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!

Howdy, readers!

First, I’m pleased to announce that the site now has an official FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page, where you will find a collection of queries regarding different aspects of the Godzilla Novelization Project, along with corresponding answers!  As my audience continues to grow, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of questions I’ve been asked about my creative process, how readers can help the project grow, plans for the future, and other inquiries.  I hope that this page provides satisfactory answers to these questions, and gives a little more insight into the why’s, when’s, and how’s of the GNP!

Currently, there are 12 questions/answers on the page, and I fully intend to add more as time goes on!  If you have a question that you’d like answered, and don’t see it on the FAQ page, contact me and ask away!

The second bit of business involves some slight editing that I’ve done on a few novelization chapters.  At the top of the Novels page, I mention that edits to any GNP writing project are to be expected, as such changes are meant to improve my work and create better novels.  I also mention that larger edits will be noted, and this is definitely one of those times!

The first changes can be seen in both the first and second parts of The Steve Martin Report, in which a few extra details have been added, and one major continuity error amended.  This has resulted in an additional paragraph being added to Part 2, and the reshuffling of a few sentences to better reflect the more accurate presentation.

Next up is Godzilla vs. Hedorah, which has had multiple edits made to improve grammar, scentence flow, and character perspective across multiple chapters.  In addition, expect the INCREDIBLY long Chapter 1 to be broken up into two different chapters within the next day or so.  While the chapter’s length wouldn’t be an issue in print form, it is simply too long for online reading, and so the second half will be separated into a new Chapter 2.  (This, of course, means that the current Chapter 2 will now be Chapter 3, and the next chapter to be published will be Chapter 4, and so on.). Hopefully, this will benefit the overall reading experience, and create a better novel in the process!

Whew!  I think that’s enough for today.  Be sure to let me know if you’re enjoying the improvements to the site and it’s content, and stay tuned for more updates soon!  This is an exciting week for the GNP, so expect more news and announcements in the coming days!

What’s up, readers!

This is just a brief update to let you know two awesome things:

First, a ton more info has been added to the “Sony Godzilla Timeline” over in the Timeline section!  The page now includes content from the first four episodes of Godzilla: The Series, including the two part pilot! Ever wondered how many PH.D’s Craven has, or wanted a complete catalogue of all the times poor N.I.G.E.L. bit the dust?  Pretty soon, you’ll find all that and more right here, in the Sony Timeline!

And if you think four episodes isn’t a ton of added content, just click the link above and prepare to be surprised!

The second update has to do with a little housekeeping I’ve been doing on the site!  Over the last few days, I’ve been working on small improvements, including better navigation and correcting a few spelling faux pas I stumbled across.  The best news is that you’ll now be able to return to each novel’s Table of Contents/Synopsis page after completing a chapter for a given novel, instead of having to scroll all the way back up to the menu to leave the page.  It’s a simple change, but hopefully it’ll make a big difference, and I’m honestly surprised it took me as long as it did to realize that such a necessary aspect of page navigation was missing.  However, the issue is now a thing of the past, and I hope you’ll forgive a first-time web designer for the oversight!

That said, if you have any other ideas for site improvement, or spot anything that doesn’t work quite right, be sure to let me know in the comments of this update, or on the Contact page.  Also, if you so desire, let me know if you’re enjoying the changes made, or if you’re already nostalgic for all that scrolling.

A more substantial update on further chapters (and the announcement of the NEXT Godzilla novelization I’ll be starting!) should (hopefully) be coming soon.  Until then, stay tuned and continue sharing the project with like-minded friends!  I’ve been humbled and ecstatic at how rapidly my readership has grown since launching the project, and I can’t begin to thank you all enough for your support.  It truly means the world to me.

Thank you all, and check back soon!  Exciting things are coming!

Happy June, Godzilla fans!

I’m happy to announce that the GNP’s novelization of the 1964 kaiju classic, Mothra vs. Godzilla, is making excellent progress!  I’ve been hard at work on polishing follow-up chapters for a number of adaptations already underway on the site, so if you’ve been waiting for continuations to All Monsters Attack, the original Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla vs. Megalon, and the other novels I’ve started, no worries… they will be coming soon!

First up for continuation is Mothra vs. Godzilla, which now has the complete Chapter 1 available to read!

I hope you continue to enjoy the new additions to the site (including the ever evolving GNP Timeline)!  Be sure to check back as the GODZILLA NOVELIZATION PROJECT continues to expand and (with any luck) entertain!

 

“SPACE MONSTERS FROM BEYOND THE STARS… AT WAR WITH GODZILLA FOR THE EARTH!”

