Meet the Team
Steve Rosenthal
The Managing Partner of PowerTown Wrestling, Steve has a wealth of experience in the toy and licensing field. His list of licensed products spans the breath of the toy industry’s most iconic brands such as DC Action figures, Marvel Superhero action figures, Tonka, Little Tikes, Karate Kid, Universal Monsters, TMNT, Power Rangers, and Harley Davidson to name a few. However, it’s his role as the “godfather” of wrestling action figures - the man who made the world’s first wrestling action figures - that makes him the linchpin of the company’s quest to bring classic wrestling figures to market. Teaming up wrestling legend Verne Gagne in the early 1980s, Rosenthal created the concept of the wrestling action figure space with stars from the American Wrestling Association (AWA).
Greg Gagne
Greg is a celebrated retired American professional wrestler and the son of Verne Gagne, the licensor of the first collectible wrestling action figures. In the late 1970's and early 1980's, Greg achieved his biggest success as one half of the tag team The High-Flyers with Jim Brunzell. This dynamic team enjoyed a number of high-profile feuds within the AWA with the likes of Bobby Duncum and Blackjack Lanza, Pat Patterson and Ray “The Crippler” Stevens, The East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse “The Body” Ventura), and The Sheiks (Ken Patera and Jerry Blackwell). Beyond being a partner in PowerTown, Greg is a family man, enjoys greeting his fans at events, and trains up-and-coming young wrestlers near his home in Minnesota.
Andrew Frank
Andy is a renowned sculptor who has been honing his skills in the collectible and toy industry for over 25 years. Working closely with the iconic Todd McFarlane throughout most of his career, Andy was on the ground floor in shaping the look of the collectible action-figures that Todd wanted. Through hyper-realistic sculpting and exacting attention to detail, he instituted new trend setting and industry innovative techniques.
Terry Allen
Terry is a celebrated retired American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Magnum T.A. Allen won the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship twice and was being groomed for a run at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship when a car wreck in 1986 forced him into retirement. After retiring, Magnum T.A. continued to appear in non-wrestling roles for multiple promotions including announcing, before switching his focus to the business technology sector with cellular communications construction. Allen was inducted into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2020.
William “Donnie” Robbins
Donnie's experience and expertise in the toy industry is far too extensive to capture in just a few sentences. It best can be summed up with his remarkable tenure with Toys “R” Us where he was General Merchandise manager responsible for more than $200 million in purchases with an inventory value of more than $1 billion in retail sales. He also conceptualized and developed private label merchandise and secured licenses exclusively for the iconic retail organization.
S.T. Stewart
A multi-decade veteran of the comic book, publishing, toy, and collectibles industries, Shannon literally grew-up with this stuff, and his passions for it have never waned. His father was a big fan of the sport of wrestling, almost becoming a wrestler himself only electing not to because the travel involved would take him away from his then young family. Shannon is thrilled to be working to bring differing generations of fans and collectors together in celebration of the legacy of these great athletes and performers.
Brett Binder
A recent graduate from the University of Florida with a degree in Sports Management, it was on a golf course where Brett met Steve. A rookie to the wrestling figure landscape, Brett took an immediate interest in PowerTown and wanted to assist in bringing back the legacy of pro wrestling. A few months later he has become a key member of the team and a part of the collector community. “I am grateful for this opportunity to work alongside amazing people and thrilled to help bring these figures to life”.
Joseph Ciupik
Joseph (Joe) Ciupik is a seasoned veteran of professional wrestling video production with four decades of expertise. With multifaceted skills as a Producer, Director, Video Editor, and Graphic Designer, “Polish Joe” has left an indelible mark on the industry. Renowned for his work on iconic TV shows All-Star Wrestling and ESPN Championship Wrestling on ESPN, he has consistently delivered high-quality content to wrestling enthusiasts worldwide. Joe’s extensive portfolio includes thousands of hours of television programming, leading countless production crews and cementing his legacy as a pioneering force behind the scenes.
Shawn Cowan
Shawn is a creator by trade and a toy collector at heart. With over 20 years of experience as a creative designer, Shawn has had his hands in many avenues of professional art. Logo creation, packaging design, t-shirt design, apparel creation, costume design and fabrication, leatherwork, mask making, digital illustration, and toy design. Most of his work is inspired by his love for Halloween, superheroes, or pro wrestling. A retired independent wrestler himself, he has used these skills over the years to create characters, costumes, and merchandise for his own personas. His work on wrestling attire has been seen around the world in magazines, TV, and even on mass-produced action figures. In 2020, he turned his focus to the world of digital sculpting. Since then, Shawn has created digital sculpts and hand-painted prototypes for several of the independent wrestling figures you see today. He’s known for capturing a retro vibe in his work that brings a sense of nostalgia to a modern product.