Kamidogu: Kombat Lives Here

Stryker lives! Michael O’Brien, the enigmatic actor who famously portrayed NYPD officer Kurtis Stryker in Mortal Kombat 3, gives his first ever interview in 29 years. A native of Chicago, Michael left the area a few years later, and has since enjoyed a successful career in real estate.

Cage Match is the fourth entry in the popular Mortal Kombat Legends series from Warner Bros. Animation. Set in 1980s California, struggling actor and martial artist Johnny Cage gets more than he bargained for on a search for his missing co-star Jennifer.

Resident cheeky boy Lew Orrow and talented artist Justin McCollum join Christopher and Toasty to discuss the film in depth.

Christopher Leps is an American stuntman, stunt actor and filmmaker who primarily served as Paolo Montalban’s stunt double in Mortal Kombat: Conquest. Having featured in twenty episodes of the popular series, he also played numerous minor characters and helped influence its many iconic fight scenes.

Conquest aside, Leps has also worked on many noteworthy television series and movies, including The Mandalorian, The Walking Dead and Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge.

Christopher and Toasty are joined by cosplayer Christina Rose, Kamidogu writer Nicole Hidalgo and YouTuber TotalMK to discuss Mortal Kombat 1’s playable kombatants and Kameo fighters ahead of the game’s official release this week.

Born in New Orleans, Larnell Stovall is a gifted martial artist, stuntman and actor who has lent his talents to a number of big productions. His involvement in film is mainly behind the scenes, having worked on both Mortal Kombat: Rebirth and Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series as a fight choreographer and stunt coordinator alongside director Kevin Tancharoen.

Samantha Win is a Canadian actress and martial artist with rich Chinese heritage, best known for her portrayal of Kitana in 2013’s Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series.

Samantha started training in martial arts at the age of 4, beginning with Jiu Jitsu and eventually moving on to Wushu. Her love of martial arts would see her compete and win multiple medals at national, pan-American and international levels, including a stint representing Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

After spending some time as a stunt actress, Samantha’s aptitude saw her eventual casting in a number of television shows such as Lethal Weapon and Arrow. She has also starred in a number of blockbuster films, including Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, Justice League and Army of the Dead. Her newest project, The Dresden Sun, is currently in post-production.

Brian Glynn is an American bodybuilder and entrepreneur who famously portrayed Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3 and beyond. A man of many talents, Brian went on to play the Water God in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, as well as Warhead in Midway’s War Gods alongside Kerri Hoskins.

Born in the Philippines, Paolo Montalban’s family immigrated to the United States when he was just one year old. An incredibly gifted actor and singer, he has worked alongside some of the greatest names of our generation. Paolo starred as the main protagonist Kung Lao in all twenty-two episodes of 1998’s Mortal Kombat: Conquest television series alongside Daniel Bernhardt and Kristanna Loken.

Just one year earlier he played the character of Prince Christopher in Disney’s Cinderella opposite Brandy, Whitney Houston and Whoopi Goldberg. He has since appeared on Broadway in a number of productions, released a self-titled album, and is set to grace our screens in the near future in Descendants: The Rise of Red on Disney+.

Deron McBee is an American actor and sportsman, best known for his iconic portrayal of Motaro in 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Mortal Kombat aside, his larger than life stature, bulging muscles and flowing blonde hair intimidated countless contestants on 1989’s American Gladiators where he starred as Malibu.

Christopher and Christina Rose sit down to discuss their initial thoughts surrounding the gameplay trailer for Mortal Kombat 1, which premiered at Summer Game Fest last week.

Following the recent unveiling of Mortal Kombat 1, many within the kommunity have begun advocating for the return of characters from the 3D era, some of whom haven’t been featured in a game since 2006.

One such iconic kombatant is Shujinko, the main protagonist from Mortal Kombat: Deception’s Konquest mode. Voiced by former Midway and NetherRealm Studios staffer Max Crawford, his iconic dulcet tones invoke pleasant memories, and we couldn’t be happier to have him with us to celebrate our milestone 50th episode. In addition to Shujinko, Max also voiced Shang Tsung and the Dragon King himself, Onaga.

