Draw gay porn if you feel like it lol. We'll all enjoy it, haha.

Did you even read the journal? I feel like this is a really disrespectful comment. He specifically said he doesn't think he will start drawing erotica.

I said "If you feel like it" Calm down. Jeez.

But it's obvious that he doesn't, and he mentions he had issues about worrying about attracting the wrong kind of attention. There's no reason to even mention gay porn in the journal when he specifically states that he doesn't want to draw it.

Your not getting the point. What I'm telling him is to do what he feels like, even if that includes experimenting in smut. So, Captain Literal, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to keep this journal encouraging. Don't be "That guy", please.

I see. I didn't understand that that was your intention, it didn't come across as that sort of comment to me. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Sorry if I came off as rude, but I've just been getting a bit ticked about people taking things the wrong way.

No problem, I'm sorry was a bit rude, myself. Unfortunately text is sometimes really hard to get your exact message across because you can't transmit tone or anything, it really becomes up to the reader to create their own 'tone', you know?

Wow. That conversation Shows how much love the users of that site :D
The conersation ended well. Not like on Youtube -.-

You attract what you draw is true, still. So just don't be surprised I guess :p

if I attracted what I draw, the national guard would be called out

Okay, maybe I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds like you're coming out. Props to you but honestly, I don't get the sense that it's that big of a deal any more. In my daily academic/professional/social life, it's very very very rare that orientation causes any sort of issues.

Yes/no? My ideal is that gender is of no consequence, though I don't know what exactly that means for me personally--I'd still like a female to have such a relationship with but I don't know if it's strictly necessary anymore--I love who I love. I don't even know if orientation is a factor, but if people want to put labels on I suppose they could or not, but it's not like my goal has ever been to have sex with as many people as possible and their subsequent genders must report what area of the spectrum I'm on. I think it's more complicated and also simpler than that.

I'm kind of in the same boat. The most important thing to me is the person's personality and heart, not really what's between their legs. You fall in love with who you fall in love with, and it'll be nice if we get to a future where we don't really have the stigma of different orientations and instead can just say 'I'm in love with this person', and have it not matter if it's a guy, girl, or anything in between really. Love is love ^^.

Being an older wolf I have often had a chat with people re orientation. You actually have hit the nail on the head re labels. Our sexuality is always in flux depending on the people we are with or the people we care about. In the end the actual act of sex is really just the expression of that rather than the definition.

Rather than labels I prefer to use a sliding scale where I can say that I am 80% gay and 20% hetro. Yes there were women I was attracted to and had relationships with, but on a day to day level I find I prefer men. But again this scale can change from day to day and even person to person.

So rather than worry about the labels (they are for psychiatrists who just love to pigeonhole people into classifications) just be yourself without fear or worry- after all you are a unique individual like everyone else :)

Take care
Marc

I also think that labels are unnecessary things most of the time, but have you ever considered you may be pansexual? I know a guy like that, and he describes similar stuff to what you've said. Of course, I'm no expert, so I could be way off, and I'm definitely not trying to "label" anyone. Just thought I'd throw that in there in case you weren't aware of that particular orientation.
Glad to hear you're doing well.

I know of it, but I think I'm probably just regular ol' bisexual

Did you know that you can have a mix and match of gay/bi/straight for the different kinds of love that exist?

You might be romantically gay, sexually straight and bisexually friendly, for example. In other words, you could be friends with everybody, but you want deep emotional bonds with men over women, but prefer sexual relations with women, not men.

I hope that helps.

Sounds like you've made an emotional breakthrough. Congratulations!

So, does this mean some lucky guy be getting a boyfriend in housepets in the near future? ^_^

I already started including said couple a while ago, the two kangaroos at the zoo are a couple. I dunno if I'll focus on it to a significant degree (Housepets still feels like the wrong venue for that as it's more allegory than straight-up reporting) but they'll probably continue to be snuggly.

Indeed you did.... memory fail XD

Honestly I don't think you do need to focus on it, there is nothing wrong with gay characters "just being there" it's annoyingly rare to have a character that is completely "normal" who just happens to be gay but never focus' on that.

I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but in a way, one could make the arguement that you have already done an allegory of alternative lifestyles in the whole interspecies relationship dynamic. The arc way back, where Peanut had a crush on Grape is a good example of this and for me, it was a rather powerful reflection of my high school experiences as an awkward gay guy realizing who he was. To me, Peanut's realization of his crush on Grape did share some elements of a guy starting to become aware of his orientation, in that Peanut was confused, embarassed, and unsure of himself because he wasn't attracted to who he was "supposed" to. I'll need to re-read the arc, but it did seem like peanut did go through lengths to hide his "species orientation" from the other characters. Later in the story as I recall, grape lets Peanut know that she doesn't feel the same way about him, and they decide to maintain their friendship. The idea of unrequited love is something that I think does hit home a little stronger for gay people. While the idea of loving someone without reciprocation is common lots of stories of all orientations, for a gay person, it's not just that the crush DOESN'T reciprocate, but that they CANNOT reciprocate, as evidenced by Grape's declaration that she doesn't picture herwelf with a dog. I'm sure more than a few LGBT people have had their first crush on their straight, same-gender best friend, and had to resolve the situation either internally or externally. Then, there's the subplot of Bino trying to use cat treats to tease Peanut, which to me was sort of a parallel to the bullying one might receive in high school. In this sense, there was an effort to publicly throw Peanut's "orientation" back at him.

The other cross-species couples also kinda parallel the LGBT experience. For example, Fido and Sabrina remind me of an older, but closeted couple. Even though they seem generally well-adjusted with a stable relationship, they both (especially Fido) seem to feel that is important to keep it a secret from the other characters. Fido/Sabrina's otherwise normal relationship is in a way "marred" by their need to hide it from everyone, thus making it abnormal. The Joey/Squeak relationship...I don't think that's had too much exposure and I would need more time to think about...maybe the message is that some couples are just strange? XD

Anyway, whether or not you intended to certain arcs in Hoursepets to be an allegory of LGBT issues, you've definitely touched very specifically on some elements of the LGBT experience that are of concern to everyone who isn't straight (the inscurity and questioning whether one is normal). I wrote this from memory, but now I really want to reread those story arcs because I'm sure I could dig up more evidence to support my "thesis" that there are in fact LGBT themes already in Hoursepets.

-AkiOtter :3

To be honest, I always suspected you had some major gender/sexuality issues banging around in your head. I'm glad to see you acknowledging and coming to terms with what you've got going on inside instead of trying to suppress it.

well at this point i j ust wish you to get better and that you find a more stable state of mind

and i will stay tuned to see your next arts )

Do what makes ya happy <- cliche but true

You are who you are, you can't change that. What you can do is coop, pray that you are doing the right and moral thing for yourself and for others. I'm sure your friends and supports will still be here for you, though the internet makes it hard to determine who are truly friends and supports.

Gender should not be a big deal but society makes it one. You are either straight or gay. People can't seem to except anything that is not either one side or the other. We tend to be too polarized.

No one here will judge you. You are who you are.

Rick I don't know you at all but the choice is yours,its your art, your call.

Hey, Rick?

You are what you are. And while some of us will judge you, those who do, don't really have a basis for said judgement, nor any way to enforce it.

Be it as it may, you are the one who decides what you want to do. Either way - cartoon, tasteful nude, porn, male or female or something both - you are a great artist whom I envy, and I wish I had half the dedication to developing my skills as you exhibit.

At the end of the day, you could start spewing all sorts of opinions and viewpoints that I don't like, but I'll still watch your account, look at your art, and follow your comics. (I do the same for a specific person whose politics I detest, but enjoy his storytelling and artwork).

Basically, no matter what you're comfortable doing, we'll enjoy the stuff you put out here.

If you need an ear to talk to, lemme know - but you already have people for that. :)

Perhaps it would help to have a gay couple in House pets? Then you could explore what it means to be a couple in a more neutral space.

The kangaroos at the zoo are. I don't think Housepets is an appropriate venue for it though--it's already exploring what it means to be a couple through levels of allegory

Hi there!

Hello back to you sir.

I can see where you are coming from with this and I have seen other artists struggle with similar or other topics.
It's the kind of problem that either has a very deep and psychological core to it, or is just a decision made in the past, that people slowly begin to regret.
Besides talking it out, with a friend or someone that is close to you, I believe that you should just draw whatever comes to your mind. Art wise, we have the freedom to explore every single idea that comes to our mind, and even though it gets harder to do that with more people following your work, I still believe that your artistic integrity should be the guiding force there. Draw whatever you want to draw. Some people might not like it, but there will always be people that do.
In Austin Kleons book "Steal like an artist" he says "Write the story you want to read, make the movie you want to see". And I believe nothing more true can be said about creative work.

Respect form people who so easily pass judgement is totally worthless anyway. Just do whatever brings you enjoyment and, just as importantly, fulfillment.

THE GAY AGENDA CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM

(oh god this is parody no bans pls)

Too late, bant.

I thought I might find you here.

Often the person who judges you the most (and often unfairly at that) is you. Good to hear you've come out of that with a positive outlook and feel! From what I've seen life throws at least a few of these in one's way, but having the courage to be honest with yourself greatly improves your chances of coming out of them the better.

"Often the person who judges you the most (and often unfairly at that) is you."

That's well said.

Sounds like some serious personal growth. Good luck in your continuing journey!

You do whatever feels right to you. This way you'll never err.

