Samantha Newark Performs for ‘Free Comic Book Day’

Samantha Newark (Image courtesy SamanthaNewark.com)

Galactic Quest comic store in Lawrenceville, GA (northeast of Atlanta) welcomes Samantha Newark on “Free Comic Book Day” May 1st for a 1-hour concert from 8-9 PM.

Here’s Samantha’s bio from her official website — SamanthaNewark.com:

Samantha Newark is best known as the beloved voice of JEM and JERRICA of the smash cartoon series and pop culture phenomenon, JEM ANDTHE HOLOGRAMS.

Her voice-over credits also include “Transformers”, the feature film “Hook”, “Britney Spears Dance Beat”, “Project A-KO’, Sony Play station games, and numerous TV projects.

Sam is also an accomplished musician, whose original music and stellar vocals can currently be heard on such TV shows as “Smallville”, “Reba” the CWs “Gossip Girl” and “Life Is Wild” also MTV’s “Laguna Beach”, “Punked” and “My Super Sweet Sixteen” She has also sung on the much anticipated James Bond video game and has lent her vocals to Sony’s huge hits “God of War”, “Twisted Metal Black” and “Wild Arm’s 3”.

For location and event details, visit galacticquest.com.

Voice Actors McConnohie, Spevack Appearing in Sci-Fi Web Series

For Immediate Release

Michael McConnohhie as Prof. Walt Kellogg. (Image courtesy frontier-guard.com)

Veteran voice actors MICHAEL McCONNOHIE (TRANSFORMERS, WORLD OF WARCRAFT’S LICH KING) and MELODEE M. SPEVACK (DIGIMON, WORLD OF WARCRAFT) are regulars on the new sci-fi web series FRONTIER GUARD.

MICHAEL McCONNOHIE’s extensive credits [IMDb link] include TRANSFORMERS (Tracks, Cosmos, Hotshot, Ironhide), G.I. JOE (Cross Country), VISIONARIES (Ectar, Lexor), THE BIG O, DIGIMON, WORLD OF WARCRAFT (Lich King, Uther), DIABLO II, CRACKDOWN, FINAL FANTASY, PARAWORLD, STAR TREK (games), MONSTER, ARGENTOSOMA, TENCHI MUYO!, BOBOBO-BOBOBOBO, CODE GEASS, ROBOTECH, DRAGON BALL MOVIE 3, STAR WARS ROGUE SQUADRON, POWER RANGERS, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, HARE + GUU, LENSMAN, VAMPIRE HUNTER D (“D”), NARUTO, BLEACH, FIST OF THE NORTH STAR, TEKNOMAN, ERGO PROXY, PARANOIA AGENT, COWBOY BEBOP, DISGAEA, RUROUNI KENSHIN, BLUE DRAGON, LAST EXILE and many others.

Melodee M. Spevack as Major Hemela Strayteb. (Image courtesy frontier-guard.com)

MELODEE M. SPEVACK’s credits [IMDB link] include DIGIMON, WORLD OF WARCRAFT, STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE, MONSTER, ARGENTOSOMA, TENCHI MUYO!, BOBOBO-BOBOBOBO, SAKURA WARS: SO LONG MY LOVE, ROBOTECH, BLEACH, FIST OF THE NORTH STAR, SPACE DOGS, TEKNOMAN, ERGO PROXY, PARANOIA AGENT, COWBOY BEBOP, LOST ODYSSEY, RUROUNI KENSHIN, BLUE DRAGON, DOT HACK, LAST EXILE, MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH and many others.

For further information on the FRONTIER GUARD project, go to:

http://www.frontier-guard.com/

Currently available – a new “Faces of the Guard” vignettes featuring their respective characters:

– McCONNOHIE as alien Professor Walt Kellogg:

– SPEVACK as alien professor Major Hemela Strayteb:

Thanks to Sharon Dean of VoxWorks.com for the press release.

Event: Paul Williams Honored

For Immediate Release

OSCAR, GRAMMY, AND GOLDEN GLOBE-WINNING HALL OF FAME SONGWRITER PAUL WILLIAMS TO BE HONORED BY GOODSPEED

Beloved Composer/Lyricist will be honored with The Goodspeed Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre

Paul Williams image courtesy Media.Marketwire.com

East Haddam, Conn., February 10, 2010: Goodspeed Musicals will proudly honor Composer/Lyricist Paul Williams at a Gala evening on Saturday, June 12, 2010 when he will receive “The Goodspeed Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre” in recognition of his extraordinary career. Previous award recipients include Julie Andrews, Ira Gershwin, Jerry Herman, William Ivey Long, Michael P. Price, Stephen Schwartz, Tommy Tune, Susan Stroman and Gerald Schoenfeld. Proceeds from the Gala will support Goodspeed Musicals’ Education Programs.

