Complete List of Dragon*Con Voice Actor Events

I’ve been asked by several individuals attending Dragon*Con if I would list all of the voice actor panels I’m involved with along with other related panels of note. As you will see below, there are so many related events that this was a rather daunting task. I hope my efforts will be useful as a guide to those attending the con.

Please note that the schedule and guests listed below are subject to change. Check The Daily Dragon regularly for up-to-the-minute schedule and guest updates.

Locations for each panel/event are not listed due to the possibility of changes. For those attending Dragon*Con please check your Pocket Program Guide, and every morning when you arrive at the con be sure to pick up a copy of The Daily Dragon from the local D*Con Info booth which contains all updates and changes.

FRIDAY

– 10:00 AM – Snydecast & FRED Entertainment
Featuring Dana Snyder.

– 11:30 AM – Aqua Teen Hunger Force/Squidbillies Panel
Featuring live script reads with a full cast: Jim Fortier, Dave Willis, Carey Means, Daniel Baker (Unknown Hinson), Daniel McDevitt, Dana Snyder, Bobby Ellerbee, Mary Kraft, and Scott Hilley. Autograph session to follow.

– 1:00 PM – Bill Corbett (Mystery Science Theatre 3000, Rifftrax)

– 2:30 PM – Trace Beaulieu (MST3K, Cinematic Titanic)

– 2:30 PM – Meet the Stars of Star Wars
Featuring Clone Wars cast members Ashley Eckstein, Phil LaMarr and Daniel Logan.

– 2:30 PM – Voice Acting for Podcasters
Panel description: “Learn the finer points of voice acting and voice overs to enhance your podcast.” [No industry guests listed for this event.]

– 4:00 PM – Darkstar: The Interactive Movie
Featuring MST3K’s Trace Beaulieu

– 4:00 PM – Voice Actors
Panel moderated by Craig “Voiceroy” Crumpton, featuring panelists C. Martin Croker, George Lowe, Billy West, Dana Snyder, and John DiMaggio. (Additional guests possible for this panel.)

– 5:30 PM – The Animation Fan Fun Panel
Hosted by yours truly, Craig “Voiceroy” Crumpton, with special industry guests (TBA). Light on commentary and packed with voice actor improv, a wild Old Time Radio script read, and trivia contest with prizes. Sponsored by toonzone.net and Voice Actors in the News.

– 5:30 PM – Akira: The Great Dub Debate – Streamline or Pioneer?
Fan panel discussing the two dubs of the classic anime film.

– 7:00 PM – Atlanta Radio Theatre Company
Live performance by local audio drama troupe.

– 7:00 PM – [adult swim] Comedy
Fan panel with industry guests TBA.

– 8:30 PM – Aqua Teen Hunger Force Fan Panel
Industry guests also possible for this panel.

– 8:30 PM – MST3K and Cinematic Titanic
Historic live performance featuring Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Joel Hodgson, Mary Jo Pehl, Bill Corbett, and J. Weinstein. [This is nearly a 6-hour event.]

– 1:30 AM – WEEP
Live concert featuring Venture Bros‘ Doc Hammer on lead vocals and guitar.

SATURDAY

– 11:30 AM – Voice Actors
Panel moderated by Craig “Voiceroy” Crumpton, featuring panelists C. Martin Croker, George Lowe, Billy West, Dana Snyder, John DiMaggio, and Tom Kenny. (Additional guests possible for this panel.)

– 11:30 AM – MST3K
Panel presentation featuring Kevin Murphy, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Joel Hodgson, Mary Jo Pehl, Bill Corbett, and J. Weinstein.

– 1:00 PM – Venture Bros. Guests
Featuring Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick. Autograph session to follow.

– 1:00 PM – FUNimation Entertainment Industry Panel and Q&A
Possible industry guests in attendance.

– 1:00 PM – Star Wars Costume Contest
Emceed by Ashley Eckstein.

