Revenge of Ask T Questions

[Alice Macher]

Melody and her family were quite well-off. A single teacher's salary would not explain all the benefits we've seen Aggie enjoy.

Interesting. I'd figured it was a combination of savings/investments from Melody's income as a physician, life insurance, and the damages paid by the drunk driver.

[TCampbell]

Those first two were part of what I meant, but I forgot about the damages: yeah, those helped too.

[bunnyThor]

For the sake of bookending: The first word spoken in this strip was Penny saying "Oh". Can you give us a spoiler and tell us what the last word spoken is, and who is saying it?

[SniperCT]

For the sake of bookending: The first word spoken in this strip was Penny saying "Oh". Can you give us a spoiler and tell us what the last word spoken is, and who is saying it?

A proper bookending would be a callout to the first strip, but I don't see that happening narratively with how the strip has changed. (It's not like, how, the last scene of the last episode of Deep Space 9 shows the camera pulling away from the window with jake and kira standing there, as a call out to the first scene of the first episode of the camera panning into jake and his father in a window)

[Valerie]

For the sake of bookending: The first word spoken in this strip was Penny saying "Oh". Can you give us a spoiler and tell us what the last word spoken is, and who is saying it?

A proper bookending would be a callout to the first strip, but I don't see that happening narratively with how the strip has changed. (It's not like, how, the last scene of the last episode of Deep Space 9 shows the camera pulling away from the window with jake and kira standing there, as a call out to the first scene of the first episode of the camera panning into jake and his father in a window)

Penny and Aggie are sitting in a dimly lit cafe somewhere, in the conservalebso future, when Cry Me a River starts playing on the cafe's speakers. Penny glances up from her book, a look of disgust on her face. "Ugh, Justin Timberlake is so 2003." Aggie remains focused on her own book, but a smile spreads on her lips.

END.

[perilsofrosella]

Aggie's living situation seems a little better than theirs, given that she apparently has her own credit card? (I can't find the strip right now, but she wears the same outfit as Penny just to embarrass her. Penny says, "How much money is in your 'humiliate Penny' budget?" Aggie responds with, "Let's see... What's my credit limit again?")

I would say Penny and Karen are about tied, above Aggie's level, but still not quite Cyndi's level.

Were both Penny and Aggie originally "richer" when the series began? When Penny said "charge it" for Karen's eye surgery, that to me was major money she was spending with no negative consequences. Where do HER parents get the money, since Rob seems to be at home all the time, and Linda is a writer?

Also: does Aggie no longer consider herself a virgin? Did Penny consider it losing her v card again, since now she was with a girl? I knew someone who considered everyone to have a homosexual virginity, and a heterosexual virginity, which is why I am curious about Penny's opinion.

[Valerie]

Aggie's living situation seems a little better than theirs, given that she apparently has her own credit card? (I can't find the strip right now, but she wears the same outfit as Penny just to embarrass her. Penny says, "How much money is in your 'humiliate Penny' budget?" Aggie responds with, "Let's see... What's my credit limit again?")

I would say Penny and Karen are about tied, above Aggie's level, but still not quite Cyndi's level.

Were both Penny and Aggie originally "richer" when the series began? When Penny said "charge it" for Karen's eye surgery, that to me was major money she was spending with no negative consequences. Where do HER parents get the money, since Rob seems to be at home all the time, and Linda is a writer?

Also: does Aggie no longer consider herself a virgin? Did Penny consider it losing her v card again, since now she was with a girl? I knew someone who considered everyone to have a homosexual virginity, and a heterosexual virginity, which is why I am curious about Penny's opinion.

What about intersexed/trans types?

Anyway, Rob has at least once alluded to having a job. I can't find the strip (man, I wish I had Alice's archive-searching powers), but there's one where he tells Penny that revenge is for losers, then he imagines himself doing some wrestling moves on a guy and says something like, "Take that, boss!" So I guess it's something like an office job, given his heart condition? And he seems to be home at night (during parties and such). I don't know how often we've seen him home during the day (not counting times that are probably weekends).

[perilsofrosella]

What about intersexed/trans types?

I actually thought of that when writing, but didn't want to seem redundant. I certainly would respect if someone felt there were multiple virginity losses in those sense, especially if you were trans. But I digress; I don't want to derail the q and a too much.

[sun tzu]

Anyway, Rob has at least once alluded to having a job. I can't find the strip (man, I wish I had Alice's archive-searching powers), but there's one where he tells Penny that revenge is for losers, then he imagines himself doing some wrestling moves on a guy and says something like, "Take that, boss!" So I guess it's something like an office job, given his heart condition? And he seems to be home at night (during parties and such). I don't know how often we've seen him home during the day (not counting times that are probably weekends).

