Lyle, July 2: pissed on side of house
July 6, 2004 11:09 AM Subscribe
New Blogs! No, I'm not talking about Michael Moore. I mean that Every Member of the Cast of Achewood (even Molly) has now started a freakin' weblog. Hell of pointless ambitious...
Anybody have a link to the Angelina Jolie pic the Molly blog talked about?
posted by Irontom at 11:23 AM on July 6, 2004
posted by Irontom at 11:23 AM on July 6, 2004
Has Molly gotten any offers from Playboy yet? Are cat years considered in the age of consent requiremnt?
posted by ae4rv at 11:33 AM on July 6, 2004
posted by ae4rv at 11:33 AM on July 6, 2004
I love Achewood (and Ray even answered one of my questions a while back), but just based on historical evidence such as how every other strip is delayed, and that much of the weekly content ends up coming out monthly, I doubt the blogs will be maintained.
Any web comic that can actually result in an alteration of your speech patterns must be doing something hell of right, though. Basically.
posted by Hildago at 11:39 AM on July 6, 2004
Any web comic that can actually result in an alteration of your speech patterns must be doing something hell of right, though. Basically.
posted by Hildago at 11:39 AM on July 6, 2004
Shame that they're all using BLOGSPOT, which seems to be experiencing yet another outage.
Grrrrrrrrrrr...
posted by davidmsc at 11:40 AM on July 6, 2004
Grrrrrrrrrrr...
posted by davidmsc at 11:40 AM on July 6, 2004
Onstad really wants to be a writer, doesn't he? I still prefer the strip way more than any of his text experiments: he's got a way with the putting together of words and pictures. It's bascally like treasure. Comparatively, the Nate Small novel he did on Serializer.net (subscription only) bored me to tears and beyond.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 11:58 AM on July 6, 2004
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 11:58 AM on July 6, 2004
david -
Are the pages not coming up for you? I just pulled them up fresh on another computer OK. What are you on? (heh.)
Hildago, you're probably right. It's absurd for Onstead to take on anything as big as this when he can barely get the strip done daily. But it's still quite an interesting achievement as is.
Already noticed two errors in my post. I started out with initial caps and then forgot halfway through the sentence... and more importantly, it's not Every Member of the Cast: Where's Todd, fer chrissakes?
posted by soyjoy at 12:03 PM on July 6, 2004
Are the pages not coming up for you? I just pulled them up fresh on another computer OK. What are you on? (heh.)
Hildago, you're probably right. It's absurd for Onstead to take on anything as big as this when he can barely get the strip done daily. But it's still quite an interesting achievement as is.
Already noticed two errors in my post. I started out with initial caps and then forgot halfway through the sentence... and more importantly, it's not Every Member of the Cast: Where's Todd, fer chrissakes?
posted by soyjoy at 12:03 PM on July 6, 2004
Todd can't read, duh!
Man, given that these will probably be updated infrequently, it would be really cool if there was some way one could be notified when these blogs were updated, a sort of syndicator or aggregator or something.
But I guess such technology is Beyond The Powers of Science.
posted by Capn at 12:16 PM on July 6, 2004
Man, given that these will probably be updated infrequently, it would be really cool if there was some way one could be notified when these blogs were updated, a sort of syndicator or aggregator or something.
But I guess such technology is Beyond The Powers of Science.
posted by Capn at 12:16 PM on July 6, 2004
Isn't there a feed for each of them? (I don't know anything about that stuff)
posted by Hildago at 12:27 PM on July 6, 2004
posted by Hildago at 12:27 PM on July 6, 2004
Achewood is one of the only strips that can make me weep with laughter, although it did take reading about 20 strips before I could really get into it. Ray's Place is often beyond good and the blogs are really enjoyable.
As for his almost-but-not-quite-everyday schedule, cut the guy a little slack. Speaking from experience, it ain't easy to do a comic 5 days a week (well, 6 if you count serializer). Onstad updates far more than the majority of web comic artists out there and is ten times funnier than all of them.
I also can't see the blogs lasting, but am enjoying them while they do. And, hey, if Todd can't have a blog, how about a little more of him in the comic? Todd: so bad, yet so good.
posted by fizz-ed at 12:27 PM on July 6, 2004
As for his almost-but-not-quite-everyday schedule, cut the guy a little slack. Speaking from experience, it ain't easy to do a comic 5 days a week (well, 6 if you count serializer). Onstad updates far more than the majority of web comic artists out there and is ten times funnier than all of them.
