Daikaiju Enterprises

Special Collection #1

December, 1995

Note:    Reprints articles from G-FORCE (G-FAN) #1-7

Reviewer:    C. L. Werner

Articles include:

• Oh! It's Godzilla! - by J. D. Lees - A discussion of Godzilla's best entrances in the first twenty Godzilla films, ranking the ten best. Number one? Godzilla emerging from beneath the ground at Kurada Beach in Godzilla vs. Mothra.

• Otaku No Daisuki Toho Kaiju (Japanese Monster Fans' Favorite Toho Monsters) - The results of a survey of G-FAN's subscribers: the votes are in for the favorite Toho monsters. Number one? Godzilla, naturally, with King Ghidorah and Mothra coming in second and third.

• Godzilla in Comics (The Marvel Years) - A retrospective on Godzilla's career in the Marvel Universe. A highly critical one at that.

• Godzilla in Comics (Darkhorse and the Manga) - A retrospective on Godzilla's Darkhorse Comics appearances, including the imported Manga version of Godzilla 1985. Also discussed are the excellent black-and-white Godzilla King of the Monsters one-shot from 1987 and the Godzilla Color Special. The latest Godzilla story, the two-part 'Blast from the Past' in issues #10 and 11 of Dark Horse Comics is also mentioned. The history of Manga versions of Godzilla is briefly illuminated, including some panels from the comics released for Godzilla versus the Sea Monster and Godzilla vs. Biollante. Also mentioned are original Manga stories, such as one where King Ghidorah encounters the Biollante rose as he prepares to attack Earth. Biollante later regenerates into a half-plant/half-Ghidorah monster.

• Godzilla vs King Ghidora - A detailed synopsis of then unreleased in the U.S. Godzilla film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.

• Implications of Time Travel in Godzilla vs King Ghidora - by J. D. Lees - A discussion on the many contradictions posed by the time travel in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and trying to rectify and rationalize those contradictions.

• Godzilla vs. Mothra - filmbook by Robert Biondi - A detailed synopsis of the then unreleased in the U. S. film Godzilla and Mothra: the Battle for Earth. Features many stills from the film and original fan illustrations.

• Mothra vs Bagan - A brief article about the unrealized Toho film 'Mothra vs Bagan' which would have pitted Mothra against a gigantic Chinese dragon beast. The epic would have spread the action all across the Orient, including Singapore, Thailand and the Himalayas. Some storyboards and the original design for Bagan accompany the article.

• Godzilla Meets the Warner Brothers (and their sister Dot) - by John Rocco Roberto - A brief summary of Godzilla's appearances on the TV cartoon series Animaniacs.

• Monster of the Month: Angilas - A detailed summary of Anguirus and his many appearances in Toho's original Godzilla series. Stats and exact places in Japan where Anguirus appeared are also given.

• Monster of the Month: Rodan - A detailed discussion about Rodan's film appearances, including Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. Also given are statistics and exact places in Japan which the original Rodan ravaged.

• Monster of the Month: Gigan - A detailed summary of Gigan's appearances in Godzilla films. A cut-away blueprint reveals the secrets of the cyborg monster's physiology.

• Godzilla Girls: The role of women in the Godzilla series - by J. D. Lees - A detailed discussion of the various female characters in Toho's kaiju eiga, from Emiko Yamane to Miki Saegusa and complex villainesses such as Katsura and Miss Namakawa from Godzilla vs. Monster Zero.

• Godzilla Tails - Fan-fiction short stories. Featured here are 'Battle Royal' by Rob Spencer, 'Godzilla vs Hedorah' by Kelly Philipsen, 'Godzilla, King of Jurassic Park' by Ron Murillo, 'Godzilla vs Godzilla' by John Rocco Roberto, and 'War of the Tribots' by Gary Rhodes.

• A Visit to Godzilla Park - by Akiko Ono - A report from Japan about a recently opened toy-shop/museum in Kobe dedicated to the Big G. Several photo's of the museum's incredible models compliment the article.

• Filming Godzilla vs King Ghidora - A detailed look at how the special effects for the film were created, with a detailed drawing of Toho's soundstage 9 to illustrate the article.

• Godzilla Gallery - A collection of fan illustrations. Featured are works by Wil Glass and Paul Roche.

• Visit to Monsterland - by J. D. Lees - The editor and publisher of G-FAN remembers his visit to Toho studios in 1977, including his behind the scenes look at decaying props from Godzilla films and a glimpse at Titanosaurus some years before Terror of Mechagodzilla was released in the United States.

• New Kaiju - A look at the sizes of Toho's most recent monsters in their many stages: Biollante, Battra, King Ghidorah, Mecha-King Ghidorah, and the '90's version of Mothra.

• Monsters, monster: Toho's kaiju eiga - A complete, chronological listing of all of Toho's giant monster films up to Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla.