James Keating
orthe really obvious which every one seems to be missing. Blain was stalking Amber and witnessed the punchening ( is that a word? i feel like that should be a word.) he saw Walky hit asher. saw Amber was with walky . made the obvious connection. goes to recruit asher for mutual revengening( aain not sure thats a word either but i really feel it should be.)
ego
your wordeation is very shouldular
Agemegos
That doesn’t explain why Asher seems to know Blaine.
Dana
I’m not sure where I come down on this, except to say that it’s fun to see the comment section respectfully offering different points of view.
thejeff
If it’s because Asher’s (former?) gang is part of the Korean mob Blaine’s tied to and Blaine has no idea of Asher’s connection to Amber through Sal, then is it still so dumb? He’s just looking for someone on campus to do his leg work.
GoblinScribe
(Hey, thejeff! Haven’t been on Paizo much lately.)
Yeah, I think it’s still so dumb, if only because a) it’s obviously still a huge absurd coincidence, like, come on, jeez on a cracker, and b) it’s being paired with the “Blaine bails Toedad out of jail” twist, which is even more absurd.
To expand on A, yes, stories can survive pretty big coincidences, BUT the story was grounded enough that many characters have acknowledged it’s kind of a slight coincidence that Amber, Ethan and Sal all ended up at the same university. Slightly more of a coincidence, Asher made it here, too.
So if the story is grounded enough to acknowledge “four kids from similar area but from different backgrounds and 1-2 who got cycled into the CJ system made it to the same college”, the story doesn’t get a free pass on a coincidence that’s a hundred times stupider.
GoblinScribe
And let’s just quickly acknowledge that Blaine is just absurdly evil. Not just in his general meanness, but in the effort he’s going to, the incredibly circuitous lengths he’s willing to take. He doesn’t just stalk his daughter, he sends his son to steal her phone. He doesn’t just talk to her friends, he bails out a school shooter who attacked friends of his daughter (I’m assuming for some very rational reason like “he witnessed Amazigirl in action, and I can’t just read the school paper about her or have Faz/my wife ask around about her”).
I don’t want to say he’s unrealistically evil, he’s not. He’s unrealistically elaborate in his evilness. Dumbing of Age has an uncomfortable relationship with its realism and its silly antics, and Blaine is just, not acting how human beings act.
GoblinScribe
I’m hoping Willis can justify all of this and make it feel genuine, but if Blaine goes within a fucking MILE of Scarface’s hospital bed, I’m going to blow a gasket. We don’t need to connect every storyline. That’s not how college works.
Yumi
Scarface is the one it’d actually make sense for him to connect with, though.
GoblinScribe
Kinda, yeah. But that was before we had Blaine Nic Furying every storyline. Now instead of it being a legitimately effective moment, it’ll just feel like the “oooh what a twist” capper to this weird trilogy.
not someone else
This definitely does seem like the kind of storyline that… I’m gonna say, might make more sense in six months? Like, right now, this is definitely out of left field and I’m not to the level of gasket blowing but there’s some eyebrows raised expectantly to see how Willis is gonna make this one not too over the top?
Krisalys
This is, terrifyingly, how a lot of harassment and abuse campaigns go, though. Like. This kind of shit is 100% what I’ve seen ACTUALLY HAPPEN to people around me who got targeted by various alt-right-affiliated movements. One person develops a grudge and goes hunting for every person who previously hurt them or someone close to them, or was “wronged” by them in some way, banding them together with promises of revenge and retribution and “justice”. And the worst part is that when you bring all the actual evidence of it to a judge to try to get a restraining order or at least ONE of them arrested, it’s dismissed because of being “too far-fetched”.
Matthew Evan Davis
Honestly, whether or not it’s textbook harassment Blaine’s petty and controlling as fuck. That’s part of his character as written. I don’t have any problem thinking a petty, controlling asshole is going to try to pull strings to fuck over the daughter who dared to stand up to him. If he has existing connections to Asher, which he might, that would explain that, and he’s going to need a fall guy. Who better than the nutjob who already showed up on campus with a gun once?
seikodelic
Dude, check out r/justnofamily and r/justnomil and you will see. This is entirely within the realm of elaborateness for shitty narcissist parents, ESPECIALLY one with ties to organized crime.
Michael Haneline
Yeah, I have zero problem believing Blaine’s “realism”, but then again my dad was a monster so it’s not much of a stretch for my imagination.
