Read on »]]> Vegas Trip (still his real name), voice of Chuckles and fan favourite Sal in Telltale’s episodic series, kindly agreed to be subject to an interview — a prospect which isn’t as scary as it sounds!

Some of these questions were posed by you, the faithful readers, so be sure to read on to hear what this multi-talented – theatre, voice over and comics are all in a days work – man has to say.

Hi Vegas! Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Carbon-based bi-ped with a penchant for buffoonery. Playing music before I could really stand. Doing theater, comedy and art since I was forced to school with a bowl haircut and glasses. When the musical instruments weren’t around I went to my voice. Been there ever since.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A combination of: David Lee Roth, Fred Astaire and Dean Martin… add in some Bruce Lee for spice.

 

The drapes? Ha ha ha ha, oh I’ll tell you about the drapes my friend.
- Chuckles, episode 303

OriginalGagBonkerss and Leplaya: How did you enter the voice acting profession and, more specifically, become involved with Telltale Games?
I got into VO through a good friend of mine. She knew all the impersonations I could do and wanted me to audition for an animation company that was part of Warner Bros. I came in to their office and did seven voices in under a minute. They loved it and then put me on several of the shows and BOOM! It begins. With Telltale it was basically an audition thing. I read for several parts and they liked my character. Plus, they had heard of me from Mondo Mini Shows.

ShadowGirl7: What voice acting have you done apart from your work with Telltale?
I’ve done so much VO now in the past 10 years that it’s hard to recall most. But, the best are still: the voice for Universal Studios for several years, PowerRangers video game, voice for Cazadores for a while and I have a toy out called ‘SBD3000′ – it’s an awesome dancing, talking, farting (YES, farting!) robot that is impossible to find now (cheaply). Plus, I’m the voice for ‘Mr. Pencil’ on several platforms at Leap Frog toys. I also did an unreleased series with Roger Jackson (for Cisco systems), which is sad it never saw the world. I was Jerry Lewis and he was Phil Silvers.

Queen of the lobsters: What kind of voice acting do you like to do the most? Are there certain types of characters that are your favourite?
Collaborative is the best. With a room of other (funny) actors all feeding off each other. It really brings out the humor and timing. As for fave characters? Ooo, that gotta be Shatner and Connery and Pat Stewart and Charlton Heston.

Is it difficult to emit the required emotions in your performance when you aren’t playing off another actor in the booth?
Yeah, sometimes it is a bit tricky. If you don’t know what the client wants and they give you bad direction it can get a bit frustrating. Feeding off others rules. But if they’re not there ya gotta get weird and bring out your imaginary pals.

The suave Vegas Trip

What are the best and worst parts about voice acting?
Best and worst… hmm… well, the best is obvious. I have always done voices and mimicked everything, so to do that and get paid for being an idiot is all I could hope for. I love being in the studio and watching the client or crew laughing and really digging whats working. The down side is that clients usually have nooo idea how to handle the talent. Or even how to direct them or convey what they want. They can be redundant as hell about what they’re looking for and come right back to the first thing you did after they said they didn’t want that. They think they have an idea of something, but have no way to explain it. And it you don’t get that ‘vague’ notion in their head then you probably won’t get the gig. Or make them happy. Ugh.

Is voice acting the day job for you, or is it just something on the side?
It is actually my main career. I work part time as a bartender and most of the time as a stand-up comic. I just quit my band of 10 years (sad) too. I’m also writing a comic for Dark Horse.

What can you tell us about said comic?
I can’t really go into details on that. No artist yet. But It’s based on me ex-band, ‘Gooferman’. Very ‘Monkeys’ meets ‘Clockwork Orange’. The Dark Horse staff saw us play several years ago, along with Eric Powell (The Goon), and they loved us. So we started talking and next thing ya know I’ve got an idea for a book and they wanna put it out. But then they had to drop it cause of the recession and not taking on anything new for a while; now its come back as they are stronger in sales again. But I’m definitely looking for an artist… shit, I just gave you all the detail. Hah!

Teeth and Jon NA: Was Sal’s voice influenced by anyone in particular? Fans have noticed a lot of similarities to Patrick Warburton – was this a conscious decision?
Pat Warburton, for SURE! I love that guy. His voice and demeanor are hilarious. I saw the character and knew that was the way to go. Check out his movie ‘The Woman Chaser‘… brilliant!

Doo-be-do-be-doo… stacking some crates up… doo-be-do-be-doo…
- Sal, episode 304

JedExodus: Do you think the death of your character, Sal, was a waste considering his charisma and popularity? His death is pretty senseless if you think about it!
Yeah, that sucks. But they said anything is possible. I mean, he is a big cockroach, right? They never die. Just run under things and mutate. Maybe fans should threaten and lash out to bring him back? I will.

Do you play through the games once they are out or check out any fan feedback?
I’ve only played the game once, or at least one episode. They gave me a copy of the second season? I was the ‘men in black’ baddie with the shades [the character Chuckles]. But I’ve never seen any feedback or heard any thing until now, which is very cool. I had no idea.

Supmandude85: If a genie granted you three wishes then what would they be?
The Power Cosmic, time travel belt buckle and Tauntaun.

Thanks for your time, Vegas. What have you got planned for the future?
Well, I’m focusing on the stand-up comedy at the moment. Gonna take a break from rock ‘n’ roll for a short while. I can never leave it. Plus, I’ve got a few gigs comin up that must be done. I’m still a clown, just not as much. I want my comic to be out by next year’s San Diego Comic-Con. That would be so coool!

Read on »]]> It’s rare that you can go into any game from a single developer knowing that certain elements are always going to have the same consistent high quality. In the case of Telltale Games, you can be sure that their audio – whether it be the music, voice or sound – is always going to be top notch. Providing this often overlooked feature is Bay Area Sound, an audio production company with over fifteen years of experience under their belt.

I had the pleasure to quiz Julian Kwasneski and Jared Emerson-Johnson from the company about their involvement in Sam & Max and their work as a whole. Read on for the goods.

Hey guys! Please could you introduce yourselves and your role at Bay Area Sound.

Julian and Jared

JARED: Hi everybody, I’m Jared Emerson-Johnson. I’m most commonly known as the music face of the company, but like Julian I wear many hats. I’m primarily split three ways: between music composition/production and editing, sound design/editing, and voice direction. I also do a fair amount of audio implementation for some of our projects, and I’ve been known to get behind the mic and do some voice acting from time to time, as well.

What made you both want to work at Bay Area Sound? Why did you decide to enter that industry?
JULIAN: I left LucasArts in 2000 for a start-up company in Sunnyvale called iBeam Broadcasting. After a year of some heavy internet audio tech development, I missed game audio and joined another former LucasArts veteran (Clint Bajakian) in his newly-formed company “CB Studios”. We soon changed the name the The Sound Department, but our lawyer found a company in Germany with the same name so we changed it so the Bay Area Sound Department. That was too long and lame-sounding so it eventually landed as Bay Area Sound. Whew!

The soundtrack is one of the game’s best features.

- AdventureGamers.com

JARED: My interest in music and drama started at a very young age, but wasn’t until the middle of my undergraduate studies that composition became my primary focus. It quickly eclipsed most of my other musical interests, and I became quite curious to see if I could somehow make a living with it. I knew I wasn’t interested in a career in academia, so the main other option that presented itself to me was entertainment scoring.

As a way of testing the waters I sent out a few e-mails to Clint Bajakian, Peter McConnell, and Michael Land—game composers whose work I knew well and who I admired—to see if any of them needed a summer intern. Clint wrote back saying he had just started production on Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb, and that he’d been needing some help with the preparation for the orchestral recordings at the end of the summer. So I spent a couple months working with Clint in his studio, and at the end of the summer I was convinced that game composition was a path that I would enjoy, and that I could do well. That was a little over eight years ago, so: “so far so good!”

What are a few things you’re listening to at the moment?
JULIAN: I am listening to the clock tick and the crickets in my back yard. Since you probably mean musically, I am listening to the new Tom Petty, Goldfrapp, Arcade Fire… along with all the other things I’ve been listening to for the past 43 years.

