WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.399 Hey, everyone, it's me Brett Island and you're watching tuned In with Jim 2 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:10.039 Cummings. How you doing out there? It's me Tigger and Duc Wayne Duck. 3 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:13.720 It's me Bunkers keep bobcat All right, y'all? Did it great? 4 00:00:14.119 --> 00:00:18.719 Your favorite firefly you desire? Hold the old knock Gud. My name is 5 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:24.760 Jim Cummings and welcome to tuned In. Hey everybody, we are live and 6 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:28.280 kicking today. My name is Jim Cummings. This is tuned In with Jim 7 00:00:28.280 --> 00:00:33.920 Cummings and Today producer Chris and I Brenda. We have an amazing, amazing 8 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:38.880 treat for you. And it's not Goofy, it's Mickey and here he is 9 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:42.399 Bed. Thank you so much, buddy, thank you, thank you very 10 00:00:42.520 --> 00:00:46.159 much for being here. I'm delighted to be here. Oh he's delighted to 11 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:50.560 be here. You see that world, Okay, see very good. Thanks 12 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:53.320 for coming by. Yeah, you were just in the neighborhood. I was 13 00:00:53.479 --> 00:00:56.119 just in the neighborhood and I thought, you know what, it's about time 14 00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:59.799 I come sit down and chow with you. I thought so too, and 15 00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:03.040 tell everybody what you were doing just mere moments ago, just moments ago, 16 00:01:03.120 --> 00:01:06.760 I was, you know, talking like a mouse like I do. Hi, 17 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:08.400 everybody, it's me and Mickey Mouse, just recording a few lines, 18 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:14.040 and you know, playing place sounds just like him. You know. I 19 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:15.599 used to get that. I thought that was the greatest thing in the world. 20 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:19.000 You know what's disconcerting is when you don't get that. When someone's like, 21 00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:22.760 oh, it kind of sounds like him, You're like, yeah, 22 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:26.920 okay, yeah. Jess Harnell our buddy. He's got a story about that. 23 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:30.640 When he was doing the Animaniacs for the very first run. He was 24 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:37.879 in line at maybe Disneyland, you've heard of it, and there was a 25 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:42.400 kid in front who had a Yacho Warner t shirt on and and and his 26 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:45.079 mother, bless her heart, she says, you have to tell him. 27 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:47.760 You have to tell me. He goes, no, I can't. Now, 28 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:49.680 why can't you know? Be weird, you know, And he goes, 29 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:53.120 oh, come on, do it all right, mom. You know 30 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:56.359 your mom tells you you got to you gotta do it. So he goes, 31 00:01:56.560 --> 00:02:00.000 hey, hey, little buddy, how you doing. My name's Jess. 32 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:05.040 I do that that character. And he goes, uh huh, yeah, 33 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:07.239 it's good. And he turns around. He no, no, No, 34 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:08.639 I don't. I don't mean, I don't I know. I mean, 35 00:02:08.680 --> 00:02:12.680 I'm actually like when you see the cartoon, I'm the guy you're listening 36 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:15.800 to. He goes, all right, give me some. He goes, 37 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:20.879 well, you know, and I can't do yaco, but the polity emergency, 38 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:24.280 that's something. He goes, no, and he goes, what do 39 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:29.000 you mean you know? I don't sound like me? He goes, na, 40 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:31.400 No, he's more like Paul, and the kids starts coaching him. 41 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:38.120 Sure. So yeah, everyone's a critic everyone. Yeah, it's yeah, 42 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:42.479 that's the stuff no one talks about. Yeah, it's because it's painful. 43 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:46.120 It is very painful. There's a lot of tears shed. That's right. 44 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:51.319 Ah and everybody. I mean you just came from recording. Yeah, session 45 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:54.680 yeah, session yeah, fresh off fresh mouse. Yeah, it was a 46 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:59.840 long thirty minute session of some pickups. I'm really strained today, guys. 47 00:03:00.199 --> 00:03:02.680 Yeah, we'll go easy on him. Please shall we go? I think 48 00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:07.800 we should getting back to paper. Not believing you, Brett. I love 49 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:10.479 the story of you having to fool your parents when you're showing him the audition 50 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:14.879 type. Oh yeah you heard that. Yeah? Yeah, when I you 51 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:16.840 know, when I got the word that they were holding auditions for Mickey. 52 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:20.919 I freaked out and I called my friend and then I called my parents. 53 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:23.960 I was like, never believe what I just found out about. They're holding 54 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:28.360 auditions and and and where were you living then? I was living in Kansas 55 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:31.800 City, Missouri at the time. The gardens might as well be Hollywood Part 56 00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:37.039 two exactly like the Paris of the Planes is what I've heard the Kansas City 57 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:42.120 before. I still don't get why. Okay, yeah, I was working 58 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:45.039 as an illustrator out there, and anyway, called my parents. I was 59 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:46.759 like, you'll never believe guys. Guess what I'm gonna I'm gonna audition. 60 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:50.560 This is so cool. My mom goes, I thought you did a better 61 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:53.840 Donald Duck. Oh. And I was like, first of all, I've 62 00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:55.599 never attempted to do Donald Ducks. I don't know where she got that from. 63 00:03:55.639 --> 00:04:00.560 And then my dad was like, okay, cool, sure tell people 64 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:02.639 my son auditioned to be a Mickey Mouth. That's you know, just kind 65 00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:06.400 of blew it off. So after I practiced a little bit, I called 66 00:04:06.439 --> 00:04:09.199 them back and I was like, I've been practicing. I want you guys 67 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:12.319 to hear what I'm doing. And uh, it's kind of predictable. And 68 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:15.039 I was like, I'm gonna play the demo for you first and then I'll 69 00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:17.079 do mine. But instead I did a little switch room and I did my 70 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:23.160 you know, line reads first, and then afterwards I told them, well 71 00:04:23.160 --> 00:04:25.399 that was They were like, okay, now do your impressions, and I 72 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:28.120 was like, well that was me, and my dad finally goes, oh, 73 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:30.240 okay, you know that is pretty good. That is pretty good. 74 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:33.519 Yeah. I started to have a little bit of faith that it could potentially 75 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:39.120 turn into something. And now you're on the money and then my face is 76 00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:44.639 everywhere that is, yes, yes it is. And the silhouette is ubiquitous 77 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:49.639 striking right, yes, yeah, youiquitous. Yeah, well that's the kind 78 00:04:49.639 --> 00:04:54.839 of thing that you never did you ever see? I actually this is weird, 79 00:04:54.839 --> 00:04:57.319 but I thought I was going to do what I ended up doing when 80 00:04:57.319 --> 00:05:00.839 I was five. Yeah, now what about you see That's the thing. 81 00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:04.800 I mean, it's the more I've gotten to know you and your multi multifaceted 82 00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:10.399 talents and voiceover and you know, and Bill Farmer and other colleagues, it's 83 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:14.800 like I look at myself and I go, I never never saw this in 84 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:17.399 my Life's journey. Right. I knew I was a fan of animation. 85 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:19.560 I knew I was a fan of art, and I knew I was a 86 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:25.279 fan of storytelling and by extension, you know, acting and that kind of 87 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:29.519 thing. But but I had my site set on the visual arts from very 88 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:32.879 young age five years old. So that's that's the path I chose. And 89 00:05:32.920 --> 00:05:36.480 it really just because of happenstance, you know, getting this email that outlined 90 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:40.639 the audition, and then deciding to take a chance, really just for the 91 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:43.000 hell of it, because I thought it'd be a cool story to tell. 92 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:46.519 Well, you were right. It likes to be working out rather well, 93 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:49.399 doesn't it. I guess you know. Now I tell people I'm like, 94 00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:54.720 take take the risk because you never know. Oh god. But but what 95 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:59.240 I've discovered over times, like I love this role and I love voice acting, 96 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:03.240 you know, I unlike you. I just do Mickey. So I'm 97 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:08.639 I'm like a one note wonder. Okay, that's like, well, I 98 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:12.759 only sing like one guy. But it's Elvis. Oh well, okay, 99 00:06:13.800 --> 00:06:16.439 I guess I guess, you know, for yeah, randomly falling into a 100 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:21.399 character. He's a pretty good character, but forget it. Yeah, like 101 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:25.319 I said, he's on the money. If I could go back and tell 102 00:06:25.319 --> 00:06:28.040 my five year old self that this was, you know, potential for the 103 00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:30.639 future, I probably wouldn't have believed it now, but I hope I still 104 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:33.560 would have pursued it. Yeah, well, we're all glad you did. 105 00:06:34.279 --> 00:06:39.000 And the crowd went wild. Do you think you do? You still draw? 106 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:43.680 I do? Yeah? Actually, just today I had some new poster 107 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:47.560 art released. I still draw regularly. I've never lost that side of my 108 00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:50.079 career. I just joked that I've got the best of both worlds. I 109 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:54.160 