Dealing drugs is Will's JOB. Nobody wants to go to a party, only to end up doing their JOB.
Tuna Ghost
Yeah. I get the joke, guy. The point is selling drugs at parties IS part of a drug dealer's job. I don't really understand why this needs to be explained to anyone.
I'm not sure you do get the joke. For a while now, Will hasn't seemed to actually LIKE being a drug dealer. Maybe he's sick of these douches approaching him because they're friends of friends, or what-have-you. So maybe he reacted "unreasonably" to Cody because he really doesn't want to sell drugs anymore. Or maybe Will is just pissed off about all these strange people in his house.
Tuna Ghost
…so basically you're saying that my comment is accurate and there are other reasons for his unwillingness to do his job, reasons that aren't referenced here, and that Will's obvious annoyance at being asked to "work" at a party (despite his job entailing working at parties) is not actually the issue but rather a cover. Gotcha.
Nightfall
I know this is a good few years late, but this is driving me crazy.
Will doesn't 'work' at parties, he's a courier for a weed distribution establishment. He has a boss who takes the orders and sends him out to the houses. He doesn't expect people to show up at his home just show up looking for stuff.
There was a link back in the relevant storyline to an article about the actual, real-world establishment in New York and how it functioned, and it is nowhere near as casual as going up to a guy you've never met at a party and saying 'Hey, dude, got any weeeeeeed?' Those couriers would have to give back their excess at the end of the shift anyway, so anything they had at the part would be their own personal stash. I can't tell if that's the case for Will, but his job did seem to match the description of the real world organisation.
"Oh, here's the problem! Your graphics accelerator is de-synched from your processor core! It's an easy fix, though… we just need to have your laptop reach terminal velocity!"
How are those two scenarios similar??? Seriously, am I taking crazy pills? I've been a dope dealer before, since when is someone asking you for drugs in exchange for money at an effing party unreasonable? A photographer, sure. Don't ask them to do their job for free. A computer tech fella, sure. That's time consuming and unless you're friends, that's unreasonable. But a drug dealer? I mean c'mon, that's sort of what they're expected to do.
Also, there is the thing that it is illegal again. Will has shown himself to be very sensitive to public exposure in the past. I think the main issue here is that this kid is trying to get him to commit a very public felony, not that there's a lot of effort involved.
Most salesmen of any product believe that parties are for arranging business, not conducting it. You network, get to know people, make sure they have a good time, and set up the transaction for tomorrow, when they can bring anyone who might also be interested.
Also, remember that Will took his current job precisely so he could clock out at 6 and go home. He might be expected to be carrying at a party, but he probably won't be.
Tuna Ghost
Hmmm yes I do recall the day he spent with whats-her-name as he went on his rounds. But the point is, as a former dealer, I can tell you parties are pretty much one of the best places to sell one's wares. Its unreasonable to expect someone to know right off the bat that a dirt-merchant at a party is not open for business, or to treat it like a breach of protocol. A dealer with business hours is the exception, not the rule.
Zoltán
"Also, remember that Will took his current job precisely so he could clock out at 6 and go home"
This is exactly what I had in mind! Will never wanted to -be- a drug dealer as such, just a guy that had a regular daytime job dealing drugs.
It's actually not out of the question to ask something like this. Cody just wasn't informed that Will's a higher level salesman. A lot of regular nickle and dime guys would be happy to throw someone a bag at a party.
If Cody is trying to set up a planned deal or arrangement at a party, that's a bit more out of line, but not totally unheard of. Just sort of stupid.
How is he a jerk? He introduced himself, chatted about New York, and tacitly admitted he isn't used to pot being so illegal. When I was a dealer I would've appreciated courtesy like this.
California keeps saying it's going to move out of the country, but at the rate it's going, it'll take a few million years. And in the meantime, the rest of us still have to deal with Californians.
dude, i thought will was much more chill than that. If i was at said party, bored and annoyed out of my mind, I totally would have appreciated someone to burn with.
problem is, Will doesn't "burn". He just facilitates other people burning. And if you've ever scene him do his rounds, he does treat it like a job. He makes HOUSECALLS only, and is very discreet about his profession.
If you are bored and annoyed hanging around a stoned college student you don't know will probably only help to put your previous boredom and annoyance in perspective
Will does, though. He's got a history of wanting his job to be more and more like a "real" professional job, with a boss and vacations and offtime and such.
