The star of a popular 1990s children’s television show has raised eyebrows with his plans to launch a clothing line in a nod to historical figures he deems “warriors,” including Adolf Hitler.
Austin St. John (real name Jason Lawrence Geiger,) 49, played Jason Lee Scott, the “Red Ranger” and group leader in “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.”
The show debuted in 1993 and was created by Israeli-American entrepreneur Haim Saban. It featured a combination of martial arts, science fiction and high school antics while repurposing footage from the Japanese show “Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger.”
St. John left the show during season two in disputes over pay, but the cult hit would run for another season on Fox through the end of 1995 before spawning numerous spin-offs, movies and abundant merchandise.
On the “Toon’d In! with Jim Cummings” podcast on Feb. 26, St. John declared his intent to release a series of T-shirts with quotes ranging from Hitler to Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris.
“Hitler was a demon on steroids, but he had some pretty good one-liners,” said St. John, who was born in Roswell, N.M. The actor wants his shirts to include “everybody from the great ones to the infamous and terrible ones.”
One post from St. John’s X page promoting the shirts featured an image of Mahatma Gandhi and the message: “Exploring history’s leaders, I’m blending lessons from the past into a unique T-shirt line. From heroes to villains, every quote tells a story. This is more than fashion; it’s a conversation starter. Stay tuned for wearable wisdom!”
The actor also currently faces charges that could put him in prison for as much as 20 years due to an alleged $3.5 million COVID relief loan scam.
Amy Jo Johnson, who played Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart on the show, took subtle shots at St. John, writing on social media: “Hmmm? I think some people should have publicists.”
