Thomas Connor/novel
- This article refers to Gent's manager and repairman. For other uses, see Thomas (disambiguation).
Thomas J. "Tom" Connor is a repairman, World War II veteran,[1] manager of the Gent headquarters in Atlantic City, and the husband of Allison Pendle. A worker tasked with making sure the endless piping of the Ink Machine stays in top form. He tries to dissuade other workers from entering the unstable areas for safety reasons.[2]
History
Early life
Thomas Connor served in World War II,[1] creating and fixing machinery. Eventually, he gets a job at the Gent Corporation, and becomes the manager of the Gent headquarters in Atlantic City.
Inventing the machine
After Joey Drew Studios hires Gent, they commission the firm to build a machine that would bring cartoon to life. Originally working at the Atlantic City location, Thomas designs and invents the machine at the Gent storefront. After its invention, it gets shipped to the animation studio to be installed and Thomas gets an office at the studio near the Administration lobby.
The Ink Demon's birth and a new direction
The first experiment conducted using the Ink Machine resulted in the creation of the deformed Bendy who was a failure. Since the Ink Demon was created without a soul, they came to the conclusion that the experiments needed a soul to successfully work. Upon this conclusion, Joey started use his employees' souls to bring his characters to life. The Ink Demon then was locked away in the Infirmary for being a failure.
Meeting Buddy and temporary firing
In late July of 1946, Joey Drew cuts a tour of the studio with Buddy Lewek short when he discovers Thomas waiting for him outside his office. With him is a long narrow cardboard tube, which makes Joey extremely excited. Joey escorts Thomas into his office for an important meeting, leaving Buddy alone.[3] Buddy doesn't encounter Thomas again until a few weeks later. While taking paper and ink from the music sheet closet in the Music Department, he hears voices approaching and hides. The voices belong to Sammy Lawrence and Thomas, and Buddy overhears an argument between them. Thomas has seen Sammy sneaking around his work station and the machine, and knew that he had asked one of his workers where the ink was kept just last Friday. Sammy tries to convince Thomas he doesn't want the ink, but only makes things worse by grabbing Thomas and calling him "Tom".[4]
Weeks later, Sammy goes missing and the musicians are locked out of the Music Room. Three days later, Joey furiously yells at Thomas over the Ink Machine not working right and fires him. A week later, at Joey's company party, Thomas and Allison Pendle arrive to demand the Ink Machine back. Joey takes them into the hallway, with Buddy following. Joey belittles Thomas, blaming him for the issues with the Ink Machine, before telling him that he legally owns it and threatens to call security. Joey turns his attention to Allison and fires her for siding with Thomas, but she calmly brushes it off and convinces Thomas to leave.
Hoping to get more answers about the machine, Buddy catches Thomas and Allison before they get in the elevator to leave. He grabs Thomas by the shoulder, resulting in a rather violent reaction from the man, but Allison is able to get him to calm down a bit. Thomas reluctantly proceeds to explain what the machine was built for. Allison compares it to a printing press for people, much to Thomas's disapproval, and he tells her what he created was monstrous. He then explains the reasoning Joey fired him, and how unfair it is that he's taking the machine. Allison brings up Susie Campbell, making Thomas sigh, before quickly moving on to explaining how Joey owns everything they make at the studio. They leave, and as the elevator door closes Thomas warns Buddy to get out while he still can.[1]
Rehiring
Thomas Connor is approached by Joey Drew, who offers him his job back in order to fix the machine. Despite everything that happened, Thomas agrees to, much to Allison's disappointment. As part of the deal, Thomas and a crew of movers pack away the Ink Machine to get it away from prying eyes and a "far too curious writer girl" in the studio. While moving it, he bumps into Wally Franks, who is shocked to see Thomas working again. Wally tries asking a few questions and having a small chat with Thomas, but he can tell he wants to leave so he lets him go.
Thomas gets seasick while transporting the machine, and he thinks about his favorite super hero, Superman. He loves heroes that save the day from evil, and begins to think about the machine. He's scared of it, but he can't abandon it. He compares it to a growing child, needing some fixing to make it perfect. They're so close, and he doesn't want to abandon 'a miracle'. The rest of the trip goes by just fine, with them arriving late at night with no one except Constance Gray noticing the boat.
With Scott's help, they find an old meatpacking factory that operated during Prohibition with multiple secret entrances. The movers are having difficulty carrying the crate down some stairs, and when Thomas takes control he notes that the crate is now moaning, and instantly concludes that Ink Demon has been shipped with the machine due to a special connection. As he carries it down, he thinks about how grateful he is that Scott has remained in Atlantic City while others have moved to bigger cities.
