We in Yowp-Land are commercial-free, but would like to pass on word (for no commission, naturally) of a coming attraction on your computer, the very computer you’re on right now. See how easy this is already?The first Joe in question is Joe Barbera, the second is Joe Bevilacqua (see right), and the rhyming Radio in question is Shokus Radio.
Joe Bev is beginning a show called ‘Cartoon Carnival’ which he’s describing as the first radio cartoon show ever. He’s graciously, and quite unexpectedly, sent me a copy of the first programme.
For anyone interested in the early Hanna-Barbera cartoons, Joe starts off with a real treat. It’s a piece he did for NPR in the U.S. on Joe Barbera, with portions of an interview from 1990.
You can hear Daws Butler giving a couple of tips on voice acting. It’s like Daws is still with us which, in a way, he is. And there’s a cute little bit with Daws doing a conversation between Huck and Yogi.
It’s not all Hanna-Barbera. There’s much more, including the always wonderful June Foray reprising her role as Rocky in a performance on stage (whoever is Bullwinkle does a terrific job). Mel Blanc fans (and who isn’t among them?) will enjoy his audition reel. There’s even a contest. And Joe briefly plays disc jockey as he spins ZR-51 Light Movement from the Hi-Q library (now, if he only had some Jack Shaindlin cues I’m trying to find!).
There’s a very easy pace to the show, punctuated by familiar sound effects utilised almost as transitions. The production is top-notch. It must have taken Joe forever to assemble the elements and do a mix. He’s probably thankful he’s not dealing with a mono reel-to-reel machine and a razor blade for editing, as aging radio producers did in their youth.
The programme will be on Shokus from 3 pm to 4pm (Pacific) Monday through Sunday so, if you’re like me and can’t listen during the week, you can tune in on weekends. There’ll be a fresh show every week.
Oh, yes, the link. Go here to check out Shokus Radio. And Joe’s site is here.
Thanks Yowp. I have read some articles by Joe in the past. Daws was both a mentor and father figure to him. I'll check out the site. Also a few years back on the " Cartoon-O-Rama " site, they had posted Daws giving some vocal tips in an mp3 format. It was great.
ReplyDeleteDaws' basic principles apply, even if you're doing the news. It's understanding what the copy means, and then having the ability to express the thoughts using proper pauses, emphasis and pitch (good voice people can't be tone-deaf).
ReplyDeleteIf you're doing multiple characters, you add to that by not only changing the way some lines are read, but by using different parts of your throat, which give you different sounds.
So true. I was blessed a few years back to have a number of emails with Bob Bergan( Current Voice of Porky pig ).Bob is an incredibly nice guy. Bob studied under Daws and said he had a wonderful time. Daws would have his students sit at a table and give them all the same passage to read, but no one could read it the same way. After the script got the the fifteenth person, he said could get very interesting. It was a great exercise in timing, pause, inflection..and yes..creativity. Bob also told me Daws would run a 16mm print of Yogi or Hunk and tell his class some of the funny things that were happening between he and Don Messick during the sessions. He said he really missed Daws. I think we all do.
ReplyDeleteI tuned in the show and enjoyed the audio clips of Daws, Don and Mel and all those greats. I wish the host would talk a little less about himself. Daws had a lot of great students and many became very successful. He had a lot of proteges, not just this guy who keeps promoting himself that way.
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