Yes, I do recall that story now. Takes whats-her-name on his rounds. Even so, Will's schedule is definitely an exception to typical dealer behavior, not the rule.
I love this comic, but Will is the least believable pot dealer EVAH! With the exception of Hanna, he seems to treat anyone involved with that part of his life with intense disdain/loathing.
If he doesn’t want to make a connection at the party all he has to say is “Sorry dude, I’d love to, but I can’t help you now – gimme a call tomorrow.” This is the way it works f’realz.
i don’t know if Merideth is making up Will’s behaviour based on what she imagines someone like him would be like, or a f-ed-up real-world example, or she just needs the character to not want to be doing that work and be (sub?)consciously sabatoging himself…but no retail pot dealer who acted like Will did could ever make any money – certainly not in a major urban area where making a ctx is pretty much a no-brainer.
whooa there, now, if it was me and I had a surplus of product I would help a brother out, especially in an area with a comparatively limited supply. Not out of the question, different strokes right? Probably different etiquette in the east..
Guys, stop bitching about whether it's reasonable for Will to refuse to cut a deal right there at the party. It's Will! It's just the way he does things – would any of us care about him and his story if he was just a run-of-the-mill dealer who was defined solely by his profession? The fact that he sets aside time away from his job and doesn't expect to be treated as "just the dealer" all the time allows him space to develop as a character – he's a human being, not a weed-based vending machine! Also, Cody's "confused" face is hilarious. Love this one!
Exactly! It's not about dealer ettiquette (which I'm not even going to pretend to know anything about) at all. It's about Will and his relationship with Larry, and where he feels he's at in life right now.
Poor guy, he's there hoping to meet people and the first one to strike up a conversation isn't interested in him at all, just his job. You don't go to parties, (especially ones in your own friggin' apartment) to feel used and ignored.
Can't help it! It's a situation I'm very familiar with, from both sides, and since its the thrust of the joke its a bit distracting for me. But you're correct, the story is much deeper than a simple "can I buy dope" scenario. Sorry to bother.
Well, I have to admit, I think the kid is dressed in what grownups *think* kids all dress in, not what college kids actually wear. He's trying too hard, like either a narc or a freshman. Honestly, though, my money is on the latter.
Unfortunately
As a college student, I can attest that he is unfortunately dressed like one of many irritating hipster college kids.
He's clearly not learning that much if he didn't even know pot was illegal in New York before moving there. And that he didn't even get that hypothetical analogy
74 thoughts on “#469 – kind of a bummer”
ghyt wembpang
Cody looked like a woman in the first panel. x3
Also, wills phone actually still has an antenna!? OLD SCHOOL WTFAONTONAbt
Def. Cise
I thought Cody was a girl…
Louis
Ditto, there's just something girlish about him in the first panel.
Kiwi
It's the V-Neck shirt.
anton
Only americans bought phones with Antenne till 2063. The rest of the world already got rid of them in 2001
PrettyPersuasive
Party foul Cody.
Metheperson
Lol. I LOVE Will.
Carmenis
Looks like someone skipped party etiquette 101 in school
Tuna Ghost
What? Since is asking a drug dealer to sell you drugs at a party unreasonable?
MerchManDan
Dealing drugs is Will's JOB. Nobody wants to go to a party, only to end up doing their JOB.
Tuna Ghost
Yeah. I get the joke, guy. The point is selling drugs at parties IS part of a drug dealer's job. I don't really understand why this needs to be explained to anyone.
MerchManDan
I'm not sure you do get the joke. For a while now, Will hasn't seemed to actually LIKE being a drug dealer. Maybe he's sick of these douches approaching him because they're friends of friends, or what-have-you. So maybe he reacted "unreasonably" to Cody because he really doesn't want to sell drugs anymore. Or maybe Will is just pissed off about all these strange people in his house.
Tuna Ghost
…so basically you're saying that my comment is accurate and there are other reasons for his unwillingness to do his job, reasons that aren't referenced here, and that Will's obvious annoyance at being asked to "work" at a party (despite his job entailing working at parties) is not actually the issue but rather a cover. Gotcha.
Nightfall
I know this is a good few years late, but this is driving me crazy.
Will doesn't 'work' at parties, he's a courier for a weed distribution establishment. He has a boss who takes the orders and sends him out to the houses. He doesn't expect people to show up at his home just show up looking for stuff.
