George Lowe, the voice behind the irreverent animated superhero on Adult Swim's “Space Ghost Coast to Coast,” has died. He was 67.
He died Sunday in Lakeland, Florida, two of his business representatives said. Lowe had been struggling to recover from elective heart surgery in November, his family said in a statement. “Over the past few months, his family and friends have been by his side in support and care for him,” the statement said.
Lowe's booming voice and off-the-wall humor turned “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” into a cult classic among young adults and teens.
The show debuted in 1994 and aired for more than a decade on Cartoon Network as part of its Adult Swim nighttime programming block. It was Cartoon Network's first original production and set the foundation for several other original series including “The Powerpuff Girls,” “Courage the Cowardly Dog” and “Johnny Bravo.”
On “Space Ghost Coast to Coast,” Lowe played the role of cartoon superhero Space Ghost, who hosted a talk show and interviewed real celebrities. While the interviews with the likes of William Shatner, Conan O'Brien and Donny Osmond were pre-recorded, Lowe would later add wacky and rambling digressions, such as asking guests if they were getting enough oxygen.
“Insanity became en vogue, thanks to us,” Lowe told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2004.
Adult Swim President Michael Ouweleen said the show proved the network could find success with its own productions.
“You all knew him as Space Ghost (and all his other characters), but we knew him as himself, a true character in his own right, one that left an indelible mark on all of us at Adult Swim,” he said.
The show's producers would begin recording Lowe as soon as he stepped into the booth, Ouweleen said, creating some of the best material “when he didn’t realize he was being recorded.”
Lowe voiced several other characters on Adult Swim shows, including “Robot Chicken,” “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and “The Brak Show.”
Until this past year, he continued to make regular appearances at comic book and sci-fi conventions.
Lowe, who was born in Dunedin, Florida, began his career as a disc jockey and television personality in Florida and Georgia. He continued to do voice work for radio stations after Adult Swim.
He was an avid folk and pop art collector and a self-taught artist whose intricate pen and ink drawings were displayed in several museums, including The High Museum of Art in Atlanta where his work is part of its permanent collection.
There were no details available on his survivors. His family said there will be a private service.
John Seewer, The Associated Press
