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Voiceover artist L. Michelle McCray’s introduction into the arts began at five-years-old after singing “When You Wish Upon a Star” in a Disney play. Her first official gig, which was in radio, sparked her adolescent years. Tapping into her passion early on set the tone for her future to come. “I had been playing little pranks, imitating, and my mother would read me stories. And, I was so in love with what my mother did that I started imitating her, and then it turned into me imitating people in the news and practicing all these inflections, sounds, and tones,” L. Michelle told AfroTech. L. Michelle’s radio background and theatre, music, and media production pivoted her career as an artist, particularly in voice acting. Now, with over 25 years in the game under her belt, L. Michelle rightfully crowned herself as the “voice acting master.” In 2020, her journey as an artist took a slight halt due to the arrival of COVID-19. The pandemic hit after she moved to Boston to attend Berklee...
Black people have always loved anime, whether their fandom began with “Sailor Moon” and “Pokémon” or they cut their teeth on “Naruto” and “Dragon Ball Z.” But much like other creative mediums, the relationship between the Japanese animation medium and its Black characters has been one in need of more accurate and diverse representation. Over the years, award-winning Funimation voice actors Anairis Quiñones and Zeno Robinson — best known for their roles as Mirko and Hawks in “My Hero Academia”— have seen more progression in anime away from its problematic beginnings. “‘Cyborg 009’is a legendary series from the ’80s, and its character Pynuma’s portrayal from the ’80s till now has drastically changed,” said Robinson, who has studied under greats like Phil LaMarr, Ginny McSwain, and Tony Oliver. “His first portrayal had big lips and exaggerated features, but as time progressed, his character design changed to look more like an actual human being. It’s a testament to the times.” Quiñones...