Tommy Pickles, Ash Ketchum, Yugi Moto or maybe even Bubbles from the “Powerpuff Girls.” At least one of these names rings a bell, as they should.
Tommy Pickles, Ash Ketchum, Yugi Moto or maybe even Bubbles from the “Powerpuff Girls.” At least one of these names rings a bell, as they should. These are some of the more iconic cartoon characters of the late 90’s, and their voices are just as, if not more, memorable.
In cartoons, voices are everything. If a character in a Saturday morning cartoon doesn’t have a voice, especially an interesting one, then why on earth would we watch them? While there are many names that may come to mind for your favorite character, these are by and large the most prominent players of the voice-acting game.
Whenever I think of “Pokemon,” and its protagonist Ash, the first thing I imagine is his voice. Veronica Taylor, who voiced Ash for many years, has a voice that just works for Ash, and even now, some fifteen years later, her version of Ash is the version I remember best. While she may not have voiced many other popular figures from our childhood, the fact that she was the voice behind one of my biggest childhood heroes makes her one of the most important voice actresses of the era.
However, there are of course more popular ones. Dan Green, for instance, voiced numerous characters throughout the 90’s and continues to voice characters today. While his main stint as Yugi and Yami from the “Yu-Gi-Oh!” animated series is one of his most popular characters, he also voiced the Pokemon Mewtwo, Lugia and Entei in their respective Pokemon feature films. His voice is easily recognizable, and he’s great at exuding power — you get a sense that we should bow to his voice. Maybe Ijust get that feeling, but his voice is commanding enough to make you say “Yes sir,” every time he speaks. This could be the reason why I remember his voice so clearly, but it could also be because I love every character he ever voiced. I can’t tell if I love all his characters because they’re being voiced by him, or if I would love the characters anyway and they just so happen to be voiced by Green. Either way, Dan Green’s voice is easily recognized and easily remembered for it.
Lastly is Tara Strong. Many might not recognize her name, but I am certain she was in at least one show you remember from your childhood. If you don’t remember her as Tommy Pickles or his little brother, Dill, then you may remember her as Timmy Turner from the “Fairly Oddparents.” If not there, then what about Bubbles from the “Powerpuff Girls?” Strong’s voice is very versatile, and for that reason, you may have never drawn the parallel between Tommy and Bubbles, but rest assured that Strong has been there in your childhood in some way, shape or form. While she continues to voice act, her roles from the 90’s and early 2000’s (“Teen Titans’” Raven, anyone?) are definitely memorable and her involvement in shaping these friends from our childhood are undeniable.
Hailey Bibbee is a freshman studying English and creative writing. Who’s your favorite voice actor? Email her athb398213@ohio.edu.
