#mod osier

1) The Title Itself,

Titles are the first piece of information one can get about a piece of media and arguably the most important. They serve to grab the reader’s attention, and, paired with their cover (or poster, for movies), can imply a lot about the content of what they represent. The plot and the tone, especially.

Now, “The View From Here” is a pretty flexible statement. It can carry several tones. It could be the title of anything from a romance novel to an angsty, multi-chapter fanfic. It’s reliant on its font and color, as well as the image’s other elements.

But let’s keep our focus on the text itself for now.

A) Color

Red is a very versatile, very energetic, color. It’s the color of passion and ambition, but also that of aggression and danger. This may imply that “The View From Here” is going to be a high energy chapter, full of new dangers and focused on certain goals.

Considering that 4/5 of the Quest Crew now have an uneasy alliance going on, and the Mysterious Caller being on their tails, it’s not a far cry to say that red fits the outline.

But there’s also the positive sides of red to consider. We’ve just been officially introduced to Shelly, the final Quester. She’s already proven to be ambitious, both in her reference card and in the comic. She’s pursuing knowledge that Dandy has apparently told her to keep away from, and has been caught doing so enough times for Astro to immediately know what she’s doing.

She feels like they aren’t doing enough for the people, and something—probably related to the Blot and what the Dept. of Health is (or isn’t) doing—is going to happen and lead her to the other four and away from her friends.

(Side note: The exact shade of red used here is E93628, referred to as Deep Madder Lake by color-name.com. If this was an intentional choice, it could imply some sort of fall into madness for a character. *glances at Dandy’s ominous red pupils.* But if it’s not, it’s not.)

B) Font

Shift your focus to Chapter 1’s title panel for a second—remember that simple, bubbly font? Compare it to ‘The View From Here’s sleeker, more detailed lettering, and consider how the tones of the chapters have differed thus far.

This font may be implying a return to society, or a shift in POV to characters or a character higher up on the social ladder.

Now, we can shift our focus to another question. Where is ‘here’ and what is it referring to?

Based purely on the other motifs present in the image, I think of two different statements: “The view from [down] here,” and “The view from [up] here.” Either way, it brings to mind distance, and the longing that comes with it.

It could be referring to Ortensia’s death, and the family she left behind. Oswald and how distant he is from his children. Bendy and Dandy’s past, and how the distance between them both emotionally and in social status has affected them. The Stars, and how high above and removed they are from the general public. The Dept. of Health and the people they have failed. And so on.

2) The Dagger

Daggers are very ambiguous as symbols. They are associated with courage and daring, but also treachery and deception because they are easy to hide. So perhaps we can expect to see those concepts at play during this chapter.

This dagger sits in between the two hearts, signifying some sort of event causing a split between the people they represent. And considering there is a demon’s tail and a flower wrapped around the hilt, it isn’t much of a stretch to say that they represent Bendy and Dandy, left and right respectively. But we’ll worry about the hearts later.

Both the tail and the flower are wrapped around the hilt, neither any tighter or looser than the other, implying that both Bendy and Dandy played an equal part in the pain that separates them now, or that they were both involved with The Blot and share the blame for whatever happened.

But the dagger is ultimately tipped with ink. This could mean that Bendy was ultimately the one hurt the most by what happened between them—as he is often associated with ink for, um, obvious reasons,—or that Bendy contracting the Blot is what ultimately caused the most hurt between them and/or drove them apart.

However, the dagger is partially colored in yellow, which is associated not only with Bendy, but also the Celestials. Maybe the Celestials are involved with the Blot, and Bendy and Dandy got tangled up in things they shouldn’t have.

(Side-note: The dagger is reminiscent of a a kris, or keris, a weapon created by the Javanese people. It symbolizes heroism, martial prowess, power, and authority. But, as a weapon, it represents violence, death, and bloodshed.)

(Side-note 2: the way the flower and the tail wrap around each other is reminiscent of the rod of asclepius (not the caduceus—thank you melodylyricx for the correction), a symbol of medicine, and Dandy is the Star of the Dept. of Health. So that’s fun.)

3) The Hearts

On the left — A black heart, broken down the middle and bleeding from the wound. The bottom is dripping, as well. It has a double border. (I know the double border was probably for the sake of having the shape make sense but shhhh, lemme over-analyze this in peace…)

On the right — a whole black heart, covered in blood. It has a single border.

In the middle (not pictured), The Dagger.

“Hearts represent the center of emotion, including affection and love.” & “It is sometimes accompanied or superseded by…a "broken" heart symbol in two or more pieces, indicating heartbreak.” & “Heart symbols are frequently used to symbolize “health” or “lives” in video game.” —Wikipedia’s article on the Heart symbol.

