The Power Trip: A Journey Through the Power Rangers Franchise - podcast cover

The Power Trip: A Journey Through the Power Rangers Franchise

Michael Hamilton & Nathan Marchandpowertrippod.podbean.com
To celebrate the 29th anniversary of Power Rangers, Michael Hamilton (Kaiju Weekly, The Kaiju Groupie Podcast) and Nathan Marchand (The Monster Island Film Vault, Henshin Men) embark on a journey through every season of the famous morphenomenal franchise.

Episodes

Lightning Round #21: INTERVIEW - Nathan Marchand, Creator of ‘Origins: Rito Bandora’

In this dual-upload with The Power Trip's spiritual successor, Henshin Power V3, the tables have turned—Nathan is interviewed on his own podcast! Why? Because he “Mel Gibson’d” (wrote, directed, edited, produced, and starred in) a one-shot origin episode for Scyther Podcasts’ Power Rangers: The Audiodrama titled “Origins: Rito Bandora.” Nathan explains how he got the role of Rito Bandora (or Rito Revolto, depending on who you talk to) and how this special episode came about. Also, the Snarky Bon...

Jan 06, 202558 min

ANNOUNCEMENT: Subscribe to Henshin Power V3 on Its Own Podcast Feed!

Nathan clears up some confusion regarding the new podcast, Henshin Power V3, which picks up where The Power Trip and Henshin Men left off. This podcast is on its own feed. Below are links to the most prominent places you can hear it, but subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/henshin-power-v3/id1755399974 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4mLqoHlO7IvTDivem9T1iv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HenshinPowerV3 Podbean (official w...

Sep 17, 20243 min

BONUS - Henshin Power V3, Episode 1: “The Henshin-itiation” (Introduction)

Listeners! Lend us your…henshin power! Nathan Marchand (aka “The TsuBro”) returns to tokusatsu TV podcasting in this fused sequel to Henshin Men and The Power Trip. He’s joined by his friends Christopher Riner (aka “Sentai Guy”) and Jake Hambrick (aka “The Metal Don”) for this journey. In this episode, they introduce themselves, how they got into tokusatsu, and why they wanted to podcast about it. Then they outline the show’s format and reveal what three series they’ll cover first—after Kamen Ri...

Jul 10, 20241 hr 26 min

NEW PODCAST - Henshin Power V3 (promo trailer)

Henshin Power V3: Where three friends have three minutes to talk about tokusatsu! Nathan (aka “The TsuBro”) has finished both Henshin Men and The Power Trip, but his friends Chris (aka “Sentai Guy”) and Jake (aka “The Metal Don”) won’t let him stop discussing henshin heroes just yet! A new tokusatsu journey begins July 10, 2024 (Ultraman Day)! Podcast Socials: Twitter/X: @HenshinPowerV3 The Markalite Lounge (official Facebook group) The Markalite Lounger (official Discord server) Power Rangers L...

Jul 03, 20242 min

Lightning Round #20: “The Final Henshin” (Henshin Men and Power Trip Postmortem) | Ft. Christopher Riner and Jake Hambrick

All good things must come to an end, and today that is Henshin Men (and to a lesser extent, The Power Trip). Nathan’s friends/fans/past guests Christopher Riner and Jake Hambrick return to discuss their favorite episodes and moments from both podcasts—for three minutes! Why’s that? Well, the end is not the end, Heroes of the Internet and Listeners with Attitude! This is all being done because both podcasts will do a fusion dance to merge into a new show—Henshin Power V3! Time to get the Hype Tra...

May 01, 20241 hr 35 min

Lightning Round #19: An Interview with James Santana, Founder of TokUSA Studios, on The World of Nebulon (abridged)

In this excerpt from a Patreon-exclusive livestream for his other podcast, The Monster Island Film Vault, Nathan interviews James Santana, a comic nerd and tokusatsu fan who combined his passions by starting his own comic book label, TokUSA Studios. His goal is to bridge the gap between tokusatsu/manga fans and comic readers by offering them books inspired by the likes of Super Sentai and Ultraman, among others. He's currently spearheading a Kickstarter for The World of Nebulon, a preview book s...

Apr 22, 20241 hr 53 min

The World of Nebulon - A Tokusatsu-Inspired Comic Now on Kickstarter!

This Preview Book will allow you to take a look into, "The Nebuverse," a world of Tokusatsu heroes & villains. Behind the scenes, Hunter van Lierop & James Santana have been working with their amazing team of Gaspar Flores & CJ Billotto to create a universe inspired by some of their favorite franchises and genres. Go to Kickstarter to support this new indie comic from TokUSA!...