The next day, Scott takes Bill Chambers to a jazz bar called the Jive Dive to meet Thomas. Thomas reluctantly introduces himself and is confused to hear that Bill wants to work for free. They sit down and Scott asks Thomas about how well things went the previous night, expressing his disapproval of Thomas going back to Joey. Scott makes a remark about dumping the machine in the ocean, and Thomas starts to speak about the dangers of ink and water mixing, but stops himself before turning to Bill and officially hiring him.
Thomas returns to New York for over two weeks before returning to Atlantic City. There, he comes across Bill locking up. Thomas asks about Scott, and Bill explains that he's home caring for his ill baby. Thomas is upset and Bill offers to help, but Thomas isn't sure if he can be trusted. Eventually he decides to let Bill help and leads him to the abandoned meatpacking factory and down a secret path that leads to the Ink Machine. Thomas has Bill go to the opposite end of the Ink Machine to control the internal pressures while he welded. As they work, Bill asks about the machine, but Thomas stays vague with his answers. Thomas instructs Bill to release the lever, but when he does he's sprayed in the face with ink. Thomas quickly hands Bill a rag and has him clean it off as fast as possible. They look at the Ink Machine as Thomas tells Bill that it created a monster and he begins speaking in third person to keep vague. Bill is confused, so Thomas tells him that Joey Drew had him make the machine, but it's still his fault bad things are happening. Before Bill can ask more, Thomas begins to leave and Bill follows.
The morning after his party with Joey, Bill waits at the hotel to spy on him and Thomas. When they start to leave, Bill jumps up to chase after, accidentally running right into Thomas. Thomas helps Bill up and has him tag along, potentially needing his help. Joey isn't sure at first, but Thomas explains that Bill knows about the machine already. They join Thomas in his truck and drive to a little corner bar called The Way Out. Bill is at first relieved, not wanting to return to the factory after watching Brant explode into ink, but it's revealed that they're using a second entrance. They walk across a dark room with a long conveyor belt when Bill is suddenly attacked by a crazed Scott, who is drenched in ink. He screams about a monster as Thomas pulls him off, and Joey orders Thomas to silence him. Scott freaks out more, screaming and frantically laughing at Joey before biting Thomas's hand and running into a wall.
Satisfied, Joey takes the flashlight and continues walking as Thomas puts Scott in a more comfortable position. Bill asks about the monster, but Thomas simply says he already told him about it. Bill begs for answers, but Thomas says he can't answer them as they need to get the machine fixed and returned to New York as soon as possible. Bill refuses to keep going and Thomas calls after him as he runs in the opposite direction, but he doesn't try chasing after.
Searching for the machine
At some point, the Ink Machine goes missing much to the surprise of Thomas as he searched the whole studio for it. After the machine gets reported to be missing, a not readable newspaper about it gets published with the headlines reading "COMPANY SEEKS MISSING MACHINE". Thomas then writes a memo to an unknown individual, talking about his concern of the Ink Machine leaking somewhere it shouldn't, and asking them if they know where the machine is and telling them he'll have to continue looking for it if not.[5]
Aftermath
On February 23, 1952, Thomas and Allison are married by the First Light Presbyterian Church.
Characteristics
Physical appearance
Thomas is a tall, broad man that towers over others. He's very muscular with meaty hands, making him physically intimidating and "wall-like."[1] Thomas wears typically wears a hat and huge brown boots that are well worn. When he wears elegant clothes he fills out his sleeves well, his arms straining against the fabric.
Within the Bendy: Dreams Come to Life graphic novel, Thomas Connor is illustrated as a white Caucasian man, however he seems to have more black-leaning facial features, such as his short lineup haircut.[a]
Personality
Thomas is usually irate, prickly, and stern. While he isn’t good at conversations, he is extremely smart and skilled. Thomas wants to be respected for the hard work he does and gets highly aggressive whenever he’s disrespected. He also is shown to get annoyed at others when they struggle with their job. Thomas has deep care for his machines, being especially attached to the Ink Machine. Even when it creates the Ink Demon and leads to the deaths of others, he refuses to abandon the machine in hopes of continuing work on it. Still, the Ink Demon causes Thomas to be brooding and nervous, and at times he seems to get quite violent when others ask about the Ink Machine. He's also usually in a hurry to get the job done and has trust issues, speaking in cryptic riddles or holding back information out of fear. Thomas cares deeply for Allison and tries his best to make sure she isn’t involved with the Ink Machine. He also enjoys superheroes, finding comfort in the clear divide between good and evil.
