Dog House is a one-shot comic written and drawn by Steve Gallacci (Albedo: Erma Felna EDF, Alone, Together and many others) and inked by Roz Gibson, originally published in Radio Comix's Untamed anthology in 2012. This is also notable for being Gallacci's first printed work since 2005, after the death of his wife forced him to retire himself from a while.
In a distant future, domestic pets like dogs and cats can be modified to have human-like features and the ability to speak and walk on two legs. One of these "pets" is Alphie, an antropomorphic dog living with the James "family": the father Kyle, his "wife" Maria, and her son Jackie. Kyle turns out to be a hugely alcoholic douchebag who psychologically and verbally abuses Maria and refuses to even acknowledge his son Jackie as his own. One day, Maria decides she has had enough with Kyle and that she finds Alphie, her dog, attractive...
This short story is notable for many things: Besides being Gallacci's first work in almost a decade, it's also notable for being one of Gallacci's few works that feature human beings as the main characters, not to mention being more erotically charged than previous works. Also, this is one of his few works with no militaristic undertones, as none of the characters are soldiers or members of any kind of law-enforcing agency.
Gallacci mentioned he is working in a follow-up in the same universe named Cat House, dealing with a male antropomorphic cat instead this time.
Not to be confused with the film of the same name.
Compare with Dana Simpson's Raine Dog, which has a somewhat similar premise.
Dog House provides examples of:
- Ambiguous Time Period: The story outright states the whole premise takes place in the future, but it doesn't explain in which time period takes place.
- The Alcoholic: Kyle. It also explained later he's also a druggie as well.
- Bestiality Is Depraved: Subverted. Kyle is more worried and angry that Maria is cheating him with Alphie than the fact his wife is having sex with a dog, even if is an antropomorphic one. Whether the man has Skewed Priorities or Interspecies Romance is the norm in this society is unclear.
- Domestic Abuse: The premise of the story deals with a girl who is verbally and psychologically abused by her husband, and she tries to find pleasure with her sentient, antropomorphic dog.
- Full-Frontal Assault: Alphie goes against Kyle completely naked, since he has just had sex with Maria and he didn't have time to get dressed again.
- Furries Are Easier to Draw: Well, of course, it's a comic by Steve Gallacci, the Godfather of furry comics. So, Alphie has a more detailed design, but the humans' design all look a little more than extras.
- Gold Digger: Kyle again. It's explained the only reason he's living with Maria is because he needs both his mother's and Maria's money to get booze and drugs.
- Jerkass: Kyle, who else?
- Interspecies Romance: Between Maria and her anthropomorphic dog, Alphie.
- Lions and Tigers and Humans... Oh, My!: The premise of the story is about a setting when domestic pets are humanized, but are still treated like mindless beasts by people like Kyle.
- Minimalist Cast: There's only four characters in the whole story: Maria, Kyle, Jackie and Alphie. There's also a mention about anthropomorphic cats working as drug dealers, but they don't appear in the comic.
- Sapient Pet: By way of Uplifted Animal. This seems to be a norm by the time the comic takes place, but very little information is given on the process.
- Shout-Out: Probably not intentional, but the scene when Maria deactivates Alphie's Restraining Bolt from his wrists so he could deal with Kyle using physical force by his own will is very similar to a scene in Hellsing when Integra does the same with Alucard, so he could use his One-Winged Angel form of Dracula during the final battle in both the manga and the anime OVAs.
- You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: Kyle got even more angrier with Alphie when after being free from the influence of his restraining bolts, Alphie address Kyle by his name rather than being called "sir" as a way to show Alphie is not under the control of any human being anymore:Kyle: Wait, "Kyle"? Since when did'ja get so uppity?
- In a more dramatic example, Alphie address Maria by her name, rather than being called "ma'am", after she unlocks Alphie's restraining bolts from his wrists.
