Vocal Qs

Hard to believe it's already the season finale of the premiere season of Vocal Qs.

What a great way to end it. We ended up bookending the podcast, with Billy West in the premiere, and our very special guest today, Eric Bauza. Both men have voiced the iconic Bugs Bunny, both men have been in a Space Jam movie (with Bauza voicing undisclosed characters in the soon-to-be-released sequel, Space Jam: A New Legacy) and it's like a passing of the vocal-artistry baton, with West representing the old school, and Bauza representing the up and coming stars of the Animation and Voice acting industry. 

But more importantly... Bauza is from Toronto. So when two Toronto boys (since the Host of Vocal Qs, Michael Winn Johnson also grew up in the area) get together, we just couldn't help ourselves. We're almost exactly the same age, we had similar experiences growing up, and now our sons are almost the same age as well. It is an hour long chat about all the fun we had as kids growing up in Canada in the 80s, the cartoons we watched, the world that influenced us, sports teams, Canadian food and so much more.

This was an absolute pleasure (not just because we're both Canadian, and therefor super polite) but because Eric is such a joyful individual. You can tell he loves his life, he's grateful for what he's able to do for a living, and he's grateful he can share it with all of us. 

So join us for the LAST episode of the season as we talk about Ghostbusters, Hilarious house of Frigtenstein, the CNE, the Raptors, and of course, becoming Bugs, Daffy, and even working with 'King' Lebron James.

Special thanks to everyone for listening this season! Please leave a comment or rating on whatever podcast provider you use, please make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on Season 2 (to be released close to March 2021) and more importantly, have a wonderful Holiday Season, and all the best in 2021! Love to all the Q-Balls!

Josh Robert Thompson, a name that may not be ‘household’, but a man whose work is everywhere. Thompson voiced and puppeteered 'Geoff Peterson', the mechanical robot-skeleton who reinvented the Late night talk show format on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (when the show was actually something special). He used his uncanny impressions (his Morgan Freeman impression even impressed Morgan Freeman, look it up on YouTube), break-neck comedic timing and unparalleled rapport withFerguson to create unforgettable characters and comedic moments. While watching the show, I would often tune in specifically to watch the opening monologue, tweet-mail time and banter between the two of them, and it was always the highlight of the show.

When Ferguson has decided the show had run its course, Thompson went through an extremely tough personal journey in order to redefine his career. Granted, he had been extremely successful as a result of the show, but that success was literally anonymous. Thompson says in this episode of Vocal Qs, he expected the Late Late Show to be a ‘springboard’, but ironically, no one knew it was him behind the skeleton.

Thompson represents the struggle that many performers and actors go through; the struggle to be recognized, the  struggle to maintain success, the struggle to provide for yourself and your family, all while trying to remain creative and forge forward with your art. There was a dark time post-Ferguson (and Thompson will admit it) where coping with that balance was extremely difficult. Thompson says in the podcast he’s in a much better place now, but there was a time when social media posts and livestreams showed his frustration. This episode of Vocal Qs is rife with real advice to anyone looking to break into Voice acting and performance in general.

Yet Josh keeps creating. He has voiced several fun projects; in Family Guy he makes regular appearances, even voicing both Trump and Trudeau. He had a project on Quibi before that service shut down, and he is reinventing some of his older characters to create new internet content and reach a new audience. Josh often talks about the love/hate relationship he has with the internet. How we all need it these days, and yet how ‘likes and views’ are killing what is truly important - creating.

Check out a fantastic episode of Vocal Qs (our penultimate of Season 1) as Josh and I talk about George Lucas, SCTV, Trump vs Trudeau and his encyclopedic knowledge of the Muppets!

What perfect timing, because Justice League (Animated) just celebrated its 19th Anniversary YESTERDAY!

Q-Balls... I may just be ready to leave this earth, because I can cross something off my bucket list... I interviewed... a Superman. Yes, George Newbern, the amazing actor who has built up an impressive filmography over a 40 year career (including classics like Adventures in Babysitting, Father of the Bride, and his recent reoccurring role on Scandal) visits Vocal Qs to reminisce about the good old days growing up in Akansas, attending North Western with friends like Stephen Colbert, Harry Lennox and writer John Logan, and some of those iconic roles.

But of course, those roles, while iconic, don't have the staying power of playing the Man of Steel in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, not to mention the myriad of animated films and video games where he has played Superman after taking over the role from Tim Daley almost two decades ago. Yet, this boy next door, Kansas' favourite son is not the only voice George is known for. He has made several gamers, specifically lovers of the Final Fantasy franchise tremble in fear as one of gaming's all-time most dreaded antagonists, Sephiroth.

