Old Comic Discussion: "Imaginate" to "Imaginate, too!"

[valerio]

Personally, i don't think it's going to affect 'them'... but rather, everyone else around them. That depends if they are going to be open about this or keep it quiet. Either way though, i know hilarity will ensure X3

now, THAT's the understatement of the year

LOL, that's hilariously ironic for me, as that was my favorite webcomic before I discovered Housepets.

My favorite webcomic used to be Kevin & Kell, until I discovered Housepets! and suffered from instant addiction

[Liam]

Grape is so adorable in the last panel.

Gawd I know that Grape and Peanut aren't brother and sister.

I know they aren't. I mean heck they are a cat and dog.

But I just can't shake the uncomfortable feeling that this FEELS like an incest plot-line. Seeing Grape kiss Peanut just really punched me in the stomach in an uncomfortable way. They may not be siblings by birth, but they are adopted, and thus legally siblings.

SQUICK

I can't wait for this plotline to go away again and another one to show up.

I don't want to spark a flame storm or anything, but what's up with all that incest talk?

Incest is defined as a relationship between relatives (related by blood or adopted) which involves actual intercourse. I firmly believe Rick wouldn't let that happen, especially since he let them redefine their relationship (if I'm not wrong) as something more than mere friends but beneath the boyfriend-girlfriend level. Grape acknowledges Peanut's crush on her and Peanut acknowledges Grape's inability to reciprocate romantic feelings in return. They have to live with Peanut's feelings, however the situation is additionally mitigated due to their solid relationships with Tarot and Max, respective.

This topic's a bit awkward and at odds with the general nature as well as the PG-13-ility of the comic, so I better shut up now.

[Sleet]

It's typical of our society to consider romance and ..."physical romance..." to be the same thing (sadly), hence subconscious terminology slips are completely understandable. But anyway, let's keep away from the I-word, since this is a PG comic and that's clearly not what's going on.

Anyway, I would describe what their relationship appears to me to be at this time as "friends with family-appropriate benefits."

[Liam]

How about "platonic friendship"? ;P

[rickgriffin]

How about "English doesn't really have a phrase to describe it because society prefers that you love only one person and keep everyone else at arm's length"

[Penwrite]

Grape is so adorable in the last panel.

Gawd I know that Grape and Peanut aren't brother and sister.

I know they aren't. I mean heck they are a cat and dog.

But I just can't shake the uncomfortable feeling that this FEELS like an incest plot-line. Seeing Grape kiss Peanut just really punched me in the stomach in an uncomfortable way. They may not be siblings by birth, but they are adopted, and thus legally siblings.

SQUICK

I can't wait for this plotline to go away again and another one to show up.

I don't want to spark a flame storm or anything, but what's up with all that incest talk?

Incest is defined as a relationship between relatives (related by blood or adopted) which involves actual intercourse. I firmly believe Rick wouldn't let that happen, especially since he let them redefine their relationship (if I'm not wrong) as something more than mere friends but beneath the boyfriend-girlfriend level. Grape acknowledges Peanut's crush on her and Peanut acknowledges Grape's inability to reciprocate romantic feelings in return. They have to live with Peanut's feelings, however the situation is additionally mitigated due to their solid relationships with Tarot and Max, respective.

This topic's a bit awkward and at odds with the general nature as well as the PG-13-ility of the comic, so I better shut up now.

Here here! Let us all listen to these words of wisdom and shut up now!

...concerning this silly incest topic at least...I'll shut up now.

[Penwrite]

How about "English doesn't really have a phrase to describe it because society prefers that you love only one person and keep everyone else at arm's length"

Silly society, being afraid to accept different kinds of "love." It is up to us, the Housepetians, to create a fitting word!!!


......Amomultum! Based off of the latin words for "to love" and "many".

So what's my prize?

[bixlow]

It's technically a polyamourous relationship
but I may be using that word wrong

[Sinder]

How about "English doesn't really have a phrase to describe it because society prefers that you love only one person and keep everyone else at arm's length"

... polygamy?

[44R0NM10]

a polyamourous relationship...you mean it's a love triangle?

[rickgriffin]

See this is exactly what I'm talking about

[Profesor Rod]

I do think that polyamorous is the right word. At least in Spanish it makes sense while polygamous doesn't.

[Dissension]

Well, I think part of the problem is that people frequently assume that love equals sex and that any kind of physically intimate relationship is a sexual one. Society does not encourage alternate viewpoints in this instance, so I can understand why some people have a hard time with it.

I could give a real-life example, but for now will just say that in a language with only one word for "love," it's hard to express all the possible flavors and styles that one may experience.

