News

With another week ending, the Bam Smack Pow team is here once again to share the biggest anime news of the past week. The week that was brings some noteworthy theatrical debuts, along with confirmation of new entries coming for long-running series.

Unfortunately, we have some sad news for anime and video fans to begin with.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure on Netflix Voice actor Dave Mallow dies, aged 76

As reported by Anime News Network, veteran voice actor Dorothy Elias-Fahn has shared that prolific fellow voice actor Dave Mallow has died. He was 76. Mallow will be well-known to fans of anime and video games of the 1990s and early 2000s. Over the course of a decades-long career, Mallow voiced roles in many well-known series across English dubbed anime, video games and, in particular, was a recurring voice in various iterations of Power Rangers over the years.

Before his retirement in 2019, Mallow's voice...

Dave Mallow, well-known for his acting work for the Digimon anime and Power Rangers television series, passed away this week at age 76 while in hospice care in Altadena, California.

TMZ reported that on March 12, Mallow, veteran anime and live-action voice actor, passed away the day prior at the age of 76 following a long-term decline in his health. Per a direct source, he died while in hospice care at the MonteCedro Senior Living Community in Altadena. Mallow is known for voicing numerous iconic anime characters, including the first Bleach anime's Kaien Shiba and Kensei Muguruma, Gotoh in Hunter x Hunter, Amarao in the first Flcl anime, Straizo in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Oolong in Dragon Ball (Harmony Gold dub). He also lent his voice to the intro for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, along with many of the series' characters.

Mallow is survived by his older sister, Marilyn, and remembered by his many colleagues,...

Dave Mallow has sadly passed away.

The voice actor, best known as the voice of Baboo in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, passed on Tuesday (March 11) in Altadena, Calif.

TMZ reports that a source with direct knowledge confirmed he was in hospice care, and was staying at MonteCedro Senior Living Community.

Keep reading to find out more…

A former colleague told the outlet Dave‘s health had been declining in recent years, and while upsetting, the news of his passing did not come as a complete surprise.

In addition to Power Rangers, Dave voiced Digimon characters in the English dub, and wrote and directed many anime projects, as well as providing his voice for popular video games like World of Warcraft: Legion, Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition, and Diablo III.

He is survived by his older sister, Marilyn, who also resides at MonteCedro. Our thoughts are with Dave Mallow‘s loved...

Over time, the Bleach manga/anime franchise introduced somes truly memorable villains and monsters, with the powerful members of the Espadas being the best example. They were the top 10 most powerful Arrancars of all, serving loyally under Sosuke Aizen to fight the Gotei 13 and pray for salvation that would never come. What's interesting is that while Aizen meant to officially rank the Espadas from 1-10 according to power, the numbers don't tell the whole story.

While Aizen seemed satisfied that he ranked the Espadas in correct order in their sealed forms, the Espadas' released forms reshuffled the power rankings a bit, meaning Espada #10 was not the weakest of them after all. In sealed form, Yammy Llargo was certainly the least dangerous of the Espadas as a brute-force fighter, but when all hidden powers and abilities are taken into account, it's #9, Aaroniero Arruruerie, who's at the bottom of the power rankings.

The Visual Effects Society has announced the nominations for the 13th Annual Ves awards "the prestigious yearly celebration that recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in film, animation, television, commercials and video games and the VFX supervisors, VFX producers and hands-on-the-keys artists who bring this work to life."

Ves members selected the nominees and Laika's "The Boxtrolls," Disney's "Big Hero 6," and Fox's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" topped the nominations receiving 5 nods each.

The Visual Effects Society (Ves) is a global professional honorary society and the entertainment industry's only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners including artists, technologists, model makers, educators, studio executives, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers. Ves. almost 3,000 members in 33 countries worldwide contribute to all areas of entertainment . film, television, commercials, animation, music videos, games and new media. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Ves has member Sections in Australia, Bay Area (CA), London,...

The Visual Effects Society has announced the nominees for its 13th Annual Ves Awards, which recognize outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in film, animation, television, commercials and video games. Among the nominees — Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, Guardians of the Galaxy, Interstellar, Maleficent, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies and X-Men: Days Of Future Past – for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture. The awards will be held February 4 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. See the complete list below.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Joe Letteri

Ryan Stafford

Matt Kutcher

Dan Lemmon

Hannah Blanchini

Guardians of the Galaxy

Stephane Ceretti

Susan Pickett

Jonathan Fawkner

Nicolas Aithadi

Paul Corbould

Interstellar

Paul Franklin

Kevin Elam

Ann Podlozny

Andrew Lockley

Scott Fisher

Maleficent

Carey Villegas...

Check out this new "sneak peep" of the Hop Blu-ray and DVD bonus feature "Phil’s Dance Party," voiced by Jim Cummings and David Mallow. The new mini movie shows off Phil and his enthusiastic dance moves.

Watch the mini-movie below: Hop arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/23/12. Stay tuned for my Blu-ray review soon. Here is the press release with all of the Blu-ray details:

Universal City, CA January 9, 2012 – The Easter Bunny’s hare apparent leaves his ancestral home on Easter Island to pursue pop superstardom in the hilarious comedy Hop, coming to Blu-ray™ and DVD on March 23, 2012, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Blending state-of-the-art CGI animation with live action, Hop is a non-stop, rockin’ adventure packed with humor and hijinks as rebellious young rabbit E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand), strikes up an unlikely friendship with Los Angeles underachiever Fred (James Marsden) en route to becoming a rock star drummer.