Hope of the Pridelands | |
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Grape unwittingly meets the author of Pridelands. Comic: "A Writer Inside A Coffee Shop Inside A Bookstore" (click for full size) | |
Info | |
Number of Comics | 10 |
Dates Published | December 6th - December 25th, 2010 |
Featured Character(s) | |
Grape, Res | |
Previous Arc Noob Tube Following Arc
We're Snowed In! |
Hope of the Pridelands is the 38th arc in Housepets!.
This arc marked the introduction to Res Auburn, author of the Pridelands series.
Characters[]
- Grape
- Jill Sandwich
- Peanut
- Maxwell
- Res Auburn (debut)
- Miss Auburn (debut)
Plot[]
Grape is snoozing one day on the couch while the TV is on. The moment she overhears that Miss Auburn, the author of the Pridelands series, would be in town signing copies of the latest book, Hope of the Pridelands, she runs calling for Mom. Later, she tells Peanut about how excited she is. Peanut will not be joining her, as he has the Secret Santa at the Good Ol' Dogs Club Christmas Party. She and Maxwell later read up on the rules for the book signing as they prepare.
When they get there, they are stuck with a very high number on the waiting list. While Maxwell wanders the food court, Grape heads to the coffee shop, where she meets Res, a gray cat with a maple leaf tag, typing on a laptop. He offers her some of his "mochacchino burrito", the coffee shop's latest creation, which he didn't like. Res is also very nervous about her looking at what he's working on with his laptop, causing her to assume he's writing saucy fan fiction.
Over time, Res warms up a bit to Grape's friendliness. He asks Grape how she can be so open around those she doesn't know. He tells Grape he knows about dialogue alright, but is unsure how to speak to others himself. He says sometimes he says the wrong thing, and it hurts. Grape begins to assume Res's owner isn't very nice, and asks who it is. By accident, he identifies his owner as Miss Auburn herself.
Grape misunderstands Res's increasingly awkward demeanor, and asks if Pridelands is actually written by him. Res admits that he's the writer, and Grape assumes Miss Auburn is wrongfully taking credit. As Res tries to clear up the misunderstanding, that he asked Miss Auburn to be listed as the writer with him ghost-writing, Grape gets up to tell Miss Auburn off.
Cut to Jill driving Grape and Max away from the mall, with Grape sobbing in the backseat, having been thrown out of the mall for her actions. She had assumed that Res was being bullied into allowing Miss Auburn taking credit for Pridelands, and talks about some past abuses of animals by the entertainment media, like a wolf who had his tail cut off in the 1930s to play a werewolf.
As Grape goes over it in her mind, she realizes her assumptions don't add up. She wonders why she would be able to meet Res in public if his owner was mistreating him. Grape is scared that her misunderstanding may have ruined what could have been a great friendship. When Max has a smart remark about it, Grape threatens to shiv him with a sharpened candy cane.
On Christmas Day, Peanut does his best to console Grape, whose ego is still bruised from the book signing. Max visits the house in the early morning. Although Grape is still mad at him for his remarks, he has to give her something. Res planted a letter to Grape in the book Max got signed. He explains in the letter that the reason for his shyness was because he was a stray for two years before Miss Auburn rescued him, and he's shy even when he's not near her. Res did forgive her overzealousness, and said he could use a friend like her. He asks Grape to contact him before he flies home.
Grape hugs Max, and they're quickly pounced by Peanut for a group hug. Peanut and Grape then go wake their parents up.
Events[]
- Grape befriends the true writer of the Pridelands series, Res Auburn, who ghostwrites under his owner's name.
Trivia[]
- Res' tag was originally green instead of yellow, however Rick had it changed after people mistakenly believed it to be a cannabis reference.
- Max's line in Are You Listening about Mrs. Sandwich chucking people off the premises is a direct callback to The Happiest Place On Earth, On Earth.
- The "mochacchino burrito" is brought up again in Witches Of The Sand