As many of you already know, Kyle Hebert, who played the narrator/Gohan in DragonBall Z, Kiba in Naruto, and Sōsuke Aizen and Ganju Shiba in Bleach, was invited to a chat session with the members of theOtaku.
It was a wonderful success with over seventy three people in attendance. However for those of you who were unable to make it to the chat we saved it so you wouldn't miss out on the fun. 
Adam: welcome!
Adam: now I'm going to start things off
This room is moderated by Adam. All messages are forwarded to the moderator for review.
Kyle Hebert: (adjusts mic, hears feedback)..........is this thing on? (tap tap)
Kyle Hebert: So I guess this is the inaugural Otaku.com chat. Great to see so many people here! :)
Kyle Hebert: I'm truly honored and flattered, you guys
Adam: Welcome Kyle, for everyone just entering, the chat event has officially started and we are joined by the famous Kyle Hebert, of DragonBall, Bleach, Naruto, etc., etc. fame
Kyle Hebert: Thanks to Adam and his crew for organizing this and managing all the chaos!
Adam: to keep things simple, to ask kyle a question type QUESTION: ________
Adam: and to say a comment
Kyle Hebert: Yeah, i realize the room is muted so the chaos can be controlled........yay for that :)
Adam: simply just type COMMENT: ______
Adam: but type it all in one paragraph
Adam: don't type lots of short paragraphs
zapexme: Question: I have a qustion in your normal life do you have another job or is that the only job you have?
Kyle Hebert: For the first 5 years of my anime voice acting, my full time job was actually in radio.
Kyle Hebert: I then moved to Los Angeles, while doing audio production on the side and trying to transition into voice acting full time
Kyle Hebert: this year i'm proud to say i've been able to do it. its a long hard road, guys, and not easy.......but worth it for those with a thick skin and patience
Adam: also when you want to move on to the next question kyle just type "next"
Kyle Hebert: thanks, adam. hope i can remember it. i'm kinda senile lol
Kyle Hebert: but yes, most voice actors NEED real jobs to stay afloat.
Kyle Hebert: anime pays reaaaaaaaally low. sadly. especially given the difficulty involved in matching lip sync, and the sheer popularity
Kyle Hebert: many voice actors have multiple jobs. many write the scripts for the dubs, others direct, some even work at Starbucks
Kyle Hebert: next
icefoxchan: Comment:You make the perfect voice actor for Kiba! Kyle, you rock.... *bows down before Kyle*
Kyle Hebert: thanks a ton, icefoxchan! i always have a blast voicing kiba. i'm always thrilled to see what a following he has, especially given he's not a major character
Squee-Neji: Question: Kyle, I’d like to thank you sincerely for coming to TheOtaku to answer our questions. Now for my question: Which character did you enjoy voicing the most and why?
Kyle Hebert: i know voicewise, he's pretty much teen gohan.....but his character and attitude are different.
Adam: oops i should've waited for the next
Adam: :)
Kyle Hebert: no prob!
Kyle Hebert: well, squee-neji, roles are like children.....ya can't really pick faves. i'm genuinely just thrilled to do what I love for a living
Kyle Hebert: but some fave roles do include kiba, gohan, ganju and aizen on bleach, and most recently, kamina on gurren lagann (watch on Sci Fi Channel on Monday night, plug plug)
Kyle Hebert: nnnnnnnext ? ;)
Kyle Hebert: wow, 65 peeps in here.
waywardwarrior: Question: When preparing for a session, do you generally have any odd preparations? Such as making odd sounds or doing other vocal/facial warm-ups?
Kyle Hebert: i feel like a rockstar all of a sudden. lol
Kyle Hebert: i actually am quite lazy. i don't do any vocal warmups. i do the WORST thing before a session.....drink soda and eat.
