Housepets!

Weird, I can't view the new comic.

King is too much of a BA for that.

He's going to be sleeping with that shovel for the next week or so.

BUT WHAT ABOUT DUCHESS???

I like how Bailey knew that King was still holding onto the shovel. Either she's telepathic, or King's arm is shaking so bad that she heard it clanging against the backboard of the bed. XD

Okay...WHY are people mistaking this comic for funny or adorable?

Have none of you ever experienced that kind of paranoia? Ever?

Speaking of paranoia...why do I get the horrible feeling this might be the last comic of this arc...?

Wanderer wrote:Weird, I can't view the new comic.

Look in the archives right after it's released if it's not on the front page.
https://www.housepetscomic.com/2012/03/ ... the-known/

I wouldn't exactly call it adorable...

ChewyChewy wrote:Okay...WHY are people mistaking this comic for funny or adorable?

Well it is funny. And King is just naturally adorable.

Awww, King holding that shovel is very adorable, and Bailey is right. If the Miltons and the wolves know about it, he is fine. No way Duchess is getting back in there... maybe we will see a Duchess Kidnaps King arc!

King is now equipped with the SHOVEL OF DOOM!!!

Miles must be feeling pretty bad about causing all this and letting Duchess in....

Overwhelming paranoia in real life is problematic at best, and physically and emotionally damaging at worst.

In a comic primarily focused on comedy, however, not so much.

KJOokami wrote:Overwhelming paranoia in real life is problematic at best, and physically and emotionally damaging at worst.

In a comic primarily focused on comedy, however, not so much.

Hard to make the distinction.

Also...what exactly has HAPPENED in this arc? I don't know if it's over now or not, but it FEELS over...and nothing's happened. Except for Tarot's cryptic remark, NOTHING has happened.

There hasn't been a King arc so far where NOTHING has happened.

I hope this isn't over because if so it'll have been the first King arc that I really actively dislike.

Kitela wrote:

Wanderer wrote:Weird, I can't view the new comic.

Look in the archives right after it's released if it's not on the front page.
https://www.housepetscomic.com/2012/03/ ... the-known/

O! I found out before you told me but thank you anyway.

King is adorable but I'm not sure him holding the shovel makes him more adorable... its for self-defense!
His distress face is so cute X3

lol he kept the shovle

ChewyChewy wrote:

KJOokami wrote:Overwhelming paranoia in real life is problematic at best, and physically and emotionally damaging at worst.

In a comic primarily focused on comedy, however, not so much.

Hard to make the distinction.

Also...what exactly has HAPPENED in this arc? I don't know if it's over now or not, but it FEELS over...and nothing's happened.

There hasn't been a King arc so far where NOTHING has happened.

I hope this isn't over because if so it'll have been the first King arc that I really actively dislike.

I think this Arc was more about Duchess then it was about King and we got a lot of development on Duchess.

IceKitsune wrote:

ChewyChewy wrote:Also...what exactly has HAPPENED in this arc? I don't know if it's over now or not, but it FEELS over...and nothing's happened.

There hasn't been a King arc so far where NOTHING has happened.

I hope this isn't over because if so it'll have been the first King arc that I really actively dislike.

I think this Arc was more about Duchess then it was about King and we got a lot of development on Duchess.

...No we didn't.

Besides, King was not just a one-time character here, he was crucial to the "plot" (what plot?).

I hate to be a critic since I have no idea what went into making this arc, and I know Rick's been sick and I don't want to add to that, but...what was the point?

@Chewy, Poor Sportsmanship and its effects on others?

sean21 wrote:lol he kept the shovle

I would if i know someone would chase me down.

It's funny and adorable because we know that Rick isn't likely to make it last long and it's unfounded because it's also unlikely that this will continue.

ChewyChewy wrote:

KJOokami wrote:Overwhelming paranoia in real life is problematic at best, and physically and emotionally damaging at worst.

In a comic primarily focused on comedy, however, not so much.

Hard to make the distinction.

Also...what exactly has HAPPENED in this arc? I don't know if it's over now or not, but it FEELS over...and nothing's happened. Except for Tarot's cryptic remark, NOTHING has happened.

There hasn't been a King arc so far where NOTHING has happened.

I hope this isn't over because if so it'll have been the first King arc that I really actively dislike.

I think it's over. Not every King arc needs to have something happen. Not everything needs a point other than just to entertain, which it achieved for many of us

I thought this arc was focused on King AND Duchess.

If this arc is over, I'll say that I sort of liked it because it was different in humor and different in general. Definitely not my favorite. The housepets! babies was one of my favorite arcs, so this one was a bit more difficult to follow after that adorable arc. x3

ChewyChewy wrote:I hate to be a critic since I have no idea what went into making this arc, and I know Rick's been sick and I don't want to add to that, but...what was the point?

Well, for one thing, King got the cell phone he brought up at the end of his last arc. He now has a more permanent form of private communication with his girlfriend.

