Hey, all!

Surprise, I’m not dead!  You know, for those of you who were worried.

I’d like to apologize for the lack of new content as of late.  A mixture of various issues kept me from consistently working, none of which I’ll bore you with.  The good news is, I haven’t NOT been working, and the fruits of my behind-the-scenes labor will soon be posted for your reading pleasure!  More on that in a future update.

For today, however, I do have good news: the popular Sony Timeline has just been updated with even more information, gleaned from the tenth and eleventh episodes of Godzilla: The Series!

This batch of episodes includes “Bird of Paradise”, a fan favorite featuring the legendary Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl (a.k.a. “Q”) emerging to lay its eggs and do battle with the Monster King, and “Freeze”, in which a colony of gigantic, ice-boring hybrid moles rampage across the South Pole.  Two great episodes, and a whole lot of great new info for the Timeline!

Follow this link to check out the new info (found at the bottom of the page), and while you’re there, be sure to re-read some of the previously posted information; tons of new little details pertaining to the Tristar universe have been added in recent weeks, thanks to some in-depth analysis of the 1998 film’s adult and junior novelizations, an early version of the shooting script, and a few other publications!

The next gap between updates won’t be nearly as long as this one, I promise! In fact, I’ve got a few exciting things coming up that I can’t wait to announce, but that will have to wait until next time…

Until then, stay tuned!

Howdy, readers!

Its just about time to bid farewell to August, but before we do, I’ve got some exciting news…

An article on the GODZILLA NOVELIZATION PROJECT – penned by yours truly – has just been published in the latest issue of Prehistoric Magazine!

With it’s focus on celebrating anything and everything dinosaur/prehistoric beastie-related (and always a great read for its interviews, reviews, and editorials on a variety of related topics), the opportunity to promote the GNP within the digital pages of Prehistoric was incredibly exciting.  The article serves as an introduction to the project, and discusses everything from Godzilla’s history in printed media to the many challenges that I’m taking on to see this endeavor through to realization.

I’d like to send a HUGE and sincere THANK YOU to the awesome Michael Esola, founder and editor-in-chief of Prehistoric, for giving me the opportunity to widen the GNP’s exposure through the magazine.  Your vote of confidence means the world to me.

If you’d like to check out the issue (or better yet, subscribe to the magazine!), head to the Prehistoric website and give it a read!

(By the way, Michael Esola is no stranger to monster-related fiction!  Check out his website and peruse his work on Amazon; there’s lots of quality creature storytelling to enjoy!)

That’s right, the Sony Timeline has been updated YET AGAIN!

I have to say, working on the research for this project had been a blast. This latest batch of added information has been gleaned from analysis of an early shooting script and several newly acquired publications released in 1998 to market the film and its animated sequel.  The script in particular has been absolutely fascinating to study, as it contains a few minor differences from the final script that went before the cameras, including deleted sequences, character names/backgrounds, and some details that ended up influencing the plot of  Godzilla: The Series.  For example, did you ever wonder why Colonel Hicks was suddenly a Major in the show?  This early script has the answer to this mystery and others, and more revelations are being added to the Timeline as they are discovered!

In addition, info on the events from the animated series’ ninth episode, entitled “Hive”, has been added, detailing the H.E.A.T. Team’s encounter with giant bees and man-eating vines on a volcanic island.  It’s a great episode, and was a joy to catalogue!

Follow this link to check out the new info! 

With new material from which to pull info (including the aforementioned script and Godzilla: The Movie Scrapbook, to name a few examples), the Sony Timeline will be receiving regular updates for quite a while.  Expect larger updates to be noted here on the main page, and stay tuned for more additions to other parts of the GNP in the near future!

Finally, a new chapter!

After a few months of focusing on other adaptations, the GNP is dusting off Godzilla vs. Megalon at last!  This latest chapter was surprisingly difficult to nail down, but I’m pleased with how the final result turned out!  Picking up after the events of the Prologue, this chapter introduces our main characters as they witness the destruction of a massive lake – not to mention a perfectly fine dolphin water toy.  The sequence is one of the most memorable of the film, and I hope I’ve done it justice.

Follow this link to read and (hopefully) enjoy the new chapter!  (But make sure you start at the Prologue if you haven’t already!)

More updates and announcements are in the works as we speak, so stay tuned!

Howdy, readers!

Just a quick update today, but a pretty substantial one!

