I don’t know if you’d actually call it “kidnapping”, but when I was in college and pledging a frat some of the members grabbed me and another one of the pledges, blindfolded us, and hauled us out into the countryside, and dropped us off. They then told us to ‘find our way back’ and drove off.
What they DIDN’T know is that I was already a serious cyclists and knew just about every highway and crossroads in the county. Within three minutes I knew exactly where we were, where we had to go, and – to make a long story short – we were sitting comfortably at a crossroads tavern enjoying some adult beverages within about a half-hour or so of being dumped off.
Actually I would argue Bloomington, Indiana is a lot larger than what technically would qualify as a town by most commonly recognized definitions. It’s probably the most debatable aspect of his statements.
Except that NO ONE says “my parents are in city” “in village” “in hamlet” or any other variant of “town”. It’s a colloquialism that’s used for any-sized community, and therefore not debatable.
Now, as to whether or not Walky’s statement that he is “wildly desirable” is debatable depends on your personal preferences vis a vis attractiveness.
Ah, but his statement points out that it’s not just physical attractiveness. In this case he was desired as someone who could be used to influence someone else. You can’t argue that he is desired. He is desired (by a couple people) as a romantic partner, by at least one as an emotional hostage, and by hoards of people to throw things at when he makes bad jokes.
In the spirit of debate I guess, I would note that Walky was actually kidnapped on accident because he was dressed like a superhero and Blaine’s douchbro hires were characteristically incompetent. Not because he was desired as any form of leverage.
He’s Amber’s friend and her current romantic interest, and just about any surveillance of her life would reveal that. For Blaine’s goal of getting leverage over Amber, Walky is one of the best of the kidnapping victims for that goal alongside only Ethan. Joyce, Dorothy and Sarah have far more distant friendships with Amber, and wouldn’t get nearly the same level of emotional response from Amber as Walky and Ethan. So depending on how much groundwork Blaine had done, Walky could very very likely was a specific kidnapping target.
Look friend…I-I know the saying. I was trying to be obnoxious and pedantic as a way of roasting Walky because I don’t like him okay. Please don’t take that away from me. I don’t have much of value in these uncertain times.
Ugh, unfortunately it’s tautalogical. That it is being debated is the proof that it is debateable. But it’s like talking to my ex. Just because any reasonable person can see the answer, doesn’t end their attempt to argue it anyways.
“broadly”, not “wildly” (which I think you may be mistaking for “widely”). Walky is not referring to intensity of feeling, but range. A lot of people desire him, they do not intensely desire him.
No, it was just a brand of TP with “Lady Scott” written on the package. But now that you mention it, a well-known ploy for increasing sales volume and profit margins is to create a “for women!” range that is just your usual product with “for women!” written on the packet and a higher price.
I was about to disagree with you, but then I kind of remembered how she dumped Danny saying that she couldn’t be in a relationship with her ambitions then got with Walky not to long after. I wouldn’t say she is a terrible person in general, but in the dating game she has made some hurtful decisions
It was absolutely correct given he was following her around with no ambition or aim in life other than them being together and that somehow making everything work.
And she’s not responsible for what his parents think or do.
If I remember correctly, Danny hoped out loud that Dorothy would change her mind and stay at this school with him, despite the fact that she had repeatedly told him she wouldn’t, gone over her plans, and even suggested he go to a different school in the first place.
And the fact that she didn’t dump him prior to this says to me that she was willing to try a long distance relationship. Danny, however, was not actually willing. He was being a bit of a weasel about it. That’s why Dorothy dumped him, he had talked the talk, but then tried to walk it back.
I wouldn’t call her a terrible girlfriend, but I do think that the readers tend to ignore Dorothy’s clear flaws because her flaws happen to be highly relatable ones like “workaholic”. But yeah, Dorothy isn’t the best partner or friend these days, and she’s not very kind to herself, either.
I’m honestly worried that Willis is going to be unwilling to tell a burnout story with her because he’ll feel like it’s sexist to tell that story about a character like Dorothy. It’s the most obvious crisis for her to have, and the only realistic direction for someone in her situation.
