POWER RANGERS to Power Up Comic-Con

Cast Appearances, Press Events, Activities and Merchandise to Celebrate the Iconic Franchise Source: Shout! Factory, Saban Brands press release Official Site: powerrangers.com Special Thanks to Tom Chen

Saban Brands’ Power Rangers will be back again at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International 2012, taking place July 12-15. The brand will have a bigger presence at SDCC than ever before, with POWERED Up news and events to celebrate the past, present, and future of the Power Rangers brand. “Power Rangers fans are going to be thrilled with the announcements and our lineup at Comic-Con this year,” said Elie Dekel, President of Saban Brands. “We have a lot up our sleeves and are excited to share a few exclusives and unveilings with our super fans.” Following its introduction, POWER RANGERS quickly became the most-watched children’s television program in the United States. Emphasizing the importance of teamwork, responsibility and helping others by following the adventures of a group of ordinary young people who “morphed” into superheroes, the series was seen in more than 60 countries, translated into numerous languages, and was a mainstay in the most prominent international children’s programming blocks. Power Rangers LLC, which licenses and merchandises the Power Rangers brand, is an affiliate of Saban Brands. Saban Brands will kick off the show with a special Shout! Factory panel on Thursday, July 12. The summit, “POWER RANGERS: 20 Years and Beyond,” will be held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront (Indigo Room) at 2pm. Moderated by Brian Ward (Shout! Factory DVD producer), panelists include Elie Dekel (President, Saban Brands), actor Paul Schrier (who played “Bulk” in the original series and in the current production), writer and supervising producer Tony Oliver (MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS), actor Alex Heartman (Jayden/Red Samurai Ranger), as well as other key talent and members of the creative team. The panelists will dive into the evolution of the Power Rangers franchise over the years, including the long-awaited debut of the series on DVD and the show’s resurgence on Nickelodeon with POWER RANGERS SUPER SAMURAI and much more. Immediately following this event, the panelists will remain available at the Shout! Factory booth for a signing.

Fans that head straight for the show floor will be able to find Power Rangers merchandise, giveaways, and activities at various licensees’ booths throughout the show. Bandai America Incorporated will be offering Limited Edition San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive, which includes 6 Ranger figures with metallic paint deco. Fans can purchase these at the Bandai America Inc. Booth #5136. The Mega Bloks booth (#3947) is solely dedicated to the Power Rangers brand featuring a progressive mural made of blocks, while various other licensees including Namco Bandai Games America Inc. (booth #5136), Mattel (booth #3029), Papercutz (booth #2546), Shout! Factory (booth #3849), WeLoveFine (booth #517), will also have a Power Rangers presence with exclusive items, game demos, products and more. Acme Archives (booth #5629) will be debuting the first ever piece in the Power Rangers art program, entitled “Red Ranger” by artist Dave Rapoza, available starting on Preview Night. In addition to all the swag at Comic-Con, attendees can keep their eyes peeled for the actual Power Rangers who will be around on the show floor throughout the entire show. They will also be making a special appearance at the Mattel Booth #3029 on Sunday at 10am. The excitement will continue well into the show, as fans can join the cast of the number one kids’ action series, POWER RANGERS SUPER SAMURAI, at 5th and Island Avenue for the reveal of a Power Rangers 3D Progressive Mural on Saturday, July 14 at 12pm. There will be POWERFUL franchise announcements and surprises that no Power Rangers enthusiast will want to miss. Following the mural unveiling, the Super Samurai cast will participate in a Q&A press event at a nearby hotel. Fans will also have the opportunity to see the cast of POWER RANGERS SUPER SAMURAI at the Nickelodeon Booth #4113 for an autograph signing on Saturday at 3pm. Actors Alex Heartman (Red Samurai Ranger), Najee De-Tiege (Blue Samurai Ranger), Erika Fong (Pink Samurai Ranger), Hector David Jr. (Green Samurai Ranger), Brittany Pirtle (Yellow Samurai Ranger) and Steven Skyler (Gold Samurai Ranger) will be on hand to meet and greet fans and pose for photos. Go Go Samurai! About Saban’s POWER RANGERS SUPER SAMURAI POWER RANGERS SUPER SAMURAI is the all-new, half-hour series that features a new cast of Rangers and never-before-seen villains, as well as high-octane action, martial arts and advanced special effects. New episodes premiere Saturdays at noon (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. Currently in its 19th season, POWER RANGERS SUPER SAMURAI is helmed by Haim Saban, who created and produced the original MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS series in 1993. Saban Brands’ POWER RANGERS MEGAFORCE Saban Brands will launch the newest version of Power Rangers, the number-one kids action series on television, with POWER RANGERS MEGAFORCE. The new series, which premieres in 2013, will deliver mega action, humor, excitement, and entertainment, in addition to the core themes of friendship, teamwork, fitness, and helping others. POWER RANGERS MEGAFORCE will air as Saban Brands celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Power Rangers franchise. The series will be helmed by Haim Saban.

About Saban Brands

Formed in 2010 as a subsidiary of Saban Capital Group, Saban Brands (SB) was established to acquire and develop a world-class portfolio of properties and capitalize on the company’s experience, track record and capabilities in growing and monetizing consumer brands. SB applies a strategic transmedia management approach to enhancing and extending its brands in markets worldwide and to consumers of all ages. The company provides full-service management, marketing, promotion and strategic business development for its intellectual properties including comprehensive strategies unique to each brand, trademark and copyright management and enforcement, creative design, retail development, direct-to-consumer initiatives and specialized property extensions. SB is led by a superior management team with decades of experience in licensing, marketing and finance. For more information, visit sabanbrands.com.

About Shout! Factory

Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY-nominated box sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.

For more information on Shout! Factory`s POWER RANGERS releases, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: