I posted this in the SF forum by accident a while ago, but realized it should be here! Whoops! Sorry for the double posting, but I figured (no pun intended) folks here might like to see it, too:
Exciting news for me and the three other Godzilla modelers here at FSM: Billiken Shokai just released (Jan. 20) a fine 30cm rendition of the Big G as he appeared in Destroy All Monsters (and several films after that). It comes unassembled but pre-painted (just the eyes, claws, teeth, mouth, and fins), and looks just like G from the flicks. The kit’s going for 6,800 yen (about $64 US) here in Japan.
Check it out!
SWEET! I love the Big G too! Too bad this one is out of my price range! My next godzilla kit planned will be Mecha Godzilla 1973 [or any other one for that matter!]. Love Mecha G!
Gotta love the big G!
I’m going tonight to see a special showing of the original 1954 Godzilla at a local theater. I’ve never seen it on the big screen!
MGM, are you talking about the Billiken MG? That’s a NIIICE kit!
Actually I’m not sure who makes it. I’d be happy with any ‘73 Mecha G kit!LOL
My kids love the big G! My 4yr old loves the Mothra song. Just the other day i was humming it at the dinner table and my daughter looks up and says,
"Why are you actin’ like a Girl?"
I look up and say “Huh? I’m not acting like a girl. How am I acting like a girl!?”
Then she says, “Cuz your singin’ the fairy song! That’s a girl song!”
I burst out laughing.
I also recall back when she was two yrs old, she and her brother [who was about five at the time], whould get down on their knees in front of the TV and sing the with the Princess to summon King Seesor [sp?].LOL My wife would just shake her head and accuse me of brainwashing the kids with my sci-fi!LOL
Sharp kids! Sounds like you’re raising them right!
The best MG kit is Billiken’s 30cm vinyl kit. I think it’s MG2, actually. Metal parts for the finger and toe missiles. It’s not pre-painted, but costs the same: 6,800 yen.
Same as listed above for the DAM G: about 64 bucks USD.
Don’t know what it sells for overseas, or even where to get Billiken products.
Try Hobbylink Japan!
Picked up the DAM Godzilla kit today. Very nice! 25 parts, most of which you have to glue. Billiken did a great job of hiding seams, too. By heating the vinyl and carefully gluing parts together, there should be no need for putty at all.
A great rendition of G from his heyday in the '60s!
That’s the Gojira I grew up with – the DAM one (no profanity intended! [:p]).
Hey, I’ve got a Big Guy Gojira from Biollante (the huge one) unbuilt in the basement. Anybody got a HUGE hair dryer? Like, Crystal Gayle’s hairdryer? [(-D]
How strong is interest in Gojira kits in Japan? Is he a has-been, shoved side by the legions of elatorately overdecorated robot suits driven by extremely large-eyed people? Or is he still going strong? They keep saying they are going to kill the franchise, but they keep bringing it back.
Great looking kit! This is one version of Godzilla I don’t yet have in my collection.
Changing the subject slightly and addressing JHulk. You recommended me to CreatureScape who was looking for someone to write an article about building
G kits or the like. Wound up building M1’s big Biolantee VS Godzilla kit.
A task is only for the size. Still- I’d love to tackle that Big Guy kit. I’ve attached a photo of the finished product. The base is in two pieces so I can put it in my display case!
Howdy, justimagine!
Great looking build, Mister! That’s my favorite G, too.
Huge!
Is it going to be in the magazine? The CreatureScape fellow asked me about modelers, and I’ve been too comitted to other projects to do anything, so I mentioned you!
Prior to getting this new Billiken kit, the only version I had of a DAM G was the Kaiyodo 20cm offering, which is itself a very good kit.
I think there are others, like Volks, but none really captured the look, I think.
This Billiken kit is dead on!
Big, too!
JHulk, the M1 kit buildup should be in the next issue of CreatureScape. For those of you that don’t know, CreatureScape is a CD-Rom Magazine. This format allows lots of material. Check out the website to learn more.
Good to know that the Biliken is the one to get. A few years ago, Amazing Figure Modeler magazine ran an article by a big godzilla model collector about his favorite kits of each version of godzilla. It was really helpful for thouse of us with limited funds.
Hey guys, “Big Guy” is the huge Kaiyodo Bio-Goji, right? Didn’t know they called it “Big Guy!” Always wanted that kit. It was selling for 98,000 yen here (about $930 USD). I still run across one ocassionally.
Larry, I’d say G-mania is still very strong here. The latest movie is still in theaters, and you see all kinds of new resin and vinyl kits and toys coming out all the time. The Big G turns 50 this year (1954-2004), so the fan base is veeeeery extensive!
Yup, that’s what figure modelers call it! “The Big Guy Godzilla.”
Are there sites where images of these are posted? I’d love to see what the newest designs look like. They’ve lately confused the crap out of me with that very tall-spiked, anime-looking G and then the one that fought in Gijira Mothra Kingghidora (or whatever it was called) which was semi-dinosaur like (this was the movie in which G’s disembodied heart is still pumping below the bridge at the end of the movie), and then I think they went back to the spiky anime G, right? My head is spinning! What’s the latest movie?
Larry, we’re back to spiky-anime G, like in Godzilla 2000, Godzilla vs Megaguiras, and last year’s Godzilla vs Mecha-Godzilla.
The funky white-eyed pot-bellied dino-zilla was a one-shot design, only appearing in GMK.
The latest movie is a direct sequal to last year’s Godzilla vs Mecha-Godzilla, called Godzilla X Mothra X Mecha-Godzilla: Tokyo SOS.
It was OK, but I sure wish Toho would try to design some new creatures…we’ve seen Mecha-Godzilla FIVE times now (three different designs), and I’ve lost count of Mothra’s appearances. The coolest thing about Mothra’s current appearance is that the twin caterpillars (rather than the dopey moth) do most of the work. I’ve never been a big Mothra fan. The Shobijins rock, though! The song is nice, too.
On an interesting note, Kameba (from Yog) has a cameo as a cadaver washed up on a beach.
Why do they do that? Why do they redesign G in the middle of a movie cycle, and then have him go back to the previous way?
IMO, it’s really too bad about the anime spiky G, Don’t like it at all. What I’d always liked about G is that he wasn’t really anime, but now that he basically is, he’s just one more over-elaborate, stylized offering.
I don’t hate the new spiky design, but it’s not may fave, for sure.
My favorite design is from “vs Biollante” and “vs King Ghidorah.”
I think “MGK” was a one-off production, done with the director and staff from the Gamera series. They just did it their own way. Toho then went back to the previous staff and designs, which continues to this day.
Agree 100%. Biollante wasn’t a great movie (none of these movies really are, of course), but the design was terrific. The small headed, cat faced Godzilla rules!
Interesitng. MGK blew away all the other G movies, IMO, which are generally silly, boring and often include many preposterous rip-offs of American Scifi movies. They should have him make all the G movies! [:)]
Absolutely!
Have you seen the Gamera series? In my opinion, Gamera III: Irisu Kakusei is one of the finest Japanese movies of all time, all genres included. Fantastic film.
Heck, I saw it 12 times at the theater, and that’s at almost 20 bucks a showing!
