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 was best 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 up-tempo numbers preceded dedications to 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 had elaborated that it wasn't that he minded 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 felt offended. He supposedly didn't have a problem with "Aerial Assault" due to both sides being portrayed. Kasem's departure led 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", leading to its replacement Teletraan II (whom Kasem was originally meant to voice as well) being voiced by Frank Welker.
- At the unofficial convention TF Expo 2022, Flint Dille recalled that Casey tried unsuccessfully to get Flint fired from the show by complaining to Jay Bacal about Fakkadi.
- The third season credits spell his first name as Kasey.
- In deference to Mr. Kasem, Doctor Arkeville should be assumed to be a vegetarian. We don't think we have to worry about the Autobots.
