How you doing out there. It's me Tigger Dark Wayne Duck. It's me Bunkers Deep Bobcat. All right, y'all, didn't rate your favorite firefly you desire hold the old knock guy. My name is Jim Cummings and welcome to tuned In. Who's gonna bring us in? You? Hey, Jim? You speaking of me? Speaking of me? Okay, I know what you're thinking, folks, and yes it is time for another tuned In with Jim Cummings. You're in the right place. We've got producer Chris, We've got
but wait, there's more. We've got Barona called Hell and the crowd went wild. Yes she is that one, Yeah, the real one, and uh, this is so great. Thank you for being here. My gosh, thanks for inviting me on your show. I just think you're the best and it's too awesome to sit here with you. Oh that's gril bless you. Thank you very sweet. We meet up all over the world and it's
nice to be here in your living room. Yes, I was just going to not say that, but thank you, thank you sincerely for getting out and taking up your busy schedule. This woman is literally all over the planet, right, Yeah, luckily. So yeah, luckily so. Yes, do we have to tell everybody that there was a little cartoon show that you've been associated with that has been struggling by Yes, and it seems to be
doing well. Yeah. I was on Pokemon for the first eight years of the show, so I played ash May and Ash's mom, which was very exciting, and a bunch of other as we all do, a bunch of other characters. But because of being on Pokemon, which was such a normal job amongst many other normal jobs, No, it wasn't done well in terms of like when you go to work. But because of that, I've gotten
to travel around the world. And also, sorry about technic. If we're getting it transmission from the Mother Show, I hope they don't beat us up because we've got a lot to talk about, that's right. But I've gotten to travel all over the world and meet so many people. In fact, I've seen kids when they were ten and I see them now with their children, and it's been I don't know, just in that sense, the thrill of a lifetime and such. I agree. Yeah, yeah, I've got
a lot of those, I bet you do. My gosh, very very sweet. Yeah, well with me, it's the I've said this before. The Disney Afternoon is now on Disney Plus, I guess. And you know, eight year old kids will come up dressed as dark winged Duck. And the show went off the air twenty years before he was born, and you know, they just met Disney Plus. It's like a whole new world.
It's amazing. But the thing is, there are certain projects, certain shows, certain characters that just touch people so deeply because of I think, in your case, the perform that's underneath it, but also how people learn about who they are through these characters or how to be, how to connect with others. That we share a lot of that in the things that we've worked on, and that I think is is just lucky. I mean lucky that
we've been able to provide a voice or give a life to that. But the creators are the ones who really just you pour your heart and soul into something and look what's possible. Oh so true. Boy. That reminds me of something. When Harrison Ford was interviewed on Entertainment Tonight years ago, they said, well, you've been involved in these two iconic roles. You know Hans Solo and you know Raders that lost are you? You're it? Blockbuster
movies? And he goes and to what do you contribute to that? How did you What is the motion where he goes, Oh, it's just luck, just lucky. I mean honestly, what else They could have hired a couple other dozen people, right, you know, And so it's like, oh, wow, okay, so pretty good luck he's part of that. Yeah, may may I we both continue to be very lucky. Definitely. What do you think luck really is though, because I've I've always held on
to an expression that luck is being prepared for the moment. Yeah, you know, you don't. You don't accidentally fall into those like you know, you got to take a leap of faith. You've got to go put yourself out there. You got to We were just talking about this with Bill the other day, and you know, you really got to take the chance. And he said, he said, what, there's there's no guarantee of success, but there's a guarantee of failure if you never try. That's true,
right, So I feel like that ties into being lucky. You hear it so much in this industry. You know, Oh I got lucky. I got lucky. But really, like you had to be prepared, you had to you had to audition, you had to be in the room. You know, you have to show out. Yeah. Yeah, I remember having a not quite an argument, but it was with a dentist, but fortunately he wasn't working on my teeth at the time. Yeah. And he said, so, why'd you get that weird job? How'd you do? Where'd
you get that? And I said, well, I was very, very fortunate. I always knew. First of all, I had tunnel vision. I knew I was going to do this anyway. And since I was five, I had an audition and I went down to this casting house. It was the voice caster in Los Angeles, and I read for it and I went home a couple of days later, and I didn't even have an agent yet, and they called and they goes and they called back and they said,
well, I have some good news. You got that job. And I go, wow, that's amazing, I really really And he says yeah, And it was for Mattel's Haunted House. I was the whole did mansion whatever I was, I can't remember. And he goes, well, they used the audition, and I went they used it and it was only for a toy fair. It was one of the toy fairs I had conventions, and I said, okay, well this is the business. Yea, my audition first job, got it? They used the audition Yeah check please like
the one paying me. Yeah, but and so here we are. It's amazing, but it's also somewhat disappointing because you want to meet the people who cast you, or to meet the people that are using it so that maybe you can network a little and get another job. But yeah, way to go, man. Yeah, yeah, that's you know, no brag. It's just one of those weird things. I know, definitely another weird luck.
