THE INFAMOUS INTERVIEW OF DOOM

First of all, a huge thank you to Pan of Lelola.net for letting us use this wonderful interview. All the links in the article lead to pages on her site. Enjoy the article!

This interview took place on the Sunday of Anime North 2002. To learn more about what happened before this interview, and for a better explanation, click here and read this first. *winks*

I didn't have recording equipment with me, so I asked a random person with a camcorder and he agreed. The fact that I am able to type this up is all thanks to him. So please, if you get the chance, go worship PatrickD of Adequate.com and check out his site! He's a saint and I owe him a HUGE thank you! *smiles*

Umm... you may wish to note that McNeil-sama uses many different voices throughout this interview. I'll try and let you know what they are in brackets next to his name. If there are no brackets, he's probably using his normal voice.

This has to be one of the hardest things I've ever had to type up. It's hard to make this sound decent in words since it's an actual interview. Lots of gestures and expressions are lost in text format. Also, his accents and some of the humor and grammar seems strange. It all makes sense though... in some weird way... ^^

After dragging McNeil-sama through the crowd by his ear, we started the interview. This interview took place on the registration desk because we simply felt like holding it there. And since voice actors are asked the same questions over and over again, I tried to make this interesting. Let's all be happy that McNeil-sama has a great sense of humor.^^

Also, a huge thank you to McNeil-sama for letting me interview him! *hugs* You're the best!

And, without further ado, I present to you my infamous interview with the one and only Scott McNeil...

Pan: Alright! First question - What is your opinion on flamingos?

McNeil-sama: (Australian accent) I mean like you know... who wouldn't like flamingos? That's all you really want to know. I mean you can use them as like croquet mallets, which is brilliant really. You know, I play. I'm an avid croquet player, I really am. I'm in a league and everything so I like to use flamingos. I like the Costa Rican flamingo when I'm doing a roquet shot, which is when you step on the other ball and then you smack it, because they have a slightly more convexed head. It's really incredible. You'll be amazed, really.

Pan: Next question.

McNeil-sama: (Australian accent) Alright.

Pan: What do you prefer - is it 'mongooses' or 'mongeese'?

McNeil-sama: (Australian accent) Oh, no, it's mongeeses, man, mongooses is just wrong. It's like mooses and meese. It's just it don't make sense. (normal voice) I never met a mongoose I didn't like. I don't know. (slightly high-pitched voice) *starts acting like a little kid* Except Ricky Ticky Tavy which is one of my favorite Rudyard Kipling stories. Which I just read (high-pitched kid voice) a little while ago.

Pan: If you could have any super power, what would it be?

McNeil-sama: (determined voice) If I could have any super power, I'd like to be 'Middle-Aged Man'!

*crowd laughs*

McNeil-sama: (determined voice) A man with all the regular powers of an average man, plus the ability to eat donuts until he explodes.

Pan: OK. And what haircut will you be having next?

McNeil-sama: (normal voice) Oh my! (a voice like Apu's from the Simpsons) It is not incumbent upon me to try and know the future. Cause I do not know. I have no way of knowing what sort of enlightenment will be coming to me next, but I'm hoping that I'll still have hair. That is my concern, because you know I am not as young as I used to be.

Pan: What's the favorite thing that you've ever had to read or say? [I pronounced "read" like "red". I'm a baka...]

McNeil-sama: My favorite thing that I ever had to "read" or say?

Pan: Read! [I corrected myself] Whoa... grammar good!

McNeil-sama: Yeah. (lower voice) Grammar interesting.

Pan: Me failed English? That's "un-possible".

