This Saturday and Sunday, I gonna be in CANADA! Come see me at TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival) in, you know, Toronto! I’ll be at Table 248, Second Floor of the Toronto Reference Library. I’ll have books! I’ll have magnets! I’ll have prints! I’ll have an everlasting need to visit locations filmed in Short Circuit 2!
my trip to canada funded in part by a grant from the greater columbus arts council
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WIN/WIN
OMG 2 FOR 2
Sarah is learning to love again.
her eyebrows rose two times that day
And with the potential for highjinks. WIN/WIN/WIN.
Sarah: “I can has pretend spite?”
Read that as “sprite” and thought it was random that you were bringing up soda
Other sprite, without the capital letter.
Bugeye Sprite?
… that does make me imagine someone calling Sierra Mist “pretend Sprite” to get a rise out of Joyce, though.
Joyce has… other issues with Sierra Mist, remember…
But wasn’t 7-Up the pretend Sprite?
So would that make Sierra Mist pretend pretend Sprite?
That sounds awfully pretendtious of them.
7-Up was created in 1929, Sprite in 1959. You’ve got the ‘fake’ backwards.
Yeah. Sprite is just better, not older.
And Schweppes Lemonade is based on a formula which dates back to 1835, and is superior to both those cloyingly sweet sugar waters (in my opinion anyway, there may be different cultural tastes in play).
One thing to note is that those formulas are often country specific. Here in the UK, we have Coke that’s far less sweet, it’s really noticeable when a takeaway restaurant has brought in (for example) Turkish or Polish or Russian Coke to save money, which a lot of them do. So I prefer British Pepsi to British Coke, but foreign Coke to British Pepsi. You know, just to muddy the waters of comparative soda opinions further 😂
What about Pumpkin Sprite?
Often different companies hold the trademark to different sodas in different countries or larger world regions. For example, Keurig Dr Pepper only holds the rights to Dr Pepper in the United States. Usually they all started with similar recipes but over time the different companies tweak the recipe a bit here or there and they end up different. Plus, things like high fructose corn syrup vs. sugar can be substituted without changing the brand.
My great-great-great uncle invented Schweppes lemonade.
He had industrialised the process of making carbonated water in the Schweppes factory, and needed to find a way to get people to buy a lot more of it, so he came up with the idea of adding sugar and flavours to it. Lemon-lime was one of his successes. Tonic water was another.
In 1851, at the Great Exhibition, and as a result of a failure of communication, he was introduced to Queen Victoria as “Mr. Schweppe”.
7-Up actually had lithium in it, for years. Every lemon-lime soda without it is fake, if that’s the measure of “genuine”.
Why would that be the measure of “genuine”? Are you saying that Schweppes lemonade was fake Sprite 95 years before Sprite?
I refuse to let this conversation go without bringing up Pretend Sprite and the other Sprite Girls.
Pretend Sprite, to quench your made-up thirst!
same bitter taste, just less filling
Joyce, you genius.
Agreed. This is absolutely genius and I love it.
This is brilliant.
Not sure about that.. I mean, becky probably knows that too. And she might blurt it out.
I wouldn’t be so sure. I think Becky is really good at blurting out some things and keeping others secret. We do know that much of her behaviour is a mask so she won’t be seen as a “Debbie Downer”, and as a gay teenager in a strictly christian-conservative community she probably has a lot of practice not blurting things out unless she means to.
Yeah but she’ll see someone who wants to make fun if her friend in a way that won’t work. She won’t necessarily see it as something that should be kept secret.
i’m proud of Joyce for self awareness. She gets how she’s seen, and uses it for good. yay
Best assist from baby sis!
Seriously though, Sarah, you’re not wrong about Halloween being the best.
I love Halloween because it’s so opt-in. Society expects you to enjoy Christmas, and if you don’t you’re the villain in an Hallmark movie. Halloween however, there’s no right or wrong amount to celebrate it.
Want to put on a costume, go to parties, decorate your house? That’s fine. Want to just sit at home eat a snickers and watch a horror movie? That also is fine!
