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lasted longer than I thought
Yeah, I was expecting the last panel of this strip to be him getting thrown out too. Maybe tomorrow.
He’s probably leading the others on a merry chase through Forrest Quad.
Possibly being defenestrated while showing off his charts
In between all the rooms and back and forth across the hall.
Halfway through they run into Norville and his dog.
Yeah. This only makes me more worried that something big is just around the corner.
Faz would appreciate this double entendre.
Its McAwesomes. Faz is not creepy there the way Billie is cool.
Dang… I totally missed that it’s a parallel to Shortpacked. Maybe should start reading the comments again.
Oh dear.
Well at least my birthday strip will lead to shenanigans!
Happy birthday!
Oh, her!
Yes, happy birthday!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Shit, that was supposed to go under Yumi’s comment.
*da na na na na na na na*
They say it’s your birthday!
*da na na na na na na na*
Happy birthday to ya!
*da na na na na na na na*
They say it’s your birthday!
*da na na na na na na na*
Happy birthday to ya!
*da na na na na na na na*
You’re gonna have a good time!
*dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana*
You know there’s gonna be a party, party…
*dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana*
You know there’s gonna be a party, party…
And the spacing breaks, ruining the awesome text-syncopation thing I was doing. Oh well.
Also, you inadvertently invoked Dana on 4/20. In-universe, Sarah suddenly sat bolt upright and doesn’t know why.
I’m going to pretend that was intentional.
Pffft! Oh that is glorious.
And thank you, Pablo!
Happy birthday!
Thank you!
Happy birthday! May there be many more!
Thank you! And yes, hopefully! XD
Happy b-day
Thank you!
Happy birthday!
Thanks!
happy birthday 🙂
Thank you!
Possibility 1: Faz managed to behave like a civilized being for once, and is accepted by Forest Quad.
Possibility 2: What he said was so outrageous that the residents immediately resorted to cannibalism.
Place ya bets!
“Weird” just means something so different there that he ended up seeming acceptable.
Possibility 3: This place is so damn strange Faz just fits right in
Possibility 4 He could have been defensteatred out of window on the opposite side of the building
Possibility 5 a wormhole could have opened up and he was trasnported to the gamma quadrent and now he is the Dominion’s problem.
So that’s why they went to war with the Federation!
Possibility 6: it’s 4:20 so everybody’s too baked to notice.
I thought they were still in the first few weeks of the first semester?
Might hit American thanksgiving sometime in 2020?
“Faz is Great” shows us Tuesday October 12th and Thanksgiving will be Thursday November 25th. (DoA uses 2010’s calendar for its days of the week, even though it’s perpetually “this year” to the story.) That’s 42 days to go in between.
1 DoA day averages about 66.67 real-world days long. 42 x 66.67 rounds to 2800 days from the end of the current story to the last strip of November 24th. Since it’s apparently near evening and “Faz is Great” is already running long*, let’s say the next story starts on May sixth. 2800 days later will be Tuesday, January 3, 2026.
We’ll see Thanksgiving January through February 2026.
*It might be time to run the numbers again, the last few stories have been much longer…
Your math is appreciated. I am older than Willis and if there is an end to this epic story I hope to see it.
no time like weed time. 😛
I don’t know why she’d assume Faz was okay.
Also, I guess it does make sense for him to be confirmed mixed race, but just in general, does ethnicity always carry over cross-universes?
Because he’s been quiet the whole time and Billie didn’t kick him out personally, I guess?
I’d think she’d be a little more suspicious, or at least ask some questions, but I guess she’s feeling like she just dodged a bullet anyway.
I didn’t realize it was Billie speaking so I probably shouldn’t be taken too seriously
You forget they’re all idiots.
Well, sure, everyone’s an idiot. You can still be like, “Hey, also who’s this random kid.” Really, what I forgot is that Billie sometimes likes to act like she doesn’t care about things.
I mean that they live fairly divorced from reality in a very sheltered high school view. They wouldn’t kick him out or report him because well…they don’t asusme things are bad until demonstrated as such.
Besides, he doesn’t have glasses, therefore he must not be imperfect.
But I was only talking about Billie in my comment, questioning why *she* would assume Faz is okay. I figured you were bringing up the rest of Forest quad, but they really weren’t relevant to what I was thinking about.
Hey, he’s Joyce’s “friend.”
