Can't be an expy of intolerance, can't be the expy of crass realization humor, Jeph doesn't like Pintsize anymore. He's being written out. Poor guy. throw aside like that.
Noo not Pintsize!! he's in the first comic! He's the almost-main-character! I hope he's not written out
I love the li'l guy!
I just came off this strip as that Jeph has pretty much written off Pintsize and won't use him anymore to provide crass humor, or hell, just a moment of clarity/zen (can it even be considered that sometimes?) in the drama of the comic. The Transgender/Leer Strip gripe is below; to Faye's Alcoholism now.....
With perhaps exceptions to upgrades and repairs, I think the only other time Pintsize has been turned off was when Marten & Padma had sex. Maybe for just cause, but still, you think if Pintsize was on while Faye was drinking like a sailor, Pintsize would've called Marten or even the Emergency Services to help Faye much quicker? If Pintsize was on, maybe at this point he could've at least reminded Faye that by turning him off, he could've helped her get help in some way by contacting someone, even if he had to do it as an emergency measure.
Nope, we get him grumbling how he's being treated like
a Scum Class citizen.Crass sexual humor completely unrelated to her trans status, perhaps, but anything transphobic?
More on the former than the latter. Pintsize shows some lewd pic that offends/sickens Claire (but most certainly nothing transphobic, just something in bad taste in general), Marten has to come in and reprimand Pintsize to don't do that to Claire. Nothing outlandish, just something that could be a learning point, like how Pintsize can go too far even though the cast has tolerated his antics. Hell, in that context, it doesn't have to be trans-related, just some incident that can be applied in general to many things.
Instead, we got "The Leer" Deus Ex Machina strip and everything is wrapped up nice and super. *shakes head*