Also – no family obligations and while there’s an arguable gift obligation, candy is fairly cheap as gifts go.
and you only ‘have to’ give it to kids anyway
All trick or treaters are valid! 😛
My rule is they have to wear a costume to get candy. Doesn’t have to be elaborate — a dollar store mask, put on mom’s dress, do-it-yourself face-paint… just SOMETHING.
I love Halloween for all of these reasons. The older I get, the more I appreciate holidays where I’m not *obligated* to do anything except what I want to do.
Okay, I’m happy to be unpopular so I’m gonna say it. I hate Holloween with a passion, it’s just another rediculous over-commercialised celebration and I wish to God that it’d never come to my country in the first place. *Disclaimer; your personal experience may vary.”
It’s not that commercialized, though? Maybe it’s because I’ve always made my own costumes and decorations from scratch with my family, but it’s also kinda nice that uniqueness and individual effort is actually a goal, too. People get jazzed about costumes they haven’t seen before, or ones that a lot of effort was put into…and the fact that there are NO ‘rules’ on who you can/should dress as, it allows people to pick ones they’re passionate about.
Maybe that’s why Dress-like-a-Pirate day never really took off.
I love it, but I respect your dislike!
As long as it’s sincere dislike the Great Pumpkin would approve.
Can’t relate, but nothing wrong with that. Honestly, my family mostly just watches halloween specials or movies.
Joyce is often successfully crafty, yet I am always surprised
Joyce is so sweet.
Sarah, just…let, like, a couple bricks come out of your walls. Just enough to let some light in.
See, normally Joyce would be terrible at acting… except that when she’s a terrible actor, she just freaks out and screams.
Here, the intended act is for her to freak out and scream, so it’s perfect!
I used to be a lot like joyce. On missions trips in jr high we’d play this card game in the car – the game depended on bluffing. I’m a terrible liar. BUT I’m pretty good at looking guilty like I’m lying whether I am or not so I did pretty well eventually.
Crafty Joyce is lil’sising good.
It takes a certain comfort with yourself to be able to play with your neuroses like that.
THE STUDENT HAS BECOME THE TEACHER
THE TEACHER HAS BECOME THE PRINCIPAL.
THE PRINCIPAL HAS BECOME THE SUPERINTENDENT.
THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS BECOME THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
Joyce is getting crafty, I like it. I like it a lot.
It’s the power of the leather jacket….
Littlefinger would be proud
*lets the previous day’s Smashing Pumpkins songs continue on the hacked Muzak*
Give Joyce a hug. Out of sight where no one else can see, of course.
What are sisters for but to get a rise out of now and then?
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. Joyce!!!!! (Sarah is me, and I totally understand her (which says bad things about me))
Awww, I love this. 🙂
Wow. Ok. Joyce won a lot of points with me here.
That is sneaky -and- nice at the same time XD
It is really hard to have your eyebrows 4″ above your face. That’s how shocked she is. I love that last panel to death,… Well, into a light coma anyway.
In the Dumbiverse eyebrows are symbiotic organisms that live on people’s faces and feed off their emotions. When eyebrows get an exceptionally strong “meal” they have to jump straight up.
In this case, they are currently in orbit, where they joined Ethan’s eyebrows from Tuesday’s page.
I was thinking that someone should do a comic strip that takes place above garbage roof which is just a bunch of people’s eyebrows all talking to each other.
That’s brilliant, I wanna see that.
I remembered that this was an XKCD strip, but forgot it was a guest strip by Jeph Jacques:
(aka Internal Monologue and Little Miss Daddy Issues)
That’s so sweet! I can’t wait to see their room.
omg Joyce using your self aware powers for the ultimate good I stan
“Y-you’d do that for ME?”
Y-you don’t h-have to, baka.
Sarah has discovered love!
Joyce has discovered deceit!
Sisters forever!
If only she had fuckface with her the combination fuckface and the leather jacket would make Joyce unstoppable!
‘Sarah, write down a list of things you want me to pretend to hate.’
“…wait, this won’t work, I actually -do- hate like 99% of this list”
“let’s just say I know how poor an actor you are”.
Stop making me squee dammit.
So I’m guessing this book is about Identity vs. Reputation. Not just in how they shape each other but jn how they can be used to mask each other and may contradict.
“Look, I know it’s irrational, okay? I just don’t like people knowing things about me.”
