"On the plus side, I got a new character I think people are going to love." - Henry Stein
This article may contain unmarked details of spoilers. If you wish not to read without spoiling yourself, play the game, watch the cartoon, or read the book first, depending on the article's topic.
Though Joey himself has yet to make a physical appearance, he is referenced multiple times in the audio logs scattered throughout the studio by the other employees and even leaves one of himself behind.
Speaking with a western-like accent, the audio log made by Joey himself boasts the personality of a big thinker and dreamer, a man with large aspirations for both himself and his company. Claiming that belief can get everyone from anywhere in the world, Joey's larger than life attitude was most likely a major selling point to Henry when starting the studio.
The other cassettes left behind by other employees, however, paint a different picture beneath the facade. With numerous references to Joey's harsh work ethic, a mind constantly disregarding old ideas for new ones, and his eccentricities regarding offerings to the gods, Joey's working personality hints at a more obsessive side to his work that slowly began to alienate his staff. On the surface he seems like a jovial, caring, passionate man who wants others to accomplish their dreams, but as heard in his audio log in Chapter 4, this is all merely a facade as in reality he appears to be a greedy, manipulative, selfish, callous backstabber who only cares about his own gain and is willing to do anything to have it all, presumably even sacrificing others to fulfilling his wish come true. As evident by the fact he rants at one of the employees to turn the anonymous technology off, after being so caught up in his wishes during that time, it would seem that he is slow to notice certain things.
At some point before the events of the beginning of the game, Joey sends Henry a note inviting him to come back the workshop, claiming that something special is waiting for him to find. That something would be the Ink Machine. It isn't long before Henry discovers the duplicated, imperfect corpse of Boris, asking in thought what Joey was doing in order to make a cartoon real and dead.
A diary cassette recorded by Wally Franks explains more on how the Ink Machine works. Wally claims that Joey commanded the workers of the studio to donate things from their work stations and set them on each pedestals from the break room to help "appease the gods".
Thomas Connor's cassette complains that he had enough repairing the pipes for Joey because of his own struggles fixing the ink pipes, not to mention the loud noise coming from the Ink Machine.[1]
Joey is mentioned by several other known workers from the studio in more diary cassettes, such as Norman Polk and Sammy Lawrence.
According to Sammy's diary cassettes recorded when he was still human, it is revealed that Joey is the one who bought the Ink Machine for the company. Sammy complains that the constant leaking of the pipes is distracting him from his work, hinting that Joey has little care for his employee's feelings about the Machine affecting their working lives.[2] It is also revealed that Joey has some form of sanctuary, just like Sammy has, but it has yet to be discovered.[3]
After observing Sammy's strange behavior regarding the projection booth to access his sanctuary, Norman was debating whether or not to talk with Joey about what Sammy was doing. However, Norman then admits that Joey has his own peculiarities, hinting at strange quirks that are just as bad, if not worse, than Sammy.[4]
Joey is once again mentioned by yet more workers from the studio and even leaves a cassette from himself behind if the player chooses the "demon path" room.
Shawn Flynn, one of the people responsible for manufacturing the toys based on Bendy, Boris, and Alice, complains that Joey flew into a rage at seeing that some of the Bendy dolls had a slightly crooked smile as foul-ups. Shawn comments that Joey's perfectionism is unhelpful since it is not aiding in the situation of the Alice toys not selling well.[5]
Susie Campbell, the voice actress for Alice Angel, mentions Joey a few times. During a lunch date with him, she comments how Joey is quite the charmer to her, even calling her "Alice" after her character, something she enjoys.[6] However, her brief infatuation with him is cut short when another diary in the "angel path" room reveals she had been replaced as Alice's voice without even being told.
If the player chooses the "demon path" room, the diary from Joey himself can be found amidst the ink. Joey says that he got his career started from nothing but a pencil and a dream, explaining his philosophy that belief can make people do anything, even have the ability to cheat death. As the tape ends, he comments that the thought of cheating death is beautiful, and "positively silly".
The diary cassette from Henry is also not flattering about Joey. Claiming that Joey is a man full of ideas but nothing else, Henry laments about how his business partner is not giving their fair share of work like they agreed when they started the business. He also comments that Joey's high work standards have prevented him from seeing Linda for days. When Henry states he has an idea for a new character, this suggests that Joey is not responsible for the actual creation of the studio's characters.
Joey is first mentioned by Susie Campbell in her tape, where she says how Joey is saying things "behind closed doors" about her and that he wants to give her an opportunity. Susie ends the tape commenting that she has something planned for him.
The second mention about Joey is by Bertrum Piedmont in his audio log, in which he comment about how Joey belittled Bertrum by calling him "Bertie" as a childish nickname in front of important people and describe how Joey wants to take credit for Bendy Land. Once again mentioned by Bertrum in his second last audio log before his boss battle, he angrily berates Joey for trying to take away the credit for the park from him, as Joey thought he would decide to kick Bertrum out and forget about him.