Let’s forget Heinlein. He used time travel to go back and boink his mother. Like most 50s and 60s SF, he is barely readable now. There’s classic SF and old SF and he’s the second.
I wish to dispute that statement. Sure, some of his work didn’t wear so well, but there are other examples — such as “Stranger in a Strange Land”; you don’t win a Hugo Award in 1962 or get selected fifty years later by the Library of Congress as one of eighty-eight “Books that Shaped America” by writing dreck — that are and always will be classic sci-fi.
Also, while it’s not so much a “franchise” as a single original work – the definitive one, I daresay – and various adaptions, we really should mention H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine.
. . .Hm. I wonder if what Walky just said can explain why some people are so into the idea of Yanderes. Simply the idea that someone finds *you* so attractive or desirable that they would do anything to be with you.
Of course in real life, and many fictional stories, this ends. . . not happy for either of the pair but still it does kind of put it into words.
I just noticed Carol is beating Ross in the bad parent poll and I just gotta ask how? I’m not saying Carol’s a good parent but Ross has set the bar so high! I don’t remember Carol physically abusing her children or kidnapping people or shooting at her daughter’s girlfriend with a loaded gun. Just saying she should be in third probably.
In all fairness Ross is my second choice, but gaddang, how could I not pick Blaine? Like, I 100% am terrified of people like Ross who can justify or turn a blind eye to anything with religion, but in a weird, terrible way I still think he thinks he’s doing the “right” thing. Carol is basically just Ross without kidnapping on her resume. Then we have Blaine, who legitimately knows he’s just doing whatever he wants, even though it’s morally and ethically atrocious, and he’s now (officially) got murder on his resume. Yikes! They’re all awful! Off to the bad parent place with all of them!
As bad a parent Ross was, one could argue he was also a depressed man who turned to zealoutry after the death of his wife and love. It doesn’t make it right, or justify it, but there’s a spark that can catch someone’s empathy.
Carol has none such justifications (that we know of) Her bigotry is innate.
He was already a zealot on par with Carol before Bonnie died. He was saying the same ‘Disney is evil’ crap Carol does. Ross wanted Becky out of school when she was ‘misbehaving’ like Carol did. The difference is when Becky resisted, he took off after her with a gun.
But it sounds like he was always like that? Hank didn’t say he turned extreme after Becky’s mum died, he said they wouldn’t have had much to do with him if it weren’t for Becky.
Dude… Ross’ behaviour is (hinted at) what drove her to his wife herself. Him having grief over that (which he doesn’t actually seem to) is like a physical abuser not understanding why they can’t keep a partner.
Maybe someone can recall the reference, but didn’t he even make some comment about Becky’s mom being weak? She wasn’t a moderating influence, she was just a bumper catching most of his abuse.
He was shown to be very sad in one of Becky’s flashbacks to just after her mom died, so I think he did in fact grieve her death. I think Ross was a very narrow-minded person in the literal sense, for him things have to be the way they are supposed to be, if they aren’t then someone (possibly the devil) is sabotaging them. He didn’t even realize he was fucking up and probably thought he was doing the best he could as a father and husband. He probably really could not have understood that he was one of the causes (if not THE cause) for his wife killing herself.
Philosophically and ethically speaking he is an interesting character because he is convinced his intentions and methods are good.
I like the detail of how Billie’s fully referring to them as Walky’s parents to Sal; it’s not “your parents” “your mother”, just “his”. Which pretty much hits it on the head, yup.
It must be kinda weird being the favourite child of people who aren’t even your parents and who you recognise are pretty cruddy parents to their own kids, but who are at least present in your life, unlike your actual… Maybe it’s not that surprising Billie’s an alcoholic.
I’ve also just noticed that Walky and Billie both use a nickname derived from their surnames and am wondering if this was something to help her feel more like part of a family…
She is (slowly). But this is still first semester of freshman year. She has lots of time left to drive you completely around the bend. Also, this is more sibling/childhood rivalry, so it won’t stop until one of them is dead, and even then it only becomes one sided. (Unless the become Mike-like mental force ghosts, taunting each other after death).
