Generally, I don't like to do topical comics, though I suppose it could be argued as to whether or not taxes are "topical". But as far as political events and, for the most part, fan community events, I try to keep them out of the comic.
The way I see it, all the reader really needs to know to fully enjoy a comic strip is everything that's happened previously in that comic. While this might be nearly impossible for syndicated comics, with online comics the entire archives are available to read at any time, giving the reader the chance to catch up and understand all the self-referencing and running gags.
There are a few exceptions to this rule, especially during holidays and anniversaries, which are something of a present to the fans and readers for sticking around for so long. Also, occasionally if something rather significant happens, such as the major server debacle of 2003, I make note of it in a comic for later reference, something of a time capsule, to remind me what was happening in the real world at the time. The hope is that with this commentary, you can follow along too, and find out what was going on.
In the original version of this comic, the floor was purple. Thank god that wasn't a trend I stuck with. And was with the sometimes-open, sometimes-closed mouths?
You know, I'm pretty sure taxes weren't due on April 15th in 2000...
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