In his another personal audio log found in the flooded Maintenance department connected to Storage 9, Joey begins seemingly addressing about dreams as with the previous log before dropping the cheerful act to reveal his true personality; referring to his given lines as "trash" for potential consumers and demanding the writers add more reference to dreams in his speeches before realizing it was still recording, he is then yelling at someone to turn something off (either his own audio log or an activated machine), before being exposed.
Joey does not necessarily have an important role anywhere in the mobile game Nightmare Run other than mentioned in his intro message before starting the level selection menu, with the words revealing as quite familiar to his message note for Henry in Bendy and the Ink Machine;
"There's something I need to show you."
— Your best pal, Joey Drew
Dialogue
The following information contains spoilers. To view them, click the [show] tag.
"There's nothing wrong with dreaming. Wishing for the impossible is just human nature. That's how I got it started. Just a pencil and a dream. We all want everything without even having to lift a finger. They say you just have to believe. Belief can make you succeed. Belief can make you rich. Belief can make you powerful. Why with enough belief, you can even cheat death itself. Now that... is a beautiful, and positively silly thought."
— Joey's 1st audio log.
"I believe there's something special in all of us. With true inner strength, you can conquer even your biggest challenges. You just have to believe in yourself and remain honest, motivated, and above all, who you really are. Ok, let's stop it right there. I can only do so many takes of this trash a day. And tell the guys in writing I want more use of the word dreaming in every message. Keep railing on that, get it? Dreaming! Dreaming! Dreaming! People just eat up that kind of slop. Hmm what? It's still on? Well, turn it off, damn it!"
— Joey's 2nd audio log.
In a Twitter comment about Joey Drew, theMeatly said the best and worst part about Joey is his "unending desire to make the impossible possible".[7]
Joey Drew is mostly likely inspired by both Walt Disney and Max Fleischer, two animation founders from the same time period of the Bendy cartoons. While the Bendy cartoons themselves have the same animation style as Fleischer's work, Joey's larger than life persona and own name studio is in reference to Disney.
Joey's surname is a pun, meaning that Joey drew cartoons.
When asked about what happened to Joey during the Hot Topic Q&A, Sammy (roleplayed by Hot Topic's Twitter account) replied that Joey's probably raising his salary somewhere.[8]
On Twitter, theMeatly posted some quotes from Joey which are not heard in the actual game:
"People don't know what they're aiming for. You've got to have a goal that stretches your imagination. You've got to dream big!"[9]
"Every dream is a purpose. It fuels you, keeps you going. It can be your power or it can be your downfall. So dream hard...but dream wise."[10]
Chapter 1: Moving Pictures
The question mark for Joey's letter that was used only few times during the game's updates, currently unused.
In the initial release version of Chapter 1, the lines "Doesn't it" from Joey's letter has a question mark at the end along with the dented Bendy stamp. From Chapter 1's first remastered update, the question mark was removed for unknown reasons, and the Bendy stamp seems to look whole again.
Upon Chapter 3's release, the question mark was re-added.
But upon Chapter 4's release, the question mark was removed again.
Gallery
Henry's note from Joey Drew.
Joey's letter from the prototype.
Joey's letter before Chapter 3's update.
Joey's letter used for Hot Topic's announcement.
Joey's letter, uploaded by Bendy from Twitter.
The background of Joey Drew's letter from the updated game.
Joey's record from Chapter 4.
References
↑"You can bet, I won't be doing any more repair jobs for Mister Joey Drew." - Thomas Connor, Chapter 1
↑"So first Joey installs this Ink Machine over our heads. Then it begins to leak. Three times last month, we couldn't even get out of our department because the ink had flooded the stairwell." - Sammy's second radio speech, Chapter 2
↑"Every artistic person needs a sanctuary. Joey Drew has his and I've got mine." - Sammy's third radio speech, Chapter 2
↑"I have half a mind to talk to Mr. Drew about all this. But then again, I have to admit. Mr. Drew has his own peculiarities." - Norman Polk, Chapter 2
↑"So what if I went and painted some of those Bendy dolls with a crooked smile? That's sure no reason for Mr. Drew to be flyin' off the handle at me. And if he really wants to be so helpful, he could be tellin' me what I'm to be doin' with this warehouse I got full of that angel whatchamacallit. Not a scrap of that mess be a-sellin'!" - Shawn Flynn, Chapter 3
↑"Who would've thought? Me having lunch with Joey Drew! Apparently times are tougher than I thought. For a moment there, I though I'd be stuck with the check. But I gotta say, he wasn't at all what I expected. Quite the charmer. He even called me Alice." - Susie Campbell, Chapter 3
↑"The best and worst part about Joey Drew is his unending desire to make the impossible possible." - theMeatly. July 2, 2017. Twitter.
↑"Knowing Joey.. he's probably raising his salary somewhere."
- Hot Topic. July 26, 2017. Twitter.