– 4:00 PM – Bizarro Saturday Morning
Adult Swim voice actor/animator/artist C. Martin Croker hosts this vintage film showcase. Here’s Clay’s description of the show:
“Bizarro Saturday Morning” is a film series (all 16mm from my own collection) that I’ve shown around the South – but primarily at [Atlanta’s] Historic Plaza Theater – of vintage, rarely seen and usually offbeat cartoons from the 1930s through the 1980s intercut with vintage Toy and TV spots mostly from the 1960s and 70s.”

– 4:00 PM – Meet the Stars of Star Wars
Featuring Phil LaMarr and Daniel Logan.

– 8:30 PM – Quantum Quest
Animated feature film screening with guest Tom Kenny.

– 8:30 PM – FUNimation presents: Anime’s Greatest Hits – The Best Scenes
Possible industry guests in attendance.

– 10:00 PM – Nuts on the Road: The Quiz Show
Improvised game show with contestants Dana Snyder, Doc Hammer, Jackson Publick, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Joel Hodgson, Mary Jo Pehl, Adam Savage, J. Weinstein and Kevin Murphy.

SUNDAY

– 10:00 AM – Tom Servo vs Tom Servo
MST3K event featuring Kevin Murphy vs J. Elvis Weinstein.

– 11:30 AM – Squidbillies Fan Panel
Possible industry guests in attendance.

– 11:30 AM – Gargoyles: The Animated Series
Featuring cast members Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis.

– 1:00 PM – Stories with Uncle George
George Lowe’s popular one-man panel show.

– 1:00 PM – Meet the Stars of Star Wars
Featuring Daniel Logan and Ashley Eckstein.

– 2:30 PM – Voice Acting Workshop
Featuring voice-over professional September Day and anime/video game voice actor Bob Carter.
Panel description: “Ever wanted to break into the voice over industry but just didn’t know where to start? Don’t have thousands to spend flying out to Los Angeles or New York for weekend-long workshops? How about coming to a workshop to learn what it REALLY takes to get started in this awesome industry right here in Atlanta? You don’t need a ton of money to launch your voice over career!”

– 2:30 PM – MST3K: Meet the Mads
Panel featuring Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl, J. Weinstein, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy.

– 4:00 PM – Futurama Cast Panel
Featuring Billy West, John DiMaggio and Phil LaMarr. (Maurice LaMarche unfortunately had to cancel his appearance at the convention.)

– 4:00 PM – Master Shake Tells it Like it Is
Featuring Dana Snyder.

– 5:30 – FUNimation Anime Sneak Peaks and Prizes
Possible industry guests in attendance.

– 5:30 – Meet Chad Vader!
Featuring the star of popular YouTube adventures of Darth Vader’s less fortunate brother, Chad Vader, who has also voiced Vader for LucasArts video games.

– 5:30 PM – Rifftrax Live…sort of
Featuring Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy.

– 7:00 PM – What’s on Dana Snyder’s iPod
Featuring Dana Snyder.

– 7:00 PM – Atlanta Radio Theatre Company
Live peformance.

– 8:30 PM – David Bowie: Loving the Alien
Featuring Doc Hammer.

MONDAY

– 10:00 AM – Clone Wars & Star Wars Cartoons
Featuring Phil LaMarr and Ashley Eckstein.

Other celebrity guests will be in attendance who have voiced characters for animated productions. Please check the Pocket Program Guide for the panels and autograph sessions they are participating in.

Thanks to all the following sites for providing detailed schedules for Dragon*Con:

Anime-Manga Track (by Jake)
http://anime.dragoncon.org/2010/08/22/anime-manga-track-schedule-subject-to-change/

Animation Track (by Jess)
http://dragontoon.moonfruit.com/#/schedule-2009/4534639034

Star Wars Track
http://www.swatdc.com/

MST3KInfo
http://www.mst3kinfo.com/?p=7080

Venture Bros Blog
http://venturebrosblog.com/dragon-con/

[adult swim] Central (by John)
http://www.adultswimcentral.com/dc10.html

[adult swim] Official
http://www.adultswim.com/presents/dragon-con/index.html

Fans Q&A with Jess Harnell (audio)

Jess Harnell fans were asked to submit questions for Jess via the Jess Harnell Fans Facebook Group and MySpace fan page. [Fan questions were selected by Voice Actors in the News staff contributor, Ashley Trayder, who is also the administrator of Jess’ fan pages on Facebook and MySpace.]

