Hien Pham shares with us the chaotic night he helped volunteer at his local pup event. Surrounded by so much animalistic and intense energy, Hien shows us the most human and calm of moments. What a lovely comic and homage to the positively lovely Perth Pup scene!
Hien’s Notes:
Thank you again to Pup J and Mr. R for the moment that inspired this comic! To Ziggy and Matthew for your heartfelt support of this story, and thank you to everyone who said hi and checked in on me during the event! It was a difficult weekend for me for many different reasons, but it was also incredibly fulfilling! Check out the photos on aphc.net.au and see if you can spot a stray Hien or two!
Fur real, Hien Pham’s comic about his ruff moment while volunteering deserves a round of a-paws. The very leash you can do is leave him a kind comment or follow on his socials.
Where’s the paw-ty at? PATREON!!! ;D We save all our extra treats for the good pups on Patreon and with the howlidays coming up you deserve the gift of bonus comics and content that we keep there! Keep us independent and able to pay amazing artist like Hien by supporting us with as little as a buck per comic!
– The Oh Joy Sex Toy per-comic Patreon to directly support these comics
– The Erika Moen Monthly Patreon with her many art projects
↓ Comic Transcript
Page 1
A crowded scene with a speaker standing center stage, surrounded by people wearing leather fetish dog masks in the crowd.
"WELCOME TO THE AUSTRALIAN PUPS AND HANDLERS COMPETITION 2023!" booms the speaker into their microphone. "Awooooo! Awooooo!" howls the crowd.
Hien is a cis man of Asian descent who wears big square glasses and has a short mustache and beard while almost bald on top. The hair growing along the sides of his head is pulled back into a small bun. Hien peeks through a curtain at the back of the audience, watching the speaker as they announce "It is wonderful to see so many of you celebrating the many ways to be a pup a handler, and a part of this community!" The audience continues to "Awoooo!" when a voice behind the curtain asks, "Hello?"
Back on the other side of the curtain, Hien swivels back to his place working the admission table to this pup event.
Someone in a dog mask and chest harness with no shirt and yellow shorts asks, "I'd like to buy some raffle tickets?"
"Absolutely." responds Hien. "Gibe me one second..."
Another person without a mask but wearing a leather cap and vest with no shirt and leather pants asks, "Do I sign in here?"
"Yes!" Hien replies, a little flustered. "My crew will be back in just a moment to get you checking in." While Hien is handling the festival goers, an average middle-age man and woman couple who are wearing regular street clothes starts to slip past him to go through the curtain.
"I just want a peek." The woman insists as they continue to the curtain.
"Excuse me!" Hien waves at them. "Sorry, this is a private event!"
"Oh, okay." The woman acquiesces.
Page 2
Text rolls over and obscures the next three panels that show hands gesturing and frantically entering information on a cellphone that continuously dings.
"how much are the raffle tickets?"
"We have $10, three for $25, seven for $50."
"I'll grab $50."
"Could I get your name and number here please?"
"Hey! Can I just come in? You remember me right?"
"Is the raffle for the whole lot of just one of these? And what's going on with the auction?"
"Um..."
A person in leather gear hands confirms his purchase on Hien's phone and hands it back to him as Hien flusteres, "Um... I don't know... When I have a second, I can try to find someone who does... Sorry... I know so little, and took on so much..."
A person with a mustache and earring, wearing a grey tank top, observes Hien's interaction. A shorter person wearing a full leather pup mask accompanies the mustache person.
Page 3
The mustache and pup mask couple approach Hien. The person with a mustache asks, "May I?" as they extend a hand towards Hien's belly, which is exposed in an unbuttoned collared shirt. Hien parts his shirt more as he says, "Oh! Sure."
The person tenderly touches Hien's tummy and then lovingly scratches it like a puppy's tummy, telling him, "Such a good boy. You're doing so well."
Page 4
In the background is a faded out series of panels of Hien talking with the couple, saying "I'm really trying my best, but... I feel like I'm always behind. I wanted to be the right person for this... I don't know--- [text obscured] -- I thought I would be better at being in charge--- [text obscured]"
In the foreground over the panels, the couple and Hien stand together in a huddle, the mustache person resting his hand on Hien's back. The glow with blues, purples, pinks, and yellows in this intimate moment.
