"onstad vs. the board"

[Immortal]

i know i don't have many posts, and that is automatically going to discredit what i have to say in the eyes of just about everyone here. i have no connection to Mr. Onstad, other than being a loyal reader, much like yourselves. i've been reading through the last couple days' worth of posts, trying to figure out why everyone here seems to hate him with such a passion... i mean, isn't he why you're all here in the first place? i know, i know, you're here for the funny things Roast Beef says or the naive things that Phillippe writes about in his blog, and you're pissed off that you think you see a decline in quality........ grow up. he's making the same kind of strips he's always made, you have just gotten snobbier with your taste. maybe you're a little uneasy about the prospect of a big book deal, you're afraid that your little indie comic will become fodder for Extra! or Entertainment Tonight or something. or maybe you're still pissed off that he quit moderating a message board you frequented more than a year ago. whatever it is, it doesn't make sense. and to just continually rag on the creator of the strip for "not being funny enough" just doesn't make any sense either. if you don't find today's strip funny, try again tomorrow, right? i'm amazed that he's been able to do a strip a weekday for so long, personally. three years is a long time, a nice accomplishment in itself. he's still creating strips that make him laugh (i hope, anyway), and since that's what got Achewood started in the first place, i have no problem with that. and neither should you.
i have plenty more to say, but i think you'd rather i stop now.

[AugustWest]

Do you know the only thing worse than being talked about?  Not being talked about.

We're all here because we love the strip.  It's the funniest thing going.  The internet is a wonderful tool that allows us to share our thoughts, positive and negative, about each days strip.  It's easy to forget that there's a person behind the strip and that he can read the boards as easily as the rest of us.

But what are we to do?  Some days are better than others.  Some strips strike me as funny that might do nothing for you.  This place allows us to share our thoughts about the comics in a fun, literate way.  We don't intend to stop.

You know, if you paid an academic to do a survey of the posts herein I think you'd find that 95% of them are glowing adulation.  We deeply care about the characters and slavishly follow everything they do.  That should tell you something.

People who produce art and entertainment for the public are subject to criticism.  We're all Monday morning quarterbacks trying to live vicariously through our artistic heroes.  As Achewood's popularity continues to expand this will only get worse.  If you don't like people talking about your work, don't publish it.

[V-Adore]

Short version of the answer: you're exactly right -- I really don't respect the opinions of someone who hasn't contributed.

Long version:

If you think we're all dicks, you have exactly two options: post to state your own opinion of the comic, or leave. Nobody is going to force you to do either -- you're welcome to just lurk bitterly into perpetuity if you like -- but if you don't contribute, you have no right to complain about content to which you could have easily contributed.

It is your personal opinion as to whether the strip has gone downhill. I don't believe it has -- I believe the quality of the strip is highly inconsistent, but it's been highly inconsistent ever since the "Philippe is standing on it" days. Some strips are glorious; some strips blow. But I vote with my feet. If I truly disliked Achewood that profoundly, I'd stop reading it.

If you're new to the board, you may or may not have any idea what kind of sweeping generalizations you're making about the board content. Go back and read old threads. Observe the many times in which we are respectful to Mr. Onstad and appreciative of his creation. We are fans; the fact that there's been a collective dislike of the past few strips doesn't change that, although you're welcome to think we're all bitter old curmudgeons if that makes you feel better.

Also, truth in posting: my opinion of Onstad has dropped since he started "defending himself" here. Yes, he's the creator of the strip -- but anyone who comes on the board only to heckle deserves to be met in kind. Trust us, we'd do the same to Gandhi if he came around slinging the shit.

HTH, HAND

[Kapow]

If you think we're all dicks, you have exactly two options: post to state your own opinion of the comic, or leave. Nobody is going to force you to do either -- you're welcome to just lurk bitterly into perpetuity if you like -- but if you don't contribute, you have no right to complain about content to which you could have easily contributed.

That's not really true.  I seem to be exploring a third option.

If you're new to the board, you may or may not have any idea what kind of sweeping generalizations you're making about the board content.

I guess this doesn't apply to me, since I was only talking about the posts I quoted, not some kind of overall "board content".

Also, truth in posting: my opinion of Onstad has dropped since he started "defending himself" here. Yes, he's the creator of the strip -- but anyone who comes on the board only to heckle deserves to be met in kind.

He showed up, was heckled, and responded in kind.  Not the other way around.  Pay attention.

People who produce art and entertainment for the public are subject to criticism.

What the hell kind of criticism is "Cut the crap and give us what we want. Every day." ?

[V-Adore]

If you think we're all dicks, you have exactly two options: post to state your own opinion of the comic, or leave. Nobody is going to force you to do either -- you're welcome to just lurk bitterly into perpetuity if you like -- but if you don't contribute, you have no right to complain about content to which you could have easily contributed.

That's not really true.  I seem to be exploring a third option.

What, "post about us being dicks without actually posting anything constructive?" That's called "board parasitism."

If you're new to the board, you may or may not have any idea what kind of sweeping generalizations you're making about the board content.

