Marc Tyler Nobleman's Blog, page 147
August 26, 2011
Super '70s and '80s: Sea World superheroes water ski show—Dan Kibbie, co-writer
Introduction to series "Super '70s and '80s."
Introduction to subseries "Sea World superheroes show" (including list of interviewees).
SWSH = Sea World superheroes
How did you get the job with the SWSH show?
John Campbell was the VP in San Diego and I had worked for him at ABC in Chicago, Detroit, and New York. He subsequently retired and went to Sea World and he introduced me to George Millay, the owner of the parks and the founder of the parks. Millay had a black notebook with how to build Sea World. He sold the idea to San Diego. He based it on the idea that 80% of the park would be gardens. Once [a show] was up and running we pretty much left it to Sea World staff to operate on sound principles. They're very good at that kind of thing.
What was your background before taking the job?
I was in television. I did talk shows for 13 years. Then I did some episodic TV and some specials. I did some of these Sea World things on the side.
Before you wrote the show, how much familiarity did you have with the DC characters?
None, really. Sea World got the rights to whatever it was, DC Comics. There were some caveats—you couldn't have Superman do things that damaged his reputation as a superhero.
Bugs Batty
How were the characters to be used chosen? Did you have anything to do with that?
I don't think so. I'm sure they purchased the rights to certain characters that would be good for a water ski show.
Do you remember having to do research about the characters?
I don't recall it being all that troublesome. We all kind of grew up with those characters so we had a general idea of what they could possibly do in terms of the athletics involved in water skiing.
But there were some in the cast who were fairly obscure, like Mera. I'm sure you got some debriefing.
Maybe so. Or maybe that character was added in Florida. I don't recall that character. With the water ski show, it started in Ohio and went to the other parks after a couple years, I think.
Where did you write the SWSH show?
That's a good question. I think we wrote it in Ohio but may have done some of the preliminary work in LA.
Did you see the show?
Of course we saw it. We were there for months. I think that was at the time of the Kent State shootings, and that was close. I remember that Ken and I traveled by the university, but not sure if it was before or after. It must've been before.
Kent State was in 1970 and this show began in 1976.
I'm sure it was on our minds when we passed the place.
Did you spend time socially with the SWSH performers?
All the time. We were the line producers.
Socially?
I'm sure we did.
What was the age split?
They were all about college-aged kids.
Where do you live now?
I live full-time in Arizona. I'm retired.
What do you like to do these days?
Right now I'm writing a letter to the governor of Arizona because they passed a law here that they can stop you if you're suspicious looking and make you produce documentation to show you're legal. Obviously they're not going to stop too many white Euro-Americans and mostly tan Mexican-Americans. It's waiting the governor's signature. I think a lot of people are upset with the idea that Arizona would be a state where this kind of harassment is legal.
What was your reaction when you first heard why I was contacting you?
I thought it could be very fun.
Next: Curt Rector and Ken McCabe, announcers.
Introduction to subseries "Sea World superheroes show" (including list of interviewees).
SWSH = Sea World superheroes
How did you get the job with the SWSH show?
John Campbell was the VP in San Diego and I had worked for him at ABC in Chicago, Detroit, and New York. He subsequently retired and went to Sea World and he introduced me to George Millay, the owner of the parks and the founder of the parks. Millay had a black notebook with how to build Sea World. He sold the idea to San Diego. He based it on the idea that 80% of the park would be gardens. Once [a show] was up and running we pretty much left it to Sea World staff to operate on sound principles. They're very good at that kind of thing.
What was your background before taking the job?
I was in television. I did talk shows for 13 years. Then I did some episodic TV and some specials. I did some of these Sea World things on the side.
Before you wrote the show, how much familiarity did you have with the DC characters?
None, really. Sea World got the rights to whatever it was, DC Comics. There were some caveats—you couldn't have Superman do things that damaged his reputation as a superhero.
Bugs BattyHow were the characters to be used chosen? Did you have anything to do with that?
I don't think so. I'm sure they purchased the rights to certain characters that would be good for a water ski show.
Do you remember having to do research about the characters?
I don't recall it being all that troublesome. We all kind of grew up with those characters so we had a general idea of what they could possibly do in terms of the athletics involved in water skiing.
But there were some in the cast who were fairly obscure, like Mera. I'm sure you got some debriefing.
Maybe so. Or maybe that character was added in Florida. I don't recall that character. With the water ski show, it started in Ohio and went to the other parks after a couple years, I think.
Where did you write the SWSH show?That's a good question. I think we wrote it in Ohio but may have done some of the preliminary work in LA.
Did you see the show?
Of course we saw it. We were there for months. I think that was at the time of the Kent State shootings, and that was close. I remember that Ken and I traveled by the university, but not sure if it was before or after. It must've been before.
Kent State was in 1970 and this show began in 1976.
I'm sure it was on our minds when we passed the place.
Did you spend time socially with the SWSH performers?
All the time. We were the line producers.
Socially?
I'm sure we did.
What was the age split?
They were all about college-aged kids.
Where do you live now?
I live full-time in Arizona. I'm retired.
What do you like to do these days?
Right now I'm writing a letter to the governor of Arizona because they passed a law here that they can stop you if you're suspicious looking and make you produce documentation to show you're legal. Obviously they're not going to stop too many white Euro-Americans and mostly tan Mexican-Americans. It's waiting the governor's signature. I think a lot of people are upset with the idea that Arizona would be a state where this kind of harassment is legal.
What was your reaction when you first heard why I was contacting you?
I thought it could be very fun.
Next: Curt Rector and Ken McCabe, announcers.
August 25, 2011
Super '70s and '80s: Sea World superheroes water ski show—Clark Gault, composer
Introduction to series "Super '70s and '80s."
Introduction to subseries "Sea World superheroes show" (including list of interviewees).
SWSH = Sea World superheroes
What was your role with the SWSH show?
I was the music composer.
How did you get the job?
Back then, Sea World was an independent company based in San Diego and everyone was hired based on word of mouth.
What were you doing before that?
I was not a full-time employee, but hired on a contract basis to do music writing. I did all of the music writing for all three Sea Worlds at that time.
How long did it take you to score the show?
Not sure, but I probably spent 40-50 hours writing, maybe 10-15 researching the music. I had to use libraries and find rerun TV shows to record themes.
What (if any) pieces of existing music were incorporated into the score?
Sea World didn't want to pay royalties, so all my music was similar to the original themes but legally original.
That's one big Aquaman.
Were you at the show on a regular basis?
All music at that time was put on tapes that were very much like 8-track tapes. They had multiple tracks that could be selected for playback. Similar systems were used in most radio stations of that time. I wrote an intro, looped body, and short ending to all music used in the parks.
Have you stayed in touch with anyone you met or worked with at the SWSH show?
It's been many years, and I don't really remember any names.
Has anyone else interviewed you about the SWSH show?
I was contacted by a book author and supplied a few original scores (printed). This is the name I wanted to find, but my correspondence was on a previous email I no longer have because of moving and the book is packed away. [NOTE: I presume this is Age of TV Heroes.]
What was your first thought when you heard why I was contacting you?
That someone else actually remembers this.
What are you doing these days?
I'm partially retired, but still write music on a freelance basis.
Next: Dan Kibbie, co-writer.
Introduction to subseries "Sea World superheroes show" (including list of interviewees).
SWSH = Sea World superheroes
What was your role with the SWSH show?
I was the music composer.
How did you get the job?
Back then, Sea World was an independent company based in San Diego and everyone was hired based on word of mouth.
What were you doing before that?
I was not a full-time employee, but hired on a contract basis to do music writing. I did all of the music writing for all three Sea Worlds at that time.
How long did it take you to score the show?
Not sure, but I probably spent 40-50 hours writing, maybe 10-15 researching the music. I had to use libraries and find rerun TV shows to record themes.
What (if any) pieces of existing music were incorporated into the score?
Sea World didn't want to pay royalties, so all my music was similar to the original themes but legally original.
That's one big Aquaman.Were you at the show on a regular basis?
All music at that time was put on tapes that were very much like 8-track tapes. They had multiple tracks that could be selected for playback. Similar systems were used in most radio stations of that time. I wrote an intro, looped body, and short ending to all music used in the parks.
Have you stayed in touch with anyone you met or worked with at the SWSH show?
It's been many years, and I don't really remember any names.
Has anyone else interviewed you about the SWSH show?
I was contacted by a book author and supplied a few original scores (printed). This is the name I wanted to find, but my correspondence was on a previous email I no longer have because of moving and the book is packed away. [NOTE: I presume this is Age of TV Heroes.]
What was your first thought when you heard why I was contacting you?
That someone else actually remembers this.
What are you doing these days?
I'm partially retired, but still write music on a freelance basis.
Next: Dan Kibbie, co-writer.
August 24, 2011
Super '70s and '80s: Sea World superheroes water ski show—Chuck Jordan, Supervisor of Entertainment
Introduction to series "Super '70s and '80s."
Introduction to subseries "Sea World superheroes show" (including list of interviewees).
SWSH = Sea World superheroes
What was your role with the SWSH show?
At that time I was Supervisor of Entertainment, Sea World, and supervised live entertainment announcers and actors. Worked with script development, staging and installation, costume operations, etc. Also lighting director for Atlantis Theater.
How did you get the job with the SWSH show?
Visited Orlando when first married and applied for job at Sea World. Interviewed nine times, still not sure why. But was offered the job.
What was your background before taking the job?
Graduate of Florida State University with majors in applied music, dance, theater; worked in summer stock in New York; work in set design and install lighting, etc.
How long were you with the SWSH show or Sea World in general?
Worked for Sea World from 1976 through about 1989 (Supervisor of Entertainment, Sea World; Manager of Entertainment Contract Services and Special Events; Manager of Entertainment Florida Festival; Director of Entertainment Boardwalk and Baseball).
How were the characters to be used chosen? Did you have anything to do with that?
DC Comics played a large role in character selection and integrity of design and character.
How did you find a costume designer?
Costuming was executed by Lloyd Lambert who had extensive experience in LA and Vegas. This was all new at that time, especially the need for durability. Superheroes at that time were spandex city and jumbo spandex, while shiny and durable, has basic weakness in that it was not designed for high-speed extreme sports applications. A simple pair of red high boots for Wonder Woman posed a problem because in the '70s there were not red boots, no high gloss paints that would adhere to boots or plastic, etc.
Who wrote the storyline?
Dan Kibble was engaged to do initial script treatments, but again, this was a new process, product, and exercise. The writer provided a treatment but this, as I remember, meant that the script would say something to the effect of "announcer announces the shoe ski act" or "announcer describes the ski jump act." Not real helpful. A ski jumping act is generally anywhere from five to seven minutes long unless someone falls—then it seems like 45 minutes long—but the announcer (in this case Jimmy Olsen) needed to stay engaged and to take the audience along for the ride.
I guess what I am trying to say is that while the initial storyline may have been constructed via committee with Sea World administration, DC folks, and the "writer," much of the task of taking that storyline and making it a viable, Jimmy Olsen-facilitated action show came in many cases from the performers themselves. I had numerous people on staff through the run of the show [who] were announcers, not skiers or high divers or boat drivers, but people who actually established the pace of the show, moved it forward for the audience, covered when a boat was late or if there [was] a fall. These are the people who sat in endless script meetings and worked in rehearsals to make this show different from Cypress Gardens or other ski shows; this one had a story and blended action, skill, beauty, magic, stunts, and great visuals in a way that had not been done before.
What, if any, mistakes or accidents happened during a show?