With over 40 years of experience as an actor, Ronald M. Banks provided the voice talent for Quan Chi in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Mortal Kombat (2011) and Mortal Kombat X. His talent also permeates World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, where he played both Abedneum and Baron Sliver. Games aside, Banks has appeared in numerous opera and musical theatre productions, receiving multiple awards and accolades for his role as King Mongkut in The King and I, among others.

Christopher and Toasty are accompanied by four special guests to discuss their hopes and dreams for the yet to be announced Mortal Kombat 12. Joining us for our longest episode ever are cosplayers Christina Rose and Yeliz, as well as content creator DaIslandBoyz, and founder of the Netherkast: Cyborg.

Keith Cooke Hirabayashi is an American born martial artist, actor and fitness fanatic with Japanese heritage. Keith has been teaching martial arts for over 45 years, and is a former world champion and three-time Competitor of the Year. He is best known for portraying Reptile in 1995’s Mortal Kombat and Sub-Zero in its sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

Martial arts aside, Keith is currently heavily invested in the world of fitness, pioneering a total physical training system dubbed The Ring Workout.

Marjean Holden is an American actress, stuntwoman, martial artist and director, who made her professional acting debut in 1987’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. She is best known in the world of Mortal Kombat for her portrayal of Sheeva in 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

Tracy Douglas’ acting career began when she was cast as an extra in Boomerang, a film starring Eddie Murphy. She would later go on to play a number of minor roles in series such as The Watcher and As The World Turns, before eventually being cast as the iconic Vorpax in Mortal Kombat: Conquest. Acting aside, Tracy has also worked as a model, writer, producer and a spokesperson. She is currently a practising mental health therapist.

Eric Jacobus portrayed Kurtis Stryker in season two of Kevin Tancharoen’s Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series. Acting aside, Eric is best known for his incredible contribution to the world of stunts and motion capture, having lended his talent to a number of productions including Mortal Kombat 11 (Johnny Cage, Raiden, Kano, Jax, Erron Black, Kotal Kahn, Shao Kahn and Kollector), God of War, God of War: Ragnarök and The Last of Us Part II. He is also co-founder of SuperAlloy Interactive, a business focused on motion capture, virtual production and action design.

Ho-Sung Pak portrayed the Shaolin monk Liu Kang in the first two Mortal Kombat games, introducing us to Earthrealm’s greatest warrior and changing the scope of the word ‘hero’ forever. A highly talented martial artist with incredible skill across a variety of forms, Ho-Sung also served as a stunt coordinator and stunt double for Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. He later reprised his role as stunt double in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, and starred as Henry in Jackie Chan’s The Legend of Drunken Master.

Mortal Kombat X: Generations was a companion web series due to release shortly before the launch of Mortal Kombat X in 2015. Directed by Garrett Warren, its intended purpose was to introduce audiences to both new and returning kombatants, given the events of the game take place 20 years after its predecessor.

Although it featured prominent names such as Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Lewis Tan, Casper Van Dien, Ray Park and Pepi Sonuga, it was ultimately cancelled due to time constraints and never released to the public. To learn more about this incredible project, we are joined by cinematographer Nathan Haugaard who guides us through uncharted waters. In this exclusive interview, we share numerous high quality images and hear stories attached to each in Nathan’s own words.

Born and raised in a small town in Missouri, Angelica Bridges is an actress, singer and model. Starring in a number of soap operas such as Days of our Lives and The Young and the Restless, Angelica’s big break came when she landed the role of Lt Taylor Walsh in the hit television series Baywatch. One year later Angelica would portray the alluring and often unpredictable sorceress Omegis in Mortal Kombat: Conquest.

Acting aside, Angelica has appeared in Playboy magazine, and has also been listed in numerous publications as one of the sexiest women in the world.

“Those were $500 sunglasses, asshole!” This iconic line was improvised by none other than Linden Ashby, whose portrayal of Johnny Cage in 1995’s Mortal Kombat was nothing short of incredible. A skilled martial artist, Linden held his own in a number of fight sequences as he battled to survive Shang Tsung’s tournament.

Mortal Kombat aside, Linden is a keen surfer, and has since appeared in a number of movies and hit television shows, most notably as Noah Stilinski in MTV’s Teen Wolf. Linden is set to reprise his role in Teen Wolf: The Movie, due for release on Paramount+ on 26 January 2023.

Christopher and Toasty are joined by members of the Mortal Kombat kommunity to share some of their holiday memories, as well as their best wishes for 2023.