got to be an artist and continue to be an artist, and then I 110 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:58.319 get to play in this arena voice acting. But since voicing Mickey, I've 111 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:00.879 had the opportunity to do a lot of Disney art. Actually, I started 112 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:04.879 designing some merchandise for the D twenty three fan club. Then I started getting 113 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:10.360 some opportunities design stuff for the parks. I designed some Mickey Ears clothing line. 114 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:14.600 I've partnered with a friend of mine to help her. We'd collaborate on 115 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:18.519 some clothing merchandise lines together, and well that's fantastic. Yeah. The coolest 116 00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:21.759 thing that I've gotten to do art wise is thus far is just last year 117 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:27.000 Mickey celebrated his ninety fifth birthday, and as such they wanted to commemorate it 118 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:31.399 with an official portrait, which as has been the tradition for milestone birthdays throughout 119 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:36.399 the year, something that started in nineteen fifty four when Disney legend John Hench 120 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:45.079 first painted a portrait of Mickey. And there's been there's been seven or seven 121 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:47.800 including that one, and then I was just honored by getting to paint the 122 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:53.439 eighth portrait of Mickey was ninety fifth. So that's wonderful. Yeah, that 123 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:57.040 was is why do you go back to asking about, you know, childhood 124 00:07:57.120 --> 00:08:01.040 dreams? Yeah, I picture myself reading the art of Disney books and looking 125 00:08:01.079 --> 00:08:03.279 at those portras throughout the years and be like, oh god, I wish 126 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.199 I could paint like that. And so so while painting it, I kept 127 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:09.279 thinking about that, and you know, the pressure was on. Well I've 128 00:08:09.319 --> 00:08:13.920 seen this, guys, all right, you can't believe it. It's fabulous. 129 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:18.160 It is wonderful. I mean just I feel like clapping. Seriously, 130 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:22.199 it's amazing. I mean, yeah, I think that's such a gift because 131 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:26.759 I doodle, Okay, I used to design to paint Marty Gras floats. 132 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:30.079 Oh yeah, you know, splash, you know, no problem. You 133 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:33.200 know, here's a big mouse, you know. But what you do is 134 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:37.480 amazing. I think, well comes out of your hand, your pencil, 135 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:41.919 your mind, your paintbrush. It's truly and you know, and it's there's 136 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:48.320 this thing in the in the industry on model. Yes, right, you're 137 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:50.320 very familiar with that. I am, I am, and you are on 138 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:54.639 model. I try. It's something you got to strive for, though, 139 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:58.360 because I'll tell you, I look back on some pieces that have been approved 140 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:01.120 and been published and I go, it's not why, right, you don't 141 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:05.120 do that, but I do. Oh, I do, so I do 142 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:09.600 that too. But yeah, but just with voices. Yeah, we're making 143 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:11.399 fun of people being critical. But yeah, I always say, like we're 144 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:15.879 our own worst critics. Yeah, I think so that would have been like 145 00:09:15.879 --> 00:09:18.440 a real full circle moment for you, right, because you learned to draw 146 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:20.480 because of Mickey, and now you are Mickey and now you're getting to draw 147 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:24.039 the poetry. That's fantastic. It's very weird. I mean, I have 148 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:28.320 moments when I have to look back and it's a good grounding exercise, you 149 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:31.639 know, to just be in a moment of gratitude, look back and go. 150 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:35.679 It really is kind of unbelievable. I just started as this kid who 151 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:39.600 liked to draw because my dad introduced me to the early Mickey cartoons. And 152 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:41.840 one of my favorite things to do on the weekends was we'd watch put in 153 00:09:41.879 --> 00:09:46.960 the VHS, watch it and pose it and you get this fuzzy positive right, 154 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:50.759 but draw the characters together. And it was kind of my introduction into 155 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:56.799 like constructing the characters with shapes and all of that, and the Disney way 156 00:09:56.799 --> 00:10:01.600 of doing things. And yeah, all I I wanted to do was be 157 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:05.360 an artist for Disney. I wanted to create the films that I was such 158 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:09.200 a fan of, or you know, the attraction relations and stuff. So 159 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:13.039 yeah, I mean now I get to do it. So yeah. But 160 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:16.799 the the thing that they never tell you is that you have these lofty goals 161 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:20.440 and you can imagine all these things, but what happens when you achieve them? 162 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:24.159 Like it for me, if I'm being honest, it hasn't really felt 163 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:26.120 real yet, Like, yeah, every time it happens, it's like, 164 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:30.519 that's so cool, what's next? And so then you have to like the 165 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:33.000 goalpost keeps moving a little bit, But that's healthy, right, it is? 166 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:37.519 Yeah, I mean I've discovered that I love. I love challenges. 167 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:43.039 I love I'm very curious, so I love learning new skills and so yeah, 168 00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:46.639 I guess you could say every time you reach one of those moments and 169 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:48.840 you go, what's next, you're in a way looking for the next challenge. 170 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:52.879 So oh it's healthy, absolutely, Yeah, it's definitely healthy. Keeps 171 00:10:52.919 --> 00:10:56.080 you moving, Yeah, that's not bad. Yeah, what's your goal there? 172 00:10:56.840 --> 00:11:03.559 Ooh that's a good Midlive question, Thank you so much. Contisential crisis, 173 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:09.000 Donald Duck is going down. Let's not go there. I don't think 174 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:13.480 we have enough time for that. Yeah, but but seriously, oh that 175 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:18.200 kind of going. No, I just meant anyway, I hope a lot 176 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:24.440 of people out there going nothing, nothing nothing. We edited that out. 177 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:30.759 You're not even gonna see it. No, it's gone. So what is 178 00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:35.120 my next goal? It's a great question. I I don't you know. 179 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:43.960 What I've found myself craving lately is the opportunity to make connections. And what 180 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:48.279 I mean by that is is finding people's passions. You know, I love 181 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:52.320 I feel like all too many people don't have hobbies or something they're really passionate 182 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:58.600 about, something that drives them and I won't get into my theories behind it, 183 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:01.080 but you know, like we're just it's it's a convoluted mess that we're 184 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:05.559 all kind of being bombarded with lately. And so anytime I find or meet 185 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:11.120 somebody who's really into this or that and I see ways to make connections, 186 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:13.559 I love that. I love connecting people. I love kind of bringing talents 187 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:18.399 together to create something on a bigger scale. People who are passionate about their 188 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:24.399 passions are more interesting. Absolutely, Yeah, no, you're right, Yeah, 189 00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:28.519 there's something to engage with or something to explore. So anyway, Yeah, 190 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:33.919 I guess maybe one of my new goals is to work on fostering those 191 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:39.480 connections and then finding ways to by extension kind of teach. I've been saying 192 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:43.159 a lot lately that where I am today is a big result of the people 193 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:48.120 that I've looked up to or who have mentored me, or who have been 194 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:50.639 inspirations, and so I just want to find ways to do that for others. 195 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:56.120 That's a nice That's an admirable goal. Thank you. Thanks. Is 196 00:12:56.159 --> 00:13:01.559 there anything you can suggest for me to get where do I go from here? 197 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:05.279 Oh? My god, that's great. That's great to hear. You're 198 00:13:05.320 --> 00:13:07.720 doing it though. I mean in like this this podcast and sharing your skills 199 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:11.440 and your interests with people, I mean that that opens doors for tons of 200 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:15.639 people. Yeah, it's a beautiful thing. Yeah. I've had some really 201 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.240 nice people on and now I've got another nice person. We're not done yet. 202 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:22.240 Yeah, that's right. No, we're not done yet. We're not 203 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:24.440 done yet. We're not done with you of America or world or where is 204 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:31.840 this playing again? Would you want to La County? Yeah? Would you 205 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:35.759 want to teach like drawing or performing or what would be your your avenue of 206 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:41.159 desire? I think I would probably in the creative pursuits. I'd probably go 207 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:48.600 more towards drawing and art. I still I feel so small. So she's 208 00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:52.960 sitting next to someone like Jim Cummings when it comes to like the performing side 209 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:54.720 of things. I've picked up skills in the past fifteen years, for sure, 210 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:58.480 but there are other people more suited to coach and drive people towards the 211 