I said I’d be back, and thus, I have reappeared… and I brought a new Godzilla book with me!
The GNP is proud to kick off seven weeks of 70th-anniversary celebrations by revealing the prologue to the novelization of 1964’s Ghidorah, The Three- Headed Monster!
This absolute classic of the genre was the film that effectively flipped the switch on Godzilla’s character, beginning the process that would gradually transform him from destructive force to lovable hero. It’s a wonderful film that I know is near and dear to many a fan’s heart, and having the opportunity to novelize it is a true honor.
The prologue linked below is a short one (and perhaps a bit unexpected in where it begins the story), but I hope it offers a unique setting of the stage for the story to come.
I hope you enjoy it! (Also, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments here on the website, on Facebook, or on The Artist Formerly Known as Twitter after you check it out.)
Tune in next week for another new chapter as our journey to November 3rd continues.
Wow, so… update 100. Triple digits. The big one-zero-zero. I won’t lie, that’s a bit insane… but in the best way possible!
I’m not gonna spend too much time belaboring the point (trust me, we have bigger things to chat about today), but I absolutely wanted to take a moment to acknowledge this awesome milestone. This project has been going strong for nearly seven years now, and 100 updates later, the support and love I receive from all of you is only getting more motivating, impactful, and motivational. Thank you all so very much for helping me get this far.
Anywho, in my last update, I promised that this update would be a big one, with something special to reveal. And now, it’s time to spill the beans…
As 2024 spirals inevitably toward its final few months, the birthday of a certain atomic metaphor is rapidly approaching. It’s hard to believe the Big G is now seven decades removed from his debut in 1954, and even crazier to fathom how strong the character is still going (especially over the last year or so). Rumor has it you only turn 70 once, so I wanted to do something special to mark the occasion. Something big, bold, and… kinda crazy.
*deep inhale*
In celebration of the Monster King’s big birthday, the Godzilla Novelization Project will be counting down the next seven weeks with a new novelization chapter every week! That’s seven chapters for seven different novels, all building to the 70th anniversary itself on November 3rd (Godzilla Day).
See? Crazy. 😉
I’ll be keeping the identities of the seven novels in question a secret for now, but you should be able to spot a pattern pretty quickly… What I will say is that a few of these books will be newbies to the GNP, adapting Godzilla films that the project hasn’t started yet. I know I’ve repeatedly said that no new adaptations would be launched until at least one of these darn things is completed, but hey, it’s the guy’s 70th birthday. I couldn’t resist!
(That said, if you’re a GNP Patreon supporter at the $5 or $10 tier, each new chapter will be made available to read 24 hours early. That’s nearly two months of early access! If that sounds like a cool perk and you’re interested in/able to support the project financially, check out Patreon to see how you can help!)
The seven-week countdown to Godzilla’s birthday begins right now, which – if you’ve been following along at home and doing the math – means that the first anniversary chapter drop is today! Patrons have had access to the new chapter since yesterday, and this afternoon, all readers will get a chance to give it a read and find out which film it’s adapting. (Here’s a hint: it’s one of the new ones!)
Watch the website for Update 101 and the full reveal later today!
Until then, I hope you have a fantastic Friday (if you’re reading this on the day it’s posted, of course). Crazy stuff like this only gets to happen because of support from readers like you, and I hope you enjoy the next few weeks of new GNP chapters! It should be a fun ride.
Hi there, awesome people! Told ya the next update was coming soon!
This particular announcement isn’t strictly GNP-related, but I’d argue it is a direct result of the support you all continue to show the project and, by extension, me. So, I wanted to share this exciting news here and thank all of you for your role in making it happen.
As some of you know, my work on the GNP is just one of the many cool things I get to do in the kaiju community. I’m also a historian and writer on Japanese genre film, and the amazing support I’ve gotten from readers and Patrons like you has given me so many incredible opportunities over the years to indulge in my love of kaiju academics. Those opportunities have included guesting on podcasts, writing articles, co-hosting convention panels, and more.
Now, I get to add “kaiju audio commentator” to that list!
I’m thrilled to announce that the upcoming Blu-ray release of Shinpei Hayashiya’s War of the Ninja Monsters: Jaron vs. Goura from SRS Cinema will feature a full-length audio commentary co-created by yours truly in collaboration with my good friend and fellow kaiju historian Elijah Thomas!
The beautiful cover for the Blu-ray release of War of the Ninja Monsters
Audio commentaries have always been one of my favorite mediums for digesting film history; I grew up listening to the likes of David Kalat, Steve Ryfle, David J. Skal, Tom Weaver, and many others as they guided me through the fascinating stories behind my favorite monster movies, and working on an official commentary track for a kaiju release has been a dream of mine for many years. I couldn’t be more grateful to Ron Bonk at SRS Cinema and the amazing Elijah Thomas for the chance to make that dream come true.
