Paste: When Toonami originally went off air back in 2008, what were your thoughts? How did it feel to say goodbye?
Steve Blum: I had very little prior notice that it was shutting down, maybe a week or two. I think we could all feel the end coming, but [at least I] chose denial. I remember the last recording well. It physically hurt to say those words. I’m not ashamed to admit I cried in the studio. What happened a few months later was worse. I was a guest at an anime convention. Some of the fans literally cried in front of me. These sweet kids in elaborate cosplay costumes, literally mourning the death of their childhood—and all I could do was stand there in disbelief and empathy. Having recorded all those years in a padded room, over the phone, I never realized how many people Toonami touched until it was all over. I can’t tell you how many thousands of people have told me that I “raised” them. Those feelings of overwhelming responsibility and sadness and joy all at once were something I never expected from being the voice of an animated robot. It was, and still is, truly humbling.
Paste: When you returned to do voice acting for the April Fool’s re-airing of Toonami, did you know its real return was a possibility? How did it feel to slip back into the role of T.O.M., even for that short amount of time?
Blum: I had always believed it was a possibility. Elaborate Toonami tribute fansites were set up shortly after we shut down, were maintained all those years with amazing content—and drew continual heavy traffic. Every convention I attended [worldwide] drew enormous numbers of fans who were dedicated to keeping the spirit of Toonami alive. When I got the call to do the April Fool’s gig, I was ecstatic. I found out at that time that the plan was to bring it back in some capacity, but knew that funding was going to be extremely limited. I was dedicated to doing everything in my power to make April Fools great for the fans whether we could pull off a full comeback or not. Boarding the Absolution again was like coming home.
Paste: How did you originally land the role as Toonami’s host? Did you have any idea it would gain such a fan following back then?
Blum: Man, it was so long ago! Memory is not one of my super powers, so please forgive accuracy issues. As I recall, it started with a conversation with Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco—the creators of the block. I believe they were in town for Anime Expo? They tracked me down and told me they loved Cowboy Bebop and asked if I’d be interested in this show they were doing. I hadn’t watched Toonami at that point, but working in the anime community, I’d certainly heard the buzz they had created. I think we had a beer together, maybe I read some stuff for them, and they hired me. It was one of the few gigs I’ve ever landed where I didn’t go through the normal audition process. I was shocked that these crazy young geniuses wanted me to join them in the next phase of their incredible vision. Nothing like that had ever happened to me before, and I certainly had no idea it would become such an iconic generational landmark.
Paste: You sort of acted as a public face, if not voice, for Toonami’s return. Why?
Blum: Anime has been good to me. I made (and continue to make) very little money at it, but the undying, feverish loyalty of the fans of the genre has been such a life-changing influence for me, that I wanted to do everything I possibly could to help give something back to them. Anime has sent me all over the world, introducing me to people who have touched my life in indescribably profound ways. Toonami was a tremendous vehicle, delivering the art of Japanese animation to a massive audience that may have otherwise never experienced it. I feel an immense debt of gratitude to everyone involved with the show and to every fan who supported it.