That was back when he and Mrs. Levac convinced Penny to turn the other cheek to Aggie's harassment. First arc of the series.

[TCampbell]

Aggie's living situation seems a little better than theirs, given that she apparently has her own credit card? (I can't find the strip right now, but she wears the same outfit as Penny just to embarrass her. Penny says, "How much money is in your 'humiliate Penny' budget?" Aggie responds with, "Let's see... What's my credit limit again?")

I would say Penny and Karen are about tied, above Aggie's level, but still not quite Cyndi's level.

Were both Penny and Aggie originally "richer" when the series began? When Penny said "charge it" for Karen's eye surgery, that to me was major money she was spending with no negative consequences. Where do HER parents get the money, since Rob seems to be at home all the time, and Linda is a writer?

Also: does Aggie no longer consider herself a virgin? Did Penny consider it losing her v card again, since now she was with a girl? I knew someone who considered everyone to have a homosexual virginity, and a heterosexual virginity, which is why I am curious about Penny's opinion.

Penny was once a bit freer with money than she is now, although that was Karen's money she convinced Karen to spend in that case. Rob is in middle management and doesn't do badly at it: it's the rest of his life he's needed to watch.

Aggie does not consider herself a virgin since going all the way with Penny.

[Alice Macher]

What brought about your decision to have certain of your characters swear, uncensored, more freely and frequently (relative to this comic) in "The Last Summer of Youth" than in any other arc to date, where if swears appeared uncensored at all, it was once per arc ("Bussed Out," "The New Reality," "Cyndi and Charlotte") and meant for special emphasis?

(This is not a complaint, BTW. I have no fucking problem with swearing an' shit in my entertainment. )

[TCampbell]

What brought about your decision to have certain of your characters swear, uncensored, more freely and frequently (relative to this comic) in "The Last Summer of Youth" than in any other arc to date, where if swears appeared uncensored at all, it was once per arc ("Bussed Out," "The New Reality," "Cyndi and Charlotte") and meant for special emphasis?

(This is not a complaint, BTW. I have no fucking problem with swearing an' shit in my entertainment. )

I can't say this one was a conscious choice.

Possibly a sort of senioritis creeping in there. "Who cares? We're cancelled anyway!" Possibly also a sense that they really are adults now, and swearing is less shocking, more just part of life.

Though when it's done in "Bussed Out," I think it shows more immaturity than maturity.

[Doc Harleen]

The subject of religion has come up with a number of characters in this comic, but I'm not sure that it has for Penny. What is her relationship with a god or a religion? (I imagine her as a cultural Christian who hasn't specifically examined her personal beliefs on the subject yet, but I could be WAY off.)

Also, has Aggie come to any personal conclusions about her sexuality at this time? Does she consider herself a lesbian, bisexual, "straight plus Penny," or some other title? Has she decided that she isn't concerned with labels, or is she still trying to figure it all out?

Thank you!

[TCampbell]

The subject of religion has come up with a number of characters in this comic, but I'm not sure that it has for Penny. What is her relationship with a god or a religion? (I imagine her as a cultural Christian who hasn't specifically examined her personal beliefs on the subject yet, but I could be WAY off.)

Also, has Aggie come to any personal conclusions about her sexuality at this time? Does she consider herself a lesbian, bisexual, "straight plus Penny," or some other title? Has she decided that she isn't concerned with labels, or is she still trying to figure it all out?

Thank you!

Penny has voiced some religious beliefs once or twice-- most notably, I think, when she said things like Rich's stabbing and recovery were "God's attempts to change us." She doesn't go to church every Sunday but she's more Christian than not... so, yeah, your description is pretty close to the mark.

Aggie may be some time sorting that out. She knows she's attracted to Penny and that's good enough for now.

[Doc Harleen]

The subject of religion has come up with a number of characters in this comic, but I'm not sure that it has for Penny. What is her relationship with a god or a religion? (I imagine her as a cultural Christian who hasn't specifically examined her personal beliefs on the subject yet, but I could be WAY off.)

Also, has Aggie come to any personal conclusions about her sexuality at this time? Does she consider herself a lesbian, bisexual, "straight plus Penny," or some other title? Has she decided that she isn't concerned with labels, or is she still trying to figure it all out?

Thank you!

Penny has voiced some religious beliefs once or twice-- most notably, I think, when she said things like Rich's stabbing and recovery were "God's attempts to change us." She doesn't go to church every Sunday but she's more Christian than not... so, yeah, your description is pretty close to the mark.

Aggie may be some time sorting that out. She knows she's attracted to Penny and that's good enough for now.

Oh, derp! I totally forgot Penny's references to a god, but now I believe I remember another such reference when she confronted Michelle.

Thank you again for answering these questions.