Topic: WCDT 24-28 May 2021 (4531-4535) (Read 37929 times)

Farideh · « **on:** 23 May 2021, 18:17 »

A new week has begun.

Oh no... Let Pintsize's galactic reign of terror begin!

Beast_Reborn · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 May 2021, 18:20 »

If Pintsize has permanently switched to a humanoid body, I'll be tempted to stop reading the strip. Some changes are just unacceptable.

Gnabberwocky · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 May 2021, 18:23 »

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

I opened that strip and legitimately got the same feeling I do when I'm having a bad dream. Can't be real, can't be real, this is all wrong...

zioninavision · « **Reply #3 on:** 23 May 2021, 18:32 »

Monster Hunger Fries
@jephjacques
·
May 18
everyone who's like "I wish jeph would go back to classic qc characters like marten and pintsize" should check their monkey paws

:0 :0

So it is!! i am curious and excited, there is only so much that we know about Pintsize and many places around town that he can visit and make friends, and hopefully not enemies, now! That he is just wearing shorts does feel like a bit of homage to Ardent!

Oenone · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 May 2021, 18:33 »

Maybe he’s moving on/ looking for a new companion? Marten doesn’t need him anymore

Beast_Reborn · « **Reply #5 on:** 23 May 2021, 18:33 »

A couple of secondary questions that come to mind after the initial shock is over:

Where did he get the pink jockey shorts, and why are they the only thing he's wearing?
Why is he calling Claire "they" instead of "she"?

Gnabberwocky · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 May 2021, 18:36 »

1. He found them on the floor of a Canadian strip club, and his other clothes were eaten by an allosaurus.
2. I read that as "humans in general," not "Claire specifically," though we don't know if Claire using they/them pronouns as well as she/her.

shanejayell · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 May 2021, 18:47 »

NO NO NO NO NO......

Well, lets see how it goes.

How did MARTEN react, tho?

zioninavision · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 May 2021, 19:20 »

Quote from: shanejayell on 23 May 2021, 18:47

NO NO NO NO NO......

Well, lets see how it goes.

How did MARTEN react, tho?

that is a good point!! It is possible that where he is with Bubbles, they arranged something together without needing to ask Marten, which, if so, he might even faint or something when finding out!! but also it will be in certain ways like making a new friend! They may even be able to play music together! Also, I am sure that Pintsize will want to get some sprays??

Sorflakne · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 May 2021, 19:21 »

So PIntsize finally dug into his funds of undeterminable size and bought a new body. Or tried downloading a firmware update again and it did weird things to his ancient chassis.

jwhouk · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 May 2021, 19:22 »

I have this bad feeling that Marten doesn’t know yet, either.

Farideh · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 May 2021, 19:26 »

That is a good point, since Marten was always against Pintsize getting a more human-standard chassis. Then again, Pintsize didn't want to upgrade either, so what changed? Is he just messing with people (of course he is, it's his raison d'etre)?

Baz_Yat · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 May 2021, 19:27 »

I don't like Pintsize's new body.

It's not pintsize.

WAYF · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 May 2021, 19:29 »

So, if I have this right,

I am assuming this is a permanent change, though it looks so much like a comedy bit that some people mistook it for a guest comic on first glance.
Companion AIs no longer need lengthy consultations with their owners ... whose status as owners is incidentally becoming increasingly suspect with every passing comic... before purchasing a new body.
Pintsize is unaccountably rich enough to afford a new chassis (if Marigold needed an extended repayment plan from Momo then I'm sure Marten wouldn't be able to afford it)
"Pintsize" is a rather unfortunate name for an AI to have given the rapid development of AI chassises(?) from actually pint-sized to fully human-standard
Yet another huge development for a character happens offscreen and we the audience are informed about it after the fact.

So, with all that in mind, I guess his name is Fullsize now. I wonder if the huge metal dong he commissioned from Faye is going to attach to the new chassis somehow, or whether we're not coming back to that arc anymore.

