Lost interviews from Ninja Turtles Network- James Avery & more

[pannoni1]

In 2006, some interviews involving the cast/crew of various universes were displayed prominantly, only to disappear upon NinjaTurtlesNetwork's demise. Well, I'm here to the rescue to retrieve some of them. I find this site reliable and popular and doesn't seem to be in danger of disappearing for now, given that there aren't many true TMNT-devoted sites remaining. Even if TMNT becomes popular again through this new generation, the memories regarding the previous generation will be lost, and I'm here to help. Be patient, as some interviews may have disappeared forever, but I will try to "save" as many as possible. I will start by posting the interview with James Avery (classic Shredder) here.

1)Where you a fan of the original comic, and if not, how did you know about the show before it got started? I didn't know anything about the comic.

By then I was just looking to get a job as an actor, and I went as a voice at Hanna Barbara, on a live action series they where doing. And one of the people there recomended that I get an agent, and one of the first jobs I got was on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 1-1 I know you where on a few other shows. You where on real Ghostbusters once, and I think you where on Disneys Aladdin, but Turtles was your first show? Well, it wasn't my first as a matter of fact, but it was my first big show. I guested on some other things, but I went into auditions for that and got it.

2)Did the voice of Shredder go through any changes, and did the producers have any specific type of voice they where going for?

Well, I'm sure they did, but t hey didn't know what it was, and I'm sure no one else knew either. That's kind of how they cast things here.. (Laughs) You know, nobody knows, and it just kind of goes int othe acting. The Acting helps the voice. The acting helps the voice. It actually did change, it got a little clearer, a little smoother later, on.

3)The Pilot is probably the most loved episode of the entire series. Do you have any favorite lines or episodes through the ten years?

Oh my god... Laughs, I can't possibly remember all that. You know, I enjoy doing the show and enjoyed being with the other people. It was fun, a non pressured fun thing with very talented, funny people, it was just a great experience.

4)During the Early Episodes Shredder and krang where at odds with one another and argued alot, but in later episodes, they seemed to work together more as a team. Wich one did you prefer, and did you enjoy playing one version more than the other?

Well, I've always liked conflict. I always like having the conflict, but that can only carry so far. Then every, relationship, everything has to evolve and turn into something else, you can't keep on playing one note all the time. It gets kind of tiring after a while, I guess. Yeah, It does. you have to know what to do, what to expect, so it's nice to bring in a change. And a change in those scenes is great, we enjoyed that. I know I sound like a pollyana, but we really did, we really enjoyed this job.

5)What was it working like with Pat Fraley and Rob Paulsen and the rest of the cast?

IT was insane. Pat Fraley is insane, they where all crazy. Pat Fraley is one of the funniest men I have seen in my life. I've talked to him a few times over email, he seems like a really nice guy too. Oh he is, and totally insane.

6)Was it a serious bunch of people to work with, or did you good off alot?

Oh, we goofed. We goofed of alot, but we got the work done.

7)Where there any bloopers, or stuff like that that might have been recorded?

Laughs. Oh, yea there where. I'm sure there's an X Rated ninja turtles out there. I don't know if you've heard them or not, but there's a bunch of Thundercat bloopers that are x rated, where they basically swear alot when they goof up. Oh yeah. And I was wondering if there was anything like that for the turtles cast? I'm sure there is. But I don't know if Susan Blu has them or not.

Was the cast always together during recording, and did it help to have other actors to base performance off of?

It always did. But I was doing alot of shows when sometimes we'd have to come in at different times, to record things. But it's always better when you can have the entire cast together, so we can play off each other. And where there any adlibs that where kept in, or any changes to the script during the show? Oh, yeah they where. Sometime a line would work better, or Pat Fraley would come up with something, or Rob, or somebody would come up with something that was funnier and we had the freedom from that end sometimes.

9)During the course of the show, there where lots of lost episodes, like where the turtles traveled to Europe. And there was recently a bunch of scripts found that apparently didn't make it to air like one titled Shredder in love.

Oh....

Where there any shows that where filmed that haven't made it to air yet?

Um, I don't know... There's a new Turtles thing that's come out. Yeah, the 2003 Show.. And Amazingly I got to audition for Shredder and didn't get the job.. Oh, you did?!? I didn't know that.. Laughs, Yeah. I aksed Cam Clarke if he wanted to come back as Leo, and he'd love to do it.. Yeah, they didn't use any of us... I was hoping they would, but it really was a great cast from the first show... Oh it was, it really was. We thought so. And I also suggested to the New Leonardo last year, Mike Sinterniklass, that they should do a 20th anniversary show with both the new and old casts, so I don't know if something like that would come about... No no, producers don't know about this...they think they know everything.. It would definetly be fun though, Oh, it would be great. And I know there's a new Krang on the show, a new character called Krang, but it's a different voice actor. Yeah, Yeah. Well, most of the actors are different.
10)Since you left the show, you've had three replacements. Did you have any input on who replaced you?

No, I didn't. And I think our contracts just ran out. I didn't leave the show neccesarilly. Oh, I was just wondering why you left t he show, I mean, during the middle season of 1993, there was a different guy. Did you want to do Fresh Prince more, or .... Well, I was working on Fresh Prince and it became increasingly difficult to get in. I was just wondering if you got tired of the show and was looking for a change or something.. Hah.... Neil, I'm an actor. I do not get tired of work.. Oh, just wondering, you never know.. Laughs...We do not get tired of work.

11)And would you be willing to record the episodes you missed for an extra DVD audio track if they asked you to?

