Austin St. John is back in the headlines and again it's for all the wrong reasons. In a February podcast interview with Jim Cummings, he said he planned a clothing line featuring quotes from leaders both famous and infamous, saying the German mustache guy "was a demon on steroids but he had some pretty good one-liners." This week, Power Rangers fans took notice of the comments and the former Red Ranger has faced backlash from nearly all corners. Tyler and Mike Manos offer their takes on what he said, and how fans and fan events should respond.

Mentioned in this episode:

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Amy Jo Johnson subtweets her former co-star
• Godzilla Minus One wins historic Oscar
• AnimeNJ++ relocates for 2024
• Anime Boston welcomes Lotus Juice
• Lineage Studios: "EVERYTHING MUST GO GO"

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Koichi Sakamoto is a household name for Power Rangers fans. The Japanese American director and producer best known for his work on Power Rangers from the mid-1990s up through 2009 before heading to Japan and working on iconic tokusatsu franchises. His new movie is Ninja vs. Shark, out now on Blu-ray.

We spoke to Sakamoto-san at AnimeNJ++. Thanks to John Sirabella of Media Blasters for his help in arranging this interview. We'll talk more about the convention in our next episode. Be sure to check out the video version of this episode.

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Tyler and Mike Manos talk about the episodes "Team Work," "Rock Out" and "Take Off." We also discuss some developments on the Power Rangers and Sentai fronts.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Incoming Power Rangers overlord Jonathan Entwistle to helm new Karate Kid movie
• Legend of the White Dragon two-pack available for pre-order
• Meet Olivia Hart, the Green Ranger of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return
• Shiro Izumi coming to Power Morphicon
• Trailer released for Garo: The Inheritor of Steel
• Bandai shows off Memorial D-Sword Vega
• Tsuburaya announces School Girl vs. Ultraman: Hollyhock

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We're pleased to bring you an interview with Pan, the face, voice and pen behind the tokusatsu-themed idol project Bakery Sentai Panranger. Pan (they/them) this week released their first original song, GUARDIAN. We talked to them about their background, style and the rigors of a summer spent performing at cons and other events all over the country.

Mentioned in the news segment:

• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie going out of print
• TokuSHOUTsu asks eight fans to share the tokusatsu they're thankful for
• Kickstarter preorders are live for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return, co-written by Amy Jo Johnson

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Get your Black Friday shopping done at Entertainment Earth! Check out their sale on action figures and use the code HOLIDAY39 through Nov. 28 for free shipping on orders $39 and up.

(Photo by Parallax.Photos)

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In this episode, we finally get to discussing the first few episodes of Power Rangers Cosmic Fury: Lightning Strikes, Beyond Repair and Off Grid.

We also talk about some toy news, some comic news and a rare mention of Sentai in People magazine. We discuss the arrest of Gokaiger and Garo actor Junya Ikeda and mourn the passing of Eka Darville's young son, Mana.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Funko Pop! Tyrannosaurus Dinozord at Target
• BOOM! Studios Direct Reserve Kickstarter campaign for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return
• Dannielynn Birkhead, daughter of Anna Nicole Smith, cosplays as Donbrothers' Oni Sister for Halloween
• Dekaranger to get a 20th anniversary movie
• Kyoryuger marks 10th anniversary with two-episode King-Ohger crossover
• New Garo series coming next year
• Agency drops Junya Ikeda after fraud arrest
• Mana Darville, son of RPM's Eka Darville, dies after battle with brain cancer

]Want to know where Rangercast got its refreshed logo? Fiverr. Connect with freelancers and the right service in more than 600 categories, from graphic design to programming.

This episode was recorded just prior to the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, so we glossed over Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always to honor the union's guidance.

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Tyler sat down virtually with Andrew Bush, director of the Kickstarter tokusatsu project Metal Force. The project aims to create a horror-tinged short. The project is about a metal band that gets abducted by aliens and granted superpowers. It has raised more than $4,000, twice its initial goal. Funding closes next Monday.

(This recording makes reference to the Writers Guild of America strike. The WGA has since reached a tentative deal with producers. The SAG-AFTRA strike remains ongoing.)

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Tyler and Josh talk about the Power Rangers Cosmic Fury teasers and details, including the return of Billy and other old friends. We also break down the 30th-anniversary comic release (spoiler warning). And Power Rangers Day was on Aug. 28. We talk about how Hasbro did and didn't celebrate it.

Referenced in this episode:

• David Yost returns in Cosmic Fury -- get a sneak peek
• SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator blasts studios for refusing talks
• A first look at the Lightning Collection Master Morpher
• 30th-anniversary Funko Pops: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Pink, Black, Ranger Slayer
• Super7 unveils Vile Violet Rita Repulsa
• SuperX MMPR hoodies coming later this month
• Hasbro Pulse lists 30th anniversary tee
• Melissa Flores AMA on r/PowerRangers
• Fresh off Entertainment One sale, Hasbro launches Hasbro Entertainment
• Power Bow and Power Axe tipped for HasLab

Rangercast may receive a commission from links to products mentioned in the show notes.

