All Around Pennsauken

By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor

EDITOR’S NOTE: With the tragic passing of actor and martial artist Jason David Frank, we’re sharing our story from 2016 where we interviewed him. If you – or someone you know – is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

As part of the kick-off to Wizard World Philadelphia, the area’s largest comic book and pop culture convention, I got a chance to interview three of the many celebrities that will be in attendance this weekend: Sean Patrick Flanery, Jason David Frank, and Bob Gale.

And Shepherds We Shall Be For Thee…

Sean Patrick Flanery’s career spans decades. As a young actor he played everyone’s favorite archeologist, years before his search for the Arc of the Covenant, in TV’s “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,” as well as several other roles before landing the part of Connor MacManus in the cult film classic, “The Boondock Saints.” One of the most commonly quoted lines from the film is the “Family Prayer,” an oath the title characters recite as their commitment to helping those oppressed by the criminal element in Boston.

“The most common question is, ‘Do you still know the prayer?’ Of course I do. How could you forget something like that? Everybody knows it,” says Flanery.

Sean is also still very friendly with his “The Boondock Saints” co-star, Norman Reedus, who now plays Daryl Dixon in the popular AMC series, “The Walking Dead.”

“He’s one of my best friends. We talk all the time.”

Flanery is currently working on a variety of projects, including a film that highlights the political implications of the failed assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler during World War II, but as for a preference for either TV or film work, he had an interesting response.

“I like good,” explains Flanery. “I don’t care if some rich guy made a film to project it on his wooden fence in his backyard for his wife. I want to be a part of good things. Things that I would want to watch. I want to be a part of things that move me, or tickle me, or punctuate my consciousness one way or another.”

He also went on to say how much he enjoys participating in events like Wizard World Philadelphia.

“The best part of the conventions, it’s meeting the people who see your content. When you do theater, you get an immediate reaction. You don’t get that in film. But you do at these events. People stand in a line and tell you their feedback on a certain film. That’s really the most nourishing part of these weekends; it’s getting that feedback. If you come from a theater background, that’s what sustains you: that kind of appreciation or negative reaction on something you did. That’s what you feed off of.”

It’s also an opportunity to hang out with good friends.

“These are great events because I see a lot of my friends. I have friends from all over the country to these. We all meet in Philly for a Wizard World event. There’s really no downside to these events. It’s all of the guys you don’t really get to hang out with on a day-to-day basis, even though you live in the same city. It’s a killer weekend away.”

The Power Ranger That Never Says, “I Can’t”

For countless youngsters who grew up in the 90’s, Jason David Frank, will always be the “Green Ranger” from “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers.” Frank – who doesn’t charge appearance fees – has a true appreciation of the fans who have stuck with him all of these years.

“I’m really here for the fans, hearing their stories and making people smile. It all comes back; it’s a very small world. I’m here for the blessings. When I bless people, I feel better than collecting money. I can’t collect money. I need to collect the blessings.”

Jason David Frank has inspired many of his fans – and they inspire him as well. He reaches 22 million fans a week via his Facebook page, interacting with them online as well as at conventions.

“It feels great to have people come up to me and recognize my stuff like that,” explains Frank “I’ve got three generations: Mighty Morphin’ Power Ranger generation, the DinoThunder generation, and the Super Mega Force Generation. I have a consistent group of people, which is great. And the last interview I had, the guy said he was a fourth-degree black belt and he started karate because of me.”

Frank is currently working on his reality show, “My Morphin’ Life,” which is on CONtv. He’s also working on a series by Aaron Schoenke from Bat in the Sun’s Super Power Beat Downs. “It’s a huge series. The character I’m playing, they’re really going to relate to it.”

And as he continues to greet fans at conventions across the country, Jason tries to stress a very important message: always say “I can” and work hard to achieve your dreams.

“It’s important to reach people. Never say, ‘I can’t.’ Always say, ‘I can.’ When I started doing Comic Cons, they said I didn’t have a fan base, I flew my own way, bought my own tickets, I said just give me one table for an hour. Now we have an abundance of people.

“It’s just like fighting. I worked from amateurs, into the professionals. I think that’s the way I like to work. I don’t having stuff handed to me.”

Celebrating A Modern Classic

Many folks may not know Bob Gale by name, but you know his work. Gale was co-creator, co-writer and co-producer of “Back to the Future” with Robert Zemeckis. This modern classic recently turned 30.

“A friend of mine said he looked at ‘Back to the Future’ and said, ‘This is my generation’s “Wizard of Oz.”’ That’s kind of cool. It’s an interesting  way to put it,” says Gale. “And I guess that it really kind of is. It speaks to everybody. Kids today like it, just as much as kids liked it back in the day. It think that’s because it captures a moment that every human being can identify with, which is asking the question, ‘What were my parents like when they were kids?’ It’s a big idea when you realize, ‘Oh my God, my parents were $#@%-ups, just like me.'”

And believe it or not, there’s going to be a musical based on the film:

“It’s going to be really good. If it’s not really good, we won’t put it on. Bob Zemeckis and I control the rights. We’re working with Alan Silvestri, the original composer, and Glenn Ballard, who’s a very respected song writer. We’ve got seven or eight songs so far. I don’t when you’re going to have a chance to see it. It’s taken a lot longer than we thought.”

And when he’s not working on the book for the musical, Gale has a hand in shepherding the “Back to the Future” comic book series published by IDW. Gale has had a love of comics from an early age, creating “The Green Vomit” as a teenager. “When you’re 16 years old, throwing up is funny. His super power is that he can barf at will.” Bob has also written comics for both DC and Marvel, but he’s not so sure he’d go back to the superhero genre.

“Every 10 minutes the universe changes, right?”

At the end of the interview, we discussed the impact of “Back to the Future,” and the legacy it will leave behind.

“Zemeckis and I have talked about it many times. We know that when we die, Back to the Future is going to be in the headline of our obituary. That’s a good thing to go out on.”

Wizard World Philadelphia runs now through Sunday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. For more info or to buy tickets, click here.