After reading this comic about a year, I've come to a conclusion about the "Creative Process" which Rick Griffin uses. The following, I believe, is an accurate depiction of how he "carefully plans his elaborate story arcs" which we can "deeply analyze for clues about what the carefully drawn up Housepets universe is like within his mind".

This is not a criticism: only a statement of fact. This is how he does EVERY story arc, (no exceptions) but he's really good at somehow making it work.

This image is also Exploitable, enjoy!

Well, I'm not sure if that's true for Rick. but that baiscally seems like the kinda thing I do when I write a story. >_>

CogiantflyingdinosaurcrashingintojupiteralongwithorangutanrebelshipOugh

actually, I think he went to the "current comic" topic and thought
"yep, sounds good enough to do for me."

that , or those guys can really guess what Rick is going to make next.

I'll have you know I have a beard

Fine. How's this?

Doodle-Rick has a beard and a non circular head in all of these. This accurate enough now?

Yes that is the best series of beards I ever had

You must teach me your looping-holing ways

This whole thread made me lol. Thank you so much.

I want that beard in the last panel. That is a MAN'S beard.

phff. forget the beard, what about that mustache?

though it'll never be as cool as mine!

the creative progress seems distincly simliar to how Dr. Seuss may come up with ideas.

Starts with 'I do not like green eggs and ham'
Ends with
'I could not, would not, on a boat.
I will not, will not, with a goat.
I will not eat them in the rain.
I will not eat them on a train.
Not in the dark! Not in a tree!
Not in a car! You let me be!
I do not like them in a box.
I do not like them with a fox.
I will not eat them in a house.
I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them ANYWHERE!'

seems to speak for itself.

Which one? The massive one of the curly one?

the more I look at it the more it seems like Gordon Freeman.

Gordon Freeman writes Housepets!.

I need to stop playing Half Life so much.

mmm... That's a good game: I didn't put it down forever after an hour...

Well looky what i found here!

Hmmm... i've always wondered how Rick gets in the zone for writing/drawing the comic?
I know some people have certain times of day that they are more creative (usually evening or after midnight), or that some people have small rituals they do when they start to draw, or are in the process of drawing their quality stuff.
Two web comic authors that i've had experience with are excellent examples of what i'm talking about.
The_Chu author of Slightly Damned likes to livestream her comics as she draws/edits them, and Minna Sundberg author of A Redtail's Dream likes to write a small log/diary of what she was up to when she was drawing her comic.

Maybe Rick combs his beard or drinks a can of orange soda before starting on a project (or maybe he power naps, i've heard that helps).

Anyway, I was just curious? What do y'all think he's up to when he gets into Imaginate mode?

OK, after reading the second version of the strip, I totally looked like this:



(except with a pointier muzzle, because weasel, ok)

I'm actually deeply disappointed Rick had shaved his beard before I met him. I would have liked to see him having exactly the beard in the third (fifth?) panel.

I can never grow facial hair past 1/4 inch, because at that point my face starts to itch. When my face starts to itch, then I MUST shave! More power towards people with full, shaped and healthy facial hair, but beards are sadly (right now anyway) too itchy for my liking.

I've heard rumors about Rick's creative prosess: The orange soda Co. made a golden statue on his honor due to his support and purchases.
And after seeing those beards, I'm not sure if Rick was going through a dwarf phase or, more likely, the dwarves everywhere are passing through a Rick phase.

Geez, this thread is always fun to read. Raccoon at his best. I just wish Valerie had some input on it.

Looking at that final panel, i'm slightly convinced Rick maybe related to Guan Yu.

Moar zany is best comic. Keep up this creative process, Rick, and this will be the most famous, best webcomic this side of the ratings sea. Forever.

Not that it already isn't the best, but still

We need to hang out some time, lol.Guan Yu indeed...

This topic rocks!

It's too bad that Rick doesn't do Livestreams, I personally think that it would be neat to just tune in and watch Rick whilst he draws or edits his work. Though again, I don't really know how Rick goes about doing the strip. I mean does this happen sporadically through out the day/week or does he simply sit down and get straight to it?

Of course I'm sure as far as writing goes that Rick has a "general" direction in mind. He probably organizes scenes much like any good play writer would and has an idea for a script before he starts planning out how to draw everything.

What do y'all think?

I would say that the rage comic is his brainstorming process, and then he goes and plans out the arc like it's a book, and after that he draws all of the comics during the weekend and/or on the no-comic days like a newspaper comic artist (i.e. Bill Watterson).

As much as I like the idea, I get a feeling the mods might say that requires a new topic

My arting largely consists of me sitting at my art desk and drawing for long periods of time, then inking for long periods of time. I'm usually listening to MST3K, an internet reviewer, or an audio book while I do so. I'm only connected to the internet wirelessly and getting a wired connection in this room would require a lot of house modification which I'm not keen to do, and also I'd need a decent webcam I can hang off the shelf above my art table.

I'm not ultra talkative so I dunno what else would be happening there.

That's fine and I can respect that. It's just an idea anyway. Besides most of the artists that i've seen doing live streams are drawing with sai tool or photoshop. Plus most of the time they stop every little bit to text something on the chat thread next to the livestream. Other than that it's pretty much business as usual for them, i guess?
I still think it'd be cool, but I also know that you're more traditional when it comes to sketching and inking the strip. Anywho, thanks for indulging!

Lies! Rick simply travels to the Housepets! universe in his magical hovercraft and takes pictures of the things that happen there!

Can we book flights?

Isn't the portal the second star on the right?

Before getting there, you need to pass through the ninth cloud, ask the bandana selling monkey to give you protective footwear, and then press triangle, triangle, X, circle in your console.
Or you could just ask Rick to hitch you a ride.

And a little bit of pixie dust. Even Rick needs it...

In the trip to the portal you'll find
Some things that you must keep in mind
A rock like a hand
A waterfall grand
And a hermit whose limericks rhyme

(mine don't. how's that for poetastic doggerel?)

I have a speculation...

And so was born Calvin and Gra- wait a second...