On the whole not a lot of mistakes. I guess we were all pretty demanding of ourselves, music was expected to be right on for all performances, dialogue and subtext were well established to cover for any contingency and most everyone took their job seriously. When you present a show with someone being dragged behind a high-speed boat on two sticks by a piece of rope you have enough variables to deal with. Focus was generally on show quality control and consistency of performance.
Any funny/unusual show anecdotes that you didn't address already?
I remember always being challenged by the magic illusion apparatus used in the show. Originally designed by Harry Blackstone, Jr. and his wife Gaye, the apparatus was in a unique environment—water, sand, skiers, performers, escape tunnels with rising levels of water sometimes, wheels that would grind to a stop with sand occasionally, training, training, training, and quality control to insure safety. The spike bed was particularly important. I remember [that] every day the show was in production, at precisely the time that illusion was on stage, we all monitored performance; even though we know how the illusion was performed, we, all of us, always paid extra attention to that segment of the show.
Did you spend time socially with the SWSH performers?
Not really. It has been a long time and my career has taken me to many new memories along the way.
How many SWSH performers have you been in touch with continuously since the show ended?
Continuously none; from time to time, a few of us cross paths.
What do you do for a living?
Have produced shows for hotels, resorts, theme parks and similar venues around the world, continue in production.
What was your reaction when you first heard why I was contacting you?
I was intrigued and hoped you would appreciate that this show was not a superhero show exclusively; this was an exercise in developing a new creative direction for ski shows, theme park shows, and the Central Florida theme park market. The Atlantis Theater was the first 7,000-seat venue in a Central Florida theme park. This was the first concert facility in a Central Florida theme park. This was a first-of-its-kind production that would incorporate storyline, costumed characters, high-speed action, boats, special effects, high divers, fire on the surface of the water, night shows, integrated music and sound effects, magic illusions, licensed DC characters, boat patterns, backwash…it was a show concept unlike anything anywhere else in the world.
How do you look back at your time with the SWSH show?
I look at the photos and everyone seems so young.
Do you have a favorite memory about the SWSH show?
The day I performed the role of the Joker.
Do you still have the script?
No, [but] I can still hear it in my head.
Next: Clark Gault, composer.
Introduction to subseries "Sea World superheroes show" (including list of interviewees).
SWSH = Sea World superheroes
What was your role with the SWSH show?
At that time I was Supervisor of Entertainment, Sea World, and supervised live entertainment announcers and actors. Worked with script development, staging and installation, costume operations, etc. Also lighting director for Atlantis Theater.
How did you get the job with the SWSH show?Visited Orlando when first married and applied for job at Sea World. Interviewed nine times, still not sure why. But was offered the job.
What was your background before taking the job?
Graduate of Florida State University with majors in applied music, dance, theater; worked in summer stock in New York; work in set design and install lighting, etc.
How long were you with the SWSH show or Sea World in general?
Worked for Sea World from 1976 through about 1989 (Supervisor of Entertainment, Sea World; Manager of Entertainment Contract Services and Special Events; Manager of Entertainment Florida Festival; Director of Entertainment Boardwalk and Baseball).
How were the characters to be used chosen? Did you have anything to do with that?
DC Comics played a large role in character selection and integrity of design and character.
How did you find a costume designer?
Costuming was executed by Lloyd Lambert who had extensive experience in LA and Vegas. This was all new at that time, especially the need for durability. Superheroes at that time were spandex city and jumbo spandex, while shiny and durable, has basic weakness in that it was not designed for high-speed extreme sports applications. A simple pair of red high boots for Wonder Woman posed a problem because in the '70s there were not red boots, no high gloss paints that would adhere to boots or plastic, etc.
Who wrote the storyline?
Dan Kibble was engaged to do initial script treatments, but again, this was a new process, product, and exercise. The writer provided a treatment but this, as I remember, meant that the script would say something to the effect of "announcer announces the shoe ski act" or "announcer describes the ski jump act." Not real helpful. A ski jumping act is generally anywhere from five to seven minutes long unless someone falls—then it seems like 45 minutes long—but the announcer (in this case Jimmy Olsen) needed to stay engaged and to take the audience along for the ride.
I guess what I am trying to say is that while the initial storyline may have been constructed via committee with Sea World administration, DC folks, and the "writer," much of the task of taking that storyline and making it a viable, Jimmy Olsen-facilitated action show came in many cases from the performers themselves. I had numerous people on staff through the run of the show [who] were announcers, not skiers or high divers or boat drivers, but people who actually established the pace of the show, moved it forward for the audience, covered when a boat was late or if there [was] a fall. These are the people who sat in endless script meetings and worked in rehearsals to make this show different from Cypress Gardens or other ski shows; this one had a story and blended action, skill, beauty, magic, stunts, and great visuals in a way that had not been done before.
What, if any, mistakes or accidents happened during a show?On the whole not a lot of mistakes. I guess we were all pretty demanding of ourselves, music was expected to be right on for all performances, dialogue and subtext were well established to cover for any contingency and most everyone took their job seriously. When you present a show with someone being dragged behind a high-speed boat on two sticks by a piece of rope you have enough variables to deal with. Focus was generally on show quality control and consistency of performance.
Any funny/unusual show anecdotes that you didn't address already?
I remember always being challenged by the magic illusion apparatus used in the show. Originally designed by Harry Blackstone, Jr. and his wife Gaye, the apparatus was in a unique environment—water, sand, skiers, performers, escape tunnels with rising levels of water sometimes, wheels that would grind to a stop with sand occasionally, training, training, training, and quality control to insure safety. The spike bed was particularly important. I remember [that] every day the show was in production, at precisely the time that illusion was on stage, we all monitored performance; even though we know how the illusion was performed, we, all of us, always paid extra attention to that segment of the show.
Did you spend time socially with the SWSH performers?Not really. It has been a long time and my career has taken me to many new memories along the way.
How many SWSH performers have you been in touch with continuously since the show ended?
Continuously none; from time to time, a few of us cross paths.
What do you do for a living?
Have produced shows for hotels, resorts, theme parks and similar venues around the world, continue in production.
What was your reaction when you first heard why I was contacting you?
I was intrigued and hoped you would appreciate that this show was not a superhero show exclusively; this was an exercise in developing a new creative direction for ski shows, theme park shows, and the Central Florida theme park market. The Atlantis Theater was the first 7,000-seat venue in a Central Florida theme park. This was the first concert facility in a Central Florida theme park. This was a first-of-its-kind production that would incorporate storyline, costumed characters, high-speed action, boats, special effects, high divers, fire on the surface of the water, night shows, integrated music and sound effects, magic illusions, licensed DC characters, boat patterns, backwash…it was a show concept unlike anything anywhere else in the world.
How do you look back at your time with the SWSH show?I look at the photos and everyone seems so young.
Do you have a favorite memory about the SWSH show?
The day I performed the role of the Joker.
Do you still have the script?
No, [but] I can still hear it in my head.
Next: Clark Gault, composer.
August 23, 2011
Super '70s and '80s: Sea World superheroes water ski show—Bob LaPorta, Corporate Director of Productions
Introduction to series "Super '70s and '80s."
Introduction to subseries "Sea World superheroes show" (including list of interviewees).
SWSH = Sea World superheroes
What was your role with the SWSH show?
The original concept for the superheroes show came from me. Before Sea World in Orlando, Florida had a ski stadium, we had one ski show in our park in Aurora, Ohio. We were looking to skew the ski show viewer demographics younger and I found the means to doing that right in my own home. I had two young sons, one was nine and the other eight years old. Every Saturday morning they watched superheroes on television faithfully and of course had many of the DC Comic books. It was right there in front of me.
As Corporate Director of Productions at the time, I had led the company into the realm of "themed" water ski shows with our "Roaring Twenties Water Frolics" in 1973. That was the first themed water ski show in the world (other than a Disney on Skis performance in a temporary stadium at Disney World in Orlando). For the 1975 season in Ohio, I pitched Sea World senior management the concept of theming the water ski show "Salute to the Superheroes." With their tepid approval I approached and got permission from DC Comics to proceed.
I hired the same writer/directors who had done the "Twenties" ski show to do the same for "Superheroes." They were Kenny Johnson [later producer of TV shows including The Incredible Hulk] and Dan Kibbie, friends of mine from our days on The Mike Douglas Show. Our San Diego Scenic Designer (George Yochum—also from the Douglas show) would do the set, which would be the first time we did behind the set ski takeoffs and landings. I hired Harry Blackstone, Jr. to produce three magical illusions for us that the superheroes would have sprung on them by the Joker. Lloyd Lambert of Hollywood was contracted to produce the costumes using spandex and under-costume muscles. This proved disastrous later when the elastic in the fabric melted in the dryer. When we moved the show to Florida for the new stadium, we built a special drying room for the costumes and eluded the Ohio problem.
What was the show's story?
It was centered around Jimmy Olsen (the host on mic) introducing his pals the superheroes to the audience. Then the Joker steals a boat and tries to take over the show. He and his thugs were the only villains. They fought the superheroes [under] "pow" and "biff" balloon bubble signs.
How long was the show?
35 to 40 minutes.
What do you do for a living now? It looks like you produce films of some kind?
I am semi-retired. I produce fundraising and brand identity videos for non-profit organizations. These are non-broadcast as opposed to scores of network programming I produced while at Sea World and later programs produced by my firm—LaPorta & Company. In the spring [one year in] the early nineties (I want to say), we produced an ABC Network Special for Sea World [called] Mother Earth Celebration starring Miam Bialik; [it] also aired on Nickelodeon.
Were you friends with the SWSH skiers at the time, or was it purely professional?
I would say we were professional friends but it did not extend beyond that.
Have you been in touch with any SWSH skiers since the show ended?
I have not.
Do you still have the script of the SWSH show, or know who might?
It is possibly in the files in Florida.
Do you have a favorite memory about the SWSH show?
It would have to be when Robin in Ohio tried to pick up our 10-year-old son to put him in the Batboat for a ride around the show area and discovered how solid he was and needed assistance from Jimmy Olsen.
The three-tiered pyramid of superheroes was also a sight to behold!
Next: Chuck Jordan, Supervisor of Entertainment.
Introduction to subseries "Sea World superheroes show" (including list of interviewees).
SWSH = Sea World superheroes
What was your role with the SWSH show?
The original concept for the superheroes show came from me. Before Sea World in Orlando, Florida had a ski stadium, we had one ski show in our park in Aurora, Ohio. We were looking to skew the ski show viewer demographics younger and I found the means to doing that right in my own home. I had two young sons, one was nine and the other eight years old. Every Saturday morning they watched superheroes on television faithfully and of course had many of the DC Comic books. It was right there in front of me.
As Corporate Director of Productions at the time, I had led the company into the realm of "themed" water ski shows with our "Roaring Twenties Water Frolics" in 1973. That was the first themed water ski show in the world (other than a Disney on Skis performance in a temporary stadium at Disney World in Orlando). For the 1975 season in Ohio, I pitched Sea World senior management the concept of theming the water ski show "Salute to the Superheroes." With their tepid approval I approached and got permission from DC Comics to proceed.
I hired the same writer/directors who had done the "Twenties" ski show to do the same for "Superheroes." They were Kenny Johnson [later producer of TV shows including The Incredible Hulk] and Dan Kibbie, friends of mine from our days on The Mike Douglas Show. Our San Diego Scenic Designer (George Yochum—also from the Douglas show) would do the set, which would be the first time we did behind the set ski takeoffs and landings. I hired Harry Blackstone, Jr. to produce three magical illusions for us that the superheroes would have sprung on them by the Joker. Lloyd Lambert of Hollywood was contracted to produce the costumes using spandex and under-costume muscles. This proved disastrous later when the elastic in the fabric melted in the dryer. When we moved the show to Florida for the new stadium, we built a special drying room for the costumes and eluded the Ohio problem.What was the show's story?