The Co-Chairs for this Gala event will be writer/director/producer Garry Marshall and his wife Barbara; Academy Award-winning puppeteer, director/producer Brian Henson; Tony Award nominee and Oscar, Grammy Award-winning composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz; and Steve Sauer. The evening’s festivities, to be held at the elegant Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station in Haddam, Conn., will include a cocktail hour and an exquisite dinner followed by a live auction led by celebrity auctioneer and longtime Goodspeed supporter Ann Nyberg and entertainment by some of Broadway’s finest performers.

Individual tickets start at $500, while tables of ten can be purchased for $5,000 and up. For Gala ticket information, please telephone Caitlin Quinn at 860.873.8664, extension 367. Also see the website for more details: www.goodspeed.org.

Paul Williams in rehearsal for 'Happy Days' at Goodspeed. (Photo by Diane Sobolewski, courtesy Goodspeed Musicals)

This year, Goodspeed is delighted to honor Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe-winning Hall of Fame songwriter Paul Williams (Chairman and President of ASCAP). “Evergreen,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” and “The Rainbow Connection” are among his timeless standards. His film scores include the Oscar nominated Bugsy Malone and the classic The Muppet Christmas Carol. His contribution to musical theatre includes penning the music and lyrics for Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter, which had its world premiere at the Goodspeed in 2008, and Garry Marshall’s Happy Days: A New Musical, which was developed at Goodspeed’s Norma Terris Theatre followed by a full scale production at the Goodspeed Opera House. Happy Days went on to play at the Paper Mill Playhouse and a successful National Tour.

Paul is recognized as one of America’s most prolific and gifted lyricists and composers. His standards have been recorded by such diverse musical icons as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, David Bowie, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughn, Johnny Mathis, The Carpenters, Luther Vandross, REM, Mel Torme, Anne Murray, Diana Krall, Gladys Knight and Diana Ross.

Paul Williams during first day 'Happy Days' rehearsals at Goodspeed 2009. (Photo by Diane Sobolewski, courtesy Goodspeed Muscials)

Publicly lauded for his work as a songwriter, performer, actor and humanitarian, Mr. Williams became a member of the Goodspeed Musicals family in 2007 when it produced Happy Days at The Norma Terris Theatre. His association with Goodspeed in creating new works continues today.

Dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre, Goodspeed Musicals produces three musicals each season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn., and additional productions at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., which was opened in 1984 for the development of new musicals. The only regional theatre to receive two Tony Awards (for outstanding achievement), Goodspeed also maintains The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in the Musical Theater.

* Williams has also voiced characters for a number of animated productions, most notably as the voice of Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin on Batman: The Animated Series, Professor Williams on Dexter’s Laboratory, Kujo on Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Mother of Invention on The Tick, Mr. Cairo on Phantom 2040, Izzith on Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, and Garen on The Pirates of Dark Water.

Learn more about Williams’ life and career on his official site: PaulWilliamsConnection.org.

Thanks to Elisa Hale of Goodspeed Musicals for the press release.

Related post: 4.20.2009 — Paul Williams Elected ASCAP President/Chairman

Jonathan Winters Rumored to Voice Papa Smurf

UGO.com is reporting that Jonathan Winters will voice Papa Smurf in The Smurfs computer-animated feature expected to release in theaters on July 29, 2011.

IMDb.com and Wikipedia.org both state that John Lithgow and Julia Sweeney are rumored to be involved with the film as well, and IMDb adds that Wallace Shawn is rumored to voice the villain Gargamel, but bear in mind that no cast members have been officially announced or confirmed to date…and neither has Winters either, for that matter. UGO credits a “well placed source,” so take that for what it’s worth.

And speaking of Winters…

Over the course of 2009 I featured individuals here who were very influential in sparking my lifelong interest in character voice acting, like comedy legends Bill Cosby, Rich Little and Stan Freberg.

Jonathan Winters is another early influence, whose amazing skill for improv, quick wit and flair for comedic characters (and character voices) has always fascinated and entertained me. And he’s had a fair amount of animation credits to date, with such memorable guest roles on Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures, The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972), and Pogo for President (1980).

But Winters is a man of many talents and a wearer of many hats (quite literally, from his repertoire of hat-wearing characters): comedian, actor, voice talent, artist and author. He’s also recently released an audio production: Jonathan Winters: A Very Special Time, a collection of “soliloquies and psalms” narrated by Winters.