JARED: I’ve been on a pretty big Grateful Dead bender all summer long, but they’re a perennial favorite of mine. I’ve also been listening back to some of the late 90s, early 00s techno and electronic music like The Chemical Brothers and dudes like Ferry Corsten and etc. Oh so retro, I know! Tom Waits is always in my list of “recently played” artists, as is Frank Zappa.

There is a local band that I’ve been going to see quite a bit in the last year or so called Djiin; they’re sort of an Acoustic/Flamenco/French/Gypsy/Funk kind of group. I’ve also been enjoying the shows of a band called the Eldorado Syncopators which is led by a local music colleague of mine. They do a sort of New Orleans/Jug Band style arrangements (as well as some extremely authentic renditions) of classic tin pan alley tunes, and somewhat obscure hits from the 20s and 30s.

I’ve also been going to the opera a ton and am currently weighing the pros and cons of springing for tickets to see Wagner’s complete Ring cycle next summer (in all, about 16 1/2 hours of mythic epicness). I’ve also been listening to Offenbach’s La Belle Hélène quite a bit, since I’m going to be music directing a youth production of that next spring.

Oh, and I just re-watched The American Astronaut a few weeks back, and have been rediscovering my love of Cory McAbee and The Billy Nayer Show.

How did you get involved with the Sam & Max series?
JULIAN: We were already connected at the hip with Telltale after having completed the two Bone series games and just flowed into it. It was a very exciting time, the three seasons have been a great growing experience for us.

What is the process for creating the sound effects?
JULIAN: When we have our initial meeting with the designers we go over high level information… what is the gist of the story, what locations will the player visit, etc. As the game comes together we usually get to work on the ambient backgrounds first (since they don’t require a lot of art be present, nor do they require much tech). This is usually followed by getting the footsteps wired in. All of this sets the areas up and the game begins to feel like a real space. From there it’s a fine blend of custom libraries we’ve created for the series along with field recordings and a little bit of chaos.

JARED: Yep, Julian summed it up quite nicely. I’d just add that the one aspect of scoring Telltale’s games that somewhat different from many of the other projects we work on is the fact that such a huge amount of the story is conveyed in long cutscenes and cinematic moments. These “movie moments” require a level of linear detail that doesn’t often come into play to the same degree for many other projects. Oftentimes there is an event, for example, which requires a unique sound that never recurs anywhere else in the series, whereas many other games rely on at least some reuse. To sum it up, I’d say that a typical game has maybe 90% of the sound design is for the in-game sfx suites and in interactive detail and tech, with only 10% or so going into the cutscenes. With Telltale’s games I’d say those numbers are reversed: probably more like 95% cutscenes and 5% for the in-game sound.

How do you capture the essence of the series and games and put humour across through sound?

Of course this is how Sam & Max’s world sounds! If only my life had a soundtrack this cool.
- Steve Purcell

JULIAN: This being the third season now, we have amassed a fairly large library of custom sound effects, all that lend a hand to creating the Sam and Max feel. The real fun is in the details though and we often look at scenes a few different ways before settling on a direction to go. With Sam and Max, you can’t go too cartoony or too real. There is a balance we try to strike in the middle… but often the visuals are just screaming out for something specific—like the classic sci-fi teleportation sounds in the third season.

JARED: Absolutely, the main thing for me is always deciding when to play a given moment straight, and when to go more zany. The possibly counterintuitive truth of the matter is that oftentimes playing a moment straight in the audio will actually lend a much funnier result than going nuts with really cartoony scoring, but that is certainly not always the case. It’s all about figuring out what the best choice for each individual moment will be, and trusting that the finished result will gel together.

How many takes do you record of each line, or is it usually nailed on the first attempt?
JULIAN: We’re usually pretty pressed for time and I liken the production style to that of a television show (we are working on the next episode as we’re polishing the last). Most of the actors we work with are well-versed in our method and quite familiar with the characters they play. Still, back to your question, we usually record an average of about 3 takes per line. That said, we’ve done some sessions with one take per line and some with as many as 20ish takes (those are not fun).

JARED: Yeah, the method varies quite a bit depending on the actor, but it always averages to around 3 takes per line. Quite often the actors do nail it on the first attempt, but it’s always nice to have a few other choices. There are often several “correct” possible reads of any given line, and the goal is to capture the BEST correct read.

Do you ever experience compatibility issues between voice actors and their lines? How do these get resolved?
JULIAN: Fortunately the writers are quite good and by the time the text is in front of an actor a lot of these issues have been worked out. That said, we occasionally find instances of horrid grammar or “what were they thinking” moments… of course, I like to have the writer in the studio with me. If there is any question I just turn to them and say “what WERE you thinking?”. Of course, in some cases we do quick re-writes on the spot, or the actor ad-libs.

Does every voice actor record individually, or are there sometimes group recording sessions?
JULIAN: We have never had a need to have more than one actor at a time. I know some people who do it otherwise, but for our purposes having one actor works just fine. We provide context and I am constantly reading feeding lines to make sure the dialogue is always conversational. We’ve come up with a very good production method and toolset for producing voice over and have had the opportunity to refine it over the years. Telltale’s projects have put it to the test, that’s for sure.

It must be fairly hectic producing for an episodic game. What sort of schedule do you operate on?
JULIAN: As I mentioned in an earlier response, I liken the production to a television show where you have several episodes over the course of a season. We start out knowing the general idea for the whole season but then descend into the details of each episode as they come. At the point where things are just heating up with sound and music recordings, we are casting for the next episode and those voice over sessions start. There are always a few weeks of overlap where the juggling act is fierce. There’s never a dull moment and we need to rely heavily on our internal production pipeline.

JARED: Yes, it is definitely extremely hectic, but Julian and I have intricate and detailed internal schedules (internal to Bay Area Sound) that make it all possible. At this point when a new season starts up I pretty much trust that I won’t be getting enough sleep, and that I’ll likely be stuck in my production chair for 12-18 hours a day for the following six to nine months.

Are there any interesting or funny behind-the-scenes moments that you could share?

I love the work Bay Area Sound does on our games!

- Jake Rodkin, Telltale Games

JULIAN: Hmmmm… well, bloopers are always fun. If you could only hear the things we hear! The online chat banter is a good barometer of how everyone is feeling… venting one day, rejoicing the next. Oh and the music sessions, those guys probably have the most “fun” despite the incredible time pressure they are under. The Tourist voiceover session was hilarious, Majus did a great job and that voice is crazy. I’m drawing a blank… or I am protecting the guilty.

JARED: There was a music session on Wallace [& Gromit] where a flute literally broke into pieces in the middle of recording—that was not so much funny or interesting as it was extremely memorable! The music sessions are stressful and always rushed because of the schedule and budgets, but they are certainly rewarding for me, since they’re usually the culmination of several weeks of intense work leading into them.

Do you have a favourite part of your job?
JULIAN: Honestly I enjoy all parts. In this business, you either enjoy it or you are not in it… no one would choose this for themselves otherwise! I forget who came up with this quote, but we were on a conference call (a lengthy one) and were discussing all kinds of miserable developments when someone said “this is the industry we have chosen for ourselves”. I thought that was hilarious. Or we’ll get ridiculous emails or become involved in situations where Jared and I just look at each other and say “Ahhhh games”. I love my job.

JARED: For me it’s the variety. I love being able to wake up, write some horror music for a game like Puzzle Agent, go to the voice recording studio, direct some actors for a few hours, then return to my studio to record and edit some sound effects, and then spend the late afternoon and evening preparing instrumental parts for a Sam and Max music session later in the week. My least favorite part is having to deal with computer and machine problems. It’s absolutely the worst, but it comes with the gig, so we all have to grit out teeth and bear it.

Thanks for the interview, Julian and Jared!

Elsewhere

Facebook plays host to Bay Area Sound’s main hub for all their news and photo updates.
“Audio production company specializing in custom sound design, original music and voiceover for games”

Read on »]]> When she’s not filling hostel guests with caffeine, Nicki Rapp grabs a microphone and becomes voice actress extraordinaire! Those of you who’ve played through the recent They Stole Max’s Brain! will known her voice for the role of the mighty and great Sammun-Mak. Telltale fans might also recognise her as Morgan le Flay from Tales of Monkey Island.

