When first hearing the great news that Reel Talk had received press passes for the 2017 Rhode Island Comic Con, I had one personal goal in mind- to meet Jason David Frank. For anyone that knows me and is a reader of the site, you may remember I wrote a piece on my top 10 favorite Mighty Morphin Power Rangers episodes back in March which confirmed two things, the Power Ranger obsession has been a prevalent thing since the early days of my youth and at the forefront was 7 year old David’s morphing hero, Tommy Oliver.
Days before, Frank himself had stated in a post on Instagram, how he was told to “never meet your heroes because they will disappoint you.” I can report that was not the case in my situation as Frank was a joy to meet and took the time to ask my name and compliment the piece in which I had signed. By the half smile on my face, I was overcome with happiness at meeting one of my childhood heroes.
The day continued at an after-hours Jason David Frank panel took place. The perks of the press pass put us front and center in the very first row. As JDF was Instagram live-ing backstage, me and the rest of the crowd were anxiously anticipating his entrance. The backdrop showed a video package to what JDF had been up to outside of acting, specifically in MMA – mixed martial arts. The video showed JDF training along with showing in the cage action. The panel was moderated by Clare Kramer, who you may remember as Glory on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who proceeded to introduce him after the video had completed.
The panel itself opened with JDF talking about his personal experiences with his trainer and how he is in the process of receiving his 9th-degree black belt – an incredible accomplishment as the highest degree is a 10th. He mentioned that while he had only been in 7-8 professional bouts in MMA, he had been in 100s of sparing matches.
One of my biggest takeaways from the panel is JDF remembering fans names from previous meetings – an unlikely situation for most celebrities in the convention scene. He also mentioned that he tries to stay humble despite his large fanbase and has no issue signing extra items for fans if requested at no charge – an even unlikelier situation to occur with most celebrities.
The final question touched on a topic most Ranger fans have been wondering- the future of the Power Rangers film sequel. He stated that he feels there will be a sequel and would not be opposed to playing Tommy Oliver’s father in the film. So producers, listen up and call the man.
The meet and greet and the panel was a perfect bookend for a childhood dream come true. I can now say, “not only did I meet one of my childhood heroes, but I was not disappointed.” Now if I can only meet Pee-Wee Herman.
