Rob Mungle Ohyaocon 2022 Interview

Rob Mungle Ohayocon 2022

A week has passed since the events of Ohayocon 2022. Thankfully, no con plague has been discovered on our end. During our time at Ohayocon 2022, we had the opportunity to sit down with notable voice actors who have been working in the industry for decades. One of the notable voice actors we had the pleasure of interviewing was the talented Robert L. Mungle. For those who do not know Robert Mungle by name, he is the voice of Ragnar in Vinland Saga, Subaru Mimasaka in Food Wars!, Dutch in Halo, Pedro Domingo in Excel Saga, and Guile in Street Fighter II: V. If those don’t jog your memory of his voice, just look up his IMDB or Behind the Voice Actors page. So, let’s dive into the interview and learn more about Rob Mungle.

Introductions

Rob Mungle: Hi I am Robert L. Mungle, voice actor from Houston, Texas.

Matt: So, what originally got you into voice acting?

Rob: Nothing got me into voice acting. I stumbled into it by accident.

Matt: Okay.

Rob: I did still do stand-up comedy and I was doing a comedy show in Houston and a girl I went to high school with who was then dating a guy, and now they’re husband and wife. They didn’t know that I was on the show and so after the show, she comes up and says, “Hey, this is my boyfriend. He wanted to talk to you.” Oh, yeah, so what’s happening and he goes, “Yeah, I’m starting this company where we bring Japanese anime to the US. So, we translate it into English and I think you should audition.” I said, “What’s anime? “ and he said, “it’s like Speed Racer.” Ah okay, I know that shit. So I went and auditioned for that and have been doing it ever since.

Matt: What was that role?

Rob: Something called Guy: Double Target. It was horrible. It was awful.

Matt: You have to start somewhere so.

Rob: Yeah, and I had no idea about it. I had no idea what it was or what was going into it or anything. So, I just went in. They called me back for another one and another one, and I just kept doing it.

Matt: So good chain of events.

Rob: Yeah, so I have no idea how to get into this industry whatsoever. Except for going to high school with somebody.

Matt: Just know somebody.

Rob: It’s who you know, it’s all about who you know. All show biz

Horror Stories

Matt: Any horror stories or bombs from the booth?

Rob: Bombs? Just horror? I did one. One time, there was a brand new anime that was going to be released into the American market first. Didn’t happen, surprise. And I auditioned for a role and in there was the Japanese Creator, his translator, the American director, and the engineer.

So, I said, “what do you want this guy to sound like? So, they talk back and forth and he says, “the director says he wants you to do space, John Wayne. I said, I don’t know what that means, but I’ll try it. So, I did a bad John Wayne impression. They go no, no, no. They talk again like space John Wayne. That’s the only thing I’m getting like, well, that’s not a note. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that. So, we’ve bang around a couple more times, and then finally the engineer realizes what the guy is saying, who doesn’t speak English? And you just hit somebody else. He means Han Solo. Oh, okay, now I get it, Space John Wayne.

Matt: Very different.

Rob: Yeah, so I did a bad Harrison Ford impression and didn’t get the part.

Matt: Oh.

Rob: Such is life.

Matt: It happens.

Rob: Yeah.

Other Carrer Options

Matt: If you weren’t a voice actor, what would you be doing? You said you do comedy shows?

Rob: Well, I do comedy and actually own a restaurant.

Matt: Okay.

Rob: I would probably be full-time a Chef if I couldn’t do that.

Matt: What kind of Cuisine?

Rob: I don’t know. I do a lot of different stuff. I’m good with seafood and I have entered and won. I’ve entered about 20 chili cook-offs and won 3 of them.

Matt: I always enjoy chili. Especially spicy Chili.

Rob: Yeah, I did, well, that’s what I do. I specialize in spice.

Matt: Is that what the restaurant serves?

Rob: We do serve it on occasion when it’s cold, but it’s in Houston, so rare is there a time when it’s cold.

Matt: Has Gordon Ramsay come?

Rob: Nah not yet.

Matt: No Kitchen Nightmares.