Guests include (in order of appearance): Beata Poźniak, J Gleez, Daniel Pesina, Paul Neimeyer, Anthony Marquez, Phillip Ahn, MD, Tim Kitzrow, Elizabeth Malecki, Jay Saint G, MadMike, Tom Choi, Deliya and GoldieMilrose.

Beata Poźniak is a Polish-born actress, voice over artist, poet, painter and human rights activist who introduced the first bill in the history of the US Congress to officially recognise International Women's Day in the United States. Her powerful portrayal of Skarlet in Mortal Kombat 11 saw her win the prestigious Voice Arts Award in the “Outstanding Video Game Character – Best Performance” category in 2020.

Get ready for the biggest Mortal Kombat auction in history! Threshold Entertainment CEO Larry Kasanoff and Dan Levin of Premiere Props join us to chat about the event and show off some of the incredible items on offer. The event is due to take place on 10 December, 2022 at 11 am PST.

Website: https://www.hollywoodliveauctions.com

Dana Hee is an American actress, martial artist, model and Olympic gold medalist in Taekwondo. She is best known for portraying Mileena in 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and Siann in the Mortal Kombat: Conquest television series. Acting aside, she has contributed to dozens of blockbuster movies as a stuntwoman, including Independence Day, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Batman & Robin, Charlie’s Angels, Moulin Rouge!, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Spider-Man 2, Terminator Salvation and many more. These days Dana is a motivational speaker, and also a published author.

Described as having a three-dimensional “shapeshifter” sound, Mara Junot is a force to be reckoned with. Able to speak in a number of languages and dialects, her versatility has made her the perfect choice for a number of gaming franchises, animation series, commercials and more. Inside Kombat circles, Mara portrayed the heavily retconned Queen Sindel in Mortal Kombat 11, delivering a breathtaking performance across both the main game and its expansive Story mode.

Most recently, she stars as Mist in God of War: Ragnarök and Lyssa Drak/Banth Dar/Female Cop in Green Lantern: Beware My Power. You can also find Mara in a number of huge games including Saints Row, Destiny, Diablo, Fortnite, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Far Cry, Fallout, Guild Wars and much more.

Mela Lee is a professional voiceover artist, vocalist and singer, best known in gaming circles as the voice of Jade in Mortal Kombat 11 and Lifeline in Apex Legends.

Video games aside, she has provided her exquisite talent to various films, television and anime. Mela is the lead singer of Magnolia Memoir, and has recently released a solo single with multi-platinum producer Keith Harris titled “Another Hallelujah.”

Raiden Pham is affected by UBA5 disease, a life threatening progressive neurological disorder that can cause muscle floppiness and stiffness simultaneously, seizures, brain abnormalities and much more. In fact, it is so rare that only about thirty suffer this unfortunate condition worldwide. At two years old, Raiden is unable to sit, walk or talk. He can barely control his arms, and is fed via a stomach tube.

Upon learning of Raiden’s battle, we knew we had to reach out to his father, Tommy. With little to no research being conducted, Raiden’s father founded the Raiden Science Foundation and partnered with the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School to develop an innovative type of gene therapy. Following this partnership, the Kombat4Rare charity was established to raise funds for vital research. This experimental treatment is expected to be completed within 2-3 years, but they need our help. The clock is ticking — you can help make a difference by donating or helping to spread the word.

We are also joined by the lovely Kerri Hoskins, who is best known for playing Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat 3. As a special needs parent herself to two young men (Luke and Zachary), she knows exactly what it’s like to face an uphill and uncertain battle.

Snow Blind is the third entry in the popular Mortal Kombat Legends series from Warner Bros. Animation. With the power-hungry King Kano at the helm of the populous Black Dragon, Earthrealm is in grave danger. Kenshi, a rebel warrior, enlists the help of Kuai Liang, a former member of the Lin Kuei to fight for peace and prosperity.

Resident cheeky boy Lew Orrow and talented artist Justin McCollum join Toasty to discuss Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind in depth.

An absolute talent powerhouse, Joel McHale voiced the comical Hollywood icon Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge (2020) and Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021).

Voice over work aside, Joel is a well known actor, comedian and television host. He currently portrays Starman in The CW’s Stargirl television series, and is perhaps best known for hosting The Soup and his role as Jeff Winger on the NBC sitcom Community.