I like to think of it as you have all of your training and it's all in your suitcase, and you've got your suitcase in hand, and then you just hope that the door opens, and when it does, you're ready to walk through with all your talent and your preparation packed carrying it with you. But you just never know it is right place at the right time. Anybody could have auditioned and been there before you and gotten the job. Or you know, remember in the old days when we had pagers or answering
service. I do. My dad is an actor and he said they would. He would always call his answering service and they would say all clear, Like that's a good thing that you had no jobs or audition. Yeah, yeah, what are you so happy about it? I know? But then in those days too, you had to keep checking all the time because if you didn't call back in the right amount of time, they'd give the audition or the job to someone else. So then pagers came along so you could
have it right there on you. So and now we have our cell phones and we're locked in. Yes. Yes, I remember pulling up the freeway and dying to find a payphone because I couldn't I couldn't find it right, you know. I know. I was in the playground with my daughter and the swings, my pager would go off. I'd be like, okay, get out of the swing, getting this troller. We got to go to the phoney, no crazy stuff like that. We were. But now it's
a little easier. You still have to pull off the freeway to put the call in. You do, yes, well some of us, yes you do. Yeah, ah, that's crazy. So do you have a lot of work lined up for this year? I mean, yeah, I'm doing a lot of conventions, but fewer than I did last year. I think
both of us were on the road a lot lost COVID time. Yeah, exactly right, And it's it's like a good will tour in a sense because we all need to be back together again, and so it's hard to say no when you've got opportunities to really hug people you know and hear their stories
and reconnect. But this year I'm doing a few fewer and trying to clean my apartment and get some I do a lot of audiobooks, so I'm stuck at home for these long amounts of time when I'm recording, So having the weekend free is a little better for my voice to be able to maintain the characters. Yes, but we have my daughter and I are traveling still on the road with these things, and we have some far flung conventions in other countries, so we're trying to such as where maybe we should well, New
Zeland, Australia, that's pretty good. We're in Manila, South Africa, in Cape Town. Those are just long flights, yes, so, but every show is great. It's just that from Los Angeles or New York, these are big flights. But people around the world are the same. I think you might agree. Amazing, wonderful, creative, just extraordinary, except the damn Frene. I'm kidding. That was a funny joke. I was kidding. They have a different word for everything. I'm sorry, I know
they do. It's hard. Yeah, oh man, good stuff. So there's not a production right now, or are they? Which with Pokemon, Well not for me, So we got replaced. Pokemon USA took the show at season eight and replaced everyone. They just said we don't need you anymore, and so we all lost our jobs and the show continued without us. The ash arc of the show ended last year, so that Pokemon as it existed when I was on it is no longer. But Pokemon has created a
new show now that started. I think it just aired on Netflix maybe a week ago something from this whenever you're listening to this podcast, it started good as you're the one that you were in obviously. Well I'm going to just say, like there is a certain Genessee quad when you have me on your show, you know all Pokemon, I don't know, it's just it gets to your like inner imaginative child, and so all of Pokemon is great. I just like to be involved in it, Yes, because I loved playing
Ash. I loved his courage and his positivity, and I just I was pregnant the whole first season of Pokemon, and it was really amazing to be a gigantically large pregnant woman playing a ten year old boy and being able to leave all my cares behind, yes, even eventually as a mom of a toddler and on and on, to just let it all go and just jump into those sneakers and just be ten. Wow. So there's something amazing about that. For all the characters that we play, you can lose yourself,
especially because it's only voice. You're just you're in it. You're in yourself and you're watching the picture or just in your imagination while you're thinking of what the picture will be. So there's there's a great joy in that. It's hard, but there's a great joy in it. So yeah, I missed being on the show for sure. Well. I think I was almost positive that I was your announcer back then at the WB kids. Think you said when you were you doing like Charis Aard Oh, yes, for those WB
those interstitials so brilliant. Yeah, those were fun. I think you were well No, yeah, but it was, Yeah, that seems like golden times. It was amazing and we were in New York and on the phone lines to do those interstitials and they were so funny and so I don't the whole thing was just amazing and for us in New York to be working with La felt like this just got real. You know, we hit the big time. We're doing you know. But it was just to that whole WB
Kids w B lineup was great. All those shows were so fun and we watched them even when my daughter was little, and every Saturday morning, I know, I mean I was like, okay, I mean yeah, I know, same same. Who was your favorite? What was they? What were they called? They that you had to call up? Do you mean for Pokemon? Who's my favorite? Peak? Because that's what you mean. Yeah, Because one that you could throw those poke balls. Yeah, you
just threw the poke balls and then you could catch those things. We now have a lot of crocheted ones that people have made, so we can really throw them around the house. That's what I like to do, throw things around the house like a four year old. But it is pretty great when you can, you know, you can have dessert first and throw things in your house when you're a grown up. A lot to look forward. Try that at home, kids, Please try it at home. Ye is a
tree that you went? Does it? Teacher? Just prior to voice acting that, I was a teacher. No, I've always much like Jim, which I just found out. I wanted to be an actor since I was five. I was in my first play and I decided mid play that this is what I'm going to do. I was playing Goldilocks, and you know the part where the chair breaks, and I remember thinking, hold for the life, laugh, and then I thought this is what I want to do this and then that was it. Yeah. It was yeah, my pre
first grade show. And I was always an actor. Actually, I did waiter and I did a lot of cater waitering in New York. Because the schedule was flexible. I toured a lot around the country with acting companies, uh like Broadway shows off I did well. The first one was a non union touring company called National Players that my parents toured with, and I toured for the fortieth and forty first tours and the second year I was company manager.
We did classical and contemporary, so we did Midsummer. The first year we did Midsummer and hold On, I'm getting much to do about nothing, an animal Farm. And the second year we did Midsummer Night's Dream and Nicholas Nickleby Yeah, and then I in a short We did a shortened so for the we did real theaters, big beautiful theaters. We did schools, colleges, and we always had the full version and then the ninety minute version for schools, so that we had to do both, and we ran all of
the lights and sound ourselves. We put up the set, we took it down before and after every show. We really it was real bus and truck totally. It was very hard work and the best, one of the best jobs I've ever had. But it teaches you how to get along, how to work really really work together. Plus you've got to focus because you've got
to remember which version of the show you're doing depending on that. I toured with Children's Theater for Theater Works USA in New York, so I did a few tours and a few like last minute, we need you to fill in. Here's the script learned in the van as You're going together problem. Some of that stuff had to be easy. It was crazy, just crazy stuff that scares me. To hear it. Yeah, it was amazing. But to be able to just jump in, I mean that's what acting is too.
You have to jump in and really be able to talk and listen, you know. Anyway, So no, I wasn't a teacher, but I've taught people many things you have. But I always like to ask people if they have words of wisdom for those who would like to follow in your footsteps. Yeah. I think, first of all, what my first main amazing acting teacher, mister Graham said, if there is anything you want to do
more than being an actor, do that because it's in reality. The highs are high, but there are many lows and they can get very low. And the amount of time you spend looking for work does not always equal the amount of time you are working. So it's pretty down to earth practical. Yeah, I mean, you've got to you've got to love what you're doing so that you can really throw yourself into it. And I think training is
the way to go, at least for me. I have a bachelor's and a master's in an MFA in acting, and I think that training to use your instrument is is very worthwhile you can teach, you can you can kind of say yes to any job that comes your way, which you have to do because you don't know when the next one will come. So I think that's probably the words of wisdom. Get a good demo tape tape MP three, whatever we say now, yeah, do they Yeah? Do they do? We still have those? Yeah? Yeah, I gotta be Yeah.
