Housepets!

Well ... that was the reaction we all expected

EDIT: By the way, this strip was ridiculously well executed by ALL means

Fox's response was pretty interesting. But I am now sad that my favorite corgi is gone :\

This could not have been scripted any better. I love it

Dangit i knew he turned back into Joel........and i knew Fox was gonna lash out....but i didnt think he was gonna stop and.....accept it?

Well done Rick....Well done! *applaud*

Yep, that was pretty much was what we were all expecting. That last panel speaks volumes, though. Much more than the 6 words actually contained in the panel. And at least this one didn't end on much of a cliffhanger!

Well, that went exactly as well as could be hoped for in a best-case scenario...

But seriously... I anticipated it... I was in a sweat waiting for it, and now it's here. The return of Joel... It's... So heart-rending, but perfectly, PERFECTLY done. ;.;

So much feels
This is beyond amazing. I'm loving every moment.

This is such an amazing yet heartbreaking strip :3 Poor King, poor Fox~ :c

RareRedBlitz wrote:Fox's response was pretty interesting. But I am now sad that my favorite corgi is gone :\

Have faith. I am certain King will one day return. He HAS to.

I've been waiting for this reveal since we saw how quickly Fox befriended Joel as King, but dear dog that was brutal!

Final panel was rather touching. Fox accepting this fact, while Joel can only try to comfort him.

luckily, I'm sure King will be back by the end of the cosmic game, just without all the Pete baggage.

The face of his enemy is found
where he heard the voice of his best friend.
Fox has to wonder and react
to a nightmare that may not ever end.
His fury and power is unsealed
in a saltire of purest hate.
Although the Joel doesn't fight back
and his anger does deflate.
He has questions. Who wouldn't?
How and why and when and where?
Can they get his loved cousin back
before they give in to despair?
Pete's a swine and he's a coward,
playing games with Joel's life,
but one thing he may regret
is dognapping this guy's wife...

The blood rushes from my chest everytime i look at it. I dunno from what. Fox on a rampage and the look of rage in his eyes or King turned back into Joel......gotta be Fox.

God i hope this isnt permanent.

Love the alt. text, since it doesn't apply to Joel like with every dog ever.

Wow, the expressions are fantastic. Rick has REALLY improved on drawing humans, I must say!

Through all the pain and sorrow, regret and depression, they can still see their friend, and the ferocious struggle ends, not with blood, but with tears.... beautiful.

ConvoyWolf wrote:Dangit i knew he turned back into Joel........and i knew Fox was gonna lash out....but i didnt think he was gonna stop and.....accept it?

If anyone I think Fox would probably handle the situation the best. His maturity and loyalty is shown to carry though no matter how mean (Bino), or secretive (Fido) his friends are. Though the adjustment will probably be awkward for awhile... Not sure how the others will react either...

Augh, all the things happening to Fox. The feels...
Kinda wanna hug him.

...Wow.

You know what? I fully take back what I said before about the "drama going too far". This needed to happen.

Brilliantly executed. I know you're not reading this, but sorry for being a butt, Rick. This is a genuinely fantastic moment.

Roarin wrote:Augh, all the things happening to Fox. The feels...
Kinda wanna hug him.

Isn't Joel already doing that?

Roarin wrote:

ConvoyWolf wrote:Dangit i knew he turned back into Joel........and i knew Fox was gonna lash out....but i didnt think he was gonna stop and.....accept it?

If anyone I think Fox would probably handle the situation the best. His maturity and loyalty is shown to carry though no matter how mean (Bino), or secretive (Fido) his friends are. Though the adjustment will probably be awkward for awhile... Not sure how the others will react either...

Augh, all the things happening to Fox. The feels...
Kinda wanna hug him.

Hes such a wonderful husky isnt He? I totally want to hold him in my arms right now.

I liked a lot in this page. Not only to see Fox let out his anger, but he seems to accept, though grudgingly, who Joel is. It's actually what I was hoping would happen.

Also, Joel is drawn really well after he reveals himself, and the final two panels as well, in terms of cartoon comic humans that is.

Well, Fox took it better than I originally expected, and perhaps that's for the best.

Now here's the problem I expect King to face, puppies and gentlecats. King - as Joel, but he will ALWAYS be King to me - is a wanted man. He needs only show his face in public and he'll be arrested for what appeared to be a jailbreak right on the spot. All it takes is ONE police dog or even someone like Bino to see him and it's game over.

There has to be a reason that Pete turned king/Joel back into a human. maybe he does not expect Bailey to come back from this fight so he is tying up loose ends. he did say that his limit on magic was gone so there is no good reason for him to do it. maybe he is just being mean? I don't know. guess we will just have to wait and see

You know, I was thinking. What if Pete loses the game and becomes the new King? He has to inhabit King's body and be Joel's pet...

I still go by my original theory: King and Joel are going to be owner and pet.

Welsh Halfwit wrote:

Roarin wrote:Augh, all the things happening to Fox. The feels...
Kinda wanna hug him.

Isn't Joel already doing that?

He needs multiples hugs ^_^
But can't deny, that hug scene is pretty good.

copper wrote:You know, I was thinking. What if Pete loses the game and becomes the new King? He has to inhabit King's body and be Joel's pet...

GameCobra wrote:I still go by my original theory: King and Joel are going to be owner and pet.

Oh come on you guys. You don't think for one second this will end with Joel not being put in his own correct (canine) body, do you?

