I love the facial expressions in the first panel! Somehow they make the entire situation even more awkward.
In all seriousness, having never been able to fully view the entire series as a whole, its really cool to get one of these every night. Thanks, really.
It’s amazing how far a person can come in fifteen years. Or even ten. When was this published? Because dear god, it breaks my brain that they same person who wrote this now writes Dumbing of Age.
There’s that special intermediate time in which one is no longer afraid to tackle more taboo topics, but has yet to achieve the maturity to deal with them properly.
It’s about a girlfriend screaming that she’s gonna rape her boyfriend with a gleeful look on her face in public with no one noticing, and then he just rolls with it. “Unfortunate” is not a strong enough word for the implications here.
Nah, the way it’s written is, as Wack’d said, unfortunate, but that doesn’t mean you’re required to “hate” it. I don’t hate it, but I think it’s interesting to see peoples’ reactions. Unless you think that making loud jokes about rape in public is an good way to get into a reluctant person’s pants. Then, maybe you’re a bad person.
Embarrassing it may be. But, in for a penny, in for a pound… and there are a good many of us who crave this story, in order, uncensored. We won’t judge you! At least I won’t.
I personally don’t think I could simply fix a spelling mistake if I were to fix this comic. (and it were me staring into the void of my younger self) Even trying to would lead me to a manic state of rewriting the whole thing.
I love that you’re re-running the entire “!” series in order…should be a really great time reading everything again. In theory will Shortpacked! be included in the run intermingled with Joyce and Walky!?
I have to say, it’s awful nice of you to share it. Shows how far you’ve come, works as an inspiration for others, and nobody can blackmail you with that one anymore.
Just a side note: Indiana has not had “Statuatory Rape” on the books since the 1977 Omnibus Bill that cleaned up/modernized a ton of old laws. In ’76, stat rape could be enforced if the girl was in a different seat bank and merely had her shoes off up through the age of 17 years 11 months 29 days if the guy was at least 18, regardless of anyone’s desire, with a mandatory sentence of 3 years. After ’77, the age of consent was 16, but anything younger than that was “Child Molestation” and carried a minimum sentence of 5 years, now with the addition of the “sex offenders registery.” We have a lot of 17/18-year-old guys on that list.
You know what terribleness aside I have to question Danny at the end here. Since this is set while he was still a Fundiemental Christian I find it hard to believe he would be cool with Premarital Hanky Panky.
Yes, but he’s one by default and his beliefs are never really brought up until the comic matures to the point where he starts questioning them–and those beliefs are more related to hedonism versus responsibility (versus middle ground) than religion.
So it’s an easy retcon that he was never a fundamentalist.
woooooow…that’s SUPER creepy! Glad that you handle such topics with more grace now!
I think what’s especially weird is that Danny doesn’t notice how this could possibly sound creepy. He just rolls with it!
I like modern Sal way more. Dunno how long I’ll read on here.
But props to you for putting these online. In a way, it’s cool that you’re honest about your old comics and that youi acknowledge how bad this sounds.
Yeah, that’s… that’s something right there.
I’ll admit, I was expecting a pun on statutory, and the statue behind them.
Oh. Oh dear. Well, that’s interesting.
Don’t fret. That’s the worst part of Roomies! out of the way now.
That’s…. reeeeeeeeally not true…
You’re so very, very right.
I like how you’ve written the second half of the sentence in an extra big font she’s shouting. This panel taken out of context is pretty ridiculous.
Not that context really make it much better, I suppose.
Every single comic is written in ALLCAPS. Cannot unsee(unhear?)
I love the facial expressions in the first panel! Somehow they make the entire situation even more awkward.
In all seriousness, having never been able to fully view the entire series as a whole, its really cool to get one of these every night. Thanks, really.
But then we won’t get to see you in pain, which is pretty much what we all came here for.
Sweet jesus you’ve gotten a lot better over the years.
The water-drip line over her mouth transforms the side-mouth from stylistic choice to semi-nightmare fuel in that first panel… 😛
So that’s what that is! It looks like some sort of facial indent.
The Right Triangle Smile is even worse than the normal Triangle Smile…
…. Great, now I can’t unsee it.
And the parents show up right as he’s saying that, chastising him for dare trying to take Sal’s virtue.
What. The. Fuck. You. Bout. Willis.
It’s amazing how far a person can come in fifteen years. Or even ten. When was this published? Because dear god, it breaks my brain that they same person who wrote this now writes Dumbing of Age.
Late 2001! Jesus.
…so…who else in the vicinity is hearing Sal shout about statutory rape at the top of her lungs?