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Summer travel plans are forcing us into a brief hiatus, We expect to be back in late August to talk about news including Lionsgate's planned acquisition of Entertainment One.

For this episode, we turn the clock back to 2008 and Anime Central in Chicago. Jason David Frank, Robert Axelrod, Steve Cardenas and Karan Ashley held court for fan press at one of the first conventions to invite guests from the franchise. Here unguarded reminiscing on the show's early days and lots of laughs. Thanks to Lisa J of No Pink Spandex for her help in recording the original episode from whence this came and to Rangercast listener Lee Sands for saving the file after all these years.

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Tyler and Josh talk about the news (or lack thereof) out of San Diego Comic-Con. Hasbro's repositioning and the ongoing strikes of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA may keep us waiting a while for the future of Power Rangers. In the meantime, the Lightning Collection line will be put on pause. We talk about the series of events that got us here and the people and events responsible for Power Rangers' apparent second-class status in the Hasbro empire.

• Hasbro: "Development is ongoing" on Jenny Klein-led Power Rangers series
• Lionsgate leading suitor for Entertainment One
• Shin Ultraman distributor Cleopatra Entertainment releases new pressing with better subtitles
• Toei releases the concept and design for Kamen Rider Gotchard
• BOOM! Studios teases 30th-anniversary book, Amy Jo Johnson limited series
• Ranger Academy comic series hits shelves in October
• Reshoots lead to postponement of Legend of the White Dragon
• Hasbro PulseCon set for Sept. 22

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After New Zealand media confirm Power Rangers is leaving its longtime production home, Tyler and Lamar reflect on what they'll miss and chat about what may be to come.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Leak reveals Lightning Collection Omega Rangers
• threezero drops Armored Black Ranger
• An early look at the Cosmic Fury Megazord
• Once & Always soundtrack on Spotify and Apple Music
• Super7's SDCC offerings
• Shodo SUPER Megaranger team available in December from Premium Bandai
• Johnny Yong Bosch is Ultraman Blazar
• Toei's Shinichi Shirakura tasked with promoting Kamen Rider and Super Sentai internationally
• New trailer for Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger's 20th anniversary film
• Tsuburaya expands Ultraman licensing program
• Shin Kamen Rider to Amazon Prime on July 21
• Teaser out for Godzilla Minus One
• Toho plans two western e-commerce sites, one just for Godzilla
• Miryokucon (which Tyler staffs) is Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 in downtown Baltimore

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Despite no new episodes of Power Rangers until the fall, there's still some news we had to get through. Tyler and Josh talk about toy developments in the US and Japan and some other recent developments.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Roku Channel adds Power Rangers
• Our first look at the Cosmic Morpher toy
• SOC Daizyujin and Dragon Caesar reissues
• Preorders open for Kamen Rider Black RX Blu-ray set
• Buy a Shin Japan Heroes transforming toy
• Bandai Namco gets the master toy license for Ultraman in North America
• Toei trademarks Kamen Rider Gotchard
• Tsuburaya announces Ultraman Music Live
• Jason David Frank's family insists he approved of projects announced after his death
• Landlord sues JDF's karate school for unpaid rent
• Showrunner Simon Bennett confirms Cosmic Fury is his last rodeo
• Reddit moderators protest change to site's API policy but CEO stands firm
• Member of fan community needs help with severe post-COVID complications

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For scheduling reasons, we are taking a few weeks off. But we're not leaving you empty-handed.

Robert Axelrod is best known for being the voice of Lord Zedd and Finster, among other things, on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. A prolific voice actor, he followed Tony Oliver and other Robotech regulars over to Saban. His credits included Wizardmon and Ankylomon from Digimon, Emperor Darius in the William Winckler Productions dub of Dino Mech Gaiking and various roles in shows like Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and Hajime no Ippo. In later years, he reached broader audiences through his work with the comedy duo Tim and Eric. He died in 2019 after a long illness.

In 2006, he gave about 20 minutes of his time to a nervous 17-year-old kid. Here is a lightly edited version of that conversation.

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Photo by 5of7 - CC BY-SA 2.0

Thanks to Rangercast listener Lee Sands for preserving the archived audio of this conversation.

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Picking up from where we left off in the previous episode, Tyler, Mike, Josh and Lamar talk about all the news we couldn't fit into one episode.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Power Rangers Hyperforce returns in upcoming one-shot
• U.S. theaters list Shin Kamen Rider on May 31
• Vintage Henshin visits the POWER UP! mall tour
• Ranger Liz's dispatch from the POWER UP! tour
• Amazon lists Power Rangers 30th anniversary apparel
• Hasbro moves closer to selling Entertainment One
• Ultraman BlazAr announced, will get simultaneous English dub
• Hasbro completes the Lightning Collection Remastered team

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Tyler, Mike, Josh and Lamar talk about "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always," perhaps the most anticipated episode of the show since "The Mutiny." Yes, there will be spoilers ahead.

Referenced in this episode:

• Johnny Yong Bosch says the story of the special could continue if streaming numbers merit
• David Yost and Walter Jones discuss the dedication at the end of the special
• Catherine Sutherland discusses her experience working on the special
• Yost: "You never stop being a Power Ranger"

Our next episode, which was recorded immediately after this one, includes all the news that couldn't fit.