Two weeks ago, the GNP created a poll on Twitter, asking Godzilla fans to choose between four randomly selected G-films (one from each era), with the winner becoming the next novelization to be started.  Two days and 66 votes later, the fans had spoken…

The incontrovertible winner – with a whopping 50% of the votes – was 1972’s Godzilla vs. Gigan!

Beloved for innumerable reasons by fans of all ages, Godzilla vs. Gigan represents a bold experiment on the part of Toho and its team of monster makers: with budgets slashed, a cast devoid of Toho’s legendary repertory of Golden Age actors, and the bad taste left in the mouth of producer Tomoyuki Tanaka after the release of 1971’s psychedelic opus Godzilla vs. Hedorah, how could Godzilla be returned to his 1960’s heyday?  With Jun Fukuda directing and Teruyoshi Nakano handling the special effects, the end result was a film that aimed to capture the feel a classic kaiju film.  Despite its prolific (and obvious) use of stock footage, well-worn monster suits, and a soundtrack comprised almost entirely from Akira Ifukube stock cues, this Frankenstein-esque patchwork of reused footage, music, and plot points not only works, but works incredibly well.  The film has thrilled audiences on both sides of the Pacific for over 45 years, and has become a well-deserved fan favorite in the series.

Also, Gigan is one HELL of an awesome monster.

The opportunity to tackle the novelization of this film has been a wonderful one, as the film is one of the earliest Godzilla movies I saw as a child.  Sandwiched on a VHS tape between Hedorah and 1974’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (all of which I taped during a wondrous Labor Day monster marathon on the Sci-Fi Channel), Gigan quickly became – and has remained – an all-time favorite of mine.  Its a film I revisit often, and cannot wait to continue converting into the written word.

So, without further ado, I present the first chapter of the GNP’s novelization of Godzilla vs. Gigan!  I hope you all enjoy it!

Greetings, fellow fans!

On this day in 1998, the most controversial moment in the history of Godzilla occurred when Tristar’s take on the character hit theaters across America.  It certainly wasn’t what most US fans were expecting, and what even fewer were hoping for.

Much has been said about the much maligned film (nicknamed “GINO”, an acronym for “Godzilla In Name Only” by unhappy fans) in the two decades since its release, very little of it positive.  But, as misguided as many aspects of it were, and as different as it was from the classic Japanese version of the character, I have to admit… I’ve never hated it.

To me, the film has always been a fun rollercoaster ride of a monster movie; an exciting, high-octane creature feature that showcased (mostly) likable characters, an engaging plot, great set pieces and action sequences, and, when taken on its own, awesome creature design.

Is it “Godzilla proper”?

Nope.

Is it a flawless piece of cinema?

Nuh-uh.

Is it one hell of a fun time to watch?

You bet!  At least for me.

So, to celebrate the film’s 20th Anniversary, I have begun work on what I am calling the “Sony Godzilla Timeline”, a part of the site’s Timeline section that will chronicle all the major events of the universe Sony created for this particular version of the character.  While the company only got one of its planned trilogy of Godzilla films out of the gate, the story of the first film DID continue, thanks to an excellent animated television show that aired shortly after the 1998 film’s release.  As any fan who has seen it knows, Godzilla: The Series fairs much better than the film that spawned it, and tells 40 episodes-worth of exciting stories featuring more giant mutations, an alien invasion, and even a few welcome homages to the classic Toho films.

When combined, the movie and the series create a decently-sized series of events, all of which will be chronicled in the Sony Godzilla Timeline as I continue to add to it.

So, celebrate the 20th Birthday of GINO by checking out the beginning of the Sony Timeline here!

Whether you love or hate the film, one thing will always be certain…

That’s a lot of fish. 😉

Greetings, G-Fans!

The GNP is honored to present the beginning of a new Godzilla novelization, this one retelling one of the series’ finest moments in its 64 year history: 1964’s monster opus, Mothra vs. Godzilla, which saw its original theatrical release 54 years ago today.

Tackling this particular film for the Godzilla Novelization Project will be an emotional journey for me: as it turns out, Mothra vs. Godzilla was the very first Godzilla film I saw from beginning to end, way back in my elementary school days.  After having my mind blown by my first G-film (Godzilla 2000, which I watched the first 3rd of at a friend’s house before cruel fate forced me to leave early), I was brought to my local library by my ever-supportive mother, who had told me that there were many, many more Godzilla films out there to watch.  At the time, the library’s movie section was dominated by VHS tapes, and as it turned out, they had a healthy selection of Godzilla titles to choose from!  They all looked amazing, but in the end, my selection (based largely off the appeal of the Simitar Entertainment box art) was Mothra vs. Godzilla, labeled Godzilla vs. Mothra on the box and, of course, known to American fans for decades as Godzilla vs. The Thing.