00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:03.240 voice acting field. So I think for me, it's about the drawing, 212 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:09.840 it's about art. I have a real passion for restoring things like antiques and 213 00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:13.519 whatnot, so you know, with that comes a lot like woodworking and metal 214 00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:18.480 working. Yes, and a lot of those trades that aren't very popular I 215 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:22.440 shouldn't say aren't popular, but not as well. Restoring one of those old 216 00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:28.159 classic leather loungers and oh yeah, I mean I just I took some time 217 00:14:28.200 --> 00:14:35.120 doing some upholstery recently, old trucks, trains, wagons, things like that. 218 00:14:35.159 --> 00:14:37.159 I love. Oh that's great. Yeah, it used to have an 219 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:41.320 old I used to have a huge train set too. As a kid. 220 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:43.600 Have no idea where I went town. This is not just going, that's 221 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:48.320 how it happens. Busted it out at Christmas every year, had it run 222 00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:52.840 around the tree, run around you know. Yeah. Cats hated it and 223 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:58.360 it was a beautiful thing. The cats are responsible, so yes it could 224 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:03.240 be. Now we have a dog that thinks it's a cat. Oh you 225 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:05.320 ever go to that one pizza shop and thousand Oaks and I had the train 226 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:09.159 ran all the way around. Do you remember that? I forget. It 227 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:13.639 was called little Pizza Shop out one thousand Oaks and they had one of those 228 00:15:13.639 --> 00:15:18.919 old school trains and it would always run twenty four sage brush CANTEENA I heard 229 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:22.480 of this, Yeah, okay, yeah I missed it. Yeah, well 230 00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:24.679 I grew up in a house that had that. My dad was a huge 231 00:15:24.679 --> 00:15:28.559 model railroader, so he built a train that suspended from the ceiling and it 232 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:33.879 just like ran around our family room. And then eventually one Saturday morning, 233 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:35.919 I woke up and I heard hammers and shovels and stuff, and I looked 234 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:39.960 out and he was tearing down He built this beautiful sandbox and jungle gym and 235 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:43.440 stuff for me when I was younger. He was tearing it all down and 236 00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:45.039 I went out. I was like, what's going on. He goes, 237 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:48.799 wait a minute, We're building a garden railroad. Get ready. So he 238 00:15:48.279 --> 00:15:52.000 took he took that down, and we then had this this train that ran 239 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:54.440 through a garden with like, you know, miniature trees and whatnot. Oh 240 00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:58.399 cool? Is this like that Donald Duck cartoon out of scale? Is totally 241 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:02.000 that moment? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just took a video of 242 00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:04.919 that recently, of the one at Disney. Oh yeah, and it's yeah, 243 00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:08.360 you know, and it just choose, you choose around. It's great. 244 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:15.559 I love those. Yeah, I will never outgrow. Good for you 245 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:22.399 for admitting that. Yeah, I feel better now I've got that off my 246 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:26.600 head. Yeah, on the growth trained sounds like, your father was a 247 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:29.759 very creative man. Oh yeah, he was, and he still is. 248 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:34.399 Yeah he he both my parents actually they're very creative. I always I say, 249 00:16:34.600 --> 00:16:38.600 I'm so lucky that I had parents who weren't intimidated by creativity or the 250 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:42.759 arts. They're encouraging of it. You know, my my grandfather was a 251 00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:48.679 Caltech professor, seismic safety commissioner for California for a while, and like just 252 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:56.559 a very high level engineer brain. But my that my dad doesn't possess those 253 00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:03.039 intellects, but he always he choose chose to focus more on the creative things, 254 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:08.039 building and and and doing model trains or building homes or anything all that 255 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:11.400 stuff. So yeah, I grew up around that. It was very inspirational 256 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:15.640 for me to see that. You know, this old house was on every 257 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:19.920 Saturday morning, and oh sure, yeah yeah, you know you look back 258 00:17:19.960 --> 00:17:22.880 and I'm like, oh God, all these things that I love and continue 259 00:17:22.920 --> 00:17:29.400 to spend my time doing are so influenced by by those moments. Even down 260 00:17:29.400 --> 00:17:30.400 to the music I listened to. You know, you know, it's like 261 00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:37.599 bluegrass and eighties hairbands. It's like, thanks to oh okay, well bluegrass 262 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:41.319 is little yeah, eighties hairbands is tough. Yeah, yeah, Cinderella and 263 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:48.279 yeah, exactly almost. It was a sad time in music. It was 264 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:52.519 a time it was yeah. But yeah. Have you ever stole something from 265 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:56.559 your childhood? Oh? Wow, Wow, you're good with these questions. 266 00:17:56.599 --> 00:18:03.119 Actually I am. I have, and I am currently restoring. Not to 267 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:08.200 take it back to trains again, but I recently came into possession of this 268 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:12.000 train. And it's not a toy train. It's like an actual steam train. 269 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:18.079 Wow. And wait to put that in a living room. Where do 270 00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:22.039 you? Oh, here's Brady's coming. Yeah, he's on his train. 271 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:25.440 Yeah, I just watch out. He's laying around the neighborhood. No. 272 00:18:25.559 --> 00:18:30.200 We actually, my family has some land up in northern California area, so 273 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:34.039 we've been laying some tracks and getting it run. It's small little acreage there. 274 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:38.400 But yeah, this train. Actually I grew up riding as a kid 275 00:18:38.519 --> 00:18:42.400 in this town I've in Washington State that my my family we would vacation to 276 00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:45.359 every summer, and this guy had built this train and it was a little 277 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:49.240 tourist attraction and every summer we'd get up there and you'd pay a dollar for 278 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:52.880 a ticket and take this little round trip and go I was obsessed with it. 279 00:18:52.920 --> 00:18:57.359 Obsessed. Well, a few years ago I got in touch with the 280 00:18:57.400 --> 00:19:02.960 family of the gentleman who built it. He has since passed away, and 281 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:07.720 through a very long process and just kind of sharing what I was interested in, 282 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:12.240 they eventually decided to give gift us the train. So my family and 283 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:15.720 I have been working on restoring it now. So so, yeah, that 284 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:19.160 is that is the one thing that's very tied to my childhood that I'm restoring. 285 00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:22.559 It's like, I have memories of sitting in these train coaches and and 286 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:26.000 and you know, getting to watch the locomotive go by, and now I'm 287 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:30.519 I'm actually tinkering with it and yeah, that's great. Where where does this 288 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:36.279 train live. It's up at the just like north of Sacramento. Oh, 289 00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:38.000 we've got twenty acres up there that oh okay. Yeah. So it's not 290 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:41.880 like in your coffee tables. No, no, no, okay, I 291 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:45.960 mean it's it's yeah, you know, it's like, that's kind of cool. 292 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:48.960 It's a scale down thing. It's not it's not like a full size 293 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:52.519 is now is it like that one that Walt Disney had. It's a little 294 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:56.759 bigger. It's a little bigger than Walt's Lily Bell. Yeah, yeah, 295 00:19:56.759 --> 00:19:57.799 you know what I'm talking. I know exactly what you're talking about. And 296 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:00.519 I would have been very ha happy with that. But his you had to 297 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:04.519 like sit on mine, you can sit in That's the best way to describe 298 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:11.160 it. You're such a record, I'm but it's you know, it's a 299 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:15.519 passion of mine. I'm very it's I again talking about that connecting of like 300 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:18.519 creative people. The guy who built this, to me, he was so 301 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:26.480 impressive because he was just he was an oil refinery engineer who had like served 302 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:30.640 in the war and ran trains over and Iran during the war, and when 303 00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:33.119 he came home, he just maintained that hobby of working with the machinery and 304 00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:37.839 steam machinery in particular, and decided to literally build from the ground up this 305 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:44.680 whole railroad. And I just think that's so impressive. These lean it's amazing. 