CA – Talkin Toons LIVE
November 14, 2013 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, Anime, California, Movies, Other, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Video Games
Voice actor Rob Paulsen welcomes Tress MacNeille and Laraine Newman to Talkin’ Toons LIVE on Tuesday November 26, 2013 at 8:00 PM at the Hollywood Improv!
Press Release:
The world-famous Hollywood Improv is proud to invite you to join Emmy and Annie award winner Rob Paulsen as he talks about his experiences in voice acting!
Laraine Newman is a comedienne, actress, writer and was part of the original cast of Saturday Night Live! She’s been in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage and has provided voices in Wreck-It Ralph, Wall-E, Toy Story 3, Ponyo, Surf’s Up, Monsters, Inc. and more!
Tress MacNeille is best known for providing various voices in the animated series The Simpsons, Futurama, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers and more! Her list of video game roles include Kingdom Hearts games, Escape from Monkey Island, The Simpsons Game, and countless others!
About Rob Paulsen:
Born in Detroit, Rob Paulsen spent his childhood in Livonia and Rochester, attending Junior and Senior high school in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Rob loved cartoons like most kids but aspired to be a professional hockey player. “Fortunately, thanks to some big, strong, kid from Winnipeg who drilled me so hard my ears are still ringing, I learned around age 18 I had neither the talent nor the temperament to make a living playing hockey. So, I turned to my other passions: singing and acting.”
The goal of bringing absolute believability to a fictional character, live-action or animated, is what every actor strives for. Those who are committed to their career and who combine experience, passion and skill are likely to succeed.
Those gifted with exceptional talent who focus on maximizing their potential by finding their own niche, quickly break away from the pack. After years of honing their craft and consistently delivering memorable performances in which the character impacts an indelible image on the viewer, the public and the industry take notice, singling out the best.
“I’m getting paid to do what I got in trouble for in the 7th grade,” jests Rob, who won a Daytime Emmy in 1999 as “Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program” for Pinky and The Brain (Warner Bros.) Though nominated twice previously, the victory was especially sweet due to some formidable competition – fellow nominees Louie Anderson, Ernest Borgnine, Dennis Franz and Jeffery Tambor. In addition to his Emmy, Rob won back-to-back Annie Awards in 1997 and 1998. “I absolutely love what I do and thank my lucky stars for twenty-five years of full-time employment in this business,” he says.
“It’s a treat to portray a complex character,” Rob explains about Pinky, a goof-ball mouse with funny teeth, a head filled with clouds and an inane imagination that is punctuated with a staccato laugh. “Besides … where else could I find a job where emotional outbursts and odd exclamations like ‘Egad!,’ ‘Narf!,’ ‘Poit!,’ ‘Splonk!,’ and ‘Zort!’ are allowed and in fact, encouraged?” With over 2,000 half-hours of animation to his credit, Rob’s versatility shines in his starring roles as the voices of Yakko, Pinky and Dr. Scratch ‘n’ Sniff in the Peabody and two-time Emmy award-winning series “Animaniacs.”
Some of Rob’s other well-known animated characters include Raphael of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Arthur in “The Tick,” the title role in “The Mask” (for a WHOLE lot less dough than Mr. Carrey, thank you), the title role in “Mighty Max,” Carl Wheezer in “Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius,” Jack Fenton in “Danny Phantom,” Bobble in the “Tinkerbell” series of DVDs and hopefully more to come.
Paulsen’s extensive credits include on-camera roles in numerous motion pictures including Body Double, Stewardess School, Eyes of Fire, The Perfect Match, and Warlocked. His television acting credits include guest-starring roles on MacGyver and St. Elsewhere. Additionally, he is one of the most sought-after voice actors in the commercial arena, performing in over 1000 commercial spots.
As passionate about “paying it forward” as he is about his lucrative career, Rob supports various charitable organizations, particularly those benefiting children and military veterans. Rob’s volunteer work with GOALmodels has been particularly rewarding. GOALmodels, a high school program in Reseda, California, is designed to inspire 9th graders to set goals and overcome obstacles in life. Blending his life experiences with passion for his work, his presentations are informative, entertaining and inspiring. In his leisure time, Rob enjoys golf, riding his motorcycle and occasionally lacing up his skates for another chance to relive his past glory on the rink. He spends the majority of his free time with his wife, Parrish, and their two Yorkshire terriers, Pooshie and Tala.
Hollywood Improv
8162 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048
CA – Three Raphaels Talkin’ Toons
November 8, 2013 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, California, Movies, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Television, Video Games
Voice actor Rob Paulsen welcomes Sean Astin and Nolan North to Talkin’ Toons LIVE on Tuesday November 12, 2013 at 8:00 PM! All of them have played the voice of Raphael in different iterations of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
Press Release:
The world-famous Hollywood Improv is proud to invite you to join Emmy and Annie award winner Rob Paulsen as he talks about his experiences in voice acting!
Sean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer best known for his film roles as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, and the title character of Rudy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24[1] and currently voices Raphael in the 2012 Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series and Oso in the Disney Junior show Special Agent Oso.
Nolan North is an American actor and voice actor born in New Haven, Connecticut. He has been described as “the nearest thing the games industry has to a bona fide leading man.” He is most well known for his voice work as Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series; Desmond Miles from the Assassin’s Creed video game series; The Penguin in Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Origins; Deadpool in Hulk Vs, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds/Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Deadpool, Marvel Heroes, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes; Cyrille Le Paradox and El Jefe from Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time; Dr Edward Richtofen in the Zombies mode in the Call of Duty games World at War, Black Ops and Black Ops II; Corrupt Cores and Defective Turrets in Portal 2; Superboy and Superman in Young Justice; Cpt. Martin Walker in Spec Ops: The Line; and most recently David in the critically acclaimed game The Last of Us. He also played Raphael in the feature film TMNT.
About Rob Paulsen:
Born in Detroit, Rob Paulsen spent his childhood in Livonia and Rochester, attending Junior and Senior high school in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Rob loved cartoons like most kids but aspired to be a professional hockey player. “Fortunately, thanks to some big, strong, kid from Winnipeg who drilled me so hard my ears are still ringing, I learned around age 18 I had neither the talent nor the temperament to make a living playing hockey. So, I turned to my other passions: singing and acting.”
The goal of bringing absolute believability to a fictional character, live-action or animated, is what every actor strives for. Those who are committed to their career and who combine experience, passion and skill are likely to succeed.
Those gifted with exceptional talent who focus on maximizing their potential by finding their own niche, quickly break away from the pack. After years of honing their craft and consistently delivering memorable performances in which the character impacts an indelible image on the viewer, the public and the industry take notice, singling out the best.
“I’m getting paid to do what I got in trouble for in the 7th grade,” jests Rob, who won a Daytime Emmy in 1999 as “Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program” for Pinky and The Brain (Warner Bros.) Though nominated twice previously, the victory was especially sweet due to some formidable competition – fellow nominees Louie Anderson, Ernest Borgnine, Dennis Franz and Jeffery Tambor. In addition to his Emmy, Rob won back-to-back Annie Awards in 1997 and 1998. “I absolutely love what I do and thank my lucky stars for twenty-five years of full-time employment in this business,” he says.
“It’s a treat to portray a complex character,” Rob explains about Pinky, a goof-ball mouse with funny teeth, a head filled with clouds and an inane imagination that is punctuated with a staccato laugh. “Besides … where else could I find a job where emotional outbursts and odd exclamations like ‘Egad!,’ ‘Narf!,’ ‘Poit!,’ ‘Splonk!,’ and ‘Zort!’ are allowed and in fact, encouraged?” With over 2,000 half-hours of animation to his credit, Rob’s versatility shines in his starring roles as the voices of Yakko, Pinky and Dr. Scratch ‘n’ Sniff in the Peabody and two-time Emmy award-winning series “Animaniacs.”
Some of Rob’s other well-known animated characters include Raphael of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Arthur in “The Tick,” the title role in “The Mask” (for a WHOLE lot less dough than Mr. Carrey, thank you), the title role in “Mighty Max,” Carl Wheezer in “Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius,” Jack Fenton in “Danny Phantom,” Bobble in the “Tinkerbell” series of DVDs and hopefully more to come.
Paulsen’s extensive credits include on-camera roles in numerous motion pictures including Body Double, Stewardess School, Eyes of Fire, The Perfect Match, and Warlocked. His television acting credits include guest-starring roles on MacGyver and St. Elsewhere. Additionally, he is one of the most sought-after voice actors in the commercial arena, performing in over 1000 commercial spots.
As passionate about “paying it forward” as he is about his lucrative career, Rob supports various charitable organizations, particularly those benefiting children and military veterans. Rob’s volunteer work with GOALmodels has been particularly rewarding. GOALmodels, a high school program in Reseda, California, is designed to inspire 9th graders to set goals and overcome obstacles in life. Blending his life experiences with passion for his work, his presentations are informative, entertaining and inspiring. In his leisure time, Rob enjoys golf, riding his motorcycle and occasionally lacing up his skates for another chance to relive his past glory on the rink. He spends the majority of his free time with his wife, Parrish, and their two Yorkshire terriers, Pooshie and Tala.