Best known for his incredible portrayal of Kung Lao in 2021’s Mortal Kombat movie, Max is also a member of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. Born in Germany, he is also a fine martial artist, stunt performer, singer and songwriter. His first single, “Flawless Victory,” debuted in April 2021.

Alexander Walters is a Canadian actor who portrayed the mysterious Tomas in 1998’s Mortal Kombat: Conquest television series. Despite only appearing in episode thirteen “Twisted Truths,” Tomas left a lasting impression and forged a strong relationship with Taja (Kristanna Loken).

Conquest aside, Walters has starred in a number of hit television shows and movies during his acting career, including Days of our Lives, Baywatch, As the World Turns and Dunstan Checks In.

Born in South Korea, Tom Choi is a Korean-American actor who portrayed Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Mortal Kombat (2011) and Mortal Kombat X. He starred as Ken Yukimura alongside Linden Ashby in the hit television series Teen Wolf, and also voiced Front Man in Netflix’s Squid Game. Aside from being a talented actor and voice over artist, Tom is also a producer, director and writer, having written the screenplay for the award-winning short film Lone Hunter.

Training under the watchful eye of his father (American martial arts pioneer Louis D. Casamassa), Chris earned his first degree black belt by the age of 10. Now a 9th Dan black belt, Chris serves as president of Red Dragon Karate. He starred as Scorpion in 1995’s Mortal Kombat movie, and later reprised this same role in the hit television show Mortal Kombat: Conquest.

Besides Mortal Kombat, Chris was in the original Karate Kid movie, served as George Clooney’s stunt double in Batman & Robin, and has reunited with producer Larry Kasanoff to star in the upcoming martial arts/fantasy feature The Fearless and the Fallen.

Lawrence “Larry” Kasanoff is an American filmmaker who founded Lightning Pictures in 1986, Lightstorm Entertainment with James Cameron in 1990 and Threshold Entertainment in 1993. Larry has worked on a number of Mortal Kombat productions, including the 1995 smash-hit Mortal Kombat movie, its sequel in 1997, as well as the television series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm and Mortal Kombat: Conquest. Kasanoff also served as executive producer on 2021’s Mortal Kombat movie reboot, and is currently working on its sequel.

A former employee of both NetherRealm Studios and Midway Games, Carlos Pesina is best known for his digitised portrayal of Raiden in earlier Mortal Kombat titles. A highly skilled martial artist like his brother Daniel, Carlos also voiced Bo’ Rai Cho during the 3D era. Mokap (a kombatant who debuted in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance) was introduced as a tribute to Carlos, who also served as lead motion capture artist and an animator.

A native of Los Angeles, Michelle is the epitome of girl power. Having starred as the ferocious Mileena in the second season of Mortal Kombat: Legacy, her talent knows no bounds. Adding to her impressive résumé includes roles in films such as Venom, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Black Widow and more. She also has extensive experience in motion capture, working on blockbuster hits such as The Last of Us 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Resident Evil 6.

Christopher and Toasty are joined by kommunity members Miss Taurus, Jay Saint G, Da Island Boyz, MadMike, Dilara and tabmok99 to discuss the prospect of Mortal Kombat 12 as the franchise’s 30th anniversary fast approaches.

Born in France in 1951, François Petit is a world class martial artist and actor best known for his portrayal of Sub-Zero in the original 1995 Mortal Kombat movie. Having trained under the guidance of Japanese masters since the age of 4, he holds a 9th Dan in Jūjutsu, 8th Dan in Karate and 3rd Dan in Judo. As part of his impressive résumé François is a trained doctor, and served as a member of a special Black Ops extraction team in the early seventies.

Born in 1966, Phillip Ahn immigrated to the United States of America from his homeland of South Korea at a young age. Over the course of many years he morphed from a shy and insecure boy into a confident and appreciated leader. Following in his father’s footsteps, Phillip has trained in martial arts for practically all of his life, earning a 7th dan black belt in Tae Kwon-Do. His journey through life would eventually lead him to Midway Games, where he donned a traditional Chinese cap to portray Shang Tsung in the highly acclaimed 1993 title Mortal Kombat II. These days Phillip is a practicing doctor of medicine, providing compassionate, comprehensive primary care to men, women and children of all ages. He has published two books: Mortal Discipline and Mortal Doctor, available for purchase on Amazon in paperback, audiobook or eBook form.