I've heard something similar, just building off of what you just said, where it's like, the only the only true control you have as an actor is in your craft. You can't control getting cast, you can't control auditions, you can't control what the director directs you. The only true control you have as an actor is how much time you put into your craft, how well you own your instrument, that's right, how finely tuned it is. But that is true because you and even then you're like, oh gosh, could
I have done it better? Or give me one more take, or you know, you're always trying to be as good as you can be, as be your best really as they say, but yeah, you you challenge yourself and then you hope that what you're doing is will get you cast in something else. Yeah, knock one that totally or whatever. It's your furniture, it is love it, love what you've done with it. I have a
question for you, Veronica. When they decided to change the cast for Pokemon, was there any like indication that that's what they were going to be doing or was it just complete shock, complete shock, complete shock? How did that feel? Oh? I don't think I'm over it still, all these
years later. The we we had been getting ready to do the tenth anniversary special, even though it wasn't quite ten years in America, and we'd been getting ready for that, and then you know, this season was coming to an end, and then we were told that it was ending then and we were all being replaced and that it was it was just over. So yeah, there wasn't much there was no ability to move on with the show or I don't know, it was pretty crushing obviously. Who was the production company?
Who was for Kids for Kids for Kids Productions? Yeah, they did Pokemon, Yugi Oh Winks Club, Shaman King? Is that under Warner Brothers. No, we just happened to be on the WB in that Saturday morning time slot. So that's how it all kind of came together. But they produced the show, they acquired them whatever the real terminology is from Japan and
then dubbed it and then put it on the air. Gotcha, So I think in the beginning, like in the very beginning, Pokemon was the first show that they launched for kids, and it was on Crazy stations at six in the morning, then six thirty in the morning, and then it kind of slid into the WB kind of gang. They weren't affiliated, but we were clumped together. Have you ever met your replacement? I have. I've
seen some of the people who work on the show. I know we've probably worked on shows together, but because with dubbing, you never see who's working on it, so we all don't cross paths very often. I should say, it's such a weird thing. I mean, for people to replace people. I don't know what story they got when, and I've not asked anyone because I don't. It doesn't really matter. But it's a very odd thing to have an audition for a show that's currently on the air and knowing that
you're replacing people, but wondering why. And this is kind of pre It was two thousand and six, so there wasn't a lot of internet stuff, so nowadays we could have a big petition or people could say keep our actors on air or whatever. But then who knows why they auditioned or you know whatever. It's a job. So but it doesn't really have anything to do with me so much. It's just the sadness. Thanks for bringing it up. By the way, Jim had a similar experience with the Christopher Robin film.
You know he was when but then they hired somebody else to play Tiga, even though you had Tika in the room. M Yeah, that was interesting. I remember, Oh, the real Ticke is better than this new Tika. We'll just get the old ticket, of course, because you're only copying someone. And it's different when you're taking over the role because the actor no longer can do it or you're passing the baton. That's a very different
situation. Yeah, very much. But I remember you telling me that story about Christopher Robin movie, and I just was so upset about it, but lucky that it turned out okay. Do you know what I mean? Because very often it's all about big names and not about the quality. Not that big name people don't do qual do you work. But I'm saying, when you've got something Williams, that's right, that's right, or you Jim coming.
Well, there you go. But but you work at something for so long and people know your voice, know that it's more than just this, it's it's the part coming out, yes, and so it's hard to kind of copy that right away. And so it's Yeah, it's really great that they wised up for that, because that would have been a travesty. I couldn't agree more. Yeah, I mean that movie was beautiful. It was so beautiful and so perfect, and it really had a lot to do with
you. I would say I would say eighty percent. Well that's the number. I mean, it was called Christopher Robin, but it was really like Winnie the Pooh and friend and what's his name? Yeah, and that guy the kid. Okay, well that's it. I'm happy. Now we can shut down. That's that is how I really feel. Thank you very much. I've held back telling you, hoping you create a podcast so I can
see it makes makes sense to do it. It does really in this room would soundproofing mm hm, that way, no one can no one can hear that's right, or like you're passing me the money. Here's another five, here's another five, here's the plan. Yeah, yeah, oh man, you are funny. Oh well, that's good stuff. You mentioned earlier that you do audio books. I'm curious what the difference and approaches between voice acting
and audiobooks. Are you still playing a character technically when you're reading an audiobook or can you describe that? Yeah, so I think it's it's completely different and yet the same. So when you are doing a cartoon, you kind of know the character. You look through the script if you get it ahead, and you you kind of know who you're playing, and you're ready to jump in and do another character if they ask, and kind of off the top of your head. For audio books, you have to read the book.
You have to read the whole book, and you have to for in my case, I mark down all of the characters and then kind of figure out It's like a vocal quilt in a way. You figure out the pattern where if there's five girl voices who are girls, and then maybe two women, you have to figure out where their voices will fit together, who has
the most lines, so where is that voice going to sit? And then I build around that, and then I build all the characters kind of around if there's a narrator or a main character, and then you build out. So I do some books. I'm about to start with. My stomach's growling. Now I need snacks. I'm like winning the Pooh, my god, have you got a rumblayer? Your tomblayer? Oh? Yeah, I do? Actually I need snacks. What do we have there? Nothing? I'll be fine, but too much attention, I do? Do you have honey?
Yeah? So I have one author that I'm on the sixteenth book coming up. So those characters have been in every book and sixteen. It's a lot. Some of them are short stories, I think, in the whole sixteen but I started in two thousand and eight and I'm about to start recording the next one now. But I do have to go back and listen and just refresh my ear on what they all sound like. I have notes about everybody, but I just like to hear it so I can really dial in.