Sounds like a "Rick, meet Rick" kinda moment... good luck to the two of you and take care of each other - old AND new :)

i feel you on the 'no my gender really should not be a thing the internet knows or speculates about' thing. they tend to just decide one for you anyway. sometimes they're right.

anyway, all told? if you just go ahead and act like it's no big deal people tend to react similarly. i don't draw much erotica so maybe i am wrong, but the times i've drawn same-sex couples no one has shown up to be like OMG SQUEE GAYS or OMG I H8 GAYS or anything. people just appreciate drawings. and furries are generally just a very accepting and relaxed group on that front.

there is ultimately zero chance of it turning into the housepets catnip fiasco 2.0

Well I have too--though of course my mind tended to latch onto the comments of people who DID want to point it out (and yes, it was usually a literal SQUEE) and, subsequently people who were NOT squee, and it just kinda made it roll around in my head making me feel like I needed to wall up more, but in general it's not like I've been attacked for it.

Well, except for the people who think I'm homophobic for wanting to have an ounce of restraint, but they don't really count

ugh, squee usually means 'yaoi fangirls' showed up. understand that they are not the majority of those who support same sex couples...they're more some weird preteen girls who are fetishizing it. they're....not particularly clever, you really ought to pay them no mind. they say/do hurtful things out of pure blissful ignorance.

if you don't mind my asking, was this on FA? because i find that both of those types are more common on DA. and my policy on DA tends to be not to respond to comments at all, unless they're direct inquiries or from people i know personally.

ultimately you could always just draw what makes you happy, and keep it to yourself. or only share it with trusted friends.

I have rarely had it happen on DA, it's happened more on FA, twitter, and the housepets forums

how weird. i guess i can understand the forums, though. i kinda stopped posting there for Reasons. and twitter i can see happening.
well, whatever you choose to post, i'll just be quietly enjoying from the sidelines.

I'm glad you're coming to grips with this Rick, and I know how this kind of thing really can drain you. Good luck to you!

Personally, for as long as I've been following your art, I don't see any reason for anything to change concerning your art. Congratulations on whatever you've come to understand about yourself. I just hope this won't have an effect on your art in general.

Well the genders involved I'd expand a bit more on without getting weird or stiff (haha) about it, but otherwise I'm still aiming for what I always do

That's good to hear.

I think you're just over-thinking things a little. On terms of erotica, that's just simple curiousity, I think you're better off not doing it because your art is awesome the way it is.

yoI'm glad to see you didn't come out a wreck or anything bad happen to you. And if you feel like talking about what happened and how you are currently doing I would listen as well as I'm sure many others would. Don't let what you think others want to hear/see limit you on what you want to do.

I truly respect what you do and look up yo you. Hope you have a good time with life and be who you are don't let others discourage you.

I agree that you're overthinking this. There's no flag that switches on or off once you've drawn one thing or another. You don't "become" a "porn artist" or "gay artist". What would "the wrong kind of attention" even be if you had a story involving a same sex relationship..?

There are a vocal minority of furs who are rabid tribalists but that goes for any fandom. Filter them out and draw what you feel like and are good at. If you actively decide against one subject matter or another on principle, you're stifling yourself.

No, but there still is a kind of propriety associated with it; I don't have to show EVERYONE everything, just like I'm not required to install a webcam in my shower.

Oh so it's the act of posting it that was bothering you? I thought it was the act of drawing it/it existing.

No/yes, the idea of it existing has always been hovering around as a kind of double standard (It's okay if I think these things this way, but heaven help anyone else who thinks these things slightly differently!) Like I said, not terribly healthy

i have always appreciated and respected the fact that you never draw porn. what you do with your art however, is your business, and i will hope that you continue to create whatever you feel is right.

Do what you want and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

I'd like to expand on my statement.


Rick? I say this with the utmost respect towards the people who watch you/like you etc

Be whoever you want to be. If people don't like it or like you because of what you're into, who you are, the kinds of art you create.



Fuck.


them.

Be who YOU want to be. Not who you think you 'have' to be. You're the one that has to look at yourself in the mirror. If it's clean stuff, erotic, whatever...create. For you. No one else. We don't own you and you don't owe anyone else a damn thing.

btw I accept you for whoever and whatever you are. As long as you treat me the way youd want me to treat you, we're good ^_^

Always respected your art and you for not being like every other artist out here, still gonna respect you no matter what.
And if I read that right, I battled the same thing while I was in basic training and then nearly my entire deployment in Afghanistan last year. It get's easier.

-Korkan

You need to do what is best for you. To quote my mom when I went through something similar, "There is only one person who can make you happy, that is yourself." You cannot worry about anyone else's feelings when you are dealing with any personal issue. When you are grappling with something that is going to affect you, you need to make sure it is you that you take care of first.