DaiJB · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 May 2021, 19:37 »

WHAT

The moment Claire said "Morning Pintsize", I had that momentary brain-lurching-sideways-in-my-head sensation that I have grown accustomed to associating with major paradigm shifts

(At first I thought it was going to be Claire's dream, with her waking up in a cold sweat in the last panel

)

From Pintsize's new appearance, I deduce:
Small-to-average stature, so on a par with Winslow and Momo,
Lots of visible seams, so not an upmarket model (Blue and cheap - maybe the same model line as Old May?)
Also Pintsize must have kept the same voice - for sleepy Claire to have responded like that with eyes closed, she must have recognized his voice.

So - instead of a horrible little goblin, we now have a more Puck-like character?

Also, I put "Other": Pintsize discovered that his non-standard military spec chassis is actually worth enough money to buy a reasonably priced humanoid body. Bubbles seems to be familiar with the situation, so I suspect it may have been reconditioned at Union Robotics.

badbum61 · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 May 2021, 19:43 »

He bought it with Canadian Tire Money.

cesium133 · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 May 2021, 19:45 »

Quote from: badbum61 on 23 May 2021, 19:43

He bought it with Canadian Tire Money.

He found it in an abandoned tire in Canada.

SomeCanadianWeirdo · « **Reply #17 on:** 23 May 2021, 21:10 »

All you used to have to do to find Canadian Tire money is look in enough glove compartments. Lots of it would get stuffed into them, never to be seen again. Now you can collect CT money on your credit card, so the amount of physical bills in circulation will decrease.

QuestionableIntentions · « **Reply #18 on:** 23 May 2021, 22:14 »

Huh. I honestly expected him to go for something very hunky and sexualised, given his preferences.

Also, it would have been hilarious if members of the cast suddenly found him attractive.

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #19 on:** 23 May 2021, 22:41 »

Quote from: WAYF

Companion AIs no longer need lengthy consultations with their owners ... whose status as owners is incidentally becoming increasingly suspect with every passing comic...

I don't have a link to it, but quite some time back Jeph explained companionship contracts and said that QC society was increasingly unfriendly to the word "owner". I'm not sure but that may even have been before the ERA.

Norphy · « **Reply #20 on:** 24 May 2021, 01:26 »

Quote from: Beast_Reborn on 23 May 2021, 18:33

A couple of secondary questions that come to mind after the initial shock is over:

Where did he get the pink jockey shorts, and why are they the only thing he's wearing?
Why is he calling Claire "they" instead of "she"?

I read "They" as "they - humans in general" than "They - non-gender specific pronoun"

andrybak · « **Reply #21 on:** 24 May 2021, 04:02 »

Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 23 May 2021, 22:41

Quote from: WAYF
Companion AIs no longer need lengthy consultations with their owners ... whose status as owners is incidentally becoming increasingly suspect with every passing comic...

I don't have a link to it, but quite some time back Jeph explained companionship contracts and said that QC society was increasingly unfriendly to the word "owner". I'm not sure but that may even have been before the ERA.

News post under Number 1996: Grounds For Divorce.

John Allenson · « **Reply #22 on:** 24 May 2021, 07:10 »

I like the idea of Pintsize in a new body. While other characters have been changing, even growing/evolving, Pintsize has not.
His friends, well peer group, have all taken on humanoid bodies. This will help him interact with them more.

I'm interested in Pintsize again. What is he going to do? How are other people going to react to him?

baronvonfritz · « **Reply #23 on:** 24 May 2021, 08:01 »

For the love of God and all that is holy NOOOOOOOOOO!!!

About damned time...

I wonder if Fullsize and May will make brownie batter farting scat porn together... Wonder if Fullsizes chassis even has the standard number of human holes...

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #24 on:** 24 May 2021, 08:41 »

I too am coffee deficient.
Cut the clown act, Melon.