And then other ones I do. That's Linda Castillo. She's an amazing author. They're amish murder mysteries. And then I have another author, Mary Kay Andrews, and she does a beach read kind of book every year, and those are always different characters, but just amazing writing also, so I don't have to look back to anything or listen back. I just forge forward. So I've never listened to an audiobook, so I'm ignorant. Give me on this. But when you're listening to an audiobook, is it just your
voice? Oh? Yeah, that's the other part of your question. Most of the time, if you're doing like most of the books I do are just me reading, and then there's other ones that are a group record where you have I was just nominated for a book. We did a Jedi Star Wars book that was a whole group of people, and so that you go in and you just record your lines, and usually you do need a director for that because to pull it all together. But for me, I narrate
and then pop back and forth to all the characters. And now days we're recording mostly from home, so now I'm also engineering that and directing myself, and it gets really technical, and then you're in for If the book is eight hours, you figure it's about sixteen hours in the booth and then plus the reading of it and then pickups. So it's long, wow, but very enjoyable. I love to tell the story of having that control. I suppose to kind of weave weave the story and get the tempo. It's slow
here, it's faster here. It's kind of so you really especially for a murder mystery, there's times when they're just running through the woods and then they fall in the water and they're coming up for air and you've got to really drive that and then you can sit back afterwards when they're in the ambulance kind of take a minute, you know, like that kind of stuff. That's so cool. It's really great. It's really hard work. Okay, yeah, I would think I've done something sort of like that. I did Hondo
and Knaka my Star Wars Clone Wars. Guy did this big I don't even know what you would call it, but it was a audio video adventure and it was came in the book form and it was really cool. Well, you know, it was really really interesting. I don't know, you know where when or where it is now, but it's out there. And were you popping in and just doing your voice for that, and well, no, it was it was kind of like Hondo was the narrator and then he was in it. Oh oh, and you were in the room with you.
Yeah, that's really great. Yeah, it was kind of cool. Well I was him, so you know. I mean, so I was definitely in the room with it, and then I went over, but there was something wrong. And then then or Not said what are you doing? And I said, well, obviously write, you know, And it was sort of like that, Yeah, you know, just bad acting one on one that seems good. That's why I was so good at it. I'm
into the story. I could like switch to that. Now you want to make it up and just tell us more, Okay, I'll yes, I'll hallucinate more for you. Yes, well, that is a lot of our job is hallucinating, really seeing it in your mind and then kind of bringing it out in your voice. Yes, I mean you have to picture it to kind of make it real, and you have to be able to keep your eyes open to look at the script while you're picturing it. Well, I projected on the inside of my foe and then I just read it off,
mad it off from in there. H I can't. You're just like, uh, let me see, wait what page are you? Yeah, I'm there. I realized that I do a lot of snoring, or when the character has to snore something, I always close my eyes and you can't read while your eyes are closed, so I'm like, yes, I'll be right there like this. I don't know why I have to go Yeah, that's right most of the time. Every now and then, yeah, yeah, I won't bore you with this, but it's too late. I probably
have the longest snore on any you do. I didn't know there was something in the running for that, something a Disney show that I'm pretty sure was never put out there. It was going to be sort of like a book on tape thing speaking of which and that the powers that be Michael Eisner left and his pet projects went away, but it was too late. They had already paid me. And then many people listen to it and then just on
the floor asleep. Is that? Yes, that's true, that's very Do you go there's there's like a you can go up here or yeah, I'm a nose guy. Are you okay? That's what I was wondering. I think, well, I think I'm in between. See I close my eyes then too, you're ambidextrous. Yeah, it depends on what the character looks
like and who they are, their physical makeup. Like a tiny fairy would be like you know, maybe there and like a giant rhinoceros in a in a to two, for instance, or hippo that's a you know kind of that's really here. It's all over the place. People are different and we're the same. Yeah, that's right. I always like it. I always like it when there's a little bitty guy, you know, I I just that's not quite it. No, no thanks. Then there's always one guy
that I don't know. That's not bad. Can we use it somewhere else? Yeah, let's keep it. This is you're like, oh, yeah, that's right. I guess let's go over here high boys. Now, has anybody ever asked you to do any other male characters? Said Jim curiously. Yeah, well in audiobooks, I do a lot of them. I do. I was in Max and Dinosaur King, whose voice is similar to Ash. Yeah. I do play a lot of boys. Actually I do, interestingly enough, and perhaps not. It's a phrase you don't hear A
lot of boys. Do a lot of boys? Like a like a violin? I see how I'm like skirting that the uh the I do a lot of English as a second language. So there are audio workbooks teaching people in different countries. What's your first language? It's hard to tell, isn't it? I'll speak real good here. Yeah, and I teach others how to do it too. There you go. But I do a lot of boy
voices for that also. Okay, so I'm the go to boy voice Canadian voice, New Zealand or Australia voice or like something like that when they when they need accents Britishy, britishy whatever, you can do a Canadian accent. Well, yeah, of course, because you know, if you forgot about how to do it, you just kind of have to. I want to hear it. That's it, man, that was it. That was disible time. He wait, can you do it? Can you? You're like it's like I am standing up, you know that, Like you have to
just like it has to be wider. It's not curious because I'm Canadian. I'm commadient. Oh yeah, no, you'd have to dislike it's kind of to do it charactery. You there's not much of a difference. But it's that forgot about it. It's kind of you know, oh yeah, oh god, we were there. It's kind of coming into the Midwestern You gotta like give me a script. Man, I'm not gonna improv anymore with you. What's the what's the key for Australian accent, then what's the key for
that? Well, I will say right now, because you're here in the room, my my New Zealand and Australia merge together often and sometimes people don't know the difference, so please please forgive me. But I would say, if you're if you're beckon heat, if you get like this literal to kind of go there, you know, that's pretty good in a scene. You know, Kina, you know, what are you faking yours? I feel like New Zealand they do the chips fish and where where fish and chips?
