New Eightball Noise!

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.