Hey readers!

Terri Hawkes (Sailor Moon #2) is the latest guest to be announced for Anime Revolution! She will be joining former castmastes Ron Rubin, Stephanie Beard, Katie Griffin, Susan Roman, and Vince Corazza at the 20th Anniversary Sailor Moon celebration panel.

This convention is sure to be a treat for Sailor Moon fans who can make it to Vancouver! Especially if you’re a fan of the English version.

New guest announcement for Anime Revolution! Ron Rubin (Artemis) has been confirmed. He will also be joining Stephanie Beard, Katie Griffin, Susan Roman, and Vince Corazza at the 20th Anniversary Sailor Moon celebration panel.

Toby Proctor (Tuxedo Mask #2) can be heard in two episodes of Turbo Dogs, an animated series. He is joined by other Sailor Moon voice actors, including: Catherine Disher (Mimet), Ron Rubin (Artemis), Colin O’Meara (Andrew) and Lyon Smith (Sapphire). The episodes where you can hear them are titled “The Muffled Mess-Up/Return to Lender” (aired December 2010) and “Best Buds Forever/Alsatian Aces” (aired January 2011). He also appears as a police office in an episode of XIII: The Series, a Canadian action series based on a Belgian comic book. The series is about XIII, who is trying to uncover the truth about his past life while being hunted by a dark anti-government organization. Toby appears in episode 7, “Undertow.”

Barbara Radecki (Sailor Neptune) appeared in an episode of Good Dog as Julia, the ex-wife of the main character. The dramatic comedy is about a TV producer who “caves in to network demands and asks his young girlfriend, Claire to move into his house, but she doesn’t move in alone.” (description from IMDb). This is another series by Shaftesbury Films that includes cast from Sailor Moon (Murdoch Mysteries also had Julie Lemieux and Wendy Lyon guest star in 2009, in separate episodes). The episode featuring Barbara is called “Jack Nicholson.” During this episode, the main character, George, gets a table at a restaurant by claiming that Jack Nicholson will be meeting him for dinner, but his ex-wife is sitting at the next table so he makes excuses to try to leave. In a later episode of this series, David Fraser (Grandpa Hino) appears as Executor, when the main character “deals with the fallout of promising a non-existent television show to the most beautiful woman in the world.” (description from IMDb)

Speaking of David Fraser, he’s been busy! He’s appeared in four different TV series recently. In addition to Good Dog mentioned above, the following is a list of his other appearances. Breakout Kings premiered in March, and David was in the sixth episode, “Queen of Hearts,” as Milt Langley which first aired in early April. The show is about a group of ex-cons working with U.S. Marshals to track down prison escapees. What’s Up Warthogs is about some teenagers who make the morning announcements into a show. David appears in the seventh episode, “The Fall of Warty,” as Jerry the janitor which first aired in late April. Almost Heroes is comedy about brothers forced to take over their father’s failing comic book store after his untimely death. David appears as Baker in the fifth episode, “Terry and Peter vs. Their Hero.”

Jill Frappier (Luna) appears as a recurring character in the Canadian television series Life Unjarred as Helene. So far she has appeared in episodes 4-6, 11, and 13.

Emilie Barlow (Sailor Mars #2, Sailor Venus #2) will be performing on August 13th at Scene Desjardins in Levis, Québec. She will also be performing on the Harmony Square stage at the fourth annual TD Brantford International Jazz Festival, a free outdoor show which will be running September 16th-18th. Her performance is schedule for 5:00 p.m. on September 17th. In October, fans can see Emilie in Québec and Ontario. She will perform on October 27th in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec at l’Espace Rona at 8:00 p.m. On the 29th, she will be in Terrbonne, Québec and performing at Salle Desjardins – Le Théâtre du Vieux-Terrebonne at 8:30 p.m. On the 30th, she will be in Burnstown, Ontario, on the Schoolhouse stage at Neat Coffee Shop at 8:30 p.m. In December, she will be in Brampton, Ontario on the first, performing at the Rose Theatre at 8:00 p.m. On the second, she will be in Markham, Ontario, at the Markham Theatre performing at 8:00 p.m.