I also can't see the blogs lasting, but am enjoying them while they do. And, hey, if Todd can't have a blog, how about a little more of him in the comic? Todd: so bad, yet so good.
posted by fizz-ed at 12:27 PM on July 6, 2004
With the creator's attention divided like this, I think any hope that Achewood will ever get funny has pretty much evaporated.
posted by jjg at 12:53 PM on July 6, 2004
posted by jjg at 12:53 PM on July 6, 2004
jjg: Now that, unlike Achewood, was funny.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 1:20 PM on July 6, 2004
posted by DrJohnEvans at 1:20 PM on July 6, 2004
I've been having problems accessing BlogSpot sites for about the last 48 hours or so...I just get the standard error page at least 3 out of 4 times.
Using Avant on a P4 Dell.
???
posted by davidmsc at 2:05 PM on July 6, 2004
Using Avant on a P4 Dell.
???
posted by davidmsc at 2:05 PM on July 6, 2004
I don't really feel the need to disparage some random artist's work, no matter what its worth to me, and particularly in a public forum. But unless I'm missing something, Achewood sucks really badly.
posted by majick at 2:18 PM on July 6, 2004
posted by majick at 2:18 PM on July 6, 2004
You are missing something, imho. It can take a little while to get into it, but this is by far the best online comic (best comic anywhere, probably) I've ever come across (which is saying something). Chris Onstad can make you feel for the fate of the cartoon incarnation of a stuffed otter. It's mostly the writing but there's something about the simple black and white line art that suits it perfectly. I'd recommend you devote half an hour or so to it sometime and start from the top.
posted by humuhumu at 2:29 PM on July 6, 2004
posted by humuhumu at 2:29 PM on July 6, 2004
It took me a bit to get into Achewood as well, but it's currently in my daily rounds, and I love it.
I started digging the line art after a while, and I find the writing among the best. As a bonus, each strip has an alt tag that rounds out the experience.
posted by o2b at 2:45 PM on July 6, 2004
I started digging the line art after a while, and I find the writing among the best. As a bonus, each strip has an alt tag that rounds out the experience.
posted by o2b at 2:45 PM on July 6, 2004
A noble effort, humuhumu, but... give it up. I know exactly what you're talking about and how bizarrely powerful those strips were as they unfolded day by day, but to people who haven't gotten to know the hilariously unpredictable Nice Pete and the ever-credulous Philippe over dozens and dozens of strips, those examples will doubtless just look like more weird-ass tripe. And so they'll think "why should I devote any time to getting to know or understand this?" and just shrug it off till the next opportunity to bash the strip.
On preview: Well, o2b proves me wrong. heh. I'm gonna post this anyway.
posted by soyjoy at 2:52 PM on July 6, 2004
On preview: Well, o2b proves me wrong. heh. I'm gonna post this anyway.
posted by soyjoy at 2:52 PM on July 6, 2004
"But unless I'm missing something, Achewood sucks really badly."
As others have said, it takes a little time to get into it, but once you do you will be hooked.
I hated Achewood the first time I saw it, it wasn't until I sat down and read it from the beginning that I really began to appreciate it.
Go to the site and read the first couple months, if you aren't a fan after that I'll give you your money back.
posted by fizz-ed at 2:52 PM on July 6, 2004
As others have said, it takes a little time to get into it, but once you do you will be hooked.
I hated Achewood the first time I saw it, it wasn't until I sat down and read it from the beginning that I really began to appreciate it.
Go to the site and read the first couple months, if you aren't a fan after that I'll give you your money back.
posted by fizz-ed at 2:52 PM on July 6, 2004
In the interest of the benefit of the doubt, I went back to the beginning at March 12, 2002 and read until May 12, 2002. Pretty much from the Party until they started the Spanish television thing. I even read all of the alt tags.
The thing is? I could really pinpoint where some people would find amusement. I can see where he's making a joke, and how, after an understanding from reading the past month's strips, you might find it hilarious.
But god damn, it still sucks. Take this strip with the Jesus jokes for example. It's pretty easy to find out where the funny is being attempted, but misses the mark.
