Submitted by: Alan White
“Feedback: A Hero’s Calling” Episode #3, “A Friend In Deed” is slated to release on May 3rd, causing it to share the weekend with the third release of Matt Atherton’s own hero, Spider-Man.
The audio series, continuing now at BrokenSea Audio Productions, is a fan-produced collaboration of talent dedicated to furthering the adventures of Feedback, the winner of Season One’s “Who Wants To Be A Superhero…?” From around the internet, many reviews of the Sci Fi Channel television show have stated that Feedback was the hero who made them take the show more seriously than they may have started out. Feedback’s determination, raw emotion, and fanboy history with Spider-Man and Stan Lee made him the representative for most comic book loving fans who loved the show.
Out of this fanbase sprung “Tech Support“, the fan club where in July of last year Matthew Atherton firmly rooted himself while the series unfolded. By his interaction on a regular basis with the group, Matt gave hundreds of ordinary fans the chance to become something more — they became his friends, and then in August they watched their friend win the title of “The Next Great Superhero”.
Two of those friends (Mike Winters, the series’ announcer and actor, and Alan White, producer and writer) chatted with Feedback on Wednesday about the next installment of “A Hero’s Calling.”
MW: | Ready to go? |
Feedback: | Yes! I’m sorry we didn’t get more of an opportunity to talk on Zach’s (Tech Support’s originator of “Console”) phone last Saturday! |
MW: | It’s all right, I’d be happy either way. |
Feedback: | Fire away! |
MW: | Okay. |
Feedback: | By the way… Hi Alan! |
AW: | Hello there! |
MW: | (Okay, Question #1–) Is it really you, Matthew Atherton, playing the part of Feedback in the audio drama? |
Feedback: | Well… how can you be sure that this is really me typing this answer? |
AW: | lol |
Feedback: | I may be Sarah, filling in for her husband as he is off fighting the evils of the world! |
AW: | Blind faith. |
MW: | Then, she’s quite the impressionist |
AW: | Sarah’s answers will do! Though if we get some extra detail about the clutter in the house, we’ll know what’s up. |
MW: | LOL |
Feedback: | At some point, in most things, I think you have to decide whether you are going to trust someone. I hope that people feel that any trust they place in me is not a mistake. |
AW: | Heh. Well it’s been so far so good from my perspective. |
Feedback: | To answer your question, yes – the person answering this question is the exact same person doing the voice of Feedback in the audio drama. |
MW: | Was that the case from the very start? |
Feedback: | Oh absolutely. When Alan talked to me about doing the audio drama, I was super excited (excuse the pun!) So, I started looking for recording studios in my area. During my internet search, I came across “Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic” and saw that they had a chapter close to my house. Now, obviously, Sarah and I found an actual recording studio to do the first episode, but I was intrigued by RFB&D, so I went to one of their informational meetings. I was really impressed by what they do, so I decided to start volunteering there once a week, reading textbooks so that others could pursue their dreams, without the printed work being a barrier. |
AW: | Wow. Didn’t know that’s when you started volunteering there. |
Feedback: | I then immediately adopted them as one of my sponsored charities, and added them to the already established “Make-A-Wish” Foundation for whom I raise money. |
MW: | It’s amazing how things begin sometimes |
Feedback: | Yep! Thanks to you, Alan – a lot of people are benefiting from the money from the autographs and photos from the conventions! Wow… lot of prepositions in that last sentence… |
AW: | As if I could tell… |
Feedback: | Yes, Mike, it is amazing how things play out! But, I also believe that everything happens for a reason. For instance, if you watch the DVD interview that Kevin Smith did with Stan Lee, you’ll notice something interesting… I won’t go into it, but if John F. Kennedy had not been killed, Spider-Man might never have come to be… Stan was working on a magazine and having fun with it, and the third issue had JFK on the front – he was adding cartoon captions to real photos of celebrities… Right before the issue was published, JFK was assassinated, so the third issue, and the title, was cancelled, and Stan went on to other things |
MW: | and then where would you be today? |
AW: | Where would we ALL be? |
MW: | True |
Feedback: | Well, I ask myself that same question of where would I be if my father had not died? I wouldn’t be the same person. |
AW: | Matt, I noticed that Stan covers the death of your father in the comic. How far do you want to see that covered in fiction–ours or Stan’s? |
Feedback: | Everything in my life is fair game for the audio dramas. I think it might be challenging for a writer to try to capture what I might say about it, But based on the story lines that I’ve seen and the quality of the writing, I think if it were involved in a compelling story – they’d get it right. |
AW: | Whew. Now that’s some faith right there. |
Feedback: | It made me who I am, so it is part of Feedback – I’d just want it to be part of a good story. |
MW: | How did the idea of an audio series based on you come about? |
Feedback: | Well, I’d have to go back through my emails to give you the exact details, but it all started with one man – Alan White. |
AW: | Heh. Even I forget the details. |
Feedback: | He had some contacts over at Darker Projects, and without his enthusiasm and passion to make it happen, it would never have come to pass! In fact… the first studio session cost Sarah and I $60 to do (we cranked it out in an hour) and I let Alan know that I’d like to continue it, but that it might get expensive to do… The next thing I know, two USB Microphones show up in my P.O. box, and Sarah and I are off to the races! Courtesy of Alan White! |
MW: | lol |
Feedback: | So, anytime you hear my voice… it’s thanks to Alan. And the stories that Tech Support members have provided are so great – I’m glad that we have an opportunity to make them come alive! |