These two hearts represent Bendy and Dandy’s state of being.

On Bendy’s side — he was hurt by what happened between him and Dandy (broken heart) and is still hurt by it (heart still bleeding). The heart being broken and melting may also refer to his health, with him having the Blot and being permanently down a heart. This has led him to toughen up, though you can still get through to him if you aim at where he’s been hurt before (double barrier broken only where the heart is broken).

On Dandy’s side — Whatever hurt he may have experienced then has been either healed or internalized (unbroken barrier, blood in heart), and seems to be the same as he was before. Also, he is still in good health (unbroken heart).

The blood on Dandy’s heart may also refer to the blood he has on his hands; he is the Star of Health, but no one we’ve seen so far, besides probably Shelly and Astro, has been particularly fond of him. He has failed the people; Toons have died because of his apparent inaction. And that’s not even getting into that one ‘the searchers were experimented on’ theory I’ve seen floating around.

4) Final Commentary

can you tell that I was getting tired near the end of this? I’ve spent like 2, 3-ish hours on this, I think. (EDIT: six. It was six. I spent six hours on this.) And I regret nothing. Absolutely none of it.

There is a societal hierarchy in the Isles! In descending order of importance(?), there are

The Celestials, the rarely seen Toons with magic. The Stars, who run the isles. “Famous toons are given a lot because a lot of the isles runs on media” The Workers, where the B-Bros and Shelly fall. "The Valley,” where the more "under-resourced communities" (like the cups) fall

☆ Toon standards of attractiveness lie primarily in how much one can make others laugh. “If you are funny: you have the most rizz.”

1) Prologue,

Not much to be said about it, honestly. I included it mainly because the two ‘O’s look like Toon eyes & the ‘U’ looks like it’s glaring at me—how rude. :’(

2) The Title,

The ambiguity of MOTM’s chapter titles has always been a really good writing choice to me. MOTM doesn’t follow a single storyline, after all; every single one serves to push the narrative and move the overarching plot forward, and they will probably end up crossing and/or coalescing with the others at some point. Some of them already have, like Dyle and the Myth Crew (-1; Shelly my beloved you WILL be there soon, sobs…) and Mickey’s inner circle and that bigass Searcher that the Myth Crew (-1) ran away from.

For ‘A Tale of Two Toons,’ the panel puts a literal spotlight on three of the pairs the title refers to: Cuphead and Mugman in the ‘T’ and ‘L’ of “Tale;” Mickey and Oswald in the ‘O’s of “Of” and “Two;” and Bendy and Boris in the ‘O’s of “Toon.” All of which are brothers! A nice, subtle establishment of the theme of family.

However, you may have noticed that, with the Cup Twins and B-Bros are on the same line, Mickey and Oswald are on different levels. This indicates a rift and/or difference in status between the two. (Based on the way we’ve seen them interact in the comic, I can safely say this claim is supported.)

As for the ‘A’ between the Cup Twins, we know from Nort that they had a falling-out of sorts in the past. That A could literally stand for anything, or any other A word—like animosity or annoyance or anger or abandonment or alone…the list goes on.

The B-Bros are just thick as thieves—for now, at least; it isn’t outside the realm of possibility for them to end up being separated in another title panel due to the actions they’ve taken & the differences in their morals and ideals. Mmm…drama. *grinch-esque grin.*

As for the font, it’s nothing too fancy. Just a simple little something to ease us into the story. It isn’t as bubbly ‘What’s In A Soul’ or fancy as ‘The View From Here,’ but honestly? Its charm lies in its simplicity. That, and it looks similar to the font used in some of the official BATIM posters.

3) The Spotlight

I was originally going to analyze the spotlight and the rose & ink separately, but ended up changing my mind because I felt like it would do the imagery an injustice.

As I’m sure you know, spotlights are used to draw the viewer’s attention, give them something or someone to focus on. And here, we’re being directed toward the rose and puddle of ink.

Red roses symbolize true love and passion; when tossed on stage after a show, they convey appreciation and admiration for the performers.

Ink symbolizes, among other things, creativity and permanence—but, given what we know about the world in MOTM, it conjures a darker image. That is to say, it brings to mind the Blot’s Curse.

And I think that’s the point. Without the blot, Bendy would still be on stage. Without the blot, Oswald and Ortensia would both still alive, well, and happily married and he and Mickey would probably have a better relationship.

Without the Blot, this could have been a picture of love and happiness for at least two of the pairs in the panel. And that’s where the tragedy of Myth of The Machine lies; in the ‘what if’s and ‘what could have been’s.

