Comic Con Cape Town brought out some big guns–and at least one Gunn–this year with its line-up of guests, as fans were treated to panels with enthusiastic actors and professionals in the entertainment industry. One of the biggest draws? Easily Veronica Taylor, who was regularly surrounded by fans throughout the days she was present at the event (which was all of them).
While Taylor is most well-known for being the voice of Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum in the first eight seasons of the Pokemon animated series, she also has an incredibly long list of credits in other TV shows, films, and video games.
Recent resume entries include stints in the Advance Wars remake, Dragon Ball Super, and Digimon Adventure, as well as starting up The Trainer’s Guide podcast (with her daughter Rena), and we were able to squeeze in a quick interview with the legend at Comic Con Cape Town 2024.
For more con highlights, you can also check Pfangirl’s exclusive interviews with Guardians of the Galaxy star Sean Gunn, One Piece actor Aidan Scott, and the incredible cosplay of the Mother City.
Thanks to the Comic Con organisers and PR team for setting up this interview.
Darryn (Pfangirl.com): This isn’t your first time in South Africa, as you were several months ago for Comic Con Africa in Johannesburg. What brought you back to South Africa, for Comic Con Cape Town?
Veronica Taylor: They invited me! And I was really hoping that I would get invited back and my dreams were answered. I love South Africa. I just never thought I would get here and to be able to come for such an amazing event. These guys put on a great show. Comic Con Africa is run by amazing people and it’s just, it’s so wonderful. So I was quite happy to come back and the people who come to the show are extraordinary.
And now for the obligatory Pokemon question, because you just know we have to ask about it.
Veronica Taylor: Yes, of course!
There are two eras of animation: BP and AP. Before Pokemon and After Pokemon. There has never been a bigger pop culture moment than when Pokemon first blew up. What was the moment for you, when you realised that Pokemon was really taking off and cementing itself as the next big thing?
Veronica Taylor: I would say when I we recorded in New York and when kids were using their Pokemon cards on the subway, then I was like, “I guess kids are watching the show” you know. And then, especially at the first movie, when the theater you went in and you thought it was completely empty. But it’s just that the kids heads didn’t go above the seats and it was just packed! And that’s when I really knew. It was in the New York Times, I knew that it was something.
And then the show, the first season ended in December. And then three months later, we found out we had another season and then it kept going from there. I’m on the first eight seasons. we were all replaced without an option to go on with it. So that’s the only reason I wasn’t on until the very bitter end.
Now we’re moving away from Pokemon to look at your wild career. You’re a voice-acting veteran, but I’m curious to know about the biggest changes in the industry that you’ve seen. How much has it evolved over the years? Are there still some areas that refuse to adapt with the times?
Veronica Taylor: I think the the biggest thing that’s changed is that we can record from home now, especially when you compare with 1998 when we started on Pokemon. If you weren’t there, you got replaced. So, if you couldn’t come in, they wouldn’t be able to use you. Now, I can record anime from home. It’s really changed since the pandemic. For sure. People had to adapt and they shifted with it. So, even now I’m not in studios as much as I used to be.
I’m able to record on the road. I can do so much more because through the internet we can connect. We can record long distance. I think that’s the biggest change of all. I think there are more female characters who have leading roles, which is pretty great that definitely we didn’t have that so much in 1998.
I think there’s still a difference in pay between men and women that hasn’t changed that much. I think that’s the biggest, like the things that are kind of your everyday that you deal with, being paid fairly and then being able to work. It’s an age-old struggle. We’re seeing that a lot with women athletes right now, how much women athletes are paid less than the male athletes. So, you know, it’s something that we’re all working on. Overall equality, it just equality for all humans. We all matter and so we should be treated fairly and equally.
You’ve got an impressive list of credits for video game voice-acting–especially with Fire Emblem, one of my favorite video game franchises. Is there a video game franchise that you’d love to feature in, maybe even an entry in a series where voice actors get to deliver Oscar-worthy performances, like The Last of Us?
Veronica Taylor: I auditioned for so many things and when you see it on paper, you get a little description or maybe you see a character design. Everything I audition for I want to be in. Even Ash was like this, where you could see the arc of the character, you could see how he matured. That’s like a dream to be able to work on something like that where you really get into the character, you see them develop and you get all those highs and lows.
I don’t know that when you audition for anything, you will see where it’s going to go. Like The Last Of Us, nobody knew. I would doubt those people knew when they auditioned how incredible an acting experience it would be. You just give your all when you audition and then hope for the best. And wow, they were really rewarded. I would love that.
Are you concerned about the future of voice-acting in any way? With generative AI on the rise, do you think actors are going to have a tough time in the future preserving their unique identity in what can be a ruthless industry?
Veronica Taylor: I just don’t know. I think, first of all, about the listeners, the watchers, the people paying for things. What will they accept and how far will they stand up against AI? I think that’s where it will matter. Right now you’ve got audiobooks that they can generate the voice for. You’ve got cartoons, if you do your voice in this language, they have AI that can then change it to all different languages and even change the lip-flap so that one person will do that and you never have to have anyone else involved.
I do think that there have to be parameters put on for the sake of everyone who works on all the different parts of every production throughout the industry. With dubbing, you’ve got the actors, the writers, the editors, the mixers, you’ve got all of these things, all of these studios that do dubbing. Soon they could be all out of business for that. So I’m highly concerned about that. And also fakes, you’ve got people that can make me say things that I’ve never even thought, and they can do that now. How do you know it’s not me?
And lastly, the rapid-fire round. Tell us something cool about one of your performances for the following characters you voiced, who are not Ash Ketchum.
- First up, April O’Neil from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Veronica Taylor: She’s got mad computer skills, which I lack that I thought was really cool. And how does she get her hair to look good all the time?
2. Ribrianne from Dragon Ball Super.
Veronica Taylor: She is so full of love, and so buoyant and bouncy amazing to play. She always puts me in a great mood. She’s just love, love, love and that’s pretty cool.
3. Nico Robin from One Piece.
Veronica Taylor: How does someone have so many arms and how can I get them?
Wouldn’t that make life so much easier?
Veronica Taylor: Wouldn’t it, even at a party? You’ve got your drinks, and your food, you can shake hands, tell a story.
4. Micaiah from several Fire Emblem games.
Veronica Taylor: Micaiah is she is so powerful and yet so centered and she’s a friend of birds like Cinderella actually. So that’s a talent. I wish I had that birds would just land on you., I’d love that. Not what you expected but powerful.
Last question. It’s cosplay central here at Comic-Con Cape Town, and if you could cosplay as any character here which character would you like to be for a day?
Veronica Taylor: I would say, I think I’d probably go with a princess. So because we’re here, maybe Princess Peach, she has that tiny crown on her head. It’d keep my hair back. I’d go with that!