Visit his official website — JonathanWinters.com — to learn more about this marvelous talent and an entertainment legend.

And if you have about 2 hours to watch the Archive of American Television‘s a 5-part comprehensive interview with Winters, it’s well worth viewing:

Spike Spencer in Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spike Spencer to Voice Characters in Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment

LOS ANGELES, CA – Feb. 9 – It has been announced that actor Spike Spencer is to voice two characters in the Classic RPG Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment, recently developed and published by Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.

Spike will provide the voices for Connor Ganson, (a career criminal since age sixteen; an unrepentant street thief and con artist) and Menicks Rence. “I really enjoyed playing a career criminal, a character so totally unlike me. Wink, wink, nod, nod, say no more…” joked Spike in a recent interview. “It was also nice to play another character, in Manicks, with a deeper voice which a lot of people don’t realize I can do. It was a nice departure from all those effeminate little girly boys who save the world in a biomechanical frickin robot.” Spike jokingly added.

Story:
This time, the action takes place in a time before the first Vandal Hearts story. Konami’s legendary tactical RPG series returns with the all new Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment for Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation Network.

On the continent of Sostegaria, two rival kingdoms stand on the brink of war. Caught in the tide of battle is young orphan Tobias Martin. Driven to defend his homeland, and to avenge those already fallen, Tobias enlists with his comrades to fight for peace. But all is not what it seems, and they face a threat far deadlier—and closer—than they know.

It’s been a decade since the launch of the first Vandal Hearts game, which appeared on the original PlayStation and made a name for itself as one of the first and more successful tactical role-playing games outside Japan.

Key Features:
-Classic gameplay, expanded and streamlined – Combines the speedy RPG pace of the original Vandal Hearts with improved user mechanics and top-notch representation.

-Strong story – Serving as the prequel to the original Vandal Hearts, Flames of Judgment delivers a rich, focused, and character-driven storyline. Between the action, towns, story sequences, and cinematic cutscenes, a typical play-through can last 8 to 10 hours on average, with additional replay value.

-Multiple Endings – The player’s actions throughout the game determine the ending, Tobias’ future and more.

-Party members adapt: Player characters improve their skills as you see fit, providing a wide range of options.

Spike Spencer is scheduled to appear at several Anime and gaming conventions this year including Anime Evolution in Vancouver, Imagicon in Alabama, and Puerto Rico’s Comic Con.

ABOUT SPIKE SPENCER:
An accomplished actor, Spike Spencer has worked onscreen with such notable stars as Tommy Lee Jones, Sandra Bullock, Frank Langella, Tia Carrere, and Scott Glenn.

In the realm of voice acting he has voiced hundreds of episodes of Anime including Evangelion, Spriggan, Nadesico, Mar, Pre Tear, Code Geass 2, Buso Renkin and Bleach as well as numerous video games including World of Warcraft-The Burning Crusades, Tales of Vesperia, Trauma Center, Steambot Chronicles, and Star Ocean 2. Spike has lent his voice to many radio and television commercials and campaigns.

Spike is also an author/screenwriter and is in pre-production on his first feature film that he scripted, “Dwindle Down.”

Learn more about Spike at:
www.worldospike.com
www.spikespencer.com
http://www.almostevilminions.com – coming soon
Twitter.com
Facebook.com

Related post: 1.15.2010 — Spike Spencer Cast in ‘Lunar: Silver Star Harmony

Dee Bradley Baker Interviewed

BurbankLeader.com has a photo and interview with Dee Bradley Baker discussing his role as the grouchy screwdriver “Turner” on Playhouse Disney’s Handy Manny.

Baker says he has been performing since he was 9. “The school I was going to was producing the musical ‘Oliver.’ I auditioned, I’d never done a play before, and they gave me the role of Oliver.”

Baker says he’s “done a show almost every year since, if not on a stage, then in a theme park or other venues”: “I have always performed because I liked doing it so much.”

Baker adds that he enjoys being a voice actor as opposed to on-camera because he likes the anonymity and it gives him an opportunity to play a variety of characters.

“If you get on [an on-camera] show that’s a big hit, that might be the last show you ever do, or at least the only show you’ll do while it’s up and running. Off camera as a voice actor, I can do something for Disney or monsters for a game for teenagers. It offers great flexibility. Anonymity is a valuable asset of the career; you can go buy a rutabaga and not be mobbed at the grocery store.”

And as a bonus, here’s an interview with Baker on StarWars.com from Nov. 9th discussing his roles as the clone troopers and Queen Karina on Cartoon Network’s The Clone Wars.

