After a successful career as a radio personality in
the midwest and NYC, Dave Mallow moved to Los Angeles in 1984 to
pursue a career in voice acting that has included commercials,
film dubbing, looping, narration and voice characterization in
countless cartoons and provided the daily intros and voice of
Baboo in "The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" for Saban
Productions. I very recently exchanged words with Dave, known to
us Digi-Fans as the voice of Angemon, Upamon, Gekomon and more,
and he was more than happy to answer any questions I had to ask
about his work.
Chris McFeely: When did you decide that you wanted to build a
career for yourself as an actor?
Dave Mallow: I was a bouncer at a small, Chinese restaurant, when
one day I met a strange, Chinese woman with a Swedish accent, who
wore off-the-rack, discount jeans... no, wait a minute... that's
somebody else... let me start again:
The dream started at a 3,000 watt radio station in the
Middle West... forget it, too pretentious... ahem...
I've never aspired to on-camera or stage roles, so I've always
differentiated what I do from the work of your basic actor-clone.
While it does comes down to acting ability, the term I would
choose would be 'voice artist.' After twelve years as a disc
jockey/air personality, it seemed a logical progression to segue
into commercials, narration, post-production voice work for film
and television... and that's also when film dubbing raised it's
nasty little head. It was soon after I relocated to Los Angeles
in 1984. I both credit and blame a guy named Steve Kramer for
helping me get started in the wild and woolly dubbing world. We
shared a commercial agent and he suggested I drop a tape at a
place called Intersound. They had recently finished work on
“Robotech” and were gearing up something new.
CMcF: You used to be a radio personality in the Midwest
and NYC - tell me about that. How did you get the job? What did
it entail?
DM: My father had been in radio and television. It seemed like a
pretty cool job to me (and no heavy lifting!), so I'd wanted to
do that from very early on. Like most in that industry, I got a
part-time job at a small station and worked my way up. Many
'jocks' become nomads, moving from one station to another. I'm
fortunate in that my second and final move was for on-air work in
New York City. It was the stereotypical WKRP in Cincinnati sort
of work. I've known a few Dr. Johnny Fevers along the way. Read
the news. Introduce the traffic girl. Play the record. Read the
live commercial. Give the time
and weather. Turn on the radio; they're everywhere! I did
everything from progressive rock to adult contemporary, 'mellow
rock' to... (bowing my head in shame) ...disco. Hey, a gig's a
gig.
You get a chance to learn a little bit of everything... copy
writing, sales, production. It was good training. That lead to
more responsibility - music director and program director.
CMcF: Following on from that, how did you break into the
voice-acting industry?
DM: The first step beyond an on-air shift was learning the ropes
in the area of commercials. Made a demo tape. Got an agent. Went
on auditions. Met casting directors. You do what it takes to
become a known commodity and hope for the best.
My first taste of voice acting, as mentioned, was for Intersound
studios... dubbing anime. When I started in the mid 80's the
general route was to beg your way in to do 'bits and walla' and
then if you showed promise, you were eventually hired to do a
continuing character.
The logical step from there, while continuing to do voice work,
is to become a writer/adapter and voice director. I learned from
the best and the accent was on perfect lip-sync. It was tedious
and time consuming work. The process hasn't really changed. There
are few short-cuts. As a writer, you're given a tape of the
project/show and a literal translation from the language in which
it was originally recorded. You disappear in hiding for a few
days, stop bathing and answering the phone as you comb through
the tape second-by-second, noting the time code and finding
English words that will not only be story-appropriate, but also
match the lip movement. The easy part was then going into the
studio to direct the piece. By comparison to the homework, it's
almost like a vacation. Well, after some 150 different projects
and episodes, I grew tired of the sheer tedium involved, pulled
away from that and really haven't looked back. I much prefer to
be a hired-gun who comes in and voices his lines and leaves. I
still have the greatest respect for those who continue to put
themselves through the work involved 
with adapting and directing, though. I know how
difficult it really is. Hey, can you pass the Visine??
CMcF: Through what events were you approached for the
"Digimon" series? How did you end up getting cast in
the role as Angemon?