[bixlow]

Its like a said before, multiple loves, not just loving multiple people the same way
You love your family different than your bf/gf
You love your pets differently then your friends

[Sleet]

The issue of terminology here is one of the stupidest things about English: the word "love." We basically have just the one word, yet it covers a lot of meanings. The ways you love your child(ren), your pet(s), your significant other, your religious figure of choice, your fellow man and Doritos brand tortilla chips are all very different, yet we use the same word for all of it. The fact that "loving children" could refer to both a way to be canonized as a saint as well as a way to get murdered in prison is troubling, to say the least.

P.S. Fun game: take away the speech bubbles from today's strip and try to tell what's going on. There are so many faces happening it's pretty hard.

[Sinder]

[ChewyChewy]

The issue of terminology here is one of the stupidest things about English: the word "love." We basically have just the one word, yet it covers a lot of meanings. The ways you love your child(ren), your pet(s), your significant other, your religious figure of choice, your fellow man and Doritos brand tortilla chips are all very different, yet we use the same word for all of it. The fact that "loving children" could refer to both a way to be canonized as a saint as well as a way to get murdered in prison is troubling, to say the least.

The closest thing we seem to have to a difference is "loving" someone vs. being "in love" with them.

That, of course, and the old cliched line "Oh, of course I love you--just not in that way."

We need a more extensive vocabulary where matters of the heart are concerned....

[Sleet]

Oh cuss it, we're all speaking Lojban now.

[Alex]

Guys, you're going too deep in this. The simplest that can be said is that Grape loves Peanut, but not love as the common boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. They're not a couple.

[wolvie616]

skipping the "seasons of love" argument....

Rick, I'm not sure if you're on, but this just might have been the perfect way to end this already excellent arc. your skills of storytelling are uncanny. In all honesty, this is my favorite thing to read, after Discworld and The Count of Monte Cristo. you've outdone yourself. Thank you for sharing this lovely webcomic with the rest of us. You've successfully supplanted Questionable Content as my favorite strip.

looking forward to whatever you have planned next!

[Anthroguy101]

skipping the "seasons of love" argument....

Rick, I'm not sure if you're on, but this just might have been the perfect way to end this already excellent arc.

As much as I hate to say it to all of you, this would also be a great place to end the comic itself. Almost the whole thing had to do with Peanut loving Grape and being stereotyped as a "cat-lover." It would make an excellent conclusion.

However, since the comic is going to continue, I personally think the best option is to head in the "Sabrina x Fido" direction, since we now know that both Grape and Peanut are aware of it. It would be an excellent direction for the continuity of the comic's overall theme.

In truth, I see a very sharp parallel between "cat loving" and civil rights disputes in the real world. The whole "cat-lover" part shows the prejudice in the canine community, much like the prejudices we have between interracial and same-sex marriages.

[Flamboyant-Pencil]

Guys, you're going too deep in this. The simplest that can be said is that Grape loves Peanut, but not love as the common boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. They're not a couple.

Thats the thing I'm worrying about. If I know crushes, and I'd like to think I do, getting mushy with your crush does not make your crush less of a crush, but the reverse. In the short term it will be nice, but I have a bad feeling about this "polyamourous" triangle going on. I have a feeling either Peanut, Max, or everyone has a very high potential to get hurt.

Unless of course Rick doesn't go in that direction and my theory is incorrect :V

[Ebly]

Peanut's limerence is adorable as always



And guys I'm pretty sure it's not a love triangle at all. There's a difference between being mushy and being romantic guys

[GameCobra]

The best way to describe Peanut and Grape's current current relationship now is Very Solid. that's the best word to describe it in my opinion. it now rests on Max and Tarot's shoulders whether they can go above and beyond this.

[IceKitsune]

The best way to describe Peanut and Grape's current current relationship now is Very Solid. that's the best word to describe it in my opinion. it now rests on Max and Tarot's shoulders whether they can go above and beyond this.

Yea if Max and Tarot figure out what is happening (Well Max anyway I'm sure Tarot would know easily.) they might try to push them together. But what ever happens It will be good.
Edit: This most likely won't happen for a while anyway (if at all) because I think Rick will milk this by teasing us for a while.

[TheOutragedBlogger]

But isn't Tarot there so that Grape and Peanut would get together eventually?
https://www.housepetscomic.com/2009/09/ ... otherwise/
At least I think that's what she meant. I could be wrong.

[ctcmjh]

The comments on this comic are already at 390! It should beat http://www.housepetscomic.com/2009/12/2 ... ace-to-go/'s 405 in no time!

[IceKitsune]

But isn't Tarot there so that Grape and Peanut would get together eventually?
https://www.housepetscomic.com/2009/09/ ... otherwise/
At least I think that's what she meant. I could be wrong.

That's what I think it means as well, however we could both be wrong but I don't think so.

[Anthroguy101]

Regardless of where this goes, I think Peanut should stay with Tarot. It keeps things interesting .

