Godzilla: The Art Of Destruction Preview Trailer With Gareth Edwards

More Preview Images From Godzilla: The Art Of Destruction

Close-up of Godzilla model.

Godzilla: The Art Of Destruction Preview Images

Jim Beards Opening To His Story In BETRAYAL ON MONSTER EARTH

From Jim Beard

Here's the opening of my story "Big Juju," which launches BETRAYAL ON MONSTER EARTH, the second volume of Mechanoid Press' giant monster saga, Monster Earth.
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“Runrunrunrunrunrun!”
He hit the treeline a clear two seconds before the immense ball of snapping, spitting, scratching, howling scales and hair. A half-moment later and he’d have been grafted onto the jungle, permanently.
Listner flung himself into some short growth at the edge of the clearing, then dared to look back over his shoulder. He didn’t regret it; the scene before him was one for the ages.
The Son of Johnson ended up on top, pulling apart from his adversary just enough to get his long, furry arms in front of him and grappling for its slavering jaws. Trees snapped and broke around the combatants, falling like blades of grass before a scythe. Soil and plant matter erupted around the melee. Birds flew away like puffs of brightly-colored streamers.
Listner had problems with the scale. He knew SoJo was eighty meters, his dancing partner at least that tall, but from his vantage point, the two creatures seemed man-sized. He wondered at the strange phenomenon, but the screams of the fighters drowned out his thoughts and he scrabbled to his feet, ready to give them more room.
Unagi’s short forearms were nearly useless, unable to reach the hairy beast bent over it unless it moved in close. SoJo, wary of the massive jaws lined with spear-like teeth snap-snap-snapping at him, swung his fists at the reptile’s relatively-soft underbelly. The blows echoed through the jungle clearing like native drums.
Then, Unagi wrangled its muscular tail to wrap around one of SoJo’s legs and the jig was up. In the blink of an eye, the huge reptile got its feet on the hairy monster’s own midsection and pushed.
Listner ran like the Devil himself was after him.

Go to Amazon to get his exciting new book.

Cover To Betrayal On Monster Earth

Godzilla: The Art Of Destruction Book Announced

Legendary has announced and revealed new details for a book that is set to be released in conjunction with the new Godzilla movie.

Godzilla: The Art Of Destruction will be released May 13th featuring a selection of concept illustrations, sketches, storyboards, and other pre-production materials.

The new Godzilla Hard Cover book can be ordered through Amazon at a discount.

Published to coincide with the release of Warner Bros. and Legendary’s Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards, this visually stunning book presents an extraordinary new vision for the beloved character through a dynamic selection of concept illustrations, sketches, storyboards, and other pre-production materials. Godzilla: The Art of Destruction is the definitive book on one of the most anticipated films of 2014. Featuring interviews with the director and key crew and cast members, the book tells the complete story of the making of Godzilla from concept to final frames. Comprehensive and enthralling,Godzilla: The Art of Destruction is a book that no fan will want to be without.

"Godzilla" opens May 16, 2014 in 3D starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen Juliette Binoche, David Strathairn and Bryan Cranston. The screenplay is by Max Borenstein, Frank Darabont, and Dave Callaham.

Synopsis:

An epic rebirth to Toho's iconic Godzilla, this spectacular adventure, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, pits the world's most famous monster against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.

Updated with correct cover.

Interview Of The Godzilla Encyclopedia Publisher Kouhei Nomura

From Japan Times

Kouhei Nomura published a glossary titled “The Godzilla Encyclopedia” in 2004 after six months of dedicated research. He delivers his verdict on why the king of the monsters is so popular worldwide.

Do you have a favorite “Godzilla” movie?

The original “Godzilla” that was released in 1954 remains in a class of its own. There is something in the air throughout the film I can’t put my finger on, and there is also a strong anti-nuclear message. I’ve seen it dozens of times but I’ve never grown tired of it. However, it’s important to note that the version that was released in the United States was heavily edited. The U.S. version (titled “Godzilla, King of the Monsters!”) includes new footage featuring actor Raymond Burr, who plays an American journalist in Japan. The plot is basically the same, but the path Godzilla takes is a bit absurd, because he goes from Ginza to the National Diet, and then back to Ginza and so on.

