Scooby Doo and Frank Welker Too!

I recently learned that my generation has a voice. I mean literally, a voice. It belongs to Frank Welker.

I have been watching the most recent Scooby Doo cartoon; "Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated," for about a month now. Like many people in the age 18 to 35 category, I grew up watching Scooby and the gang on television, and I must admit to being rather ambivalent to it until now.

This most recent incarnation is geared more for adults, with a season long story arc, and relationships between Fred/Daphne, and Shaggy/Velma. The shows writing is witty, and I really enjoy the classic characters as they are portrayed. I even like Frank Welker as the voice of Scooby Doo. And that is how I found the voice of our genreration

Every week I saw the voice credit; Frank Welker -Fred Jones, and I thought to myself, "I know that name. But from where?" Since I never get more than a few inches from my computer, I Googled him and found something amazing. Frank Welker has been in every cartoon I have ever liked. He has been the voice of Fred since 1969. He has been the voice of Megatron, Soundwave, several Smurfs, Bronx on Gargoyales, Nibbler on Futurama, and many, many more.

The implication here astounds me. I have been listening to this man's voice since I have been alive. He has probably said more to me (indirectly) than most family members. The idea that there could be a voice behind so many of the cartoon characters I loved, and in many cases still love, never occurred to me, mainly because that voice changed so thoroughly from role to role.

I really hope that frank Welker knows that his career contributed to shaping the thought processes of an entire generation. He was not only providing entertainment, but stimulation to developing minds. there might be an argument about the overall quality of that stimulation, but I'm not complaining. After all, it's not a good idea to anger a Decepticon. Maybe I could get away with it, except of those meddling kids...