Sure Becuase I know some of the other actors would, as it's just not the same without the entire cast there. I would do anything to be with the entire cast... I mean, Raphael had a different voice actor during the final season. He did a greate job, but it just wasn't rob Paulson. Oh no.

12)OK, You've recently had a job on the Enterprise show as a Klingon Warrior.

Yeah Well, what was the makeup for the klingons like, and what was the atmosphere on the set knowing that this was probably the final season of Enterprise? We still had a good time. The makeup process was nightmare. It took three hours to put it on and an hour to take it off. And the atmosphere was fine, we're proffesionals, you do your work. You still do the best you can, you know?

13)It's been rumored the cast is a bunch of Joksters

Oh yeah, yeah, they are. Scott Bakula Was insane. He's crazy. Where there any jokes pulled on the set you cna tell us about? Oh yeah, there where a numbers of pranks pulled. For instance for me, it was funny, becuase they didn't have boots to fit me. The Boots that I had where three sizes to big, with a hook on the top of them and I kept on tripping and stumbling and...laughs.. That dosn't sound too good...Especially with the makeup, was it hard to see in the makeup? The makeup wasn't a problem neccesarilly, it was the prosthetic teeth. It's hard to get your lines around those teeth, so one had to pratice a bit.

15)Is there any type of acting that you prefer? Wether it be voice acting or theater?

I like it all, I like it all, I like to work.

16)Is there any show you would like to guest start in that you havn't been approached for? Like a reality series or live action series?

Oh, I'd love to do, uh....uh...oh, Law And Order. And Stargate..

17)Final Question. are there any future projects you'd like to tell us about, or perhaps a return to Enterprise if there is a fifth season?

Well, if there is, I'll probably be in. They've scheduled me to, you know, sign me for something if they come through. And I don't know, I'm still waiting to see what's going on. We're just out here kind of looking around. Always going out on auditions and looking for stuff...

THanks for your time Mr. Avery!

Source: http://web.archive.org/web/200709051...read.php?t=469

[Shreddhead]

This is great stuff. I love James and im looking forward to seeing what else you find

[Vegita-San]

this post has been edited

[Vegita-San]

Originally Posted by Vegita-San

Can someone re-edit his post so it posts these links please? It's up there for a reason!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDSn_L6iZYE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9LR_dewQtA

Edit - my bad.. I thought he just transcribed it from the youtube video... I was going thinking 'why do that rather than post the link to the interview?' Nevermind!

[pannoni1]

Now, we're getting into the REAL "lost" stuff. NO Google search results!

Here is one with Storyboard artist Liz Bakunovich.

You May not know her, but she's a key part inthe TMNT Animation process. Her name is Liz Bakunovich, head StoryBoard aritist of the show from, I beleive, 1988-1996.Please excuse this partial interview, I can't remember what I did with the rest of it, since it was one of the first ones I've ever done. If your out there, send me an email! We can try it again and give it a more pro shot .



For some reason, I remember you telling me a while back , when I first started writing to ya, that you came aboard during the 1990 season? OH well. It's probably my memory .
Maybe that's when I started doing it regularly. I think it was earlier than that, though. But the first season was 1988 at the latest, wasn't it? Of course that might mean that if I was working on it in '88 it didn't air til '89; so I may have been right when I said that I started working on it regularly for the '90 season.

I 've always wonderd what that was about . for example, another thing they did that with was with the Voice Character list. In some shows credits , there's about 20 speaking parts credited, and only 7 characters spoke! Kind of strange
The thing that pisses me off about that is that it makes each person's job look pretty insignificant. I work for other studios like Jumbo who do shows that you probably don't care for, but I like them better because I get individual credit for each episode I work on. And if I'm the only storyboard artist for a single episode, it looks more impressive.

Heh. That was always one of my favorite as well . Krang and his android that is. It was really great to see them come back for a final run in 1996. although I would have made them a main villan, and put Dregg on the backburner. No offense to Tony Jay, who did some great work for Dregg, but Shredder and Krang will always be my favorite . Something I've been wondering about though. In the first season, 1989 ep "Beneath these Streets", a new body for Krang was introduced. The Bubble Walker(Dubbed in later eps). Do you happen to remember why, or who came up with this design?
I would have thought it was another design for selling a toy, but unfortunately I never saw any Krang toys out. Were there any? I would have bought them!
And one last bit. Do you happen to have an address that I can write Fredd Wolf Films at? I can't seem to find one on the web.
Fred Wolf Films (spell the name right or they'll ditch your envelope without opening!) 4222 W. Burbank Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505

[pannoni1]

Thanks to John Delany for this interview!

Hi Shredder I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

1)What type of art training/schooling, does one need to get into if they want to be in the storyboard artist field?

There are several courses available at different continuing education institutes in most cities ( I teach 2 in Vancouver, Canada) check into it and I'm sure you'll find one. If it's animation storyboarding you want to get into that's going to require an education in animation. There are very few who can storyboard for animation without having actually worked in animation before. There are just so many rules and limitations that one needs to know and awareness of them only comes through experience.

2)When did you join the show, and how long did you stay with it? 2)Once, I tried to storyboard an entire episode of the toon, just to see if I could do it. Took me a tad bit longer than I thought, but I DID manage to get it done, and I'd like to think not to badly. How long does it generally take one to get a storyboard done? Also, what's a typical day for a SB Artist like?

I Worked on the Turtles in '94 & '95 I actually came on to the show as it was already gearing down so I ended up only directing 4 storyboards and actually drawing only 2.

