To Rick

[Kalvin]

First thing I have to say is please do not delete this as a PM, I feel it is something that should be said aloud for everyone to see.

Rick, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for creating entertaining characters which can make us laugh as easily as they can evoke more negative emotions for us. Thank you for making a fantasy world that the introvertive among us can escape to when life looks down. Thank you for continuing to release your work for us even though we don't directly express our appreciation. Thank you for telling stories we seem to know in our hearts despite never hearing them before. Thank you for the talent for giving us moments that can make us laugh, cry, and sometimes sing. Just thank you for Housepets. I thought it finally needed to be expressed aloud for all to see and I know that everybody else here is thinking it to. I know I speak for most of the readers that the world just wouldn't be the same to us without Peanut and Grape tagging along in our imaginations. So let me be the first to offer you a heartfelt and warm straight up thank you.

From,
Ryan James Churn

[ArgentFlame]

Hear hear. Rick, you are awesome.

[ReCreate]

Hear hear. Rick, you are awesome.

This. Just this.

[rickgriffin]

Oh you guys, you make me blush sometimes

[valerio]

Everyone a round of *purrs* for Rick!
*Purrr!!*

Because, for how many comics I read on the net during the years, no one had ever made me feel as involved as with Housepets!
Thank you, grif!

[ReCreate]

Purr?


must...resist...being technical...

[Dissension]

Purring is something they do over in the fan art thread to show their appreciation. I see nothing to be technical over.

Having digressed, I now regress! Rick, your artistic and literary prowess inspire awe and an almost child-like sense of wonder. Every panel of every installment of the comic is its own special joy to behold. Also, you are a skilled punster.

Love,

Steve

[bixlow]

Oh Rick, I think I speak for a lot of people when I say:

Love Bixlow Biscut

[Sinder]

dear rick,

hello

[Dissension]

How are you today? I (myself) am well.

[GameCobra]

Well Rick, it's not hard to say how strong of an inpact your comic has in terms of being a tear jerker and just too darn aborable to not read.

but if that's not enough to convince you, then maybe you need more kitten love. in a box. and pink

[Kyderra]

Rick's Story's, arc's and drawings make me feel like I got sucked into a giant black hole on witch there is no escape from.
Except, that I am swimming deeper into the black hole instead of trying to escape it.

...want more... love this.

[Mr_Nice_Guy]

Good on ya, Rick!

*Claps*

[Sleet]

Oh Rick, I think I speak for a lot of people when I say:

Love Bixlow Biscut

I'm not quite sure of the biological possibilities there.

[Kyderra]

I'm not quite sure of the biological possibilities there.

cant Rick just own puppies that you want?

[rickgriffin]

dear rick,

hello

Your message immediately put me in mind of the Neutral Planet from Futurama

[Kyderra]

dear rick,

hello

Your message immediately put my in mind of the Neutral Planet from Futurama

new episode airs on 24th
want... to see, now

[Dissension]

dear rick,

hello

Your message immediately put me in mind of the Neutral Planet from Futurama

I'm sort of ambivalent about that.

[Sinder]

[GameCobra]

All i know is my gut says maybe.

[44R0NM10]

Well, awesome job Mr. Griffon! You have deffininatly left an impression in many people's hearts!

Oh and, I can't *purr* but I can growl quite well!

[Teh Brawler]

Well, awesome job Mr. Griffon! You have deffininatly left an impression in many people's hearts!

Oh and, I can't *purr* but I can growl quite well!

Griffen

To avoid redundancy, I agree with everything that has been said. Thank you, Rick

[44R0NM10]

erm, griffin...still two wrongs made a right!

[Sleet]

That typo is all too familiar to me.

[ReCreate]

Purring is something they do over in the fan art thread to show their appreciation. I see nothing to be technical over.

Other than the fact that humans can't purr.

[Foldo]

I am sure that with a practice ...

[44R0NM10]

How do cats purr anyway? Do they vibrate their tongues?

[IceKitsune]

How do cats purr anyway? Do they vibrate their tongues?

I believe the general consensus on it is that they vibrate their vocal cords or larynx to do it but nobody is 100% sure

Edit: I also want to thank you Rick for this comic keep up the good work Housepets! has quickly become one of my Favorite web comics of all time.

[Sleet]

Witchcraft.

[Foldo]

Sabrina made witchcraft, I think...

[Vadiant]

Adding a sincere thank you before someone jumps in with 'burn the witch'.

[Buckdida]

Oh you guys, you make me blush sometimes

Oh, you know you love it!

You and the entire community created around the comic is about to be running two years strong. And every single comic has something to laugh at, the writing is brilliant, and the characters are awesome. I can't say there's any comic in that archive where I didn't get a genuine chuckle, or cute or nice story, and some had me straining my vocal chords to stifle a laugh that would surely wake up the other members of my household when the comic updated. And as of now, the community is growing, the comic's still going, there's no end in sight, and that is a beautiful thing. And other than your fans raving over the comic, there are plenty of other indicators to show how well the comic comes together. Housepets! has international appeal, is loved by furries and non-furries alike, and has a quickly growing fanbase...all while maintaining a PG rating.

Housepets! Isn't just a webcomic...it's a testament that good things can indeed spawn from the depths of the internet.

Keep doin' your thing, Rick. It's working, and we love it.

[Sleet]

That's actually one of my favorite things about the comic (and this community). It seems to be unaffected by the corruptions of the internet. I mean, even past the obvious, it's managed to attract practically zero trolls and overall cusswads!