Really? It was both immediately apparent to me, and is exactly the kind of thing everybody I know would, has, and probably will say again. It’s a pretty solid good-natured insult.
I would have said, “It suddenly makes sense now, why Dorothy would date you! She somehow sensed that through all of your usual stupid crap, you would have an awesome moment. At some point. Waaaaay in the future…”
Azhrei has it right. I tracked on what she was saying without issue. And as for confusing, maybe it’s because of the time travel. That always confuses people. 😏
I agree with Billie. Walky has barely any attractive points besides being tanned as caramel. He is immature, obnoxious, has no goals, has no great virtues, isn’t a gentleman, isn’t DETERMINED, has no talents, etc. His only points to consider are that he looks cute and is funny to hang out, but eventually Amber will get fed up of him. I know people say that youy have to be yourself, but let’s be realistic.
Dorothy very explicitly told Walky that he was her ‘bit of rough’, her experiment with a wholly unsuitable partner to just sate her physical desires and maybe any desire for rebellion.
I love these three’s sibling interaction thing! I can hear Lucy saying: “So… What you’re saying is that those two aren’t your brother and sister? Who knew?”
Billie didn’t you literally play matchmaker for Walky and Dorothy, I’m not sure you can do that back then and then be like “oh yeah btw you never deserved her” now
“Our parents are in town, and they like you, you should go see them.”
“They like Walky too! Because we’re suddenly being in the open about how they hate their actual daughter.”
“I stood up to them!”
“You did? I am amazed, because we are also in the open about how you’re a pushover mama’s boy.”
I would like to believe that Walky standing up to his parents will lead to a self-realization that they aren’t the best parents and genuinely want to know what they’ve been doing wrong, thereby establishing a message that not all parents are close-minded towards their children. You know, like normal people behave. This would make for a refreshing change of pace with regards to parents in this comic, and give rise to the theme that adults can change and strive to be better people. While I would like to believe all that, they say to write what you know, and this is a Willis comic, soooo….
Hank is the parent you are looking for. Hell, we might be getting that from Ethan’s parents soon – they chilled out in the Walkyverse so they might have it in them. The Walkertons (or at least Linda) are shit in all universes.
I dunno, Mario. Aside from Blaine and Ross, they all definitely seem like pretty much how real normal people behave toward their children, or mild exaggerations of how normal people treat their children from my own observations of various parents that I’ve interacted with and observed across my life.
I don’t understand what Sal and Walky are coming to Billie for. To me it could be either “our parents are in town and they like you so go entertain them” or “be aware, our parents are in town, you are likely the next person they’ll try to talk to”
I think that they need Billie’s help to navigate the labyrinth of Linda’s brain so that they can call her off from her crusade against Amber. Remember: She’s the most favoured child, maybe even more so than Walky!
I think they just want their formerly second-favorite child who they both assume just got upgraded to favorite to go deal with them so Sal and Walky don’t have to.
I read it like Billie came to THEM for interview, then came back to actually check on them after other interviews because being friend/sibling. (frienbling?)
Having nothing to do with the current story arc … I just wanted to write this down before I forgot it.
I just checked the IU website and discovered there are more than a dozen Christian organizations on campus. If Joyce did a little homework beforehand, she would have dropped right into campus life and one of these organizations with almost no drama to speak of.
Of course, the webcomic series would also have ended the day it was rolled out.
When I went to IU as a similarly-minded young Christian, I actually tried to join one or two of these groups. But they weren’t my groups from home, and none of the faces were familiar, and it just wasn’t the same. And I very quickly stopped trying to participate in them. I’ve tried to echo a lot of these same sentiments in Joyce’s thoughts, even if she arrived at them without these particular steps.
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idk, I like people who aren’t kidnapped
…
not saying that as a 45-ism, just that people I like have not been kidnapped (that I know of)
That you know of? Sounds to me like you shouldn’t be talking so confidently.
Kidnapped people are just so needy.
I really like someone who’s been kidnapped.
I don’t know if any other friends were ever kidnapped though.
I now feel weirdly left out that i don’t know anyone (to my knowledge) who’s been kidnapped. Is my life emptier as a result?