Kyle Hebert: soda, especially anything with milk in it, causes a TON of mouth noise, and those mics in the booth pick up EVERYTHING......even your food digesting
Kyle Hebert: but studios provide bottled water, and even green apples. the acidity level in green (not red, go fig) apples gets rid of mouth noise actually
Kyle Hebert: not to mention, it keeps the doctor away, hyuk hyuk
Kyle Hebert: i've heard other actors say they'll sing scales and stuff in the car on the way to the session
Kyle Hebert: i just crank up CDs or listen to talk radio
Kyle Hebert: or make calls. i just got the new iphone 3g, and LOOOOOOOVE it. heheheh
Kyle Hebert: nnnnnnnext? :)
AsagiTaichou: Question: Since you play for the good AND bad sides on Bleach, do you ever feel like you're betraying one?
Kyle Hebert: interesting quesetion, asagitaichou!
Kyle Hebert: in the case of bleach, i play a big goofy guy on the good side, and a cold, calculating evil dude. the polar opposite nature of it keeps me excited honestly
Kyle Hebert: i have a wide range of voices in my head, and any chance i have to exploit that......bring it on hahaha
Kyle Hebert: i know that for many actors, including myself, playing evil is soooooooo much fun. mainly because its the furthest thing from what we are as people
Kyle Hebert: besides........evil is just sexy. :)
Kyle Hebert: i love how aizen looks like clark kent with the glasses, then without.....he is more like Superman
Kyle Hebert: next :)
Adam: i'd like to implement a new policy
Adam: please save all questions or comments until kyle says 'next'
Adam: k, moving on...
Kyle Hebert: hahaha
AsagiTaichou: Comment: My mom said he looked like Clark Kent too
Kyle Hebert: ya got a well behaved room here :)
VinnieToadZwar: Question: Why exactly did you start voice acting?
Kyle Hebert: vinnie, i always wanted to voice cartoons ever since i was a kid.
Kyle Hebert: that is still my goal. i haven't done any cartoon stuff yet, just games and anime, which is TREMENDOUSLY FUN
Kyle Hebert: but the spark for the idea to become a voice actor came from learning that ONE guy, Mel Blanc, voiced all the Looney Tunes characters
Kyle Hebert: after my dad told me that, i decided that was the job i wanted.
Kyle Hebert: hey adam, people are sending me private messages, i assume. they are yellow colored?
Adam: haha just ignore them for now :)
Adam: if you want to mingle afterward
Adam: that'd be the time
Kyle Hebert: ok, yeah guys, ask for the whole room to hear :).
Kyle Hebert: aaaaaaaaand next
7thEvaChild: Question: which of your characters is your favorite and which is your personal favorite anime?
Kyle Hebert: heyah 7th eva child.......i actually answered that a bit earlier, feel free to scroll up lol
Kyle Hebert: don't have any one fave anime. too many to name, but the list definitely includes cowboy bebop, hellsing, fma, dbz
Kyle Hebert: evangelion, escaflowne, star blazers, battle of the planets, robotech, vampire hunter d
Kyle Hebert: but fave roles.......i'm just happy to be working in a field i love.
Kyle Hebert: every role, big or small, brings a creative and fun challenge for me
Kyle Hebert: next?
Aceburner: Question: I've recently heard some... Disappointing news about Viz's dub of Bleach. Is there any truth to these rumors? If so how do you feel about the possible ending of a series you are such a big part of?
Kyle Hebert: i actually haven't heard anything official, but those rumors have made their way to my ears
Kyle Hebert: and if it is true......then that is really, really sad
Kyle Hebert: i had heard the ratings were pretty bad, but hopefully a groundswell of fan support (meaning BUY THE DVDS) will keep it rolling
ing masta4439: Question: If you had never gotten in to voice acting what would you have done?
Kyle Hebert: if i hadn't gotten into voice acting, i'd be TRYING to get into voice acting ;)
Adam: (oops i thought i saw a next there...at your convenience!)