I was delighted to be able to interview the enthusiastic Nicki Rapp about her involvement in the series and her career in general. Give it a read and feel free to post your feedback for Nicki in the comments.

Hey Nicki! Please could you introduce yourself and tell us what voice work you’ve done in the past?
Hi everyone! I’m Nicki, and I’m a voice actor. That sounded like I should be in some sort of support group. Haha!
I’ve been working for 11 years now, playing lots of kids and furry animals. I’m really proud of the characters I’ve been invited to play: Lili in Psychonauts, all the bratty girl kids in The Sims, the fantastic Morgan LeFlay, and of course, His Radness, Sammun-Mak.

How did you wind up in the voicing industry? Was it an ambition or did it stem from somewhere else?
It’s pretty strange to me that I’ve made this crazy voice of mine work for me. I was teased a lot, and I still have a hard time listening to myself sometimes. I grew up doing a lot of theater, musicals mostly. I thought it was just a hobby, but I felt amazing being a part of it. I wanted to go to film school and write about film – maybe be a critic. Out of nowhere came an audition for drama school that I didn’t think I would make anyway – but why not try! When I was accepted, my parents supported me completely, and I focused on being an actor. The voice acting came along at a suggestion of a teacher at school, and when I moved back from Los Angeles, I found a voice over school in Sausalito, California. I fell in love with it, completely head over heels. I never considered it at all… but now I know it’s what I’m meant to be doing.

Is voice acting your main job?
Alas, it is not. I work for Hostelling International in San Francisco. I’m the girl who will serve you breakfast, get you all caffeinated and help you plan your day. I’ve worked at the hostel for almost 5 years, and I really love it. Well, let me clarify… I don’t love the alarm blaring into my ears at 6 am… but I’ve met so many rad people, it makes it all worthwhile.

Would you like to become a full time voice actress, or do you prefer the balance between jobs?
I am terrible with balance! I dream of the day when I am a full time voice actress… it is all I want to do. Nothing makes me feel so exhilarated and proud, yet totally exhausted. The people I work with – the engineers, writers, directors…. are just so wonderful, and I always feel kinda rad when I leave a session. It’s the best!!

How do you prepare for a role?
Mostly I only get details for a character – descriptions of their personality, maybe a style of speech the casting people are looking for. As with all acting, I think about who I’m talking to, where I am, what happened the moment before. A lot of times this information is not available, but being committed, making strong choices for the character is the most important part. The voice is important, but the acting has to back it up. If I’m really lucky, I’ll see a picture, but surprisingly, this doesn’t happen much. I didn’t even know what Morgan looked like until the game came out; the same with Sammun-Mak. I just have to go from my gut… I definitely adapt as much physicality as I can in the booth, and I really get into it. It’s a wonderful process that evolves line by line, because so much of the time the story is a bit disjointed for recording. It’s always a magnificent surprise to see the finished product, how it all comes together.

What’s the best part about being a voice actress?
I still get so excited every time I have an audition… it doesn’t matter what it is, I just love having the chance to play and see where it takes me. I love to be secret, and to really delve into the imaginary world going on in my head – I get to play it out with all the energy I have. I don’t even think about what I should wear or what I look like or anything like that. The exhilaration of a finished session is so satisfying. I declare that it is the best job in the world!!!

You recently voiced Sammun-Mak in They Stole Max’s Brain!. What did you enjoy about playing this character?
Ohh what a brat! I loved playing Sammun-Mak. I enjoyed the dialogue tremendously and how unabashedly horrible I got to be, but in a totally comical way. I also love what he looks like – totally adorable but what a pain in the butt! It was so much fun to see how it all turned out.

Nicki Rapp

If you could alter reality as he did, what would you change and why?
My heart hurts so much for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. If I had the power of the Almighty Sammun-Mak, this horrible tragedy would not have happened.

How do you differ a young boy’s voice to that of a girl’s?
One of my best friends has an 8 year old son, Kienan – he has the most adorable voice. I mimic him a lot; I mimic cartoons or commercials on TV. I wish I could sound like a real boy, but that’s a bit tricky. Boys have more texture in their voices sometimes, so the sound just comes from the throat more than a airyish girly sound. I know that I also make a really funny face when I do it – I talk out of the side of my mouth. I guess I look kinda smushed up or something. My friends think this is quite comical.

I’ll admit it, it is pretty funny.

You’ve worked with Telltale previously on Tales of Monkey Island. What drew you back to them?
I am so thankful to get another chance to work with such a creative developer. I adore them because they’ve cast me in roles that are so different than I ever got to play before. I was able to stretch and really have a wonderful character arc, especially with Morgan. Working with Telltale has been fantastic; I hope to work with them even more in the future. It has been a really rewarding experience.

How engaged are you with the Sam and Max franchise? Do you play the games and/or browse forums to see the reaction?
Sam and Max didn’t propose to me until recently, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them more and more. We’re getting pretty serious now. Really great characters, super funny!
I have checked out the forums to read what people think. It’s really nice when the players write comments like they know me because I played Morgan… I feel like they are supporting me and kinda sticking up for me too. It’s such a thriving community, and it’s interesting to see what people have to say. I’m learning a lot.

Elsewhere, you’ve done a lot of work in The Sims franchise. Could you explain to us how a session works for this? I’d imagine there isn’t much of a script.
I’ve been a part of The Sims since 2003, and it is so brilliant! My sessions are 6 hours long, which is super intense, especially when you make up a language on the spot. I go into the booth and watch the monitor – an animation comes up of the child doing something (most likely to annoy others) and I do 10-12 different takes – all the range of emotions. There are so many possibilities that the player could choose, so we have to make sure we really cover our bases. Ohhh man, I tell ya, I am so tired after a session, but it really is fantastic. My brain is usually fried – totally maxed out, but that smile on my face cannot be denied.

Do you find it challenging having to put different emotions and record multiple takes of a made-up language?
People ask me if there is a dictionary of words, but Simlish is a language based on emotion. I must be a little crazy, but I think of new words all the time… I have a notebook by my bed. I think of crazy words in the middle of the night, or if I meet someone at the hostel with a really interesting name, I’ll work it into my Simlish.
When I was recording The Sims 3, I was going through a horrible breakup and it was so incredibly therapeutic to have tantrums and freak out as a 6 year old girl! The tricky part was stopping the tears (haha). It’s a lot of freedom to be so off the cuff, so over the top. I love the variety, the chance to keep trying something new with the language and the timing. It is one of the greatest gifts in my life.

What’s next in the pipeline for you?
I’ve been really blessed to play the characters I have. I still remember the feeling of booking my first job, walking into the session and feeling like all the hard work, patience and perseverance was worth it. The memories of working on Psychonauts, not knowing at the time what a huge deal it was – to the present, working with Telltale – who no doubt will continue to make quality, well told stories, making you laugh and cry. I don’t know what is next for me, but I’ve really been lucky so far! I have a feeling it’s just going to get better and better.

Thanks for your time, Nicki!
Thank you for asking me to do this, Joe. Brilliant questions. Thanks for taking me back and helping me remember how much I truly love what I get to do. I’ve really enjoyed doing this!

Read on »]]>

You asked, he answered. Steve Purcell, the creator of Sam & Max, kindly gave up some of his time to answer the questions that you, the users, posed to him. Some of you ignored the one question rule, but I’ll left you off – you cheeky scamps!

Read on to see if your question was selected (usernames are in dark blue). Find out who Steve prefers to voice Sam & Max, the type of music he listens to and what he thinks of the Monkey Island 2: Special Edition front cover — and more!

About You

Detective: What inspired you to become an artist?
I always drew as a kid. I loved cartoons and copied the characters as best I could. I didn’t know if I would ever be able to do it for a living. Over time I just tried to steer more and more of my efforts toward becoming a professional artist and phased out the kind of work that didn’t support that goal. It took a long time to get established but it somehow worked out.

Detective: What are your favourite type of illustrations to do?
I like to paint and I like creating paintings based around characters or some aspect of storytelling.