What was the first “Godzilla” movie you saw?

“King Kong vs. Godzilla,” which was released by Toho Studios in 1962. That was also the first movie I ever saw in a theater. It was both scary and powerful at the same time. And there was also a hint of comedy in the story line, which I enjoyed. While the original “Godzilla” was great, I also like watching the films in which Godzilla battles a rival monster.

Godzilla has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In your opinion, why does the monster have universal appeal?

Personally I think it’s a combination of the film’s human drama and the powerful images. I think fans overseas were impressed by the special effects, which at the time were groundbreaking. Years later, Godzilla became closely linked with Japan and, ultimately, was considered to be a symbol of the country’s pop culture.

A reboot of “Godzilla” is coming out in the U.S. this year. What is your take on Hollywood remakes of “Godzilla?”

“Godzilla” movies made in the United States are not “Godzilla” movies, they are just movies about a gargantuan living creature. The very idea of Godzilla is different. In the United States, Godzilla is something that can be overcome with military weapons, but that isn’t necessarily the case in Japanese versions. Over here, Godzilla is more than just a giant creature. It’s in some way a metaphor for natural disaster. It can’t simply be beaten. Godzilla is more than a monster, it’s a symbol. However, don’t get me wrong. I will definitely see the new “Godzilla” movie in theaters, in the same way that I watched the Roland Emmerich version (in 1998).

Godzilla is a sexagenarian. What do you think will happen to him next?

After “Godzilla: Final Wars” (2004), Toho Studios announced they had decided to pull the plug on the series, presumably because of the increasing costs. However, the popular “Always Zoku Sanchome no Yuhi” (“Always: Sunset on Third Street 2″) film that was released in 2007 opened with footage of Godzilla destroying Tokyo [one of the characters in the movie was imagining this]. It shows there is still demand for Godzilla in Japan. Circumstances might not be right to film a sequel now, but I am hoping Toho surprises us and puts out a new movie. That would be awesome.

Note: about the book,

In this photobook, Kodansha has published hundreds of bright color and black/white tokusatsu pictures many of which have not appeared in the other Godzillla books published previously.  Such a fresh look is one reason that distinguishes this book from so many other ones, that and the fact that this is the most current book published that sequentially chronicles the entire history of not only Godzilla but also almost all of the rest of the Toho SFX catalog from 1954 to 2004.

In addition to all 28 of the Godzilla movies to date, the book also includes the other films, mostly from the triumvirate production team of Tananka, Honda and Tsuburaya:  such Toho classics as Rodan, the Mysterians, Battle in Outer Space, Varan, Mothra, Ghidrah, Frankenstein Conquers the World, H-Man, Human Vapor, Matango, Atragon, Yog, King Kong Escapes, the 90's Mothra trilogy and many, many more.

Bob Eggleton Cover Art For Kaiju Rising

Godzilla: With Light and Sound! Kit Coming Next Year

Amazon posted a listing from Running Press for a Godzilla kit that would seem to include a figure and book, the figure includes light and sound. A picture accompanied it but was removed, it was unsure if it was the actually design or just a place holder for the official cover.here is the listing -

Kit includes:
Figurine of Godzilla monster with "fire-breathing" light emanating from his mouth, plus audio of his iconic roar
48-page book featuring history, memorable quotes, and full-color photos from the movie.
Product Details
Paperback: 16 pages
Publisher: Running Press Miniature Editions; Pap/Unbnd edition (April 8, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0762454067
ISBN-13: 978-0762454068
Product Dimensions: 1.8 x 2.8 x 3.7 inches

Note the cover image was very similar to the leaked promotional image earlier this year.

MONSTER EARTH 2 Is Coming!

