A Durham Mini-Con

Early Friday afternoon, Brugger and I loaded up the Rodan Mobile with my books, her art supplies, and a few of our personal items, and then sallied forth on a course for the Millennium Hotel in Durham, NC, the site of Triangle Terror Con. We had a reasonably pleasant, two-hour drive, including a stop for a fun geocache at Shangri-La Stone Village along Hwy 86. It's a fun, intriguing location — a miniature village made of stone — which I've visited a few times before while hunting caches. It was a successful hunt and the only cache I went after on this trip. Time was a bit short.

 

We had decided to make it an overnight trip, so we could do a few Durham things other than the con, and the Millennium made for excellent lodgings. A very comfortable room, a nice bar, and very convenient to I-85 as well as numerous local attractions. We checked in at the hotel, set up my books in the convention area, and then sought refreshment at a somewhat quirky wine bar called delafia. It's located in an old barber shop, and, unless one knows better, you'd think it is a barber shop, since all the original signage remains out front. Go figure. But inside, it's cozy and attractive, and the selection of wine is impressive (they have normal "by the glass" wines, "Weird Shit" wines, and "Unicorn" wines, the meanings of which I'll leave you to figure out). Kimberly and I settled for a couple of the regular "by the glass" wines, and they were danged good. They also had "Big Beans" for snackies, and damn if they weren't a bowl of big-ass beans. And tasty. We recommend them highly.

This is the place.

Big beans

Inside the place

After delafia, we headed to dinner at Bleu Olive, a nice Mediterranean restaurant a short drive up the way. I started with a Greek Mojito, which was tasty and refreshing. Then Brugger and I split a trio of appetizers for our meals — grilled octopus (well, that was for me; the lady didn't care to partake), dolmathes, and spanakopita, all of which were delicious.

 

Once back at the Millennium, we decided to visit their very pleasant bar and have a couple of drinks. This took us until pretty late, so we eventually headed back to our room and crashed.

 

This morning, come 10:30 a.m., we plunked down at my vendor table, ready with a passel of horrific titles to foist on the unsuspecting. For a while, things were slow, then they picked up, and I moved enough books to make the whole day worthwhile, especially since one gentleman had come to the con specifically to meet me and pick up copies of almost all the books I had on hand. Sweet — and most appeciated. Brugger worked on her art for most of the day, and she was kind enough to pick up both breakfast and lunch for us so I could man the table.

 

I did meet actress Linda Miller, of King Kong Escapes fame, and we had a nice conversation. Carl Craig, who starred in Gamera vs. Viras when he was a wee lad was also there, but he was otherwise occupied when I stopped by, so I didn't get a chance to talk with him.

 

Things turned slow during the afternoon, so it felt pretty danged long. At least Kim finished a piece of art she'd been working on for a while, and we both took enough breaks to get in all our daily steps and then some.

 

At 5:30 sharp, we broke down, packed up, and headed to dinner at Hillsborough BBQ Company, which has long been a favorite geocaching lunchtime destination. Their brisket is always wonderful, so I tore into some this evening. Ms. B. went for the pulled pork, which is also incredible.

And then, we headed on home. I'd been a little leery because my informed mail delivery notice showed something from the IRS, and how good can that ever be? Turned out to be a notification of a new fund-matching program, and nothing to get stressed about. Thank Yog for little favors, eh?

 

So, at the end of the day, Triangle Terror Con proved worthwhile, and we enjoyed our various Durham activities, but I don't know that I'll return to the con next year. This looked to be a big weekend for scary events all over, so I may decided to look for something else apt for the season next year.

Linda Miller and Carl Craig at Triangle Terror Con

Ms. B.'s finished piece of art

"Oh, C'mon...Let's Go Trample Osaka. It'll Be Fun!"

It's another adventure in Kaiju-rama. Not so much a diorama as a straight Photoshop job. It's the SH Monster Arts figures of Angilas and Godzilla in sort of a re-imagining of a scene from Godzilla Raids Again. Fun! Click on the photo for the larger image.

