Housepets!

2009-07-29T05:04:16Z

99.144.65.182: /* Supporting/minor characters */

{{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
| rating = [[Image:Censor_PG_button.png]] (PG-13)
}}

'''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.

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 sapient; 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 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; one full arc is an 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, 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 it 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 naivete, Peanut is nonetheless intelligent and an avid reader; among the books in his possession are Isaac Asimov's ''Foundation'' and George R. R. Martin's ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Game of Thrones''. 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, although he has yet to act on these feelings.

'''Grape Jelly Sandwich''', a cat. Despite being younger than Peanut, Grape is typically the more mature, level-headed, and laid-back of the Sandwich pets; 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 fantasy book series and literary sensation in the same vein as C.S. Lewis's ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' and J.K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter''. 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. 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 friends other than Peanut himself; as such, she is rather protective of him and often engages him in shared make-believe adventure. Recent strips have hinted that Grape herself may be attracted to dogs, although she has thus far taken no steps to return Peanut's unspoken affection for her.

== Supporting/minor characters ==

'''Mr.''' & '''Mrs. Sandwich''' are Peanut and Grape's owners and "parents." Seldom seen, and even then, only from the neck-up. 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. Bino kicked Peanut out of the club after he drew a picture of a dog with a cat's tail, and later attempted to buy him a "gift" of catnip for Christmas as a way to mock his fondness for cats; he abruptly aborted his plan after Peanut (never one to hold a grudge) got him a genuinely nice gift out of the kindness of his heart.

'''Joey''', Bino'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.

'''Fido''', Bino and Joey'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, and is quite forgiving; after Bino kicked Peanut out of the club, Fido reinstated Peanut and arranged for him and Bino to be Secret Santas for one another in the hopes that they would be able to set aside their differences. Fido 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.

'''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.

'''Rex''', a bulldog, the largest and strongest of Bino's group. All brawn but little brains. Has a fearsome reputation among the neighborhood pets, but secretly enjoys baking cookies.

'''Tiger Arbelt''', An unfortunately-named dog who is ostracized by other dogs in the neighborhood for having a feline name. Being the target of so much ridicule has left Tiger both mentally and emotionally unstable; he is aggressive, paranoid, has a short temper, and suffers from an eating disorder.

'''Marvin Arbelt''', the cat of the Arbelt household. He’s more patient and understanding with Tiger than the dogs. In fact, most of the cats are more patient and understanding with Tiger, and that doesn’t help things one bit.

'''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. It is possible that Sasha may come from an abusive home; in the sole strip in which she has appeared to date, her owner is depicted as a beer-swilling woman-chaser who is more concerned with his own failure to find a date than in Sasha's affection for him.

'''Daisy''', a ditzy dog whose total spoken lines in the strip thus far amount to, "Hi, I'm Daisy!"

'''Maxwell''', Bino's housemate, identified by the distinctive bite mark in his left 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.

'''Sabrina''', Fido's girlfriend. The quiet, unassuming type. She just tries not to make much noise among the other pets. 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://housepetscomic.com/ Housepets! Comic]
*[http://rickgriffin.deviantart.com/ Rick Griffin's deviantART]

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Housepets!