The Magic Behind the Voices: A WhoÂ’s Who of Cartoon Voice Actors (Paperback)

~ (Author), Alisa Persons (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Perhaps not surprisingly, cartoon voice actors are overshadowed by their visual embodiments. This book is an earnest attempt to bring the profession more respect by profiling 40 of the biggest names in the business. Lawson and Persons, a freelance writer and animator, respectively, are ever-sunny in their approach; they don't editorialize or provide an in-depth history of the trade. Rather, they simply illuminate an often-ignored corner of show business. Some of the industry's giants—Daws Butler (Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound); Mel Blanc (Bugs Bunny, Barney Rubble)—get their due, but the more intriguing profiles are those of lesser-known performers. The authors unearth Paul Frees, the flamboyant, eccentric, practical-joking voice for many Rocky and Bullwinkle characters, who routinely wore firearms to the studio. They introduce one-note actors, too, like Nicole (Jaffe) David, creator of Velma on Scooby Doo, who left the show in 1974 and is now John Travolta's agent. The book isn't just concerned with the past, though; there are profiles of Mike Judge (King of the Hill), Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons) and John Kricfalusi (Ren and Stimpy). Though not always scintillating, this gold mine of information for animation fans will serve as a solid reference work on the field.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"this clever tribute informs and entertains...Lawson and Persons have taken a fresh approach. A nice addition to film/animation collections." -- Library Journal Reviews, November 15, 2004

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Product Details

• Paperback: 367 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi (December 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578066964
• ISBN-13: 978-1578066964
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #743,791 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Voice-Actor Guide Book, January 29, 2006

By	Jerry McDaniel (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover!!! I give the book 5 stars BUT they did leave out MANY voice-actors who i felt held higher precedence over others. There is the inclusion of several one show or one character voice actors in here, like Chris Sarandon and Wally Cox in favor of several legends that aren't discussed. Some of the legends missing are Stan Freberg; Hal Smith; John Stephenson; Howard Morris; and Henry Corden. However, the book is still 5 star material because the subject matter is rarely spoken about in many publications and since this book is a 2004 copyright, it's fairly recent. I was earlier complaining about some of the legends being left out which is a shame...BUT there ARE many other legends included in this book, too. There are also write-up's on current voice actors who have tons of credits under their belt already. The voice actors of whom i enjoyed reading about the MOST were my favorites to begin with: Mel Blanc; Daws Butler; Don Messick; Paul Frees; Paul Winchell; and June Foray. Bill Scott is spoken about in here...which is a rare treat. He is typically thought of as a cartoon writer and director instead of a voice actor BUT he gave voice to many characters on the Jay Ward cartoons with "Bullwinkle" and "Dudley Dorite" being his Top-2 popular roles. I learned a lot about Jackson Beck and Nancy Cartwright and i learned some things about Jack Mercer, Charles Adler, Dayton Allen, and several others. The bottom line is, the voice actor rarely gets time in the spotlight and THIS book and others like this go a long way in spotlighting cartoon voice actors. The book gets 5 stars on subject matter and 4 stars on it's not including several key voice actors who made the field into an art form.

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book and a great asset for my own book about TTV, July 10, 2009

By	Mark Arnold "movie/tv, comic book and animati... (Saratoga, CA) - See all my reviews

I sought out this book for its coverage of many voice artists that are now deceased particularly Norma MacMillan and Jackson Beck. This was a very helpful reference for my book about TTV called Created and Produced by Total TeleVision Productions. It was also a good read about other known and unknown vocal talents. Highly recommended!

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive history of the Cartoon voice, February 17, 2006

By	John Powers "John B. Powers" (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Magic Behind the Voices: A Who's Who of Cartoon Voice Actors (Hardcover)

This is the encyclopedia of cartoon voice. Details beyond details. Not only does this tell the story of the voices behind the cartoons, but also the obsession of the author (from Central Illinois of all places) to track all of this information down over a number of years and put together a one book history of some of the best loved character voices from our cartoon memories.