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Boyd Cooper

Note: Not to be confused with The Milkman.

I'm the guard, I've been fully trained.

–Boyd Cooper

Boyd Cooper is a conspiracy theorist, a former security guard, and a former resident of the Asylum.

Appearance[]

Boyd is an old, overweight man dressed in a security guard uniform. His uniform consists of a dark blue jacket with copper buttons and striped white shirt underneath. He wears a copper sheriff star on the left side of his chest, a black tie, shiny black shoes, and a dark blue hat with a copper shield sown on the crown. He has yellow skin, four fingers on each hand, a dark green five o'clock shadow, black eyes, and green hair. His nose and eye bags are an orange color. His left eye is positioned higher on his face than his right eye.

Personality[]

Boyd knows someone is out to get him, but he's not sure exactly who it is. While guarding the asylum he has plenty of time to work it out, and he does, furiously scribbling a map of the conspiracy on any available wall. There is something inside his head that doesn't belong and he knows the dairy industry is behind it.

–Character blurb from the original Psychonauts website

Boyd is paranoid about being watched. He is obsessed with conspiracy theories.

History[]

Boyd was once a security guard at a department store called "Hernando's". After being fired by his boss, he returned to the store at night and burned it down, using Molotov cocktails fashioned from empty milk bottles. He was committed to Thorney Towers Home for the Disturbed after this incident.

At some point before the start of Psychonauts, he was hypnotized by Coach Oleander, who implanted subconscious orders into Boyd's mind to guard the Asylum from prying eyes, and if necessary, burn the place down to hide any evidence of his plans.

Li-Po backstory[]

The Li-Po backstory document offers extra backstory information on some characters in Psychonauts. It has not been stated canon by DoubleFine Productions.

Boyd's backstory
Boyd spent most of his early years as an only child. At first, he received the full attention of his kind and loving parents. His father delivered milk and so his work was done by noon, and was home very early to spend time with his only son. Boyd’s mother stayed at home full time to raise Boyd. Her only work was with volunteer organizations, including acting as a den mother for a local scout troop. Through her scouting work, however, she met another man. He was a widow, and a single father of 14 children. Eventually, the two began an illicit affair that when found out, became the most talked about scandal anyone could remember in their small, suburban community.

Boyd’s mom left his dad, took custody of Boyd, and moved in with the blue-collar widower and his huge family. Boyd was suddenly not an only child. He wasn’t the oldest child; he wasn’t the youngest; he wasn’t even very close to either end. His age put him right in the middle of all the kids, where he spent the rest of his adolescence alone in the crowd, anonymous in his own house.

Boyd became more and more introverted. He resented his mother for dumping him in this new home, and he began to develop paranoid fantasies about the widower’s other kids conspiring against him, the new comer. The sad truth was, none of the other kids really noticed him at all. Still, his fantasies escalated until he managed to surround himself by an imaginary web of self-centered conspiracy theories. They stretched out beyond his family to include city hall, the federal government, multi-national corporations, some foreign governments and interests, and above all, the dairy industry.

This lead to troubles at school, and in his junior year, Boyd dropped out of high school and got a job as a security guard in a busy department store. For a while he was fine. He kept to himself. But eventually his paranoia became a problem. He started detaining random shoppers on a regular basis for interrogation. No matter what they said, Boyd would eventually accuse them of spying on him for some agency or secret group. After numerous complains and threats of lawsuits, the store’s manager had no choice but to fire him. Boyd, of course, took this as validation of all his theories. It was evidence of a secret plot against him, and much to his co-workers horror, he showed up at the store the next day with a Molotov cocktail in his hand. He declared his intent to burn the store down and “stick a burning stake in the eye of the Cyclops that has a million eyes.” This was the first time many of his co-workers were aware he even existed.