If anything, Pete would likely be one of King's puppies.

copper wrote:You know, I was thinking. What if Pete loses the game and becomes the new King? He has to inhabit King's body and be Joel's pet...

It would be an interesting twist but that would mean King would still not be king. On the other hand suppose Pete loses and in the end Joel is put back into his King body and Pets ends up in Joels body. too me that would make a less confusing ending because otherwise Joel would really be Bailey's husband and not King since King was Joel. Then again we dont even know how things will turn out for Bailey.

*sniffs* It must be raining.

Fox has been through a lot of highs and lows lately. I sure hope he'll weather this through fine.

I don't know about you guys, but heart strings were pulled today! it hurt, but it works soo well.

The last panel will be forever, to me, the definitive display of friendship between them.
The bottom has been hit.
From now on, it's only the way up to deliverance and a strongest bond than ever.

Also, WOW, Fox wasn't kidding back when he had promised he'd tear them humans to pieces...

And, no. King is a fantastic, evolved character as a whole, NOT as a separated part from Joel.

Felphor wrote:I don't know about you guys, but heart strings were pulled today! it hurt, but it works soo well.

Words can't begin to express...

It was without QUESTION the single most intense strip in the entire history of the comic.

Ryusuta wrote:Now here's the problem I expect King to face, puppies and gentlecats. King - as Joel, but he will ALWAYS be King to me - is a wanted man. He needs only show his face in public and he'll be arrested for what appeared to be a jailbreak right on the spot. All it takes is ONE police dog or even someone like Bino to see him and it's game over.

Eh, I didn't even consider that one. Well, maybe he can get away with it if they can at least give him a change of clothes, cause now that I look at it again, he's back to wearing those orange jumpers he had on before he got changed into a dog isn't he?

You know that feeling where you think you know what will happen but don't take into account "how" it will be handled? Well, I expected Fox to wail on him if he turned into Joel, but I did not expect the "feels" that would come about it. I believed that Fox would be a reasonable character, and Rick made sure of that. Even with his dognapper right in front of him, Fox knew that his friendship with his best friend was more important. Now for Joel to explain to Fox the whole story, and figure out how to resolve it.


Rick, I know you're not reading the forums during this arc due to the drama and whatnot, but if this gets to you somehow, I just want you to know that you are doing a terrific job with this, even if I initially had my doubts.

Ryusuta wrote:

Felphor wrote:I don't know about you guys, but heart strings were pulled today! it hurt, but it works soo well.

Words can't begin to express...

It was without QUESTION the single most intense strip in the entire history of the comic.

I agree wholeheartedly on that.
Exactly as I had predicted: when Bailey signed the contract, she had signed for her wishes to be fulfilled, not King's. The self-expiring spell was still in act and...it expired. Now there's only the soulwatch and Joel's decision to go back to being King, and my feeling is that he didn't pick that choice so that he could have one last, honest talk with Fox and not keep this big secret from him now that Bailey knows.
And in this heart-wrenching moment, the decision proved to be good.
Rick, thank you! What else to say?

pokeblue wrote:

Ryusuta wrote:Now here's the problem I expect King to face, puppies and gentlecats. King - as Joel, but he will ALWAYS be King to me - is a wanted man. He needs only show his face in public and he'll be arrested for what appeared to be a jailbreak right on the spot. All it takes is ONE police dog or even someone like Bino to see him and it's game over.

Eh, I didn't even consider that one. Well, maybe he can get away with it if they can at least give him a change of clothes, cause now that I look at it again, he's back to wearing those orange jumpers he had on before he got changed into a dog isn't he?

He's been a dog for the past 5 years and lives with a family of wolves. Where exactly is he going to find clothing in that house...?

Ryusuta wrote:Now here's the problem I expect King to face, puppies and gentlecats. King - as Joel, but he will ALWAYS be King to me - is a wanted man. He needs only show his face in public and he'll be arrested for what appeared to be a jailbreak right on the spot. All it takes is ONE police dog or even someone like Bino to see him and it's game over.

Well, I expect Fox to protect him, so disguises may have to be in order if Joel is to go outside. If you think about it, other than close visual contact, everyone would imagine that Fox would not hang around his prior dognapper, so as long as Joel is disguised, he may be able to get around with Fox by his side.

valerio wrote:

Ryusuta wrote:

Felphor wrote:I don't know about you guys, but heart strings were pulled today! it hurt, but it works soo well.

Words can't begin to express...

It was without QUESTION the single most intense strip in the entire history of the comic.

I agree wholeheartedly on that.
Exactly as I had predicted: when Bailey signed the contract, she had signed for her wishes to be fulfilled, not King's. The self-expiring spell was still in act and...it expired. Now there's only the soulwatch and Joel's decision to go back to being King, and my feeling is that he didn't pick that choice so that he could have one last, honest talk with Fox and not keep this big secret from him now that Bailey knows.
And in this heart-wrenching moment, the decision proved to be good.
Rick, thank you! What else to say?

Its heartwarming, and tragic and the same time. I cant imagine whats going through Fox's mind right now. For him its gotta feel like hes lost his Corgi friend and is faced with a man who tried to take him away from all he loved even though he knows its him. And i can guarentee that most of us are feeling that way about the situation too. We all want King back even though he hasnt left really, but we want short stubby legs big ears and cuteness that could mealt hearts. Im excited to see how this plays out but i want King back....im not ready to let go.

Still, again excellent work Rick.

Don't remember who had said something about the GM not caring at all about King.
He was definitely right

I see that King's collar is still there, on the dresser.