Tantor Media Audiobooks, Pocket Star Books and Blizzard Entertainment partnered to launch three Warcraft novels in audiobook format: Warcraft: Day of the Dragon will be available on December 29, 2008, boasting 11 hours of audio -- available as Audio CD or MP3. The Lord of the Clans is slated for February 2009, while the Last Guardian is expected on April 2009. For this special project, many World of Warcraft fans will no doubt check out, Tantor Media Audiobooks hired Dick Hil, winner of three coveted Audie Awards and many times nominee of various awards.Thanks to Richard A. Knaak, we were able to reach Richard Dick Hill for an interview to find out more details of the Warcraft Audiobook series.
Hi, Richard. I read you have performed in over 400 audiobooks. How long have you been voicing and acting audio books?
Dick Hill: In truth, it's probably over 500 by now. I've probably been doing audiobooks for 15 years.
When and How did your passion for your career reading for audiobooks started?
Dick Hill: I was working in regional theater, and a friend who was doing an occasional audiobook hooked me up with a publisher. He's a brit, so we don't generally compete, and I'm forever thankful to him. This is a perfect fit for me for a number of reasons, I've got iron pipes, so I can go all day if need be without my voice tiring, I've always been pretty good at cold reads (I seldom pre-read, I like the spontaneity), and best of all I get to play all the parts, which was always my desire when I acted onstage, much to my fellow actors' annoyance.
There are many podcast and voice acting aficionados out there. What would you recommend them to do to follow on your steps and to be as successful as you?
Dick Hill: It certainly helps to be a prodigious reader. I've read all manner of things throughout my life, and that helped in this work. I've recorded classics, the Bible, lots of mystery and thriller fiction, scifi, fantasy, non-fiction.... even some romance.. Talk back to the TV or radio or moviescreen. It'll annoy those around you, so it's best to have an understanding mate, and when you do go to the movies, hit matinees and hope nobody else is there. It's a great way to pick up different voices, simply parroting what you hear. YouTube interviews, CNN, all valuable. Acting skills, an understanding of character development and interpretation....all those sorts of things can be fostered and improved through study. A lot of it though, I think is just a predisposition to be a convincing liar. Seems to me that's what much of acting is. It's a terribly competitive field these days, audio publishers have stacks of demo cd's from aspiring talents. You need to put together a demo that shows some of your range, various genres, voices, etc., then start sending it out. As I said, it's probably harder to find this sort of work than it is to find work acting, and most actors don't manage to make a living solely from their craft. Susie and I count ourselves blessed to be able to do so.
How was the idea of publishing a Warcraft audiobook born?
Dick Hill: I'm a hired gun in a sense, and I have no voice in what gets recorded. Other than my voice. Hmm.....there’s a joke in there, but it’d take a better man than me to make it work. I'm simply offered projects, and I accept or reject. Mostly accept, but I do turn down work I find offensive or lacking in quality. But deciding what to produce?, that's the publishers. The folks at Tantor are remarkable astute when it comes to picking winners in all genres, and they do some really great sci fi and fantasy books.
Do you play World of Warcraft or got to play Warcraft II a few years ago?
Dick Hill: I'm not a player, though my son has been involved in several. The exposure I had led me to believe that while playing has some great rewards, it's also very demanding of imagination, imaging, creativity.....all the sorts of things I use in my work. There's only so much I can bring to the day, and after a day recording, I tend to look for something a little less challenging, less demanding of intellect.
Any anecdotes or reactions you could share after you were contacted to read these Warcraft books?
Dick Hill: Happy to get the chance......especially with a trilogy. I've recorded hard sci-fi, as well as sci-fi / fantasy, alternate reality type fiction, and enjoyed it immensely. Terry Brooks, Orson Scott Card, Ann McCaffrey, Niven, Bova. A wide range. I had an inkling what I'd be getting into, and when we received Richard A. Knaak's script, my wife Susie Breck and I were delighted to see how talented a writer he is. No wonder he's done so well! I should clarify that Susie is an award winning narrator in her own right, who engineers and directs all my work.
Are there plans for new Warcraft audiobooks besides Day of the Dragon, The Last Guardian and Lord of the Clans; or even Diablo audiobooks?
Dick Hill: Again, that's something the business folks in the industry figure out. I imagine some of those decisions might well be affected by how warmly folks embrace these.
