It’s Black Friday, and we’re kicking off a brand new Press Start: Bonus Levels miniseries! If you’ve enjoyed the episodic nature of the previous cartoons, you have nothing to fear. Each episode stands alone, but is simply part of a larger whole – a story that leads up to the events of the movie. So you’re not gonna get whacked with a cliffhanger and the ol’ “To Be Continued”.
One new feature you may have noticed is that the cartoons now open in a new window, allowing you to watch them at 640×480 resolution, rather than the postage stamp size they were in before.
Incidentally, I thought I’d take a moment to single out one of the newest members of the “Bonus Levels” cast, Arin Hanson, who we were supremely lucky to get onboard to play Buzz Porcupine and Plumber Pete. For those of you who braved the cold and the long lines outside your local electronics mart to nab a PS3 or Wii, you might be hearing his voice as Dr. Bruce Banner in Marvel Ultimate Alliance.
This guy is some kind of Talent Machine. He’s an up-and-coming professional voice actor based in Florida, and his vocal range is simply astonishing. He’s done work for MTV, voiced several Flash movies, and has created a number of highly acclaimed videogame parody cartoons of his own. Allow me to direct you to his web site.
Keep an ear open for this guy. I think you’ll be hearing a lot more of him.
Lastly, I wanted to include an extra feature for this month’s toon. If you’ve watched it, then you heard the cacophony at the beginning as the Resistance members chat loudly amongst themselves (and in many cases TO themselves). Kevin did a brilliant job writing monologues for each of the characters, and when they’re all talking together you just can’t get the full effect. Plus, they were all trimmed from their original length. So I’ve uploaded each character’s little diatribe below in MP3 format for your listening enjoyment.
[currently unavailable]
by Ed Glaser on November 13, 2006 · 1 comment
Hi all! Just a reminder that this month’s Press Start: Bonus Levels cartoon is a very short one. We’ve been gearing up for a five-part miniseries that starts November 24, and we needed some extra prep time.
But included with the “speed run” is an interactive WANTED poster with info about key members of the Resistance — the ragtag bunch of adventurers who oppose the villainous Count Vile. You’ll be seeing more of them starting next month. There’s some familiar faces as well as some new ones…
And hey, at least it’s not a clip show! ;-)
Good grief! It’s been a year since we started this blog, and here we are, still chugging along.
However, we’re not far off. There’s only about 10-15% left to film, and the editing process has already begun. More than that, there’s some fantastic CG stuff in the works right now!
That reminds me: have you signed up for the Dark Maze Studios newsletter yet? If not, you’re missing out. Each month you’ll get the latest news on “Press Start” as well as access to exclusive content! We’ve shown off concept art, behind-the-scenes photos, alternate publicity shots, and for October we also included a rough CG test animatic of Count Vile’s lair!
What else is new? Well, we’ve got a big update on the Press Start: Bonus Levels front. First, the bad news: there won’t be a full-fledged episode for October. HOWEVER, there’ll still be something pretty groovy to see come the 27th, so do check it out. And the reason for the semi-hiatus? We’ve been gearing up for a five-part “Bonus Levels” story arc that begins in November! So stay tuned, and get ready to meet a bunch of new characters who have joined in!
And now, back to work. We’re looking forward to this flick as much as you are!
This month’s episode of Press Start: Bonus Levels will feature a voice that Sonic the Hedgehog fans are sure to recognize: David Humphrey!
David is best known as the original voice of Shadow the Hedgehog, and many fans agree that the tone of his voice was a perfect fit for Shadow’s appearance and personality. He was cast to play Shadow for Sonic Adventure 2 in 2001, referred by his Forever Plaid cast mate Ryan Drummond (Smudge) who was the voice of Sonic at the time. David would voice the character for the next few years in Sonic Heroes and Sonic Battle, and many fans have sent requests to Sega for him to play Shadow once again.
David has recorded many other videogames and video comicbook series, although he spends most of his time on stage, performing in San Diego and all around the country. Shows include: Forever Plaid, Plaid Tidings, 1776, My Way, I Love You You’re Perfect…., Invention of Love, Into The Woods, The Nerd, The Foreigner, Chess, Noises Off, A Little Night Music, and South Pacific just to name a few. David is also a part of the popular southern California acappella group Vybration.
We’re particularly excited over here about his involvement in “Press Start,” as we’re big fans. I have fond memories of playing Sonic Adventure 2 in my last apartment with Meagan Benz (Zippy) and screenwriter Kevin Folliard — heck, the two of them even managed to unlock the Green Hill Zone! I should note, however, that David won’t be playing an angsty hedgehog in this cartoon. Instead he’s voicing Count Vile’s best buddy, Vlad, who has a nuisance of his own to deal with.
The episode premieres this Friday, September 29!