McNeil-sama: (lower voice) Me no mind. Me think you speak English goodly. (foreign accent) The favorite thing I ever had to say? That's a tough one to say because you know I've said a lot of things in my life. You know, the nicest thing I ever get to say "hello". *waves at the crowd* You know, because when you say "hello", *waves again* you get to wave at beautiful people. And the saddest thing for me to say is "goodbye". *waves sadly* Goodbye because then people have to go away. I'm talking professionally. (normal voice - it sounds like Duo, if you were wondering) Probably the coolest thing I ever got to do was during a five episode arc of Beast Wars when (Dinobot's voice) Dinobot was nearing his demise. We had that whole "to be, or not to be..." (normal voice) and then that went on until he finally died and it ended with (Dinobot's voice) "and the rest... is silence..." (Australian accent) And then he just like died! And then he's laying there - BOOM! He was dead. That was it. But I cried.

Pan: What are the strangest fans?

McNeil-sama: (high-pitched voice) Well, there's that one *points at random people in audience*, and there's one there *points at random people in audience*, and there *points at random people in audience*, and there *points at random people in audience*. Oh, and I see Buffy(?), and there, there, and over there *continues to point at random people in audience*. *points again* And that one is very strange! (normal voice) All fans are strange. That's what I like about them! ^^

Pan: What is the strangest thing a fan has ever done to you?

(*opens mouth but doesn't say anything* = --- // I'm going to write "---" instead to save space)

McNeil-sama: (low voice) Well, there's was that one time --- --- the time that --- and --- umm --- and --- next thing you know I was --- --- --- and --- --- ple-- --- --- I was surprised --- --- --- I got --- the pickle --- and I --- --- --- the watermelon and --- --- --- for the --- really --- now --- --- --- --- a week to get the smile off my face. *shrugs*

*crowd laughs*

Pan: If you could dress up at an anime convention, who would you be? An anime character, or anyone at all - who would you choose?

McNeil-sama: Hmmm...

Pan: And you have another option - dress up as every single character you like all at the same time.

McNeil-sama: I could do that! I could wear my Pikachu socks! (high-pitched voice) Chu! (normal voice) I don't know! (Australian accent) I just don't know!

Pan: Would you like to dress up as any of the characters you've portrayed?

McNeil-sama: I'd like to, except no one's really built like those people. (slightly high-pitched voice) You notice that?

Pan: (slightly high-pitched voice) All their proportions are a little bit--

McNeil-sama: (slightly high-pitched voice) Strange. Just a little strange. (lower voice) I have no good answer for that one.

Pan: OK. And I'd like to congratulate you for having so much respect for your fans. They line up, and you take the time to autograph everyone's stuff.

McNeil-sama: (normal voice) If someone sat there and stood in line...

Pan: You just kinda answered my question. Is there any reason why you have so much respect?

McNeil-sama: This is one of those things that's hard to answer without sounding like (false voice) You know, if it wasn't for the fans... if it wasn't for you people-- (normal voice) But I really believe that. I enjoy meeting people. I work in a very anonymous business. You know, I go to work, I finish my job, then I go home and take out the garbage. I've been doing this for almost fourteen years. I've done this since The New Adventures of He-Man back in the 80's. So I've done, I don't know, four thousand episodes. The first time I went to a con. (goofy voice) I was not prepared, you know, for people watching my stuff. (normal voice) I got the, "Oh my God! You're Scott McNeil!" and I'm like freaking out going, "Ahhh! Is there a spider on me! Ahhh! Get it off me!"

*crowd laughs*

McNeil-sama: So I get these weekend things. It makes me feel really good, and it's nice to know that people appreciate what I'm doing. And I get the chance to show my appreciation to the fans for watching.

Pan: Have you ever played a Japanese version of rock-paper-scissors?

McNeil-sama: *looks at the audience*

Pan: Wait! Hold on! One sec! *jumps off the table and starts going through her bag*

McNeil-sama: Is this going to end in bloodshed?

Pan: No no no no no no! You gotta give me five seconds! I need a Fruit Roll-Ups box... *finds Fruit Roll-Ups box* Here we go! *jumps back on the table with Fruit Roll Ups box and puts it next to her* Alright!

McNeil-sama: (lower voice) Be afraid! Be very very afraid

Pan: I wrote it here *shows McNeil-sama paper* and this is how you pronounce it - "Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon".

