There’s no two ways about it; Achewood is really, really funny.
Chris Onstad, writer of the Time Magazine celebrated webcomic, has been at it for almost nine years now. From its humble, surrealistic beginnings, the comic has evolved into a force of social commentary, often referencing pop culture, taking shots at institutions and trumpeting counter-culture.
Essentially, Achewood is an ongoing narrative of the days of the impossible lives of its protagonists, including Ray Smuckles, a jive-talking, multi-millionaire cat, his childhood best friend Roast Beef, another cat that suffers from several forms of depression and Téodor, a stuffed bear with a penchant for cooking, graphic design and writing product placement-heavy erotica.
Since Achewood first ran in 2001, Onstad has produced over a dozen books, several hilarious t-shirts and been noted in several publications. One might argue that Achewood is top dog of all webcomics. Of particular interest is the strip’s clever dialogue, which has developed expertly, considering the sheer number of characters. Each character has a unique voice which has remained consistent since their development. Another fun aspect of the comic is its ‘alt text’, which is achieved by hovering your mouse of the comic for a split second, and a line of text will appear. This is usually a punchline or comment based on the strip.
Many of the multiple-comic storylines are genius. From Ray's battle with a Nigerian E-mail scam, to Ray's hip-hop loving nephew being transported to 1676 Wales, to Roast Beef being immortalized as a lolcat, to the classic Great Outdoor Fight (3 days, 3 acres, 3000 men.) The website offers a handy (and recently updated) drop down menu to let you navigate to the start of any story in its archives. Classic Achewood is as enjoyable as it is ample.
“So, Ed, what is the problem?”
Well, Achewood has always branched out. Perhaps starting with Ray’s Place, an advice column written from Ray’s perspective, and then several characters started to release blogs. These blogs often linked gaps between strips, when Onstad was bogged down by real life and production schedules. But, as side-projects usually go, these dwindled over time.
Now Onstad seems to be all about his premium subscriber updates. For a mere $3 USD a year, you can get something Achewood every day. Be it sketches, strips or ideas, something gets posted every day. Which must be nice, considering these days, you’re lucky if you get a new public strip every week.
I know it seems like not much to complain about, given that almost anyone can afford $3 a year, but I must ask – why is this necessary? Why should fans of this comic have to shell out anything to enjoy its full content when it’s all ready achieved commercial success to the point that most webcomics could only dream about? It’s not as though the fans won’t support the standard merchandise ventures. I myself even bought three shirts as wardrobe for my actors in an independently produced theatrical production, out of pocket. These were not the first items I’d purchased from Achewood either.
Moreover, the length of time between strips coming out makes it not even worth checking the website daily. And recently, Onstad seems to favor strips which are either low or devoid of dialogue. For those of us who have interest in his dialogue or commentary, we are shit out of luck.
I took a year off from reading Achewood due to this very frustration. Recently I came back, and caught up, and it was a grand time. This is the way a web comic should be. You should be able to enjoy it several times a week, or, at the very least, on a regular schedule. Now I find myself frustrated. Just straight-up surly about having to wait for the current storyline to end, in the hopes that something I enjoy more comes up.
Then again, it was scrolling back through old archives of the comic that delayed this entry for so long. I would just get lost in the strip. I’ll always be an Achewood fan, and no matter how disgruntled I get with its current incarnation, the sheer number of comics from the daily comic days are too excellent to not go back and enjoy. Unlike other comics that have driven me from fandom into sheer disappointment, I don’t see anything like Achewood ever coming around.
On a personal note, Onstad, should you ever read this article, I would be a great voice for Ray Smuckles in the animated version, when you’re ready to take things to the next level. I will even personally edit this article, and take each of the negative things said and change them into the most gay-for-pay things you can think of. And you’ve got a pretty epic imagination, sir. That much is evident.
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