Career
Aschwanden gained national prominence when he illustrated a series of auto-repair manuals beginning with the 1969 manual: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot, written by John Muir. Following Muir"s death, additional new material and revisions for subsequent editions have been provided by Tosh Gregg. The independently published book sold about 2 million copies and is now in its 19th edition
A photo of Aschwanden appeared in the book, with the caption reading his pseudonym, "Amanda B. Reckondwith".
Aschwanden would also contribute illustrations to Muir"s publication, The Velvet Monkeywrench. Aschwanden died of cancer on December 3, 2005.
He was 63.