Unused strip for October 1, 2026 (Patreon)

Look at this rough draft! There's not even enough room for Ruth in that final panel to deliver her own punchline! But it was important for me to have the slightly-altered third panel of Mary but with her expression changed from "pleased" to "wtf," as it amused me. But it had no room for the punchline! Boo! I hate it! Well, I mean, it's okay, but I hate the situation the strip's composition put me in.

Here's a new ending. I didn't want to leave that "his bride, the church" bit unremarked upon, since it's a surprising bit of phrasing I think any rando would say "wait, what" to, and what else is this whole webcomic for but delving into the "wait, what" of fundamentalist christianity.

and at some point around here i post this to Bluesky

However! This second version has a punchline that would've been nice for Carla to help deliver if she hadn't already exited in the previous strip! Ruth is delivering a Carla punchline. Would Ruth know what "forcefemming" is? Would Joyce???? I deploy the narrative crutch of "Joyce already learned something smutty/kinky through having read Amber's fanfics" too much. And the new punchline no longer involves Ruth exiting. She's still here. Now I'd have to spend another strip on her leaving!

Anyway, I showed this second pass to Wack'd, and then also the first pass, and she thought the first one was a better punchline and more in-character. and dammit she's right, as always

So.

I killed my darling of the Third Mary Face, not to mention my darling of "The Church Bride" commentary, and substituted what was three panels for two wide shot panels that illustrate the original punchline better.

RIP Dumbing of Age Book 17: "Gotta Admit I Didn't Have 'Forcefemming The Church' On My Bible Bingo Card"

...'course, in the final art, ruth is looking over her shoulder in a way that doesn't break her neck (unlike in the pencils where she's got her head fully turned around), so now folks think she's talking to the audience, whoops

oh and packy requested the final infodumping panel without the obscuring characters so HERE IT IS