Norman Polk

See Norman (disambiguation) for other related uses.

Norman Polk
Norman's noncanon appearance in the Dreams Come to Life Graphic Novel
Incarnation Navigation
Biographical Information
Date of death	1946
Age	Unknown (adult)
Sex	Male
Race	Human (formerly) Ink Cyborg (currently)
Nationality	Southern-American
Career	Lead Projectionist (formerly)
Affiliation	Joey Drew Studios
Misc. Information
Debut in	Bendy and the Ink Machine (Chapter 2: The Old Song) (audio log)
Voice provider	theMeatly

"Well trouble or not, I sees everything. They don’t even know when I’m watchin’. Even when I’m right behind ‘em." — Norman Polk's second audio log, Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter 3

Norman Polk was a Southern employee and the lead projectionist of Joey Drew Studios. A "suspicious" man who had an uncanny ability to notice trouble, his eventual fate was becoming yet another victim of the studio's strange happenings and paranormal activity being later known as The Projectionist hunting down anyone who dares to enter his dark domain.

General Description

Physical Appearance

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This section contains non-canonical source, and is not considered as an official part of the series or the overall plotline.

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Buddy Lewek describes Norman as "a character something from the comics", looking elderly with a lined face and bushy eyebrows.

Personality

Fitting his job as a projectionist, Norman tended to seek out dark places and avoid drawing attention to himself. Because of this role as an outside observer, he was able to notice some of the strange behavior displayed by his colleagues. Sammy Lawrence once called him "very bright". However, his ability to sneak around undetected led to his eventual downfall, due to the sensitive nature of the information he was mentally exposing himself to. He was also somewhat nosy by the fact that his colleagues apparently respond in annoyance upon finding out he was eavesdropping on them. Because he feels skeptical of Joey Drew's motives, he seems to have something of a rebellious side.

Based on his noncanon interactions with Daniel Lewek in Dreams Come to Life, he has a confusing sense of humor, by his remark of Joey Drew being dead, before revealing it was merely a joke.

History

Working at the Studio

On an unknown date, Norman notes down the strange behavior that Sammy appeared to do almost every recording session. While up in the projector booth and watching the band perform in the recording studio, Sammy would arrive and tell them all to stop and leave. Norman notices that Sammy would turn on the projector, rush back downstairs and then disappear for a long time. Finding Sammy's actions to be the start of a problem, Norman ponders whether or not to speak to Joey about it. He thinks better of it, finding his employer's own actions of late to be just as strange.

Sometimes later, Norman remarks that he naturally prefers dark spaces and notes how his other fellow projectionists find this to be strange. He learned the ins and outs of the studio, as he feels bothered by the studio's looks. He heard some of the workers rumoring about himself lurking around the areas to "look for trouble". Norman likes the advantage it gives him on being able to see things that no-one else will, especially since they will never know he was there.

At one point, Norman documents his suspicions that on some occasions he is seemingly not alone in his projection booth, hearing a strange groaning noise. Sensing danger, he resolves to investigate to find the source of the groaning noises.

Last Days and Death

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This section contains non-canonical source, and is not considered as an official part of the series or the overall plotline.

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Norman Polk met with Buddy Lewek (Daniel Lewek) on 1946, and upon hearing Buddy's position, his eccentric sense of humor becomes apparent. He guides Buddy to Joey Drew's office, only to back out, apparently due to Buddy's lack of knowledge of how to go back.

When the studio gets shut down after being vandalized, Dot and Buddy break in and explore in an attempt to figure out what had happened. However, they are hunted down by Ink Bendy, and after killing a violinist and dragging the body off, Norman suddenly appears in his projector booth and explains that he heard what was happening and came to help. He invites the two to join him and he reveals that he had been watching them sneak around the studio before. Buddy and Dot want answers, which Norman has, so he starts explaining the studio's backstory, beginning with Henry Stein.

Norman explains that Henry left in order to spend more time with his wife, Linda, however Joey takes it personally and begins hiring talented people to replace Henry. He brings up Alice and the original actress, Susie Campbell, which Dot reports she met once, and Norman explains how none of the popularity lasts despite the talent. With the studio failing, Joey gets desperate for media attention and investors, so he builds the Ink Machine with Thomas Connor, who Norman reveals was fired. Norman explains that he only knows that ink goes into the machine and comes out different in some way. He doesn't know what the machine is for, only that the ink changes people, like Sammy, and it moves on its own. Before Norman can say more, Buddy begins freaking out and rushes home to get rid of the ink he stole before it can do any harm to his family.