On another note, Grape showing the picture of Fido and Sabrina is likely foreshadowing.

[Barkeron]

But isn't Tarot there so that Grape and Peanut would get together eventually?
https://www.housepetscomic.com/2009/09/ ... otherwise/
At least I think that's what she meant. I could be wrong.

I still trying to figure out Tarot's quote "Accepting Peanut fully while breaking Maxwell's heart in the process." (I paraphrasing of what she said). Now that quote can mean anything so I try not to go too deep thinking about it. Heck, I may not even share what I think about it on the forum and thus keeping it to myself.

[IceKitsune]

Regardless of where this goes, I think Peanut should stay with Tarot. It keeps things interesting .

On another note, Grape showing the picture of Fido and Sabrina is likely foreshadowing.

That Picture is probably going to be a Chekhov's Boomerang.

[IceKitsune]

But isn't Tarot there so that Grape and Peanut would get together eventually?
https://www.housepetscomic.com/2009/09/ ... otherwise/
At least I think that's what she meant. I could be wrong.

I still trying to figure out Tarot's quote "Accepting Peanut fully while breaking Maxwell's heart in the process." (I paraphrasing of what she said). Now that quote can mean anything so I try not to go too deep thinking about it. Heck, I may not even share what I think about it on the forum and thus keeping it to myself.

I would like to know what else it could mean (Other then her braking up with Max and dating Peanut) because I can't think of anything else really.

[Isaac]

I think people are reading into relatively innocent affection a bit much

Personally I think it's just a cute look at a genuine friendship

Which could be something more later

But for now won't have major repercussions

[Barkeron]

401 comments in 24hrs. Wow.

[IceKitsune]

401 comments in 24hrs. Wow.

I called it. I'm betting we near 600 by the end of the Weekend

[Barkeron]

401 comments in 24hrs. Wow.

I called it. I'm betting we near 600 by the end of the Weekend

If it was 1500 comments, uh wait a second....(Just joking about the 1500 comments thing). lol

[Ebly]

Something tells me there was a reason rick upped the page thing to 500, huh

[Dylan]

well, he might need to add more if this keeps up...I mean 400 in 24 hours...not to mention a weekend.

[arcict]

I see this as effectively "no change"

The only real change here is that now they know that each other knows and they can stop (failing to) hide it from each other.

Other then that I see no change which to me is... disappointing.

A while back I came up with two kinds of cartoons, Toons and Droths.

The Toons where effectively immortal, never changing, occasionally a new character might get introduced but the plot was always back to square one at the beginning of the next episode. Nobody died, nobody left, nobody was born, there was effectively no life and no living. The cartoon would end whenever the popularity died and that would be the end of it.

The Droths were mortal, they changed, made decisions, a new character might get introduced and an old one (or again a new one) might leave, people sometimes died or otherwise left, things changed. There was a limited plot and a limited point. The story ended at the designated end of the story.

Both cartoon types eventually end (die) but only one of the two actually lives, the one where changes actually occur, bad things can and do happen and good things can occur in spite of them.

Housepets might be a source for hilarity and it does not fail at that, but IMHO humor comes second to a good story.

Maybe it's my frustration with my job leaking through but I don't see this as a change from anything, just another means of perpetuating the situation.

[IceKitsune]

I see this as effectively "no change"

The only real change here is that now they know that each other knows and they can stop (failing to) hide it from each other.

Other then that I see no change which to me is... disappointing.

A while back I came up with two kinds of cartoons, Toons and Droths.

The Toons where effectively immortal, never changing, occasionally a new character might get introduced but the plot was always back to square one at the beginning of the next episode. Nobody died, nobody left, nobody was born, there was effectively no life and no living. The cartoon would end whenever the popularity died and that would be the end of it.

The Droths were mortal, they changed, made decisions, a new character might get introduced and an old one (or again a new one) might leave, people sometimes died or otherwise left, things changed. There was a limited plot and a limited point. The story ended at the designated end of the story.

Both cartoon types eventually end (die) but only one of the two actually lives, the one where changes actually occur, bad things can and do happen and good things can occur in spite of them.

Housepets might be a source for hilarity and it does not fail at that, but IMHO humor comes second to a good story.

Maybe it's my frustration with my job leaking through but I don't see this as a change from anything, just another means of perpetuating the situation.

Well I wouldn't call it No change at least not completely I mean it changed a little bit more then Peanut knowing that Grape knows about his crush on her. They both agreed that they were allowed to be more "Mushy" with each other so I consider that a change not a huge one but its something. Plus this leads in to the possibility for them to get together later since they can be more open with each other. Its not a huge change that's for sure but to say its changed nothing at all would be wrong.

Edit: I think a better way to put this is this way this was more of a subtle change from before then most people think. Most of these changes might take time to appear. Or maybe I'm just crazy and there really was no change at all.