I also owe all of you a massive thanks; it’s your continuing support that’s allowed me to grow and contribute more to the world of Godzilla and Japanese monsters, and I appreciate that support beyond words. Thank you so much for helping to make opportunities like this possible.
So, if you wanna check out our commentary and hear me dive deep into some fun topics (including Japanese folklore, the history of Rakugo comedy, and the filmography of Shinpei Hayashiya), be sure to… *ahem*
You’ll also be supporting Hayashiya-san, SRS Cinema, and the world of indie kaiju filmmaking, and you get to add a fun new kaiju flick to your collection, so there’s really no downside!
For those curious, here’s the full list of extras on the Blu-ray, direct from the website:
Commentary from kaiju historians Elijah Thomas and Daniel DiManna
English subtitles
Behind the Scenes
Trailers
War of the Ninja Monsters Introduction By Eugene Alejandro
SRS Trailers
(It’s also worth noting that only 1000 copies of this Blu-ray will be produced, so if you want one, I’d recommend getting your preorder in! It’ll be shipping in late September.)
Welp, that’s another update in the bag. Update number 99, to be more specific! That means the next post will finally dip us into the hallowed realm of triple digits with a big milestone-type number involving a one and two zeros. That’s… kind of a big deal, so I suppose the next update should probably also be a big deal… right?
All I’ll say is… stay tuned! The GNP’s got something cool in store for a certain 70-year-old birthday boy, and I hope you’ll enjoy what’s coming!
Until then, stay awesome, stay safe, stay happy, and enjoy the last bit of summer.
Yes, I doodled Godzilland characters in my work calendar in anticipation of G-Fest. My coworkers probably thought I’d lost my marbles…
Howdy, readers! Time to talk about a convention that happened in mid-July… in mid-August!
Yeah, the GNP’s annual G-Fest post-mortem is coming a bit late this year. My last few weeks have been a whirlwind of work (including the writing and recording of an audio commentary track for an upcoming kaiju Blu-ray release, which I’ll talk about more in another update!), a couple of family emergencies, and late nights at my job catching up on projects after my pilgrimage to Chicago. But at long last, here it is: my rundown of the busyness, the madness, and the fun that was G-Fest XXIX. Strap in!
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I’ll cut right to the chase: this year’s G-Fest was an absolute blast, despite being a bit… chaotic. This was always going to be a big year; there’ve been two new Godzilla movies (one of which won an Oscar) and a new TV show since last July, after all. Plus, it’s the big guy’s 70th birthday, so the turnout for this year’s show was destined to be massive. However, I wasn’t quite prepared for just how massive. Only three years after moving to the larger Hyatt Regency, the con feels as though it’s fully conquered the giant space, with multiple sources claiming last year’s 5,000+ attendance numbers were exceeded by a few thousand more this year. It’s the first G-Fest I can recall where multiple rooms were too congested to get into and at least one movie screening completely sold out (more on that in a bit). So yeah, it was definitely chaotic. But that didn’t stop it from being remarkably fun!
Since 2019, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to see my participation in the show continue to grow. Not only did I have the opportunity to co-host on (whew!) seven panels this year, but I was also honored to assist in judging the con’s art contest (a last-minute treat orchestrated by my pal and fellow kaiju writer Neil Reibe). Being able to give back to a convention that’s been so vital to my nerdy life has been a true gift, made all the more surreal and wonderful by the reception I continue to receive from fellow attendees and readers like you. Not only did the audiences at the panels I co-hosted kindly applaud after I announced myself as the creator of the GNP, but the number of people who approached me after each panel to thank me, compliment me, share their personal stories, and ask about the project was overwhelming in the best, most positive way possible. I could barely move five feet the entire weekend without someone recognizing me and pulling me aside for a chat, and I loved every second of it.
People asked about my progress on the GNP, made suggestions for future stories, asked how my life was going, took their phones out for selfies, and warmed my heart with their kindness and compliments. One gentleman shared his incredible story of seeing Frankenstein Conquers the World at a drive-in in the 1960s. A mother and her son told me they’d traveled halfway across the country to attend the convention and appreciated the “insights and value” they felt I’d brought to the panels. Another mother thanked me for answering her son’s writing question and became a GNP Patreon supporter on the spot. Every day of the show was packed with moments like this, and to say I was moved and honored would be an understatement. If you were one of the attendees who chatted with me, please know how genuinely grateful I am to have met you. Thank you for your kind words, your support, and for making the weekend so incredibly special.