During the climax, when Buddy and Dot are trying rescue Jacob, Buddy uncovers the deceased Dave and Norman. Later, Joey explains that they were lured and killed by Sammy, but were infected by the ink for too long and had very little soul left to use.

After he is killed, Norman is reborn as The Projectionist and enters The Cycle with his human body being put in a coffin in the Ritual Room next to Grant Cohen's coffin.

The Projectionist (Norman Polk)

In-Game Appearances

Main article: The Projectionist

Norman as a monster now roams around the Cycle, physically encountered throughout the series. Some amount of Norman's audio logs recorded back when he was still human can be found in many places.

Boris and the Dark Survival

Norman's audio log discussing about the strange groaning sound he heard below his projection booth can be randomly found.

Bendy and the Ink Machine

Norman has two audio logs found in couple of chapters.

• In Chapter 2: The Old Song, his first audio log is found inside the projection booth in the recording studio, where he describes his witness on Sammy's doings, and as well give out hints on how to solve the music puzzle.
• In Chapter 3: Rise and Fall, his second and last audio log is later found on Level 14 just outside the maze entrance.

Dialogue

The following information contains spoilers. To view them, click the [show] tag.

Bendy and the Ink Machine Boris and the Dark Survival Chapter 2: The Old Song "Every day the same strange thing happens, I'll be up here in my booth, the band will be swinging, and suddenly Sammy Lawrence just comes marching in and shuts the whole thing down. Tells us all to wait in the hall. Then I hears him. He starts up my projector, and he dashes from the projection booth and down to the recording studio like the little devil himself was chasing behind. Few seconds later, the projector turns off. But Sammy, oh no, he don't come out for a long time. This man is weird. Crazy weird. I got half a mind to talk to Mr. Drew about all this, I really do. But then again, I have to admit. Mr. Drew's got his own peculiarities." — Norman's 1st audio log. Chapter 3: Rise and Fall "Now I’m not lookin' for trouble. It’s just the nature of us projectionists to seek out the dark places. You see, I’ve learned the ins and outs of this here studio. I know how to avoid being bothered by the likes of this... company. "That projectionist", they always say, "creeping around, he’s just lookin’ for trouble." Well trouble or not, I sees everything. They don’t even know when I’m watchin’. Even when I’m right behind ‘em." — Norman's 2nd audio log. "I can't help but feel I'm not the only one in my projection booth sometimes. It can get mighty dark some nights. But here's the part that really makes my mind swim... Every night, just as I'm pickin' up my coat, there's a deep groan rising up from the floor. One of these days I'm gonna get my light and go see what's causing all the fuss below..." — Norman's audio log.

Trivia

General Facts

• His name may be a reference to Norman R. Palmer, a film editor and the staff projectionist of The Walt Disney Company.
• During the Hot Topic Q&A on Twitter, when asked if Norman is behind the pipe organ in Chapter 2 of the first game, Sammy replied that he didn't know what they meant and simply said that Norman was always bright.

In-Game Facts

• Bendy and the Ink Machine

General

• Norman has hidden dialogue that plays in reverse near Bendy Statues.

Chapter 2: The Old Song

• Norman's coffin can be found in the ritual room.
• There are several errors and missing lines from Norman's transcript that don't match his audio in Chapter 2:
  • In the Game Jolt version of Chapter 2 before the said port's deletion, the first lines lack the space from after the comma from the word "happens". It was later fixed upon release on Steam.
  • While Norman says projection booth, the in-game transcript says projector booth.
  • After saying "But Sammy" from the third line, the words "oh no" are missing from the transcript. After that, while the lines say "he doesn't", Norman says "he don't" in a southern manner of speaking.
  • Norman's words "I really do" are missing at the end of his words "I have half a mind to talk to Mr. Drew about all this".
  • From the last line, Norman says "I got half a mind to talk to Mr. Drew ...", the word "got" Norman's transcript is "have" instead.

Gallery

Norman's transcript from Chapter 2's previous update. Note that the first lines lack the space from after the comma from the word "happens".

Norman's transcript from Chapter 3.

Norman's name on the coffin.

The texture of Norman's name.

A photograph of Norman working a projector during a presentation.