WALLY REMEMBERS KEVIN CONROY (1955-2022)

Two days ago I was browsing around on eBay and happened across a beautiful, cast-signed “Arkham Asylum” video game poster. I saw Kevin Conroy’s signature at the top and immediately wondered how he was doing. Very strange timing.

Back in 1992 I was working at 94.7 The Wave in Hollywood. The studios were on the 5th floor of the old Metromedia Square building at Sunset and Wilcox, and right above us on the 6th floor were the offices of Fox Kids. They had just started airing a terrific new show called “Batman: The Animated Series.”

At that time I had developed an interest in becoming a Voice Actor, and had signed with an agency in West L.A. called “The Charles Stern Agency.” Their head agent Kristene told me about how she had just gotten one of her actors cast as the new voice of Batman.

The Wave was about to stage a 24 hour AIDS Radiothon to benefit the AMFAR organization, and they were soliciting packages of items that could be auctioned on the air for the cause. I went upstairs to Fox Kids and got them to donate a bunch of “Batman: TAS” promo stuff, and through Kristene I got in contact with Kevin to ask him to sign some stuff.

Not only did he agree to sign items for the charity auction, he agreed to cut custom “answering machine” messages (no voicemail back in those days, kids) for those who made a donation to AMFAR. And I was elated to be able to write these, and be the studio engineer to record these.

Kevin and I started up an acquaintance after that, and when I was doing a live kid’s show on the Queen Mary for underprivileged and handicapped kids, he wholeheartedly agreed to appear to talk to the kids.

I had been on stage all evening doing the show, and when I was told that Kevin had arrived I introduced him to the kids as the voice of Batman. Dressed all in black, he took the stage wearing a black rubber Batman cowl! I was shocked! I could tell he loved surprising me like that! What an entrance!

The major thing I observed about Kevin back then was how much he also physically resembled Bruce Wayne. Square jaw, tall, the hair, the voice – he had the whole package. It’s a shame nobody ever put him in a real costume and did a photo shoot.

I left the station in 1993 and had lost contact with him in the midst of chaotically trying to find employment. But when I was cast as the Riddler for the first “Arkham Asylum” video game I figured our paths would cross at some point and we could reconnect and muse about the odd workings of fate.

But sadly, in non-motion capture video game sessions, you never get to work with any other actor. I really wanted to have a laugh with Kevin about how he and his future Riddler were hanging out together back in the early 90s and never even knew it!

I would see him at conventions occasionally, but his line was so long and he was so engaged with the fans that I didn’t want to bother him. I always figured I’d have the opportunity to catch up with him at some point. But sadly it never happened.

After Adam West, Kevin was my favorite Batman. The Voice Acting community, the charitable community, and the Batman community are all a bit worse off today for his loss. It was a thrill and an honor to be able to share the “virtual” Voice Acting stage with him in the video games as his Riddler.

R.I.P. Kevin Conroy – may your joyous, charitable soul find eternal peace!

With my hand-written script on the music stand, Kevin must’ve recorded about 30 custom answering machine messages as Batman for donors to our Radiothon.