Documents
Memos
- "Memo to Staff Regarding Utility Shafts" - Found in Part I: Chapter 2 of Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook.
Behind the scenes
First seen in Bendy: Dreams Come to Life, Thomas is a side character in said novel. Appearing several times throughout the story with there being hints to his role, most importantly him being revealed to be the Ink Machine's creator. In Bendy: The Lost Ones, Thomas is a major character with a lot more relevance. He is revealed to be a manager at the Gent Corporation and his personality is expanded on. He is only briefly mentioned by Allison in Bendy: Fade to Black, revealing the grudge Joey holds towards Thomas to the point where he didn't allow him to join his parties against Allison's will.
Identity
In Dreams Come to Life, the argument scene between Sammy and Thomas was misinterpreted by some members of the fan community that Thomas was implied to be an African-American due to the way Sammy discriminates him. However, Foxygen Prime, who was Joey Drew Studios Inc's ex community manager, had stated that Sammy just discriminates Thomas as a repairman.[6] This interpretation was also debunked in the graphic novel adaptation. Additionally, in the graphic novel version, Sammy did not said "What's that mean, 'someone like you'?" to Thomas but instead said "Leave me alone".
However, Thomas Conner is heavily implied to be a black man throughout several pieces of official Bendy and The Ink Machine media; This includes the dispute between Thomas Conner and Sammy Lawrence on page 83 of the Bendy: Dreams Come to Life novel in which Thomas asks "What's the matter, Mr. Lawrence? Not used to giving someone like me respect?", after Sammy Lawrence refers to him as "Tom". Sammy then acts oblivious to what "like me" refers to, which is heavily implied to regard Thomas' own ethnicity due to the time era the novel takes place in — Later on in the novel, during a conversation between Jacob and Dot, Jacob remarks, "If anyone knows what it's like to be ignored it's the woman, and the black man", which Buddy recalls on page 175 when noticing Sammy Lawrence's habit to both refer to Mrs. Lambert and Thomas Connor by their first names in an unprofessional, and disrespectful manner, wondering if it is only them Sammy treats in this way. Mrs. Lambert implied to be the 'woman' in her scenario, and Thomas therefore logistically being implied to be 'the black man' within his scenario.
At the end of Shawn Flynn's audio log "The Toolbelt", he refers to Thomas as "that dirty crow" in a rather harsh tone, the phrase having considerably racist undertones. The use of "dirty" is frequently used as a racially derogatory epithet or modifier, while "crow" is considered an old fashioned slur or derogatory term for people of color. The term originated in America, and very likely stems from the highly racist "Jim Crow" caricature.
Furthermore, within the Bendy: The Lost Ones novel, Thomas makes an appearance during page 116 to page 118, where he meets Bill Chambers and Scott within the Jive Dive; A jazz club on the Northside neighborhood of Atlantic City, the location in which the novel takes place. It should be kept in mind that the novel also takes place in the ‘40s, a time when a jazz club within Atlantic City was often considered to be a sort of “oasis away from racism” for black folks. The Northside, as well, in this age was flourishing with black culture, whether that be through established black-owned businesses, or simply a sense of community. Therefore, this choice of initial location for Thomas Connor within this novel only heightens the implications of his ethnicity.
Dialogue
- Main article: Thomas Connor/novel/dialogue
Gallery
- Main article: Thomas Connor/novel/gallery
Notes
- ↑ Mike D confirmed on Twitter/X that Thomas is a white male, stating "it would be weird otherwise" to voice him, as Mike voices Thomas in the games. Due to facing misinterpretations that condemn his response as "racist", Mike privated his account, making his tweet lost at this point.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Bendy: Dreams Come to Life. Chapter 20. Written by Adrienne Kress. Published by Scholastic on September 3, 2019.
- ↑ "Memo to Staff Regarding Utility Shafts" memo by Thomas Connor. Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook. Part I: Surviving Your First Week. Chapter 2: The Old Song.
- ↑ Bendy: Dreams Come to Life. Chapter 2. Written by Adrienne Kress. Published by Scholastic on September 3, 2019.
- ↑ Bendy: Dreams Come to Life. Chapter 7. Written by Adrienne Kress. Published by Scholastic on September 3, 2019.
- ↑ Untitled memo by Thomas Connor. Game On! 2020. Bendy and the Ink Machine.
- ↑ Discord screenshot of Foxygen Prime's comment on September 17, 2019.