Early Development of The Series
In the early months of Achewood, the strip takes place entirely at Chris Onstad's house, and the four original characters—Philippe, Téodor, Lyle and Cornelius Bear—are implied to be essentially trapped there. Philippe's appearance at the front door causes some Trick-or-Treaters to exclaim in fear, "HOLY CHRIST IS THAT AN ALIVE STUFFED ANIMAL", and the friends are forced to hide when the pizza they ordered is delivered. There is no mention of having jobs, money or any real responsibilities. After Ray, Roast Beef and Pat are introduced, however, the characters begin to assume more complex personalities and exercise greater independence. This trend is accelerated during an extended story arc called "The Party", the first of the long-form storylines which would become a staple of Achewood. The transition from what had essentially been a gag-a-day comic was fairly abrupt – there is no run-up to "The Party." Instead, on March 12, 2002 all of the characters are shown lined up outside the Onstad residence waiting for Téodor to let them in and the comic concluded with the note “continued tomorrow.” "The Party" introduces several supporting characters, including the robots, Ultra Peanut and Phillipe's mother.
Subsequent chapters establish more clearly defined relationships between the characters add additional depth to their personalities and follow the main players through major life events like "The Great Outdoor Fight".
Originally, Ray and Roast Beef were background characters, part of a trio of cats (along with Pat) who always appeared together and fancied themselves "the dirtiest dudes in town" due to their skill at vulgar insults. Originally, only Ray and Pat were given names. As time passed, Ray and Beef were given more and more panel time, eventually becoming the central characters of the strip, with the original four main characters taking on supporting roles.
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