I don’t know if you’d actually call it “kidnapping”, but when I was in college and pledging a frat some of the members grabbed me and another one of the pledges, blindfolded us, and hauled us out into the countryside, and dropped us off. They then told us to ‘find our way back’ and drove off.
What they DIDN’T know is that I was already a serious cyclists and knew just about every highway and crossroads in the county. Within three minutes I knew exactly where we were, where we had to go, and – to make a long story short – we were sitting comfortably at a crossroads tavern enjoying some adult beverages within about a half-hour or so of being dumped off.
that’s a hazing
possibly a kid-dumping
I did that to myself once, accidentally. Fucking Apple Maps.
Well, if your feeling left out there isn’t anything to do but start kidnapping people!
Seems like an odd thing to judge someone for. Usually it’s not their fault!
I like kidnapped people – if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have kidnapped them.
I still say she was concussed by the toy.
As attractive as the time travel hypothesis is, I must admit your explanation is more probable.
Ayy it’s Billie!
Wow, we haven’t seen Billie in DoA in like, four months.
She was talking.to Ruth just yesterday.
So TEN months, then
I like how Walky is admitting that him standing up to them even MILDLY is going to have them be dickbags.
And I love Billie and Walky. As per usual.
Meh. Basically everything Walky said is debatable.
His parents are definitely in town, it’s hard to debate that.
Physically, their bodies may be present. Spiritually and mentally, they appear to be elsewhere entirely.
Actually I would argue Bloomington, Indiana is a lot larger than what technically would qualify as a town by most commonly recognized definitions. It’s probably the most debatable aspect of his statements.
Except that NO ONE says “my parents are in city” “in village” “in hamlet” or any other variant of “town”. It’s a colloquialism that’s used for any-sized community, and therefore not debatable.
Now, as to whether or not Walky’s statement that he is “wildly desirable” is debatable depends on your personal preferences vis a vis attractiveness.
Ah, but his statement points out that it’s not just physical attractiveness. In this case he was desired as someone who could be used to influence someone else. You can’t argue that he is desired. He is desired (by a couple people) as a romantic partner, by at least one as an emotional hostage, and by hoards of people to throw things at when he makes bad jokes.
In the spirit of debate I guess, I would note that Walky was actually kidnapped on accident because he was dressed like a superhero and Blaine’s douchbro hires were characteristically incompetent. Not because he was desired as any form of leverage.
He’s Amber’s friend and her current romantic interest, and just about any surveillance of her life would reveal that. For Blaine’s goal of getting leverage over Amber, Walky is one of the best of the kidnapping victims for that goal alongside only Ethan. Joyce, Dorothy and Sarah have far more distant friendships with Amber, and wouldn’t get nearly the same level of emotional response from Amber as Walky and Ethan. So depending on how much groundwork Blaine had done, Walky could very very likely was a specific kidnapping target.
I mean WE know that, but even Blaine specifically doesn’t know why Walky was there.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/03-when-it-crumbles/hires/
Unless he also has a disassociated identity keeping information from himself. I’d believe it.
Look friend…I-I know the saying. I was trying to be obnoxious and pedantic as a way of roasting Walky because I don’t like him okay. Please don’t take that away from me. I don’t have much of value in these uncertain times.
You can have toilet paper or being right about Walky, but not both.
Fair is fair.
Dangit, are they sold out of being right about Wally again?!
Ugh, unfortunately it’s tautalogical. That it is being debated is the proof that it is debateable. But it’s like talking to my ex. Just because any reasonable person can see the answer, doesn’t end their attempt to argue it anyways.
“broadly”, not “wildly” (which I think you may be mistaking for “widely”). Walky is not referring to intensity of feeling, but range. A lot of people desire him, they do not intensely desire him.
Hey, he clarified that he stood up to them “an inch,” which is a sufficiently diminutive way to put it.
Not like he’s claiming he flipped a table on ’em.
Objectively-speaking, he was in fact kidnapped.
You mean at birth when the head alien switched him with the real Walky?
Take my internets
Q: What toilet paper had the best jingle?