———

4) Personal Commentary

I think it’s really funny that the amount of time it took for me to write an analysis was cut in half (6 hours on Chp. 2 VS 3 hours on Prologue) by the fact I’m medicated now. Like, wow! I can actually focus on something a normal amount for what may be the first time in my life!!

Appearance

All demons have horns. On their heads, along their spine, on their tails.

Demons come in all shapes and sizes. (That being said, Bendy is considered small for a demon.)

They have sharp, uniform teeth.

Abilities & Behaviors

Clicking: All demons have the ability to click. It’s their version of a hiss or a purr, typically done when experiencing a strong emotion. It can be done when they are content, or sleepy, or relaxed; when they are offended, or threatened, or annoyed. One can usually tell what’s being conveyed by the tone or pitch—for instance, a lower pitch indicates content while a higher pitch is a warning.

Most demons have some sort of immunity. To fire, to ice, to pain…the list goes on.

They tend to be quite durable, too.

Culture

…

Reputation & Stereotypes

Demons have a bad reputation. Why that is has yet to be revealed.

General

His name isn’t actually Cuphead. 28 y/o; the older twin by 3 minutes

[his and Mugman’s birthday is September 29th] (which is also MY BIRTHDAY HELLOOO??)

^ on their birthday, the twins get a couple of pastries and a candle, go up to the rooftop of a building they don’t know, and sing each other happy birthday.

^^ as youngins they would save up money for ice cream. They didn’t celebrate together during their teen years, when they weren’t talking to each other.

He’s a recovering gambler

{aroace-spec}

^ he doesn’t understand romance; kinda views relationships as Friendship Deluxe Multiply his typical behavior by 5 or so, and there you have it; his understanding of a relationship. He also hates forcing himself to be romantic & is uneasy about PDA. He’s doesn’t get & he’s just not a fan. (okay wait he’s actually so real for that,,??)

^^ his attempts at romance are awkward, but from the heart. Also a sign that he likes you a lot!!

One of the Collectors

is described as having passive suicidal ideation

Uses melee and magic to attack

if he was an animal, he would be a snake

if he was a flower, he would be a gladiolus. (This is also his favorite flower.)

Appearance

In his new reference sheet, he’s got a slit in his left eyebrow

He doesn’t like to get his shoes dirty

[cracks & chips work like scars] (can’t wait to see how many scars he’ll have when he finally gets put back together.)

[wears hand-me-downs from Elder Kettle. He can’t really afford other things.]

[he’s insecure about his eyes]

[technically doesn’t apply to appearance, but he has a Brooklyn (or Boston) accent.]

^ he can also do silly voices; he does them only to make people laugh.

he smells like booze.

He and Mugman are physically the most attractive by human standards (muscles, smiles?, etc.)

his eyes are red.

^ as a human, he would have very deep brown eyes.

Personality & Mentality

Takes losing really well. Better than Mugman, at least.

Snarky. And INCREDIBLY touchy; he’ll throw an arm around you, noogie you, grab your shoulders / face, punch your arm / shoulder, and more. And he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.

He’s got ADHD.

^ hyperfixations include: Dirk Dangerous (radio show), Fireworks, rollercoasters. His interests shift quickly, but he loves these things a lot. His interests tend to be intense, adrenaline-based/inducing, fast-paced, etc. NORT

He’s got incredible luck, and he relies on said luck.

Would eat a shoe if he was hungry enough (and has, once) but would also push away a plate if it smelled weird. he likes flapjacks!!

Uses more slang than swears. He’s a creative fella, so why use only swears? Also. Elder Kettle.

He’s a goofball

He’s too trusting. Also very observant, but dismissive.

He experiences severe nightmares & doesn’t like to sleep because of them; a light sleeper, too. He is also afraid of horses.

[LOVES amusement parks; they will entertain him for hours. He WILL leave with copious amounts of plushies from all the games he’s won.]

[also the sort to get excited about throwing up on roller coasters (could NOT be my emetophobic ass) and really likes drop towers. The more nauseating it is, the more he wants to go on it.] (Do y’all think he wears a lid while on roller coasters to keep his soul + liquid of choice from flying out on loops & flips?)

[Does not believe in rigged games, as he never loses.] (😒)

Gets attached to strong punk women (like Sheba, for example). [not romantically—he just thinks they’re really cool.] (AND HE’S SO RIGHT (<- biased))

[his dream job would be an inventor or a show host or an actor]

If he’s uncomfortable with a situation, he’s gonna leave if he’s able.

he’s a gambler; he knows “tells” really well, but rarely calls anyone out because he doesn’t want anyone to figure out how he does it.

^ and he loves to gamble. He feels bad about it later, but thoroughly enjoys the adrenaline rush in the moment.