My itinerary for the con was a fast-paced blur of panels, film screenings, networking, meeting cool people, and special events, but it all began – as my Thursdays at G-Fest so often do – with a trip to the historic Pickwick theater for the annual G-Fest “double-double-bill” film fest. This year’s theme was “anniversary films” released to coincide with Godzilla’s 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, and – on Friday and Saturday – 50th and 70th birthdays. That meant seeing some of the Big G’s finest and most fun moments on the big screen: Mothra vs. Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla to kick things off, The Return of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla to end Thursday night, and a remarkable screening of Godzilla: Final Wars on Friday. Tragically, I was too bushed to catch the late screening of this year’s Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire on Saturday night, but its inclusion was a nice endcap to a pretty thorough journey through Godzilla’s seven decades of adventuring.
Friday was when things got busy, with lots of walking, obligatory Dealers Room shopping, catching up with friends, meeting readers, and navigating through packed halls and even more packed ballrooms. My annual “Panel-Palooza” marathon kicked off at 10:00 AM when I joined my pal Brendan Morley of Autistic Lizard Productions (along with a few other awesome people) to celebrate 40 years of The Return of Godzilla. We had a fantastic time sharing production history, discussing the real-world influences behind the story, and celebrating one of Godzilla’s most unique and enduring flicks. At 2:00 PM, I joined my good friend Elijah Thomas of the Kaiju Conversation podcast (and, like, a lot of other stuff) and artist extraordinaire Matt Frank to ring in the birthday of a certain magnificent machine. It’s hard to believe Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla came out 50 years ago, and we had a ball waxing nostalgic (and historic) about this amazing movie. I also brought along a surprise guest to join us for the panel…
And not a single gorilla tried to steal him from me!
Yep, I decided to go the extra mile and hand-sculpt a replica of the film’s iconic Shisa statue, just for the show! He was a last-minute addition to my already mountainous pile of pre-con prep work, but I’m so glad I put in the time and brought him along. The “ooos” and “ahhhs” from the crowd really meant a lot, as did the folks who stopped me for pictures!
(For those curious, he was made from a combo of oven-bake sculpting clay and wood built on a cardboard/aluminum foil armature, and took about five nights to make. He’s also not 100% finished (he still needs a lighter coat of dry-brushed paint accenting to better match the film, plus red eyes and all the detailing/glyphs on the base), but he was close enough for the con. Maybe I’ll bring the finished version back next year!)
Matt, Elijah, some dork, and an Okinawan MacGuffin at the Mechagodzilla panel.
Friday wrapped up with one of the con’s highlights: the 20th anniversary screening of Godzilla: Final Wars at the Pickwick. Now, full disclosure: I don’t typically attend G-Fest’s 10:30 PM movies because I’m usually dead on my feet by that point and ready to catch some z’s. But, c’mon… it’s Godzilla: Final Wars. On the big screen. There was no way in hell I was missing that! And I’m glad I got tickets when I did, because the screening became the first G-Fest Pickwick showing since I started attending in 2010 (and possibly ever) to completely sell out. They actually had to turn over 100 fans away from the theater, and the effort to seat as many people as possible delayed the start of the film by nearly an hour. But when it finally started, it was a glorious thing to behold. (Maybe a bit too rowdy for my more introverted taste, but a fun time, nonetheless.) It was truly a night to remember.
Saturday kicked off with the Mothra vs. Godzilla 60th anniversary panel at 10:00 AM, which was wonderfully hosted by Precious D and Honey B of the “Monster Movie Fun Time Go” podcast. It was an honor to celebrate the film that, 25 years ago, was the first G-flick I saw from beginning to end, making it a major reason I became a fan in the first place. Directly after that at 11:00 AM, I joined my fellow kaiju wordsmiths Dane Kroll, Donny Winter, Neil Riebe, and Nathan Marchand for G-Fest’s annual Kaiju Writers panel, which I’m honored to co-run with Nathan. We spent nearly an hour answering questions and offering advice for aspiring writers, and if you’re one of the folks who attended, I hope you were inspired to bring your stories to life! (I also did some subtle teasing for some non-GNP writing projects I’m hoping to show off at next year’s writers panel, so keep your eyes out over the next year for some (hopefully) cool announcements!)
Waxing nostalgic on the Mothra vs. Godzilla panel.
Dispensing some inspiration at the Kaiju Writers Panel. (Note the new Godzilla phone/video game controller holder hefting my business cards, a visual that was too funny for me to pass up.)
Sunday – as it usually tends to be for me – was the “do everything you haven’t done yet” day, and this year, that meant one final trip to the Dealers Room to find some presents for my godkiddos, getting autographs, checking out a few additional rooms… all in between my final three panels and a very special screening in the Amateur Video Contest. This year, my pal Elijah “Kaiju Conversation” Thomas (who’s also an indie filmmaker) debuted his most ambitious short film yet: a supernatural, J-horror-inspired kaiju story called Edo Kami no Gyakushu (A.K.A. Well God’s Counterattack). I had a very brief window before my first panel of the day to try and catch it during the video contest, and thankfully, it screened just before I had to go upstairs. Whew! (I won’t spoil the film for anyone who didn’t get a chance to see it, but kaiju fans will absolutely want to keep an eye out for potential screenings at local film festivals later this year! It’s a fantastic kaiju story that you’re gonna want to check out whenever you can. Also, I may have built some props and the monster suit for the film, and provided the vocal performance of the titular kaiju… so there’s that!)