Yumi: Ethnicity is NOT consistent between universes. Billie is a perfect example of this – she wasn’t half-Chinese before DoA.
Huh. Poor Joyce. I wonder what will come of this, if anything.
Does Billie know about Joyce not being able to walk around outside by herself? Because if so it’s messed up that she just shoved her outside and has left her there for what looks like hours
… Oh yeah I didn’t think of that. I mean Joyce has gotten better but she implied today wasn’t a good day, didn’t she?
Yeah, but what does Forest Hall define as “weird,” is the question.
They dislike relationships, human frailty, and mistakes. Everything is perfect or declared unclean.
They’re all a future group of Dolores Umbridges.
Youch!!
I mean, yeah, they seem to worship Billie and expect her to be Mean Girls nasty – but I put that down to simple immaturity and thinking that real life is indistinguishable from a cliquey high school comedy…
Your conclusion is far worse!!
He’s speaking in first person??
Maybe he’s talking about his personal insecurities with the nosy pep trio.
…. OH SNAP THAT’S IT ISN’T IT. FOREST HALL IS MOLLY-CLOCKING HIM INTO TEMPORARY NORMALITY.
Re alt-text: first legal one here in California! Still three hours away, though.
Hapa? what’s hapa?
Mixed ethnicity
That was a clear opportunity to say “Not much, what’s hapa with you?”.
Hawaiian/Asian/Pacific Islander/Alaskan…at least how I understand it.
That seems like such a weird term. Is it just that people are really bad at telling ethnicities so just use a ‘catch-all’ term?
No, that’s not what the term is, though it could be applied to someone who is a mix of some/all of those ethnicities, I suppose. The most common usage of it that I’m familiar with is to refer to someone who’s half-Asian and half-white, or different percentages, though that’s not the only application.
There’s a good NPR Code Switch article on it here.
(I love that there’s a Professor of Hawaiian Studies named Kealalokahi Losch.)
I had no idea that it had spread to Indiana. But Billie, born and bred in Indiana, clearly assumes that her non-API dormmates understand the term.
I’m from Michigan and have never not been familiar with the term–that is, I probably was at some point, but I don’t remember when I learned it– so I wouldn’t be surprised about it being a term someone who fits that description in Indiana knows. As far as assuming that her dormmates know it…sometimes something seems so familiar to you that you’re like, “of course other people know this,” you know? Her dormmates may or may not know depending on their individual identities and experiences.
It seemed common enough to have it’s own subreddit (r/hapas) at least.
If there is one thing I have learned over the years of reading this comic, it’s that Willis is not going to put in a detail like this unless it is something that is true to his real-life experience.
Wouldn’t surprise me; like I said, I’ve pretty much always known the term, so I don’t see why anyone else living in the Midwest couldn’t.
Seeing Billie herself is Hapa, I don’t see why she shouldn’t be familiar with the term. Though I doubt her dormmates know.
Well, lots of things have their own subreddit, but in my experience, it’s a pretty common term. My experience just may involve more people of Asian decent than some others.
A few years back I wondered if the term applied to me since I’m half-Asian.
Then I read that NPR article above on my friend’s FB post (who is actually hapa herself) and decided against using it to describe me since I’m not of Hawaiian descent.
Same, I’ve often wanted a cool term for myself but since I’m not connected to Hawaii I don’t feel comfortable adopting “hapa” because it really seems to have strong roots in growing up in Hawaii or being of Hawaiian decent.
It’s taken from Hawaiian; it’s not an acronym and the mixed part is pretty key to the definition.
Then why would Billie be the one to be using it? I doubt that it’s a common term in Indiana.
Why would a girl of mixed Asian-Caucasian ethnicity be familiar with and use a term that’s primarily applied to people of that identity?
It’s TAKEN from Hawaiian, but it’s used well beyond that and does not always mean Hawaiian as part of the ethnic mix.
I know at least, for my japanese-canadian community, it was picked up since a large portion of immigrants heading to north america stopped in Hawaii for some time and it was appropriated as a term for people of mixed ethnicity, tho as a kid I understood it as just ‘half-japanese’. I know it’s popular to the point where I attended ‘Hapa-palooza’ a festival for people of mixed ethnicity, and that was the first time I saw non-japanese-canadian people use the term? But my experience is vry different from an american’s so, I don’t know if any of this holds true elsewhere
I know Billie’s entry in the Walkypedia states this, but could someone please direct me to the point in the storyline where her ethnicity was revealed? I must have missed it.