DM: I've worked on Saban shows since they started to buy foreign
products, re-do the audio tracks and market them. The first show
they did was “Macron I” and I got to play a character
with a name (Jet), instead of the bits and walla world of 'Pilot
1' or ‘Truckdriver B.’ There's been a succession of
shows since, but “Power Rangers” really put things in a
whole different perspective. As for “Digimon,” I was
called in to audition... and Angemon (among others) got a voice.
CMcF: How often were/are you called in to work on
"Digimon"? What is a typical studio session like?
DM: On average, once a week. Sometimes we'll work on more than
one episode at a time. That depends on a variety of factors. A
typical session is pretty much the same for everyone. Each actor
is booked for a specific time, signs in and then goes into the
recording booth, awaiting instructions from the director. Aside
from the 'bits and walla’ (crowd stuff) sessions, actors
work alone and only see the 'loops' or separate
sentences/reactions, etc. that he/she has to do. The time code
has been noted by the adapter, so the engineer knows just what
frame the character opens his/her/its mouth. The actor hears
three 'beeps' in the headset, knowing that it's 'showtime' on the
beat of the fourth, but imaginary 'beep.' Having quickly
memorized what's necessary for that single 'loop,' you're
watching the screen for your character (essentially quickly
searching for that mouth). If what you've done suits the
director, you move on... otherwise, you try, try again, until you
get it right. It has always amazed me that this process even
works at all. You don't perform with any of the other characters
and vice-versa, yet it all eventually sounds like one, flowing
scene. Part of the fun is doing action sequences without
previewing them. We call this 'playing the screen'... and trying
to come up with just the right grunts, groans and reactions as
they play out. Some actors are quicker than others and it's more
involved than you may think. You're doing a number of things at
once.
CMcF: Once you were affirmed as the voice of Angemon,
what was the process behind your getting to play further
characters in the series, such as Gekomon and Upamon?
DM: Sometimes you'll audition again... sometimes the
producers/directors know you well enough to just cast you without
making you jump that hurdle again. Basically, if an actor is
versatile, sufficiently talented, has proven professional and
reliable and is easy to get along with, they keep getting hired.
Economics figures into the picture, too. We're paid one fee, but
may do multiple characters. If you have a character that may only
have five lines in a show, it makes good money sense to have you
do another character or two, as well. Never underestimate the
power of the bottom line.
CMcF: You are very adept at disguising your voice, so, if
you can remember - did you do any voices other than: Angemon,
MagnaAngemon, Seraphimon (in the movie), Pegasusmon, Gekomon,
Upamon, and the season one narrator?
DM: Yeah, I did. I wish I could remember their names and there
were a few grunting and roaring monsters in among the mix, too.
Most of us work for a number of different companies. We're
jumping from studio to studio and character to character. It's
easier than you would imagine to get lost among the different
names and voices... especially if the character only was around
for an episode or three.
CMcF: Of all the voices you've done on the series, which
one would you say is the character you most enjoy doing?
DM: The weird ones... Gekomon comes to mind. Upamon is fun, too.
Honestly, Angemon is a pretty dull guy, who doesn't say much and
repeats himself. That's said with a smile, but the quirkier
characters allow for more creativity and leave you feeling like
you've brought something different into the mix.
CMcF: Something that a lot of fans noticed was that
during his appearances in the latter period of the second season,
MagnaAngemon underwent a noticeable change in his voice - some
likened it to sounding like a "geezer." Some suggested
you might have had a cold that day. Can you shed some light on
this? Was it the result of a decision on your part, an
instruction by the voice directors, or a slip of the tongue
(voicebox?)?
DM: "Geezer!!???" Alright, let's step outside and I'll
have my bodyguard tune up your kneecaps!!! I honestly don't
recall if MagnaA started out one way, then evolved or if he
always had the breathy 'Clint Eastwood' thing going for him.
Decisions on voices are always a collaboration between actor and
director. We 'throw something out' and see if it's accepted,
rejected or subject to fine-tuning. Choices are generally made
very quickly... time is money.
