Nerd World, Lev Grossman, Technology, TIME

Webcomics are the New Blogs: The First of a Series of at Least One

There came a time not long ago when I realized that a goodly percentage -- not 50, but like, you know, 15 or something -- of my media intake consists of webcomics. A quick census of the sites in the toolbar hovering over the browser window in which I write this post would include links to Penny Arcade, Order of the Stick, Achewood, PvP, Flintlocke, Questionable Content, and Control Alt Delete.

I always loved comic strips -- that was the sole reason my family ever bought the Boston Globe growing up -- but now, freed from the choking confines of the comic strip syndicates and the space crunch and family values guidelines of newsprint, they've truly manifested their latent mutant powers and come into their own. They are all, after all, what the Web was built to do: display text and image. Though I guess originally it was supposed to be, like, data and stuff.

My current feverish webcomic obsession is Achewood, a comic about, um, a bunch of cats, and some robots, and stuffed toys, and an otter who's 5. The alpha and omega of Achewood are Ray Smuckles, a cat who's incredibly rich and successful at everything he does, but whom you can't quite hate; and his best friend Roast Beef, who's a loser and suffers from crippling depression. This is a continuity-heavy strip, so it requires a certain investment to get up to speed -- the current arc has to do with Nice Pete, a psychotic killer who lives in a state of uneasy truce with the cats of Achewood. He formed a band called Mister Band -- "It is a good, honest name that people can believe in" -- which consists of Pete howling about wizards and dwarves over an unadorned bass line. Later he caught Ray and Teodor (I believe Teodor is supposed to be a bear; the artwork is a little crude, though at times also intensely, almost lyrically beautiful) making fun of him, so he tied them up in his room. Nice Pete had invented a USB peripheral that would enable the Internet to murder Ray and Teodor -- "They can't call me guilty! Not with millions of hands on the blade!" -- but unfortunately he had driver issues and ended up getting stabbed by his own peripheral....

That pretty much brings us up to the present day. I think the striking thing about Achewood is its enormous emotional range -- it's incredibly funny, but some strips are really achingly sad -- check out, for example, the arc where Ray goes to hell (he's forced to drive a 1982 Subaru Brat there) and meets bluesman Robert Johnson. Or the infamous Cartilage Head sequence.

It kind of expands your understanding of webcomics, the way Maus did with graphic novels. Except this time it's with cats.

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Reader Comments (101)

SB:

Ah, I love Achewood so, I have often driven my SO to confusion with intermittent spells of gasping, gagging, gut-twisting maniacal laughter. Thanks for highlighting.

Lev:

I came to Achewood via this comic, which I read when I happened to be pissed at somebody who'd given me feedback on a book-in-progress. Hm, this is another Nice Pete one. Creepy.

EGP:

Achewood is one of the few works, in any medium, that literally makes me laugh out loud. Not since Bloom County and Calvin & Hobbes has there been a comic strip that is both adult-targeted AND funny. And the comedy is sometimes in the dialogue and sometimes in the art; care and attention are paid to both, unlike many other contemporary comics.

E$:

My first was this, with Pete talking about how he gets his murder on.
http://achewood.com/index.php?date=04092003

A TREND!

little bc:

someone needs to mention the character blogs, and how it's amazing that chris onstad can switch from voice to voice like that. that's beyond webcomic, that's a talented writer.

d00d:

And don't forget to read the ALT text (just mouse over the comic and leave it alone for a couple seconds). I had to go back through the archives again to read all of those once I noticed it.

Matthew:

Chris Onstad is absolutely brilliant and Achewood is a work of art. Not only are the comic strips laugh-out-loud funny, Onstad expands each character through character blogs, ezines and advice columns.

I'm hooked on Achewood. I practically force my friends to read it. I even have a cat named Mr. Smuckles.

Jackson:

"the artwork is a little crude, though at times also intensely, almost lyrically beautiful"

I'd love to see an example of what you consider to be some "intensely, almost lyrically beautiful" artwork in Achewood. I like the comic on account of the brilliant writing, but it looks like horse shit. I couldn't get into for about 6 months after I learned about it because it's so goddamn ugly to look at that it made my soul cry and my eyes bleed. It looks like it was drawn by a baby monkey that had somehow gotten a copy of Adobe Illustrator. And was also retarded. And suffered from seisures. And had both its arms in casts.