There was a link back in the relevant storyline to an article about the actual, real-world establishment in New York and how it functioned, and it is nowhere near as casual as going up to a guy you've never met at a party and saying 'Hey, dude, got any weeeeeeed?' Those couriers would have to give back their excess at the end of the shift anyway, so anything they had at the part would be their own personal stash. I can't tell if that's the case for Will, but his job did seem to match the description of the real world organisation.
@Drakmarth
"Oh man, you know computers right, can you fix my laptop?"
Yeah, I guess. Maybe next wee–
"Great, it's in the car, I'll get it!"
Duuuuuuude….
wykstrad
"Oh, here's the problem! Your graphics accelerator is de-synched from your processor core! It's an easy fix, though… we just need to have your laptop reach terminal velocity!"
*drops computer off roof*
"That'll be two hundred dollars."
sqrdsqr
I get the first one all the time, i really should try the second one as a solution…
Tuna Ghost
How are those two scenarios similar??? Seriously, am I taking crazy pills? I've been a dope dealer before, since when is someone asking you for drugs in exchange for money at an effing party unreasonable? A photographer, sure. Don't ask them to do their job for free. A computer tech fella, sure. That's time consuming and unless you're friends, that's unreasonable. But a drug dealer? I mean c'mon, that's sort of what they're expected to do.
Venus Racer
Agreed! I figure that is THE market place for it!
Pinball Panda
Also, there is the thing that it is illegal again. Will has shown himself to be very sensitive to public exposure in the past. I think the main issue here is that this kid is trying to get him to commit a very public felony, not that there's a lot of effort involved.
wykstrad
Most salesmen of any product believe that parties are for arranging business, not conducting it. You network, get to know people, make sure they have a good time, and set up the transaction for tomorrow, when they can bring anyone who might also be interested.
Also, remember that Will took his current job precisely so he could clock out at 6 and go home. He might be expected to be carrying at a party, but he probably won't be.
Tuna Ghost
Hmmm yes I do recall the day he spent with whats-her-name as he went on his rounds. But the point is, as a former dealer, I can tell you parties are pretty much one of the best places to sell one's wares. Its unreasonable to expect someone to know right off the bat that a dirt-merchant at a party is not open for business, or to treat it like a breach of protocol. A dealer with business hours is the exception, not the rule.
Zoltán
"Also, remember that Will took his current job precisely so he could clock out at 6 and go home"
This is exactly what I had in mind! Will never wanted to -be- a drug dealer as such, just a guy that had a regular daytime job dealing drugs.
Radrappy
One of my favorite comics yet.
Devon
It's actually not out of the question to ask something like this. Cody just wasn't informed that Will's a higher level salesman. A lot of regular nickle and dime guys would be happy to throw someone a bag at a party.
If Cody is trying to set up a planned deal or arrangement at a party, that's a bit more out of line, but not totally unheard of. Just sort of stupid.
Nick
I dunno about "higher level". I think he just doesn't want to be bothered by jerks while he's trying to text someone.
jerb
I think that's a "pretending to text in awkward situations" text though.
Tuna Ghost
How is he a jerk? He introduced himself, chatted about New York, and tacitly admitted he isn't used to pot being so illegal. When I was a dealer I would've appreciated courtesy like this.
Dell
c'mon Will, if a guy's going to be inconsiderate, the least you can do is rip him off, he would've paid anything…
Zoltán
Especially not knowing what it should cost in NY!
@CLRgrrl
I love Will to pieces.
cattorney
I love it when Will is with people who are totally not his crowd. It's fantastic!
wykstrad
California keeps saying it's going to move out of the country, but at the rate it's going, it'll take a few million years. And in the meantime, the rest of us still have to deal with Californians.
StJason
As they outnumber everyone else, it is more like Californians have to deal with us!
California
Dude, like, furshur. Chaa.
Ess
Oh my god! We like..totally don't like..talk like thaaat.
Sam
Fortunately, not all Californians are assmonkeys. It's a pretty common misconception. :l
CelestialTeez
Thank you!
Hat Mall!
Wow you're awesome at drawing scene kids, I totally thought Cody was a girl!
Kathleen
Aww, he's got Larry's nose!
personalachi
dude, i thought will was much more chill than that. If i was at said party, bored and annoyed out of my mind, I totally would have appreciated someone to burn with.
Fiction
problem is, Will doesn't "burn". He just facilitates other people burning. And if you've ever scene him do his rounds, he does treat it like a job. He makes HOUSECALLS only, and is very discreet about his profession.
