I'm asking this because sometimes the time flow seems a bit off to me. In one strip is autumn and two strips later it's winter. I wo't mind it that much if it's intentional for time to skip unimportant events.

They usually follow when the strip was realeased. Seems like three years in sorta real time.

I sort of beg to differ, there. Rick HAS stuck to SOMETHING of a timeline and time progression, and certain story elements definitely call for one.

I think we can just count the amount of Christmas passed. I believe we have seen 3 Christmas, so it must have been at least 3 years since the first strip.

I agree that it probably depend on the date when the strip was released.

Rick has stated that time will not actually progress in this comic; however, I too have noted character development.
But I think we can assume that if any time does actually pass it will be negligible unless we get further word from Rick to the contrary

we've seen about 20 christmases on the Simpsons, yet Maggie is still an infant.

I really think the only way to determine how much time has passed (though I agree just going by the comics release date is best) would be to wait for the comic to be over to do a proper timeline or just have Rick tell us.

My assumption based on observations alone:

-Time passes in that events of the past are remembered.
-Time passes in that the seasons change and holidays come and go.
-Time does not pass in that the year becomes later and the characters age.

Characters developed during this time, but we can't see any visible effects of it, so in this meaning time passes very slowly (because there're some changes, so time have to pass a little). Season changes (winter, summer, etc.) are visible so in this meaning it surely passes.

I agree with Dissension.

The timeline in comic is cartoonish. Like someone said, seasons come and go away (they are like a bonus for us), but time still stands in one place.

Look on Donald Duck comics for example. So many years passed, there were so many seasons... and yet, their appearance haven't changed. Just like in cartoons

I think, like most comics, the timeline is left up to the MST3K mantra.

Charlie Brown, by virtue of a logical timeline, would be in his mid to late sixties today judging from his age in the first Peanuts strip. Also, the original supporting cast (think Shermy, Patty, Violet) was weeded out character by character and was replaced by characters like Lucy and Schroeder who were initially several years younger than Charlie but then became his peers. How does that work.

In short, don't think about it or you'll go insane.

Yeah, i view these comics also as timeless. art seems to evolve however, and whether Rick wants to call that a age evolution is up to him, but if the characters stay the same for 5 years? Then they are still the same age =P

And i'm to assume also even if there was a birthday party arc, time still won't move forward age-wise, rather it's just a step towards maturity in a way i would say.

You mean 3 years?

Yes, I think the characters are just meant to stay at a constant age because it's convenient and there's no reason to break comic tradition. Unless Rick is going to pull some sort of Funky Winkerbean gambit in a couple years.

I just remembered, I had a timeline lying around th WMG thread that perfectly explains Housepets' chronology.

Technically no time has passed because the housepets universe exists within a continuity bubble or may have a small dose of negative continuity http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NegativeContinuity

I dunno it always LOOKED like everyhthing was pregressing normaly. The seasons and holidays switch with ours. The comic seems to have pretty consistant continuity. And there is somewhat of a plot going on. Plus animals don't grow all that after a set point so they don't need to develope.

but as far as i have seen (correct me if i'm wrong) no comic even in the same arc has ever referred back to another comic.
ex: "Bino, i don't want you pulling another stunt like you did on fox last year" for a Christmas comic THAT would be continuity.

I think it's the the ARCs have continuity within them but the comic as a whole does not have continuity

Housepets has it's own timeline. Rick addressed this, somewhere. While he may follow the seasons that take place IRL, it's unlikely we will see the pets age and such.

Well all the pets seem fully grown.

They're biologically fully grown, but they still act like children. :3

Well the smartest dog out there still has the mindset of a 6 year old, I think.

Yeah, but when Bart's 30 he'll probably still be in fourth grade.


EDIT: Oh, wow. I'm sorry for a huge bump. Didn't look at dates, I apologize and will try to be more careful in the future.