What is the process for drawing a comic?
The idea comes first of course. If I’m writing a comic story I’ll start by sketching and writing simultaneously. I’ll have a broad idea but I’ll want to conjure up some character moments to help pull the ideas together. Next I will thumbnail the pages, breaking the story down page by page in tiny sketches too small and rough for anyone but me to know what they are. At that point some of the dialog starts getting placed in anticipation of the word balloons. Next is penciling. The full size page, 10 X 15, must be ruled and the thumbnail layout roughed in blue pencil. I’ll tighten the pencil drawings and then write the final dialog. The dialog balloons need to be ‘spotted’ – deciding where to place them. Then, either a letterer creates the dialog in the balloons or it is created with a font on the computer. Last is inking, drawing over the pencil lines with ink. I do a lot of changes to the drawings at that point and add most of the goofy little details. Nowadays a lot of comic creators follow these steps on the computer. So far I still like working on paper.

StewG: What type of music do you listen to?
I drive an hour to the office in the morning. My iPod is on shuffle mode and has a mix of Nick Cave, White Stripes, Aimee Mann, U2, Green Day, soundtracks by Thomas Newman, Carter Burwell, Bernard Herrmann. Stuff I listened to when I was a teenager and oldies like Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and George Gershwin.

The Highway: What sort of TV shows and films do you watch?
On TV my favorites are Madmen, Breaking Bad and Survivor.

The movies I love are 60′s quirky comedies like Harold and Maude, The Loved One and Dr Strangelove. I like Alfred Hitchcock, especially Rear Window, Vertigo and The Birds. Last year I liked Inglourious Basterds; a great, demented adventure/horror/comedy, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Hangover and Up.

Harald B: I notice you often sign your work with ‘SRP’. What does the R stand for?
In high school I told people my middle name was Rasputin and I sometimes signed my work that way. It’s actually Ross. The SRP became a shorthand I started when I was signing tiny little paintings and didn’t want to clutter it up with a full signature.

Sam & Max

Steve Purcell

Is there any jealousy from your brother Dave over Sam & Max’s popularity?
He hasn’t shown any. I think the fact that what I did with Sam & Max was so different from how they started he doesn’t think of it as a rip-off.

What’s your favourite Sam & Max story?
I guess Sam & Max On the Road is the most personal because it established the Road trip aspect of Sam & Max which is based on travels with my family when I was a kid. Some of the inspiration also came from a hilarious travel book called Roadside America about bizarre tourist traps scattered across the USA. Check out their website!

Tjibbbe and Icedhope: Will there be any new Sam & Max content besides the Telltale games? Perhaps new comics, another TV show or a film?
I can’t make any guarantees except no one’s clamoring to do the feature film at the moment. I’d love to do something new and now is the time but I can’t promise anything at the moment.

Tredlow: Which character, aside from Sam & Max, is your favourite from the franchise?
I’m fond of the Rubber Pants Commandos. Two diaper babies with rifles led by an irritable chimp. They coo and giggle and fire shotguns willy nilly.

Who is your favourite voice actor for Sam and Max and why?
I think of Sam & Max like any pair of characters that are interpreted multiple times. Many actors have played Sherlock Holmes or Batman or James Bond. Bill Farmer was the first Sam so I’m fond of his version but there are aspects of all of them that I like. The animated series Sam was Harvey Atkin and he was high energy compared to the more mellow Bill Farmer. Robert Tinkler, the TV Max had a fun range to his voice and added the aspect of Max where he’d riff on something in a specific type of voice. When he was between takes Robert would relax by doing a perfect impression of Chewbacca. The newest guys David Nowlin and William Kasten have settled into their parts nicely as well.

Rentless Monkey: If you had to add a third character to join Sam and Max, what would he/she be like and why? There was The Geek in the animated series – ­ do you think she worked well?
The Geek was the answer to the TV Network wanting a female character on the animated show. I don’t mind her as a character but I tried to keep her in the background as much as possible. I actually think it’s unwise to add a character to an established duo. There’s a rhythm to the two that you don’t want to have to interrupt.

DrRocketGenius: Are there any plans for new shirts or other merchandise? Is there something that you’d like to see made?
I did a new shirt for the Telltale Store and I’m working on designs for a couple more. There’s also a flaming Max head shot glass on its way. I’ve always wanted to do little vinyl figures and a plush Max. Those are more complicated so they’ll stay on the wish list until I can make them happen.

How concerned are you by the ‘canon’ of Sam & Max? ILDC wants to know where in New York Sam & Max’s office is and Snapshot asks how old the pair are meant to be. Do you know this, or does it not bother you?
I think ‘canon’ can get in the way if you worry about it too much. A lot of people like to organize every detail in character series. For the Telltale series it’s more important to maintain a continuity from season to season. In the comics I was never concerned about it at all.

Other Work

You did some small voice acting in an Up short for Pixar. How did you find this experience? The Highway asks if you’d ever consider voicing a character in the Sam & Max universe?

Steve back in the day

I’ve done a few other minor characters for Pixar as well and I enjoy it a lot. It has a totally different discipline from the other kinds of work I do. I have my own versions of some of the Sam & Max character voices and if I ever did another flash short I’d probably do most of the voices myself.

Would you ever consider creating a brand new comic series besides Sam & Max and Toybox?
I’ve got a bunch of other characters but not as much time as I wish I had to use them all. I definitely would need to find timesaving techniques if I did another comic.

Tjibbbe: What is your role within Pixar?
Right now I describe it as Story Development. There will be more specific information about my Pixar work to talk about next year.

What do you like about working at Pixar?
It’s overflowing with creative energy. People work long hours but still go home and publish comics and direct short films and paint landscapes. They are inspired by their day job rather than burned out from it.

What do you think of the cover for the Monkey Island 2 special edition (see here)?
It’s a curious thing to see your painted remade in a new style. I guess I should be flattered that they used my cover as the jumping off point for the new one and feel lucky that someone is still referencing my artwork 20 years after it was done.

Thanks for the interview, Steve!

Read on »]]> Harry Moleman has appeared in every season – including the upcoming Devil’s Playhouse – of Telltale’s Sam & Max games. He’s voiced by Tim Talbot, so it was only suitable that someone got round to interviewing this voice acting great.

I wouldn’t be as rude to suggest that Tim is a little crazy, but… well… form your own opinion and sound off in the comments below the article. Be kind though, or his ‘agent’ Reggie Van Temple-Smythe the IIIrd may be on to you.

Hey Tim. To start, please could you explain who you are and what you do.
On the advice of my esteemed ‘Director of Medication’; Mr. Gerald, I have been counselled to not answer this question; on the grounds that it may incriminate me. Nah-just kiddin- I’m a reformed Sea-Sprite and Wood-kern, Elfin man-child with a buttload of neuroses, just like the rest of my great nation. I mean, uh, I’m a Voice Over Artist and Actor from San Francisco, California, and always game for a spirited discussion on the relative merits of Wittgenstein’s outlook on life. I’m a real hoot ya might say.

How did you start your career?
I was always goofing off with the wisecracks and the sea-sprite stuff as a kid, yeah? Then I became a waiter and a Cook, after being a painter, gardener, bike messenger, cashier, barista, gas station attendant, etc. But I always wanted to be a performer/actor/ generally pompous ass who has people hold doors open for him and hangs out in Gstaad wif Mick and Keef, the mighty Pitt and wee little Jackie Depp, so I got my shizzle together about 7 years ago and got trained, got headshots, got signed, and got opportunities and started getting work. My first job was on camera, playing a wonky guy in Khakis who spills coffee on them for an apparently Germanic/American Dept. store chain called ‘Gottschalk’s’ down in heavenly Fresno, Cal. It’s a real garden spot Fresno, let me tell ya. My first voice job?  I did the voice of Alfred the Butler (“ Excuse me Master Bruce, but…”) for a kids Batman video game for the fine folks up at Riverdeep, which is no longer with us I believe. DAMN THIS RECESSION!! Nah- they went belly up like 4 years ago.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Well, I never actually saw the entire point of growing up, to be perfectly honest with you. The whole thing seemed rigged, if ya ask me! OH! You ARE asking me? Right! Well, when I was about 11 or so I realized that if 18 or 21 years old was considered to be the line of demarcation for ‘childhood/adulthood’? And that that meant I had like 50 or 60 years of being responsible and grouchy and stressed out and all the rest of it? I decided; Screw that noise! I mean, that deal sucks! But, as a teensy tot, for a class project in the 1^st grade, I put down that I’d like to be a Priest, a Paleontologist, and a Comedy Writer, like Dick Van Dyke. He had a show on at the time where he played one and all they seemed to do was laugh and goof around and at the end of the day he went home to Mary Tyler Moore! Seemed pretty good to me, baby! The Priest? That was for Mom, and the Paleontologist was for the Dinosaurs. Like I said, I was in the 1^st grade.

