“Howdy Pillar is Welcome Home’s friendliest and happiest shopkeeper! This colorful caterpillar knows his store like the back of his hands, which is impressive considering how many he has. Charismatic, quick-witted, and remarkably jolly, Howdy always seems to have whatever his neighbors need with a price that just can’t be beat!”
Howdy was a small-time caterpillar who wanted to start his own business, which he accomplished in Home as a much larger caterpillar. His grocery store was named Howdy’s Place, with Barnaby serving as his most loyal customer. Howdy was said to have originated from an apple core in a tree alongside his plentiful brothers and sisters, many of whom Howdy would offhandedly mention a plethora of by name throughout the show’s run. Within the vinyl record, “Howdy’s Holiday Hullabaloo,” one can see a “quarter of a wiggle” of them. Akin to Julie’s siblings, Howdy’s family doesn’t seem to live in Home either. Howdy is presented as quick-witted, charismatic, overemotional, and a salesman.
Illustrated material often had Howdy stationed behind the counter and at the open window along the side of his establishment, especially when he is a part of skits with other residents. Howdy is rarely seen in the neighborhood sets beyond special occasions, with one of the only other instances being to visit or deliver goods to Poppy himself. Other instances that could be seen were during holidays, according to recently uncovered footage.
Howdy would often exchange goods for funny jokes, silly observations, one-dollar ideas, and unique gadgets. Noted formerly as being his favorite customer, Barnaby would often appear regularly at Howdy’s Place. He would supply Howdy with a daily laugh in exchange for a hot dog. As such, old scripts would provide strange lingo to describe the various ways Howdy would prepare this hot dog, such as “paint a bow-wow red and yellow in the winter and make sure it's got legs,” or “a full house with a couple of bloodhounds.” In the storybook record, "Happy Haunting to Boo and Yours," a strange jingling can be heard implying that Howdy's puppet may have had a mechanic that allowed his antennas to move. Howdy’s puppet was rotated between a live-hand puppet and a walk-around puppet in order to keep him in frame with his fellow residents, requiring two or more puppeteers.