Hey look, it’s 90% of my waking existence.
I hope the other 10% is making plans to create an army of squirrels to take over North Dakota.
Today, North Dakota. Tomorrow, South Dakota.
Squirrels taking over a treeless prairie? I know there wouldn’t be much resistance, but though the people might be crazy to live there, not many nuts. And a squirrel army travels on its stomach.
I think Doreen and Tippy Toe might have something to say about that.
….. huh. I was speculating that Sarah would be better off wearing a pumpkin head rather than skull head with that costume, but I didn’t imagine she’d be wearing it with a Joyce beard.
Pumpkins are only really worth wearing on your head against Endermen, anyway.
Not worth it then. They cut down on your field of vision. Just carry a bucket of water to stand in if one charges at you, plus a million other reasons.
…. er, no, I’m not a Minecraft geek, honest. *shiftyeyes*
OK, so serious comment time:
First of all, Sarah… I’m proud of you. Proud like Karamo is proud of a person who’s just done something they were fearing to do. I want to give you a fatherly hug like he does… though of course I know you wouldn’t want that, so I’m not going to.
(On a side note, even though we are about the same age, I’d absolutely love for Karamo to adopt me; because the way he shows approval of you when you improve yourself… I’d totally get addicted to that.)
Because this is a huge thing. It’s a major anxiety point for you to let people in, and I totally understand why. Last time you decided to come out of your shell, it ended up in complete and utter disaster.
For you to show trust and vulnerability to another person is, in short, you making things better.
And as for Joyce… OK, so I’m not entirely on board with the idea itself.
But right now, the idea is not important. Not really.
The important thing here is that you show Sarah that her trust in you is warranted. That you truly care for her well-being. That you respect her anxieties instead of dismissing them. That you want to help Sarah get through it in a way she feels comfortable with.
What better reward than this could she possibly get from trusting you?
I, too, would Love for Karamo to adopt me. Give Me That Positive Validation, Please!!!
Also- i LOVED your comment. Like, i’m Mostly okay with the idea, because it seems more in the ‘white lie’ style of things- and it really is just for the holiday- but i agree that the import of it lies in the gesture/wanting to help Sarah/showing Sarah that you’re willing to help. I’m also just… so hopeful Sarah ends up with a close and loving group of friends because she Deserves That So Much and i’m so happy that she’s letting someone else in, just a little, and just… so happy!!!
…why doesn’t she just say she’s doing it for Joyce?
Immersion therapy is as good an excuse as any!
She could, but, if it’s being done to troll Joyce, then there’s less chance of anyone tearing it down.
That’s some grand self awareness there, Joyce.
Awww Joyce you little cinnamon roll.
Sometimes I forget just how likable Joyce can be. <3
You know, I’ve got this feeling that Sarah really has only ever needed for someone to understand her and her neuroses. I wouldn’t be surprised if this conversation is going to end with Sarah bawling her happiness into Joyce’s hair.
You are finally being an educator, Joyce! Good psychology and caring can do marvels!
Oh what a tangled web we weave!
Getting a story straight to tell Agatha is going to be tricky.
Obviously Sarah got caught trolling Joyce and made up a lie so Agatha wouldn’t figure it out.
OH WOW
mucho character development for Joyce
*thumbs up*
Between this plan, and Joyce flawlessly blindsiding Mary (http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-9-comic/01-flyin-to-the-red/tattler/), she’s developing as a REALLY sharp operator.
And I don’t think anyone else in the cast – except possibly Sarah – has twigged to that fact.
I really look forward to when, say, Dorothy realizes how badly she’s outgunned by Joyce in the “subterfuge within certain outlined parameters”-department. Or when Becky – no slouch in that department herself – realizes that Joyce is fully capable of keeping pace with her.
Or to put it much more simply: NEVER mess with Joyce.
Or to give it a less positive spin – so far Raidah and Joyce have only tested the waters. Round 1 will probably end badly for Joyce – she is not as ruthless as Raidah and has that whole “morality” thing that hold her back (with Dorothy, Becky and Walky as shoulder angel/demon/slob, respectively).
Round 2 however will be BRUTAL.
FWIW, I think that Raidah is going to be her own worst enemy in the long rung. Jacob is going to see a new side of her and I don’t think that he’ll like it.
