I could go on a recap of every president since I’ve been able to vote, but I don’t want this to turn too political. Regardless of whether I voted for them or not, they’ve all been worse than I had feared possible. To be fair, that’s saying a lot for the last clown to leave office, because I’d been pretty frightened of what he’d mess up even before he was nominated. And one of those only wins that ‘worse than I’d feared possible’ because he’d managed to snooker me into thinking he might actually be a good one. If not for that, he’d have been the exception.
The things you take for granted. I remember sitting like that for hours as a kid but at some point I don’t know when, just sitting for five minutes then getting up sets my knees on fire.
As you get older, laying flat on your back and then getting to your feet without grabbing onto anything external is wonderful exercise. Painful, but good short term exersize.
Just don’t get up too fast, or you’ll get a head rush.
I somehow screwed one ankle up a few years ago, something went *pop* and there’s an extra bump near the bone that sticks out. Squatting for more than a couple minutes hurts. :\
head rush is one of those funny terms to describe something in the exact opposite way that it is, right?
I mean, when I get up too fast, what I experience is a lack of everything my brain needs to survive in plentiful supply around my brain. My perceptions can’t keep up with reality, and I worry I’ll pass out. I wouldn’t describe that as a rush. I’d say, “Don’t get up too fast or you might come close to passing out.” And expect some joker to suggest that they didn’t come close to it, they did. Like, getting somewhere doesn’t mean you’re close to that place. I’m not sure what’s closer than being there.
You can adapt. Just expect it to take a while. I know people who started practicing sitting meditation when they were in their 50’s and can do it for hours at a time now
You were able to sit on the floor comfortably? My circulatory system would cut off all circulation to my feet if I sat the wrong way on the floor. This is why we invented couches and comfy chairs I’m pretty sure.
Showing up would imply Mary had even a modicum of empathy and since Joyce stated she invited everyone (I assume Mary is included in everyone) she clearly doesn’t which is sad cause I’m waiting for Mary to be more than a 2 dimensional caricature bad guy.
Once upon a time I wanted to see if there was depth to Mary.
I think that ship’s long since sailed, especially since people like her do unfortunately exist, and have only gotten more normalized and visible since the strip started.
Thanks to the sliding timescale, I suspect in a few years Mary will canonically have attended an anti-mask rally in high school.
I don’t think she was invited, but since this is a public area I think she might spend a moment being lured in by public cake before realizing she’d have to be nice to someone she disdains for long enough to receive cake.
I mean it’s technically Bonnie’s cake, even if she isn’t there for it, so Mary’d probably be more offended that they’re “glorifying the sin of suicide” or some shit.
i mean it’s not like Mary’s ever harassed someone to the point of a suicide attempt or anything /sarcasm
Bonnie died from “attempted suicide’ because it’s heavily implied her original suicide attempt didn’t work and she died later in the hospital due to complications from it.
Unless the “complications” were the result of negligence on part of the hospital staff, my gut tells me it counts as suicide, but I’m honestly not sure either
I’m kinda digging the gradually-developing (step-)sibling dynamic between Amber and Joe. I’ve got a feeling she’s not actually interested in the party at all, even if there is cake, and is just trying to use reverse-psychology on Joe.
Not sure if Sarah in panel one is intimidated by the number of other people there (wonder what the record for most named characters in a single DoA strip is?) or if she’s just really enjoying the cake.
I don’t think Sarah gets intimidated by large groups of people. She doesn’t like them, but she’s never shown fear. If anything, she’s delighted to get her irritation done in one fell swoop.
I’m great at feelings. Feeling them all in incredible intensity and making people not like me. And then feeling self loathing afterwards. I’m GREAT at feeling!
Conflicting feelings. I want Joe to join in because personal growth and Walky needs some guy friends and Joyce would appreciate it greatly with the added bonus of more Joe and Amber interactions.
On the other hand Becky and Sarah are, based on previous interactions with Joe, likely to say something to which Joe would likely respond in a Joe-like manner.
In this regard, cake may very well be more effective than one might think.
According to the psychological principle of Ego Depletion, the brain will seek to refill it’s glucose supply when it’s been strained for too long by activities such as paying attention, walking at a deliberate pace, resisting temptation…..