It sounds different to me, probably sounds exactly the same, Crispa, No, no, no, you don't at all. It's just that in my reenact acting it, I'm not specific enough because it's that like fashion chops going there, you know, sweet as yeah kind of, but there's there's like a if you if you really were going to character it like New Zealand could be you know, much more here, you know, Connor, and then you can get your assie more front, you know, Connor, I should
be there. I would be better there right now in awe. I'm just like, I mean, all watching you guys, I mean watch you guys talking Ara about snoring. It was just fascinating. The thing is, we don't get that much time to chat really, so I could just talk about jobs you've done for your whole life. So like, what else you would we want to talk about you about? Yeah, let's not do that a lot. Okay, I was a dickhead on a riverboat there. People know
that dick can't it? Well, what I it's kind of be It wasn't a deckhead you were? You were you were working on a deck, yes, like a deck of a ship. Did you did you have to scrub? Oh? Yeah, yeah, yeah, you you do. I see yeah, assault you have to get the salt off. I see salts everywhere. Yeah, barnacles and salts. Well, hopefully there are no barnacles because you've scrubbed it. Article bill or sailor. No, it's I'm just leading into things for you. Yeah, thank you. You just pitching out catch.
Yeah, that's good. You mentioning earlier veronicoback getting paid for gigs. Can you remember the first time you got the call for the ash gig? Did you have any idea what Pokemon was? Did they know it was going to be a big deal. Was it pitch to you as you've got to do this, this is going to be huge, or oh no, gosh, no, we did. They did say that it was going to go on television, and none of us really believed it. I've done other anime
before, so I really believed that. Yeah, nobody. Where would it be? Yeah, just like wherever other anime was the radio, No it would, that's true. I don't I don't know. Other things just went to VHS tape, you know, wasn't big. Anime wasn't big until Pikemon
Dragon Balls eight year. That's right, that was nineteen ninety eight. And so we it aired in America in September of ninety eight, and we auditioned in April something or February, March, April something like that, and I probably could look at my calendar and know, but we it was just an
audition. We watched a clip of the cartoon, and then they wanted our voices to get as close as possible to the original actors, and then I suppose mine was the closest, and we had a lot of callbacks, and then finally we started working on the first episode, and we redid it many times because they kept changing things and tweaking it, and then off we went, and then it aired in September, and then the rest was history. We had like three months off and then found out that we had a second
season and then we went. So it was not glamorous at all. It was just, you know, a job that you went to while none of us that was never our only job, so we just I think I probably did get a call. Actually I would have gotten the call to my service and then I would have called them back from the payphone because I was doing a show, a play in Massachusetts at the time, so I was going up there and then having to come back an audition and then go back up
for the show. Yeah. And I was working on a soap at the same time too, for Another World, Another World, Yeah, oddly. Still, yeah, I think I think that one's ended. Oh actually, but that was in New York and they filmed. They didn't film it there. What did they do? Then it's on tape, so it was called not filming. But they shot it in the same building that Esther Williams did a lot of swimming in the pool that they you know those all that great
swimming synchronized chilosophy that apparently was in the pool in the basement. The pool was in the basement of the building where the soap was filmed. Wow, that's kind of cool. Yeah, that is kind of cool. Yeah. I never saw that. Yeah, anyway, so all those things kind of came together. And and because of having this job and a child, I didn't have to cater waiter anymore. So I stopped doing that. Probably in maybe uh September, I came out. Okay, I couldn't fit in my
tucks anymore, right, my stomach was too big. Child. Wow, well it worked out great. Look at she's awesome. I know, she's Yeah, greatest job I've ever had, the longest job, actually, I mean that's the whole thing. Pokemon for eight years is still the longest, other than being a mom, the longest job I've ever had. Wow. So it's pretty amazing. That is so damn cool. And boy that you know, did you realize Pokemon was going to be a phenomenon? I would
yeah, I would say. We were living in New York, so you could see kids playing with their Pokemon cards on the subway or on the bus, and so I was like, this is interesting that they know that that's a sign. Yes. And then there was a store down the street from one of the studios we worked in that was selling these rings with Pokemon on them, and I would go in and I was like, you know, you may want to order more still of those rings. I should wear them.
But I did get to go to the opening of the movie, the first movie I flew to La and Reno was with me for that, my daughter, and that was really cool to walk on the red carpet. Not that anyone knew who I was or why I was there. There was no interviews or anything, but to be there and to see all that the theater filled. It's hard when you have a movie for kids. I do remember going to that, and also to the premiere in New York, and it
looked pretty much like the movie. Theater was empty. But then you realize that most of the kids their heads don't the seat. Yeah, it was fat, that's so cute. It was adorable. Anyway, That's when I figured this thing's got legs. Uh huh oh yeah yeah yeah. And now those kids are bringing their kids. Yeah, it's just love. It's a dream, isn't it. Yeah, I really do, Like I don't know why. I got such a kick out of that. I know me too.
It's so incredibly special. I like to say, you know, like we've been in your living room and now you're in a sense in ours at our tables at conventions and getting to really meet them and we know each other already. Yeah, but here we get to hug and I'm sure that you get you know, the criers that they'll come up and they'll just it's just amazing how it's just it's so sweet. Yeah, and it's overwhelming. Yeah, it's just overwhelming. I met Starsky Hutch and Huggy Bear and I almost
cried. It was just so I was like I used to watch on TV and then I just that kind of stuff is so cool, so so amazingly cool. Yeah. Well, I if I can kind of remember where Paul Michael Klaser lives because his kid in mind went, you mean we could like drive by the well, I could tell you where it is and then run like, hell, okay, all right, probably probably do that. That would work, Okay, I would be up for no. No, Well, maybe I'll just borrow someone's dog and walk it past the house so I
can just it's not me, it's the dog. I'll clean up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you have. I met you. I like you said that. It's not me, it's the dog. It wasn't her, it was the Okay, I peed on the tree. Okay, fine, fine, I do that. I'm marking my territory so I can find my way back. Yes, yeah, that's horrible. Yeah, run across the car and jump on it. Or that's true. Dukes of Hazzard, that's dukes of hazard. I'm so embarrassed right now. No, no, they're
all the same. They used to do that too. They'd slide across husky and starch dukes, did they because they were police? They were a big time Well sure, yeah, that's what you do. That's what you do. How did we get here? I don't know, actually, but I know where we're going, getting back to the book. Pokemon cards because they were Chris can I agree to this. That was the biggest thing in the world, Pokemon cards in ninety eight through two thousand, biggest. But when
anything, well, people have given me a lot of things. I don't collect a lot of stuff like Pokemon related things, but I do have cards. We live in a small apartment, so we can't have much more. We've got us and our books, and we've got a lot of books, collected books. I love old books, like pre nineteen hundred or cookbooks that
are really old. There's a lot of these like homemaker housekeeper type books where the cookbook tells you how to do your budget, how to buy the best cut of meat if you're on a budget, how to cook it, how to serve more people, and they're so they just had so much information that I collect those and then I could keep my place with a Pokemon card maybe, but we have a lot of crazy Pikachu things that people have given us
and things that they've made, drawings that people have made, stories that they've written. It's just incredible. Yeah. So I kind of try to figure out where to put that in the apartment in like you know, and still be able to walk through it. Oh yeah, yeah, I know. I'm a bit of a I'm an apprentice hoarder. Yes, well, it's
it's it's a lot of stuff out there. There is And also if my if I could have a museum, I could put a lot of this stuff in there and then free up my that's true, that would be kind of better. It's not a hoarding. It's just keeping it so it doesn't go to the trash bin. So many people throw valuable things out rather than giving it away. Asked Jim about his comics. Oh, oh, really, you have a lot, my dearest mom. Yeah, I remember, well.
