U.Z. Inu
From Homestar Runner Wiki
Bleu Ninja (Talk | contribs) m (Add a relevant image (since we don't have a picture of the psudonymous individual). See Also: other Stinkoman composers) |
Bleu Ninja (Talk | contribs) (→Connection to Toby Fox: Add more links for context and generally adjust the writing.) |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
==Connection to Toby Fox== | ==Connection to Toby Fox== | ||
| - | + | U.Z. Inu has been speculated to be '''{{w|Toby Fox}}''', video game developer and music composer. Fox is secretive about his personal life and rarely appears in person, does interviews, or provides photos of his face, making the use of such a pseudonym plausible. Several details point to Inu potentially being an alias for Fox: | |
| + | * Fox often uses the [https://undertale.fandom.com/wiki/Annoying_Dog Annoying Dog] from his game ''{{w|Undertale}}'' as an avatar to represent himself. The name "U.Z. Inu" is likely a play on the Japanese localized name for the character (うざいイヌ, {{w|Romanization of Japanese|romanized}} as ''Uzai Inu''). | ||
| + | * U.Z. Inu's music for ''Stinkoman 20X6'' features many of Toby's signature composition habits and instrumentation, as well as sharing the same instrument samples that he uses in music for his games. | ||
| + | * Fox is a fan of [[Homestar Runner (body of work)|Homestar Runner]]: | ||
| + | ** He directly cited it as the inspiration for [https://tcrf.net/Prerelease:Undertale/Concept_Art a scrapped attack in ''Undertale''], in which the player would have to [[mile|jump over a row of 19 buses]]. | ||
| + | **His game ''{{w|Deltarune}}'' contains a music group known as the "[[Game Sightings#Deltarune|Sweet Cap'n Cakes]]", a reference to [[Sweet Cuppin' Cakes]]. One of its members plays a song titled [https://tobyfox.bandcamp.com/track/when-i-get-mad-i-dance-like-this "When I Get Mad I Dance Like This"], very similar to the demo that [[Casio Head Strong Bad]] plays [[crazy cartoon|when he gets mad]]. | ||
| - | + | When level 10 released in 2020, there was no other trace of "U.Z. Inu" online. In 2022, Inu reappeared: credited as composer and lyricist for "I'm Your Treasure Box" by {{w|Houshou Marine}}, a Japanese {{w|VTuber}} who Fox had personally thanked for playing his game ''Undertale'' on stream. This song was made in collaboration with musician [[TVTropes:Music/Camellia|Camellia]], who has collaborated with Toby Fox on multiple occasions. | |
| - | + | The secretive nature of the U.Z. Inu identity has allowed imitators to use the alias, such as a Toby Fox imitator releasing fan-made ''Deltarune'' music under the name. | |
| - | + | ||
| - | The secretive nature of the U.Z. Inu | + | |
== See Also == | == See Also == | ||
Revision as of 17:41, 6 June 2024
U.Z. Inu is the composer credited for Stinkoman 20X6's tenth level. They contributed three tracks: the level theme (a remix of Stinkoman Level 1), Z Sabre's boss theme (a remix of the standard boss theme), and Mecha-Trogador's boss theme (a remix combining Stinkoman Level 1 and Trogdor). Curiously, while all of the other credited contributors were thanked in a Twitter thread following the level's release, U.Z. Inu has never been acknowledged outside of the game's credits sequence.
Connection to Toby Fox
U.Z. Inu has been speculated to be Toby Fox, video game developer and music composer. Fox is secretive about his personal life and rarely appears in person, does interviews, or provides photos of his face, making the use of such a pseudonym plausible. Several details point to Inu potentially being an alias for Fox:
- Fox often uses the Annoying Dog from his game Undertale as an avatar to represent himself. The name "U.Z. Inu" is likely a play on the Japanese localized name for the character (うざいイヌ, romanized as Uzai Inu).
- U.Z. Inu's music for Stinkoman 20X6 features many of Toby's signature composition habits and instrumentation, as well as sharing the same instrument samples that he uses in music for his games.
- Fox is a fan of Homestar Runner:
- He directly cited it as the inspiration for a scrapped attack in Undertale, in which the player would have to jump over a row of 19 buses.
- His game Deltarune contains a music group known as the "Sweet Cap'n Cakes", a reference to Sweet Cuppin' Cakes. One of its members plays a song titled "When I Get Mad I Dance Like This", very similar to the demo that Casio Head Strong Bad plays when he gets mad.
When level 10 released in 2020, there was no other trace of "U.Z. Inu" online. In 2022, Inu reappeared: credited as composer and lyricist for "I'm Your Treasure Box" by Houshou Marine, a Japanese VTuber who Fox had personally thanked for playing his game Undertale on stream. This song was made in collaboration with musician Camellia, who has collaborated with Toby Fox on multiple occasions.
The secretive nature of the U.Z. Inu identity has allowed imitators to use the alias, such as a Toby Fox imitator releasing fan-made Deltarune music under the name.