KiryaPd:

Oh God, Cartilage Head.
That's where I started with Achewood and just fell in love with it.

GLK:

I am a huge admirer of Achewood - and I agree with the commenter above who ranks it with Bloom County and Calvin & Hobbes - I am an even bigger fan of Chris Onstad's personal blog, which is (tragically) updated only sporadically. I think it's some of the most consistently and intelligently funny prose anywhere. It makes any given Shouts & Murmurs look as ham-fisted as a network sitcom.

Zoe:

Webcomics are underground yet worldwide, top secret yet so accessible. Does your neighbour read it?! Or does Achewood link you to like-minds and unseen faces across the globe in this era so obsessed with borders?

I am Australian, in the Tanami desert (very remote) and Achewood keeps my soul together.

Brilliant to see a strip that addresses culture but also transcends it; these cats are more human than we are. Phillipe breaks my heart every time. It's just so satisfyingly sad and lip smackingly funny.

Well done Chris, please keep up the hard work.

Janna Rose:

achewood is absolutely wonderful. I dont ever remember being so touched, cheered, and thoughtfully-made by a webcomic.
Chris is a dang real guy

Luke:

Achewood has ruled my life ever since the very first strip.

There has been many times I wished I lived inside the achewood universe, there is something so free and liberating about it. Everybody wants to be ray and verybody wants to know lie-bot dont they? And if you die, you can make your way back down to earth again if you are smart or sneaky enough.

Olympia:

Achewood takes place around my hometown which is a factor of my love for it. Onstad is a genius.

Anonymous:

achewood is beautiful. questionable content... not so much. but chris onstad writes and draws with what can only be described as perfection.

Jenn:

Achewood is King. I've been reading it for years and years, and it is the only comic I absolutely MUST check before leaving the house in the morning- other comics simply don't compare. Chris Onstad is amazing, and I love reading the character blogs, and.. just everything about it is awesome.

B:

Yes, Achewood is pretty much my favorite thing in any medium.

Jackson--I can't speak for what the author intended by lyrical beauty, but I find the sheer emotionality conveyed by subtle expressions in very simple drawings to be downright astonishing at times. The best examples usually involve Roast Beef in one of his fits of self-loathing, but this recent example of Ray (last two panels) is a pretty good one.

Achewood is the only comic I can recall that has kept me actively coming back for more. Onstad's story arcs and characters have an addictive quality that drives me back to the site daily.

A dude:

I read through the archives every couple of months. So great. The GOF is the best idea ever.

Jon:

Jackson:

It's a waste of time to debate preferences, but here are some of my favorite strips (art-wise or other)

http://achewood.com/index.php?date=09192005 (well, the 2nd panel)
http://achewood.com/index.php?date=04112006
http://achewood.com/index.php?date=11122003

This'll sound emo as all hell, but... Achewood will remind you from time to time of exactly what being alone feels like.

Anyway, the writing is the really amazing part of it. Chris Onstad uses English like a malevolent linguistics grad student.

Onstad has the strips collected into neat little mini-books which I highly recommend. I have one signed by the man, the first one no less, but alas it has become worn from lending out to anyone who asks (which was worth it).

Eugene:

What's most remarkable about Achewood is the distinctive voice that each of its characters possesses. Peer below the absurdity that drapes over the events within each story arc, and what becomes evident is the quality of the character development in the writing. From the unique vernaculars to the idiosyncratic neuroses that the protagonists exhibit, they, taken together, comprise rich psychologies of coherent, authentic characters. The strength of the writing underlying Achewood is most apparent in the personal blogs for the characters, where the reader is exposed to smart, funny prose unaccompanied by illustration. Chris Onstad has masterfully conjured a world one can appreciate at once for its craftsmanship and its power to amuse.

Joey:

To the idiot "Jackson" who doesn't like the achewood art...F U! You try making a strip every day. You probably have something against sunsets and daisies too.

