After various technical issues and delays, Hero-Club is proud to present our second interview with a former tokusatsu actor. However, this time we are talking with actor from a Saban Entertainment adaptation. Yet, this person is still associated with Chojinki Metalder, as we are interviewing VR Troopers’ Michael Hollander (formerly Michael Bacon). For those unaware, VR Troopers is the Saban adaptation that combined footage from the Metal Hero series: Chojinki Metalder, Jikuu Senshi Spielban, and Uchu Keiji Shaider. The series ran in broadcast syndication for a total of 92-episodes across two seasons from September 3, 1994 to February 21, 1996.
The premise for VR Troopers featured a group of young adults tasked with stopping the villainous Grimlord and his army from entering our reality. This reality/ dimension that Grimlord originates from is referred to as Virtual Reality, hence the title VR Troopers. Yet, Grimlord is the corrupted and empowered billionaire industrialist, Karl Ziktor. Among our heroes is the martial-arts black belt and computer genius J.B. Reese, portrayed by Michael Hollander. J.B. Reese is the series protagonist, Ryan Steele’s best friend, and when transformed his parts adapt the Jikuu Senshi Spielban footage.
Now, in our interview with Michael Hollander, we do ask him about several behind-the-scenes aspects of the series as well as what followed with its cancellation. Then in a surprising twist we also ask Mr. Hollander about his career in computer animation. Yet, without spoiling too much, Mr. Hollander has worked in both the film and gaming industries, specifically with Telltale Games. However, attendees from Power Morphicon 2018 may already be aware of this. Anyways, check out the video below for the full interview, and then head over to Hero-Club’s channel to subscribe to us!
Finally, we at Hero-Club would like to thank Michael Hollander again for joining us. We hope fans enjoyed our time with Mr. Hollander, as well as his memories of the series. VR Troopers is nearly a forgotten show from the 90’s, that unfortunately is overshadowed by the Power Rangers’ legacy. However, fans can thankfully rewatch the series anytime, as it is available for streaming on Netflix. Nevertheless, readers please check in on Hero-Club for all news updates, reviews, and future interviews!