Tim Talbot

What do you get up to in your spare time?
I am the worlds foremost authority on the Chilean Sea Slug, and seeing as it is an extremely slow moving creature, (taking over three weeks to move an inch), it pretty much takes up most of my spare time. But, when free, I like taking the wonder pups (my dogs Tag and Trixie) to the park, riding my bike, exercising, reading, watching movies, writing, eating out, hanging/talking with friends, and plotting to raise the Chilean Sea Slug into it’s rightful place in the world pantheon of most admired invertebrates.

How do you prepare for any role you are given?
I read the script, and try out ideas for why and how the character has the mannerisms it does according to what’s written, the clues I’m given by the words coming out of its mouth. And with voices, generally I run my choices by the guys who wrote it, and develop it from there. But that being said, I’ve more than once come up with what I think is a great choice of personality/voice for a character and been shot down by the writers/director/whoever those really mean guys in the control booth are. So whereas some characters are so obvious (i.e.; A lobsterman from Maine), that the choice is made for me, and my work will be primarily on shading and nuance, others need to be fleshed out more, with back story and biography, you know, the ‘why’ of the character and stuff like that. I try to trust my instincts and not get too nutty about it all- keeps it more fresca, more grounded in truth for me doing it that way.

Was Sam & Max your first leap into video game voice acting?
No, but it has been the most fun-everybody involved is kind, generous, brilliant, insightful, kind..oh. Did I say kind? Uh, well, uh, lets see, uh…well, they’re also very NICE! And uh…duh. There’s a lot of smoke blowing weenies in this field, (and I’m one of the biggest of them all), but the guys on Sam and Max are real guys who are funny and professional (and rarely does the twain meet!). Every time I get called in to do Sam and Max I know it’s gonna be a fun session- they allow for give and take, for banter, and to have a certain amount of input for the character, which engenders a true desire to own it completely through the personal involvement. And it comes across in the performances. It also helps that they write very silly, smart, funny stuff-it’s always easier to get into a character that isn’t a complete dumbass, ya know?

How did you get the role in the Telltale games?
I was called in by my agency (The STARS Agency of San Francisco), to audition for a few of the characters. I’ve been doing this Gilbert Gottfried meets Joe Pesci meets Wallace Shawn character for years, and when I read Harry Moleman’s lines I thought; “ AHA! Finally! All those years of wisecracks and goofing off in class are going to pay off!” And they did, cause I got the part, didn’t I. Take THAT, Mr. Cooper! HAH!

What’s the most interesting aspect about voicing for video games?
The food? It’s all interesting, but one of the strangest elements of it is probably that although it is an electronic, highly technical endeavor, in the end it’s powered by real human connection and emotion. If the writing isn’t sharp, the voices of the characters aren’t matched properly it’s just a dog, regardless of how ‘brilliant’ the tech side may be. Without that human connection that fans can identify and enjoy and appreciate, it’s a bore! Getting to a ‘real’ place in a soundproof, extremely clean (though still sometimes also quite sloppy), little booth or room, with headphones on and an insanely expensive microphone (that if you busted you’d be doing Sam and Max for free for the next 50 years to pay the sucker off) inches in front of your face puts a fella in an interesting place you might say. The letting go and doing what you were hired for as though you were alone in your room singing along to your favorite song and playing a tennis racket for a guitar type of thing, yeah? It’s also really pretty cool when you overhear somebody that ‘sounds familiar’ and then realize that it’s YOU! That’s a trip. And the best, most interesting thing about doing VO? They pay me to do something that I love and used to get sent to the Principals office for. It’s beautiful.

What input did you have into the voice and character of Harry Moleman?
Well the voice itself lends itself to driving Harry so effectively, that when we’re in a session recording, I just think and behave like him. I mean I actually bring a shovel and a pick and desperately attempt to burrow through the goddamn floor during breaks! No- the guys and I do a few reads to find his voice/inflection, and I make suggestions that are sometimes spot on, but mainly I’m told to “just read the lines, Einstein”. The writers have created him and his path to follow, I just do my best to adhere to wherever that path may go.

What do you enjoy about voicing Harry Moleman?
Harry is great because although he may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, nor the toughest, he’s a pretty savvy, street-smart guy who generally makes his point and/or mark convincingly. He’s funny but doesn’t realize he is. He’s tough but kind of a sap too, but he usually winds up making out pretty well. And it’s fun to help create his personality with my voice, to make him more realized as a person. Er, Mole.

He’s a pretty weird and diverse character. Where would you like to see him headed?
You know Harry! He’s got plans baby, BIG plan! Whether the writers have big plans for him? Who knows?! Start a petition! I’d like to see Harry in a romance again, though. I think Harry in love just naturally lends itself to numerous awkward situations and difficulties. After all, for all his street smarts and savvy, he always seems to wind up getting into jams of his own making that he has to scheme his way out of, one way or another. And what greater scheme than Love? I think Shakespeare said that? It was him or that Dame Edna guy.

If you could create your own character for the Sam & Max universe, what would they be like?
They wouldn’t be straightforward, that’s for sure! WOOO-HOOO! Yeah baby, yeah! I wouldn’t mind creating a ‘Woodstock Generation’ type character who took the ‘Brown Acid’ and never came back. You know, a peace-loving nitwit who invariably presses the ‘wrong button’? Who is easily led and manipulated and possesses the psychedelic strength of ten men? A guy like that would be fun. “Oh wow, man, far out!” Right? Who DOESN’T love the stoned hippie nitwit? I ask ya! Who doesn’t love…oh yeah, I already asked that. I used to do a character like that I called ‘Natural Jason’ when I was a lad, 30+ years ago, and he’d be fun to resurrect/develop.

Are you a gamer yourself? Do you play the Sam & Max games?
I was a bit of a ‘Pinball Wizard’ back in the day, and I like playing the driving games, but to tell you the truth, I’m not a gamer. I GOT game, but not in the video sense. My nephews always want me to play and just annihilate me mercilessly, regardless of the game.

It's Tim Talbot!

Got any funny moments from a recording session that you could share?
This is true, but I can’t use the names, cause I would be killed to death and never work in this or any town, and etc, etc. But I was working on a pretty high profile game for the fine folks over at EA, and heard about the famous Hollywood actor who apparently came into a session and behaved like a prima donna with a ‘Latte Wrangler’ and gaggle of a half dozen lackeys whose primary purpose in life was to follow the jerk around and agree with him whenever he shat on one of the ‘little people’ who got in his way-and EVERYBODY got in his way. In fact, after hearing this tale from somebody who had witnessed him behaving like a total jackass? I decided then and there to pattern the rest of my ‘career’ after him. Maybe I’ll rethink that?

You’ve done a bit of theatre, TV and film work. Would you like to do further on-screen acting?
I am eminently available. Tell a friend! I would, and hopefully will, continue to get opportunities for advancing my career in any and all fields of performance. Send yer director buddies to my website, eh Joe? Whaddya say, eh? It’s www.timothytalbot.com. I tell you, it’s simply astonishing what Photoshop and GarageBand can do to make a talent less hack like me sound and look good! GOD BLESS TECHNOLOGY!! And though I am perhaps a bit glib and Wisenheimer-ish? I am a pro, in that I don’t screw around on set, I don’t talk back, I don’t whine and complain- I take pride in being prepared and treating everybody with respect, whether they want, need, or deserve it on set, and in my life. It is truly a privilege to be considered for jobs and to have auditions for jobs and to work in this industry. And of course, it’s the only industry that would have me, but you know, whatever.