Hollywood Improv
8162 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048
CA – Talkin’ Toons w/ Azula
September 16, 2013 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, California, Movies, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Television, Video Games
Voice actor Rob Paulsen welcomes Grey Delisle (Azula on Avatar: The Last Airbender, Daphne on Scooby-Doo, Vicky on Fairly OddParents, and many, many more) to the Talkin’ Toons podcast at the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club on Wednesday September 18, 2012 at 8:00pm!
18 & over
Two items minimum per person
Seating First Come First Serve
All Shows Have Adult Content
Door Time: 07:15 PM
Jon Lovitz Comedy Club
1000 Universal Studios Blvd #222, Universal City, CA 91608
GraniteCon Hosts Avengers Reading with Voiceover Stars
September 5, 2013 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, Anime, Convention News, Movies, New Hampshire, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Television, Top Stories, Video Games
Press Release:
GraniteCon hosts an event unlike any other on the evening of Saturday September 28th at 7:00 pm! We’ll be assembling our voice acting guests Grey DeLisle, Quinton Flynn, Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell, Jim Cummings, and Richard Horvitz to read selections from Marvel’s The Avengers in their character voices! Yakko & Wakko Warner as Thor & Loki? Winnie the Pooh as Tony Stark? You never know what’s going to happen! Please be advised this is a ticketed event! Tickets can be purchased at the door. VIP passes include entry into the script read!
PLUS the voice actors’ panel schedule:
20 Years of Animaniacs: Come celebrate 20 years of the hit show
“Animaniacs” with members of the cast itself. Join Rob Paulsen (Yakko, Pinky and more), Jess Harnell (Wakko) and Jim Cummings (Narrator and more) as they talk the impact of Animaniacs all these years later! Who knows? Maybe you’ll also hear a song or two! Ballroom A at 11:00 am Saturday.
Finding the Right Voice: Join Richard Horvitz (Invader Zim), Grey DeLisle (Scooby Doo) and Quinton Flynn (Final Fantasy VII) as they discuss the characters they’ve portrayed, how they got into voice acting and more! Ballroom B-D at 2:00 pm Saturday.
Saturday Night Voice Actor Script to “The Avengers”: Join our cast of voice actors as they read the script to “The Avengers” in the voices of characters they have brought to life in game, TV and movies! Could we see Yakko and Wakko as Thor and Loki? How about Tigger as The Hulk? Or maybe even Invader Zim as Nick Fury! Guaranteed to make you laugh and be a once in a lifetime event! This is a ticketed event. Ballroom A-D at 7:00 pm Saturday.
Voicing in Video Games: Join Quinton Flynn (Axel on Kingdom Hearts, Raiden on Metal Gear), Rob Paulsen (Gray Fox on Metal Gear) and Jess Harnell (Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon) as they discuss what it takes to voice in the gaming industry! Ballroom A at 11:00am Sunday.
Characters You Grew Up With, Past and Present: Join Jim Cummings (Darkwing Duck, Winnie the Pooh), Grey Delisle (Daphne on Scooby Doo, Azula on Avatar) and Richard Horvitz (Invader Zim, Alpha 5 on Power Rangers) as they talk about the various roles they portrayed for some of your favorite characters you grew up with! Ballroom B-D at 3:00pm Sunday.
Autograph Cost: First FAN provided item (DVDs, posters, comics, etc) they will sign FOR FREE! Each additional autograph, as well as photos, phone calls, video and voice recording will be $20!
Autograph Schedule:
Saturday:
10:00-11:00 – Quinton Flynn, Grey DeLisle, Richard Horvitz, Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell
11:00-11:30 – Grey DeLisle, Richard Horvitz, Quinton Flynn
12:00-1:30 – Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell
3:00-4:30 – Quinton Flynn, Grey DeLisle, Richard Horvitz, Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell
Sunday:
10:00-11:00 – Quinton Flynn, Grey DeLisle, Richard Horvitz, Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell
11:00-11:30 – Grey DeLisle, Richard Horvitz, Jim Cummings
12:00-1:30 Quinton Flynn, Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell
1:30-3:00 – Jim Cummings, Grey DeLisle, Richard Horvitz
3:30-5:00 – Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell, Quinton Flynn
4:00-5:00 – Jim Cummings, Grey DeLisle, Richard Horvitz
More information at the website: granitecon.com
ABOUT THE GUESTS:
Grey DeLisle
Grey DeLisle is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning and Annie nominated veteran voice actress who got her start doing the role of Reptar on Rugrats in 1994. Since then she has starred in hundreds of popular cartoons including The Fairly Odd Parents (Vicky), Avatar: The Last Airbender (Azula), Clone Wars (Asajj Ventress / Amidala), Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (Mandy), Danny Phantom (Sam), Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends (Frankie), Batman (Black Canary), Green Lantern (Aya), Wow Wow Wubbzy (Wubbzy), Clifford the Big Red Dog (Emily Elizabeth), and most notably the voice of “Daphne” on Scooby-Doo since 1997.
