Mom, Where's My Tommy Action Figure? Power Morphicon Invades Pasadena, CA
Kendra Rae Beltran
September 02, 2010
In the 90's the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (MMPR) were it. They defended Earth from Rita Repulsa and her minions and all while being everyday teens in Angel Grove. Yes, looking back the graphics were cheesy, but as everyones favorite Green to White Ranger "Tommy," known in reality as Jason David Frank, said, "Kids eat cheese. What kid doesn't like cheese sticks?"
Exactly, and because kids eat cheese up, the Power Rangers have been able to endure countless costume, lineup and zord changes over the past 17 years. While I'm partial to the Mighty Morphin generation, there were plenty of other rangers at Power Morphicon as well. David, who traveled from Virginia loves the nostalgia of MMPR but said he loved Time Force too, "I stopped watching after Space and Time Force brought me back in after that." From the OG Rangers of the 90's the new school ones of today, fans were just happy to breathe the same air with any and all Rangers.
Before I dive into the core of the convention, the biggest standouts were the people who made it possible, the fans. Not too different from the Comic-Con crowd, PMC attendees were an array of freaks, geeks and all the other castes who make up the socially awkward. "I feel a little left out because everyone's got these costumes and I'm for once in my life the lesser nerd. I expected the nerdiness but I'm enjoying the diversity," commented Abby who was spending her birthday at PMC on Saturday. Diversity meaning, people who appeared to have normal social lives outside of the convention walls. It really goes to show that no matter who you grow up to be, you forever hold a piece of your childhood close to your heart.
Back to the essence of the weekend, the nerds. Many wore their nerves on their sleeves when around the Rangers. I thought their fanboy ways were utterly precious as most stammered through questions at the panels. I have the strangest attraction to geeks, so my heart was aflutter with the grown men dressed as "Tommy" and "Zack" (and/or "Adam" depending on who you ask). Even the ones who just wore their favorite Power Ranger shirt had me smiling. Do I dare say a huge crush was born that weekend? The guy may never know as I am also as socially unevolved as the majority of the crowd, but if he happens to stumble across this article in the vast space that is the internet, I want him to know I thought he was adorable to the tenth degree. How "Never Been Kissed" of me.
My crush aside, the panels were another gem of the convention. Panels weren´t only for showcasing Rangers; everything from stunts to music were explored. David was into the panels because they involved, "a lot of unexpected, behind the scenes stuff," especially Ron Wasserman´s panel about the music in Power Rangers. Fans not only got an inside look at the show, but had a chance to interact with their favorite good and bad guys. While Jason David Frank was asked repeatedly to do the evil Green Ranger laugh, he did it repeatedly and every time the crowd cheered as if it were the first time they'd heard it. Being a huge fan of MMPR, I found myself planted at every panel involving them. Five year old me sat star eyed throughout them all. I cannot begin to explain how it feels to see your childhood live in front of you as an adult.
During the MMPR panel a young man asked on behalf of his friend stuck outside because of capacity, if the panelists could share there favorite memory of Thuy Trang, the first Yellow, and my favorite ranger who passed away in 2001. I got choked up as everyone from "Ms. Applebee" to "Alpha" shared their fondest memories. We all knew she'd been gone for some time, but it was as if it'd just happened. For the panelists she was not just their coworker, she was their friend. For us in the crowd, she was one of our heroes. Thuy's character "Trini" was my favorite because unlike the Pink Ranger who always depended on "Tommy" and "Jason," "Trini" was more of the tomboy. So as a little girl who quickly traded skirts for scraped knees, I identified with her.
Soon after Trini left the show, "Aisha" entered and there I found a bigger influence; she was black. In the early 90's besides "Aisha" I had "Lisa Turtle" from Saved by the Bell and that was it. When I had a chance to talk with "Aisha," better known as Karan Ashley, she had this to say on being not only mine, but many young girls idols growing up, "I think it's the greatest honor that came out of having the job. It's what was most important to me; influencing young girls and actually giving them someone that looked like them to look up to because I know when I was growing up I didn't have anyone like that. It was important to be someone young and on TV who got to influence kids. People wrote me letters telling me how they looked up to me because I was a black female who was positive and that was the best thing ever."
While the Yellow Ranger was my favorite, "Tommy" was my love. He was cute, badass and so 90's with his ponytail. Jason David Frank's character entered our Ranger realm as the evil Green Ranger, but in the kid world evil only lasts so long and he soon became a good guy. Jason David Frank has been in the most Power Ranger episodes, so for years he's been a continuous force and it showed. Lines to meet him and get into his panel were like waiting for Justin Bieber. Joi, who was in and out of the convention all weekend due to work, waited in the endless line to meet her man, "I feel like it's cliché, but Tommy was my favorite Power Ranger. I first saw the evil Green Ranger series when I was like six or seven and that totally rocked my world. That cemented his place in my heart."
Jason David Frank stole hearts as "Tommy" and the limelight at every panel he was involved in. I´ve never heard someone so honest and entertaining. With his brash sense of humor about his time with the Rangers and his new career as a MMA fighter, there was no subject Jason wouldn´t touch. Even when one woman wanted to know if "Tommy" would've chosen "Kimberly" or "Cat." Jason thought and then gave the macho response of, "Why not both?"
Speaking of, a couple of things missing at the convention were some of the original Rangers, with the exception of "Trini." Many young girls loved "Kimberly" the Pink Ranger. She was their favorite color and always got the guy. However, she was MIA at PMC. Birthday girl Abby said this about her favorite Ranger, "I believed I was the Pink Ranger. You could not tell me different." Along with Abby and a couple girls decked out in pink spandex, you´d think "Kimberly" would've been there, but nope. Another favorite missing was "Jason" the Red Ranger who played a part in David´s life, "He inspired me a lot to take karate." Whether they were the reason kids loved the color pink or took to martial arts, those two Rangers were some of the most popular but weren´t there. What do the fans have to do to get all their favorites back together? I mean, even Blue Ranger, "Billy" was missed. So we all expect, and hope to see their faces at the next PMC in 2012.
I still sleep on Power Ranger sheets at 23, which I think among many other reasons, is the start of why I lack a normal adult social life, but after attending the PMC…I could care less. MMPR and the generations that followed are a part of pop culture that I am honored to have been a part of. From the panels that gave fans an in-depth look at our heroes, to the actual heroes themselves to the nerdy dude who took my breath away (but is oblivious to the fact), Power Morphicon had a lot going on. It´s a shame we won´t be able to be kids again until 2012, but until then we have our Power Ranger pogs and trading cards to hold us over.
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