Fans in the United States who would like to hear Emilie’s voice in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, which we previously reported about, can catch the series on The Hub and Canadian fans can find it on Treehouse TV.

Vince Corazza (Alan/ Tuxedo Mask #3) appeared in episode 16, “the Magnificent” of the Supah Ninjas TV series, as Mallini the Magnificent. We also have a release date for Rock and Roll: The Movie, which we’ve previously reported about. The US film release date is July 30th, so interested fans can look out for it soon!

David Huband (Serena’s Dad) will be appearing in a TV short called Dave vs Death. The comedic short is about a man named David Kane who, on his deathbed, challenges Death to a game of chess. “If Dave wins, his life is spared. For every piece lost, someone he cares about will die.” (description from IMDb). A poster is now available for the thriller film Dream House (see right), which we previously reported will premiere in theatres on September 30th. A trailer is also available, but if you watch past 1:11 it may spoil the plot. You can see David around 50 seconds into the trailer. He’s the police officer on the left.

Maria Vacratsis (Negaforce) appeared in episode six of Skins, which we previously reported as including Sabrina Grdevich (Anne/Lizzy/Sailor Pluto #1) in two other episodes. The series is about a group of teenagers in Baltimore.

Liza Balkan () is featured in The Drowning Girls which is on stage at the Thousand Islands Playhouse Firehall Theatre, until July 30. Described as “the wettest show you’ll ever see, The Drowning Girls is an acclaimed and highly theatrical mystery based on a real life series of murders called “Brides in the Bath” from Edwardian, England.” (description from Kingston This Week) Showtimes are Tuesdays to Sundays at 8 p.m., with Friday and Saturday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available at 1000islandsplayhouse.com. A review of the play is available here.

(Images from Emilie Barlow’s Flickr pool, IMDb, and North Country Public Radio)

Hey Moonies! We now present you with the first part of our exclusive interview with Ron Rubin (Artemis)! Ron speaks of his early days in acting and writing, beloved characters from the many cartoons he has acted in, and the very famous celebrity Artemis’ voice is based on. Who is it? Read on and find out!

MC: Thanks Ron for doing this! How is your summer going?

RR: It’s my absolute pleasure. Thanks for contacting me … it’s great to know that Sailor Moon and its Moonies (is that correct to say … hope I didn’t insult anyone) are still going strong.
First of all, I really have to apologize for the delay in getting this back to you. But I’ve been dealing with some back issues and that has had me sidelined for a while.
Anyway, my summer was nice … got in a bit of traveling and worked on a few new cartoon series.

MC: How did you get started in acting?

image from enotes.com

RR: I think I caught the ‘bug’ very early in life at a summer camp I used to go to. I went there for a few summers between the ages of 10 and 13. We would put on plays and do sketches…
it was a very creative atmosphere. That’s when I started doing voices and impressions. Now cut ahead a decade to when I was going to university. Myself and my friend started a half hour weekly comedy show at the campus radio station. We wrote, directed and voiced it. That’s when I really started working more seriously on my craft. The radio show turned into a stage show that toured around the country. The year I finished my university degree I moved to Toronto (from Winnipeg) and began doing improv with Second City. Then I hit the “Stand Up” stage and toured North America as a featured performer. I spent most of my early twenties on the road doing my voices and telling my jokes to all sorts of audiences in all sorts of places. I think I was 23 when I decided I wanted to become a more “serious” actor, so I moved to New York and was accepted at a wonderful acting school … The Neighborhood Playhouse. It was a great time in my life … a very creative time … doing acting classes by day and performing at the comedy clubs at night.

image from burnallzombies.com

When I moved back to Toronto I landed a bunch of national commercials and a few television shows. But more importantly I booked my first cartoon series. It was ‘Beetlejuice’ and Tim Burton was at the helm. I played half a dozen different roles in the series and totally fell in love with the genre. Back then (mid eighties) there were only a handful of us voicing cartoons in Canada and the work was plentiful. Beetlejuice was followed by C.O.P.S. and Police Academy and Stckin’ Around and Stunt Dawgs and … a whole lot of other series. Then I had the opportunity to work with Stan Lee and Marvel comics in the X-Men and Avenger series. And of course, who can forget Sailor Moon. (sorry, I think I was rambling on there).

