[5] Inspired by Crane's in-laws,[6] the strip describes their efforts to enjoy retirement, which instead proves quite imperfect for both.

The cast includes their dog, Roscoe; their cat, Muffin; their 6-year-old grandson,[9] Nelson Wolfe; Nelson's parents—their daughter, Sylvia, and her husband, Dan, a wildlife photographer;[2] Clyde, Earl's friend; and Pearl, Opal's sister, who dated Earl many years ago.

[10] Roscoe and Muffin are depicted with thought balloons (like Snoopy or Garfield) to express their personal views whenever they observe the daily routines of their humans or other incidents.

In the foreword to one of Crane's Pickles books, Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic, stated, "I think it would be very comforting to have Earl and Opal for neighbors.

"[11] The strips have been collected in book form in:[2] A 25th anniversary retrospective, 25 Years of Pickles, was released by Baobab Press in 2015.