2019/05/01 - Simple Explanation

[furrygamer793]

The answering machine, my true favorite character

[fenrirblack]

I went with formerly known as because I was joking as seeing how when Joel and (possibly) Steward had changed, their names also overwritten with new names.

With Steward he probably started using his first name more. I think it was only mentioned the one time.

[Foldo]

By the way, when was he confirmed male? I keep seeing everyone post "him" and "he" for Marion.

Rick confirmed it when he streamed the next strips on Tigerdile yesterday.

[IceKitsune]

Whelp that was a bust. Hopefully when their mom does come home they can explain who they are and they actually believe them.

[Postcard]

Now we know another thing about the squirrel formerly known as Marion. His last name is Ward apparently.

“Formerly known as”? He’s still Marion. The only thing that’s changed is his species and appearance. There is no guarantee that his voice has changed either. When magic is involved the voice usually stays the same.

You know, I always thought King's voice would've changed to accommodate his new shape. It seems weird if I picture him with a grown man's voice in that corgi's body. The same is true for Marion. He is a teenager, though. Maybe he already sounded like the squeaky-voiced teen.

[fenrirblack]

On a random note, I just wanted to point out how everytime I read this strip I immediately think of the teaser trailer for the new Netflix show "The Society." Compared to that being a squirrel might not be so bad.

Now we know another thing about the squirrel formerly known as Marion. His last name is Ward apparently.

“Formerly known as”? He’s still Marion. The only thing that’s changed is his species and appearance. There is no guarantee that his voice has changed either. When magic is involved the voice usually stays the same.

You know, I always thought King's voice would've changed to accommodate his new shape. It seems weird if I picture him with a grown man's voice in that corgi's body. The same is true for Marion. He is a teenager, though. Maybe he already sounded like the squeaky-voiced teen.

I always imagined a grown man's voice for King. Nothing too deep or anything but something essentially normal for someone in their late twenties/early thirties.
That would actually be kind of funny if his voice did change and he said something along the lines of "I was almost through with puberty. My voice finally finished changing and now this happens!"

[GameCobra]

Oh, this is getting good :3

Resist the urge for nut puns, Marion.

[Buster]

By the way, when was he confirmed male? I keep seeing everyone post "him" and "he" for Marion.

Well, he apparently shaves.

you're assuming they were referring to their face. i find it telling that their (her?) derailed thought went to shaving a limb over shaving a beard.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Except right before the realization hit him, he was going towards his face. Not her armpits of her legs where girls are more likely to shave. I'm thinking it was stubble from a beard growing in.

Besides, Rick already stated that Marion is a boy so no need to try to speculate. Rick deosn't seem like the type to lie just for the pleasure of it.

[fenrirblack]

I’ve said it before but I think it’s worth repeating how refreshingly different Marion’s reaction is compared to the other three. Marion’s reaction is so normal. Screaming, crying, calling for help, no one else did that. King didn’t even shout for the guards That there was a giant gryphon in the room. He was so dead inside that he just begrudgingly accepted that he was going to be changed into a dog and basically kidnapped. His only real complaint was the name thing. (Personally I would have complained about the breed.) Thomas had a more common freak out of screaming but even then got right to work trying to fix it. True that he had already spent x amount of time almost dying in the temple but still. Steward’s was interesting. First Thomas shows up as a camel and Steward is surprised but not that surprised. And we don’t really see his full reaction but he must have bounced back pretty quickly.
Marion on the other hand is going through what I call the Five Stages of TF. Stage one: freak out. Stage two: seek help. Stage three: denial. Stage four: deal with it. Stage five: bitter acceptance with a bit of depression.

[Champion Wallace]

In the previous strip, his phone wasn't visible on his bedside table, so that means Marion got some time to process what happened as he retrieved it (or it was just hiding behind his clock). That voicemail system would be a lot better designed if it told you the inbox was full before it had you record a message.

What is up with "moms" in this comic. Between Joel's mom, Marion's mom, heck even Max's mom, they are not coming out great. Keene's mom was good but she did die.......

Jill Sandwich is a fairly good mom to Peanut and Grape.

So the name Ward come up before? I’m trying to figure out if there might be a pet in that house (gonna be awkward if a dog chases him out). Wonder if Rick thought it be funny for Ste-ward to go after the Ward family, or if that was just a coincidence. Regardless, I hope the squirrel gets a hug at some point in this arc, he clearly needs one

As far as I know, this is the very first time the name Ward has come up in Housepets!.

