I really believe that all of us have a lot of darkness in our souls. Anger rage fear sadness. I don't think that's only reserved for people who have horrible upbringings. I think it really exists and is part of the human condition. I think in the course of your life you figure out ways to deal with that.
Cathy was the first widely syndicated humor strip created by a woman. The strip was pretty revolutionary at the time not only because it starred a female but also because it was so emotionally honest about all the conflicting feelings many women had in 1976.
Cartooning is a wonderful career and I'd like more women to get to have it. I can't think of any reason why we won't see more syndicated female cartoonists in the future.