Press Archive

The archive folder.

The Press Archive is a collection of four newspapers. The first two of the newspaper articles were published by the New York World-Telegram, the last one is published by The New York Times and the remaining one is published by an unknown source. All of the articles are written about the Bendy franchise and its owners.

The Newspapers

Article (September 25 1947)

JOEY DREW STUDIOS IN DIRE STRAIGHTS

The studio behind Bendy is reportedly experiencing financial difficulty and is looking for additional sources of revenue to prop up it's sagging finances. Founded by Joey Drew in 1929, the cartoon studio is best known for Bendy, an impish cartoon character who often gets himself into trouble. According to recent reports coming from the studio, it seems that trouble is spreading like spilled ink. One employee who asked to remain anonymous told The Telegram that he doubts the company will be able to sustain much longer. Some of the reasons given for the financial difficulties are rocketing expenses related to what he referred to as ‘Joey's folly’. When asked for clarification he confusingly told us he 'feared the machine' and didn't want to comment further. This fits with the other stories we've heard coming from inside the studio. We've reached out to Joey Drew for his usual round of reassuring rebuttals however this time he has yet to respond as of this edition.

Article (July 29 1948)

BENDY GOES BANKRUPT
CARTOON STUDIO SHUTS ITS DOORS FOR GOOD

NEW YORK, NY - Joey Drew Studios, the studio behind the popular cartoon character Bendy, has filed for bankruptcy. Despite longterm denial of financial hardship from the owner and creator, Mr. Joey Drew, the company has been rocked by financial trouble for many years according to our sources. We have yet to confirm exactly when or how these difficulties began, however many Suspect the war years took their toll.

Company assets including the studio location on Broadway and land holdings in New Jersey are set to be liquidated to help pay the company's debtors. The bulk of the defecate is owed to the Gent Corporation of Brooklyn, who supplied much of the company's equipment.

Reports from the studio's creditors describe a scene of utter chaos at the secretive studio in the last couple of years. One woman who wished to remain anonymous stated that “For a cartoon studio that made such light-hearted entertainment for children, behind the scenes was dark and gloomy. I felt strongly that something wasn't right there.” Another man, who also wished to remain nameless, gave a public rebuttal of Mr. Drew's ‘just a pencil and a dream’ philosophy:

“Mr. Drew, the pencil can be erased; mistakes removed and revisions made to suit the changing landscape of your world. But ink. Ink stains forever. Ink creates truths that cannot be erased or altered. Ink is permeant. just like the effect you've had on everyone around you and your studio. Mr. Drew, your world is NOT a world of graphite, but of INK”

These and many other reports from behind the scenes have given the studio an aura of infamy and mystery lately, a striking contrast to the light-hearted subject matter of the products. Many are now asking just WHAT was going on at the studio. There are talks of investigation but as of yet nothing has come of them at the time of this writing.

One of the major contributors to the bankruptcy may have been the ambitious amusement park, ‘Bendyland’, that had reportedly been in full production before the war. Another possible contribution are many rumored secret projects. Mr. Drew once remarked to the press “You are about to see something amazing, a leap forward for the entertainment industry like nothing before. Cartoons will come to life.” What he meant by that is anyone's guess now.

The revealing of perhaps an ugly backstory to the studio is a surprise to many who've long felt the beloved cartoons were a part of their lives. Bendy, Boris the Wolf, and Alice Angel and their friends have been entertaining kids and adults alike for 20 years.

We've reached out to Joey Drew for comment, but have yet to hear from him. In fact, no one can seem to find him. The mystery deepens.

Article (April 14 1962)

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO JOEY DREW STUDIOS?

Remember Bendy? Many are too young to remember, but there was a time when the antics of Bendy and his crazy friends entertained the masses in packed theaters before the feature. For a brief time in the mid-1930s it was more common to see a Bendy short than any other cartoon, such was his popularity. But unlike other characters of the time who remain cultural icons and still entertain children on television to this day, Bendy has all but disappeared.

Joey Drew, the man behind Bendy, created the character and animated his first short “Little Devil Darlin” - with sound - in 1929, forming Joey Drew Studios with a business partner. The cartoon proved popular and the New York based company grew along with a string of zany albeit slightly macabre cartoons featuring beloved characters such as Boris the Wolf and Alice Angel. By 1940, Bendy was a staple and the company was producing comic books, toys and all sorts of Bendy related memorabilia. There were even plans for a Bendy-themed amusement park.

However the company began to hit a downturn during World War 2. As the country went to war, animators were harder to come by and even ink proved hard to procure. The company re-released many of it's old cartoons, some of them for the last time, to entertain the troops, sell war bonds and keep the company's wheels turning. After the war, the company fell upon rough times and declared bankruptcy in 1948. Since then, barring one or two minor attempts to rekindle the magic, Bendy has all but disappeared from popular culture. His creator, Joey Drew, once a public figure, remains elusive and has not been heard from in years.

It seems that the antics of Bendy and his friends are now all but forgotten and all that remains today might be an old comic book and a dusty Bendy doll lingering in the shadows of your parent's attic. However, you never know. Cartoons never die.

Article (February 10 1972)

BENDY IS BACK!
Joey Drew’s Legacy Purchased by Arch Gate

Big Plans for Bendy
NEW YORK, NY - The property holdings of Joey Drew Studios now has a new owner with big plans for the once beloved, now dormant cartoon character, Bendy. The studio and all its properties have been bought by the newly formed Arch Gate Pictures, led by business tycoon Nathan Arch, a long time friend of the late Joey Drew.

If you've seen the grinning face of Bendy before but didn't know who he was, you're not alone. The Bendy brand has laid all but dormant since Joey Drew Studio's bankruptcy in 1948 well over 20 years ago. The character Bendy, once a cinema staple, has since vanished like disappearing ink from popular culture. “No longer”, according to Nathan Arch of Arch Gate Pictures. “It's time for Bendy to make a triumphant return to popular culture!” he said in an exclusive interview with the Times.

Nathan Arch is better known for his decades of success in the steel and oil industries but cartoons are something new.

“The magic of animation is something that everyone can enjoy and I've long admired my friend Joey's passion and dedication to the craft. I can think of no better tribute to Joey than the resurrection of his studio and the beloved characters he created.”

Mr. Arch formed Arch Gate pictures with the dream of bringing back Bendy and all of the fun and wit that was once flowing from Joey Drew Studios. The studio is currently hiring a whole new generation of animators and artists to create new Bendy cartoons, television specials, movies, toys and more. When? Very soon.

“Joey Drew was a man of big ideas who never looked back. It was an honor to know him,” said Mr. Arch. “Today marks the beginning of a new era for Bendy, Boris, Alice and all the others who have been quietly awaiting their return to the animation spotlight. And I, and all the people I've gathered to me, intend to do Joey proud. This was Joey's dream and I aim to make it a reality again. In the words of Joey Drew, ‘DREAMS COME TRUE!’”

Behind the scenes

The Press Archive was published by Joey Drew Studios Inc on their website[1] before the release of Bendy and the Dark Revival. There are total of 4 newspapers and they all talk about the backstory of Joey Drew Studios and work as a prequel to both Bendy and the Ink Machine and the Dark Revival. The folder and the "BENDY GOES BANKRUPT" newspaper also appears in the Joey Drew exhibit in Bendy and the Dark Revival.