"Woof! That one took a few hours to put together".

"So, at long, long, LONG last, we have our entire main cast. Seven characters I've had in mind for the better part of a year now. I really wondered if we'd ever get here".

"So, next strip will almost certainly be late. As long-time readers know, any time a new character gets introduced, things low down for a little while. Sorry, nothing t b done about it".