3)This is something I've always wondered where it started. OK. you write a script, you send it off to storyboarding, they send it off to the animation department, they send it back, and you realize the animation is so horrible, it looks like a child drew it, there's so little detail. Now, was this the intention of the storyboarder, or is this the fault of the animation company? For instance, take a look at ALL the animation for the First Dregg Season, compared to the final, 1996 season of TMNT as examples... One is clearly better than the other. 4)Did they manage to let ya keep anything cool after working on the show for a while? OK, a few more final Q's to come in Part 2. Thanks [/quote] Hi Shredder Sorry about taking so long to respond but this has been a very crazy summer. To answer your questions...

Once I receive a script for a 22 minute story (half hour with commercials) I generally get about 5 to 6 weeks to storyboard it. When I'm only storyboarding I typically spend about 8 hours a day on the board. I start by reading through the script and making note of things to be aware of or to be prepared for ( like if a character has to go in a certain direction later on in the sequence it's good to know this so you don't position them in the wrong place and have to awkwardly move him into place later). Then I rough out the board in blue pencil ( sometimes the client wants to see roughs sometimes not) then once I read through the board with the script and I'm satisfied that everything works, I tighten up the board and "strip it" ( Stripping the board means you cut out the direction notes and dialogue from the script and you paste onto the board in the action and dialogue boxes. Then it's ready to go.

4)

I can't tell you how often you send in a storyboard and then when it gets animated it looks nothing like your board. It's getting better now though, the animation companies overseas are now literally enlarging the storyboard panels and using those to pose their animation which is why a lot of shows are looking a lot better but for a long time it was a total crap shoot as to how your episode was going to turn out. Couple this with ever decreasing budgets and no room for re-shoots and you are left with a lot of disappointment. Such is life in animation.

5)

I got to keep all the reference packages and they sent me all the Turtle's action figures that applied to the shows I was working on. That was cool! Thanks for the questions Cheers John

[pannoni1]

Thanks for Jeffrey Scott for answering these questions about the 1996 TMNT Season

I'll try to answer your questions, but my memory of the details is not
so hot.

You start off right where the last season left off. Where there any guidelines set in place, or where you given creative freedom?

I WAS GIVEN A GREAT DEAL OF FREEDOM, THOUGH I WAS TOLD TO WORK WITH DREGG AS THE TURTLES' NEMESIS. FRED WOLF ASKED ME TO COME UP WITH EIGHT STORY IDEAS THAT WORKED AS A SEQUENCE, AND ASKED TO MAKE THREE OF THEM INTO A THREE-PART STORY.

Shredder and Krang where brought back for three great eps. Yet, no mention of Bebop and Rocksteady. Where they ever considered for a return, or thought of "Too outdated?"

I WAS ASKED TO AVOID THEM

During the final episode, Dregg seems to get blown to smithereens. Yet, no character ever died in a TMNT ep before. Was it written to kill the guy off, or just injure him a bit.

I WAS NEVER INSTRUCTED TO KILL HIM. DEATH IS NOT SOMETHING GENERALLY USED IN SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS. HOWEVER, IT'S A COMMON PRACTICE TO BLOW THE HELL OUT OF CHARACTERS AND HAVE THEM DISAPPEAR. THIS WAY THERE'S NO TELLING WHETHER THEY'RE DEAD OR NOT, AND THERE'S ALWAYS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THEM BACK AT A LATER DATE.

The character Carter was gotten rid of. I was wondering if this was your decision, or fan reaction from the network? I've had mixed views on the Carter character.

IT WAS FRED'S AND THE NETWORK'S DECISION TO GET RID OF CARTER. DON'T SHOOT ME. I'M JUST THE MESSENGER.

[pannoni1]

Michael Reaves is another name I'm sure you've heard. He's written tons of different kinds of shows, from the strange and unique live action like Star Trek:The Next Generation, to the strange and unique Gargoyles . He's also written some of the best Ninja Turtle episodes, such as... and.... and non to mention..............Thanks to Michael Reaves, TMNT writer from 1988-1990, for this interview. Check below for a complete TMNT filmography of the eps he's written

I ask everyone this. Did you ever watch the TMNT cartoon? If it was released before you where asked to write for it that is...

I've pretty much just seen my episodes and a few of David's. If I recall correctly I was working on the show from the second year on.

What kind of rules, or regulations where you given when you wrote the scripts? Stuff you could do with the characters, couldn't do, etc?

Pretty much the usual -- certain Standards and Practices restrictions ("non-imitatable" violence, etc.), keep it funny, and so on. The only thing I remember as being kind of unusual was that we started the series with it set in New York, and later were told not to refer to it by name; just to make it a generic city, don't use recognizable landmarks, etc. I think they were starting to get some very lucrative overseas syndication deals and they wanted to make it more of a "global" sort of setting.

How long did it take, to finish ONE script, from start to finish?

Not long; average of two-three days to write the first draft. From premise to final could take as long as a couple of weeks, because I had to wait on turnaround from Murikami-Wolf.

I'm sure there had to be ideas that you wanted to do, but for some reason, never got written. Anything you might be able to tell us about? For example, scripts that got completed, but never filmed, or ideas that got completed, but rejected for some reason?

Not really -- all the scripts I wrote were filmed, and I'm sure there were ideas I pitched that were turned down -- but not many, because I usually came up with them with the story editors. Nothing that I felt passionately that I just had to write. I know the show occupies a sentimental place in the heart for a lot of people who grew up watching them, but for me it was largely just a way to pay the mortgage. Not that I didn't have fun writing them. But it wasn't a case of "I just HAVE to write this script about mutant punk frogs or I'll die!"

Did they ever let you into the recording room to watch the voice actors do their jobs<g>?

