Zen Monday: #213

It's Zen Monday all over again, the day you tell us what the photo's about rather than me telling you. Experience it, tell it, that's Monday Zen.

**********

The Camelot Where You Are photo contest starts tomorrow and I've already received entries from around the world! I'm so excited I almost time-traveled. I hope you're planning to enter, because each week I'll be giving away a free copy of my new novel, Camelot & Vine. Details are here. Go find some Camelot Where You Are, take a picture of it and send it in!

Bag Ban Theory

Just as in many other California communities, a ban on single-use plastic bags has recently gone into effect in Pasadena. Those bags are big polluters so I think the ban is a good idea. The ban doesn't cover all stores, but I can't keep track of which stores it's in and which it isn't, so I carry my canvas bags everywhere. I've been doing it for a while and I have a collection in the back of the car.

You play your cards right and folks give 'em to you for free, if you don't mind a logo. I've got one from the City of Pasadena, one from Whole Foods, one from some book fair a hundred years ago, several from Bell Sound and about a hundred Trader Joe's paper bags that just won't quit.

What logos have you collected so far?

Commute, 7

Last week Karin asked to see where I work. (Her exact words were, "Can we see the innards?") So this isn't really commuting. It's being there.

There are several rooms at Bell Sound Studios. This is Studio B. Sound engineer Aaron sits at the console. Aaron's moved to Australia since I took the photo; now I work with Alfredo. Behind where the engineer sits is an area with a sofa and a desk for the client (should the client wish to attend the recording session). Through the door at the left of the picture is the booth, where I stand at the microphone to record. I almost never sit when I record. Something about staying on my feet keeps my vocal energy up. I need that, because the commercials I record are upbeat.

Each week I record voice-overs for Stater Bros. Markets. If you're local, you know about Stater Bros. In case you're not from around here, I'll tell you: Stater Bros. is a chain of grocery stores here in Southern California. They're located mostly in the Inland Empire and Orange County. The nearest store to Pasadena is in Santa Clarita--that's a bit of a drive. One has to cross a mountain or two to get there. I've made the drive and I'm glad I have, because I found that what I advertise (high quality at low prices) is actually the case. (When John and I picked up a deli lunch there before visiting Vasquez Rocks, we were goggle-eyed at what we got for our ten bucks.)

Actors perform in commercials all the time. It's part of what we do. When I get up to the microphone, nothing makes me more enthusiastic than touting a business I actually feel good about. I only wish they had a store in Pasadena.

Drive-By Elephant

I think I've mentioned before that I take an excursion (I excurse) to Hollywood once a week for a voice-over job. It is a delight, a great job. I'm fortunate to have it.

Around the corner from where I record at Bell Sound Studios is the Hollywood location of Anawalt Lumber at 1001 N. Highland Avenue. I've long wanted to take a picture of their elephant. I haven't had the opportunity, though, because I always forget the elephant until I'm in the car, and traffic doesn't stop long enough at this corner (this is the Romaine St. side of the building). Yesterday, though, lucky me! The guy in front of me just couldn't get a break to turn onto Highland Avenue, so I got to take a quick pic.

I believe the elephant is the Anawalt logo. This one's nicely done, though I'm worried about the future of his tusks.

Ryoko's Fans

in the sound booth at Bell Sound Studios, Hollywood

In the late 1990's I had a great voice acting gig playing a sexy space pirate. Ryoko was a serious warrior and a desperate lover. She could walk through walls and fly. She was silly, funny, romantic and fierce. One doesn't get a role like that every day. (If one did, one might wear out much too young.)

When I first accepted the part I had no idea the English dub of the anime series Tenchi Muyo!, of which Ryoko was a part, would become a cult classic, or that I'd still be getting fan mail 15 years later. "Tenchi" has a devoted fan base (many of whom hail from Ohio and/or the UK--why is that?) and the fans have been gracious and friendly over the years. They're my Facebook friends, my Twitter followers, my pen pals. And they know a lot more about Tenchi and Ryoko than I do.

On November 13th, I'll be appearing on a panel called The Ladies of Tenchi Muyo at Pacific Media Expo at the LAX Hilton. It's a reunion of sorts, although we "ladies" never actually recorded together in the sound booth. We voiced our parts separately and the engineers mixed us in post-production, like producers do with music tracks. But we acted together nonetheless. I always hoped the voices of the other actors would be recorded before I came to record mine. I considered myself lucky when I had their tracks to act with.

I could be wrong but it seems lately there's been a resurgence of interest in Tenchi Muyo. Just last week I recorded an interview for the online radio station 91.8TheFan. (The interview's not online yet. I'll let you know.)

If I were Brad Pitt or Lady Gaga I might get tired of fans, but mine don't count up into the millions and they're mostly not nuts or intrusive or rude. They're nice people who, in their youths, loved an anime cartoon and the character I played. Some of them tell me they chose careers in anime or voice-over because of it. What an honor it is to hear from them, and to know something I did was meaningful in their lives.

I wish I could send them all round trip plane tickets from Ohio and/or the UK.