Gotta admit, that’d be the ultimate plot swerve for the Joe/Joyce we otherwise seem to be headed for. Before Joe musters up the courage to confess his true feelings, Joyce confesses hers to Dorothy! And, like, it definitely wouldn’t come entirely out of nowhere. Joyce and Dorothy are veryshippable.
The question is what development would allow Joyce to accept these feelings, if she does indeed have them, given how much denial she’s had over having… any attraction at all to anyone.
@ Sunny: I have never understood that. Adults did it for their parties.
But at kids parties they didn’t do that, not wishing to risk armed revolt. Plastic forks can Hurt!
I’m not sure if Amber is using subtle psychology on Joe to get him to sit with Joyce or if she’s just telling him up-front that if he’s not having that cake,then it’s hers!
Meh! You want cake, I want cake, we ALL want cake. I crave cake, we all do. It’s not like I have a sugar problem. I don’t, I just want a second piece now. Two pieces, it’s ok they were small, it not like I’m craving it, I just wanted a third piece. Do you want second, … where’d it all go?
Amber… TAKE IT!!! Joe made his choice, you have to make sure that last slice doesn’t start a fight between hungry friends. I’m impressed by how genuinely the dialogues between these two have become like those of brother and sister.
I agree: Remember that Joyce called Danny “Hat guy”. I don’t think that she even knows his name or anything beyond being Joe’s roomie and, depending on how insightful she is about subconscious cues, Sal’s crush.
Tbh, I would feel hella uncomfortable in Dorothy’s shoes there, even if she made the couple happen. I’d probably bail. Dotty’s strong in ways I am not.
Joe and Joyce is gonna be funny because you’ve got a character who is terrified of emotional intimacy and you’ve got one who’s terrified of physical intimacy.
Like I actually just want this to a million years. Dramatic misunderstandings, misinterpreted words, love triangles, thinking they’re into someone else, coming up to the edge of saying what you feel and then falling short.
Joe is like, omg omg I don’t do feelings 😨
Amber is like, gtfo you’ve literally just had an entire conversation about feelings right in front of me. Anyway, cake
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look, you snost, you lost
Good lord, Newshounds! I had completely forgotten that existed!
Gonna be honest the sentiment is nice but this party is kind of lame. There’s not even a clown.
We want a happy party, not a horror show. Take your clown loving self back to “It” and take the clown with you.
Oh come on!
Surely not ALL clowns are demonic monsters. Right?
Some of them are presidents, too!
Too soon?
It’ll always be “too soon” because EVERY modern president is a clown
Ahh, the smell of false equivalence in the morning.
Nobody said they were equivalent clowns.
I could go on a recap of every president since I’ve been able to vote, but I don’t want this to turn too political. Regardless of whether I voted for them or not, they’ve all been worse than I had feared possible. To be fair, that’s saying a lot for the last clown to leave office, because I’d been pretty frightened of what he’d mess up even before he was nominated. And one of those only wins that ‘worse than I’d feared possible’ because he’d managed to snooker me into thinking he might actually be a good one. If not for that, he’d have been the exception.
Nah, some just wanna poison Gotham’s water supply.
Pretty sure that was Scarecrow, not the Joker.
I vaguely recall each of them trying to do it at different times.
It’s a GREAT way to threaten a city. I’m surprised Gotham doesn’t have tighter security on its DWP.
Both of them have tried it more than once
But only one if them tried to patent the horrible mutated fish that the toxins created!
The Gotham City Tourist Board really must insist visitors not swim in or drink the water…
Some clowns are fish.
Yeah! There’s VR Lolathon. Wait. Oh but he only spooks for the lulz. It’s Fiiiiiiiiiine…
Wait, did anyone else notice the RED BALLOON in the past few slides?
It’s been there since the beginning of the party.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/05-as-long-as-its-free/facebookinvite/
It wasn’t in the past three strips (following Sal), so I totally forgot about it and was wondering what the heck the red blob in the first panel is.
I’ve never understood how clowns are supposed to be funny. Clowns are creepy.
Well, isn’t the fact that clowns think they’re funny kind of hilarious?
…
Sorry. It was the best I could offer.