I don’t know about “best jingle”, but Mr. Whipple was the best spokesman!
It isn’t quite a jingle, but I always liked the line “Wipe your bot with Lady Scott”, which used to appear in ads.
Someone called Lady Scott sued and lost.
What did her bot think about the matter?
Or was it required to approve by the three laws?
I’m retroactively upset that both my brother and I were named after sanitary products
(not really, but if it were like second grade again, and “Julie” sanitary napkins were remotely popular, it’d be an issue)
Wait, what? Was it a toilet paper just for ladies?
No, it was just a brand of TP with “Lady Scott” written on the package. But now that you mention it, a well-known ploy for increasing sales volume and profit margins is to create a “for women!” range that is just your usual product with “for women!” written on the packet and a higher price.
the correct answer is “None of them.” – we are waiting for the introduction of a new brand, by the makers of Sharkbite plumbing fittings.
I’m waiting for “Cornholio” brand, so someone will finally create a song about needing “TP for my bunghole”.
Dorothy is kind of a terrible girlfriend, Billie.
You’re 100% right. Just for starters, she’s not even dating him, which seems like a really low bar to clear and she’s just… not clearing it.
I was about to disagree with you, but then I kind of remembered how she dumped Danny saying that she couldn’t be in a relationship with her ambitions then got with Walky not to long after. I wouldn’t say she is a terrible person in general, but in the dating game she has made some hurtful decisions
She dumped Danny because he wasn’t supportive of her ambitions, not because of her ambitions.
Speaking of Danny, we haven’t seen him in comic for…. weeks? Months? He’s out of the loop.
He fell through a dimensional warp into an alternate universe where he is The Chosen One. He will be back soon, 40 years old and all buff.
She told him that it was her greatest kindness to him. That’s not cool, especially when his own parents think he’s worthless without her.
It was absolutely correct given he was following her around with no ambition or aim in life other than them being together and that somehow making everything work.
And she’s not responsible for what his parents think or do.
Don’t forget that he was also being a codependent smothering pain in the ass.
If I remember correctly, Danny hoped out loud that Dorothy would change her mind and stay at this school with him, despite the fact that she had repeatedly told him she wouldn’t, gone over her plans, and even suggested he go to a different school in the first place.
And the fact that she didn’t dump him prior to this says to me that she was willing to try a long distance relationship. Danny, however, was not actually willing. He was being a bit of a weasel about it. That’s why Dorothy dumped him, he had talked the talk, but then tried to walk it back.
She also treated Walky really condescendingly, and expected her orders regarding his clothing to be obeyed without question.
Being fair, she seemed willing to be reciprocal on that matter.
She’s (at most) 18, thinks she’s acting like she’s 40, actually acts like she’s 12. IOW teenager.
(…scares the living shit out of me)
She’s 19, or nearly 19.
I wouldn’t call her a terrible girlfriend, but I do think that the readers tend to ignore Dorothy’s clear flaws because her flaws happen to be highly relatable ones like “workaholic”. But yeah, Dorothy isn’t the best partner or friend these days, and she’s not very kind to herself, either.
I’m honestly worried that Willis is going to be unwilling to tell a burnout story with her because he’ll feel like it’s sexist to tell that story about a character like Dorothy. It’s the most obvious crisis for her to have, and the only realistic direction for someone in her situation.
My burnout was in high school, and that was rough enough. Burning out in college has gotta be terrible
Isn’t burnout basically her current story arc?
“Look, someone I’d never even met before wanted me badly enough to hire goons to kidnap me! I’m desirable merchandise!”
I dunno, Billie. Star Wars doesn’t have time travel. I’m thinking you’re a Star Trek nerd as well.
*ahem*, I’ll have you know that Star Trek is not the only science fiction franchise to prominently feature time travel!
…There’s also Back to the Future.
Can’t forget Red Dwarf.
And the oft-forgotten Mr. Peabody and Sherman.
We can’t leave* Bill and Ted* out in the rain, either.
Or Heinlein’s By His Bootstraps.
Let’s forget Heinlein. He used time travel to go back and boink his mother. Like most 50s and 60s SF, he is barely readable now. There’s classic SF and old SF and he’s the second.