Sat:

Achewood.com is the only website that I visit each and every weekday. It boasts consistently stellar writing in both the comics and the character blogs, and I think Chris Onstad has a bright future as a humorist.

The FZA:

Honestly, I feel like Combustible Orange is the best webcomic going on right now.

Other than Achewood, that is.

Jones:

Jackson,
I'd like to see an example of what artwork you find to be beautiful. Where can you find any artwork as original as this?
The blood from your eyes is evidence of an immature, undeveloped sense of aesthetics.

If you want sad, check out the story arc in which Philippe runs away to find his couch. The image of a starving Philippe eating a Chapstick still haunts my mind. Roast Beef would say, "Hella touching, dogg."

MF:

Just to clarify for Lev:

I believe Phillippe, Teodor, Lyle and Cornelius Bear are stuffed animals living in Onstad's house, so Teodor and Cornelius are teddy bears.

nate:

raw.... just raw.

While I read a lot of webcomics, when it comes to real art, sure, achewood isn't SPECTACULAR, but it isn't that hideous in my opinion. However, my next favorite comic which has some unbelievable art on occasion is The Perry Bible Fellowship which is what Far Side could have been if it had been a web-comic.

It's brilliant.

Matt:

Is this typical if the writing style in Time?

"They are all, after all, what the Web was built to do: display text and image. Though I guess originally it was supposed to be, like, data and stuff."

data and stuff? what is this high school, if you're going to write for a living at least try and do it with some flair.

Lev:

man why you even got to say a thing

will:

onstad is amazing. the way he puts together the art, the characters, and the immensely intricate world he created around them is unbelievable, especially in the medium he's chosen. the blogs are hilarious, the art is hilarious, the stories are top-notch, and anyone who isn't familiar should start reading with the Great Outdor Fight http://achewood.com/index.php?date=02032006

p.s. - i don't have a clue what it is you haters have to hate about. RIDICULOUS

Cassandra Kazenzakis:

Poingnant riposte, Lev.

Katie Duncan:

But why have the cats only got two nipples? All the cats I know have eight.

amberglow:

don't miss this great new daily one--from interrobang

BanzaiRabbit:

Achewood is possibly the most profoundly beautiful webcomic out there.. at least, that I've discovered. The artwork is simple, but it *works* somehow, when combined with the stories, which somehow just reach a place inside you. Those cats and bears and robots are more human than a lot of the humans I know.

Grace:

I die a little every time I read anything Todd says (see http://www.achewood.com/index.php?date=02062004). I never knew a comic could do this to me...


And I think I'm in love with Roast Beef.

Achewood rocketh the hous.

Mark C:

Jeez Matt, you don't get it, do you?

Austin:

Man Matt, comin' in and harpin' on some dude's writing style is definately not Blood of Champion.

Sensate Mass:

Achewood great. Much love, etc.

To the author: would it be too much trouble to actually link the other comics you mention? Like, so they can get clicks and popularity from you?

Steph:

"Roast Beef would say, "Hella touching, dogg.""

He would actually say, "hell of touching, dogg".

Achewood has pretty much become part of my way of life.
Agreed with the guy who mentioned Perry Bible Fellowship... its also good stuff.

B.B.C.:

I;ve been reading the strip for about five years now, and this is the strip that got me hooked.
http://achewood.com/index.php?date=11052001

nick:

http://achewood.com/index.php?date=04032006

i've been with achewood since a friend sent me the infamous "i ain't wearing no gunny sack" strip. as someone mentioned, going back and rereading from the first strip.

alex:

Check out this firefox plugin. It reduces the risk of contracting RSI while reading the Achewood archives by allowing you to go to the next comic by clicking on the current one. It also displays the ALT text above the comic strip.

mikeUK:

I freakin' love achewood, its hilariously funny/insane/poignant. you can buy the comic strips as proper books from the website. U should be able to buy them in regular shops too, like calvin& hobbes!

"data and stuff? what is this high school, if you're going to write for a living at least try and do it with some flair."