Rob: No, none of that yet.

An Alternate Role

Matt: What’s one role you wish you could have been cast in?

Rob: I don’t know if there is one I wish I could have been. There’s roles I wish I could go back and do over, especially early on, I know so much more now with techniques and crafts and everything. I hate that word craft by the way, but you learn something along the years. There’s stuff I’ve done, early on, that I would do differently now. Who knows, I don’t know but I don’t there’s nothing I wish I could do now.

Matt: I get you.

Rob: Yeah.

Role Models

Matt: Who was one person who you looked up to whenever you were coming in. Like got inspiration from?

Rob: For voice acting? When I first started, I didn’t know anything about voice acting and so I had to go into it and just learn from people who have done it.

But I’ve always respected Mel Blanc. The voice of Bugs Bunny and all that stuff. Just because and I certainly respect him more now that I’ve been doing it because of his range of characters that he’s able to do. And so, if there was ever a comic role, I would try to channel what Bugs Bunny would do. That sort of thing.

Matt: Would he be the ideal person you’d want to work with in the future, if possible?

Rob: Well, yeah, except he’s dead.

Matt: That’s why I was like, if possible. Raise him from the dead.

Rob: Sure. In an alternate timeline, Sure. Yeah, that’d be great.

Matt: I mean. There are some studios that are clipping people’s voices together.

Rob: Yeah, I don’t want to do that.

Matt: It’s not as fun.

Ron: No

Obscure Fact

Matt: A random obscure fact, other than wanting to be a chef and owning a restaurant.

Rob: Obscure fact, I’m an open book. There’s nothing. I really.

Matt: I know you joked about the two marriages.

Rob: I was only married once, engaged another time. So only once divorced, I’ll do a lot of that in my ACT. I think about it, you know, but I don’t think I have any no. Nothing, Nothing surprising.

Matt: So, my funny one is I’ve been almost struck by lightning four times.

Rob: Whoa!

Matt: Since the pandemic, I’ve had covid three times.

Rob: Really?

Matt: I almost drowned in the Pacific Ocean because of the one.

Rob: Wow!

Matt: I didn’t realize I had it thought I had a cold because I had done both vaccinations.

Rob: I was in the vaccine trial.

Matt: Oh, wow.

Rob: I was one of the first people to get it. To get the vaccine and that was a year and a half ago. I guess by now.

Matt: it feels so long ago.

Rob: Yeah, it feels so long ago. I got 1,500 dollars.

Matt: Oh, nice.

Rob: to be a guinea pig. And so, I tell all these people who are vaccine hesitant. I say look, I was the first one to get it. So, I wouldn’t worry about it.

Matt: My only negative aspect. I had from it; I didn’t really get sick. Was just a sore arm and then the second shot made me immune to alcohol.

Rob: Alcohol?

Matt: Alcohol.

Rob: What does that mean?

Matt: Like I drank a bottle of Everclear, the whole bottle.

Rob: The whole bottle?

Matt: Didn’t even get a buzz.

Rob: Really?

Matt: Yeah, as it’s been a while since I’m getting like a little bit more.

Rob: That’s weird.

Matt: But it’s just like, she’s seen me put away stuff that would knock people on the ground.

Rob: Wow!

Matt: and it’s like, okay.

Rob: Well, that would help you in a drinking contest.

Matt: Exactly. I should have entered some.

Rob: Oh, yeah, right?

Matt: There weren’t really many going on during the pandemic.

Rob: You’re going to have to switch to heroin now. That’s all you have got left for you.

Favorite recreation activity

Matt: Favorite recreation activity?

Rob: Recreational? I love to go to museums. I’m a big art fan. I actually go to open lectures at colleges when they have a guest speaker. I’m big on that. I love to and I wanted to find one in town but couldn’t do it here. But yeah, I do that a lot. I visit museums all over the world, all over the world.

Matt: Is there a certain artist you like?

Rob: Not really? I like it all. I’m just a fan of the whole thing.

Matt: Some people have like that one that they love or Style they have.