-----------------------------------
Whatever is going on, Jeph is in on it. The impostor is using the same RGB values as Pintsize.
Wake me when the coffee's ready.

-----------------------------------
Bubbles is here with a cup of visibly ordinary teabag tea. We have not seen her partake except for her specials at Coffee of Doom.
What is -in- this coffee?

ihaveavoice · « **Reply #25 on:** 24 May 2021, 09:57 »

SUGAR HONEY ICED TEA

PINTSIZE LOOKS REAL FREAKY

somnolesence · « **Reply #26 on:** 24 May 2021, 10:11 »

I'm going to assume for now that pintsize asked to see what it would be like in a humanish model chassis and this is a spares/repairs model from the shop that Faye and Bubbles found that he's trying on. Either that or he went into the equivalent of eBay and bought whatever he could for under 50 bucks that was listed as working.

Veritable_Variable · « **Reply #27 on:** 24 May 2021, 12:14 »

It's possible that he's going to have a thing going where he has two bodies he routinely swaps between, depending on his mood.

TRenn · « **Reply #28 on:** 24 May 2021, 13:53 »

Quote from: badbum61 on 23 May 2021, 19:43

He bought it with Canadian Tire Money.

A LOT of Canadian Tire money.

Farideh · « **Reply #29 on:** 24 May 2021, 18:22 »

New comic.

So it's all just an elaborate prank? Not sure if I'm relieved or disappointed.

Gnabberwocky · « **Reply #30 on:** 24 May 2021, 18:51 »

Words cannot express my relief.

Torlek · « **Reply #31 on:** 24 May 2021, 19:04 »

People presume Pintsize is saying he won't tell Marten that because Marten's supposition is true....

This is what happens when you gripe about not seeing enough of old characters, people.

jwhouk · « **Reply #32 on:** 24 May 2021, 19:07 »

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh no, oh no.

Oh no oh no oh no oh nooooooooo...

shanejayell · « **Reply #33 on:** 24 May 2021, 20:04 »

Poor Matren. *lol*

I thought Pintsize's old body was rare military surplus. Wouldn't he NOT want to give it up?

Skewbrow · « **Reply #34 on:** 24 May 2021, 20:06 »

Sad to see the real Pintsize go

Looks like Jeph likes to draw potoo eyes.

Gus_Smedstad · « **Reply #35 on:** 24 May 2021, 20:14 »

I'm about 95% sure that it isn't a one-off joke, and that Pintsize is just using the question to further mess with Marten. That it is, in fact, a permanent change.

I think it's arguable that Pintsize's original appearance exists because Jeph wasn't a very good artist in the early days, and a near-stick figure for a robot was the best he could do back then. Just go look back to strip #1. Jeph's drawing skills have been evolving for as long he's been drawing the strip, and he's come a long, long way from drawing figures with vague ellipsoids for limbs.

I'm having a hard time with the new body for a variety of reasons. Scrawny, plus the eyes (now that we can see them) mostly. Maybe I'll just come to accept it, assuming it is indeed a permanent change.

I don't miss Winslow-as-iPod. He didn't have much character back then, and I think the square block body was part of that. I do rather miss Momo-as-doll, since there were a lot of jokes that played off her size and doll-like appearance. May's body change was minor compared to those major shifts.

DaiJB · « **Reply #36 on:** 24 May 2021, 22:57 »

Actually, that would be so like Pintsize - to swap randomly between two bodies, just to keep everyone permanently off balance...

Gyrre · « **Reply #37 on:** 24 May 2021, 23:20 »

[Neutral semi-reassuring pat response triggered]
Time will tell.

de_la_Nae · « **Reply #38 on:** 24 May 2021, 23:41 »

imagine having access to body modification

and not having fun with it

sounds miserable, godspeed pintsize you lovely gremlin

de_la_Nae · « **Reply #39 on:** 24 May 2021, 23:42 »

Quote from: Baz_Yat on 23 May 2021, 19:27

I don't like Pintsize's new body.