I had the first fantastic for, first Spider Man, first Avengers, first Hulk, first Iron Man. I could picture these in my head. I can see them. And the first Spider Man wasn't even Spider Man. It was amazing, amazing tales, I think it was. And he's swinging
across and I had moved out. I was nineteen. I moved out, and I was back home visiting, and maybe I was like twenty four, maybe twenty three, twenty four, And I went up to the attic and you had to shove a cabinet out of the way, then open a door, then crawl up there. And I couldn't see them, and I had like four or five boxes of first number one still in. I got to believe that we were in great condition. Yeah, you know Spider Man, like I said, fantasts for. And I go, mom, I can't
find any of my old coming. Oh don't worry, hon, I gave him to the garage sailt down by church. Oh god, that has to be over a year or so ago, they said they did real well, oh no, but she had to crawl all the way up there to get them out. Even horrible, I said, Mom, I was gonna come and catch him in and buy you a house. Yeah. I don't need that, Yeah, yeah, yeah, she probably would. I bought it one anyway. Yeah. Yeah, I know. They're all very horrible things
in life. Okay, there's horrible things in life. But to come back to look for something like that, especially comic books. So many parents have thrown out people's comic books. Well, yeah, and whenever I go to a convention, I'll always hit up the comic book places and and I just always get the oldest ones that are falling apart and you can't read them, and they're all brown pages now. And Joe Wheder is still in there, make a man out of you with the kicking sand and yeah, with the
kicking sand. Yeah, and he looks like a slob by today's standards. I go, yeah, but I almost look like that, so shut up. Yeah, what do you get a hold of yourself? Okay, nice tiger, Oh that little or Jaguar whatever it is, but probably yeah, it could be. It was spotted tear along the dotted lion. Keep it on, keep it on. Yeah, that's all right. God, I'm old. Maybe your world traveled. That's that's road hard and put up wet. Is that the expression you're looking for? It wasn't, but I'm going
to use it from now on. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, I think it came from New York maybe or not, or like it's it sounds like it's one of those things that you have in your car that you put your feet on, but then you can take it out and clean it. Oh, weather guard weather road hard and put up wet because you've got to clean it. I'm just gonna don't know where yours came from, but I'm always trying to steer it into something we call and listen to make money on.
Right. So that's it. So we don't have big collections, either of us, but we have a lot of stuff we've I think we've come to that conclusion. And well, you know what I do is I buy a lot of junk of stuff because Pooh and Tigger, there's every single possible thing you can imagine. And then I'll autograph them and then I figure when I'm gone, the gang can sell them off. Hey that's good because it's got to be more expensive when I'm dead. Yes, hold it, hold
on to hold on to it till then. So that's that's a good idea. Yeah, I mean, I really actually, I mean I do that on purpose. That's a good idea. I've got to tell so many people that don't tell them where you keep the stuff. Yeah, yet it's not my house, not in your house, not anywhere near me. Yeah, it's not. It's not in that back And I haven't said that much. I still have they're all empty, empty or clean. I didn't. I think it's all so yeah, so it's all in good time. I'll be
busy on my deathbed. A oh yeah, the the U. By then they'll have a robot arm that you can just have, but you can have the photo of your hand fingers on the magic. This is jolly stuff. Speaking of which, when am I going to see you again? Who knows? Yeah, I don't know. I'm working. I'm a guest at a film festival in the Blue Water Film Festival next week, so we're kind of
in San Diego, La Joya O that and then fancy I know. And then my daughter and I have a podcast also when we're doing the podcast movement, that kind of convention things, we're doing that for a bit. That's cool. Yeah, so you know, stuff is keeping me in Los Angeles a little bit. We'll tell everybody the name oh ours is called The Trainer's Guide, and it is basically you can guess it's about Pokemon. It's related to Pokemon in that the fact that Rena only heard Ash's lines through my stomach
for the whole first season. We're now watching the episodes together and then so we take it episode each episode one at a time and kind of talk about what happened since you can't legally show it, and so we talk about it, and then we talk about lessons learned and some other stories and kind of how it relates to things that are happening nowadays, things like that. And she'll say that the first time I heard that, it was more like,
yeah, this sounds different. I did think though, when she was born, I'd be like, hey, little baby, I to see if she'd look up. She did she did, Yeah, Well I did that with my kids. I would yeah, I would tell them things that with pooh and take. Yes, it's so cute, and they turned out great often, But the important thing is that I gave it a shot. Did you tried your best? I tried my best. This has to be a good one. It was your dad winning a poop? What I know? What
do you want? You know? You should be good to go now, No, no guarantees. I used to read in different accents because I wanted it to be kind of a bridge into my daughter learning other languages. So that was she'd be able to understand people. So I would read and I have different books where a different accent each one. Oh wow, so like guess how much I love you? I did an Irish accent like whatever, And now she can speak Celtics. She has Actually she has an amazing ear.