Yeah, my prediction depends a lot on wether or not there will BE a round two, and if Jacob has any agency in any of this.
Virtually none.
Or if Jacob will even notice.
Jacob likes pizza.
It’ll be interesting to see what Raidah does now that Joyce has apparently given up her plans to break them up. She won’t believe it, of course.
I don’t believe it to last.
If nothing else because JACOB has not got the memo that it’s time to call of the (PERFECTLY WHOLESOME AND INNOCENT, I’M SURE) flirting, and if he happens to take a step closer to Joyce that makes her heart go pitter-patter, I don’t think her resolve will last all that long.
Alert, Alert, eyebrows are escaping! Repeat, eyebrows are escaping!
Joyce has been doing that to lots of people lately, hasn’t she? 😉
So, Sarah and Joyce are going to make everyone think that Joyce is a neurotic fundamentalist and has a problem with Halloween? This will absolutely go well.
Actually, I suspect that Sarah will reject Joyce’s offer because it offends her sense of fairness and propriety.
Everyone already knows Joyce is a neurotic fundamentalist, so it’s not that much of a stretch.
Wow. I know this is going to be buried under other comments but I’ve never really had someone word my feelings as perfectly as Sarah did in panel 2. I am fairly talkative in general but when it comes to personal things about myself I clam up pretty quickly and it is EXACTLY that reason.
Saaaaaaaaaaamesies.
The first time I opened up to a group of friends it backfired horribly and I was booted from the group. It took me more than 10 years to feel comfortable about opening up again (and it was by accident…)
points to avatar
I’M NOT ALONE! Amazing what years of gaslighting & threat bearing can do to a psyche
Wow, Joyce.
Joyce surprised Sarah so hard she Whoopi Goldberged her. Blasted those eyebrows right off her face!
Aww, Joyce, you’d pretend to be something you’re not for Sarah? That’s sweet.
This…this is all just…SO precious. braces for the inventible DYW Express to railroad dafuq out of it
Wait, wait, wait –
Joyce is encouraging another person to lie? To violate the Ten Commandments? I don’t recall *that* happening before…
Which commandment? Lying about your reason for putting stickers on a door is not bearing false witness against a neighbour. It’s not bearing witness against any neighbour at all.
This Arc has been so good for Joyce Character Development I love it.
I know Dina’s not there, but I want to say “Clever girl…”
Also, Sarah’s about to smile. I like it when she smiles.
I relate to Sarah quite a bit, but if this was me, it wouldn’t fly. For one thing, telling false things about about yourself is not the same as not telling true things about yourself and I wouldn’t be okay with telling lies. For another, the point of keeping private is so that people don’t judge you, and this would result in people judging you for something that isn’t even true.
Yeah. I think the way Sarah would see it is, she has an image. It may not be an accurate image, it may not even be one she wants, but as long as things appear to fit it, nobody will ask follow-up questions.
You know, I think Joyce might be my favorite character.
Who’da thunk
Joyce is best pony.
Joyce :)) 🙂
Awwwwwwwwwww, that’s really cute! Joyce FTW!
This is the best gift that Sarah has ever received.
This is reminding me of that one fancomic about the Battle of New York where Hulk is standing there watching Captain America give everybody else their orders while thinking, “Just try, you so-and-so, just try to tell me what to do, just try,” and then Cap says “Hulk, smash,” and Hulk goes all (0)~(0)
Even though it’s of no interest to anyone else, I have to share that I missed the word “New” in “the Battle of New York,” and my brain went, “Right, right, the Battle of York from the War of 1812…wait, the Hulk?”
I didn’t even know I remembered that battle.
Awww
This is quite possibly one of the nicest things Joyce has done for Sarah. and also a very sweet and sincere attempt to make up for being a butt earlier.
What’s the face for “this is so cute but also it hurts my heart and brain for both of them”
Why not just…. Say Joyce put up the decorations? Like seriously, how hard is it to be like “Ugh, Joyce did that, she’s obsessed with Halloween, apparently.” it doesn’t have to be mean.
Stop that, Joyce. When you become completely self aware, the comic is over.
Awww, Joyce. That is so sweet.