179

Barely
Posted on April 11, 2015 by David M Willis
magnetsrubberbandedHey look, it's Amazi-Girl magnets!    You can get one (or one of another character) by pledging to an appropriate tier over at the Dumbing of Age Book 4 Kickstarter!   Supplies are limited!

179 thoughts on “Barely”

  1. Jen Aside

    LETTING HER IN THE HALLWAY IS SO UNSAFE I MEAN SHE ALREADY NUKED THE CLOSET

    FROM ORBIT

    TO BE SURE

    1. nothri

      oh god. This is one of the fandom’s memes now, isn’t it? This is what we’re doing now when we aren’t saying FAAAAAAAAAACE or wondering who Amazigirl is.

      1. Rycan

        Better than F[indeterminate number of A’s]CE, if you ask me.

        1. nothri

          I agree! Which is why we should stop doing it! Pretend the joke is a horse. A perfectly lovely, strong, kind hearted horse. Why do you people want to beat it to death?

        2. tyersome

          I think you might have misunderstood the idiom … the beating of the horse is performed after it is already dead … i.e. it is about the futility of flogging an ex-equid, the blinkeredness of bashing a necrotic nag, the silliness of striking a “simply stunned” stallion, the pointlessness of pummeling a passed pony …

        3. Opus the Poet

          It is not an unkillable badass…;)

        4. tyersome

          … well now, if I’d thought to go there we could have everything from:
          the asininity of assaulting an assassinated ass, to
          ze zero-beneficiality of zapping ze zombie zebra

          🙂

        5. das-g

          Are horses related to parrots by any chance?

        6. Kennerly

          That depends, are the African or European horses?

        7. Chronos

          Why am I reminded of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” when I read your comment?

        8. tyersome

          @das-g — horsefeathers
          @Kennerly — nope, Norwegian Blues
          @Chronos — no good reason that I can see …

        9. Chronos

          I should have been more specific. I meant Kennerly’s comment, not yours, tyersome.

        10. Terabiel

          OMG, I love you. That lttany of moribund mules made me laugh so hard I got coke up my nose, and not the good way.

        11. a snow ʍousɐ

          Coca Cola, you mean? Or are you from the part of the US where all sodas are coke?
          Coke up your nose, that’s pretty good ^.^

        12. la6ue mous snow angel

          pretty good pun, I mean

        13. tyersome

          Thank you 🙂

          I assume everything is more amusing with a snort of coke … but having had an involuntary experience with the stuff and only consciously experienced the down side, I choose to keep my nose clean …

        14. Marisa Mockery

          That was beautiful

        15. vampirelazarus

          We could just nuke the horse.

          From orbit.

          Just to be sure.

        16. Architex

          I lol’d

        17. Clif

          Who are we nuking from orbit with a dead horse just to be sure?

        18. das-g

          If you do care what a meta is for watch this educational video. 😛

        19. Screwball

          I can usually find a cool Youtube clip in here…

          …This was another one. *hits like button*

      2. Chris

        Speaking of which, who is Amazigirl?

        1. la6ue mous snow angel

          Danny

      3. Chris

        Why stop there? We should make a big list of outdated movie references to use in the DoA comments!
        Who the fuck are the Canutsons?
        Get to da choppa!
        Royal with cheese.

  2. Stephen Bierce

    *plays “Long Tall Sally” on the Muzak*

    1. Opus the Poet

      I think this one’s a better fit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCSsVvlj6YA Geography doesn’t fit, but the personality does.

  3. Kris

    You are slipping Becks! Tsk.

    1. Yet_One_More_Idiot

      Yeah, but Becky is friends with Joycy, and she’s kinda friends with Billie who’s Ruthie’s girlfriend, so it should be all good. 🙂 After all, I’m sure Billie could talk Ruthie into not ratting on Becky if Joycy asked her too.

      Yes, I stick -y or -ie on every female character’s name now, it’s cute. So neh. 😛

  4. Jen Aside

    dang, those Amagnet-Girls are sexy

    1. Kris

      Suddenly clipping the spelling test you got a 100% on to the fridge is….AMAZING!

  5. Doctor_Who

    And suddenly everyone is there.

    But Dina’s with them, so it makes sense. She tends to just turn up out of nowhere, maybe she was giving the others lessons.

    1. K^2

      It’s an extension of her power. She can pick up additional people along her wormhole’s trajectory for extra awkward.

