Quickie color

From Rick Griffin:

"So everyone's probably wondering how the Housepets script is coming along, and I have a LOT to talk about regarding it so buckle in, it's time...

Firstly: It's coming along pretty well, after sitting on it for like half a week being extremely distressed about how to do it. Like, it's probably been obvious that one of the things that l've just Not Liked about doing Housepets is how restricted l've felt doing it. I know I have this reputation of being argumentative with critics, but it's not like those criticisms don't LAND.

Just because I argue about something doesn't mean I'm 100% resistant to everything someone is saying. I know, I frequently don't acknowledge it, because... I don't need to articulate it. Sometimes I don't even know HOW to articulate it. Sometimes I don't want to admit it.

But like, when I started making Housepets I still had little experience making stories. And a lot of it was just me trying a lot of stuff while trying to, at the very least, be entertaining at the same time.

The problem with learning this way is that I internalize a lot of things that didn't need to. I don't like disappointing people, including people I VEHEMENTLY DISAGREE WITH, and even people I ACTIVELY DISLIKE, and it felt like no matter what I did I'd disappoint someone.

So like, every time l've had to do something I found interesting in Housepets, I have had to WRESTLE with that internal critic that's grown tumorously over the years. Doesn't matter if it doesn't even affect me anymore.

Examples of every critique l'd need to knock down in order to continue writing:
"Didn't you promise you'd always be funny?" "You're not going fast enough, everyone's gonna lose interest."
"You're going too fast, everyone's gonna get lost."
"Nobody likes the celestial stuff."
"It's been too long since you've used characters X, Y and Z. Do you want to get shot by an angry fan?"
"lsn't this too blasphemous for your religious fans?"
"Isn't this too gay for your conservative family?"
"Isn't this too sexy for the childrens?"
And, worst of all:
"Several really cool fans of yours have been holding you up as a shining beacon of a good and kind and pure furry comic artist and they LET YOU KNOW when you crossed the line! You have become a disappointment to them! DON'T CROSS THE LINE! EVER!!"

So it's no wonder I started pouring all my energy into literally any other project I'm doing. I didn't really know myself until I started working on projects with far, far fewer expectations or attracting fans who'd just actively dislike stuff that I actually like making.

But as a result it just kinda segregated Housepets into The Thing I Am Also Doing. Except for a couple times in the past few years (Hot Springs, Teenage Squirrel, Heavendropper, all of which drew some major criticism) it's been on autopilot.

...I can't keep doing it like that.

So, this is what's gonna happen:
1) I refuse to let the remainder of Heckraiser be something that I just have to "Get Through." I'm writing it the way I have learned that like writing stories, regardless of if it's too blasphemous, gay, and sexy, and even if have to go slower. Even if it somehow doesn't Feel Like Housepets, it will at least be a form of Housepets I enjoy telling. It'll be the thing I keep WANTING it to be. If that loses fans who keep expecting this to "Go Back To How It Used To Be," fine, whatever.

2) Heckraiser is gonna be the last Housepets arc. After this is done, I'm immediately going to rebrand as something, like, Housepets Worlds or somesuch. I still have a bunch of stories I want to tell, but I'm gonna tell them at a pace that isn't rushed anymore.

3) I'm done segregating Housepets
from the rest of my work. I'm gonna
partition anything visually NSFW into its own thing (eventually), but I need to stop acting like casual Housepets fans will be scandalized by A&H Club or Hayven Celestia for Acknowledging Sex Exists.

4) I'm reworking my update schedule to 2 pages/week, and will put all my comics on the same update track. Any given update day will be one of ANY of my currently ongoing series.

5) Housepets is still on hold until I finish the script. I'm not going to resume until the script is finished, period.

Thank you for undestanding.

.....So, that said, allow me to break the ice"