Kyle Hebert: i'm a big movie buff.....maybe something in the movie world.......on camera, behind the camera
Kyle Hebert: i play drums too.......i'd love to be a rock drummer, but no discipline/patience for all the ego clashing heh
Kyle Hebert: radio was my other passion besides voice acting, and i got radio pretty much out of my system, having done it for over a decade
Kyle Hebert: next?
Kiba Rulz: Question: Are you gonna be at any anime conventions in Michigan any time soon?????
Kyle Hebert: i've never been to michigan....nor was i aware of any cons there actually
Kyle Hebert: the thing with cons.......they have to do the inviting. so if you guys ever want to see me as a guest at your local con, email them and request me (and list others you wanna see too)........maybe they will get in touch and make it happen
Kyle Hebert: but no spam. cons haaaate that and they'll definitely not invite if there's any air of conspiracy lol
Kyle Hebert: "Kyle told us to tell you to invite him cuz he wants to go".........BAD IDEA lol
Kyle Hebert: so my recommendation, think about a list of guests you'd like to see, and drop a short, polite email to the con
Kyle Hebert: make sure to do it about 6 months in advance
Kyle Hebert: next
Adam: I'm keeping tabs on who gets a question/comment published so that everyone who asks gets a chance, just keep trying everytime he says next)
Adam: copy-paste
mewmewpudding: Question: Have you ever had anyone come up to you on the street and say "Hey, you're the guy who voices _____!" before? Or ever have any encounters where people approach you randomly in public?
Kyle Hebert: the only time someone recognized me was at a gamestop when i paid by credit card. the clerk happened to be a DBZ fan
Kyle Hebert: but voice actors tend to enjoy anonymity......except maybe at cons, since our headshots are in the program, and more people tend to point us out, which is fine with me. i LOVE hanging/mingling with you guys
Kyle Hebert: when i got in line for HALO 3 at best buy for the midnight sale, someone recognized me from hosting the masquerade at Anime Expo. that was kinda funny
Kyle Hebert: next
Adam: just a quick one because a lot are asking this, is it fair to say your favorite character is kiba?
Kyle Hebert: kiba is ONE of my fave characters. i tend to go with the most recent work. another fave is kamina on gurren lagann :)
Kyle Hebert: gohan will always be the most special......he was my first big role on a show i was a fan of for five years previous
Kyle Hebert: next :)
FUNimation: Question: What advice do you give to people who also want to be voice actors?
Adam: (FUNimation is just a member, he doesn't work for FUNimation)
Kyle Hebert: advice for future voice actors: GET ACTING EXPERIENCE. :)
Kyle Hebert: being a fan is not enough. doing impressions of your favorite character won't cut it.
Kyle Hebert: get involved in your school plays, take acting classes, live where the work is
Kyle Hebert: if you really wanna make money in voiceover, anime isn't the type of work to pursue.
Kyle Hebert: commercials and video games pay waaaaaay more
Kyle Hebert: despite anime voice acting being , technically, the hardest type there is
Kyle Hebert: so consider moving to LA or New York for voice work, but don't just limit yourself by saying "I wanna be an anime voice actor". trust me, you will not survive
Kyle Hebert: the wait list for auditions tends to be quite long, and you'll need a backup plan AKA A REAL JOB to pay the bills. meanwhile, the audition may or may not lead somewhere. it takes years to progress. and ya need patience, and a thick skin
Adam left the room. (Logged out)
This room is no longer being moderated.
Adam joined the room.
ing masta4439: Question: have you ever had a rivalry with a fellow voice actor? uh oh adams gone
bloody madi: haha
Kyle Hebert: HAHAHAHAH, too funny. we had no mod for 2 seconds ;)
This room is moderated by Adam. All messages are forwarded to the moderator for review.
Adam: sorry about that
Adam: proceed :)
Kyle Hebert: scary, adam lol
Kyle Hebert: i'm not the competitive type. voiceover peeps are very supportive of each other
Kyle Hebert: i don't have rivalries. i believe there is enough work for everybody. each actor has their strenghs.