Maybe Bonnie is afraid of clowns and balloons and only liked sitting on the floor eating cake.
What do you mean? Becky’s there.
That’s cuz Joe’s around the corner.
Yo! Someone finally hit the the ball I threw!
Somehow, I never thought of Joe as a clown.
Come on Joe, you can handle a few emotions if there is cake involved. Right?
“Happy Birthday. Your mom. Cake me!”
Actually, those are Amber’s lines. Joe will have to come up with his own thing.
If Joe said that it would sound sexual
Man, I miss being able to comfortably sit on the floor like that.
The things you take for granted. I remember sitting like that for hours as a kid but at some point I don’t know when, just sitting for five minutes then getting up sets my knees on fire.
As you get older, laying flat on your back and then getting to your feet without grabbing onto anything external is wonderful exercise. Painful, but good short term exersize.
Just don’t get up too fast, or you’ll get a head rush.
I somehow screwed one ankle up a few years ago, something went *pop* and there’s an extra bump near the bone that sticks out. Squatting for more than a couple minutes hurts. :\
head rush is one of those funny terms to describe something in the exact opposite way that it is, right?
I mean, when I get up too fast, what I experience is a lack of everything my brain needs to survive in plentiful supply around my brain. My perceptions can’t keep up with reality, and I worry I’ll pass out. I wouldn’t describe that as a rush. I’d say, “Don’t get up too fast or you might come close to passing out.” And expect some joker to suggest that they didn’t come close to it, they did. Like, getting somewhere doesn’t mean you’re close to that place. I’m not sure what’s closer than being there.
Imagine trying to sit on the ground the same way the Japanese do. That would be hell after like 2 minutes.
Hmmm…. if the Japanese could do it without hurting, maybe we’re not doing it right.
Seiza takes practice.
Tell me, can a western adult adapt to Seiza and reap its benefits, or must you have done it as a child?
You can adapt. Just expect it to take a while. I know people who started practicing sitting meditation when they were in their 50’s and can do it for hours at a time now
You were able to sit on the floor comfortably? My circulatory system would cut off all circulation to my feet if I sat the wrong way on the floor. This is why we invented couches and comfy chairs I’m pretty sure.
Cake skills trump EVERYTHING!
Everyone shows up for cake.
Even Mary would show up for cake, probably. Maybe. Depending on if she thinks the cake has Gay Cooties on it.
I hope that Mary wasn’t invited, she would probably say something about Becky’s mom being in hell since she committed suicide.
Showing up would imply Mary had even a modicum of empathy and since Joyce stated she invited everyone (I assume Mary is included in everyone) she clearly doesn’t which is sad cause I’m waiting for Mary to be more than a 2 dimensional caricature bad guy.
Once upon a time I wanted to see if there was depth to Mary.
I think that ship’s long since sailed, especially since people like her do unfortunately exist, and have only gotten more normalized and visible since the strip started.
Thanks to the sliding timescale, I suspect in a few years Mary will canonically have attended an anti-mask rally in high school.
Joyce said “basically everybody” was invited. I am not convinced that includes Mary.
She did say she sent the invite to “everybody”, but if she hesitated over Ethan, I can’t imagine Mary was included.
I don’t think she was invited, but since this is a public area I think she might spend a moment being lured in by public cake before realizing she’d have to be nice to someone she disdains for long enough to receive cake.
I mean it’s technically Bonnie’s cake, even if she isn’t there for it, so Mary’d probably be more offended that they’re “glorifying the sin of suicide” or some shit.
i mean it’s not like Mary’s ever harassed someone to the point of a suicide attempt or anything /sarcasm
Does Mary know of Bonnie? Or that she died from attempted suicide?
Unlikely. I’m not confident even Dorothy or Dina knows.
“Or that she dies from attempted suicide”
Pretty sure its no longer “attempted” at that point
Bonnie died from “attempted suicide’ because it’s heavily implied her original suicide attempt didn’t work and she died later in the hospital due to complications from it.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/connelly/
I’m sincerely not sure if it classifies as suicide or not. Feel free to elaborate if you do.
