If you read my article 2010 Anaheim Comic Con: Day 3, you know I have a high degree of admiration for voice actors. Why shouldn't I? These people entertained us as children. I bet you would be hard-pressed to find a person who has never seen a cartoon. Since 1928, when Walt Disney introduced sound and voices to animated features, I think everyone has at least one fond memory of watching and listening to Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Felix the Cat, Betty Boop, Charlie Brown, Speed Racer, Scooby Doo, Cobra Commander, the Shredder, Sailor Moon, Pikachu, or any of the countless cartoon characters that have come out since the 1920s. For children, cartoons are the main form of visual entertainment.

Cartoons have a way of creating fond memories for a lot of people. Even today, watching my three kids watch cartoons, I am amazed at how much they recognize. Sometimes, they don't even have to be watching to know the voice of a certain character. Case in point, the other day, my wife was making dinner, and the two oldest ones were in the kitchen kind of in her way while I was with the youngest one. To get their attention and them out of the kitchen, I switched channels from ESPN to Nick Jr., which was playing Dora the Explorer. As soon as my kids heard Dora's voice, they knew to run to the living room and sit down to watch one of their favorite cartoons.

Think about that. As soon as they heard Dora's voice, not having seen that I changed the channel, something in their minds clicked, and they realized what was on. That they recognized the character just by the voice is remarkable. We don't realize how important voice actors are until we go back and try to watch something we watched as a kid being done by someone new. For me, listening to the new voices of the Ninja Turtles as opposed to the ones I listened to as a kid ... it is just so odd. Not that the new voices are bad or anything; they just aren't the ones I connected with. It is odd something so simple can leave that much of an impression.

The importance of voice actors is sometimes greatly underestimated. First and foremost, people forget these are not people with unique voices who got into acting. Quite the opposite — these are talented actors who found their way into voice acting. Many voice actors have extensive traditional acting backgrounds ranging from stage and theater to film and movies and even singing and standup comedy. Something at a certain point in time just happened to point them in the direction of doing voices for animated series. Even after doing voice acting, they continue with their traditional acting roles as well. Hell, these people even voice the video games we all love and play with a passion. Snake wouldn't be Snake if just anyone portrayed him. Neither would Bastila Shan or Dominic Santiago or Preston Marlowe or even Mario. We connect with these voices because of the people talented enough to provide them.

I am ranting and getting off track. I was very delighted the Anaheim Comic Con allotted time for the voice acting panel. It is a panel I have hardly seen at any other con. Most of the time, when you see a voice acting panel, it is at franchise-specific events in which people already know who the actors are. Given the current nature of comic books and their transitioning to other mediums in which these people are required to bring those characters to life ... I was surprised to see not many cons and events allowed time for these types of panels. Don't tell me that comic book fans don't watch cartoons or play video games.

Of course they do. The number of fans who showed up at the panel and stopped by these actors' and actresses' tables proved that voice acting panels and the presence of voice actors in general was a welcome site to many fans, young and old. As I said in my previous article, I really geeked out when I met some of those people I have listened to for a majority of my life. So did so many others at the convention. This is the type of thing I would like to see more often at cons and events. These people are so important to the pop culture landscape that to exclude them from events fans of their medium attend would be a great travesty.

Photo courtesy of Desiree Gentile

I can post as many articles on this subject as I want, but without the support and help of other fans, that will never happen. I am one voice, and I am making sure I am being heard on this issue everywhere I can. However, other fans need to step up and demand these types of panels and guest. If you are a fan of cartoons and video games, surely you have made some kind of connection with the voice of your favorite character, be it male or female, hero or villain. If you want to meet the people who work hard to provide that entertainment, make it known to the people who run these shows, events, and cons you want to see these actors and actresses there. Make it known you want to meet them and take a picture with them or even just say "Hello" and "Thank you" for all their work. 

It is bad enough the companies that produce these cartoons and games think of these people as interchangeable. Please don't become a content fan that lets them get away with replacing voice actors for others who will do so for less money. Or replace the voice of an iconic role with some Hollywood actor just to add some name recognition to a franchise. Imagine how different Metal Gear Solid 4 would have been if someone other than David Hayter provided the voice for Snake. Or how Optimus Prime would have sounded in those two live-action Transformers films had Peter Cullen been replaced by some other actor. Or how different Cinderella would sound in every new feature if Disney replaced her voice each and every time for some cheaper talent rather than call back Jennifer Hale again and again.

I know I am ranting again, but this is something about which I am greatly passionate. I have always been fascinated with the talented people behind the voices that have provided me — and who knows how many countless others — with so many hours of entertainment. My fellow fans, let your voices be heard and demand that cons and events allow time for these individuals to be recognized for the talent they possess. I really hope this isn't the last event I attend of this type with a panel like this. I am positive there are at least some of you out there who feel the same way.

OK, sorry for the rant, but I just had to get that out there.