Instead of typing his replies, Jess took the time to record his answers for the fans. You can listen to the full audio through the Jess Harnell Fan Page on MySpace.

~Ashley Trayder
Voice Actors in the News Staff Contributor

Firesign Theatre’s David Ossman Interviewed

The second edition of the “Official Unofficial Firesign Theatre Magazine,” It’s Just This Little Chromium Switch Here, includes interviews with Firesign Theatre performer David Ossman, Mystery Science Theatre 3000 creator Joel Hodgson, and radio legend Shadoe Stevens.

A download of the magazine is available for $5 through chromiumswitch.org. Issue #1, featuring an exclusive interview with Phil Proctor, is still available as a free download.

And speaking of Phil, I am sorely negligent that I failed to mention here his July 28th birthday. Happy belated 70th birthday, Phil!

And in related news, the Firesign Theatre will perform five live shows this October in California. Visit FiresignTheatre.com for tickets and show details.

And a bit of related belated news, New Jersey-based radio station WFMU is broadcasting 16 episodes of The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour — fully restored and remastered. Archives are available online for your listening pleasure via WFMU.org.

Related post: 1.18.2010 — Firesign Theatre Announces 2010 Live Show Dates

~ Craig Crumpton
Publisher: Voice Actors in the News

Adult Swim Voice Actor Performs in Atlanta Live Show

Voice actor Scott Hilley (Adult Swim’s Squidbillies, Aqua Teen Hunger Force) is starring in and directing “The Golden Age Radio Show” at Expressions Theatre and Film in Atlanta, GA on Saturday, May 29th at 7:30 PM.

This family-friendly event — a live radio theatre-style production — will feature performances from episodes of two classic “old time radio” shows and showcase students from Scott’s voice acting workshops (which he teaches regularly in the Atlanta area).

And those of you who’ve been reading this blog for any length of time will know that outside of the “About” page above that I normally do not mention any projects I’m involved with. However, I’m both proud and honored to say that Scott cast me in this show and I’ll be performing a couple Frank Sinatra standards as part of the show’s live music as well.

Tickets are only $5 for this show. Seating is limited and tickets are not available for pre-order. They can only be purchased in person at Expressions Theatre the night of the event.

More details on this show are available via the show’s official Facebook page.

Note: This event is neither affiliated nor associated with Cartoon Network or Adult Swim.

Hearing Voices: Voice Actors Radio Show

This article was originally published February 2, 2010. Please scroll down for the latest updates.

I’d like to give a shout-out to Mark Allen Jr. — a fellow voice actor fan (and voice talent as well) — for his new “Hearing Voices” voice actors radio show at Cal State University in Fullerton, CA.

Allen’s first two episodes include interviews with Anime voice actors Kyle Hebert and Christina Vee which are available through divshare.com.

“Hearing Voices” airs weekly on Mondays at 4:30 PM (PST), although Allen says there will be no show on Feb. 15th due to the holiday. Crispin Freeman is currently scheduled as the guest for Allen’s next episode on Feb. 22nd.

And you can “tune in” online to watch the show via live webcast on Titan Radio. Listeners can also call in during live shows — the number is 1-657-278-5516 (although Allen adds that it’s not a 24-hour number).

