C. Martin Croker

Clay Martin Croker (January 10, 1962 – September 17, 2016), generally billed as C. Martin Croker, was an American animator and voice actor.[1] He was best known for having provided the voices of Zorak and Moltar on the animated series Space Ghost Coast to Coast, replacing Don Messick, who originally voiced the characters in the 1960s series Space Ghost.

C. Martin Croker
Croker in his home studio in Atlanta, 2001
Born
Clay Martin Croker

(1962-01-10)January 10, 1962
Smyrna, Georgia, U.S.
DiedSeptember 17, 2016(2016-09-17) (aged 54)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
OccupationVoice actor, animator
Years active1988–2016
Spouse(s)
April Stephens
(m. 1988; div. 2014)

Career

Croker began his professional career in animation in 1988 by providing animation of the Laser Show at Stone Mountain.[2]

Croker animated various "TNT Toons" promos for TNT in the early 1990s and helped animate and design bumpers for Cartoon Network in 1998. Croker also worked on various commercials and bumpers which often featured well-known cartoon characters.[3]

Croker is best known for providing the voices of Zorak and Moltar in the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim/GameTap animated series Space Ghost Coast to Coast, throughout its entire run from 1994 until 2008. In addition to being the show's principal animator, it was also his idea to have Zorak and Moltar be Space Ghost's sidekicks. He also voiced Zorak on Cartoon Planet and The Brak Show and voiced Moltar as the host of Toonami from 1997 until 1999.[3][4]

Croker served as an animator for Aqua Teen Hunger Force and its 2007 feature film adaption Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. He also provided the voices for Dr. Weird, Steve, and various characters for the series.[3]

Croker provided the voice of Young Man and other various characters in Perfect Hair Forever.[4]

Filmography
Year(s) Title Role(s) Notes
1994–99;
2001–04;
2006–08		Space Ghost Coast to CoastZorak, Moltar, VariousAnimator
1997–99ToonamiMoltarProgramming block
1995–98;
2012–14		Cartoon PlanetZorak
1998How Zorak Stole X-MasZorakVideo game
2000Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring BrakZorak, Wally Gator, VariousTelevision specials
2000–03;
2007		The Brak ShowZorak
2000–2015Aqua Teen Hunger ForceDr. Weird, Steve, VariousAnimator
2004–07; 2014Perfect Hair ForeverYoung Man, Various
2005Sunday PantsManLoving Lovers in Love segments.
2007Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for TheatersDr. Weird, Steve, VariousFeature film
Animator

Death and tributes

On September 17, 2016, Croker suddenly became ill, vomiting and developing a fever. Initially passing it off as food poisoning from consuming sushi, he asked his girlfriend to retrieve symptom relief medication from the store. When she returned to their home, less than an hour later, she found him unresponsive. She called an ambulance and performed CPR until paramedics arrived, where he was then pronounced dead. Croker was 54.[5][3][4] No cause of death has been publicly given.[4]

Adult Swim honored him by re-airing the first Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode produced, "Elevator", on September 19, 2016 as a special presentation.[6] The tribute began with a brief description of Croker's contribution to Space Ghost and Adult Swim, with the words his character Zorak said in one episode: "Think of me when you look to the night sky", then the episode played. At the end of the episode, the screen shows "C. Martin Croker [1962-2016]". In the wake of the news of his death, Croker's friends and colleagues, such as his Coast to Coast friends George Lowe and Andy Merrill, paid tribute to him in posts on social media. Adult Swim made almost every episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast available for free on their website in honor of him.[7]

On September 24, 2016, Croker was honored at the beginning of Toonami in a segment in which T.O.M. receives a transmission from Moltar saying he's returning to his home planet and not returning, then boasting that he was the better Toonami host. T.O.M. wishes Moltar the best of luck and says "May your oven stay forever lit." An image of Croker was then shown, captioned "(1962-2016)".[8]

References
  1. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television cartoon shows: an illustrated encyclopedia, 1949 through 2003. 2 (illustrated ed.). McFarland & Company. pp. 767–769. ISBN 978-0-7864-2256-2. OCLC 57349103. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
  2. True Total Clips - Interview C Martin Crocker - with Sum Dude and That Guy Posted on YouTube on July 10, 2016.
  3. Barsanti, Sam. "R.I.P. Clay Martin Croker, Adult Swim animator and voice actor". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  4. Lincoln, Ross. "C. Martin Croker Dies: Voice Actor And Animator On 'Space Ghost Coast To Coast' And 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force' Was 54". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  5. https://www.reddit.com/r/adultswim/comments/53f3bn/details_about_c_martin_crokers_death/
  6. Statement made by Adult Swim on September 18, 2016.
  7. Statement made by Adult Swim on September 19, 2016.
  8. Adult Swim (2016-09-26), Moltar's Transmission | Toonami | Adult Swim, retrieved 2016-09-26
Preceded by
Don Messick		 Actors portraying Zorak
1994-2016		 Succeeded by
None
Preceded by
Don Messick		 Actors portraying Moltar
1994-2016		 Succeeded by
None
Preceded by
Keye Luke		 Actors portraying Brak
1994		 Succeeded by
Andy Merrill
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