I wish to dispute that statement. Sure, some of his work didn’t wear so well, but there are other examples — such as “Stranger in a Strange Land”; you don’t win a Hugo Award in 1962 or get selected fifty years later by the Library of Congress as one of eighty-eight “Books that Shaped America” by writing dreck — that are and always will be classic sci-fi.
You can’t forget that British TV series that was / all about / time travel….
Primeval.
Way better than the American knockoff.
And The Terminator.
and if you go back a bit further, there’s… oh, it’s on the tip of my tongue…
that’s it! The Time Tunnel!
Well, yes to all of this. But I still think Billie’s objections to being called a Star Trek nerd would be the funniest option.
Also, while it’s not so much a “franchise” as a single original work – the definitive one, I daresay – and various adaptions, we really should mention H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine.
Don’t forget Doctor Who
What?
Where?
When?
I happen to know two doctors Watt, a Dr Hu, and a Dr Wear.
“Doctor what?”
“I’ll go with that.”
Doctor Who on Witch World.
Thank you!
No love for Babylon 5? For shame.
…I feel like there was a really popular movie that only came out last year where time travel played a somewhat central role…
Yes, but which year was last year?
Are we measuring from time of departure, or time of arrival?
Ooh, I loved Primer!
I love when Sal and Bille gets to do some sisterly bonding. United by low expectations.
. . .Hm. I wonder if what Walky just said can explain why some people are so into the idea of Yanderes. Simply the idea that someone finds *you* so attractive or desirable that they would do anything to be with you.
Of course in real life, and many fictional stories, this ends. . . not happy for either of the pair but still it does kind of put it into words.
I just noticed Carol is beating Ross in the bad parent poll and I just gotta ask how? I’m not saying Carol’s a good parent but Ross has set the bar so high! I don’t remember Carol physically abusing her children or kidnapping people or shooting at her daughter’s girlfriend with a loaded gun. Just saying she should be in third probably.
She sent Ross to do those things, though.
Maybe it’s just because I’ve experienced both, but I’d prefer physical abuse to emotional abuse.
Though Ross certainly seemed to deal in both anyways.
The people I know who have experienced both always say the same
Carol has the advantage of not being dead, death being somewhat of a handicap in being truely horrible.
That’s a good point actually.
In all fairness Ross is my second choice, but gaddang, how could I not pick Blaine? Like, I 100% am terrified of people like Ross who can justify or turn a blind eye to anything with religion, but in a weird, terrible way I still think he thinks he’s doing the “right” thing. Carol is basically just Ross without kidnapping on her resume. Then we have Blaine, who legitimately knows he’s just doing whatever he wants, even though it’s morally and ethically atrocious, and he’s now (officially) got murder on his resume. Yikes! They’re all awful! Off to the bad parent place with all of them!
Are the members of Ross’s congregation team (inc Catol) accessories?
As bad a parent Ross was, one could argue he was also a depressed man who turned to zealoutry after the death of his wife and love. It doesn’t make it right, or justify it, but there’s a spark that can catch someone’s empathy.
Carol has none such justifications (that we know of) Her bigotry is innate.
He was already a zealot on par with Carol before Bonnie died. He was saying the same ‘Disney is evil’ crap Carol does. Ross wanted Becky out of school when she was ‘misbehaving’ like Carol did. The difference is when Becky resisted, he took off after her with a gun.
But it sounds like he was always like that? Hank didn’t say he turned extreme after Becky’s mum died, he said they wouldn’t have had much to do with him if it weren’t for Becky.
One might be able to argue that his wife was enough of a moderating influence that he wouldn’t have turned to kidnapping.
To be fair, Disney is evil. Just not for the reason Carol thinks.
Don’t get me started on copyright and the abuse of money and lawyers to get more than you’re entitled to.
“Nobody fucks with the Mouse.”
Dude… Ross’ behaviour is (hinted at) what drove her to his wife herself. Him having grief over that (which he doesn’t actually seem to) is like a physical abuser not understanding why they can’t keep a partner.