Gamers may recognize her voice from such titles as Doom, Mass Effect, Star Wars Old Republic, and Monkey Island. She also played “Nova” in Starcraft, the “Female Wizard” in Diablo 3, and “Vicky Vale”/”Catwoman” in this year’s hugely popular Arkham City.
Quinton Flynn
Quinton’s voice has been burning up the voice over industry since he first arrived in Los Angeles from his native Cleveland, Ohio. He is an A-list voice actor, having played such famous animated characters as: Jonny Quest, Speed Racer, The Human Torch, Elmer Fudd, Timon & Snowbell, just to name a few. His animated television appearances include: Robot Chicken, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Animaniacs, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, The Avengers and many more.
His best known roles in Video Game franchises have been his work providing the English voices of Raiden (Metal Gear Series), Axel (Kingdom Hearts Series), Kolyat Krios (Mass Effect), Henry (No More Heroes), Arlon & Rexus Ragespear (Guild Wars 2) and Reno in (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children) the motion picture.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in the Video Game world in which Quinton’s also portrayed: SPIDERMAN, VENOM, BANSHEE, ABYSS, MERRY, GOLLUM, CROIX & ORPHEN.
If you’re hip to the Anime scene you’ll know him as: Kon in Bleach, Iruka-sensei and Deidara in Naruto, Marcus Damon in Digimon Data Squad, Carl/Phantom in Blood+, Shingo Shouji in Initial D, Dr. Riddles & Victoreem in Zach Bell to name a few.
He is well known in the industry for his skills as an impressionist and improvisationalist, having played the role of Paul McCartney and tested for NBC’s Saturday Night Live and Comedy Network’s The Daily Show. Quinton is always happy to do the animated and anime characters he is known for when he performs “Live” and rolls out his favorite impressions and yours!
Rob Paulsen
The goal of bringing absolute believability to a fictional character, live-action or animated, is what every actor strives for. Those committed to their craft that combine experience, passion and skill are likely to succeed. Those gifted with exceptional talent who focus on maximizing their potential by finding their own niche, quickly break apart from the pack. After years of honing their craft and consistently delivering memorable performances in which the character impacts an indelible image on the viewer, the public and the industry take notice, singling out the best.
“I’m getting paid to do what got me in trouble in the 7th grade,” jests Rob Paulsen, who is one of the most popular voices in animation and won a Daytime Emmy in 1999 as “Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program” for Pinky and the Brain (WB). Though nominated twice previously, the victory was especially sweet due to the most formidable competition ever – fellow nominees Louis Anderson, Ernest Borgnine, Dom DeLuise, and Jeffrey Tambor. In addition to his Emmy, Rob won back-to-back Annie Awards in 1997 and 1998. “I absolutely love what I do and thank my lucky stars for twenty five years of full time employment in this business,” he admits. Interestingly, in those twenty five years, Rob now has the unique opportunity to have gone full circle with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series; having voiced Raphael in the original show, he is now voicing Donatello in Nickelodeon’s latest version of TMNT.
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Rob “loved cartoons like most kids ” and aspired to be a professional hockey player. “Fortunately, I learned pretty quickly that I had neither the talent, temperament nor dental insurance to pursue a career as a pro hockey player”. Ironically, acting was something to “fall back on” and Rob has voiced beloved characters in several iconic animated series: Yakko Warner in Animaniacs and Carl Wheezer in Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, but may be best known to animation fans the world over as the voice of the boisterous and energetic laboratory mouse Pinky in two hit series Steven Spielberg Presents Pinky and The Brain and Pinky, Elmyra, and The Brain for Warner Brothers.
“It’s a treat to portray a complex character,” Rob explains about Pinky, a gangling mouse with funny teeth, a head filled with clouds and an inane imagination that is punctuated with a staccato laugh. “Besides… where else could I find a job where emotional outbursts and odd exclamations like ‘Egad!’, ‘Narf!’, ‘Poit!’, ‘Splonk!’, and ‘Zort!’ are allowed?” With over 2,000 half-hours of animation to his credit, Rob’s versatility shines in his starring roles as the voices of Yakko, Dr. Scratch’N'Sniff and Pinky in the Peabody and the two-time Emmy award-winning series, Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs also for Warner Brothers. Currently, he can be heard as Peck in Back at the Barnyard, Birdbrain in T.U.F.F. Puppy, Jack Fenton in Danny Phantom and various characters, including Mark Chang in Fairly Odd Parents, all on Nickelodeon, as well as a number of Disney projects including The Little Mermaid III; Ariel’s Beginning, Jacques and the Grand Duke in Cinderella and the role of Bobble in the Tinkerbell DVD series. For young fans of Play House Disney, Rob provides the voices of Al in Can you teach my Alligator Manners? and Ze Fronk in Tasty Time with Ze Fronk and Toodles in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Paulsen’s extensive credits include on-camera roles in numerous motion pictures including Body Double, Stewardess School, Eyes of Fire, The Perfect Match, and Warlock. His television acting credits include guest starring roles on MacGyver and St. Elsewhere. Additionally, he is one of the most sought-after voice actors in the commercial arena, performing in over 1000 of them including the voice of Mr. Opportunity on behalf of Honda automobiles from 2004 thru 2010. Rob is also the host of a successful podcast, Talkin’ Toons, available at www.robpaulsenlive.com and iTunes.