It's not pintsize.

how is it not?

Farideh · « **Reply #40 on:** 25 May 2021, 00:09 »

'Pint-size' means being small in size. This chassis is not small, hence: Pintsize isn't pint-sized

theMarc · « **Reply #41 on:** 25 May 2021, 00:46 »

Quote from: theMarc on 02 Aug 2017, 01:06

Pintsize having opposable thumbs and a longer gait is, I'm pretty sure, the very thing prophesied to bring about Ragnarok.

I warned you about thumbs, bro! I fuckin' told you!

SinusPi · « **Reply #42 on:** 25 May 2021, 04:22 »

No no no no no. Pintsize in a human-standard chassis? No.

Also, why is he still speaking in a Macintosh voice/font? He has (supposedly) a more modern voice box now.

John Allenson · « **Reply #43 on:** 25 May 2021, 06:53 »

If Pintsize were in a body like Bubbles I'd be concerned.

I think there are some interesting concepts flying around with robot bodies with the different characters.
Roko, changed bodies involuntarily, is having problems with her new body similar to neurodiversity problems.
Winslow, got a new body as a gift from a friend. Smooth transition (except for the time scorpions got into his chassis.)
May, had a horribly disfunctional body as part of (unofficial) on going punishment. Got a wish-fulfillment body through crowd-funding charity that she is still ambiguous about.
Momo, is guilty about recieving a body she feels she hasn't earned.
Pintsize, got a new body on what might have been a whim without human intervention. If humans are going to oppose his physical autonomy, what does that say about attitudes to the others' autonomy? Are people going to be treating him differently, that's an interesting bias?

Gyrre · « **Reply #44 on:** 25 May 2021, 07:09 »

Quote from: SinusPi on 25 May 2021, 04:22

No no no no no. Pintsize in a human-standard chassis? No.

Also, why is he still speaking in a Macintosh voice/font? He has (supposedly) a more modern voice box now.

Personal preference?

notStanley · « **Reply #45 on:** 25 May 2021, 08:03 »

Others swapping shells almost at whim may not help Roko's issues with getting comfortable in hers.

sitnspin · « **Reply #46 on:** 25 May 2021, 08:16 »

People gave Pintsize a lot of leeway in his behaviour because his chassis made him a minimal threat. A relatively human standard chassis makes his antics (eg. sexual harassment) more serious and threatening. So, yea, people are going to treat him differently.

oddtail · « **Reply #47 on:** 25 May 2021, 08:44 »

Quote from: sitnspin on 25 May 2021, 08:16

People gave Pintsize a lot of leeway in his behaviour because his chassis made him a minimal threat. A relatively human standard chassis makes his antics (eg. sexual harassment) more serious and threatening. So, yea, people are going to treat him differently.

I really hope the comic actually does go into exploring that.

stayctee · « **Reply #48 on:** 25 May 2021, 09:20 »

I would LOVE it if the comic took a hard left turn and started following Pintsize. His character has never really been explored beyond pratfalls. He deserves it, he's the oldest character along with Marten!

Pintsize! Pintsize! Pintsize!

Roborat · « **Reply #49 on:** 25 May 2021, 12:24 »

Two days of Pintsize being not so Pintsize, beginning to suspect this may not be a one-off. So, has he joined the rest of the main AI cast in getting a new body? Is this permanent, a loaner, or is he going to swap back and forth? And I don't want to know how he paid for it, if it isn't a loaner. I am not sure how I feel about this, previously, his mayhem was limited by not having usable hands, so him now having thumbs is potentially terrifying. This could be funny, or the start of a reign of terror; time will tell which side it comes down on.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Poll

This isn't good. How did Pintsize get his new body?

Author Topic: WCDT 24-28 May 2021 (4531-4535) (Read 37929 times)