ChronosCat

I really hope it wasn't because of the LGBT elements; if they were to admit to that or there was some way to prove it, I don't think I'd be comfortable continuing give them money; I'd probably try to find some other way to support Dan. As for EGS being "squeaky clean", I think as far as the stuff on the main site goes that's almost as true now as it was back then (there have been a few boundary-pushing things here and there, such as MV5, Goonmanji 2, and some of the sketchbooks, but on the other hand there's been the occasional censored nudity in the comic since near the beginning, so not all that much has changed). On the other hand, Dan's Patreon page (which is what was labeled 18+) might not count as "squeaky clean"; at the very least Dan has gone further in some of the Pinups than he ever did with stuff on the main site (including some nudity which just barely covers up the "essentials"). Of course, even the most extreme of Dan's Pinups are tame compared to most "adult" stuff out there; as someone (I think it might have been Dan in a tweet) said, there are probably going to be people who after seeing the 18+ label on his Patreon are pretty disappointed by what's actually there...

http://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2018-021 Previously on Patreon back in February. Still just as hot (IMO).

And yet, if we are to communicate we must somehow figure out what each-other's words mean - and I know osmosis isn't always enough for me (heck, it took this conversation for me to realize that my own definition for the word "agenda" was out of date).

I don't find actual cows attractive, but I do find cow-people attractive - at least the way Dan draws them. I also love the power-exchange element here. Dan doesn't do a lot of art or storytelling which touches upon this (not counting Rhoda and Catalina's interactions, which are really open to interpretation) but when he does it has a tenderness and respect for both characters that I really appreciate.

http://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2018-19 On Patreon back in April. This is another one that I really like.

Thank you for the link, I will make use of it. As for the definitions you quoted, while they do not rule out the possibility of someone being not consciously aware of their own "agenda", if I wasn't trying to see how the way people use "social agenda" could fit with the definitions, the only one that would even lead me to suspect that possibility would be American Heritage (which mentions "motives" without pairing it with "intentions"). Actually, the next dictionary down at OneLook, Collins English Dictionary, comes even closer to how "Social Agenda" is used, with the first definition not even implying that intention is a necessary part of it (though even it doesn't quite match): ...I'm beginning to suspect that this is a word whose meaning has changed without the majority of dictionaries catching on.

I could not find (at least with a very quick search) a definition of "social agenda", but "agenda" itself specifically refers to a plan or list (at least according to wiktionary). This is why I feel a person should have the intention to promote a cause for it to properly be said they have a social agenda. I will admit though that from how I've heard it used many other people do not seem to have such a strict definition of the term. At any rate, as I said to begin with this is just a semantics argument. Even if a writer does not consciously have an "agenda", they can't help but insert their own point of view and opinions into the story, so the end result for the audience is the same.

I have mixed feelings about this one . On the one paw, I agree with the point Dan is trying to make. On the second paw I'm tempted to argue semantics; while it's impossible to tell a story without some political messages to it (intended or not), the specific term "social agenda" implies to me that one is intentionally trying to bring about real-world change, and (keeping in mind I have no idea what comic Dan is referring to or what the story behind its creation is) it seems possible to me that the creators had no greater goal than to tell what they considered fun stories. On the third paw, often people who claim they have no social/political agenda are lying, so maybe they had an agenda after all. On the fourth paw, I also have some semantic issues with panel two. A lie and a truth placed side-by-side do not necessarily a paradox make: strictly speaking a verbal paradox should be a singular statement which contradicts itself; two contradictory statements are an antinomy. (Of course antinomy is obscure enough that my spellcheck doesn't like it, and honestly I just discovered the word myself, but that doesn't change the fact that the situation in the comic does not fit my definition of paradox.) ...Also, that's not how paradoxes work, but I'm willing to let it slide for the sake of humor seeing as this is non-canon. Incidentally, that's a pretty impressive triple-starburst in panel two. I'd cheer for it, but I'm pretty sure it's part of the "paradox" special effect rather than a proper "background".