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Like clockwork, a couple of days after we last recorded, Netflix dropped the trailer for "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always," the special set to release on April 19. Tyler and Lamar are here to talk about it.

In other news:

• "Legacy Wars" Z-Putty prank
• Amy Jo Johnson dishes on her "Power Rangers" comic series
• BOOM! Studios sets up Kickstarter for their next hardcover set
• Ultraman Z dub heads to YouTube
• Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club streams Power Rangers in Space for Japanese viewers

Subreddit Spotlight: u/kendiesel937 points out lax quality control on a children's book adaptation of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie"

Recorded Sunday, April 2, 2023

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Tyler, Lamar, Josh and Tori talk about the innovations of the Power Rangers comics and catch up on all the news we've missed in our month away, including intriguing details on the 30th anniversary special and the release of the Zord Ascension Project Astro Megazord. Forgive Tyler if he sounds a bit loopy. He recorded this while fighting a cold.

Mentioned in the show:

• Doug Sloan considers dishing on the inner workings of Power Rangers
• Eka Darville asks for help funding his son's glioblastoma treatment
• MintBari video looking back at the story of Jack Olesker
• Legend of the White Dragon to get limited theater release
• Tickets available for March 22 screenings of Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
• Lord Drakkon gets his own rangers in Power Rangers Unlimited
• A first look at Mighty Morphin Power Rangers No. 106
• Shozo Iizuka, longtime tokusatsu voice actor, dead at 89
• Generation Kikaida to close online store in June
• Tori speaks about how Power Rangers aided their journey to coming out

Recorded March 9, 2023

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Tyler, Lamar and Josh bemoan the state of the Lightning Collection. We also talk about troubling layoff news out of Hasbro and react to the latest announcements from Renegade Games Studios.

Mentioned in the show:

• SPD To The Rescue Expansion for Deck Building Game
• Heroes of the Grid: Shadow of Venjix Theme Pack
• Ranger Allies Pack #3 includes Doctor K, Delphine
• Hasbro lays off 1,000 while implementing new business plan
• David Yost shares the script for the first part of Quantum Continuum
• Discotek announces Kamen Rider Black RX
• John Sirabella of Media Blasters gives an update on his Kamen Rider releases
• Titan promises translation fixes for Kamen Rider Kuuga manga

Post of the week: u/Mikecasual shows off his Delta Squad Megazord Lego build

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Tyler, Lamar, Mike and guest host Josh (/r/powerrangers moderator RazgrizInfinity) react to a Hasbro stream full of big reveals. We got a rough synopsis of the 30th-anniversary special and a look behind the scenes of the special dropping on Netflix April 19. We got a fresh look at Cosmic Fury and all the ranger suits. Hasbro also showed off toys in the pipeline, including refreshed looks for MMPR toys.

Mentioned in the show:

• Featurette offers a look behind the scenes at "Once & Always"
• Entertainment Weekly teases a familiar foe
• Shin Ultraman Ultra Slashes its way to more than $600,000 at the box office
• Cleopatra Entertainment acquires home media and VOD rights to Shin Ultraman
• Mesogog, DinoThunder Black among 2023 Lightning Collection releases; Hasbro gives a peek at Remastered line
• Cosmic Fury suits fully revealed

Post of the week: A user made a 3D-printed mashup of Tommy's MMPR zords

In memory of William Frederick Knight, 1933-2022

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Tyler and Lamar welcome voice actor, graphic designer and writer Mike Dent. Dent, a former Rangercast co-host, also created the podcast R5 Central and hosted Otaku USA's Friday ACE Podcast for a spell. More recently, he's had a hand in tokusatsu projects for Shout! Factory and Discotek Media. We ask him about his origin story and get him to explain the staying power of Space Sheriff Gavan.

Also, we discuss toy news and leaks, the current whereabouts of a key Masked Rider prop and mourn the passing of the legendary anison singer Ichiro Mizuki. Mizuki had an association with Super Sentai dating back to JAKQ Dengekitai.

Relevant links:

Hear Mike in a trailer for a recent sneak-peek of the Kamen Rider Zero-One comic

TMNT crossover comics are back

New soundstages at Auckland Film Studios

Ferbus is safe

New Zord Ascension Project logo hints at Tigerzord

Ichiro Mizuki, the Emperor of Anime Songs, dead at 74

Post of the week: Day of the Dumpster upscaled

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As we continue to grieve the loss of Jason David Frank, Tyler and Lamar talk about the moments that made Tommy special to legions of fans.

Also in the news:

• Stunt professionals offer explosive experiences to tourists at Mt. Iwafune
• Hasbro looks to offload Entertainment One
• Ranger Academy series to launch on Free Comic Book Day
• Abaranger 20th anniversary project in production
• Core five Hurricanger team reunites for 20th anniversary special
• Jason David Frank's widow speaks out
• Ranger Command Power Hour shares recent interview with JDF

Additional music by Ruki X Music and Ron Wasserman

If you need help for yourself or someone you know, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

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