Housepets!

This is why Fox, Mungo, and the Keurig coffee maker already outrank Kevin in the line for promotions.

I bet Marion could ask those police dogs a question on how to change back into a human. The dogs confused, points them in the direction of King's house. Why, well they are police dogs, they're supposed to help, especially on duty.

I wonder if Marion climbed trees as a kid? He got up there fast for someone who's only recently a squirrel. Do the K-9s realize the "nut-job" they're talking about can hear them?

BOOM!

Welp, so much for that. “Dog chase squirrel” it is then.

Squirreltopia is looking like a pretty good option right about now as well as Marion joining the ferals instead of the pets.

No offense to Ralph, but he’s never struck me as the caring type who would help someone like Marion. So I guess this will be the end of Kevin’s role. Knowing them they’ll probably leave and Marion will either slowly come down of his own accord or be coerced by another animal. No matter what I don’t think he’s teaming up with the pets. I hope he does but it’s not looking good.

Also, “not supposed to chase squirrels on-duty” is such a sad sentiment. I had higher hopes for dog-kind. Speaking of which, notice how Ralph is baring his teeth.

Char89Charizard wrote:I bet Marion could ask those police dogs a question on how to change back into a human. The dogs confused, points them in the direction of King's house. Why, well they are police dogs, they're supposed to help, especially on duty.

After that stunt I doubt he would be in a huge hurry to talk to them or ask for help. His best option would be to wait for someone else to come by to help in the mean time.

Champion Wallace wrote: Do the K-9s realize the "nut-job" they're talking about can hear them?

Don’t think they care.

fenrirblack wrote:BOOM!
No offense to Ralph, but he’s never struck me as the caring type who would help someone like Marion...Speaking of which, notice how Ralph is baring his teeth.

But he's a cop, a fictional one in an idealistic world no less. Ralph is annoyed with Kevin and sure to help Marion if he/she asks. He's a police officer, helping people is what he's supposed to do.

I'm pretty sure Ralph is going after Kevin less for tormenting a squirrel and more for being distracted by a squirrel.

In this world, there’s a treaty,
nothing written, truly meaty.
So every day they see, lacking grace,
Dog sees Squirrel, then they have to chase.
So…
Run, Marion, run, Marion, run, run, run.
Kevin’s behind you, having fun, fun, fun.
He’s gonna catch you, before your life’s begun;
so run, Marion, run, Marion, run, run, run.
Run, Marion, run, Marion, run, run, run
climb faster than you’ve ever done, done, done;
or he’ll lay you out there, underneath the Sun;
So run, Marion, run, Marion, run, run, run.

Well at least he won't have to worry about Kevin anymore (maybe and only while he is on duty) hopefully the other pets will be a bit more friendly. I'm guessing before that though he's going to meet a few other squirrels in that tree.

I mean the cops are all here. Maybe Fox will show up next?

At this point I’m going to speculate that if or when Marion manages to come down out of that tree, Steward is going to appear from his hiding place (after watching all that) and try to convince Marion he can help. Probably while leaning against something while flipping the coin in his hand.

Steward: “No one can help you now. The pets around here, you see what they’re like. If you can’t rely on the police who can you rely on? I can help you. I understand what you must be feeling right now. The sense of loss and hopelessness. Confusion about being trapped in a unfamiliar body.”
Marion: “How did you know I’m not really a squirrel?”
Steward: “I recognize someone like me. I can recognize a desperate soul. I’m not really a badger but was cursed into this form. Come with me and I can help you understand what has happened to you. I might even be able to fix it.”
Marion: “Really, you can change me back?”
Steward holds out his paw.
Steward: “Sure. All you have to do is follow me and do exactly as I say. What’s your name?”
Marion: “It’s Marion.”
Steward: “Nice to meet you Marion, my name is Herman Steward.”

Digging the angle they are in.

This is so bringing up good old flashbacks. <3

You forgot to mention the ominous rumble of villainous thunder as Steward introduces himself, Fenrir.

I like Sgt's Ralph constant serious expression...



has he ever smiled?

Gbr23 wrote:I like Sgt's Ralph constant serious expression...



has he ever smiled?

I just checked, and no, he has not.

Although this:

has me calling shenanigans on him calling Kevin out for the terrible pun.

Still holding out hope that this is what leads to him joining the pets; Marion's been through more than enough today. I just really wanna give him a hug.