Hex
My mother and by extension me has been harassed by her ex boyfriend she had a child with for well over 10 years. Spreading lies about her to her friends and at her workplace, sowing distrust and managing that she would be fired at two workplaces and not rehired at another after maternity leave. He usef his wealth and manipulative skills to do this and went to incredible lengths to hurt her. From my experience Blaine is not comically evil. (He also was a drug dealer and threw his supposed best friend under the bus when discovered, obviously he was also massively abusive in his relationship with my mom)
Meagan
I don’t think it is necessarily about how humans act in real life. Although this strip is more grounded than Willis’ previous work, it still stretches the limits of reality on numerous occasions (mostly with Amazigirl), and still has a narrative arc. I think I remember seeing comments about how Willis has said that the story probably won’t go past the first semester. I suspect that this is how the story will climax: sometime around Thanksgiving or perhaps finals, all of the previously established separate villains will come together in one grand scheme. Depending on how drawn out the scheme is, it may get introduced sooner or later. that will be the climax of the entire story. then we’ll get some kind of denouement (either finals or christmas break) and the story will end. You know, in another ten years.
Z
The son to steal her phone is a thing abusive parents do.
The bailing out the shooter and now being connected with Asher? Fuck no.
He was actually a really good portrayal of an abusive dad and that’s part of what piasrs me off about these developments. Its taking it into cartoon villain territory.
Abusive parents are real and aren’t cartoon villains and this just sucks.
thejeff
He has also always been an actual criminal. A “mob stooge”.
Agemegos
This is a cartoon. And we have already had Amazi-Girl (and Sal) doing some pretty over-the-top stuff.
Cartoonish villainy ought not to be so surprising in this context.
GoblinScribe
Thanks, that’s exactly where I’m at. I was fine with some of this, but not ALL of it. Toedad is really where I drew the line, Asher is just the continuation.
(And yeah, it’s a cartoon. It’s also a cartoon with a clearly established “over-the-top, but carefully grounded” tone, where Robin is held accountable for her antics and Amber is called out repeatedly for her balderdash stunts. It’s a hard line to straddle, but it still matters that we have the line.)
Sam
I don’t feel it is dumb because I believe Willis will reveal how they know each other and it will likely make sense even though right now I am confused as to how he fits into this puzzle specifically.
Z
Honestly yes. My first thought was “nope” not like”omg plot twist” but “Jesus Christ if this guy is the chess master connecting all the characters then this is stupidly bad writing you’re better than that Willis”
Abbefaria
Personally I’m wondering if he’s going to tell Blaine to take his sh-t elsewhere, he did seem pretty over and clearly done with all the stuff in the past and is looking to just move on with his life.
Mollyscribbles
Yeah, I’ve got my fingers crossed for that. Dude’s chill enough to accept a punch for his past misdeeds and just wanted Walky to walk away after.
Hey, what if this is how Amber gets a heads up about the situation? Asher wants to move on with a law-abiding life and some asshat comes up proposing an idea that’s not just illegal but a dick move, so he rejects Blaine and warns the mentioned target.
I’ve been to Evansville, Bloomington, La Porte, Mishawaka,
Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Carmel,
New Albany, Merrilville, Michigan City,
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve been everywhere.”
My guess is Asher’s family is connected to the mob Blaine works with. Considering Asher’s look here tho he may not want to be associated with that life anymore himself.
On the other hand, he described himself as having gone into “legitimate business”, which is a notorious euphemism for racketeering.
The protection racket is not a big thing on campuses, and there’s no money in distributing pornography since the Internet. Kidnap for ransom is not a big trade in the USA. Could be prostitution or drugs. But what about grades and papers? Asher’s family is probably dealing admissions, but an undergrad wouldn’t be involved in that.
thejeff
Or he’s not actually working a racket in college, but is legitimately going to school to get the skills to help run the more legitimate sides of the family business.
Set out running but I’ll take my time
A Friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight–The Grateful Dead
Didn’t World’s Worst Dad also show up at Becky & Joyce’s church to help them bail out Toedad? Da fuck, Blaine, you really are building an asshole initiative, and I don’t like it.
198 thoughts on “Want”
Doctor_Who
He’s here to talk to you about the Asshole Initiative.
butts
Captain O’Malley: The Worst Avenger
abysswatcher1993
Blaine: “I am inevi-.”
