At this weekend’s Power Ranger fan convention in Atlanta, the heroes vastly outnumber the villains.
Of the 56 Power Ranger guests slated to be at the Omni Hotel at Centennial Park downtown June 13 to 15, about 45 of them are actors who used to portray a Power Ranger over the past three-plus decades. Most of the other guests played an array of Power Ranger antagonists.
Organizers are expecting at least 4,000 Power Ranger enthusiasts for what’s dubbed the annual Ranger Stop and Pop Con, which first came to Atlanta in 2019.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
“This is a family affair for our fans,” said Nakia Burrise, a 1990s-era Yellow Ranger who has run the convention for six years with fellow Power Ranger alum Karan Ashley and Michael Buoni, who also organizes a separate Orlando, Florida Power Ranger/Ninja Turtle convention. “They are so devout, so generous and so kind.”
The three-day convention offers one-day passes for $35 to $40 and weekend passes for $60 at rangerstopatlanta.com. There are also four VIP packages ranging from $200 to $2,500. The event features autograph sessions, panel discussions, gaming tournaments and parties.
The enduring Power Ranger franchise, which began in 1993, has covered 30 seasons, three films and a TV special featuring more than 140 different actors who have accessed the Morphin Grid. The last original season (“Cosmic Fury”) ran on Netflix in 2023. The Wrap recently reported there are talks to create a new season on Disney+.
With a popular West Coast convention in Pasadena called Power Morphicon, the organizers thought Atlanta would be a good home for a comparable convention east of the Mississippi.
“We knew there was a fan base here and we were right: Turnout has been great and we’ve kept coming back,” Burrise said.
Despite its notably cheesy special effects and music and lack of story continuity season to season, the show was entertaining and relatable to younger kids, its target audience.
“They see themselves in our characters,” Burrise said. “They can learn to stand up to bullies or get into karate. And kids were able to see real representation and diversity on the show. Many of my fans loved seeing an African American female superhero.”
Nostalgia naturally keeps those fans connected to the actors for decades, fueling the popularity of the convention.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Erin Cahill, a Pink Power Ranger from 2001’s “Time Force” season and now a regular in Hallmark movies, said Burrise makes the conventions a great experience not just for the fans but the alums who are happy to come back. (The 56 scheduled “Power Ranger” actors is the biggest gathering to date.)
Better yet for Cahill, the entire cast from her season will be in Atlanta for the convention.
“Our cast got along so well,” she said. “We were brothers and sisters and still are to this day. We stay in touch by group text.”
She is also proud that her season, which aired on Fox Kids, is considered one of the fan favorites with more adult themes and strong characters. “I was the first female team leader” in the franchise, she noted.
The multiple conventions, she noted, have enabled Cahill to become friends with actors from other seasons including Burisse, Ashley (the second Yellow Power Ranger) and Catherine Sutherland (the second Pink Power Ranger.)
Burisse said she and her two organizers are ready to move on and are planning to sell the convention to someone who will hopefully keep it going.
“Each of us have other businesses we want to focus on,” said Burisse, who is producing films including recent indie release “Back to Bridgewood.” “Our goal now is to leave it in someone else’s hands.”
If you go
Ranger Stop and Pop Con
1:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday; 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Day passes start at $35 and weekend passes at $60. Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park, 190 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. rangerstopatlanta.com
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