Right, I forgot about that part
Unless the “complications” were the result of negligence on part of the hospital staff, my gut tells me it counts as suicide, but I’m honestly not sure either
Oh how wonderful!!! Everyone’s here for the party!!!
*plays “Sanie cu Zurgãlãi” by Fanfare Vagabontu on Voxola PR-76*
ă; Romanian doesn’t use ã (or have the sounds it represents e.g. in Portuguese)
Yeah, I was just cutting and pasting the title from YouTube.
Makes me feel kinda bad for not knowing, because I’m actually half Romanian myself.
I’m kinda digging the gradually-developing (step-)sibling dynamic between Amber and Joe. I’ve got a feeling she’s not actually interested in the party at all, even if there is cake, and is just trying to use reverse-psychology on Joe.
Not sure if Sarah in panel one is intimidated by the number of other people there (wonder what the record for most named characters in a single DoA strip is?) or if she’s just really enjoying the cake.
Sarah likes cake. Sarah *steals* cake. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-10/01-birthday-pursuit/wish-2/
Amber not interested in the party at all? Never underestimate the power of cake.
I don’t think Sarah gets intimidated by large groups of people. She doesn’t like them, but she’s never shown fear. If anything, she’s delighted to get her irritation done in one fell swoop.
Well they’re fighting over the last slice of cake. I think that means they’re now level-4 siblings?
I was going to say, they’re totally believable as siblings here 😁
I was thinking the same!
Great sibling-energy between these two nowadays ^^
<3 it
I’d say they’re about to break into a Sibling Dance
That certainly was . . . something.
This would be perfect with the Browns if Joyce had more than one cool sibling
All the more reason to hurry up and grab it.
“Pass it down, Milton, there’s enough for everyone…”
Joe, my man, CAKE! I pretty sure you can deal with some feelings if there’s cake, because cakes make everything better
Cake is one of the best emotions.
“Joyce, your boyfriend is being weird again.”
“Joe and I, um…”
“I never said his name, but you knew who I meant. Yeah, you are.”
“Oh, I explained it to Walkie. Do you want me to explain it to you?”
I’m great at feelings. Feeling them all in incredible intensity and making people not like me. And then feeling self loathing afterwards. I’m GREAT at feeling!
Nothing you should do about feeling things, but the trick is to practice until you can fake feeling only socially acceptable levels of feeling.
I’m pretty good at feelings. I’m not so good at people.
I believe in Marxisms like
“Sincerity is the key to success. Once you can fake that you’ve got it made.”
Feeling feelings. It’s a mood
Joe, if you want her to come back, you don’t give her a reason she shouldn’t come back.
Sarah is defending her slice from Joe. Look at them eyes.
Amber need to make Joe go ahead, waiting for the two to start fighting and then take the slice!
Cake beats social hang-ups. Every time.
Amber is pretty good at mastercaketion
Amber: Watch me cake the SHIT out of this!
*takes bite*
Everyone else: oooOOOOOOoooooh!!
fukin cutie.
Only one slice of cake left?
/sadtrombone for Beardy McGrizzleface
I thought he was Stubbly McListDude.
Conflicting feelings. I want Joe to join in because personal growth and Walky needs some guy friends and Joyce would appreciate it greatly with the added bonus of more Joe and Amber interactions.
On the other hand Becky and Sarah are, based on previous interactions with Joe, likely to say something to which Joe would likely respond in a Joe-like manner.
Mind you cake could well be the deciding factor.
In this regard, cake may very well be more effective than one might think.
According to the psychological principle of Ego Depletion, the brain will seek to refill it’s glucose supply when it’s been strained for too long by activities such as paying attention, walking at a deliberate pace, resisting temptation…..
Cake the great peacemaker!
You can’t say anything stupid with a mouth full of cake so if he beats Amber to it everybody wins….except Amber who won’t have cake.
Not everyone wants cake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVH0gZO5lq0
Should’ve bought more cake if you were going to issue a blanket invite to practically everyone you know!
I doubt that they were expecting so large a crowd.
If you’re going to have one cake you may as well have two, no one ever complained of having too many cakes
Joyce is the main character, and she invited almost everybody she knows. If she was more genre-savvy she would’ve picked up a half-sheet at a minimum.
