June 24th, 2009
Family
While drawing this strip, I remembered that this marks two years of The Abominable Charles Christopher. I also remembered that in this last year I lost both of my grandmothers and that, perhaps more significantly, each of my parents lost a mother.
So this one’s for Ma and Pa…
June 24th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Oh, Karl. Tears in my eyes. This one’s just lovely…
June 24th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Such a beautiful page. Really gut-punching.
The top row makes me think of my mother, and how she’s mainly alone now I’ve left.
June 24th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Just discovered your work (Through Twitter @gothicmangaka)
This.is…absolutely gorgeous.
Kudos, many.
June 24th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Absolutely touching. I’d show it to my parents (Who have both lost their mothers) but I think they’d cry.
June 24th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Fine work, as usual, Karl. You have an equal ability in making me sniffle or giggle. Today’s is a heart-wrencher. Hat’s off to you, good sir.
June 24th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
I am really moved by the second panel, and am once again amazed by the emotion that is conveyed by the animals in your art.
June 24th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Karl my friend, you always seem to know just which buttons to push to drag whatever emotional response it is you desire from your audience on any given day. Could Charles Christopher be the most beautifully written and illustrated comic on the web? I think so!
June 24th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
On a sweltering day of summer, you’ve given us an image of quiet dignity that can only be experienced in the longest of nights.
Thank you.
(from Toronto)
June 24th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Another beautiful strip, really sweet and touching=)
June 24th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
damn you and your tearjerkers
the paragraph underneath the strip was just as tear jerkin…man…stop makin me feel things X)
jerk…
June 24th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Aww, what an unbearably sweet and heart retching strip.
June 24th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Ahh yes, wonderful to be reminded that you don’t have to be present to have a presence in someone else’s life! When a very close friend died I promised his memory that I wouldn’t think something nice about someone and not say it…
Karl, your artwork is so incredibly beautiful and touching, I LOVE reading it, and have every week for two years without fail! MUAH! X
June 24th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
this is the first time i feel honest sadness – a welling up from my upper chest and into my throat.
this is what i am most afraid of, losing my mother and the people i love most
the timing – the pacing of the panels (i.e., the pause in panel 5) is like always, magic.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Oh Karl Hon… Once again, you’ve managed to make me cry and smile. I love this piece and what inspired it. One of the most wonderous things is that we never completely lose someone as they are always in our hearts, on our minds and in our dreams/memories.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I can only glue the pieces of my heart back together so many times, Kerschl…
June 24th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
that was beautiful sir
June 24th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
this breaks my heart a bit…
June 24th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Nice segue from Townsen’s brothers to their mom. Been a while since we’ve seen Judgmental Owl and Puffball; I always welcome a dose of their commentary.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Yep… that one made my eyes a little misty.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Besides the art, I gotta commend you on the characters. They’ve all got a unique voice.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
The next strip had better be the most hilarious and uplifting thing in the entire effin’ world.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Aww, sweet. Who’d o’ thought that owl had a softer side? He sounds so sad…
Great comic!
June 24th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
I just realised something….. could this all be tying in with Vivol and his mama? http://www.abominable.cc/2007/12/19/26/
June 24th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I just came across this comic today — it is as touching as it is well drawn. Bookmarked!
June 24th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Hey man, I came across this comic yesterday, and pretty much read everything from your archived.
You don’t understand how excited I was for this strip. It’s a really heartwarming strip, I love the little owl. Poor fellow, stay strong kid!!
I hope Townsen is brought back to life with the wish Charles made!! Then the whole lot of pups can reunite back with their mother.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Yes, I know this is the second time of commented
I’m even sadder now… I just read your note on this. Three of my grandparents died this year (all remaining three) and I can really sympathize here. I kept thinking how horrible it must be for my dad, who lost his mother. Even worse for my mom, who lost both her parents within a five month period.
Remembering this fact makes this seem all the sadder, but also more powerful. It’s sweet, in a very saddening way. Well done.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Sniff
June 24th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
So good.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Yeah, this made my eyes water too. Thanks for making a “comic” evoke such emotion.
June 25th, 2009 at 12:07 am
I’m always amazed at this comic week after week. Karl, you have a rare gift, I am glad you are sharing it with everyone…
June 25th, 2009 at 12:46 am
the transition of this strip was amazing
you are so amazing
thanks for sharing your work for free we indeed we should be having to pay for this amazingness
June 25th, 2009 at 2:26 am
Aren’t we overdoing it with the drama? Present tearful drama on EVERY single strip, and it will turn out to be repetitive.
