The greatest part about being part of a fan community is the community itself. The sheer amount of creative talent within the Power Rangers fan community is astounding! Here at PwrRngr.com our number one focus is the fan community and spotlighting those in it that share their creative abilities with the rest of the fans. So it only seemed fitting that our very first spotlight upon launch of the site is none other than one of our editor’s personal projects – Trekkieb47 and the Ranger Command Power Hour Podcast!
The Ranger Command Power Hour is hosted by Eric (Trekkieb47), A.P. (Secret Ranger Fan), and Zach (Hollywood) and is a podcast focused 100% on Power Rangers. For the last 5 years they have been releasing an episode every other Saturday (and more!) discussing new episodes of Power Rangers, past episodes of Power Rangers, conventions, merchandise, movies, interviewing Power Rangers actors, fans, and so much more. I sat down with Eric, the man behind his dream turned reality, to ask him some questions about Ranger Command Power Hour.
What was your inspiration to start Ranger Command Power Hour?
“One night in January 2014, I tweeted out an idea that maybe I should start a Power Rangers podcast. At the time there were others that weren’t as active. And none of them gave a voice to Ranger Nation. The inspiration was always to be about the fans first.”
What kind of roadblocks did you discover upon beginning the podcast?
“Mainly technical issues, which we still joke about to this day because something always happens. Other than that it was coming up with initial topics, ongoing segments and getting guest co-hosts involved.”
What were the early days like for you? Did you receive a lot of support or did you find it difficult to enter, what was at the time, a very competitive field?
“Thankfully, everyone was really receptive to the concept and willing to help out when we first started. Especially Chris (TokuChris) of TokuNation who remains my best friend and practically a brother for the past 5 years.
Our first episode numbers were a record setter for the Four Eyed Radio Network and continues to be. We were all surprised by the response, and that’s what keeps us going.”
Did you have any mentors or peers that helped guide you in the early days?
“Eric Dewey of the Four Eyed Radio Network was very supportive to have Ranger Command on the network. Having already been involved in the Starfleet Escape Podcast, he believed I could led my own podcast. My longtime friend Aaron Gallo of SFEP gave me opportunities and advice on the technical aspects of podcast editing.
Like I mentioned before, Chris and the team at TokuNation were extremely helpful early on and the crossovers really engaged the audience. This led to continuing friendships to bounce ideas off of and collaborate.”
In the last 5 years what is the biggest difference you see in the podcast community from then till now?
“The biggest difference I’ve seen is more podcasters entering the community as more people realize the entertainment value of podcasts. I really admire those who are able to produce content weekly on a consistent basis. It’s a lot of work.”
You’ve interviewed so many guests over the years – from fans, Saban Brands, voice actors, even Power Rangers. Which guest was your favorite and why?
“My favorite guest that we’ve interviewed was Erin Cahill who played the Pink Time Force Ranger, Jen Scotts. She was so understanding when technical issues cropped up and was very generous with her time. She is absolutely an inspiration and a genuinely good person.”
Do you have any dream interview guests? Who and why?
“I would love to track down and interview Jon Tui who played Commander Doggie Cruger in Power Rangers SPD. He did a lot of work for that season and Mystic Force and I’d love the chance to find out what he has been up to the past 15 years.”
What kind of advice would you give to someone who is interested in starting their own podcast?
“Have a unique concept to make yourself stand out in a sea of podcasts. Invest early on in good equipment. Even a good quality microphone like the Blue Yeti is $100 and will put you ahead of the pack. Also, have fun. If you are not having fun… people are going to hear that in your podcast.”
What can we expect from Ranger Command Power Hour the rest of this year and beyond?
“We have more interviews lined up, a new twist to our next Power Rangers Survivor episode, Secret Ranger Fan’s Super Subtext Slam Session episode commentaries, Part 6 of our comprehensive reviews to Boom Studios’ comics and more giveaways to give back to our listeners.”
Brand new episodes of the Ranger Command Power Hour Podcast release (usually) every other Saturday. You can subscribe to them on your favorite podcast RSS feed (like Apple iTunes) or you can always find them at rangercommand.com with direct streaming of their episodes.
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