Realizing how fortunate he is and passionate about giving back, Rob supports various charitable organizations, particularly Operation Smile, The Wounded Warriors Project and cancer and Muscular Dystrophy research.
A certified “gearhead”, Rob is also passionate about sports cars and motorcycles in addition to being an avid golfer. He also still laces up the ole skates every now and then to scratch that hockey itch. Rob spends the majority of his free time with his wife, Parrish, son Ash and two Yorkshire terriers, Pooshie and Tala.
Jess Harnell
Peabody Award Winner and Emmy Award Nominee Jess Harnell has been named by Variety Magazine as one of the top ten voice actors in the world. With literally hundreds of roles in feature films such as all three “Transformers” films, all three “Toy Story” films and “Up”, animated series from “Steven Spielberg’s Animaniacs” to “Spongebob Squarepants” to “The Simpsons” and The Cleveland Show, thousands of promos and commercials and even announcing “America’s Funniest Home Videos” for the last fifteen years, Jess has done it all. His celebrity impersonations have led to him being featured on Entertainment Tonight no less than four times as the top voice match in the business. With a rock star look and huge vocal range to match, Jess had a stint singing lead with mega band Journey and now fronts the world’s first live metal/pop mash up band “Rock Sugar”, sharing stages with bands from Aerosmith to AC/DC to Kiss and logging millions of hits on youtube. And with seven new animated series currently in production and a worldwide summer tour with Rock Sugar, for Jess Harnell the best is yet to come.
Jim Cummings
“Tell the kid he’s got it,” said the legendary Mel Blanc with a smile, after listening to a young man’s first demo tape of cartoon character voices. The year was 1984, “the kid,” was Jim Cummings. Since then, the kid has gone on to give life and voice to some of America’s most beloved animal Characters, even a few of the late Mel Blanc’s, and he was even nominated for an Emmy Award for his work as the lovable Tigger on Disney Channel’s “My Friends Tigger and Pooh,” in which he also voices everyone’s favorite bear, Winnie the Pooh.
Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, Cummings spent Saturday mornings riveted to the TV screen as he mimicked the characters in his favorite cartoons, all the while dreaming that one day he would voice them himself. At age 19, he moved to New Orleans, where he performed as a drummer, a singer, a deck hand on riverboats, and even designed and created Mardi Gras floats, all the while absorbing the rich characters and accents that would someday find expression in animation.
Years later, Cummings relocated to Southern California and managed a video store as he pursued his childhood dream. He gave his first demo to a customer who was also a movie producer, and the rest, as they say, is history. In 1984, Cummings landed his first role as Lionel the lion, in Disney Channel’s “Dumbo Circus.” During his illustrious career, he has worked extensively for the Walt Disney Studios voicing classic characters such as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, King Louis, Kaa the Snake, Pete (formerly peg legged Pete), and more. His many other credits include Darkwing Duck, Bonkers, Fat Cat, and Monterey Jack on “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,” Don Kamage on “Tailspin,” and too many others to mention here.
Cummings has done scores of voices for Warner Bros, as well, including Taz the Tazmanian Devil himself, Steven Spielberg’s “Animaniacs,” “Tiny Toon Adventures,” “Batman,” “Pinky and the Brain,” “Tazmania,” “Duck Dodgers,” and more. Other credits include “King of the Hill,” “Bump in the Night,” “Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,” “The Replacments,” “The Addams Family,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Star Wars Clone Wars,” “The Simpsons,” “Barnyard,” and “Catdog.”
Not Limited to the small screen, Cummings has acted in several blockbuster feature films for Dreamworks including “Shrek,” “Antz,” “Kung Fu Panda’s Furious 5,” “Hook,” “The Bee Movie,” “Balto,” and more. His credits read like a top-list of animated and live-action films. Credits include “Who framed Roger Rabbit,” “The Little Mermaid,” ‘Aladdin,” “Tarzan,” “Pocahontas,” “The Lion King,” “Babe: Pig in the City,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Brother Bear 2,” “The Princess and The Frog” to name a few.
