Wolverine Meets Bart Simpson... And It's HILARIOUS

Name: Wolverine Meets Bart Simpson... And It's HILARIOUS
Uploaded: 2026-08-28T13:37:15-07:00
Duration: 1 h 11 min 18 s
Channel: Nancy Cartwright
Description: Steve Blum discusses the physical and emotional challenges of voicing iconic characters like Venom and Wolverine, revealing how his career began as a…

Nancy Cartwright

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About this episode Steve Blum discusses the physical and emotional challenges of voicing iconic characters like Venom and Wolveri… AI summary

Steve Blum discusses the physical and emotional challenges of voicing iconic characters like Venom and Wolverine, revealing how his career began as a defense mechanism against childhood bullying. He shares insights on maintaining vocal health through short sessions, the importance of play in acting, and the unique collaborative freedom experienced during the production of Cowboy Bebop.

Key takeaways 5

Voicing Venom requires speaking in soliloquy with full paragraphs, causing significant physical strain on the uvula and throat, often requiring one-hour sessions for intense 'fighting mode' lines.
Blum's voice acting career originated from using funny voices to avoid bullying in middle school, where he discovered his voice could intimidate older bullies.
The production of Cowboy Bebop was unique because the studio trusted Blum and his wife Mary Elizabeth McGowan (director) to interpret the show creatively without Japanese client supervision, leading to a cinematic style that revolutionized the anime genre.
Blum maintains his vocal longevity by limiting strenuous sessions to two hours and using specific techniques like holding onto objects to prevent dizziness from exertion.
Creating unique characters across hundreds of roles relies on 'play' and imagination rather than complex calculations, often drawing from childhood experiences and observing children's behavior.

Notable quotes 4 AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.

“Venom is here and I have to speak in soliloqu. In the last game, they actually wrote full paragraphs for him. He became a storyteller. And so, the next day, what happened? The next day I was dragging my uvula behind me in the garden.”

▶ 0:15 Blum describing the extreme physical toll of recording Venom's dialogue in recent games.
“I used to do crazy voices when I was a kid... to avoid bullying honestly. If you're funny and you can do funny voices the bullies you get them laughing and they stop beating on you... I realized when they were scared and went running off, I went, 'Ooh, this is cool.'”

▶ 16:25 Blum explaining the origin of his voice acting skills as a coping mechanism for childhood bullying.
“It's really play. I talk to my students about this all the time. And I think one of the big mistakes that a lot of people make as they get older is they forget how to play... just imagine what it was like when you were little... And then it's training to be able to do the voices you're hearing in your head.”

▶ 56:26 Blum's philosophy on character creation, emphasizing imagination over technical complexity.
“We were both working as actors at the studio and they knew that she had a directing background... they just kind of threw it to us and unsupervised. And so all of the other shows that we were doing had the Japanese client in the room... This one they said do whatever you want.”

▶ 34:41 Blum recounting how the lack of supervision on Cowboy Bebop allowed for creative freedom that defined its unique style.