      1. Screwball

        I thought my groundbridges were getting additional interference lately…

  6. newllend(henryvolt)

    *FacePalm*

    1. KingMabel

      *double face palm*

      1. BlueRam

        *triple face palm*

        1. awkweirdness

          *quadruple face palm*

        2. Jen Aside

          *RosieFacePalmAndHerFaceSisters*

        3. Solenoid

          Rosie and the Facepalms. A musical act.

        4. Alan

          If Rosie is palming your face, you’re doing it wrong.

        5. Zan Thrax

          Just how many hands do you people have available?

        6. DarkoNeko

          Carla used to have 3.

        7. Screwball

          They’re getting help from their stunt-doubles…

  7. AnvilPro

    I really hope this is leading into Becky and Dina talking about Dinosaurs

    1. Disloyal Subject

      I have no idea how that would happen, but I now share your hope.

    2. tim gueguen

      And thus Joyce finds out Becky is something far damaging to their friendship than being a lesbian: she’s become an Old Earth Creationist.

  8. Idon'tcarenomore

    Yeah gee whiz look at what I did…oh shame on me..
    yeah right

  9. otusasio451

    I see France, I see London
    I can see your bellybuton.

    WHAT?? YOU try to name a city that rhymes with “button”!

    1. Nerdman

      Albertutton

    2. Disloyal Subject

      Well, I think Nashville has a hotel called the Hutton, but that doesn’t quite suit the rhyme.

    3. Doctor_Who

      Sutton.

      1. otusasio451

        …Damn it.

        1. Chronos

          I’m in London, eating mutton
          Starin’ at your bellybutton

      2. Chris

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Borough_of_Sutton

      3. Clif

        https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hvsdf

      4. Opus the Poet

        I see Bristol, I see Sutton
        I see Becky’s belly button.

        How dat?

    4. Plasma Mongoose

      How about places that rhymes with Navel?

  10. Plasma Mongoose

    But only Sal and Amazi-Girl is allowed to leave/enter via windows…

    1. newllend(henryvolt)

      That’s unless she wants to join the 3rd floor window club.

      1. KingMabel

        Is that like the breakfast club?

        1. Kris

          It is like the breakfast club!…In that they all have angsty backstories!

  11. Wonder Wig

    Hallways are too straight for Becky anyway.

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      ^_^

    2. grantimusmax

      ^winner winner chicken dinner^

  12. Eric

    Welcome to the Danger Zone!

  13. Idon'tcarenomore

    I see London I see Mutton
    I see your belly button

    sorry

    1. Chronos

      … I feel substantially less clever now, knowing that I posted one almost identical to the one you wrote several hours earlier.

      1. No Name

        To be fair, yours is better. It’s got the rhythm and the rhyme

        1. Chronos

          Thanks.

  14. B.D

    Huh. Grace is fairly tall.

  15. Plasma Mongoose

    Yes Becky, cover that belly-button before an Oni eats it.

    1. KingMabel

      Or before raijin sleeps in it.

      1. Raijink

        Its pretty tempting…

      2. Kamino Neko

        Not Raijin, Raiju. Raijin then shoots him with lightning to get him moving, which is where the problem comes in.

    2. Opus the Poet

      Don’t you have any gravs from Fruits Basket? Some really cute characters in that one…

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Not a bad idea.

    3. Torra

      She just needs a conveniently placed dr pepper!

  16. Rodimiss

    Why’s she not allowed in the hallway, again? Was it something about Ruth or was it something about screaming out her sexuality for everyone ever to hear?

    1. Catullus

      My guess is that it’s because she’s not supposed to be living at IU.

      1. Catullus

        ^ (Officially speaking, I mean. I don’t have any personal objections to Becky’s presence.)

        1. Rodimiss

          Yeah, that occurred to me at about the same time you posted it, although I’m not sure how anyone who doesn’t really know them would realize that Becky doesn’t actually go here. I would just assume that she lives in another dorm/floor, hangs around a lot, and move on.

        2. Twilightomens

          Well yeah probably, but then Joyce freaked out in front of everyone and ruined it.

        3. Chronos

          Knowing how religious she is, maybe they’ll think Joyce is trying to hide a fling she’d rather not have public.

        4. Screwball

          Well it’s not like she hasn’t admitted to kissing a girl before…

      2. Jon P

        Yeah, I understand she’s going through some trying times, but I think Joyce needs to explain that it’s best for her to keep SOMETHING of a low profile, lest they be exposed.

        1. Kryss LaBryn

          Becky WANTS to expose everything.