Art imitates life.

And, on rare occasions, life imitates art.

Such is how it has been since the beginning. It is like one of those universal laws.

What you do with your art is ultimately your decision, but you needn't feel guilty for depicting life as it really is.

Even the most abstract fantasy has its roots somewhere in life. Maybe you don't want to draw erotica, and that's perfectly fine. Even if you did, it's not necessarily something one needs to feel guilty about, since it too has roots in life.

You're a fine artist, and even though we've never met, I think of you as a stand-up person. That isn't likely to change if you start broadening your horizons. There is way more to your merit than the subject matter of your art.

So just be yourself, while stepping boldly forward. There's really no need for anything else.

Internal hang-ups are the hardest to deal with sometimes, so kudos to you for working past it.

I...actually kinda feel the same sometimes. As in, y'know, not sure if I should do gay couples. But yeah....As far as I can tell, it's almost like, very very very slowly but surely, America is coming to terms with homosexuality. You do whatever the hell you want--if America doesn't like it right away, then you're at least pushing for them to. :)

I don't know if everyone is changing their minds for the right reasons--I still think a strong sense of entitlement is strangling other aspects of this country--and not everyone is handling the change responsibly. But it's not a bad change, in terms of who ought to be treated fairly despite being weird.

You're an artist. A damn fine artist, in my humble opinion. You're a creator and in some ways maybe even a visionary with your approach to storytelling. We can't always escapes some of the titles given to us by people, but we can choose the titles we call ourselves.

You're awesome for who you are and if I've read your journal correctly, who you love won't change that. If I my be so bold, it should not, also, change your faith.

It doesn't, part of the requisite shift consisted of whose faith I was carrying--my parents/church or my own. I have my own strong sense of faith and I always have, but I need to let it be mine.

Very profound and commendable. I wish you blessed success on your new journey.

> there are some depths of a man's mind that was not meant for public consumption, even if this is furry

I beg to differ. Nothing is more liberating in just getting all your kinks and hangups out there for all to see.

I see much truth in your words. On the other hand, sometimes drawing the art to get it out on paper still doesn't need to be shown to the world. Some times our kinks can be so dark and so depraved that we dare not show them for the sake of the sanity of our fellow man.

Though, somehow, I doubt Rick is into anything that kinky, though. For the years I have been familiar with him, he's always been apprehensive about revealing his personal feelings regarding sex. Furs back in the day made him feel like sexual prey, a mere hunk of meat.

Draw whatever you want to :) I can understand wanting to keep some of what you draw a secret (I prefer to keep the more adult stuff I do hidden from my family) but at the end of the day it's way more fun to get stuff out there-most people won't think any less of you for it-and the ones that do don't really matter.

I tend to base my moral compass on one of my fave artists-Fred Perry-and as he'll draw pretty much anything within reason that's fine for me too. You've got to go with stuff you're comfortable with of course. There's lots of cool art here, but there are some themes or subjects that really don't interest me-stuff I'd never want to draw. I guess it's down to personal taste. As long as it's not hurting anyone it should be up to the artist :)

Remember though-you only live once. Don't spend that whole life suffocating because you're worried about what others may think.

As it is I don't think I should shy away from sex--I've always thought at least some of my stories should examine it--but I don't really want to be in the business of turning people on just because it's all they really want. Sex is a powerful tool and needs to be treated as such. I've always been more of a thinker, and I want other people to think too.

Hey Rick! Long time reader, first time caller here. I'm glad you're asking these questions, and they seem the type to lead to more rather than easy answers. Within Houspets!, I can't see any harm in characters having frank discussions about sex and sexuality, or even with arcs exploring the attitudes surrounding the same. I would never expect, or want, to see anything graphic in the strip. It just ain't that kinda party. Besides, from a business standpoint, I can't see it doing much for your "brand". (Commissioned artwork of others' characters are a separate question, and one I leave to you. Good luck!)
There has been reference in these comments to the allegorical nature of Housepets!, which I get and have so since I started reading. I may be wildly off base, but I've always thought of the pets as living in the garden before the fall. King berates them for there pettiness and shortsightedness, but why not? They live relatively short lives free from toil and absent most consequences. What use perspective?
Now comes King, sentenced to the garden against his will, who chafes at the limitations of the garden while earnestly attempting to pass for a natural denizen. Indeed, the pleasures of the garden are seductive. His relationship with Bailey is a case in point. He may wear a dog's body, but he is not and never was a dog or a pet. Yet he finds himself attracted both mentally and physically. In his world, this would be abominable. But in the garden... In the garden he can love as he wills. A most reluctant serpent, our King.

I have to cut this short, (You're welcome!) but in closing, good luck finding your garden Rick.

Just do your thing and don't let opinions drag you down, is all there is to say.

