Joe Bevilacqua

Joe Bevilacqua (born 1959) is an award-winning voice actor, radio producer, dramatist, humorist, and documentary film producer.

Early life
Bevilacqua grew up in Newark, New Jersey, the son of a policeman and a housewife.

Bevilacqua wrote to Daws Butler, the voice of famous Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and Quick Draw McGrawin 1975 at age 16. Daws responded, and their correspondence blossomed into a 13-year mentorship, Bevilacqua serving as Daws' young apprentice.

His relationship with the late Butler resulted in numerous private tape recordings, many featuring the voice of Yogi Bear, and these sometimes can be heard on Bevilacqua's radio shows. Bevilacqua maintains a close relationship with the estate of Daws Butler, which allows him use of many rare audio materials.

This learning experience also made Bevilacqua a professional expert on animated cartoon history in general, and fictional character voice acting in particular.

Career
Bevilacqua is currently the host and producer of "Cartoon Carnival," billed as "the first radio cartoon show," which airs daily at 3PM (PST), 5PM (CT), 6PM (EST) on The Shokus Internet Raddio Network: http://www.shokusradio.com. The hour features rare and classic cartoon audio, music, sound effects, documentaries and interviews, but most importantly is highly polished and produced, with "Joe Bev" playing many of the characters he has been doing since he was 12, including new installments of "Willoughby and the Professor" and "Uncle Dunkle and Donnie," as well as dead-on impressions of such famous cartoon characters as Yogi Bear, Mickey Mouse and Popeye.

Joe Bevilacqua (Joe Bev.) began hosted his new "Cartoon Carnival" radio show for Shokus on Labor Day 2009, becoming an instant hit and rising to become the 2nd most listened to program on the network. The show is averaging 300 to 500 listeners, and currently has 417 fans on its Facebook page.

As the protege of cartoon voice legend Daws Butler (Yogi Bear), the veteran award-winning broadcaster (NPR, XM Radio) is no stranger to the cartoon world. Joe Bev even co-authored his mentor's authorized biography, "Daws Butler, Characters Actor", available at BearManorMedia.com.

Bevilacqua is also a frequent contributor to National Public Radio, and, in 2004, was awarded a Silver Reel Award from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters for his personal essay A Guy Named Joe Bevilacqua, and two New York Festivals awards for "Lady Bird Johnson: Legacy of a First Lady" in 2001 and the NPR All Things Considered tribute to Joe Barbera in 2006.

He co-edited, with Ben Ohmart, a book of Daws Butler scripts entitled Scenes for Actors and Voices in 2003 and in 2004 co-wrote the authorized biography: Daws Butler: Characters Actor.

His credits include such radio documentaries as From Moonshine to Armadillos: the Birth of the Austin Music Scene (2003), One Song at a Time: Tales from the Kerrville Folk Festival (2000) and We Take You Now to Grover's Mill: The 50th Anniversary of The War of the Worlds Broadcast (1988). His radio documentary Lady Bird Johnson: Legacy of a First Lady (2001) was heard on over 400 public radio stations.

Bevilacqua continues to regularly contribute to NPR magazines, including All Things Considered, where he most recently was cartoon legend Joe Barbera's official obit producer.

In 2009 Bevilacqua did a commentary for Marketplace. about his "green lifestyle".

Personal life
Bevilacqua and his wife, Lorie Kellogg, recently renovated their cottage in the woods of Napanoch, NY, to look like a (Yogi Bear) Jellystone Park Ranger's Station. They live together with their three dogs, George, Gracie and Zasu, and their two cats, Offica Pup and Krazy Kat. Their uniquely cartoonish home is the inspiration for one Bevilacqua’s radio comedy creations: Camp Waterlogg, about a dilapidated Catskills kid’s camp populated by a cabal of crazy characters.