If there was a character that formed me it's Yogi Bear.
It is almost as if I was assigned at birth to have this mischievous, obsessed but ultimately friendly bear as my spirit animal. His was the first voice I learned to imitate, I loved green because that was the color Yogi wore, and he framed my comic timing.
I don't necessarily think the Yogi shorts are as memorable as the Looney Tunes, Tex Avery shorts or even some of the early Disney ones, but it just resonated.
The genius actor who brought Yogi to life was Daws Butler. The older I got, the more I recognized his work inside of Mr. Jinx, Quick Draw McGraw, Huckleberry Hound and many many others.
But Yogi was more than just a cartoon character to me. He was a companion. To a kid who was bullied from 1st grade though to freshman year of high school, a smarter-than-the-average, conniving and hilarious bear gave me confidence to meet obstacles, battle arbitrary restrictions, and ultimately triumph. Let Ranger Smith and the guests of Jellystone Park be dawned.
But stepping into voice acting and coming to Los Angeles as late in life as I did, I missed the opportunity to study with the man who set my compass. Daws passed in 1988 and I never had the opportunity to express my gratitude to the part he played in making my 2D hero come to life.
I just picked up the one book that he wrote, (mostly scenes and monologs for practice) but I'm very curious if my friends who have gotten the opportunity to know and study with him, what rememberances they might have and be willing to share as I piece together a bit of a greater sense of Daws' approach and process.
Charles Daws Butler
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