Billie mentions her middle name is Yunru.
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/bigred/
First time I can recall her being mentioned as half-Asian:
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/05-media-rumble/distance-2/
First time I remember her specific ethnicity being stated:
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/06-yesterday-was-thursday/mixed/
I’ve mostly heard/seen it for those who are part Asian, though it can be a bit more varied in the Hawaiian usage.
Funny to see it here, since the few times I’ve seen it has been in some Hawaiian context.
That’s kind of racist of them.
Well, it’s Billie saying it, which I think kind of complicates it in terms of racism, but it does seem kind of rude.
It’s a classification term, and Billie’s all about the classification.
First time I’d heard the term too. Apparently it hasn’t spread to SC; I guess there aren’t enough people it applies to for the word to have worked its way into general use.
Me too, I have never heard that term before.
Weirder than what they said in the last few panels ?
Glad Billie’s not a denying Peter and didn’t disown Joyce.
Remember the Alamo line is fucking adorable.
Poor Joyce. Also, poor wing, because they seem pretty naive. Hope he’s not like, panty raiding or something.
Yes, all she did was kick her friend out and say to forget she existed.
But Billie be the rock on which Joyce builds her new church.
Little do we know is that Faz immediately went mute the second he said “I”.
And there was much rejoicing! Although I’m confident a silent Faz could still be creepy.
We all know Faz is great, but do you suppose he is great enough to hang out with the Burger King mascot?
Warning! Some other site tried to hijack me from here. Norton caught it, but watch out!
Has Faz found his people at last? Stay tun…
…never mind
It appears Faz had more self control than expected.
I’m fully of the mind Faz is capable of staying silent to the point of living there with no one noticing like a horror movie attic kid.
Huh, I was expecting the strip to end with Faz being kicked out the door.
So did Joyce, apparently.
See her checking her watch? She knows he’s overdue.
The lighting also changes, implying the sun is setting.
What she doesn’t know is that they threw him out another door.
Faz will now live with the women there who interpret all of his creepiness as actually being a sexual dinosaur and cool kid. Either that or interpret him as inoffensive (but actually very offensive) ethnic comic relief like Sixteen Candles.
Sixteen Candles 2: The return of Long Duck Dong
Oh my God, now I can’t stop seeing Faz in that role.
This is another moment where I feel the suspension of disbelief fails. Sorry. I guess I’m just going to be hated into oblivion now…
What’s unbelievable?
Faz isn’t immediately removed from the premises.
They have a Faz.
They don’t know him though. Has been completely inoffensive in this building. They would have no reason to kick him out.
If so, this is the longest period of “completely inoffensive” Faz has ever managed. At least not without someone riding herd on him to shut him down whenever he starts to say or do anything.
Which is why it’s unbelievable.
He’s getting laaaaid.
He’s underage, so hopefully not.
Unlikely, but as Faz clearly stated early on, Indiana’s Romeo and Juliet law makes it legal as long as they’re 19 or under.
Faz has a printout of the law in question.
But he also said that he’s not eligible for it
til his birthday (and is taking reservations)
Nope. He’s 15. The reservations were those not happy taking advantage of the Romeo and Juliet law.
As infuriating as that would be, I’d want to see that happen merely to check the results.
Happy birthday!
Heh. That wasn’t supposed to go there.
Happy birthday to whoever* anyway!
*except that one guy
He actually went a few hours without talking about his dick, there’s some will power for you.
You know what, I would also loose Faz if I was stuck with him. I can’t throw any stones here.
He’s dead… isn’t he…
I like how panel 3 and 4 are one continuous image.
I agree. This strip did it too: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/03-faz-is-great/tower/
as I’m sure other strips have, but it’s kind of a cool thing, especially for these group scenes.
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/02-choosing-my-religion/non/
Is Faz Hawaiian or of Hawaiian heritage? That’s really the only time “hapa” is acceptable. It really shouldn’t be used to describe someone of non-Native Hawaiian heritage.
The irony, of course, is that Billie is of the same ethnic heritage as Faz – Half-European, half-East Asian.
That’s debated. It’s gained wider acceptance as a term for people with mixed Pacific Islander ethnicity. It’s cultural appropriation, of a sort, but it happens everywhere. No culture gets to remain ‘pure’, these days.