Long story short, the Sony Timeline has been updated yet again!  The additions this time around include info and events from the 6th, 7th, and 8th episodes of Godzilla: The Series: “Cat & Mouse” (in which Godzilla hunts mutant rats through Manhattan as a trio of redneck poachers attempt to hunt him!), “Leviathan” (in which H.E.A.T. encounters the occupants of a sunken alien craft in a story that sets up the brilliant “Monster Wars” story arc later in the series), and “What Dreams May Come” (which tells the tale of an electromagnetic monster literally dreamed into existence by the subconscious mind of a mentally disturbed insomniac).  There was a LOT of cool info to catalogue in these three episodes, including info on the history of the Leviathan aliens, some analysis of the repair work still being done in New York following the first Godzilla’s rampage, and the (unsurprising) revelation that Craven is highly allergic to rat dander!  (Am I the only one who genuinely enjoys inconsequential minutiae like this?)

In addition, a smattering of other updates have been included in various parts of the Timeline, and more will be coming in the next few days as I continue to plow through more research material pertaining to the 1998 film and it’s animated sequel.

Check out the newly updated Sony Timeline here, and be sure to let me know what you think of the progress made so far!

Greetings, readers!

During my wonderful weekend at last month’s G-FEST XXV in Chicago, I met up with kaiju enthusiasts/historians/hosts of Kaijuvision Radio Brian Scherschel and Nate Marchand for an in-depth interview on the GODZILLA NOVELIZATION PROJECT.  It was a surreal thrill to be asked to appear as a guest on their podcast (a show I listen to often and use as research for the GNP), and a wonderful time was had by all!  Brian and Nate prepared a series of awesome questions for me to answer, and OH BOY did I answer them!  I don’t think my mouth closed for the entire duration of the interview, which clocks in at nearly two hours in length!  During that time we discussed my writing process and inspiration, my history of loving Godzilla, my goals for the project, the challenges and rewards of taking on such a massive endeavor, and our mutual love of kaiju history, MST3K, and Sean Connery impressions.  In short, it was a BLAST.

To Nate and Brian, I offer my most sincere thanks.  This interview represents the largest exposure the GODZILLA NOVELIZATION PROJECT has yet received, and your vote of confidence in me and my writing is truly humbling beyond words.  You guys rock.

So, without further ado, follow this link to the KaijuVision website and check out the interview!  (And while you’re there, be sure to check out Brian and Nate’s backlog of excellently researched episodes, each of which analyzes the historical and cultural value/significance of a different Godzilla movie.  These guys know their stuff, and I guarantee you’ll learn something(s) both new and fascinating!)

I hope you enjoy the interview!  Be sure to let me know what you thought via Facebook, Twitter, the interview’s YouTube comments section, or right here on the GNP website!

More updates are inbound soon, so stay tuned!

Howdy, Godzilla lovers!

It’s been a hectic few weeks at GNP Headquarters, but work is finally begining to pick up steam once again!  I’m pleased to announce that the GNP’s “Sony Godzilla Timeline” has been updated with all new information and events!  This latest batch of content come from Godzilla: The Series‘ fifth episode, “The Winter of our Discontent”, in which billionaire tech guru Cameron Winter attempts to take control of Godzilla and pave the way for new mutation-based weaponry.  It’s a fantastic episode, and provided a ton of new info for the Timeline!  For example, did you know that Randy was booted from Empire State Tech for hacking the school’s computers, and that his school troubles ultimately led to Nick hiring him as his assistant?  Check out the newly updated Sony Timeline to see all the newly added details!

In addition, the Sony Timeline page has been divided into 3 parts for easier navigation.  The length of the page was making it hard to easily find specific events, and the divides are the begining of a few design improvements that will hopefully make the timelines more easily readable!

Thanks for reading, and check back soon for more announcements!

Greetings, G-Fans!

Another G-FEST is now, sadly, in the history books.  The period immediately following the end of the con is always a sad time, as it means saying goodbye to friends, leaving behind a community of like-minded fans, and not seeing the majesty of the Dealer’s Room for another 12 months.

However, while the conclusion of G-FEST – and subsequent return to the “real world” – is always hard on fans like me, I’m glad to say that I left the show a little happier than usual this year.

Why?  Because, perhaps more so than any of my preceding eight G-FESTS… this year was AMAZING.

And not just because of the camaraderie, the incredible work that is put into making the show so wonderful, and, of course, getting to meet my childhood heroes face to face.  This year was special because, for the first time, I was actively promoting myself.  I was there to represent a massive writing project in probably the single best place to promote a Godzilla-related creative endeavor.

To that end, I’m thrilled to report that the GODZILLA NOVELIZATION PROJECT was VERY warmly received at G-FEST XXV!

Here are a few of the amazing GNP-related highlights from the weekend:

1) I was able to talk about the project with fans and readers in person.  It was incredibly humbling to see so many people interested and supportive of the idea, and excited to check it out!  I went through the lion’s share of business cards between Thursday and Sunday!

2) I was actually RECOGNIZED for the project on several occasions!  Being told  “Oh yeah!  I’ve heard of that!” or “Wow, I’ve read your stuff and I love it!” is remarkably humbling, and it meant a lot to discover that word of the project is spreading.