Kyle Hebert: i'm human so sure, i can be envious of someone's success......but that's normal. i just keep telling myself "it'll happen for me.....eventually"
Kyle Hebert: a positive attitude makes all the difference, guys, seriously
Kyle Hebert: i've had a lot of luck within 3 years in LA, but remember, i had five years experience already, going in.
Kyle Hebert: next
Adam: new rule: I will publish one comment and one question per round
Desbreko: Question: You mentioned being at the midnight sale for Halo 3. Do you have any other favorite video games?
Kyle Hebert: i'm a big fan of Soul Calibur, Burnout Paradise, the Naruto games (especially Clash of Ninja series)
Kyle Hebert: the new PS3 Naruto game is gonna blow your socks off
Kyle Hebert: i love old school classics too.........mario, galaga, pac man
Kyle Hebert: despite RPGS being the most typical game voicework I do, i actually don't care for RPGS
Kyle Hebert: (role playing games)
Kyle Hebert: i like instant gratification games; shooting, fighting, racing, platform
Kyle Hebert: next
waywardwarrior: Comment: Been looking forward to the new Naruto and Soul Calibur one! So, yes!
NightBeck: Question: If you could steal one role from another voice actor, which role would it be?
Kyle Hebert: yeah, soul calibur 4 next tuesday everybody.......buy it on xbox, i'll play ya ;)
Kyle Hebert: i want darth vader, but he's on ps3 version........and while i do have a ps3.....most of my buddy list is on xbox
Kyle Hebert: i tend to use my ps3 for blu rays :)
Kyle Hebert: i'd love to be Alucard on Hellsing. or Vampire Hunter D.
Kyle Hebert: D doesn't talk much though, so Alucard lol
Kyle Hebert: next
tiggerola: Question: How did you feel playing Karasu from YYH when his hair turned Super Saiyan yellow? And as my fandom-ness, I hope you enjoy this little pic of Karasu~ http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/9067/karasudancevh7.gif
Kyle Hebert: karasu......my first villain role! :) i laughed in the recording booth when he literally turned super saiyan
Kyle Hebert: the director, justin cook, said "nooooo, he's not turning super saiyan". i totally disagree lol
Kyle Hebert: and karasu, dancing to disco...........AWESOME lol
Kyle Hebert: nic gif lol...next?
SomeGuy: Question: Hypothetically, who do you think would win in a fight between Chris Sabat and Johnny Yong Bosch?
Kyle Hebert: while mr sabat has a voice to give james earl jones the shakes.......mr. bosch is trained in the martial arts........so yeah, johnny wins lol
Kyle Hebert: keep them coming........next?
bwsantithesis: Question: Do you think Kiba will end up with any of the female ninjas in the future and if so who would you choose for him? i support KibaXHina myself =D
Kyle Hebert: i'm all about kiba ending up with hinata
Kyle Hebert: i see sparks there for sure
Kyle Hebert: she ACTS all gaga for naruto, but come on........she digs the doggy boy. :)
Kyle Hebert: next?
zero guardian: Question: what did it take you mentally and money wise to get into college?
Kyle Hebert: well, when i was getting out to be college age, i was wanting to go to broadcast school to get a degree in radio. my parents thought it would be better to get a college degree. they paid a huge chunk of it, and I worked a few lame part time jobs. in the end, i graduated with a 2.95........they wouldn't round up! BOOOOOOOOO lol
Kyle Hebert: the degree didn't do anything for me because my particular profession of radio......calculus, history, and foreign languages didn't help a lick
Kyle Hebert: my internship at a radio network , which i got college credit for, is what turned into a radio career........then that spiralled over into voice acting
Kyle Hebert: next
Driffter: Question: Have you ever been criticized by hardcore anime fans because you voice acted for dubbed anime?
Kyle Hebert: yeah, definitely. dub haters tend to hate for no good reason. they want to "seem" cool.
