 Astle's cryptic crosswords, appearing under the name "DA" in "The Age" and "The Sydney Morning Herald" (for which he also writes the "Wordplay" section), have developed a large following which includes musician Holly Throsby and actor Geoffrey Rush.Rush called him "the Sergeant Pepper of cryptic crosswords".In 2011, his portrait called "DA" painted by artist Amanda Marburg, was shortlisted for the Archibald Prize.