It's not that some of us don't get it. Take for example the movie Dodgeball. I saw this on opening night, with a rowdy audience. They thought the movie was the funniest thing ever. But every joke, every point of humor was so obvious it was excruciating.
If Dodgeball was the lowest common denominator, and Achewood is the highest, then I'm pretty comfortable with being in the middle.
posted by Stan Chin at 3:12 PM on July 6, 2004
The thing is? I could really pinpoint where some people would find amusement. I can see where he's making a joke, and how, after an understanding from reading the past month's strips, you might find it hilarious.
But god damn, it still sucks. Take this strip with the Jesus jokes for example. It's pretty easy to find out where the funny is being attempted, but misses the mark.
It's not that some of us don't get it. Take for example the movie Dodgeball. I saw this on opening night, with a rowdy audience. They thought the movie was the funniest thing ever. But every joke, every point of humor was so obvious it was excruciating.
If Dodgeball was the lowest common denominator, and Achewood is the highest, then I'm pretty comfortable with being in the middle.
posted by Stan Chin at 3:12 PM on July 6, 2004
(apparently) like many people, at first I thought it was totally stupid. but then later the cardhouse robot (or someone) kept recommending it, and so I tried again and damn if it was not heck of benjamins funny.
one of my favorite bits.
even worse than a crowd full of idiots thinking that some crappy movie is the funniest thing ever, is them thinking that all the lame jokes that were pre-exposed in the all-too-revealing previews are the funniest things ever. ghod I sure do hate dottyville-on-the-pacific.
oh yeah, the blog stuff -- doesn't do much for me, eh. ray's place is vaguely entertaining tho.
posted by dorian at 4:01 PM on July 6, 2004
one of my favorite bits.
even worse than a crowd full of idiots thinking that some crappy movie is the funniest thing ever, is them thinking that all the lame jokes that were pre-exposed in the all-too-revealing previews are the funniest things ever. ghod I sure do hate dottyville-on-the-pacific.
oh yeah, the blog stuff -- doesn't do much for me, eh. ray's place is vaguely entertaining tho.
posted by dorian at 4:01 PM on July 6, 2004
I bought all three prints of achewood. It was worth every penny.
posted by Keyser Soze at 4:48 PM on July 6, 2004
posted by Keyser Soze at 4:48 PM on July 6, 2004
Me, I don't get Goats. De gustabus blah blah blah.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 5:31 PM on July 6, 2004
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 5:31 PM on July 6, 2004
Determined not to "miss out" on something all the cool kids like, I read through some of the archives.
This is the only one in the first year that made me chuckle, but it was truly a legitimate chuckle.
posted by Ynoxas at 7:04 PM on July 6, 2004
This is the only one in the first year that made me chuckle, but it was truly a legitimate chuckle.
posted by Ynoxas at 7:04 PM on July 6, 2004
They say humour is subjective, but you people are WRONG! Wrong wrong wrong wrong, wrong!
posted by Capn at 8:08 PM on July 6, 2004
posted by Capn at 8:08 PM on July 6, 2004
It also took me a while to get into it. I think it helps if:
1. you are a male who grew up in california/arizona/washington/oregon/nevada/a suburb of most major cities
2. did some computer stuff at one time
3. were born between the years of 1966-1988
4. made some money, preferably in the dotcom era
5. have travelled to europe
6. have experimented with drugs/drunkenness/bad music/weird behavior
7. enjoy the use of modern dialects and region-specific accents
8. Have a wry sense of humor
9. spend too much time online
10. went to a good college
11. have read a decent amount of novels/genre stuff
these are just some observations about basically where the humor comes from.
posted by cell divide at 8:22 PM on July 6, 2004
1. you are a male who grew up in california/arizona/washington/oregon/nevada/a suburb of most major cities
2. did some computer stuff at one time
3. were born between the years of 1966-1988
4. made some money, preferably in the dotcom era
5. have travelled to europe
6. have experimented with drugs/drunkenness/bad music/weird behavior
7. enjoy the use of modern dialects and region-specific accents
8. Have a wry sense of humor
9. spend too much time online
10. went to a good college
11. have read a decent amount of novels/genre stuff
these are just some observations about basically where the humor comes from.
posted by cell divide at 8:22 PM on July 6, 2004
I'm on vacation and wearing my Achewood varsity t-shirt right now, good to know I'll have tons of Onstad reading when I get back. I <3 the hell out of this little comic strip, but I then again I hit all 11 of cell divide's points...
