Housepets!

2010-01-17T02:02:25Z

76.244.57.3: /* Premise */

{{wikify}}
{{Infobox webcomic
| title = Housepets!
| image = [[Image:HousepetsHeader.PNG]]
| author = Rick Griffin
| url = http://www.housepetscomic.com/
| status = Ongoing Monday-Wednesday-Friday
| began = June 2, 2008
| genre = General humor, gag-a-day
| rating = [[Image:Censor_PG_button.png]] (PG)
}}
'''Housepets!''' is an [[anthropomorphic]] webcomic by [[Rick Griffin]]. The comic is loosely based upon a series of sketches created in Griffin's childhood about a dog named Bino, who also appears as a supporting character in the comic as it exists today. Griffin came up with the idea of expanding his sketches into a full webcomic in 2006, drew up a few rough strips in 2007, and unveiled the comic itself on June 2, 2008.

== Premise ==

The primary setting of ''Housepets!'' is Babylon Gardens, a suburban neighborhood somewhere within the United States (the strip itself does not specify the exact location of Babylon Gardens, although Griffin states that the Sandwich house was based upon a former residence of his in North Carolina). In the ''Housepets!'' universe, most animals are sentient; most mammals are fully anthropomorphized, able to walk and talk, and live double their normal lifespan. Animals also enjoy certain rights (for example, a police dog can arrest humans), but wild animals not kept as pets have no legal status. Pets are regarded much like surrogate children, referring to their owners as "Mom" and "Dad" as well as adopting their surnames, and may be kept by humans who opt not to have children of their own.

The action of the comic centers mainly around Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly, pets of the Sandwich family (I.E., "Peanut Butter Sandwich"), and their various misadventures. Most strips adopt a "slice of life" approach, depicting Peanut and Grape dealing with common problems such as coping with boredom, visiting the vet, and interacting with other pets in the neighborhood, although some strips also pay tribute to Griffin's inspirations; for example, one full arc is a homage to familiar scenes from Bill Watterson's ''Calvin and Hobbes'', and the faces of most humans in the comic are never seen, in the same style as the adults in Charles Schulz's ''Peanuts''.

== Main characters ==

'''Peanut Butter Sandwich''', a dog. Not yet five years old (in human years), Peanut has a young, playful personality and an enthusiasm for games of all kinds. Good-natured and loyal, Peanut's youth is a boundless source of energy, but also makes him immature; he is somewhat socially awkward, and quick to cave to peer pressure. An artistic spirit, he is the creator of his own crudely drawn comic strip titled ''The Adventures of Spot (Superdog)'' about an invincible dog hero obviously based upon Superman. Despite his naiveté, Peanut is nonetheless intelligent and an avid reader, and can often be found with his nose in a book. Peanut has a physical attraction toward cats, a fact that has caused problems in his social life (as interspecies relationships are considered a taboo). To further complicate matters, Peanut lives with Grape and has what Griffin calls "a mild crush" on her; he made an aborted attempt to confess his feelings to her, and has not tried again since.

'''Grape Jelly Sandwich''', a cat. Despite being younger than Peanut, Grape typically acts as his big sister; of the two of them, she is the more mature, level-headed, and laid-back. She is largely uninterested in the complex politics of the neighborhood dogs, preferring a simpler (and usually violent) approach to solving problems; when not in conflict with them, she spends most of her time taking catnaps or lazing around the house. She's a dedicated fan of ''Pridelands'', a popular fantasy book series. Griffin always intended Grape to be female, although early strips give no indication of her gender one way or the other; her tomboyish attitude led to the general assumption that she was male. The truth would not come out until two months into the comic's run, when she revealed to an astonished (and smitten) Peanut that she was, in fact, a girl. As a kitten, Grape was rescued from an animal shelter by the Sandwiches after being abandoned by her original family, a painful experience that continues to affect her. Perhaps as a result of this earlier trauma, Grape is somewhat introverted, and has few companions other than Peanut himself, whom she considers her best friend; as such, she is rather protective of him and often engages him in shared make-believe adventure. Over the last year, Grape has attempted to be more outgoing, socializing with other cats in the community and even dating her neighbor Maxwell.

== Supporting/minor characters ==

'''Mr.''' & '''Mrs. Earl Sandwich''' are Peanut and Grape's owners and "parents." Seldom seen, and even then, only from the neck down. Got pets because they weren't sure they were ready to have children of their own; moved to Babylon Gardens due to the pet-friendly neighborhood and their mutual fondness of animals. Mr. Sandwich works as an auto mechanic.

