Tag: godzilla-novelization-project

UPDATE #118 (5/14/26): G-Fest 2026 Panels Revealed! Here’s Where You can Spot Me at This Year’s Con

Greetings, cool person!

Ah, May. The birds are beginning to chirp again. Green leaves are slowly but persistently sprouting from tree branches. Tax refunds are being deposited and promptly spent with reckless abandon. Endless fields of “CONGRATULATIONS GRAD!” signs wave in the delicate spring breeze as you drive down any given American suburban street. (If you’re a grad, congratulations!)

And, if you’re a Godzilla fan with a convention budget, you’re likely gearing up for the madness that is G-Fest.

As of this writing, the annual gathering of the kaiju nerds is just around the corner, and as usual, I’ll be a super busy bee at this year’s show! Every summer, the number of panels and events I’m invited to participate in grows, and this year (no joke), I was asked to join nearly 20 different panels. Flattering though that may be (and I sincerely thank everyone who wanted me to be a part of their presentations), doing that many panels would almost certainly put me in the ER. So, after some whittling, the final number comes to seven standard panels, one interview, a workshop, and a few surprises I can’t reveal just yet!

While locations and exact times have yet to be revealed, here’s where you can spot me at this year’s G-Fest:

  • “G-Cinema” Author Daniel DiManna Interview: That’s right… not only am I participating in the usual lineup of film retrospectives and special interest discussions, but (and I’m still pinching myself), I’m actually being interviewed about my new book, “G-Cinema,” live on an opening day panel! Absolutely amazing. I couldn’t be more grateful.
  • Shin Godzilla: 10 Years Later: Hard to believe this stone-cold classic is a decade old! Nick Crispino, John Schuermann, Helmi Abdat, Brendan Morley, and yours truly are teaming up to celebrate this milestone anniversary, complete with some never-before-seen photos from my visit to the film’s 2016 premier in Tokyo!
  • Daimajin 60th Anniversary: Ready to get stoned? Elijah Thomas and I are teaming up to celebrate everyone’s favorite living statue on his big 60th birthday. We’ll be talking about the oft-ignored origins of the 1966 trilogy, the deeper cultural themes that hallmark the series, and a whole slew of post-Showa appearances, homages, unmade films, and much more!
  • Kaiju Writers Unite: G-Fest’s annual writer Q&A is back, and this year, Ryan Collins, Donny Winter, Christofer Nigro, Nathan Marchand, and moi will be answering your questions about kaiju word-crafting. Come curious!
  • Rebirth of Mothra 30th Anniversary: The first installment in this magical, childhood-favorite trilogy is now three decades old, and it deserves a long-overdue spotlight. I’m joining fellow ROM evangelists Donny Winter and Danielle Fey to give this film, and its two sequels, some love.
  • Discussing Brush of the God: This summer, the landmark final film (and directorial debut) of revered monster maker Keizo Murase is coming to Blu-ray. Join SRS Cinema’s Ron Bonk, Elijah Thomas, and I as we tell the story behind this remarkable kaiju masterpiece, the singularly incredible man who made it, and the journey to create its definitive, bonus feature-packed home video release.
  • Godzilla 1994: Before Tristar’s 1998 Godzilla hit theaters, the King of the Monsters nearly had a wilder, more faithful adaptation produced in the mid-nineties. Greg Noneman, Sam Iller, Nicholas Latimer, and I are diving deep into this unmade epic to discuss its production history and why it was never completed.
  • War of the Gargantuas: The Frankenstein Brothers Turn 60: Last year, I had the distinct honor of celebrating the 60th anniversary of Frankenstein Conquers the World at G-Fest. This summer, we’re doing it again for the sequel! Kevin Horn, Brady Johnson, Jr., John Schuermann, and I will be giving this kaiju classic its due with lots of production history and fond memories.
  • PLUS, the Writers’ Workshop is returning for another round of kaiju flash fiction crafting. If you’re a fellow writer who’s looking to hone your skills and have some creative fun, I hope you’ll join us!

As you can see, this is gonna be another packed year for me. I can’t wait to tackle all these panels (plus those extra surprises I mentioned), and as always, I’m incredibly excited to see you in person, too. (If you spot me, don’t hesitate to say hi and chat me up!)

The full G-Fest 2026 panel schedule (complete with confirmed days/times/locations) should be going live soon, so stay tuned to the G-Fest website and social media pages. In the meantime, thank you for being here, and for your amazing support in all my crazy kaiju endeavors. I hope to see you in July!

-Daniel

UPDATE #112 (2/4/26): Full Cover Reveal for “G-Cinema” (And Other Book Info/Shenanigans)

Hi there, GNP readers… welcome to 2026!

Oh, the year started 35 days ago? We’re somehow already a month into 2026? Well, in that case… welcome to February!

All kidding aside, this is the first GNP update of the year, and it’s set to kick off an absolute doozy of an 11 months. There’s so much in the pipeline this year – from massive writing and home video projects to new GNP chapters/books/short stories, convention appearances, and exciting collaborations – that my head is spinning from just thinking about how insane and busy 2026 will be. But don’t worry, it’s the good kind of insane and busy!

And to kick things off, it’s time to talk about possibly the biggest thing on my list: a little somethin’ I wrote that’s finally set to release this year…

That’s right, it’s official… my new book “G-Cinema: An Exploration and Celebration of Japan’s Monster King” has been revealed in all its fiery, pre-orderable, “holy crap this is actually happening” glory!