Maybe someone can recall the reference, but didn’t he even make some comment about Becky’s mom being weak? She wasn’t a moderating influence, she was just a bumper catching most of his abuse.
I don’t think its ever explicitly implied but that is my head cannon.
He was shown to be very sad in one of Becky’s flashbacks to just after her mom died, so I think he did in fact grieve her death. I think Ross was a very narrow-minded person in the literal sense, for him things have to be the way they are supposed to be, if they aren’t then someone (possibly the devil) is sabotaging them. He didn’t even realize he was fucking up and probably thought he was doing the best he could as a father and husband. He probably really could not have understood that he was one of the causes (if not THE cause) for his wife killing herself.
Philosophically and ethically speaking he is an interesting character because he is convinced his intentions and methods are good.
As long as Blaine is winning (and he is, by a long shot), I don’t really care about the order of the others.
Do you ‘win’ at being the worst person in a poll?
Billie: bad at pretending not to be a nerd.
Billie’s last speech would’ve been easier to figure out with a hyphen. “Time-traveled.”
It depends on whether it was time that traveled or whether time stood still and Walky’s singular moment meandered through it.
I like the detail of how Billie’s fully referring to them as Walky’s parents to Sal; it’s not “your parents” “your mother”, just “his”. Which pretty much hits it on the head, yup.
Yeah, I noticed that too.
It must be kinda weird being the favourite child of people who aren’t even your parents and who you recognise are pretty cruddy parents to their own kids, but who are at least present in your life, unlike your actual… Maybe it’s not that surprising Billie’s an alcoholic.
I’ve also just noticed that Walky and Billie both use a nickname derived from their surnames and am wondering if this was something to help her feel more like part of a family…
Seeing them interacting really cements them all being family.
RE alt-text: “…these are the days of our lives.”
so are the days of our lives
Whoops, so then ^ ^
Ugh, Billie, this high-school mean-girl act of yours is so tiresome, give it up already.
She is (slowly). But this is still first semester of freshman year. She has lots of time left to drive you completely around the bend. Also, this is more sibling/childhood rivalry, so it won’t stop until one of them is dead, and even then it only becomes one sided. (Unless the become Mike-like mental force ghosts, taunting each other after death).
The last sentence Billie says is freaking confusing and it convoluted; doesn’t sound like something a real person would say out loud
Yeah that took me a couple of reads to understand what she was saying
Really? It was both immediately apparent to me, and is exactly the kind of thing everybody I know would, has, and probably will say again. It’s a pretty solid good-natured insult.
I would have said, “It suddenly makes sense now, why Dorothy would date you! She somehow sensed that through all of your usual stupid crap, you would have an awesome moment. At some point. Waaaaay in the future…”
Azhrei has it right. I tracked on what she was saying without issue. And as for confusing, maybe it’s because of the time travel. That always confuses people. 😏
I agree with Billie. Walky has barely any attractive points besides being tanned as caramel. He is immature, obnoxious, has no goals, has no great virtues, isn’t a gentleman, isn’t DETERMINED, has no talents, etc. His only points to consider are that he looks cute and is funny to hang out, but eventually Amber will get fed up of him. I know people say that youy have to be yourself, but let’s be realistic.
Dorothy very explicitly told Walky that he was her ‘bit of rough’, her experiment with a wholly unsuitable partner to just sate her physical desires and maybe any desire for rebellion.
She also told him she loved him.
I understand that some people here don’t see it, but she did actually like him.
Kind of racially coded that her idea of a bit of rough was a biracial POC.
I’d have to see the actual scene. Did she actually say “bit of rough”?
No.
He does have one attractive point. You even listed it: He isn’t a gentleman.
No gentleman would have sucker-punched Asher.
What about gentlemen extraordinaire Jonathan Joestar?
Being a gentleman isn’t the same as beinbg a coward that doesn’t punch.
As was explicitly illustrated, he’s carrying a 15 pound ham in his shorts. That may prove some draw.
I love these three’s sibling interaction thing! I can hear Lucy saying: “So… What you’re saying is that those two aren’t your brother and sister? Who knew?”
“So, you’re OK if I pursue your brother?”
