Well, the absence of an update on this site had nothing to do with the protest of SOPA or PIPA, although (a) that would be a great reason, and (b) I did consult Wikipedia hours before the blackout for the Linotype material.
For what it’s worth, I’m definitely with the crowd that opposes both bills. They wouldn’t accomplish what they set out to do, and they would do other things that are damaging. Check into it and spread the word as you see fit.
In this comic, I break what is, to me, one of the major rules of comic strip development. This teacher is based on a college professor I had once. I don’t think it does him justice. He really had that very stilted way of speaking, and he never seemed to do one of the strange pauses before a particularly esoteric or difficult phrase. And he did have an apparent fascination with the Linotype machine.
The concept of “Conversation Probation,” or “Talking Time Out” is pretty self-explanatory. I doubt either phrase is completely original, but from my perspective, if memory serves I would have to credit my friend Chris with coming up with it.