A few days ago, the book’s publisher, Fonthill Media (a member of the Pen And Sword Books family of publishers) did a full reveal of the newly orange-ified cover (a slight tweak of the lighter-colored version I shared last year – isn’t it friggin’ striking?) and jumped full steam into the promotion process. They were kind enough to share the book via social media, both on their own pages and by sharing links in multiple Godzilla fan groups on Facebook. All the while, they and I worked behind the scenes to finalize everything from copy edits to image proof approvals.

And now, at long last, the final product is done and ready to hit bookstore shelves.

Absolutely. Surreal.

Since I’ve gotten some questions from readers about the specifics of the release, here’s some quick info on what you can expect, when you can expect it, and how all this madness is gonna play out:

  • The book actually has two release dates. Since Fonthill Media is based in the UK, merry old England will be getting the book first, and very soon, since it’s releasing on February 28th! Two months later, it’ll release in the US on April 28th. Think of it like, oh, say, a classic Godzilla film getting released in Japan first, and then popping up in America afterword. If you’ve seen multiple release dates for the book online, that’s why!
  • The book will not just be on Amazon. This is a full release and will be available via multiple online booksellers and – most remarkably – in physical bookstores! Links for a handful of these stores are at the bottom of this post.
  • While currently listed at 224 pages on most websites, “G-Cinema” will actually be 242 pages of text and 274 pages in total (the extra 32 pages are full-color image plates). So, you’ll be getting even more Godzilla history than advertised!

Last but not least, here’s the final synopsis for the book:

He’s iconic. He’s atomic. And at 70 years young, he’s still the King of the Monsters!

Ever since his silver screen debut back in 1954, Godzilla has maintained a mighty hold on the collective imaginations of cinema lovers around the world. Originally conceived as a powerful metaphor for Japan’s fears of nuclear destruction, the character has undergone a complex metamorphosis over an incredible seven decades and more than three dozen films. From allegory to superhero, from atom-age menace to children’s matinee star, from arthouse to grindhouse and back again, Godzilla has survived by adapting and reacting to the changing cultures and generational expectations of the countries—and the filmmakers—that bring him to life. In this exploration and celebration of Godzilla’s first 70 years, the full story of Japan’s kaiju icon is revealed through detailed histories, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, cultural connections, and contextualizing thematic analyses. Beginning with his postwar origins and continuing through his many rises, falls, revitalizations, and reinterpretations, this comprehensive companion to the Godzilla franchise seeks to place the character in his proper historical perspective and, by doing so, shed light on the depth, the flexibility, and the fun that’s kept him relevant and beloved for generations.

And, just for fun, here’s the author bio that will appear on the back flap:

Daniel DiManna is a film historian, artist, voice actor, and professional goober. An award-winning marketing writer by day and an unapologetic monster-nerd by night, Daniel is the author of multiple short stories/novellas and creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project, a fan-driven endeavor to write novel adaptations of every Japanese G-flick. His academic writing has been published via multiple magazines/websites. He is a frequent panelist at G-Fest and can be heard hosting audio commentaries for SRS Cinema’s kaiju Blu-rays and guesting on multiple kaiju-related podcasts. Daniel lives in Sylvania, Ohio, surrounded by DVDs, books, and an unhealthy number of monster toys.

I’m truly speechless at how dreamlike and borderline unreal this all is. It’s one thing to sit down at a desk and do some writing – something I do every day of my life – and another thing entirely to see a book with my name on it slowly coalesce and come into being. To craft and publish a book has been a dream of mine since childhood, an aspirational goal that – despite the hard work and good fortune I’d need to get there – I always hoped in my heart was possible.

And now, here it is. An honest-to-goodness book, written by me, available to purchase from just about anywhere books are sold – including physically at several of the world’s largest bookstores.

Just… wow.

Thank you so very much to the amazing people at Fonthill Media and Pen and Sword Books (Jay Slater, Jasper Hadman, editor Tony Walton, cover designer George Kalchev, and a remarkable team of typesetters and artists) for making this book look like a million bucks, and for allowing me to take this journey. You only get to write your first book once, and I’m so fortunate to have done so with this amazing team.

And thank you to you, the readers of the GNP, for following me this far and being the most supportive crew of Godzilla nerds a fella could ask for. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to adequately express how profoundly grateful I am for the opportunity to have brought this dream project to life, and your continuing belief in me is a crucial and humbling cornerstone in that opportunity. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

“G-Cinema: An Exploration and Celebration of Japan’s Monster King” releases in bookstores on February 28th in the United Kingdom and on April 28th in the US of A. You can secure your copy from your bookseller of choice at the links below:

All of these links (and any future ones) will be added to the Press & Appearances page on the GNP website. If you’re looking for a specific place to buy the book, that’ll be your one-stop shop moving forward!

And now, the countdown to release can officially begin! The next few months will be an exciting time; I’m already coordinating interview requests and planning for signings and maybe even a few surprises at this year’s G-Fest. It’ll be a great time, and I’ll keep you all informed and updated as cool things continue to happen. What a gift all of this is, and what an extraordinary year it will be! Thank you for coming along on the journey.

I’ll be back soon with more. Until then, stay happy, stay safe, and stay kind.

All the best,

-Daniel