It was centered around Jimmy Olsen (the host on mic) introducing his pals the superheroes to the audience. Then the Joker steals a boat and tries to take over the show. He and his thugs were the only villains. They fought the superheroes [under] "pow" and "biff" balloon bubble signs.
How long was the show?35 to 40 minutes.
What do you do for a living now? It looks like you produce films of some kind?
I am semi-retired. I produce fundraising and brand identity videos for non-profit organizations. These are non-broadcast as opposed to scores of network programming I produced while at Sea World and later programs produced by my firm—LaPorta & Company. In the spring [one year in] the early nineties (I want to say), we produced an ABC Network Special for Sea World [called] Mother Earth Celebration starring Miam Bialik; [it] also aired on Nickelodeon.
Were you friends with the SWSH skiers at the time, or was it purely professional?
I would say we were professional friends but it did not extend beyond that.
Have you been in touch with any SWSH skiers since the show ended?
I have not.
Do you still have the script of the SWSH show, or know who might?
It is possibly in the files in Florida.
Do you have a favorite memory about the SWSH show?
It would have to be when Robin in Ohio tried to pick up our 10-year-old son to put him in the Batboat for a ride around the show area and discovered how solid he was and needed assistance from Jimmy Olsen.
The three-tiered pyramid of superheroes was also a sight to behold!
Next: Chuck Jordan, Supervisor of Entertainment.
August 22, 2011
Super '70s and '80s: Sea World superheroes water ski show—introduction
Introduction to series "Super '70s and '80s."
In 1977, every boy between 5 and 15 wanted to be Han Solo…or a Sea World superhero.
Superhero fans nationwide born in the early 1970s remember the comic book ad showing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Robin…water skiing.
Far fewer, however, actually made it to Ohio or Florida to see the actual show at Sea World, which ran from 1976 to 1979.
When I was inspired to try to track down the skiers and interview them, I thought I'd be looking for the same number of skiers as characters who appeared in the pyramid I'd seen many times: ten.
However, once I began poking around online, I realized there were characters in the show who were not in the pyramid. My count was 23 (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Robin, Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Captain Marvel, Black Canary, Supergirl, Batgirl, Mera, Mary Marvel, Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, and Captain Cold, plus Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and, oddly, Tarzan).
What's more, I soon learned that each skier portrayed multiple characters at different times. Combine that with the fact that there were two locations (Ohio and Florida) and multiple seasons and it meant there were even more than 23 skiers to find. For a completist like me, that is not good news. It meant I would be driven to try to find all of them.
I didn't, but I did find more than 40 and interviewed many of them. Most were in their late teens or early twenties at the time; a few were mid- to late-twenties. Many have gone on to raise kids and have grandkids in Florida, and most still seem to have a connection to the water.
Something else I found: there are many ways to misremember the name "Mera." These include Mira, Myra, Merna, and Lady Meara. All lovely in their own right.
I was honored these people let me into their memories to the extent that they did. Though my only attempt at water skiing (at camp in the mid-1980s) did not go well, I felt a kinship with these skiers. For two summers I was a photographer at Lake Compounce, an historic amusement park in Connecticut, and while that job was not anywhere near as physically demanding or flashy as theirs, I suspect some of the feelings overlapped: the joy of working outdoors in a quintessentially "summer" destination, the camaraderie among the young staff, the abundance of possible love connections in one spot, the happy exhaustion of long days on your feet in the sun, and so on.
This is the one that started this project, which expanded far bigger than I could've expected.
Many skiers and others involved with the show graciously sent me a bounty of photos. I got permission to post all images; if you want to repost, please do the same and ask me first.
Welcome to the first-ever oral history of the Sea World water skiing superheroes show, which some describe as the best ski show ever produced.
Management, staff, and non-skiing performers interviewed (6 parts):
Bob LaPorta, Corporate Director of Productions
Chuck Jordan, Supervisor of Entertainment
Clark Gault, composer
Dan Kibbie, co-writer
Curt Rector and Ken McCabe, announcers
Dan Poor, high diver (Green Arrow)
Skiers interviewed (10 parts):
Christina Ashley; Sarasota, FL
Cindy Barhoff (Clasen); MA
Reyna Blasko; Las Vegas, NV
Doby Buesse; Orlando, FL
Nancy Radant Combes; FL
Jacque Cook (Jackie Kuntarich); Orlando, FL
Shirley Duke; Orlando, FL
Steve Fontaine; FL
Greg Galloway; Orlando, FL
John Gillette; Charlotte, NC
Mark Gutleben; Stockton, CA
Andy Hansen; FL
Roland Hillier; Maitland, FL
Al Kelley; Nassau, the Bahamas
Linda Knapp (Moffett); rural VA
Margie LaPoint (Bates); Truckee, CA
Carl Lipsit; northern VA
Kerry Lloyd; south FL
Dave Madeline; OH
Betsy Maher (Hawkins); FL
Mary McMurtrie; FL
Randy Messer; Orlando, FL
Paula Nelson (Bloemer); Lake Wales, FL
Jeff Parnell; Fort Myers, FL
Bill Peterson; Windermere, FL/Breckenridge, CO
Bill Schwartz; Orlando, FL
Suzanne (and Sharkey) Schwartz; northern CA
Diane D. Smith; central FL
Bubby Snow; OH
Jody Spence; Las Vegas, NV
Lori (and Mark) Taylor; FL
Gary Thompson; TN
Tom (and Karen) Weber; Groveland, FL
Kaci Whittenton (Hedstrum); Hattiesburg, MS
Sherry Wickstrom; Lake Alfred, FL
Janalee Zimmerman (Addleman); Friedens, PA
In 1977, every boy between 5 and 15 wanted to be Han Solo…or a Sea World superhero.
Superhero fans nationwide born in the early 1970s remember the comic book ad showing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Robin…water skiing.
Far fewer, however, actually made it to Ohio or Florida to see the actual show at Sea World, which ran from 1976 to 1979.When I was inspired to try to track down the skiers and interview them, I thought I'd be looking for the same number of skiers as characters who appeared in the pyramid I'd seen many times: ten.
However, once I began poking around online, I realized there were characters in the show who were not in the pyramid. My count was 23 (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Robin, Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Captain Marvel, Black Canary, Supergirl, Batgirl, Mera, Mary Marvel, Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, and Captain Cold, plus Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and, oddly, Tarzan).
What's more, I soon learned that each skier portrayed multiple characters at different times. Combine that with the fact that there were two locations (Ohio and Florida) and multiple seasons and it meant there were even more than 23 skiers to find. For a completist like me, that is not good news. It meant I would be driven to try to find all of them.
I didn't, but I did find more than 40 and interviewed many of them. Most were in their late teens or early twenties at the time; a few were mid- to late-twenties. Many have gone on to raise kids and have grandkids in Florida, and most still seem to have a connection to the water.Something else I found: there are many ways to misremember the name "Mera." These include Mira, Myra, Merna, and Lady Meara. All lovely in their own right.
I was honored these people let me into their memories to the extent that they did. Though my only attempt at water skiing (at camp in the mid-1980s) did not go well, I felt a kinship with these skiers. For two summers I was a photographer at Lake Compounce, an historic amusement park in Connecticut, and while that job was not anywhere near as physically demanding or flashy as theirs, I suspect some of the feelings overlapped: the joy of working outdoors in a quintessentially "summer" destination, the camaraderie among the young staff, the abundance of possible love connections in one spot, the happy exhaustion of long days on your feet in the sun, and so on.This is the one that started this project, which expanded far bigger than I could've expected.
Many skiers and others involved with the show graciously sent me a bounty of photos. I got permission to post all images; if you want to repost, please do the same and ask me first.
Welcome to the first-ever oral history of the Sea World water skiing superheroes show, which some describe as the best ski show ever produced.
Management, staff, and non-skiing performers interviewed (6 parts):Bob LaPorta, Corporate Director of Productions
Chuck Jordan, Supervisor of Entertainment
Clark Gault, composer
Dan Kibbie, co-writer
Curt Rector and Ken McCabe, announcers
Dan Poor, high diver (Green Arrow)
Skiers interviewed (10 parts):
Christina Ashley; Sarasota, FL
Cindy Barhoff (Clasen); MA
Reyna Blasko; Las Vegas, NV
Doby Buesse; Orlando, FL
Nancy Radant Combes; FL
Jacque Cook (Jackie Kuntarich); Orlando, FL
Shirley Duke; Orlando, FL
Steve Fontaine; FL
Greg Galloway; Orlando, FL
John Gillette; Charlotte, NC
Mark Gutleben; Stockton, CA
Andy Hansen; FL
Roland Hillier; Maitland, FL
Al Kelley; Nassau, the Bahamas
Linda Knapp (Moffett); rural VA
Margie LaPoint (Bates); Truckee, CA
Carl Lipsit; northern VA
Kerry Lloyd; south FL
Dave Madeline; OH
Betsy Maher (Hawkins); FL
Mary McMurtrie; FL
Randy Messer; Orlando, FL
Paula Nelson (Bloemer); Lake Wales, FL
Jeff Parnell; Fort Myers, FL
Bill Peterson; Windermere, FL/Breckenridge, CO
Bill Schwartz; Orlando, FL
Suzanne (and Sharkey) Schwartz; northern CA
Diane D. Smith; central FL
Bubby Snow; OH
Jody Spence; Las Vegas, NV
Lori (and Mark) Taylor; FL
Gary Thompson; TN
Tom (and Karen) Weber; Groveland, FL
Kaci Whittenton (Hedstrum); Hattiesburg, MS
Sherry Wickstrom; Lake Alfred, FL
Janalee Zimmerman (Addleman); Friedens, PA
August 21, 2011
Super '70s and '80s: "Super Friends"—Dick Ryal (Captain Cold)
Introduction to series "Super '70s and '80s."
Introduction to subseries "Super Friends" (including a list of interviewees).
Notes I took during our initial phone call:
He calls himself "Rick" on his answering machine and his last name is pronounced "rile."When I called him, he said he would be happy to help.He is "no longer an electronics person." No computer.He retired twenty years ago. He spent his first sixteen years in Elmira, New York.He's not in much contact with people except a few family members and friends; most have either "moved away or passed away."He was both actor and writer on Heartbeat Theater from 1971-1986 (when the show went off the air). Olan Soule (Batman) also worked on the show.He also played Abin Sur, the mentor to Green Lantern.He didn't know Super Friends is on DVD.A good friend of his was Stanley Ralph Ross (Grodd). He was also friends with Stan Jones (Lex Luthor).I asked if he'd like to reconnect with anyone from the cast and he said yes. On Michael Rye: "I'll look forward to seeing him."He never hustled. He always counted on his agent and manager to get him work.Because of my last name and street name (which at the time was Bible Street), he asked if I am a man of the cloth.I told him I lived in Los Angeles once and he told me an anecdote of a little boy who once asked him for an autograph and seemed to be wondering if that could've been me.
How did you get the job on Super Friends?
That's something I have to think about. I had to audition, of course. The ABC executives liked me but the director didn't like me. I don't know why. I do know why. An agent had already sent somebody else but a subagent sent me at the last minute. I was surprised to win the part. I had no preparation. They auditioned 20 people for Captain Cold.
