Howdy all, and happy April!
I’m proud to announce that the GNP’s novelization of Godzilla vs. Hedorah is moving right along, and Chapter 2 has now been added to the book’s table of contents (making it the longest novel currently on the site)! Follow the link to see what happens after little Ken is left alone on the rocky beach (as if you all don’t already know)!
I’m really having a blast adapting this 1971 trip of a movie into the written word. Capturing the elements that made Yoshimitsu Banno’s vision for the film so memorable has been a challenge, especially when it comes to the films oddest moments. Hedorah is infamous for its seemingly random animated segments, acid trip hallucinations, psychedelic images of pulsating blobs and dancing skeletons, and sequences like the screaming people in the boxes, Ken’s dreams of Godzilla, and the nearly 1 minute long B&W scene that preludes the Mt. Fuji dance party. These moments are inherently visual, so how exactly can these images be converted into words in a way that does the material justice? Well, I’m still working on ways to accomplish a few of them, but in the end, the key is understanding the intentions behind such creative choices. They may be odd or, as I mentioned before, seemingly random, but they are in the film for a reason. A choice was made to include them, and that choice represented something that Banno was trying to communicate. Understanding that communication allows for the intent to be transferred into a different medium (in this case, a book) in a way that hopefully comes across as authentic, and true to the director’s vision.
That, dear friends, is my challenge. Thankfully, I’ve seen this film somewhere in the neighborhood of ten thousand times, and I’ve come up with some interesting angles that should allow me to preserve Banno’s more… bizarre moments in my adaptation. (A little of that can be seen in this new chapter, in which I found a way to incorporate the first of those anime-esque political cartoons into the narrative.) Hopefully, this process allows me to not only entertain readers, but honor Banno-San and his film.
Well, I think thats enough philosophical waxing from me for one update. There’s a new chapter for you to read, and a chapter-in-progress that I need to finish! If you’ve been reading along with ANY GNP novelization and have been enjoying what you’ve read, be sure to let me know! Comment here on the site, hit me up on Twitter or Facebook, or shoot me an email! (Follow this handy link to my Contact Page if you want to chat!) I always enjoy talking about anything and everything Godzilla or Kaiju/Tokusatsu in general, and am always excited to answer questions and hang with fellow fans. I don’t bite, I swear!
Happy reading, and I’ll see you all in the next update!
The Godzilla Novelization Project 