She can hear a song once and sing it note for note. Wow. I'm going to say that's because I read to her. That's really good. It is. It is amazing. Actually she did come out this way. But I hope that small things I did helped it along. Hopefully, I don't know. You never know. Yeah, perfect pitch screaming, She did scream a bit, as you know, kids, all kids cry yes, but she cried on in key. She did cry Okay, can you do that in a a flat the sharp, I would imagine minor keys,
minor you know, the minor keys. I noticed. I remember thinking this the other day because there's this one TV channel that has all old Westerns on it, and I remember the first time, this is wow, this is some random stuff here. But the Rifleman. There was Cowboy Show and uh when when the theme song would come on, it was bow down, Down,
down down, very jaunty, major key. But whenever the bad guy was sneaking around the barn and might get the get the drop on the riflement, the theme song would play boom boom boom boom boom boom, same song, minor key, slowed down, instant funeral. Yeah, felt like it, you know. So it's amazing. And so many shows do that. They use the theme song in different ways, just like that. That show
might still be on TV now it is. Yeah, I think I've seen it or come upon it, but I don't know the song off the top of my head. So you're amazing. Yeah, well there you go. See still more things. But you're amazing because oh yeah, no you are, no, no, no, no, it's you. Well it's your show, so you're the star. Well we'll call it us then, okay, just for now, all right, just for today on our show, we are and did we tell everybody where they can find Oh, it's the
Trainer's Guide. It's everywhere you find your podcasts. So and we do once a week. It come out on Wednesdays, and yeah, it's super fun. We ask people to write in and send either something written or a recording of their favorite memories. They could send checks. I mean we can take that. We won't give you an address, so but we'll take checks. Okay, but that way. It's Pokemon is about the community, and our podcast is for the community, so we want people to be involved in it
and send in their memories. Of course, it's been amazing, amazing to read them, but more so the recordings are so special. It's been fantastic. So we're halfway through the first season. We have fifty two episodes. Wow to get through. Was it the first time you'd revisited the series since you've been on it? Yes? Actually, yeah, it's been crazy. The show, I'm going to say, so funny, The writing was so good, and they're all these kind of old corny vaudeville kind of jokes,
classic classic humor that really hold up. It's been fantastic. The animation is simple, it's you know, the stories. Some of them are kind of kooky or you know whatever, cartoons are weird, and yet this one is. You can really see the friendships building. And I'm having such a great time. I will be quite honest. When we started watching it again, I was like, I don't think I can do this. I'm not interested in rewatching myself or whatever, but I'm really I look forward to it every
week. So it's been great nice Yeah, and rightly so. Yeah, and even Rena seems to like it and she still likes me, so it's working out. Always a good sight. Yeah, I mean we're halfway through, so we'll see. Yeah, we either cool mom my mom? Was my mom is ash? Were you the cool mom? Yeah? Well I would say no, but I would go on a lot of field trips and things, so I knew a lot of Rena's classmates for that, but they
didn't really care about what I did for a living. It's just what I was doing in the moment, because honestly, no kid really cares about anything other than themselves because and rightly so, when you're a child, you have the luxury of just being in the moment and wanting to be heard, and I had the luxury of being able to listen. So in that sense that could make me cool, I guess, but really it just makes you a better human And really I became a better person from being on those field trips.
Those kids were all so great, just the same as now at these conventions, like hearing the stories of what people went through or how they found their best friend and all that stuff. It's just to be able to listen to that's it really is an honor. So yeah, so for that there was I was never even my daughter tried to tell people, you know, my mom's ash and they're like okay, and then back to whatever they were doing. So yeah, well no they didn't do that, and then they
went, I just mad. Do you understand. I think it's more nowadays when people are older that it matters. Like when Reno was in high school or college, her teachers cared more than her classmates. Was that the same for you? Yeah, it's it was weird because we'd well I can remember one once, many moons ago, you know, my my two older girls, we would take turns walking them around at Halloween trick or treating, and it was my year to walk. And these two little guys came up and
they said trick or treat, you know. The one was seven, one was nine. And the time she gave him some candy, she goes, there, you go, have a nice night, be safe, and they're standing there. Oh no, and then and so do we need some here's some more jelly beanes. Okay, we're good. How's everybody done now? And he sits there and he goes this dark wing duck lift heir for reels and and she goes, oh, oh yeah, but he's not here now, he's out the was making sure that the kids are safe. Yes,
and it's his brother. He goes, I told you you booker, and that was the So he was a booker and I was darkly. That's amazing. And then you just come out in your costume. Hello, yeah, get off my steps. Well yeah, you never know, that could happen
too someday, right, yes, you never know. Did you ever have a dark wing duck costume or Winnie the Poop costume or Tigger or any of the other there's so many I can't take up the whole thing with me namey or no, no no. Have you ever dressed up in your character's costume? Maybe? Yeah? Really? Yeah interesting? Did you buy the costume yourself or did someone? But maybe yeah? Interesting? Yeah interesting? You know you have one cousin? Yeah, how about that? So you ordered
it even? Yeah? Yeah, this is very this is next level. Yes, I would you wear it again, like win begging if that would actually be hilarious if you did an episode it's a Honda and Knaka from Star Wars. Okay, okay, that would be I can see that. So it's not like Winnie the pood when when he sits around, he sits around.