Before he could burn anything besides his fingers, he was overpowered and wrestled to the ground by a mob of perfume-counter ladies. The police showed up and hauled him off to jail. Due to his vehement distrust of lawyers, he made the unfortunate choice of representing himself in court. After a 4-hour closing argument, in which he spelled out for the jury, the judge, and ever person in the courtroom what part they played in his personal persecution, he had so annoyed the judge that he was handed a life sentence, to be served out at Thorney Towers Mental Sanctuary.

When the institution ran out of money and closed a few years later, nobody came to pick up Boyd. He shunned any help from the social workers assigned to place him and chose instead to hide out in the foliage surrounding the asylum. He hid for weeks from the asylum workers, who, in fact, had looked for him for about 20 minutes, and then left.  

Eventually, Coach Oleander, while setting up shop in the abandoned asylum’s towers, found Boyd and brought him back inside. Because of Boyd’s ductile mind, and security guard experience, the coach picked him to be his own one-man security force and back up failsafe plan. Using MK-ULTRA, Manchurian Candidate-style hypnotic suggestions, the coach planted two sets of instructions into Boyd’s mind—one in the foreground, and one deep in his subconscious.


The one that showed was Boyd’s security guard identity—to keep unwanted visitors out of the asylum at all costs and thereby protect the coach’s secret base. But the coach knew that there might come a day when he would need to cover his tracks. In case he needed to bury operation Children’s Crusade, he gave Boyd secret instructions to burn down the entire asylum if so ordered.

These instructions were buried in the form of an alternate identity for Boyd: The Milkman. The Milkman’s purpose and location are a secret to Boyd. The Milkman sleeps inside Boyd’s mind, waiting for the day when he is awakened to fulfill his purpose.

For now, Boyd guards the asylum, happy to have a job again. He knows that someday the Milkman will come and change things. Until then, he waits.

Psychonauts[]

"Go to the graveyard! Dig him up! Oh, you’ll find something all right, but it’s neither man, nor milk."

–Boyd Cooper

Raz first encounters Boyd scribbling on the walls at the Asylum Gates. When Raz approaches, Boyd gasps and asks who Raz is working for, and responds with confusion when Raz states he's with the Psychonauts, saying it "Doesn't fit in at all". Boyd then refuses to answer Raz's question of who he himself works for, stating he is the guard of the Asylum and that he's been "fully trained." Boyd ignores Raz's pleas to open the gates, claiming that "the Milkman has the key", and theorizes the Milkman is "sleeping on the job" when Raz asks where he is located. Unable to obtain any straight answers, Raz decides to use his Psycho-Portal and obtain the information directly from his mind.

Within the Milkman Conspiracy (Boyd's mind), the Milkman is reportedly dead, but Boyd and the G-Men do not believe this and aggressively search for him. The Rainbow Squirts work against the G-men to obfuscate the Milkman's location and true purpose. In actuality, the Milkman is a personality implanted into Boyd's mind by Coach Oleander, meant to be activated when Oleander needs all evidence of what happened at the asylum destroyed. When Raz finds the body of the Milkman and defeats the Den Mother, the Milkman awakens, taking control of Boyd in the real world. Boyd then states it is "time for the final delivery to this address" and opens the gates, positioning himself outside the Asylum's front door with a Molotov cocktail milk bottle in hand for the rest of the game. After Fred asks if Boyd is ready to "blow this popsicle stand", Boyd throws the Molotov cocktail through a window, lighting the asylum on fire. Figments representing the Milkmen, the Den Mother, the Rainbow Squirts and the G-men then leave his body in a beam of light, presumably representing the subconscious orders Coach Oleander implanted in Boyd's mind being deactivated. Boyd finally states: "The Milkman has completed his route". He then turns to Fred, Gloria, and Edgar, enthusiastically asking if they want to split a cab.

Psychonauts 2[]

The Milkman appears briefly in the Psychonauts recap animation in Psychonauts 2.

The Milkman[]

Main article: The Milkman

Milkman

The Milkman as he appears in Psychonauts.

I am the Milkman. My milk is delicious.