MC: We’ve learned you were also a writer for Sharon, Lois, and Bram’s Elephant Show. Did writing for TV shows influence your decision to act?

RR: Actually writing came as a result of acting. I was hired to be the guest star in the Elephant Show. I had so much fun doing it I kept thinking of ideas that I could write and perform. I came up with a concept of doing an old time radio show … the kind with the old fashioned microphones and casting myself (of course as the one doing all the voices and sound effects. They loved the idea and so I wrote the script and we shot it. If I’m not mistaken, I think it won an award for best children’s show that year. I’ve also written several other shows as well as sold pilots for television series. Some sold, others didn’t. I spent a short time in L.A. writing a series. That one sold … but never got developed. I love writing … I should be doing more of it. I’m working on writing a new cartoon series currently … I’ll let you know if it goes anywhere.

Editor’s Note: Watch him in this show here! We especially love his singing of Skidamarink at the end!

Esahc: What would you say is your influences for your writing career?

RR: Probably similar to my early comedy career. I grew up watching a lot of the old time masters … W.C. Fields, the Marx Bros., Charlie Chaplin, etc. Also the stand ups of my generation … early George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams (who I got the opportunity to perform with later in my stand up career), and of course the impressionists … I was always fascinated by the voices they could make. I tried (for hours on end) to attempt to imitate them. My parents had an old Rich Little Album (I don’t know what’s dating me more here … Rich Little or the fact it was an album) … I spent a whole summer memorizing his set and doing all his voices. But my biggest influence (not in writing but in voice work) was Mel Blanc. He did all the Looney Toons characters … Bugs, Daffy, etc. When I was really young I once saw him being interviewed on Johnny Carson … I couldn’t believe my ears … I was absolutely fascinated with all the different voices coming out of him. I think right then I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. And hey, by some weird luck and circumstances … I’m lucky enough to be doing it.

MC: We also read you used to make comedic home-videos with Canadian TV producer Allan Novak (The Party Time series) – can you tell us a little more about what these were?

RR: Boy, you guys are good with your research … how did you even know about that!
Allan and I shared a house together and every year we would throw a big party for our friends. Allan was working on and editing ‘Kids in the Hall’ at the time and had access to camera’s and studios. So each year we wrote and filmed a somewhat elaborate video that was shown at the party on monitors placed around the house. It got quite a following. Boy, that memory brings me back a lot of years.

MC: Will you ever do comedy again?

RR: Do you mean ‘stand up’ ? If so, I’m not sure. It was great in my twenties but it takes a lot of commitment and you’re on the road quite a bit. That being said, I miss doing it. Performing live in front of an audience with material that you might have written the same day was an amazing experience. I miss the adrenaline buzz … and the creative process. Don’t know if I’ll ever do that again. But I’m sure glad I experienced it when I did.

MC: Why did you make the transition from on-camera work to voice work? Will we ever see you on camera acting again?

RR: I did a lot of on-camera work earlier in my career. In my twenties and early thirties I performed in quite a few national tv commercials, a few television series and the odd movie. But after being introduced to the world of animation I truly fell in love with it. Slowly but surely I found myself doing more and more animation and less on-camera work. I eventually made the transition to voicing cartoons and commercials full time and stepping away from the camera. I’ve been lucky enough to make my living solely on voice work. I may one day return to television or film again … never say never … but for now I’m very content working behind the microphone as opposed to in front of the camera.

MC: In 2007 you were nominated for an ACTRA Toronto award for your work on Erky Perky as the very conniving Frenzel (even though you didn’t win you are still a winner with us)! What made this role special for you?

RR: I didn’t mind losing that award. It went (posthumously) to a dear friend of mine (Len Carlson) who unfortunately passed away the year prior. He was a mentor to me … taught me a lot about the business of animation and voice work. Frenzel was a really fun character … one of my all time fav’s. He was a really gross bug that had ingested far too much insecticide. He was gross and slimey and weazly … and I tried to create a voice to match his personality. I hope I did.