No. They might have, had it ever occurred to me to ask

Turtles On Trial" is probably considered the BEST TMNT episode ever, apart from the five-part introduction. It had the best animation, jokes, story line. The way the turtles should have been throughout the rest of the series. Do you happen to have a favorite out of the ones you've written?

I'm very flattered that you think so highly of "Turtles On Trial". I can't say that I have a favorite one that really stands out -- I'm afraid that, after having written so many and such a long time ago, they all kind of blur together. Let's see .. I was amused by doing "Turtles At the Earth's Core" because it was kind of a riff on Edgar Rice Burroughs. I liked "The Grybyx" because it was such a simple (though hardly original) idea. "The Old Switcheroo" was fun for the same reason, and because it actually allowed a little character exploration. That's about all I recall as being memorable.

One of my favorite lines has to be from , "The Foot Soldiers Are Revolting". Krang and Shredder get back to the Technodrome, and find it crowded with people. Krang activates the portal, and says, "All right, Everybody OUT!". Don't know what I like about it, but I just...DO<g>. Are you one of those people who are happy with the way the script sounds when it's turned into the final show? Or someone who thinks that the people ruined the original script?

It's a case by case thing. Some shows I've felt were enormously improved by voice work -- others are so bad I cringe and hide behind the couch when they air.

One of the things I find very curious. The final three-parter that was aired for the 1989 season, "Big Rip Off", "Big Break In", "Big Blow Out". You wrote the first part, but David Wise wrote the last two. Any particular reason?

Just a matter of scheduling. I don't recall the specifics, but it had nothing to do with quality of work. I think I had another commitment that made it impossible to meet the deadline, so David took over.

If you've had a chance to watch the show after you quit writing for it, how do you think the quality of the writing has gotten over the years?

Well, in terms of my writing, I'd like to think it's gotten better. Most of the scripts I did for TMNT were serviceable, but hardly inspired. </

Beneath These Streets. I've always wondered WHY the villians where never allowed to find the turtles secret hideout. I mean, how hard could it be? The foot found it in TMNT1. Was there some kind of rule about that in the cartoon?

Well, yeah -- if they found the hideout, the show would pretty much be
over. Or at least have to be retooled.

Where you approached to write for , "Ninja
Turtles: The Next Mutation?" If not, what do you think of the show?

No, I was not. I haven't seen it -- in fact, I think reading your question was the first indication I've had that it existed.


What was it like working on Star Trek:TNG? Any "Easier" to write than TMNT?

TMNT was far easier to write than ST:TNG. On the other hand, I still get residuals from ST:TNG, and I got nothing more than a flat fee on TMNT, so I guess it evens out.

I'm recently trying to catch up on all the TNG eps that I missed. Which eps did you write for?

Just the one, "Where None Have Gone Before", which I wrote with Diane Duane. The script was almost completely rewritten.

[pannoni1]

Once again, Mega thanks to Rob Paulsen for this Interview!

Lets start off with Mr. Rob Paulsen. To those of you who don't know, Mr. Paulsen is no stranger to the animation Industry. His credits range from Pinky and the Brain, to The Mask, of course TMNT, and a few dozen other shows past and present that would take
to long to name . Mr. Paulsen has also done numerous other voices
on the turtles beside Raphael. Of note are Mr.Ogg, the interdimensional
Pee-Wee Herman impersonator, The Talking Dinosaur lead from "Leonardo
is Missing", Zach, the fifth Turtle, various guest bad guys, and I'm
sure they're others that I'm missing.

Lets start off with something simple. Did you know about the TMNT when you auditioned for the role?

Yes, I had heard of the comic book.

How did you get approached for the show? Did you audition, or did someone call you instead?

I auditioned through my agent.

If it was an audition, who else where you up against?

I can't remember, like 50 or 60 guys - it was in 1987.

During those first five episodes, how did yourself and the rest of the cast get along?

Great, we all knew each other previously.

Did you happen to have any favorite episodes? Or for that manner, manage to catch any of the eps on TV ?

The pilot episode has always been my favorite. Watched most of them every Saturday with my son.

Maybe you can help find me an answer to this
one. What was Mr.Avery's official reason for leaving the show? I've heard
various reports that it hurt his throat to do the voice, others because
he wanted to concentrate on Fresh Prince, but no real answer. No Offence
to Mr.Cummings in the 93 season, But Mr.Avery is the only TRUE Shredder
.

I think James left because he was becoming very successful with Fresh Prince and consequently there were more demands
placed on his time.

Speaking of Villians. You yourself did one
of the Animaniac voices for one of my favorites, "Professor Soffo". Any others you might have done that we missed? (I seem to spot new ones


I'm sorry, I honestly can't remember. I did do a lot of ancillary characters, as did the other cast members and I know
there were several bad guys in there.

How did you, and the rest of the cast feel when the show was set to a more, darker role? (I happened to like it. Not
to mention the fact that it got some of my friends to really get into the TMNT ).

It was fun to do either way and it was nice to have a steady job.

One thing I'm wondering about, seeing as
how it seemed to be evident in the voices. During the 1995 season, Shredder
and Krang where Gone, In came Dregg and Hi Tech. Yet, despite the new
life trying to be breathed into the show, you can tell the VA's where,
well how can I put this, seeming kind of tired. Yourself especially. Was
this evident during the recording sessions?

Yeah, frankly, things were getting a little old and my performances were probably not as sharp as they could have been.
BTW, I played Hi Tech.

What was your official reason for leaving the show? And was your replacement voice(Who's name I can't think of at the moment), ever on the show before as Raph? I seem to remember him during the eps where the Turtles traveled to Europe, but I can't be sure.