The rest of Sunday was panels, panels, and more panels, beginning at noon with a deep dive into the world of paneled paleo storytelling called “When Dinosaur Comics Ruled the Earth!” Greg Noneman, Samuel Iller, and my brother in kaiju Robert Monsarrat spend a packed hour discussing the antediluvian awesomeness of prehistoric comic book stories, from “Age of Reptiles” to “Xenozoic” and pretty much everything in between. Right after that at 2:00 PM, I partnered up with Elijah, Nick Crispino, Billy DuBose, and Kaiju United’s Jacob Lyngle to celebrate 20 years of Godzilla: Final Wars, and after that, it was my incredible honor to help close out G-Fest by joining Kevin Horn, Elijah, Nathan Marchand, and the amazing Professor Jeffrey Angles (who recently translated Shigeru Kayama’s Godzilla novelization for English readers) for a celebration of the original Godzilla’s 70th anniversary. If you’d told a younger me that I’d one day be included in a G54 anniversary panel at G-Fest, I’d have thought you were nuts. It was a privilege to be up on that stage, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the con for the year.
The Godzilla ’54 panel. I still can’t believe I got to be a part of this.
The remainder of my time in Chicago was spent with friends; we ate dinner together, played some board games, told some bad jokes, and stayed up way too late so we could hang out as long as we could before going our separate ways. Moments like this highlighted the whole weekend, and remain the most precious parts of the convention for me. As with every year, G-Fest is all about the people, especially the friends I’ve been so blessed to make thanks to our mutual love for all things Godzilla. The quality time I spent with them – and with all the kind readers who supported me throughout the con – helped make this one of the best G-Fests I’ve been to, and one that (in a rarity for me) I felt perfectly fulfilled by after leaving it. There were no lingering threads or missed opportunities, no crippling post-con blues or a feeling that it could’ve easily gone on for another week and not overstayed its welcome. This year felt just right, and I owe so much of that to all of you.
The echoes of this particular G-Fest will continue to resonate for a long time. The support I received has refilled my creative well, the cool things I blew my money on definitely filled what’s left of my apartment’s limited shelf space, and the networking and opportunities initiated at this year’s con will hopefully bear fruit in the future! (Seriously, a few really cool things happened this year that I can’t talk about yet, but when I can, you’ll be the first to know!) But most of all, it has once again reminded me of how uplifting and wonderful the community surrounding the GNP truly is. These opportunities continue to come my way because all of you continue to believe in me, and I will always be grateful and joyful for that gift.
THE HAUL! This year’s Dealers Room goodies included some new vinyl figures, a couple of awesome t-shirts from my pals at Aardvark Tees, some beautiful vintage lobby cards and promotional photos, some new VHS tapes, a certain Danish monster movie on Super 8mm, Detlef Claus’ phenomenal Japanese monster poster book, the new Mothra pillow/blanket set, and an honest-to-goodness Barugon soap dispenser – a gift from my friend Jay Key at Toku Toy Town.
Finally, as a special (and completely unexpected!) treat, here are links to six out of the seven G-Fest panels I was a part of this year:
This marks the first time all of my panels were recorded in some way, and I couldn’t be more thrilled that they were considered worthy of preservation! (As of this writing, only the Godzilla: Final Wars panel is missing, but it was recorded by the cool people at Kaiju United, so when the link is live, I’ll add it to the Press & Appearances page.) Huge thanks to Brendan, Jarod Marchand, Greg Noneman, and the KU crew for filming these!
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Wow, that should just about do it! Like I said, this was a busy year, and I hope it was entertaining to read through this massive wall of text. It’s always fun for me to revisit each con and lock my memories into the written word, and if you had fun checking it out, all the better! I’ll be back very soon with another couple of posts regarding some exciting projects I’m working on, and a few teases for how the GNP will be celebrating Godzilla’s 70th anniversary for the rest of the year…
Until then, stay awesome, stay kind, and thank you for being you!
-Daniel
P.S.: Is it time for G-Fest 2025 yet?
Sayonara ’till we meet again, G-Fest. Thanks for another year’s worth of memories!
“I’d come to know the horrors of man and his capacity for destruction. I’d stared that destruction in the eye, felt its claws rip at my flesh and tear away at my very soul. On that day, I knew what it meant – how it felt – to behold a monster…”
Hello there, readers. Welcome to 2024!
It’s high time for a new short story, and this one has been a long time coming.