So, I guess I'll go more-or-less panel-by-panel here to organize my thoughts... Panels 1-2: Diane has a point here, this is how dating traditionally works. (Though I think it's not so much that giving up allowance is meant to show a willingness to sacrifice as the rules of dating as we know them came to be during a time when boys too young to make their own money wouldn't be dating. Some kids are just too anxious to get to romance/sex - though I suppose you could think of it as practice.) I can see the connections between this and what the girls were doing at the start of the comic; I wonder if Diane realized when her priorities shifted? I suspect Lucy was aware of the change. Panels 3-4: Again Diane is right: parenting is work, and parenting young children in particular is a full time job. Some people manage to fit in a paying job alongside it, but those people essentially have two jobs; it's quite disrespectful to stay-at-home parents to say they're not working. That said, Diane's phrasing (particularly the "mommy") is on the more juvenile side; it's very odd to see Diane like this. I think it might be worth noting that Diane calls sex>pregnancy>birth the "icky way" to have children. Is it just because she's so young, or does she have a similar aversion to having sex that Susan does? It's also interesting she has such a detailed plan. I wonder if she's just imagining she'll follow in her parents' footsteps, or if she's actually thought it through and decided that's what she wants? Panel 5-6: Well, here we get back to the idea of "practice", though it looks like Diane is much too optimistic about the likely long-term success of a relationship begun at such an early age. Panel 7: It's really weird to see Diane so innocent; clearly like Susan she went through some rough times to become so cynical in the present. I feel a bit sorry for her. ...Still, I can't resist: Yay for bubbly background! Panel 8: Um, Chad, your sick combo seems to be making Diane feel a bit sick. (It's probably just the weight of the loss of her dream of him being a perfect guy (though if this is the first time he's ignored her like this and she's already this upset she might have set her hopes too high - nobody's perfect, and he is still young enough for inexperience to be a valid excuse)... But I can't help but imagine he's playing Mortal Kombat or a similar game, and the results of that combo are why she's looking so sick.) Well, I would think that many guys assume they will grow up to have a partner and children, they just aren't particularly concerned at the moment about whether that the person they're dating now is going to be that partner. I'm sure there are also some romantic types who do assume their current partner is "the one" - but that doesn't mean they're any more likely to be right than Diane is here. (I know I would have been looking for "the one" if I had ever dated back in Middle School or High School... But while I thought of myself as "male" at the time for lack of awareness of more accurate terms, looking back I see myself as having been just as gender-fluid then as I am now, so it's questionable how much I truly count as an example of a "dude" thinking long term at such an early age.)

Presumably relevant to why Rhoda's hair is so long. Edit: Unrelated, and not much of a surprise, but I figured this ought to be posted here as well:

http://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2018-018 https://www.patreon.com/posts/dans-choice-21194574 [space for spoilers] I don't think the "buff" look really suits Tedd. I mean, sure, a little muscle definition wouldn't be bad (Lord Tedd looked pretty good during his Painted Black appearance), but he just doesn't look right with a broad chest. On the other hand, cat-boy Elliot is cute. Rowr!

Yay for starburst background in panel four, and sunburst background in panel five! At least, I think they're backgrounds - if Diane was able to make her hair glow all along it seems a little odd she was surprised to learn about magic back at the New Years party. On the other hand, the light-source in those panels sure looks like it's Diane's head. Anyway, I found it interesting that not only has Diane not always had long hair, but she used to wear her hair a lot like her current style. I also want to know how "look for the good boys" turned into "seduce the dumb boys into buying us stuff".

Yay for starburst background and shiny hair in panel two! You're far too pessimistic. I'm sure they'll get out of high school within the next couple of decades.

I'm not surprised Lucy is surprised that Diane was surprised that they were looked down on, after all I was surprised that Diane was surprised too. I am however surprised Lucy is so upset by the surprise. Clearly this is a very personal matter to Lucy; it shall be interesting to see why. At any rate, yay for... um... jagged... angled... pseudo speed lines... of drama... backgrounds in panels five and six!

https://egscomics.com/egsnp/gam-33 Yay for double-starburst background in panel one! Also, yay for shopping!

I'm also surprised by how relatively nice Lucy is being. I think Diane is the sort who (short of the death of someone she's close to, or something like that) would try to avoid crying in public.

I remember He-Man and She-Ra as well, though I wasn't particularly in to them. I remember the continuing battles between Captain Crunch and the Soggies (and wanting to see more of those adventures). I remember the original Transformers cartoon, which started with a cast of over a dozen and introduced new characters every few episodes because they were trying to fit as many of the toys into the show as possible. I remember worrying about how Lucky was going to get out of that crystal cave he was trapped in. I remember how whenever a new mutant was introduced in the original TMNT cartoon, there was a good chance there was already a toy version of them out. ...So, in answer to your question, yes.

I remember back in the 80s, having the adventures of the Transformers (who they made sure you knew were available in stores) interrupted by the latest adventures of Captain Crunch or the Trix Rabbit. However, in the 90s and 00s the line between commercial and show seemed a lot less blurry - the segments that were officially labeled "commercials" rarely felt like shows in their own right any more, while the actual shows often felt like they existed to tell a story (or make you laugh) first, and to sell stuff second (in fact in many cases it felt like any merchandise related to the show was an after-thought). It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to watch kids' shows on commercial television, so I have no idea if those trends have continued. (I have noticed however that most commercials aimed at adults these days are pretty boring, at least on the stations I get... I never thought I would miss entertaining commercials!)

https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2018-017 First seen on Patreon back in February. I never got around to mentioning it the first time, but I really like this outfit.

