Rikki Simons is a voice actor, writer, and artist, best known for voicing GIR, the quirky robot in a dog suit, in Nickelodeon’s cult-favorite animated series Invader Zim. Simons’ unique, unpolished vocal style, encouraged by creator Jhonen Vasquez, brought GIR’s chaotic energy to life, earning him a dedicated fanbase.
Simons reprised the role in the 2019 film Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus and various video games, including SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom. On Invader Zim, Simons also voiced background characters like Bloaty, Pig Guards, and Pigboy, often leaning into a humorous pig-themed motif. His voice for GIR was initially pitch-edited for a metallic tone, but Simons later mastered the voice naturally, with unedited performances featured in some episodes.
Beyond Invader Zim, Simons lent his voice to Mighty Magiswords, playing characters like Red Trollblin, Borfl, MagiMobile, and RoboTank, marking his first major non-Zim voice role. He also voiced minor characters in NieA Under 7.
In addition to acting, Simons contributed to Invader Zim as a colorist and background painter, and worked as a background painter on Jackie Chan Adventures. His creative versatility extends to writing and illustrating comics and novels, often collaborating with his wife, Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons, on projects like ShutterBox and Robotech: Clone.