Cummings’ uncanny ability to sing in character and voice match for stars who are, in his words, “great actors, just not great singers,” has led to many platinum and gold records for soundtracks like “Anastasia,” “The Lion King,” “Fox and the Hound,” “Pocahontas,” “Hercules,” and more. He was also AC, the lead singer of the famed California Raisins.
As of late, Jim is enjoying being the only American performer in the primary cast of “Gnomeo and Juliet,” where he plays the amorous garden flamingo, Featherstone. He is excited for the release on July 15th of the sequel to the animated Disney Classic, “Winnie the Pooh” in which he plays both Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, too! He will also be playing an evil African Warlord, Budzo, in the upcoming feature film, “Zambezia,” which is being released later this year.
Cummings’ work in voice over includes hundreds of television and radio commercials, movie trailers, promos, and videogames. “Pretty much anything involving microphones, music, noise in general, and padded walls,” jokes the affable actor, and “remember, only you can prevent forest fires,” so says Smokey the Bear, aka Jim Cummings. No matter how busy Cummings, schedule may be, it all stops when Famous Fone Friends of Make a Wish Foundation call on behalf of a very ill child and distraught family in need of a phone call from their favorite cartoon character. “Just bringing a respite, however brief, and perhaps a smile and giggle or two, means so much to the child and their family. I consider it a true blessing to be able to do that.”
Cummings is a proud father of four and resides somewhere in California with his beautiful two younger daughters Grace and Lulu Rose… and their critters.
Richard Horvitz
Fans of animation will recognize Richard Horvitz as the voice of many iconic characters, including INVADER ZIM, Billy from THE GRIM ADVENTURES OF BILLY AND MANDY, Daggett from THE ANGRY BEAVERS and Alpha 5 from the original MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS. In addition to Richard’s animation work, gamers will recognize him from his many video game roles in such classics as PSYCHONAUTS (RAZ), RATCHET AND CLANK series (Zoni, Pollyx, Zurgo) DESTROY ALL HUMANS (Orthopox) and SKYLANDERS (Kaos) to name a few. Richard began his acting career on camera and many may recall his role as Alan Eakian in Paramount Pictures 1980′s cult classic SUMMER SCHOOL. www.richardhorvitz.com
Power-Con (September 2013)
August 21, 2013 by powercon
Filed under Book Festivals, California, Collectibles, Convention Profiles
Event Details:
| Convention Name | |
| Power-Con | |
| Convention Website Address | |
| http://www.thepower-con.com/ | |
| About This Convention | |
| Power-Con is the fan convention dedicated to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, and ThunderCats.
Entertaining panels, loads of collectibles and toys and much much more! Experience these fan-favorite brands in a whole new way. |
|
| Venue Name and Address | |
| Torrance Marriott South Bay 3635 Fashion Way Torrance, CA 90503 United States Map It |
|
| Number of Dealer/Exhibitor Tables | |
| 76 | |
| Projected Attendance | |
| 3000 | |
| Please select the Category that best describes the convention | |
| Collectibles | |
| Additional Categories | |
|
|
| Guests | |
| Derek Gable, Mel Gilden, Stuart Gillard, Rowby Goren, Barbara Hambly, Phil Harnage, Gavin Hignight, Four Horsemen, Larry Houston, Michele Ivey, Larry Kenney, Robert Lamb, Corey Landis, Christian Lanz, Roger Lay, Jr., Lynne Lipton, Matthew Malach, Steven Melching, Eddy Mosqueda, Francis Moss, Bob Nall, Scott Neitlich, Peter Newman, Ciro Nieli, Dan Norton, Rudy Obrero, Alan Oppenheimer, Rob Paulsen, Christina Pickles, Gerrianne Raphael, Michael Reaves, Tone Rodriguez, Lee Schneider, Connie Schurr, Felipe Smith, Dean Stefan, Tom Tataranowicz, Tanya Tate, Matt Tyree, Steve Varner, Jack and Leslie Wadsworth, Tom Waltz, Anthony Washington, Chris Weber, Karen Willson, Dave Wilkins, David Wise, Bill Wolf, David Wolfram, Jason Ybarra | |
GraniteCon 2013 Celebrates 10th Anniversary
August 19, 2013 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, Comic Books, Convention News, Movies, New Hampshire, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Television, Top Stories
Press Release:
Granitecon 2013 is just over five weeks away! Join us September 28th and 29th at the Radisson Center of New Hampshire! To celebrate ten years of Granitecon we’re expanding to two days, moving to the larger Expo Center and assembling our largest guest list ever! Expect all sorts of fun events, signings and more!
