During FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention's opening press conference for its 2024 convention, I was able to ask a question to Ernie Hudson, who is most famous for playing Winston Zeddemore in the "Ghostbusters" movie franchise. Hudson, who was in a great mood that Thursday morning - and looking absolutely JACKED, for a 78-year-old - gave a thoughtful response to my question (and others) during the few minutes in which he sat at the microphone.
Here's what he had to say.
Signs of the Times: Hey, Ernie. My name’s Aaron, and I’m running the Twitter account for the convention this weekend. First of all, I just wanted to say thank you so much for coming.
Ernie Hudson: It’s great to be here.
SotT: When I was younger, I loved "Ghostbusters" - one of my favorite movie franchises - and now, as a parent, it’s so fun to introduce these movies to my own children. I have a son that’s almost four, and I was a little nervous to get him into "Ghostbusters" - I thought it might be too spooky - but he loves it. So, I was wondering if you could just touch on […] the longevity of that franchise, obviously, being one of the main Ghostbusters in the '80s, and now, being kind of a caretaker or steward of the franchise, moving forward.
EH: You don’t realize, you don’t plan those things, or you don’t even understand the impact that it would have. I think if studios knew how to make a hit, all the movies would be hits, but you really have no idea how people will react and respond. It’s one of those things that… I think we all have this sort of fear of what’s to happen. As I get older, I count friends who’ve "transitioned." We know that it’s not a forever thing. I think we’re always aware of that, throughout our lives. Little kids are concerned about who’s in the closet when the lights go out. I mean, it touches some primal part of us, and I think the movie does that in a way that’s comedic. It’s funny. We can laugh at our fears. But it crosses generations in an amazing way. Not all movies do that. “The Crow” was a movie that was very popular, at a certain stage in life, but then the older people didn’t necessarily respond to it, or little kids, but there’s a time in life, you know? There’s a period. But “Ghostbusters,” it’s sort of… I think I was watching the 30th anniversary showing in Chicago, and there were older people – [in their] 80s, 90s – little kids, and they were all laughing at different things, but they all found something in it that they responded to. […] I’m just very, very thankful to have been a part and that it still stands.
*****
This is the first of several posts with exclusive content from FanX 2024. Keep it here for all the good stuff. You can also leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter (here and here) and try to find us on Facebook for more pop culture conversations.
One of the true unexpected delights of FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention 2023 was the opportunity to interview acclaimed actor John Rhys-Davies, who is best known for his roles in Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones. He made himself available to speak to the media before the convention opened for its first day on September 21 and couldn't have been kinder to us. He even offered to take selfies with us when we were done chatting.
Because FanX took place in the midst of the SAG-AFTRA strike, we were not permitted to ask any of the actors about their work - past, present or future - which meant we couldn't ask him about Gimli or Sala or anything else he'd done in Hollywood, and we had to get a little creative with our questions.
One thing that was not off limits, however, was Rhys-Davies' experience performing with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square; he was a guest for the choir's Christmas concert in 2013. When we asked him to recall his time spent with the choir, he had some nice things to say.
Well, I knew of the Tabernacle Choir, really, from very
early on. I’m a Welshman, and I spent time in a little village in Wales when my
parents were out in Africa. The one choir that everyone knew of and admired was
the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
I did the Christmas show a number of years back. I
expected to be impressed by the musicianship, and Mack [Wilberg] is […]
probably the greatest choral authority in the world, I think, and I love him
immensely and admire him immensely. The choir is superb – the musicianship, the
range of their musical interests is enormous – and, as I’m a classical music
fan, obviously, it was a match made in heaven, as far as I was concerned.
But
the welcome you get… I will be staying on for the service ["Music and the Spoken
Word"] on Sunday [September 24], and I had the great privilege of attending the 95th
birthday of your prophet, who stood up and made one of the most moving and
articulate speeches that I think I’ve ever heard. Wonderful man.
To an
outsider, on first coming in, you’re a rather strange community, but the more I
come, the more I see the real strengths of the community. The measure of friendliness
to strangers is really unmatched. You’re a warm, welcoming, intelligent,
rational, committed community, and I love it here.
Social media posts by some in attendance at "Music and the Spoken Word" can confirm that Rhys-Davies and fellow LOTR alum Andy Serkis were present to hear the Tabernacle Choir perform that Sunday, following the convention. So hey, how about that? Pretty cool.
So there I was, minding my own business, making my way across the vendor floor at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention 2021, in search of pop culture LEGOs. I headed back to a booth I'd visited earlier in the day. Then, to my great surprise, just 24 hours after having finished "LEGO Masters" Season 2, I noticed several contestants from the TV show! I immediately recognized Caleb Schilling, and soon thereafter spotted several other familiar faces. This, honestly, was one of the most pleasant surprises of the entire weekend for me. I'm a reality TV junkie, and bumping into some people that I had literally just barely watched on Hulu got me really excited.
I strolled on over and began chatting with Zack Macasaet - a finalist from his season, who made it all the way to the end with his brother, Wayne. Here's some of what we discussed:
Signs of the Times: All right, so… Surprise! The LEGO Masters are here! First of
all, tell me about the show. What was it like being on the show?
Zack Macasaet: It was a lot of pressure, trying to build under the
clock. Coming in, there was a lot of uncertainty, whether or not were even
going to be on the show! And then we didn’t even know if we were going to get
knocked out in the first round or not. So me and my brother came out, flying
like dragons…
SotT: That’s right!
ZM: And by the end of it, we pulled ourselves through to the
finale! I don’t want to spoil it for anybody, but… Gotta watch the finale!
SotT: Did you have a build that was your favorite, out of the
whole competition?
ZM: A build that was my favorite? The dragons. My brother’s
would be the whale. People liked the hat, the pigs were awesome, the castle
build at the end – near the end, where we’re stretching out six feet… a lot of
great, awesome stuff.
SotT: That’s good. That’s good. What advice would you give to
people who like LEGOs but want to take it, maybe, to the next level?
ZM: Oh, ok… My brother would say, “Build what you want.”