Marion looks like he's listening to them talk about being on-duty. Could there be a possibility that that he'll get optimistic and ask them something that piques their interest, hoping they can help, and then one thing leads to another and he gets taken in by Fox and King and company? Them being on-duty could mean that all of them are there like Geartooth said, maybe working a case, and Fox overhears what Marion has to say. Then since Fox is the only one who apparently knows about magic on the force, he could jump in and say "Heyyyyyy guys, why don't you go check over there, and I'll handle this squirrel?" Ralph and Kevin walk off, and Fox says "Here's the thing: I believe you. I know someone who can help." then he writes the address of King and the Wolve's house down on a notepad. "Go here. Ask for King, and explain your situation to him." He then remembers the Wolves and adds (for the sake of some humor at the end of the strip) "And whoever opens the door, make sure not to freak out, okay?"

Sergeant Ralph being there means a high chance of them all being there, right? He doesn't just go on random patrol with any of the K-9's whenever they need two of them for a patrol, correct?

A thought occurred to me about Marion's options. What is to say that he doesn't know some of the pets personally? If he's lived in this neighborhood for years then statistically he would have met some of the pets at one time, for one reason or another.
We never see the kids but apparently it is safe to say that Marion lives in Babylon Gardens so why isn't there more interactions between humans and the pets? We never see the humans (for obvious reasons) but humans, especially kids, do exist so why is too say that the humans and pets couldn't be friends. I'm not talking about friends with their pets but friends with other peoples pets. For example, what if Peanut had a human friend who shared his interests and invited them over to play games or simply hung out together.
The pets are essentially kids so why don't more humans and animals interact with one another especially if they're the same age? There seems to be this segregation between the two. Animals only hang with animals and humans apparently only hang with humans. There have been exceptions in the past but we never see them hanging out regularly.
Marion could have developed a kinship with one of the pets that lives in the neighborhood and seek them for help. If that hasn't happened then that raises questions of why not? What is to stop a human and animal developing the same kind of friendship that two humans have. If I was living in the neighborhood or in the HPU in general and didn't have a pet of my own I would make friends and hang out with any pet that shared any of my interests just as much as I would any human. What is to stop a human from joining the pet's shenanigans like the water gun war or simply playing in the street?

See, told yah Kevin would be a kind and helpful police officer; helped Marion find the incentive to climb his first tree. Got that wrong, I did.

Let's see, now that there's a pause, if Marion can communicate his plight to his potential benefactors....

fenrirblack wrote:What is to stop a human from joining the pet's shenanigans like the water gun war or simply playing in the street?

A younger human could possibly get made fun of or bullied by others at school or in their neighborhood for making good friends with a pet rather than fellow humans. Teenagers, specifically, would have the potential to be an extra kind of mean about such a thing. Marion has a girlfriend, which means he has some kind of social life, and might not want to get mocked and/or bullied by his peers, or thought of as weird by Lois.

Champion Wallace wrote:Do the K-9s realize the "nut-job" they're talking about can hear them?

They either do, and probably don't care because it's "just a squirrel", or they don't, assuming that the squirrel's smart enough to have jumped two or three trees while they talked

Gbr23 wrote:I like Sgt's Ralph constant serious expression...



has he ever smiled?

I think during the Housepets Babies arc.

fenrirblack wrote:Also, “not supposed to chase squirrels on-duty” is such a sad sentiment. I had higher hopes for dog-kind. Speaking of which, notice how Ralph is baring his teeth.

I don't think he baring his teeth. I think that's just the low angle making more of his teeth visible.

leinglo wrote:I'm pretty sure Ralph is going after Kevin less for tormenting a squirrel and more for being distracted by a squirrel.

The "on-duty" part at the end would seem to indicate that, yes.

leinglo wrote:

Gbr23 wrote:I like Sgt's Ralph constant serious expression...



has he ever smiled?

I just checked, and no, he has not.

fenrirblack wrote:A thought occurred to me about Marion's options. What is to say that he doesn't know some of the pets personally? If he's lived in this neighborhood for years then statistically he would have met some of the pets at one time, for one reason or another.
We never see the kids but apparently it is safe to say that Marion lives in Babylon Gardens so why isn't there more interactions between humans and the pets? We never see the humans (for obvious reasons) but humans, especially kids, do exist so why is too say that the humans and pets couldn't be friends. I'm not talking about friends with their pets but friends with other peoples pets. For example, what if Peanut had a human friend who shared his interests and invited them over to play games or simply hung out together.
The pets are essentially kids so why don't more humans and animals interact with one another especially if they're the same age? There seems to be this segregation between the two. Animals only hang with animals and humans apparently only hang with humans. There have been exceptions in the past but we never see them hanging out regularly.
Marion could have developed a kinship with one of the pets that lives in the neighborhood and seek them for help. If that hasn't happened then that raises questions of why not? What is to stop a human and animal developing the same kind of friendship that two humans have. If I was living in the neighborhood or in the HPU in general and didn't have a pet of my own I would make friends and hang out with any pet that shared any of my interests just as much as I would any human. What is to stop a human from joining the pet's shenanigans like the water gun war or simply playing in the street?