–The Milkman

The Milkman, Boyd Cooper's alter ego, is a separate personality implanted in Boyd's mind by Coach Oleander before the events of Psychonauts.

When awoken at the end of the level, he rises in a beam of light and milk bottles from the vault he was contained in, then exits the Den Mother's house and throws Molotov cocktail milk bottles at the approaching Censors and G-men, forcing Raz out of Boyd's mind during the resulting chaos. If Raz returns to Boyd's mind after the Milkman Conspiracy is completed, the Milkman will remain present at this location, throwing Molotovs at approaching censors. If questioned by Raz about why he is trying to burn down the asylum, he will state that his employer has commissioned him to "whitewash what went on here" and that he cannot rest until he has made his "final delivery".

Boyd's Mind[]

Main Article: Milkman Conspiracy

Relationships[]

Edgar Teglee[]

Boyd is friends with Edgar. They escape with the remaining inmates from Thorney Towers before it's destroyed. The full extend of their relationship is up to speculation.

Crispin Whytehead[]

Crispin is Boyd's fellow asylum inmate. They do not interact directly within the game, therefore their true relationship is up to speculation.

Gloria Von Gouton[]

Boyd is friends with Gloria. They escape with the remaining inmates from Thorney Towers before it's destroyed. They do not interact directly within the game, therefore their true relationship is up to speculation.

Coach Oleander[]

Boyd is Coach Oleander's former minion. His purpose was to destroy Thorney Towers in case the Coach's plans for world domination were disrupted. Interestingly, Boyd references a "fat kid with a bunny" in one of his random dialogue sentences, hinting he somehow knew or interacted with Oleander in his youth.

Razputin Aquato[]

Boyd sees Raz as an ally to his cause of trying to find the Milkman. If Clairvoyance is used on Boyd, Raz will appear as a bottle of milk.

Fred Bonaparte[]

Boyd is friends with Fred. They escape with the remaining inmates from Thorney Towers before it's destroyed. They do not interact directly within the game, therefore their true relationship is up to speculation.

The Milkman[]

Boyd is aware The Milkman exists and wants to desperately discover his true location inside his mind. However, his relationship with his alter ego is unclear.

G-men[]

Boyd is incredibly wary of the G-men. They represent his fear of the government and obsession with conspiracy theories.

Quotes[]

