Vocal Qs

• Vocal Qs: Ep 201 - Rachael MacFarlane

  Happy Holidays, Q Balls! While this is the unofficial premiere episode of the second season, it is most certainly a holiday treat for you this late December. I am absolutely thrilled to sit down with Rachael MacFarlane whose last name is not only synonymous with animation, but who has contributed to voice acting for nearly 30 years. Whether she would like to admit it, as she will often give all the credit to her big brother Seth, she and the rest of the MacFarlane family shapes the MacFarlane animation empire which includes Family Guy (celebrating its 25th anniversary this year) and American Dad, in which Rachael plays 'Hayley', the Smith's free spirited liberal daughter. In addition to voice acting, MacFarlane has also been involved in other aspects of animation, such as being a production assistant for Cartoon Network, her early days with 'Johnny Bravo' and 'The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy' and 'Welcome to Eltingville'. It is such a great episode, as we continue our look at women in the industry, and what better way to do so than to speak to a professional voice actor who has some great stories about what it's like being a little sister to the super creator she has a lot of childhood ammunition on. So join us for the special preview episode of the sophomore season as we talk about Family Guy, American Dad, The Orville, her favorite musicals, her children entering the world of Voice Acting, and of course, all the childhood dirt on Seth you could possibly want! (no, they get along)... Special thanks to everyone for listening this season! Please leave a comment or rating on whatever podcast provider you use, and please make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on a single episode! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Season 19 of ‘American Dad’ is airing new episodes on Fox until January 6th. ‘Family Guy’ has recently celebrated their 25th anniversary with a Holiday special which you can stream on Hulu and Disney+ worldwide.   To watch my interview with Seth MacFarlane on the last season of 'TED' - CLICK HERE To read my interview with Seth MacFarlane about 'The Orville' - CLICK HERE

  --------  

  52:30

  --------

  52:30
• Vocal Qs: Ep 200 - Maria Canals-Barrera

  So. It's been awhile. To say the least. When I completed the first season of Vocal Qs, it was the height of the pandemic. Everyone was at home, likely bored, and looking for new things to do. I finally dove in and did a podcast. A successful one. Full of amazing, iconic Voice actors. Then work changed. Then I had another kid. Then life changed... BUT! We've come full circle. We're finally ready to start unveiling new episodes of Vocal Qs and get Season 2 rolling... almost. In the meantime, enjoy this bonus episode with Voice Acting legend, Justice Leaguer, Wizard of Waverly Placer and all around wonderful performer, Maria Canals-Barrera. Whether she is appearing on TV, film, stage or lending her voice to countless hit shows, Maria Canals-Barrera is a multi-talented actress who has showcased her talent across the board in entertainment. Maria is best known for her starring role as the mortal mother of three teenage wizards, in the three time Emmy Award-winning series "Wizards of Waverly Place.” Canals-Barrera also starred as Mitchie's mom, Connie Torres, in the Disney Channel Original Movies "Camp Rock" and "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam." Most recently recurring on “The Morning Show” on AppleTV+ and “Kenan” on NBC, other notable television appearances include “Lopez vs. Lopez,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Last Man Standing,” "Curb Your Enthusiasm," “Fuller House,” and the critically acclaimed PBS series "American Family." Canals-Barrera is also the voice of Hawkgirl in the animated series "The Justice League," voices recurring roles in “Dora” and “Madagascar: A Little Wild,” and is the voice of "Sunset Boulevardez" in Disney Channel's acclaimed series "The Proud Family" as well as Disney+’s “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder." Her most recent film project is "Seven Cemeteries" costarring with legend Danny Trejo. It's a fun-filled, comedy/western/horror film that's reminiscent of the good times had in early Sam Raimi films. So join us for the special preview episode of the sophomore season as we talk about Disney Channel issues, Representation, Cher, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and of course... Hawkgirl and the Justice League! Special thanks to everyone for listening this season! Please leave a comment or rating on whatever podcast provider you use, please make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on Season 2 when it's ready to go!