          Eeeeeverything.

    2. Rodimiss

      Or the “crashing in Joyce’s room against the rules” thing, although I can’t see why her being seen by people in the hallway would lead to them figuring it out.

      1. Scoops

        Well a few times, sure, but if they see her frequently, they could get suspicious, especially if both early and late in the day.

      2. Alex

        The Ruth Patrol can happen at any time.

  17. dailybrad

    Has Becky’s tummy redeemed her in the eyes of some readers? Who can gaze at her navel and see malice?

    1. Adam Black

      Cue the anti-Becky false-Outrage-machine:

      Someone is bound to complain becky is deliberately showing her belly button justto flaunt it to Joyce,
      that shes shooting out agresso-lesbo beams from her bellybutton to try and seduce Joyce,
      and she’s parading her sexy lesbian navel around the whole floor just to make Joyce uncomfortable,
      and she needs to act like shes properly and good ashamed of her lesbian bellybutton and hide it forever;
      or she’s being disrespectful of Joyces feelings.
      This is really insensitive of her because she knows Joyce believes in the bible, and Eve didnt have a belly-betton, so no one should have to see one and be constantly reminded of how we’ve fallen from grace .

      i think thats sums it up.

      1. Tenn

        It’s like a poor straight white gal can’t even walk into the hallway without getting homosex genitals shoved down her throat. </sarcasm>

      2. Majere

        I think less of a complete straw man would say:

        Hey, maybe you shouldn’t be running around the dorm halls in a super noticeable outfit when you’re supposed to be lying low so your best friend doesn’t get in shit for letting you crash with her. Like, this doesn’t even have anything to do with her sexuality it has to do with her going out of her way to make Joyce’s life more difficult either by design or (more likely) by just being that oblivious and short-sighted.

        1. anonymsly

          And in making Joyce’s life more difficult that way, Becky also makes her own life more difficult. After all, if Joyce gets ejected from the dorms or suspended or expelled or whatever punishment awaits those who are discovered to be harboring couchsurfers, Becky suffers to.

          It’s not saying ‘omg cover up’ or ‘get back in the splinters of that closet, you’ it’s saying ‘maybe consider taking due care, here’.

      3. Random832

        “agresso-lesbo beams” – is that like a gay version of the care bear stare?

    2. nothri

      Never been one for navel gazing.

  18. JessWitt

    The jig is up, Becky! She’s exposed, just like her belly button.

    1. KingMabel

      And her knees

      1. Opus the Poet

        But not her elbows, those are safely covered by Sal’s other (?) leather jacket. And seriously Sal, black and brown leather jackets? Do you have a Sopwith Camel sitting around somewhere we should know about?

        1. Screwball

          Well, I haven’t seen Dive Bomb around for a while… (end of page…)

  19. Urukak

    It’s okay Joyce, we all see it too.

  20. tim gueguen

    I have this suspicion Sal doesn’t wear those shorts without tights or leggings of some sort.

    1. David M Willis

      those are becky’s shorts: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-5/01-when-somebody-loved-me/laundry/

      1. KingMabel

        So we’re just obsessing over a belly button like a 10 year old boy in the 1970’s?

        1. KingMabel

          1960’s.

          Crap, I’ll look up the name of a Thunder God for a reference nobody will get but I’m too lazy to look up Gilligan’s island?

        2. Rycan

          Only matters if you have an exposed belly right at splash height in a chem lab. Pretty much the only reason schools care about making you wear a lab coat (its job is really to protect your clothes).

      2. tim gueguen

        So it appears my statement was half right.

  21. Collegekid

    Last I checked you could have visitors in dorms? Or as mentioned people can be from other floors…

    1. Incomitatus

      You can have visitors in dorms during certain hours of the day. Do we know what time it is?

      1. Rycan

        Morning still. Everyone’s getting dressed, or failing to get dressed.

  22. Just Me

    Glad that is not Becky’s final form. Unless her final form involves even less clothing, a belly button ring and a tattoo.

    1. Smiling Cat

      Her final form is nude, slick with sweat, cuddled up to another woman.

      You will probably need a subscription to see her final form.

      1. Cynthia

        Maybe I should start writing Becky in as a badkground character into my Elsanna stories?

      2. Chronos

        *Almost* her final form.

        Her true final form lacks skin.

        1. DarkoNeko

          Eww

        2. Screwball

          Has someone been reading that “attack On Titan” stuff?