Sydney: *Punches him* “No, I am inevitable! You are just an ant that I can squash with my foot!”
Ruth: “And I am Ironman! Weeeeee!!!!!”
Cholma
The only after-credits scene I want to see is Blaine’s forgotten tombstone is a potter’s field.
Suitora
Nah, a rancher’s field. Then he’ll be covered in cow shit.
Lacuna
“You think you’re the only asshole out there? There’s a whole universe of assholes. You just don’t know them yet. Big assholes. Small assholes. Wide assholes. Ti-I’m sorry this is this is turning into a Slipshine comic let me start over.”
GoblinScribe
Asher: “I knew it, I’m surrounded by assholes.”
This is legit starting to, like, feel dumb, though. Am I the only one who feels like this is dumb? I swear I hope Willis has some good reason for this and it’s not gonna be as dumb as it feels, I don’t wanna be a negative nellie, it just feels really dumb right now.
GoblinScribe
Dumbing of Age tries to be marginally more grounded than its sibling comics and, this, this whole “Asshole Initiative” thing, it felt dumb with Toedad and it feels dumber here. Everybody can’t know each other. Blaine can’t just be uniting an Axis of Awful to get revenge on Amber. It just feels dumb.
Undrave
Turns out Blaine is ALSO a huge nerd and really want his own Legion of Doom. Also, we only see his initial approach, it’s possible he’s just failed at everything so far.
BarerMender
Yeah, Amber didn’t know Asher. How did her dad?
Kammon
Given Blaine’s record? I’m guessing Asher is another child he’s spawned then discarded along the way.
Oz
Hmmm Maybe Blaine knows Asher because Asher was there when Sal robbed the convenience store? Trying to look like the good kid and calling the police?
Clif
For crying out loud. Asher’s gang probably had mob connections. Blaine can’t operate freely on campus so he attempts to recruite an old acquaintance who can. Nothing dumb about it. If you think it’s too much of a coincidence that this is the same gang that started to use Sal to be realistic, then I have to remind you that this is a story. It has no obligation to be realistic. It has an obligation to be interesting. Tell me this development isn’t interesting.
thejeff
And he’s already established as an Asian kid in a criminal gang, while Blaine is established as linked to the mob – with at least hints (Yuri) that it’s an Asian mob. (I can’t remember if it’s been explicitly called out as Korean or if I’m just remembering SP!.)
James Keating
orthe really obvious which every one seems to be missing. Blain was stalking Amber and witnessed the punchening ( is that a word? i feel like that should be a word.) he saw Walky hit asher. saw Amber was with walky . made the obvious connection. goes to recruit asher for mutual revengening( aain not sure thats a word either but i really feel it should be.)
ego
your wordeation is very shouldular
Agemegos
That doesn’t explain why Asher seems to know Blaine.
Dana
I’m not sure where I come down on this, except to say that it’s fun to see the comment section respectfully offering different points of view.
thejeff
If it’s because Asher’s (former?) gang is part of the Korean mob Blaine’s tied to and Blaine has no idea of Asher’s connection to Amber through Sal, then is it still so dumb? He’s just looking for someone on campus to do his leg work.
GoblinScribe
(Hey, thejeff! Haven’t been on Paizo much lately.)
Yeah, I think it’s still so dumb, if only because a) it’s obviously still a huge absurd coincidence, like, come on, jeez on a cracker, and b) it’s being paired with the “Blaine bails Toedad out of jail” twist, which is even more absurd.
To expand on A, yes, stories can survive pretty big coincidences, BUT the story was grounded enough that many characters have acknowledged it’s kind of a slight coincidence that Amber, Ethan and Sal all ended up at the same university. Slightly more of a coincidence, Asher made it here, too.
So if the story is grounded enough to acknowledge “four kids from similar area but from different backgrounds and 1-2 who got cycled into the CJ system made it to the same college”, the story doesn’t get a free pass on a coincidence that’s a hundred times stupider.
GoblinScribe
And let’s just quickly acknowledge that Blaine is just absurdly evil. Not just in his general meanness, but in the effort he’s going to, the incredibly circuitous lengths he’s willing to take. He doesn’t just stalk his daughter, he sends his son to steal her phone. He doesn’t just talk to her friends, he bails out a school shooter who attacked friends of his daughter (I’m assuming for some very rational reason like “he witnessed Amazigirl in action, and I can’t just read the school paper about her or have Faz/my wife ask around about her”).
