Quitters never win, winners never quit.

But winning makes for lousy comedy, doesn't it? What's funny about Charlie Brown kicking the football, or getting kissed by the little-red-haired girl? If this strip had gone on for decades, I would've needed far more variations on this rejection theme, so I could keep Bill Beagle coming back for more torture at the hands of Patty. But since I knew I was in for a four-year run, I had to collapse the narrative arc to fit the allotted time. That just means Patty would need to give in eventually and go on a date with this guy. But for now, she could shut him down without giving him so much as a glance.