I think it's something to do with awesome people growing facial hair, and web cartoonists being awesome people.

Why do so many of us in the webcomic genre have facial hair? :D
I didn't have a goatee for a long time, until my wife actually encouraged me to grow one. Now I'm scared to shave it off. Afraid of what I'll look like underneath!

And if that doesn't work? Faux hawk.

I wish I had a cool birthmark like that! I've tried the beard, and it just doesn't work too well. I might go for the mowhawk next.

I've had the full beard for 30 years. Not to hide the double chin, but to make it look like I have one. The curse of the thick neck from my mother's side of the family. My wife, and for that matter just about everyone I know, do not know me without it.

I have a rather common name (no, I'm not telling); I've long said that if I should ever need to disappear, I'm moving to another city, shaving the beard, and keeping my name. Besides, keeping track of alias sounds like too much work.

whats wrong with the goatee yo?

You may be right about that, jynksie...I definitely do like the look. And Barry, since I've been working out my double chin has been shrinking rather than growing, but it STILL looks bad if I don't have something covering it up...so another swing and a miss for going clean-shaven! I'm also fortunate, that growing facial hair has never made me itchy or been in any way bothersome. So yes, all those things put together = eventually spending the vast majority of my life with some kind of facial hair!

I gotta say, I tried to grow a beard and it drove me shit crazy

I thought the same thing when I grew it in at 30, that by 40 I'd be old enough to shave it and look rather distinguished in doing so! But I've come to realize, I simply look saucy w/ a goatee, so I kept it! LOL ...besides, with all the grey hairs coming in from the stressors of years of marriage, shaving it off won't young me up one bit!

A baby face may have been my original reason for my beard. However, now it hides my growing 2nd chin. I forget about it until I shave off the ebard and then try and grow it back ASAP.

I, like George (George from Addanac City! Not MY George!), am way too baby-faced not to have facial hair at this point in my life. When I shaved my goatee, everyone told me I looked like a little kid. So, I grew a Johnny-Depp style goatee to get it back and change it up a little. I figure when I hit 40, I'll actually want to look ten years younger, and maybe I'll take it off then ;)

What? why 40? whatcha gettin' at boy?!?

I stopped growing mine when they started turning gray.

I've gotta stay bearded up. I just don't look right with a baby face.