You'll love this interview, just like all the other great guests I've had on the podcast this season, as George shows you how much he embodies Clark/Kal El's spirit, and constantly counts his blessings about an absolutely amazing career. Not to mention, I surprise him with a few old yearbook photos from decades ago that apparently he had never seen! You have to tune in for that!

Vocal Qs has been fortunate enough to bring all of you some amazing LEGENDS of the business. But what about the VIRAL stars of the Voice acting industry? I reached out to Jon Bailey (aka Epic Voice Guy) via email and literally was interviewing him hours later, and that tells you all you need to know about the man. He is giving (a voice over coach in his own right) he is busy, and he is extremely hard working. This episode is PERFECT for those of you wanting to look into becoming a voice actor because Jon has done it all, and continues to plug away in film, animation and his very active social media platforms.

You of course know Jon as the epic voice in Screen Junkies' Emmy winning series 'Honest Trailers' where he has become a viral sensation and heard by millions every month, but Jon has an extensive filmography. He has provided voice over work for dozens of movie trailers, he's played Transformers in the massive hit 'Bumblebee', and even provided ADR to blockbusters like 'Detective Pikachu'. His range of vocal talents is astounding (and I thank him for showing some off even though his voice was not healthy when we recorded this episode).

Jon is also an accomplished impressionist, as his passion for voices is not just reserved to professional work in films providing back up recording for TJ Miller and Ryan Reynolds. You have to check him out on Tik Tok and Instagram, as his deepfake videos have even landed guest appearances in other video content across the internet. 

So join us as we discuss his bond with Ryan Reynolds, voicing Soundwave with Transformers legend Peter Cullen, impossible celebrity impressions, and absolutely amazing advice to anyone who wants to become a voice actor. This man took over the podcast this week, and you'll want to hear what he has to say! This episode... in a word... is... EPIC. 

If you're a fan of animation, like me, (and why else would you be here, listening to a voice-actor podcast?) then you HAVE to be excited about the reboot of #Animaniacs, coming to Hulu in on a couple short weeks. What perfect timing to sit down with one of the cornerstones of that show, the man who voices the oldest Warner brother Yakko, and that dizzy lovable mouse, Pinky, the prolificRob Paulsen. Rob has also voiced hundreds of other beloved characters in Powerpuff Girls, Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles (two different generations) and Jimmy Neutron. 

It's perfect timing for a few reasons. Not only can we celebrate the Animaniacs reboot, but Rob is such a warm and giving individual, a man who appreciates his life (after his own battle with cancer), his career and his fans, it just seemed like the perfect podcast episode to bring a little warmth back into this world. People are no doubt stressed across the globe, but especially here in North America, with the American election looming, and stress because of the pandemic, we just need to laugh, love and be nostalgic, and Rob and I discuss the healing nature of these beloved animated characters.  

We also get a sneak peak into what is going to make this 21st Century version of the Animaniacs topical, relevant, and yet still as hilarious as the show we all came to love 25 years ago. Rob delves into what makes the show timeless, and reassuring fans that the new creative team and new squad of writers is exactly what this modern take needs.  

In fact this episode is almost guaranteed to make you forget your troubles (unless you're a fan of the Maple Leafs, as we do kind of shed a small tear for my favourite team, and Rob's second favourite hockey team of all time) but otherwise, sit back, relax, and join us as we discuss theRed Wings vs the Leafs, Ninja Turtles, Frank Sinatra and Rob's love of music, art and life in general. Then be sure to check out Rob and the rest of his Animaniacs team for the reboot of that brilliant show, streaming onHulu, November 20th.  

*Warning: Explicit language (which never happens on this podcast) but... we kind of leaned into a bit in this specific episode. 

#HappyHalloween Q-Balls! I sit down with a man who has made me interested in voice acting ever since I was 17 years old. A man who has created an absolute legend in the horror genre, the iconic "Ghostface" from the Scream film franchise. Unlike most slashers who are unstoppable brutes, Ghostface is a character who possesses twisted-charm, sexiness and pure menace. I hope you enjoy my chat, with Roger L. Jackson.