“HE’S NOT MY BROTHER!! And, yeah, sure, go to town.”
More like, “He’s not my BRO-THER. And ugh, god, whatever, why would you even want to?” 🤢🤮
“I’m just glad you aren’t after my ‘sister’!”
“Oh, everyone knows that she’s off limits! She’s Joyce Brown’s girlfriend!”
“Everyone knows I’m what?!?“
Past!Dorothy: “There is still good in you. I can feel it. Anakin SkyWALKY is the name of your true self.”
Billie didn’t you literally play matchmaker for Walky and Dorothy, I’m not sure you can do that back then and then be like “oh yeah btw you never deserved her” now
Sure she can. Sisters can walk anything back to get a dig in at their annoying brothers.
They don’t even have to walk back, really. They can just pretend that the nice things they said earlier never happened.
Man, this interaction.
“Our parents are in town, and they like you, you should go see them.”
“They like Walky too! Because we’re suddenly being in the open about how they hate their actual daughter.”
“I stood up to them!”
“You did? I am amazed, because we are also in the open about how you’re a pushover mama’s boy.”
Siblings: you can say this stuff and it’s somehow loving and supportive because They Know.
This is a fairly typical sibling interaction, in my experience.
What they said.
I would like to believe that Walky standing up to his parents will lead to a self-realization that they aren’t the best parents and genuinely want to know what they’ve been doing wrong, thereby establishing a message that not all parents are close-minded towards their children. You know, like normal people behave. This would make for a refreshing change of pace with regards to parents in this comic, and give rise to the theme that adults can change and strive to be better people. While I would like to believe all that, they say to write what you know, and this is a Willis comic, soooo….
Yeah, I’m not getting my hopes up.
Hank is the parent you are looking for. Hell, we might be getting that from Ethan’s parents soon – they chilled out in the Walkyverse so they might have it in them. The Walkertons (or at least Linda) are shit in all universes.
I dunno, Mario. Aside from Blaine and Ross, they all definitely seem like pretty much how real normal people behave toward their children, or mild exaggerations of how normal people treat their children from my own observations of various parents that I’ve interacted with and observed across my life.
Azhrei, who are you and how do you have such a solid grip on people’s nature? Do you have a journal I can subscribe to?
I don’t understand what Sal and Walky are coming to Billie for. To me it could be either “our parents are in town and they like you so go entertain them” or “be aware, our parents are in town, you are likely the next person they’ll try to talk to”
I think they want to see if she can convince them to leave Amber alone.
I think that they need Billie’s help to navigate the labyrinth of Linda’s brain so that they can call her off from her crusade against Amber. Remember: She’s the most favoured child, maybe even more so than Walky!
I think they just want their formerly second-favorite child who they both assume just got upgraded to favorite to go deal with them so Sal and Walky don’t have to.
I read it like Billie came to THEM for interview, then came back to actually check on them after other interviews because being friend/sibling. (frienbling?)
Twins are in the hallway. Yeah Billie interviewed them earlier, but they’ve come to her room.
In other news:YAY, the hovertext works again on mobile 😀
Yay!
I cannot read the top line of text on the comic because the Karna ad overlays the comic at top.
Just re-realizing that in our world it’s been years since Billie told Walky “Dorothy is out of your league” yet it’s only been two months for them.
Whoah, that’s weird. I choose an icon on blogspot and that somehow propagates to gravatar.
Thats one hell of a burn
Having nothing to do with the current story arc … I just wanted to write this down before I forgot it.
I just checked the IU website and discovered there are more than a dozen Christian organizations on campus. If Joyce did a little homework beforehand, she would have dropped right into campus life and one of these organizations with almost no drama to speak of.
Of course, the webcomic series would also have ended the day it was rolled out.
When I went to IU as a similarly-minded young Christian, I actually tried to join one or two of these groups. But they weren’t my groups from home, and none of the faces were familiar, and it just wasn’t the same. And I very quickly stopped trying to participate in them. I’ve tried to echo a lot of these same sentiments in Joyce’s thoughts, even if she arrived at them without these particular steps.
Didn’t have the same experience, but I can sure sympathize.