That’s what my brother would say. For me, I’d say it’s all about trial and
error. You just keep collecting your LEGO bricks, you put it together and come
up with new things. And every idea is a good idea.
SotT: Cool. Cool, all right. Have you been to Utah before?
ZM: First time!
SotT: First time? All right! Quick trip for you, though.
ZM: Yeah, quick trip for me. I’m only here for… [I’ve been
here] about three days. I was here for the finale, watching it with all the
other LEGO Masters over here – we even have another finalist over here: Caleb.
So you’ve got to get an interview with him, too.
SotT: Yeah, I’ve got to go talk to him, too!
ZM: Oh, yeah!
Update: I talked to Caleb, too, and a few others, as well, but didn't have time to do any more interviews.
Check out Zack's YouTube channel by clicking here.
The following interview took place during the opening press conference for FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention 2021:
Signs of the Times: Hello! Thanks for coming back, first of all. My name’s Aaron. I work with the FanX social media team. A lot of things have happened in the past two years since we had a convention – I got married and had a kid.
Jess Harnell: Good for you!
Jim Cummings and Rob Paulsen, in background: Woo hoo!
SotT: Having a child and working from home, I watch a lot of TV, but my choices in entertainment have changed quite a bit. So, my question for you guys is: what is the importance in making – I guess, producing – content that is both fun and educational? … I remember, growing up, watching “Animaniacs” and other shows. I learned a lot, and I still remember some of your songs, you know?
JH: Oh, great!
SotT: So, what is the importance for you making things that are fun and educational for kids?
JH: Rob, do you want to take that?
RP: Why is it important? I think you’ve already touched on it. The fact is that you’re now willing to share this with your children because it has enough subversive humor to entertain you, and I would submit you probably got jokes down the road from “Animaniacs” that you didn’t get when you first watched when you were a little guy.
JH: You won’t believe what’s coming.
RP: That was, as Mo [LaMarche] and everyone has said [earlier in the press conference], that is utterly by design – and not just on “Animaniacs” and “Pinky and the Brain.” I think that there are other shows that strive to do that, as well. But also, we have a big orchestra, we get to do great music – a lot of them are “earwigs.” I can sing, “Tunisia, Morocco, Uganda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Djibouti, Botswana…” a capella, and it doesn’t matter. It’s such a remarkable tune that Randy Rogel wrote.
JH: And he does it live, too, all the time.
JC: I can feel him stopping himself. [laughter] Must… not… sing… full… song!
RP: Can I give you my own anecdotal evidence? My son is now 37, surprisingly. When my son was little, he lived for "The Muppets." I could watch "Muppets" all day.
JH: Yeah.
RP: I loved it. If my kid wanted to watch “Teletubbies,” I would have had a real problem.
JH: Oh, yeah!
RP: …Not with my child – and I understand why the rudimentary nature of “Teletubbies” and “Barney”… I understand why they work. But if I’m, in some respects, doomed to watch television with my kid, I could watch Big Bird all day. My kid can learn stuff – he can learn how to be kind and generous and count and all of that, without [me] thinking, “There’s not enough wine in the world for me!”
JC: And his youngest is 25, so it’s hard for [Rob] to… still learning stuff.
RP: Still learning!
JC: It’s tough!
RP: So, you’ve kind of answered your question for us because you’re the example, and thank you for that.
SotT: No, thank you!
JH: The one thing I’ll add is: I’ve always said that “Animaniacs,” in particular, is a Trojan horse because it’s an educational social satire masquerading as a kids’ show. That’s what it is.
I had the chance to chat with WWE's villainous manager Vickie Guerrero during FanX Fall 19 in Salt Lake City last weekend. On-screen, she was irritating, annoying and universally despised. Vickie broke into World Wrestling Entertainment in 2005, being incorporated into storylines with her husband, the late WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero, and has since spent more than a decade as the recipient of relentless boos from the WWE Universe. Her shrill cries of "EXCUSE ME!!" send audiences across the country into a frenzy and maintain her reputation as one of the most reviled personas in the history of professional wrestling.
Her appearance at the convention last weekend was a surprise to many; she announced that she was in town in a social media post on September 5, the first day of FanX, and it became my immediate goal to track her down for an interview. Unlike her TV character, Vickie couldn't have been more pleasant in person. She was kind, friendly and remembered me on each day of the convention as I passed by her booth.
Here's my interview with Vickie, recorded on the second day of FanX Fall 2019:
Signs of the Times: All right, Vickie. How are you doing?
Vickie: “I’m great. How are you?”
SotT: Doing great. Thanks for coming out.
V: “It’s my pleasure. I love Salt Lake City. The people and the
fans are just so wonderful to me. No one has thrown any food, so that’s good.”
SotT: Awesome. Not yet. That’s good. All right, awesome. I just
wanted to ask you a few questions about your career. First of all, what got you
into wrestling? Was it [late husband] Eddie? Or did you have an interest in
that before?
V: “No, you know what? Before I met Eddie, I hated wrestling. I
was in a family [with] five younger brothers. I couldn’t stand it. I was a
cheerleader and a dancer, but when I dated Eddie, I kind of was like, ‘Fine,
whatever.’ It slowly started growing on me and I had a big respect for it. Once
I got married to Eddie, I just loved it. I started falling in love with the
sport.”
SotT: Ok. Tell me about the “Excuse me!” catch phrase. [Both
laugh] Where did that come from and how did it catch on so quickly?
V: “’Excuse me!’ came from me forgetting my promo lines one
night. They gave me a promo that changed maybe like three or four times before
we went live, and I just messed it up and the crowd was just being so awful
with me that I just kind of yelled ‘Excuse me!’ at them. They kind of roared
back, and I was kind of like, ‘Wait a minute…’ [Laughs] I didn’t think it was
going to catch on until the writers said, ‘Let’s try this again,’ and the more
times we did it, the crowd started recognizing that that was going to be my
catch phrase. Eighteen years later, I’m still doing it, so it’s been great.”
SotT: Yeah. So, you were in the Women’s Royal Rumble, weren’t you?
