Achewood

Webcomics are a topic near and dear to my heart. The very first two webcomics I read were, like for a lot of people, PvP and Penny-arcade. These two comics are still around, their art has improved, their fan bases have grown and they basically defined the genre. One of the comics that I really love that I got into a little bit later was Achewood. Sadly it doesn't seem to possess that knack for staying power that these others have.

Achewood was always weird, I mean how do you describe to someone that you are laughing at a comic strip about some stuffed animals and a cat who wears a speedo and ray bans all the time? It was love or hate for a lot of people. It had a sort of avante garde, whimsical humor to it. It would create these ridiculous and often terrifying characters and places. It created a world where if you made a deal with the devil you could become a millionaire, first by your skills on the piano but later through your knack at making products that could only be sold in skymall. Where C.S. Lewis opened a door to the magical world of Narnia, Onstad opened a door to the secret menu at taco bell and an ebay only for the idiotically rich.

It was truly a magical time. But much like in the magical land of Narnia, all good things must end.

Where once was the childlike innocence of Phillip, there is only a dark cynicism of Roast Beef. Roast beef at first was originally depressing in a funny way, but it eventually gave way to being so depressing you start to worry about the guy making the comic. Wondering if each time he failed to update for a week or longer, he'd finally given up.

Yes there is still that knack for creating fantastical situations, for instance I am amused by the character Steve Denueve in the recent arc. I hold hope for Achewood returning to it's former glory in the same way I still secretly hope that Weezer will produce another decent album.

In that I really don't expect it to happen, but if it did it'd make me very, very happy.