Back in the summer of 2023 (which I’m still getting used to referring to as “last year”), I began writing a story that had randomly popped into my mind and taken hold of my creative attention. I hit a few roadblocks (some involving the story itself, and others involving some personal things that needed tending to), and ultimately shelved the project for a few months. I picked it up again in November, but still couldn’t quite crack the approach I wanted to take for telling the tale. But finally, as 2023 wrapped up, I was able to nail down the final details and complete the story in the way I wanted to. And dare I say, I think the final result was worth the wait!
With that said, the Godzilla Novelization Project is proud to present “A Prayer for Peace,” a new short story inspired by Godzilla (1954).
The tale follows a young Japanese soldier who dreams of peace amidst the horrors and bloodshed of WWII. A decade later, when the shadow of a nuclear titan falls over his country, the soldier – motivated to fight for Japan once more – finally finds his opportunity to achieve the peace he so desperately wants, but in a way he never imagined…
The story takes the form of a first-person memoir crafted by the soldier during the events of the 1954 film, acting as an alternate perspective to the story that puts a unique spin on multiple elements fans will know all too well from the film itself. Part diary, part remembrance, and part warning for the future.
(Also – in a first for the GNP – this story has spoilers, so if you give it a read and want to share your thoughts, please do so without spoiling anything for those who haven’t read it yet!)
Thank you all for your continuing support, and – as always – for taking the time to read this new story. (Also, a HUGE thank you to each and every one of you for making 2023 the best-performing year for the GNP! I’ll be sharing some pretty incredible stats and numbers in a future post, but to say I was blown away would be an understatement. You’re all amazing, and your excitement for this project never ceases to leave me speechless.)
Happy reading, and happy New Year to you all! I hope 2024 brings you success, fulfillment, and happiness.
G-Fest time has come and gone once again. How does it always go so fast?
Greetings and salutations, GNP readers! I hope you’re all doing exceptionally well!
As of last week, another G-Fest is officially in the books. This year’s con (number XXVIII, to be specific) flew by in a blur of panels, purchases, and wonderful people; it might be the fastest G-Fest I’ve ever attended. But WOW, what a great weekend it was.
As is tradition, I’d like to take a few paragraphs to reflect on my time at this year’s convention and share just how grateful I am to everyone who’s paths I crossed between Thursday and Monday.
Let’s dive in!
As always, my G-Fest weekend kicked off with a trip to the beautiful Pickwick Theater for a lineup of kaiju movies. I was only able to attend the first double-bill, but there was no way I was gonna miss Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla 1998 on the big screen! The latter was a surprise on multiple levels; not only was I not expecting G-Fest to acknowledge the film’s 25th anniversary, but the genuine enthusiasm from the crowd was a treat. After a quarter of a century, seeing the film (as controversial snd flawed as it is) get a warm reception was genuinely nice to see.
The remainder of my weekend was split between hosting and attending panels, doing some shopping in the dealers room, meeting the special guests, and – most importantly – connecting with friends and readers. As always, G-Fest is all about the wonderful people – old friends and new. The camaraderie and kindness I was shown from online pals, fans of the GNP, and random attendees who complimented my panels was tremendous. “Grateful” doesn’t begin to describe how it all made me feel.
Cower in fear at the sight of my shoddy handwriting!
As always, the special guests were an absolute highlight of the weekend. It always means so much to see these incredible individuals, many of whom literally travel around the world just to see us. While my crazy schedule prohibited me from meeting every guest (I was particularly bummed about not meeting MonsterVerse Godzilla no-cap actor T.J. Storm), but the guests I did get to spend time with were incredible.
Kiyotaka Taguchi, an incredibly talented tokusatsu director who got his start on fan films and is currently directing Ultraman episodes for Tsuburaya Productions, was a last-minute addition to the guest roster. After introducing the screening of his new movie Daikaiju Bugon, I managed to sneak in an autograph between two panels I was hosting. It was a thrill to meet him!
Meeting one of my heroes!
Another surprise guest was Eiji Kaminaga, President of the legendary Marusan toy company. Marusan was actually tabling in the dealers room this year, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to buy a unique original kaiju sofubi direct from the company that literally invented the art form. Kaminaga-san was kind enough to sign the figure’s foot for me. How cool is that?
A rare thrill to meet the man behind Marusan!
Last but not least, it was a surreal honor to meet the one and only Yumiko Shaku, A.K.A. Akane Yashiro from Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla. It’s no secret that Akane is one of my all-time favorite characters in the entire franchise, and the opportunity to meet Shaku-san – who rarely makes public appearances – was a chance I simply couldn’t miss. Getting that chance required jumping through some unconventional hoops; Shaku-san was only signing autographs for a few hours on two days of the three-day convention, and the lines just to purchase her ticket were insanely long. Thankfully, with a little patience, I was able to secure one and – after waiting in another line – got my autograph and photo. I’m still pinching myself.