V: “Yes – the first one.”
SotT: That’s right. I remember because, “Excuse me!” hit, and I
said, “No! No way!” [Both laugh]
V: “I was so excited! That’s such a great honor to be in the
first one. It was a lot of fun. I got to see my old friends and then meet the
new women on the roster. Number 16 will be my lucky number forever.”
SotT: Awesome. Can you tell me a little bit about the “Women’s Evolution”
in wrestling and where you see that going in the future?
V: “I think it’s been a great change for the women’s division.
I mean, you take maybe eight to ten years before that, and the women were just
eye candy for the show. The women back then were really talented, and they
wanted to have these good matches that had quality time [on television], so to
see how it’s changing and they’re getting the opportunity to main-event
Wrestlemania, main-event “RAW” and “SmackDown!”… I’m really proud of where it’s
[come] today.”
SotT: Great. Do you have any people that you really enjoyed
working with – any favorite rivals or anyone that you were a manager of, or
anything like that?
V: “Yeah, I think my favorite storylines were with Undertaker
and Edge, Dolph Ziggler, the McMahons, ‘LayCool,’ Betty White, the Muppets… It
goes on and on! [Laughs]”
SotT: What has been your favorite part of being in Salt Lake City
this weekend?
V: “You know, I’m not on the Celebrity Row, but I came through
a vendor and I love it because I can take my time and talk to the fans. They
can share their stories, I can share mine, and it’s just a good quality time to
enjoy their company. This is a blessing for me to be here.”
SotT: Well, thank you so much for coming. We’re so glad that you’re
here.
V: “Thank you! I appreciate it!”
***
Vickie Guerrero can be followed on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and at vickieguerrero.net. For future #FanX content and more blogs about wrestling, you know what to do. Keep it here with Signs of the Times.
We enjoyed our first chat with WWE legend Victoria so much that we stopped by the next day to do another interview about her career, her celebrity crush and what it takes to get in a WWE ring. Here's the transcript:
Signs of the Times: All right, back with
Victoria for Day 2!
Victoria: “Day 2!”
SotT: How’s Day 2 going?
V: “Amazing! Amazing. A little bit – what’s awesome today – I’m
going to go off the subject – is seeing Dave Bautista.”
SotT: Yeah!I got a picture with him!
V: “Yeah. You did?”
SotT: I did.
V: “Awesome. We started wrestling school together! He was ‘Leviathan’
back then, and we got brought up kind of at the same time with the WWE. It’s so
exciting seeing someone in our business succeed, you know, from the ground up.
You know what I mean? Seeing him… he’s a superstar, honestly. So you become
proud, like a proud sister, so it’s really neat.”
SotT: Yeah.
V: “A lot of people didn’t know I was here … I had one guy cry.
I’ve never had a guy cry.”
SotT: I almost cried.
V: “Get out of here!”
SotT: I had one tear, and I
was like, “No, no!”
V: “[Laughs] It was my perfume. No, it was like, they didn’t know
I was here. I’m best friends with these guys at [Booth] 2462 – Super Heroes in
Training – and they said, ‘Hey, do you want to work a booth?’ … And I was like,
‘Yeah, I’ll help you guys out. Absolutely.’ So seeing people like, ‘I didn’t
know you were here!’ – it’s kind of neat.”
SotT: Yeah. Well, that’s
good. Ok, so, I was thinking last night after we talked yesterday – I want to
know more about your hardcore matches, because you had a few of those!
V: “Yes.”
SotT: Obviously, you know,
with weapons and things, it’s a little bit different, but how is preparing for
a hardcore fight different than just a regular match?
V: “Oh, my gosh. As it is, I get sick to my stomach before
matches because I’m an extremely nervous person. I’m a perfectionist, too. [For
a] hardcore match, there are so many things that can go wrong. … You do say a
prayer: ‘Please, [let] no one get really, seriously hurt,’ but you do get hurt,
and you’ve got to say sorry later. The mentality is, you go up to your opponent
and you’re like, ‘I don’t mean anything. Let’s just be safe, let the fans enjoy
this and lay it in.’ For me and Trish [Stratus] – ‘Lay it in. We’ll say sorry
later, but don’t make it look phony – this is a real fight.’ So, we put our all
in, but the [nausea] before going out? Brutal. Yeah, brutal. And then you go
backstage and you’re still like, ‘[Gasps] Am I in trouble? Did everything go
smoothly? Did I do a great job?’ And you’re still questioning yourself
constantly.”
SotT: Ok, so, I know you’ve
worked a lot with Trish, but do you have any [other] really good friends that
you’ve developed during your career?
V: “My closest friend right now is O.D.B. – she was in T.N.A. –
Gail Kim, Cliff Compton (Domino) … we talk every day. You can’t avoid… You’re
together forever. You are a family, because you spend most of the time on the
road with each other – more so than your [actual] family. People say, ‘There’s
a big divorce rate.’ Go figure! We’re on the road four days a week, you know,
and kind of grow apart from our loved ones. But I’ve made a lot of good friends,
and it pays to be nice. I always tell people, ‘Don’t let it get to your head. We’re
entertainers. We’re stunt people. Come on. Be nice to your fans.’ I hear a lot
of rotten stories about how some people are just not nice to their fans, and
they pay our bills, so… you know?”
SotT: Well, you’re super
nice. We’ve had a couple [pro wrestlers] come through here. I met Batista today
– super nice. John Cena’s been here – very nice. Hulk Hogan – great guy. It’s
always surprising because you guys look kind of intimidating on screen, but
then, in person, you’re so nice.
V: “You’re always warned, ‘Be careful who you meet … because
you might be disappointed.’ So, I’m so scared to meet my superheroes. I want to
meet Jason Momoa. I’m a huge fan, and I’m scared… I’m just scared I’ll be
disappointed because I’m so nice – I’m over-the-top – that I expect everybody
else to be like that, and I’m just a little nervous about him disappointing me.”
SotT: You know what? I met
him – he came last year. I met him, just for a second, but [he’s] super nice.
V: “Is he?”
SotT: Yeah, he seemed super
nice.
