Just as any small working society or guild may do, comic writers and assembly-line workers like to be their own audience. As there are movies that "reveal" the workings of movies, there are comics that use sight gags, characterizations and physical settings that allow their creators to let off steam, get a bit of mild revenge, and have a bit of private fun. Un-hip readers may not get the references or the jokes, but the story should still work as a story. It's a bit of showing-off.