Apr 12, 202459 sec

Episode 41: “What a Long, Strange (Power) Trip It’s Been” | Franchise Overview & 30 Best Power Ranger Characters

All good things must come to an end…including The Power Trip. After recording nearly one week of audio over almost 60 uploads, Michael and Nathan complete their journey through the Power Ranger franchise in this finale livestream recorded before the members of the show’s official Facebook group, Power Ranger Legacy. They reflect on the franchise, what the podcast has meant to them, their 30 favorite PR characters, and what the future of the podcast (and their related endeavors) will look like. T...

Feb 20, 20243 hr 4 min

Episode 40: Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury (2023)

Well, we’ve made it, Listeners with Attitude. The 30th season of Power Rangers has come and gone, but did it go out with a bang or end with a whimper? Michael and Nathan discuss the 10-episode season and try to determine if Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury is a fitting end to the franchise’s epic 30-year run, or if it will be remembered more for its unrealized potential. Prepare yourself for a lively discussion full of laughs and an abundance of Dragon Daggers … sooo many Dragon Daggers! -------------...

Oct 31, 20233 hr 35 min

Episode 39: “Monkey Man and Bastard Must Get Along!” | Denji Sentai Megaranger | Ft. Kaiju Kim

The Queen of the Fabulous Empire, YouTuber extraordinaire, Kaiju Kim, returns to help the boys discuss the Sentai that became her favorite Power Rangers season: Denji Sentai Megaranger. What’s ironic is this Sentai feels more like a classic PR season while its counterpart, Power Rangers in Space, feels more like a Sentai. But is it fair to compare these shows when PRIS has the advantages of legacy and finality while Megaranger is just another Sentai? Can the #BlueWigsAndBlackLeather finally brea...

Sep 29, 20233 hr 10 min

Episode 38: “Let’s Send That Dinobot Packing!” | Himitsu Sentai Gorenger Manga by Shotaro Ishinomori | Seven Seas Entertainment

Today’s episode is a weird one. It’s The Power Trip’s first solo episode, with Nathan doing more comic book coverage…except it’s a manga…about the first Super Sentai…so it’s only peripherally related to Power Rangers. Anyway, thanks to Seven Seas Entertainment (who also translated and published the original Kamen Rider manga ), Americans can now experience Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, which was created in 1975 by the Jack Kirby of manga, Shotaro Ishinomori. But if you read this graphic novel, be pre...

Sep 27, 202356 min

Episode 37 – “You Aren’t Allowed to Like Turbo Without My Permission!” | Gekisou Sentai Carranger | Ft. Drew Dodgen of The Cel Cast

Save the “Earsh”! Michael and Nathan risk their friendship returning to a controversial subject—Power Rangers Turbo—which is why they brought on Drew Dodgen of The Cel Cast to moderate. Today they discuss Turbo’s source material, Gekisou Sentai Carranger, a parody Sentai that lovingly mocks the franchise. To say most of the humor was lost in translation would be an understatement. Not that American kids would understand most of it, anyway, because it’s weird. But that’s the charm…even if it bord...

Sep 16, 20234 hr 8 min

Lightning Round #18: Godzilla vs. Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers (IDW/Boom Studios)

Happy (belated) Power Ranger Day, Listeners with Attitude! To celebrate, Nathan held a colossal crossover of content creators for an equally colossal comic crossover: IDW/BOOM Studios’ Godzilla vs. Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers! He’s joined by Daniel DiManna ( Godzilla Novelization Project ), Rob Buck (The Power Chamber podcast), Ryan “ The Omni Viewer ” Collins (and his sidekick, Snazzy Chapeau), Elijah Thomas of Kaiju Conversation (who finally completes his “Infinity Gauntlet” of Nathan and Mi...

Sep 06, 20232 hr 49 min

Episode 36: “The Peanut Butter and Chocolate of Badness” | Power Rangers Turbo vs. Beetleborgs Metallix (Acclaim Comics)

In this episode, Michael and Nate discuss arguably one of the weirdest entries in Ranger history—a crossover of Divatoxic proportions—Power Rangers Turbo vs. Beetleborgs Metallix, a comic published in 1997 by Acclaim (now Valiant) Comics. It was one of three Turbo stories published in the short-lived Saban Powerhouse magazine. After Nathan gives Michael a crash course in the history of Big Bad Beetleborgs and Valiant Comics, your hosts do talk about Turbo—and are frequently interrupted by Beetle...