A voice says "It's okay, pup."
Page 5
The mustache'd person brushes his hand against Hien's as they and their companion leave, smiling at Hien encouragingly.
Taking a moment to himself, Hien removes his glasses to dab at his misty eye with his shirt corner. He replaces his glasses and then, with renewed determination and focus, he announces, "That's right! I am a good boy! and I've got this!"
From the audience on the other side of the curtain "Awooo! Awooooooo!" fills the air.
A crowded scene with a speaker standing center stage, surrounded by people wearing leather fetish dog masks in the crowd.
"WELCOME TO THE AUSTRALIAN PUPS AND HANDLERS COMPETITION 2023!" booms the speaker into their microphone. "Awooooo! Awooooo!" howls the crowd.
Hien is a cis man of Asian descent who wears big square glasses and has a short mustache and beard while almost bald on top. The hair growing along the sides of his head is pulled back into a small bun. Hien peeks through a curtain at the back of the audience, watching the speaker as they announce "It is wonderful to see so many of you celebrating the many ways to be a pup a handler, and a part of this community!" The audience continues to "Awoooo!" when a voice behind the curtain asks, "Hello?"
Back on the other side of the curtain, Hien swivels back to his place working the admission table to this pup event.
Someone in a dog mask and chest harness with no shirt and yellow shorts asks, "I'd like to buy some raffle tickets?"
"Absolutely." responds Hien. "Gibe me one second..."
Another person without a mask but wearing a leather cap and vest with no shirt and leather pants asks, "Do I sign in here?"
"Yes!" Hien replies, a little flustered. "My crew will be back in just a moment to get you checking in." While Hien is handling the festival goers, an average middle-age man and woman couple who are wearing regular street clothes starts to slip past him to go through the curtain.
"I just want a peek." The woman insists as they continue to the curtain.
"Excuse me!" Hien waves at them. "Sorry, this is a private event!"
"Oh, okay." The woman acquiesces.
Page 2
Text rolls over and obscures the next three panels that show hands gesturing and frantically entering information on a cellphone that continuously dings.
"how much are the raffle tickets?"
"We have $10, three for $25, seven for $50."
"I'll grab $50."
"Could I get your name and number here please?"
"Hey! Can I just come in? You remember me right?"
"Is the raffle for the whole lot of just one of these? And what's going on with the auction?"
"Um..."
A person in leather gear hands confirms his purchase on Hien's phone and hands it back to him as Hien flusteres, "Um... I don't know... When I have a second, I can try to find someone who does... Sorry... I know so little, and took on so much..."
A person with a mustache and earring, wearing a grey tank top, observes Hien's interaction. A shorter person wearing a full leather pup mask accompanies the mustache person.
Page 3
The mustache and pup mask couple approach Hien. The person with a mustache asks, "May I?" as they extend a hand towards Hien's belly, which is exposed in an unbuttoned collared shirt. Hien parts his shirt more as he says, "Oh! Sure."
The person tenderly touches Hien's tummy and then lovingly scratches it like a puppy's tummy, telling him, "Such a good boy. You're doing so well."
Page 4
In the background is a faded out series of panels of Hien talking with the couple, saying "I'm really trying my best, but... I feel like I'm always behind. I wanted to be the right person for this... I don't know--- [text obscured] -- I thought I would be better at being in charge--- [text obscured]"
In the foreground over the panels, the couple and Hien stand together in a huddle, the mustache person resting his hand on Hien's back. The glow with blues, purples, pinks, and yellows in this intimate moment.
A voice says "It's okay, pup."
Page 5
The mustache'd person brushes his hand against Hien's as they and their companion leave, smiling at Hien encouragingly.
Taking a moment to himself, Hien removes his glasses to dab at his misty eye with his shirt corner. He replaces his glasses and then, with renewed determination and focus, he announces, "That's right! I am a good boy! and I've got this!"
From the audience on the other side of the curtain "Awooo! Awooooooo!" fills the air.