Were you familiar with Captain Cold before you got the job?
No, I was not into children's [sic] books in that manner. I did like children's books but had never followed that particular series. Being older, I knew the books from the 1940s and the heroes in comics of that era.
What was your idea behind the characterization for Captain Cold?
All they said was "Create a character." I did a tough guy voice. It was kind of streetlike.
Sounds like you'd already worked with some of the other voice actors before Super Friends.
Oh, yes.
What challenges were involved in recording SF?
It all went smoothly. The one wonderful thing about a radio actor: I found later when in TV and motion pictures [that] we were probably liked because we were one-take actors. I discovered I could memorize a whole page in 10 minutes. I realized being a radio actor did not limit you.
Of the episodes you were on, do you have a favorite?
I wouldn't say I had a favorite. There may have been an episode but it's been so long.
It must have been a different feeling in the 1970s to see your show on TV and then feel you might never see it again because VCRs and DVDs didn't exist yet. Do you now own any Super Friends DVDs?
[He said no and I ordered him the DVD as we spoke.]
Did you all stand around at the same time to record?
Yes. We sat on stools in a long line. We each had a microphone.
How much time, if any, did you spend with the other voice actors when you weren't working?
I used to ride with some of them [including Mike Rye] to Hanna-Barbera. We might stop for lunch but usually not. Stanley Ralph Ross and I would occasionally meet at the Writers Guild theater and see a movie. I would meet them here and there if we were going for an audition.
Did you get any Super Friends fan letters in the 1970s or 1980s?
Oh, yes, but not through the studio. Sometimes they would send it to the network and the network usually doesn't care about that sort of thing.
Specific Captain Cold letters?
Yes, there was a little boy who formed an unofficial fan club. Whenever he would see me, which he occasionally would coming out of a bank, he'd ask me for autographs. The artist at the studio actually drew my image and then he dressed me. I happen to look something like Captain Cold.
I don't have any letters. I remember throwing most of that away probably 25 years ago. Voice actors didn't think anybody cared! Voice actors and writers for that matter don't get plaudits like film stars. We're the forgotten ones! (laughs)
Nobody knew if the show was going to be a success. I remember getting some checks and then nothing. You said it's on DVD—should I be getting checks for that? (laughs) I don't know. I'm a member emeritus of the Writers Guild.
What does that mean?
A title for somebody who has been successful as a writer. I have quite a few awards hanging on the wall. I even have the Peabody Medal. I found one credit page at 6 o'clock this morning. [he shared some of his other work]
Do you still have any of your SF scripts?
No, they always asked us to turn those in, as is usual. I never kept them.
Do you have any other SF memorabilia from the era (i.e. birthday cards signed by cast members, etc.)?
No. I might discover something later. I may have had some stuff with the agent but they threw out $2,000 worth of stuff (film excerpts on professional sized tape, etc.)!
He did have something—something quite distinctive, in fact:
a page from a DC Comics calendar with signatures of many of
the Legion of Doom voice actors
(though only five of the LOD's thirteen members are in the scene).
How do you look back on your time on SF?
Lots of fun even though the director didn't like me. I enjoyed it very much. I've been retired so long I'm used to being a zombie. An actor is half dead if he isn't working.
1993
What are you doing these days?
I do a lot of traveling about. I like to see things and go places in California. I also like to go to different restaurants. I'm not fat, I'm slender, but I like good food. My entire fortune went in the Lincoln savings and loan scandal in 1988. Keating absconded with $6 billion.
If you have children/grandchildren, how old?
I inherited a child, a son, from my wife. She died of Alzheimer's a few years ago. We had a wonderful relationship. She was a model, a beautiful girl, one of those drop-dead pretty ones. Being of an artistic bent like myself…we had our own apartments. If we had a tiff, we'd go back to our [respective] apartments. Then we'd come back together. And that made for a successful marriage. One reason is that we lived in Hollywood. We were young and we did party a bit but I didn't care for it as much as she did.
When did you get married?
About 1965.
Are you still in touch with her son?
No, I don't know where he is. He's a middle-aged man. We got along well enough but he went his own way. That was before she died. It wasn't unpleasant.
Was he around when you were doing Captain Cold?
He was not in Hollywood at the time.
[Then he mentioned The Zero Hour, a Rod Serling radio show he worked on.]
Did you meet Rod Serling?
Oh, sure. He didn't come all the time. He was still in New York. I have no memories of him in particular.
Has anyone else interviewed you about SF?
No.
Have you ever participated (i.e. signed autographs) at a comic convention? If not, would you be willing to (if the convention paid your way)?
Of course. I'd love to meet you anyway. I'd love to see those of us remain.
Anything else about the experience I didn't cover that you'd like to add?
No, other than that I'm delighted that you got in touch with me. I almost hung up on you. Not because of you but because I was working on my phone. [though he did then mention getting solicitation calls and being irritated] [But] you made my day.
And so Captain Cold brings a warm finish to the Super Friends oral history. Next: the Sea World water skiing superheroes show.
Introduction to subseries "Super Friends" (including a list of interviewees).
Notes I took during our initial phone call:He calls himself "Rick" on his answering machine and his last name is pronounced "rile."When I called him, he said he would be happy to help.He is "no longer an electronics person." No computer.He retired twenty years ago. He spent his first sixteen years in Elmira, New York.He's not in much contact with people except a few family members and friends; most have either "moved away or passed away."He was both actor and writer on Heartbeat Theater from 1971-1986 (when the show went off the air). Olan Soule (Batman) also worked on the show.He also played Abin Sur, the mentor to Green Lantern.He didn't know Super Friends is on DVD.A good friend of his was Stanley Ralph Ross (Grodd). He was also friends with Stan Jones (Lex Luthor).I asked if he'd like to reconnect with anyone from the cast and he said yes. On Michael Rye: "I'll look forward to seeing him."He never hustled. He always counted on his agent and manager to get him work.Because of my last name and street name (which at the time was Bible Street), he asked if I am a man of the cloth.I told him I lived in Los Angeles once and he told me an anecdote of a little boy who once asked him for an autograph and seemed to be wondering if that could've been me.
How did you get the job on Super Friends?
That's something I have to think about. I had to audition, of course. The ABC executives liked me but the director didn't like me. I don't know why. I do know why. An agent had already sent somebody else but a subagent sent me at the last minute. I was surprised to win the part. I had no preparation. They auditioned 20 people for Captain Cold.
Were you familiar with Captain Cold before you got the job?No, I was not into children's [sic] books in that manner. I did like children's books but had never followed that particular series. Being older, I knew the books from the 1940s and the heroes in comics of that era.
What was your idea behind the characterization for Captain Cold?
All they said was "Create a character." I did a tough guy voice. It was kind of streetlike.
Sounds like you'd already worked with some of the other voice actors before Super Friends.
Oh, yes.
What challenges were involved in recording SF?
It all went smoothly. The one wonderful thing about a radio actor: I found later when in TV and motion pictures [that] we were probably liked because we were one-take actors. I discovered I could memorize a whole page in 10 minutes. I realized being a radio actor did not limit you.
Of the episodes you were on, do you have a favorite?I wouldn't say I had a favorite. There may have been an episode but it's been so long.
It must have been a different feeling in the 1970s to see your show on TV and then feel you might never see it again because VCRs and DVDs didn't exist yet. Do you now own any Super Friends DVDs?
[He said no and I ordered him the DVD as we spoke.]
Did you all stand around at the same time to record?
Yes. We sat on stools in a long line. We each had a microphone.
How much time, if any, did you spend with the other voice actors when you weren't working?
I used to ride with some of them [including Mike Rye] to Hanna-Barbera. We might stop for lunch but usually not. Stanley Ralph Ross and I would occasionally meet at the Writers Guild theater and see a movie. I would meet them here and there if we were going for an audition.
Did you get any Super Friends fan letters in the 1970s or 1980s?
Oh, yes, but not through the studio. Sometimes they would send it to the network and the network usually doesn't care about that sort of thing.
Specific Captain Cold letters?
Yes, there was a little boy who formed an unofficial fan club. Whenever he would see me, which he occasionally would coming out of a bank, he'd ask me for autographs. The artist at the studio actually drew my image and then he dressed me. I happen to look something like Captain Cold.
I don't have any letters. I remember throwing most of that away probably 25 years ago. Voice actors didn't think anybody cared! Voice actors and writers for that matter don't get plaudits like film stars. We're the forgotten ones! (laughs)Nobody knew if the show was going to be a success. I remember getting some checks and then nothing. You said it's on DVD—should I be getting checks for that? (laughs) I don't know. I'm a member emeritus of the Writers Guild.
What does that mean?
A title for somebody who has been successful as a writer. I have quite a few awards hanging on the wall. I even have the Peabody Medal. I found one credit page at 6 o'clock this morning. [he shared some of his other work]
Do you still have any of your SF scripts?
No, they always asked us to turn those in, as is usual. I never kept them.
Do you have any other SF memorabilia from the era (i.e. birthday cards signed by cast members, etc.)?
No. I might discover something later. I may have had some stuff with the agent but they threw out $2,000 worth of stuff (film excerpts on professional sized tape, etc.)!
He did have something—something quite distinctive, in fact:a page from a DC Comics calendar with signatures of many of
the Legion of Doom voice actors
(though only five of the LOD's thirteen members are in the scene).
How do you look back on your time on SF?
Lots of fun even though the director didn't like me. I enjoyed it very much. I've been retired so long I'm used to being a zombie. An actor is half dead if he isn't working.
1993What are you doing these days?
I do a lot of traveling about. I like to see things and go places in California. I also like to go to different restaurants. I'm not fat, I'm slender, but I like good food. My entire fortune went in the Lincoln savings and loan scandal in 1988. Keating absconded with $6 billion.
If you have children/grandchildren, how old?
I inherited a child, a son, from my wife. She died of Alzheimer's a few years ago. We had a wonderful relationship. She was a model, a beautiful girl, one of those drop-dead pretty ones. Being of an artistic bent like myself…we had our own apartments. If we had a tiff, we'd go back to our [respective] apartments. Then we'd come back together. And that made for a successful marriage. One reason is that we lived in Hollywood. We were young and we did party a bit but I didn't care for it as much as she did.
When did you get married?
About 1965.
Are you still in touch with her son?
No, I don't know where he is. He's a middle-aged man. We got along well enough but he went his own way. That was before she died. It wasn't unpleasant.
Was he around when you were doing Captain Cold?
He was not in Hollywood at the time.
[Then he mentioned The Zero Hour, a Rod Serling radio show he worked on.]
Did you meet Rod Serling?
Oh, sure. He didn't come all the time. He was still in New York. I have no memories of him in particular.
Has anyone else interviewed you about SF?
No.
Have you ever participated (i.e. signed autographs) at a comic convention? If not, would you be willing to (if the convention paid your way)?
Of course. I'd love to meet you anyway. I'd love to see those of us remain.
Anything else about the experience I didn't cover that you'd like to add?
No, other than that I'm delighted that you got in touch with me. I almost hung up on you. Not because of you but because I was working on my phone. [though he did then mention getting solicitation calls and being irritated] [But] you made my day.
And so Captain Cold brings a warm finish to the Super Friends oral history. Next: the Sea World water skiing superheroes show.
August 20, 2011
Super '70s and '80s: "Super Friends"—Marlene Aragon (Cheetah)
Introduction to series "Super '70s and '80s."
Introduction to subseries "Super Friends" (including a list of interviewees).
How familiar with the DC characters were you before you got the job?
Didn't know the characters…they were new [to her, presumably].
1979
How long did it take to record an episode?
That depended on the episode and how many characters were in it and how the director felt about the performances. Two hours?
What challenges were involved in recording SF?
Sometimes my throat would be pretty overworked with the strange constricted sounds I would make as Cheetah. Good performances can be demanding of actors.
How did Super Friends rank in terms of series you worked on?
This was a favorite series. I liked Jem a lot also.
How much time, if any, did you spend with the other voice actors when you weren't working?
Other voice actors and I would spend time in voice-over classes and having snacks or some parties occasionally. I made some good friends. Many laughs.
Are you still in touch with anyone else from the cast?
Not at this time…[though I did] talk to Wally Burr the other night.
Were you exclusively a voice-over actor?
I also spent time as a singer and commercial actress on- and off-camera.
If you have children/grandchildren, what are their ages?
I have one son, late forties, and two grandsons, 10 and 7.
And if so, what do they think of your time as a super villain?
Get a big kick out of all my voice/musical work.
What have you done since Super Friends?
I produced my own children's book/cassette combo. Piggelty-Woo and Songs for You and Piggelty-Woo Shares Feelings With You. Wholesome products for infants to 7- or 8-year-olds. I sold a bunch of them and still have a little inventory. That's one reason I wasn't working on too many cartoons—that was 1986 and 1987.
2008
Do you have a way for people to order your book/tape combos?
Yes, they may e-mail me— all fans get special discounts and they can burn CDs from the cassettes. Books are in color. [I also have a] jazz CD Improve '99.
NOTE: Marlene says that a portion of the proceeds go toward the Neighborhood Congregational Church of Laguna Beach (CA).
Next: Dick Ryal (Captain Cold).
Introduction to subseries "Super Friends" (including a list of interviewees).
How familiar with the DC characters were you before you got the job?
Didn't know the characters…they were new [to her, presumably].
1979How long did it take to record an episode?
That depended on the episode and how many characters were in it and how the director felt about the performances. Two hours?
What challenges were involved in recording SF?
Sometimes my throat would be pretty overworked with the strange constricted sounds I would make as Cheetah. Good performances can be demanding of actors.
How did Super Friends rank in terms of series you worked on?
This was a favorite series. I liked Jem a lot also.
How much time, if any, did you spend with the other voice actors when you weren't working?Other voice actors and I would spend time in voice-over classes and having snacks or some parties occasionally. I made some good friends. Many laughs.
Are you still in touch with anyone else from the cast?
Not at this time…[though I did] talk to Wally Burr the other night.
Were you exclusively a voice-over actor?
I also spent time as a singer and commercial actress on- and off-camera.
If you have children/grandchildren, what are their ages?
I have one son, late forties, and two grandsons, 10 and 7.
And if so, what do they think of your time as a super villain?
Get a big kick out of all my voice/musical work.
What have you done since Super Friends?
I produced my own children's book/cassette combo. Piggelty-Woo and Songs for You and Piggelty-Woo Shares Feelings With You. Wholesome products for infants to 7- or 8-year-olds. I sold a bunch of them and still have a little inventory. That's one reason I wasn't working on too many cartoons—that was 1986 and 1987.
2008Do you have a way for people to order your book/tape combos?
Yes, they may e-mail me— all fans get special discounts and they can burn CDs from the cassettes. Books are in color. [I also have a] jazz CD Improve '99.
NOTE: Marlene says that a portion of the proceeds go toward the Neighborhood Congregational Church of Laguna Beach (CA).Next: Dick Ryal (Captain Cold).
August 18, 2011
Super '70s and '80s: "Super Friends"—Liberty Williams (Wonder Twin Jayna)
Introduction to series "Super '70s and '80s."
Introduction to subseries "Super Friends" (including a list of interviewees).
Notes I took during my initial phone call with Liberty Williams, now Louise Rodricks:
Ultra-sweet and polite: "May I call you Marc?"I explained how she was one of the harder ones to find and she was not surprised by that.Her name "Liberty" came not from the bicentennial as I'd guessed but from a ham sandwich served at a club she performed at in Hawaii. (That was going to be my second guess.) Full story below.She and Mike Bell (Zan) are really funny together.I asked if she'd rather do interview by e-mail or phone and she said phone because it might trigger her memory more.
How did you get the job on Super Friends?
I auditioned for Hanna-Barbera and it was the first time I had gone up for any kind of voice-over. But I had been doing a lot of on-camera sitcoms. I got a call back and got it. It was kind of beginner's luck in that arena.
Liberty Williams in Tabatha pilot (1977)
Do you remember what they told you about Jayna?
She was the youngest member of the Super Friends and she had a twin. Her power was she could turn into any kind of animal. The twin could turn into any kind of water. They worked for this group of super-beings.
Were you familiar with the other characters before you got the job?
I grew up knowing about Superman and Wonder Woman from comic books.
You wouldn't describe yourself as a fan, though, right?
I don't think I thought about it one way or the other. I thought of them as positive characters. But I was never like "Oh my god, if I get this part I'll be one of the superheroes." (laughs)
Did you audition with Michael Bell [who played Jayna's twin brother, Zan]?
We saw each other the first time for the first read. You got the script when you went in. You were standing in a row. Everyone had a music stand and a mike. I stood next to Mike. We had this gesture "Wonder Twin powers, activate!"
Did you do the gesture in person?
You mean as we were recording it?
Yes.
Yes [we did it while recording].
Every time?
I think pretty much every time. I don't remember exactly. It got your energy up.
Michael Bell and Louise Rodricks, 2011
Jayna was smaller and shapely. I don't know if they had me before her or her before me. (laughs) Not that we looked identical but there was a certain look about her [that I shared]. I worked with Shannon Farnon. She wouldn't have been Jayna and I wouldn't have been Wonder Woman, if they were casting it for live-action TV.
You didn't get the script till you went in?
That's what I remember. Because you were reading, you didn't have to memorize it. Or they may have given them to us the night before.
The Wonder Twins gesture became quite famous. Did the other voice actors get a kick out of it?
I just remember our arms would go up. Everyone was concentrating on their next part so it wasn't like "Oh my god, those crazy twins are doing it again!"
Did you know Michael Bell beforehand?
Yes. His wife Victoria (Vicki Carroll) and I were two of the original Groundlings in Los Angeles. A lot of famous people have come out of [that group].
But did you know that he was up for the part of your twin?
No. I had no idea. And even when I got cast and went in, I didn't realize until later that Mike and Casey Kasem [were part of it]—these were pretty well known guys in this part of the profession. At first I didn't realize I was working with celebrities in their field.
What do you know about the development of the Wonder Twins? (Unlike many of the other characters, they were not in the comics.)
They were like the scouts. All the other heroes were mature. All of them in terms of other cartoons and comics and films and stories had been around for a really long time. Jayna and Zan were developed just for Super Friends. They were brought in to attract the kids.
Do you know anything about how they determined what they'd look like or what their powers were?
I think we were the only ones of the heroes who could transform. I thought Zan's water power was odd.
Did you contribute any ideas to their characterization and/or suggest animals for Jayna?
No. They had writers for that. It wasn't the kind of creative process where we would go in and talk up a story. Some things are like that but we weren't participating in that way. And you were sometimes doing more than one episode at a time.
What challenges were involved in recording SF?
Because it was my first voice-over job, I remember really watching the pros to see how far they stood from the mike, how much they projected, how far they went with their characters. But it wasn't Shakespeare.
Mike Bell said you guys had a good laugh sometimes.
Yeah. Sometimes choices the voice actors would make with their voices on secondary characters made us laugh. I think it would fun to get the twins together (at a convention). If we were together then it would be fun.
Do you see Mike Bell socially?
Vicki and I are old friends. I saw Vicki at a Groundlings reunion. We run into each other at Whole Foods but we don't get together for dinner or movies. My family was in New York for seventeen years [and came back to Los Angeles in 2000]. At our age you've gotten into your own routine with your children and so on. We're happy to see each other—we always exchange numbers and say we'll get together…but never do. (laughs)
Did you spend with the other voice actors when you weren't working?
No. We were all in different circles, except for Michael Bell's wife. I knew Michael more than I knew the others.
Which voice actors were you most friendly with on the job?
I would say Michael. And everyone was very cordial. It was different with a sitcom where you're together much more.
Have you bumped into any of them since then and recognized them?
Michael's the main one, and Casey.
Do you remember a favorite episode?
All the episodes seem the same. Do you have a favorite?
[I answered]
Do you remember any episodes?
I have a vague feeling of [my character] always being naïve. Between Gleek and Zan and myself, we were always tripping into trouble.
Did you know that the names Zan and Jayna came from Tarzan and Jane?
No. (laughs) But it's sort of obvious because Tarzan had a monkey and we had Gleek.
(laughing) Did you get fan letters?
I may have but I don't remember. I could be getting it confused with other shows. I never kept any fan letters, which is unfortunate now. We didn't know [to save them]! Before the Groundlings I was with a comedy group called the Good Humor Company. We opened for Bobby Darin in Vegas. Some of the cast members of that saved some of the reviews.
I heard about a party or two at Danny Dark's at which you guys did sketches poking fun at Super Friends. If you were there, what do you remember about that?
I don't know if I got invited to any of those.
Do you have any other SF memorabilia from the era (i.e. birthday cards signed by cast members, etc.)? Anything with Jayna on it?
No. I just want the costume, okay? I think we should get the costumes. (laughs)
Where did the name "Liberty" come from?
I was working with this comedy group, the Good Humor Company. (I went to NYU School of the Arts and went West in the early '70s.) We got invited to Honolulu to work at the Forbidden City Theater. The owner paid for us to come over and rented house for us to live in for a few months. But he didn't do any promotion to change the image of this theater which was formally a strip club. This was a three-girls, three-guys musical comedy variety show, so we would get ten non-English speaking drunk sailors a night. They were there for one kind of show and we gave them another.
There was a deli [nearby] that had a Liberty Sandwich. We'd smoke weed to get through a show. And one of my group (Joe Denoba, the leader of the Good Humor Company) once got stoned and as a joke introduced me as Liberty Williams because Liberty sounds like a stripper. It turned out that there was a person there to review the show that night, so he wrote my name as Liberty in a good review and it was picked up by the people at Thunderbird Hotel in Vegas, where we went after. [I didn't plan to keep the name but] they asked if I could go by Liberty because they had already done all their ads with Liberty, and I said why not. (laughs)
Do people still call you that?
Some do. Michael Bell sometimes does. I used it professionally for just a few years. But when I got on to a sitcom called Busting Loose, Adam Arkin (Alan's son) said if you ever want to go back to your real name you should do it now when you have a show on for more than an episode.
When was the last time you saw a Super Friends episode on TV?
I don't remember seeing the episodes on TV and my son wasn't born yet. Are they on DVD? I'd like my son to see them. When I moved to New York [and stopped being Jayna], he was two-and-a-half. They tried to find me for some other event, a finale, but they couldn't find me.
They should've called me!
(laughs)
When was that?
Mike Bell would know.
Was this for the Cartoon Network promos of the 1990s?
That might have been it.
What are you doing these days?
I've gotten new head shots. I'm with an agency called Commercial Talent for commercials and voice-overs for commercials (but not cartoons). I've gone up for [parts in] video games. I just started this in the last 4-5 months. I've started to get callbacks but I haven't gotten hired yet. When I was younger I would be going out [on] a lot [of auditions] and odds were you'd get one out of 10. Now I'm going out less—maybe 6 times a month.
[Also, in 2011, Liberty launched Green Spoon Chef.]
How much of what you could book now would depend on what you've done before?
You can see people's credits online now. I think it helps to have been in the business before. The agency has to figure out what slot can she fill?
Have any of the casting directors commented on the fact that you were Jayna?
[I didn't transcribe her answer as she spoke, but she said something to the effect of no, she doesn't have Super Friends in her credits. I said not only was it a steady gig of eight years, but it's part of pop culture history and lots of people of a certain age would respond fondly to hearing she was Jayna. She said maybe she will put it back on her résumé.]
You're sort of a superhero type yourself.
How do you figure?
You sound like a really good dad. You sound wholesome. A noble man.
Thank you. It can be a hard name to live up to! If you have children/grandchildren, how old?
My son John [was born in 1981]. He was diagnosed with ADD. He had difficulty when he was younger [but he's gotten past that]. He's a superhero in my eyes. He's real handsome and has a pretty girlfriend. He's on his way.
What is he in school for?
He felt like he had lost most of his twenties. He decided to go to the Vidal Sassoon Hair Academy in Santa Monica, but he's straight. (laughs) He gets a lot of positive attention there [from both beautiful women and gay men]. It turned out to be a brilliant thought. He could be a colorist in a high-end salon and do well [fairly quickly]. He's got a really good eye for color. They learn the bones and the structure of the face. He's very coordinated.
What does John think of your time as a superhero?
I've done [familiar shows like] Three's Company and they've been rerun a lot. And when his friends find out, they're like, "Kudos to John." He just rolls his eyes about his mom. I'm just as nutty now as I was then.
He's an only child?
When I met my husband, he was a singer-songwriter. He went into business contracting but it got repetitive. An elderly teacher friend told my husband "You could be a doctor" (when we were in our thirties). He decided to do post-grad premed at Columbia. We sold our house in California and I left my career. [I was 36 and] our son was two-and-a-half. We went to New York. My husband worked in a lab at Cornell, then went to New York Medical College. Medical school became our second child. It didn't seem like there was a reasonable way to have a[n actual] second child.
We lived in a really big loft on 4th Avenue and 10th Street in Greenwich Village. We lived extended family style. We lived the three of us and four other adults. A lot of time they were students who were finishing medical school or law school. It was set up a bit like a boarding house. Everyone had to meet and approve of new people. We screened. That's how we could afford to live there. We shared a living room and kitchen as common space, one bathroom as common space, and a laundry as common space [and we had some private space]. We had a food jar where everyone put in $10 a week back then [and we took turns] shopping for the staples. As a group we'd decide what the staples were. Everyone had at least an hour a week of cleaning in a certain area. We had a basketball hoop in the inner living room. My son learned to ride his two-wheeler inside because it was big.
Has anyone else interviewed you about SF?
No.
What did you think when you first heard why I was contacting you?
I thought it was kind of wild. I wasn't aware that there was this interest. It made me think of that movie Galaxy Quest. It's a really good movie.
Are you aware of the influence that Super Friends had on the current generation of comic book writers?
No. I'd be interested in knowing.
[I said that between an appearance on Smallville (she knew the show but not that Zan and Jayna had appeared) and the high-demand, limited edition figures at Comic-Con 2009, the Wonder Twins have never been cooler. There's even talk of a movie.]
That would be so much fun. My estranged husband—we're very close. When I told him about you, he said, "Oh my god, you never know what will lead to what."
Next: Marlene Aragon (Cheetah).
Introduction to subseries "Super Friends" (including a list of interviewees).
Notes I took during my initial phone call with Liberty Williams, now Louise Rodricks:Ultra-sweet and polite: "May I call you Marc?"I explained how she was one of the harder ones to find and she was not surprised by that.Her name "Liberty" came not from the bicentennial as I'd guessed but from a ham sandwich served at a club she performed at in Hawaii. (That was going to be my second guess.) Full story below.She and Mike Bell (Zan) are really funny together.I asked if she'd rather do interview by e-mail or phone and she said phone because it might trigger her memory more.
How did you get the job on Super Friends?
I auditioned for Hanna-Barbera and it was the first time I had gone up for any kind of voice-over. But I had been doing a lot of on-camera sitcoms. I got a call back and got it. It was kind of beginner's luck in that arena.
Liberty Williams in Tabatha pilot (1977)Do you remember what they told you about Jayna?
She was the youngest member of the Super Friends and she had a twin. Her power was she could turn into any kind of animal. The twin could turn into any kind of water. They worked for this group of super-beings.
Were you familiar with the other characters before you got the job?
I grew up knowing about Superman and Wonder Woman from comic books.
You wouldn't describe yourself as a fan, though, right?
I don't think I thought about it one way or the other. I thought of them as positive characters. But I was never like "Oh my god, if I get this part I'll be one of the superheroes." (laughs)
Did you audition with Michael Bell [who played Jayna's twin brother, Zan]?
We saw each other the first time for the first read. You got the script when you went in. You were standing in a row. Everyone had a music stand and a mike. I stood next to Mike. We had this gesture "Wonder Twin powers, activate!"
Did you do the gesture in person?
You mean as we were recording it?
Yes.
Yes [we did it while recording].
Every time?
I think pretty much every time. I don't remember exactly. It got your energy up.
Michael Bell and Louise Rodricks, 2011Jayna was smaller and shapely. I don't know if they had me before her or her before me. (laughs) Not that we looked identical but there was a certain look about her [that I shared]. I worked with Shannon Farnon. She wouldn't have been Jayna and I wouldn't have been Wonder Woman, if they were casting it for live-action TV.
You didn't get the script till you went in?
That's what I remember. Because you were reading, you didn't have to memorize it. Or they may have given them to us the night before.
The Wonder Twins gesture became quite famous. Did the other voice actors get a kick out of it?
I just remember our arms would go up. Everyone was concentrating on their next part so it wasn't like "Oh my god, those crazy twins are doing it again!"
Did you know Michael Bell beforehand?
Yes. His wife Victoria (Vicki Carroll) and I were two of the original Groundlings in Los Angeles. A lot of famous people have come out of [that group].
But did you know that he was up for the part of your twin?
No. I had no idea. And even when I got cast and went in, I didn't realize until later that Mike and Casey Kasem [were part of it]—these were pretty well known guys in this part of the profession. At first I didn't realize I was working with celebrities in their field.
What do you know about the development of the Wonder Twins? (Unlike many of the other characters, they were not in the comics.)
They were like the scouts. All the other heroes were mature. All of them in terms of other cartoons and comics and films and stories had been around for a really long time. Jayna and Zan were developed just for Super Friends. They were brought in to attract the kids.
Do you know anything about how they determined what they'd look like or what their powers were?
I think we were the only ones of the heroes who could transform. I thought Zan's water power was odd.
Did you contribute any ideas to their characterization and/or suggest animals for Jayna?
No. They had writers for that. It wasn't the kind of creative process where we would go in and talk up a story. Some things are like that but we weren't participating in that way. And you were sometimes doing more than one episode at a time.
What challenges were involved in recording SF?
Because it was my first voice-over job, I remember really watching the pros to see how far they stood from the mike, how much they projected, how far they went with their characters. But it wasn't Shakespeare.
Mike Bell said you guys had a good laugh sometimes.
Yeah. Sometimes choices the voice actors would make with their voices on secondary characters made us laugh. I think it would fun to get the twins together (at a convention). If we were together then it would be fun.
Do you see Mike Bell socially?
Vicki and I are old friends. I saw Vicki at a Groundlings reunion. We run into each other at Whole Foods but we don't get together for dinner or movies. My family was in New York for seventeen years [and came back to Los Angeles in 2000]. At our age you've gotten into your own routine with your children and so on. We're happy to see each other—we always exchange numbers and say we'll get together…but never do. (laughs)
Did you spend with the other voice actors when you weren't working?
No. We were all in different circles, except for Michael Bell's wife. I knew Michael more than I knew the others.
Which voice actors were you most friendly with on the job?
I would say Michael. And everyone was very cordial. It was different with a sitcom where you're together much more.
Have you bumped into any of them since then and recognized them?
Michael's the main one, and Casey.
Do you remember a favorite episode?
All the episodes seem the same. Do you have a favorite?
[I answered]
Do you remember any episodes?
I have a vague feeling of [my character] always being naïve. Between Gleek and Zan and myself, we were always tripping into trouble.
Did you know that the names Zan and Jayna came from Tarzan and Jane?
No. (laughs) But it's sort of obvious because Tarzan had a monkey and we had Gleek.
(laughing) Did you get fan letters?
I may have but I don't remember. I could be getting it confused with other shows. I never kept any fan letters, which is unfortunate now. We didn't know [to save them]! Before the Groundlings I was with a comedy group called the Good Humor Company. We opened for Bobby Darin in Vegas. Some of the cast members of that saved some of the reviews.
I heard about a party or two at Danny Dark's at which you guys did sketches poking fun at Super Friends. If you were there, what do you remember about that?
I don't know if I got invited to any of those.
Do you have any other SF memorabilia from the era (i.e. birthday cards signed by cast members, etc.)? Anything with Jayna on it?
No. I just want the costume, okay? I think we should get the costumes. (laughs)
Where did the name "Liberty" come from?
I was working with this comedy group, the Good Humor Company. (I went to NYU School of the Arts and went West in the early '70s.) We got invited to Honolulu to work at the Forbidden City Theater. The owner paid for us to come over and rented house for us to live in for a few months. But he didn't do any promotion to change the image of this theater which was formally a strip club. This was a three-girls, three-guys musical comedy variety show, so we would get ten non-English speaking drunk sailors a night. They were there for one kind of show and we gave them another.
There was a deli [nearby] that had a Liberty Sandwich. We'd smoke weed to get through a show. And one of my group (Joe Denoba, the leader of the Good Humor Company) once got stoned and as a joke introduced me as Liberty Williams because Liberty sounds like a stripper. It turned out that there was a person there to review the show that night, so he wrote my name as Liberty in a good review and it was picked up by the people at Thunderbird Hotel in Vegas, where we went after. [I didn't plan to keep the name but] they asked if I could go by Liberty because they had already done all their ads with Liberty, and I said why not. (laughs)
Do people still call you that?
Some do. Michael Bell sometimes does. I used it professionally for just a few years. But when I got on to a sitcom called Busting Loose, Adam Arkin (Alan's son) said if you ever want to go back to your real name you should do it now when you have a show on for more than an episode.
When was the last time you saw a Super Friends episode on TV?
I don't remember seeing the episodes on TV and my son wasn't born yet. Are they on DVD? I'd like my son to see them. When I moved to New York [and stopped being Jayna], he was two-and-a-half. They tried to find me for some other event, a finale, but they couldn't find me.
They should've called me!
(laughs)
When was that?
Mike Bell would know.
Was this for the Cartoon Network promos of the 1990s?
That might have been it.
What are you doing these days?
I've gotten new head shots. I'm with an agency called Commercial Talent for commercials and voice-overs for commercials (but not cartoons). I've gone up for [parts in] video games. I just started this in the last 4-5 months. I've started to get callbacks but I haven't gotten hired yet. When I was younger I would be going out [on] a lot [of auditions] and odds were you'd get one out of 10. Now I'm going out less—maybe 6 times a month.
[Also, in 2011, Liberty launched Green Spoon Chef.]How much of what you could book now would depend on what you've done before?
You can see people's credits online now. I think it helps to have been in the business before. The agency has to figure out what slot can she fill?