Even if there's nothing overt against human-pet friendships, that still doesn't mean they'll be common. It's important to remember where kids make most of their friends, ie school. While Marion is chumming around with Lois in kindergarten (if they've known each other that long), Peanut is sniffing butts at the dog park. Nobody's trying to keep inter-species friendships from happening, it's just the result of where people are socialized.

I guess this would mean King is very much not gonna be the person who Marion will ask for help, after this he would probably be reluctant to even go near any more dogs unless forced by some other circumstances,

Well, there goes Marion asking the canines for help xD Though I have to say I love the perspective Rick did in the second panel.

SeanWolf wrote:Well, there goes Marion asking the canines for help xD Though I have to say I love the perspective Rick did in the second panel.

A few other possibilities exist considering its Ralph who just showed up actually:
1. The most unlikely, but I don’t think Ralph ever got his last name revealed, meaning he could be the Ward’s dog. Regardless of whether it helps Marion or not, it be interesting having that angle to play with in the future with Marion since none of the other transformed humans currently can do anything with that.
2. Kevin is only partially a bad boy. Even if they don’t recognize Marion’s scent, they might notice a recent human odor on his bracelet turned necklace, making it a bit of their duty to make sure the squirrel didn’t steal anything important. Marion likely won’t be happy with that, but it allows for him to exchange some more words that lead the K-9 unit to wonder why the squirrel is acting like he is.
3. Ralph is a professional, and tries to apologize as Kevin’s commanding officer for the reckless behavior during their shift. It’s not at all out of character for him, and probably would give Marion at least one good thing happening to him today.
I’m just hoping Ralph is there for a reason. He’s always been that enjoyable character that is likely difficult to utilize by Rick due to being a no-nonsense character in a primarily comedic comic. Plus, considering the fox and King comparison is inevitable with whatever animal character Marion gets to hang around with, might as well play into that and make it another dog

Welp, seems like Kevin is dog first and then a cop. Too bad for Marion.
I hope he still decides to ask them for help in some sort. Since Ralph is a bit more reasonable he could help...and then it turns out he is also just a dog and not above it all

A little bit aside from the story:
Can I just say how much I love the second panel?
I mean seeing Kevin and Ralph from this angle?
Not only does it look really great, they look really tall from this perspective, which is probably how Marion now sees the world.
I think this is a great way to show us the readers how Marion now feels, small and tiny

Gameb18oy wrote: A few other possibilities exist considering its Ralph who just showed up actually:
1. The most unlikely, but I don’t think Ralph ever got his last name revealed, meaning he could be the Ward’s dog. Regardless of whether it helps Marion or not, it be interesting having that angle to play with in the future with Marion since none of the other transformed humans currently can do anything with that.
2. Kevin is only partially a bad boy. Even if they don’t recognize Marion’s scent, they might notice a recent human odor on his bracelet turned necklace, making it a bit of their duty to make sure the squirrel didn’t steal anything important. Marion likely won’t be happy with that, but it allows for him to exchange some more words that lead the K-9 unit to wonder why the squirrel is acting like he is.
3. Ralph is a professional, and tries to apologize as Kevin’s commanding officer for the reckless behavior during their shift. It’s not at all out of character for him, and probably would give Marion at least one good thing happening to him today.
I’m just hoping Ralph is there for a reason. He’s always been that enjoyable character that is likely difficult to utilize by Rick due to being a no-nonsense character in a primarily comedic comic. Plus, considering the fox and King comparison is inevitable with whatever animal character Marion gets to hang around with, might as well play into that and make it another dog

1. Oh that is a good point. I was more thinking that Ralph somehow more or less just belongs to the police station and lives there in a kennel. Ward could be a fitting name to Ralph, since we know what "to ward something off" means and Ralph does (or tries) that in his job.
2. It could also be that they just think he is some random squirrel. Even if Marion is kinda strange. Then again, there are the forest critters and their weird religion based around Zach, who really does NOT want to be treated as some head figure. So they (Ralph and Kevin) could just chalk it up as a squirrel being nuts.
3. He also seems to be partnered up with Kevin, since we always see the two of them together. And while it would be nice to see Ralph actively helping Marion maybe he will just think Marion is talking weird things for varrious reasons. Althought there is the hope that Fido will come into play.

Kevin chose the villain path. Kevin has traumatized the squirrel.

Looks like Marion has another chance to get some help. Will he take it?
Also great perspective in the second panel, I always love it when the art of the comic tries something new.