No, seriously, still can’t believe this happened!
Of course, no G-Fest is complete without a trip (or 20) to the dealers room! I was on a tight budget this year but managed to snag some amazing new additions to my collection. This year’s haul included a handful of new VHS tapes and Bandai vinyls, a handful of curios (including program books, pins, DVDs, and posters), and some new nerdy apparel! (One of the absolute highlights of the weekend was finally finding a classic Bandai Megalon figure for a reasonable price, courtesy of my bud Jay Key at Toku Toy Town. It’s a figure I’d been trying to get without breaking the bank for years, and not only was Jay offering it for cheap, but he still gave me a substantial discount! Thank you so much, Jay. Your generosity touched a lot of hearts this last weekend.)
GO ON, MEGALON!
And then, of course, there were the panels! I’ve been so grateful to co-host these wonderful and informative discussions at the con these last few years, and this year, I appeared on six. Between Friday and Sunday, you could hear me chatting with my awesome co-panelists about:
– The 30th anniversary of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (which can be viewed on YouTube here!)
(HUGE thanks to Kaiju Kim, her awesome husband Roy, and Greg Noneman for filming and sharing these! Please subscribe to their channels and check out the other cool stuff they do!)
Pontification abounds as I wax philosophical on the kaiju writing panel!
Chillin’ with Bob Eggleton and Kevin Horn to nerd out on Kong!
And speaking of Kim, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk a bit about the big announcement she made after her Mechagodzilla II panel…
Kim is directing a brand-new animated short film focusing on the character of Erika Shiragami from Godzilla vs. Biollante, and I’m on board to write it!!
Tanner Wright’s epic poster art for Kim’s upcoming film Erika!
As cool as the panels, guests, movies and toys of G-Fest are, the most humbling aspect of the con was the kindness I was shown by way too many wonderful human beings to list here. I lost count of how many people stopped me to say how much they enjoy my writing, the panels I appeared on, my podcast appearances, and the writing advice I gave during the annual G-Fest writers panel. I even received fan art from my good bud Brendan Morley from Autistic Lizard Productions!
Words can’t describe how much every interaction, every kind word, and every moment of support meant to me this past weekend. If you’re among the G-fans who chatted with me, the readers who supported me, and the dear friends (many of whom are seen below) who showed me so much love, please know how deeply grateful I am for your kindness. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all.
My dear friends (from left to right): “Daikaiju” Danielle Fey, Kaiju Kim, Adrian “Monsters With Attitude” Settle, Michael “The Handsome One” Hamilton, Brendan Morley, Nate Marchand, Jarod Marchand, and Elijah “King of the Korean Kaiju” Thomas
Wonderful fan art gifted to me by Brendan Morley. I can’t get over how awesome this is! Thank you, Brendan!
Brendan totally pranks me, yo.
And amigos forever we’ll beeeee!
To wrap up this lengthy post, this year’s G-Fest left me both fulfilled and exhausted (in a good way!) It’s always sad to see G-Fest end, but as with every year, I left fulfilled, rejuvenated, and feeling truly blessed. From seeing friends and shopping to paneling, meeting guests and readers, and co-announcing Kim’s short film, this was a con I’ll never forget.
So… G-Fest 2024, anyone?
Farewell for another year, G-Fest. Maybe I’ll bring more than one hat next year…
July has rolled around once again, and that means one thing: it’s G-Fest time once again! At the time of this writing, I’m one sleep away from embarking on my drive to Chicago, and I couldn’t be more excited!
Once again, I’m thrilled to not only be attending G-Fest, but participating in it as a panelist. I’ll be on a total of six panels this year, and here’s a nifty rundown of each of them:
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First up on Friday at 2:00 PM, I’ll be joining the wonderful Kaiju Kim and my fellow Kaiju Ramen compatriots Nate Marchand, Michael Hamilton, and Elijah Thomas to celebrate 30 years of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II!
On Friday at 3:00 PM, I’ll be joining Bob Eggleton and Kevin Horn to celebrate 90 years of 1933’s King Kong! We’ll be discussing the artistic genius, historical significance, and immortal legacy behind the greatest monster masterpiece of them all.
On Saturday at 11:00, I’ll be joining my fellow kaiju wordsmiths Nate Marchand, Timothy Price, and Robert Monsarrat for G-Fest’s annual Kaiju Writers panel! We’ll be answering questions and offering advice for aspiring writers, so come curious!
On Saturday at 1:00, mushrooms and madness will reign supreme in Ballroom C as Nate Marchand, Kevin Horn, Elijah Thomas, and I celebrate 60 years of 1963’s Matango. We’ll be talking J-horror, metaphors, and all things frighteningly fungal!