Update: As of July 2010, there are 11 episodes of the radio show available and include interviews with:

Kyle Hebert
Christina Vee
Crispin Freeman
Tara Platt & Yuri Lowenthal
Lauren Landa
Keith Silverstein
Steven Mane
Marianne Miller
Kaiji Tang
Chris Smith
Lucien Dodge

Related posts:
– 1.25.2010 — Anime Voice Actors Willingham and Bailey Interviewed
– 7.08.2009 — Official Site Spotlight: Kyle Hebert

RIP, Shirley Bell Cole

The New York Times is reporting that Shirley Bell Cole died on January 12th, 2010. She was 89.

Cole voiced the title character for the popular radio show “Little Orphan Annie” (an adaptation of the comic strip by Harold Gray). She got the part when she was only 10 years old, and the NY Times says she managed to “maintain that bubbly preteen voice…until she was 20.”

Although Cole retired from acting afterwards, she still made public appearances and even published an award-winning autobiography in 2005, Acting Her Age: My Ten Years as a Ten-Year-Old (winner of two awards at the Chicago Book Clinic’s Book and Media Show).

Click here to read The Times’ complete obit.

CBS Stingy with ‘Jack Benny Program’ Masters

The character Jack Benny portrayed on his classic TV program and long-running radio show was a lovable miser — an infamous cheapskate whose extreme frugality was a running gag on the series.

Who would ever have imagined that a half-century later CBS would reflect Benny’s TV persona by refusing to release masters of his classic program for the very same reason: they’re too danged cheap.

And that’s precisely what The New York Post is reporting:

CBS has shelved about 25 recently unearthed episodes of “The Jack Benny [Program]” — because it doesn’t want the hassle of paying for licensing, etc.

The International Jack Benny Fan Club, with the blessing of the Benny estate, approached CBS and offered to pay for the digital transfer and preservation of the rare episodes.

But, according to fan club president Laura Leff, CBS refused to let the episodes out of their vault — with a CBS exec citing unspecified “issues” thought to be potential musical copyrights, etc. and the costs associated with these elements.

Leff says she believes the roughly 25 “Benny Show” tapes are in the public domain, since they’re over 28 years old and weren’t copyrighted. “We just want [CBS] to realize they shouldn’t be locking away our cultural heritage,” Leff said.

The Jack Benny Program aired between 1950-65, and the popular weekly radio show that it spun off from was on the air for nearly 20 years prior to that. Both the radio show and TV program featured a number of guest stars from radio and film, including actors who’ve voiced characters in animation such as Frank Nelson, Bea Benaderet, Barry Gordon, Alan Soule, legendary ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and the late cartoon voice acting legend Mel Blanc.

I’ve been a member of the International Jack Benny Fan Club for more than a decade, and I fully support the IJBFC and the Benny estate in their efforts to procure and preserve the heritage of a television classic like The Jack Benny Program.

For those on Facebook, you can show your support by joining the group “Tell Les Moonves to preserve The Jack Benny Program Masters”.

This story has garnered additional support through other media sources:

– BoingBoing.net: CBS uncovers rare Jack Benny treasures, puts them back and tosses away the key
– TheModerateVoice.com: Killing Comedic Heritage? CBS Reportedly Seals Some Classic Jack Benny Show Comedy Masters

Further details and updates are available via JackBenny.org.

Firesign Theatre Announces 2010 Live Show Dates

Additional details from voice actor Phil Proctor follow this press release.

For Immediate Release:

THE FIRESIGN THEATRE WILL PERFORM AT THE KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER
Friday, Jan 22 & Saturday, Jan 23 – 7:30PM
AND AT TACOMA’S THEATRE ON THE SQUARE
Sunday, January 24th – 3:00PM AND 7:30 PM

The Firesign Theatre, comedy’s legendary quartet, will appear at the Kirkland Performance Center on January 22nd & 23rd and Tacoma’s Theatre On The Square [in Kirkland and Tacoma, WA, respectively] as part of a series of 2010 performances designed for more intimate theaters.

The Firesign writing partners and voice artists, now in their forty-second year of working together, are Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman and Phil Proctor. They have collaborated on more than twenty “movies for the mind,” introducing listeners to surrealistic adventures including Nick Danger, Porgie and Mudhead, “Beat The Reaper,” “I Think We’re All Bozos on This Bus,” and “Everything You Know Is Wrong.”

