San Diego Comic Con had some amazing surprises and reveals, and none of those were bigger than from our beloved Power Rangers series. From the Red/Gold ‘Austin St. John’ Ranger two pack, to the reveal of the Mighty Morphin’ Green Ranger/Putty two pack, to the official announcement of the Power Rangers Lightning Collection Wave 2, down to the 1:1 scale life-sized White Ranger cosplay helmet, each and every reveal was incredible, and the fact that they were all displayed at the booth was amazing to see.

Lest we forget that Green Ranger Razor scooter!

In terms of toys, Hasbro is trying very hard to work out the balance between children’s toys and adult collectors toys/items. And while there are some Beast Morphers zords and robots, and some preschool age playsets for kids coming out with the Wild Force zords on them, it left one burning question: Where in the world are the Megazords?! 

To help answer that question, I got together with Hasbro product designers Vanessa Fung to learn about some challenges/most exciting part about designing products for a franchise with such a deep, rich, and exciting dynasty as the Power Rangers has!

Hi Vanessa! Happy San Diego Comic-Con and thank you for giving Toy Wizards this interview. So for Hasbro, are you an all around product designer that extends into clothing, etc, or do you stick to toys?

Vanessa: I have been working on action figures for Hasbro, more specifically the Power Rangers Lightning Collection.

How did you feel when you were told that the Hasbro acquisition was happening from Saban and now Power Rangers was going to be added to your list of toys to design?

Vanessa: We were all really excited after hearing the news about Hasbro’s Power Rangers acquisition. We worked very closely with Saban, literally in the same office, while we were designing toys and making sure we were creating amazing products that everyone was happy with. It was a very good relationship, and it continues to be a good relationship. It was positive because everyone was sitting next to each other and collaborating, making sure we had the opportunity to create really unique products. I was really proud to be part of the process.

Hasbro has a ton of franchises. On a personal level, what’s your favorite franchise are you most excited by with the toy or the content?

Vanessa: That’s a great question! I really like working with the Jurassic World franchise. It’s been such a great learning experience as a young designer and I like the dinosaurs. It’s really helped me become a better designer for the Power Rangers franchise.

And my last question for you. You guys have done amazing work with that Lightning Collection. From the first wave to the second, the Green and Red Ranger two packs, and the Goldar exclusive for GameStop. But you know what– I’m a robot collector. So on behalf of all of my fellow Robot Lovers I have to ask. Vanessa– where are the MEGAZORDS?!

Vanessa: We keep getting this question and the message is loud and clear. They’re on a checklist and just keep with Hasbro because there’s more to come.

 

Toy Wizards’ Hasbro Power Rangers Booth Gallery:

 

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