Raine Dog

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Rating Summary

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Background
This was a webcomic written by none other than D. C. Simpson, who created the acclaimed Ozy and Millie, and she even bought web advertisements to bring in readers. As might be imagined, I had high hopes for this webcomic, and at the beginning, it looked good.

When I learned of the fact that the author was going to revamp the whole thing, I decided to see what she would do with it. The art was certainly better.

Downfall
(Version 1) There were several "Huh?" moments toward the beginning. However, the comic truly becomes a train wreck when Jeff, the little boy owner of Princess (as Raine was initially named) said that he viewed her not as a dog, but a girl covered with fur. Ahem, Princess may be able to read and speak English, but the idea is that she is a pet dog adopted from a kennel. She is not like Millicent Mudd of Ozy And Millie, who is a furry version of a human girl, nor is she supposed to be a figment of the imagination like Hobbes of Calvin And Hobbes. Raine is supposed to be a regular dog with some human capabilities.

(Version 2) The comic stopped running before anything could happen.

Story and Plot
(Version 1) The story involves Raine, an anthropomorphic blue female dog wearing a long coat, Dame Edna glasses, and a dog collar walking through city streets and telling the reader about her past in numerous flashbacks.

Raine's life starts out like that of a regular dog, adopted as a family pet from a kennel, and given the name of "Princess". Early on, she does exhibit some anthropomorphic characteristics, such as walking on two legs, and somehow learning to read and speak English. Later, she discovers that humans consider dogs to be expendable when she reads about Laika and the Soviet space program, and also that dogs are considered soulless. Evidently the author has never heard of the movie "All Dogs Go To Heaven", nor has she heard of any theological debates over whether nonhuman animals do have souls-and why wouldn't that happen in a world where animals can speak? There are such debates in this world.

But this is where the comic jumps the shark: The strip that propelled Raine Dog into infamy I did mention this recently to D. C. Simpson on her DeviantArt page (she uses the name "Pedantia"), and she said that the controversy was "stupid". Never mind that it involved a sexual kiss between an underage boy and a puppy: In case anyone mistakenly thought the kiss was meant to be innocent And this is where the allegory falls apart. In real life, pet dogs are neutered to prevent unwanted pregnancies because they are incapable of intelligent family planning, and as a humane alternative to resorting to what had been done in the old days. But if, in the Raine Dog universe, animals have human-level intelligence, why would there be the practice of neutering pets to begin with? As a former male homosexual who later became a MTF transsexual, D. C. Simpson seems to be implying that the taboo romance between Jeff and Raine is comparable to either homosexuality, transsexualism, or both. Most homosexuals and transsexuals would probably take offence at such a comparison.

The story goes on where Jeff and Raine are still together, but somehow Raine's being neutered has spoiled the relationship. Why? Neutering house pets is commonplace nowadays-and is advocated by none other than the "Mutts" comic strip. Also, based on personal observations, neutering pets does not alter their basic personalities. But the implication is that Raine was "ruined" by having this done.

But there is more. Princess is given to a family relative who is indifferent to her, and she reaches adulthood and escapes. She meets other animals, both anthropomorphic and not. (Huh?) An example of the former: ''An anthropomorphic cat of unknown background Also, in her travels she meets some penned-up (non-anthropomorphic) cattle, and she goes to them and warns them that they will be slaughtered for food unless they flee, and she even opens the gate for them. But the cattle rebuff Raine and refuse to leave their pen; it is their home, after all. (The analogy is blatantly obvious-the author is the voice of knowledge and reason, and anyone who doesn't heed her is stupid.) Ironically it didn't occur to the author that the cattle would have no way to fend for themselves out in the wild.

Eventually Raine finds a group of wild dogs (also non-anthropomorphic) who take her in and command her to hunt. But when she goes after a rabbit (who is not only non-anthropomorphic, but evidently cannot even speak), Raine cannot bring herself to kill it, even to survive. The dog pack realizes this and has her get food from garbage bins instead. Then the story abruptly stops.

A mockery photoshop edit done by none other than the fans of Ozy And Millie themselves on the Define Cynical fansite

Art review
(Version 1) The art is akin to the later Ozy and Millie style, toony with a hint of realism, and animated without going overboard. Unlike Ozy and Millie, it is black and white with blue patches, which does suit the arty mood of the comic.

(Version 2) Less toony, more realistic, more shading, otherwise similar. Princess and Jeff in the new version

Writing review
(Version 1) As a "philosophical" comic. the dialogue is necessarily long and wordy. Yet the story leaves out a lot of important information. Why are some animals anthropomorphic and others aren't? If dogs and cats can become anthropomorphic, why not cattle or rabbits? What social rules do animals follow in relation to humans, or each other? What are the rules involving food animals? Perhaps these questions had been intended to be answered in the future, but it would have been preferable if at least some of these had been answered earlier in the strip.

(Version 2) Presumably the new story was intended to go on a similar path to the old...but we will probably never know.

Author biography
D. C. Simpson is best known as the author of the well-regarded furry webcomic Ozy and Millie, which has received much acclaim and numerous awards. Unfortunately Simpson's talents seem to have deserted her lately. The liberal Simpson, an MTF transsexual who recently had her sex-change operation completed a few years ago, seems to have had her wit and wonderful sense of humor removed in her operation, with her later work consisting of heavy handed and ultimately impenetrable political allegories like Raine Dog, although humorless, pretentious political comics such as I Drew This prove that even in her Ozy and Millie days she had a penchant for being overblown and unfunny. She did finally receive syndication for a new strip of hers, with the working title of Girl, but unfortunately she simply recycles her old Ozy and Millie strips for that one. Fortunately the new strip that has appeared in newspapers, Heavenly Nostrils, about a little girl and a unicorn she adopted, does take its own path, so there is hope for her yet.

Conclusion
(Version 1) Basically the comic makes little sense. Who is Raine supposed to be, and how and why does she morph from a regular non-anthropomorphic dog to an anthropomorphic one? What is the point of the taboo relationship between Jeff and Raine? What is the story with the other characters, both animal and human? The whole scenario becomes more nonsensical as it progresses and the author presumably realized this and decided to stop and start over.

(Version 2) It's impossible to say anything about a comic that stops after one panel.

Other Comics By This Author That Have Been Reviewed On Our Site

 * I Drew This
 * Ozy and Millie - good review

Links

 * Another review of this webcomic which is hardly more positive than mine.
 * And an Encyclopedia Dramatica article. NSFW!! (BTW that article links to this review.)
 * Define Cynical, a website for Ozy And Millie fans, and even they didn't like this webcomic