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Notables 2010: Chris Onstad’s The Great Outdoor Fight

Chris Onstad, The Great Outdoor Fight, 2008.

This book collects (and slightly expands) an extended storyline from Chris Onstad’s Achewood, a webcomic that needs no introduction to many people and yet still remains (for now) an under-the-radar sleeper in the larger culture—including many comics fans who aren’t keyed in to webcomics. The genius of Achewood lies chiefly in Onstad’s dialogue, with its snappy rhythms, absurd and trashy humor, and a very particular patois which I won’t embarrass myself by trying to describe here! Webcomics can be very hard to get into mid-stream so it’s great to have a collection like this which you gives you a complete arc as an introduction.

Age: college (teens would obviously love it but it’s a hard sell for a curriculum board!)

 

What is this “Notable” thing all about? Matt and Jessica are the series editors for the Best American Comics, and are responsible for the Notable Comics list at the back of the book, which is comprised of virtually all the comics we sent to the guest editor that weren’t picked, as well as a number of others that we think are noteworthy for various reasons, but that we didn’t send to the guest editor.

We’ve always hoped readers will delve a bit into the list to find more great stories once they finish reading BAC. Realistically, though, we know that’s tough. What can you know about a story from a title and author? So this is one of a series of posts focusing on each of the Notables from the 2010 Best American Comics.

Have or know of a comic we should look at? Find submission info here.

The “age” suggestion is what we think might be the minimum age for reading and appreciating a work. All works on the list, though, should appeal to older audiences too. It’s a minimum suggestion only.

 

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