AW: | I hated that I proposed something to you that was going to be costing you money. |
Feedback: | I’m glad you proposed it, Alan! I would never have found RFB&D if you hadn’t! |
MW: | I’ve heard the first two episodes and it looks like you know what you’re doing. Which came first for you? Acting or being a superhero? |
Feedback: | Well, being a superhero happened for me in my Spidey underoos when I was 4. So, my passion for superheroes, and Spidey in particular, came way before I ever did any acting. : But, my first play was “Mary Poppins” and I did that in 5th grade – I was the Bobby, and talked in a Cockney accent. No one could understand me… but it led to doing more plays. I never had a single year of school after 5th grade where I wasn’t in at least one play. That included junior high, high school, and college. But my hope was always that one day it would lead to me playing a superhero in a little student film or something like that. To be able to lend my voice to the audio drama is really fun! It’s my chance to be a superhero! |
AW: | It’s you continuing to be a superhero! |
MW: | Episode #3 is called “A Friend In Deed” and it’s being released on May 3rd, the weekend that Spider-Man #3 is also being released. Is that a coincidence, Matthew, given what Spider-Man means to you? |
Feedback: | There is no such thing as “coincidence!” I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I just believe in “the poetry of the universe.” It’s that whole “things happen for a reason” belief that I just can’t seem to shake. I’m excited that both come out on the same weekend! I hope fans of Feedback will have some “residual visuals” of the Spidey flick in their head as they hear the battles in Episode 3 of the audio drama! |
MW: | Alan, a question for you. Obviously, it wouldn’t be an audio series without other voice actors. How was the audition process? |
AW: | Nervewracking! I’m always terrified of opening an audition file and finding that it’s awful. Because I know how much everyone who auditions wants to be in the audio. And I’m not the kind of dude who likes to reject people. |
MW: | I know how hard that is |
AW: | But I’m so thankful that 95% of all auditions are awesome. Starting off with Matt’s. If he hadn’t been right for it, where would it all have ended up? |
AW: | But he blows me away. You will not believe him as Spectre. I can’t wait until you guys hear it. |
MW: | Nitro G has a very pivotal role in Epsiode #3. Will any other of the “Who Wants To Be A Superhero…?†contestants be in the series? |
Feedback: | I hope so! I hear that Major Victory may be lending his voice to Episode 4, and I know that Fat Momma would be happy to be involved, too. I’ll actually see her this Saturday in Rancho Cucamonga for Free Comic Book Day (The 8-page preview of Feedback’s comic book will be available at comic retailers across the country). Major Victory is being flown to the U.K. to do some promotion of “Who Wants To Be a Superhero…?â€, and left yesterday. He was supposed to be there, too, but won’t return until Sunday evening. |
AW: | Actually, Creature contacted me via the SciFi boards and I’m including her in Episode #6. |
Feedback: | As many people as we can have involved, the better! I love that members of Tech Support are contributing to the voices as well! |
AW: | Oh yeah … I saw the commercials for the UK release! Your commercial KILLS. |
Feedback: | There’s a commercial? |
AW: | YUP. There’s a commercial for all of you. Archive (Tech Support’s “Acting Director of Information Technologiesâ€) posted the link at K! Yours. ROCKS. |
MW: | I’ll have to look into that one. |
Feedback: | Wow … I’ll have to check the K! boards! (Find the link at Feedback’s Official Site) |
MW: | During the hidden camera/secret identity challenge, did you guys end up eating your lunches, and did you keep the change? |
Feedback: | The food went to waste. It sat there for hours, and no one was keen on eating it and having stomach problems. I gave the rest of my change to the producers, since we were told that we were not allowed to have money. |
MW: | makes sense. too bad about the food, though |
Feedback: | That chicken-kabob I got looked good! |
MW: | how badly damaged was the fan after you kicked it–accidentally, of course. |
Feedback: | Well, the fan was okay, but the pull-string was never repaired, despite my efforts to do so… The funny thing is, I wasn’t “really” aiming for it. I was aiming just below it… |
MW: | That suit is just as flexible as you are, which is pretty useful … |
Feedback: | It’s starting to show its age… but! I just got a phone call today that the stunt costume from Bulgaria is being shipped to me (Feedback’s role in the Sci Fi Channel movie was filmed last October in Bulgaria, to be released to coincide with WWTBAS..? Season 2’s release)! |
MW: | neat |
AW: | It looks the same? |
Feedback: | It’s not as good as the real one, but maybe I can retire the original and build that vault I always wanted to build for it! |
MW: | LOL |
AW: | LOL With the fake bbookcase front, who’s book titles begin with F — E — E — D — B — A — C — K to pull out in that order and reveal the hidden panel behind… |
MW: | I know, I saw Jitter’s video. (Tech Support member whose original scores provide the background for the audio adventures recorded the panel of Feedback and Matt Haley at the Phoenix Con, where Feedback revealed his plan to save the costume for his future kids behind a sliding bookshelf) |
Feedback: | Cool! |
MW: | it’s a really cool idea |
Feedback: | Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did! |
AW: | Always a pleasure, Feedback! |
Feedback: | And the same to you, Mr. White! |
AW: | Aw shuckins! |
MW: | Once again, Feedback, a privilege, a pleasure, and an honor |
Feedback: | Mike, I’m really glad we got to do this! Thanks for being a great interviewer! |
MW: | Coming from you, Matt, that means a lot |
AW: | Give Sarah my fond ‘What’s up?!’ |
Feedback: | Will do! Well, gotta run… the world is in trouble again! (My world, if I don’t get my programming done!) |
MW: | Bye, Matt |
Feedback: | GAME ON!!! |
Season Two of “Who Wants To Be A Superhero…?” will air on the Sci Fi Channel this summer!