Oh, who cares. Those owlies look so terribly cute.
June 25th, 2009 at 5:38 am
I would say:
Music for this weeks strip: Helios – Halving the Compass
June 25th, 2009 at 7:05 am
As always touching the right strings. Had been refreshing the website for the update yesterday and missed it so was happy to find the update news via Facebook… then stumbled on this piece of art again.
Lost my father a few years back and with a child on the way it really makes you review the value and relativity of life, family and love.
My vote for this weeks background song would have to be Running Through The Fields by Sister Hazel.
June 25th, 2009 at 7:09 am
This is a video not linked to this directly, but it does feature the song i mentioned, since i don’t think too many people will know it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drs9HX0H4g0&feature=fvsr
June 25th, 2009 at 7:48 am
Each of my parents and my mother-in-law have all lost a parent this past year. So many other TACC strips have already connected and moved me to tears or raucous laughter (in addition to being beautifully drawn and composed). I’m finally coming out of the ether to say, well done Mr. Kerschl. I hope TACC continues well beyond these first two years.
June 25th, 2009 at 7:59 am
Simply beautiful…..
June 25th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Good morning Karl,
Your strip is astounding. The art is beautiful, the characters are so accessible, and the plot is suspenseful. I find myself hitting F5 a lot on Wednesdays to see where Charles is going next!
The strips haven’t coaxed tears from me yet – does that make me coldhearted? – but the story is no less powerful for it. Thank you very much for sharing this work with all of us!
June 25th, 2009 at 9:12 am
With Father’s Day last weekend, I found myself thinking about Dad, who had a heart attack on my birthday a few years ago and passed away a week later.
This could not have been better timed.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Wonderful page.
Strange, but the passing of my two grandmothers started me on the path of creating comics. I miss them terribly.
June 25th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Oh man. You made me cry. I lost my grandma a year and a half ago. It still feels like yesterday. You’re making me cry every week now! *flail*
June 25th, 2009 at 11:11 am
Thank you for such a lovely strip again. I love the tiny little owl – how his words suddenly make such an impact. I’ve been reading for a few months now, and it’s just lovely. Thanks so much. This is most likely one of the most profound, beautiful, and lyrical comics I’ve ever come across. Keep up the good work, and always, thank you for your outstanding effort.
June 25th, 2009 at 11:33 am
*sigh*
I think I’m ready for some more wacky woodland creature antics.
June 25th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Your work …just stunning. I love every moment …
Here’s to your Ma and Pa as well as everybody else’s Ma and Pa
*HUGS* to all of you and my condolences and an extra *HUG* to those of you who have lost…
Wishing you all a magical rest of the day
June 25th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
OWLS ARE AWESOME! >:O
June 25th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Ah, beautiful. She looks so tired… but never giving up hope. I’m going to call my mother today.
I told my fiance about this strip the other day, and I found myself comparing it to Jeff Smith’s Bone. It’s fun, heavy, gripping, and you’re never quite sure where it will lead you!
Keep up the amazing work!
June 25th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
<3 thank you again, Karl
June 25th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I actually feel simpathy for the owl dad now.
June 25th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
[...] Is there a more beautifully-drawn webcomic than Karl Kerschl’s The Abominable Charles Christopher? The gentle (if not overly bright) yeti hit two years of updates with a heartbreaking pair of parallel stories. [...]
June 25th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Oh my deity.
Absolutely amazing. I wish I could forget I read any of this strip so I can go back and experience it again for the first time.
Great work Karl.
June 25th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Karl,
Congratulations! 2 years of beautiful art and stories. Keep it up and thank you.
June 25th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I can’t add anything significant to the comments already posted except the empathy from having lost my dad within the past year, so congrats on two years of one of the most exceptional strips I’ve ever encountered. Thanks!
June 25th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
My parent just divorced last week and my mom left. I just wanted to thank you Karl, this means a lot to me.
June 25th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Hey man, good job on the amazing comic, but is the plot going anywhere? Like, at all?
June 25th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
This was posted on my mother’s birthday. The same day she came out of the hospital. Thank you for this.
June 26th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Yeah, what they all already said.
