Drawing this particular strip raised the issue for me of just exactly what level of profanity/vulgarity was proper for Mynarski Forest.
I created the comic primarily for mature audiences and it's chief inspiration, The Cunning Little Vixen, certainly explored it's share of adult themes. However I soon became aware after posting the first few comics that Mynarski Forest had attracted several younger readers, which presented a quandary of sorts as to just how far I could go. The issue caused me a fair amount of concern and caused me to pull a couple of punches early on, including using "@*$#" in place of the b-word in this strip.
Eventually I settled on a loose policy of trying to stay as clean as possible, but when it was appropriate to the story and humour, I could go as risque as the humour you might see in The Simpsons. This limit gives me a fair amount of lattitude and a clear boundary to work within.
If I were to draw this strip today, I probably would use the word "bitch" as it falls within the limits I've presented myself and is appropriate to the situation - technically speaking, Clarence's mom is one after all, so Liska's insult is linguistically correct. Still, it's a serious issue that sets the tone for the entire strip and dictates who should and shouldn't be reading it, so it's something I don't treat lightly.
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