When are we getting a Phil Hartman voiced character?

chrisgyo wrote:
it's pretty obvious that the dolls were in production prior to Hartman's death

They were released starting in 1999, so it was after his death but may have been in the works prior to it...

lyle_catcliffe wrote:

efin98 wrote:

lyle_catcliffe wrote:

NOVA_POLARI wrote:
I think we will get his characters but they definitely wont be voiced.

http://gifsec.com/wp-content/uploads/GIF/2014/03/Frank-Underwood-Eye-roll-GIF.gif

Are you rolling your eyes because you don't like that his characters won't be voiced or that someone said the obvious again for the benefit of the people who don't know? :roll:

He said "definitely". That's one of the top few words that should never be misused. See also: perfect and literally.

Well considering what happened to his voice actor I think definitely is the right word. Unless his family wants the voice in the game. In which case we may get him as level 50 to honor him.

panopticnic wrote:
They retired his characters. It wouldn't be much of a retirement if they included them in the game.

Also his characters were never retired. They still appear in the background sometimes to honor Phil.

Hartman Estate owns his voice, FOX owns the Simpsons . Yes they can use repeats of the show, that was negotiated, but certain royalties can be owed for recycling the voice samples from the show into a new media. If the people who make decisions , decided not to pursue Phil Hartman's Estate out of solemn respect, than that is that.

Still have much LOVE for Phil Hartman! Even to this day. I've always despised what his wife did to him. Too bad she took her own life. To me, she never really paid for her crime... she took the easy way out. (I know most people won't agree, because she 'paid with her life.' But because she never had to deal with the pain she caused her family and kids, I believe she took the easy way out.)

Edited: Sorry... I didn't mean to come across so harsh. :(

Having worked for 2 studios in the past, here would be the bottom line:

McClure and Huntz could and should be added to the game.

They would not be voiced.

Hartman most likely had a clause in his contract allowing the use of previously recorded lines for Simpsons merchandise. It would have remained in play even after death as it probably stipulated a certain time period after the most recent contract revision. Since it is now more than 16 years since his murder, that time period would have long since expired.

Design on the McClure figure would not have started before 2000. It takes anywhere from 12-24 months for a product to get through concept, design, production and distribution. (Also worked as a sculptor for a toy design firm for a while.)

EA's policy for character voices seems to keep to only the five main actors who voice the core group. who probably already have stipulations in their contracts. Other actors are never used as they would require a special contract be drawn up just for this game and would demand more money. Since this is a fermium game, EA could never justify the added expense.

Maybe a stupid question, did Marcia Wallace pass away after Edna was released on Tapped Out?

perkilusen wrote:
Maybe a stupid question, did Marcia Wallace pass away after Edna was released on Tapped Out?

I'm pretty sure she did.

Personally, I think that releasing Hartman's characters would indeed be a way of honoring and remembering him, especially since so much time has passed since the tragedy. Should we quit playing John Lennon songs and films because of what happened to him? Forget it. Remember the man and the talent by honoring it.

If they're not voiced, I'd still like to have them. Voiced would be awesome.

perkilusen wrote:
Maybe a stupid question, did Marcia Wallace pass away after Edna was released on Tapped Out?

Yes. She passed in October 2013, and level 22 with Edna Krabappel was released in October 2012.

Doris Grau (Lunchlady Doris) died a few years ago. They made her character silent for a while. Now Tress MacNeille voices the character, though she sounds nothing like her.

Annathewicked wrote:
You answered your own question- yes, we want him- doubtful because he has passed

I never understood that, considering they allowed them to make toys in the Simpsons - World of Springfield action figure/playset line of Hartman's characters. Pretty sure both Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure had figures made, and since the figures could talk when connected to a playset, they directly used audio from the show itself.

I'm not really sure how the game is any different (well, besides the type of product). I can see how retiring his characters out of respect makes sense, but at the same time releasing those characters in the game could also be a sign of respect, a sort of memorial/rememberance.

Hell, if anything, EA should make them premium characters and donate a portion of the sales to his children or to a charity that Phil would've supported (perhaps a cancer charity since Jan Hooks, a good friend of his on SNL, died from it in early 2014). Or possibly some type of donation to the Groundlings, which gave Phil his start. I have a feeling he'd be glad to see other up and coming comedians get a shot through The Groundlings, and I know he's definitely want to see his children benefit from it. Something along those lines.

panopticnic wrote:
They retired his characters. It wouldn't be much of a retirement if they included them in the game.