Their 21st century CD Trilogy, “We’re Doomed,” received Grammy nominations for “Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death” and “Bride of Firesign.” The Library of Congress added “Don’t Crush That Dwarf” to their highly selective recorded archives. Firesign’s many hours of live radio broadcasts and rare movies are now carefully restored collector’s items. The group has recently been profiled in two coffee-table books on The Sixties when, according to LIFE magazine, Firesign were “The favorite comics of the Rock Age.”

They are, in fact, creators of what Stereo Review’s critic Eric Salzman called “contemporary, relevant, multi-level non-linear theater – a kind of verbal electronic opera.” The quartet presents the work in the authentic voice of its author-improvisers of whom Rolling Stone said, “The very least they should get is an Academy Award.”

Working for the first time on a simple stage with no props or costumes and utilizing only their unlimited character voices, Firesign is now able to give their classic scripts a brand-new performance.

The first act weaves together two favorites, “Waiting For The Electrician” and “Don’t Crush That Dwarf” – existential tales of border-crossing, channel-switching and selling-out. The second act allows the “Nick Danger” cast (Rocky, Bradshaw, Catherwood and Nancy) to riff, improvise and spoof the ageless radio dick, Nick Danger, Third Eye.

Also on the bill are Ben Bland’s Movie Matinee, local School Lunch Menus, Ralph Spoilsport, All-Star Crowley and Shakespeare’s Lost Comedie, “Anythynge You Want To.” The Firesign’s full-length iambic farce, in development for forty years, will get a cruelly shortened reading, in styles ranging from pure coarse acting to sincere imitations of ancient movie stars and starlets.

Proctor, who appeared on Whidbey in George Tirebiter’s “Radio Follies,” has been recently heard as The Drunken Money in five “Dr. Doolittle” movies, as Harold in the “Rugrats” films and TV series and in Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog”. He will also tour this year reading “Don Quixote” with the Grammy-winning L.A. Guitar Quartet.

Ossman will be co-directing “Agatha Christie’s The BBC Murders” at Tacoma’s Theatre NorthWest, opening April 30, 2010, with his wife Judith Walcutt. The upcoming NW production will be a further development of the show, which made its debut at the 2009 International Mystery Writers Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky, and is preparing for national tour.

Bergman is creator of Los Angeles’ Radio Club, a writing and performance workshop aimed at under-served kids. He’s is also a Castaneda-inspired voice coach and occasional comic monologist, now getting laughs with “2020 Vision.”

Austin writes and develops his gardens at the South end of Puget Sound. A literary blogger, he’ll have a book, “Long Stories and Short Stories,” out in 2010.

The Kirkland Performance Center is located at 350 Kirkland Avenue. Tickets are $35 are available by visiting www.firesigntheatre.com.

Tacoma’s Theatre On The Square is located at 901 Broadway. Tickets are $29 & $39 are available by calling 253-591-5894 or by visiting www.firesigntheatre.com.

* Special thanks to Phil Proctor (planetproctor.com) for the press release. Phil just launched his Twitter page (@philproctor) and I’m sure he’d appreciate the followers.

And on a related note, Phil says via Facebook that a Firesign Theatre national US tour is a possibility:

Our schedules are such at present that any major US touring would have to happen after our West coast appearances which will probably occupy most of this year, but hang in there! We will only get better with age – like worms out of a hot cheese log.

Phil adds via email:

I will be going into rehearsals for a world-premiere comedy called “The Psyhic” at Garry Marshall’s Falcon Theatre in Burbank on Feb. 18th. [The show runs March 26th through April 18th, 2010.]

Upcoming west coast [Firesign Theatre] dates are also being discussed, and I’ll be appearing in Austin, TX with the LA Guitar Quartet reading “Don Quixote” again on June 23rd.

Press Release: Andy Serkis Stars in ‘Screwtape’ Audio Drama

For Immediate Release

The Screwtape Letters Stars Lord of the Rings’ Andy Serkis
Focus on the Family Radio Theatre® Introduces
First-Ever Full-Cast Dramatization of the C.S. Lewis Classic

Colorado Springs, CO – The Devil is back in time for Halloween in C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, an audio production from Peabody-award-winning Focus on the Family Radio Theatre®. The full-cast dramatization of the diabolical classic debuted worldwide October 5th, 2009.

Hosted by C.S. Lewis’ stepson, Douglas Gresham, and starring Andy Serkis (Gollum, Lord of the Rings) as the voice of Screwtape, The Screwtape Letters was recorded in London by world-class actors with an original score and motion picture quality sound design, and includes a “making of” DVD that features footage from C.S. Lewis’ home, church and other frequented locations. Also included are a bonus CD of ten original songs and a collector’s booklet.

The Screwtape story centers around correspondence shared between Screwtape, a senior demon, and Wormwood, his apprentice, as Screwtape mentors Wormwood in the skills necessary to entrap, dominate and torture humans. Most of the 31 letters lead into dramatic scenes set either in Hell or World War II-era London. In writing this masterpiece, Lewis re-imagined Hell as a gruesome bureaucracy with demons laboring in a vast enterprise. Avoiding their own painful torment, as well as a desire for control, is what drives demons to persecute their “patients.”

Anticipation for the release of Screwtape has been building among audio enthusiasts as well as Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis fans. An entire website (www.screwtape.com) was built to support the production’s debut, providing downloadable ringtones, avatars and wallpaper. Guests can follow conversations between Screwtape and Wormwood on Twitter, and utilize available social media to join in the discussion.

“Bringing The Screwtape Letters to the world of audio drama has been a career dream,” said Screwtape director Paul McCusker. “To work with this caliber of cast and crew on such a beloved classic is an unparalleled experience. And the themes are timeless. The struggles, fears and failures addressed in this work still plague humanity today. In our culture, we’re hesitant to talk about evil. Here, in the character of Screwtape, evil speaks for itself.”

The Screwtape Letters was produced by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre® and is distributed by Tyndale, with full authorization from the C.S. Lewis estate.

Previous report: 8.20.2009 — Andy Serkis Starring in ‘Screwtape Letters’ Radio Drama

There be dragons here…

Just giving a heads-up that there will be limited-to-no updates until sometime next week due to my attendance at Dragon*Con 2009 in Atlanta, GA as a reporter for Toon Zone.

However, I will have reports from all the voice actor-related panels plus photos to share when I’m able to finally get some sleep after the convention ends.

In the meantime, I’ll be posting nightly news updates with D-Con coverage at Toon Zone through Monday, and already in Friday night’s post there are some details of interest to voice actor enthusiasts.

Voice actor guests at this convention include:

C. Martin Croker
Charlie Fleischer
Neil Kaplan
Richard Epcar
Scott Houle
Bob Bergen
Vic Mignogna
Dana Snyder
Unknown Hinson
Bobby Ellerby
Dave Willis
Jay Edwards
Ron Glass
Rick Forrester
Michael Brady
Doc Hammer
Jackson Publick
Alessandro Juliani
Scott Adsit
George Lowe

And some of the “celebrity” guests who have also performed voice-overs for various TV/film productions:

Patrick Stewart
William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
Malcolm McDowell
Anthony Daniels
Dwight Schultz
Peter Jurasik
Lani John Tapu
James Marsters
Edward James Almos
Dean Haglund

And the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company is making their annual appearance and live performance at D-Con as well.

And there are likely a few guests I’m omitting, but I’m in a bit of a rush at the moment. And normally, I’d include some of their voice credits in parentheses, but I actually need to leave for the con… like, 10 minutes ago. You can view the full 2009 Dragon*Con guest list (and their credits) at Dragoncon.org.