Have any of the casting directors commented on the fact that you were Jayna?
[I didn't transcribe her answer as she spoke, but she said something to the effect of no, she doesn't have Super Friends in her credits. I said not only was it a steady gig of eight years, but it's part of pop culture history and lots of people of a certain age would respond fondly to hearing she was Jayna. She said maybe she will put it back on her résumé.]
You're sort of a superhero type yourself.
How do you figure?
You sound like a really good dad. You sound wholesome. A noble man.
Thank you. It can be a hard name to live up to! If you have children/grandchildren, how old?
My son John [was born in 1981]. He was diagnosed with ADD. He had difficulty when he was younger [but he's gotten past that]. He's a superhero in my eyes. He's real handsome and has a pretty girlfriend. He's on his way.
What is he in school for?
He felt like he had lost most of his twenties. He decided to go to the Vidal Sassoon Hair Academy in Santa Monica, but he's straight. (laughs) He gets a lot of positive attention there [from both beautiful women and gay men]. It turned out to be a brilliant thought. He could be a colorist in a high-end salon and do well [fairly quickly]. He's got a really good eye for color. They learn the bones and the structure of the face. He's very coordinated.
What does John think of your time as a superhero?
I've done [familiar shows like] Three's Company and they've been rerun a lot. And when his friends find out, they're like, "Kudos to John." He just rolls his eyes about his mom. I'm just as nutty now as I was then.
He's an only child?
When I met my husband, he was a singer-songwriter. He went into business contracting but it got repetitive. An elderly teacher friend told my husband "You could be a doctor" (when we were in our thirties). He decided to do post-grad premed at Columbia. We sold our house in California and I left my career. [I was 36 and] our son was two-and-a-half. We went to New York. My husband worked in a lab at Cornell, then went to New York Medical College. Medical school became our second child. It didn't seem like there was a reasonable way to have a[n actual] second child.
We lived in a really big loft on 4th Avenue and 10th Street in Greenwich Village. We lived extended family style. We lived the three of us and four other adults. A lot of time they were students who were finishing medical school or law school. It was set up a bit like a boarding house. Everyone had to meet and approve of new people. We screened. That's how we could afford to live there. We shared a living room and kitchen as common space, one bathroom as common space, and a laundry as common space [and we had some private space]. We had a food jar where everyone put in $10 a week back then [and we took turns] shopping for the staples. As a group we'd decide what the staples were. Everyone had at least an hour a week of cleaning in a certain area. We had a basketball hoop in the inner living room. My son learned to ride his two-wheeler inside because it was big.Has anyone else interviewed you about SF?
No.
What did you think when you first heard why I was contacting you?
I thought it was kind of wild. I wasn't aware that there was this interest. It made me think of that movie Galaxy Quest. It's a really good movie.
Are you aware of the influence that Super Friends had on the current generation of comic book writers?
No. I'd be interested in knowing.
[I said that between an appearance on Smallville (she knew the show but not that Zan and Jayna had appeared) and the high-demand, limited edition figures at Comic-Con 2009, the Wonder Twins have never been cooler. There's even talk of a movie.]
That would be so much fun. My estranged husband—we're very close. When I told him about you, he said, "Oh my god, you never know what will lead to what."
Next: Marlene Aragon (Cheetah).
August 17, 2011
Super '70s and '80s: "Super Friends"—Michael Bell (Wonder Twin Zan, Riddler, Gleek)
Introduction to series "Super '70s and '80s."
Introduction to subseries "Super Friends" (including a list of interviewees).
How did you get the job on Super Friends?
I auditioned like all the other actors. When that didn't work, I told them I was Bill Hanna's illegitimate son. I was hired the next day.
Michael Bell on Charlie's Angels (1977)
How long did you have the job?
I can't recall. I think a couple of years. I was stoned most of the time.
Please tell me you're serious.
Well, I once recorded Smurfs hung-over as a result of eating a whole loaf of cake (unbeknownst to me) laced with marijuana the night before. Went to work to sing "La la la la la la" wearing dark glasses. Don't know how I got through the day.
How familiar with the characters were you before you got the job?
As a kid, I was a comicaholic. I was very familiar with all the superheroes and villains except for Zan, Gleek, and Joe Barbera.
Which episodes/years were you on SF?
You probably know better then me. The only years I am familiar with are those that mark my physical emergence into manhood and the cost of Kleenex.
How long did it take you to record one episode?
It took us a few minutes to record and several hours to stop laughing.
What challenges were involved in recording SF?
Once I recall being attacked by my mike, but realized I was stepping on the base which caused it to tilt at me. I was in therapy for years as a result.
How did working on SF compare to other animated series you worked on? (Related: what has been your favorite series to be a part of?)
I was sooo busy running from one series to another, I am unable to compare. As I look back, it all seems like an amazing dream.
Of the episodes you were on, do you have a favorite?
I loved playing the Riddler. I can't recall the episode.
Were there any you ended up being disappointed with?
How could I be disappointed? I was doing what I loved to do. However, I was disappointed in the coffee.
How much interaction did you have with the writers?
Not a great deal. Truthfully, I thought I wrote it. Writers? Huh?
How much time, if any, did you spend with the other voice actors when you weren't working?
We all slept together. I am still going to a dermatologist because of it.
Which voice actors were you most friendly with?
Frank [Welker], Jack [Angel], Shannon [Farnon], and the late, great Danny Dark.
Any interesting stories about the voice actors?
Nothing comes to mind. They were a pretty dull lot. No personalities at all. Very depressing. Brought me down.
Were any voice actors like—or completely unlike—their characters?
Shannon would jump off a chair every now and then ask the guys if they wanted to arm wrestle and Jack would ask her what the island of Sappho was like and do they allow men?
Did you ever get letters from fans, and if so, do you still have any?
I get letters from fans now. About several thousand a day. Most of them ask for money.
Do you still have any of your original SF scripts?
Used to but not any longer. I have a trillion Smurfs scripts, a couple of Jonny Quests and several Rugrats…and an original Star Trek. I think I also have a porno version of the Smurfs. Wonder where that is?
Do you have any other SF memorabilia from the era (i.e. cards signed by cast members, etc.)?
I have Shannon's chair. I sleep with it.
Was there ever a SF cast and crew party of any kind?
Are you kidding? We had a huge going-away party. There were nut cups, some Cheez Whiz, and a package of Fizzies and Pop Rocks for everyone. We all dressed in our costumes and Jack Angel came out of a cake.
Okay, no party. Everything just ended. Doors closed and poof…all gone!
I was the last voice recorded at the studio…umpteen years later. It was for a promo for something. I was Zan. FOOOORM OF KAKA!
How aware are you of the influence that SF had on the current generation of comic book writers?
Not aware at all. I live in a cave in Griffith Park and don't get out much except to kill.
There's a huge heap of writers (i.e. me) and artists working today who were coming of age with the Super Friends and many cite that. Many incorporate stuff from the show into the comics. They even made Wonder Twins action figures. I assume you don't want them.
I love Zan and Jayna. They are so metrosexual. If you have any action figures that are anatomically correct, I want them.
Do you ever get e-mails from SF fans?
Never. They know better.
When was the last time you watched one of your SF episodes?
I watch them every night…in the dark…remembering those days when I was a contender.
How do you look back on your time writing SF?
I never wrote for SF? How could you not know that? Who is this?
[NOTE: I goofed and kept in a question from someone else's interview.]
What about Plastic Man [whom Michael voiced in his eponymous series]? How did that compare to SF?
Easy! I didn't have to break the door down when I forgot my key—I just became my key.
Any funny stories in recording PM?
If you mean why did we have a closed set, it was because I would only work naked. I learned that at Actor's Studio. Very helpful.
[NOTE: Plastic Man is part of this series...stay tuned.]
What are you doing these days?
I nap a lot. Also, when I am called by my agent (who also ushers at Grauman's Chinese Theatre), I audition for minor roles in series and usually lose out to former celebs like Erik Estrada, Lee Majors, or Richard Simmons.
[laughed then pressed for an alternate answer]
I occasionally direct graphic motion comics. Did one called Sparks. You can find it on the web. Worked on BOOM! Studios's Irredeemable with many wonderful actors including David Sobolov, Gregg Berger, Loren Lester, John Cygon, Susan Savage, Shane Sweet, Justin Shankerow, Lynnanne Zager, Kent McCord, Vyvan Pham, Wil Wheaton, and a host of others. I love directing. Wish I did more.
Are you still voice acting?
Whenever I get the call.
Do you have children/grandchildren?
I have a child. She is an actress. She is not only gorgeous, she is a major talent. [Ashley Bell, who got rave reviews for her performance in The Last Exorcism]
What does she think of your time as a superhero?
She knows I am not a superhero because she is the one that carries in the Christmas tree all by herself. She is stronger and faster than me. I should have had her when I was 20 instead of 47. However, I can shout louder than her, so there!
Has anyone else interviewed you about SF?
Over 400 others. No one has ever heard from them again.
[laughed then pressed for an alternate answer]
Fangoria is one. I can't recall the Internet ones.
Have you ever participated (i.e. signed autographs) at a comic convention? If not, would you be willing to (if the convention paid your way)?
I went to one in August in New York and then another one in Birmingham, England in 2011…if my legs and spleen hold out.
Can you suggest any other people (other writers, producers, directors, cast) who were involved with SF that I could try to interview?
Just the parking lot attendant and he is in prison.
Anything else about the experience I didn't cover that you'd like to add?
I am available for work. However, since the new Smurfs film was cast with celebs, my outlook is bleak. I am going to take a nap now. Leave me alone.
I assume you'd be game for an in-person cast reunion? I'm sure we could arrange for a cot so you wouldn't miss any naps.
A reunion would be fun. Hope you have large supply of Depends.
NOTE: On 7/19/11 in Los Angeles, I had the honor of helping to reunite Michael and Liberty Williams (Jayna). Michael elaborated on his "last voice recorded" comment above. He told us both that the last recording done at Hanna-Barbera (before Warner Bros. absorbed it in 2001) was a Wonder Twins promo (which featured another voice actor as Jayna because they were unable to locate Liberty).
Next: Liberty Williams (Wonder Twin Jayna).
Introduction to subseries "Super Friends" (including a list of interviewees).
How did you get the job on Super Friends?I auditioned like all the other actors. When that didn't work, I told them I was Bill Hanna's illegitimate son. I was hired the next day.
Michael Bell on Charlie's Angels (1977)How long did you have the job?
I can't recall. I think a couple of years. I was stoned most of the time.
Please tell me you're serious.
Well, I once recorded Smurfs hung-over as a result of eating a whole loaf of cake (unbeknownst to me) laced with marijuana the night before. Went to work to sing "La la la la la la" wearing dark glasses. Don't know how I got through the day.
How familiar with the characters were you before you got the job?
As a kid, I was a comicaholic. I was very familiar with all the superheroes and villains except for Zan, Gleek, and Joe Barbera.
Which episodes/years were you on SF?
You probably know better then me. The only years I am familiar with are those that mark my physical emergence into manhood and the cost of Kleenex.
How long did it take you to record one episode?
It took us a few minutes to record and several hours to stop laughing.
What challenges were involved in recording SF?
Once I recall being attacked by my mike, but realized I was stepping on the base which caused it to tilt at me. I was in therapy for years as a result.
How did working on SF compare to other animated series you worked on? (Related: what has been your favorite series to be a part of?)
I was sooo busy running from one series to another, I am unable to compare. As I look back, it all seems like an amazing dream.
Of the episodes you were on, do you have a favorite?
