COMMUNITY G.I. JOE PARODY

As of this writing, Rob Schrab (creator of the cult comic Scud: The Disposable Assassin, and co-creator of The Sarah Silverman Program) is in an office, somewhere in Los Angeles, furiously working to finish animation of the G.I. Joe parody episode of Community - which is slated to air Thursday, April 3. A beleaguered Schrab, in between generally tweeting his frustration and half-jokingly calling out Community creator Dan Harmon for putting him in this position, tweeted that he has "80 shots to finish before tomorrow. We average 15 a day."

No doubt, much of the hubbub is being made in jest (anyone who's heard Schrab appear on Harmon's podcast knows that they have a delightfully contentious chemistry), but it's a healthy reminder of the sort of tyrannical tinkering that got Harmon fired from his own show in the first place, before returning for this latest season. Because he simply couldn't turn in a script before it was perfect (which ideally would have been months ago), the turnaround for animating a loving homage of a crummy cartoon has been absurdly accelerated.

Thursday will reveal the fruits of their labor. Personally, I've found that having Harmon back has done wonders for Community, especially in the aftermath of the "gas leak year." Having a wild, self-destructive comedy genius at the helm is a gift that giveth and taketh.

VOICE-OVER WORKSHOP WITH NICOLE FAZIO

Speaking of animation, I'm fairly certain that a good amount of people spend some time in their youth fantasizing about being a voice-over artist. All it takes is two decent-to-middling impressions and it's easy to fool yourself into believing that you could be the next Mel Blanc. (How many voices did he have, again? Oh, right, a thousand. But that's a cute Gollum impression you got there.)

Not everyone is blessed with the honeyed vocal chords of Don LaFontaine or Hal Douglas (both, sadly, passed away, most recently Douglas). However, your voice is a muscle that can be sculpted and trained, if you have the inclination. If you're a teen who's ever had the notion to give voice-over acting a try, you'd do worse for instructors than Nicole Fazio. A Washington-born actress, Fazio has lent her voice to hundreds of projects, from commercials to animation. Fazio will be holding a workshop to teach you the ins and outs of her craft.

In preparation, why not check out the endearing comedy, In a World..., which explores the very particular world of voice-over artists. 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, April 4, ages 12-18, Tacoma Public Library Main Branch, 1102 Tacoma Ave., Tacoma, free but registration required, 253.591.5666