Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Actor's Faces in Power Rangers Toys

This idea was given to me by fellow fan Raul Ramirez.

Auto-Morphin Power Rangers (Season Two)
I remember in the 1994 TV Guide Interview, Thuy Trang had said she didn't have the figures yet with their faces on it, the interview was before they were released, around the same time. The toys came out in Fall of 1994. They looked somewhat like them, I think the ones that look most like them was Jason, Tommy and Billy.
Actors: David Yost (Billy), Thuy Trang (Trini), Austin St. John (Jason), Walter Jones (Zack), Amy Jo Johnson (Kimberly) and Jason Frank (Tommy).

UPDATED 7/23/09
Doll Assortment
I totally forgot about these. I was the one that added them to the toy section on PRC, funny enough. I bought the Pink Ranger for my niece for Christmas way back when (in 1994), she loved it. She loved Kimberly. Anyway, they made one of Trini and Aisha as well. They repackaged the Kimberly and Aisha in sets in regular version and 'movie' sparkly version. Also, for Zeo they had planned Tommy, Tanya and Katherine but that never happened.


Season Three Auto-Morphin
When three actors were replaced, they got toys but the next year. Karen Ashley (Aisha), David Frank (Tommy), Steve Cardenas (Rocky), and Johnny Bosch (Adam). There was also movie versions.

Zeo Auto-Morphin
Tommy's head clearly looks like the one from the White Ranger. Rocky looks like a new head. Fans often take Katherine's head and attached it to MMPR Pink Ranger. David Frank (Tommy), Nakia Bruise (Tanya), Katherine Sutherland (Kat), Steve Cardenas (Rocky), Austin St. John (Jason) and Johnny Bosch (Adam).

Turbo Shifters
They had a different name but it was Auto-Morphing. I am not sure but it kind of looks like they got new models. David Frank (Tommy), Nakia Bruise (Tanya), Katherine Sutherland (Kat), Blake Foster (Justin), Austin St. John (Jason) and Johnny Bosch (Adam).

Lost Galaxy 10" Auto Morphin Power Rangers
2 years later and no Auto-Morphin to get 10" tall. Domon's figure look sort of like him, except for the red lips. Leo and Kai don't look like the actors. Danny Slavin (Leo), Reggie Rolle (Domon), and Archie Kao (Kai).

Time Force - Talking Ultra Power Rangers and Time Force Auto Morphin Rangers
The Auto-Morphin Rangers were only available in the United Kingdom. Only Lucas didn't really look like him. As for the Talking Ultra Power Rangers, the promotional picture of Daniel as Eric on the box was the first sight that fans had of the actor's face. The Lucas of the Talking Ultra figure looked like him but not in skin color. Jason Faunt (Wes), Kevin Kleinberg (Trip), Michael Copon (Lucas), and Daniel Southworth (Eric).

Wild Force Auto-Morphin
The Auto-Morphin came back for the female figures after five years. Alyssa looks nothing like her. Max, Danny, and Taylor sort of look alike. The Merrick picture is from the bigger figures. I don't have the picture of the Aut0-Morphin Merrick. Also, Zen-Aku flipped his head into Lunar Wolf Ranger head. Ricardo Medina, Jr. (Cole), Alyson Kiperman (Taylor), Phillip Jeanmarie (Max), Jessica Rey (Alyssa), Jack Guzman (Danny), and Phillip Andrew (Merrick).

Battlized Warrior Rangers
Danny, Max, Leo, and Merrick with Battlizers.

Ninja Storm - Talking Ninja Battle Power Rangers and Weapon Warrior Power Rangers and Red Wind Tsunami Cycle with Ninja Ranger
I don't have a good picture of Cam so didn't put it. Well, the Hunter and Dustin pics aren't specular either, but whatever. Tori was the only and may be the only 12" female figure and extremely hard to find. For Talking Ninja Battle figures, there was five and the Green Samurai Ranger had just flip helmet. Shane had maybe like 3 figures with face. And the males got Weapon Warrior Power Rangers. Cam got the Weapon Wariror and R/C Ninja Glider Cycle. I also think there was an early Red Ranger with a Caucasian (white) face, not looking at all like Shane. Pua Magasiva (Shane), Sally Martin (Tori), Glenn McMillan (Dustin), Adam Tuominen (Hunter), Jorgito Vargas Jr. (Blake), and Jason Chan (Cam).

Mega Battlized Talking Power Ranger, 12" Triassic Ranger & Raptor Cycle, Talking Thunder Power Rangers
Connor had like 5 or 6 figures,two battlized, one with a bike and others were the talking ones. Tommy had two figures, they look like him. Trent had two, one battlized and one talking. Ethan got one but I don't know if it looked like him. James Napier (Connor), Kevin Duhaney (Ethan), Jason David Frank (Tommy), and Jeffrey Parazzo (Trent).

SPD - Talking Power Rangers
They were not show-accurate at all, I don't have a picture of the Blue Ranger, but I am sure they didn't look like the actors. The problem is that these figures were produced before the show premiered. Brandon Jay McLaren (Jack), Chris Violette (Sky), and Matt Austin (Bridge).

Mystic Sound Power Rangers
This is probably the last time the females get figures with the actress' faces. They all look fairly accurate except for Nick. Firass Dirani (Nick), Angie Diaz (V), Richard Brancatisano (Xander), Melanie Vallejo (Madison), and Nic Sampson (Chip).

Operation Overdrive Moto-Morph Rangers
Mac and Tyzonn look accurate but the others don't. Mac got two other versions. James Maclurcan (Mac), Samuell Benta (Will), Gareth Yuen (Dax), and Dwayne Cameron (Tyzonn).

Series that didn't have figures modeled after the actor's faces: Power Rangers in Space, Lightspeed Rescue, Jungle Fury, and RPM.

Rangers that get didn't figures with a face: Katherine (MMPR), Andros, Cassie, Carlos, Ashley, TJ, Zhane, Karone, Kendrix, Maya, Mike, Carter, Dana, Joel, Kelsey, Chad, Ryan, Jen, Katie, Kira, Z, Syd, Daggeron, Rose, Ronnie, Casey, Theo, Lilly, RJ, Dominick, etc.

UPDATED JULY 24, 2009 3PM EST
Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog
All the Mystic Knight figures had the actors' faces because obviously their masks didn't cover everything. There were 2 figures for each I believe. They all fairly looked like their actors.
Actors: Lochlainn O'Mearain, Lisa Dwan, Vincent Walsh, Justin Pierre, Ben Palmer

Beetleborgs Metallix/Force
Beetle Blast'n Beetleborgs

For the second season, they had the figures in the new versions and same but with coating of their last colors. The faces slightly looked like the actors. Jo was hard to tell, as two actresses played her.
Wesley Barker, Herbie Baez, and Brittany Konarzewski

Saban's Masked Rider
Ecto Accelerating Masked Rider and Karate Kickin' Dex
There were three figures of 'Ecto Accelerating' which were like Auto-Morphin, but they all changed into Dex. Dex got his own figure that sort of looked like his outfit on his show--it looks more like suspenders than a jacket. Actor: T.J. Roberts


2 comments:

Mandrake said...

Neat! I remember MMPR Pink and Yellow getting Fashion dolls too. I had gotten Kimberly for Christmas and immediately lost one of her gloves.

Raúl Ramírez said...

Hey, thanks for the post!
Hopefully people will email you bigger and better pics of the toys, you should ask on the post hehehe

See ya!

-Raúl