V: “All right, I’m gonna hold you to it!”
SotT: What would it take for
somebody like me to get in the ring? [Laughs]
V: “[With] no training?”
SotT: [Sarcastically] I
mean, yeah. Look at me. I’m, like, in pretty great shape, obviously.
V: “But it’s not about looks now! The body – physique… you see,
it’s not cookie-cutters. Kevin Owens [for instance].”
SotT: So what do I need to
do?
V: “You do have to go to wrestling school. You do have to train.
It’s not for everybody. I thought I could learn the craft in 30 days [but] I
was in wrestling school for three years – which is not very long – but it’s a
lot of technique, technical work, your facial expressions. There’s so much
minute detail in this business. It’s really tough, and we’re live; we get one
shot. That’s it.”
SotT: Yeah, that’s hard.
V: “You mess up, the fans won’t [let it go.] The will let you
know that you messed up. It is the worst feeling ever.”
SotT: Oh, man.
V: “I don’t discourage anybody from [getting into wrestling],
but it’s a dangerous sport. It’s not for everybody. It’s for the people who
have the heart and passion for it and want to do it forever, because once you
get bit by it, you’re not done, evidently – me. Eighteen years and still going.”
SotT: All right. So, last
question: what’s the thing that you’re most proud of from your career?
V: “That I’m still going! After 18 years, I thought I was going
to be slowing down, but it’s incredible seeing people still remember me. You
kind of have to worry about when they don’t want your autograph anymore. But
the appreciation from the new divas, the new wrestlers… When you hear, ‘Oh, my,
you were my favorite wrestler!’ And you’re just like, ‘Really??’ It still
shocks me a little bit that I’m still doing it. I’m wrestling with 20-year-olds.”
SotT: …which is the hard
part.
V: “Isn’t that crazy?”
SotT: Yeah, that’s the hard
part. I used to like playing basketball, but I realize now, when I play against
20-year-olds, I’m 31, but it’s like…
V: “You’re out of shape! You feel like…”
SotT: Yeah, I’m not as fast
as these guys anymore.
Professional wrestling legend Lisa Marie Varon, best known as "Victoria," was a cornerstones of the women's division in the WWE's "Ruthless Aggression" era during her nine-year stint with the company (2000-2009). She won the women's championship twice after her call-up to the main roster in 2002. I caught up with Victoria at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention 2018 and was able to ask her a few questions about her career.
Signs of the Times: Hello, Victoria. How
are you doing?
Victoria: “I’m doing great. Thank you so much.”
SotT: Welcome to Salt Lake
City.
V: “Thank you. It’s great to be here.”
SotT: Have you been here
before?
V: “I have, you know, in my wrestling career. There’s not a
place I think I haven’t been. I’m exaggerating. But it’s always a great city.
This is a huge convention! I live in San Diego, so I go to the San Diego one
all the time, and this is blowing it away for me. I love it.”
SotT: Well, good. I didn’t know
that you were going to be here, but I saw that you tweeted about it.
V: “I did.”
SotT: So, when I saw that, I
knew I needed to come and see you.
V: “Yes, and I was also on ESPN this morning, promoting the
show.”
V: “Yeah. I’m here with the Funko Pop!s [Booth 2462] – Mike, yes. [She
gestures to a man standing at the booth.] We live in San Diego, and he goes, ‘You
want to go to the show with me?’ Yeah.”
SotT: Well, you can come
back anytime.
V: “Thank you! Thank you.”
SotT: I just wanted to ask
you some questions about your wrestling career.
V: “Ok.”
SotT: First of all, what got
you into wrestling in the first place?
V: “It was a total accident. I met Chyna at a health club. I did
fitness competitions. Went up to her… I knew two girlfriends that did it, and
she said, ‘Oh, you have a good look. Have you ever thought about doing it?’ I
said, ‘I think I can do what the guys do,’ because I was a gymnast, tomboy, and
I sent my stuff in. Thirty days later, I got a call. The rest is history.
Eighteen years ago.”
SotT: Nice. Ok. Throughout
your career, did you have a rivalry that was your favorite to work with?
V: “I think Trish and I – Trish Stratus and I – had a long,
long rivalry. It was such baby steps, because we could do months and months of
our angle, which was awesome, you know? They took time with the female
storyline. Now, after that, it was too quick. Things ended so quickly. [But]
her and I killed it.”
SotT: If you could go back
to the WWE today, who would you want to work with?
V: “There are so many amazing women there. Asuka is one of my
favorites, and Charlotte Flair, because I’m good friends with her dad.”
---
Victoria will be at FanX18 all weekend (09/06/18 - 09/08/18) at Booth # 2462, near Celebrity Row and Cosplay Central. For more information about FanX, follow the convention on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Several days before Salt Lake Comic Con 2017, the official Salt Lake Comic Con Twitter account retweeted something I posted about the upcoming convention. That retweet was seen and liked by a voice actor named Victoria Atkin, who would be appearing as a celebrity guest at the event. Little did I know, Victoria provides the voice for Evie Frye, the first playable female character in a main entry in the "Assassin's Creed" video game franchise. I had played the game "Assassin's Creed: Syndicate," so I thought it was cool that she acknowledged my tweet.
I sent her a quick message, saying that it would be fun to meet her at the convention. To my surprise, she responded, and we messaged back and forth a little a few times.
Over the next couple days, I helped Victoria promote her booth on the vendor floor on social media and finally had the chance to meet her at Comic Con, where we talked about her role in "Assassin's Creed" and her upcoming BYUtv show, "Extinct." Behold:
Signs of the Times: All right, Victoria.
First of all, welcome to Salt Lake City.
Victoria Atkin: “Hello! I’m happy to be here.”
SotT: Have you ever been
here before?
VA: “I have. I’ve been here for most of last year.”
SotT: Oh yeah, for filming,
huh? Well, we’ll talk about that in a second. Do you like it here?
VA: “I do. I really like it. The people are amazing and the
landscape is incredible. Beautiful place.”
SotT: All right. Can you
tell me a little bit about your career – stuff you’ve done in the past?
