Practicalities And Eventualities

that last panel: when did Pintsize mature like that?? must be the influence of the new body.

But…but…if Marten acquires focus & direction I won't have anyone to identify with in the comic!

Relax, kid. You don't know it yet, but Marten has a purpose in Cubetown. Marten finds the people who need help - or rather, they are drawn to him by his chill demeanor - and then he brings them to Claire for guidance. Liz is just the first of many.

I hope Cube Town becomes a spin off series. ^~^

Martin may become the Yoda of Cubetown.

Ok but like Pintsize's derp face in panel 2 is giving me great joy.

I think everyone has some good points here questioning whether Marten truly is "directionless" and pointing out that it's perfectly fine for Marten to focus his energies on things other than his job. However, Marten himself has expressed some frustration with his own directionlessness in the past, so it does beg the question of whether he still feels that way. I agree with folks that that feels outdated and mostly he seems happy to be forging a path forward with Clare, but we haven't heard him speak to the issue in a while, so....will be interesting to see where this goes.

I need Pint Size's shirt for my son :)

The whole nature of being the least seen person is that you underestimate their impact and development. This can either be a detriment (missed promotions, walked on, etc) or an advantage (unexpected preparedness, come from behind victor, etc). Lets see how Martin handles it, and also realize he's capable of pursuing his own happiness his way. So far we've not been given any clues by Jeph of him being upset or neglected. In the background people are worried about him, and possibly with the wrong perceptions. but those can be character development for them. They may see he's happy, and also see what is missing in the background when he's gone. I felt the same way when Hannelore left. Something was missing and her perspective was needed at times. Now she's very different now, but life does that to you. I think Jeph has done a pretty amazing job of orchestrating a series of friends and acquaintances that have a beautiful symphony of a reflection of real life. It's not perfect, but neither is a piccolo trying to sound like a song bird. It's the evocation and the emotion felt that is the art. Butts

Honestly, I'm kind of frustrated that none of Marten's friends seem to respect him very much, or realize that his apparent directionlessness isn't really a problem. Like I pointed out before, he has catalyzed so much good in his friends' lives. Why does he need to change?

I feel that Pintsize would want his last moments on this mortal coil to be ones where he is compressed into a point by a muscular lady R. Crumbot.

You know I was worried about Pintsize getting a body, but you’re right Jeph, he IS a chaos twink.

The face of Pintsize in panel 2. Utterly ridiculous.

excited to see how you resolve this one, our boy's been professionally directionless for a looooong time

This feels kinda unfair to Marten's happiness about moving away with Claire. So because he's chill with doing something to support her, now he gets second-guessed by his friends because he's too directionless 😅 It also feels like an outdated character assessment of Marten. In the context of his relationship with Claire, he's not directionless. He's happy for them to forge a shared path together. Maybe he doesn't have strong career aspirations, but not everyone does.

Is Marten actually directionless, though? Yeah, he seems to be pretty chill floating in the stream of life, but he also has a pretty reliable job that he enjoys doing (there was no mention of him getting sacked or quitting during the time skip, at least), and he is in a healthy and stable relationship with Claire. Even if he does move over there, his time at Smif Library has given him transferrable skills and knowledge.

Marten should open a shop as a luthier, making and repairing extended range guitars! A bit like Carl Thompson, though he primarily makes bass guitars. It seems like it would be a good fit for him.

Actually, I think Marten's going to do just fine at Cubetown. They both are. Claire is fire, activity. She has a monumental task ahead of her, but she's the type of girl who thrives on that. Marten's water. Seemingly pulled with the tide, but adept at slipping in the cracks and going exactly where it needs to be. Cubetown needs someone who can ferret out the LIzs and the Fayes and the Hannelores. It needs Marten just as much as it needs Claire, it just doesn't know that yet.

ai whale companion to the rescue

Love that Pintsize face in the second panel

I vote, Marten as Cube Towns new psychologist. I know he hasn’t studied, but with his chill demeanor, does he even need to?

Does Pintsize have a butthole? Do other robots?

Wow. Pintsize with the selfless concern about Marten. I mean, it’s obvious Marten could find a place and job at Cubetown, he has experience with various people and A.I, and as a library admin, and the chill demeanour to be very good in a variety of roles. But Cubetown has already shown that it is very good at letting skilled people slip through the cracks due to neglect through lack of assistance, so it’s a real possibility. I just hope Claire would expertise some nepotism to get Marten a job where he could grow, not just drift.

I miss impPintsize

I want that shirt

I've never understood how being directionless, drifting through life as it is, if it makes the person happy, should be a problem

As with drinking and gambling, know your limits. You could be crushed.

Pintsize with more nuance and consideration is more pintsize than before rather than less, and I'm here for it.

I'm starting to think this story isn't going to be wrapped up by comic #5000.

I love both reduced-goblin Pintsize, & his bonkers expression in panel 2

Is the Pintsize font new? Because the lowercase "t" having basically no white space to the left makes it really hard to read.

Has Pintsize always talked in a different font than Bubs?

I also demand to know if Bubbles can fart.

Nosce te ipsum, Pintsize…

Pintsize unleashes the never-expected insightful and compassionate mode.

I demand more in-depth discussion of Bubbles' anal cavity.

Is Marten directionless? What if he's where he wants to be? Decent job, loving partner. Only thing he may want would be better living conditions. Maybe a house? What actually IS Marten's current opinion on his lifestyle?

Those moments when pintsize drops how insightful he is <3

So what you are saying is that Bubbles might at some future point say something like "can we please talk about my butt instead"

Perhaps we'll see the 5 of them move there. Faye and Bubbles relocate their shop. Pintsize reintegrates with Marten and Claire to move them to move them along. Who knows?

I keep forgetting that Pint Size has changed appearances, it surprises me every time.

I hate it when Pintsize is correct. Marten let everyone around him become main characters while he is simply going with the flow. He’s dedicated to his partner and friends, but he has no more goals.

Once again, i love it when we are reminded that Pintsize actually cares.

I love that shirt so much. 😂

the warranty on his new body has a specific exclusion for acts of Bubbles

how exactly would Bubbles have crushed him though. with any particular part of her body, perhaps

We Stan a self aware Pintsize!