Also, what Brent said. For plenty of people it was entertaining. As that's Rick's primary motive in doing this webcomic at all (I assume anyway; maybe I'm wrong and he's just in it to be famous amongst a small audience on the internet, but hey), I'd say it was a success in and of itself.

I kinda miss seeing Peanut and Grape now....

Also would King be okay around Grape since in that arc (I think it was dog days of summer) Grape threatened King or something to that extent where King takes off running.

*On topic*

Wonder what Dutchess will do when she wakes up.

My guess:
1. She is furious and tries to GET King
2. She gets amnesia
or 3. She gives up

ChewyChewy wrote: ...No we didn't.

Besides, King was not just a one-time character here, he was crucial to the "plot" (what plot?).

I hate to be a critic since I have no idea what went into making this arc, and I know Rick's been sick and I don't want to add to that, but...what was the point?

I agree with other what some said earlier, it was more about Duchess and overall about the dog show business in HP! universe (arc name could give that away). And if this didn't have a point then there's quite many arcs overall which didn't have a point. Sure King was a big part of this arc, but he wasn't also the only one carrying this arc's plot. And don't worry about being critic as long as you present your opinions well instead of just saying stuff sucks/rocks.

Yeah I guess the arc is over now, at least I hope so since it already feels like it's been dragged on longer than it should been.

KJOokami wrote:

ChewyChewy wrote:I hate to be a critic since I have no idea what went into making this arc, and I know Rick's been sick and I don't want to add to that, but...what was the point?

Well, for one thing, King got the cell phone he brought up at the end of his last arc. He now has a more permanent form of private communication with his girlfriend.

Also, what Brent said. For plenty of people it was entertaining. As that's Rick's primary motive in doing this webcomic at all (I assume anyway; maybe I'm wrong and he's just in it to be famous amongst a small audience on the internet, but hey), I'd say it was a success in and of itself.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like very small gain for a pretty big nastiness. King hasn't even officially made his decision yet, and that's seeming to fade into the background by now--I have to keep reminding myself that King even IS human. And nothing is worth what Duchess put him through--NOTHING. Least of all a cell phone he never needed to begin with, and that only postpones more important things.

And I don't understand what was entertaining about it. I found nothing to enjoy in it. It ruined the character of Duchess for me (I actually LIKED her in that one-off), and for what? What was the point?

Maybe it's just how I gauge things, but if this is the end of the arc, it's a fail for me, for two reasons: 1) it's the first King arc that did not progress King's personal character arc any (even "Not All Dogs" had more going on in that regard than this), which makes it a failure from the standpoint of being a King arc; 2) it ruined a character for me so completely that there is now a character I actively HATE in the comic for multiple reasons (even BINO I didn't hate this much!), and there was nothing really positive offsetting that. If King had learned something about standing up for himself and ceasing to be so passive like he's always been, that would have been one thing, but so far he doesn't seem to have learned ANYTHING.

And while I don't presume that it IS over, it has the FEEL of being over, and that's disturbing. It can't be over, because what is there to be over? This isn't an ending, it's a stopping.

Again, I don't want to upset anyone, least of all Rick, but I have to be honest about what I think of this arc. I don't like King being a secondary character in someone else's arc, especially when his own character arc has not been completed yet: even in "The Present" King wasn't actually SEEN.

There's going to have to be a MAJOR payoff later on that could ONLY have been accomplished through this arc that would make this arc worthwhile, if this is indeed the end of it, and I fail to see how that's possible at this point.

EDIT: THREE reasons. It's a LONG arc, and NOTHING HAPPENS.

Yeah I hated the recent King arcs too. Its almost like watching Naruto lol from all those side stories that I did not care much about.

Wanderer wrote:Yeah I hated the recent King arcs too. Its almost like watching Naruto lol from all those side stories that I did not care much about.

I didn't hate the recent King arcs, though, just this one. "Not all Dogs" was one giant detour, but it progressed King's personal character arc somewhat, and "A Respite in the Country" did the same--and each was a major breakthrough for King. But here...he gets a cell phone? When he didn't need one? And no progress on his decision-making or the Cosmic Nerds game? That's it?

I honestly thought Tarot's cryptic remark was going to come into play, and I hope I won't have to give up on that idea....

Not everything needs to have a huge impact on the comic.
I definitely dont think "nothing happened" we got alot of development on duuchesse's character and fleshed out the Housepets! universe a little bit more.

And yes, he did need the phone, have you ever tried to have a private conversation on a house phone?
Regardless that was far from the main point of the arc, I really dont get people's obsession with it.

I take great pleasure in linking this then.

http://www.housepetscomic.com/2011/02/0 ... s-variety/

Mindless cartoon violence, King being adorable and helpless, and a reminder about 3/4 of the way through that the "payoff" of King's story being completed in one way or another still very much being relevant and in Rick's mind. Sounds pretty good to me. *shrug*

I'm not sure I understand why you're so intent on having some huge, life-changing story progression every time King has an arc though. Just because his introduction into the comic was more serious and story-driven than the rest doesn't change the fact that he's still just another character. You're no more entitled to major character development with King than any other character in the comic. So... sorry to hear you're disappointed?