Ivan the Terrible
If you are bored and annoyed hanging around a stoned college student you don't know will probably only help to put your previous boredom and annoyance in perspective
Arkadi
Amen.
cattorney
Will is the type of person who likes to keep work and play separate. He doesn't want to work at this party; it's not professional, anyway.
Tuna Ghost
That's, um, a pretty unreasonable reaction. Since when do dope dealers have hours?
sloopy88
Will does, though. He's got a history of wanting his job to be more and more like a "real" professional job, with a boss and vacations and offtime and such.
Tuna Ghost
Yes, I do recall that story now. Takes whats-her-name on his rounds. Even so, Will's schedule is definitely an exception to typical dealer behavior, not the rule.
MerchManDan
My reply to this is a few posts above this one, awaiting approval.
Tom
Probably when they got that whole don't shit where you eat thing.
chris
Two comics in and I am already in love with this arc.
Jeff
I love this comic, but Will is the least believable pot dealer EVAH! With the exception of Hanna, he seems to treat anyone involved with that part of his life with intense disdain/loathing.
If he doesn’t want to make a connection at the party all he has to say is “Sorry dude, I’d love to, but I can’t help you now – gimme a call tomorrow.” This is the way it works f’realz.
i don’t know if Merideth is making up Will’s behaviour based on what she imagines someone like him would be like, or a f-ed-up real-world example, or she just needs the character to not want to be doing that work and be (sub?)consciously sabatoging himself…but no retail pot dealer who acted like Will did could ever make any money – certainly not in a major urban area where making a ctx is pretty much a no-brainer.
shereen
whooa there, now, if it was me and I had a surplus of product I would help a brother out, especially in an area with a comparatively limited supply. Not out of the question, different strokes right? Probably different etiquette in the east..
Jo-ou
Don't cut your hair! I love long hair on the ladies, and your hair seems… seemed? appreciably long.
Marc
Guys, stop bitching about whether it's reasonable for Will to refuse to cut a deal right there at the party. It's Will! It's just the way he does things – would any of us care about him and his story if he was just a run-of-the-mill dealer who was defined solely by his profession? The fact that he sets aside time away from his job and doesn't expect to be treated as "just the dealer" all the time allows him space to develop as a character – he's a human being, not a weed-based vending machine! Also, Cody's "confused" face is hilarious. Love this one!
Kate
Exactly! It's not about dealer ettiquette (which I'm not even going to pretend to know anything about) at all. It's about Will and his relationship with Larry, and where he feels he's at in life right now.
Poor guy, he's there hoping to meet people and the first one to strike up a conversation isn't interested in him at all, just his job. You don't go to parties, (especially ones in your own friggin' apartment) to feel used and ignored.
Tuna Ghost
Can't help it! It's a situation I'm very familiar with, from both sides, and since its the thrust of the joke its a bit distracting for me. But you're correct, the story is much deeper than a simple "can I buy dope" scenario. Sorry to bother.
Suilean Dubh
I lol'd at the idea of a weed vending machine. That would be so ridiculously wondiferous.
Scott Bieser
You guys just aren't paranoid enough. Can anyone here spell "narc"?
Arkadi
Or maybe you're a bit 'too' paranoid; he's Larry's cousin, after all. If my cousin were a cop, I think I'd know it
Sihaya
Well, I have to admit, I think the kid is dressed in what grownups *think* kids all dress in, not what college kids actually wear. He's trying too hard, like either a narc or a freshman. Honestly, though, my money is on the latter.
Unfortunately
As a college student, I can attest that he is unfortunately dressed like one of many irritating hipster college kids.
Rita
First panel: "Oh, she's cute. New love interest for Will?"
Last panel: "Oh, he's a guy. Oops."
Eat The Babies!
Ha ha ha! Totally agree.
Unrelated: It never occurred to me that drug dealers might feel that way. Seems to me that hustlers are always hustlin'.
Kelsey
He's clearly not learning that much if he didn't even know pot was illegal in New York before moving there. And that he didn't even get that hypothetical analogy
Bok
This very likely isn't the first time this has happened to Will. I love how the comments section drives that home!
As much as I sympathize with Will though, he really should've given up on that analogy when he heard Cody was a student.
lurp
Not everybody from California is constantly on the lookout for pot! Or assholes. I promise.
haley
We don't need to be on the lookout! We can just walk into a store… and BUY it.
Jon O.
Mostly I want to know what Cody's no-doubt-inadvisable chest tattoo is.
someone
I thought it was some weird tuft of chest hair. 😀
Arkadi