        3. Chronos

          That might have had a little to do with that post, though I’m not certain.

  23. Vince

    What’s up with that sweater(?) that Joyce is wearing? Really draws attention to her boobs. I thought that was a no no.

    1. Twilightomens

      Joyce’s boobs draw attention to themselves, I’m pretty sure.

      1. Rycan

        They have a funny way of doing that. They’re some sort of optical magnets.

      2. Jen Aside

        HER EYES ARE NOT DOWN HEREwait yes they are?

    2. Deanatay

      This comic really illustrates Joyce’s odd dressing habits, kinda bordering on disordered. Everyone else’s clothing bares some skin – it’s clearly fairly warm in their dorm, most of the girls are in shorts and tees, showing no discomfort in showing skin in the midriff or the legs or arms – except for Joyce, who’s prepped for an Arctic snowstorm. In August. Even Mary’s not that uptight. It kinda worries me.

  24. Twilightomens

    Becky….Your bellybutton is naked! D:

  25. Bagge

    Uh oh – should have used the windows instead. You yet have to learn the ways of cool people, Becky.

  26. grantimusmax

    Well, in her defense, she’s gotta get more sun in order to up her freckle game. Dorothy’s her competition, and obviously she’s winning so far.

  27. Bagge

    Billie’s brain finally caught up with her mouth. MAYBE shouldn’t pry to much into that questioning leaflet unless it’s information volunteered.

    What’s up with Grace’s angry eyebrows? Is she afraid of other lesbias diminishing her street cred or something?

    1. neeks

      Barely awake maybe?

      1. neeks

        So to speak.

    2. John

      Grace just seems generally irritable.

    3. Gamaran Sepudomyn

      Hide all the street cred.

      I’m guessing this attempt to use html will fail utterly.

      1. Gamaran Sepudomyn

        Yup. The first sentence was supposed to link to http://www.itswalky.com/comic/street-cred/.

    4. Airyu

      To be fair, I think Billie was yammering on so long because she was in “ahhh distract from Maple Leaf team shirt” mode rather than “be good person” mode

  28. Airyu

    I really wish Joyce had said “Oh My Gosh, Becky,”
    and us commentors could have said “look at your bellybutton!”

    1. brute

      You

      I like you

      1. Airyu

        Thank you :3

    2. Eyebrow

      Becky got front?

      1. Airyu

        So… I looked up “baby got front” and it totally exists. And it 110% does not apply to Becky, but it’s p great actually: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/jackie_beat/baby_got_front.html

  29. Adam Black

    PoLL:

    When you saw the last frame you
    a) Immediately Slashed Becky/ Dina

    or

    B) Becky/ Grace

    ?

    I think both of these pairs have very interesting plot potential.

    ( Are either Sierra or Dina Bent/ Non-hetero / ho-yay ? )

    Dina and becky have opposite strengths and weaknesses. As a couple they could be complementary.

    Sierra and Becky would just be a FUN couple. Thats just writes itself

    and there would be the Obligatory slipshine where Becky and Sierra kick out Dorothy

    1. Cerberus

      Dina is most likely ace, with no word on romantic orientation: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/overstepped/

      And hoo boy, Becky and Grace would probably set off a drama bomb regarding Mandy… unless that ends up being the first poly couple of the strip.

      1. DarkoNeko

        Dina is dinodatasexual

    2. S'toon

      I agree with Cerberus. Dina’s an ace.

      1. Chronos

        And here I thought Dina was Dinosexual…

    3. John

      Sierra, like the rest of the Walkyverse’s Squad 48 (Mandy, Grace, and Marcie; and Guns, who didn’t make the cut for this universe), is probably bi. Squad 48 seemed to all be in a big poly relationship in It’s Walky!.

      I’ve already shipped Becky as a replacement for Guns. Willis, at the time, mentioned that Guns’ real name was actually Becky.

    4. Majere

      Dina is in an exclusive relationship with the scientific method.

    5. Gamaran Sepudomyn

      Dina, if her sexuality is consistent compared to the walkyverse, is attracted to mature behavior. That makes the Becky/Dina-ship kind of impossible, even if you look past the extreme fundamentalism/science-conflict.

      1. S'toon

        I’m baffled by the Becky/Dina ship. It doesn’t make any sense in any way. Dina, as been pointed out, has shown no interest in girls, and is probably Ace.

        However, there IS one lesbian in the strip who’s lonely, and looking for companionship. Daisy.

        A Becky/Daisy ship is completely logical.