Outside the Asylum Gates
Quotes while outside of the asylum.
  • "I'm the guard, I've been fully trained."
  • "I'll bet he's sleeping on the job, his milk is delicious, everyone wants it.
  • "He'll be here soon, and the lies will end."
  • "Gah! Not another tracking device!"
  • (After leaving Boyd's mind prior to completion) "You! You're one of them! Stay away!
  • "Had everyone fooled!"
  • "Are telling my location to..."
  • "Sorry, the Milkman has the key, I am not the Milkman, I'm the guard!"
  • "Huh?! Who are you working for?!
  • "The who? That doesn't fit in! That doesn't fit in at all! Maybe I've got this all wrong!"
  • "The kid with the goggles..."
  • "The little fat kid with the bunny..."
Inside Boyd's Mind
Quotes while inside Boyd's mind.
  • "Burned up in a department store fire, didn't you hear? At least, that's what the media would have you believe. Is he dead or not?"
  • "Go out to the Graveyard! Dig him up! Oh, you'll find something there, but it's neither man nor milk."
  • "Be careful, they're watching, all the time!"
  • "It's perfect, isn't it?"
  • "Almost complete, just a few missing pieces."
  • "But it's ALL about the Milkman!"
  • (If Raz hits Boyd) "Aah! I'm telling you! I don't know where the Milkman is!"
  • (If Raz uses Telekinesis on Boyd) "Aah! They've come for me! They're taking me away!"
  • (If Raz talks to Boyd after he is given a fake gun) "Give a loaded gun to a ten year old? Do I look crazy to you?"
  • (If Raz asks where the door is) "On the front...like most refrigerators."
  • "Made a deal, back in 68' with..."
  • "I scream, you scream, we all scream, we all scream..."
  • "You can pass it over the counter, but that don't make it over the counter!"
  • "You know my house is clean, right? Right, boss?!
  • "They should paint their garage door the same color as everybody else's!"
  • "The housing committee is not going to like this!"
  • "All them haters!"
  • "The doctors back at the clinic..."
  • "Are telling my location to..."
  • "Am I? Or is he? Am I he?! What is he doing in my house?!"
  • "Huh? Are you sure these are your children?"
  • "Ha Ha! L-Like I don't know that they..."
  • "Why does that hydrant keep looking at me?!"
  • "G-man! Who you working for?! Who is G?"
  • "And the little girl stuck her finger in the dike and saved all the windmills. But who does the little girl work for?"
  • "Foreign toy makers..."
  • "The Cows!"
  • "In order to monopolize..."
  • "The band manager..."
  • "The Squirrels have EYES!"
  • "The intelligence community..."
  • "The rodeo clown cartel..."
  • "The pelicans..."
  • "Oh, you think that's regular yarn, do you?!"
  • "Y-You think you can get this past me?! I'm the guard!"
  • "This is ugly, it's like a cyclops, with a million eyes!"
  • "Someone has to get this information to the people!"
  • "Those eggheads in their ivory tower..."
  • "I thought you worked for me!"
  • "Hey, don't worry about me. I'm centered. I'm the whole center in fact."
  • "Who are merely the pawns of..."
  • "The truth is sleeping in a glass box."
  • "Did I just think that? Or did someone make me think it?"
  • "And if they find out if I know this stuff, I'm dead!"
  • "They think the windows are tinted, but they aren't tinted NEARLY enough!"
  • "The tuna canneries have been living off the teat of the dairy industry."
  • "Wait." (In between conspiracies)
  • "Who are the puppet masters of..."
  • "The fire will start in men's wear!"
  • "Ate a whole jar of olives, with uh..."
  • "And sure as the nose on my face, I am sure they..."
  • "How long do they think they can hide that?!"
  • "The Psycho...whats-its...?"
  • "Hey! Lady! Where you going with that sweater?"
  • "These are not my dot-to-dots. These are not my babies."
  • "Keep sparring with me."
  • "Something's got to give!"
  • "Oh man, this stuff is hot."
  • "All in a big fight over..."
  • "Some sort of power, you know..."
  • "Last specimen of the super virus!"
  • "Someone moved into my neighborhood, uninvited!"
  • "Have been fixing oil prices!"
  • "Of course! The milk's got spiderwebs in it! Taste it!"
  • "The ice cream's in the web, the web is in the cream."
  • "And he waits, and he waits..."
  • "Are you buying, or are you spying?"
  • "Have been spitting on me all day!"
  • "I mean, who do they think they're fooling?!"
  • "Signed a secret treaty with..."
  • "I see myself more as a turtle, with a rocket strapped to its back!"
  • "The freaky hunchback girl who loves brains so much..."
  • "Can I really be the only person who sees this?!"
  • "The military industrial complex..."
  • "The national park system!"
  • "All those stupid Crows!"
  • "But they can't hide that they..."
  • "If I know anything, I know that they..."
  • "The five richest families in the country..."
  • "Got in bed with..."
  • "Hey, where's the boss?"
  • "Stole my theories and reprinted them incorrectly, to discredit them."
  • "My first cat... Seymour."
  • "My hooch!"
  • "The housing committee is not going to like this."
  • "Or else, maybe..."
  • "In conjunction with..."
  • "The analyticals, man..."
  • "Has been officially linked with..."
  • "And then it comes out of those wires over there, and goes straight into my head, with all its little audio tricks!"
  • "And nobody, seems to care!"
  • (If Raz uses the stop sign on Boyd) "Raz: STOP being crazy and tell me where the Milkman is.
    Boyd: You think I'm crazy? What if I'm the only one who's sane?"
  • (If Raz uses the hedge trimmers on Boyd) "Raz: Being an assassin is hard.
    Boyd: You have to keep your guard up at all times. You gotta be like a turtle with a rocket strapped on his back, you know?"
  • (If Raz uses the rolling pin on Boyd) "Raz: Is this yours?
    Boyd: No. I don't trust pies."
  • (If Raz uses the watering can on Boyd) "Raz: Look what I found.
    Boyd: Shh! It may be bugged!."
  • (If Raz uses the flowers on Boyd) "Raz: Are these a clue?
    Boyd: Flowers to put on the grave of the truth, for those who mourn the loss of democracy!"
  • (If Raz uses the plunger on Boyd) "Raz: Look at this plunger I found in the basement of the post office.
    Boyd: Gah! That's the exact model they used to kill the ambassador back with in '63!"
  • (If Raz uses the sniper rifle on Boyd) "Raz: Do you have a real one of these? Like the kind that shoots bullets?
    Boyd: Give a loaded gun to a 10 year old? Do I look crazy to you?"
  • (If Raz uses the telephone on Boyd) "Raz: Hey, phone's for you.
    Boyd: Ahh! Get that away from me! I never talk on the phone. That's how they get your location!"
  • (If Raz uses the helicopter helmet on Boyd) "Raz: Hey, I found the Milkman.
    Boyd: Big deal. I knew where he was the whole time. Getting past the red head, that's the problem."

