Cast Off Characters - Who will not return in the New Housepets?

[NHWestoN]

Abrasive mice are motif that tires quickly (the short, predictable comic lives of Jasper and Jinx lasted the duration of a match burn). Perhaps as a sub-community within Babylon Gardens, like the forest folk, a group of mice could have been diverting. Squeak and Spo ... just ... annoying.
To me, at least.

[D-Rock]

Well, I think Spo is intentionally annoying and meant to bounce off of the others. As for Squeak, don’t have any strong opinion in either way.

[NHWestoN]

Agreed, D!

[Amazee Dayzee]

I am quite surprised that with how annoying Spo is, none of the other cats tried to eat him or the dogs stomp on him before Joey threatened to but Squeak told him he would break up with him if he did. I think the dynamics of it is Spo is meant to be annoying and Squeak is meant to be incredibly creepy (which actually fits into Joey having creepy friends).

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Bigglesworth tried to eat Squeak once.

[D-Rock]

I think what keeps Spo safe is the fact that Fido is too nice, no one would really want to anger him, and the rest respect Fido too much. I imagine if it weren’t for Sabrina, Fido would have snacked on Spo himself.

[Amazee Dayzee]

While I am sure Fido wouldn't want anybody to outright KILL Spo I can imagine there are times when even Sabrina gets ticked off at Spo. It might not be seen but I am sure that there are a few times Fido and Sabrina whack hime with a broom. LOL

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Speaking of Spo, my theory is that the arc "Spo's Return" is because Rick completely forgot about Spo until people started asking about him so he made Spo "Come back from vacation". Given that there is a 5 year gap between the first page of "Spo's Return" and the previous comic page containing Spo, and only 2 doodle cameos in that time, I don't think it completely unrealistic.

[CunningFox]

The fact that he appeared in sketches would that Rick did remember him, and simply didn't have any stories he fitted in.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

I mean there's remembering him occasionally and then there's remembering him enough to slot him into the comic. Even Itsuki shows up here and there, but Spo completely vanished for three years, appeared with his back turned (and could have just been a generic mouse) in a single one-off single-frame comic, disappeared for another 18 months, appeared in a sketch, and then disappeared until just before the beginning of Heckraiser. It could be that Rick forgot him completely for those 3 years, or even 4 years and had him tagged as an afterthought in the one-off.

[NHWestoN]

Well, given the size of his cast, that's not surprizing. Many of the old hands have been relegated to walk-ons or occasional background sightings, especially during the seemingly interminable Heckraiser. About half of those performers were new or "transformed" veterans like Stewart and Trinket. So, while I don't expect Rick to publish a "termination list", about two-thirds will just never be seen again.

Idle speculation - will Grape and Peanut also slip into the background and a new "pairing" become the fulcrum figures for Housepets! 2.0? Who might those be? Remember when Bloom County ceased publication and then tried a comeback with the short-lived, surreal Outland. Outland floundered pitifully until Breathed brought Opus the Peguin back to restore the familiar characters, plot lines, and atmospherics of the old comic. Still ... might Rick's new Babylon Gardens reboot center on a different couple. Or maybe Grape and Max or Peanut and Tarot - sounds too much like Hi and Lois for my tastes. Or "All Ferrets, All the Time!"

Okay, I'm up past my bourbon time. Love `n G'night, all.

[NHWestoN]

No Bruno or Gale. The big preds are out. The wolfpack will also be trimmed but, perhaps, the survivor will not be Miles but one of the comic sides like Natalie or Jack or other Darryl. Especially if Rick decides to return the strip to its funny animal roots and discontinue cosmic and/or Indiana Ferret adventures.

[NHWestoN]

After the chats on Ginga's thread about Cory, I'm going to add Cory to the list of castaways. Trinket might also be problematic as Rick doesn't seem to care much for bird characters and she seems fated to be always attached supporting a more dominant character like Cory or Steward.

Come to think of it, Trinket was pretty "attached" to Steward in the HeckRaisers arc ... tee hee.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I am sure that we might see Trinket again especially if they keep Jessica and her apartment around because she lives there so she could be a background character in that case. I don't think we will see Cory especially since the comic has shunted Trinket towards Steward who I do think we will see again also.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

If the comic is trying to move back toward comedy, then keeping Cory is a MUST.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Rick said it was moving back to more of a slice-of-life direction and while comedy is good I don't think that is a big component in it honestly.

Besides I am pretty sure we will still have Bino as the comedy character since he exists to be the proverbial punching bag.

[NHWestoN]

Well, I have to admit, Amazz, it had been more than a while since Housepets! made me laugh out loud - which was one of the aspects that hooked me on the comic in the first place.

: Different subject - I'm starting to wonder if Lois and Marion will return. Especially if we're facing "puppy-paloozah" with all the littering expected.

[NHWestoN]

Wonder if the new Housepets! will turn more towards family-domesticity comedy or fade that out?

There's certainly reason to anticipate more of that with Peanut and Tarot "expecting" but, you know, Rick may decide to let that whole thread vanish as if it never were. He seemed to lose interest in stories revolving aorund King, Bailey, and their pups towards the end despite having done quite a number of arcs with them well after their Christmas debut. We haven't had an "Imaginate" in years (to my great sorrow) either.