Jul 24, 20231 hr 18 min

Episode 35 - ”Mechanical Kissing Cousins” (Chouriki Sentai Ohranger)

We’re back, baby! After a brief hiatus thanks to Once & Always,Michael and Nathan resume their Super Sentai coverage with Chouriki Sentai Ohranger. This was the basis for Power Rangers Zeo, but it’s quite different. It even has shades of Ultraman with its military team battling evil robots. Speaking of which, the “Machine Empire” in this is like watching Game of Thrones except it’s tokusatsu. It’s just too bad the show ends up being bipolar tonally thanks to real-life tragedies. What were th...

Jun 20, 20234 hr 30 min

Tokusatsu 101 (JAFAX 2023 Panel)

Nathan Marchand gives you a crash course on the tokusatsu medium! This was recorded at JAFAX (Japanese Animation, Film, and Art Expo) June 9-11, 2023. This is also premiering on The Monster Island Film Vault YouTube channel, and the audio will be shared on the MIFV podcast feed. Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/zvh09FrXqLM . ----------------------------------------------- EMAIL FEEDBACK TO THE SHOW: [email protected] ----------------------------------------------- FOLLOW THE S...

Jun 14, 20231 hr 5 min

Episode 34 - Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Once & Aways (2023)

And there came a day unlike any other…oops, wrong superhero franchise. Anyway, it’s finally here! Power Rangers celebrates its 30th anniversary with its best anniversary special (although, that bar isn’t set too high). Michael and Nathan dive deep (3 ½ hours on a one-hour special?!) into this MMPR reunion. Is this the mature take on the franchise we’ve been wanting? They sure think so! That’s especially true with its theme of grief, because—holy Zordon!—a Ranger dies! And it finally sticks! And ...

Apr 28, 20233 hr 39 min

Episode 33: “Addicted to Goldar Dust” | Saban’s Power Rangers: Aftershock (BOOM! Studios)

For this live recording, Michael and Nathan discuss BOOM! Studios’ follow-up to the polarizing Saban's Power Rangers (2017): Power Rangers: Aftershock. While this comic unfortunately exists within a vacuum, the guys discuss whether it's a worthy, or at least satisfying, successor to the controversial film. In some ways, it feels more like classic Power Rangers (more time morphed, witty banter) but in other ways, it doesn’t (the villains feel straight out of Marvel Comics). Much to the chagrin of...

Apr 20, 20231 hr 7 min

Episode 32: “Today is Friday in California!” (Ninja Sentai Kakuranger)

Michael and Nathan come to the strangest and most meme-tastic Super Sentai series yet with Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (not to be confused with the Dairangers’ mentor, Master Kaku). After several seasons based on foreign literature and mythology, Kakuranger goes full-tilt Japanese with ninjas fighting Yokai. The fact that any of this was adapted into Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers season three is a small miracle (a flasher monster?!), but it’s Alien Rangers’ radical re-contextualization that’s the mo...

Apr 07, 20234 hr 18 min

Episode 31: “Putties Stole My Dog!” | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 25th Anniversary Special #1 (BOOM! Studios)

With the 30th anniversary of Power Rangers around the corner, Nathan and Michael dive into their longboxes (well, a shortbox for Michael) to discuss Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 25th Anniversary Special #1. This was an extra-large anthology comic with several short stories that span the franchise. It naturally includes two (-and-a-half) MMPR stories, but it also inexplicably has a Mystic Force tale and a Ninja Steel crossover. The meat of the episode, though, is dedicated to the issue’s final st...

Mar 22, 20231 hr 38 min

Episode 30: “Can You Dodge Our Lai Lai Balls?” | Gosei Sentai Dairanger | Ft. Daniel DiManna and Travis Alexander

You spoke it into existence, Listeners with Attitude! Our first five-hour episode! We’re joined by our two friends, Daniel DiManna ( Godzilla Novelization Project ) and Travis Alexander ( Kaiju Ramen Magazine ) to discuss Gosei Sentai Dairanger. This Sentai is in a weird place because it was only sorta adapted by Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers—as in they used mecha footage and some monster footage. The awesome costumes in this series were unused…until Megaforce (but we don’t talk about Megaforce)...

Mar 01, 20235 hr 23 min

Episode 29: “Twelfth Level Stupidity ” (Justice League/Power Rangers - DC Comics/BOOM! Studios)

Nathan is in his element while Michael tags along when The Power Trip finally covers its first BOOM! Studios Power Ranger comic…that was a co-production with DC Comics. So…does it count? Regardless, in Justice League/Power Rangers, the most iconic superheroes in the world join forces with the Teenagers with Attitude—and it’s a match made in comic book heaven. Nathan schools Michael on characters like the villainous A.I. Brainiac, but both of them gush over how incredibly cool Alpha-5 is in this ...