A self-confessed nerd with a love of Marvel Comics, Andrew Bowen is a tremendously talented actor, writer, director, producer and voice over artist. Since his debut as a regular on Fox’s sketch comedy series MADtv, Bowen has appeared in over 250 film and television productions alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names. In the world of gaming, he is best known for his stellar portrayal of Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11. As a screenwriter, Bowen received critical praise for his comedic short “The 716th” which is currently available on Amazon Prime Video.

Dan Southworth is an accomplished actor, stuntman, motion capture, voice over and martial artist with decades of experience under his belt. Starring as Kenshi in the second season of Mortal Kombat: Legacy, Dan is credited across a plethora of productions, including the Devil May Cry series where he voiced Vergil, and Power Rangers Time Force where is known as Eric Myers/Quantum Ranger. His latest project, Blade of the 47 Ronin, is set to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2022.

Katalin Zamiar (Rodriguez-Ogren) is a martial artist, former sportswriter, fitness instructor and owner of POW! Gym Chicago. Having trained in martial arts for over 30 years, Katalin holds a total of four black belts in Kung-Fu, Tae Kwon-Do, Gōjū-Ryū Karate and Shōrin-Ryū Karate. She is best known for her portrayal of Kitana, Mileena and Jade in Mortal Kombat II.

Ludi Lin is a Chinese-born Canadian actor and model who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Liu Kang in the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie reboot. He stars as Kerwin Tan, heir to the billionaire Tan family fortune in CW’s Kung Fu, currently in its second season.

Other notable roles held by Ludi include Zack Taylor/The Black Ranger in 2017’s Power Rangers movie, as well as Murk in 2018’s Aquaman.

Long Live Mortal Kombat is a work in progress trilogy of books written by author and die-hard Mortal Kombat fan David L. Craddock. The first book in the series, subtitled “Round 1 - The Fatalities and Fandom of the Arcade Era,” launches on Kickstarter on 29 March and covers the franchise’s arcade era spanning Mortal Kombat 1 through 4.

Published in celebration of Mortal Kombat’s 30th anniversary in 2022, Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1 features untold stories and interviews from over 60 developers and subject matter experts, including series co-creator John Tobias and former Midway GM Ken Fedesna. It also delves into the Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat rivalry, scrutinises the controversy surrounding violent video games in the nineties and recounts how the multi-million dollar “Mortal Monday” campaign became the biggest marketing push of its era.

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/davidlcraddock/long-live-mortal-kombat-the-definitive-history-of-mk

The youngest of four children, Jeffrey Meek has enjoyed an illustrious acting career, having worked alongside some of the industry’s greats including Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, Denzel Washington and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. Cast as the protagonist of the 1992 hit series Raven, Jeffrey later portrayed both Rayden and Shao Kahn in 1998’s Mortal Kombat: Conquest.

Christopher and Toasty are once again joined by resident cheeky boy Lew to review the 1997 film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

Christopher and Toasty are joined by Joe Tresca, Justin McCollum and Justin “Jango” Slaughter of Eyeballistic Game Studio to discuss their Mortal Kombat Trilogy 4K remake in depth. After an initial successful pitch to Ed Boon and Warner Bros., the all-star team are hard at work creating detailed character models and arenas to show the world what such a project could become with proper backing. If you haven’t already, please show your support for the project by signing the petition linked below.

Petition: https://www.change.org/p/ben-bell-kickstart-campaign-for-mortal-kombat-trilogy-remake-with-ue5

Christopher and Toasty are joined by members of the Mortal Kombat kommunity to share their fondest holiday memories, as well as their best wishes for 2022.

Guests include (in order of appearance): tabmok99, MK Jasper, David Cage (unCAGEDgamez), thethiny, The4thSnake, Mustard, Steve (MK Temple), Kerri Hoskins, Jay Saint G (NerdCage Live), TrueUnderDawg, Esau Murga, J Gleez, Elicia (naught_3), Lew, Dilara’s Artworks and Big Bear Bro.

Christopher and Toasty are joined once again by the cheeky legend Lew to review the klassic 1995 Mortal Kombat film.