As for this arc "ruining" Duchess for you... again, sorry? It's impossible to make a comic featuring a dozen or more reoccurring characters and have everyone who reads it love all of them. That's just not going to happen. You don't have to love every character. You're not expected to.

If you want to know its effect on the overall story:

1) this arc is mostly a bridge for what I'm planning next year. It doesn't have character movement in it because the characters don't have much of anywhere to go, except

2) -~*This is the first time that King solved a problem on his own*~-

This arc isn't, by itself, over; it will have a direct sequel around the end of May. Until then I have other things to do.

Let's just say I hate cliffhangers and wanted story progression (ending of not all dogs arc). I didn't really hate them.

Seth wrote:Not everything needs to have a huge impact on the comic.
I definitely dont think "nothing happened" we got alot of development on duuchesse's character and fleshed out the Housepets! universe a little bit more.

And yes, he did need the phone, have you ever tried to have a private conversation on a house phone?
Regardless that was far from the main point of the arc, I really dont get people's obsession with it.

From past experience, a KING arc needs to have a huge impact on KING's overall character arc. This one did not. (EDIT: Unless you count King solving a problem on his own, but he didn't even LEARN anything from that, so that doesn't really count.)

And tell me what has happened here? I still am not seeing anything (other than the above). And this isn't character development, this is character annihilation.

And if he had a phone he was able to use before, he didn't need a cell phone--especially since there are more important matters where King is concerned.

Well, we're even--I really don't get what people liked about this arc.

@KJOokami: Well, I guess we have different tastes then, because given what we've seen in this comic so far, that sounds like filler to me. Even the Spot (Superdog) comics were better than this, and I don't read those.

I'm intent because that's ALWAYS happened before. And that hasn't resolved itself yet, so he doesn't get to be "just another character" yet.

I'm not even going to get into how it ruined Duchess for me.

@Rick:

THANK you, Rick, for finally stepping in and saying something!

1) I was hoping it was a bridge, but now I'm looking forward to what it's bridging to--unless it's what you bolded, I don't know what that could be, and

2) granted, but knowing how good of a writer you are, I didn't think this was you at your best. I think it could have been written better if that was the point.

Two months can't come nearly quickly enough, especially if this is going to be a DIRECT sequel....

Thank you for explaining, but your explanation doesn't really change my mind about the arc. I still don't like it, I'm just glad I don't have to sit through it anymore.

ChewyChewy wrote: 2) granted, but knowing how good of a writer you are, I didn't think this was you at your best. I think it could have been written better if that was the point.

It's not SUPPOSED to look like a big point. Also, this arc has been going on rather long, I will continue this point THEN.

rickgriffin wrote:2) -~*This is the first time that King solved a problem on his own*~-

It's true, and that's what I liked about the last couple of comics - King successfully defended himself. Not by choice, necessarily, but we so rarely get to choose the circumstances of coming into our own.

rickgriffin wrote:

ChewyChewy wrote: 2) granted, but knowing how good of a writer you are, I didn't think this was you at your best. I think it could have been written better if that was the point.

It's not SUPPOSED to look like a big point. Also, this arc has been going on rather long, I will continue this point THEN.

Okay, not trying to upset you....

I just don't know what's going through your mind. Why is it better for it NOT to look like a big point, especially given the content of this arc? And why didn't you do your payoff in this arc if King hitting Duchess with a shovel was all that was going to happen in this one?

I don't really expect answers, I'm just confused, and when I'm confused I get frustrated--especially when I seem to be in the minority opinion about something.

I do agree that This made Duchess a much more unlikeable character, but I don't judge characters based on single appearances so I had no feelings one way or the other towards her to begin with.

also, let's not forget that this gave King and Bailey's long-distance relationship more weight.

Just relax and take things as they come.

Sleet wrote:Just relax and take things as they come.

Yeah, say that to King in this update, Sleet.

ChewyChewy wrote: Why is it better for it NOT to look like a big point, especially given the content of this arc? And why didn't you do your payoff in this arc if King hitting Duchess with a shovel was all that was going to happen in this one?

Because this arc was about this event. I could have ended up tying other events into it, but like I said, this arc was going on long enough, and occasionally my hands are tied because I'm trying to be funny; occasionally things get lost in editing.

rickgriffin wrote:

ChewyChewy wrote: Why is it better for it NOT to look like a big point, especially given the content of this arc? And why didn't you do your payoff in this arc if King hitting Duchess with a shovel was all that was going to happen in this one?

Because this arc was about this event. I could have ended up tying other events into it, but like I said, this arc was going on long enough, and occasionally my hands are tied because I'm trying to be funny; occasionally things get lost in editing.

Okay, okay....

It just felt like too little happening for too long, that's all. That's just how it struck me.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing the sequel in a couple of months.