I took that tape home, cradling it in my arms as if it were a sacred treasure, and wasted no time in popping it into my VCR.

I, like so many fans had been before me and have been since, was captivated.

As any G-Fan worth his salt will tell you, Mothra vs. Godzilla is the Goldfinger of the Showa era; from Honda’s directing, Tsuburaya’s special effects, Ifukube’s thundering score, and Sekizawa’s wonderful story and screenplay to the brilliant acting and memorable characters, every aspect of the film’s production shines.  If any Godzilla film deserves the moniker of “classic”, it is this one.

To have the opportunity to adapt this wonderful film into novel form is exhilarating, and a bit intimidating.  Not only is it a beloved film in the franchise, but it also means to world to me on a very personal level.  But just as with any other GNP project, my goal in crafting this adaptation will remain the desire to honor all the men and women who worked on the film, both behind and in front of the camera.

And speaking of “in front of the camera”, the GNP would like to issue a sincere HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the one and only Akira Takarada, star of Mothra vs. Godzilla, the original Godzilla, four other G-titles, and numerous other wonderful productions over a staggering 64 year career.  It’s hard to believe that Takarada-San is now 84 years young. He certainly doesn’t look it!

I’ve had the incredible pleasure of meeting Takarada-San four times now, most recently in Japan back in 2016 where he graciously joined my fellow travelers and I for dinner.  It was a night that I’ll always treasure.  Being that close to a childhood hero on such casual terms is an incredible feeling, and one that I hope all my readers get to experience someday with whomever they consider their hero.

Takarada-San is by far the most authentically generous celebrity I’ve ever met.  After more than six decades, he’s still legend in Japan, a highly respected actor and still in demand for various projects.  All too often, celebrities of that caliber have massive egos and little time for connecting with fans of their work.  Not Takarada-San.  Journeys across the Pacific to attend conventions, organizing special tours of Toho Studios for western fans, granting interviews for documentaries and DVD bonus features, taking time out of his schedule to eat and talk with enthusiasts of his work, and even doing cameos in fan-produced kaiju projects… these are things most Hollywood stars wouldn’t dream of doing, much less on a regular basis.

So for all those things, for your unending generosity and kindness, for decades of sharing your incredible talent with generations of movie lovers, and for inspiring so many dreams in so many kids – including me – over the years, and for being a hero both on and off screen… I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Happy Birthday, Takarada-San!

And so, without further ado, in honor of the 54th Anniversary of Mothra vs. Godzilla and the 84th birthday of its immortal leading man, here is prologue to the GNP’s novel adaptation of the film.  I hope you all enjoy it.

(NOTE: After completing the prologue, the link at the bottom of the page will take you to the Chapter 1 page, which is not yet complete.  You’ll find something special there that will act as an intro to the eventual chapter, and something that will preface further chapters in this adaptation!  Hopefully you’ll enjoy the concept!)

More updates are coming soon, so stay tuned!

Hey there, G-Fans!  I’m excited to announce that the GNP’s long dormant “Timeline” page is finally starting to take shape, with the first addition being the first part of the “Anime Timeline”.

The Timeline page here on the website has been sitting empty since the project launched, and now I’m finally getting around to creating content for it! Essentially, the Timeline page will be a portal to multiple timelines that will chronicle major events in each era’s specific universe. These events will range from real-world happenings that have influenced the Godzilla stories (the extinction of the dinosaurs, the atomic bombings of Japan, etc.) to the events from the films themselves (monster attacks, character’s deaths, alien invasions… you get the drift!).

To start things off, I have begun with the most recently created Godzilla universe: Toho’s still ongoing “Anime” series that, by the end of the year, will be comprised of a trilogy of animated feature films. Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters is, of course, already available to watch on Netflix, and it’s sequel, Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle, is less than a month away from its theatrical release! The universe that Toho has created for this anime series is INSANE, to say the least. It’s also incredibly awesome, positing a world where decades of unending kaiju attacks have brought humanity to its knees. Countless classic Toho creatures, fleets of familiar ships, mechs, and robots, two alien races, and absolutely NO subtlety…

And all that happens BEFORE Planet of the Monsters even starts!

So, what better way to launch the GNP’s Timeline project than to tackle this crazy series of events?

So far, the Anime Timeline on the site includes only this “prequel” information, from the appearance of Kamacuras in 1999 to the launching of the Aratrum in 2048. Additions pertaining to the events seen in the actual films are coming soon.

Until then, follow this link to read the beginings of the Anime Godzilla Timeline! And stay tuned for more updates soon!