Kyle Hebert: dvd should have ended the argument dead in the water, yet hardcore otaku insist on the continued mudslinging and snobby attitudes. real shame. pick a language, watch it, enjoy the anime, and stop giving the other side grief. one is NOT better than the other, its a personal choice/preference.
Kyle Hebert: its always confuzzled me how some fans can claim the acting is 'better" in Japanese, yet they don't speak Japanese. i'd think its awfully hard to judge a performance if you can't speak the language.
Kyle Hebert: now, i prefer dubs, because i admit.....i'm lazy. i don't like reading. i can't eat and read subs at the same time. lol
shred: comment: Amen to that
Kyle Hebert: i love hearing my peer's performances, and i just genuinely prefer hearing the show in my own native language. if you prefer anime in Japanese......awesome. more power to ya!
Kyle Hebert: i've actually heard of relationships and friendships ending over something as ludicrous as "oh, you watch dubs? i can't hang with you"
Kyle Hebert: you won't hurt my feelings if you don't like performances in dubs. that's your right, that's your opinion. its a free society, relish it. :)
Kyle Hebert: next
Adam: hey kyle, will you be available after to mingle?
Kyle Hebert: for a while, sure :)
Adam: great
Katana: Question: When it's 2am and your stomach growls, what's your favorite snack?
Kyle Hebert: well.......i'm a big fan of soggy cereal lol
Kyle Hebert: i'll heat up microwave dinners.
Kyle Hebert: or sometimes i'll get motivated to hop in the car and drive thru somewhere
Kyle Hebert: i'll just get a crave for a taco or something
Kyle Hebert: i love ramen. its easy to make and tastes quite good.
Kyle Hebert: its the college diet i like to say. heheh
Sapphire24Koneko: comment: mmm... tacos and ramen ^__^
Kyle Hebert: hahah
Kyle Hebert: so more questions? nnnext?
The Mask: question: With the many anime series that you have participated, can you honestly say that you are very much familiar with what each of those anime series is all about? Like, can you say that you know what Baki the Grappler is all about the same way you know what Dragonball Z is all about? Or does your familiarity and understanding of the anime series depends on what role you play in it?
Kyle Hebert: directors will give us bullet point plot summaries at the recording session. i can say that Baki didn't interest me too much, and i haven't really seen the show.
Kyle Hebert: when a show is popular, i'm more motivated to learn more about it
Kyle Hebert: as big as naruto and bleach have been, i definitely know more about those shows than Baki lol
Kyle Hebert: but the one i'm REALLY excited about is Gurren Lagann. its has a HUGE fan buzz
Kyle Hebert: i've only seen my scenes, because that's all we see in the recording session. i'm soo psyched
Kyle Hebert: nnnnext?
Sukairaa: comment: we are honored in your presence ^-^
Kin Inu: Question: Kyle whats it like playing a character like Aizen from Bleach whom at first we all assume is a good guy and turns out to be a villan vs some one like Karasu from Yu Yu Hakusho whom we all knew the first time we saw him was a villian?
Kyle Hebert: well i knew when i was cast where his character was going so i was truly excited.
Kyle Hebert: it was a careful balance in dubbing to make sure he was calm yet mysterious so ya neeeeeeever quite knew
Kyle Hebert: so that his turn would be a true shock
Markus wolfe: I can't believe I keep getting missed...
Soul Calibur: comment: Kyle is that master
tiggerola: comment: It shocked me! I cried TOT (lol)
Kyle Hebert: what's the questions, markus.......ask away
Kyle Hebert: i don't want anybody skipped here
Markus wolfe: What's your favorite thing about being a voice actor?
Kyle Hebert: well getting to travel the country, attending conventions, meeting the fans face to face......that feedback is absolutely important to me.