MC: Now it’s time to talk about Sailor Moon! We’re trying to bring the fans as many stories as we can of the show since this year marks the 15th anniversary of the show. What do you remember about the casting call and the auditions? How did you get the role?
Salvatore: How did you get the part of Artemis? Did you audition?

RR: Boy, Sailor Moon takes me back quite a few years. I did audition … I think. I remember they wanted a cool laid back voice for Artemis. There was a television show on at that time called ‘Moonlighting’ … it starred a very young Bruce Willis (and Cybil Sheppard). They referenced Bruce’s voice … low key with a bit of attitude. That’s what I went for. There were so many characters in Sailor Moon who were very expressive … even over the top (in a good way) … so it was kinda fun and interesting for me to keep Artemis’s voice lower both vocally and emotionally.

EcoReck: Due to the very limited numbers of male roles in Sailor Moon, how hard was it to get a role in it?

RR: I don’t remember it being ‘hard’ per say. Maybe I was just at the right place at the right time. I don’t recall there being a lot of call backs. I went into the studio … incorporated the voice direction I was given … and then tried to make it my own. Kind of what I try to do with every audition I go to. I booked the part … so I must have done something right.

MC: How did you come up with the right kind of “gentlemanly” voice for Artemis?

RR: As I stated earlier … I referenced the low key, laid back (but with some attitude and cockiness) style of Bruce Willis from Moonlighting. Of course I tried to add my own flavor to the character … and in time it developed into Artemis.

MC: You are one of the few actors who was with the character since the beginning. What was the biggest lesson you learned (if any) from your character and/or working on Sailor Moon? Did your voice also grow as the character grew throughout the seasons and the movies?

RR: Yea, like with every cartoon I think the actors voice and performance gets more comfortable as the series goes on. When I hear the really early episodes of Sailor Moon versus the later ones I can tell the slight difference in Artemis’ voice. I think I “cooled’ him down a bit over time.

Salvatore: You’ve been involved with the series for quite some time, do you notice any changes while working on it? (Such as direction, or how the dubbing was handled?)

RR: Well, some of the actors (Sailors) changed … a fact that I know you’re very aware of. Also, the style …. solo … ensemble …. rythmo ….

And with that, we conclude the first part of this interview. Due to Ron’s very busy schedule (and numerous questions), we will post the second part of this interview at another time.

Hey Moonies! We won’t stop celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Sailor Moon in North America, and what better way to do this than to share stories of the series from the people involved with it themselves? We’ve got 3 more to share with you today! At this time we wish to thank their agent for this opportunity!

Katie Griffin played Sailor Mars throughout the series and movies (except for the last 17 episodes of Sailor Moon R due to illness). Katie has also played many different beloved cartoon characters in shows such as Undergrads, Totally Spies, Team Galaxy, the computer animated Care Bears movies, and Beyblade! She is also a singer – I had the opportunity to see her in concert in 2006 and she is very talented!

Susan Roman played Sailor Jupiter since the beginning and many children have grown up hearing her voices in cartoons from the old Strawberry Shortcake, to the Canadian staple The Raccoons, and was even the voice of the dog Snowy in TinTin. She has been a voice actress for a very long time and continues to be heard today!

And finally, we have one third of your favorite felines! Ron Rubin is best known for playing Artemis since the series began! Ron has also played many roles over the years in cartoons such as Erky Perky (which earned him an ACTRA Award Nomination in 2007), Kratt’s Creatures, and X-Men. Ron has also worked as a writer for TV shows over the years.

Fans have until midnight of June 25th to get their questions in. Also, each fan will be allowed to ask a maximum of two questions per actor (so please come up with relevant ones). Please do not ask questions that aren’t relevant or can be easily answered with a quick online search. One of the hot topics of the last round of interviews were the cast changes in the last two seasons, and we’ll point you to this official statement that Optimum Productions sent Save Our Sailors several years ago. And as always, don’t feel that you are absolutely limited to ask only about their work on Sailor Moon! As always you can submit your questions to us via e-mail at Moonchasers@NOSPAMPLZKTHXWITHACHERRYONTOPANDEXTRASPRINKLESgmail.com, our forums, and by commenting on this post. Please sign some sort of username we can credit your question to when you submit them.