Atlanta, GA—Mechanoid Press, a small imprint specializing in science fiction, New Pulp and more, returns to the exciting world of their popular giant monster anthology MONSTER EARTH with MONSTER EARTH 2.

Returning to the helm of this mammoth (pun intended) undertaking are editors James Palmer (Blackthorn: Thunder on Mars) and Jim Beard (Captain Action and the Riddle of the Glowing Men).

“This is going to take the monster action to a whole new level,” explains Palmer. “I thing fans of the first book are really going to love this one.”

MONSTER EARTH 2 will bring the action closer to the present day, with the nations of the world experimenting with genetic manipulation of the various beasties. Add a secret death cult trying to herald the end of days, and you’ve got a volatile recipe for mayhem and destruction as only some of the hottest writers in New Pulp can bring it.

Returning for this volume are Edward M. Erdelac (Mighty Nanuq), Jeff McGinnis (The Beast’s Home) and Fraser Sherman (Peace with Honor). Joining them will be Thomas Dejah (How the West Was Weird). Just as in the previous anthology, Beard and Palmer will also contribute stories. Artist extraordinaire Eric Johns is also returning to do the cover.

“Jim did a great job with the bible on this one,” says Palmer. “Between that and all the readers who have asked about a sequel, I knew we just had to do another book.”

MONSTER EARTH 2 is scheduled for either a late December or early January release, and will appear in both Kindle and trade paper formats.

World War Kaiju

What if Doctor Strangelove created Godzilla?

World War Kaiju is the story of an alternate history, one in which the atom bomb was never created and the ultimate weapon of mass destruction is the Kaiju—fifty foot tall radioactive beasts spawned from the mysterious KAI-235 isotope. Follow the journey of one journalist as he teams up with a retired CIA operative to uncover the truth about the conspiracy behind the monsters...

...who are the architects of the inevitable Kaiju War?

...what is the shocking secret behind the mysterious KAI-235 isotope?

...where did Cuba manage to hide a crab monster the size of an aircraft carrier?

 ...why are rogue monsters appearing all over the world?

 ...how long can Tricky Dick keep these truths from the people? 

Learn this and more within the pages of World War Kaiju, a graphic monster epic told in six parts! 

World War Kaiju is a tribute to the kaiju genre in all its forms (both high and low). This story would never have been possible if not for the visions of Ishiro Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, Shinichi Sekizawa, and Willis O'Brien. The brainchild of sci-fi author Josh Finney, WWK is a love letter to the golden-age of the kaiju genre. It looks to back an era when the world loved atomic monsters, but feared the atomic bomb, and warps history in ways that only men in rubber suits can. 

Upon achieving our initial goal of $15,000, World War Kaiju will be an 80 page graphic novel presented in 9x6 landscape or “widescreen” format. 

If we make our $35,000 stretch goal your copy of World War Kaiju could go from 80 pages to 200+ pages at no extra charge to you, the backers.

Check out the KickStarter page or go to there website WorldWarKaiju.com

Pacific Rim: Man, Machines, and Monsters - Preview Of Gipsy Danger Pages

Pacific Rim: Man, Machines, & Monsters Preview

Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters Book Cover Art

The book, published by Insight Editions is due for release 18th June. Written by David S. Cohen the book will take you behind the scenes of the movie.

Although no content has been unveiled, we suspect the book will show detailed blueprints of the Jaegers, portfolios of the Kaiju, concept art and behind the scenes images and trivia from the movie.

Mechanoid Press Goes To The Robots

ATLANTA, GA—Mechanoid Press, a small imprint specializing in science fiction and New Pulp e-books is about to be invaded by robots.

The young publisher is releasing an e-book only title called ROBOT STORIES, featuring three tales of mechanized mayhem. Included in this volume will be work by Joel M. Jenkins, James R. Tuck (author of the Deacon Chalk: occult bounty hunter novels), and Jim Kinley.

“With this many Jims involved, it’s sure to be a winner,” jokes Mechanoid Press editor James Palmer. “I’m super excited to have these gentlemen on board. It’s going to be a blast.”