He’s also the most attractive Myth Buster by Toon standards, too. (Attractiveness for Toons is based on how much you can make others laugh)

Cuphead would’ve body slammed the debris out of the way to help Dyle get out.

if his crush fell asleep on his shoulder, he would smile. And then draw on their face and put their hand in water. And then he’ll stack things on their head until 1) they wake up, or 2) the tower falls.

Cuphead is better with people than he is with academics.

Background

He wanted to be an inventor when he was young

His shoes are, for some reason, very important to him

listened to a Radio Show called “Dirk Dangerous” as a child & based his entire personality off of that character.

Helped Canteen Hughes build his illegally flown plane! How nice :D

[any food or items he and Mugman had as children were grown in their own yard or made.]

[Elder Kettle knew some of the debtors Cuphead and Mugman had to kill. Cuphead tries his best to forget and move them to the back of his mind.]

once followed his brother to school & passed out in a janitor’s closet. Got caught after having a falling dream. Everyone laughed at him.

he and Mugman raised a goat when they were children.

he and Mugman have (accidentally) killed someone with a meat grinder. 🧍

He has cried in front of Mugman just once. He vowed to never do it again.

☆ he’s a fan of Sonic!! (not looking forward to seeing his reaction to The News)

Miscellany

He has eaten a shoe before

He’s got matching pajamas w/ Mugman.

Cannot get drunk. Or, at least, it’s very hard for him to get drunk.

Has a sweet tooth

He is not allowed to have coffee because he had it once (1 (☝️) time) and sat still for 5 minutes. It was so unnerving that he is not allowed to have it ever again.

his nicknames for Mugman include “mugs” and “mugsy.” He only calls him “Mugman” in serious situations.

[he’s got a really goofy, super dynamic artstyle! However, there’s always A Lot going on in his paper so you can’t always tell what’s happening.]

[He CANNOT sing or dance, but he owns it. “Confidently terrible.”]

[he plays the fiddle] and can play the piano. He’s also good at improv.

[he likes to put hot chocolate in his head to keep warm. (w/ marshmallows, candy canes, and whipped cream for fashion) Sometimes eggnog, but it apparently feels weirder.]

he likes action, horror, and comedy movies. For music; he LOVES swing.

^ In a modern AU, he’d enjoy alt-Rock songs and very upbeat, fast-paces songs. Artists like Will Wood, Jukebox the Ghost, and IDKHBTFM, their songs fall into this category.

he doesn’t cook a lot, but always comes back with takeout. He’d be pretty good at jt if he tried it out.

The type of Sims player to have the Extreme Violence mod installed & try out every animation. All of his Sims look like they belong in a ‘Breed Out the Weird challenge’ video.

He wouldn’t win in the Hunger Games. He’s not careful at all. And while he and Mugman would be on the offensive, they’d have too big a target painted on their backs.

In Truth or Dare, he comes up with the wildest and sometimes most embarrassing Dares. Like, “Next time you see your boss, tell them you are pregnant and need the day off,” “Light this firework in your house,“ “Knock on your neigbor's door to sell them the clothes you are currently wearing,” or “Backflip off the roof in a flapper dress!”

^ as for his Truth? It is, and I quote, “Is it true you are a PUSSY that won’t pick dare?”

^^ do not play Truth or Dare with him. :|

His favorite marine animal is the Flying Spaghetti Monster (Bathyphysa conifera)

Cuphead would be in Lacrosse. “Every male in lacrosse is, respectfully, evil and has adhd.”

^ But, also according to Fly, “also track works bcs every person in track is evil but in the fun and silly way of audhd.”

he can burp on command

as a Mincraft player, Cuphead is the explorer. He loves to go off into the world and get super lost. Every time he comes back, it’s with some crazy good loot.

if he was an Animal Crossing villager, he would be a deer whose horns are striped like his straw. His personality is Jock & and his catchphrase is “hehahe!”

Cuphead thinks dragons are cool and would like one as a pet! Though, realistically, he’d like a lizard or a dog, which he would name Jackpot.

here’s a quote example of how he would act in a modern bar: “GUYS LOOK!!! EVERYONE IS BUYING DRINKS FOR ME!!! I HAVEN'T HAD TO SPEND A SINGLE DOLLAR!!!! oh cool another paper with what i'm guessing are random numbers?”

Q&A section.

Question: would you consider yourself a good person?

Answer: “Probably not. But thats ok! Mugsy and I think the world of eachother and thats all i need!”

Question: Favorite and least favorite aspects of the other Myth Busters?

Answer (favorites in green, least favorites in red):

Bendy: Cocky self-serving jerk, too much like him. Funny and determined.

Boris: Takes no shit, refuses to follow the "rules." Everything he wishes he could be.