11/15/2023
Did I ever meet the legendary Kevin Conroy?
Yes, I did. Several years ago. Back when they had Wizard World comic conventions in my hometown of St. Louis.
At the time, however, I was still an aspiring Batman cosplayer. I was still just a kid at the time. And nowhere near the level of being a professional Batman cosplayer like I believe I am today.
But Kevin Conroy was a very nice guy. He commended me for dressing as Batman for sick children in hospitals and for many charity functions, and not just comic conventions. He said my Batsuit was great and that I was a great Batman with a good Batman voice. Because rarely, he said, did he ever come across a fan with a deep voice like his.
After hearing the struggles that he went through growing up around his passing, I feel like I really related to him. Because I was often made fun of for having a deep voice when I was growing up. But like him, I realized when I became a man, I could use my deep voice to do great things. By becoming vengeance, by becoming the night, and by becoming Batman!
Kevin Conroy showed me that having a deep voice is actually a great quality to possess. Time and again at conventions and charity events, people tell me, “I like your Batman voice!” And they’re surprised when I say, “This is my real voice!”
And this was my overall takeaway from meeting Kevin Conroy. And I’m thankful for that.
