My friend Bob Bergen is Warner Bros. go-to guy when they need to record Porky Pig – that’s him these days on The Looney Tunes Show, and previously on Duck Dodgers and in Looney Tunes Back In Action. He’s also one of the busiest voice actors in Hollywood with numerous credits at other studios, including a recurring role as “Luke Skywalker” on Robot Chicken!
Like all the best filmmakers and actors, Bob is a historian of the craft – having fallen in love with it at an early age. He sent me a few sound bites from his personal archive that he thought readers of Cartoon Research would appreciate. I think he’s right.
First up, Bob recorded this little snippet of LA Kids Show host Tom Hatten introducing Jack Mercer singing Popeye The Sailor Man live in 1979.
Next, this classic recording of 14-year old Bob Bergen cold-calling Mel Blanc – and Mel’s wonderful responses…
Bob met Daws Butler at an Asifa cel-sale back in the 1980s. I’ll let Bob tell you about this clip:
“This is when I first met Daws at The Promenade Mall in Woodland Hills at an ASIFA Show. Just shoved a recorder in his face and asked him to do some voices. He invited me to study with him which I did off and on until he passed away.”
Daws Butler, June Foray and Bill Scott rehearsing for a live reading of an old Bullwinkle script, same day as previous clip.
The full, live public performance of a Rocky & Bullwinkle script.
And finally, just for laughs, something Bob recorded as Porky grafted into a famous Mel Gibson phone message…
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of Cal Arts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [
All the clips are really cool.I especially like the one with just Daws and the one with him,Bill and June,not to forget Jack Mercer.It always fascinates me to hear my favorite voices in and out of character, particularly Daws.
What gracious folks to give their time fans.
Man, I wish that Porky-Gibson call went on longer…
Wonderful material, Mr. Bergen. And I’ve got to say, you had a lot of spunk calling Mel Blanc out of the blue like that!
Great stuff! Love hearing Jack Mercer, Mel Blanc and others. They were the greats.
Bob Bergen’s Porky phone call with Mel Gibson is hilarious! 🙂
Of course, generally Porky Pig isn’t used due to his stutter.