Wally Franks/novel
"We've not seen one like this before."
The article's subject originates from the Bendy novel series' continuity, which is not deemed as canonically part of the main series' lore. See Bendy Wiki:Canon for more information.
"Ha, I ain't even done half in months! Oh, but they won't fire me. No sir! Place this big, no one knows what everyone else is doing." - Angus Newman
"Into the light for one moment, then into the dark. Never much understood why folks were scared of it. Ain’t nothing in the shadows that isn’t there in the light. Except, of course, when there is. And when there is, I’m outta here!
" |
Wally Franks former janitor for Joey Drew Studios, a man who is willing to go along with Joey Drew's strange practices as he writes the paychecks, Wally explain his views on how the studio runs and his day-to-day routine. He's also the only employee that is allowed to get near the Ink Machine since he is the janitor.
History
Early days at the studio
While on his way to the archives to retrieve an article with Bertrum Piedmont in it, Joey Drew passes Wally in a hallway. The two briefly exchange a few words before Joey continues heading towards the archives. Joey praises Wally for being a self-starter and for his solid handywork, and says he has a great deal of respect for him.[1]
Working at the studio
He talks about Joey Drew's plans and the Ink Machine, claiming he doesn't understand Joey's plans for the workshop. He also claims that the animations are not being finished on time and the Ink Machine's noise and tendency to leak is making things hard to work. Wally then mentions the bizarre command Joey gave to his staff; including Wally himself, to donate things from their workstations and set them on pedestals in the break room in order to "appease the gods". Wally then claims that he will leave the company if any other pipes burst.
He later complains that he lost the keys to his cleaning closet, most likely in one of the garbage cans while making his rounds a week ago and has a bad feeling about what Sammy would do if he ever found out.
Thomas Connor tries to teach Wally what to do when the ink pressure reaches over 45, but Wally has trouble understanding him. He then states that if Thomas thinks Wally's going to do his job and Thomas', he's leaving. He later complains about the behavior of the studio's staff members, wandering around in the room while likening their faces to being as if they were angry or grieving when they should be positive given how they should make cartoons. Wally threatens that if the attitudes of the people in the studio do not change, he will leave his post.
He complains about the workers in the warehouse getting involved playing games while he is stuck cleaning up after they leave. One day, he tells them the idea about rigging these games up to knock the door open if they win, so his trip down will be saved every day, and they went for it like "a dog to pot roast." Wally threatens that if anybody doesn't start realizing who the real genius is (referring to himself), he will leave this area. Wally reveals that the day where he cleaned up some of the offices around 2 AM was his lucky day because a large chocolate cake was on one of the chairs, which (according to him) was yelling his name. Wally states that as a janitor, he works hard and earns his pay on every dollar. He then claims that the studio is missing little, benefiting perks, and believes that the chocolate cake he got was a perk. Wally then states that he hopes that no one would find out about what he did, and proudly claims that if anyone finds out about his work, he will leave.
Wally talks about how Thomas Connor started taking over the entire back of the locker room how he'll will have to move his office of carboard boxes somewhere else. He also wrote down that Thomas gave him the door code if he ever needed to clean up in there, so he wrote the code down and put it in his locker, but Wally states that if Thomas keeps on causing trouble for him, then he's outta there.
Meeting the old man
In Summer of 1946, when Buddy's grandfather suddenly enters the studio announced, Wally falsely sees him as a threat and pulls him by the elbow. Buddy steps in and assures Wally that he is not a threat, questioning if he thinks his grandfather would take over the studio. Wally simply shakes his head, replying "You never know..." with a shrug.
Talking with Thomas
He expresses his enjoyment of late nights at the studio while also acknowledging that strange things occur around. He also notes that the new renovations are causing his muscles to ache more frequently, but he isn't ready to retire yet. Wally overhears Thomas Connor yelling at others to be careful when moving something and Wally explains that he always overhears conversations, even when he's standing in the same room as them. Wally at first thinks he may be wrong about it being Thomas since he was recently fired, but he is proven to have suspected correctly when he bumps into Thomas as he turned the corner. Wally asks if Joey rehired him, to which Thomas responds that they didn't have a choice, which Wally doesn't understand but nods anyway. He then asks if he's moving the machine, and Thomas repeatedly says yes to end the conversation. Wally lets him go and goes on to talk about Joey Drew Studio's attempts to save money, listing off the things he's seen. He then claims he's seen everything, including what dragged the ink so far down the halls and on the walls. He wraps up by taking the trash out of a small tidy office and making sure to turn the lights off.[2]
Legacy
Wally retired as a Joey Drew Studios crew following the studio's closure as he moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his family.
Characteristics
Personality
Wally is a self-starter, never knowing when and where one would find the man around the studio fixing things.[1]
Wally comes across as an "average Joe," a regular working man whose only real concern at the studio is getting his work done. After the introduction of the Ink Machine, he appeared suspicious of the workshop but never bothered to looker deeper than his job required. Judging by him losing his keys in the Music Department and a conversation with Thomas Connor on working on the ink pressure, he is somewhat absent-minded. He also seemed to have felt somewhat annoyed about some situations within the company, such as the Ink Machine's abundance of leaks and why most of the staff appeared to be angry when they were making cartoons at the studio. In terms of social behavior, he is noted to be friendly and easy to get along with, with his note (from Joey Drew's apartment) also revealed that Wally is surprised that Joey remembers him since Wally was not especially memorable among his coworkers.
Wally says he doesn't understand why people like to keep secrets, and what you see is what you get when it comes to him. He isn't foolish enough to not notice anything wrong, but he also isn't the type to seek out answers and prefers to mind his own business. Wally also says he enjoys being the dark and can tell when people need to answer a question despite him not always needing one himself, along with when they've answered all they feel like answering.
Documents
Audio logs
- Log #1 - Found in Part I: Chapter 1 of Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook.
- Log #2 - Found in Part I: Chapter 2 of Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook.
- Log #3 - Found in Part I: Chapter 3 of Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook.
- Log #4 - Found in Part I: Chapter 3 of Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook.
- Log #5 - Found in Part I: Chapter 4 of Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook.
- Log #6 - Found in Part I: Chapter 5 of Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook.
- Chapter One - Found in Part III: Chapter 4 of Joey Drew Studios Updated Employee Handbook.
Memos
- Locker Code - Found in Part III: Chapter 2 of Joey Drew Studios Updated Employee Handbook.
Behind the scenes
"Look pal, if you think I'm doing my job AND yours, I'm outta here!" - Wally Franks
Dialogue
"Look pal, if you think I'm doing my job AND yours, I'm outta here!" - Wally Franks
In other languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese (Simplified) | 沃利·弗兰克斯 Wò lì·fúlánkè sī |
| Japanese | ウォーリー・フランクス U~ōrī furankusu |
| Russian | Уолли Фрэнкс Uolli Frenks |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bendy: The Illusion of Living. Part V: Living in the Now. Written by Adrienne Kress and published by Scholastic on February 2, 2021.
- ↑ Bendy: The Lost Ones. Prologue. Written by Adrienne Kress and published by Scholastic on December 7, 2021.