VA: “My career? So I graduated from the Central School of Speech
and Drama, where Judy Dench and Vanessa Redgrave went to, so I started off in a
great school. Then I was on a show called Hollyoaks for a couple of years,
as my first job, which was a fun, fun thing to do. And then, from there, I
decided to come to America and seek my fame and fortune… and found ‘Assassin’s
Creed’ and ‘Extinct,’ found some other shows, and the rest is history, I guess.”
SotT: Awesome. Ok. Well,
tell me a little bit about “Assassin’s Creed.” How did you get involved in
that? Were you a fan of the games before that, or was that just something that
came up?
VA: “Well, I grew up playing video games on my PC, but I
actually wasn’t very aware of the franchise, and I didn’t know what I was
auditioning for. A lot of the video games are very secretive, and they give you
a code name, so I was auditioning, but I didn’t have script from ‘Assassin’s
Creed’ or anything like that. They knew that they wanted to have a female
Assassin and they wanted to make sure that it was the right person. I did about
four or five rounds and ended up in Quebec, and on my last round, they said, ‘This
is for Assassin’s Creed,’ so I said, ‘Great! How great!’ I was launched into
that and I went to Toronto and filmed for six months on the motion-capture
stage.”
SotT: Tell me a little bit
about “Extinct.” That comes out in like a week and a half, right?
VA: “I know! Not too long at all, now. Yeah, it comes out October 1 and it’s going to
be free for everybody to watch on the byutv.org website – you can stream it or
you can download it on the app, which is free. It’s set 400 years in the
future. Human race has been extinct, but they’re bringing them back, and I’m
one of the first females to be reborn. Then we discover how to navigate earth
without anybody here.”
When Salt Lake Comic Con 2017 kicked off this past weekend, I had the opportunity to do a couple mini interviews during the press conference on Thursday morning. The first guest I spoke with was Brian Herring, who is one of the most talented puppeteers in the entire world. Instead of starting this post by running through his filmography, I'll let the man speak for himself:
Signs of the Times: Hello, my name is Aaron.
Brian Herring: “Hello, Aaron.”
SotT: Nice to meet you. I just wanted to ask you a few questions.
First of all, have you ever been to Utah before?
BH: “No.”
SotT: No? First time. Ok. Any impressions so far?
BH: “I have seen the outside for about an hour, so, at this
point, not huge amounts of impressions. The mountains are lovely – lovely view.
I’m sure it’s going to be great.”
SotT: Great. Well, we’re happy to have you hear.
BH: “Thank you very much.”
SotT: I was just wondering if you could talk to me about your
career a little bit. Was there anything you’ve worked on – anything, like a
project or anything, that was memorable or made a big impression on you?
BH: “I’ve been a puppeteer for about 25 years. I became a
puppeteer completely by accident. I was a little economic with the truth in an
audition for a TV show in the UK in the early ‘90s and, since then, I’ve worked
for the Jim Henson Company and I’ve done a lot of stuff on UK TV, I have worked
in movies and in film and … I’ve been all over the place, really. I did a
little film a couple of years ago called ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’”
SotT: I… think I’ve heard of it.
BH: “Yeah… It found an audience. So, I mean, to do that –
because I was seven in ’77 – I was that
kid. So, to be involved with that, even slightly, was a big deal, but to
end up… I was the puppeteer consultant for the whole movie, and then I wound up
as BB-8 – the lead form for BB-8 – so that was just an amazing experience. It’s
the gift that keeps on giving.”
SotT: All right. And you’re currently working on the future Star
Wars movies, as well?
BH: “Yes. Yeah.”
SotT: Awesome.
BH: “We’re right in the middle of that, so that’s a lot of fun.”
SotT: All right. Did you have a favorite Star Wars character
growing up?
BH: “Chewie. Chewie. Yeah, Chewbacca. So to get to work
alongside him was quite a thrill.”
SotT: That’s really cool. Ok. Perfect. Is there anything that you
would recommend – like a TV show or a movie that you’re currently watching – that
you’d recommend?
BH: “I’m currently really enjoying the third series of ‘Gotham.’
I’m really enjoying that.”
One of my favorite interviews from FanX17 was with actor Khary Payton, who is best known for his current role as King Ezekiel on AMC's hit show "The Walking Dead" and for his voice work as Cyborg in the "Teen Titans" animated series.
It was a good-natured and light-hearted chat that Khary and I had for my alotted three minutes, and I knew, if nothing else, that I'd at least have to try to get some "Walking Dead" dirt out of him. I watched about two and a half seasons of the zombie drama but, with the show now in its seventh *rubs eyes* seventh season, I was hoping he'd help catch me up quickly. Here's how that panned out:
Signs of the Times: All right, Khary, tell
me this – Ok, I’ve watched a little bit of “The Walking Dead,” but I’m a little
bit behind… so I need you to tell me a little bit about your character [King
Ezekiel] and convince me to catch up.
Khary Payton: “Convince you to catch up? I’m not gonna convince you to
catch up! You catch up if you want to! I’m fine. I’m just fine, man, you know?
If you… if you don’t want to watch the show, that’s fine, but there are tigers…”
SotT: All right…
KP: “There are dreadlocks, you know? And there are walking
Walkers, and all kinds of human intrigue. You should know this by now!”
SotT: I know, I know…
KP: “You should know this by now!”
SotT: I need more time to
watch shows!
KP: “I totally get it. I totally get it.”
SotT: So… do you ever kill
anybody on the show?
KP: “[Scoffs] You know, you’re just going to have to tune in.
You’re not getting that! You’re not getting the Cliff Notes from me, dude.
[Laughs] I’ve been keeping secrets way too long. I can keep them from you! I
can keep them from you. But you know what? Fifteen million people can’t be
wrong.”
SotT: I got caught up with
some other stuff. I need to catch up.
KP: “Exactly! Exactly! These things happen!”
SotT: When did you get into
acting? Was that something you always wanted to do?
KP: “Yeah. Since I was a kid, I was dabbling in it. I don’t know.
