Letters to an Absent Father

If you're older than 14 or have some grasp of popular culture over the past decade, then you've heard of Pokemon. You know, that show featuring 150 different pocket monsters (get it? That's why they're called "Poke-Mon") and revolving around the lovable trio of Misty, the fanboy fantasy; Brock, the only minority in all of Kanto; and Ash Ketchum, the loyal if incessantly clumsy protagonist.

I refuse to acknowledge anything beyond 250 Pokemon.

Growing up this was one of my favorite shows and probably the first anime I watched, except for maybe Dragon Ball Z. I was so dedicated to watching a bunch of glorified prepubescent slave owners force their Pokemon to fight to the brink of death that I would get up at 6:50 just to watch the show at 7:00. Kudos to YOU fellow reader if you not only remember those bygone days, but did the same.

But I digress.

Going back to my list of characters, one might even add Ash's mom to the mix since she's practically a recurring character throughout the series. We learn that she's an amazing cook, that she loves Ash, and that she has no problem sending her 10-year-old son to wander the world on his own without even Chris Hansen's protection. And she does all this as a single mother!

None of this to protect Ash's virgin ass.

 But wait..So where's Ash's dad?

Truth be told it is never revealed in the series; but as any child without a father can tell you, the question is constantly whittling away at you, even if they were too young to remember that father. As a boy, the absence of a father figure must have been doubly pressing to a young Ash growing up and the argument can even be made that his quest to become the best stems from his feelings of rejection from an ever absent father.

(click on the image if it gets cut off)

This is the premise behind Maré Odomo's project "Letters to an Absent Father," wherein a fatherless Ash writes letters to his absent father (which he may or may not send). My brother found these comics (there are 16 total) scattered here and there on the Internet before finally finding the original page, which is the link I have shared above with you. Hope you enjoy this read as well.

Cheers,
Touch