Nathan Kerbonaut wrote:Kevin chose the villain path. Kevin has traumatized the squirrel.

Looks like Marion has another chance to get some help. Will he take it?
Also great perspective in the second panel, I always love it when the art of the comic tries something new.

As an supportive aside, Nathan, one of the things I've always enjoyed about Housepets is that Rick continually varies the viewpoint perspective from which the reader sees the characters and the action. As a result, the drawings are more energetic and realistic than the standard "face forward" presentation many artists routinely use.

... and, yeah, Kevin did that, didn't he? Oh, well, at least Marion's getting involved with other animals who might be more receptive to his dilemma than humans.

I hope that Marion finds a sympathetic pet like King or Sabrina and doesn’t fall under the influence of Steward. I have to say that I too love how the second panel is drawn.

D-Rock wrote:[2019/05/27 - Tree Bark]
Title Text: nuts to that

In case y'all needed a reminder that yes, they're animals.

Yeah, I think we sometimes forget that these aren't people in furry bodies (well, for the most part) but animals who just walk upright.

I'm still hopeful that we're going to see the K-9's actually help. I'm beginning to really feel bad for Marion, even knowing he's just a 2D representation of a thought in Ricks head!

dr_eirik wrote:

D-Rock wrote:[2019/05/27 - Tree Bark]
Title Text: nuts to that

In case y'all needed a reminder that yes, they're animals.

Yeah, I think we sometimes forget that these aren't people in furry bodies (well, for the most part) but animals who just walk upright.

It is unusual to see them fall into their real world cliches. We’ve seen them read books and play video games so it is odd seeing them actually bark or chase defenseless animals. This makes me wonder if it is a dog thing or a Kevin thing. I can’t see Ralph doing something like this even if he wasn’t on duty (I don’t think he’s ever not off duty).

For what it's worth it's not only an animal thing either. How many of us have chased small animals for the sheer pleasure of it? Humans do it too, especially the younger ones.

Is it wrong that part of the reasonn I check each new update is to see HalfQuickwit's new ditty? Because if so, I don't want to be right!
Is this new one based on a song I am not familiar with?

D-Rock wrote:In case y'all needed a reminder that yes, they're animals.

Ah, good. For a moment I was wondering if they were just small people Rick draws as animals for fun.

fenrirblack wrote:At this point I’m going to speculate that if or when Marion manages to come down out of that tree, Steward is going to appear from his hiding place (after watching all that) and try to convince Marion he can help. Probably while leaning against something while flipping the coin in his hand.
Steward: “Nice to meet you Marion, my name is Herman Steward.”

I thought he went by "Stu" nowadays.

But yes, that's what makes these updates so great! Each new strip promises a variety of possible possibilities, branching out into different outcomes.
As captivating, if not more, as any TellTale game!

Oh, poor little scared squirrel... Yeah, bad dog! Is that your way to defend someone as police dog, Kevin? Good that Ralph, which is much more on duty, was there too. Your reproaching is good, Ralph, but he shouldn't do that in any case. Instead, your pun is terribly bad, Kevin, like your behavior...

Welp, that was a fast chase scene. Now for the next part. Will Marion be able to ask for help, or will he be too petrified to speak? If the latter, then guess he's moving on towards the woods. If the former, then... well, I feel like he'll be sent to Fido since he's known as the "animal-caretaker". Or maybe he'll be taken to the station for questioning by Ralph who might take Marion seriously. Those are my predictions.

Also, can I say I like that bottom-up perspective Rick did for that final panel? It looks really good!~

Champion Wallace wrote:Even if there's nothing overt against human-pet friendships, that still doesn't mean they'll be common. It's important to remember where kids make most of their friends, ie school. While Marion is chumming around with Lois in kindergarten (if they've known each other that long), Peanut is sniffing butts at the dog park. Nobody's trying to keep inter-species friendships from happening, it's just the result of where people are socialized.

Along those lines, it's probably like many other things where people's horizons broaden and they mellow out as they grow up. In grade school and high school, where one's world is very small and small things seem like the biggest things in the world, making friends with a pet would in all likelihood invite derision and bullying. I suspect that in the Housepets world there are a good amount of college students and adults who have pets and animals as friends and/or trusted coworkers that they spend time with after class or work.

Just had another thought: Just how DID he get up the tree so fast? How much is he thinking like a squirrel? Is he in danger of losing himself to the animal he's become?