What ever attention you get you accept it or ignore it. You answer to yourself, not your watchers, parents etc.

I've always liked your art, on the verge of loving it to bits mostly to house pets comic's. I hope you will get more positive and secure

Right on man! You know, it's not really you who are confused but the consequences of your actions vs the way you'll be 'perceived' by peers/ friends/ family etc. that's the toughest part. You already know that it's not a persons biological make up that attracts you to them, but what's inside that counts. It's a lot harder trying to discuss and convince everyone around that it's how you feel etc.

I know statements above have suggested a couple of characters in HP, but what about an optional spin off maybe to dive a bit deeper and explore things artistically about the way you feel. I know you must be busy with HP and art and life in general. But short stories, or a small spin off (or short Arc) of this could be an interesting idea ;p

Good luck with it man :p

Well like I've said it's always been allegorical . . . it started with the dog/cat thing but ended up on a much more interesting plot trek when a man was changed into a dog and fell in love. I know at least a couple people have been reading the parallels

Well... Now that you mention it ;p
But good for you man! You know we support ya all the way ;p

I really appreciate you opening up about this. It's always nice knowing an artists' stance, and it's reassuring to know that artists I enjoy are gay friendly. It can be a real tenuous issue for some people, and it's comforting to know what YOU'RE comfortable with. I certainly don't think of it as the wrong kind of attention, and so long as you continue to depict your characters as caring, loving, and nurturing towards each other - I don't think anyone will will ever be able to speak ill of them or you.

As for who YOU love: Follow your happiness. <3 That's all that matters. Sometimes it takes some searching to figure out what makes you happy, but in the end, following that joy is almost always the right thing. Henry Kissinger put it best, and I remember my first boyfriend quoting this to me from a long while ago: "Accept everything about yourself--I mean everything. You are you and that is the beginning and the end--no apologies, no regrets."

Real proud of ya, Rick!

*hugs*

I'm just glad "and I'm leaving" wasn't what came after the title of this journal.
All the best to you Mr. Griffin, I hope things go well in all matters.

Wasn't sure where my stories would go when I started; I sort of just wrote. And as I fleshed out my characters a bit I ended up feeling like they would want to go there, so first couple to get together in my stories is a male temporarily micro tiger and a male lion. Part of the whole gentle and cute stuff I try to apply in their interactions is kind of a push against all the stories I've read involving micro abuse though.

well that's good, I was worried you were gonna say "no more housepets, I'm gone" or something XD

Draw what makes you happy, I'm not one to judge, someone saie I draw historical fashion plates with furry characters, I guess I do, just enjoy your self and have a few laughs...

I hope you and see what I'm saying, hey you draw some awesomely fun artwork , it always brings a smile to my face...

Well, I'm not sure if it's really related directly, but I guess in my experience, this has been a perfect venue for me to reveal everything about myself -- my attitude, personality, true desires, etc. I used to be a terribly reserved individual, but using this outlet to sort of reveal my true self, it has both improved my life dramatically and changed how I act in reality, too. It's funny, I used to tell people that my 'online life' was more 'me' than my real life, hah. l3

Anyways, life is too short to worry about random people's judgements at large, and I always encourage every artist (or in a non-artwork sense, person) to just do what they feel like and have no shame about it~ I've even encouraged things I don't like myself (such as really fetishy artwork, or something weird like that, that they 'aplogized' for posting), out of principle on the grounds that you doesn't exist to make other people happy, hah!

I'm not really sure if I know what I'm getting at, I feel like I have more to say, but here may not be the place~
I hope that things have really worked out better for you, and I know a few who'll be happy to hear all this~ <3

Well, I don't know you well enough to really comment much, particularly when I don't know all the details.

First, it seems from what I've gathered, that this isn't going to affect HousePets. I'm glad for that, as its the only nominally furry property out there I feel safe sharing with my family, and more specifically with my two nieces who aren't even ten. Basically, its nice to have content that is generated by my fandom of choice, that I can actually share with the many young or more traditionally minded people in my life.

As for your changes, it sounds like the main change concerns your faith, which I cannot actually comment on. I don't know what your parents faith is, and where you're drifting. However, speaking as a person whom tries to maintain a degree of spirituality, even in an environment that isn't always conductive to it, I've gotta say that the most important thing is to keep your spiritual ears open, and try to do whats best for both yourself and whatever deity you believe in.

Going off what little information I have, it, "sounds," like you've done that. Therefore, this is all probably entirely redundant. Still, I felt I had to say it, as a lot of people do seem to forget this from time to time.

Either way, I wish you well, and hope you come through this journey with a little more understanding and peace. :_

Speaking as someone who, for religious reasons, spent a lot of time uncertain and wibbling and wobbling back and forth on the issue of homo/bi/pansexuality, I have to say that I'm very glad to hear you've made this breakthrough.