Plus, despite being as clean as a newspaper comic, this comic's not as unfunny as one!

[EchoFireant]

Now if only we could make a toast to rick over the internet

[machchunk]

Dear Rick,

Thanks for giving me a reason to stay up late

and for making an anthro comic that isn't a total creepshow

[Jimmy Jazz]

this. this just makes me smile. I am so glad I've found this comic, this community, this wonderfully fun but innocent place. that has honestly inspired me to try some creative things I might not have before. or continue one that I love. Writing, Drawing, Socializing, just being here, joining in on other people shenanigans. and mostly, reading what you put out. Let's see... while here, I've been inspired to... write a full 50k novel, start drawing again, Write a bit pretty much everyday, and possibly... just possibly... become a fu-... I won't say it.

But most things have already been said, but in a nutshell? this place is awesome, and you're awesome for making it Rick.

I love you guys.

[Liam]

Dear Rik,

I have a valuable business proposal for YOU .I'am the reperesentative of the family of the late President Nkowa MOWAMBO of the Democratic Republic of Ubbu Bubbu. Sice his death his family are hiding from new evil government officials from new evil goverment who want to deal with htem. Before his death he put all his BILLIONS OF DOLLARS into bank of Swissland. In order to reaquire the MONEY we need to pay a retransfer fee.

My cleints are willing to give YOU a reasonable percentage of this BILLIONS OF DOLLARS if YOU take a share in the fee as soon as the transaction is concluded. The expected PROFIT for YOU is 9000 PERCENT! At best send me all your MONEY now.

But please, this transaction require ABSOLUTE CONFIDENTIALITY from you, especially towards the POLICE.

I look forwrds to working with you.

~Liam Norton, the reperesentative of the ROYAL family MOWAMBO of the Democratic Republic of Ubbu Bubbu

[ChewyChewy]

What can I say without either repeating what's been said or sounding like a fanboy?

This webcomic and its attached forum has touched me in a way that only one other has, and I've read several (though admittedly less than others have). I have strict standards (it's not quite accurate to say "high" because, while I appreciate high standards, I do like some things that no one would call "high"--this is not an example of such, though), but this comic has more than met them.

I don't mean to sound pompous, like I'm the only one Rick needs to please, or is trying to--I just don't know how else to put it. As I said in my introductory post, this comes closer to a comic that I myself would draw (or would want to) than any I've ever seen--Peanut even resembles a character I drew (though mine was a collie) in both looks and personality (though not nearly enough for there to be any kind of frivolous lawsuit, don't worry.... ). Let's put it that Housepets! is what I WANTED my old comic to be, but mine wasn't.

And as I said of the most recent Tiger comic, that's a rare thing with me--even if I like something, identification with it is something else entirely. I've looked a bit into Rick's background outside of the comic and he even sounds a little like me in ways (not entirely--I don't have an older brother, for one, which I wish were otherwise). Again, not trying to sound like some creepy fanboy (we're not THAT alike), but that's also a rare thing and I appreciate it when I find people like that, and works that I find something in common with.

What can I say about Rick's talent? His wit, his characterization, his style, all are top-notch. He makes me laugh while at the same time making me think of things in different ways (I was so glad when Grape talked about "The Game", articulating my own feelings when I wasn't able to put it in words myself).

He makes me love the characters, and want to know what will happen to them--as much as if they were real individuals. I hear all the time in descriptions of this comic how it's so hard TO describe--a webcomic about bipedal talking house pets that act like kids--but it seems so natural to me (probably because of my own old comic) that I don't even think about it. And the characters act like dogs and cats even while being anthro--and unlike a lot of "pet" comics he gives equal time to both. We don't see mean cats that betray a dog lover or stupid dogs that betray a cat lover (at least, not for the most part). And even with so many characters he keeps them all IN character--at least with the main cast, a line from one character would not be spoken by another. Never does he sacrifice a character's personality for the sake of a joke--the jokes arise naturally from the characters and situations themselves.

And his style--not only the drawing style, which is both close to mine and something I've never seen before but LOVE--but also the tone of the strip itself. His talks about the influence of Garfield notwithstanding, never do I feel like he's ripping off Garfield or anything else (not like, say, how Ozy and Millie ripped off Calvin and Hobbes--that was transparent). I also love how there's progression even while the story arcs tend to be episodic--you can tell where you are in the comic based on what's going on even though you don't need to have read all the earlier comics to get a feel for what's going on in any given one. It feels "safe" and "upbeat" even while dealing with real-world issues like peer pressure and prejudice and the like. And he makes me recall a more innocent time when I played pretend with my own siblings--I wish I could have that back.... *sniff*

(And who can resist the idea of pets calling their owners "Mom" and "Dad"? Why haven't I seen that before, especially in myself? For what are pets but substitute children?)

So without further rambling (had more to say than I thought I did--a LOT more), thank you very much, Rick, for creating such a fabulous webcomic, and for putting it online where anyone can see. But for one person on another forum breaking the rules, I wouldn't have known you or Housepets! existed. And that would have been to my detriment.

At the risk of sounding mushy, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

--ChewyChewy

[NoelL]

fake edit: ^^ well now my post just seems downright inadequate.

I have no strong feelings one way or the other.

Also, I've never said it, but cool comic, Rick. Your characters are just too adorable.

[Flamboyant-Pencil]

Gosh dangit, I missed out on a Futurama conversation? D:

More on topic, very few comics have interested me long enough for me to keep coming back to read them every day, and Housepets! is one of those comics. Thank you Rick :3