McNeil-sama: Sai-sho-wa gu...

Pan: Jan-ken-pon. *sets up rock-paper-Zazel using her clipboard and two highlighters*

McNeil-sama: That's a lot of syllables to say "rock-paper- scissors".

Pan: I know, but we got this off a show called Weiss Kreuz. At the end the voice actors - they're slightly off-kilter - decide to have this contest. They play it with squeaky hammers and a bowl, but we're improvising with highlighters and my clipboard with a feather attached to it.

McNeil-sama: What about the Fruit Roll-Ups box?

Pan: Oh wait! *replaces clipboard with Fruit Roll-Up box and throws clipboard on the floor* OK! Now I'll do it once to demonstrate. If you lose - if I give you scissors and you do paper - you have to cover yourself with this *covers her head with Fruit Roll-Ups box* before I hit you with a highlighter.

McNeil-sama: *looks at the audience with a look saying "she's nuts"*

Pan: OK! *hits McNeil-sama in the head with a highlighter*

McNeil-sama: *looks even more annoyed ^^*

Pan: If I lose, you have to hit me with this *points at highlighter* and I have to cover myself [with the Fruit Roll-Ups box]. The thing is that if I cover [with the Fruit Roll-Ups box] and you hit it, we'll keep going until someone hits someone with the highlighter.

McNeil-sama: Have you ever done one of those weird drinking games? When you usually end up on your lawn throwing up a lot? This is one of those!

*crowd laughs*

Pan: Well, I'm a very interesting person, so I figured we'd try it. And you go like this *demonstrates* Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

McNeil-sama: (lower voice) And the visuals are the same?

Pan: Yes - rock, paper, and scissors. Would you like to try?

McNeil-sama: Sure. *looks scared*

*crowd laughs*

Pan: *pats back* There, there. There, there.

McNeil-sama: (high-pitched kid voice) Help me... help me... (normal voice) Sai-sho-'wa' gu...

Pan: "Wa gu" is put together, so it's "sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon."

McNeil-sama: Alright!

Pan: Ready?

McNeil-sama & Pan: Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*McNeil-sama = rock // Pan = scissors*

Pan: *grabs the Fruit Roll-Ups box and covers her head*

McNeil-sama: Oh... *"awe, man..." kind of expression*

*crowd laughs*

McNeil-sama: I was so proud of myself. I was like-- (goofy voice) Look! My rock beat her scissors! Yay! I did it!

Pan: Wanna try again?

McNeil-sama & Pan: Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*McNeil-sama = rock // Pan = scissors (again)*

Pan: *blocks with the Fruit Roll-Ups box just before McNeil-sama hits her with a highlighter*

*crowd laughs*

McNeil-sama & Pan: Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*McNeil-sama = scissors // Pan = paper*

*both forget what they're doing*

Pan: Ah! *blocks with the Fruit Roll-Ups box just before McNeil-sama hits her with a highlighter*

McNeil-sama: (Southern American accent) I can't take it anymore! It's the stress! *fiddles with my green highlighter* It's too much work! Ohh... *examines pen* Shiny pen!

Pan: I name my pens! This is Katan *points to blue highlighter in his hand* and this is Kira *hands him the green highlighter*.

McNeil-sama: *whispers to the camera* She names her pens...

*crowd laughs*

Pan: *shows him pen next to her* And this is Unit 04!

McNeil-sama: (high-pitched kid voice) Help me... help me... (high-pitched voice) Well, hello, Katan. *puts blue highlighter down and focuses on green highlighter* And hello, Kira. It's very nice to meet you. I have a little god-daughter named Kira. She doesn't look quite like you.

*crowd laughs*

McNeil-sama: (high-pitched voice) She's taller... and less green...

Pan: And human.

McNeil-sama: (high-pitched voice) Usually...

*crowd laughs*

McNeil-sama: *cracks knuckles* One last round.

Pan: Sure.

McNeil-sama & Pan: Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*McNeil-sama = scissors // Pan = scissors*

Pan: Oh, tie.