Feb 14, 20231 hr 38 min

Episode 28: “Do-do-ra-ra Bandora!” (Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger)

The Power Trip begins its Super Sentai coverage! Michael and Nathan make a U-turn and go back to Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers—sorta—with Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger, which became MMPR season one. How does it compare? These shows are the same and yet quite different, if that makes sense. It was hard for your hosts to choose one over the other. Contrary to popular belief, Super Sentai isn’t “perfect.” Regardless, this show does hit both hosts differently in light of Jason David Frank’s death. They al...

Jan 31, 20234 hr 8 min

Lightning Round #17: Hasbro Pulse Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Fanstream Reaction (feat. Danny DiManna)

For the first Lightning Round of 2023, Michael and Nate are joined by their friend Danny DiManna of the Godzilla Novelization Project to discuss all the things surrounding the 30th Anniversary of Power Rangers, Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury, new product teases, and all things in between. The guys speculate what Hasbro has in store for "Once and Always", and try to decipher the easter eggs found in the "Rangers Reunited" behind the scenes first look. ----------------------------------------------- E...

Jan 18, 20231 hr 41 min

Episode 27: “Call Me Mommy Repulsa!” (Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers – Going Green | Papercutz Comics)

Happy New Year, Listeners with Attitude! We’re kicking off Power Trip 2: Taisaku Sentai Podranger (aka season two) with some comic coverage—but not BOOM! Studios! No, it’s Going Green, the last Ranger comic produced before BOOM! acquired the license, and it’s…wacky, to say the least. If you heard our episode on The Monster Island Film Vault about “Green with Evil,” then you know this comic is a prequel to that miniseries. It explains how Rita acquired the Green Power Coin—while fighting vegetabl...

Jan 17, 20231 hr 22 min

Power Trip 2: Taisaku Sentai Podranger Trailer (Season 2 Promo)

Michael (Kaiju Weekly, The Kaiju Groupie Podcast) and Nathan (The Monster Island Film Vault, Henshin Men, Power Rangers: The Audio Drama) have spent a year analyzing the nearly 1,000 episodes and three movies in the Power Rangers franchise. Michael is content to finish, but Nathan wants a season 2—and so does the great Ninjor, er, Ninjaman! He tells the “Power Nerds” what they can do to tide themselves over until the anniversary. Listen to find out! Featuring Daniel DiManna as Ninjaman. --------...

Jan 10, 20233 min

Lightning Round #16: Aye-Aye-Aye’ll Be Home for Christmas (‘Alpha’s Magical Christmas,’ MMPR Season 2)

Merry Christmas, Listeners with Attitude! In true Power Rangers fashion, The Power Trip’s first season “ends” with a holiday special! Nathan and Michael harken back to Mighty Morphin’ season two to discuss a VHS episode that originally went out to members of the Power Rangers Fan Club: “Alpha’s Magical Christmas.” Oh boy, this (thankfully) non-canonical special is so saccharine, it’s guaranteed to give you diabetes. And it’s nothing like the show. What’s funny is your intrepid hosts discovered t...

Dec 20, 20221 hr 9 min

Episode 26: Countdown to Celebration (Afterword, Season 1 Finale)

And so Michael and Nathan come to their journey’s end…for now. After one year, 995 TV episodes, and three movies, your intrepid hosts have much to say about the Power Rangers franchise. They begin with some personal reflections on this long endeavor followed by having some fun picking their Ranger “dream teams” (and yes, they both felt obligated to include Tommy Oliver). The main event of the episode, though, is when they put every series and film into a Tiermaker tier list. There was gushing an...

Dec 17, 20224 hr 25 min

Lightning Round #15: A Conversation with Andrew Bush, Director of ‘Amano Recon’ (an IndieGoGo Project)

Looking for an independent R-rated horror-comedy tokusatsu series about a metal band fighting the men in black? If that outrageously unique premise strikes your fancy, Amano Recon is for you! Nathan sits down with Andrew Bush, the director of this upcoming series, and discusses the characters and many influences that went into this crowdfunded project—including Kamen Rider Black, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, and The X-Files. There’s even a possibility that a pair of Power Ranger alumni could b...

Dec 15, 202257 min

Lightning Round #14: Ranking the Neo-Saban and Beyond Era of Power Rangers

Nathan and Michael reach end of the third era of Power Rangers and the beginning of the current one. So, since the Hasbro Era only has two series (currently) to it, they’ve combined it with the previous one and calling it “Neo-Saban and Beyond.” This isn’t the shortest era, but it does have the fewest entries for them to discuss (six series and a movie). Strangely, your intrepid hosts disagreed most on what should be on the bottom of the list more than anything else. What did they rank as the wo...

Dec 14, 20221 hr 23 min
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