I loved playing the Riddler. I can't recall the episode.
Were there any you ended up being disappointed with?
How could I be disappointed? I was doing what I loved to do. However, I was disappointed in the coffee.
How much interaction did you have with the writers?
Not a great deal. Truthfully, I thought I wrote it. Writers? Huh?
How much time, if any, did you spend with the other voice actors when you weren't working?
We all slept together. I am still going to a dermatologist because of it.
Which voice actors were you most friendly with?
Frank [Welker], Jack [Angel], Shannon [Farnon], and the late, great Danny Dark.
Any interesting stories about the voice actors?
Nothing comes to mind. They were a pretty dull lot. No personalities at all. Very depressing. Brought me down.
Were any voice actors like—or completely unlike—their characters?
Shannon would jump off a chair every now and then ask the guys if they wanted to arm wrestle and Jack would ask her what the island of Sappho was like and do they allow men?
Did you ever get letters from fans, and if so, do you still have any?
I get letters from fans now. About several thousand a day. Most of them ask for money.
Do you still have any of your original SF scripts?
Used to but not any longer. I have a trillion Smurfs scripts, a couple of Jonny Quests and several Rugrats…and an original Star Trek. I think I also have a porno version of the Smurfs. Wonder where that is?
Do you have any other SF memorabilia from the era (i.e. cards signed by cast members, etc.)?
I have Shannon's chair. I sleep with it.
Was there ever a SF cast and crew party of any kind?
Are you kidding? We had a huge going-away party. There were nut cups, some Cheez Whiz, and a package of Fizzies and Pop Rocks for everyone. We all dressed in our costumes and Jack Angel came out of a cake.
Okay, no party. Everything just ended. Doors closed and poof…all gone!
I was the last voice recorded at the studio…umpteen years later. It was for a promo for something. I was Zan. FOOOORM OF KAKA!
How aware are you of the influence that SF had on the current generation of comic book writers?
Not aware at all. I live in a cave in Griffith Park and don't get out much except to kill.
There's a huge heap of writers (i.e. me) and artists working today who were coming of age with the Super Friends and many cite that. Many incorporate stuff from the show into the comics. They even made Wonder Twins action figures. I assume you don't want them.
I love Zan and Jayna. They are so metrosexual. If you have any action figures that are anatomically correct, I want them.
Do you ever get e-mails from SF fans?
Never. They know better.
When was the last time you watched one of your SF episodes?
I watch them every night…in the dark…remembering those days when I was a contender.
How do you look back on your time writing SF?
I never wrote for SF? How could you not know that? Who is this?
[NOTE: I goofed and kept in a question from someone else's interview.]
What about Plastic Man [whom Michael voiced in his eponymous series]? How did that compare to SF?
Easy! I didn't have to break the door down when I forgot my key—I just became my key.
Any funny stories in recording PM?
If you mean why did we have a closed set, it was because I would only work naked. I learned that at Actor's Studio. Very helpful.
[NOTE: Plastic Man is part of this series...stay tuned.]
What are you doing these days?
I nap a lot. Also, when I am called by my agent (who also ushers at Grauman's Chinese Theatre), I audition for minor roles in series and usually lose out to former celebs like Erik Estrada, Lee Majors, or Richard Simmons.
[laughed then pressed for an alternate answer]
I occasionally direct graphic motion comics. Did one called Sparks. You can find it on the web. Worked on BOOM! Studios's Irredeemable with many wonderful actors including David Sobolov, Gregg Berger, Loren Lester, John Cygon, Susan Savage, Shane Sweet, Justin Shankerow, Lynnanne Zager, Kent McCord, Vyvan Pham, Wil Wheaton, and a host of others. I love directing. Wish I did more.
Are you still voice acting?Whenever I get the call.
Do you have children/grandchildren?
I have a child. She is an actress. She is not only gorgeous, she is a major talent. [Ashley Bell, who got rave reviews for her performance in The Last Exorcism]
What does she think of your time as a superhero?
She knows I am not a superhero because she is the one that carries in the Christmas tree all by herself. She is stronger and faster than me. I should have had her when I was 20 instead of 47. However, I can shout louder than her, so there!
Has anyone else interviewed you about SF?
Over 400 others. No one has ever heard from them again.
[laughed then pressed for an alternate answer]
Fangoria is one. I can't recall the Internet ones.
Have you ever participated (i.e. signed autographs) at a comic convention? If not, would you be willing to (if the convention paid your way)?
I went to one in August in New York and then another one in Birmingham, England in 2011…if my legs and spleen hold out.
Can you suggest any other people (other writers, producers, directors, cast) who were involved with SF that I could try to interview?
Just the parking lot attendant and he is in prison.
Anything else about the experience I didn't cover that you'd like to add?
I am available for work. However, since the new Smurfs film was cast with celebs, my outlook is bleak. I am going to take a nap now. Leave me alone.
I assume you'd be game for an in-person cast reunion? I'm sure we could arrange for a cot so you wouldn't miss any naps.
A reunion would be fun. Hope you have large supply of Depends.
NOTE: On 7/19/11 in Los Angeles, I had the honor of helping to reunite Michael and Liberty Williams (Jayna). Michael elaborated on his "last voice recorded" comment above. He told us both that the last recording done at Hanna-Barbera (before Warner Bros. absorbed it in 2001) was a Wonder Twins promo (which featured another voice actor as Jayna because they were unable to locate Liberty).
Next: Liberty Williams (Wonder Twin Jayna).
August 16, 2011
Super '70s and '80s: "Super Friends"—Fernando Escandon (El Dorado)
Introduction to series "Super '70s and '80s."
Introduction to subseries "Super Friends" (including a list of interviewees).
How did you get the job on Super Friends?
Regular audition.
How long did you have the job?
For the duration of my character.
How familiar with the characters were you before you got the job?
Super Friends was one of my favorite shows.
What do you know about the creation of El Dorado? (As you probably know, he was created for the show and had not first appeared in comic books.)
Yes, during the audition, I was informed that it was a new character.
Did you ever find anything about El Dorado to be stereotypical or inaccurate with regard to Hispanic heritage?
Never thought about it. It was obvious to me that Hanna-Barbera and ABC tried to appeal to the ever growing Hispanic population in the USA. Nothing wrong with that.
How long did it take you to record one episode?
Two hours the most.
What challenges were involved in recording SF?
Keeping up with all the pros I was working with.
Of the episodes you were on, do you have a favorite?
I loved them all; I [also] have a special satisfaction doing my dear "Frollo" in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Spanish/Latino version. Maybe because I had the opportunity to act and sing a few songs.
Were there any you ended up being disappointed with?
Never completely satisfied on all of them; always convinced that I could have done better.
How much interaction did you have with the writers?
The necessary.
Which voice actors were you most friendly with?
Frank Welker, always a gentleman.
Can you please give a few examples of what you did socially and with whom? Go to a movie? Play tennis/golf? Visit each other at home?
The only time I had any contact with any of them was at the time of recording. I guess we were all too busy doing our own thing. At least I was.
Were any voice actors like—or completely unlike—their characters?
They were all perfect.
Did you ever get letters from fans, and if so, do you still have any?
Yes, I received some; do not know where they are now.
Do any fan letters stand out? What have fans written to you besides "I loved SF"?
I remember one surprised me by saying that El Dorado is his favorite character.
What brought your time as on SF to an end?
It just ended. Do not know of any reason.
How aware are you of the influence that SF had on the current generation of comic book writers?
Have no idea.
Do you ever get e-mails from SF fans?
I got some but do not know where they are.
When was the last time you watched one of your SF episodes?
Do not remember.
How do you look back on your time on SF?
With a big smile.
What are you doing these days?
Same thing—voice-overs.
Do you have children/grandchildren?
A son and a daughter.
What do they think of your time as a superhero?
They are happy/proud about it.
Has anyone else interviewed you about SF?
Yes.
Have you ever participated (i.e. signed autographs) at a comic convention? If not, would you be willing to (if the convention paid your way)?
No, I have never participated and thank you for the invitation.
I'm not clear if this means you would be willing to participate in conventions?
No time.
Are you in touch with anyone from the cast?
No.
Would you like to reconnect with any of them?
Thank you, but no time.
Can you suggest any other people (other writers, producers, directors, cast) who were involved with SF that I could try to interview?
Since most of my recordings/voice-overs I now do in my own booth/office via ISDN, I have not had [recent] contact with any of my dear colleagues.
Anything else about the experience I didn't cover that you'd like to add?
You did a good job.
Next: Michael Bell (Wonder Twin Zan, Riddler, Gleek).
Introduction to subseries "Super Friends" (including a list of interviewees).
How did you get the job on Super Friends?
Regular audition.
How long did you have the job?
For the duration of my character.
How familiar with the characters were you before you got the job?
Super Friends was one of my favorite shows.
What do you know about the creation of El Dorado? (As you probably know, he was created for the show and had not first appeared in comic books.)
Yes, during the audition, I was informed that it was a new character.
Did you ever find anything about El Dorado to be stereotypical or inaccurate with regard to Hispanic heritage?
Never thought about it. It was obvious to me that Hanna-Barbera and ABC tried to appeal to the ever growing Hispanic population in the USA. Nothing wrong with that.
How long did it take you to record one episode?
Two hours the most.
What challenges were involved in recording SF?
Keeping up with all the pros I was working with.
Of the episodes you were on, do you have a favorite?
I loved them all; I [also] have a special satisfaction doing my dear "Frollo" in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Spanish/Latino version. Maybe because I had the opportunity to act and sing a few songs.
Were there any you ended up being disappointed with?
Never completely satisfied on all of them; always convinced that I could have done better.
How much interaction did you have with the writers?
The necessary.
Which voice actors were you most friendly with?
Frank Welker, always a gentleman.
Can you please give a few examples of what you did socially and with whom? Go to a movie? Play tennis/golf? Visit each other at home?
The only time I had any contact with any of them was at the time of recording. I guess we were all too busy doing our own thing. At least I was.
Were any voice actors like—or completely unlike—their characters?
They were all perfect.
Did you ever get letters from fans, and if so, do you still have any?
Yes, I received some; do not know where they are now.
Do any fan letters stand out? What have fans written to you besides "I loved SF"?
I remember one surprised me by saying that El Dorado is his favorite character.
What brought your time as on SF to an end?
It just ended. Do not know of any reason.
How aware are you of the influence that SF had on the current generation of comic book writers?Have no idea.
Do you ever get e-mails from SF fans?
I got some but do not know where they are.
When was the last time you watched one of your SF episodes?
Do not remember.
How do you look back on your time on SF?
With a big smile.
What are you doing these days?
Same thing—voice-overs.
Do you have children/grandchildren?A son and a daughter.
What do they think of your time as a superhero?They are happy/proud about it.
Has anyone else interviewed you about SF?
Yes.
Have you ever participated (i.e. signed autographs) at a comic convention? If not, would you be willing to (if the convention paid your way)?
No, I have never participated and thank you for the invitation.
I'm not clear if this means you would be willing to participate in conventions?
No time.
Are you in touch with anyone from the cast?
No.
Would you like to reconnect with any of them?
Thank you, but no time.
Can you suggest any other people (other writers, producers, directors, cast) who were involved with SF that I could try to interview?
Since most of my recordings/voice-overs I now do in my own booth/office via ISDN, I have not had [recent] contact with any of my dear colleagues.
Anything else about the experience I didn't cover that you'd like to add?
You did a good job.
Next: Michael Bell (Wonder Twin Zan, Riddler, Gleek).
