On one hand, I don’t like Helen getting all riled up over a little thing like her age. On the other hand, it’s almost worth it to kick off the long-standing feud between the cartoon mad scientist and the flesh-and-blood transportation engineer. Helen’s enmity toward Dave Barker would continue for the rest of the strip, eventually confusing people who don’t read the Sundays.

I wanted to go to Reed College. They didn’t offer me any financial aid, so I went with Vassar instead.

Helen’s T-shirt is one that I own. It says “Madness Takes Its Toll.” I used to wear it to The Rocky Horror Picture Show all the time. I don’t wear it anymore because a) I don’t go to The Rocky Horror Picture Show all the time, and b) it’s now tissue-paper thin and cannot be worn in public without causing incidents.

That “Thunk” in the box is pretty funny. Also, “Thunk in the Box” would be a good name for a ska band. Someone do that.