3) I got to meet with fellow writers (many of them with far more experience in writing kaiju stories than me) and pick their brains for tips and tricks on how to make my own novels better.

4) I made some important and exciting connections with researchers in the field of kaiju history, including the incredibly generous John LeMay, author of several exhaustively researched books on the history of Japanese giant monster films!  I’ve loved John’s work for a long time now, and his works (especially The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies: The Lost Films) are essential reading for any kaiju lover.  As anyone who has read The Lost Films knows, John has acquired a staggering amount of material pertaining to kaiju movie scripts and deleted/altered scenes.  Needless to say, any help he can give me will only make anything I write better, and his offer of assistance to me was appreciated beyond words.

5) I was able to connect with some potential merchandising partners!  Producing GNP-related swag (t-shirts, keychains, coffee mugs, stickers, etc.) has been a goal of mine since launching the project, and now that my audience is growing, the possibility of creating some of these items (perhaps as Patreon rewards for supporters) is starting to look more and more likely.  Nothing is set in stone yet, but thanks to a few generous individuals who’ve expressed interest in helping me, the future is looking bright for GNP merch!

And finally…

6) I WAS INTERVIEWED ON THE KAIJUVISION RADIO PODCAST!!!!

Yep, you read that right!  Thanks to the support and generosity of hosts Brian and Nate, I was given the opportunity to promote the GODZILLA NOVELIZATION PROJECT via an in-depth interview on their show!

For the uninitiated, KaijuVision Radio is a massive – and highly entertaining – labor of love for its duo of hosts.  They’ve exhaustively analyzed the entire Godzilla series in chronological order, focusing on the economic, political, and cultural factors that’ve shaped even the silliest of the Monster King’s films over the decades.  The amount of research that goes into each episode is staggering, and the information is truly fascinating.  In fact, several of their episodes have become crucial research elements to me as I continue my writing for this project.  Check out their website here, and give them a listen!

Needless to say, it was a surreal thrill to be interviewed on a podcast, and one that I listen to on a regular basis, no less!  I had an absolute blast doing it, and couldn’t be more grateful to Brian and Nate for their support, their interest, and for simply being awesome guys to nerd out with.

Expect an update when the episode goes live!

 

And with that, my wall of text has reached its conclusion.  This was a long post, but hopefully an enjoyable one to read!  Before I go, I’d like to once again express my sincere gratitude to everyone who took interest in the GODZILLA NOVELIZATION PROJECT over this last weekend, and to all of you reading these words right now.  Your support truly means the world to me, and I hope I can continue to be worthy of it.

Expect more updates soon as this wonderful, crazy journey continues!

 

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Is it time for G-FEST XXVI yet?

Greetings, all!

That magical time of the year is upon us again… the time when thousands of kaiju lovers converge on Chicago to celebrate a mutual love for all things Godzilla!  Panels will be attended, movies will be watched, autographs will be signed, and wallets will be dramatically depleted.

And we fans will love every precious second of it!

I’ve been fortunate enough to have attended G-FEST for the last 9 consecutive years, and it is truly the BEST weekend of the year for Godzilla enthusiasts. This year, however, is special, as I’ll be representing the GNP for the first time at a gathering of like-minded fans!  I cannot wait to discuss the project with my fellow attendees, and I hope that I’ll be able to meet some of my readers in person!

If you’re at the show this year, be sure to look for a guy in a “Godzilla Novelization Project” shirt, and stop me if you want to chat!

Stay tuned for some surprises as the weekend continues, and I’ll see you at the con!

Greetings, Kaiju fans!

I’m happy to announce that the GNP’s’ novelization of the psychedelic 1971 classic Godzilla vs. Hedorah is finally continuing, with the official publication of Chapter 4!  Give it a read here!

But that’s not all!  If you’ve been following along with the Hedorah novelization thus far, you might be confused about why this new chapter is called “Chapter 4”, when the most recently published addition to the book was Chapter 2.

Rest assured, I haven’t lost my mind… just yet.

As I mentioned in my previous update, I recently came to the realization that the first chapter of Hedorah was simply too long.  At more than 5000 words, it ran nearly twice as long as most of my other GNP chapters, and while a chapter of that leangth or longer would be perfectly fine in a physical book, it came across as ponderous when viewed on a webpage.

So, in order to improve readibility and flow, I have split Chapter 1 into two chapters.  The second half of the chapter – begining with Ken and his father exploring Saruga Bay – is now a new and improved Chapter 2!  This means, of course, that the former Chapter 2 is now Chapter 3, and the newest chapter is Chapter 4!

I hope these changes have improved the novel, which is still the longest Godzilla book on the site to date!  Be sure to check out the overhauled Chapter 1 (but start at the Prologue if you haven’t begun reading yet!), and as always, stay tuned for more updates SUPER soon!