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I see you've done some work since Thundercats, but not
much... why is that?
Since the mid-80's, there hasn't been much animation work done in
New York.... I think the production companies find it more economical to work elsewhere; Los Angeles, Toronto, etc. But I
have stayed busy in the commercial voice-over field, providing the voices of Count Chocula, Sonny the Coco Puffs bird, etc.
And, after 33 years, I'm still seen and heard 2 or times a week on "Imus in the Morning" heard on over 100 radio
stations nationwide and seen on MS/NBC TV.
Were you offered any other roles that
you turned down and now regret?
I honestly can't recall a role
that I regret turning down. A working actor rarely says "no" to a job offer.
I am a big Thundercats fan - what are some memories you have of the show?
My fondest memories of THUNDERCATS are the great times we had at EVERY recording session. The voice cast
was made up of some of the greatest actors (and nicest people) in the business. We had a ball every time we went into the
studio.
Do you know if they ever plan on making a movie based
on it?
Every few years, another rumor pops up about a new THUNDERCATS movie. There's
one circulating now, but who knows?  Ok, let's start from the beginning - how did you get involved in Thundercats?The usual route ... an audition. Rankin-Bass auditioned more than 200 actors for show. Like everyone else, I reported
to the studio at my appointed time, studied the scripts, and was given about 15 minutes to show them what I thought the characters should sound like. I got lucky ... they liked me! What inspiration
did you use to create the voices of Lion-O and Jackalman?Great
question; I've never really thought about it before. Although LION-O was "Lord of the Thundercats," I felt he
should be gentle, thoughtful, and kind .... even a little vulnerable. After all, he became the 'CATS leader as a young
boy and had to grow into the role. Looking back, I guess I may have been thinking of SUPERMAN as an inspiration for the voice.
And JACKALMAN.... well, my inspiration was "sleazy, slimy, scummy EVIL." Do
you keep in touch with anyone from Thundercats?I see Lynn Lipton, Peter Newman, and Gerrianne
Raphael occasionally at auditions and recording sessions in New York. Of course, Bob McFadden and Earl Hammond have passed
away.
Back in those days did you have any interaction with the other cast members while recording - or is it like now when you do your parts alone in a small room and don't see anyone?
We always worked as an ensemble .... the whole cast in the room at the same time, which was fantastic.
It took nearly three years to record all 130 episodes, so we had hundreds of hours together and loved every minute of it.
What do you think of the "Thundercats Bloopers" on the internet? Are they actually real?
You have
to remember that back in the mid-1980's, there was no Internet, and no way for us to know that someday anyone in the world
would be able to listen to
our little fluffs, jokes, and mistakes. My only worry is that young kids might come across
the "out-takes" and have his or her fondness for the THUNDERCATS
tarnished. And yes, they're real.
Are there any plans to release Silverhawks on DVD? That
was another favorite of mine.
I haven't heard any,
but it would be great.
Why is it that you're always lending your voice
but never your face for these roles?
Early in my career, I acted in a few soap operas and movies and hosted a TV game show, "Bowling for Dollars."
It was fun, but I HATED the "down time..."
hours and hours of waiting around while the sets were moved around,
the lighting adjusted, etc. I prefer spending a half hour in an audio booth and moving on to another job.
On behalf of everybody who had the honor and pleasure of being a part of THUNDERCATS, I'd like to thank you,
Tim ... and everyone who reads this .... for being such FANTASTIC fans. And thanks for keeping the CODE OF THUNDERA alive!
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