Billy West on Futurama, Voice Acting, Comic Cons & His New Memoir

Mad Props with Chris Schnabel

06/29/26

•

61m

About

Comments

Featured In

Welcome to Mad Props! Host Chris Schnabel sits down with legendary voice actor Billy West for an unforgettable conversation about one of the greatest careers in animation history.

Known as the voices behind Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, Stimpy, Doug Funnie, Red M&M, Buzz the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee, Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, Elmer Fudd, and countless other iconic characters, Billy shares the incredible stories behind his legendary career.

Topics include:

• The origins of Futurama and creating Fry
• Doug, Ren & Stimpy, and Nickelodeon history
• How Professor Farnsworth and Dr. Zoidberg were created
• Becoming the Red M&M and Honey Nut Cheerios Bee
• Radio, Howard Stern, and the early days of broadcasting
• Classic animation and growing up on Popeye and Looney Tunes
• The future of voice acting and animation
• Childhood trauma, neurodivergence, and finding creativity through adversity

Whether you're a fan of Futurama, Ren & Stimpy, Doug, Space Jam, Looney Tunes, classic animation, or simply love hearing the stories behind iconic careers, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Join the Discord
https://discord.gg/dYhnmwQANb

Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Crosstown Nine sports hot takes
23:19 - Billy West joins the podcast
23:53 - From Boston radio to voice acting
26:08 - Landing Doug and Ren & Stimpy
29:34 - Becoming the Red M&M and Honey Nut Cheerios Bee
30:57 - Creating Fry and joining Futurama
34:04 - The origins of Professor Farnsworth and Dr. Zoidberg
36:10 - Futurama’s cancellations, revival, and working with Matt Groening
38:33 - Classic cartoons, conventions, and meeting fans
49:20 - The future of voice acting, Vice Versa, and Billy’s life story

Previous Episode

Live from Comicpalooza!

June 22

•

22m

Welcome to Mad Props. Host Chris Schnabel takes the stage at Comicpalooza for his first-ever live panel, The Art of the Interview.

Join the Discord - https://discord.gg/dYhnmwQANb

Recorded live at Comicpalooza in Houston, Texas, Chris pulls back the curtain on how Mad Props grew from a small podcast recorded over Zoom during the pandemic into a show with over 16,000 YouTube subscribers and conversations with legendary voice actors, creators, musicians, athletes, and entertainers.

This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at the philosophy that built Mad Props: moving beyond traditional question-and-answer interviews and creating genuine conversations by discovering what guests are passionate about outside of what they are known for.

The conversation explores:

• The origins of Mad Props and the transition from Offstage
• Why traditional interviews often miss the most interesting stories
• Avoiding being starstruck during interviews
• Podcast equipment and starting with what you have
• The importance of consistency and long-term growth
• Stories behind guests like Rob Paulsen, Carlos Alazraqui, and H. Jon Benjamin
• Dream guests and never being afraid to hear "no"

Follow Mad Props

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madpropspod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@madpropspod

X: https://www.x.com/madpropspod

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madpropspod

Follow Chris Schnabel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisschnabel

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chris.schnabel

YouTube: @Chris.Schnabel

Video shot by Will Cornell

Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

Chapters

00:17 – Welcome to The Art of the Interview Panel & The Story Behind Mad Props
02:04 – How a Spider-Man Conversation with Julius Thomas Changed the Podcast
04:01 – Why Mad Props Focuses on Conversations Instead of Q&A
05:39 – How Chris Researches Guests & Finds Unique Stories
07:10 – How to Get Celebrity Guests & The Biggest Mistakes Creators Make
09:14 – Finding Contact Information & Convention Etiquette
11:04 – Interviewing Guests You Know Nothing About
13:02 – Starting Mad Props During COVID & The Importance of Consistency
15:12 – Audience Q&A: Podcast Equipment & Starting Without Perfection
17:43 – Audience Q&A: How to Avoid Being Starstruck During Interviews
20:08 – Dream Guests, Upcoming Episodes & Final Thoughts

Next Episode

Beserat Debebe on Ethiopian Mythology, Comics & Storytelling

July 6

•

45m

Welcome to Mad Props. Host Chris Schnabel sits down with comic creator Beserat Debebe, founder of Ethan Comics, to discuss creating original superheroes inspired by Ethiopian mythology, publishing independent comics, preserving African history through storytelling, and bringing new voices into the comic book industry.

Before the main interview, Chris is joined by Josh Allen, founder of Montana Dog Food Co., to discuss premium freeze-dried dog food, canine nutrition, and why healthier ingredients can make a difference for your pets.

Beserat shares the story behind Ethan Comics, how a personal challenge inspired him to begin creating comics, and why he believes African mythology deserves a larger place alongside Marvel, DC, manga, and other global storytelling traditions.

The conversation explores:

• Building Ethan Comics from the ground up
• Creating Jember, an Ethiopian superhero
• Ethiopian mythology and African folklore
• Independent comic book publishing
• The importance of diverse storytelling
• Marvel, DC Comics and independent comics
• Comic conventions and connecting with readers

Join the Discord
https://discord.gg/dYhnmwQANb

Follow Beserat Debebe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/besrattt/
Website: https://etancomics.com/black-history-ethiopia-a-bond-of-resilience/?srsltid=AfmBOopqXqa-mJhYDlAiWpimliCbGH0RbntbRDBKT_Xop85Rqs0ZWfOX

Follow Montana Dog Food Co.
https://montanadogfoodco.com/

Follow Mad Props
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madpropspod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@madpropspod
X: https://www.x.com/madpropspod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madpropspod

Follow Chris Schnabel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisschnabel
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chris.schnabel

Videography by William Cornell

Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Mad Props
00:23 Josh Allen joins the show
00:55 The story behind Montana Dog Food Co.
16:14 Why pet owners can trust Montana Dog Food Co.
17:19 Beserat Debebe joins Mad Props
18:00 Creating Ethiopian superheroes
20:00 The origins of Jember
22:00 Jember's powers and superhero philosophy
23:30 Building an African comic universe
26:58 Growing Ethan Comics
30:30 Marvel, DC & independent comics
34:28 Comic conventions and connecting with readers
43:06 Where to find Ethan Comics
44:52 Final thoughts