Original Commentary
Kimberly looks like she is talking in that first panel because I misread the script- even though I wrote it. Oops.

Modern Commentary
Olestra was a fat substitute that waas gaining popularity at the time. It's not soluble, which means it goes right through the digestive system without the calories being absorbed.
The problem was that, well, it went right through the digestive system. "Anal leakage" was a listed side effect, which is more than most people wanted to deal with for potato chips.

Does intra-company mail come at a specific time? I've worked at companies that have had intra-company mail, but was never in a position where people sent me things. I suppose that if you show up at 1 PM every day for a few weeks, then one day you drop things off at 1:30, then you're late, whether or not there's a posted time.
I'm going to say that that guy in the final panel is either Hiram Smith (and the folder just said "H. Smith") or works in 432A (and Hillary Smith works in 432B) - Terrence

Original Commentary
Kimberly manages to get a free fancy lunch while Brisbane is eating a stale sandwich and bruised apple alone... that pretty much sums up the two.

Modern Commentary
So the thing about Emily is that she was Kimberly's best friend in high school. That was at least five years ago. She wasn't in contact with Kimberly at all in the intervening time. Emily just showed up at the Minerva Theatre one day and acted as if nothing had changed and they're still best friends. Kimberly isn't the same person she was in high school; years of living by her wits changed her.- Terrence

Original Commentary
When you get down to it, that's the difference between those two: Kimberly is a pessimist and Brisbane is an optimist with bad luck and a bruised apple.

Modern Commentary
Optimism vs pessimism, right there. That's why they work so well together. Brisbane's day was, on paper, worse in ever way but he's got a positive attitude to see him through.

Yes, they mention each others' names often. It's a thing we do.
Reason for that is that every strip is somebody's first. Every strip has someone coming back who hasn't read the comic in a little while. Every strip has someone reading it who's reading a few dozen other comics and maybe isn't fully concentrating on our little comic here.
There are times I'm reading someone else's comic and I think I recognize a character but I'm not sure who they are or what their deal is. And I scroll to the archive and their name hasn't been mentioned in months and the characters page hasn't been updated since the comic launched.
So I try not to do that. The characters call each other by name often.- Terrence