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Pokémon fans received some bad news this morning, as it was revealed that the modern voice of Team Rocket's James and Meowth, James Carter Cathcart, has passed away. The voice actor's death was reported on Instagram by fellow voice actor Erica Schroeder.

James Carter Cathcart took over the roles of James, Meowth, Professor Oak, and Gary Oak, among others, when the Pokémon voice actors were recast in 2006, during the Ruby and Sapphire era. He provided the voice for these characters and more from that point to the end of Ash's journey, playing the characters for nearly 17 years.

The Voice of James and Meowth Has Passed Away James Carter Cathcart Passed Away from Throat Cancer

The news was broken on Instagram this morning by Erica Schroeder, revealing that Cathcart had passed away at age 71 on July 8, 2025. According to TMZ, Cathcart's cause of death was throat cancer, which he had battled...

Prior to the mid-late 2000s, anime as a concept was something many fans in English-speaking countries was not aware of. Even for those who did understand that certain shows they were watching – like Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon – were from Japan, they weren't always aware of just how many series they enjoyed were actually anime. The confusion certainly wasn't helped by the popularization of Western animated series adopting the style of anime.

For many kids growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, anime like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon just seemed to be uniquely styled animated series. Today, there's no secret about what they are, and almost everyone knows what anime is, but several localization companies of the era, including 4Kids Entertainment, worked hard to hide the truth. These series are all nostalgic favorites for countless fans, and they're worth re-visiting with a fresh perspective.

Pokémon Was the First Anime...

It has been confirmed that Pokemon voice actor Rachael Lillis has passed away. She was well-known for voicing Misty and Jessie in the popular animated show. A fellow Pokemon castmate shared the news. She was only 46.

Beloved Pokemon Voice Actor Passes Away After Battle With Cancer

Rachael died on Saturday, August 10 after battling cancer. Veronica Taylor, who provided the voice for Ash Ketchum, shared the news on Monday via social media.

Veronica wrote on X, “Rachael was an extraordinary talent, a bright light that shone through her voice whether speaking or singing,” Taylor wrote. “She will be forever remembered for the many animated roles she played, with her iconic performances as Pokemon’s Misty and Jessie being the most beloved.”

YouTube/The Official Pokemon YouTube Channel

The Pokemon voice actor was first diagnosed with breast cancer in May. Veronica’s tribute mentioned the outpouring of love and support Rachael received from her fans,...

Rachael Lillis' Family Raised More Than $100K for Late Pokemon Star's Cancer Treatment - Main Image

Following the untimely passing of one of the most beloved video game and animated voice actresses out there, Rachael Lillis' GoFundMe was able to raise over $100K for the late star.

Lillis is most notably known for her role in the Pokémon franchise since 1999, where she voiced iconic characters, including the likes of Misty, Jigglypuff, and Team Rocket's very own Jessie. Here's the gut-wrenching story of their fundraising journey since her cancer diagnosis in May 2024.

Pokemon Star's GoFundMe Raised $100K in Voice Actress' Name

On Saturday evening, August 10, 2024, Rachael Lillis' Pokémon co-star Veronica Taylor (voiced the main character Ash Ketchum in the English dub) announced Lillis' death on social media "with a heavy heart."

The 55-year-old voice actress was reported to have been battling breast cancer since she was first diagnosed in May.

Rachael Lillis' sister,...

Ash's iconic quotes showcase his unwavering determination and belief in never giving up, inspiring fans worldwide. Meowth's message of accepting oneself and finding true happiness resonates deeply with viewers of all ages. Mewtwo's powerful lesson on how one's actions define their identity transcends the boundaries of the Pokmon world and offers universal wisdom.

Throughout the more than two decades that the Pokmon franchise has been a part of anime fans lives, many amazing and intriguing characters have been introduced. Each has their personality, life experiences, and wisdom to share with the audience, traits often conveyed through iconic quips and phrases.

While the Pokmon franchise has no shortage of profound, hilarious, or beloved quotes, few are considered the best by fans. The greatest lines found in the franchise are loved by fans due to how inspiring or recognizable they can be. Here are some of the most iconic quotes found in the Pokmon anime series.

Maddie Blaustein was one of the most influential and productive transgender voice-actors of the 90s and 2000s before her tragic passing in 2008. Before transitioning to voice acting, she worked in the comic industry as an editor and writer for several companies, including Marvel, DC, and Milestone Comics. Among her creations during this time was Deathwish, which featured a transgender main character.

The very first actress to play the fan-favorite Pokémon Meowth was actually inspired to begin her transition by an episode of the show. While Pikachu may be the most recognizable face for Pokémon fans, Meowth is arguably a close second as Jessie and James' sidekick in Team Rocket. Meowth's ability to talk also gives fans a Pokémon with more depth. Meowth was originally played by Nathan Price for the first 30 episodes of Pokémon's official English dub before being succeeded by voice actress Maddie Blaustein.

Maddie Blaustein was a Trans woman who made the childhood of countless fans with her performance as Meowth. After succeeding Nathan Price in the role of the talkative feline, she went on to voice Meowth for eight whole seasons. This would also include the Pokémon movies that released during this time, such as Pokémon the First Movie where Meowth says one of the most poignant quotes in the show's history.

Last week DC Comics and Idw announced will join together to publish a 144 page graphic novel titled Love Is Love to raise money for Equality Florida to help the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fl on June 12th. This groundbreaking venture between two comic book publishers and a nonprofit was organized by writer Marc Andreyko and will be retailing for $9.99.

Let’s let that one sink in. This is an important moment in comics history. Of all the causes over the years that comics have tried to benefit, this is the first time that mainstream comics publishers have stepped up to benefit members of the Lgbt community in need. This is also the second time an anthology has come out to benefit victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting as Margins Publishing put out two issues of a digital zine titled Our Hearts Still Beat where 100% of the...

Last week I interviewed Rachel Pollack in this space. In my introduction I mentioned that only two trans women have written for DC before. That’s somewhat true, and somewhat not true. It would be true to say that only one trans woman had written for DC, and it would also be true to say that number is three. Rachel Pollack is the only one who has written for DC proper. The late Maddie Blaustein wrote for Milestone Comics, for which DC had (and has) the publishing and distribution rights. Rachel had created a trans character for comics. Today, I’d like to talk about Caitlin R. Kiernan.

In 1996, prior to becoming an accomplished and award-winning author, Caitlin R. Kiernan was an award-nominated author of short stories shopping around a novel. She was fronting a band called Death’s Little Sister, in reference to the character Delirium from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.

I find Guillermo del Toro an incredibly imaginative visualist and energetic storyteller but his movies tend to be overly stuffed with too many elements to crowd the story (Hellboy II) or too many visual and nowhere near enough story (Pacific Rim). I found the latter film incredibly showy, loud, and disappointingly predictable and dull. The worldbuilding is nearly nonexistent, the characters half-baked, and the Kaiju underwhelming.

Back in my Weekly World News days, Addie Blaustein would create a Kaiju and I’d be challenged to write a piece about whatever she conjured up so I know a little something about the Japanese genre and its history. The creatures del Toro and his effects team offer up are large, loud, and messy. But they lack differentiation. Oddly, the Toho monsters had character and a different approach to their attacks. The Kaiju, levels 1-5 here, emerge from the water, attack a city and roar a lot.

Maddie Blaustein, known to a generation as the voice of Pokémon’s nemesis Meowth, passed away at age 48. Aaron McQuade said she died in her sleep after a brief, undisclosed illness.

Born Adam Blaustein, she broke into the comics field as Jim Owsley’s editorial assistant at Marvel Comics in the 1980s before leaving to go freelance. Blaustein went on to write several issues of Milestone’s Static before joining DC Comics as a production artist/photographer.

Blaustein, a transgender individual, evolved into Madeleine while building up an impressive voice over resume for English-language anime adaptations including Solomon Moto on Yu-Gi-Oh, commercials and radio. She was also a very active participant at Second Life.

After leaving DC Comics in 2006, Blaustein joined Weekly World News as its visual artist, creating the elaborate photos to accompany its stories. We worked alongside one another at the company and she loved the challenge the stories posed her.