306 00:20:44.759 --> 00:20:47.480 Yeah. I mean, it's like I can't get my butt off the 307 00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:49.960 couch to go get a glass of water some nights, but he's deciding to 308 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:52.880 sit in his workshop for hours and build this thing. So anyway, when 309 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:56.000 I get to work on stuff like that, I feel like I'm kind of 310 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:02.759 like awakening those stories, getting the chance to to bring to light something that 311 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:06.720 this guy put his heart and soul into it, and before it was just 312 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:10.240 kind of in this limbo space, and now I get the chance to kind 313 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:14.519 of bring it back to the light and hopefully find other people who are interested 314 00:21:14.519 --> 00:21:17.039 in it, and then kind of share his story in a way that is 315 00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:19.599 so cool. Yeah. Wow, what's great is that there's another generation of 316 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:22.319 kids who can create memories with it because of the work you're doing on it. 317 00:21:22.599 --> 00:21:26.480 Yeah, and that's what you know, that's that's what's exciting. That's 318 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:30.000 what the driving force is for me, truly, it's to see, you 319 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:33.960 know, I've got I've lost track now. I think I've got eight nieces 320 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:37.920 and nephews and my family and then another soon to be three on my husband's 321 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:40.240 side, and we've got a lot of little ones running around. And when 322 00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:44.079 you get to see them enjoying those the fruits of your labor in those ways, 323 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:45.839 it's like, that's that's cool. Oh, that's so nice. But 324 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:49.240 yeah, the same goes when they're watching our shows and what you know, 325 00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:52.960 Oh I know, yeah, yeah, I think somebody pointed out at a 326 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:57.799 convention, I I think I'm on my third generation because I don't know, 327 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:02.240 you know, you know, fandom, yeah, whatever you want to call 328 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:07.279 it, Chase, I think like a Winnie the Pooh generation isn't like a 329 00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:11.400 full twenty years. Sure, I think you know, your first five years 330 00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:17.880 your mind, then maybe not so much, you know, but but then 331 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:21.440 again, you know, like yourself. You know, we've been known to 332 00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:25.960 do these conventions and comic cons and the parents will come up and they'll plump 333 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:30.680 down some dark McDuck DVDs, and and the little kid is he's seven, 334 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:33.359 yeah, you know, and I've told this before, and he's dressed this 335 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:37.759 dark McDuck Andy. Well that went off the air twenty years before you were 336 00:22:37.799 --> 00:22:40.759 born, so you know, I'm raising I'm right, you know, of 337 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:44.319 course. Now Disney Plus, oh that's true. Yeah, that's all over 338 00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:48.880 here, which we see a lot of the Yeah we like that. Yeah 339 00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:53.960 yeah, subscribe like and subscribe subscribe that like button, yes, and then 340 00:22:55.279 --> 00:22:59.160 subscribe Disney Plus. But still yeah, well take us back. I why 341 00:22:59.160 --> 00:23:03.720 don't you to tell him disc to meet your bedroom personal animation studio. Oh 342 00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:08.799 my god, you're a kid. Oh gosh, well let's see. I 343 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:14.319 there was there was so when I was a kid, and I was obsessed 344 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:18.599 with Disney animation. My parents, again going back to them, knew this, 345 00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:22.359 and so any chance they were able to make a connection with somebody wh 346 00:23:22.359 --> 00:23:25.119 worked at Disney, they always took advantage. And I'll never forget my mom 347 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:30.759 was working at a dentist office and met this guy who his name is Dan 348 00:23:30.920 --> 00:23:34.160 Povenmeier. He at the time was just working on a little show called Rock 349 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:37.400 Was Modern Life and done some stuff on The Simpsons. It was later gone 350 00:23:37.400 --> 00:23:42.880 on to create Phineas and Ferb and so many other great properties. But person 351 00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:47.160 yeah, yeah, So anyway, you know, my mom met him all 352 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:49.039 my sons in animation. He gave me a tour of Nickelodeon, and then 353 00:23:49.079 --> 00:23:52.440 the next thing, I know, this guy who worked on Roger Rabbit was 354 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:56.039 over our house for dinner, and so I had this like I guess, 355 00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:00.720 uh, my parents were always working as my agent in a way to like 356 00:24:00.920 --> 00:24:04.960 find these influences for me. That's good. And so eventually, somehow through 357 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:08.039 of those connections, I found out about this company called Cartoon Color that was 358 00:24:08.119 --> 00:24:11.519 in Van Eyes. I don't know if they're still around, and they were 359 00:24:11.559 --> 00:24:15.319 like a supplier of animation discs like The disc is the thing that sits on 360 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:19.440 your desk that holds the punched paper for animation, for the traditional animation back 361 00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:22.480 in the day, and they sold paints and whatnot. Anyway, long story 362 00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:26.039 longer. You know, I for one of my birthdays, I'd saved my 363 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:29.240 money and I said, I just want an animation disc. I want like 364 00:24:29.240 --> 00:24:32.599 an animation table like I see in all the Disney animation books. So my 365 00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:34.160 dad drove me all the way out to Van Eyes. I bought myself this 366 00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:38.480 nice shiny animation disc, drove it all the way home, cut the hole 367 00:24:38.519 --> 00:24:41.279 in my drafting table, installed a light on the bottom, and that was 368 00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:47.000 my you know, my animation were there studio. So yeah, then I 369 00:24:47.079 --> 00:24:49.920 was obsessed. Was it was just a regular drafting table with a whole cut 370 00:24:49.960 --> 00:24:55.039 out of it, this great little animation device put in the middle of it. 371 00:24:55.119 --> 00:24:57.839 And that was my That was my happy place. And like I'd come 372 00:24:57.880 --> 00:25:02.160 home from school and I'd sit, I turn on the latest Disney soundtrack and 373 00:25:02.359 --> 00:25:06.119 listen. I started drawing the characters, you know, and dreaming of doing 374 00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:08.440 it for a living. All the other kids are outside playing street hockey and 375 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:11.839 stuff, right right, I mean they're drawing Aladdin. I don't know, 376 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:18.759 that's pretty good. Oh wow. I couldn't even draw a conclusion. Nowadays 377 00:25:19.480 --> 00:25:25.440 it's used to, but it's like, no, nobody wants to thank God. 378 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:29.799 Oh yeah, yeah, that was a very descriptive. That was very 379 00:25:29.799 --> 00:25:33.079 good studio. But that's that's what it was. Surrounded by Disney books. 380 00:25:33.079 --> 00:25:37.839 I'm obsessed with all the art of books. How to draw. Yeah, 381 00:25:38.839 --> 00:25:42.000 I tried those and I said, okay, well I'll do maybe I'll do 382 00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:45.079 the voice. Yeah, you know, and that worked better. They don't 383 00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:48.880 have those books like how to do They don't have those books. I'm glad 384 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:52.359 they was going to say. You know, I've said before. Gordon Hunt, 385 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:56.200 the great, great Gordon Hunt. He was the direct voice director for 386 00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:03.920 everything at Hannah Barbara many many years. His father of a great actress, 387 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:07.559 Helen Hunt. He wrote a book How to Break Into Show Business, and 388 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:11.799 I was so glad I didn't read it until after I was already working in 389 00:26:11.799 --> 00:26:15.279 the business. I think it's fifth chapter, seventh chapter. It says, 390 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:19.839 how to break in, how to become a voiceover artist, and you know, 391 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:25.839 make a living, don't bother. It's honestly, it was like this 392 00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:30.039 much on the page don't bother. This is done by about four or five 393 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:33.680 people. They all live in Hollywood, where you don't. And next chapter 394 00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:38.119 and that was it. So I said, tell you how glad I am? 395 00:26:38.200 --> 00:26:44.200 I didn't read this, right, I was, yeah, the less 396 00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:48.160 you know? Yeah, yeah yeah. So it's like Bill Farmer always says, 397 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:49.640 and he has no problem saying it to people at conventions. Do I 398 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:55.880 break into voiceovers for his answers get rich parents like yeah, yeah, you 399 00:26:55.920 --> 00:27:00.400 know, good luck and then he says, Huck exactly smooths everything over. 400 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:07.039 Yah. Yeah, you can tell anybody anything and they go and then you're 401 00:27:07.079 --> 00:27:15.799 golden. You're cleansed palette, right the power. Oh you mentioned soundtracks before, 402 00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:19.160 right, I know the fantastic soundtracks a very important to you. But 403 00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:22.119 I personally collect soundtracks on vinyl. That's my thing. That's why I do 404 00:27:22.680 --> 00:27:26.440 soundtracks. Do you still listen to soundtracks? That's still the thing you do? 405 00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:30.880 I absolutely. I was just jamming out to the Interstellar soundtrack the other 406 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:36.359 day, some artwork. Yeah, No, soundtracks are still My husband makes 407 00:27:36.359 --> 00:27:38.319 fun of me because he's a little bit more in the know when it comes 408 00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:42.599 to the latest pop songs or you know, music trends and I'm I'm sitting 409 00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:49.039 there jamming out to like the theme of Big Country or I love I love 410 00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:53.039 Western. You mean in the Big Country. You don't mean that one. 411 00:27:53.119 --> 00:27:57.400 No, no, no, no, you mean exactly. I can't think. 412 00:27:57.440 --> 00:28:00.720 I can't think of it right now, but yeah, yeah, no, 413 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:04.799 I love I love soundtracks. It probably goes back to just the fascination 414 00:28:04.839 --> 00:28:08.000 of like storytelling. When you listen to a soundtrack, it kind of like 415 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:12.960 it's this melodic transit transports you, right, Yeah, I mean that's why 416 00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:17.960 I still listen to classical music for those reasons. It's like I always said, 417 00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:21.640 these are the soundtracks of that time. You know, they're so they're 418 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:26.680 so story driven. I'm a big Tchaikowsky fan, and you know, you 419 00:28:26.759 --> 00:28:30.000 listen to any of his stuff and you're like, there's there's depth to that, 420 00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:33.440 there's emotions intertwined and all of it. So, yeah, I love 421 00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:38.039 soundtracks. I love classical. But yeah, that's why so much of today's 422 00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:42.960 music just leaves me frozen, Yeah cold, not the soundtrack for Frozen. 