… I got kinda serious about it in high school and decided that I would try to
pursue it. I was from a small town in Georgia and everybody said, ‘Ah, Khary,
you’re gonna do really great,’ but I didn’t want to be one of those people who
goes on ‘American Idol’ and nobody told them they couldn’t sing, you know? So I
auditioned for a bunch of theater schools, and I was like, ‘If I can get into
these schools, then that means, ok, that I’m not [deceiving] myself and I should
try this as a profession. And I got into all of them, took the one that gave me
the biggest scholarship and I’ve been studying and following my passion ever
since, which is to get to tell a great story."
SotT: All right. Have you
ever been to Utah before?
KP: “Yeah, I came here about nine years ago. I shot a really
funny, really crass movie called The
Legend of Awesomest Maximus. It’s hilarious, but it’s not something you
would watch with your mom. It’s like a National
Lampoon’s kind of thing – like a spoof of 300 – but yeah, yeah. I was here for a while. I’ve come to find
that Salt Lake City [has gotten] new restaurants and new places to go, so
explore a little more.”
SotT: Yeah, we’ve got some
March Madness going on this weekend. It’s a great weekend to be here. It’s
great weather – it’s not snowing.
KP: “Oh yeah! You know what? Great weather tends to follow me
around. I was just in London and it was pretty good, too.”
SotT: You have to keep
coming back, then.
KP: “That’s what I’m saying. Yeah, exactly. Well, if I want
snow, then you’re gonna be in trouble because I want to go up to Park City and
get my snow on.”
During the Salt Lake Comic Con FanX17 press conference, I got a few minutes to talk to actress Amy Gumenick, who is best known for her roles as Carrie Cutter and Cupid on the superhero drama "Arrow" and Young Mary Winchester on the wildly popular show "Supernatural." During the convention, she appeared alongside Danielle Panabaker of "The Flash" for a special "Arrowverse"-themed panel. Throughout my brief interview, Gumenick shed some light on her decision to start acting and also told me about some other facets of her life. Take a look:
Signs of the Times: Can you just tell me a
little bit about your career? Maybe some of your favorite roles and things like
that?
Amy Gumenick: “Sure! Favorite roles is such a hard question for me. I feel
like…”
SotT: I know, right? It’s
like the most horrible question, but I always have to ask it.
AG: “I can pick, like, pieces of every role that would be my
favorite. I’m very grateful to have been working consistently for, gosh, going
on eight years, which seems impossible. Obviously, the main reason I’m here is
because I’m doing ‘Arrow’ and ‘Supernatural.’ I would say that they’re among
the favorites. For an interesting reason, I had no idea… ‘Supernatural was one
of the first roles I booked; it was right after I graduated college, and I had
no idea the incredible fan base I was gaining and joining and, truly, the
family that comes along with these shows. That’s something that I cannot
possibly put into words – how grateful I am, and they have followed me from
project to project and supported me, no matter what, and jumped on board at
charity events that I’ve done or planned. It’s really been incredible.”
SotT: Was acting something
you always wanted to do since you were young, or was this something that you
got into at school?
AG: “Yes! Yeah, you know, I can’t remember a time that I haven’t
known that this was what I wanted to do and, perhaps, was meant to be doing, or
whatever you believe in. My first kind of tangible memory was when I was 5 and
I saw a production of ‘Chicago,’ the musical, and memorized the entire show and
informed my parents that I would be Roxie Heart someday, which, as a
five-year-old, is probably frightening. Ten years later, when I was 16, I
auditioned for a random production of ‘Chicago’ and was cast as Roxie, and so
that was sort of my first… the first time I really remember setting an acting
goal and accomplishing it. I grew up doing community theater and competitive
dance, but my parents were pretty adamant about me having a normal childhood
and going to school and all of that. The deal that they made with me as a child
was that, if I went to school and completed college and still wanted to act,
that they would support me 100 percent – and they absolutely have. So, here I
am!”
SotT: Great! Awesome. Do you
do a lot of conventions?
AG: “Um, I do some. Not a ton, but a few a year.”
SotT: Ok! Well, we’re glad
to have you here. One last question: other than acting, what do you think is
your greatest accomplishment?
AG: “Oh man. I work with kids. I teach dance and theater. I feel
like I am constantly inspired by them, and to be part of the process of
teaching kids… I think their potential and sort of watching them discover who
they are and the things that they love and how they can make a difference with their
art is really incredible. I think that’s an accomplishment.”
Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2017 guest Jennifer Hale has been acting and voice-acting for nearly 30 years. Her staggering 348 IMDb credits date back to 1988 and include an impressive blend of television, film and video games. She is perhaps most widely recognized for lending her voice to the female version of Commander Shepard in the "Mass Effect" video game franchise, but has also acted as superheroes (in animated incarnations of "X-Men" and Marvel's Avengers, and as Captain Marvel in "Disney Infinity"), as princesses (she's been Cinderella quite a few times), as characters in "Halo" and "Star Wars" video games and - my personal favorite - as the dimension-hopping scientist Rosalind Lutece in "Bioshock Infinite," to name just a few of her many roles.
Hale brought her proverbial bag of tricks to Salt Lake City last weekend, where she appeared on several panels, including the fan-favorite "Twisted Toonz" panel, which you can watch in its entirety at the bottom of this post. But before all the craziness of the convention began, she appeared at the opening press conference, where I had a chance to chat with her about her career.
SotT: All right, Jennifer,
tell me a little bit about your career and, also, have you ever been to Utah
before?
JH: “This is my first time to Utah. It’s absolutely beautiful. I
love it.”
SotT: It’s good weather this
week. You picked a good week to come.
JH: “Oh, my gosh. Completely lucky. I love it. I’m primarily
known for cartoons, video games, that kind of thing. I’ve been voice-acting for
a long time. I’ve done, I think, around 190 video games now, and a lot of
cartoon series. I don’t even know how many, but that’s what I do.”
SotT: What was the first
voice that you ever did professionally? Do you remember the first job that you
got?
