Begun in October 2001, Chris Onstad’s ACHEWOOD quickly became my favourite online comic strip. I was reading this stuff since before the cats. In fact I did not like how cat-centric the strip became, at first, missing the absurdity of “Phillipe is standing on it,” and Teodor dressed up as Archie. That’s how O.G. I am.

But enough preening. I present to you the first Achewood “Christmas” strip, which arrived on the day after Christmas 2001, with a message of anti-cheer. On actual-Christmas, Onstad posted a photo of the roof of his house, the gutter of which had sprung a leak, presumably on Christmas Eve. What I’m saying is that, like all of us, Chris Onstad has a complicated relationship with Christmas that he shares with you through his characters. Join him and them and us, all this week.

- Christopher