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/05-media-rumble/legitimate/

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/02-guess-whos-coming-to-galassos/blameless/

  30. maxyai

    But exposing her bellybutton increases her lesbian powers by 20. If Joyce had only done more research she would have known this.

  31. Rycan

    Hmm, points to Billie for leaving Joyce alone. Wonder if her previous self would have done that…

    1. Bagge

      Yeah, that whole “alpha bongo” thing seem to be a bit toned down these days. Thank God.

      1. Rycan

        I am now imagining packs of bongos, and it is hilarious.

  32. Osaru Sensei

    Last panel Joyce looks like she just caught a pet doing unsavory things indoors.

    … which is kinda what just happened, I suppose.

  33. t00lishness

    *holds both sides of head* Oh shit no//

  34. DarkoNeko

    Uh oh, Joyce is getting angry.
    EVERYONE RUN FOR THE SHELTER NOW

  35. anonymsly

    Becky, you are very cute, and I love seeing how ‘at home’ you are at IU already. It’s good that you feel comfortable. However, it’s less good that you seem unconsciously intent on getting yourself ejected from your haven and Joyce possibly along with you. You handled Ruth well! Now handle the concept ‘low profile to avoid being ejected from your haven along with the best friend sheltering you’ isn’t the same as being shoved back into the closet’, please.

    On another note, unobservant me just noticed that Joyce is wearing a sweater vest (or a parka vest? with a hood?) over a sweater. That is delightful to me!

  36. brute

    Dumb question: to what is joyce referring when she exclaims, “Literally?!”

    1. Aris Katsaris

      It’s a somewhat weak pun, but she means “barely” as in “bare” as in “naked”.

      1. brute

        Ooohhh, thanks.

  37. a snow ʍousɐ

    Oh, maybe Danny’s not going to succumb to his sexuality anytime soon.
    Ethan makes it hard to ship DannyxAmber, because we all know Ethan’s not going to end up single…
    But still, I hope Ethan doesn’t initiate their breakup by making the first move with Danny…I’m already mad at him for flirting with his friend’s boyfriend, if he’s the one to go further, it would just be unforgivable…

    1. a snow ʍousɐ

      *boyfriend; if

  38. StClair

    Now would be a good time for Billie to make her own escape, while attention is not on her.

    1. Bagge

      Attention not on her??? Sacrilege!

  39. SxC

    *still doesn’t get the Maple Leafs thing*

  40. GoogerGeiger

    I completely forgot that Sierra doesn’t wear shoes.

  41. Bagge

    As someone remarked a while back – Becky is not that different from a female Walky. I doubt she would have lasted that long at Anderson regardless of her sexuality.

  42. Pylgrim

    I’m not sure what to make of Becky. Whenever Willis refers to her, he seems to speak in the most sympathetic and indulgent terms, but the way she acts and appears to other people in the comic makes me think that we’re supposed to think she’s very selfish and kind of a dick.

    1. Daashi

      Congratulations, you have just encountered your first “Creator’s Pet”.

    2. la6ue mous snow angel

      She’s selfish.

      1. la6ue mous snow angel

        You’re just not supposed to think that.

  43. Starman

    Well then… the journey is over. I started a marathon of Dumbing Of Age weeks ago, always reading the commentaries. I have to say: I DON’T GET HOW SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL COMMENTING ON THIS ( Jen Aside and Doctor_Who ).

    1. Captain Batson

      It’s taken you two weeks? I ram through the whole thing in one day. Probably why I’m still unclear on who some of the people are, like the purple hair girl.

  44. Bill

    Less than $1000 away from $45K on the Kickstarter for volume 4, and there’s still more than three weeks to go!  If it continues as it is, Willis could end up having to provide magnets of the whole cotton-pickin’ cast!!!

  45. Vangeln

    And now all they laugh. It’s Becky!

  46. Kei

    Good for Billie for stopping herself and realizing that she shouldn’t pry. Many people lack this ability.

    1. DarkoNeko

      I think it’s more “I don’t care”

  47. Someone

    The good news is I don’t think that anyone else cares about wether or not Becky is supposed to be their (at least related to the people living there) Except for maybe Ruth and Mary.

    1. Smiling Cat

      There’s always someone.

      That’s why you have Amazi-girl visit them in the night and let them know what happens to squeelers.

      1. a snow ʍousɐ

        There’s always smiling cat.

        Because…someone…

  48. Shaunock

    Hnnnnngh..
    Dem thigh freckles.

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