8-bit theater flash
 

So hey, 8-bit theater flash has yet to go anywhere... I haven't caught up on any that are actually half decent. Even those with half-professional voices and still images would be a plus.

As for voices, I've got a few mildly strong opinions. The main theme should be a static display, since the characters are mostly static. It should also be very over the top. But in a good way. And well done enough that the voices don't become irritating to listen to. This is all of my opinion.

Black Mage: Black Mage's voice should be a little natural. But it should come from an arrogant teenager who thinks of himself as both brilliant and evil, when evil is a good thing. He also sounds a bit like a lazy fat dude, but that part shouldn't be stressed ("Yah so... so you should do that for me, right? Honestly, it makes perfect sense!"). He sounds a lot like a wannabe schemer with the hint of an evil growl every now and then.

Red Mage: Red Mage should speak with the sense that he himself believes that he is eloquent. He should speak with flare and with the idea that he seriously gets excited delving into his own ideas. But when he's irritated, his voice still oddly remains the same, as if he has been talking this way for such a long time that his larynx has permanently adjusted to this method of speech and that there is no way out of it. So when he cries the equivalent of "What the hell, man! Get a hold of yourself!", it should contain flare and such. This flare kinda remains to the point of sissyness (the baroque period pretty boy in pantaloons and make up). The fact that he wishes he were pretty definitely accentuates this, if you get what I mean.

Thief: His voice is low, but not to the point of a rumble. Low and scheming. Not exactly smooth like an elf, but more smooth like a typical human thug. Although he ain't a tough guy. Just the kind of person who's more charismatic than you'll ever be and that could tell you off even if you're smarter. He's a dark charismatic rather than flashy charismatic.

Rogue: In contrast to Thief, Rogue's voice is more thug-like and gruff rather than smooth and completely matter-of-fact (similar to the bandits from warcraft 3 - "Jump 'em!"). That's about the one distinguishing feature that kept him mildly interesting when I read through the strips in my head. :P

Black Belt: Seeing as black belt is still alive for half the series and that a flash series would certainly display the parts of the comic still showing this character, then my opinion on the voice needs to be said. Black Belt's voice is that of a martial arts master show off. He's a he-man duff man sorta dude who's full of himself. He often makes a fool of himself, but he's not aware of it like fighter might be (although the mind of fighter certainly is of a mysterious dimension). Whenever he shouts 'hoo-ah!' and throws a punch or a kick in order to show off to white mage at the beginning, this precisely fits my description. And yes, he retains the voice throughout the series. Not in the same emotion but the same tone. Face it, these characters are flat and that's part of the comedy of 8bit.

Fighter: Fighter is a guy who is unaware without purpose and without a speck of logic. His notions drive others insane. Perhaps its partly due to the way he talks. There's this one strip where one of the characters (can't remember who) whispers to fighter that he shouldn't have to yell and then fighter apologizes when they're in a cave. The fact is, fighter always yells. It's his normal speaking voice. Even when he's whispering, his tone is that of a special needs adult yelling. His voice reflects that of the character in the animated Dilbert series who always yells (and that one scene where said character sneezed and reduced a new employee to a skeleton; yah his name is Howard, actually). Fighter's voice isn't as exaggerated as the latter character, although it reflects that he is almost aware of the irritation he causes others (and yet he isn't... or is he? BM is too ignorant to speculate). I got the idea for this voice when I watched the D&D flash with the same sprites. I thought it'd be interesting if the voice of fighter in that clip was similar to the one in this series.

Another thing about fighter is that he often yammers rather quickly whenever delving into a long explanation of his own design. After words, it might surprise others that he is not out of breath (or perhaps he is and that he breaths through his ears???).

Garland: Garland's voice is clearly wimpy. He is ten times or even more pathetic, than however pathetic principle Skinner might manage and his tone reflects that. When he earns his evil voice, it becomes notably darker but is almost flat in a way ("It kind of hurts my throat when I talk this way," or something to that extent).

White Mage: White Mage's voice is high pitched and exaggerated. It's like the highest note of the xylophone. Although she shouldn't sound like a mouse or chipmunk. Rather, genuinely female (musical rather then completely helium comical, although the former in itself can become comical in a way if you get what I mean).

Berserker: Pretty obvious, this one. Essentially what every one of you probably already imagined except when he goes into 'berserker mode' he sounds more like one of those kids screaming on youtube with a load of tongue-induced noises and whatever the heck you deem fitting (whoever creates a flash that is). When he talks while in berserker mode, his voice is still the same as before however it is deeper, flatter, and without a gentlemen's flare or british accent. If that helps.

Ranger: Hearty and resolute, like an actual light warrior. When he first says 'what ho, friends!' (or something to that regard), this kinda sums up his tone. Even in the latest comic when he's got vengeance in his system, it'll require a good voice actor to express the words and emotion well enough, while still maintaining the same tone. Even if its one of those cartoons where one guy voices like twenty different characters.

Sarda: Gruff and old-man like with a tinge of arrogance. Sounds kind of like a crankier Mr. Peutershmit (FG) who doesn't give anyone the time of day in general tone.

Onion Kid: In the beginning, he's completely innocent, however over time, his tone changes to that of a kid who says (for comical affect) 'well here we go again' or 'so it's gotta be me... figures'. Almost brooklyn-esque. I'd be perfectly fine if a full grown man mocked the voice of a young kid. Besides, Onion Kid doesn't deserve any more in this cold cruel world.

The presentation: The presentation of the comic should be more in your face then medros and his brethren ever managed. That has always been sort of my outlook on the series. Even if it is as high paced as family guy, people still wouldn't get the idea that it's a family guy clone (after all none of the voices are the same, and there's hardly any needless cut-a-way clips that have nothing to do with the plot).

8-bit theater chaos, a youtube non-animated strip voice over, pretty much got it right when they did the strip featuring black mage's first encounter with white mage. It's somewhat fast paced, every time she hits him with the hammer (although it could be faster; and if its funny enough, viewers could re-watch it to catch all the quotes). Even though the voices really are not par with the standards of most people (people like myself), this somewhat reflects the presentation I've been looking for.

Finally,

I really like the voices we already have established.

...Except Red Mage.

Wait a minute... you helped establish the voices?

Because you suggest that when you say 'we'.

I think he is using the We to refer to the community as a whole here... not you or him or any one specific person... just everyone who's been involved.... even as a supporter from the side lines.

I like the established voices a lot.... to the point where the comic characters' "voices" sound like that when I read the comic.

With the exception of Red Mage, of course. He will always be a southern gentleman in my mind.

On the topic of a flash version though, there have been many attempts in the past and few have really succeeded... with the only one that WAS good dying out after 5 episodes.

my advice to anyone who wanted to do that project would be to gather up all the comics and make the entire thing into a flash movie with yourself doing the dubs... simply so you have the film and the script

then you can pick and choose your voice actors until you get it right

Well I can do alot of the voices you think they should have, but who knows, in the end this like every other attempt at a 8 Bit Theater flash will just go downhill and die most likely.

Any and all 8-bit theater flash videos need to not treat the comic pages as a script.

In the same vein as Meister's thinking, I think 8-Bit flash videos should be adventures or events not shown in the comic. Just silly non-canon stuff.