Looking for some input on this.

[Proton]

The pose isn't that great;
I get that he's boring,
but he's too stiff.
Giving him more of a slouch-y pose would make him look closer to what your looking for.
Although overdoing that pose could result in making him look lazy and tired.
His face is stale, and you want his face to be important.
Try looking for cartoon emotions and work with them.

The colours on the suit and shoes aren't contrasting enough.
I don't see why the white parts don't have shading.
A touch of blue works nicely for white shades.

You could add a slight bit of detail for the ear.

Put aside the "looking for a new style" thought.
I assume you're a novice, so I suggest developing your own style so you can understand how to influence your style.

I would like to see other people's take on this character

You should try to take the criticism here and at least attempt to use it first.