Rob: I hate Pollock. It’s like he jerked off on a canvas. I don’t want to. I hate that, naw. That’s the only one I don’t care for.

Matt: Some people hate Warhol so I get it.

Rob: Yeah, I get it

Actor to Work With?

Matt: One voice actor you’ve always wanted to work with. I know you said, Mel.

Rob: Well, that’s the thing that we don’t really work with anybody. You’re in there by yourself. And so yeah, working with somebody wouldn’t be advantageous. Oh, he was in this? Oh, man. I wish I could have met him.

Matt: Yeah.

Rob: You know, I’ve worked with I’ve been in films half a dozen films with this one young lady I met about 2 years ago and she goes, “Yeah, we’ve been in ten films together”. We’ve been in ten films. I was like, really, we’ve never met, but we were husband and wife in a big one.

Matt: So just had that chemistry. Didn’t even know it

Rob: Yeah.

Matt: Hey, maybe that’s a prospect.

Rob: Yeah, right.

Cats or Dogs?

Matt: Cats or dogs?

Rob: Dogs. Cats are racist.

Matt: I’ve seen some that are quite racist.

Rob: Yeah, they’re quite racist.

Matt: I have one that loves everyone.

Rob: That’s a rare one.

Matt: Do you have a dog And if so what type?

Rob: I used to have a dog; she passed away.

Matt: What kind?

Rob: It was a half Doberman, half Rot.

Matt: Okay.

Rob: Yeah, she was a great dog.

Gaming

Matt: Do you have a favorite starter Pokemon?

Rob: No, I don’t play. I have no idea what it is.

Matt: It’s okay, so no Villager either for Animal Crossing.

Rob: No.

Matt: Any favorite character just from a game in general?

Rob: Well, I’m not a gamer.

Matt: It could be one you voiced.

Rob: Well, I was in Halo. I died about 40 times in Halo. That was fun. Yeah, I don’t do video games, I do crossword puzzles.

Matt: Okay. Alright which crossword puzzles? Which one do you like the most? New York Times?

Rob: I like the New York Times. I do the Sunday one cause it’s the hardest but I have like three or four apps of crossword puzzles, I do each day.

Matt: I joke, we could get you into Wordle.

Rob: Oh God.

Matt: They own it now.

Rob: Yeah? Yeah. Yeah. No

Favorite Con Experience

Matt: Do you have a favorite con experience?

Rob: Favorite con experience? No, I don’t, huh. Well, I met, what is his name? Who was that? It was many years ago. Oh man. Yeah.

Matt: What was the character?

Rob: It was the guy who created Excel Saga and his name escapes me now (Kōshi Rikudō). But I got to meet him and I played Pedro in Excel Saga. And so, he had created it and I got to meet him at a con once. So that was interesting. I’ve never met anyone who had created a role that I did. So, that was fun.

Matt: Have you got to since?

Rob: That was the only time. God, it escapes me now. That’s going to bug me.

Social Media

Matt: Any socials or anything you want to plug?

Rob: Well, I’m on Instagram. That’s my screwing-around one but it’s SoulFingerSweetBoogie.

Matt: It sounds like a very foodie account.

Rob: Yeah. I like it. It’s my 70s blaxploitation character name.

Matt: That dates me a little bit. I was a 90s child.

Rob: Everybody, everybody’s a 90s child. I am not a 90s child. To be sure. I’ve been doing voice acting probably longer than you’ve been alive.

Matt: Probably. I want to thank you for your time; it has been a pleasure.

Rob: I hope you enjoy the rest of the con and good luck.

Matt: Thank you

 

Hardcore gaming enthusiast, cosplayer, streamer, tall anime lover (6ft 9), and a die-hard competitor. I have been a Pop-Culture Journalist since 2011 specializing in shooters, Pokemon, and RPGs. A former writer for Gamersbliss.com, VGGaming HQ, TheNerdStash, and The Nerdy Con Artist. One day, I hope to travel the world while working in the video game industry or as a professional gamer. Do you want to join in on a game or see what I am up to? Come follow/message me at Killerkdemons. Open to all freelance opportunities.

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