For some strange reason, this reminds me of my childhood, when half-hour toy commercials had breaks every now and then to show short films about cereal, snacks, and other toys. Anyway, yay for starburst background in panel three!

I do get where you're coming from (in fact, I have Asperger's myself, though it sound like it manifests a bit differently in me than it does in you). It seems to me that the biggest difference between the two of us in regards to this issue is that I had it driven home to me as a child (thanks primarily to being bullied) that revealing too much of myself puts me in an extremely vulnerable position, and will often lead to pain. It thus seems worth the effort to me to hide parts of myself I suspect others will not approve of, at least with people I have to interact with in person. (And by "hide" I mean "intentionally fail to mention or show", not "cover up with untruths or false evidence"; I don't know where you stand on the matter, but to me there's a big difference.) I'm happy for you that you feel up to handling the consequences of being yourself. ...Bringing things back to Diane (and raising a similar point to hkmaly), I don't think we know enough to say if she was being deceptive or how much. It's possible that she never implied to her boyfriends that they'd ever get to actual sex, in which case (not knowing of the rumors) she had no reason to suspect they had any reason to think they'd get that far beyond the presumptuous assumption that dating is always supposed to lead to that. There's also the question of how aware she was of the fact the boys were expecting sex; if she knew but didn't correct their misconception then it could be argued that she was being deceptive (though I see that as less deceptive than actively lying to them would have been); however given the current revelations it's also possible she was naive enough to think they were just happy to hang out with her.

In my experience, those who don't care about you are more likely to intentionally hurt you than those that do (mind you there are exceptions, and those hurt the most, but on average it's better to have people care about you). As a result I'm always concerned about what people think of me, even though I'm never quite sure what the best way to make a good impression is and I usually have no idea how well I'm doing. It's only with certain family members I trust, or online where I have the "mask" of a pseudonym and avatar that I feel I can relax and truly be myself. (Not that my "real life" persona is a lie, per sey, I just leave a lot of myself out of it, and always try to present myself in what I believe to be the best possible light.) As for Diane, perhaps it's our perspective as readers (and knowing how Nanase used to think of her), or the fact that I'm used to consciously thinking about social interactions and how I might be perceived, but I'm still quite surprised that Diane didn't expect from the start that her actions would lead to this sort of reputation. Still, like you said, it is easy to imagine what she must be feeling right now. (It reminds me a bit of when I realized the kids in school were divided into those who were indifferent to me and those who disliked me, though I was in first grade at the time not high school, and at least Diane has a few friends/potential-friends to support her.) ...Speaking of Diane's "friends", I hope either Lucy is a better friend than she seems to be or Diane knows better than to expect much support from her, because otherwise Diane is in for an even more painful blow sometime soon... That was what I was thinking. Well, either that or Rhoda was just a bit shy and she's learning to overcome that, particularly around Catalina, but what are the chances of that? While EGS may be officially set in 200X, I think a lot of the teen (and pre-teen) character interactions in it are based on Dan's experiences in school in the 90s. So in a sense the comic was dated even before it began. Then again, I suspect the vast majority of stories about children and teens reflect the childhoods of their authors more than they do children of the era the stories are released in...

https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2018-016 Another older Patreon post making it's way into the Sketchbook. I like her blue hair & fur. (Blue is the best color for fur! At lest for us cat-people that don't need camouflage.) It struck me reading the commentary that Felix is referred to as "she". I had forgotten Felix was trans in her birth form (or so Pandora says; thank you Shiveapedia).

I'm a little surprised (and feel a bit sorry for her) that Diane apparently never suspected she had that sort of reputation. Really, given the way she and her friends "dated" so many boys (particularly with it being pretty clear Diane and Lucy at least never cared for any of them) it was almost inevitable that they'd all be seen this way (Rhoda's shyness and sweetness might have protected her somewhat) with Diane being the focus of that perception thanks both to being the leader of the group and blonde (her hair color is also probably where the "bimbo" perception comes from). I wonder if she overlooked this possibility because she was fairly young when she started toying with boys and didn't think things through and/or know better, or if she was just arrogant enough to think she'd never be looked down on that way. (I had previously assumed she knew how her group looked to others, particularly boys, and just didn't care, but her reaction in this strip suggests otherwise.) ...At any rate, her expression in panel four is cute. Apparently that a drastic hair-cut (and outfit change) might lead to those who don't know her well not recognizing her was something else that didn't occur to her (even after Rhoda alluded to that idea).