Yeah, that's true. But the Honda was really interesting because it's a it's a full and then you'll see this down there and they're going and you look at it and at first it kind of looks legit and you're going wow, And then I don't think he had a beard. Did he have a Oh god, that's a person you know. Wait, there's someone in there that is really I would like to see a photo you don't have to put
it on. Maybe photo from the other time you wore it, but that you found someone to make that for you too, that's this is really great. Yeah, well they're out there. I know. That's amazing. You know. Yeah. I have not dressed up in any character that that I've done. Ever. I don't want to offend anyone because some people have a favorite, I don't want to I don't want to offend it by choosing. Well, yeah, besides your best guys a boy, that's true, but
he wears a vest in pants and you know, baseball hat. I do wear my baseball hat backwards. That's ashy, it is. That's like normal human though too. Yeah, yeah, that's way too normal. I know you're gonna have to grease it up somehow, just screw it up some fashion. Yeah, something like that. My hair sticks out anyway, so I'm kind of I'm getting there you too. Huh. Oh my gosh. Well, this is it's been amazing. Before we wrap it up, though,
there's something that we like to do on each episode. Okay, when we have a voice actor on, I'm going to try and explain it. Okay, well this time, because for some reason it's always lost in translation. Okay, okay, it's a character voice swap. Okay, Jim will say a line. Let's say I'll give a specific example, Okay, Jim will say a line as Winnie the Pooh twenty the Pooh's iconic characters. And then you'll say, in let's say, as I'll take Ash because that's the furthest
from my normal voice. And so then you'll say the same line as you did in your character voice. I'm so totally ready for and then we'll switch. That seems very okay, Okay, that's that's really great. Are you gonna choose Winning the Poof for both of yours? Sure? Okay, okay, all right, you go. I would like for you to say, yes, would you please pass me a smackrel of honey? Is that a yes? So great? Okay, hey, excuse me? Would you please pass me a smackrel of honey? Now? Please? I know I'm like
Winned the poo Oh. Would you would you please? That's like astron is the excuse me? Could you post be a smackl of honey? Yeah? That's good, that's good. You know, of of everybody that's gold, everybody that we've had on the show or anybody that I've met conventions, your voice, your ash boys really like does something to me because I became a child again, the same as winning the Pooh, Like it's a thing to
it. One time my daughter was sick and I was at a convention and we called Rina and you did Winnie the Pooh on the phone, and it was just like we already know you, but my gosh, it was just so special. And it's like those little things that key you in. So it's you know, I have some voices that are like, hey, it's so nice to meet you. You know, like whatever, so what, that's fine? Whatever phone line and have you called it? Yes, that's how I reckon. I didn't know it was you. Yes, But you
know, that's funny. It's a thing. But there's something about these where we're lucky again to have a character that's not us but so deeply ingrained that it is us. Well. I have a miniature philosophy about that. And anything that you can do that evokes a instant to being eight or five or something like that, that that that's transformative. Yeah. Yeah, it's like buoying. Okay, here, okay, geez I remember I was sitting on the couch and you know, and I was holding that green pillow that had
yeah. Yeah, there's also something too about these let's say, just these two characters that they are. You know, when you are ten, they say, that's when you start to figure out who you want to be when you're older, what you might want to do, kind of where you're going to go. And these characters are ten and below, and so you tap into that kind of unlimited potential and that just that naive ta and that trust, and that's who the character is. So I think you allow the audience
to enter into that room through these voices too, you know. So there's something about that that it you can be like, I'm ten again, you know, I'm a kid again hearing those voices, because it's it's full of imagination, you know. Okay, so what would Ash say to you? I'm interesting to get you only he win? That would you? Okay? Uh? Okay? How about that? Uh? Pikachu, I choose you?
Okay, Pika, I choose you, Sorry, Piglet, because you would have to you would have to apologize to you would of course you would. I'm sorry too, that's my terrible Piglet. Don't wry. I choose you to Piglet. Come on over, pek a piglet. I can't do that. I've never imitated those voices at home. I'm gonna have to start so the next time I come on, I can just that's my Disney characters. Bad, bad, impressed. Well that's good, it's totally good. Yeah. Well, I always say, if you do a bad impression of
someone famous, you have a new character totally. Oh yeah, I do, I do. I played a sheep that was like we we we were going here. She was in word world. Actually taught kids how to read. But she had a bit of a stutter too, so she taught kids how to stutter. Yeah, little, but in a smooth way, smooth one. Who was that Demosthenes Euripides? Humanities? Is that where we're going with the jokes? No humanities? Where are those? I can't where? Demons? Demons? Was it demons? The guy who had a We had
that gun the gum that made us focus and be smarter. And I'm not it's not mine? Wre off? Mine did too. I can't remember anything. Okay, we're back full circle. Yeah, back to the snoring again. Well we're here today with oh no wait, no wait, we did that already, like vu okay, yes, and What I loved about that voice swap, though, was that, as you were mentioning earlier the difference between voicing a character and knowing a character, Jim knew he isn't his voice
winning the poo. He knew he had to throw in the piglet line because Jim is winning the poop. He knew exactly what Winnie the Pooh would sounds. That's that's the key, it is. You have to live it. It's how they That's how you can really tell all your characters apart is who they who they are. Yeah, that's fantastic. There's a guy out there. I can't think of his name, but he'll come on. And and and another fellow who's very, very very successful has also said, oh no,
I don't. I'm prov no, no, no no. But there's a guy that does a lot of my characters, not very well, but no heart, heart but no heart. And uh and I ran into him at a function and uh and and I say, isn't that And yeah, well no he won't. He won't come over. And I said, because he's worried that everybody. I know this guy and he does this with like everybody that he ever meets at a convention, he doesn't meet him because he's he's worried they're gonna yell at him or say he does it badly or stop
or you know, give him the single digit salute. And of course I wouldn't have. I was just gonna hit him, just going to suckers lights out. But now you can't hit too, art because you've got your signing hand. Yeah that's true, robot arm. Yeah. I think the people who can do amazing impressions are incredible, and I too, would rather meet them than avoid them, because as long as they don't take your job, then that's all that matters. Sure, there's plenty of work out there for
all of us, that's right. Just don't take my job. As long as you can't act wet in the shower, that's right, you know, because people think people think you well, you're just doing voice voices. Yeah, yeah, it's all easy work. Yeah yeah, it's uh. You got to make it look easy, but it's really hard work, super fun, super worth it. And thank you, thank you. This has been so fun. Thank you so much. What again an honor to be with you, with you. I said it first, okay, but I echoed
it in your voice. Did you your back It was kind of freaky, I know. Oh my gosh. Thank you guys so much, thank you, thank you, thank you all right, thank you guys for watching. That was another episode of Tuned In with Jim Commings. Today we had Veronica Taylor. I hope you guys had a good time. Don't forget. You can find us on all social media. Please like and subscribe to us on YouTube, and you can find bonus content on Patreon, so be sure to
subscribe to that. You'll get early access bonus content, all that good stuff. Thank you so much. Once again tuned In with Jim Cummings and Veronica Taylor. Thank you so much, Thank you so much. We could have talked forever if there's so many interesting things. Yeah, it was fun. That was the best episode I think we've ever done on the podcast. Yeah, that was a really good one. Yeah, that was really good.