Ben "hbi2k" Creighton is an online satirist best known as the creator of Berserk, Gantz, and Escaflowne Abridged. As part of TeamFourStar, he is the voice of Farmer With Shotgun, Bubbles, Nail, and Dr. Briefs. In his civilian identity, he serves the people of Tucson, AZ, USA as a mild-mannered library worker.[1]
Initial Appearance
"Protect me, gun!"
Hbi2k has the honour of voicing the very first character we see in Dragon Ball Z Abridged: the unfortunate farmer who encounters Raditz. He portrays the farmer as a gun-loving, marijuana user who is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. In his last line, he also reveals that the farmer has Republican sympathies, as he voted for Bush. This performance was so enjoyed by the fans that Hbi2k went on to voice the farmer again in an FAQ special.
Further appearances in Season One
The delightfully camp Mez
After this initial cameo, Hbi2k made his return three episodes later, voicing two characters. He first voices Mez, one of the demons that Goku encounters in hell. Mez, like his comrade Goz (voiced by Lanipator) is portrayed as extremely camp and German, with a keen interest in grappling and wrestling. This is a reference to a Saturday Night Live sketch with Mike Meyers. Mez has yet to appear in any further episodes, but he is referred to in Episodes 27 and 29. Hbi2k also voices the reporter who informs the inhabitants of Kame House that the moon has been completely destroyed.
In Episode 5, Hbi2k begins voicing his most permanent character of the series: the long-suffering Nail. He quickly establishes the character as a reluctant servant to Guru, who is hopeful that something exciting will happen, thereby saving him from his dull existence. Hbi2k also voices two side characters: Bubbles, the monkey who belongs to King Kai (this role involved the voice actor making monkey noises which were given subtitles), and Superman, who discusses the arrival of the Saiyans. He also voices Bubbles in Episode 6.
"Cadaverific"
With the creator of Beserk:Abridged starting to become one of the more consistent Voice Actors in Season One, it was no surprise when Hbi2k returned for Episodes 7 and 8, this time as TV Reporter "Mr Kent". He only has a couple of lines in both episodes, but in describing how dead Yamcha is, coins the term "cadaveriffic", which went down well amongst fans. This phrase was recently used in Episode 33. In Episode 8, Hbi2k voices another reporter who tries to explain the Pavlov reference made by Piccolo : however, his explanation is cut short by Oolong, who orders him to get back to the fight.
Finally, Hbi2k lends his voice skills once more in Episode 10 Part One, where he voices Bubbles.
Season Two: Dr Briefs and Nail
Dr Briefs
Establishing himself by voicing numerous minor characters in the first season, Hbi2k was rewarded with the role of Dr Briefs, who makes a number of appearances in Season Two. Although only given a couple of lines in the Season Two premiere, Dr Briefs has a fair amount of dialogue in Episodes 14 and 15, as his character assists Goku in getting to Namek. Hbi2k uses the lines he has to portray the doctor as a misogynist eccentric, who enjoys a drink or two. Dr Briefs also has some dialogue in the Season Finale. However, by far and away his most important character in Season Two is the aforementioned Nail, who appears in a significant number of episodes. Nail only has one line in the first five episodes of this season, but after that, Guru's servant is almost constantly involved. In Episode 16 (Vam Qan Namek), Nail's character is developed, showing that he has little time for the disrespect shown to him by Krillin. Most of his dialogue revolves around his relationship with Guru, which is far from healthy.
Nail often makes a visual appearance without actually having dialogue: examples of this are seen in Episodes 17, 19 and 23. However, he has significant amounts of dialogue in Episode 18, 20-22 and 24. In Episode 18, he has a verbal sparring match with Vegeta (which is interrupted by Guru), and in Episodes 20 and 21 he is in discussion with Guru as to whether he should go and help the Earthlings. This shows that the Abridged version of Nail, whilst weary of his role, is still loyal to Guru and does not wish to leave him unguarded.
Season Three: King Cold et al
References
- ↑ http://teamfourstar.com/cast-info/ (retrieved May 2016)