When we were told of a 13 episode pick up for the final season, I suggested the possibility of a small raise for all
the cast members, seeing as how we had done close to 200 eps without one. I was told by the producers, "You know Raphael is replaceable". So I said, "You know, you're right - thank you very much, it's been fun, good luck."


The replacement Raphael for the European eps was Hal Rayle. The last season Raphael was Michael Gough.

In follow up to that question, Did you happen to notice any bad treatment towards the show from the network? One of
my friends just asked me this question, so I'm passing it along.

No, the network always seemed fine.

If the cartoon where brought back, (I've heard rumors of a possible, 3D reboot type version), would you consider
reprising the role?

Sure, but they wouldn't even think of calling me! Without getting into too many details, the producers were not always the easiest and most pleasant people to deal with.

[Xav]

It's too bad we never got that crossover show with both the new and old casts.

[Jester]

If the cartoon where brought back, (I've heard rumors of a possible, 3D reboot type version), would you consider
reprising the role?

Sure, but they wouldn't even think of calling me! Without getting into too many details, the producers were not always the easiest and most pleasant people to deal with.

Oh, irony thy name is Rob Paulsen.

[pannoni1]

Mr. Pat Fraley is perhaps best known to TMNT fans as the voice of Baxter
Stockman, and Krang;the evil brain from Dimension X. He's also done tons
of other shows, far to many to mention. Here's a very short interview, that
I was very thankful to have the chance to get

Something simple, did you know anything about
the turtles before you where approached for this role?

No.

Did you originally audition for any other characters?

Yes. I was Burne Thompson and Vernon

How many different voices did you try out for the character? And how did you know which is the "right" one?

I think I tried out for Krang-to replace a person who had that character and Burne, and Vernon.

One of the things I've always wondered...Every now and then, you'd hear Krang "Burp"(Best I can explain it<g>) while he speaks.....Did you have to drink a carbonated Cola every time a line like that came up? Or did it come...naturally...?<

I talk as I take in air.

How Long does it take to film one half hour episode? 22 Minutes straight? Or is it done in breaks?

It took about two hours and a half to do the audio track for each show

Have you ever managed to catch any of the finished episodes over the air? If so, any particular favorites, or lines?

Yes. KRANG "How would you like to be sauteed in oil with just a touch of cilantro?"

What did you and the new Shredders voice(Can't think of the guys name), think when you where written out of the show in favor of "Dregg and Mung"? Glad for the break?

I didn't have much of a reaction. It was just time to change the show.

Where there any episodes made that didn't air? I seem to remember that 13 episodes where ordered for the 1994 season, yet only 8 where shown

I don't know. I doubt if any show were tossed, though

One of my favorite characters has to be Baxter Stockman. Got to feel sorry for the poor guy in his last appearance, so close to being human<g>....Did you happen to do any other guest characters that I might have missed?

I did Baxter Stockman. Casey Jones, Ray Filet, and one of the teenager aliens.

Would you consider returning to do the show again, if it where revised in 5 or so years? There's been rumors of a 3d animated version of it

Of course. I'm always up for clean work.

[pannoni1]

Beware, these answers are short ! Mega Thanks to Cam Clarke for taking the time to answer these silly questions.</td>

How did you get the role for Leonardo? Where you aware of the TMNT phenomenon when you went in to audition

auditioned. All that existed was a comic book, at the time. So, it wasn't yet a big deal, as far as I know.

2)I know for the most part, that most American cartoons record their voice actors separately. Was the cast ever present in one room for the shows entire run?

The cast was always together

3)Expanding on that question, is it easier to record it when you have someone to work off of, or is it better with a tape?

I prefer the full cast

4)There's been a total of 192 TMNT episodes in the course of at least 12 seasons(2 'lost'). That's ALOT of episodes. Even though it was a cartoon, do you think the quality of episodes got better over time, or that the writing started to drain off? I noticed during the 1993 and 1995 seasons, some of the VA's seemed bored with the show. However, in the next two seasons, 1994 and 1996, they seemed revitalized

We got into a groove as actors, which made the performances more cohesive.

5)During the course of the show, around 1994, it changed to a more darker attitude, or the 'night' episodes as the fans tend to call them. What did you think in the change of the characters from the lighthearted goofers, into more hard core ninjas? Was it a bit more interesting to voice

The lighthearted shows were more fun to perform. The "darker" episodes were a little more like standard super hero shows.

6)What was it like performing for the "Coming Out Of the Shells Tour" in New York City? I know yourself and Peter Reneday reprised your roles. Where they voiced live somewhere off stage, or pre-recorded?

Those were recorded in Hollywood and sent on with the show

7)Troops. I was reminded of this special once again, while going to a local Star Trek Convention. One of the Voyager main cast members mentioned it, and someone brought it up from the dealers room. How did you get involved with this project, and is there going to be a sequal?

I'm sorry, I don't remember what that was.

A friend of mine from England sent me a copy of I love 1988What was it like voicing the character again after 6 years

It was not tough going back after 6 years. My voice hasn't changed

Someone let loose a bunch of official Thundercat Bloopers a while back, and they are funny as heck. Are there any TMNT ones floating around somewhere

Sorry to report, no bloopers.

10)You've done a wide range of characters on lots of shows. From the Smart Mung and Leonardo, to the dumb Rocksteady. Is one more fun to play than the other

My favorite characters I've ever voiced were "Squishy Bears" on "Eek the Cat" because the writing was very clever and it was fun to poke fun at "The Care Bears"

11.T here's rumor of a new Animated TMNT show in the works, that's only in the design stage, but is supposed to be more like the comic book. Would you be interested in returning to the role of Leonardo should they ask

YES!!! I would love to reprise my role as the fearless leader- Leo!