Baker recently appeared in a supporting role on Nick’s Big Time Rush (previously reported here).

And so you don’t have to look them up on YouTube, here’s a few fairly recent video interviews:

– “Game On Grapevine” on Clone Wars, Daffy Duck and Monster SFX:

– MaximoTV on ‘Handy Manny’:

– BigShinyRobot.com at Comic-Con:

You can keep up with Baker’s current and upcoming projects via Twitter (@deebradleybaker) and his official site DeeBaker.com.

Featured Voices: Jeff Bordner

Continued Super Bowl Sunday voice-related coverage…

Salt Lake City’s KSL.com has an interview with Jeff Bordner, who won the audition as the announcer for Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl VI.

“I love what I do. My work is play,” he tells KSL.com. “My commute consists of a cup of coffee and negotiating the steps downstairs in my power suit, which is my bathrobe.”

Bordner, who also voices promos for ESPN, NBC, CBS and FOX, says of the VO industry: “I don’t know of another business that is this competitive. I’m very fortunate and I’m very blessed. Every type of voice brings with it some kind of positive thing, some kind of hook that advertisers are looking for. Whether it’s comedic or intense, or whether it’s just a regular guy. I’ve learned it’s not the voice, it’s the performance. You are voice acting. It is acting.”

You can learn more about Bordner’s work on his official site: NationalVoiceover.com.

Bordner replaces the late Harry Kalas, who served as announcer for Puppy Bowls I-V. Kalas, who passed away April 13, 2009, was the beloved voice of the Philadelphia Phillies and narrator for NFL Films. Look for a memorial tribute to Kalas here in April, 2010.

Related post: 2.07.2010 — Super Bowl Sunday VO

Rich Little to Perform Jimmy Stewart Tribute Show

In an interview with the Times-Herald, impressionist Rich Little announced that he has turned his impression of and close friendship with Jimmy Stewart into a one-man tribute show, “Jimmy Stewart: A Humorous Look at His Life.”

According to Little’s official site, the inaugural performance is scheduled for Friday, May 7th in Bettendorf, IA.

“It’s great fun for me to do,” Little told the Times-Herald. “I think [Stewart is] my best impression. I knew him extremely well.”

Little said he approached Stewart about the one-man show years before it came to fruition, “I said, ‘You know, Jimmy, I’m thinking about a one man show about you,’ and he says (Little becomes Stewart), ‘Rich, why can’t I do that?'”

In the show, Little includes impersonations of Gary Cooper, Andy Rooney, Dr. Phil and others.

“A lot of one man shows, for two hours, can be boring. I didn’t want to make it boring,” Little said. “So I put all the other voices in it. I want to take it to Broadway. I’ve been working on it every day for three years.”

Little adds that he’s also considering a tribute show to Ronald Reagan. Little’s friendship and history with Reagan is detailed on RichLittle.com.

Related post: 1.07.2010 — Impressionist Rich Little Becomes U.S. Citizen

Rick Wasserman Talks ‘Planet Hulk’

Toonzone’s Ed Liu has a great interview with voice actor Rick Wasserman who spills details on Planet Hulk which released on DVD Feb. 2nd. Here’s an excerpt:

TZN: Was there any particular scene you can remember that really gave you a lot of trouble to get right?

WASSERMAN: Well, on a technical note, all of the roaring and screaming had to be right, even though a lot of the time, we didn’t have pictures. I didn’t get to see what this thing really looked like until the premiere, and at some of the ADR I got to see some pictures. But they’d have to describe to me, like, “All right, Hulk is leaping 60 feet into the air and grabbing onto a giant metal worm and tearing him apart like a giant FedEx package. Go.” And, you know, I would just give it my best and they’d go, “No no no! Not like that! Like a FedEx package.” “Oh. OK.” (laughs) So, they had a very clear idea in their minds what it should sound like, and that took some tries to get it right.

Toonzone has a review of Planet Hulk as well.

For more details on Wasserman’s work, visit his official site: RickWasserman.com.

Elswhere, Movieweb has coverage of the Planet Hulk red carpet premiere event at the Paley Center in Los Angeles, which includes a brief interview with Wasserman.

Disney’s Pocahontas Irene Bedard Interviewed

DailyGate.com has a brief interview with Irene Bedard who not only provided the voice of Pocahontas in the 1996 animated Disney film, but also served as the model for the character design.

Bedard has also voiced characters in Higglytown Heroes, Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest, What’s New Scooby Doo and the video game Turok: Son of Stone.

She and her husband Deni have been performing together as the band Irene Bedard and Deni for 5 years and have released 4 albums of “original contemporary music with traditional Native and American roots.”