An Open Letter To Chris Onstad

It’s no secret I am a fan of the webcomic Achewood. There’s so much stuff there to enjoy, what with the character blogs in addition to the strip itself. I’ve written about it many times before, including considering how one character’s reaction to his impending marriage could influence my reaction to my own.

Updates have been a little thin on the ground recently, however, so when I saw that the comic’s creator, Chris Onstad, had posted this explanation on his blog, I was a teensie bit worried. I needn’t have been – it turns out that he’s very busy, needs to sit down, and will get back to it when he can. Also, what “it” is may change. I’m glad. I decided to send him an email, which I reproduce below.

Dear Mr Onstad Sir,
I wanted to just add to the no-doubt stifling torrent of support from the positive half of the decade’s worth of strangers. Achewood was, is, and will hopefully continue to be among the best comic strips out there. I feel qualified to say this, despite only reading a few. The characters, the stories, the language, and yes the art style are all appealing to me. Certainly, yours is the only one that I have bought merchandise from, at least. In fact, I am slightly embarrassed to realize that over the years I have bought or have been gifted several pieces of your high-quality memorabilia. It has always impressed me that you have been able to provide such a rich seam of “content” (curse that word and the conveyor belt it represents). It shames me and my family to say that I am not a Fanflow subscriber. I was once, a while back, but that credit card expired. I’m on it.
In the face of growing expectations and commitments, I can appreciate the need to withdraw and draw breath. I am reminded of the words of one of your characters, Pat Reynolds, who said he would update his blog “whenever in the fucking hell I feel like it, you slavering, puckered assholes!”. Words to live by, I’m inclined to think.
In short, whatever you feel like coming up with, your fans will appreciate, despite moaning about it in the associated fora. Thanks for it all.

Yours sincerely,
Matthew Petty,
(an English white guy with glasses)
San Francisco