If you're going to criticize a dude's writing style, at least use proper punctuation, capitalization, and grammar in your critique.

ann:

i absolutely agree that chris onstad/achewood is brilliant, but do have to say the actual "blog" segment is lacking. why outline a summary of someone else's brilliance when you could be using this space to define and illuminate the ways in which achewood fits into the influence and scope of webcomics as a whole? somehow you've ended up with a blog on time magazine's website, perhaps nerdily outlining the details is not the best way to show that things sidelined by mainstream culture for their "geekiness" are often lovely works of art.

ALD:

I don't know why, but seeing Lev refer to Beef as a "loser" makes me sincerely angry. Yes, he is from Circumstances, but he is the coolest and smarted cat alive. (Would Ray have survived the first five minutes of the GOF without Beef?) And notice that everyone else in the strip loves him; he's even more popular than Ray. Without Beef, the entire momentum of the strip would be thrown off; "Achewood" would be little more than a pissier "Heathcliff".

Speaking of being angry, am I the only one deeply annoyed that 2006 came and went without any of the (sort of) promised Molly backstory?

DF:

Teodor is indeed a bear, I wouldnt say that the artwork is crude.

Benny:

@Jackson:
as for the visuals... the first frame of as well as any of the Cartilage Head strips are art

khc:

Achewood is genius. One of the best comic strips ever written. My friends and I can sit at a bar, completely wasted and reminisce over our favorite oneliners. These are definetly some of my tops.

http://achewood.com/index.php?date=08122004
http://achewood.com/index.php?date=07192006
http://achewood.com/index.php?date=01212003
http://achewood.com/index.php?date=11072006

deathmetalvietnam:

Achewood, awesome.

These are other great web comics:

www.marriedtothesea.com
www.pbfcomics.com

Laugh out loud comedy.

Anonymous:

Look at Ray, all acting like he'll go pro ice just because he's in a raw situation.

Alissa:

Achewood is the best part of my day. I've been trying to get my husband into it for years. Sometimes he chuckles, but he just doesn't "get it." I keep telling him it's because of the continuity in Achewood; that in order to appreciate it, he needs to read the whole archive. Sometimes I try to get him to "get it" by explaining the whole background behind a current plotline (as Lev Grossman has done here in this article). It doesn't work. I just get the blank stare.

As such, I agree with Ann's post; that sharing the details of the current plotline isn't a great way to get people excited about Achewood. Current fans already know the plot, new potential fans aren't going to get it.

That said, I think it's high time Achewood got its due. The characters are so richly developed that they seem real, however unlikely their lives and stories may be. Their "realness" is aided powerfully by Onstad's work on individual blogs for each of the characters. It gives them an astonishing multidimensionality that is rare for lots of storytelling media, and for webcomics in particular.

Worth mentioning also is the existence of several Achewood-themed songs, helped into existence by Songfight.org, a web-based independent songwriting contest that features a theme each week to inspire songwriters. Achewood themes have featured in several Songfight contests, with some fun, catchy results.

Achewood is a fabulous webcomic, certainly; and it seems to be developing into some sort of cultural force. How lucky we are for that.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head over to the Dude & Catastrophe for a brew.

Anonymous:

Oh, PS:

A comment from Cassandra Kazenzakis... clever. ;-)

Kirk:

One of the things that I like a lot about achewood is that - compared to newspaper comics - it has a much wider range of subjects. Most newspaper comics repeat the same set ups ad nauseum, but it feels like there's no subject that's off limits -- whether that's going to the moon or hell or the garbage dump. It keeps it interesting.

All in all, I think webcomics are better for that sort of diversity. Even though it has the same six panels of art every time, Dinosaur Comics at Qwantz.com covers every imaginable type of issue, and for sheer variety, one of my favorite comics right now is El Kiablo at http://elkiablo.com. I'd rather read any of those three than, say, Garfield or the Family Circus, which have been running the same jokes for decades.

LM:

I agree with your observation in regard to Onstad applying both crude and beautiful styles to his comic. One must be a truly obsessed fan to know about and understand this.

Also, Achewood is so fucking funny that I often wonder how someone that intelligent, creative, and talented exists. I want to marry him.

"The the fury of the mome rath rent the earth in twain by twain." It's criminal how funny Achewood is.

E.S.:

I've got 2 favorites that I check first thing every morning-- then I feel sad that it's over. Achewood is one, and Cat and Girl is the other (updated less regularly).
Here's a recent favorite:
http://www.catandgirl.com/view.php?loc=412

Asherdan:

Who thinks Achewood is great?
I DO (ME)

Why two nipples? Because they are MAN CATS in a rough old world, that's why.

Achewood is a beautiful thing. The best comics page in the world is the one you make from bookmarks and OPEN IN NEW TABS while you're drinking coffee. And it all started with a perplexing drum machine manual stood upon by some young stuffed otter ....

I drew comics professionally for years and then stopped. Achewood inspired me to pick up the pen once more.
Onstad is one of the greats.

Jules:

Philippe for President 2008!

Achewood is the great American novel, only it's an Internet cartoon about animals

Achewood is one of the rare webcomics that makes me want to send its URL to my friends every single day!

zfan:

Roast Beef's "I'm the guy who sucks...and I've got depression" shirt is basically the whole of my soul in an absurd, talking-cat package. There are very few things that I've empathized with stronger than his one-font-size-smaller, no-punctuation ways.

You love it for the wonderful sense of familiarity it gives you, and classic lines like "if gonorrhea was a piano, Todd would be considered a bold and unpredictable new talent."

Matt:

Achewood might be the perfect webcomic. Onstad's DNA should be stored immediately so we can clone him someday, thereby ensuring the comic can go on forever.

Mark:

I would not admit this to anyone I know personally, but I am a middle-aged man and I get so touched by the Phillippe character that it has crossed my mind that I should learn to draw him just so I can see him more often and have happy things happen to him. Phillippe is just the essence of pure childlike goodness. This sounds gay as hell, but I adore him.

Liquid Banjo:

Chris Onstad's writing is what makes Achewood about twice as good as any other web comic out there -- certainly anything that follows a remotely daily schedule. "Chris Onstad uses English like a malevolent linguistics grad student", as someone else mentioned, is about right... the English language is used not as a communication medium as much as a weapon, and Onstad's a black belt.

The distinction between Achewood and everyone else becomes clear every time someone suggests a web comic I just *have* to check out, and I check it out, and it sucks. Onstad is flat-out smarter and more creative than his peers. For me, it's Achewood and Space Moose (which is hard to find now that the author got a real job) at the top, Perry Bible Fellowship underneath, and the remainder of web-comic pinheads fighting for last place.

Lisa:

Teodor is of course a bear. Check out the family photos.

Don:

Achewood is a worthy investment of time to get a full sense of the humor and characters. It ranges from the absurb to the hilarious - http://achewood.com/index.php?date=04292004 - and is absolutely the Calvin and Hobbes of my generation.

I also agree with the other webcomics above, as well the Perry Bible Fellowship, Saturday Morning Breakfast, and White Ninja Comics.

ALD:

The best thing about http://achewood.com/index.php?date=04292004 is that not only is Beef wearing a button-down shirt and tie in order to grill, he's doing it in order to grill a single hot dog.

It's the little, almost unnoticeable, notes like those that make me want to go all A BLOO BLA BLOO BLOO BLOOOO! when I read Achewood.

Paul:

If you like Achewood and posting on messageboards come on over to The Official Unofficial Achewood Message Board (TOUAMB for Short). The only price of admission is a short period of severe hazing.

Stacy:

Achewood is great. It's so off-the-wall hilarious that amazing art isn't needed. And its simple art is far better than newspaper comics like Cathy and Dilbert anyway.

If you want webcomics with really amazing art, just read Perry Bible Fellowship or Fetus-X or A Lesson is Learned but the Damage is Irreversible.

Jackson:

GOOD artwork in webcomics:
http://americanelf.com/
http://www.drewweing.com/
http://rts.lunistice.com/
http://www.lowbright.com/Comics/comics.htm
http://www.demian5.com/

Unfortunately almost none of these are updated as frequently as Achewood, and most comics that have better art than Achewood suffer from piss-poor writing.

I love Achewood for Onstad's writing and his ability to craft engaging and complicated stories, but the strip's visuals are amateurish and ugly. There is absolutely no comparison between Achewood and Calvin & Hobbes. Watterson was the greatest cartoonist of our time, on a level of genius near that of Winsor McCay. Onstad's drawings do the job of helping his story along well enough, but there's absolutely no comparison.

Bill Langan:

> the strip's visuals are amateurish and ugly

That's like commenting that George Washington wasn't hot. That wasn't his job.

Why do you need to keep making an off-point dyspeptic comment.

Joe Ball:

Achewood is among the pantheon of great humor.

Some other webcomics worth checking out:

http://www.wondermark.com
http://www.overcompensating.com
http://www.sheldoncomics.com

Lindsay:

When I'm laughing alone in my office and someone wants to know what's so funny, I know I can't describe what I just read on Achewood. They simply won't get it and they'll think I'm weird.

Big ups to Notorious L.I.N.C.O.L.N.

ACHEWOOD IS A HELL OF FUNNAI. ONSTAD IS LUCKY TO HAVINK SUCH TALENTED PETS

Alan Morrison:

I must give a big thanks to someone beyond webcomic nerds like myself noticing Achewood. I've read it from the beginning, and I can honestly say it is one of the best crafted pieces of art I have ever seen. I say art because there is no other term that can incorporate all that Achewood has to offer.

I find it interesting that every comic that has been listed, either in the article itself or in the comments, I have read. Perhaps I should get a life?

Paul:

Has anyone else noticed that Jaws on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown is now wearing Ray Smuckles style glasses? and also that "Jackson" up above is a moron?

Paul:

In fact, when I see Jaws with those glasses on NFL Sunday Countdown, I'm pretty sure he's wearing a King Chochaco medallion and a thong too.

Jackson:

Bill I am making these comments because the author of this post said that "the artwork is a little crude, though at times also intensely, almost lyrically beautiful" and I asked for examples of when it was "intensely, almost lyrically beautiful" since I have found none, and people started having a hissy fit.

It's a great comic, but it looks real bad! And that's OK, because it's so good that it doesn't matter how awful it looks! But pretending that it's not awful doesn't make any sense, and people calling me a moron doesn't make the comic pretty.

When you tell someone that Achewood has hilarious writing and great art and they go to the site and see that it looks awful they're going to doubt what you've said about the hilarity of said writing. But if you tell them that the comic is hilarious but kind of crappily drawn they're going to go to the site, spend more time reading it, and eventually get on board. It's about setting up the right expectations, and if you send someone to achewood.com with them expecting to see something beautiful they're going to come away disappointed. But if you send them there expecting something that has amazing writing and visuals that aren't great (but are good enough to carry the story) they're going to get exactly what they were expecting.

Mike F (Melbourne, Australia):

Man there's a lot of Achewood love here.

Jackson has a point, I found the artwork combative when I first stumbled upon the strip a few years ago, but the humour had me hooked straight up. Then I couldn't imagine the artwork being any other way.

For the "lyrically beautiful" stuff, I'd recommend the Cartilage Head sequence and the Robert Johnson in Hell strips. No doubt about Chris being a sensational artist, but he's also pretty lazy. Often you'll see almost exactly the same strip, or at least some reproduced panels from earlier strips, with new dialogue and perhaps a few little changes here and there with facial expressions or what one arm might be doing. Obviously the main emphasis is upon the characters, the dialogue and the humour, and besides that this almost daily strip is usually pretty long (the format is so varied I can only imagine how difficult it must be to get all the strips into a printed format for publishing). Ask that of any other webcomics creator. Whatever keeps that quality of content going strong is fine by me.

Chris reminds me of Nick Hornby at times with his own blog. Terrific, funny, ascerbic (yet strangely private) writer.

elsupremo:

i always felt achewood was written specifically for me. as if i had talent and was writing myself a love letter in comic form.

now that i see how many other people enjoy it i feel lonely. the kind of lonely you feel when you've cheated on yourself.

Harry:

Yo, Jackson, I'm a cartoonist. I did a successful alt-weekly strip for 12 years. I think I can safely say that the "crude" art of Achewood is not badly done, it's only a different style from what we traditionally expect from cartooning.