Whether or not it affects your art, whether or not you ever decide to do erotica, I'm glad you've broken free of some of the things which, I confess I have been able to tell by reading between the lines, have been holding you back.

Good for you!

It's been almost 20 years, and yet I still have many lingering scars that make me cringe and think twice before I react to or involve myself in anything "gay".

I hate pavlovian conditioning.

The best thing about art, whether visual or written, is that you get to make it be whatever you choose. That's your absolute right.

For the record, I am definitely gay. I am definitely a writer. I don't write graphic erotica at all, nor do I feel I have to do that. I do write some gay characters, but none of them act blatant about it.

I really enjoyed the cat/dog thing that you presented in the earlier strips. I'm personally not so happy with the King/Bailey relationship arc, but mostly because I fear that it will turn out badly in the end. On the other paw, King does seem to be finally letting go of his notions about the "rules" of life and realizing that life is what you make of it, not what someone else tries to make of you.

Hello Mr Griffin. I have followed most of your art and Housepets for a long time now. I haven't really commented on it cuz im afraid of making an ass out of myself. I really think your a brilliant artist and a brilliant writer. If you want to change i guarantee anything you make will make your fans happy. I am incredibly like peanut it sorta scares me reading it some times... I think you know me or something . I just want you to know that through everything you have ever drawn people haven't left or put you down. Its cuz you are good. Its because you have an amazing imagination and that cant do anything but help. I hope you next few drawings are what you want. That is what will make it great. Have a dope day!!

Gross. Leaving forever.

<3

*hits you with a whiffle bat*

*explodes into candy*

Gender does matter more than most folks in the fandom are willing to admit. After all, if gender didn't really matter, there would be no such thing as Gender Identity Disorder.

You have to come to understand the truth as it actually is on the subject; growth, development, even changing your mind as time passes, and how you work that through in your art, is always personal and hopefully leads to the right places. I know I have made many changes of view in my time here on this Earth.

Dominus tecum

Oh, hey MattRat, long time no see.

Hey there, Anion! It has been a while... uh, when was the last time we crossed paths anyway? Yikes!

Dominus tecum

Haha, thats the problem with changing your nickname every so often, even if you do it for good reasons. The last we met, I would've gone under the name WolvenOne.

Oh! WolvenOne! Indeed, I don't think we've chatted in over five years. Possibly not eight or nine. Last time I recall chatting with you was when I was doing the job hunt and had that opportunity in North Dakota that you urged me to take. LOL!

Dominus tecum

I don't think I specifically remember that conversation, but it sounds about right. That would've been about the same time North Dakota's little boomlet started.

*nods* Suffice it to say that was quite some time ago! We should chat somewhere other than Rick's journal methinks!

Dominus tecum

Gender doesn't matter with regards to love, but it has everything to do with sex. Sex and love are two completely different beasts, with different sets of rules, though sex can be a good way of showing affection and can be associated, but not necessarily, with love.

That being said, hearing this sort of news always makes me smile, especially when it's someone I know or respect, like you. I know it started me on a good path that's really improved some things in my life, and made me a better, stronger person. Best of luck on the ol' journey of self discovery.

On a more personal note, there wasn't a certain person that made you feel that way, was there?

A certain person? No, it's always been lingering back there. Though I can point to a few certain people who made me think that feeling that way is a devastating evil, even if I never fully bought into it.

I can relate to that. I ask because I'm always fascinated by the thought processes that go on during challenges of orientation or faith, and I've met a few people who can point to a single person/belief that made them re-evaluate themselves.

"Do what you gotta do," as my late grandfather would have said.

I'm much the same way, in that gender doesn't really enter into the love equation for me. I can understand why some people would be squeamish about it, but they tend to be the minority here in Furryland.

Be sure that you go with know and not with what you feel. We live in a world where too many people are governed by their feelings.

I thought depicting homosexuality would go against your faith. (our faith)
I don't mean to sound prying (you are one of my favorite artists) but I thought it would be wrong of me not say something about it. It's because of my faith there are many types of art that I don't draw. And no I'm not a guy who hasn't sinned before. I'm just a sinner trying to fight his way through a world drags us down. I pray you'll be alright.

The problem I feel is that the unnecessary inhibition, at least in this particular case, was destroying my ability to be at peace with other people. And I value that peace highly; I am myself hardly perfect in that regard but it is nonetheless Christlike to have that peace. This doesn't subsequently mean all other inhibitions go out the window--inhibitions are things which regulate us so we don't cause harm to others. If the inhibition itself is causing more evil than good (and believe me, I've done a lot of wrong and regretful things under a banner of self-righteousness) then isn't it better to cast that off?