423 00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:51.519 That was fun, actually, like yeah, it's not much there, Yeah 424 00:28:51.640 --> 00:28:56.759 no, it's I mean again, I'm no expert, but I go back 425 00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:59.519 I go back to the old stuff for sure. Yeah, there's a reason 426 00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:03.119 for that. So yeah, do you have a favorite Disney soundtrack? Oh, 427 00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:12.720 favorite Disney soundtrack? Say one that I was. I was gonna say 428 00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:15.599 Aladdin, and that wasn't because Jim's on it. But I know Jim's on 429 00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:21.400 it, but no, Aladdin was. Aladdin was probably the film and it 430 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:25.440 probably hit at the right time for me. That was the one I was 431 00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:29.839 obsessed with for the longest time. But that whole Disney renaissance lyon King Aladdin, 432 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:37.480 Little Mermaid. Yeah, yeah, pretty was the last of the Mohicans 433 00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:41.079 and I was there to see it. Yeah. I loved every second of 434 00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:45.799 it. Yeah, me too. It makes me sad that from there, 435 00:29:45.880 --> 00:29:49.720 they and they and everybody knew it. It was like on the you know 436 00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:56.799 the set in the recording, well this is this is it? Because that 437 00:29:56.400 --> 00:30:00.240 for me, Peter Pan, I remember seeing Peter Pan. That was probably 438 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:03.960 for whatever My aunt Nan took her took me, bless her heart, and 439 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:07.759 uh, I just thought it was the greatest thing I've ever seen in my 440 00:30:07.799 --> 00:30:11.359 life. Then you know, Pinocchio scared the crap out of me. But 441 00:30:11.240 --> 00:30:15.839 yeah, you too, Yeah, I mean, wait, well, he's 442 00:30:15.880 --> 00:30:18.319 a donkey. You know that was bad. It's always the donkey scene. 443 00:30:18.359 --> 00:30:22.960 Yeah, don't be a jackass. Yeah that was tough. But I always 444 00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:27.920 wonder if two D animation traditional animation will make it. I mean, it's 445 00:30:27.960 --> 00:30:33.319 like the pendulum always swings back and forth right, and you would think you 446 00:30:33.400 --> 00:30:37.559 would, yeah, sometimes you hope. I don't know, though, it's 447 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:41.920 it's weird Disney. I know it's too easy now Yeah, yeah, hit 448 00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:45.039 a button? Is it? Or is it? Do you think it's like 449 00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:48.400 a finance driven decision. I feel like to hire all those artists and everything, 450 00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:52.279 granted, CG takes a big team of people. Yeah, I don't 451 00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:55.599 know. I'd be interested to see how it breaks down, because I don't 452 00:30:55.599 --> 00:31:00.519 think CG is necessarily cheap or easier. But it's it's it's the trend. 453 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:03.079 It's it's what people expect. It's what the audience expects now. So but 454 00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:07.400 you know, I would imagine that there's an opportunity to it might be easier 455 00:31:07.480 --> 00:31:12.039 to outsource to other countries. I feel like, you know, every Oscar 456 00:31:12.079 --> 00:31:17.119 season there's always some short that gets, you know, shown and it's traditional 457 00:31:17.160 --> 00:31:21.599 and people kind of go crazy over So there's that appeal still. I know, 458 00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:26.240 Disney Future Animations like kind of put a focus back on that and they've 459 00:31:26.519 --> 00:31:30.799 brought in some younger talent to hopefully rebuild and Eric Goldberg's kind of running that. 460 00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:34.279 So yeah, you know, yeah, yeah, but it's but there's 461 00:31:34.279 --> 00:31:37.400 nothing like it. I mean, I love when you're able to see the 462 00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:41.640 the rough before it's all inked and paint and everything, you know, that 463 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:45.240 rough pencil stuff. When you it just looks so cool. Yeah, it's 464 00:31:45.319 --> 00:31:48.839 it's just it's not to be cheesy, but it's like you're you're watching this 465 00:31:48.920 --> 00:31:53.160 pencil line come to life. Yeah. I was really fortunate, in a 466 00:31:53.319 --> 00:31:57.880 slightly creepy way, got it had a chance to meet Frank and Alie Frank 467 00:31:57.880 --> 00:32:02.880 Thomas L. Johnston, you know the famous night Old menage and their book 468 00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:06.680 The Illusion of Life is one of the kind of like the joke that is 469 00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:08.680 the animator's bible, Like it was a book that I was really obsessed with 470 00:32:08.680 --> 00:32:14.519 as a kid. So I got to meet them and talk to them related 471 00:32:14.519 --> 00:32:17.640 to some college papers I was doing. And yeah, if you've ever had 472 00:32:17.640 --> 00:32:22.200 a chance to see there's a great documentary about the two of them that Ted 473 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:24.720 Thomas actually did and he shows a lot. All the animation he shows in 474 00:32:24.759 --> 00:32:30.000 it is all the rough animation, and I almost wish I could to see 475 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.759 the whole film in that capacity because it's so beautiful. Yeah. Yeah, 476 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:37.720 well, they literally don't make them like they used to. That they don't, 477 00:32:37.119 --> 00:32:40.160 that is for sure. Can you remember the first drawing of yours that 478 00:32:40.200 --> 00:32:44.960 you were proud of? Oh? Man, I don't know if I can 479 00:32:45.160 --> 00:32:50.279 speak to a specific drawing, but I do know that, you know, 480 00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:52.839 up to a certain point, drawing is the thing I did for myself and 481 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:57.119 and was kind of self taught. But when my parents enrolled me in some 482 00:32:57.880 --> 00:33:00.799 art classes. I grew up in Pasadena, so there's this place called the 483 00:33:00.880 --> 00:33:04.920 Armory Center for the Arts, and they enrolled me in an acrylic painting class, 484 00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:08.960 and it was the first chance when some I got to learn like that 485 00:33:09.039 --> 00:33:15.400 there is a technique behind art and specifically media and it's not just kind of 486 00:33:16.160 --> 00:33:20.200 get good luck, you know, see, if you know, it wasn't 487 00:33:20.279 --> 00:33:24.839 just about like talent, there was some like an intellect behind it and learning 488 00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:30.759 how colors interacted and how media responded and and so yeah, I remember that 489 00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:36.440 class was probably the first time when when I learned the way to use a 490 00:33:36.480 --> 00:33:39.119 specific media, and I saw the results. I started becoming really proud of 491 00:33:39.480 --> 00:33:44.240 my artwork. As I'm telling you this, I'm remembering I painted an elephant 492 00:33:44.279 --> 00:33:46.319 that I was pretty damn proud of. So I don't know where that elephant 493 00:33:46.359 --> 00:33:53.160 went. It should be I should go digging, I should dig through some 494 00:33:53.160 --> 00:33:58.559 boxes. I'm sure it's there someplace. But yeah, it's it's funny, 495 00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:00.839 I think. I I think the pride in my artwork came when the more 496 00:34:00.880 --> 00:34:07.320 I learned about how to like properly do it. And yeah, I was 497 00:34:07.360 --> 00:34:10.920 really again going back to animation, I was you know, one of the 498 00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:14.599 things I always told you, if you want to be an animator, you 499 00:34:14.599 --> 00:34:17.199 should draw from life. And so you'd always see portfolios made up of figure 500 00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:22.639 drawings, quick gesture drawings in particular. And I was touring colleges, went 501 00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:25.159 down to where I eventually ended up going to school, Ringling College of Art 502 00:34:25.159 --> 00:34:30.320 and Design, and this wall was at all these display of student artwork from 503 00:34:30.360 --> 00:34:32.840 a figure drawing class. I was looking. I was like, oh, 504 00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:36.119 man, I don't think I could ever do it that. It's so good. 505 00:34:36.119 --> 00:34:38.679 It looks like Disney quality stuff. My dad was like, you'll get 506 00:34:38.679 --> 00:34:40.719 there, like once you start school, you'll get there, And I was 507 00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:45.840 like, I don't know if I will. Then yeah, he was extremely 508 00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:50.400 encouraging. And then like it was probably just a year later. This is 509 00:34:50.440 --> 00:34:52.039 going to sound like I'm bragging. I'm trying not to, but you're talking 510 00:34:52.039 --> 00:34:57.280 about you're talking about pride in your artwork. I was. I had been 511 00:34:57.280 --> 00:35:00.480 there for like a year. I really discovered a love of of doing these 512 00:35:00.559 --> 00:35:02.960 quick gesture drawings. In fact, my favorites were like thirty second drawings where 513 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:06.960 you just have thirty seconds the model strike suppose and you're just you know, 514 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:10.079 kind of wodrowing down some lines really quickly, try to capture that the movement. 515 00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:15.000 Anyway, a guy from Disney came down to our school to do a 516 00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:19.039 little workshop and he saw my sketch book and he goes, you're a senior. 517 00:35:19.320 --> 00:35:21.920 I was a freshman at the time, so it was like, yeah, 518 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:23.360 I'm doing pretty good. If you thought I had been there for four 519 00:35:23.440 --> 00:35:27.119 years and I've only been there for a years. Wow, that's nice. 520 00:35:27.159 --> 00:35:30.159 Yeah, yeah, that's good. Yeah, no kidding. It's nice to 521 00:35:30.159 --> 00:35:34.199 be acknowledged, yeah, super interested in nice to be better than everybody else. 522 00:35:34.280 --> 00:35:37.519 Wow. I mean take it till you make it. Yeah, there 523 00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:42.239 you go. That's true. Wow, well you made it. That's pretty 524 00:35:42.280 --> 00:35:45.800 dog gone amazing. I have to ask you, have you ever animated to 525 00:35:46.760 --> 00:35:51.960 your own voice? I have not. No, you know you were supposed 526 00:35:51.960 --> 00:35:54.960 to say yes, Oh well no, yes, yes I have. Wait, 527 00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:58.760 it's coming back to me. Yeah. I just think that would be 528 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:01.559 so damn cool. I think I'm afraid to. I think I agree with 529 00:36:01.599 --> 00:36:06.519 you. It'd be pretty an amazing when I say that on here. Yeah 530 00:36:07.000 --> 00:36:09.079 okay, I answered it. Okay, good. I wasn't sure where we're 531 00:36:09.079 --> 00:36:16.079 playing that. I was coughing. Sorry. Yeah, I think that'd be 532 00:36:16.119 --> 00:36:21.320 really great. I am. I would be so intimidated because I never When 533 00:36:21.320 --> 00:36:23.679 I went to school, I switched my focus. I didn't go to school 534 00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:28.599 for animation. I went to school for illustration because everyone told me you need 535 00:36:28.639 --> 00:36:32.840 to learn the basics of illustration to then transition into a traditional animation course. 536 00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:37.039 There was a computer animation course at my school, but that was learning all 537 00:36:37.079 --> 00:36:42.039 the technical computer stuff. That wasn't what I was into. So I just 538 00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:46.079 did illustration, and that's where I've maintained my artistic career. I've never I 539 00:36:46.119 --> 00:36:51.400 don't remember the last time I animated something, but maybe I should. Maybe 540 00:36:51.440 --> 00:36:54.880 I should try doing some Mickey animation. Yeah, why not? Why not? 541 00:36:55.000 --> 00:37:02.079 Indeed? And that Disney money. There's got to be what Disney money? 542 00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:07.320 He doesn't know? Again, fake it till you make it? Yeah, 543 00:37:07.559 --> 00:37:10.840 o God, we can go off on that, couldn't we? We 544 00:37:10.960 --> 00:37:16.199 won't the Wholemark Cards was it? Was that your first gig? Yeah, 545 00:37:16.280 --> 00:37:20.000 my first professional gig was Hallmark Cards. Yeah. I was there for five 546 00:37:20.079 --> 00:37:22.880 years in their illustration department doing illustration graphic. I was there too, but 547 00:37:22.960 --> 00:37:28.679 I was doing voiceover. Really. Yeah, were you actually on on Ventura 548 00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:30.719 Boulevard? I mean, oh at the No, I was out in the 549 00:37:30.800 --> 00:37:35.559 Kansas City headquarters. Oh, okay, Kansas City because that used to be 550 00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:37.800 the Hallmark channel. Guy. Yeah, I mean now coming up next on 551 00:37:37.960 --> 00:37:40.719 Homemark of course. How do I not? How do put that together? 552 00:37:42.599 --> 00:37:45.079 There? You go? How could you not? Gold Crown Media? Come 553 00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:47.119 on? Yeah, oh boy, I should have. I should have put 554 00:37:47.119 --> 00:37:52.559 that on my list of things. Jim is done amazing. No, it 555 00:37:52.599 --> 00:37:54.800 was a lot of fun. That's great. It was a lot of fun 556 00:37:55.320 --> 00:38:02.880 there. Yeah, little house on in Prairie. Did you do any Disney 557 00:38:02.960 --> 00:38:07.559 Hallmark cuts. I did. I had a very brief stint in the licensing 558 00:38:07.599 --> 00:38:12.000 department, so I did. I did a few one or two Mickey cards. 559 00:38:12.480 --> 00:38:16.119 I know, I proposed a more designs that probably never made a little 560 00:38:16.119 --> 00:38:22.760 foreshadowing of the Your Life to be as I did. I concepted a lot 561 00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:29.679 of keepsake ornaments for Disney Christmas Yeah, Christmas ornaments, yeah. So a 562 00:38:29.760 --> 00:38:34.719 lot of preliminary sketches on that. And then you know, I when I 563 00:38:34.760 --> 00:38:37.599 got cast in the role of Mickey, I was I had not quit my 564 00:38:37.679 --> 00:38:40.760 job out at Hallmark yet, so I was literally commuting back and forth from 565 00:38:40.840 --> 00:38:46.039 Kansas City every couple of weeks trying to figure out how I moved from Missouri 566 00:38:46.039 --> 00:38:52.159 out here, and I held off telling Hallmark. But during that time, 567 00:38:52.199 --> 00:38:54.159 I hit my fifth anniversary with them, so they threw me up. They 568 00:38:54.679 --> 00:38:59.360 loved parties, go figure at Hallmark, anniversary parties were their thing. So 569 00:38:59.400 --> 00:39:01.119 they threw me a five year anniversary party. And I walked into the room 570 00:39:01.159 --> 00:39:05.239 and it was decorated with all the Mickey stuff because they knew I was a 571 00:39:05.320 --> 00:39:07.880 huge Disney fan. Wow. So I had to like bite my tongue the 572 00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:12.440 whole time. Thinking like, I'm about to quit my job to go the 573 00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:16.840 voice Mickey going to yeah, it's a little ironic, but what what? 574 00:39:17.039 --> 00:39:22.440 That must have been a fun conversation. That was one of those conversations where 575 00:39:22.840 --> 00:39:28.519 I imagined it playing out a lot more, a lot differently. Okay, 576 00:39:28.760 --> 00:39:30.800 let's let's see you on Monday. Hold on, yeah, you know, 577 00:39:31.159 --> 00:39:36.440 maybe not right. Actually, I remember I scheduled a meeting with my boss 578 00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:37.960 and I was I was like building up. I was like, well, 579 00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:40.800 there's this great opportunity and blah blah blah blah blah. And I was waiting 580 00:39:40.840 --> 00:39:44.320 for him to be like, oh no, Brett, please you we can't 581 00:39:44.360 --> 00:39:46.880 lose you don't go. Are you sure? And he's like, all right, 582 00:39:46.920 --> 00:39:52.679 well that sounds pretty cool. So two weeks it's like, yeah, 583 00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:55.119 I guess okay, don't you miss me more than that? Yeah? I 584 00:39:55.239 --> 00:39:58.320 like, but aren't you gonna try? No, we're not doing that? 585 00:39:58.360 --> 00:40:01.920 Okay, cool? Okay, Well yeah, well they I figured they couldn't. 586 00:40:02.199 --> 00:40:06.000 They couldn't. They're going to compete with that. I guess. Little 587 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:07.920 did they know they could have, because they spent the first year living in 588 00:40:07.920 --> 00:40:14.320 my aunt and uncle's camping trailer. You know, like checking the email every 589 00:40:14.559 --> 00:40:17.199 hour, being like anything, and no one told me how this job worked 590 00:40:17.800 --> 00:40:25.119 like hit or miss and ebbed and flowed like yeah, yeah, so it's 591 00:40:25.119 --> 00:40:30.719 an interesting and brandon you could do there way, it's Mickey Mouse illustrates Mickey 592 00:40:30.719 --> 00:40:36.599 Mouse. Hallmark Cards now by Mickey Mouse. Surely as a marketing there, 593 00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:37.800 right, Paulmark, if you're listening to this, I mean I have a 594 00:40:38.199 --> 00:40:43.360 a few friends are still there, so I probably tap into those relationships and 595 00:40:43.400 --> 00:40:46.679 suggest that. But no, I think that's a great idea. Yeah, 596 00:40:47.039 --> 00:40:51.320 why not? They could even wait five years to it's public domain and go 597 00:40:51.400 --> 00:41:00.480 for a baby. Well, we'll see your work will be very clean, 598 00:41:00.519 --> 00:41:07.920 sweet that I'm going to be so busy. Yeah, well I'm not even 599 00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:09.599 so busy thanks to me. So I hope, I hope it happens to 600 00:41:09.679 --> 00:41:16.800 somebody. I mean you better than you, right, I want to know. 601 00:41:16.840 --> 00:41:22.039 Do you still put on the fantastic shows in your backyard? No? 602 00:41:22.039 --> 00:41:24.320 No? I mean, well maybe it depends on how drunk I am. 603 00:41:27.079 --> 00:41:34.039 I probably shouldn't say that. Do you still have the element in you? 604 00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:36.639 A you just want to get creative and just do something crazy like that? 605 00:41:36.679 --> 00:41:40.000 Though? Yeah? I mean I suppose it probably just manifests itself in different 606 00:41:40.119 --> 00:41:45.880 ways. Yeah, I mean a lot of those. You know. When 607 00:41:45.880 --> 00:41:49.039 I was a kid and we were putting on fantastic shows in my backyard, 608 00:41:49.119 --> 00:41:53.880 it was it was tied to my obsession with production. And oh my gosh, 609 00:41:53.960 --> 00:41:57.840 the goof just walked in. What the well, Hia, pal, 610 00:41:57.960 --> 00:42:04.599 what are you doing here? Well, there you go, he can follow 611 00:42:04.639 --> 00:42:08.960 directions. Yeah, this is the only podcast where Goofy and Mickey can just 612 00:42:09.000 --> 00:42:13.719 have a conversation. Yeah. Yeah, I told you, this is my 613 00:42:13.920 --> 00:42:21.519 time. Yeah, you just like them. I will never stop getting a 614 00:42:21.559 --> 00:42:24.000 kick out of it. Oh I should stop doing it. No, please 615 00:42:24.039 --> 00:42:28.519 don't, No, don't. I I don't recommend that at all. Oh 616 00:42:28.559 --> 00:42:32.079 well, sorry, Brendan, you said what production? Yeah you told me 617 00:42:32.119 --> 00:42:37.719 how you Oh yeah, I think I just I love the behind the scenes. 618 00:42:37.760 --> 00:42:39.800 I love figuring out how things are done. I love how figure out 619 00:42:39.800 --> 00:42:44.079 how illusions are done. You know. So to me, Fantasmic was so 620 00:42:44.199 --> 00:42:47.400 theatrical and that it really was. It came out of nowhere. You're at 621 00:42:47.440 --> 00:42:52.119 Disneyland walking around all day and then all of a sudden, boomw So I 622 00:42:52.159 --> 00:42:54.159 thought it was so damn cool. It's amazing. Last time I ever saw 623 00:42:54.159 --> 00:42:58.800 it, I've seen a few times, and the idea that you know, 624 00:42:58.840 --> 00:43:02.280 you can have a shot and turned that into a screen, a movie screen, 625 00:43:04.039 --> 00:43:08.199 somebody's lawn sprinklerk a really big one. Yeah, you know, shooting 626 00:43:08.239 --> 00:43:14.280 about an acre of water up. It was just I just was blown away. 627 00:43:14.360 --> 00:43:16.039 Yeah, and that's why I think. You know, my brother and 628 00:43:16.039 --> 00:43:20.800 I would my dad had this Projectory took on work assignments with him, right, 629 00:43:20.880 --> 00:43:24.480 So we're like setting up and projecting Fantasia sorcer of Mickey onto like the 630 00:43:24.519 --> 00:43:28.719 biggest tree we had in our backyard, like trying to figure out like how 631 00:43:28.719 --> 00:43:30.639 do they do that? Or or we tried with the water screens too and 632 00:43:30.679 --> 00:43:35.519 couldn't get out to work. But yeah, I just I guess it just 633 00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:38.679 was really fascinated with just the whole. There was a time when, going 634 00:43:38.719 --> 00:43:45.079 back to your question about soundtracks, uh, Fantasmic soundtrack had not been released, 635 00:43:45.599 --> 00:43:51.159 and so I actually made my own by taking different like classical pieces and 636 00:43:51.199 --> 00:43:54.000 different movie soundtracks. And I remember, you know, going with the double 637 00:43:54.440 --> 00:43:58.760 cassette tape thing, right, and I'm like recording back and forth and mix 638 00:43:58.880 --> 00:44:05.039 my own soundtrack to play fantasmic before. So cool. Well, I think 639 00:44:05.360 --> 00:44:07.960 into your question earlier, like do I still do? I think that that 640 00:44:07.119 --> 00:44:13.000 shows up in different ways, you know, Like I still I still love 641 00:44:13.079 --> 00:44:16.119 that Disney touch and that Disney way of doing things with soundtracks behind things. 642 00:44:16.159 --> 00:44:21.199 Right, So so when we're up, you know, running our train around, 643 00:44:21.320 --> 00:44:24.559 like I've got movie soundtracks playing, you know, I've I've created little 644 00:44:24.599 --> 00:44:29.719 propage things to surround where the train runs and things like that, And so 645 00:44:29.760 --> 00:44:35.559 I think that's my It's the same vein right of creating and playing in that 646 00:44:35.639 --> 00:44:38.599 imaginative space. It just shows it up in a slightly different way now, 647 00:44:39.480 --> 00:44:44.960 But absolutely, yeah, I love all that dorky stuff. Oh god, 648 00:44:45.079 --> 00:44:49.039 yeah, me too, me too. Who'd have thought you'd end up becoming 649 00:44:49.880 --> 00:44:54.480 an iconic character as a result of yeah, right, just playing. Yeah, 650 00:44:54.800 --> 00:44:58.960 well, I used to say I learned learned more in the halls than 651 00:44:59.039 --> 00:45:02.679 I did in the class. Yeah. No, that's because I was always 652 00:45:02.719 --> 00:45:07.159 going to kick that out of class. Chris, How important do you think 653 00:45:07.159 --> 00:45:09.119 it is to be a fan of the character that you're voicing. Does it 654 00:45:09.199 --> 00:45:14.559 change your approach to voicing the character? Do you think absolutely? Because you 655 00:45:14.599 --> 00:45:17.320 guys both took over characters that were already well established. Yeah, had you 656 00:45:17.360 --> 00:45:20.239 not been a fan of the character, do you think your approach would have 657 00:45:20.280 --> 00:45:22.960 differed or do you think because you were such a lifelong fan that it just 658 00:45:22.000 --> 00:45:25.880 made you think? Was it more pressure going into it or how did your 659 00:45:25.880 --> 00:45:30.679 approach differ? Yeah, you know, I think there was more pressure going 660 00:45:30.719 --> 00:45:34.199 into it. There was already a ton of pressure. Let's be clear, 661 00:45:34.400 --> 00:45:37.119 it's it's Mickey Mouse, It's he's legendary, right, got to do it 662 00:45:37.199 --> 00:45:42.559 right, Walt Disney or the originator, and then Wayne Allwine had been doing 663 00:45:42.599 --> 00:45:45.760 it for thirty two years at that point. Like there's still people who tell 664 00:45:45.800 --> 00:45:49.639 me Wayne was my Mickey because that's a long time to be doing always. 665 00:45:51.159 --> 00:45:52.599 So, yeah, there was that pressure. But then to your point, 666 00:45:52.599 --> 00:45:58.079 there was the added pressure of I know this character, I love this character, 667 00:45:58.400 --> 00:46:01.599 I love this legacy more important, and I love what it stands for, 668 00:46:01.920 --> 00:46:05.679 and you know, I want I didn't want to mess that up. 669 00:46:06.119 --> 00:46:10.639 And if if I could be even the smallest part of helping that the longevity 670 00:46:10.679 --> 00:46:15.800 of that, then I wanted to be. But yes, I think I 671 00:46:15.800 --> 00:46:22.639 think it's really critical to be a fan of these characters and for the longest 672 00:46:22.639 --> 00:46:25.159 time, I almost felt less than since I wasn't a voice actor, since 673 00:46:25.159 --> 00:46:30.559 I wasn't playing in that sphere out here when I auditioned, Uh, you 674 00:46:30.599 --> 00:46:32.960 know, I kind of felt like a fraud. It's imposter syndrome, right, 675 00:46:32.960 --> 00:46:36.960 which a lot of people have. So I was kind of walking around 676 00:46:37.039 --> 00:46:38.199 being like, oh, gosh, I'm not really a voice actor, you 677 00:46:38.280 --> 00:46:42.079 know, I just kind of there's probably somebody. I'm sure a lot of 678 00:46:42.119 --> 00:46:49.000 people are out there going I could do Mickey better somewhat but not entirely. 679 00:46:50.280 --> 00:46:53.159 But I've always said I think, you know, it served me better to 680 00:46:53.239 --> 00:46:58.760 have not been a voice actor who was just interested in being Mickey because oh, 681 00:46:58.800 --> 00:47:02.599 you're going to be famous for me, Mickey, because that, I 682 00:47:02.639 --> 00:47:09.840 think doesn't it takes your performance in a different route. Your intentions behind voicing 683 00:47:09.880 --> 00:47:15.519 a character like this I think are important. Uh. And and especially when 684 00:47:15.559 --> 00:47:20.679 it comes to the character of Mickey, he's this he's this little personality assigned 685 00:47:20.760 --> 00:47:23.400 to the purpose of laughter, is what Walt Disney said about him one time, 686 00:47:23.480 --> 00:47:28.239 right, Like, he's Mickey is a celebrity. But I don't think 687 00:47:28.239 --> 00:47:32.039 Mickey fully acknowledges that Mickey, that's it's not why Mickey is who he is. 688 00:47:34.400 --> 00:47:36.960 And so if if an actor is coming in and like I'm gonna be 689 00:47:37.000 --> 00:47:40.039 Mickey because I'm gonna begin into Disneyland for free and I'm gonna go do this, 690 00:47:40.679 --> 00:47:45.239 It's like, I just I think that sets you up for a different 691 00:47:45.280 --> 00:47:50.079 path. Don't get me wrong. I love to go to Disneyland, like 692 00:47:50.119 --> 00:47:52.480 it's nice to go, but if they let me in for free, then 693 00:47:52.480 --> 00:47:59.639 it's really nice. It's even better. And this role has has given me 694 00:47:59.800 --> 00:48:04.159 so many opportunities to either meet cool people or have cool experiences, so all 695 00:48:04.159 --> 00:48:07.519 of those things are not lost on me. But yeah, I think being 696 00:48:07.559 --> 00:48:13.360 a fan first and foremost has really kind of helped chart the course for how 697 00:48:13.360 --> 00:48:16.800 I wanted to interact with this character. Like, I mean, I don't 698 00:48:16.800 --> 00:48:21.239 really do a lot of podcasts. I don't, I'm not check my Instagram 699 00:48:21.239 --> 00:48:22.559 and probably I haven't posted it in a couple of months. Like I'm really 700 00:48:22.639 --> 00:48:25.639 bad at self promotion, which I know is kind of the name of the 701 00:48:25.679 --> 00:48:30.719 game when you're in this industry, But it doesn't hurt, right, it 702 00:48:30.719 --> 00:48:34.880 doesn't hurt, And when there's moments for that to be authentic, then I'm 703 00:48:34.880 --> 00:48:38.480 totally up for engaging in that way. But otherwise I'm just so happy to 704 00:48:38.719 --> 00:48:44.079 get to go into the studio, record the TV show or a toy or 705 00:48:44.159 --> 00:48:49.320 whatever and think about how cool it is and then go back to MYS. 706 00:48:49.559 --> 00:48:52.000 So, yeah, just be a fan at the end of the day, 707 00:48:52.079 --> 00:48:54.239 Just be a fan of it. One thing I've learned from doing the show 708 00:48:54.239 --> 00:48:59.119 with Jim is that there's a difference between just doing the voice and becoming the 709 00:48:59.199 --> 00:49:02.320 character. Jim transforms into the characters you guys, from Winnie the Pooda Tiga, 710 00:49:02.400 --> 00:49:07.320 and it's not looking at two different people. Jim knows what each character 711 00:49:07.360 --> 00:49:08.920 would say, and I think it's a big difference they of just doing the 712 00:49:09.000 --> 00:49:13.440 voice and actually becoming the character. Yeah. No, for sure. I 713 00:49:13.480 --> 00:49:15.000 mean, and I'm sure you've talked about this before, but when we do 714 00:49:15.079 --> 00:49:20.840 conventions, you get there's no shortage of people coming up and doing their their 715 00:49:20.880 --> 00:49:22.920 impressions for you. Right. It's a beautiful thing. Yeah, yeah, 716 00:49:22.920 --> 00:49:29.079 which is so fascinating to me. Here's my mickey. Hey, pretty good. 717 00:49:29.320 --> 00:49:30.960 Yeah, that's great, that's pretty good. I mean, what are 718 00:49:30.960 --> 00:49:35.840 you supposed to say? Actually, no, yeah, that you're hurting my 719 00:49:35.880 --> 00:49:40.239 feelings. One of my favorites is to be between Jim and Bill Farmer over 720 00:49:40.239 --> 00:49:44.480 here, and like, listen to the inter actions they get and then roll 721 00:49:44.519 --> 00:49:46.079 the dice and whether or not I'm going to get the same one. But 722 00:49:49.000 --> 00:49:53.880 yeah, sorry, you were talking about being the character transforming into it. 723 00:49:53.960 --> 00:50:00.480 I I was thinking earlier that when I first started, I focused so much 724 00:50:00.599 --> 00:50:05.440 on trying to do an impression of Wayne's version of Mickey Mouse. Hmmm. 725 00:50:05.920 --> 00:50:09.480 And when I listen back to earlier recordings, I can hear that I'm intentionally 726 00:50:09.519 --> 00:50:15.719 trying, like I'm holding my mouth differently to make I promise you're the only 727 00:50:15.719 --> 00:50:19.679 person who can hear that. No, I mean that's the good news. 728 00:50:19.800 --> 00:50:22.440 Okay, okay, well that is good news. It's one of my super 729 00:50:22.480 --> 00:50:27.719 here, my superpowers to be able to discern. But yeah, I was 730 00:50:27.760 --> 00:50:34.119 focused so much on that, and now I don't think about the technique or 731 00:50:34.199 --> 00:50:37.360 lack of technique, probably in my case, in those early days, it 732 00:50:37.400 --> 00:50:39.519 was just more so I was doing an impression. And now I feel a 733 00:50:39.559 --> 00:50:46.559 little bit more organic and just knowing who Mickey is and how that sound just 734 00:50:46.599 --> 00:50:52.159 kind of comes out now and I'm focused more on his personality. His tonality 735 00:50:52.239 --> 00:50:54.679 is all that and I'm not just name dropping because Bill's here, but Bill's 736 00:50:54.760 --> 00:50:57.760 one of the people who told me that early on in the beginning, is 737 00:50:57.760 --> 00:51:00.400 like, do you find yourself focusing on making the sun? This is probably 738 00:51:00.440 --> 00:51:04.079 like a year one. I was like, yeah, absolutely, I said, 739 00:51:04.079 --> 00:51:05.719 some days I'm really scared of not going to come out, and he 740 00:51:05.719 --> 00:51:07.679 goes, I'll give us some time and you won't even think about it, 741 00:51:07.719 --> 00:51:10.519 You'll just be Mickey. I remember thinking like, yeah, right, I'm 742 00:51:10.559 --> 00:51:15.440 always going to be scared, and it didn't sound like Mickey. I'm just 743 00:51:15.760 --> 00:51:20.559 that was scared. That was scared bread. That was that another character scared 744 00:51:20.599 --> 00:51:23.599 breat Oh yes, Schoolyard Brett. Oh yeah, that sounds like a hit. 745 00:51:23.719 --> 00:51:29.480 Yeah, it's really darky plan trains. Oh, fantasmic. Anyway, 746 00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:32.360 Yeah, I've progressed a little bit. I hope. I would think so, 747 00:51:32.599 --> 00:51:38.480 I would think, so tell me it's been fifty it'll it's fifteen years 748 00:51:38.880 --> 00:51:43.239 next month. In like two weeks, I think I hit the fifteen year 749 00:51:43.320 --> 00:51:46.519 mark. Yeah, that's really that's good. Yeah, that is good. 750 00:51:46.719 --> 00:51:52.199 And I think the first time we met was it probably was it d twenty 751 00:51:52.199 --> 00:51:54.880 three or it might have been a studio. I know, Yeah, you 752 00:51:54.920 --> 00:51:58.239 were doing a panel. Yeah, we were doing the panel. We had 753 00:51:58.280 --> 00:52:00.679 met before that though, so I must have been a studentdeo it was. 754 00:52:00.800 --> 00:52:05.679 Yeah, it was for Mickey Mouse Clubhouses fourth season. When we came back 755 00:52:05.679 --> 00:52:07.039 for that, that's when we finally had the chance to meet. Yeah, 756 00:52:07.320 --> 00:52:13.280 I'm doing this for I think there's been a Mickey Mouse something extending back before 757 00:52:13.280 --> 00:52:15.599 you were with the company. I mean, I don't because I think it 758 00:52:15.719 --> 00:52:23.039 started off Mickey Mouse was a bill funhouse Clubhouse out House was a big one 759 00:52:23.800 --> 00:52:30.199 that was huge hit, a huge, huge, huge, a huge hits, 760 00:52:31.559 --> 00:52:36.280 it hits. There was no s in that. Yeah, but yeah 761 00:52:36.320 --> 00:52:42.719 that was House and Mouse, right and yeah, there's been Yanke shows forever 762 00:52:42.920 --> 00:52:45.239 and now it's going to be the next one is Hey, how about that 763 00:52:45.360 --> 00:52:51.639 Mouse? Huh that'll be that'll be it's him again. Yeah yeah. And 764 00:52:51.760 --> 00:52:57.079 you know it's interesting about Mickey is he's always got his profile and his straight 765 00:52:57.400 --> 00:53:00.639 face straight on there. The shadows are the same. Oh yeah, his 766 00:53:00.760 --> 00:53:06.199 ears always turn always yes, And you know, I always I always thought 767 00:53:06.519 --> 00:53:09.840 when I mean, even coming up, I was thinking, so if you're 768 00:53:09.880 --> 00:53:14.960 standing on the side of him, what does it appear that is? You 769 00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:16.760 know, how does that work? It's an optical illusion. Yeah, I 770 00:53:16.880 --> 00:53:20.599 never know, it must be. It's one of those things I think about 771 00:53:20.599 --> 00:53:22.000 when I'm drawing him though, especially like if you ever put a hat on 772 00:53:22.079 --> 00:53:25.880 Mickey, I'm like, well, now his ears coming through? Or do 773 00:53:25.960 --> 00:53:30.440 they just conveniently go behind the hat? I don't know it. Yeah, 774 00:53:30.519 --> 00:53:32.280 I've yet to figure that out, but I'd like to see him at a 775 00:53:32.280 --> 00:53:35.519 sailor hat. What are you going to do with that? That'd be tough. 776 00:53:35.639 --> 00:53:37.800 Yeah, I don't know. I mean circular, maybe just sits right 777 00:53:37.800 --> 00:53:43.199 in the middle. Yeah, let us know America. Yeah, what do 778 00:53:43.239 --> 00:53:45.039 you think put in the comments below? Yeah? Yeah, go ahead, 779 00:53:45.079 --> 00:53:50.679 doodle one in there. But getting back to you mentioned earlier, Brett, 780 00:53:50.679 --> 00:53:52.400 how one of the first things you're proud of when it come to illustrating was 781 00:53:52.440 --> 00:53:57.440 when you learned the process of what goes into animation. Was it similar when 782 00:53:57.480 --> 00:54:00.639 you started doing Mickey rather than it's not just doing a voice, it's is 783 00:54:00.760 --> 00:54:05.079 elements to it. Can you remember when you sort of the understudy process? 784 00:54:05.519 --> 00:54:09.360 Yeah, you know, I auditioned to be Wayne's understudy and then that just 785 00:54:09.400 --> 00:54:14.760 never came to fruition because unfortunately he passed away before that. Casting decision was 786 00:54:14.760 --> 00:54:19.119 made. But I guess you could. I was kind of the understudy for 787 00:54:19.159 --> 00:54:21.480 a few years, right. It was just it was trial by fire. 788 00:54:21.599 --> 00:54:23.360 You talked about learning more in the hall than you did in the classroom, 789 00:54:23.360 --> 00:54:29.280 and that's always been my thing. I learn better hands on than I ever 790 00:54:29.320 --> 00:54:32.320 did doing studying in front of a book or in a classroom setting. So 791 00:54:32.360 --> 00:54:36.199 I'm grateful in a way, Like looking back hindsight now, I'm like, 792 00:54:36.239 --> 00:54:39.079 I'm glad it worked out the way it did. But yeah, I was. 793 00:54:39.159 --> 00:54:43.360 I was learning a ton about I knew nothing about mic technique. I 794 00:54:43.440 --> 00:54:45.960 knew nothing about I mean, I knew a little bit about acting. But 795 00:54:47.039 --> 00:54:52.639 you know, I think that just came with the more content I worked on, 796 00:54:52.679 --> 00:54:55.159 the different types of product. You know, you learn the difference between 797 00:54:55.199 --> 00:54:59.239 something that's going to be at the theme parks versus you know, more intimate 798 00:54:59.320 --> 00:55:04.960 moment and a tea TV show scene. So that just all came with experience. 