Larry Kenney makes his living by his distinctive voice but, unless you’ve met him at a comic or toy convention, you’d never know it was him.
Such is the life of a voice actor and a childhood idol.
Those unfamiliar with Kenney probably know him from his pop culture and nostalgia fueled resume: Count Chocula. Sonny the “Cocoa Puff” bird. He’s the announcer on VH1’s The Best Week Ever, and the voice on those bizarre Skittles commercials who encourage us all to “taste the rainbow.”
Yes, he’s that guy.
Fans however, love him best as the voice of Lion-O, the main character from Thundercats, the hit 1980s cartoon and pop culture mainstay.
This year alone he has attended almost 70 comic book and toy conventions where he meets those fans, talks to them, signs autographs, and takes photos with them.
“People tell me over, over and over: you are the voice of my childhood,” Kenney told the Current while attending Alamo City Toy Show.
And with each convention, fans can put a face to the voice.
But, traveling so often isn’t easy. Jet lag, time zone changes, a new bed every night, and eating on the go can take its toll one could imagine. For Kenney, it seems like he wouldn’t have it any other way.
"I get to travel the nation, the world, and see thousands of people who want to meet me," said Kenney about his convention work.
More intimately though, he understands the pull of nostalgia that compels people to meet their childhood idols, people like him.
“If somebody told me, ‘Hey Mel Blanc is coming to town, he’s coming to the convention center, and he’s signing autographs,’ I would be there three days early to get in line,” Kenney said wistfully.
Like so many others, he would want to put a face to the voice.
In turn, Kenney continues to travel the nation and the world meeting fans. He has upcoming conventions in Tennessee, Florida, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Wales in the UK.
A busy schedule indeed, but Kenney sounded energetic about creating an experience for himself and fans. He understands there is nothing more disappointing than meeting your idols and seeing them behave poorly.
“I want to make sure that people go away knowing that I met Larry Kenney and he was nice to me, and it was good to meet him.”
