by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

If you have watched cartoons in the last 25 years, there is a very good chance that you have heard the vocal talents of Frank Welker. Best known as the voice of the evil Megatron from the original Transformers 1980’s cartoon series, Welker has recently returned to voice the character for the award winning animated series: Transformers Prime! Check out our exclusive interview below:

ComicsOnline: With Season Two of Transformers Prime, viewers have been given a glimpse into Transformers history and the origins of Prime and Megatron. Did the new information about their past influence your portrayal of Megatron and how he relates to Prime, and even his relationship with his own minions?

Frank Welker: Hi Matt, first of all thank you for interest in Transformers Prime.  This latest iteration of Transformers stories and history are ambitious and it is exciting for me as an actor, who has been bumping around this franchise for quite a long time, to get to discover new information and  it does influence my performance.  Mostly, It gives Megatron more depth and complexity which I’ve tried to reflect in his attitude and vocal quality.  We have much more time to develop the story and that slower pace helps with the action and emotion and more expression dramatically. It is a joy to see where we are going and what we will be up to each week.

CO: The relationship between Megatron and Starscream has always been one of the more complex relationships in Transformers lore (especially in Transformers Prime), and it seems that despite everything that Starscream has done in TF Prime, Megatron still doesn’t seem him as a true threat like he does with the Autobots. Why do you think he has been willing to put up with Starscream all this time? And since TF Prime focuses closely on the relationships between characters, do think we will possibly see more of how this specific dynamic developed?

FW: I hope we will see more of the relationship between these two evil doers.  I think Megatron truly enjoys having Starscream around to toy with… and in an odd way I think he has affection for him somewhat like an minimized appendage…on the one hand you find it distasteful, but on the other hand you realize you need it and it can be useful.  I think Megatron feels his superiority and power keenly when he uses Starscream.  He sees through Starscream’s ambition and plays him like a Stradivarius.  Even when Megatron is at his angriest he still has a under tone of sheer delight.  Starscream may be a Decepticon but he has great cunning and can turn on a dime and has the same need for power as Megatron which makes him always dangerous and an enemy within.  I love working with the very talented Steve Blum we actually have adjoining mike stands and that is wonderful for playing off each other’s characters.

CO: Over the years, you have voiced a number of evil characters. What do you think are the qualities that make a memorable/iconic villain?

FW: I think in the case of Megatron it is sheer self interest and a all consuming need for power. He would do anything to anyone to achieve his goal. Over all, I think those internals that drive the villains remain the same: Greed, power, revenge, megalomania…of course in our animated world we are guided by the audience and various other influences like program practices but really it comes down to design and voice.  If a character is set out to be evil the design goes a long way but having a voice driven by good internal sources is a great combination. For the actor, voice is critical and I think most of us enjoy playing all “types” for balance and variety. I know I play a lot of cute characters that are great fun and on the opposite side of the rainbow like Curious George.  Put George and Megatron side by side and you can see why it is never boring going to work!

CO: If you were given the option to voice a hero or a villain, which would you choose and why?

FW: Well, I kind of alluded to the answer in your previous question, I think most actors would prefer a share of both but there is nothing like sinking your teeth into an evil performance where you can explore the dark side.  I think most of us even in this voice business can get type cast and that is too bad a lot of my friends can go from a to z in a heartbeat. I’ve been very lucky in that respect every time they try to put me in a box I chew a hole in the corner and try to escape.

CO: Do you have any favorite behind the scenes memories that you can share from your time voicing Megatron? 

FW: Well I think it is common knowledge that Peter Cullen and I have more fun than we should whenever we get together.  It is a contest between the two of us to see if we can make the other laugh and hopefully in the middle of recording…does this sound a bit like elementary school??? I will cop to being the instigator in a lot of this but Peter can get you whenever he wants and usually when you are not looking.  One time he brought this little gizmo that’s about the size of a cork screw and was making incredibly subtle sounds with it..birds, crickets all kinds of things and I couldn’t see where it was coming from.  Finally I look over and see him moving his mouth….I bought it and was about to hire a hit man since I had cornered the market on weird sounds (except for Dee Baker of course) then Peter twisted it an it was really loud everyone looked at me first like here goes Welker again…and it was Peter.  He burst out in his notorious belly laugh all at my expense of course…Cullen 1, Welker 0.  

CO: On a side note, I wanted to say that I grew up watching the original Transformers series (and loved the original animated movie), and having you back in the role of Megatron is truly exciting. I know that our readers have been blown away by this latest series, and cannot wait to see the rest of Season Two. 

FW: Thank you so much Matt, if it hadn’t been for the fans..you can bet I would not be enjoying the fun success and continuing friendships I have made from G1 to the exciting new Transformers Prime.