"Thufferin' thuckotash!" Have you heard Eric Bauza as the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Marvin the Martian, Sylvester & Tweety and many other classic cartoon stars? He says his five-year-old son can tell his Bugs from that of Mel Blanc but I can't, and I've collected dozens of classic Warner Bros. Looney Tunes over decades of 16mm film collecting.
Bauza, who grew up in Scarborough, Ont., started out working in the drawing end of the animation business. He talks about meeting a few of his voice over heroes, including cartoon legend June Foray (Rocky & Bullwinkle; Looney Tunes) and fellow Canadian Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain).
We also talk about his new series Stay Tooned, premiering Dec. 2 on CBC Gem. The six-episode documentary series finds Bauza in conversation with several of his 'toon talk peers, including Ben Schwartz, Lake Bell, Ken Jeong, Bobby Moynihan, Tara Strong, Lamorne Morris, Cree Summer, and James Adomian, among others.
BONUS: Hear a short clip of a 1983 interview -- my first at TV Guide Canada -- with the original voice of Donald Duck, Clarence "Ducky" Nash!