What franchise would you like to do work for?
McDonalds. I actually did work at a Mickey D’s as a ‘cook’ for a few weeks when I was like 18 or so, over in San Rafael (across the Golden Gate Bridge from SF) in Marin. I used to see Jerry Garcia all the time-the guy was a stoned hound who just loved junk food- swear to god! Look it up! I’d go “Hey Jerry!” (even though it was the ‘70’s and I was a die hard Zep head and Who fanatic and hated the Dead), and he’d sheepishly peer up at me in my dingbell paper hat and what have you, and reply “……..” with a decidedly crooked, drooling grin on his dopey mug. What a guy. Very sweet, but… He sure did love them there Big Macs and Choco Shakes! I’d like to work on GTA, Call of Duty, Warcraft, Halo, any of the big combat games- I think my natural voice texture lends itself to those types of projects, but comedy is my favorite. On mainstream TV it’d be The Simpsons, Family Guy, Spongebob, Scooby-Doo. Hell, if they’re gonna pay me? I’ll do the Ballerina and the Goalkeeper, ya know what I mean?

Thanks for the interview, Tim. What’s next for you?
I am always gratified to get opportunities to work and audition, and so I will continue to do that through The STARS Agency, but I’m branching out, and plan on being a LOT more pro-active in developing my own opportunities this year- getting back onstage with the SF Playwrights Center to be one of their readers, spouting me mad poetry at open mics here in town, and honing the craft of monologue with the goal of, at some point, getting up and performing my own material before live audiences (as opposed to a dead ones? You know what I mean). I have some friends down in LA who are very talented and know some people who know some people and you never really know! I plan on working with, and just basically having gratitude for, the chance to be paid for doing something I love. It truly is a beautiful world when I get the hell out of my own way! Thanks for having me, Joe; it’s been a blast! If yer ever in SF drop me a line!

Read on »]]> Brian Sommer does killer voice over. He’s played a lot of bad guys, and in the past has worked for companies such as Blizzard, Sega and UbiSoft. That’s all well and good, but we know Brian from his roles in Telltale’s games as Brady Culture (the villainous child star in Culture Shock) and Jurgen’s Monster (Night of the Raving Dead).

Does Brian have an afro? Who would he hypnotize? Why is he wearing fishnet stockings? All of these questions – and more – can be answered in our interview with the man himself. Read on and fill your brian with Brain. Wait…

Hey Brian, let’s get straight into the basics: Just who are you and how did you wind up in the ol’ voice over biz?
Well Joe, I am the one they call Brian Sommer: Tall of stature, confused in visage, broadly silly. (you should see the size of my business cards!!). However if you wanted a serious answer to that question, I am Brian Sommer: Voice Actor. And JUST a voice actor. None of that on-camera folderol for me thank you.

I wound up in voice over due to my need to hid my hideous physical features from the gaze of the general public. That AND my fascination for the craft which was sparked by listening to re-broadcasts of old radio shows when I was a kid. Shows like Inner Sanctum, The Jack Benny Show, The Great Gildersleeve, Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, and The Shadow. The actors in these shows were able to craft such wonderfully rich scenes with just their voices. I have often said that the spooky castles, vast frontiers, and neighborhood hang outs that I created in my own mind, thanks to the wonderful performances,while listening to these shows, were far more detailed than anything I have SEEN on a movie or TV screen. Our imaginations are boundless. This initial spark of interest in voice over was solidified by a single performance. As with most baby boomers here in California, I visited Disneyland on a regular basis. One of the, now extinct, attractions at Disneyland was the Adventure through Inner Space. The narrator/character of that attraction was voiced by Paul Frees (one of my personal idols). The attraction itself was rather void of any splashy special effects, so the rider was mostly there by themselves in the dark with Paul Frees’ voice carrying them through the ride. Yes, it was slightly campy, slightly over the top, but it really made an impression on me at that age. There was such immediacy and emotion in his delivery. I wanted to learn more about this craft, and those who paved the way.

Were you trained by anyone, or are you just naturally talented at different voices?
My dear Joe, of course all my talent is natural. I simply walked into a recording booth and nailed my very first performance with the skill and craft of a veteran voice man………………. ok, sounds like your not going to fall for that. So I will again have to present another serious answer. I most certainly was trained by someone, several someone’s. Voicetrax is a voice over academy here in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was founded by Samantha Paris who has been in the biz for quite sometime and lent her talents to hundreds of cartoons. Samantha was occasionally a guest on a local radio program and she would talk about the industry and the school. I must have written that phone number down a dozen times before I finally picked up the phone and called. I signed up for the introductory class and started my training. Eighteen months later I was signed by the largest talent agency in San Francisco, and have been working in the biz ever since. Samantha, along with many of her instructors, taught me so much about the craft. I learned from talented folks like Thom Pinto, Pat Fraley, Susan Blu, and Tom Chantler. I am honored to say that I am now an instructor at Voicetrax. Also, although I have never been taught directly by them, I have learned a lot from some of the classic voice actors from the ‘golden era’ of radio. Simply by listening to the performances of brilliantly talented folks like Paul Frees, Daws Butler, June Foray, Bill Scott, and Mel Blanc, I have learned a great deal about bringing characters to life through voice over.

You’ve done some narration work in the past – how does this compare to voice acting in a video game?
It is BORING ! ( I hope none of the narration producers are reading this). But by comparison, voicing a character is much more enjoyable for me than performing narration. However if I was to be a purist on the matter, even a narrator is a ‘character’. When you are voicing narration (unless you present it as yourself) you are performing a character that is an expert in the topic being delivered. The audience should believe that the narrator knows what they are talking about AND be entertained. But characters (in the classic definition) are just so much more fun. The personalities are usually broader. Especially when you are playing the bad guys, as I often do. Narration is expected to be delivered within a narrow scope. It is meant to compliment the visuals. It should never take center stage. If we are listening to David Attenborough tell us about the indigenous creatures on the Galapagos Islands, it simply would be out of place for him to do his best Jerry Lewis and say “HEY LADY, look at the Iguana would ya!!!”

Brian Sommer

What do you like the best about being a voice actor?
I would say it is the variety of performances that are available to you. One day I could be doing a medical narration. The next I am trying to take over the universe as a maniacal android. By the very nature of the craft, it really makes no difference what you LOOK like. Most folks, when they meet me, have no idea that I am actually a 75 year old 4’11″ Filipino woman. If you are the best sounding performance, more times than not, you will be the one to get the job. No matter who you are. I also just love the feel of the biz. I am equally as entertained by watching someone else at a recording session then I am recording myself. Its a unique craft, and I really like exploring the different approaches other actors take with it. The vast majority of the folks I have met are wonderfully creative, generous, friendly people.

Are there any voice actors who you look up to?
As I previously stated, those talented folks from the Golden Age are among my favorites. Most of them came from Vaudeville and they had BIG character deliveries. Subtlety has it place, but if you really want to get me interested, they they gotta hear you in the balcony. Such great big character actors came out of that time. You would be surprised to learn how many of the popular current character voices are based on actors from that era. THEY started it all. They set the benchmark. Just take a look at “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”. One of the best character actor showcases in my opinion. GREAT stuff. They are too many to name, and I always fear inadvertently leaving someone off the list. But kudos to all of them. They are a constant source of inspiration for me. Contemporary there are several voice actors who’s work I enjoy and am continually impressed by. Corey Burton, Brian Cummings, Billy West, Jim Cummings, Kat Cressida, April Winchell etc etc. (again I fear leaving folks off the list, there are many many talented folks in the biz these days)

If you weren’t a voice actor, what would you be?
Poor. Thank God I found something at which I am talented. I could be living in a cardboard box behind a grocery store right now.

Is there something (a character, franchise, anything!) that you’d like to voice over for?
I think voicing the lead bad guy in a feature film would be the pinnacle of my career. Being the Disney fan that I am, I have always enjoyed the villains in those great animated features. They are what drives the story. Lets face it, if you take the villain out of an animated feature what do you have? A bunch of animals and cute people running around in a forest singin’ their guts out. YAWN!!! Now add a baddie and you got yerself a show! So if the nice folks over at Disney are reading this………come on!!!! PLEASE!!!!! (my work ethic does allow begging)

What do you get up to when not renting out your voice?
“Renting out” my voice Joe?? You make me sound like I am standing on a corner on Santa Monica Blvd in fishnet stockings. (I am not necessarily saying that I am NOT doing that. Its just a unique way of putting it). I am a bit of a ‘night child’ so I really enjoy going out to eat, finding new restaurants and night spots, going to the theater, and great conversation (not the ‘texting’ type, the face-to-face type). I really enjoy teaching at Voicetrax as well. I believe in ‘paying it forward’. There were a lot of folks that helped me out when I was new in the biz, and I like to find and nurture new talented voice actors.