  --------  

  38:48

  --------

  38:48
• Vocal Qs: Ep 110 - Eric Bauza

  Hard to believe it's already the season finale of the premiere season of Vocal Qs. What a great way to end it. We ended up bookending the podcast, with Billy West in the premiere, and our very special guest today, Eric Bauza. Both men have voiced the iconic Bugs Bunny, both men have been in a Space Jam movie (with Bauza voicing undisclosed characters in the soon-to-be-released sequel, Space Jam: A New Legacy) and it's like a passing of the vocal-artistry baton, with West representing the old school, and Bauza representing the up and coming stars of the Animation and Voice acting industry. But more importantly... Bauza is from Toronto. So when two Toronto boys (since the Host of Vocal Qs, Michael Winn Johnson also grew up in the area) get together, we just couldn't help ourselves. We're almost exactly the same age, we had similar experiences growing up, and now our sons are almost the same age as well. It is an hour long chat about all the fun we had as kids growing up in Canada in the 80s, the cartoons we watched, the world that influenced us, sports teams, Canadian food and so much more. This was an absolute pleasure (not just because we're both Canadian, and therefor super polite) but because Eric is such a joyful individual. You can tell he loves his life, he's grateful for what he's able to do for a living, and he's grateful he can share it with all of us. So join us for the LAST episode of the season as we talk about Ghostbusters, Hilarious house of Frigtenstein, the CNE, the Raptors, and of course, becoming Bugs, Daffy, and even working with 'King' Lebron James. Special thanks to everyone for listening this season! Please leave a comment or rating on whatever podcast provider you use, please make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on Season 2 (to be released close to March 2021) and more importantly, have a wonderful Holiday Season, and all the best in 2021! Love to all the Q-Balls!

  --------  

  1:15:33

  --------

  1:15:33
• Vocal Qs: Ep 109 - Josh Robert Thompson

  Josh Robert Thompson, a name that may not be ‘household’, but a man whose work is everywhere. Thompson voiced and puppeteered 'Geoff Peterson', the mechanical robot-skeleton who reinvented the Late night talk show format on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (when the show was actually something special). He used his uncanny impressions (his Morgan Freeman impression even impressed Morgan Freeman, look it up on YouTube), break-neck comedic timing and unparalleled rapport with Ferguson to create unforgettable characters and comedic moments. While watching the show, I would often tune in specifically to watch the opening monologue, tweet-mail time and banter between the two of them, and it was always the highlight of the show. When Ferguson has decided the show had run its course, Thompson went through an extremely tough personal journey in order to redefine his career. Granted, he had been extremely successful as a result of the show, but that success was literally anonymous. Thompson says in this episode of Vocal Qs, he expected the Late Late Show to be a ‘springboard’, but ironically, no one knew it was him behind the skeleton. Thompson represents the struggle that many performers and actors go through; the struggle to be recognized, the struggle to maintain success, the struggle to provide for yourself and your family, all while trying to remain creative and forge forward with your art. There was a dark time post-Ferguson (and Thompson will admit it) where coping with that balance was extremely difficult. Thompson says in the podcast he’s in a much better place now, but there was a time when social media posts and livestreams showed his frustration. This episode of Vocal Qs is rife with real advice to anyone looking to break into Voice acting and performance in general. Yet Josh keeps creating. He has voiced several fun projects; in Family Guy he makes regular appearances, even voicing both Trump and Trudeau. He had a project on Quibi before that service shut down, and he is reinventing some of his older characters to create new internet content and reach a new audience. Josh often talks about the love/hate relationship he has with the internet. How we all need it these days, and yet how ‘likes and views’ are killing what is truly important - creating. Check out a fantastic episode of Vocal Qs (our penultimate of Season 1) as Josh and I talk about George Lucas, SCTV, Trump vs Trudeau and his encyclopedic knowledge of the Muppets!

  --------  

  1:20:07

  --------

  1:20:07
• Vocal Qs: Ep 108 - George Newbern

  What perfect timing, because Justice League (Animated) just celebrated its 19th Anniversary YESTERDAY! Q-Balls... I may just be ready to leave this earth, because I can cross something off my bucket list... I interviewed... a Superman. Yes, George Newbern, the amazing actor who has built up an impressive filmography over a 40 year career (including classics like Adventures in Babysitting, Father of the Bride, and his recent reoccurring role on Scandal) visits Vocal Qs to reminisce about the good old days growing up in Akansas, attending North Western with friends like Stephen Colbert, Harry Lennox and writer John Logan, and some of those iconic roles. But of course, those roles, while iconic, don't have the staying power of playing the Man of Steel in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, not to mention the myriad of animated films and video games where he has played Superman after taking over the role from Tim Daley almost two decades ago. Yet, this boy next door, Kansas' favourite son is not the only voice George is known for. He has made several gamers, specifically lovers of the Final Fantasy franchise tremble in fear as one of gaming's all-time most dreaded antagonists, Sephiroth. You'll love this interview, just like all the other great guests I've had on the podcast this season, as George shows you how much he embodies Clark/Kal El's spirit, and constantly counts his blessings about an absolutely amazing career. Not to mention, I surprise him with a few old yearbook photos from decades ago that apparently he had never seen! You have to tune in for that!

  --------  

  53:42

  --------

  53:42

More Arts podcasts

Trending Arts podcasts

About Vocal Qs