Housepets!

You can learn a lot from video games.

Rick didn't put in the apostrophe for "Doesn't". I wasn't sure if it was intentional or not.

That’s what I asked?!
Wow that was anticlimactic. Why is everyone standing like that? Arms crossed, legs crossed and did they lose weight? They look thinner all of a sudden. And curvier then at the beginning of the chapter.
I don’t even recognize Poncho without the a Poncho.

Those wolves are really clever setting up a fake wolf for Gale to pounce in the previous page. But even though Gale was capture, Pueblo is still out there.

So the North Star rises into the game
was it the Cub’s idea for this little frame?
Was it his idea? Is he the head honcho?
Or is it his Uncle, the noble Poncho?
Working fast and knocking on the ‘wall’,
priming things for the Cougars’ fall.
They think they’ve won the battle
but they still have to take Pueblos’ mettle.
Will the youngster save his mother?
Will he trade her for a Wolf brother?
Will he be direct or try and be clever?
Will he win or be on his own forever?

Sometimes fans wonder if Rick Griffin changes his plan because someone guessed what was going to happen next. Sometimes he throws us a Curveball Outta Nowhere that no one could've guessed. On the previous strip I considered maybe the wolfs made a pit-fall trap but disregarded the idea because Gale was still on the ground and they didn't have time to make something like that. At this point I'm not far enough removed to decide if the lampshading is enough to justify how unpredictable this snare was.

Oh my god. I just realized that they used skills from a video game to capture her which goes against the entire point of the trip. They used survival skills they learned from home to prove to Miles that they didn’t need to come at all. This was all a waste of time in the end. They learned nothing.

Are Poncho and North Star the best duo?

Yes.

Gotta love that perspective on Gale's left paw in panel 1.

And is it just me, or does North Star have some very feminine curves there? I took one look and thought 'wait, is that Natalie? No, it's not Natalie...'. I've been blithely assuming up till now that all of Miles' cubs are male, but I don't know that's ever really been confirmed. It is entirely possible I've missed something here though...

(Goes off peering for eyelashes...)

fenrirblack wrote:Oh my god. I just realized that they used skills from a video game to capture her which goes against the entire point of the trip. They used survival skills they learned from home to prove to Miles that they didn’t need to come at all. This was all a waste of time in the end. They learned nothing.

Does it really matter where they learned the skills? What matters is that they applied it to survive another night.

anhedral wrote:Gotta love that perspective on Gale's left paw in panel 1.

And is it just me, or does North Star have some very feminine curves there? I took one look and thought 'wait, is that Natalie? No, it's not Natalie...'. I've been blithely assuming up till now that all of Miles' cubs are male, but I don't know that's ever really been confirmed. It is entirely possible I've missed something here though...

(Goes off peering for eyelashes...)

I've learned by now that Rick will give those curves to both genders.

D-Rock wrote:

fenrirblack wrote:Oh my god. I just realized that they used skills from a video game to capture her which goes against the entire point of the trip. They used survival skills they learned from home to prove to Miles that they didn’t need to come at all. This was all a waste of time in the end. They learned nothing.

Does it really matter where they learned the skills? What matters is that they applied it to survive another night. .

I might be reading to far into it but Remember what Miles said about “taking the least-effort path instead of the opportunities that will give the greater rewards.” They had that discussion about the cubs playing video games and Miles seemed super disappointed about the whole thing and there were all these jokes about video games. Anyway they proved Miles wrong by using a video game to save the day than real life skills one would normally use in this situation. They learned more from video games than from their time living in the wild. It’s a classic trope. It irony, I think.

I knew it! I well, I didn't know what was going to happen, but I did know that at some point eventually, Poncho would finally do something cool!

Now he can prove he still has the "catch and kill" mindset, and eat Cheetos. Let's go Poncho!

(Also is it just me or does he look really good with his poncho off?)

Hmm, looks like Poncho has had a Run in with Gale before, if his scar meant anything.

However, it also shows that while North Star knew how to trap, Poncho is already One of the most experienced, having not let go of his instincts like much of his family has.

Then again, considering how Poncho wears, Well, a Poncho, commonly used by travellers and hunters alike, with his being the Heavy Canvas variety used by hunters, he's basically the True-Hunter of the group.

However, that now begs the Question: Who gave Gale the scar? It's likely Uncle Deadeye, but considering how Hostile she was to Jack, as well as how Serious Jack's injury was, along with her scar matching where Jack's missing arm was, implies Jack scarred her.

...and that's "a WRAP"!! As a negotiating position, there's not much to be said for upside down... Where's her little guy?

Okay ... swap time.

Tappy Too wrote:I knew it! I well, I didn't know what was going to happen, but I did know that at some point eventually, Poncho would finally do something cool!

Now he can prove he still has the "catch and kill" mindset, and eat Cheetos. Let's go Poncho!

(Also is it just me or does he look really good with his poncho off?)

Yeah, I'm pretty happy for Poncho here as well. I wonder if he covers up to hide that scar? You might think scars would be a badge of honour among wolves; Jack isn't shy about showing his.

It made me smile so big that someone else remembered that exact scene from the Christmas party! Funny how certain scenes just lodge there in the memory. Oh wait a moment, that's just good storytelling, isn't it? Silly me.