Digression: I love the "tail check" he did to try and figure out exactly what he's become. I'm presuming from the "Just come home" comment that he's not even certain himself of what he is.

I don't think that's a tail check, as his eyes aren't pointed in the right direction. My first impression was he was looking away from the phone because he couldn't bring himself to say the word "squirrel".

Okay, I’m just gonna make a list of some of the likely candidates for who he can run into, and we can figure out even if they don’t happen, who’d be the most amusing to see.

I'm not saying this is what I want to happen, but I think by happenstance Marion is going to run into Costume Ink first.

Julia Ward, Marion's mother. Age: unknown. Appearance: unknown. Occupation: unknown.

In other words, "Leads: none, witnesses: none, and you're not in the computer system yet, so resources: none!"

"Oh, I hope you didn't stake your career on cracking this one."

She most likely is somewhere in the city judging from Marion's "Mom you have to come home!" Of course there is no way of knowing if she is out of the country or something

What if he's in college, "home" is just his dorm, but he knows his mom will understand this? Conspiracy theory time: It's part of the ferrets' plan to get animals accepted into college to more than mail-order courses (yesterday we were arguing whether it was Steward's coin or just one they pulled out of the rubble)

Keene does know the gold is cursed so it's possible, but this seems to go against Keene and Lana's characters and it would also beg the question "Why now?".

Hey Fen, out of curiousity, where did you find that one pic of Marion? I’m still of the mindset that that was a roughdraft piece so elements like the necklace may or may not appear in the comic + still haven’t seen that odd patch of fur on his right foot that is a different shade from the rest of him, but I’m wondering if there are more possible future characters that can be discovered around it... and yes I am gonna see if there’s an otter amongst them, don’t judge me

Rick’s Twitter. The odd fur patch is partly visible in the second panel.

...and the third panel, and the fourth panel (Marion's sitting on his knees).

Now we know another thing about the squirrel formerly known as Marion. His last name is Ward apparently.

“Formerly known as”? He’s still Marion. The only thing that’s changed is his species and appearance. There is no guarantee that his voice has changed either. When magic is involved the voice usually stays the same.

Voices staying the same despite a character getting a new body or borrowing another (swapping minds) has always been a pet peeve of mine. What makes vocal cords so special?

I went with formerly known as because I was joking as seeing how when Joel and (possibly) Steward had changed, their names also overwritten with new names.

Steward is always tagged as Steward, regardless of species. It might be revealed in the future he changed his name to avoid being connected to his past life, though he didn't technically do anything illegal and someone connecting him with the human would require them correctly guessing magic is real.

[Cody]

I don't think that's a tail check, as his eyes aren't pointed in the right direction. My first impression was he was looking away from the phone because he couldn't bring himself to say the word "squirrel".

That could be it too, for sure. Regardless, I find it both adorable and hilarious all the same

[Argent]

By the way, when was he confirmed male? I keep seeing everyone post "him" and "he" for Marion.

Well, he apparently shaves.

you're assuming they were referring to their face. i find it telling that their (her?) derailed thought went to shaving a limb over shaving a beard.

They were rubbing their face when they said that, then noticed their hand was furry as well and changed from face to hand. It's a classic two panel double take.

@fenrir: stage six: something involving climbing a tree.

@wallace: totally looked like a tail check to me.

[trekkie]

Aw, poor Marion. I feel like hugging the poor, panicky squirrel. I believe that he is checking his tail in panel three because his head is turned that way and he is trying to tell his mom that he has become a squirrel. Also, I wonder if he kept the same scent he did when he was human, we know King did not, but at this point we don’t know how Marion became a squirrel.

[Frank]

New thought: he's going to want clothes in his size, and from what we've seen of his room, he doesn't seem to "do" toys

Does he live with a sister?

[fenrirblack]

New thought: he's going to want clothes in his size, and from what we've seen of his room, he doesn't seem to "do" toys

Does he live with a sister?

He’s too old for “toys” or even collectibles. Judging from the computer probably more of a gamer. As far as family goes I going out on a limb and stick with it’s just him and mom.