McNeil-sama & Pan: Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*McNeil-sama = rock // Pan = rock*

McNeil-sama & Pan: Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*McNeil-sama = paper // Pan = scissors*

McNeil-sama: *blocks with Fruit Roll-Up box before Pan can hit him* (lower voice) I stand!

*crowd cheers*

Pan: *holds his arm up and shows he's the winner*

McNeil-sama: (Elvis voice) Thank you! Thank you very much! I appreciate that baby. I really do.

Pan: Thank you.

McNeil-sama: (Wolverine's voice) You're challenging Wolverine to a game of rock-paper-scissors?

Pan: And, uh... one last question. *gestures towards cameraman* Our cameraman over here is a random person--

McNeil-sama: (exaggerated voice) Hello, random person!

*crowd laughs*

[LINKEE --- The Chibi Project]

Pan: --I managed to find, because I'm just strange and talk to random people. And he has something called the "Chibi Moon Project" *Patrick the great hands Pan a little plastic bag containing the infamous Chibi Moon*, in which he destroys Chibi Moon! *hold up a plastic bag with the little doll in it* Now, this thing has been run over by trains, put in microwaves, etc. What should we do next to poor Chibi Moon?

McNeil-sama: (lower voice) I have to see poor Chibi Moon.

Pan: Uh... well, what's left of her anyway. *hands bag over to McNeil-sama*

McNeil-sama: *look at Chibi Moon* (high-pitched kid voice) Ewww! Poopy!

*crowd laughs*

McNeil-sama: Has anyone got a garberator on them?

*crowd laughs*

McNeil-sama: Jinsu knife? Global thermal tactical nuclear device? *waves Chibi Moon around* Anyone?

*crowd laughs*

McNeil-sama: (Australian accent) I don't know. I'm kind and gentle. I can't think of anything. (normal voice) Now, if we were up on the roof, that would be a whole different matter. *poses with Chibi Moon*

Pan: How about next time I come to a con, I'll find some way to get roof access.

McNeil-sama: You're on.

*Pan and McNeil-sama shake hands*

Pan: Well, thank you very much for the interview.

McNeil-sama: You're welcome incredibly much for the interview.

Pan: Yes, and hold on one second! *jumps off the table*

McNeil-sama: (goofy voice) Ohh.

Pan: I am going to give you... Here's a feather I found on the floor. *hands him the feather*

*crowd laughs*

McNeil-sama: (Forest Gump voice) My mom always said life was like a bunch of chocolates. *drops feather and as he watches it fall to the floor continues with...* You never know what you're going to get.

Pan: No! The feather! OK... *hands McNeil-sama her business card* And here's my website.

McNeil-sama: Your shibby card? (high-pitched kid voice) Shibby! *plays with the card*

Pan: It's a really poor excuse for a business card. It's sorta printed out on my printer and ah... you could probably fold it into a nice paper airplane if you wanted to.

McNeil-sama: (high-pitched kid voice) A little tiny card *starts folding it* (Dinobot's voice) I shall fold it this way and hide it here! *puts card into his pocket*

Pan: Here. *hands him Fruit Roll-Ups box* Would you like to pose with the Fruit Roll-Ups box?

McNeil-sama: *poses for the crowd* Love the Fruit Roll-Ups box. Love the Fruit Roll-Ups box. Sell Fruit Roll Ups.

*people take pictures*

McNeil-sama: (sports caster voice) Well, that's the news ladies and gentlemen and I'm out of here!

Pan: Well, thank you again.

McNeil-sama: Thank you.

*they shake hands again*

McNeil-sama: That was fun. That was wacky.

Pan: Have you ever had a weirder interview?

McNeil-sama: *thinks for a second* No.

Pan: YAY!!!

McNeil-sama: You win!

Pan: Yay!

*people from the crowd come up saying "free stuff", and my friend Laura gets an autograph for Butterfly*

Pan: *turns to Patrick and bows* Thank you very much!