Lisa and Monette are two of the most requested characters in S*P so I had to give them an entry. I should probably warn you that the first week is going to be mainly supporting cast members, past and present, and less main characters until next week.

So, story time. I hate koalas. I think they're ugly, awful little monsters. They repulse me. Australia is full of hateful beasts bent on killing all life and I choose to hate the one that lounges about in a tree all day and night, doped up on the leaves it gorges on. Don't care. Hate them. That, incidentally, is why I chose a koala for this strip. The original last panel, which I penciled but tossed, had Monette calling Davan from the bedroom of a guy she'd yet again hooked up with but I decided I needed something much worse and less predictable.

Sooooo... koala.

Because of that storyline, anything someone sees something weird involving koalas, I get a link emailed to me. Not so bad, really - I can think of worse things. But once a month I get a news link about how koalas are having a severe problem with chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease generally found in, y'know... humans. For years now (I think this story first broke in 2007 or 2008) readers have excitedly contacted me to ask if Monette knew about this, and I can't say I blame them. It's funny. If could have been a bit funnier, though.

See, in the first few months of the strip, I'd scripted a storyline where Aubrey, PeeJee and Davan learn that Monette has never been tested for any STDs and they, understandably, freak out. Davan convinces Monette to get tested and even goes with her to get a test himself. I'd debated on her having an STD and had a list of curable ones scripted out. Chlamydia was on that short list. But instead, I pushed the storyline of her moving to Texas sooner and it never happened.

Oh, koala chlamydia outbreak. The comedy gold I could have had with you.