ROBOT STORIES is scheduled for a mid-summer release, and will sport a classic cover by Rondo award-winning artist Mark Maddox.


About Mechanoid Press
Mechanoid Press is a new imprint specializing in science fiction, New Pulp, and steampunk e-books and anthologies. For more, visit www.mechanoidpress.com or follow the robot revolution on Twitter. You can also like Mechanoid Press on Facebook.

Official Announcement Of MONSTER EARTH 2!

From Atomic Anxiety

Mark Bousquet (MB): Thanks for joining us, James. Let’s start by talking about your latest release, MONSTER EARTH, on which you are co-creator and editor (along with Jim Beard) and also one of the writers. What’s the premise of this universe and how did the world of MONSTER EARTH come about?

James Palmer (JP): MONSTER EARTH is an alternate history giant monster anthology in which the Cold War was fought with the threat of giant monsters instead of nuclear weapons. It came about, as such things often do, almost by accident. I am a huge daikaiju (giant monster) fan, and I had toyed with the idea of doing a anthology of giant monster stories, but I knew I wanted something to tie the stories together, some kind of arc that would make this book different from the other daikaiju anthologies out there.

That’s where Jim Beard came in. We started talking on The Pulp Factory, a Yahoo! group for writers, artists and fans of pulp fiction, and he had a great unifying concept for the book, so I brought him on as co-editor and the rest, as they say, is history.

MB: In the book’s Introduction, you write that “with these tales, we highlight the human element, to show how ordinary people live their lives in the shadows of these colossal beasts.” Why did you make the decision to focus on the people and not the monsters?

JP: Monsters are great, but there’s only so much stomping around and demolishing buildings we can take. In the Godzilla films, there’s always a cast of human characters who are trying to stop whatever menace is threatening Japan, be it aliens or Godzilla himself, and I’ve always thought that was part of what was cool about those films. There’s this great scene at the end of The Terror of Mechagodzilla, where it switches back and forth between Godzilla fighting Mechagodzilla, and a scene where the human characters are fighting the aliens. The monsters are always represented as sort of mindless forces of nature. Sometimes their tools the humans can use to achieve their own ends, or sometimes they’re the threat. I really wanted to take this angle with MONSTER EARTH.

MB: You’ve got a fantastic line-up of writers involved in MONSTER EARTH: you, Jim, I.A. Watson, Nancy Hansen, Jeff McGinnis, Edward Erdelac, and Fraser Sherman. How did this roster come together? What kind of guidelines did you give them in creating their corner of your world?

JP: Jim created a detailed story bible, and each writer got to pick what decade they wanted to write in. Jim’s story came first, and really set the tone for what was to come. With the exception of a monster or two, we let them make up their own creatures, and they had free reign when it came to the methods of controlling those creatures. With such a skilled cast of writers, it was easy to just turn them loose and see what they could do within the loose confines of the world, and every single one of them knocked it out of the park with their story.

MB: What are the stories of MONSTER EARTH. Are they tightly connected? Completely stand-alone? Is there a thread that runs through them?

JP: Jim’s story and I.A. Watson’s story are the most closely tied. Ian’s story references Jim’s monsters. There are a couple of stories that use Johnson, the American monster, but other than that the stories aren’t really interrelated that much.

MB: Your story is called “Some Say in Ice.” What’s it about? What’s the relationship between humans and monsters in this story? Did you write it first so the other writers would have an idea of the kind of story you were looking for or did you write it alongside everyone else?

JP: I wrote this story dead last. “Some Say in Ice” takes place in the 1980s, and is about our government’s “monster czar,” who has designed an experimental ship based on an old science fiction story and designed to capture a mysterious seafaring beast known as Titanicus, that no one knows too much about. After they capture the beast, another monster shows up, and a monster melee ensues onboard the vessel. The story explores the overall mystery of the monsters and how they came to be while examining human relationships and the attraction between the main character and a female photojournalist brought along for the ride.

