Heffer and Rocko cel from the Rocko’s Modern Life episode “Jetscream”.
“The Artist must create a spark before he can make a fire, and before art is born. The Artist must then be ready to be consumed by the fire of his own creation.” -Rodin
Just finished doing a great interview with Tom Kenny ( Voice of Heffer, Lumpus and, oh yeah that little yellow sponge guy) for my book. Here are a couple of great excerpts with insight into the business.
Q- To me, personally, the background of comedic actor, especially with improv skills has always been important when hiring voice actors. Some people feel voice acting is just reading scripts, but I know, from talent like you, how much more it is than reading words. Could you talk about that? It’s such an overlooked craft in my opinion.
A- I don’t know if it’s overlooked exactly, but it’s definitely misunderstood. You’re righ tthat some people think “voice-acting” and “reading aloud” are the same thing. It really all depends on the type of the show as well as the creator’s comfort level with playfulness and improv. Actors love to be let off the leash and run around.
I got spoiled right out of the gate on “Rocko”, with Carlos Alazraqui, Charlie Adler and Mr. Lawrence to bounce off of. Man! Those were wild sessions. I take it seriously. I read every script and storyboard before I show up at the session, mostly because the more you know about the story, plot, and jokes in the script, the more thought you can give to tweaking things and making it the funniest (or most dramatic) it can be. To go off-book, you need to be conversant with the book.
I’m always surprise at the VO actors who come to record and have obviously not even cracked open the script or storyboard that was sent to them. I’m too paranoid about looking unprepared, I guess.
Comedy, improv, sketch, and a bit if musical ability as well as genuinely liking animation have all been helpful to me “in the field.” Everything you now how to do comes in handy at some point, it seems. A big part of it is committing to the “world” that the cartoon takes place in, and doing a performance that fits with the context of the world, whether it be “SpongeBob” or “Clone Wars.” Part instinct, part calculation.
1. Q- You started voice acting for animation about the time that creator driven cartoons were making a comeback and are still very prevalent today. Can you talk about the experience of working with a creator of a cartoon (many who direct the voice sessions) as opposed to working with a hired voice director? What is the difference?
A- I’ve got great “right place, right time mojo” for some reason. Just when I started auditioning for animation, all these creator-driven shows were revving up.
“Ren & Stimpy” had made it okay for cartoons to be funny again, after years of “Care Bears” and “Gummy Bears” and “G.I. Joe Bears.”Yourself, Craig McCracken, Genndy Tartakovsky, Butch Hartman, Steve Hillenburg, Everett Peck, The Cahills…I got to voice shows that had these strong creative hands on the helm, all with very different sensibilities. (Just like Avery, Jones, Freling, Clampett, and all those guys were each great in their own way.)
I love a show where you can see the fingerprints of the creator all over it; that doesn’t seem like it was made by a boardroom committee. The creator’s imprint is stamped so strongly on the show, and I know what that takes and how hard these guys have to fight to preserve the idiosyncrasies and integrity that they want their show to have. Therefore, I see it as my mission to get what they are hearing in their heads into my microphone. I’m a “session drummer” (like Hal Blaine or something) and the creator is “Brian Wilson.” My job is to bring the aural part of that creator’s dream to the screen, and hopefully give it a little of my own DNA that “Brian” will like.
All of the people I’ve mentioned seem to be secure enough to build their team of artists and actors and then let them do what they do and bring to the party what they can. Ultimately it’s not about the actor, it’s about collaborating ht all the show’s makers to help bring off the illusion that these characters and their world (as wacky and surreal as those may be) reach the screen as the creator intended. Let’s face it, most of these creators have been watching their show in their own heads for years, and nobody knows their characters like they do.
A hired voice director has the same job description. Sometimes a show creator doesn’t know that linguistic shorthand that a VO director does, or maybe needs a third party to articulate to the actor what’s needed. I’m never trying to please the voice director, they’re just the mouthpiece for the creator, and I’m the mouthpiece for the creator’s characters. We’re all working together to make these drawings live and breathe.
Q- What do you feel are the challenges facing a new animated series creator today?
A- Smaller budgets, stinger deals, a lousy economy, you name it. And let’s not forget the ever popular executives in charge of cartoons who don’t understand or even care about animation. The ones who are animation “suits” because they didn’t get that job at ESPN 2 or were gifted at “corporate droneship!” Oh God, I’m gonna be sick…
Q- Finally, what advice, from your wisdom of the ages of animation, would you give someone trying to break in to the business with his or her own show? Do you see any mistakes that you feel are constantly being made?
A- All the stuff I suck at! – Fight tooth and nail for your idea, and don’t let the rejections get you down .Listen to advice from smart people, ignore advice from knuckleheads, and watch your back!
I’ve developed some shows that have gone as far as the pilot stage, and it’s brutal to even get THAT far! Long hours, long gestation periods with no paychecks, coming in. It’s a long hard road to be the guy who creates a show, then sees it through pilot stage, production, post=production, cancellation, pickup, etc.
I don’t think I’m “that guy”. Hopefully “that guy will need a guy like me once his show is up and running! I’m in the phone book.
FYI- The original “Crafting a Cartoon” Ebook will be taken down for good next week, as per my contract with Random House. If you know anyone who needs this book now, and not a year from now, you may want to let them know.