Well, naturally self-righteousness isn't a good thing. It should be replaced with humility. Although if merely being a devoted Christian causes unrest between you and others then it's not because of any wrongdoing on your part. There are many Christlike qualities and it's good to be at peace with others but Jesus was rarely at peace and was always at odds with society around him. I for one have committed grave sins for the sake of trying to be at peace with others and myself and I've dragged others down with me because of it. I don't want to be accountable for the souls of others by being a bad example.

It's not because I'm a Christian, I am perfectly comfortable taking on that title and being the person God intended. I know peace does not mean that one must cave to every pressure or be a doormat for everyone, but it does mean giving people the benefit of the doubt wherever I can. Unlike God, I am not a reader of men's hearts, and they very well could be in a position like me, which requires patience and understanding, and less condemnation.

I fully understand what you mean by giving people the benefit of the doubt where we can. Since becoming furry I've learned a lot about being humble and have made more friends of different kinds including many gays. I realize I can't always presume that others believe what I believe. Patience and understanding are so important. However condemnation is left for God to decide and not us. It's not our place to decide that something is "ok" when God says it isn't.

Just so we're clear, I don't mean to act pushy. I actually felt nervous bringing this up. I love you Rick and I want to be sure that as a Christian you've completely reasoned with yourself before making this choice of yours.

From what I can gather here you personally haven't actually changed. (bear with me here) You came to terms with being okay with homosexual couples in art, so what has really changed is how you desire or allow yourself to be perceived. You don't have to be staunchly for or against homosexuality, it's perfectly fine to be "okay" with it. There's a lot of stuff I personally don't do and have no interest in ever participating, but that I'm okay with regardless.
So hey. It's cool that you're okay with stuff. I've found that coming to terms with issues is, in the long run, easier than fighting them forever; because when you've come to terms you no longer have the stress of dealing with them. I don't know anybody who's against reducing stress.
And if you're still feeling kind of haggard, go look at George Takei's facebook page. He's the funniest gay man on the planet. =)

I haven't "changed" so much as I feel like I've taken half my personality, which was subservient to the other half, and ended up swapping their places. So it does still have a weird adjustment period afterward where I figure out how to ground myself again.

It gets kind of weird when your internal dialogue takes a spin on the super-corkscrew roller coaster. I've done it a few times over the years as well. Eventually things tend to even out. But yeah, it's kind of like getting new glasses. Takes a little while before you learn how to see without being wobbly, but when you're used to it everything is just a bit clearer.
Best of luck with it, either way. It's a bit of a journey.

Love is love, it knows no bounds, no gender, no faith, no continent, no weather or storm. Dont deny it but embrace it, no matter what

well, good luck in any case

So.. This still means no chance of Darryl the Wolf in Fishnets, corsets, doing the Time Warp *Laughs and hugs*

Darryl or the other Darryl? if you can get him away from the food long enough..

He DOES seem like the character most likely to do that, doesn't he

Rock on, Rick.

Well, well, so Rick's human after all!

I still believe that your brand of clean furry related artwork is very positive and benevolent. People from all walks of life can enjoy your sublime artwork, comedy, comics and writing without constaints.
However you are human and artist, there are several interesting aspects of the human experience to explore that are very expressive and communicative, including the stuff that's not strictly speaking PG.

For what it's worth Rick, i'm glad that you are able to be honest and up front with yourself. I hope that this change of perspective has a positive and liberating effect on you, and I hope that you can find true happiness!

I wish you all the luck in the world.

Keep Rocking, Rick!

I don't have a whole lot to offer here but I do totally empathize with the twisted-up emotions concerning moral, social, and personal obligations as they relate to artwork.

I do believe we've had conversations about that! And also we could do it again; I'm on Skype a lot more now than I was on AIM, if you have that regularly

I second what astolpho said, art is very difficult territory once you start really conversing with your ego about it and personal truths start popping up and getting tangled with social life, totally empathize

Rick, one thing that I'm always glad to hear from anyone is when they decide to be honest with themselves and accept something that may not be ideal to what they originally thought. I'm glad for ya. It doesn't change anything about you. You're still Rick. You still do my favorite webcomic. You're still awesome!

Well, well, well.

This is your maturity showing, you are growing up :3

Even some adults have trouble with coming to terms with the whole "you love who you love" thing, and I'm not talking about orientation~

Still gonna watch you regardless of what you draw, its all good.

whatever venue you go with your art, i will still be here enjoying it! i recently had a similar breakthrough myself, once i got myself all sorted out, i started feeling much better :) good luck!!

Let me guess, you grew up in the South? The Midwest? Something rural in any case, I assume.