I listened to five of your audiobook samples. Audiobooks are something new to me and to many people. However, It caught my attention that you don't just read the book. You do different voices and accents for each character. This certainly makes the audiobooks more dynamic and enjoyable. In this fantasy type of books, however, there is a strong presence of Dwarves, Goblins, High Elves, Gnomes and Trolls. What is the process of researching each accent and keeping track of the voice tone for each character?
Dick Hill: Well, you can't really research a gnomes voice, or find any recordings of elves. I'm certainly guided by hints the author shares, but it's not always possible to do all the things alluded to in print. There's a suspension of disbelief in theater, where the audience goes along for the ride and falls into the experience, even though they know on one level that what they're watching is all smoke and mirrors, and Juliet is gonna' wake up in order to die again in tomorrow's matinee, and Mercutio is gonna' go out and have some drinks and hope to get laid then come back and flail away with his sword and once again get killed (hopefully without getting hurt, or hurting Romeo).
The audio work is the same in what the audience brings to it. I choose from a variety of voices I've developed over the years, and while I try to make choices grounded in some sort of logic, and as accurate as I can make them when doing real accents, of primary importance to me is getting the emotional context nailed, the true character of the character, with the actual sound of the voice a very necessary but secondary part of the process.
Did you give Deathwing (Warcraft: Day of the Dragon) or the orcs special voice treatment? They have such deep voices. Specially Deathwing. He is a self-assured omnipotent schemer with a voice that has gradients of mockery and sarcasm. It would be interesting to hear you voice him.
Dick Hill: Deathwing is indeed a fascinating character, but as mentioned above, there is a limit to what a single voice actor can bring without technical augmentation, which is something I've never cared for myself. I like to tell stories. Other people's stories, they write so many of them, and do it so much better than I could. My natural speaking voice is deep, so I was able to go in that direction pretty easily.
Is Blizzard involved in this Warcraft audiobooks project? Do you talk with either Paul Sams or Chris Metzen?
Dick Hill: Another one of those questions above my pay grade. Haven’t had the pleasure of dealing with either of those two gentlemen.
In your own words, could you recommend people new to audiobooks why they should get the Warcraft Audiobooks? Are there any special bonuses or features?
Dick Hill: There are a lot of reasons to try audiobooks.....they're popular with commuters, or while folks are gardening, doing other work like that, or just sitting and listening. The Warcraft books, Warcraft itself, is populated with a larger array of characters and creatures than most literature of course, so an audio version might be of interest just to help get an idea of one possibility. Certainly Warcraft folk have their own well developed ideas, and I'm sure some of them will question choices I've made. I hope there are others who will embrace them. One of the wonders of Warcraft, it seems to me, is the infinite possibility it offers. My work is simply one man's take on that. I bring my talent and imagination, such as those are, to the task, and hope it might entertain, amuse, even better, stimulate, or offer new considerations. I think it will. Then again, I may be fulla' crap. Often am.
Where could people read your career bios and bibliography?
Dick Hill: I actually don't have an up to date bio or bibliography. Googling dick hill audiobooks, or checking with Amazon, would guide a person to many of the titles I've done. Those sorts of places often offer synopses and reviews, and can guide you to specific genres. A brief bio and idea of what I do can be found at www.dickhill.com
Medievaldragon: Thanks Richard "Dick" Hill. Die-hard Warcraft fans interested in the Warcraft Audiobooks, you can find them at the Tantor Media Audiobooks website. As Dick Hill mentioned, the creation of new Warcraft books depends on the success of this trilogy. You have the power to make more Warcraft, Starcraft or Diablo novels get translated into audiobooks by this great actor and reader.
Dick Hill provided us an MP3 sample (4:00) of the Warcraft: Day of the Dragon Audiobook for your listening pleasure.
Christie Golden shared with us her thoughts after learning that Warcraft: Lord of the Clans would be reprinted in audiobook format:
Christie: "Richard Knaak was the first one to tell me about this and I'm of course very excited! I have at least one friend who is visually impaired and has lamented the lack of most of my books being available as audiobooks, so this is great news for her and others. Dick Hill has already been in touch inquiring if he could talk to me about pronunciation of names and terms, and that tells me how conscientious he and Tantor Media Audiobooks are. Really looking forward to hearing the final product!"
1 comments
The sample sounds great. I know I can’t wait for the release of the audio books