Kyle Hebert: you guys make my job possible after all
Kyle Hebert: favorite game genre is shooters, fighters, and racers
HinamoriMomo24: comment: he's just a big old teddy bear
Kyle Hebert: hahahaha
Kyle Hebert: convenient when your last name is pronounced "ay bear"
dragon king: THANK YOU T_T
Kyle Hebert: i also love getting paid doing what i love. that's an important thing in life. what good does it do ya if ya make millions doing something that bores you or makes you miserable?
Kyle Hebert: and by the way, i don't make millions lol
Kyle Hebert: the guys who have been doing this for 20 years, some of them are making 6 figures a year......but that's rare.
Kyle Hebert: the thing is getting established..networking with other directors, actors, getting your name out there
Kyle Hebert: i work for a few new studios each year and luckily that's fostered great working relationships that has gotten me more work, or at the very least on the audition list
Kyle Hebert: hahaha, looks like i scared some people off
Kyle Hebert: so are we stilled moderated, adam? or this is a free for all lol
Adam: we're still moderated :)
Kyle Hebert: rockin
Kyle Hebert: ok, so keep the questions coming
Kyle Hebert: and comments too :)
Nehszriah: COMMENT: Nah, it's past their bedtimes. ^_~
MewChero: I'm about to give up, but Question: Have you ever worked with a fellow voice actor you truely admired?
Kyle Hebert: hi mew, thanks for hanging in there!
Kyle Hebert: i've worked with steve blum, who is my hero. that guy has literally launched my career since i moved to LA
Kyle Hebert: he put in a good word with various studios....and it got me workin'
Soul Calibur: comment: Kyle is the man
Kyle Hebert: wally wingert......he does renji on bleach, and a ton of Family Guy characters......he's living my dream as well. super cool guy
Kyle Hebert: crispin freeman....great admiration and respect for that guy. awesome talent and super cool too
Miss Tulip: Comment: Just wanted to say this before I leave, lol. Kyle you are awesome in a thousand ways and I love your YouTube channel!!! Thanks for being super awesome with us fans :)
Kyle Hebert: hi miss tulip, thank you a ton!!!! yeah, my youtube thingie is my video blog, KYLE TV. haven't posted anything lately, but once i get out to some more cons......you'll see some more updates.
Kyle Hebert: i do try to update my MySpace and LJ blogs on a regular basis with updates on new projects and random thoughts. so please check that out
Kyle Hebert: also, i cohost a podcast called The Big Bald Broadcast. its about news on all things geeky. its linked on my website: www.kylehebert.com!
Kyle Hebert: i chat on AIM a lot, so everyone here, please feel free to add my public screenname: kibavox
Kyle Hebert: and remember. GURREN LAGANN on Sci Fi Channel......Monday night, 11p eastern/pacific. :)
Kyle Hebert: I have a big role on the second Naruto movie (not Kiba). and someone told me its airing on Cartoon Network this weekend. anybody know for sure?
bwsantithesis: Comment: yes sat. at 7
Kyle Hebert: sweet! then i need to add that to my blog lol
Kyle Hebert: what is the naruto movie called? i don't even know the title lol
Zodiac32: Comment: I'm gonna head out as well, but thank you so much for stopping by to talk with us, Kyle. You're really a great guy and someone I admire a lot to do this for your fans! Keep on rockin'! :)
Kyle Hebert: thank ya, zodiac, and everyone who is heading off. thanks for the support, and for coming to the chat!
Adam: I think Kyle that we should go into mingle mode since a lot of people are starting to hit their bedtimes
Adam: what do you think?
Kyle Hebert: fair nuff, adam :)
Kyle Hebert: night everyone who is heading off!
Kyle Hebert: thanks for staying up late!
Kyle Hebert: well........for the east coasters
Adam: ok everyone, we are going to be entering mingle-mode soon soon, thank you all for your questions. Any further questions are 100% at kyle's whims to answer :)
Adam: 3...
Adam: 2...
Adam: 1...
Kyle Hebert: KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
This room is no longer being moderated.
And there you have it, be sure to thank Kyle Hebert for taking the time to come and chat with the members of theOtaku. 
