'Mighty Morphin' Madness

Trish Stewart, marketing director of Bandai America, Inc., makers of the Morphin toys, says the U.S. headquarters of the Japanese company, in Cerritos, Calif., is fielding 400 to 500 calls daily from consumers desperately seeking the 17-item toy line (including figures of the five young heroes, four evil space aliens, and a deluxe Mega-Zord set). "They want to know if we can sell them the toys," Stewart says. "And we can't because we're sending them to the retailers we already promised them to. Boy, I wish I had a truckload of those toys in my back- yard right now." Bandai America declines to reveal sales figures.

The toy industry didn't anticipate this kind of demand when the Morphin line debuted last February at Toy Fair, an annual trade show in New York City. "So much for the experts," laughs Tom Tumbusch, publisher of Action Figure Digest, which surmised earlier this year that the items were too costly (the action figures run $10, compared with $4 to $5 for those from lines like Star Trek and Aliens) and too complicated for kids to operate.

"I expected a hit, but I didn't expect a phenomenon," admits Saban, who proposed the series to Margaret Loesch, president of Fox Children's Network, after he had supplied Fox with the highly rated animated series X-Men. Spaced-out sci-fi shows about kids and monsters have proliferated on Japanese TV for decades, and Saban had been trying to market the Morphin concept in the U.S. for years. Loesch recalls that she was "in the market for something different and goofy and offbeat and colorful."

Goofy it is. Take Rita Repulsa — who screams out everything she says, wears a metal spiral bra that could make Madonna envious, lives on the moon, and commands a gang of bizarre henchmen. Foremost among them: Squatt ("halfwarthog, half blueberry, with a brain the size of a peach pit"); the space simian Baboo; the winged warrior Goldar; and Finster, who has half a brain, making him the smartest of the squad.

The villains' scenes are primarily filmed in Japan for that country's version of the series, Ju Rangers, which features its own quintet of teen do-gooders — four males and one female. The American version incorporates some footage of the Japanese heroes — including scenes of the teens in full, face-obscuring costume. Thus, the U.S. version is able to substitute a female for one of the males. And along with its rainbow-hued cast, Mighty Morphin always delivers a positive message about such issues as tolerance or self-confidence.

Because of its two female Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin is a kids' action-show rarity, boasting girl appeal (about 34 percent of the show's viewers) along with the usual boy appeal. "The girls are strong characters," Saban notes of martial artist Trini and champion gymnast Kimberly, "as opposed to just sitting around, combing their hair, and looking beautiful."

But how do you explain such massive popularity for such a schlocky series? "It's the most fun show on TV. That's all that matters," says Saban. "It doesn't matter where the dinosaurs come from, or how they grow. It doesn't matter how the kids got their powers, or how they flip and fly. What do you care? Kids enjoy it."

Adds Fox's Loesch: "There is no question it is not a sophisticated production. But it is very imaginative. Kids are enjoying it for what it is — pure entertainment, with heart."

And with a band of way-cool robo-dinos who could kick Barney's big purple butt.