CRISIS Question: Voices

Over the years, I've been asked quite a few questions in regards to CRISIS: Equestria and the other stories in the setting, from which of the Mean Six is my favorite (it's Curaçao, by the way, but Havocwing fought tooth-and-nail) to why I chose chapter titles to all start with the same letters (it just sort of happened, a happy accident).

None of these questions was more common than what I felt the characters sounded like in my head, to help folks put a voice to the characters that might not otherwise be conveyed by an accent or anything like that. Now, obviously at one CRISIS: Equestria was in the process of being converted into an audio play on Youtube by Bogyle Bronies (their channel has been mostly inactive since the CRISIS: Equestria project fell through, more on that here). I worked together with their team for casting and snagged some frankly amazing VAs to fill the voices of characters, which naturally is still a sore spot because we never got to the Big Draw that was the original Mean Six. You can hear some samples here, and even though things didn't end up working out between us I still suggest you give their stuff a listen and show them some support; I see that they've been working on other stuff lately and I hope things go well for them.

But I digress.

I've been asked before what the cast sounds like in my head, and since there have been several new characters introduced in both A Royal Affair and New World Order, it seems that it's time to add to that list, hmm?

CRISIS: Equestria
Starlight Shadow - I always envisioned her voice as a mix between Twilight and Trixie, which comes across in her personality.
Curaçao - A high-class French accent, naturally, essentially the sort you'd hear in an American movie; deeper, sexier, and fancy as hell.
Grayscale Force - Like a low-energy version of Winona Ryder from Beetlejuice.
Havocwing - Female version of Bill Burr, that's all I hear.
Red Velvet - Pinkie Pie, but deeper and sexier, rather than higher-pitched and energetic.
Insipid - She's, like, totally from The Valley and junk, cha? What-ever. Gag me with a spoon! (I live in The Valley and yes, it's absolutely a real thing, but hers is super exaggerated)
Lord Silvertongue - I saw him as a sort mix between Lion King's Scar and Grand Moff Tarkin: deep, calculating, condescending. But then I saw Rebels, and now I cannot hear him as anyone other than GRAND ADMIRAL THRAWN, especially since he took a lot of inspiration from Thrawn himself.
Nihila (actually Pandemonia, as revealed by New World Order) - A dark, deep, sultry voice, sort of like a deeper version of Chrysalis.
Harmonia - A soft-spoken voice with a noble bearing, sort of like Galadriel.
Flathoof - He's Big Mac without the southern accent, but more of a standard sort of big city accent (I lean more towards New York).
Lockwood - The feel of his character was based on Gene Kelly from Singin' in the Rain, so that's pretty much how he sounds to me.
Tick Tock - Proper east-end London accent, which makes her similar to Tracer (didn't have her to compare to back in the day).
Queen Blackburn - Hard to describe; sounds deep and confident and with terse structure, yet still has some femininity. An ironic note: speaks with prose of Mordin Solus, voice sounds like Jack.
Braeburn - His character was designed by BeeAre (of Snafu and PPGD fame), who tells me he hears Owen Wilson; I'm inclined to agree, actually.
Crossfire - I only hear Aldo Raine but more pleasant; he ain't in the killin' Natzi bidness, after all.
Gadget - She sounds just like Gadget of Rescue Ranger because she is Gadget of Rescue Rangers. Golly!
Sir Zircon - Look everyone, it's THOR, GOD OF THUNDER! And he's actually doing Shakespeare in the Park!
Gilderoy - Sir Ian McKellen would voice him in my ideal world. Wise old wizard that gives characters superpowers? He is Gandalf/Magneto.
Shadowstep - Heath Ledger's Joker pretty much defined him in my mind, voice-wise.

CRISIS: A Royal Affair
Virtuoso - I mean, he's pretty much pony Don Corleone, The Godfather, so obviously I hear Marlon Brando.
Ivory Charm - Another high-class French lady, I'm looking for a higher pitch than Curaçao's, though.
King Flashfire - I can't hear anyone but Sir Patrick Stewart in my head no matter how much I try.
King Stormchaser - I gave this one a lot of thought and I just picture Walter White, and I'm not sure why.
Shining Steel - Basically Shining Armor but with a bit more class and oomph to him, not so much his "almost a surfer-dude" canon tone.
**
Worth noting, there are real alternate versions of five of the Mane Six (not genetic experiments like the Mean Six) in this story that appear throughout that sound like their real counterparts, only with slight changes in accents (though minor):
Silver Glow = Rarity with a pinch of French
Blue Blitz = Rainbow Dash 100%
Cotton Candy = Pinkie Pie with a pinch of Italian
Evening Glitz = Twilight Sparkle 100%
Featherfree = Fluttershy 100%
**

CRISIS: New World Order
Flurry Heart - Considering she has no canon adult voice, I have to picture one in my head here, and she pretty much encapsulates the Disney Princess niche, and I myself hear Ariel or Belle.
Sundial - She's pretty much Merida from Brave, no bones about it, but she's allowed to cuss and boy does she use it.
Sweet Symphony - An Italian-American, Brooklyn/Long Island accent. Think of Marisa Tomei's character from My Cousin Vinny.
Princess Bluebolt - Despite being very much not a typically Disney Princess, I still hear Anna in my head a bit.
Weaver - The almost-robotic tone reminds me of Sonny from I, Robot; straightforward and lacking any particular emotion, but not exactly monotone or cold.
Venture - I imagine an older version of Ducky from Land Before Time, actually, yep yep yep.
Pedigree - He's not even a subtle expy of Director Krennec of Rogue One. He was this close to greatness.
Silver Shine - A pretty blatant expy of Jaime Lannister, minus some of the original cockiness. At least he's not doing his sister, eh?
Dame Zarya - I hear the voice of Lady Sif in my head, oddly amusing considering her uncle is THOR, GOD OF THUNDER.
The real Nihila = Maleficent from the original Sleeping Beauty, where she was scary and evil and dangerous, not Angelina Jolie.