An Hour With... Joshua Moore, Author of 'Morphenomenal: How the Power Rangers Conquered the World'

I’ve often said that I was exactly the right age to initially think that Power Rangers was idiotic when it debuted in 1993, only to come to appreciate it when my kids discovered it in the early 2010s. Be it “good” or “bad,” it’s unlike anything else that existed before or (save for attempted knock-offs) since. In retrospect, it was an example of a large-scale commercial triumph, partly due to being the first of its kind and by delivering previously “foreign” genre elements to young American audiences.It proved to be a gateway drug for all kinds of geeky and fantastical properties, including a gradual move towards a “mainstream” acceptance of anime outside of Japan, while serving as a one-stop shop for everything (giant robots, slimy monsters, kaiju mayhem, martial arts, slapstick comedy, YA soap opera, and more) that a stereotypical American kid might crave. Furthermore, its difficulty in achieving commercial success beyond the small screen and the toy aisle early on highlighted the challenges of attaining cross-platform success.So it was with great interest that I scooped up Morphemenal, written by Kentucky-based journalist Joshua Moore. As hoped, it’s a captivating one-stop shop for everything notable related to the creation, evolution, and pop culture impact of the Power Rangers. It’s packed with nuggets of “new to me” trivia. For example, I somehow never knew that the first, now-30-year-old Power Rangers movie was essentially an Elseworld. It also provides a comprehensive context for more well-known historical nuggets, such as how the 9/11 attacks affected the show and the unpleasant circumstances behind David Yost’s departure.It all adds up to a singular tome that celebrates the show’s successes without ignoring its artistic and/or economic shortcomings. We spent most of the (edited for clarity and length) 75-minute conversation discussing our differing and mutual experiences with the property, its of-the-moment and in retrospect cultural impact and whether the franchise, which aired its “final” television season in 2023, is truly done. While we do discuss factoids and history that can be found in the book, I have tried to avoid extensively detailing its contents. I still want you to buy or borrow it and read it yourself. And with that, Forces of darkness empow… wait, sorry… I meant, “It’s Moprhin’ Time.” Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe