Publisher Description
The autobiography of master impressionist Joe Alaskey takes listeners on a fun-filled behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and how he became Mel Blanc’s replacement as the voices of Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and many of the Warner Bros. cartoon characters.
Joe Bevilacqua performs as Alaskey and even demonstrates some of the voices along the way, including a sketch that pits Daffy Duck against Columbo, and Archie and Edith Bunker as Romeo and Juliet. Bevilacqua was trained with Mel Blanc and Daws Butler (Yogi Bear).
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“Everyone who knows voices knows how good Joe Alaskey is at them. The guy has an uncanny ear, an amazing ability to sound like anyone or anything, and the comic timing of a master comedian. You’d think that would be enough for one human being but no. Turns out, he also writes (and, for God’s sake, even illustrates!) a warm, funny autobiography that’s as much about the greats he’s met and/or revered as it is about him. Anyone interested in cartoons or voices or just show biz success stories will have, like I did, a hard time putting it down.”
—
Mark Evanier, award-winning comic book and television writer
About Joe Alaskey
Joe Alaskey (1952–2016) was one of Mel Blanc’s successors at the Warner Bros. Animation studio until his death. He alternated with Jeff Bergman and Greg Burson, and occasionally Billy West, in voicing Warner Bros. cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, Marvin the Martian, Speedy Gonzales, Wile E. Coyote, and Taz, among many others. He also voiced Plucky Duck on Tiny Toon Adventures from 1990 to 1995. Alaskey was the second actor to voice Grandpa Lou Pickles on the Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats, inheriting the role after David Doyle’s death in 1997. He voiced Lou again in the Rugrats spin-off series All Grown Up!, as well as the Rugrats film trilogy. He also voiced Uncle Stinkie in Casper, as well as the film’s 1996 animated spin-off The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper.
About Joe Bevilacqua
Joe Bevilacqua, also known as Joe Bev, is a public radio producer and radio theater dramatist. However, his career has taken him into every aspect of show business, including stage, film, and television as a producer, director, writer, author, actor, journalist, documentarian, and even cartoonist. He is also a member of the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York City.