by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

ComicsOnline is back with more installments in our Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Exclusive Interview Series! 

Today we are celebrating the debut of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #1 from BOOM! Studios, and we had the pleasure of speaking with co-writer Matt Hotson. Matt discussed crafting this special series with co-writer Amy Jo Johnson and artist Nico Leon, his memories of Power Rangers, and we did a deep dive into our mutual entrance into the world of comics with TMNT Adventures.

SPOILER ALERT: This interview includes details of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #1.

Matt Sernaker: Matt, thanks for taking the time to speak with me. I’ve really enjoyed our conversations on social media and I’m excited to finally talk about Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return!

Matt Hotson: Thank you! It feels like Christmas Eve because it’s finally coming out tomorrow as we’re recording this, and it has been almost four years since the first time we talked to BOOM! Studios. I can’t believe it’s finally here. It’s been super exciting to watch people reacting to it as a couple of the advance copies have come out.

MS: I was one of those lucky ones to get an early look at it, and honestly, there was a lot of really engaging moments. I think you captured something special with this first issue and I’m really excited to see where the following issues go.

MH: Cool, thank you! That’s one of my favorite things about MMPR: The Return. Wherever you think it’s taking you, I think we’ve all done a really good job to defy those expectations from issue to issue to issue. It’s cool seeing people react to issue #1, and we’ve just seen the finished proof for issue #2 which is coming out in four or five weeks. I think it’s safe to say that you guys haven’t seen anything yet. There’s some really cool stuff still coming.

MS: I got to interview Amy Jo Johnson earlier today, and the subverting of expectations was absolutely one of the points that she had made. I’m really excited (because I definitely have a lot of thoughts) and I think it’s going to spark a lot of fan engagement on social media and hypothesizing on where things are gonna go. That’s always the fun of things like this.

Let’s talk about the beginning. Obviously, you have a very unique history of Power Rangers because of your relationship with Amy Jo, but I would like to know about your entrance into the franchise. What do you remember about your first moments with Power Rangers?

MH: I’m an 80s kid, so I was definitely more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than Power Rangers, but I have a brother who is four years younger than me. It was impossible in the early 90s, no matter what age you were, not to have been exposed to Power Rangers in some way. Because of my little brother, Power Rangers was on five days a week in the house before school when that show first exploded. I’m pretty sure that I went to see the movie with my brother in the theater, and I remember not knowing who three of the Rangers were because the cast had changed over by that point. That actually ended up being not too bad for me when we were writing MMPR: The Return, because Amy Jo was focusing on a story of the original team, so those were definitely the ones that I remember. It’s mind-blowing that we’re here over 30 years later and that anybody is still talking about Power Rangers. It’s a credit to that original show that so many people know and love, and that it can keep going and reinventing itself and have anniversary projects like this one come out.

MS: Reinvention is definitely an intrinsic part of Power Rangers has done successfully. The fact that it started with five teenagers with attitude, and 30 years later we’re here, it’s a testament to what they’ve done. I grew up with Power Rangers, and it had a big impact on my life…

MH: Power Rangers is a unique property. People have grown up with different versions of the Power Rangers. They might still love Mighty Morphin the best and other generations have their favorite teams, but as people have grown older they’ve still found things to latch on to, and I think the BOOM! Studios comic books should get a lot of credit for that too. They found a way to bridge what was originally a children’s entertainment medium and keep it fresh for people of all ages. Now having someone like Amy Jo come in and do a story that could be appropriate for all ages but appeals to original fans knowing that those people are in their 30s and 40s now, and seeing what we can do with those original characters if we let them age like the fans did.

…

Our exclusive interview with Matt Hotson continues at the link below! Make sure you check it out for more insights into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return, a deep dive into the creative process of bringing this series to life, our mutual love for TMNT Adventures, and more!

Special thanks to our friends at BOOM! Studios for arranging this interview.

Check out our Exclusive Interview with Amy Jo Johnson at the link below:

It’s Morphin Time!

We’re getting back to action as new installments in our Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Interview Series are now online!

Join host Matt Sernaker as he catches up with the Ranger family for a unique series of conversation. This series currently features Walter Emanuel Jones (Zack), Catherine Sutherland (Kat), Steve Cardenas (Rocky), Nakia Burrise (Tanya), David Fielding (Zordon), Ron Wasserman (Composer), Richard Horvitz (Alpha 5), Tony Oliver (Supervising Producer), Melissa Flores (BOOM! Studios’ MMPR & Power Rangers Hyperforce), and Meghan Camarena (Power Rangers Hyperforce & BOOM! Studios’ Power Rangers Unlimited: Hyperforce).

More installments will be released throughout the year, so make sure you check out our social media links below.

Part 9 of our interview series featuring Tony Oliver:

Part 8 of our interview series featuring Nakia Burrise (with special appearance by Catherine Sutherland):

Part 7 of our interview series featuring Richard Horvitz:

Part 6 of our interview series featuring Melissa Flores & Meghan Camarena:

Part 5 of our interview series featuring David Fielding:

Part 4 of our interview series featuring Steve Cardenas:

Part 3 of our interview series featuring Ron Wasserman:

Part 2 of our interview series featuring Catherine Sutherland:

Part 1 of our interview series featuring Walter Emanuel Jones:

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