Like most people, when I initially encountered it I also thought it was badly drawn, and Onstad's skills are indeed limited, but he has made the most of those and created a visual world that is as rich and satisfying in its own way as the best comics are.

Of course he's no Bill Watterson - who is? I would compare him more to Charles Schulz, both graphically and in the writing. Achewood is what "Peanuts" would be if it had started today (and if it never degenerated into lame, godawful self-parody).

YW:

I actually dig the art of achewood -- I would describe it as minimalist, just enough to get its point across. I also like how Onstad conveys character emotions/reactions through very slight changes in posture, angle and facial expression. Also, it means that the over-the-top drawings of certain things, like the head in the jar (sorry, can't find the link now) and the post-apocalyptic setting have more contrast and impact.

Andrea:

Roast Beef is not a loser. You tard.

Lev:

Language, please.

Look, Beef basically is kind of a loser. I'm sure he would describe himself as such. (Or would you describe him as a "winner"?) And unless you're really committed to radically misinterpreting me and then getting mad about it, it should be abundantly clear that that's exactly why I -- and I suspect, you -- love him.

It's a shame that the web comic that STARTED web comics isn't mentioned here:

Silly Cat Comix
http://www.sillycat.com

Kirk:

Actually, Maus did have cats in it - the cats were the Nazis. I think what you meant to say was "It kind of expands your understanding of webcomics, the way Maus did with graphic novels. Except this time the cats aren't genocidal anti-semitic racists."

Lev:

True. That would've been a way better way to put it.

Owen:

Achewood "jumped the shark" when Onstad started posting updates (and later comics) involving his young daughter. The strip has really suffered since, and many fans have moved on.

Jeremy:

Achewood is funny and I have a signed drawing by Mr. Onstad which is terrible and heartwarming.

Yep and from the looks of things webcomics will even get bigger with time (no pun intended). :)

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money market fund - allfunds.free-site-host.com/money-market-fund/index.html
fund raising letter
[URL=allfunds.free-site-host.com/fund-raising-letter/index.html]fund raising letter[/URL]
fund raising letter - allfunds.free-site-host.com/fund-raising-letter/index.html
index funds
[URL=allfunds.free-site-host.com/index-funds/index.html]index funds[/URL]
index funds - allfunds.free-site-host.com/index-funds/index.html
college fund
[URL=allfunds.free-site-host.com/college-fund/index.html]college fund[/URL]
college fund - allfunds.free-site-host.com/college-fund/index.html
non profit fund raising
[URL=allfunds.free-site-host.com/non-profit-fund-raising/index.html]non profit fund raising[/URL]
non profit fund raising - allfunds.free-site-host.com/non-profit-fund-raising/index.html
easy fund raising idea
and:
[URL=allfunds.free-site-host.com/easy-fund-raising-idea/index.html]easy fund raising idea[/URL]
easy fund raising idea - allfunds.free-site-host.com/easy-fund-raising-idea/index.html
state fund
[URL=allfunds.free-site-host.com/state-fund/index.html]state fund[/URL]
state fund - allfunds.free-site-host.com/state-fund/index.html

Hi, nice very nice page..!
mutual fund company - allfunds.free-site-host.com/nonprofit-fund-raising/index.html
[URL=allfunds.free-site-host.com/fund-raising-strategy/index.html]world wildlife fund[/URL]
church fund raising idea
[URL=allfunds.free-site-host.com/high-school-fund-raiser/index.html]fund of hedge funds[/URL]
[URL=allfunds.free-site-host.com/elementary-school-fund-raiser/index.html]fund of hedge funds[/URL]

Good luck !
PS: do you listen Linkin Park ?

Owen:

Achewood officially jumped the shark today when they actually made fun of Stephen Hawkings disability. It isn't funny. It isn't "edgy". It's disgusting.

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About Nerd World

Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman

Lev Grossman blogs about anything and everything that could be plausibly labeled geeky--science fiction, fantasy, video games, comic books, tech stuff, and so on. If it could get you beaten up in junior high, it's fair game.  About the Author

Matt Selman
Matt Selman

Matt Selman has worked on eleven seasons and over two hundred episodes of The Simpsons. He currently serves as an Executive Producer.  About the Author

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