[pannoni1]

Paul Barrie JR. made this interview possible, and is currently creating a 50th anniversary DVD Movie of Disney's 50th Celebration Anniversary. Here is a small sample of what it will look like, and to order it, go to his page at.. Window to the Magic.com

1)How did you hear about the audition, and did you know of the original comic?

1.*The audition for TMNT came from Stu Rosen who had directed*
DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH.*I had played MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN for him*in that 65 episode series.*And no, I had never heard of the comic*
I'm not sure any of us had!

2)Obviously an audition for a toon is different than an audition for a soap opera, but are there common elements you could walk us through for aspiring actors/voice actors?*Any tips you might be able to give?


2.*I always describe myself as an instinctive actor.*I don't do a*
whole lot of research - unless the character is a REAL person, like*
Henry II in THE LION IN WINTER or C.S. Lewis in SHADOWLANDS, both*
of which I've played on stage.*As for fictional characters,
including cartoon characters, I try to do what I think the writer*
intended.*With cartoons, we often get a drawing, and that helps a*
lot.


Since I specialize in accents, I tend to get called for parts that*
require an accent - especially British.*I learned to do accents*
while seeing all the old character actors in the movies of the 30s,*
40s and 50s.*They're not around anymore, but fortunately their*
movies still are - on TNT and other stations.*I had never done an*
Australian accent when I was called to audition for John Jacks in*
GENERAL HOSPITAL, so I got my copy of CROCODILE DUNDEE off the*
shelf and listened to Paul Hogan for a while.*I really thought*
that they'd cast a REAL Australian, but they went with me!


3)When you landed the role, did you originally audition for Vernon?*Vernon sounds REALLY different in those first five episodes, and if memory serves, was played by Pat Fraley.

3.*You're quite correct about Pat Fraley doing Vernon for the*
first five episodes.*Pat was doing April's boss (?), and Krang,*
AND Vernon, but the producers didn't want to pay the extra money*
for a THIRD voice every week.*They realized that I was only doing*
ONE, so I inherited the job of doing Vernon.*It was a lot of fun*
and quite a change from Splinter.*Of course later on they gave me*
Big Louie and other incidental voices, but they weren't regulars.*
There were seldom guests on TMNT because there were so many of us*
regulars, we could usually come up with another voice to cover the*
small parts.


4)The Butcher was a character in Turtles third season, and originally had Big Louie's voice.*When he returned on the CBS Network, his voice changed, and it became Big Louie's voice.*Is there an interesting story behind this change, or was the voice for the Butcher loved so much, that it was just moved to a more major character?

4.*You've got a better memory than I have.*I don't really*
remember THE BUTCHER.*I always got a kick out of the actor,*
Sheldon Leonard.*He did a lot of comic gangster parts in movies*
(GUYS AND DOLLS, etc.) before he became a producer of TV series*
like THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW and THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW.*I patterned* Big Louie's voice after his.*You can also see him as the*
auctioneer in SINBAD THE SAILOR.


5)Sometimes, the nicest guys make the best villains.*Big Louie is a fun villain to watch and has an interesting design.*Do you prefer the good guys over the bad guys?* And ever think about auditioning with the voice for the Sopranos?

5.*Bad guys are always more fun.*If Sheldon Leonard were alive,*
he'd probably*BE on the Sopranos!


6)The original show focuses more on lighthearted slapstick and comedy than pure bred action, yet it still remains a favorite to many fans today, myself especially. Why do you think it has endured this long?

6.*When TV Guide did an article about too much violence on KID'S*
TV shows, a lady wrote a letter defending the Turtles.*She said it*
was a show about four brothers who fought crime and who CARED about*
each other.*She said that each week they usually learned valuable*
lessons (often delivered by their Sensei) - and that maybe the*
person who had criticized*the show should WATCH it!
Maybe that was part of the appeal of it!


7)I used to love watching the Disney Afternoon as a kid.*It used to come on right before turtles in my area of NY.*Which character did you play in Darkwing Duck, and what was it like working on that show?*Was it a fun cast to be with?*

7.*The Disney shows are always fun to work on.*I played a*
character named Derek Blunt on DARKWING DUCK.*On TAILSPIN
I played the Ghost Captain opposite Sally Struthers.*It was sort*
of a take-off of THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR - one of my few "romantic"*
characters in cartoons.





It says you worked on the Love Bug on IMDB. Did you ever get a chance to meet Walt Disney before he passed?*If so, what was the man behind the legend like?

8.*I played the young cop on the bridge when Herbie is trying to*
jump over the railing in THE LOVE BUG.*Yes, I did get to meet Walt*
Disney.*I did plays with a theatre group at Disney's called the*
Disney Players.*They did a play every year and donated the*
proceeds to Walt's favorite charity, the John Tracy Clinic.*Walt*
would come backstage to congratulate us after the plays.*That's*
how I got my early bit parts in Disney movies - which eventually*
led to doing the voice-overs for the park - and for about ten years*
- the voice of Mickey on all of the Disneyland records that were*
produced at that time (the 70s) - as well as the TALKING MICKEY TOY.






9)What's it like working on a Soap Opera?*I've watched a few bits and pieces of Days of Our Lives when I graduated high school, because I was so bored I was looking for something on .*But from what I've seen, it's 60% new material, and 40% flashbacks.*Is it easier/more fun acting on a soap than it is a prime time drama?