JH: “Yes! The first job I got was at a production house called Babble
Studios. It was a commercial… I don’t remember what it was for, but I was [in
distinct voice] doing a valley girl, because that’s what I could do at the time…”
[INTERVIEW IS INTERRUPTED BY VOICE OVER PA SYSTEM]
SotT: Do you have a favorite
voice or a go-to voice that you always do?
JH: “I don’t have a go-to. I have, like, a million things that I
like to do. My favorite thing is to mix it up. [Deepens voice] I like to be
everything from a superhero [changes to high-pitched voice] to a psycho!
[Laughs]”
SotT: When did you realize
that you could do different voices? Was that at a young age or was it when you
were a little bit older?
JH: “No, I really didn’t think about it, honestly. I was working
in a video production house… [A radio station] asked me to come next door to an
audio studio and do a radio commercial, and I … didn’t even know you could get
paid for that, and that blew my mind. Then I was fortunate enough, when I moved
to L.A., my first job was a cartoon series, and I jumped in and learned from
the best!”
SotT: What is one voice that
you’ve never done that you’d like to do? Like, a dream role?
I never got into "The X-Files" when it was in its heyday. Maybe I was too young for the original run, which started in 1993. Maybe aliens just weren't really my thing, back in the day; those commercials always kind of gave me the creeps. But when the Deseret News asked me to review the premiere episode of the 2016 "X-Files" revival, I wasn't going to turn that down, despite not previously having watched a single second of the series. I watched the revival and didn't mind it - I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more had I been a long-time Believer - and I reviewed it here in the Underground.
With that minimal knowledge of "X-Files" mythology, I waltzed into the Grand Ballroom of the Salt Palace for the Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2016 press conference. It was at that point that I had the awesome experience of interviewing William B. Davis - the Cigarette Smoking Man of "X-Files" lore - a man who some would argue is the greatest villain in the history of television. And I wasn't going to turn that down, either.
He was a busy guy and the press conference was drawing to an end, but I asked him if he could explain what he believes helped "The X-Files" become on of the most popular TV franchises in the past 25 years.
"How much time do we have?" Davis asked with a smile.
"As long as you want," I replied. I knew this wasn't possible, but we did the best we could.
"I have a whole theory about its original popularity," he began. "I don’t know if you know anything of Marshall McLuhan and his whole idea about the medium and the message, and how you observe a medium…"
To be honest, I remembered learning about McLuhan in college, but the specifics of his ideology escaped me at the time. A quick search on Google this evening led me to Wikipedia, which summarizes:
McLuhan proposes that a medium itself, not the content it carries, should be the focus of study. He said that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not only by the content delivered over the medium, but also by the characteristics of the medium itself. ... [I]n Understanding Media, McLuhan describes the "content" of a medium as a juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind. This means that people tend to focus on the obvious, which is the content, to provide us valuable information, but in the process, we largely miss the structural changes in our affairs that are introduced subtly, or over long periods of time. As society's values, norms, and ways of doing things change because of the technology, it is then we realize the social implications of the medium. These range from cultural or religious issues and historical precedents, through interplay with existing conditions, to the secondary or tertiary effects in a cascade of interactions that we are not aware of.
"In the ‘90s," Davis continued, "we were seeing the world for, kind of, the first time through digitization and through pixels, and when you do that, it changes how you see the world. And one of the things it did, it seems, is make us unsure of what was real.
"You know, we used to have a book – it’s in a book, it’s written down, that’s the truth. Now, we don’t know! It’s… and especially in the early days of the internet, you know, your screen would disappear." He laughed as he said it.
"Things would disappear in front of you. So a show about what’s real and what’s not real, I think, was particularly welcome to the zeitgeist in the ‘90s with the coming of the internet – and I could talk to you for another week about that one…”
I wish he could have.
Davis would appear throughout FanX 16, signing autographs and taking photos with fans, and appearing in an hour-long panel alongside his "X-Files" co-star, Mitch Pileggi.
For more information about William B. Davis' career, click here.
For more information about Salt Lake Comic Con or to buy tickets to an upcoming event, click here.
Last, but certainly not least, in SotT Underground's three-part series of #SLCC15 Flashbacks is this short interview with Dee Bradley Baker, whose 415 IMDb credits include work as Perry the Platypus on "Phineas and Ferb"; more than a few several characters in the animated DC Comics universe; and the gigantic talking statue, Olmec, on "Legends of the Hidden Temple," to name just a small handful.
As this interview immediately followed the chat with the "Animaniacs" crew, it will be presented in a similar question-and-answer format, as follows:
--
SotT: Well, I just found out
that Rob [Paulsen] wants all of your jobs…
DBB: “Oh, he can have them. I’m tired of this. I’m going to go be
a CPA. I need to break out of this job.”
SotT: Well, we’re glad to
have you here.
DBB: “I’m very happy to be here.”
SotT: What is one of your favorite
things about doing conventions like this?
DBB: “The best thing about conventions, to me, is how inclusive
and accepting the entire tone is. Everybody can be into their own weird thing,
as far as they want to be into it, and everyone’s ok with that, no matter if
you’re a superhero or a monster or something from a comicbook – or from
anything – and I just wish that all of humanity operated like that… that
everyone could be who they are and to be into their own weird stuff and just
let everyone else do their own thing. I think that’s… that’s what human beings
should be doing, so that’s why I love comic cons.”
SotT: Two questions for you:
first of all, which of your characters that you’ve done did you enjoy doing
that most, if you had to pick one, right? And also, same question I asked [the “Animaniacs”
actors], if you could do any other character that you haven’t previously done a
voice for, who would it be?
DBB: “It’s hard to choose, from amongst my children, a favorite,
but I love doing Momo and Appa in the [‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’] series and
the clones in [‘Star Wars’] ‘The Clone Wars,’ in particular. … Klaus [of ‘American
Dad!’] is a lot of fun. Cinnamon Bun is just such an insane character on ‘Adventure
Time.’ It’s hard to narrow that all down. I just like them all so much. To be …
a character I’ve never done, I would love to be the Riddler [from ‘Batman’]. I
think that… I could lock into the Riddler and give a great Riddler.”