On Sunday at 1:00, I’ll be joining Nate Marchand again, this time for an in-depth (and not just because of the submarines) discussion about the theme of nationalism vs patriotism in 1963’s Atragon. If you enjoy history and political intrigue, you’ll dig this panel!
And last but certainly not least, on Sunday at 3:00, I’ll be joining forces with Elijah Thomas to discuss the weird and wonderful world of Korean kaiju cinema! From Yongary and Pulgasari to Tyrano’s Claw and Dinosaur Zzu Zzu, we’ll cover it all and give context to this fascinating corner of the genre.
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That should just about do it! As always, it means the world to me that I’m able to participate in this convention to such a wonderful extent. Being invited to join panels is still a surreal thrill for me, and I’m excited to nerd out with all of you this weekend.
As always, if you spot me at the con, feel free to stop me and say hi! I’m always happy to chat about the GNP, my other work in the fandom, your awesome dealers room haul, or pretty much anything involving the Big G.
Thank you all for continuing to be such awesome readers, and I’ll see you in Chicago!
I’m sure most of you don’t need to be told, but yep, yesterday’s post about AI book covers was, obviously, the GNP’s annual April Fools prank!
I say “obviously,” but I felt the need to make doubly sure that everyone knew this was all fake. After I shared the fake covers to social media yesterday, a few people did reach out to tell me to consider hiring real artists, or to voice their disappointment and let me know they were unfollowing me!
Rest assured, dear readers, that I would NEVER use harmful AI “art” for the GNP in ANY capacity. 🤮
The renders are hilariously awful (and intentionally so, since this was supposed to be a joke), but AI generators are getting better and smarter. Some of them can produce art much better than this, and some can write flawless marketing copy or original stories. Their rise is threatening the lives and careers of creators everywhere, including myself, as writing is both my hobby AND (outside of the GNP) my livelihood.
The Godzilla/kaiju community is bursting with some of the most talented ACTUAL HUMAN artists you’ll ever meet. Please pay and support them. They deserve it. This AI crap can pound sand.
That said, I hope the post gave you a laugh! Some of these images are truly hysterical (I think the Steve Martin Report cover is the winner), and I had way too much fun coming up with super-serious descriptions for each. I also left in typos intentionally, and threw in a few subtle “mistakes” just for fun (like including Terror of Mechagodzilla, even though its GNP Novelization hasn’t been started yet).
As with every GNP April Fools Day prank, I’ll leave the post below archived for posterity. Just don’t expect those horrible covers to show up as actual covers on the GNP website anytime soon. 😉
Take care, everyone! And, at long last, happy April 2nd! Whew!
Happy Saturday, readers! Strap in, because I have a big announcement to make!
For the last five years, the Godzilla Novelization Project has lacked one crucial ingredient that any good book needs: actual book covers.
Well, that’s finally about to change!
Thanks to the magic of AI, I’m thrilled to announce that every GNP novel now has gorgeous, hi-res cover art, rendered with stunning accuracy and mind-blowing visual fidelity. (Plus, I didn’t have to pay real human artists a lick o’ money! What fun!)
Take a look through the gallery below and feast your eyes on these true artistic wonders!
The process was simple: I just typed the name of each movie along with the words “book cover” into the prompt and voila! Free masterpieces. I think the remarkable work seen on this new cover for my Godzilla (1954) novelization says it all.
This is the new GNP cover for King Kong vs. Godzilla. Which one is Godzilla? Which one is Kong? Only you can decide!
Mothra vs. Godzilla is undoubtedly a masterpiece, and it’s clear that AI generators are aware of this. Otherwise, how could the free one I Googled capture the essence of the film with such stunning accuracy?
Truly a book cover worthy of the legacy of Ishiro Honda.
Ah, All Monsters Attack. The often maligned story of a young child fleeing his unhappy world to befriend the son of Godzilla and learn valuable life lessons.
But did Ichiro have tails growing out of his legs and sword?
I think we all know the answer.
The ideal book cover should be able to communicate something profound about what the reader can expect from the story and the characters behind it.
This breathtaking cover for my Godzilla vs. Hedorah novelization accomplishes that goal in spades.
I’m a big Gigan fan. Not just of the movie, but also of the character. The design has always fascinated me; I mean, who among us DOESN’T love the full silver armor plating, lack of chest saw, red face, and upsetting number of teeth that Gigan has to offer? I know I sure do.
Art is open to interpretation. I mean, if AI wants to interpret the name “Megalon” as “Jason Momoa in Yoga Pants,” then who are we to judge?
It’s art like this that reminds me of just how much I love Godzilla vs. Megalon. Happy 50th. I hope this cover does you justice.
The swan song of Ishiro Honda. The final film of the Showa era. A timeless tale of star-crossed lovers. A fantastic film with epic action and tender emotion in equal measure.