He is not simply Ghostface by any means. Roger is a puppeteer, sharing with me his love of Jim Henson, Frank Oz and the Muppets, a talented impressionist, and a man who can create other worldly alien dialects and beastly sound effects. Roger has also voiced another beloved character, that of "Mojo Jojo" from the Powerpuff Girls. Mojo is a stark contrast compared to Ghostface (not simply because of the genre his show is a part of) but because, while he tries to be menacing, there is such heart and humour that Roger brings to the supposed super villain and nemesis of the Powerpuff Girls. Something you will notice in a lot of Roger's work, and in the way he carries himself. You wouldn't expect the man who can make you shiver with just his voice, a man who can send blood curdling shivers down your spine to be such a soft spoken and gentle human being, but of course, that's just another thing that makes Roger great.

Roger shares some absolutely amazing and honest advice about the Voice Acting industry, and of course, being a Halloween episode, we delve into how created Ghostface, working with the legend Wes Craven, and the process he went through throughout this prolific horror franchise. 

More importantly, it has yet to be confirmed if Roger will be back for #Scream5, and I know I'm not alone in thinking, there is no Scream 5 without him. He is as integral to this franchise as the Ghostface mask, and the Canadian Scream-queen, Neve Campbell. I will continue to push the campaign and the hashtag #noscream5withoutRoger until we hear what we all want to hear, and he's back in an official capacity! 

So on this COVID-Halloween, who needs to go out Trick or Treating? Stay in, watch the Scream franchise, enjoy Roger L Jackson's work, and enjoy as Roger and I discuss Tim Burton, My Cousin Vinnie, and the time he passed out doing orc noises on this screamtastic episode of Vocal Qs.

What better way to celebrate #WonderWomanDay than to hear from the voice of Wonder Woman herself, Susan Eisenberg. Susan has been a voice actor since she did commercial work for her father's business at the age of 15, but most of our listeners will know her the aforementioned warrior-princess.

For the second week in a row, the Vocal Qs podcast brings you one of the most recognizable voices, and one of the giants from "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited". 

Susan herself will admit how much of a privilege it has been to play Wonder Woman for the better part of two decades, and what Wonder Woman has taught her in that time. I think the Vocal Q listeners will learn from this podcast, there's a lot of Diana already in Susan; she's thoughtful, intelligent, she has the soul of an artist, and yet she's fiercely focussed when it comes to the important things in her life. As we chat, we learn how this real life Princess-Warrior remains centered through walks with her dogs, Netflix, and diving into her work, especially during this pandemic. Susan has had an extensive career in voice acting and has a lot of great stories to remain centered in the business, how to deal with professional ups and downs, and even advice to women trying to break into acting of any kind. 

Not only has Susan voiced Diana recently in films such as "Justice League vs The Fatal Five" and the world of gaming in "Injustice" and "DC Online", but we can also look forward to her voicing Sorceress in Kevin Smith's reboot of Masters of the Universe, due to be released on Netflix in the near future. 

So join us as we discuss the amazing history of this character, the romantic nods between Batman and Wonder Woman, her love for animals and appreciation. You'll see, Susan is real-life voice acting royalty. 

You know him from Cagney & Lacey. You know him from M.A.N.T.I.S., the first black superhero on network television. You know him from Alias, Doctor Sleep, Supergirl, and eventually you will know him from The Falcon & The Winter Solider, coming to Disney+ very soon. More importantly, he is the original Martian Manhunter, as Carl Lumbly  voiced J’onn J’onnz for the better part of two decades.

And if the above filmography wasn’t enough to convince you that Carl has a prolific career,  keep in mind he has taken his amazing work in television and film to what he calls his true passion, the theater. Yet it is not his artistic experiences that made this man who he is. In an amazing in-depth interview, Carl tells Vocal Qshow growing up as a Black man in 1960’s Minnesota has shaped his outlook on art, all of his performances and what he calls ‘the walk’; the journey through life where he just keeps putting one foot in front of the other. He also shares his deep-felt thoughts on the cyclical violence against BIPOC, especially considering the history of his Minnesota, the recent death of George Floyd, and how it has affected our world.

My respect for Carl grew and grew as this interview went on. He is an extremely thoughtful individual who chooses his words very carefully. He also has some absolutely great advice about how to find the center of his characters, to find the truth in all his outrageous superhero work, and how to bring all of that to voice acting. If you’re an aspiring voice actor, you’re going to want to listen to this, as Carl has expressed how much he loves Voice Acting, and yet feels he hasn’t been able to do it enough in his career.

So join Carl Lumbly and your host Michael Winn Johnson for a chat about Politics, Myles Davis, being a Black Role model, and of course… Martian Manhunter.

Batman: Death in the Family will be released on Bluray Tuesday October 13th in an exciting 'choose your own adventure' format where viewers get to decide the outcome of the adventure as they go along. FilmSpeak and Vocal Qs got an exciting opportunity to sit down with other select journalists to partake in a roundtable discussion at New York Comicon recently, with voice actors Bruce Greenwood (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Vincent Martella (Redhood/Jason Todd), Zehra Fazal (Talia) as well as Brandon Vietti, the writer, director and producer of the film. The cast also includes Gary Cole as Harvey Dent/Two Face and the incomparable John DiMaggio as the Joker. 

Batman: Death in the Family follows the iconic Batman crossover event written in the late 80s, following the fate of Jason Todd, the second young soldier to take up the mantle of Batman's sidekick, Robin. Trained as Batman’s protégé, Jason Todd brings a relentless sense of justice as Robin, who sets his sights on bringing down the Joker. But can Batman save Robin from a fate worse than death? Tragedy, revenge and redemption await in this groundbreaking DC film! Who will live? Who will die? Who will watch over Gotham? The blu ray also includes 4 additional DC Showcase Shorts: Adam Strange, Sgt. Rock, The Phantom Stranger, and Death.

We at Vocal Qs wanted to bring you this exciting BONUS episode where the voice actors share their experiences. It is important to note however, that this was a Zoom call with over 30 participants (mostly press) and where we did not have control over the audio settings, or possible interruptions throughout the interview. While there may be some audio issues at times, we did want to present the great question and answer session relatively uncut. 

The amazing James Urbaniak (The Venture Bros.) joins us for a chat about that little-show-that-could. Sadly, it follows the recent announcement that Venture Bros has been cancelled after 14 years and 7 seasons of production. But James' work, along with the voice talents and creative team that put together Venture Bros. has given us all something special. If you've never seen the show, and you're a fan of pop-culture references and encyclopedic music deep-cuts, I highly recommend it.

James has also had a broad career in the arts, appearing in Film & Television, working on not only some of the great Animated shows of our time, but in Law & Order and Brooklyn 99, appearing in feature films (there's a Woody Allen story in this episode) and having a deep love for theatre that goes back to the 80s.

I love talking to energetic people who are passionate about the arts, and while James may remain humble when it comes to his knowledge of music, this is a man who knows theatre, illustration and especially classic cinema.

So join us for the second episode of Vocal Qs where James and I discuss Letterman, Woody Allen, his connection to the greats of Canadian comedy and much more. 

FilmSpeak is very excited to bring you the premiere episode of ‘Vocal Qs’ - the exciting new podcast about Voice acting, Animation, Impressionists and Comedy. We have been building a great list of guests for the next few months, but to get it all started, we talk to a living legend… Billy West.

Billy West (Futurama, Disenchantment, Space Jam) talks about his almost 40 year career in the Voice Over industry and being one member of the 'greatest generation' of Voice over artists. These old school Voice Over artists and their approach to the art are a dying breed these days, and Billy has a lot to share with anyone looking to break into the business.

He also discusses his prolific career; voicing the icon Bugs Bunny, his commercial work as the HoneyNut Cheerios Honey Bee and the Red M & M, working with the great Matt Groening, Phil Hartman, Maurice LaMarche and the talented cast of Futurama.

Billy's artistic endeavours don't stop there though. He is a trivia master when it comes to Classic Hollywood, an encyclopaedia when it comes to famous cartoon voices, and even a successful musician in his own right. He even opened for Roy Orbison and worked with Debbie Harrie and Brian Wilson.

So please enjoy the premiere episode. We hope you have as much fun with it, as we had putting it together.

Be sure to subscribe to the Vocal Qs podcast feed so you don’t miss an episode. Vocal Qs can be found on Spotify and Google Podcast.

I am thrilled to be bringing you The Vocal Qs podcast. During this pandemic, I wanted to keep creating and talking to creative people, and everything just seemed to click. My experience as a dialect coach and my love for animation inspired me to reach out to some of the biggest names in Voice Acting, Impressionism and Animation to bring you an amazing first season. 

If you enjoy impressionists and comedians, if you want to hear some of the iconic voices of your childhood, or if you want to more about the voice acting industry, this... is the podcast for you.

Vocal Qs, with your host Michael Winn Johnson, premieres WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30th, and will have brand new episodes every Wednesday after that.

Find us right here on Anchor.fm, or atFilmSpeakfor future episodes!