What were your favourite parts about playing Brady Culture and Jurgen’s Monster?
Brady was unique in that he was not your typical villain. Most of the bad guys I have played have at least an aire of confidence about them. Brady was just a whiney boob. I can remember when the audition came though and it was obvious they were basing the character on some of the classic kid stars of the 70′s (most notably I think was Greg Brady). The way the audition lines were written you could tell they wanted him to be an annoying whiney jerk. If I remember correctly the last line on the audition sides was “Me, Me…what about ME”. (that give you a pretty good idea of who the character is). I started to think about other child starts from that era that had ‘gone astray”, and Corey Feldman came to mind. He had kind of a raspy voice (even as a kid). So I took that sound, and Greg Brady’s ‘groove’ and put them together to voice Brady Culture. I really laid on the whiney factor on that last audition line. When I got to the session I was told that was the line that won me the part. They wanted him to be ‘uber’ annoyingly whiney. That may be why some folks do not like the character (or the voice). But that just means I did my job correctly! If the directors wanted him annoying, then most folks are not going to like him. Come on….he’s a bad guy. He is not supposed to be LIKED.

Jurgen’s Monster was a wonderful chance to dig out a classic character voice. The voice of the monster is of course a (bad) impersonation of Boris Karloff (who played Frankenstein’s Monster in the classic Universal films). The audition specifically wanted Karloff’s voice. But I think they actually said they wanted Karloff’s SPEAKING voice. Not the voice he performed as the monster. Karloff had an interesting side-of-the mouth kind of lisp, so I worked on adding that into the characters voice. The interesting thing about Jurgen’s Monster is the fact that he would switch different body parts during the game. These parts came from different ‘donors’. The monster would take on the personalities of the donor when that body part was added. So I had to do what is called “layering” with the voice. I had to start with the base Karloff voice and then add in a touch of the donor character. So in some parts of the game the monster is a bit nerdy (a mixture of Karloff and Jerry Lewis doing his Nutty professor), or a environmentalist (a mixture of Karloff and a Hippie tree hugger type). I really had to map out those lines to make sure we were getting the right mixture of the two characters. Not an easy task.

Is your hair as awesome as Brady’s? Would you consider getting it styled like his?
Hey listen, I lived through the ’70′s. I ain’t going back!!! Its not just the hair, it was the CLOTHES. There wasn’t a piece of clothing that was made from natural fiber throughout that whole decade. Well, except for the Hemp pants. These days I have a nice respectable buzz cut, and a really cheesy mustache.

If you could hypnotize someone like Brady could, who would it be and what would you get them to do?
This would be a great opportunity for me to be altruistic. “I would hypnotize all the world leaders so we could live in peace.” But there is a fat chance of that ever happening so…… I would send an encrypted hypnotic statement with each of my auditions saying “Brian, Brian, you must choose Brian”. Then when I got mega rich, I would just buy off the political leaders and we could take a crack at the world peace thing.

Brady Culture’s ‘hideout’ was in an abandoned theatre. If you were an evil genius, where would you locate yourself?
Oh that’s an easy one. I have always wanted to occupy the second floor of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. What a GREAT place to have an apartment. So that would be my lair. I could set up my ray gun in the cupola.

Brian Sommer, again!

Do you play the Sam & Max games when they come out? If so, is it weird hearing your own voice coming from the characters?
OK, here is the irony of the whole thing. The vast majority of my voice over work is in video games. But I haven’t the slightest idea how to play them. If you handed me a PS2 controller I would just stare at it, hit it against my head and then try to bite it. I am not what you could call ‘tech savvy”. Thank god I am not paid to play them.

As far as listening to the character after it is released, I am HORRIBLE at that. It takes, at the very minimum, six months for me to be able to listen to one of my projects with an open mind. Otherwise all I am doing is critiquing my performance and can not enjoy the character. So stuff I did years ago, I can actually listen to and honestly get wrapped up in the character and the scene.

Sam or Max: who’s better?
Sam is such a lovable easy going guy. But give me the over-the-top psychotic characters any day. Max.

Any good stories from a recording session?
It is generally business-as-usual when we go into a session. Yes we do have some fun, but you have to remember the video game industry is a multi-BILLION dollar biz. So messing around on the man’s dime is just not something you want to do as a professional. I have snuck in a few ad-libs here and there. Some made it into games, some were immediately erased from the universe. I think for me professionally the best sessions are when everyone involved is hitting on all cylinders. The VO talent, the director, the writer, the engineers. When things click. I certainly feed off of the energy of a good session. Its great sometimes when the director is not exactly sure where they want to take the character. That is when my impute is called for. We bounce ideas off one another and try out different things. If it is a comedy piece I try my best to get them rolling in the aisles. When you got them ‘eating out of your hand’ you can ad-lib just about anything. They trust you.

Thanks for the interview, Brian. What does the future hold for you? Season three, perhaps?
Well strangely enough, I did get called into the studio a few weeks ago for Sam and Max. However, at this point that is all I can say about the up coming season. Those pesky Non-Disclosure statements can be nasty things you know. Lets just hope I live up to the great quality and entertainment value that this franchise has had for so many years. I have often said that “Ultimately I work for the fans.” So a big thanks to all of you folks out there that are fans of Sam and Max and have played the games. Game on !

Brian’s villain voice over demo can be heard (and seen) below.

Read on »]]> David Boyll: he’s Hugh Bliss, and he’s knows you’re hiding a cow. Voice of the evil Prismatology founder and Philo Pennyworth (also known as Mr. Featherly) in the Telltale episodes, David has been in voice acting since 2003. Before that he spent most of his time behind the microphone on television and video production.

But why hear it from me when you can get it from the horse’s – or chicken’s – mouth? Read on to find out how David prepares for a recording session, what the worst bit about his job is and whether or not he’s hiding a cow. Probably not.

Hi David! Please could you tell us about yourself and how you got into voice acting?
Well, it all started back in my mother’s womb, where I… no wait, probably taking you back too far… let’s see… ah yes. When I was a kid, my dad was a working opera singer, so you could say it runs in the family. Go ahead, say it, “It runs in the family.” Good.

Sorry, where was I? Oh yes, the voice acting… My friends and I loved entertaining ourselves and each other with character voices, impressions, vocal sound effects, and improvised skits, radio plays, films, and TV shows, but I did not have the desire to pursue performing. I studied Broadcasting in college and embarked on a career in television and video production – behind the scenes.

Fast forward to 2003… I’m working on the production crew of a big corporate sales meeting in Las Vegas and our Executive Producer says, “we need a 1950′s TV announcer for the VOG (Voice of God). David, you can do that, right?” Of course, right. After the show, our MC, the talented actor and improvisor, Corey Rosen, complemented me on my performance and suggested I look into voice acting. One thing led to another and I found myself studying with the fabulous Samantha Paris and the rest of the gang at Voicetrax in Sausalito: classes, demos, agents, auditions, sessions, hard work, time, and BAM! Voice Actor!

What do you like doing when you’re not voice recording?
Improv is my passion. I’m very active in the San Francisco improvisational theatre community. I study and perform at Bay Area Theatresports (BATS) and with the improv group “Shakespeare’s Stepchild”. I have a family and we enjoy going to the theatre (musicals, mostly) and watching movies on our separate laptops at home whilst simultaneously socially networking. I am also an avid baseball fan… Go Giants!

You’ve done a bit of work in sound recording. Do you prefer controlling the microphone, or speaking into it?
Having spent many happy years swinging a boom, mixing, monitoring, and recording sound while others speak, it’s high time I did some speaking. Is this thing on?