9.*I can only speak for GENERAL HOSPITAL.*It's both easier and*
harder.*At GH, they are VERY organized.*You have to be when you*
shoot 72 pages a day.*(Roughly an hour show each day.)*A prime*
time show takes a week to do an hour show - and features can take*
months.*You do get your lines well in advance, but often there are*
changes waiting for you get to the studio.*My part was not one of*
the principals.*They have to learn PAGES every day.*But the*
atmosphere on GH was very pleasant, and my "family" was great to*
work with. You don't sit around for HOURS like on feature films!*
And, yes, there are a lot of flashbacks (once again, it's not easy*
to fill an hour a day!)





10)What do you think of Passions? I've seen it once, because I heard it was quite humorous, and meant to be that way, but I never did quite get into it. Do you think this could start a new breed of comedy driven soap operas, and if so, could such a thing be successful?

I'm afraid I've never seen PASSIONS.

Thanks Mr. Reneday!

[pannoni1]

How did you get approached for?

I've worked with Murakami-Wolf Productions (now Fred Wolf Films) since 1976. I saw a television special called Whose Afraid Of Murakami Wolf when I was but a kid and decided that was where I wanted to work. My aunt worked for Disney in the fifties and Hanna-Barbera in the sixties and I was well aquainted with those studios which seemed like factories, but Murakami-Wolf was very small and hip. I actually became a director at Marvel and worked freelance on the Turtle shows so

2)I've always wondered this, and figured you might be one of the right people to ask . Every now and then, a character would have the wrong color mask, or the right mask and Lettered belt initial, but wrong voice. Is this something that's commonly over looked, or just
a simple mistake?

As far as mistakes go, they are inevitable since the actual artwork is produced and photographed overseas with very little time to fix mistakes. Also, after a while all those turtles started looking the same.

How many, if any, completed episodes have you seen? Any favorites

I've seen many more episodes than I would have liked to since my three little sons were big fans and our home was filled with Turtle tapes and toys.

What would a typical work day on the show be like?

I couldn't really say what the work environment was like since I did the work at home. I did work in-house as the animation director on the Zorro series. Since I've known the staff at Fred Wolf films for so long, it seems like working with old friends and everyone knows what's going on in the studio unlike the bigger companies where you're in your little cubicle for 8 hours a day without really any interaction with the other departments.


Do you happen to know how many total episodes had been produced? I'm wondering if any where made, but not aired yet. Like those "European episodes" that aired a few years back

I don't know how many episodes were done but the show is unique since shows were being produced for both CBS and cable at the same time. We'd sure like to update the Turtles and produce some new shows. Maybe if the fans get involved it could happen.

Did they let you keep anything from the series run?

I never had anything to keep except the rough storyboards and an audio cassette of the dialog track

After all these years, did you ever have a favorite character to work on?

I didn't separate the show into characters as I had to organize all elements in a scene so I didn't have any particular favorite characters except as a fan. I liked April since she wasn't an ugly reptile.

How long would doing your part for a single show take? I've tried doing an entire show in story board form, and took about three months

It takes about a week to time one act and each show had about three acts. After that the artwork is done overseas and I didn't know what their timetable was.

[pannoni1]

I highly recommend saving various threads intro storage; they way forums are archived, if this site dies, we may lose lots of valuable information such as this thread!

[pannoni1]

I like these interviews as it really shows me a lot of stuff that I never knew about, and really makes me understand MOST of what was going on there. Guys, here is the best source for accessing many (but not all) threads from this deleted forum.

http://wayback.archive.org/web/*/htt...jo.com/Forum/*

I have searched every entry specifically looking for thread ID's (usually beginning with p=). It's very unfortunate that only around 50-200 people have ever viewed these interviews, which is a real loss for fans as they grow up and get more interesting in going behind the scenes.
But please post other threads in a more relevant board as necessary; many are titled in the links at your service. Some Eastman/Laird reviews, some 2K3 interviews, some video game reviews, and some movie interviews are to be found. Be aware that it can take a couple minutes to go back to the "main menu", so trial and error of thread numbers is your best bet. We want as much information to be saved as possible!

[pannoni1]

Good news! I found some more from an old NinjaTurtles.com link!

1)Internet Question. When the Frist series came out, there was only the original comic. No Video games, no Archie Comic, no nothing. So, while it's doubtfull, where you a fan of the original comic, or was this just another audition?

Actually, I'd never heard of the comic. When my agent told me he was sending me to try out for a new show called "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," I really thought he was pulling my leg. I asked, " Okay, what's the REAL name for the show?" Only later did I find out it was a cult phenomenon.

2)Had you worked with any of the cast before? How long did it take for all of you to 'get your groove on' and get used to these new characters?

I hadn't worked with any of the regulars before, except for Pat Fraley (Krang). We clicked very quickly as a team. Right from the beginning, there were very few pickups. And Susan Blu, our main director, did a wonderful job keeping all of us on track.

3)Did you originally go in to audition for Bebop and Donatello? Or was it Donatello only? I ask because in thefirst episode, Bebop has an entirly different sounding voice for the one line he spoke.

I think I auditioned only for Donatello. I don't remember Bebop ever having a different voice, even in the first show, but maybe I hadn't found my Bebop groove yet.

4)One of the things that amazes me, is that Voice Actors can change their voice so completly, that they sound like a different person. Is it easy to switch back and forth without a warmup?

That's flattering. However, in my case, Donatello is basically MY voice pitched a little higher. The challenge was the few times I had dialogue between Donatello and Bebop. But it has to happen instantaneously, so a warmup would be out of the question.

5)Donatello had to speak some pretty strange Treknobabble, most of it using words that where probably made up on the spot. Was there any particular phraze that was difficult to say, or was just so stupid you had to laugh out loud?

Not that I remember.

