Casey Kasem
From MediaWiki
Casey Kasem (born Kemal Amin Kasem, April 27, 1932 - June 15, 2014) was an American voice actor. Among other roles, he has been known as the original voice of Shaggy Rogers from the Scooby-Doo franchise, Robin from Superfriends, Merry Brandybuck from Return of the King, and Alexander Cabot III from Josie and the Pussycats. He also had some kind of radio show or something. Chances are you've heard of it.
He really hated it when people dedicated songs to their dead pets. He also hated offensive stereotypes.
In June 2014, Kasem passed away due to complications from Lewy body dementia.
Roles
The Transformers cartoon
Notes
- Mr. Kasem left the original Transformers cartoon during production of the third season episode "Thief in the Night" because of its depiction of the highly stereotypical Abdul Fakkadi as dictator of made-up Arab state Carbombya.[1] Kasem's family is Lebanese Druze. Kasem has elaborated that it isn't that he minds Arabs being portrayed as villains per se; it's just when the villains are the only Arab characters in a story and there are no positive counter-examples that he feels offended. He supposedly didn't have a problem with "Aerial Assault" due to both sides being portrayed. Kasem's departure lead to all of his characters being retired as opposed to recast. Though inconvenient as a whole, this also fortuitously lined up with the destruction of Teletraan I in Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5, resulting in its replacement with Teletraan II voiced by Frank Welker.
- In deference to Mr. Kasem, Dr. Arkeville should be assumed to be a vegetarian. I don't think we have to worry about the Autobots.
