While Kat Cressida has a large and dedicated fan following, most will not recognize her when she makes an appearance this Labor Day at the Turlock Comic Con event being held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds. As a voice actress, Cressida’s work has been enjoyed by millions but allows her the anonymity other actors can’t pull off. 

Cressida is best known for her roles as the voice of Dee Dee on the animated Cartoon Network television series "Dexter's Laboratory;" Constance Hatchaway in Disney's "The Black Widow Bride" of "The Haunted Mansion" at the Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort; and the voice of Bloody Mary in the video game "The Wolf Among Us." Cressida has also voiced characters in "Phineas and Ferb," "Archer," Disney’s "Tarzan" as well as video game characters for games including "Starfield," "God of War: Ragnarok," "Skylanders," "Fallout ’76," "Fallout 4," "Disney Infinity" as Jessie, Elektra in "Marvel Heroes," and many more.

Cressida said she doesn’t really have one favorite character that she has voiced, but there are some that are more memorable.

“The Haunted Mansion bride is a favorite for me because I grew up with a adad who worked with Walt Disney Imagineering. I grew up in Disneyland. It’s why I fell in love with voice over to begin with. I was recognizing these amazing voiceover characters in the attractions that brought them to life, that brought the story to life, listening to the little read along records growing up where you hear bits and pieces of the characters from the film, recreating their roles on records. I just really fell in love with voice acting, through Disney parks and the Disney records and so getting to be a main character in a classic Disney attraction is just mind blowing,” she said.

Before making an appearance at Turlock Comic Con on Sept. 1 at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, Cressida will stop by Utopia Games and Collectibles in Modesto on Aug. 29 and 30 to sign autographs and share a few haunting tales from her legendary horror voice roles.

“We are so lucky to have Kat visit us. What a wonderful and rare opportunity to have someone of this caliber in the Central Valley. We hope fans take advantage of this unique experience that she’ll be bringing to Utopia Games,” said Utopia owner Bryan Noriega.

Cressida will not just be meeting with fans while she’s in the Valley, she’ll also be raising money for two worthwhile organizations — the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the Make a Wish Foundation.

The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation is geared towards practical support and funding for families whose kids are going through cancer treatment. Make A Wish grants “wishes” to children with critical illnesses. Cressida went through own medical crisis 13 years ago.

While she was doing some voice over work in 2012, Cressida said she started to sense that something weird was going on behind her jaw. At first, the doctors didn’t take it seriously telling her it was probably just a cyst that would go away on its own.

“A good lesson from my journey and why I do keynote speaking is [telling others] to pay attention to what your gut is telling you,” said Cressida, who described her experiences with healthcare professionals as at times “downright disrespectful” when she was seeking treatment for the problems she was having with her jaw.

After insisting on getting an MRI, Cressida was eventually diagnosed with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans — a rare form of cancer. She underwent a series of surgeries, including facial reconstruction, as well as radiation therapy, and had to relearn how to talk and sound like herself once more.

“I actually studied recordings of myself on cassette tape to get back how I speak and to remind my brain how I spoke,” she said.

During her long journey to recovery, Cressida said she learned a thing or two about gratitude and that’s why it’s important to her to give back to others now fighting their own battles with cancer.

For more information about Turlock Comic Con, visit: https://ohanacomiccon.com/turlock-toy-anime-comic-con/

For more information about Cressida’s stop at Utopia Games, visit: https://www.facebook.com/UtopiaGamesandCollectibles