Maddie Blaustein
Madeleine Joan Blaustein (born Adam Blaustein, October 9, 1960 – December 11, 2008), also known as Kendra Bancroft, was an American voice actress and comic writer. She was known for her voice acting work for 4Kids Entertainment, DuArt Film and Video and NYAV Post, for her reprising role as the character Meowth from the Pokémon anime series and for comics written for Milestone Comics, in which she introduced one of superhero comics' first transgender female characters. She was the first intersex and transgender voice artist for many of her respective agencies.[1]
Maddie Blaustein | |
---|---|
Born | Adam Blaustein October 9, 1960 Long Island, New York, U.S. |
Died | December 11, 2008 48) Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged
Resting place | Congregation B'nai Israel Cemetery |
Occupation | Voice actress, comic writer |
Years active | 1985–2008 |
Notable credit(s) | Pokémon as Meowth |
Relatives | Jeremy Blaustein (brother) |
Career
In the late 1980s, Blaustein worked for Marvel Comics, as an editor (several issues each of Web of Spider-Man, Marvel Tales, and Marvel Saga) as a writer (several issues of Conan the King), and penciling a one-shot of Power Pachyderms.[2][3] She wrote assorted comics published by DC Comics in the early 1990s, including a few for the Impact Comics imprint and TSR line.[2]
In 1994 she went to work for Milestone Media as production manager and writer.[4] With assistance from her partner Yves Fezzani[5] – sometimes billed together as "Adam & Yves"[6] – she wrote issues of flagship titles Hardware and Static (in which she co-created the character Rubber-Band Man).[7] She also wrote (with Fezzani) Milestone's first limited series Deathwish,[2][8] which featured as its central character transgender female police officer Marisa Rahm, one of the first trans heroes featured in mainstream superhero comics.[9] During this time she was sometimes referred to in editorial copy in the comics as "Addie Blaustein".[10]
After leaving Milestone, she served as Creative Director for Weekly World News.[11][12]
Blaustein was a voice actress at 4Kids Entertainment, where she worked on the English dub version of the Pokémon anime. She provided "filler" voices for various characters until episode #31, when she took over from Nathan Price in the role of Meowth, which she played through season 8.[13] During the 2004 Democratic Party primaries, she voiced Sméagol on the Mike Malloy Show, announcing a satirical presidential bid.[14]
Beginning in 2004 under the pseudonym Kendra Bancroft, Blaustein was a content creator on the Second Life platform,[15] earning a reputation as an innovative, competent, and reliable 3-D modeller in the communities where she participated.[16]
Personal life
Blaustein was born the second oldest of five children in Long Island, New York. She was intersex, and was assigned male at birth before transitioning to female.[17] Her experience as an activist in the transgender community helped her to organize and support groups of people in Second Life.[18]
Video game localization coordinator and translator Jeremy Blaustein is her brother.
Death
Blaustein died on December 11, 2008 at age 48 in Christ Hospital of Jersey City, New Jersey from an untreated stomach virus that she had been suffering from a couple of weeks prior.[11][19] She is buried at the Congregation B'nai Israel Cemetery.
Work
Voice roles
- Cubix - Dr. K
- Cutie Honey (live action movie) – Sister Jill
- Dinosaur King – Helga (Season 1)
- Domain of Murder – Detective Shimizu
- Funky Cops - Additional voices[20]
- G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 - Overkill
- Huntik: Secrets & Seekers – Rassimov (Ep. "Mission"; Posthumous release) [20]
- Impy's Island – Shoe the Shoebill
- Impy's Wonderland – Shoe the Shoebill[20]
- Jungle Emperor Leo - Mother, Trainer[20]
- Kirby: Right Back At Ya! - Chef Kawasaki, Waddle Doo
- Mutant Rampage Bodyslam – L. Wolf Jam
- Pokémon – Meowth
- Pokémon Chronicles – Meowth
- Pokémon: The First Movie – Meowth
- Pokémon: The Movie 2000 – Meowth
- Pokémon 3: The Movie – Meowth
- Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns – Meowth
- Pokémon 4Ever – Meowth
- Pokémon Heroes – Meowth
- Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker – Meowth
- Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys – Meowth
- Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew – Meowth
- Samurai Deeper Kyo – Migeira
- Slayers Try – Jillas Jillos Jilles
- The Little Panda Fighter – Grizzlepuss
- Tiny Robots - Nev1
- Valkyrie Profile – Arngrim, Barbarossa, Lawfer, Lezard Valeth
- Viva Piñata – Corinna
- Wild Cardz - King
Video games
- Pokémon Channel - Meowth[21]
- Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) [22]
Writing
- Deathwish – Milestone Comics, 4-issue miniseries, with Yves Fezzani
- Hardware – Milestone Comics, The Hunt for Deathwish with Yves Fezzani
- Static – Milestone Comics, with Yves Fezzani
Art
- Power Pachyderms (pencils) – Marvel Comics (1989)[3]
References
- http://qawithmaddieblaustein.blogspot.com
- "Madeleine S. Blaustein - 'Adam S. Blaustein' - Comic Book DB". www.comicbookdb.com. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
- "GCD :: Issue :: Power Pachyderms #1". Comics.org. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- "The Company Line". Hardware. No. 20. November 1994. p. 21.
- "Return of the Cool, and a Fallen Hero". CBR. 2014-10-27. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- "Static (1993) #30 - Comic Book DB". comicbookdb.com. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- Anthony (2011-08-11). "Minorities in comics and animation: Maddie Blaustein". Diverse Tech Geek. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- "MILES AHEAD OF THE REST: THE 15 BEST MILESTONE COMICS". Milestone Media. 2017-01-17. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- Johnston, Rich (2013-04-10). "So Who Was The First Transgender Character In Mainstream Superhero Comics Anyway?". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- "The Company Line". Hardware. No. 27. May 1995. p. 13.
- Levesley, David (February 27, 2019). "The Inspiring Story of the Trans Actress Behind Your Favorite Pokémon's Voice". them. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- "Maddie Blaustein, 1960-2008". ComicMix. 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- "Ask Maddie Blaustein - Q&A with Meowth". www.serebiiforums.com. Retrieved 2017-03-30.
- Smeagle.mp3 Archived December 14, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- Nast, Condé. "The Inspiring Story of the Trans Actress Behind Your Favorite Pokémon's Voice". them. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- "New World Notes". Nwn.blogs.com. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- "Workshop Presenter Bios". William Patterson University Women's Center. Archived from the original on September 28, 2005. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- Greenberger, Robert (2008-12-18). "Maddie Blaustein, 1960-2008". ComicMix. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
- "United States Social Security Death Index". Familysearch.org. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
Adam Blaustein, 11 December 2008; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing)
- https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Maddie-Blaustein/
- Ambrella. Pokémon Channel. Nintendo. Scene: Ending credits, 7:13 in, Cast.
- Game credits
External links
- Madeleine Blaustein at IMDb
- Maddie Blaustein at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Interview with Maddie Blaustein from Trans-Ponder
- Maddie Blaustein at the English Voice Actor & Production Staff Database
- Former Marvel editor Christopher Priest on Blaustein's time at Marvel Comics
- Maddie Blaustein at Find a Grave
- Maddie Blaustein @ BehindTheVoiceActors