Role Association: Erika was immediately recognized by a few of the other artists from her previous work, not to mention by some viewers from her guest comic from one of the few times Penny Arcade has ever needed to use them.
...I wanted to add an addendum saying that the reason why, in Mike's words, "it was obvious to pick [Moen]" was that Mike and Jerry's goal with the show was to hire as good a webcartoonist as they could, but that is speculation on my part.
Re: the deleted trope for Erika Moen's fame:
...I wonder if the following would be apt:
...I wanted to add an addendum saying that the reason why, in Mike's words
, "it was obvious to pick [Moen]" was that Mike and Jerry's goal with the show was to hire as good a webcartoonist as they could, but that is speculation on my part.