Land of Kaiju

Introducing Land of Kaiju, a collection of Japanese-styled monsters created by Chet Phillips. Kaiju translates to strange beast or monster and has a long and glorious history in pop culture and on the silver screen with the likes of Godzilla, Rodan, Gamera and Mothra, just to name a few. Chet Phillips explores this fascinating world of humongous mutants and irradiated creatures with his collection of whimsical beings that are part animal, part fantasy and all in-your-face fun. Available in a portfolio of trading cards, signed 11″ x 14″ prints and in a limited edition (50) alphabet book. The first 10 copies of the book edition include a beautiful custom Japanese box.

Check out this project and all of Chet's work at his blog ChetArt here.

Pacific Rim: Man, Machines, and Monsters

From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' epic sci-fi action adventure Pacific Rim.

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are piloted by an international crew of soldiers in the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot and an untested trainee—team up to pilot a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger on a mission to halt the mounting apocalypse.

Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters chronicles the production of the film with stunning concept art, captivating photography, and cast and crew descriptions of the shoot.

Coming June 11, 2013

Anthology Envisions World With Monsters As Weapons

From Toledofreepress.com

Jeff McGinnis, who had never written more than 1,000 words of fiction in his life, was asked to write 10 times that number for his first attempt at full-length fiction. The challenge, he said, was actually cutting down his drafts.

“When I turned in my first draft, it ended up being 17,000 words,” McGinnis said. “I ended up slimming it down to 13,000 and I sent that in and said, ‘Guys, I’ve cut it down as much as I could without feeling like I’m gutting out massively important parts of the plot, can you tell me where I can cut down some more?’”

McGinnis, Toledo Free Press Star pop culture editor, is one of seven writers who contributed to the science fiction collection “Monster Earth,” recently published by Mechanoid Press.

Toledo Free Press Star columnist Jim Beard, who created the concept, said he has been pushing McGinnis to write long-form fiction for a little over a year, after reading one of McGinnis’ Toledo Free Press Star columns.

The column, McGinnis said, revolved around a fictional universe involving cereal mascots such as the Trix Rabbit and Cocoa Puffs bird meeting up in a dark alley.

“I wrote it as an old-school pulp story about desperation,” McGinnis said. “For me, it’s always a matter of, I do these things because I think they are fun. I think it’s entertaining but I also try to make a point. I ended up doing this thing where these two characters were meeting up and almost immediately I got a comment from Jim saying, ‘You should really flush this out into a full book.’”

Beard said McGinnis’ style of writing was exactly what he wanted in his project.

“In his world of journalism, Jeff was pushing the boundaries; he wanted to do something more than the normal article so he weaved some fiction into it,” he said. “When we looked at all the writers, we wanted them to do that because in that way, we believe ‘Monster Earth’ is pushing the boundaries of what a pulp anthology can be.”

Jeff McGinnis, left, and Jim Beard.

Beard said the book is an alternate history that essentially replaces nuclear warfare with gigantic monsters.

“Some of the big things still happened, but with monsters right beside us,” Beard said. “One of the biggest divergent points in our universe is that we didn’t drop two atomic bombs on Japan; we dropped a giant monster on Japan, which was almost as destructive, and that ended the war.”

Each author wrote a separate narrative taking place between the 1930s and 1980s.

Beard said he has had the idea of combining the pulp style with giant monsters for a long time and after discussing the idea with Mechanoid’s publisher James Palmer, who also wrote one of the stories, the idea grew into the anthology.

“I threw that idea at him, literally that germ of an idea that almost every country on Earth has its own giant monster,” Beard said.

From there, Beard and Palmer began writing the bible, which gave the anthology’s writers an outline for its fictional universe.

Beard’s story, which is the first one, is set in 1937 and revolves around an incident during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

“They invaded and it was over a little incident at this Marco Polo Bridge. All I did was say, ‘OK, the Japanese came over, just like they did in the real world, but they brought a giant monster with them to give them an edge,’” Beard said. “Well what they find, without ruining the story, is the Chinese had a monster of their own but nobody knew this.”

