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Webcomic:  Dumbing of Age

Creator:   David Willis

Format:   3 to 5 color panel strips

Updates:  Daily

Genre:  Slice of life, comedy, soap opera

Themes:  College life, dating, superheroes, geek stuff

Characters:  Joyce, Sarah, Dorothy, Billie, Walky

Archive:  Begins September 10, 2010

This comic is just one of many from the prolific David Willis (also see Roomies! Shortpacked! It’s Walky!).  Willis always brings a consistent art style and character development.  Dumbing of Age follows Joyce and her friends, as they deal with dorm life and college.  Some are making the adjustment from high school to college poorly, while others are growing as people and learning important life lessons.  Joyce is a religious girl, while her friend Dorothy is an atheist.

Willis’ comedy sometimes gets a little too “cutesy” for my personal tastes.  (Maybe because I’ve been so over college life for so long or maybe because I’m an East Coast guy and this comic is pretty Mid-Western.)  But the pacing is solid, the story moves and Dave is definitely a creator with a plan for his characters.  Perhaps I’m too old for this comic to speak to me, but that being said, I think it’s quality stuff that I can still appreciate.  I definitely have to respect that he cranks it out on a daily basis!  (Nice!)

He’s got a nice wordpress site, although the cast list feels like it could use an update.  If you like narrative webcomics with an extensive cast, set in the present day, I think this comic will appeal to you.  Additionally, since the cast is mostly women, it’s a nice change of pace, especially for readers looking for something with a more female-centric thread.  It’s certainly worth a click, as the library goes back five years.

Previous Reviews

Gone Into Rapture

Disco Slick

Tales of Absurdity

Apples & Swords

The Sisters

Basic Instructions

Downhill Rage

Buni

False Knees

Forming

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

Spying With Lana

Romantically Apocalyptic

The Black Wall

übertool 

The Oatmeal

The Frumps

Lunarbaboon

Stupid Snake

Fowl Language

Holding Pattern