Trivia[]

  • According to Tim Schafer, Boyd was heavily based on a real person that Double Fine paid to sweep the alley outside of their office. Many lines and themes in Boyd's rants were inspired by things said by this person, including those about pelicans, plastics and Hernando.[3]
  • It is implied Boyd may have a smoking habit, as several ashtrays are seen lying around in his house.
  • Psychonauts_-_Epic_Boyd_Glitch

    Psychonauts - Epic Boyd Glitch

    The "Boyd Pyro" glitch.

    A glitch can occur on the PC version of Psychonauts by using Pyrokinesis on Boyd in the Real world will cause the flames to never extinguish, and he will continue to burn, while walking and speaking normally.
  • After exiting his house, Boyd can be seen peeking out through his window, most likely watching out for G-Men.
  • Inside his mind, if Pyrokinesis is used on Boyd and you choose to talk to him, he will stop jumping around and instead stand still to talk.
  • Boyd's ramblings are procedurally generated by an algorithm that randomly combines phrases to produce them. As a result, he is very unlikely to say the same thing twice in a row and can essentially keep rambling forever.[4][5]
  • Boyd's voice actor, Alan Blumenfeld, also voices Glottis in Grim Fandango, another game by Tim Schafer.
  • Using Clairvoyance on Boyd as the Milkman shows Raz as a milk bottle with a head.
  • While rambling, Boyd may occasionally reference "the little fat kid with the bunny", foreshadowing the final level, Meat Circus. His ramblings also refer to Sheegor and Mr. Pokeylope.
  • Unlike Fred, Gloria and Edgar, Raz exploring Cooper's mind does not alleviate or help with his condition in any way; it simply triggers his alter ego, The Milkman.
  • When Boyd is hit with a Confusion Grenade before the Milkman Conspiracy is completed (impossible unless done by cheating), he temporarily comes to his senses and says this quote:
    • "Wait a minute, I think there may not be a conspiracy after all. It's possible that I am suffering from paranoid delusions, linked to an entity I call 'The Milkman' who is in actuality... (confusion wears off)  The mummified remains of Abraham Lincoln!"
  • Boyd's background of being hypnotically programmed to carry out a specific task shares similarities to the plot of Richard Codon's novel The Manchurian Candidate.
  • According to one of his random lines, his first cat was named Seymour.
  • In the Li-Po backstory document, the Den Mother is implied to be a representation of Boyd's real mother.
  • Boyd's alternate artificial personality was inspired by the hypnosis experiments from project MK Ultra.


References/Notes[]

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