799 00:55:05.039 --> 00:55:10.079 I think I did take some improv classes, I took some voiceover classes 800 00:55:10.119 --> 00:55:15.400 for a while. I'm a bad student, so again, those environments just 801 00:55:15.400 --> 00:55:19.159 weren't the greatest for me. I you know, full disclosure, I don't 802 00:55:19.159 --> 00:55:22.280 think I finished either one of those courses. It was just like I think 803 00:55:22.320 --> 00:55:27.800 I'm good here. Yeah, a lot of people being like, I just 804 00:55:27.840 --> 00:55:30.880 really want to get into cartoons, and I'm like, I've got to go 805 00:55:30.960 --> 00:55:36.599 record. Yeah yeah, right now. Yah. But but yeah, and 806 00:55:36.960 --> 00:55:40.880 in music too. You know, that's been something that's developed and I've learned 807 00:55:40.880 --> 00:55:45.880 a lot about over the years. You know, I had my limited knowledge 808 00:55:45.920 --> 00:55:49.079 of high school chorus and band, you know, coming into it. That 809 00:55:49.159 --> 00:55:53.599 was my musical theater or background. But you know, we've we've done so 810 00:55:53.639 --> 00:55:58.519 many products now and different albums and whatnot. And again I look back in 811 00:55:58.519 --> 00:56:00.400 the early stuff and I go, oh, but there's been a lot of 812 00:56:00.440 --> 00:56:06.519 stuff lately that I'm very proud of. So I think time, you know, 813 00:56:07.280 --> 00:56:09.559 time is very helpful. Experience is very helpful. Yeah, yeah, 814 00:56:09.679 --> 00:56:15.280 yeah, that's for sure's advice. When you were first doing the voice, 815 00:56:15.559 --> 00:56:16.760 was there any one in particular that sort of helped you guard you through it, 816 00:56:16.760 --> 00:56:22.440 because whye unfortunately was Yeah, it wasn't. Really. I can't say 817 00:56:22.440 --> 00:56:30.599 that I targeted anyone specifically, but I always say that thankfully because you kind 818 00:56:30.599 --> 00:56:34.119 of touched on this earlier. But these characters are just so you know, 819 00:56:35.159 --> 00:56:38.079 important to so many people that there's a small little you know, like we're 820 00:56:38.079 --> 00:56:42.719 part of a small family, and Disney character voices, and so there was 821 00:56:43.159 --> 00:56:47.360 the creative directors behind the scenes, the writers of course, my colleagues. 822 00:56:47.440 --> 00:56:52.719 You know, when I became friends with Russie Taylor, Wayne's wife and Bill 823 00:56:52.760 --> 00:56:55.039 and Jim and whatnot, Like I was, I was, whether they knew 824 00:56:55.079 --> 00:56:59.199 it or not, picking up on things from them, getting you know, 825 00:56:59.239 --> 00:57:01.760 even something as simple as listening to playback from a session, being like, 826 00:57:01.760 --> 00:57:05.920 oh, let me let me cueue up Jim's line for Pete's you know what 827 00:57:06.159 --> 00:57:08.039 he did earlier, you know, And it's like I screwed people up all 828 00:57:08.079 --> 00:57:12.360 the time. Yeah, I mean I realized early on, like don't listen 829 00:57:12.400 --> 00:57:15.760 to what Jim did, Like, just go off the script. He's never 830 00:57:15.800 --> 00:57:20.519 going to deliver what's written on the page. That's good advice. But if 831 00:57:20.519 --> 00:57:25.559 I had a nickel no I, I I definitely was. I was being 832 00:57:25.599 --> 00:57:29.440 mentored by everyone kind of all at once, whether they knew it or not. 833 00:57:30.079 --> 00:57:32.000 And I think in some ways I still am, like I'm still picking 834 00:57:32.079 --> 00:57:37.159 up on stuff. I'm also I discovered that like when I watch a movie 835 00:57:37.239 --> 00:57:40.400 or a TV show, I'm like fifty percent there for the entertainment, fifty 836 00:57:40.440 --> 00:57:46.239 percent there for like again like micro scrutinizing the craft of it all, right, 837 00:57:46.360 --> 00:57:51.239 whether it's the the production design or just the acting or the way someone 838 00:57:51.239 --> 00:57:53.599 delivered a line. Like I've learned a ton from just kind of making that 839 00:57:53.679 --> 00:57:58.639 a focus, whereas before I maybe just kind of dismissed it as whatever, 840 00:57:59.599 --> 00:58:04.400 frivolous fun. Now it's it's so much more weighted for me experiencing all those 841 00:58:04.440 --> 00:58:07.239 things. That's great, Well, you got to be a sponge. Yeah, 842 00:58:07.280 --> 00:58:10.639 that's what I've Yeah, that's what I think, you know. Yeah, 843 00:58:12.320 --> 00:58:15.000 that's really helpful when it comes to creating new characters. You know, 844 00:58:15.840 --> 00:58:20.599 put the male man in there with your your uncle Joe or whatever, the 845 00:58:20.719 --> 00:58:23.360 random guy you saw gone through TSA. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, 846 00:58:23.599 --> 00:58:27.639 God you too. Huh. I've had that dude in THEO like three or 847 00:58:27.679 --> 00:58:32.079 four character. Yeah. The thing is you're more similar kind of age Brett, 848 00:58:32.119 --> 00:58:36.599 where you grew up listening to all these people who you are now your 849 00:58:36.639 --> 00:58:40.000 co workers. You know, it must have been so mind blowing. Oh 850 00:58:40.360 --> 00:58:45.159 yeah it still is. Again, like imposter syndrome. I've touched on that 851 00:58:45.199 --> 00:58:49.039 so many times. But It's it's like playing in the sandbox of like who 852 00:58:49.079 --> 00:58:52.400 am I? Like? Why am Why am I here? Like it's only 853 00:58:52.400 --> 00:58:59.519 a matter of time untill they discover I'm a fraud. Yeah, but it's 854 00:58:59.559 --> 00:59:06.920 it's we I mean, I'm I'm working amongst legends and and working alongside legends. 855 00:59:06.960 --> 00:59:09.639 It's it's a very odd feeling. Uh. You know, people are 856 00:59:09.639 --> 00:59:14.119 always like, well, the show is called Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so you're 857 00:59:14.159 --> 00:59:16.960 like the star is from Like, no, I'm not, well, I 858 00:59:17.000 --> 00:59:24.119 don't know, you're on the money. That's not bad, That's exactly right. 859 00:59:24.320 --> 00:59:29.280 It's it's a very surreal place to be, Yeah, because I mean 860 00:59:29.320 --> 00:59:34.159 I grew up watching Ducktails and Dark Wing Duck and goof Troop and Winnie the 861 00:59:34.199 --> 00:59:38.480 Pooh and Goofy movie and I did not watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I was 862 00:59:38.480 --> 00:59:43.880 too old for that. But yeah, yeah, it's weird. Well, 863 00:59:43.920 --> 00:59:46.440 let's say I'm trying to think was justin No? Is it not Justin Bieber 864 00:59:46.880 --> 00:59:53.199 Britney Spears? And who was it Justin Justin timberlay iteration? Right? Yeah, 865 00:59:53.639 --> 00:59:57.880 yeah, I guess you would. You're probably I was. I was 866 00:59:57.920 --> 01:00:00.960 obsessed with the Mickey Mouse Club the live Action show. I was, Yeah, 867 01:00:01.039 --> 01:00:04.400 I told a lie in my neighborhood that I was actually going to move 868 01:00:04.440 --> 01:00:07.280 to Orlando. I was gonna leap Pacady and a move to Orlando to be 869 01:00:07.320 --> 01:00:09.519 on the show. And then the neighborhood kids were like, you know, 870 01:00:09.559 --> 01:00:12.239 two weeks later, like, so, when are you leaving? I was 871 01:00:12.239 --> 01:00:15.400 like, oh, it keeps getting delayed. I'm going. I'm going, 872 01:00:15.400 --> 01:00:19.360 And I actually had to come week show. I didn't you watch? Yeah, 873 01:00:19.400 --> 01:00:21.119 I was like, I was, I was on it. The only 874 01:00:21.159 --> 01:00:23.280 reason I really wanted to be on the show was because I thought the coolest 875 01:00:23.320 --> 01:00:28.079 letterman jackets. I just wanted a letterman joh wow. Then I discovered you 876 01:00:28.119 --> 01:00:30.119 could buy them, so I didn't need to lie about going on the show. 877 01:00:30.159 --> 01:00:35.239 I could just say, really lie, yeah see look what they gave 878 01:00:35.280 --> 01:00:37.960 me. Yeah see that's my name, my episode just in an air. 879 01:00:38.039 --> 01:00:42.960 Sorry guys, Yeah, hey, Chris, should we play the voice swap? 880 01:00:43.159 --> 01:00:45.639 Yeah, let's do the voice swap. We like to do a little 881 01:00:45.719 --> 01:00:49.440 voice swap where Okay, I'm getting better at explaining this, I think, 882 01:00:49.599 --> 01:00:52.880 so okay, here we go. He'll do a line in making Mouse's voice, 883 01:00:52.039 --> 01:00:55.960 and then Jim will reiterate that line in one of his character voices, 884 01:00:57.039 --> 01:01:00.159 and then we'll swap back and forth. Does that make sense? I have 885 01:01:00.159 --> 01:01:04.400 to do Jim's voices. Well, you'll do as Mickey or as a character. 886 01:01:04.760 --> 01:01:06.840 Oh, and then he's gonna do but I'll do it as Yeah, 887 01:01:06.880 --> 01:01:13.159 I gotcha, gotcha? Thank god. It's like I'm not doing the Pooh. 888 01:01:13.280 --> 01:01:15.639 All right. Well, well well i'll do dark wing. Yeah, 889 01:01:15.639 --> 01:01:19.519 I'll do it, So take it away. Give me, give me a 890 01:01:19.599 --> 01:01:24.360 legendary give legendary quote, ladies and gentlemen. Well, hi, everybody, 891 01:01:24.360 --> 01:01:28.960 it's me Mickey Mouse. Say you want to come inside my clubhouse? Well, 892 01:01:29.239 --> 01:01:34.760 all right, let's go. That's too many words. Sorry that nobody 893 01:01:34.800 --> 01:01:38.519 gave me parameters. Hi, everybody, it's not me Mickey Mouse, and 894 01:01:38.840 --> 01:01:43.760 anybody want to come inside my clubhouse and we'll make a big mess and then 895 01:01:43.880 --> 01:01:47.599 call the maid. Thank you? Stay dangerous. See I think this is 896 01:01:47.639 --> 01:01:52.599 exactly how he reads scripts too. Yeah, go off. Yeah, I 897 01:01:52.679 --> 01:01:57.880 occasionally say what they write, I'm in. It's on them more than it 898 01:01:57.960 --> 01:02:00.639 is you. Right, Okay, I'll do tigger and then throw that to 899 01:02:00.719 --> 01:02:04.440 you. Is that how we're doing it? The wonderful thing about tiggers, 900 01:02:04.639 --> 01:02:15.760 it's Tiggers are wonderful things. You gotta oh a wonderful thing about tig Tiggers 901 01:02:15.760 --> 01:02:22.480 are wonderful thing. Wow. He does not come with a fit screen, 902 01:02:22.559 --> 01:02:27.119 so you're gonna have to bring your r You have to hear. One more 903 01:02:27.239 --> 01:02:30.559 is pooh, just two iconic. There we go. Would you do me 904 01:02:30.599 --> 01:02:36.679 a favor and please pass the honey. I'd be delighted to do your favor 905 01:02:36.760 --> 01:02:43.360 and pass the honey. I don't know. Please Mickey sounds so lame when 906 01:02:43.360 --> 01:02:57.559 he reads little duck, I'll do the only duck here. Yeah, duck 907 01:02:57.599 --> 01:03:01.719 and a there you go. So let's just do one more where you say 908 01:03:01.880 --> 01:03:07.000 a Mickey quote and then Jim, you do that quote as winny. Gosh 909 01:03:07.039 --> 01:03:15.440 Mickey, well, gosh, some imagination. Huh, well, gosh, 910 01:03:15.719 --> 01:03:22.679 that's some imagination. Huh Oh, that was just sad. That was That's 911 01:03:22.800 --> 01:03:29.400 great. Okay, don't try this at all. Go ahead. Oh man, 912 01:03:29.800 --> 01:03:32.320 I'm still not sure anybody knows the parameters of this game, so I'm 913 01:03:32.559 --> 01:03:36.960 afraid to do whatever we want. That's just what I'm learning. You guys 914 01:03:36.960 --> 01:03:39.719 intimidated me with this, But we made it through without cussing too much. 915 01:03:39.800 --> 01:03:45.360 We did, We did, and ship like that, you know, duck 916 01:03:45.400 --> 01:03:51.599 at all? Yeah? Did you say duck or never mind? Hey? 917 01:03:51.760 --> 01:03:57.840 All right, well thanks, I really really really appreciate you coming here today 918 01:03:57.880 --> 01:04:02.639 and doing this together players pro Dear sir Chris, thank you very much. 919 01:04:02.679 --> 01:04:05.719 Once again, this was another episode of Tuned In with Jim Cummings. Thank 920 01:04:05.719 --> 01:04:09.599 you so much for joining us today. Brett, don't forget to leave a 921 01:04:09.679 --> 01:04:13.039 light and subscribe to our YouTube channel and you can find us anywhere you get 922 01:04:13.039 --> 01:04:15.440 your podcast. Once again, this was another episode of Tuned In with Jim 923 01:04:15.480 --> 01:04:19.360 Cummings. Thanks for watching. We'll see you in the next one. So 924 01:04:19.440 --> 01:04:23.679 oh you I was painless? Yeah yeah, that was fun.