<div style="float:right">[[Image:Good-ol-dogs-club.PNG|175px|thumb|From top, counterclockwise: Rex, Fox, Bino, Peanut]]</div>

'''Bino''', the ''de facto'' leader of the neighborhood dog club, The Good Ol' Dogs' Club. Scheming, obnoxious, petty, and in Griffin's words, "downright mean", Bino is bitter about being constantly overshadowed by his more successful (and more popular) older brother Fido. He takes out his frustrations upon the other dogs in the neighborhood in order to make himself feel superior; however, Bino has a tendency not to think his schemes through, and they often end with him getting hurt.

'''Fido Byron''', Bino's older brother, a K-9 cop, and the "official" leader of the Good Ol' Dogs Club (when Bino isn't around). Fido is the "top dog" in the neighborhood, a role model whom all the male dogs want to be ''like'', and all the female dogs want to be ''with''. Modest and well-spoken, Fido is more well-adjusted than either of his siblings. He is in love with Sabrina, one of the neighborhood cats, but must keep it a secret for the sake of his flawless reputation and position as community leader; although Peanut and Grape are aware of their relationship, their affair is not public knowledge.

'''Joey''', Bino and Fido's younger brother. The runt of his litter, he is often ignored. He copes with his isolation by often partaking in both tabletop and live-action roleplaying sessions, the latter in which he [[fursuit|dresses like a cat]]. It was during one of these sessions that he met his live-in girlfriend, a mouse named Squeak.

'''Fox''', Fido's best friend and the most intelligent member of Bino's clique. Fox was briefly abducted by PETA members who wanted to "set him free" from his life of bondage as a pet, but since his owner also happened to be a police officer, he was swiftly rescued. Fox expresses reservations about Bino's hostile behavior toward other dogs (such as picking on Peanut), but usually follows Bino's lead for the sake of their friendship.

'''Maxwell''', Bino's housemate, identified by the distinctive bite mark in his right ear, part of which is missing. Like Grape, he thinks poorly of the neighborhood dogs' complicated social structure, and enjoys tormenting Bino about it. Quick-witted and snarky, Maxwell has a reputation for being annoying, although he is friends with most of the other cats in the neighborhood. Also a fan of ''Pridelands''. He is attracted to Grape, but was just as shocked as Peanut to discover that she was a girl.

'''Tarot''', a Pomeranian who mysteriously appeared to comfort a heartbroken Peanut after Grape began dating Maxwell. Tarot is a powerful psychic medium who summons spirits, experiences apocalyptic visions of the future, and is able to communicate telepathically; her eyes glow a bright green when her powers are in use.

'''Pete''', the assumed name of an extradimensional entity of "unspeakable power" who typically appears in the form of a blue gryphon. Pete first appeared to Grape in a dream, although she woke up clutching one of his feathers; this started a chain of events that would later involve Grape (accidentally) helping to release Pete from his imprisonment. He is capable of (among other things) flight, teleportation, and shapeshifting (both himself and others), and is currently living in Babylon Gardens in the guise of an elderly human man. Pete's behavior thus far has been relatively benign, although Tarot claims that Pete is "neither kind nor good", "is actually sort of a jerk", and is somehow linked to her visions of doomsday. His true motives are unknown.

'''Joel''', a former PETA member who participated in Fox's abduction. When he was a child, Joel's pets were abused by his parents; when they decided to run away, they took Joel with them. However, after a few nights on the street, Joel's pets became feral and turned on him, an experience that led him to conclude animals could not be trusted. While awaiting trial for kidnapping Fox, Joel was taken from his prison cell by Pete, who turned him into a dog in order to show him the world from an animal's point of view. While he would ironically end up befriending Fox, Joel also experienced Bino's cruelty first-hand, and remains deeply resentful of what he regards as petty animals who "can't see the world past their own noses". In his canine persona, Joel is known as '''King''' and lives with Pete as his "pet".

'''Sasha''', one of those ‘flavor of the week’ kind of girls, having an on-again-off-again relationship with Bino depending on his standing with the neighborhood dogs and whether or not she feels like it. Although friendly and well-intentioned, Sasha is something of an airhead, and her mind has a tendency to wander. Sasha also comes from a broken home; her owner is an abusive, beer-swilling woman-chaser who locks her out of the house as "punishment" for his own failure to find a date. According to Pete, Sasha is "protected", but he did not elaborate upon what this means.

'''Sabrina''', Fido's girlfriend, the quiet type. Good-hearted and pacifistic, Sabrina has a soft spot for rescuing feral animals, which she then passes along to Fido to be safely relocated.

== External links ==

*[http://rickgriffin.deviantart.com/ Rick Griffin's deviantART]

[[Category:Comics]]
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