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	Mike Pollock Interview

Here we have an interview with one of Eggman's voice actors: Mike Pollock from the American version of Sonic X! This interview was done by Ishnt on December 17th of 2004. So read!

 

Ishnt: Yosh! Well, first of all, thanks for agreeing to do this interview for the Eggman Empire!

Mike Pollock: Sure. Thanks for asking.

Ishnt: Now, it's a bit cliched and I know you've been asked it in interviews before, but it's a good way to start, so, tell us a bit about yourself.

Mike Pollock: Sure. I'm 39, married with a 2 1/2 year old son, and when I'm not voice acting I write song parodies, comedy bits and other stuff for a radio syndicator.

Ishnt: You also do some theater work too... Do you prefer live acting or voice acting?

Mike Pollock: Voice Acting a little. It's much less labor and time intensive. Although there's more cheers and applause in live theatre.

Ishnt: How'd you get into acting in the first place? Were there any big influences on you that got you interested?

Mike Pollock: I've acted since grade school, just 'cause I had a hunch I could do it. Eventually, I actually could.

Ishnt: So, Eggman is your favorite character in Sonic the Hedgehog, correct?

Mike Pollock: Eggman and Ella, 'cause those are the ones I voice.

Ishnt: What merchandise of these characters have you managed to find?

Mike Pollock: Not much at all for Ella, but I have the Eggman plush ornament and the capsule figure from Japan, and the new larger figure from the U.S. Plus I have a couple of custom-made cellphone faceplates.

Ishnt: Do you like to watch cartoons, or do you just mostly like doing the acting?

Mike Pollock: I like to watch the ones I'm in, and a handful I'm not. But the acting is great fun.

Ishnt: When it comes to cartoons, do you prefer anime or American styled?

Mike Pollock: American. It's what I was raised on. But I'll act in anything.

Ishnt: And what's your personal stance on lines being changed in dubs? I understand that it would be near impossible to get the lines perfect, but when the general meaning is changed, do you feel it goes too much against the author's original intent?

Mike Pollock: It might, but bear in mind that 4Kids does adaptations, not translations. There's a difference.

Ishnt: Ahh, that's a good way to look at it. On a similar subject, have you heard the Japanese soundtrack of Sonic X? A lot of people thought it was great, and were a bit disappointed to find that it wasn't there.

Mike Pollock: Nope.

Ishnt: I've heard there may have been some issues with getting the rights to the music... Do you know if this is true or not?

Mike Pollock: Don't know. Not my department.

Ishnt: Ahh, OK. On a different note... Who's your all time favorite character in anything? And likewise, favorite villain?

Mike Pollock: Meat from Ultimate Muscle, 'cause he was my first principal role in a series, and his voice just made me laugh. And Boris Badenov from Rocky and His Friends, 'cause he's also hysterical.

Ishnt: Do you ever look at any fanstuff of your characters? For example using Eggman, Ruins of the Fourth Wall or Dr. Eggmanga?

Mike Pollock: Rarely. I usually prefer the officially licensed stuff. Although I appreciate the fans' efforts.

Ishnt: Have you seen any of the old American Sonic cartoons?

Mike Pollock: I stumbled upon whichever one of them is in reruns now in a hotel room one morning. It was interesting, but I wasn't particularly impressed.

Ishnt: Well, one of them was French, but yeah. What'd you think of Eggman (though they always referred to him as Robotnik)'s design in it?

Mike Pollock: The whole piece looked very 80s. And Eggman looked a little to rubbery for my tastes.

Ishnt: Yeah... The animation was a bit dated, even for the time. Anyway, what was your favorite machine that Eggman's built?

Mike Pollock: The little flying thing he's always in. That would be cool to have.

Ishnt: And can you think of any specific line of his that you've particularly liked?

Mike Pollock: Not a line specifically, but I've got scene coming up later in the series that I was pretty proud of. It actually almost approaches heavy drama. I also like the insults he hurls at Decoe and Bocoe.

Ishnt: Ah... Hmm... So, Meat's your favorite character to act for, right?

Mike Pollock: Yup. I miss him terribly.

Ishnt: In general, do you prefer acting for heroes or villains?

Mike Pollock: Probably heroes, just 'cause I'm all about the comedy. But if I'm having a particularly rough day, getting some anger out thrugh a villain is very cathartic.

Ishnt: What's your take on Eggman's character? Beyond just being a villain, he does have some amount of depth...

Mike Pollock: He definitely has some anger issues to work through. He needs to take to time time off and figure out where all the hate comes from. And lose some weight.

Ishnt: Would you like to see a series similar to Sonic X starring Eggman?

Mike Pollock: Oh, absolutely. That would be fun!

Ishnt: When it comes to the name Eggman vs Robotnik, which do you think you'd like better if you had no past experience with the character?

Mike Pollock: Probably Robotnik, only because Eggman always recalls The Beatles' classic "I Am The Walrus." Robotnik is pretty neutral, and vaguely ethnic.

Ishnt: When it comes to really rediculous lines, do you ever get a bit embarassed to say them, or has your experience in acting gotten you to a point where it doesn't faze you in the least?

Mike Pollock: You should never feel inhibited in the studio, and I never do. My job is to make the words on the page come to life, and that's what I have to do.

Ishnt: Who's your favorite Sonic character besides Ella and Eggman?

Mike Pollock: Bokkun. His voice makes me laugh. I'm a sucker for a funny voice.

Ishnt: When it comes to Badniks (not sure if they use this name in Sonic X, but it's the name of Eggman's robots), do you think they're better when they stay loyal to Eggman, like Decoe and Bocoe, or rebel, like Gamma?

Mike Pollock: Conflict makes good drama. Rebelling is an excellent form of conflict.

Ishnt: Are there any questions that you want to get asked during interviews but never do?

Mike Pollock: What does my two-and-a-half year old think of my voice acting? Which I'll answer: I'm not convinced he knows that I'm the guy doing the voices, but it's a little scary how he can identify shows and characters at a glance. It's hysterical to hear him yell [I'll try to approximate his mispronunciations: "Doctah Eggman! Sondic! Knuckles! Tails! Yugyoh! Pokeymon! Kid Muscle! Meat!"

Ishnt: Heh... My nephew (who turned three recently) was able to do that with pretty much the whole Sonic cast when he was two, including cast from the OVA 'cause I'd taught him. It's pretty cool how quickly they're able to learn these things...

Mike Pollock: Yup. He's also very good with corporate logos.

Ishnt: Well, thank you very much for your time! This will be a great service to the EE in world conquest. Or at least... internet conquest. Good luck on your future work, and happy holidays!

Mike Pollock: Thanks for asking, and thanks for watching!

 

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