I don’t want to say he’s unrealistically evil, he’s not. He’s unrealistically elaborate in his evilness. Dumbing of Age has an uncomfortable relationship with its realism and its silly antics, and Blaine is just, not acting how human beings act.
GoblinScribe
I’m hoping Willis can justify all of this and make it feel genuine, but if Blaine goes within a fucking MILE of Scarface’s hospital bed, I’m going to blow a gasket. We don’t need to connect every storyline. That’s not how college works.
Yumi
Scarface is the one it’d actually make sense for him to connect with, though.
GoblinScribe
Kinda, yeah. But that was before we had Blaine Nic Furying every storyline. Now instead of it being a legitimately effective moment, it’ll just feel like the “oooh what a twist” capper to this weird trilogy.
not someone else
This definitely does seem like the kind of storyline that… I’m gonna say, might make more sense in six months? Like, right now, this is definitely out of left field and I’m not to the level of gasket blowing but there’s some eyebrows raised expectantly to see how Willis is gonna make this one not too over the top?
Krisalys
This is, terrifyingly, how a lot of harassment and abuse campaigns go, though. Like. This kind of shit is 100% what I’ve seen ACTUALLY HAPPEN to people around me who got targeted by various alt-right-affiliated movements. One person develops a grudge and goes hunting for every person who previously hurt them or someone close to them, or was “wronged” by them in some way, banding them together with promises of revenge and retribution and “justice”. And the worst part is that when you bring all the actual evidence of it to a judge to try to get a restraining order or at least ONE of them arrested, it’s dismissed because of being “too far-fetched”.
Matthew Evan Davis
Honestly, whether or not it’s textbook harassment Blaine’s petty and controlling as fuck. That’s part of his character as written. I don’t have any problem thinking a petty, controlling asshole is going to try to pull strings to fuck over the daughter who dared to stand up to him. If he has existing connections to Asher, which he might, that would explain that, and he’s going to need a fall guy. Who better than the nutjob who already showed up on campus with a gun once?
seikodelic
Dude, check out r/justnofamily and r/justnomil and you will see. This is entirely within the realm of elaborateness for shitty narcissist parents, ESPECIALLY one with ties to organized crime.
Michael Haneline
Yeah, I have zero problem believing Blaine’s “realism”, but then again my dad was a monster so it’s not much of a stretch for my imagination.
Hex
My mother and by extension me has been harassed by her ex boyfriend she had a child with for well over 10 years. Spreading lies about her to her friends and at her workplace, sowing distrust and managing that she would be fired at two workplaces and not rehired at another after maternity leave. He usef his wealth and manipulative skills to do this and went to incredible lengths to hurt her. From my experience Blaine is not comically evil. (He also was a drug dealer and threw his supposed best friend under the bus when discovered, obviously he was also massively abusive in his relationship with my mom)
Meagan
I don’t think it is necessarily about how humans act in real life. Although this strip is more grounded than Willis’ previous work, it still stretches the limits of reality on numerous occasions (mostly with Amazigirl), and still has a narrative arc. I think I remember seeing comments about how Willis has said that the story probably won’t go past the first semester. I suspect that this is how the story will climax: sometime around Thanksgiving or perhaps finals, all of the previously established separate villains will come together in one grand scheme. Depending on how drawn out the scheme is, it may get introduced sooner or later. that will be the climax of the entire story. then we’ll get some kind of denouement (either finals or christmas break) and the story will end. You know, in another ten years.
Z
The son to steal her phone is a thing abusive parents do.
The bailing out the shooter and now being connected with Asher? Fuck no.
He was actually a really good portrayal of an abusive dad and that’s part of what piasrs me off about these developments. Its taking it into cartoon villain territory.
Abusive parents are real and aren’t cartoon villains and this just sucks.
thejeff
He has also always been an actual criminal. A “mob stooge”.
Agemegos
This is a cartoon. And we have already had Amazi-Girl (and Sal) doing some pretty over-the-top stuff.
Cartoonish villainy ought not to be so surprising in this context.
GoblinScribe
Thanks, that’s exactly where I’m at. I was fine with some of this, but not ALL of it. Toedad is really where I drew the line, Asher is just the continuation.
(And yeah, it’s a cartoon. It’s also a cartoon with a clearly established “over-the-top, but carefully grounded” tone, where Robin is held accountable for her antics and Amber is called out repeatedly for her balderdash stunts. It’s a hard line to straddle, but it still matters that we have the line.)