You were more the intellectual than the physical type, no prospects for quarterback or the like. Maybe other regarded you as weird for drawing weird scribbles, anyway, as you reached puberty and you realized you were bicurious. You feared to be pulled behind trucks and be beaten by the local good ol' boys, so you tried to suppress any shred of sexuality. This made you dance around the elephant in the room, meaning you only drew genital-less soft porn and backed out once interest rose on the boards you frequented. Now that you left this environment behind and have a big confidence-boosting fandom you begin to admit to your true feelings.

Am I close?

Eh, I grew up in public school and never really put much stock in community or physical threats. My major complications arose from my parents. When I was little and was teased as being a "homo" I didn't put much consideration there because at the time I wasn't into anything really, it just seemed like a generic insult.

The fandom itself isn't what let me let go of that (if it were entirely up to the fandom I'd probably have stayed where I was); as it is I'm still currently located in Alabama and stuck at home. The fandom is a convenient outlet however and there are many extremely charitable people here that I'm grateful for.

I mean it's not like I haven't done a back-and-forth before; it's been pretty much an on-and-off thing, and something always kicked me back, usually the lack of capacity to take my faith with me. It only began to resolve itself when I realized it was that duality which was causing the issue.

I know how you feel Rick, I had to come to terms with my faith and myself, and it was a long, hard road. If you ever wish to talk about it, or talk to someone that's been through the same, I'm more than willing to chat. :3

my advice is just to live and be happy, the most important person in dilemmas like this, is you. you cant make everyone happy so decide for the one person who's going to feel it the most--you, whatever you decide, however you decide it, as long as your happy that's all that matters. You are an amazing artiest and from what i can tell a pretty amazing guy. Everyone changes in one capacity or another during their life so dont worry about it too much.

Always be true to you. ^^ *hugs* Good luck man.

Yay.

By the way, thanks for your stories, comics and pictures. I'm your long-time fan. Created a Russian Wikifur article about you (way bigger than the English one), translated your mini-comic "Book of the Dead" into Russian (yes, without asking you first... I really hope you don't mind)...

Depends, wherever it's posted I hope it links back to my site(s)!

It's here:
http://furnation.ru/journal/26129/
I gave a link to the Wikifur article about you (where there's a dozen links to your sites) in the beginning of the post - and there's another link to VCL in the comments section.

My VCL hasn't been relevant in years!

I know. I found "Book of the Dead" on VCL - so I gave a link there in the comments. But I constantly update the Wikifur article about you:
http://ru.wikifur.com/wiki/Рик_Гриффин
(I think Google Translate can provide a general understanding of what's written there. It's just some basic facts and links.)
If you want me to add something to the article or the post on Furnation.ru - or remove something - just say so.

That's a much better article than the English one!

But I don't really mind that you translated it, that stuff I'm cool with

Thanks!

Well given I've only ever grown up knowing a single church and being preached to that all other denominations were evil (and especially those denominations we split with in he 50s, or the ones which are too liberal, maybe not the ones who are too conservative) I've been, at least since college, tearing apart the foundations by which I've felt shackled. But the relationship with God is ultimately a personal one . . . it's sort of strange then that I feel more comfortable between myself and God now, even to the point of I don't feel weird and uncomfortable talking about it directly in public, even in this message right here. Because I don't feel like I'm trying to enforce an emperor's decrees, but because it is the God I have been striving to know all along, the one who built us and everyone with these minds for a reason.

I've been a fan of your art and of Housepets for a while now, and I can honestly say that every image you create tells a unique and wonderful story. I'm sorry to hear about your hesitation in drawing certain subject materials, it must be a difficult journey, especially when confronted by any fandom XP. To be open and honest with yourself is always an overpowering, but uplifting revelation, and I wish you the best of luck in your trials (emotional, spiritual, and otherwise).

No matter what you decide, I'll always be a fan of your art, and because you seem like a pretty cool guy.

It is an interesting read from your journal from what I had read. I can guess that you have had this kind of thing with you for a very long time. there's nothing really to think about, but how you feel about it. I have certainly enjoyed reading your webcomic for a long time and it certainly something to continue reading on about, especially with twists and turns the story has the tendency to go back and forth on.

You're a good person, I'm sure that the more you explore and enjoy doing whatever it is you do, the more you get to the answer you seek. If not, don't worry too much! You have your whole life to do whatever you want! Just enjoy doing what you want =3

~Jrogenshin

Are you coming out as gay and/or trandgendered?

You wouldn't be the first furry, nor the last.

I would not be surprised that your revelations about yourself and those around you that you'll also find yourself becoming an atheist, too. It may take a while longer yet, but I don't think that personal faith can survive the Internet, especially being in a culture like the furry fandom where 50% of its members are atheist/agnostic. You have both social pressure and an internal conflict between your own values and that of the clergy and of the more literal interpretations of the Bible.

It will be interesting to watch you grow over the years from this moment forward as your interdependence strengthens and your distance from your family widens. I hope you continue your journey of self discovery and become happier and freer because of it.