And somehow, this cover conveys it all without words. Art is truly powerful.
One of my favorite aspects of Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla was the confusion the characters feel about which of the two titular monsters is which. Remember the part where everyone thought Godzilla was Spacegodzilla and Spacegodzilla was Godzilla? Good times.
I’ll be honest with you guys: up to this point, and despite the stunning results, I wasn’t ENTIRELY sold on the whole AI thing.
But then I saw this image.
The sheer artistic magnitude, the accuracy to the film, the unexpected number of finger tentacles… it brought a tear to my eye. And then another. Before I knew it, I was openly weeping over my smartphone.
Truly, this is art.
I love me some Kiryu, and seeing how AI rendered the Millennium Mechagodzilla was a true treat. The app truly nailed it with this one, right down to the giant orange organic eyes that Kiryu is known for. They even put Godzilla’s head on backwards, just like in the movie!
But wait… it doesn’t stop there!
I figured I’d also generate some soulless cover art for some of the short stories I’ve written, and where better to start than the tale of a cyborg who dreamed of being loved as a human.
I present to you the new cover for “Katsura’s Story.”
In 1956, one man watched as a city burned and the shadow of a prehistoric beast fell upon a terrified nation. He witnessed death and tragedy on an unprecedented scale, and lived through it all to tell his story.
I present to you the new book cover for “The Steve Martin Report.”
One man.
One island.
One insatiable hunger for the forbidden fungi of a cursed hell in the Pacific.
Behold the new cover for the GNP’s novella “Casefile: Matango.”
And last but not least, witness the terrifying backwards wings and footless horror of “Sora no Daikaiju,” a retelling of 1956’s Rodan.
Finally, a cover worthy of one of the GNP’s most popular short stories!
Expect these breathtaking examples of artistic brilliance to find a home on each novel’s main page soon!
As yet another year draws to a close (and the GODZILLA NOVELIZATION PROJECT nears its 5th anniversary), I wanted to take a minute to express some gratitude, and – if you’ll indulge me – to get a bit personal.
To put it bluntly, 2022 was full of personal struggle for me, with loss and life upheavals piling up and making it difficult to be as creative as I’d wanted to be. I won’t dwell on the specifics, but between December of last year and today, I’ve had to say goodbye to four friends/family members who’ve passed away, nearly lost three other friends (all of whom are okay now, but damn was it scary), and dealt with the ramifications of some past trauma that seriously impaired my focus, among other things too personal to get into here. A lot of my time this year was spent caring for (and grieving with) family and friends, navigating some tough emotional moments, and reflecting on how beautiful yet fleeting life can be.
I don’t say any of this to complain or to elicit sympathy or pity. Far from it. I like to keep things positive and uplifting within the realm of the GNP, and I certainly don’t want to “harsh anyone’s buzz” or make anyone worry.
I also want it known that, despite all the stuff I mentioned above, I’m doing okay. I’m not ill or depressed, and this year has also given me countless blessings, some of the greatest of my entire life, in fact.
But yeah, if you noticed a sharp decline in the amount of content produced by the GNP this year (from new chapters and short stories to blogs, timeline updates, site updates, and Monster Musings podcast episodes), this is why.
I wanted to acknowledge this for two reasons. Firstly, because – as an audience with a vested interest in my work – I believe you’re owed an explanation for why the content you (hopefully) enjoy has been slow this year.
And secondly, because – despite this slowness and long periods between updates – you’re still here.
In this fast-paced world of content overload, it’s easy for projects and creators to slip out of mind and get buried by content that’s more consistent. But that hasn’t been the case for the GNP. And that absolutely blows my mind.
Despite the infrequency of updates, 2022 saw nearly 5,000 visitors to the website, and an amazing 18,194 page views. The first chapter for the novelization of 1954’s Godzilla alone was read 268 times over the last 12 months, and the project’s newest tale, “Katsura’s Story,” is nearing 100 reads after only a week of publication.
After the sad year I’ve had, you have no idea how much that means to me.
I don’t typically check or share the GNP’s metrics (clicks aren’t nearly as important to me as knowing I’ve entertained people, however few). But seeing those numbers really put into perspective just how much people genuinely care about this project. Whether they’re longtime readers or curious newcomers, they continue to read. Even with the scarcity of content this year, they still showed up. YOU still showed up.
And so, as we move on to a new year and new possibilities, I wanted to say thank you. Thank you all for being such wonderful readers. Thank you for sticking by me during one of the hardest years of my life, even if you didn’t know the impact you were having. And thank you for being supportive, enthusiastic, patient, and kind. You’ve given me a tremendous gift, and I hope to continue being worthy of the support you’ve shown me.
Onward to 2023, to better days, and to a return to form for the GNP! I promise, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet… 😉
The Godzilla Novelization Project 