Not really. Like I said, they had no problem releasing voiced toys of Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz, and that was several years AFTER his death.

ephphoneapps wrote:
Any true fan of Hartman would want the characters to remain retired since they were done so out of respect for him. I'm not so selfish to think that TSTO should put them in simply because I want them to.

Again, not entirely true. In terms of the show, yes, but merchandise? They broke that rule at least in regards to the World of Springfield figures.

lyle_catcliffe wrote:

ephphoneapps wrote:
Any true fan of Hartman would want the characters to remain retired since they were done so out of respect for him. I'm not so selfish to think that TSTO should put them in simply because I want them to.

May I introduce you to this, then:

http://www.ioffer.com/img/item/356/763/91/TROYMCCLURE1.jpg

Released in 2002. Four years after Phil's untimely death.

Thank you. There was also a Lionel Hutz figure as part of that line.

ebenbane wrote:

ephphoneapps wrote:
Any true fan of Hartman would want the characters to remain retired since they were done so out of respect for him. I'm not so selfish to think that TSTO should put them in simply because I want them to.

that is silly. I think it would honor him to showcase his beloved character's. I think shutting his characters away is akin to sweeping his work under the carpet and pretending that he did not exist. His life and work should be celebrated, not hidden.

That's my reasoning as well.

Deadshot_DCU wrote:

lyle_catcliffe wrote:

ephphoneapps wrote:
Any true fan of Hartman would want the characters to remain retired since they were done so out of respect for him. I'm not so selfish to think that TSTO should put them in simply because I want them to.

May I introduce you to this, then:

http://www.ioffer.com/img/item/356/763/91/TROYMCCLURE1.jpg

Released in 2002. Four years after Phil's untimely death.

They also have a Lionel Hutz one & they are also both voiced.

http://www.ioffer.com/img/item/356/762/51/LIONELHUTZ1.jpg

I also want to add my two cents to all the people claiming that the Phil Hartman characters will never be in the game. 1st of all, where is your proof to back up these statements? Do you guys work at EA, or at Gracie Films? Or do you have inside knowledge or family/friends that are developers for the game?

Second of all, just because they are retired from the show does not mean that they won't appear in any other media. The pictures above are action figures that were produced by Playmates in their "World of Springfield" line. Both characters were voiced in Phil Hartman's voice & said plenty of lines. Like Lyle already mentioned, Both figures were made years after Hartman's death. Also the characters have appeared in comics & as background characters in episodes after Hartman's death.

Third of all, the Monorail has been rumored to appear in Tapped Out & in sure it will bring Lyle Lanley with it. Who is one of Hartman's characters
& not to mention a fan favorite.

If Playmates had no problem securing rights with Gracie Films & Hartman's estate. Then surely EA, who has a much better relationship with Gracie Films will have no problems getting the Hartman characters in Tapped Out. I'm sure they'll be un-voiced. But none of us will care just as long as we get them period. Plus there's the dialogue, which is good enough for us.

Yup. While I'd prefer they use Phil's voice, I'd be perfectly happy with just the characters. Either way it's a great representation of the talent Hartman brought to his work, in this instance two fan favorite, hilarious, memorable characters.

It makes sense to retire them from the show outside of cameos, since no one else should voice those characters. But merchandise (ideally that sees proceeds going towards his children) is a win-win, the fans get what they want and it benefits his two kids financially. I think that's something Phil would support.

chrisgyo wrote:
it's pretty obvious that the dolls were in production prior to Hartman's death

No, they weren't. He died in 1998, the Lionel and Troy figures came out in mid-2002. I've never heard of a four year turn around on a toy line. Furthermore, if they were holding to the approach of retiring those characters in all respects (not only on the show), they easily could've cancelled them, yet they didn't.

Please, know what you're talking about before responding and making ridiculous claims like you just did.

efin98 wrote:

chrisgyo wrote:
it's pretty obvious that the dolls were in production prior to Hartman's death

They were released starting in 1999, so it was after his death but may have been in the works prior to it...

The toy line started in very late 1999 (December I think), but the celebrity characters didn't start until mid 2002, and Hartman's characters (Troy and Lionel) came out in May and July of 2002, over four years after he died.

lynnmckenz82 wrote:

perkilusen wrote:
Maybe a stupid question, did Marcia Wallace pass away after Edna was released on Tapped Out?

I'm pretty sure she did.

Personally, I think that releasing Hartman's characters would indeed be a way of honoring and remembering him, especially since so much time has passed since the tragedy. Should we quit playing John Lennon songs and films because of what happened to him? Forget it. Remember the man and the talent by honoring it.

If they're not voiced, I'd still like to have them. Voiced would be awesome.

Very well said, and I completely agree.