Got the Snow Crash reference, fun fun read (the main character's name: Hiro Protagonist) and loaded with future thinking. It's the book that gave the word "avatar" its modern meaning. But at first glance, I thought it was about a skiing accident.
I don't envy Jeph; having to come up with fresh, original, quality entertainment on a daily basis, to satisfy the likes of us...
He's put so much effort into it; I feel bad when he feels like he has an off week, doesn't feel it's up to his high standards. Just for the record, dude, you've made one of the greats; consistently fun and funny, massive artistic quality, smart references, excellent characters, good plots, and tasty surprises. I even love Yelling Bird. I can't read most webcomics anymore; you've spoiled me.