Sam
I don’t feel it is dumb because I believe Willis will reveal how they know each other and it will likely make sense even though right now I am confused as to how he fits into this puzzle specifically.
Z
Honestly yes. My first thought was “nope” not like”omg plot twist” but “Jesus Christ if this guy is the chess master connecting all the characters then this is stupidly bad writing you’re better than that Willis”
Abbefaria
Personally I’m wondering if he’s going to tell Blaine to take his sh-t elsewhere, he did seem pretty over and clearly done with all the stuff in the past and is looking to just move on with his life.
Mollyscribbles
Yeah, I’ve got my fingers crossed for that. Dude’s chill enough to accept a punch for his past misdeeds and just wanted Walky to walk away after.
Hey, what if this is how Amber gets a heads up about the situation? Asher wants to move on with a law-abiding life and some asshat comes up proposing an idea that’s not just illegal but a dick move, so he rejects Blaine and warns the mentioned target.
H3xx
Speaking of assholes… Asher has butthole lips….
Ana Chronistic
shitholes of a feather shit together
BIG MOOD (final panel Walky)
Marsh Maryrose
Cloacas unite!
BBCC
Yup, I was right. Needed that pre-emptive damn you willis yesterday.
Fuck off, Blaine.
Theory time – Asher’s family is in the Korean mob that Blaine’s a stooge for and that’s how this asshole knows him.
Bicycle Bill
Boy oh boy, you nailed that one all right.
DailyBrad
Thaaaaaat makes sense, hmm.
Agemegos
I suggested that on June 30th.
Agemegos
@Eve suggested it even earlier.
Yumi
what the fuck dot tumblr dot com
butts
r/damnyouwillis
Clif
Wait. Is there?
thejeff
Yeah, that’s not good.
That they even know each other is scary.
Diner Kinetic
That’s worse than I thought it was going to be and I expect a lot from this comic
newllend(henryvolt)
This asshole is everywhere!
abysswatcher1993
Blaine is the new Lex Luthor, and he is recruiting more villains than the Lex Luthor Facebook guy.
JBento
Blaine, too, has probably stolen 50 cakes. That’s as many as five tens. And that’s terrible.
Marsh Maryrose
“I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve been everywhere.
I’ve been to Evansville, Bloomington, La Porte, Mishawaka,
Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Carmel,
New Albany, Merrilville, Michigan City,
I’ve been everywhere, man,
I’ve been everywhere.”
Jeffhog
WHAT
and I cannot stress this enough
THE FUCK
butts
OH GOD, WHAT
NO
GOD
WHAT
Hazel
OH NO
Kyrik Michalowski
Uh oh, and Asher might actually have a reason to help Blaine. God damn it hindsight, why must you be 20/20?
Zee
What reason would that be?
Khyrin
[Irrational screaming]
Marsh Maryrose
?
Been away, haven’t seen you in a while,
How’ve you been? Have you changed your style?
Mada
*emits noise*
abysswatcher1993
*Inhales deeply* DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SERIOUSLY, HOW THE FUCK ASSHOLE DAD AND DOUCHEBAG FUCKBOY KNOW EACH OTHER?!
Eve
My guess is Asher’s family is connected to the mob Blaine works with. Considering Asher’s look here tho he may not want to be associated with that life anymore himself.
Agemegos
On the other hand, he described himself as having gone into “legitimate business”, which is a notorious euphemism for racketeering.
The protection racket is not a big thing on campuses, and there’s no money in distributing pornography since the Internet. Kidnap for ransom is not a big trade in the USA. Could be prostitution or drugs. But what about grades and papers? Asher’s family is probably dealing admissions, but an undergrad wouldn’t be involved in that.
thejeff
Or he’s not actually working a racket in college, but is legitimately going to school to get the skills to help run the more legitimate sides of the family business.
Stephen Bierce
Set out running but I’ll take my time
A Friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight–The Grateful Dead
Marsh Maryrose
You can borrow from the devil
You can borrow from a friend
But the devil will give you twenty
When your friend got only ten
Bicycle Bill
Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name.
But what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game
Danielle
WHAT THE HELL
Lexi
Didn’t World’s Worst Dad also show up at Becky & Joyce’s church to help them bail out Toedad? Da fuck, Blaine, you really are building an asshole initiative, and I don’t like it.
AntJ