In A World

Any regular reader of HE knows of my love for the craft of voice acting and voice over, and my respect for the artists that bring our favorite characters and movie trailers to life. So it’s no surprise that the passing of Don LaFontaine has saddened me deeply.

He was a master voice over artist that helped define the movie going experience for multiple generations of film fans. His unmistakable “chainsaw through gravel” baritone could deftly shift from evoking terror to inciting laughter. He voiced more than 5000 movie trailers over the last 40 years and spawned a slew of sound-alike imitators. Despite these accomplishments as a VO artist, I find his personal story equally laudable. This was a guy that could write his own ticket and for that I respect him all the more. When he got tired of going to the studios (in his limo), he made the studios come to him. He set up a home studio and took remote cues from directors miles away. He commanded a million dollars per film, yet remained humble calling himself, “the luckiest man on earth.

In honor of Mr. LaFontaine, I suggest each September 1st be designated “Talk Like Don Day.” When you order your pizza, or check out at the grocery store through in a few “in a world’s” and “one man’s” here and there. I also suggest we officially coin the phrase “graveltas” (gravel + gravitas) when referring to the way the man spoke.

Here’s to you, Don. Godspeed, you fancy bastard.

PS

No Castcast this week. All the Gearbox peoples will be at a company sponsored alcohol trough.

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23 Comments

  1. Probably the best-drawn comic I've seen here so far. It looks GREAT! Either you put some extra effort in here, or it just came naturally. Either way, color me impressed! Oh, and of course, great comic too.

  2. Am girl, so can't do LaFontaine voice. Can, however, go to youtube and watch the original T2 theatrical trailer. Bye, bye, Don. In a world where action fans are starved for good content, one girl knew car crashes and uzis were guaranteed when you voiced the trailer.

  3. Panel 3 ought to be a wallpaper. -Though maybe with some hanging-outedness, just to spice up that sexy pie. -And maybe some blood too. Blood on the hanging-outedness. Well, maybe not. Maybe another knife sticking out of the hanging-outedness?

  4. Yes, well… but I wonder why he wasn't in the car with the others, yet "appeared" on the phone, and then it turned out Don was actually talking to Al Somethingsomething, not Hal Douglas.

    Ho hum.

  5. I assume they were rivals.

    "Douglas is known in the film industry as the "In a world …" guy because many of his trailers have begun with these words, and his voice has immortalized them (although the late Don LaFontaine claims to have actually created the catchphrase)"

  6. Ok, i never knew who this guy was, but the only thing here is that i need that image of josh licking a knife in a wallpaper! and as im 13 i cant buy the subscriptions to the fancy Vault (hahah iinvented that nick) so i need it free

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