The concept is simple, the process is multifaceted, and the outcome tremendous. LibriVox takes books that are in the public domain (generally published in the US before 1923 and thus the copyright has expired) and makes them into audio books that then are released back into the public domain. Suggestions for titles to produce come from members of the LibriVox community. Volunteer coordinators manage the project with additional volunteers lending their voices to the recording. After all the chapters have been narrated and edited, the entire work is assembled and entered into the LibriVox catalog for the world to access, free of charge. The extensive LibriVox audio book catalog includes files available in MP3 and OGG formats.

You don’t need to be a professional narrator to volunteer. All you need is a passion for the written and spoken word, a computer, audio software (many free options) and a microphone. If you don’t want to lend your voice, there are many other ways you can support the initiatives of the LibriVox community. See the volunteer page for more information.

Congratulations LibriVox on five successful years! Here’s to many more classics becoming new works of art accessible to all…

While Bugs’ debut is a really great short, my favorite Bugs episode has to be the Rabbit of Seville. It’s the perfect combination of cartoon animation and musical composition (Gioachino Rossini ‘s The Barber Of Seville) so, despite the lack of voice characterizations (until the very end), I still think it is the best Bugs Bunny short every produced. What’s your favorite Bugs short?

Happy birthday to voice actor and radio personality Kamal Amin “Casey” Kasem, born on this date in 1932, in Detroit, Michigan. His best known roles are the voice of Shaggy Rogers for much of the Scooby-Doo franchise and the voice of Robin on the original Super Friends. In addition to these roles and, of course, the ubiquitous American Top-40, Kasem also was an early anti-smoking and pro-health advocate.

Here he is voicing a very early cancer awareness Public Service Announcement. I follow it with a clip of him talking about how he developed his Shaggy character.

“Keep you feet on the ground and keep reachin’ for the stars!”

On this day in 1925, the Shure Radio Company was founded in Chicago, Illinois by Sidney N. Shure. Over the past 85 years, this company grew from being a one-man business selling radio parts to an international corporation marketing a full line of audio electronics and world-class microphones. To read more about the history of Shure click on the picture of the Super 55 microphone, perhaps one of the most recognized for its vintage design and vibrant sound quality. You can also find Shure on facebook and the blogosphere.

The vast line of Shure microphones offer a solution for every application; live or studio recording, vocals or instruments. I have had the pleasure of recording voice-over projects on Shure microphones. My favorite is the KSM44 given the full-bodied, warm sound it provides.

What is your favorite Shure for voice-overs? The KSM 44, KSM32, or KSM27? The traditional Super 55 or another Shure?

It’s the 25th anniversary of the launch of “New Coke.” The risk that the Coca-Cola Company took on this date in 1985 is often called one of the largest marketing debacles of the 20th century because of the tremendous criticism and outcry from Coca-Cola drinkers that ultimately led to the return to the original formula 77 days later.

However, being a Coca-Cola fan, I tend to interpret it as a marketing event that successfully stirred up the beverage industry, mobilized the base constituency, and ultimately put Coke on top. Indeed, by the end of 1985 Coca-Cola Classic was outselling its new-fangled sibling and Pepsi. There were winners and losers in the promotion of these beverages. Bill Cosby lost credibility as the primary spokesperson for New Coke, while Matt Frewer as Max Headroom burst onto the scene to keep New c-c-c-Coke alive (unfortunately it was discontinued in 2002).

You can read more about the New Coke anniversary at Coca-Cola Conversions. I’d rather spend this silver anniversary of New Coke laughing at Pepsi’s debacle with the roll out of a clear cola: Crystal Pepsi. VanHalen may have sold a lot of “Right Now” singles, but Pepsi didn’t sell much of the cola. Here’s a video of a Saturday Night Life parody of the drink: a commercial for Crystal Gravy. Enjoy! It’s the Real Thing! Have a Coke and a Smile!…

On this Earth Day in 1971, the first “Crying Indian” anti-pollution Public Service Announcement was released. This landmark, award winning AdCouncil campaign, developed by the ad agency Martsteller for Keep America Beautiful, included two PSAs (“Horseback” and “Canoe”) which featured Iron Eyes Cody as the “Crying Indian.” Already a veteran of screen acting, in primarily Native American roles despite his Italian ancestry, Cody, and his single tear, became an early symbol of the environmental movement. The ads evoke sadness as they draw attention to the damage that pollution and litter do to the environment. The call to action is provided by the radio drama legend William Conrad. His deep, baritone voice-over reminds us that “people start pollution; people can stop it.” Conrad’s vast career includes over 7,500 radio drama roles, narrations for television and cinema spanning five decades, and producing and directing roles in multiple films.

View these landmark PSAs at the AdCouncil website. What memories of these ads do you have? Do they still inspire you toward environmental causes?

Building on the accomplishments of this recording, Holdridge and Roney formed Caedmon Records, named for the earliest know English poet. They went on to record spoken word titles for authors such as William Faulkner, e. e. cummings, T.S. Eliot, Katherine Anne Porter, and Tennessee Williams. The success of these records

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishing since 1987, the success of Caedmon Audio, dubbed the “Third Dimension for the Printed Page,” is considered the spark that ignited today’s 2 billion dollar audio book industry.

Hear an excerpt or purchase: Dylan Thomas:The Caedmon CD Collection Unabridged

Sources and more information:

• NPR
• Wikipedia
• HarperCollins
• Audio Publishers Association

Coke’s “Hard Times” spot featuring the broke and downtrodden Mr. Burns getting a pick me up from friends and a Coke is quintessential Coca-Cola. It linked two prominent brands (The Simpsons and Coca-Cola) with the themes of fun, escape and jubilation. By featuring a lively and catchy tune along with the chance to see all of our favorite Springfield residents, the ad was pleasing on many levels. The creators even threw in some gags like Bart setting up Homer to be sprayed by his Coke when he opened it, and geeky Milhouse (voiced by Pamela Hayden) hitting the Coke bottle while airborne in his kite. This ad reinforced what we love about these two brands: “Have a Coke and a smile.”

The “Sleepwalker” ad again linked the Coke brand to the happiness benefit in a far-fetched but entertaining way. The lone character survives a wild sleepwalking safari on a quest for a Coke that can’t be satisfied as a dream alone. It ends will us laughing right along with the hyena.

The spots were developed by the creative masterminds at Wieden & Kennedy-Portland. See the W+K blog for clips of these spots and list of the creative teams involved in the productions.

I believe these ads succeed because they offer exactly what the country is looking for now: diversion from reality and delight in the simple things, and perhaps a better way to drink ourselves out of the Great Recession. “Coke Adds Life.”

So, at the end of the  big game, the voice-over guy liked the ads with the least amount of voice-over in them. Go figure…

The television series was sponsored by Kellogg’s Cereals. Here’s a classic Kellogg’s commercial featuring Yogi. Note how Yogi corrects the voice-over announcer’s pronunciation of the word “crispier.” Could he be “smarter than the average voice-over arrtist” too?

Can’t get enough of Yogi Bear? He’s coming to the big screen in December 2010 in a live-action 3D movie. For this one, Dan Aykroyd steps up to the picnic basket as Yogi with Justin Timberlake tagging along as Boo Boo. This film should be an enjoyable flashback to the classic.

Sources: Toontracker, Wikipedia

A few more links: Saturday Morning Blog, Gordon and the Whale