New Eightball Noise!

fwiw Rupert Pupkin is totally likable, I feel for that dude when I'm watching King of Comedy.

it's the earnestness, the naivete of the character.

Clowes may publicly profess to empathize and enjoy his protagonists, but I don't think it really come through in the work. If he's deliberately constructing protagonists in such negative terms, most readers are going to have a hard time empathizing with them. Even with someone like Larry David there's a degree of empathy, because he's like everyone's worst impulses unleashed and people can identify with that. But if Curb Your Enthusiasm was just Larry being a horrible person moping around by himself because he's alienated everyone it wouldn't really be an entertaining show, it would just be depressing.

There are episodes like that! But they generally tend to be the less enjoyable ones.

I like Clowes, I'm just fed up of this angry social ineffectual loner persona that consistently, boringly keeps turning up in Seth/Ware/Matt etc. It seems like a very 90s type. And there's no depth there.

oh I wouldn't lump Joe Matt in there (for one thing he hasn't put out a comic in what, 6 years?)

"And the reason it becomes hard emphasizing with such characters is not because Hollywood has brainwashed us into accepting only likable protagonists, it's because most people aren't jerks."

Hollywood tends to all have jerk protagonists. They're just charming jerks. Some actors have entire careers based on playing and being charming jerks!
I'm not sure where this Clowseian charmless jerk fatigue is coming from unless your entire media diet consisted of Charmless Jerk Illustrated.

it comes from reading Clowes' comics. the next installation of which had better be called Charmless Jerk Illustrated.