Aye, Cartwright!

Young Chang

Nancy Cartwright prefers Bart over Lisa Simpson. He’s a bad boy, she

says. Devious, clever, underachieving and proud of it.

After 13 years of voicing Bart’s opinions, Cartwright knows the

television menace better than anyone. Together, they cheated on tests,

got beat up by bullies, ran for class president, helped Krusty the Klown

and ran away from home.

They’re nothing alike -- he’s 10; she’s at least four times that, she

said. But Cartwright enjoys the challenge of playing the lovable,

misbehaving star of Springfield.

Her new book, “My Life as a 10-Year Old Boy,” gives a

behind-the-scenes look at “The Simpsons” TV show and the story of how she

became the voice of Bart. Cartwright will sign copies today at Borders

Books, Music & Cafe in Costa Mesa.

The author talks about “what it’s like to be this international icon,

yet nobody knows who I am.”

Cartwright gives readers a peek into the whole animation process,

including character design, props and sound effects. In about a dozen

diary chapters, she writes about working with Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey

Rooney and others who have guest-starred on the show. She also talks

about the late PhilHartman, who played a number of Springfield’s

supporting roles.

“I felt it was important that I address Phil Hartman,” Cartwright

said. “But the rest of the book is very lighthearted.”

Cartwright’s professional voice-over career started with Daws Butler,

the voice of cartoon legends like Yogi Bear, Elroy Jetson, Augie Doggie

and Huckleberry Hound, as her mentor. As a student at Ohio University,

she recorded herself reading scripts Butler had sent. She sent them to

Beverly Hills, where Butler lived, and he critiqued them. Eventually,

Cartwright studied with him in person.

“It’s a bit of a Cinderella story,” she said.

Today, the Emmy Award-winning actress’s credits include a one-woman

play called “In Search of Fellini” and voice-overs for “Richie Rich,” “My

Little Pony,” “The Pink Panther” and “Pinky and the Brain,” to name a

few. Her on-camera career includes roles in “Fame,” “The Fresh Prince of

Bel Air,” “Twilight Zone The Movie” and “Suddenly.”

Neydi Flores, a Simpsons fan who hung out at Borders this week, said

he wants to hear how Cartwright really sounds.

“I’ve been seeing [the show] since I was little,” said the

17-year-old. “In every episode, there’s always something behind it. And

it’s cool how she could make a little boy’s voice.”

Cartwright, a mother of two, said she has never been recognized by her

voice alone. It is youthful and playful, but more feminine than the voice

we hear on “The Simpsons.”

“As a kid, people always commented on the unusual quality of my

voice,” she said.

FYI

WHAT: Nancy Cartwright signs “My Life As A 10-Year Old Boy” WHEN: 2 p.m. today

WHERE: Borders Books, Music & Cafe, 3333 Bear St., Costa Mesa

COST: Free

CALL: (714) 432-7854