Beard said what makes his story different is that his is told from the perspective of a person recounting the events in the present day during an interview.

“It really reads like an audio recording,” McGinnis said of Beard’s story. “It really has a great feel and it distinguishes itself from the rest of the novels. I think putting it in the front of the book helps give it immediacy from everything else. It drags the reader in right away with a certain type of story and certain type of event.”

While every other story has at least two monsters facing off, McGinnis said he took a “King Kong”-like approach, creating only a single monster in Los Angeles during the 1950s.

McGinnis said he was fascinated with the idea of what a society would be like if monsters were kept around and he wrote of the demise of the City of Angels.

“The thing that really grabbed me was the idea of what type of society would you have in a world where giant monsters existed and were kept in certain areas. What would the effect be on the people who lived around that?” he said. “I loved the idea of a community slowly disintegrating under the weight of a giant monster.”

While each of the stories is about monsters, Beard said they all focus more on human characters affected by the monsters, similar to the original “Godzilla” movies.

“In all the ‘Godzilla’ movies, there’s all the monsters and stuff going on bu there are always human characters and many times they have their own little story going on with the giant monster stuff going on around it,” he said.

McGinnis also pitched and wrote a second story for the “Monster Earth” universe. That tale, told as if it were a magazine article, follows a person who is still searching for the Loch Ness Monster despite being surrounded by other monsters.

“I love the idea of obsession; I’ve always been fascinated by this idea of being obsessed with something even if it’s not there,” he said. “So here’s this guy who is so passionate about something that just doesn’t exist.”

Beard said because the bible had more information than the writers could cover, it opens up the possibilities for new stories to be written in this universe, dealing with some topics such as space exploration.

McGinnis said each of the stories, while circulating around destruction, also features “the essential hope.”

“There is a fatalism about what is happening, but there is also a potential for hope. In each one, there’s a lot said about the conflicts at that point,” he said.

Jim Beard, Jeff McGinnis and cover illustrator Eric Johns will appear at a book signing for “Monster Earth” at 2 p.m. Feb. 16 at Monarch Cards & Comics, 4400 Heatherdowns Blvd.

Review - Monster Earth, Cool New Take On A Classic Concept

The idea of giant monsters, being discovered, attacking people, destroying cities has been around for a long time, classics like King Kong, The Lost World, Godzilla have gotten our imagination going. Monster Earth a tale by Jim Beard, Edward M. Erdelac, Nancy Hansen, Jeff McGuiness, James Palmer, Fraser Sherman, and I.A. Watson is forged from that imagination. It is a new take on that idea a number of intertwined stories, first hand accounts of these monsters but with a very human angle, feeling where the monsters become the weapons. Each writer continues the story from the previous writer but with there own angle on it, it starts with Jim Beard’s ‘Parade of Moments’ set pre-World War II with the first known experience with the monsters introducing them to us and setting the stage for what is to come, it continues with I.A Watson's ‘Happy Birthday Bobby Fetch’ set during the Pearl Harbor attack one major difference the attack is by a monster controlled by Japan. ‘The Monsters Home’ By Jeff McGuiness is the third part to the story bringing America into the monster fold so to speak, ‘And a child shall lead them’ by Nancy Hansen gives the reader a new angle in that this monster has some human qualities in it self, a more mythical creature. ‘Mighty Nanuq’ by Edward M. Erdelac takes a new angle old and young, a grandfather and grandson in a story that looks back on the Nazis and there monster. ‘Peace with Honor’ by Fraser Sherman continues to the Vietnam war era, a war of monsters instead of men, ‘Some Say in Ice’ by James Palmer is the final story, a story that has a little more modern take and starts to bring technology into the picture but also leaves an open ending, could there be more to come? Lets hope so Monster Earth is a great read enjoyable from beginning to end no part stands out over another, and in this situation is a very good thing. I feel this is a must read for fans of monster movies and the like, and even for those that aren't they should definitely enjoy. A highly recommend book.