I . . . got something in my eye, shuddup.
June 26th, 2009 at 10:10 am
This is pretty much the confirmation of ‘yes, he’s really dead’, isn’t it?
Why must art always evoke such sadness?
June 26th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Touching. Extremely touching. I’m debating on whether or not it’s a good idea to show this to a friend and her mom, who just lost their grandfather and stepdad respectively.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
It has been two years and you still haven’t progressed further than a few ecosystems and a couple random jokes? Still love the art, but when will you drop the poor attempts at emotional heart-wrenching and, in the words of Monty Python, “Get on with it”…? I’m quite surprised at the number of people who are emotionally moved by this. What, if I show you a picture of a kitten with sad eyes will you all be moved to tears? I, for one, require a bit more substance and plot to move me to continue reading — let alone shed a single tear.
June 26th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
for all those overly concerned with the plot of ACC, I offer this oft cited bit of sagacity, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey that counts . . . and it could not be truer of any story than this.
June 26th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
I had an entire paragraph all typed out, going on about how I love your work and this issue and everything but…that doesn’t really matter to me right now.
Thank you for this, Karl. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reminding me of the one person who meant the most to me, always.
Thank you.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Hey, Twoyears.
Clearly everyone else is wrong and you, among a few others are right?
Hahaha.
I guess we need to set our standards higher, or something.
June 27th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Oh man, I’m just about crying. You are amazing. This strip tugs at my heartstrings.
June 27th, 2009 at 12:37 am
That’s two comics in a row you’ve got me tearing up…
There is something in journalism called the cosmic quote. It’s your best quote, you want everybody to see it – and ideally, it is only a few words. It says everything you could ever hope to say about the story in just a couple words.
The final line of this strip is just such a quote, powerful, and completely explanatory. It is one thing to copy down a soundbite and turn it into such a quote – it is another thing to engineer one so perfectly like this. Fantastic comic.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:58 am
God damn. Tearing up?
Get real people.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Happy 2nd anniversary. My condolences on you and your parents loss.
June 27th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Love the owls expressions. I like the lil owl so fluffy and cute :D
Can’t say I’ve been brought to the depths of emotion some others have but it’s impressive your able to have that much of an effect on some readers. I do always enjoy your work though ;)
June 27th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Don’t forget, you owe us some wacky woodland hijinks after this.
June 27th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
I came home from a trip yesterday. So I wasn’t able to see this strip until today. I also learned yesterday of the loss of my friend’s father. .. This strip came at the perfect time, didn’t it?
June 28th, 2009 at 2:47 am
“Happy 2nd anniversary. My condolences on you and your parents loss.”
June 28th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
This is a very fine work of fiction, and a powerful, emotional series. Hats off to you, I will be back to read more.
June 29th, 2009 at 11:39 am
these strips keep making me cry! – bravo!
June 29th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Aw crap. I always hate catching up to the current strip when reading through an archive. I really like your work. Beautiful art.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
This is the first story in a very long time that has moved me like this. Thanky you
June 29th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Karl, once again you have made a masterpiece. It made me think of my mother. She’s a Navy wife, so she spends a lot of time waiting. Other than that emotional turn, your characters are, as always, wonderfully done. I can’t wait for Wednesday’s strip.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:56 am
definitely the best web comic around
thanks!
June 30th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Poor little owlet. I wonder what happened to his mom?
June 30th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Need update now!!! You must update best comic on the internet now!!! Plzzzzzzzzzz!!!!
June 30th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
-sob
Beautiful.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Grats on your 2nd year! The comic is awesome!
and now… a fluffy owl pic! http://cuteoverload.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/q6d1xo0wmml9rpnxc8gwp2yfo1_500.jpg
July 1st, 2009 at 8:44 am
Really nice comic. Commenting on some (most) of the other comments..
If you cry reading this comic you’re most probably not fit for life.
Nicely drawn with great facial expressions but still nothing to whine about.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
LOVE the 5th panel.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Dammit I just stopped crying from the previous page. I feel for Clara.
July 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
This one made me tear up.
August 23rd, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Karl, I figure you owe me about $150,000 in emotional trauma. I think that’s a fair trade for making a grown man get teary eyed in public with about a dozen coworkers waiting to use the computer.
All kidding aside. Wow. Thought provoking.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
fluffiiieeeessss