D-Rock wrote:[2018/08/15 - By All Accounts It Doesn't Make Any Sense]
Title Text: as everyone known, video game skills are mappable 1:1 with real life. Therefore I ate this red-capped mushroom and expect to grow to twice my *collapses*

Ahm.... You still need to learn a lot, Nintendo games are rather on the more unrealistic side of the spectrum. ^^

That's a plot hole you could fly an Arwing through.

(cue Karishad dressed up like Star Fox)

They don't wanna admit it, but they been trying out for GDQ.

Actually, Miles, computer "gaming" has been a critical component of "reality skills" training for decades. Didn't they teach you that in your teaching instruction?

Androgyny has always played a role in Rick's art but, over the last few years, many of his characters have become increasingly more "buff" (Fox, Daisy, Rex, and the wolves among others - although Miles had a pretty gymnastic physique when we first met him).

Also, videogames are %100 good learning material. Just look at Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing and Phoenix Wright.

And let's not get into fighting games! *awaits news paper reports of wolves save Babylon Garden with shoryukens and fatalities*

Render wrote:

D-Rock wrote:[2018/08/15 - By All Accounts It Doesn't Make Any Sense]
Title Text: as everyone known, video game skills are mappable 1:1 with real life. Therefore I ate this red-capped mushroom and expect to grow to twice my *collapses*

Ahm.... You still need to learn a lot, Nintendo games are rather on the more unrealistic side of the spectrum. ^^

Yeah, everyone knows all if the realistic games are on the Bethesda side, like Skyrim, Fallout, Doom... nevermind

Where did that scar come from? Is that why Poncho wears a poncho? ...does this mean the scar happened before he could choose his name? (Does this mean he was Chuck Norris as a cub?)

Gotcha! Eheh, I see Gale in some difficulties. Very well done, Poncho and North Star. Now that's a new kind of simulator, and it's useful, actually. Catch her son Pueblo shouldn't be hard for you, but never say never, also because you two haven't seen him so far... Now, you need to force her to tell where the missing wolves are and then free them.
Never eat red mushrooms in real life... Videogames aren't always realistic.

Frank wrote:Where did that scar come from? Is that why Poncho wears a poncho?

Probably yes, and, here's the first time where we see him show his scar.

We've seen that scar (and sick abs) before:



(hmm, seems he wasn't always down on dating domestic dawgs)





(oi, he gets an exception to the uniform code!)



(he doesn't really seem to be worried about people seeing it)

Somebody put a collar on! You’re weirding this domestic doggo out! XD

I love how the Poncho doubles as a cape. Foreshadowing the moment he became the hero.

Fox did that bit early on … didn't impress Grape much, either.

Argent wrote:We've seen that scar (and sick abs) before:



(hmm, seems he wasn't always down on dating domestic dawgs)





(oi, he gets an exception to the uniform code!)



(he doesn't really seem to be worried about people seeing it)

Seems like his scar has changed orientation since then..

Tappy Too wrote:Seems like his scar has changed orientation since then..

Just under right collarbone, over the chest and down the side? Seems about the same.

[quote="anhedral"]And is it just me, or does North Star have some very feminine curves there? I took one look and thought 'wait, is that Natalie? No, it's not Natalie...'. I've been blithely assuming up till now that all of Miles' cubs are male, but I don't know that's ever really been confirmed. It is entirely possible I've missed something here though...

(Goes off peering for eyelashes...)[/quote]

Rick likes big butts and he cannot lie! You other brothers can't deny. LoL.

On a more serious note, it would be interesting to know the backstory of Poncho's name.

Zenir wrote: On a more serious note, it would be interesting to know the backstory of Poncho's name.

He usually wears a Poncho.

As part of the fourth wolf test, Poncho got a poncho. Wolfs name themselves and can change their name so I was under the assumption Poncho named himself after the poncho he stole.

Poncho had a poncho in his first appearance.

Also, don't forget that Jack is kind of the epitome of the unreliable narrator, so you don't know if Poncho and Natalie actually stole candy from a baby nor whether the candy was named "Natalie".

Argent wrote:Poncho had a poncho in his first appearance.

Miles said they stoped doing the fourth test because "now [they're] living among humans", a transition that took place before Poncho's first on screen appearance, so it would make less sense if Poncho didn't have a poncho in his first appearance.

Argent wrote:Also, don't forget that Jack is kind of the epitome of the unreliable narrator

We know he has ulterior motives (selling Bino's collar), but his description does like up with Miles saying the test specifically provokes humans.

Argent wrote:so you don't know if Poncho and Natalie actually stole candy from a baby

We non't know what Natalie stole but the alt text (a more reliable narrator) for The Binky Bandit tells us Daryl and Poncho got a hat and a poncho respectively in the same context Bino stole a pacifier,

Argent wrote:nor whether the candy was named "Natalie".

Um, what?

Rick has repeatedly said the alt text is not canon.

Argent wrote:Rick has repeatedly said the alt text is not canon.

Ah, but are Ricks' proclamations about the non-canon canon?

((Kidding, Mr Rick))

Second panel : Gale's tail is misplaced ........... No ?

They should try Okami then and see what happens.