If I'm not mistaken, the MagnaA
thing was purposely designed to differentiate him from the other
incarnations of the character. Wasn't he a horse part of the
time, instead of the Angel dude in lycra pajamas?? To set the
record straight, my voicebox does not slip... and what I do with
my tongue is none of your business. A cold? Don't you know that
actors never get colds? Actors with colds don't get paid to work!
CMcF: Do you think that you were you cast in other Saban
projects as a direct result of your popular work on Digimon (or
vice versa), or was each assignment independently secured?
DM: All of the above. Given a chance, you prove your worth over
time and never stop proving yourself. The nature of this business
means constantly rotating management, producers, staff,
directors, etc... each of whom may have no idea of who you are or
what you've done last week or last year. We'd like to think that
we each have something unique to offer and will be remembered the
next time around. Bribes and free massages don't hurt, either.
‘Need your car washed??’
CMcF: One often gets the impression that voice actors are
offered rather little appreciation for the work they do. Of
course, there are exceptions like Dan Castellaneta and other such
Simpsons actors, for example - but what are your thoughts on
this?
DM: By it's very nature, we're unseen and unsung. The biggest
names in the voice field (such as Frank Welker, Don La Fontaine
and Harry Shearer, etc.) are totally unknown to the general
public, who hear them on a DAILY basis. Sure, we all have egos or
we wouldn't be able to show up behind a microphone, but then we
don't have to dress up (although bathing is encouraged) and it
beats working for a living. The truth? We're all working stiffs
who want to bring home a paycheck at the end of the day. All the
rest is icing on the cake. It continues to surprise that there
are fans such as you guys, who keep track of us and care one way
or the other.
If there's a consensus among actors, though, it has more to do
with the pay scale relative to the voice first pre-animation/non
dubbing than it does with notoriety. Of the two, the Screen
Actor's Guild dubbing rate is on the lower end by an exponential
figure. They also get the annuity of residuals when the work is
repeatedly shown. Dubbing requires a unique talent. Thankfully,
not everyone can do it well, but there are economic constraints
that impact this end of the business.
CMcF: Do you have any advice for
those out there who aspire to be voice actors?
DM: Don't quit your day job... and always signal your intentions
in traffic, whether you're in a car or not!
This is a very insecure business and the odds aren't really in
your favor. I would only suggest pursuing a career such as this
if you can't NOT do it. You have to really want it. Then, do your
homework; read anything you can get your hands on about this
corner of the acting game. Take voice over and animation
workshops. Approach someone who makes demo tapes and work with
them on creating what best displays your ability. The next step
is finding an agent who believes in you (most of us have agents,
but the second part can be elusive). An agent is the conduit to
auditions and the rest is all up to you. There's a LOT of
competition. While there are those who make livings in smaller
markets, you really need to relocate to where it's happening...
either New York, Los Angeles or perhaps Chicago... and then it
comes down to networking, making contacts and friends and hoping
for the best.
CMcF: What do you do in your spare time? What interests
does "the voice of Angemon" have?
DM: Music remains a passion. Love the 'art rock/progressive'
stuff. XTC, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Crowded House, Mike Oldfield,
Yes, older Genesis, Flower Kings, Ben Folds Five, Joe Jackson.
Used to play in a group and still mess a bit with bass guitar.
Love films and have a surround-sound set up and hard-disk video
capture and DVDs. The more independent, character-driven dramas
and darker comedies hold my interest. Offbeat comedy is a major
pleasure... Fawlty Towers, Martin Short, Robin Williams, etc. I
have a home in the Hollywood Hills with a great view - which my
cat allows me to think of as my own... and I enjoy upgrading and
improving it. Spending about six hours a week doing yoga, have
amazed myself that I've stuck with it for more than ten years.
Just got a new AudiTT coupe sports car, which is very cool to
drive... I'm pretty low-key. Not much of a party animal. Not into
sports or clubbing. And I spend far too much time writing email
and surfing the web.
DM: My fingers are tired. Can I go back in my cage now? Oh,
wait... it's almost time for Oprah!!
Dave Mallow is, among many other things, presently working on dubbing "Digimon: Season Three," though he is not a regular in the cast (as yet).