What’s the routine for a Sam & Max recording session?
I ring the bell, Jory buzzes me in, I grab the bathroom key, take care of business, I ring the bell again, open the door, hang up the key and put on the headphones. Then, after I let my characters speak for a while, I take off the headphones, grab the key again, take care of business, ring the bell, open the door, hang up the key, sign some papers, and leave. Pretty cool, right? Sometimes I have to pinch myself just to make sure I’m not dreaming.

Do you receive your script beforehand, or do you get given it for the first time at the recording session?
Brendan pretty much writes the dialogue while riding the schoolbus to the session anyway, so there’s no time. The script just kinda magically appears in front of me when I stand at the microphone. I have no idea how that happens. Like Hugh says, “It’s magic!”

Did you know of Sam & Max before you were involved with Telltale’s games? Do you ever play through the episodes?
Know of? Yes. Play through? Absolutely. After the recording is done, I usually have little recollection of what transpired, so I have to go back and see what wacky stuff came out of my characters’ mouths. Usually, it’s several months later so it’s like I’m hearing it for the first time… just like our audience!

Your main roles in the series are Hugh Bliss and Mr. Featherly. Which one do you prefer voicing and why?
Oh, I couldn’t possibly choose… these are two multilayered, pervertedly whacked out, psychically twisted entities that would most likely find insidious ways to execute excruciating revenge upon me for expressing a public preference. That being said, I think I identify more closely with Featherly/Philo because he embodies the essential duality of the human/chicken thespian existence. Plus, I get to fulfill my lifelong fantasy of being a classically trained Shakespearean actor, without all the formal training and memorization. Not to mention the tights and codpiece.

Do you have to go through any exercises to get your voice warmed up and into gear, or does it just come out naturally? Especially with such a ‘unique’ voice as Hugh Bliss’.
Yes, in fact, vocal warmups, tongue twisters, and diaphragmatic breathing exercises are quite possibly the most overlooked yet most important part of any actor’s preparation for performance. A consistent warmup routine breeds consistent performance (vital when having to match a performance recorded days or even months prior, at different times of the day, etc.) and will ensure that you and your “instrument” will have a long and productive career.

Hugh Bliss turned out to be the master villain in the first season. How aware were you of how his character would progress when you started?
It pretty much said it, right there on the character breakdown. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened after “Hi, I’m Hugh Bliss!”

Hugh is the founder of Prismatology. What religion do you think you’d start up?
Improvicism – a completely made-up religion dedicated to the sacredness of spontaneity.

Have you ever met the other voice actors or some of the guys from Telltale?
We wildline everything. I’m pretty sure that’s to keep us actors separated from each other… who knows what mayhem would ensue. Also, the restraining order makes contact with the Telltale team awkward, to say the least.

Do you have any particular memories in recording for the game?
Yes.

Oh, you mean what are the memories? Hm… well, as I said, I don’t really remember much about the sessions aside from thinking to myself, “wow… I’m actually getting paid to do this… cool!” Other than that, it’s all a blur. Really.

What’s the best and worst bit about your job?
Best: Losing all contact with reality and becoming immersed in the twisted Telltale universe, where thespian chickens sound like Jean-Luc Picard doing an impression of Mr. Roper from “Three’s Company.” Life-changing stuff.
Worst: Taking off the headphones, grabbing the bathroom key, and regaining contact with reality.

Is there any role you’d love to voice for, either existing or your own creation?
Yes. I’d love to voice for any role, either existing or my own creation.

Do you have an amusingly voiced message on your answer phone?
Yes, I play a very serious man who thinks he sounds extremely credible and helpful, when in actuality, the world laughs at him behind his back. Some find this sort of thing amusing, but it’s quite tragic, really.

Are you hiding a cow?
Probably.

Thanks for speaking to me, David. Will you be voice acting in the third season?
You’re welcome! No, I will not be returning for Season Three. Damn restraining order.

Sam and Max Interview by David Boyll is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.

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Superball? Flint Paper? Peepers? All voiced by the same guy – Peter Barto. He’s been working as a voice actor for 15 years and has lent his voice to both seasons of Sam & Max, along with other games (the PA announcer in NBA 2K, for example – a true anti-Peepers voice), toys and cartoons.

Peter was generous enough to answer my questions about himself and how he became involved in the games. Read on to find out how the recording process works, what he thinks makes the series click and how his family react to his voice for Peepers.

Hi Peter! For those who don’t know you, please could you tell us a little bit about yourself.
Among many other things, I’m a San Francisco Bay Area-based voice actor. I’ve been creating voices for games, toys, cartoons, etc., for about 15 years now.

How did you find yourself in the voice acting industry? Was it something that you’d always wanted to do, or did it just naturally progress from something else?
Like many people, I was insecure in grade school, so I naturally took the traditional path of becoming the class-clown. I’ve been doing crazy voices and imitations since I was in elementary school.   It wasn’t until I was older that I learned you could actually make money doing this stuff. I signed up for a night course in voice acting, and started learning the craft, and began having a lot of fun.

How did you get cast for your roles in the Telltale games? Did they approach you, or did you audition with others?
I got the audition through my agent, the Stars Agency, and was lucky enough to land multiple roles.

Did you know anything about the Sam & Max series before you were cast, or was Telltale the introduction for you?
I was vaguely familiar with the Sam & Max story but by no means an authority. I was anxious to work with Telltale as they were born out of the Lucasarts folks, whose games I’ve enjoyed.

You’ve worked with Telltale right from the start on Sam & Max – what do you think makes the series and games as popular as they are?
The writing and the music, and the sophistication that they bring to the series.  I’m not sure Telltale wants to use the word “sophisticated” to describe any aspect of Sam and Max, but I really believe there’s a level of class to the writing and music that distinguishes the series from others. Plus, it’s just damn silly and addictive.

Do you play through the games once they are out?
I’ve watched my daughters fool around with them but I’m not clever enough to make it to the end of any computer game.

With Telltale producing episodic games, I assume this means you can’t record all of your lines at the same time. How does this work?
The recording is done at Studio Jory in Fairfax, California.  When gearing up for a new episode, the various actors come in individually, and we work with the writers and directors on getting the appropriate vibe for each line of dialogue. It really is a lot of fun coming up with some of this stuff.

Peter Barto

You voice a few characters in the series – Peepers, Superball and Flint Paper to name the main ones. Is it hard for you to change between these voices? Do you have a favourite character to perform?
Those particular three characters have unique enough voices to keep me from sliding into one or another at the wrong time.  Both Flint and Superball are much fun – not sure it’s in my best interest to let people know I’m responsible for that awful screech of Peepers.

Where does your inspiration come from for the voices? How did you decide on the voice of each character?
The writers and directors pretty much have the sounds they’re looking for in their heads before we get to the studio. At that point, it’s getting the basic idea of how the character should sound, and then playing around with it until we nail it.

What are your thoughts on the Soda Poppers? There is split opinion of them from the fans. Are they as annoying as people say they are?
Peepers is an enigma wrapped in a mystery and soaked in some weird secret. I believe he’s a closeted opera singer.  My kids like his voice. My wife could do without him.

How aware are you of the context in which your lines take place? Do you ever record with some of the other voice actors or meet with some of the Telltale crew?
The context of each line of dialogue is pretty well explained by the Telltale crew so we know what we’re getting into. So far, I’ve recorded all my lines by myself.  I’ve worked with other actors on projects and there can be great energy in the recording booth, but sometimes chaos can ensue.

How flexible is the script? Have you ever adlibbed anything, or do you stick tightly to what is written?
The script is pretty solid by the time it gets to the actors. Sometimes we’ll change a line here or there but otherwise it’s fixed.  The only adlibbing sometimes comes at the end of a session and things start getting punchy. Not sure what happens to that recording.

Do you have any memorable stories while recording? A favourite scene to record? Perhaps some lines that were particularly hard to get out?
In any project there always seems to be a word or phrase to stumble on, and after a while it just sounds like nonsense.  Usually you take a drink of water and try to muscle through it without dropping too many “F-bombs”.  I’m sure there’s some recorded dialog out there of Peepers swearing maniacally after repeatedly messing up a line.

Thanks for the interview, Peter! Can we expect to hear you again in season three?
I’m hoping so.  I’ve heard they’ve killed off Peepers but perhaps he’s only been temporarily transported to another dimension?…