Comments on: Arnold Stang 1918-2009

By: Mark Mayfield

Mark Mayfield — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:25:03 +0000

Voice people like him are few and far between. He was a special one.

By: Rapid T. Rabbit

Rapid T. Rabbit — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:16:53 +0000

Yes, Arnold was one of the very few showbiz heroes I’ve had all my life. Although I’ve known him since 1978 chatting with him by phone on many occaisions, I only actually met him in person twice…at the time I interviewed him on my TV show and then again a year later when he visited the flagship Warner Bros. Studio Store in New York while I was there wearing the Bugs Bunny costume…Arnold had then recently appeared in the Dennis The Menace movie.

You can download my full half hour 1993 interview with Arnold in MPEG4 from this link:

http://www.foxcoon.com/rapidtrabbit/rtr-mpeg4/rtrAST.MP4

Aside from his more memorable radio, TV and movie roles, Arnold recorded quite a few children’s stories on vinyl records. My favorite of these was “Harry the Horse” about a merry-go-round horse who got tired of going round and round all day. I’ve always been a major carousel fan and that story was part of my collection of related memorabilia.

On the morning of Arnold’s funeral, I phoned his wife Joanne to offer my condolences. She told me that Arnold was rather fond of me as a loyal fan and was happy to know me.

Thank you Arnold for making me smile and laugh, for your inspiration and your company. Rest in peace my friend.

By: David Breneman

David Breneman — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:46:19 +0000

I hope he won’t be remembered primarily for the execrable “Herman and Catnip” cartoons. Sure, everybody needs a paycheck, but he did so much good work, too. Like many great voice talents, he started out in radio. It’s a real shame that we don’t have that proving ground for voices anymore.

By: Joseph Nebus

Joseph Nebus — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:29:30 +0000

I’m a little embarrassed to admit here that I liked Stang’s work best not from the cartoons he did, but rather from old-time radio, particularly on The Henry Morgan Show. Still, great voice acting is great voice acting, and he did it.

By: Bob Porrazzo

Bob Porrazzo — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:47:21 +0000

If I may borrow a title from Top Cat, Stang is now literally, “The Late T.C.” Thank You Arnold Stang for years of comedy. Goodbye T.C.

By: Mick Collins

Mick Collins — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:31:16 +0000

Arnold Stang was perhaps my favourite cartoon voice as a kid (followed closely by Hans Conried). His so-thick-you-couldn’t-cut-it-with-a-machete Brooklyn accent was hypnotic. If I heard it, I couldn’t leave the TV. I’ve lived in Brooklyn for a couple of years now, and sadly, have only heard one other person speak with the True Sound Of Brooklyn, vis. Mr. Stang.

Interestingly, I was never able to put a name to the voice (or face) until a couple of years ago, when I read the tribute by Kliph above (Hi Kliph!), right *after* I’d purchased the complete ‘Top Cat’ DVD set. I realised I’d been hearing and seeing this guy my whole life!

Arnold Stang was a truly unique voice in motion picture history; I never met him, but he’ll live forever in my a/v system…

By: Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:14:52 +0000

My first introduction to Arnold Stang was (as any child of the ’60s) through Top Cat and Herman and catnip. I was always interested in cartoons primarily for the voices, and it fascinated me that people got paid good money to sit behind a microphone and talk in silly voices.

What’s funny to me is that when I first saw Mr. Stang (in It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World) it seemed to me that he looked exactly like I pictured he would look!

How interesting that you feature the promo picture from Alakazam the Great, as that is one of my all-time favorite animated films, and his performance as Lulipopo was yet another delight for me.

How sad to lose such a great talent…my condolences to all who loved him.

“Don’t cry because he is gone…smile because he was here…”

By: Ken Layton

Ken Layton — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:46:26 +0000

Another legendary voice now gone. :( I will remember him best as Herman the Mouse.

Rest in Peace.