I guess this doesn't apply to me, since I was only talking about the posts I quoted, not some kind of overall "board content".

You're right that it doesn't, unless you're also Immortal. I was referring to Immortal's original post and its discussion of how we must all be bitter indier-than-thou cynics who hate Chris for "selling out" &c., which counterindicated even having lurked that long.

Also, truth in posting: my opinion of Onstad has dropped since he started "defending himself" here. Yes, he's the creator of the strip -- but anyone who comes on the board only to heckle deserves to be met in kind.

He showed up, was heckled, and responded in kind.  Not the other way around.  Pay attention.

He was heckled because it was assumed he was a troll claiming to be Onstad, which has happened at least once in the past. People generally apologized and greeted him once Jough discerned his identity. After that, well, I hate to get back to playground tactics, but "he started it" in general. (This isn't to say that he hasn't contributed constructively to the board in any way; his comments in the merch thread have been considerate and appreciated.)

People who produce art and entertainment for the public are subject to criticism.

What the hell kind of criticism is "Cut the crap and give us what we want. Every day." ?

I can't speak for August, and I don't entirely agree with his opinions (like I said in the original thread, I'm not gonna begrudge Onstad a vacation ever so often), but I think that the basic complaint that Onstad should have a backlog or otherwise prepare for vacations is reasonable, even though I don't wholeheartedly believe in it.

Look, I'm not going to use ad hominem attacks here. You seem reasonably articulate, and if you'd like to join in board discussion, I have absolutely no problem with it whatsoever. However, if you're going to be here, be here and be constructive -- don't labor to prove to us what short-sighted horrible human beings we are. Come discuss the strip. Really. It's fun.

[jough]

Onstad seemed to have a little too much time on his hands yesterday and came around to raise a little muck.  And after we found out it was actually Onstad and not some idiot pretending to be him, he was welcomed.  He's always been welcome here, but chose not to participate for the first 14 months of the board.  No problem, the Prodigal Son has returned and we laid out the feast for him.

Then he took a shit on the feast and told us all to go fuck ourselves and left again.  A few others joined the party to tell us how we should be THANKFUL for that and to eat the shit, since he was so gracious to leave it for us.

Anyway, he's not been any more obnoxious than any other member, but he should be aware that we have rules here and that he is not above them.  If his only goal is to abuse our members he will have to go.

That goes for the rest of you, too.

[ferocious j]

I have always and will continue to call jough out for basically being a dick.  He may run this place, but he also acts like an eight-year-old who had his Cheerios pissed in by Onstad and never really got over it.  He gets unnecessarily personal a lot for basically no reason, and it's complete bullshit.  I would've called him on this yet again in the thread that got locked, but I didn't check this forum in time.

I am not the first nor the only person to notice this about jough.

[jough]

FJ seems to think that Onstad can behave attrociously and that people should just bend over and take it because we like his cartoons.

If you're being a dick, I'll call you on it, especially if you're doing it in my home and ruining the enjoyment of my other guests.

I happen to like Onstad (sometimes) and find his writing to be funny and interesting enough to read it on a near-daily basis.  I like Faulkner's novels, too, but I don't know if I'd want to hang out with him.

[AlohaDawg]

Jough is a curmudgeon. Jough can be arbitrary. Jough can act rashly. Jough's girlfriend can really *****##### up the board. Jough plays tricks. Jough says mean things sometimes. Jough gets bodily emissions confused once in a great while.

Jough is also fearlessly himself, doesn't really worry about what people think of him and says what he feels. Unlike some members of this board and the challenging presidential candidate, Jough is consistently Jough. Complain about him one time if you want, but understand that you know what you are getting and just deal with it.

Thanks for continuing to host this board, too, Jough. I'm 75% posting to non-Achewood stuff these days because it's the people I like the most - I still read the strip, of course, but this board (for me) has it's own life.

[jough]

That's how I feel about it.  I'm glad that Achewood has brought us together here because I consider many (if not most) of you friends and enjoy our discussions more than I've enjoyed the strips in the past year.

[Chris Onstad]

Then he took a shit on the feast and told us all to go fuck ourselves and left again.

I didn't leave, I was asleep.

[AlohaDawg]

And then the grinch squatted
And shit on the feast!
He pooped on the who-hash and the rare who roast-beest!

[Kapow]

Jough is a curmudgeon. Jough can be arbitrary. Jough can act rashly. Jough's girlfriend can really *****##### up the board. Jough plays tricks. Jough says mean things sometimes. Jough gets bodily emissions confused once in a great while.

Jough is also fearlessly himself, doesn't really worry about what people think of him and says what he feels. Unlike some members of this board and the challenging presidential candidate, Jough is consistently Jough. Complain about him one time if you want, but understand that you know what you are getting and just deal with it.

Wow, he sounds like a great guy.  He's an asshole, but at least he's not some kind of fakey-fake pretending not to be an asshole.  Since those are the two options a person has.  Good choice, jough.

[jough]

Yes, Kapow, we have an open-door policy for assholes here.  Welcome to the boards.

[Kapow]

What about for people who aren't themselves?  Sometimes I'm this other guy, can he post here too?