I know it is a long shot at this point but I do want to play through a scenario of how this situation can progress. The problem is we don't have time for a long conversation with Kevin and Ralph where Marion tries to explain what is going on. We have one strip before the finale so whatever is going to happen needs to happen fast.
Let's start with the least likely but most ideal scenario. One where Ralph isn't a stick in the mud and actually is helpful.
Ralph: "You can come down now. We won't hurt you."
Kevin: "Sorry for barking at you."
Marion climbs down.
Ralph: "Are you okay?"
Marion: "AM I OKAY? DO I LOOK OKAY? I was chased up a tree by a random dog which before this morning would never have been possible. I am tired and annoyed and really need someone to help me."
Kevin: "What do you need help with?"
Marion: "Despite what it may look like, I am not a squirrel but a human teenager. I woke up like this and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. I was just kicked out of my home by my own mother. I am so close to losing my mind that I don't know how I'm still able to function at all."
Kevin and Ralph exchange a glance.
Marion: '"I know you don't believe me. I mean it sounds crazy. I sound crazy but it's the truth."
Ralph: "Your right that does sound crazy. Are you sure you're alright? I mean Kevin might have done a number on you?"
Kevin: "I don't know. We've seen some crazy stuff. Remember the jaguar ghost and the gold."
Ralph: "That was different. Look, if you are telling the truth or at least you believe you are then there may be someone we can take you too."
Kevin: "You mean Fido's girlfriend?"
Ralph: "Exactly."

Ash Greytree wrote:

Champion Wallace wrote:Even if there's nothing overt against human-pet friendships, that still doesn't mean they'll be common. It's important to remember where kids make most of their friends, ie school. While Marion is chumming around with Lois in kindergarten (if they've known each other that long), Peanut is sniffing butts at the dog park. Nobody's trying to keep inter-species friendships from happening, it's just the result of where people are socialized.

Along those lines, it's probably like many other things where people's horizons broaden and they mellow out as they grow up. In grade school and high school, where one's world is very small and small things seem like the biggest things in the world, making friends with a pet would in all likelihood invite derision and bullying. I suspect that in the Housepets world there are a good amount of college students and adults who have pets and animals as friends and/or trusted coworkers that they spend time with after class or work.

That is why characters like King and Marion are not only great edition to the story but are necessary to bridge these gaps and break down social Barriers even if they aren’t exactly willing.

I still wonder about the occasional social outcast or local weirdo. Where are they in all this? Especially in moments like the water gun war. In the middle of summer so there’s no school, all the pets are playing and making a huge spectacle but no humans are around. I find it hard to believe that no kid noticed what was happening and did not want to join. The fact that they might have felt like they couldn’t join or take part for whatever reason be it fear of teasing or even rejection by the animals reveals a deeper issue.

I'm a little surprised that no one has reacted indignantly to Sargeant Ralph's threat to write up a disciplinary report on poor Kevin for making a pun. What a martinet! Wait'll Karishad hears this!

fenrirblack wrote:

Ash Greytree wrote:

Champion Wallace wrote:Even if there's nothing overt against human-pet friendships, that still doesn't mean they'll be common. It's important to remember where kids make most of their friends, ie school. While Marion is chumming around with Lois in kindergarten (if they've known each other that long), Peanut is sniffing butts at the dog park. Nobody's trying to keep inter-species friendships from happening, it's just the result of where people are socialized.

Along those lines, it's probably like many other things where people's horizons broaden and they mellow out as they grow up. In grade school and high school, where one's world is very small and small things seem like the biggest things in the world, making friends with a pet would in all likelihood invite derision and bullying. I suspect that in the Housepets world there are a good amount of college students and adults who have pets and animals as friends and/or trusted coworkers that they spend time with after class or work.

That is why characters like King and Marion are not only great edition to the story but are necessary to bridge these gaps and break down social Barriers even if they aren’t exactly willing.

I still wonder about the occasional social outcast or local weirdo. Where are they in all this? Especially in moments like the water gun war. In the middle of summer so there’s no school, all the pets are playing and making a huge spectacle but no humans are around. I find it hard to believe that no kid noticed what was happening and did not want to join. The fact that they might have felt like they couldn’t join or take part for whatever reason be it fear of teasing or even rejection by the animals reveals a deeper issue.

that assumes that babylon gardens HAS human kids in it. we don't know how far miles commutes to work, how big the school district is, or if the k-9s patrol other neighborhoods regularly. for all we know, there were no school age kids living in that part of town at that time, and the current arc is actually taking place somewhere outside BG.

NHWestoN wrote:I'm a little surprised that no one has reacted indignantly to Sargeant Ralph's threat to write up a disciplinary report on poor Kevin for making a pun. What a martinet! Wait'll Karishad hears this!

Frankly, Kevin should be reassigned to dog catcher for the pun.