The following is an interview with Matthew Waterson (X-Men ’97, Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham) regarding his addition to the voice cast of The Last Wardens audio drama through Encyclopocalypse. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Waterson about his long-time fascination with radio plays, what listeners may take away from the story’s themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on your recent addition to the cast of The Last Wardens audio drama! As a veteran voice actor, what intrigued you about tackling this action-packed thriller?
Matthew Waterson: I have been lucky enough to get to work in almost all areas of voice work. I grew up listening to the 1960s BBC radio comedy, The Goon Show, with Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, and Spike Milligan. I went to sleep listening to it for years. As a result, doing a radio play is always something I have wanted to do and one of the only things I never got a chance to do. So, when the offer for this came along, I was thrilled to get to take a crack at it.
BD: You have an incredible body of voice work that spans video games and animation. What can you tell us about your experience in bringing your character to life, and what did you find to be most dynamic or relatable about the character?
MW: I think all of us can relate to a time in our lives when we felt strongly for somebody who cared for us but did not reciprocate the depth of feelings we had for them. The really fun thing about horror, sci-fi, or fantasy is that you can explore those feelings in a heightened situation that really clarifies the choices for the characters.
BD: Likewise, what can you share with us about your creative process in working with the team behind the scenes, especially given that the story has been adapted from the sequential art medium?
MW: My work has made me comfortable with working alone even in an ensemble piece as so much animation and video games are now done that way. As a result, for this project, I was told who was in the show with me, many of whom I fortunately know their work and so know their voices, and then I was allowed to find my own version of the character. It meant that I could take as much time as I wanted to play with lines and choices which was really fun.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that this story may connect with and impact listeners?
MW: Stories that take place with guard rails that are not of our real-world experience like horror, sci-fi, and fantasy can help to give people a safe space to hear things in a story or character that might be hard for them to hear if it was in a more grounded story. When it is an over-the-top situation, it can often wipe away any defenses because people do not look at the story or the characters as avatars for themselves so directly and so they are able to see the decisions the characters make for what they are and not feel like it says something about them necessarily.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for readers?
MW: I am lucky that I am currently working on the next two seasons of X-Men ’97. I also have a handful of games, but, as you probably know well, I am not allowed to talk about them!
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find out more about The Last Wardens audio drama and your other work?
MW: I am pretty sure that if you follow Encyclopocalypse you can make sure you know as soon as The Last Wardens is out! As for me, I struggle along with instagram but I warn you, I am bad at… instagramming, being an instagrammed, instaposting…? I have no idea what I am talking about. Doing the thing. I am bad at doing the thing!
More information regarding The Last Wardens may be find here.