By the way, this whole thread is just an exercise in commual speculation. I don't expect Rick to publish a "Termination List" (unless he's engaged the DOGEies to do his culling) or extended obituaries to reveal those characters who didn't get their contracts renewed. It's more a lense for speculation about new (or old) directions and themes he might take.

... and a chance to lament the loss of those characters we enjoyed and already saw diminishing in the strip's later years.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Honestly we can't even say for certain who Rick plans to keep around and who he is not going to write for anymore because we don't know his plans. Characters that we think aren't gonna make a comeback very well could and characters that are a sure thing may not appear anymore. For example, many people might think he is gonna scale down the K9s to just Fox and Mungo but I think we will see Ralph and Fido again definitely.

[NHWestoN]

Maybe Miles will return as a Dire Wolf ...

[Amazee Dayzee]

I feel there might be a lot of potential for Miles since a big portion of the high school he teaches at it probably has animal students due to the wish. Seeing him and the rest of the wolves navigating that or seeing how the school operates with a lot of faculty and students being animals would be kind of interesting if Rick wanted to go that way.

[NHWestoN]

The "Duo" pairings may also be done. Rick seems to have lost interest in King and Bailey and brood - and, if Tarot whelps, well, there's like not enough room for two litters of puppies. Tiger and Marvin, Rex and Yeltsin, Flastaff and Truck, Cory and Trinket, all doubtful - Zack and Jessica might return but most if not all of the Treehouse gang will be reduced to walk-ons.

The K9s might make it, though.

[NHWestoN]

I feel there might be a lot of potential for Miles since a big portion of the high school he teaches at it probably has animal students due to the wish. Seeing him and the rest of the wolves navigating that or seeing how the school operates with a lot of faculty and students being animals would be kind of interesting if Rick wanted to go that way.

Have Gale join the faculty - could be some electricity there. Wonder if Marion and Lois will return or if they wore out their welcome?

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Marion will have gone to college, and Lois was planning on going with him. They will likely still be gone, bevause it takes a while to get a nursing degree.

[Amazee Dayzee]

We might see them make a few cameos here and there and Marion might have a small storyline about being a squirrel in college who is working towards getting a nursing degree but I don't think we will be seeing either of them much. I have a feeling the focus might be more on how Peanut takes to fatherhood for a few strips because you know he is gonna have some insecurities about that.

[CunningFox]

Whenever Marion's not on panel, all the other characters will be saying "Where's Marion?"

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

We might see them make a few cameos here and there and Marion might have a small storyline about being a squirrel in college who is working towards getting a nursing degree but I don't think we will be seeing either of them much. I have a feeling the focus might be more on how Peanut takes to fatherhood for a few strips because you know he is gonna have some insecurities about that.

Five whole pages about Peanut thinking he's lost one... because everybody likes a reused joke.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I don't think that he will be worried about losing one of them as he will know how many pups he has this time around and won't think he is forgetting about one. I have a theory that he will be second guessing himself on EVERYTHING else though. LOL

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

You know, thinking about it, I'm guessing Made of Win, Action Replay, and Money For Nothing are probably not coming back in the future, but then again we've had characters with the same number of appearances get callbacks.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I would be really shocked if "What Chicken" also made an appearance again as I think that Rick has moved past using chicken jokes and might want to do something fresh. Besides after attacking Craig with a crowbar I am pretty sure overprotective mom Kix would have tenderized What Chicken with a sledgehammer.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Rotisserie What Chicken

[NHWestoN]

You know, thinking about it, I'm guessing Made of Win, Action Replay, and Money For Nothing are probably not coming back in the future, but then again we've had characters with the same number of appearances get callbacks.

The three Barn Cats did make a return ...

[NHWestoN]

Back in July, I suggested that King, Bailey, and brood likely would not return. With the Valentine's now delivered, that speculation could have been toasted. Next stop, Imaginate does a Housepets! send up of the musical, Bye Bye, Birdy!.

I'd buy tickets ...

[Amazee Dayzee]

In the latter half of the comic's run King was a main focal character and ended up getting a lot of storylines nearly overshadowing Grape and Peanut so I don't think Rick would ever stop writing for him especially now that he is married and is a father. There are many things that the pups who are now teenagers could get up to that would give King a coronary and I don't think Rick would ever pass up plotting that out for new content.

[NHWestoN]

Agreed ... unless they can't get through the !@#$%&* Gateway.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I am hoping that by the time Rick does decide to relaunch the comic and start it up again the DDOS attacks have finally been dealt with. Pulling up the site is like playing a game of chance because you never know if you will be able to get on.

[NHWestoN]

Not expecting an encore for Fidler and Keyes. Maybe if Rick brings back the Yarn Ball.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Speaking of characters we don't think are going to return in the new Housepets! updates when Rick begins to do them, I think we can also add in some events that we are probably not gonna have anymore. I think the one I would put at the top of my list is the Yarn Ball.

[NHWestoN]

The prospects for the Good Ol'Dog's Club are probably dicey. Ditto for the Zoo unless Rick has a desire to revisit those ol'familiar themes.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

The zoo has been rebranded as the Wildside Education Center, which is something Rick made a point of showing in the epilogue. I'm guessing he had plans for it for later.