For understanding the Cuphead post, I know ANON already pointed out that a big part of why it works so well is your phenomenal writing. You present Cuphead’s perspective so convincingly that the reader almost ends up buying into his “propaganda” along with everyone else.
However, I think there’s another element that contributes to people labeling Cuphead as flirtatious, and that’s how his surface-level personality is interpreted. He’s very goofy, expressive, and quick-witted with jokes, and I think people sometimes read that as him being playful or flirtatious in a way meant to charm others.
But the line between humor and flirting can be very blurry. Because of that, someone who’s naturally goofy can easily be misread as flirtatious. Personally, though, I don’t think there’s any point in the comic where Cuphead actually comes across as intentionally flirting (the only time I could think of where someone might read it as flirtatious is when Cuphead and Bendy are stuck together, because that's a common humorous situation for love interests. But in my eyes, I only read it as a gag.)
To me, Cuphead's humor reads more like a coping mechanism. People who struggle with their self-worth or don’t place much value on their own lives often lean heavily on humor as a way to deflect from what they’re actually feeling.
Cuphead doesn’t always put himself down directly, but I think that mindset comes through consistently in the subtext. For example, when we learn he doesn't know how to read, we're told that the reason is that the school could only afford to send one of them to school, and that the reason why it was Mugman was that the teachers believed Cuphead was too dumb to catch on. Hearing something like that as a child can stick with a person, and I can only imagine how deeply he internalized it. Being labeled as the ‘dumb” twin, even though I HIGHLY disagree with that sentiment.
However, I believe one of the biggest reasons we don’t see this more openly is because of…. Mugman. Subconsciously, I think Cuphead knows that if he openly expressed how little he values himself, it would upset or worry his brother. Many people who struggle with darker thoughts try to hide them from the people they care about most. So instead, those feelings are redirected into jokes to mask them.
Speaking from personal experience, when I was in some of my darkest moments, I often put on a “mask” and acted goofy or humorous around the people I loved because, while I couldn’t bring myself to value myself, I cared deeply about them and didn’t want to see them affected. I valued them and their happiness/comfort over my emotional state. And I can’t help but see something similar happening with Cuphead.
Also of note is that when Cuphead is separated from Mugman, especially early in the comic, his surface-level goofiness tends to fade. Without his brother around, the more disturbed/unstable parts of his personality show through more clearly. In a way, it feels like Mugman is the main reason Cuphead maintains that humorous mask in the first place.
And I’m going to be completely honest, if the Mug bros were to be separated for an extended period of time, I shudder to think about the actions we would see from both of them as a result. They’re heavily codependent. And you’ve amazingly written them in a way where their love for each other is obvious and strong, but their own issues are somehow both softened and worsened by that bond at the same time.
Anyway, keep doing what you're both doing. You're both amazing writers, and I genuinely love your writing style and mindset. I love the way you've given these characters incredibly realistic flaws that very clearly drive their actions, both positive and negative, and when they suffer the consequence of their actions (because I wholeheartedly agree that when a character chooses to do something, the result, either positive or negative, is on them) There is no blame on other parties, because they choose those actions and they are responsible for themselves. I LOVE morally gray characters! Personally, I'm not reading this comic with the hope of romance; I'm here purely to see how this absolute cesspool of a dysfunctional, unstable group, in this VERY screwed up world, with this delightfully abominable cast of characters, somehow operates. You guys aren't afraid to pull any punches in terms of brutality and overall messed-up stuff (with purpose), and I'm in the background, cheering to keep the hits coming!
P.S. You know a story is the best kind of messed up when artists in the fandom start pulling out Actors AUs to cope.
WE HAVE BEEN HINTING AT THIS SINCE THE FRIGGIN PROLOGUE I NEED YOU TO GET OFF ANON TO SHAKE YOUR HAND OH MY GOD.
THE CUP BROS HIDING STUFF FROM EACH OTHER WILL BE TOUCHED ON IN LAYER CHAPTERS BUT HOLY SHIT I FEEL EUPHORIC OH MY GOD
annaxmalina
blakekathryn
izzy806
janainaart
origamiaround
tangentwithtanner
theartofmadeline