The only cultures that were ever “pure” were isolationist cultures. Who probably only got that because of a bad experience with another culture.
Everyone has been getting their peanut butter in everyone else’s chocolate for a very long time.
As I understand it, it’s used by Hawaiians for any kind of mixed heritage – if mostly part Asian and/or part Hawaiian, since those were most common in Hawaii.
In mainland use it seems like it’s mostly a west coast thing and mostly used for those of part asian or pacific descent.
No idea how it’s used in Indiana. 🙂
Wider usage of it like Billie uses is not universally accepted, but neither is it universally considered incorrect or appropriation, even by Native Hawaiians, as far as I understand it… the draw is that it’s, um, a less cruel word in literal meaning than a lot of terms for mixed race people, since it just means ‘half’ and wasn’t developed as a derogatory term. Since Billie is mixed race herself I could see why she uses it.
The one person who would have rejoiced to find out that Billie isn’t just some alpha cheerleader is Lucy, and unfortunately Lucy and Joyce didn’t meet.
Then again, we’re probably lucky that they didn’t meet. The universe would likely explode from all the cheeriness.
What does hapa mean?
Mixed ethnicity, commonly Asian and something (most frequently white, in my experience), but taken from Hawaiian. It can have somewhat varying uses in different areas, but here seems to be Billie referring to Faz being of mixed Asian ethnicity.
I, and like, a quarter or so of my cousins are half-Asian and I’ve never actually heard the term used out loud. Weird. Anyways yeah it’s a Hawaiian word that literally means “half” (insert biracial/bisexual joke here).
My cousin used it as a self-identifier for a while. I knew one classmate who did as well. Mostly I’ve heard people who are ethnically Asian, not mixed, use it to describe people who are/will be mixed (ie, future kids).
Hey, that was first person. Good job, Faz.
Obviously Forest Hall has different standards of weird. Or Faz is somehow managing to not be creepy for a while longer.
Either that or he is the least creepy and offensive male to attempt seduction in the hall in recent memory.
What the hell is going on in Forest Hall anyway? Some kind of mind control experiment?
Damn, that’s an idea ofor a good It’swalky storyline gone to waste.
(return of the Anxious Puppy Noises™️)
He’s still in first person! He CAN be taught!!
Also the lighting changed a good bit considering Joyce has been standing there the whole time.
I know she said she’d watch Faz, but I think this is a little much…
She could be anxious about crossing back over the quad alone.
the time blazed by
That is a long-ass time for Faz not to say something weird.
He’s probably currently lying on the couch in the break room with his head in Ruth’s lap as the Forest Hall girls coo over the ‘cute baby brother’ figure in their midst and is wondering how he found his way into The Forbidden Paradise.
Billie gives Faz a back-handed compliment…
Faz’ mind is blown.
“I…”
Dawn of a new Faz
Chapter Title finally makes sense! 🙂
So, is Joyce waiting for Faz or is she trapped by her fear and unable to get back to Read Hall on her own (feeling guilty asking Dorothy for help won’t help her either)?
Dorothy goes to Forest and proceeds to find out she’s popular and everyone wants to elect her as the new RA.
Dorothy: NO! I WON’T LEAVE! YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!
I don’t think Joyce is cognizant of what the significance of 420 is 😀
That’s okay (I guess). Neither am I.
It occurs to me that I’m probably never going to learn what Joyce is to Billie that she doesn’t want to discuss with her dorm-mates.
A truth-teller?
“I… am a hapa? Faz… belongs?”
Plays Gorillaz Clint Eastwood on the hacked Muzak
Heh, “I ain’t HAPA, I’m feelin’ glad”
He then summons an army of undead gorillas.
Billie has issues.
This makes her different from the rest in what way?
Billie has no issues. She can’t. She’s a head cheerleader and alpha bongo.
I learned a new word today thanks Willis
… I’m relieved that Billie clarified IMMEDIATELY that Joyce IS indeed her friend. So she’s not too far gone yet.
For clarification, as someone of native Hawaiian descent, hapa is term specifically derived from Hawaii meaning half Hawaiian half x (usually caucasian). While a lot of Kanaka (native Hawaiians) feel very strongly about hapa only being used if youre Hawaiian, many people who are asian or polynesian in general still use it, since Billie is partly asian herself it wouldn’t surprising she knows the term as it’s fairly common.
My favorite scenes are the ones where Joe is shirtless/almost naked