@GuyDudeman I'd never heard of Exploding Dog. It's sorta sweet in an absurdist fashion. I like this one: http://explodingdog.com/title/imallgrownupnow.html It's giving Iron Giant vibes.

> it was my touchstone. I identified with that comic so much. Early college years.

I totally get that. Did you move away to college? In my early college years, I was lonely in ways I didn't even realize until years later, but I learned to make a home from what was available (friends, places around campus, and, yes, web comics). Familiar things.