Okay, I’m just gonna make a list of some of the likely candidates for who he can run into, and we can figure out even if they don’t happen, who’d be the most amusing to see.

I'm not saying this is what I want to happen, but I think by happenstance Marion is going to run into Costume Ink first.

It does beg the question of “where” he lives? So far we’ve rarely ever left Babylon Gardens or seen any other part of the city aside from a few road trips, flashbacks, near death experiences, and one annoying video store. I want to say that he lives in BG because that would be the obvious setting but the problem is again teenagers are never seen and even if it’s not a “rule” I’m pretty sure to have to have (or be) a pet to live there. Depending on where he lives will be the ultimate determining factor of who he meets first. If he escapes to the woods then the cult would be number one but if he does go straight to Babylon Gardens then it could be just about anyone.

[Obbl]

I'm actually always rather refreshed when characters don't go through the full freak out cycle after something wildly out of the ordinary happens to them. It feels like it's become so obligatory in modern media, but often feels way too over the top. Like, I know I'd be freaking out, but I'd be at least examining it or dealing with it and trying to keep myself under control. Which is why I like that Rick didn't go for a just screaming reaction until transformation number like 4

[Champion Wallace]

Okay, I’m just gonna make a list of some of the likely candidates for who he can run into, and we can figure out even if they don’t happen, who’d be the most amusing to see.

I'm not saying this is what I want to happen, but I think by happenstance Marion is going to run into Costume Ink first.

It does beg the question of “where” he lives? So far we’ve rarely ever left Babylon Gardens or seen any other part of the city aside from a few road trips, flashbacks, near death experiences, and one annoying video store. I want to say that he lives in BG because that would be the obvious setting but the problem is again teenagers are never seen and even if it’s not a “rule” I’m pretty sure to have to have (or be) a pet to live there. Depending on where he lives will be the ultimate determining factor of who he meets first. If he escapes to the woods then the cult would be number one but if he does go straight to Babylon Gardens then it could be just about anyone.

Simon said that Henry Milton"broke up his estate here and build affordable homes for middle-class families with pets.". One reading of that would be there is an ordinance or something that homeowners need to have a pet, or Mr. Milton wouldn't sell to prospective buyers without pets, though on top of the ambiguity Simon isn't the most reliable source. If that is the case than Marion either has a pet (it could be a Neighborhood Dog) or doesn't live in Babylon Gardens. If pet ownership is a rule in BG than it makes sense for there to be few kids because it's harder in that universe to have both a pet and a kid since pets take almost as much energy to raise as kids.

[Argent]

If pet ownership is a rule in BG than it makes sense for there to be few kids because it's harder in that universe to have both a pet and a kid since pets take almost as much energy to raise as kids.

I suspect more pet owners are like Mr. Hartford than like the Sandwiches.

[Amazee Dayzee]

You mean in like treating a pet like a pet instead of like a kid and going the extra mile for them right? It would SUCK if more pet owners are as abusive and cruel as that jerk face.

[NHWestoN]

If pet ownership is a rule in BG than it makes sense for there to be few kids because it's harder in that universe to have both a pet and a kid since pets take almost as much energy to raise as kids.

I suspect more pet owners are like Mr. Hartford than like the Sandwiches.

that's kinda alarming....

[Amazee Dayzee]

I get what he actually meant well I HOPE I did anyway.

[Champion Wallace]

Okay, now whoever does the website needs to go back and add "answering machine" as a tag wherever we encounter voicemail. Like in Jungle Fever:

That comic actually did have an answering machine tag previously. When the site got updated the tags had to be manually re-added. At that time, they tagged that strip with Professor D'Angelo instead. Technically, it is her dad's voice.

[Amazee Dayzee]

We just are left to wonder if we will see him physically.

[Champion Wallace]

Also, I wonder if he kept the same scent he did when he was human, we know King did not, but at this point we don’t know how Marion became a squirrel.

That would be so terrible! Could you imagine Marion getting his life turned upside-down waking up as a squirrel, but to add insult to injury he's cursed to smell as bad a a human male teenager. Besides, Marion has an entirely new squirrel body. Why would he keep his human scent glands of all things?

[Amazee Dayzee]

If he still smelled the same way he did as a human, I would be a bit disturbed because he is gonna stink a lot more now since he will sweat so much with his fur as well as not being able to shower since he is considered a wild animal.