To add three more:
12. enjoy obscure pop culture references.
13. basic understanding of what it would be like to be Roast Beef.
14. know a Ray.
posted by togdon at 10:58 PM on July 6, 2004
To add three more:
12. enjoy obscure pop culture references.
13. basic understanding of what it would be like to be Roast Beef.
14. know a Ray.
posted by togdon at 10:58 PM on July 6, 2004
The part that I really don't get is the part where we get thread after thread of Achewood fans trying to convince the rest of us that we're lame for not liking it.
posted by jjg at 11:09 PM on July 6, 2004
posted by jjg at 11:09 PM on July 6, 2004
trying to convince the rest of us that we're lame for not liking it.
Not at all... I'd love it if you liked it - then you'd get the same enjoyment out of it that I do. This isn't a superior thing. It's a wanting-to-share thing.
posted by humuhumu at 12:00 AM on July 7, 2004
Not at all... I'd love it if you liked it - then you'd get the same enjoyment out of it that I do. This isn't a superior thing. It's a wanting-to-share thing.
posted by humuhumu at 12:00 AM on July 7, 2004
The part that I really don't get is the part where people who don't like Achewood feel the need to come into threads like this to try and convince the rest of us that it's not funny.
I mean, yeah, we get it. You hate Achewood. Great. I posted this because I thought it was an interesting blog experiment, not to have yet another referendum.
posted by soyjoy at 8:01 AM on July 7, 2004
I mean, yeah, we get it. You hate Achewood. Great. I posted this because I thought it was an interesting blog experiment, not to have yet another referendum.
posted by soyjoy at 8:01 AM on July 7, 2004
I mean, yeah, we get it. You hate Achewood.
Metafilter: Your Favorite Webcomic Sucks.
posted by smcbride at 12:05 PM on July 7, 2004
Metafilter: Your Favorite Webcomic Sucks.
posted by smcbride at 12:05 PM on July 7, 2004
Well, it may be all a short-lived satire on blogging culture -I really can't imagine him keeping this going much longer - but all the blogs have indeed updated, for those that are interested.
Ray Roast Beef Pat Teodor Philippe Mr. Bear Lyle Molly Chris
Oh yeah - I was hoping to find a certain fave strip to use as my link for "hate," above, but had to settle for my second choice. Finally I found it, and guess what - it's about Mr. Bear's blog!
posted by soyjoy at 8:53 AM on July 8, 2004
Ray Roast Beef Pat Teodor Philippe Mr. Bear Lyle Molly Chris
Oh yeah - I was hoping to find a certain fave strip to use as my link for "hate," above, but had to settle for my second choice. Finally I found it, and guess what - it's about Mr. Bear's blog!
posted by soyjoy at 8:53 AM on July 8, 2004
One more update:
Not only are the blogs still going two weeks later (some more sporadically than others - where the hell is Teodor?) but now even Nice Pete and Little Nephew are blogging (still no Todd - couldn't he audioblog?). Also, today's strip shows the first explicit crossover from the blogs' storyline, as Lyle's ruminations about starting a taco cart from all the leftover grub he brings home from his busboy job become a reality.
posted by soyjoy at 10:52 AM on July 20, 2004
Not only are the blogs still going two weeks later (some more sporadically than others - where the hell is Teodor?) but now even Nice Pete and Little Nephew are blogging (still no Todd - couldn't he audioblog?). Also, today's strip shows the first explicit crossover from the blogs' storyline, as Lyle's ruminations about starting a taco cart from all the leftover grub he brings home from his busboy job become a reality.
posted by soyjoy at 10:52 AM on July 20, 2004
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This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
I don't know if this is just a one-off stunt or not - I can't see Chris Onstead keeping this up for long (oh yeah, here's his blog, which basically consists only of his breakfast and lunch menus) - but it's bloggedy gold for Achewood fans.
And for anyone who doesn't delight in this, all I can say is: How come you got to be so GOD DAMNED stupid and just do the stupidest thing possible every SINGLE SECOND OF THE GOD DAMNED DAY!
posted by soyjoy at 11:10 AM on July 6, 2004