SotT: All right. Well, that would be good. I'd be down for that.
--
For more information about Salt Lake Comic Con or to purchase tickets to an upcoming event, visit saltlakecomiccon.com.
In part two of the three-part, overly belated series to wrap up interview blogs from Salt Lake Comic Con 2015, I had the awesome opportunity to spend three minutes (yes, just three since the people in front of me took like 10 minutes each) with the voices behind the Animaniacs at the SLCC15 press conference in September. Not only are Rob Paulsen (Yakko), Jess Harnell (Wakko) and Tress MacNeille (Dot) supremely talented, they're also supremely nice, and I was thrilled to be able to get any time with them at all, to be honest, as these voice actors - and Harnell, in particular - have become a must-see (must-hear?) attraction at the past few Salt Lake Comic Con events. This was a cool interview for me, considering the fact that the Warner Brothers (and sister) taught me all I ever needed to know about U.S. capitals, presidents and all the words in the English language. (In retrospect, I'm not sure I truly realized in my young age how amazingly brilliant those songs were!)
In order to replicate the most authentic experience possible, instead of summarizing our conversation, journalism style, I've decided to transcribe it all and just post it like it happened. Enjoy!
--
SotT: Well, first of all,
welcome back to you two [Jess Harnell and Rob Paulsen]…
Jess: “Thank you, pal. It’s good to be back.”
Rob: “Thank you. It’s good to be here.”
SotT: So, I was just
wondering if you guys could talk about the last convention that you did here –
I was working with the [Salt Lake Comic Con] staff at the time… I don’t know if
anybody expected your panel to be as successful and popular as it was…
Rob: “Oh my [goodness]!”
Jess: “Was that crazy?”
SotT: It was crazy!
Rob: “It freaked us out!”
Tress MacNeille: “The panel, or the…?”
Jess and Rob: “The movie read.”
Jess: “Oh, Tress wasn’t there. It was a rock concert.” [See this full panel here!]
SotT: Yeah, it was amazing!
Tress: “Now, who was in that one?”
Jess: “Me, Rob and Jim [Cummings]. That was it.”
Rob: “Yeah, it was just Jimmy Cummings, Jess and me.”
Tress: “Just the three? Well, that’s all you need, really.”
SotT: It was crazy! And, you
know, immediately, I went back to the site office and they were saying, “We
have to get these guys back and we have to bring more of them.”
Jess: “Right! We got Tress MacNeille and Dee Bradley Baker,
so I think we traded up.”
SotT: Yeah! So we’re excited
to have you guys back. [To Tress] Is this your first time in Salt Lake City or
have you been here before?
Tress: “Rob, Jess and I came here many years ago to the
Warner Brothers tour, when we were touring the country… That was quite a few
years ago. Yeah.”
SotT: Ok. Well, welcome
back.
Tress: “Thank you. It’s beautiful here!”
Jess: “Love it.”
Tress: “I [had] friends who live in Park City, for a while.
They’ve since moved … but I’m a little familiar with the state.”
Rob: “It is a really beautiful city.”
Jess: “Yeah, it’s beautiful.”
Rob: “…but everybody here connected with the convention –
and I’m repeating myself – but everybody is just ‘top shelf.’ The whole
organization is run so beautifully…”
Jess: “Yeah, it’s run beautifully.”
Rob: “…and we do a lot of these things – and I know, having [gotten
to know] these organizers – the minutia and the logistics of running something
like this…
Jess: “Oh my gosh.”
Rob: “…is freaking insane! So, to have it run so smoothly,
where people show up, they meet you at the airport…”
Tress: “Yeah, I can’t even imagine the logistics!”
Rob: “…you walk out a door and two feet… there’s a car and
you go and you’re checked in and your room is great and you show up… I mean, it’s
fantastic. And the fans are out of their minds with excitement! Such a joy to
be here!”
SotT: Well, we love you
guys!
Rob: “Thank you! It shows!”
Jess: “We love you right back.”
Rob: “Right back at you!”
SotT: Thank you. One final
question: if there was one character that you have not voiced yet that you
would like to – like a dream character…
Rob: “Perry the Platypus! [Looks over at Dee Bradley Baker,
who is sitting at the next table] Oh wait… [Rob and Tress laugh]”
SotT: Oh wait, hang on… he’s
here! [Laughs]
Tress [in Irish accent]: “He’s sitting right there!”
Jess [in Irish accent]: “He’s right there.”
SotT: [To Dee] You better
watch out for your job now! [All laugh]
Rob: “He wouldn’t have to worry.”
Tress: “You mean one that already exists or one that we
would like to do?”
SotT: Either one. Either
one. Just any character out there.
Tress: “Whose job do I want to steal?”
Rob: “You know, I got two call-backs for Fry on ‘Futurama’…”
Jess: “Oh yeah?”
Rob: “…which Billy West did, and they absolutely made the
right choice. And, also, I got a call-back for Klaus the Fish on ‘American Dad’…”
Jess: “Didya?”
Rob: “…and Dee Bradley Baker is the voice of Klaus the Fish.”
Jess: “Once again!”
SotT: He got that one, too?!
Rob: “And, again, they made the right choice!”
Jess: “I could answer briefly by saying that I would love to
at some point play either Batman or Superman, ‘cause how cool would that be?
And I’d also really love to do Winnie-the-Pooh because my dear friend Jim
Cummings, he does Winnie-the-Pooh and, like, girls lose their minds and I call
him ‘Pooh Hefner’ when he does that, so I’d like to do Winnie-the-Pooh.”
SotT: How about you, Tress?
Tress: “You know what? I do all the girls’ voices, so…”
Jess: “She does! That’s true! All of them.”
Tress: “So you know, I can’t really, you know…”
Jess: “She’s covering all the bases.”
Tress: "I'm good."
--
Here is the nearly two-hour script read put on by SLCC15's incredible assortment of voice actors, which I missed because I was doing the LOST panel at the time. Enjoy it in its entirety below:
For more information about Salt Lake Comic Con or to purchase tickets to an upcoming event, visit saltlakecomiccon.com.
