Roger Craig Smith is a voice actor who has worked on a wide range of projects. In addition to voicing superheroes like Batman and Captain America, he’s also been the voice Sega’s iconic video game mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sega recently announced that Sonic was getting a bit of a makeover in Sonic Boom, a new animated TV series and video that gives Sonic a fresh start with a new design. Smith talked to us about what its been like working on this big, new, Sonic project.
You’re currently working on Sonic Boom, which I know isn’t the first time you’ve voiced Sonic. Were you a fan of the Sonic games growing up?
Of course! I mean, I was right in that prime...this is an interesting thing, to be a 38-year-old guy, and be working in so many different video games and video game characters, when I can remember getting Intellivision. My family got an Intellivision, my Dad bought for everyone on Christmas Day, and I must have been 4 or 5 when this came out. And sitting down and playingAstrosmash on what was probably a black and white TV, for all I remember, and going, “Man, the graphics on this Intellivision are so much better than Atari!” And now, cut to this many years later and I cannot believe where video game have come.
Considering, just to grow up and play Sonic the Hedgehog on the Genesis back in the ‘90s, and now voice the guy since 2010 is surreal. I just went back and watched an old interview with Jaleel White, talking about having voiced the character for one of the first animated series, and hearing him talk about it and his approach to it and it’s just amazing. There’s the guy that I know as Urkel from Family Matters, and it’s so bizarre.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CHECK OUT THE SOURCE ARTICLE HERE: COMIC BOOK.COM