Guests include:
Chris Giarrusso – Mini Marvels
Ben Templesmith – Ten Grand, 30 Days of Night
Ethan Van Sciver – Green Lantern, Batman
Arthur Suydam – Marvel Zombies
Katie Cook – My Little Pony
Art Baltazar – Tiny Titans
Ron Marz – Witchblade, Green Lantern
Mark Texiera – Ghost Rider
David Petersen – Mouse Guard
Dan Parent – Archie Comics
Craig Rousseau – The Perhapanauts
Plus Voice Actors Including:
Jess Harnell – Animaniacs, The Cleveland Show
Rob Paulsen – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Animaniacs
Jim Cummings – Winnie the Pooh, Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Grey Delisle – Avatar: The Last Airbender, Scooby-Doo, Fairly OddParents
See the full guest list and buy tickets at www.granitecon.com!
Make sure to follow Granitecon on Twitter @granitecon and Like us on Facebook!
CA – Talkin’ Toons w/ Obi-Wan
August 12, 2013 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, California, Movies, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Television, Top Stories, Video Games
Voice actor Rob Paulsen welcomes James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi on Star Wars: The Clone Wars) to the Talkin’ Toons podcast at the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club on Wednesday August 14, 2012 at 8:00pm!
18 & over
Two items minimum per person
Seating First Come First Serve
All Shows Have Adult Content
Door Time: 07:15 PM
Jon Lovitz Comedy Club
1000 Universal Studios Blvd #222, Universal City, CA 91608
GA – An Evening with Pinky and the Brain
August 10, 2013 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, Georgia, Movies, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Television, Top Stories
Join Emmy winning voice actors Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche on Saturday, August 31, 2013 from 8:00 PM to 11:30 PM for An Evening with Pinky and The Brain! There will be episode screenings, Q&A, songs, impressions, and just general wackiness – all Pinky and The Brain style! After the show stay for the Meet and Greet to say hello to the actors!
General Admission tickets to the show are $25.00. Meet and Greet tickets are $40.00 and include the show as well as the actors signing one item that you supply and your taking a picture with them. All sales are non-refundable. Click here for tickets!
Plaza Theatre
1049 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
DC – Tons of Laughs & Autographs
July 8, 2013 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, District of Columbia, Movies, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Television
Voice actor Rob Paulsen appears at the National Press Club on Thursday August 1, 2013 at 6:30pm!
Get tickets ($10) at the link!
Press Release:
What do Yakko Warner and Dr. Otto Scratch‘n’sniff of Animaniacs; Pinky of Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain; the classic Raphael and current Donatello of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Carl Wheezer of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius; Bobble of Tinker Bell; and over 250 other animated characters have in common? They are all voiced by Rob Paulsen, award-winning voice actor extraordinaire.
With over thirty years of experience in the professional voiceover industry, and over 2,000 half-hours of animation and 1,000 commercial spots to his credit, it’s a guarantee that at some point, you’ve heard Paulsen’s voice emanating from your television. Now, hear him (and his characters) in person as he talks about his amazing career and experiences in the voiceover industry, answers audience questions, and signs autographs for his fans.
Paulsen’s versatility as a voice actor shines in his many roles, which include, in addition to those listed above, Porky Pig, Arnold the Pit Bull, Fowlmouth, and Furrball in Tiny Toon Adventures; Mac Gopher in The Looney Tunes Show; Bird Brain in T.U.F.F. Puppy; Steelbeak in Darkwing Duck; The Riddler in Lego Batman: The Movie; Mark Chang in The Fairly OddParents; Toodles in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse; Spike in The Land Before Time; Throttle in Biker Mice from Mars; Stanley Ipkiss in The Mask TV series; Arthur in The Tick; and Gladstone Gander in DuckTales.
For his voice acting work, Paulsen has received three Emmy nominations, winning a Daytime Emmy Award for his role as Pinky. Paulsen has also been nominated for an Annie Award six times, winning twice for his role as Pinky and once for his role as Yakko Warner. Animaniacs, in which Paulsen played a key role, has also received numerous awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award in its debut season.
Along with his successful career in voice acting, in 2011 Paulsen started the popular “Talkin’ Toons” podcast, in which he discusses his experiences in voice acting and chats with other accomplished members of the voiceover and animation industries. The podcast averages 80,000 listeners per month and has featured a plethora of industry guests, including Nancy Cartwright (voice of Bart Simpson), Debi Derryberry (Jimmy Neutron), June Foray (Rocky and Natasha from Rocky and Bullwinkle), Jim Cummings (Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger) and Mark Hamill (the Joker on Batman: The Animated Series).
Admission for this event is free for NPC Members, $10 for general admission. This event is sponsored by The National Press Club’s Young Members Committee.
