Toon-Tastic!!

Heh heh... I've been humming the theme to the Bugs Bunny Road Runner Show for a couple of days now. You know - "Overture! Curtain! Lights! This is it, the Night of Nights!..."

Because, that's right, it has finally happened. One of my life-long ambitions - held ever since those long-ago days of sitting glued to the TV watching the Saturday morning funnies - is about to come true. I'm gonna be a TOON!

Yup. I booked a super-awesome gig voicing a regular character for a brand-new, in-development, animated kids series. This, to me, is SO cool. Yeah, maybe it's sheer high geekery but I've always wanted to be a cartoon. (I mean, more of a cartoon than I already am in real life, thank you o my many mocking friends - I can hear you, y'know...) And now, I will be. Perhaps not decked out in a She-Ra, Princess of Power miniskirt and head dress but - I have seen the Character design and - I gotta say - I've got GREAT legs! *grin*

Now, other than my fab toon-gams, I'm not really sure how much I can say. Because, y'know, it's a new series and all that. So, bear with me as I err on the side of caution and eschew specifics. I'm sure that, as an air-date approacheth, I will be able to tell you more. But, suffice to say, it's a neat-o little project.

I recorded my lines for 5 episodes yesterday and - can I just say? - for someone who usually has a hard time shutting up - all that talking is hard work. Seriously. I drank about a gallon of water over a two hour session, bent my brain around inflection and tone, intent and timing, avoiding 'wind' (not that kind! Sheesh!) and shmutzy-face noises, tried not to gesticulate too wildly so the sound guy wouldn't have to call me on 'shirt noise' or say 'you hit the script stand again', etc., etc., etc... and discovered along the way that it's kind of astounding just how much focused energy you have to put out for this kind of stuff.

((That's not to say that I haven't done voice work before. As a matter of fact (for example), all of you radio-drama aficionados, should TOTALLY pop on over to Decoder Ring Theatre and check out the podcast offerings there, featuring some really fantastic voice and story talent on display in a bunch of different radio serials (several episodes of which, yes, feature yours truly in various breathy damsel and/or evil villainess/ and or intergalactic mysterious lifeform roles)....))

Maybe it's just that with something that you know is going to go to the animators after you've done your part, there's somehow a lot more to think about while your doing it. Whatever. All I know is that - I had a blast. Here's hoping the show (which I will identify/flog mercilessly when I get the go-ahead) does gangbusters.

Sing it with me - "On with the Show! This is iiiiit!..."

LL