You guys laugh, but relative to other timid, college age artists experimenting with drawing the other sex… Well, you get the idea
It amuses me that this, written after It’s Walky started, is so much worse than the comics originally posted online.
There’s that special intermediate time in which one is no longer afraid to tackle more taboo topics, but has yet to achieve the maturity to deal with them properly.
Been there, done that, bought twenty t-shirts.
Well said, man, well said.
Also, painfully resonant. So very painfully…
And now I know what Sal’s rape face looks like. Absolutely terrifying.
IT’S SO HAPPY!
Jesus.
You called?
I don’t care if that’s in bad taste, you made my day.
The fact that you got Mary for that comment makes it even better than it is already.
Am I the only person that doesn’t hate this comic? Am I a bad person?
Not at all. It is always interesting to see where the characters (and the author) have come from.
It’s about a girlfriend screaming that she’s gonna rape her boyfriend with a gleeful look on her face in public with no one noticing, and then he just rolls with it. “Unfortunate” is not a strong enough word for the implications here.
So you might be, yeah.
Nah, the way it’s written is, as Wack’d said, unfortunate, but that doesn’t mean you’re required to “hate” it. I don’t hate it, but I think it’s interesting to see peoples’ reactions. Unless you think that making loud jokes about rape in public is an good way to get into a reluctant person’s pants. Then, maybe you’re a bad person.
It’s not Awful but it’s also not that great. IMHO
Man, look at how far you’ve come in 10 years…
Umm… Sal… the legal term for Rape is… well… Rape.
Embarrassing it may be. But, in for a penny, in for a pound… and there are a good many of us who crave this story, in order, uncensored. We won’t judge you! At least I won’t.
I will.
Almost scrolled by without catching your name…
Well played!
What he said.
Spotted a typo in panel 5: Abstinance -> Abstinence
Do you have any use for this? It’s an old comic, after all.
I personally don’t think I could simply fix a spelling mistake if I were to fix this comic. (and it were me staring into the void of my younger self) Even trying to would lead me to a manic state of rewriting the whole thing.
I love that you’re re-running the entire “!” series in order…should be a really great time reading everything again. In theory will Shortpacked! be included in the run intermingled with Joyce and Walky!?
Shortpacked! will remain on its own website. It’s best read that way.
I have to say, it’s awful nice of you to share it. Shows how far you’ve come, works as an inspiration for others, and nobody can blackmail you with that one anymore.
Huh. I’d wondered what the big “YIKES!!!” moment you’d alluded to on Tumblr was.
Whelp… Yikes!
Arghhh come on David, everyone understands that this is the work of a younger, dumber you. I don’t feel like you need to apologize for that.
This commentary is like reading a Calvin & Hobbes collection where “PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR UNCLE MAX” has been scribbled in all the margins.
You are entirely free to not read the commentary.
Just a side note: Indiana has not had “Statuatory Rape” on the books since the 1977 Omnibus Bill that cleaned up/modernized a ton of old laws. In ’76, stat rape could be enforced if the girl was in a different seat bank and merely had her shoes off up through the age of 17 years 11 months 29 days if the guy was at least 18, regardless of anyone’s desire, with a mandatory sentence of 3 years. After ’77, the age of consent was 16, but anything younger than that was “Child Molestation” and carried a minimum sentence of 5 years, now with the addition of the “sex offenders registery.” We have a lot of 17/18-year-old guys on that list.
Hollywood has greatly warped most people’s understanding of age of consent laws.
Along with our understanding about what constitutes a legal adult.
You know what terribleness aside I have to question Danny at the end here. Since this is set while he was still a Fundiemental Christian I find it hard to believe he would be cool with Premarital Hanky Panky.
Yes, but he’s one by default and his beliefs are never really brought up until the comic matures to the point where he starts questioning them–and those beliefs are more related to hedonism versus responsibility (versus middle ground) than religion.
So it’s an easy retcon that he was never a fundamentalist.
Damn, forgot to switch back. *facepalm*
Oh, so it was you all along! I should have known.
For some reason in my head I heard my above line in Ross Scott’s Gordon Freeman voice…
Fair enough. On a less serious note am I the only one who thinks Sal is ready to Murder Danny in the first panel?
She’s like the Joker of rape.
“Why so virginal?!”
Unleash the dragon!
woooooow…that’s SUPER creepy! Glad that you handle such topics with more grace now!
I think what’s especially weird is that Danny doesn’t notice how this could possibly sound creepy. He just rolls with it!
I like modern Sal way more. Dunno how long I’ll read on here.
But props to you for putting these online. In a way, it’s cool that you’re honest about your old comics and that youi acknowledge how bad this sounds.