Housepets

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Bino is the official mascot of Housepets! Not Fido. Bino.
"Any problem can be solved with the correct application of pressure to a stupid person's face."
Grape Jelly Sandwich, Housepets

Housepets is a web comic that has been running since 2008.

We all love our pets, don't we? Now imagine this: your pets are sapient, anthropomorphised, and have the height of a small child. What would they be doing all day? Housepets portrays such a scenario. This comic by Rick Griffin portrays pets virtually as children who are almost human besides height and differences in clothing style. They still play pretend, no matter how weird they make it out to be.

The story focuses around a cat and a dog living with the Sandwich family. The Dog is Peanut Butter or just Peanut and the Cat is Grape Jelly or just Grape. The classical setup, you think: stupid dog, smart cat, and crazy hijinks about how opposite they are ensue. But that's not what you get. Instead, you get two characters who are fairly similar in intellect with similar interests, whose subtle personality differences show off like a beacon. Peanut is the sensitive and slightly silly one. He's childlike and excitable and loves playing all kinds of games. Grape is the lazy and pragmatic one, though sometimes her logic is too logical for her own good.

The Sandwich family lives in a neighborhood filled with pets and strays that have their own quirks and clubs to mingle in, ranging from a mild-mannered dog that works in the police force to a dog that Cosplays as a cat. Although there are humans around, the comic mainly focuses on the animals with their adventures, trips, and problems.

Although Peanut and Grape are the main characters, it was inspired by childhood drawings made by Griffin of a dog named "Bino". Bino appears as a character in the comic, as the substitute leader of a neighborhood dog social club. He is the middle brother in another family caught between his popular older brother, police dog Officer Fido, and his quirky younger brother, Joey.

Needs more characters and tropes on the Character Page.

Check it out here.


Tropes used in Housepets include:

Tarot: The truth shall be brought to light, and I fear that day, for all who do not hold love in their hearts shall perish, and their souls will be broken into shards as countless as all the sand on the face of the earth. Plus it's terrible for your complexion.

Bahamut (Dragon Judge): Explain your actions in seizing the fate of a mortal.
Pete: You're omniscient...you tell me.
Bahamut: Technically, we all are, but that sorta makes it hard to tell a story.

Pete:To compare the game to chess would be like comparing all of civilization to an amoeba!

Spo: IS FIDO GONNA HAVE TO CHOKE A-
Fido: Not helping, Spo!

Fox: *snrk* I was wondering, how does someone with such a big head get by with a neck so pencilly?
Bino: It's comparable to the national average!

Miles: *after modeling several outfits to help him blend into human society* Is there any reason none of these configurations contain pants?

King: Why does she smell even better now? [2]
Fox: I think that's in your head, lover boy.

Sabrina: Fido, if you don't go in there and stop this right now, I am going to make you never born.
Fido: D...don't you mean "Wish I was--"
Sabrina: No.

  • Running Gag: Peanut waking Grape from one of her naps when he needs her help on something.
    • Also Bino getting thrashed when his jerk-assery goes too far.

Fox: By the way, Bino, have you ever wondered why injuring you is not grounds for expulsion?

The cast page for Tiger: I hate Thursdays. I like pizza. I hate cockroaches. I like my teddy bear Poom. That’s characterization, right?

Fido: --FOX! Er, when did you get back from Kansas?

Fox: Uh, like the first week of January? I don't ask to be the center of your attention but come on
  1. possibly a disguised cat
  2. Hint - wet dog