The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) has announced the first Guests of Honor for its inaugural show (which will be held at the Javits Center December 7-9, see 'Reed Announces New York Anime Festival'), voice actors Peter Fernandez and Corinne Orr.  Although Fernandez and Orr have been involved in numerous animated productions including Castle in the Sky, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Star Blazers, and Kaidohmaru, they are best known for their work on the original 1960s Speed Racer cartoon in which Fernandez provided the iconic voice for Speed and Orr voiced the irrepressible Trixie.

 

With a major live action Speed Racer movie from Warner Bros. and the Wachowski brothers debuting on May 2nd, 2008 and a new Speed Racer cartoon series hitting the airwaves next spring (see 'New Speed Racer Cartoons'), the property created by Tatsuo Yoshida in the 1960s is hotter than it's been in decades, which makes the selection of Fernandez and Orr as Guests of Honor at the NYAF a natural.  Fernandez has maintained his association with the Speed Racer property and will provide the voice for Spritle, who was Speed's younger brother in the 1960s cartoons, but who heads up the racing academy that the new Speed (son of the original Speed) attends in the upcoming 2007 cartoon series.