Posted February 12, 2016 at 1:01 am

And somewhere nearby, a dog howled for no reason discernable to feeble human ears.

I can't blame anyone for looking at this, shaking their heads, and obnoxiously saying "this is all just about fan sevice." I mean, they don't have to be so obnoxious about it (I mean, really), but I get where they're coming from, particularly since I know full well that several comics in this storyline could qualify as such regardless of authorial motivation.

For the record, however, this is actually inspired by something very personal to me. I have never, ever been comfortable in dressing rooms, at pools, beaches, etc. I sometimes got in trouble in high school because I pretended to forget my gym clothes, I had a huge amount of anxiety over having to take swim classes to graduate, I still refuse to go to pools even though I like swimming, and during times when I've had gym memberships as an adult, I've preferred changing at home rather than using the provided dressing area.

I turn 33 in less in a week and this anxiety persists as strongly as ever, if not moreso.

Grace's complete lack of physical modesty is inspired by a few things, but one of those things is it simply being how I wish I felt about it. Sarah's feelings, meanwhile, are closer to how I actually feel.

Ellen, meanwhile, is Ellen, and she's a big damn hero.