Look at all the happy couples.
Becky and Dina. Walky and Lucy. Joyce and Dorothy.
Also, I guess, Amber and Joe and Sarah and the balloon.
Sarah and the balloon is clearly the best couple.
Don’t forget Danny and Sal outside.
Also Ruth and Jason. Wait you said happy, scratch that
Amber: “Look, I’ll split it in two, and—”
Joe: “IT’S A SMALL SLICE ALREADY”
Dina next to Becky = couple.
Walky next to Lucy = couple.
Dorothy next to Joyce = ?
Gotta admit, that’d be the ultimate plot swerve for the Joe/Joyce we otherwise seem to be headed for. Before Joe musters up the courage to confess his true feelings, Joyce confesses hers to Dorothy! And, like, it definitely wouldn’t come entirely out of nowhere. Joyce and Dorothy are very shippable.
The question is what development would allow Joyce to accept these feelings, if she does indeed have them, given how much denial she’s had over having… any attraction at all to anyone.
The last slice is for the absent dead. Neither Amber not Joe can have it.
@ Sunny: I have never understood that. Adults did it for their parties.
But at kids parties they didn’t do that, not wishing to risk armed revolt. Plastic forks can Hurt!
No cake for people afraid of confronting feels
Cake is for talkers – talking about their feelings.
I’m not sure if Amber is using subtle psychology on Joe to get him to sit with Joyce or if she’s just telling him up-front that if he’s not having that cake,then it’s hers!
Ah hell, now I want cake
Same.
Meh! You want cake, I want cake, we ALL want cake. I crave cake, we all do. It’s not like I have a sugar problem. I don’t, I just want a second piece now. Two pieces, it’s ok they were small, it not like I’m craving it, I just wanted a third piece. Do you want second, … where’d it all go?
Amber… TAKE IT!!! Joe made his choice, you have to make sure that last slice doesn’t start a fight between hungry friends. I’m impressed by how genuinely the dialogues between these two have become like those of brother and sister.
Joe and Amber are behaving more and more like siblings with every strip that they’re in together!
I’ve read (some ?) of Yotomoe’s “Walky’s harem” and he first panel sure looks like it 😀
Okay. I’ve decided. Considering Joyce is the one who sent out the invitations, Danny was not only not invited, he doesn’t even know it’s happening.
I agree: Remember that Joyce called Danny “Hat guy”. I don’t think that she even knows his name or anything beyond being Joe’s roomie and, depending on how insightful she is about subconscious cues, Sal’s crush.
Tbh, I would feel hella uncomfortable in Dorothy’s shoes there, even if she made the couple happen. I’d probably bail. Dotty’s strong in ways I am not.
She made her ex unavailable on her own terms. Jennifer was proud.
Joe: Wait… Amber is now MORE SOCIAL than I am?
What have I become??
I love Sarah’s face.
Oh Joe. Schoolboy with a crush. Unexpected, but makes sense.
Good to see that Joe and Amber are quickly growing into the sibling relationship. In other words, being little shits to each other.
Walky Performs A Harem.
I mean dang, without context you’d think Joe was looking in jealousy from the corner.
Joe and Joyce is gonna be funny because you’ve got a character who is terrified of emotional intimacy and you’ve got one who’s terrified of physical intimacy.
Like I actually just want this to a million years. Dramatic misunderstandings, misinterpreted words, love triangles, thinking they’re into someone else, coming up to the edge of saying what you feel and then falling short.
Give me my shipper goblin trash.
Gimme gimme gimme
YOU. You get it.
Right? You can spend SO LONG in this terrified pining, it’s great.
Their relationship will be
“AHHHHHHH! FEELINGS!”
“AHHHHHHH! PRE-MARITAL HANKY PANKY!”
for a while
Joe is like, omg omg I don’t do feelings 😨
Amber is like, gtfo you’ve literally just had an entire conversation about feelings right in front of me. Anyway, cake
The cake is not a lie, but it is a point of contention.
Okay but Dina is ace and Amber isn’t so clearly Dina is better at cake.
Is Joe growing his hair out?? It looks longer….
Motherfrakin’ Walky sure does look like freakin’ Spider-Man and his 700 girlfriends.