Product Description

Riding high on the success of The Great Outdoor Fight, Achewood and Dark Horse Comics have compiled an extensively annotated collection of the first few years' worth of Achewood comics. This is no mere companion volume to the cult-classic online strip: the entire prehistory of Achewood is set forth for the first time, and all of the celebrated alt-texts are included. Additionally, author Chris Onstad has literally littered the book with observations and rudities. TIME magazine named back-to-back Ignatz Award-winner Achewood its 2007 Graphic Novel of the Year, and legions of devoted fans consistently report that it makes them feel the way Bloom County and Calvin and Hobbes did when they were young.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19285 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 136 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781595822390
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

For casual and dedicated fans alike
My first thought upon seeing this product was "wait a minute, aren't those strips already available in print?" And indeed, I own these same strips in the other printed compilations.

However, this hardcover is a much better offering. Not only is the original alt-text for every comic visible, but many of the strips are annotated by the author. These annotations aren't just points of interest for the obsessed Achewood fan, but are often as funny as the comics themselves.

This volume also adds several chapters to the Story of Achewood, each narrating the arrival of one of the characters. The humor in these chapters has been greatly stepped up from those written in previous compilations, and are very enjoyable.

But my favorite part of this volume--by far--is the prologue. It tells of a typical rainy-day exchange between Onstad, Ray, and Roast Beef. While Onstad may have a flair for dramatic story arcs, his most humorous pieces are those describing everyday conversations and events. It is easy to see why: we love these characters for their personalities (especially their mannerisms and vernacular), and this is best distilled in the mundane, without the distractions of action and drama.

The best webcomic now in hardcover
Achewood is basically the story of a group of anthropomorphic animals who are more believably human than the characters found in most webcomics. Achewood's cast resonates on such a personable level because it's about people you already know. Even if you've never had the pleasure of meeting a talking cat wearing a thong, you have undoubtedly met a Ray Smuckles, or a Roast Beef. The lovable neurotic, the droll intellectual, the eternally youthful child -- all the people you know in real life will pop out of these pages. Because at its heart, Achewood is a slice-of-life story.

This volume is the definitive primer for people curious about Achewood, presented with background stories, setting layout, and other information that wasn't revealed until much later in the comic's run. The volume also starts with the introduction of the cats, a point which the author and many fans consider as the real moment Achewood finds its voice. Older strips stretching back to the comic's inception are also included.

Already established fans still have plenty of reasons to pick up this volume beyond reading their favorite comic in a handsome hardcover collection. Each strip contains the author's annotations as well as the original comic and alt-text. Three jokes per strip is a pretty good value. And the aforementioned background stories are all illuminating and terribly cute.

Everyone should buy this book. It's the start of something beautiful.

Classic Achewood - Five Stars!
I pre-ordered "Worst Song, Played on Ugliest Guitar", and it was well worth the wait. Classic Achewood greatness!!