6)Donatello has had about 5 voice actors over the course of the franchise, and two of them during the original series. How does one go about casting a replacement voice for an already established character? Do you have a say in who gets chosen, or is it left completly up to the casting director?

It's completely up to the producers. I was replaced briefly when I was in New York performing my duties as Screen Actors Guild President. Replacement voices are usually chosen for their closeness to the original, unless the decision is made to go for a completely new sound. The latter was the situation when the live-action films were cast, because a conscious decision was made NOT to use the original voices. In my case, it was difficult to find a replacement voice for those episodes I wasn't able to do because Donatello is my natural voice, rather than a character voice like Bugs Bunny that can be studied and copied.

7)"Internet Question" One of the more disturbing moments in animation, for me at least, was hearing Raphael's voice coming out of the main character of Mighty Max. I think I've heard Garfield's voice in other roles as well. Do you ever recycle main character voices? What do you think of this practice?

We try not to, but remember that we all have our natural voices to contend with. Rob Paulsen, Cam Clarke and I all basically were using our natural voices. Many times we're hired to use our own voices rather than rely on a more "cartoony" character voice. In that case, it's almost impossible not to sound like a voice is being recycled. But it's never done consciously.

There where about 14 episodes where the Turtles traveled to Europe. Do you remember when these where recorded voice wise, and why they where only released Europeside? I'm also curious if a foriegn voice cast recorded this set of shows first, or if it was always aired with the US cast even over seas?

To the best of my knowledge, we only recorded shows in LA and in English, but episodes were dubbed by foreign casts in other languages for overseas markets.

9)I'm sure you've probably heard the infamous Thundercat bloopers with our favorite childhood characters swearing like sailors. Where any such bloopers for the TMNT cast recorded or kept? Any interestingly humorus stories you might be able to share about recording?

I don't recall any. If there was, it probably would have involved Fraley, who kept us laughing for years.

10)George Takei, of Star Trek fame was brought in for three lines of dialouge in one episode. I'm curious if there was a reason behind this, and what was it like to work with the infamous Captain Sulu? IT is strange that they would bring in such a famous personality and only have him read three lines..

George was wonderful to work with, as were other guest stars. You'd be amazed to find out how many well-known personalities have guested on cartoons, even in small parts.

11)Was there any talk of doing a two hour animated movie with the original cast? Or was Planet of the Turtleoids(The one hour prime time special and a favorite episode), all that was talked about?

There was never any discussion about an animated feature.

12)Speaking of replacement voices, would you be willing to go back and record the episodes you missed originally for a potential extra audio track on future DVD releases? Or would you rather leave them the way they are? It just dosn't sound right without all the original cast there .

I actually did rerecord a few episodes that had originally been done with a replacement voice. I'd love to provide an audio track if it's requested.

13)What was it like recording that final episode with the cast and crew? Was it bitter sweet after 194 episodes, or did you not even know if you would be returning for another season?

We knew that we were recording our last episode. It was like breaking up an old family. We all signed cells for each other, hugged, and said farewell. It was a sad day, but as cartoon series go, we'd had an amazing run and we were glad to be part of that.

14)Have you seen the Japanese Anime based on the original series? If so, would you be willing to reprise the character to dub those two episodes?

I haven't seen the anime.

15)Donatello has had at least 5 main voices over the years. Out of all them, excluding yours of course , wich voice do you like the best? Next Mutation Series, the 2 movie voices, or the voice on the new show?

Confession time. I haven't seen any other version of TMNT, other than the very first live-action film. I thought the film lost the sense of differentiation that we all worked for in the cartoon series. It seemed like all the Turtles had the "surfer" attitude that was unique to Michelangelo on our series. But I haven't had the opportunity to hear the other Donatellos.

16)Finally, the last one. Do you have a favorite show you've worked on after all this time? Also, wich do you enjoy more, series acting or commercial acting?

Turtles is my all-time favorite. I enjoy acting in all its forms, but Turtles had a sharpness and wit to the writing that I really appreciated. I couldn't wait to go into the studio. Thanks!

[pannoni1]

You had the job of setting up how the series went the rest of that season. What type of guidlines did they give you on what you could and couldn't do? .
No, I had nothing to do with developing, story editing or otherwise influencing the series. I was brought in to write one script and that's it. The writing guidelines were typical of this type of animation: no imitatible behavior, no direct physical contact (meaning they could only use their weapons indirectly and on inanimate objects, never directly against a living opponent).

Had you seen the 5 episode pilot, or/are a fan of the franchise itself?
I'd seen some of it, and had a familiarity with the franchise, but hadn't followed it all that closely. I didn't collect the comics, though I had seen them.

Where you ever approached for other episodes?
No, the producer and I didn't hit it off real well, so nothing more came of that

How does one sit down and write a TMNT ep? What's the process that one goes through? Does it all come out as Easy as it seems on the screen, in one big fluid motion?
Each script is different, depending on many factors -- how well the show is run, what sort of feel I have for the material, how inspired I'm feeling. In this particular case, I was given an outline written by another team to work from. I try to have respect for the other writers' work. At the same, I need to make it mine and sometimes I need to make changes that I feel will make it work better. It's been so long since I wrote that script, I don't recall whether it came easily or was an effort. However, I generally start slow and build up speed. I can write very quickly when I need to.

When you write an ep for the show, or any show for that matter, is that it and you go home? Or do they include you in any other aspect of the series?
On virtually every show I've done, I turn in the script and that's it. Once in a while I get to see storyboards. But generally, they don't include the writer in the rest of the production.

[Powder]

Too many to keep up with! Thanks for sharing these, man. I've only read a few so far, but I'm enjoying them.