from what I’ve read, Sylvia was already divorced when the strip debuted in 1990
Dan was introduced only as a convenience to keep Crane from having to write plots involving Sylvia dating — he was never intended to be a main character
Nelson has been 6 years-old for the past 35 years, and apparently will always be
ᴡᴇʟʟ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ 8 ᴏ’ᴄʟᴏᴄᴋ ᴄᴏɴғᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟ ᴡᴀs ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʟʟʟᴇᴅ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴜᴛᴇʀs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴇ..
ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴡᴇ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴᴜᴀʟs ᴡᴇ sᴇɴᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀɢᴇ ᴜᴘsɪᴅᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ. sᴏ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ..
sᴏ ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏ, sᴛᴀɴ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ʜᴇ ғɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ɢᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪɢᴜʀᴇs ᴡᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴅ..