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Showing posts with label Invader Zim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Invader Zim. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
From Pilot to Final Product: Invader Zim
Previously on From Pilot to Final Product, Patricia discussed about the 2001 Nicktoon The Fairly OddParents in honor of its 15th anniversary. Now it's time to tackle in the 2nd Nicktoon that debuted on the same day the sci-fi dark comedy Invader Zim. How does the pilot hold up? Let's take a look and find out.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Old School Lane's Nickelodeon Tribute: Interview with Wally Wingert
To conclude our discussion of Invader Zim, we have another special
interview! This time is actor/voice actor/Batman fan Wally Wingert. In
Invader Zim, he was the voice of Allmighty Tallest Red, one of the
leaders from the planet Irk. Wingert has voiced in many TV shows, cartoons, and
video games such as Jon Arbuckle in The Garfield Show, The Riddler in
the video games Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, the
announcer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, over 100 small roles in
Family Guy, and more.
Kevin and I had the opportunity to interview Wally so I hope you enjoy it.
Patricia- Who were your influences growing up?
Wally- Definitely Adam West in Batman. Also Don Messick, Daws Butler, Howard Morris, and many other voice actors. Can cartoon characters be influences? If so, Popeye for sure. I also drew great inspiration from Henry Winkler and Paul Michael Glaser.
Kevin- Who are your favorite cartoon characters?
Wally- I think my first word was “Pipe-eye.” (As a babe I became a huge Popeye fan) I also loved The Archies, Groovie Ghoulies, The Impossibles, Space Ghost, Frankenstein Jr., Roger Ramjet, Jungle Book, and more.
Patricia- How did you get started on voicing acting?
Wally- I started as a radio DJ when I was 16. I had always loved doing voices and playing radio at home, but now that I had a public forum on the AM radio waves. I would write bits using some of my characters and impressions, and interweave them into my radio shows. It was great training!
Kevin- How did you get the part on Allmighty Tallest Red?
Wally- As I recall I went into Nickelodeon to read for a variety of characters for Casting Director Donna Grillo. Apparently I was the second choice for Red and got the role when the guy who was the first choice decided to move out of the L.A. area. Lucky me!
Kevin- What was it like working with the cast of Invader Zim?
Wally- It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had! Richard Horvitz and I had previously worked together on a series of Popeye CD-Roms and had a great time. So we went into it with a lot of our own inside jokes. But then getting to work with the great Kevin McDonald, and of course working under Jhonen were also real treats!
Patricia- How did you get to be Jon Arbuckle in the new Garfield show?
Wally- There were auditions for a new Garfield CGI direct-to-DVD film that was in the works, and I think I auditioned for every character other than Garfield, Jon and Odie. But unlike other auditions, which are just recorded on audio files, they had a video camera running at this session. I guess Mr. Jim Davis saw something in me on-camera that gave him the impression that I would make a good Jon. (I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult come to think of it.:) I guess I had the same dorky sensibilities that Jon does. And for that I’m eternally grateful.
Kevin- Did you speak to Tom Huge about voicing Jon Arbuckle before starting on voicing for the Garfield cartoon?
Wally- No, but I asked the director Mark A.Z. Dippe if I should watch old Garfield cartoons and try to approximate what Tom did. He said it wasn’t necessary, so I just basically copped the same attitude and voice I used when I talked to my own dog and cat.
Patricia- Who is your favorite Batman villain?
Wally- Whyyyyy….The Riddler… of course!
Patricia- What is your favorite/least favorite Batman show, both live action and animated?
Wally- Without a doubt my absolute favorite is the 1966 Batman TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, followed closely by the animated series from the early 90’s. My least favorite would be the current Dark Knight series of films.
Patricia- What is your favorite/least favorite Batman movie?
Wally- My favorite Batman film is the 1966 feature film based on the TV series, followed closely by the film Val Kilmer was in. My least favorite was Batman Begins.
Patricia- What was it like voicing the Riddler on Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City?
Wally- It was an absolute dream come true! To be in the history books as anything related to Batman was a lifelong fantasy fulfilled! And it’s always fun to work with the amazing Collette Sunderman!
Kevin- What Batman action figures do you have?
Wally- I have many of the old Mego figures, with the actual cloth clothes. I wasn’t so much a fan of the 3” plastic figures. I like action figures that have actual fabric costumes. I used to adore the old Captain Action line!
Kevin- You did the documentary for the show Groovie Ghoulies. Who is your favorite characters and why?
Wally- I like Frankie best, because he’s just so darn cuddly and loveable! (And a little bit slow)
Kevin- What it is about Groovie Ghoulies that you liked? As a kid, that show was everything I wanted in a Saturday morning cartoon. It was animation, monsters and rock and roll! All balled up into one!
Wally- Did you see the Daffy Duck and Porky Pig meets the Groovie Ghoulies? Yeah, I saw a bootleg of it awhile back. It was…uh…odd.
Patricia- What is it like doing the voice announcement for The Jay Leno Show?
Wally- After two years of announcing The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, it’s still a gigantic thrill! Just as much today as it was the day I started! It’s a great group of professionals and I’m proud to be on the staff with them.
Patricia- How is Jay like in person?
Wally- Imagine the coolest guy you’ve ever known, and then times it by 1000. He’s one of the most famous people I’ve ever met (known worldwide!) but yet one of the most down-to-earth and likeable. If the world was more like Jay, the world would be a better place.
Kevin- What was it like being the alien in Can of Worms?
Wally- Since it was one of my first big VO jobs, it was a real thrill. In fact, I just bought an original conceptual sketch of the Loafer Alien on eBay recently and had it framed.
Patricia- What's it like voicing over 100 characters on Family Guy?
Wally- It’s almost as fun as being one of the regular characters. In some episodes I was 4 or 5 different characters. And you can always count on the crazy writers of Family Guy to come up with wacky and challenging characters to voice!
Patricia- What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a voice actor?
Wally- First and foremost, become a REALLY good actor. Voice acting at its core is acting, but with your voice. You must have acting chops to be good in this business, but so many people believe it’s simply all about the voice. True, you need a good instrument. But you need talent behind it to drive it properly.
Patricia- Do you have to take frequent breaks to rest your voice?
Wally- Since I’ve started working on The Tonight Show, I’ve had to pass on any videogame jobs that require vocally stressful work. Other than that, I don’t take any conscious voice breaks.
Patricia- How is it that you became a versatile voice actor?
I realized the key to success in any acting venue is versatility. That goes for on-camera as well as voice acting. I aspire to be the voice acting version of Lon Chaney. He had so many great characters, all diverse. I figured that if I can come close to what he did with my voice, I’d be very satisfied.
Kevin- What are your favorite Nickelodeon shows?
Wally- I’m not currently familiar with many TV shows on any channel.
Patricia- You voiced a lot of video games as well. Do you play video games? If so, what are your favorites?
Wally- I lack the fundamental hand-to-eye coordination necessary for successful videogame play. But I love watching others play!
Patricia- When you walk down the street, do people notice you and compliment on your work?
Wally- One of the things about the voice acting world is that it’s fairly anonymous. That can be good and bad. Once in a great while I’ll get recognized, but it’s very rare. Of course that all changes when I go to a convention, because con folks are a little more hip and enlightened than your average person-on-the-street.
Patricia- Alright then. Wally, thank you so much for taking the time to interview us.
Wally- Thank you! Cheers!
To know more about Wally Wingert, check out his website at wallywingert.com. That’s all for now. Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon. Thanks for reading.
-Patricia and Kevin
Kevin and I had the opportunity to interview Wally so I hope you enjoy it.
Patricia- Who were your influences growing up?
Wally- Definitely Adam West in Batman. Also Don Messick, Daws Butler, Howard Morris, and many other voice actors. Can cartoon characters be influences? If so, Popeye for sure. I also drew great inspiration from Henry Winkler and Paul Michael Glaser.
Kevin- Who are your favorite cartoon characters?
Wally- I think my first word was “Pipe-eye.” (As a babe I became a huge Popeye fan) I also loved The Archies, Groovie Ghoulies, The Impossibles, Space Ghost, Frankenstein Jr., Roger Ramjet, Jungle Book, and more.
Patricia- How did you get started on voicing acting?
Wally- I started as a radio DJ when I was 16. I had always loved doing voices and playing radio at home, but now that I had a public forum on the AM radio waves. I would write bits using some of my characters and impressions, and interweave them into my radio shows. It was great training!
Kevin- How did you get the part on Allmighty Tallest Red?
Wally- As I recall I went into Nickelodeon to read for a variety of characters for Casting Director Donna Grillo. Apparently I was the second choice for Red and got the role when the guy who was the first choice decided to move out of the L.A. area. Lucky me!
Kevin- What was it like working with the cast of Invader Zim?
Wally- It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had! Richard Horvitz and I had previously worked together on a series of Popeye CD-Roms and had a great time. So we went into it with a lot of our own inside jokes. But then getting to work with the great Kevin McDonald, and of course working under Jhonen were also real treats!
Patricia- How did you get to be Jon Arbuckle in the new Garfield show?
Wally- There were auditions for a new Garfield CGI direct-to-DVD film that was in the works, and I think I auditioned for every character other than Garfield, Jon and Odie. But unlike other auditions, which are just recorded on audio files, they had a video camera running at this session. I guess Mr. Jim Davis saw something in me on-camera that gave him the impression that I would make a good Jon. (I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult come to think of it.:) I guess I had the same dorky sensibilities that Jon does. And for that I’m eternally grateful.
Kevin- Did you speak to Tom Huge about voicing Jon Arbuckle before starting on voicing for the Garfield cartoon?
Wally- No, but I asked the director Mark A.Z. Dippe if I should watch old Garfield cartoons and try to approximate what Tom did. He said it wasn’t necessary, so I just basically copped the same attitude and voice I used when I talked to my own dog and cat.
Patricia- Who is your favorite Batman villain?
Wally- Whyyyyy….The Riddler… of course!
Patricia- What is your favorite/least favorite Batman show, both live action and animated?
Wally- Without a doubt my absolute favorite is the 1966 Batman TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, followed closely by the animated series from the early 90’s. My least favorite would be the current Dark Knight series of films.
Patricia- What is your favorite/least favorite Batman movie?
Wally- My favorite Batman film is the 1966 feature film based on the TV series, followed closely by the film Val Kilmer was in. My least favorite was Batman Begins.
Patricia- What was it like voicing the Riddler on Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City?
Wally- It was an absolute dream come true! To be in the history books as anything related to Batman was a lifelong fantasy fulfilled! And it’s always fun to work with the amazing Collette Sunderman!
Kevin- What Batman action figures do you have?
Wally- I have many of the old Mego figures, with the actual cloth clothes. I wasn’t so much a fan of the 3” plastic figures. I like action figures that have actual fabric costumes. I used to adore the old Captain Action line!
Kevin- You did the documentary for the show Groovie Ghoulies. Who is your favorite characters and why?
Wally- I like Frankie best, because he’s just so darn cuddly and loveable! (And a little bit slow)
Kevin- What it is about Groovie Ghoulies that you liked? As a kid, that show was everything I wanted in a Saturday morning cartoon. It was animation, monsters and rock and roll! All balled up into one!
Wally- Did you see the Daffy Duck and Porky Pig meets the Groovie Ghoulies? Yeah, I saw a bootleg of it awhile back. It was…uh…odd.
Patricia- What is it like doing the voice announcement for The Jay Leno Show?
Wally- After two years of announcing The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, it’s still a gigantic thrill! Just as much today as it was the day I started! It’s a great group of professionals and I’m proud to be on the staff with them.
Patricia- How is Jay like in person?
Wally- Imagine the coolest guy you’ve ever known, and then times it by 1000. He’s one of the most famous people I’ve ever met (known worldwide!) but yet one of the most down-to-earth and likeable. If the world was more like Jay, the world would be a better place.
Kevin- What was it like being the alien in Can of Worms?
Wally- Since it was one of my first big VO jobs, it was a real thrill. In fact, I just bought an original conceptual sketch of the Loafer Alien on eBay recently and had it framed.
Patricia- What's it like voicing over 100 characters on Family Guy?
Wally- It’s almost as fun as being one of the regular characters. In some episodes I was 4 or 5 different characters. And you can always count on the crazy writers of Family Guy to come up with wacky and challenging characters to voice!
Patricia- What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a voice actor?
Wally- First and foremost, become a REALLY good actor. Voice acting at its core is acting, but with your voice. You must have acting chops to be good in this business, but so many people believe it’s simply all about the voice. True, you need a good instrument. But you need talent behind it to drive it properly.
Patricia- Do you have to take frequent breaks to rest your voice?
Wally- Since I’ve started working on The Tonight Show, I’ve had to pass on any videogame jobs that require vocally stressful work. Other than that, I don’t take any conscious voice breaks.
Patricia- How is it that you became a versatile voice actor?
I realized the key to success in any acting venue is versatility. That goes for on-camera as well as voice acting. I aspire to be the voice acting version of Lon Chaney. He had so many great characters, all diverse. I figured that if I can come close to what he did with my voice, I’d be very satisfied.
Kevin- What are your favorite Nickelodeon shows?
Wally- I’m not currently familiar with many TV shows on any channel.
Patricia- You voiced a lot of video games as well. Do you play video games? If so, what are your favorites?
Wally- I lack the fundamental hand-to-eye coordination necessary for successful videogame play. But I love watching others play!
Patricia- When you walk down the street, do people notice you and compliment on your work?
Wally- One of the things about the voice acting world is that it’s fairly anonymous. That can be good and bad. Once in a great while I’ll get recognized, but it’s very rare. Of course that all changes when I go to a convention, because con folks are a little more hip and enlightened than your average person-on-the-street.
Patricia- Alright then. Wally, thank you so much for taking the time to interview us.
Wally- Thank you! Cheers!
To know more about Wally Wingert, check out his website at wallywingert.com. That’s all for now. Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon. Thanks for reading.
-Patricia and Kevin
Old School Lane's Nickelodeon Tribute: Invader Zim
When 2000 arrived, none of the newer shows impressed me. It didn't have the
same charm that the shows from the 90's had. But one show from 2001 brought me
back watching Nickelodeon again with its interesting concept, dark humor, and
memorable characters. That show was Invader Zim.
The show is about an alien from Planet Irk named Zim who is determined to be a great invader and make the leaders of the planet, The Almighty Tallest, proud. The problem is that he's very cocky, unaware, and a bit of a moron. The Almighty Tallest decide to send him on a "secret mission" to an unknown planet. Zim accepts not knowing the false mission he was giving. Zim is giving a very broken dim-witted robot named GIR to assist him with his "mission" and they head over to the unknown planet. They finally arrive on Earth, disguise themselves as a human and dog, go to school, and try to learn everything about the planet long enough to learn its weaknesses.
Along the way, one human is able to recognize that Zim is not a human, but an alien. The human is a young boy named Dib. He's a paranormal expert who is extremely obsessive about ghosts, Bigfoot, and aliens. He wants to capture Zim so that he can be a hero on Earth and not crazy like everyone thinks he is. Most of his plans fail, but Zim's plan of conquering Earth also fail over and over again. It's always exciting to see them go against each other.
The show was created by Jhonen Vasquez, the author of Johnny: The Homicidal Maniac, Squee, I Feel Sick, and more. His graphic novels were very dark, had adult comedy humor, and suggestive themes.
A show like Invader Zim was no other show that had ever been aired on Nickelodeon. It was dark, had adult content, and clearly not for kids. But that's what made it great! It was so awesome and funny! I really love this show! The characters were memorable, the show had very interesting animation, and each episode was strange and odd. A show like Invader Zim would have did really well if it had aired on Adult Swim or MTV, but unfortunately, it aired on Nickelodeon. The executives cancelled the show after the second season due the graphic nature despite it being one of the most popular Nicktoons that had ever aired.
But even still to this day, Invader Zim has a huge cult following and for years, their merchandice were sold by the thousands at Hot Topic. It's a bit of a double edged sword for me because I can't stand young kids younger than 14 wearing GIR T-shirts. They didn't grow up with it and most likely don't understand the references. They wear it to make themselves look cool. I think they look like fucking posers.
Overall, if you haven't seen this show, go check it out. It was really ahead of its time of the kind of cartoons that would be popular today: colorful and strange cartoons with adult humor.
That's all for now. Tune in next time as we interviewed one of the voice actors from Invader Zim. Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon.
-Kevin
The show is about an alien from Planet Irk named Zim who is determined to be a great invader and make the leaders of the planet, The Almighty Tallest, proud. The problem is that he's very cocky, unaware, and a bit of a moron. The Almighty Tallest decide to send him on a "secret mission" to an unknown planet. Zim accepts not knowing the false mission he was giving. Zim is giving a very broken dim-witted robot named GIR to assist him with his "mission" and they head over to the unknown planet. They finally arrive on Earth, disguise themselves as a human and dog, go to school, and try to learn everything about the planet long enough to learn its weaknesses.
Along the way, one human is able to recognize that Zim is not a human, but an alien. The human is a young boy named Dib. He's a paranormal expert who is extremely obsessive about ghosts, Bigfoot, and aliens. He wants to capture Zim so that he can be a hero on Earth and not crazy like everyone thinks he is. Most of his plans fail, but Zim's plan of conquering Earth also fail over and over again. It's always exciting to see them go against each other.
The show was created by Jhonen Vasquez, the author of Johnny: The Homicidal Maniac, Squee, I Feel Sick, and more. His graphic novels were very dark, had adult comedy humor, and suggestive themes.
A show like Invader Zim was no other show that had ever been aired on Nickelodeon. It was dark, had adult content, and clearly not for kids. But that's what made it great! It was so awesome and funny! I really love this show! The characters were memorable, the show had very interesting animation, and each episode was strange and odd. A show like Invader Zim would have did really well if it had aired on Adult Swim or MTV, but unfortunately, it aired on Nickelodeon. The executives cancelled the show after the second season due the graphic nature despite it being one of the most popular Nicktoons that had ever aired.
But even still to this day, Invader Zim has a huge cult following and for years, their merchandice were sold by the thousands at Hot Topic. It's a bit of a double edged sword for me because I can't stand young kids younger than 14 wearing GIR T-shirts. They didn't grow up with it and most likely don't understand the references. They wear it to make themselves look cool. I think they look like fucking posers.
Overall, if you haven't seen this show, go check it out. It was really ahead of its time of the kind of cartoons that would be popular today: colorful and strange cartoons with adult humor.
That's all for now. Tune in next time as we interviewed one of the voice actors from Invader Zim. Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon.
-Kevin
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