National Press Club
529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045
John DiMaggio Hosts I Know That Voice Panel at SDCC 2013
July 2, 2013 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, California, Comic-Con International, Convention News, Movies, Television, Top Stories
Press Release:
The 2013 San Diego Comic-Con convention announced the star cast and crew of the revolutionary new documentary “I Know That Voice” will host a panel for more than 175,000-plus comic book fans from around the world on July 18, 2013. John DiMaggio (“I Know That Voice” Executive Producer and voices of Bender from Futurama, Jake the Dog from Adventure Time, IFC’s Out There and many more) brings together the documentary’s cast, producer and director to expose an exclusive sneak peak at the most anticipated film about voice over ever made at The World’s Biggest Comic Book Convention™.
The 2013 San Diego Comic-Con panel will feature insider clips and a Q&A session with John DiMaggio, Billy West (Futurama, The Ren & Stimpy Show), Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants, Brickleberry) Rob Paulsen (TMNT, Pinky and the Brain), Dee Bradley Baker (Legend of Korra, Clone Wars, Ben 10, American Dad), Fred Tatasciore (Hulk, Ben 10, Mad), Andrea Romano (25-time Emmy nominated, 8-time Emmy winner for Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and more), Tommy Reid (Producer) and Lawrence Shapiro (Director).
From comic book junkies and animation maniacs to video game gurus and anyone who has ever been touched by cartoons, rumor of this film’s release has left fans filled with anticipation. Growing at a steady pace, more than 2,100 fans have joined the VIP Insider List and pre-ordered the DVD. With YouTube videos garnering 800,000-plus views and hundreds of Cartoon Voice Imitation Contest submissions pouring onto the documentary’s Facebook page, this film is gearing up to reveal to the world the mysterious lives and humor of some of the greatest voice actors of all time.
To add to fans’ growing excitement, every 100th person to join the VIP List on the documentary’s website will be announced and will win a limited collector-edition poster autographed by John DiMaggio. Not only will VIP List members get the latest news on the film, but they will also have first dibs to pre-order the DVD and get their hands on a copy before it hits the market.
“We’ve been absolutely bombarded with fans’ anticipation on social media since word slipped out,” said John DiMaggio. “San Diego Comic-Con is the perfect place to raise the bar and be accessible to the fans so they can ask us anything and everything they are dying to know about the project, the voice acting industry and more.”
Press Release:
The extensive all-star cast of more than 100 talented actors behind cartoon voices also features Matt Groening (The Simpsons), Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Family Guy), Tara Strong (The Powerpuff Girls, My Little Pony) and Jim Cummings (Winnie the Pooh).
Got a great cartoon voice impression? The “I Know That Voice” Cartoon Voice Imitation Contest is accepting submissions to its Facebook page until July 31, 2013, at 11:59 p.m. PST. The Top 3 submissions will be selected and personally announced by DiMaggio and the “I Know That Voice” team on August 5 and will win a copy of the DVD, signed by DiMaggio and a poster signed by some of the “I Know That Voice” star cast. Participants from across the globe are encouraged to post a 1-minute-or-less video to the Wall and must “Like” the page to be reviewed. Contestants can impersonate any cartoon(s) ever made.
Producer Tommy Reid said “I Know That Voice” will break new ground and give cartoon lovers of all ages and places a light-hearted, in-depth look into an industry that other films have only scratched the surface. “This documentary not only features the voices behind some of the world’s most beloved cartoons, but it also draws back the curtains into the lives of the unsung heroes whose voices have captivated millions of people’s hearts.”
The outspoken, unpredictable characters on the “I Know That Voice” panel will spill the news at San Diego Comic-Con on July 18, 2013, from 4:45-5:45 p.m., in Room 6BCF.
For exclusive photos, videos and news on “I Know That Voice,” visit the website and Facebook page.
Follow the documentary on Instragram @iknowthatvoicemovie and #iknowthatvoice.
Watch the first trailer and second trailer on YouTube.
The full cast list can be found on IMDb
About the “I Know That Voice” Team
John Di Maggio, Tommy Reid and Lawrence Shapiro’s combined chemistry and strengths came together to form the groundbreaking “I Know That Voice” documentary. Stated by Tommy as “a true labor of love,” the film took two years to make, collected extensive interviews and compiled never-before-seen footage making “I Know That Voice” truly one-of-a-kind of its subject matter. Emmy-nominated and Annie award winner John Di Maggio is known for his iconic role as “Bender” in Futurama and “Jake the Dog” in Adventure Time, as well as his roles in The Penguins of Madagascar, Gears of War, Kim Possible and more. Tommy Reid is a renowned producer of films including Kill The Irishman, Americans, Superthief: Inside America’s Biggest Bank Score, Danny Greene: The Rise & Fall of the Irishman and Strike. “I Know That Voice” Director Lawrence Shapiro directed films including Jam in the Dam, Los Lobos, Kiko Live, The Marshall Tucker Band: Carolina Dreams Tour and Blue Cheer: Rocks Europe.