It's in the Trees, and Don't Wanna Die Young

Kind of like the 1962 Godzi I finally acquired recently ("Oh Lawd, He Comin'," Thursday, March 26, 2026), I was finally able to find the SF Revoltech 5" figure of Mogera, from Toho's 1957 SF spectacle, The Mysterians at a decent price. So, I set about creating a new Photoshop scene of the little guy, pictured above. The line "It's in the trees! It's coming!" from Night (Curse) of the Demon is apt, so that's what I call it.

There was a geocaching lunch event at Uptown Charlie's in Browns Summit, NC, today—called "Don't Wanna Die Young," since its theme was extreme caches, which was a topic of some enjoyable conversation. I set out early and grabbed a number of caches I hadn't yet found, mostly around Reidsville. Just a handful of attendees today, but it was great fun.

This afternoon, a visit to Hamlet Kitchen for wine with friend Gretchen, who is recuperating from a knee replacement is on the docket.

Laterz.

"Oh, Lawd, He Comin'!"

I've collected a fair number of daikaiju figures over the years, my favorites mostly being the different Godzilla variations. The 1962 "King Kong vs. Godzilla" variation is one I've sought for quite a while, since any of the approximately 6" figures are hard to find and usually very expensive. However, I recently found a pre-owned NECA 62 Godzi on eBay at a fair price, so here he is. I set up one of my miniature landscape sets, found a free background image on Pixabay that looked nice, Photoshopped it a wee bit, et voila. Achievement unlocked.

Urban Renewal

It's been awhile since I created a daikaiju scene, so I did. I was walking uptown this morning, and when I passed one of our local restaurants and had a clear view of the sky, I thought I might snap a photo that could be used for a background. And there it is.

 

Bandai Godzilla and MechaGodzilla, the 1974 designs, both about six inches tall, Photoshopped. Scary, eh? 

EARLY KAIJU FANDOM #5 — JFFJ

A few years ago, Bradford Grant Boyle, the second editor/publisher of the fanzine, Japanese Giants (which I originated in 1974 and published one whopping issue), began compiling a number of massive volumes, titled Early Kaiju Fandom, featuring reprints of the full runs of almost every kaiju-themed fanzine published in the 1970s (and some beyond). My late, lamented friend and mentor, Greg Shoemaker, kicked off the daikaiju fanzine craze in the US in 1968 with his long-running classic, The Japanese Fantasy Film Journal. JFFJ ran until 1985, starting as a 16-page, ditto-printed solo effort and ending as a fully pro-quality, highly respected fixture in fan publishing. Greg died in 2019, but he had provided an informative interview about JFFJ for fan Brett Homenick's Vantage Point Interviews, which you may read here.

And now, with Early Kaiju Fandom Volume 5, Bradford Grant Boyle compiles all 15 issues of The Japanese Fantasy Film Journalin a massive, 600-page tome. The volume also includes interviews, photographs, and essays by participants in early kaiju fandom, documenting how films, information, and discussion circulated in the pre-internet era. This has been a year-long effort for Mr. Boyle, and I expect this massive volume will become a landmark in the world of kaiju fandom.

---

Order Early Kaiju Fandom Volume 5 Here

---

On the Loose

I just received the S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla 2000 figure, and I had no sooner taken him out of the box when he set about trashing my miniature city set. Talk about a miscreant. A friend suggested that I call ICE on him, but I'm not that big an asshole.

Here's a version with a little extra "oompf."

Godzillasaurus

In between writing fiction and online diatribes about the current criminal regime, I put together a little diorama using the newly arrived Godzillasaurus figure (from Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah) and the S.H. Monster Arts Godzilla figure from the same film. I call it "Almost There, Kid—A Little More Vibrato!" The foreground is a composite of three photos of a miniature tree set I constructed a while back, and the background is a photo from Pixabay. Anyhoo, it was a bit of fun for me. Enjoy.

Home Wrecker

Dammit. And I had just cleaned house, too. This is the new Hiya Toys 1991 King Ghidorah figure engaging in his favorite pastime. I guess he knows how to have fun.

GOJIRA 1954: A 70th ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE by Peter H. Brothers

Gojira 1954 is in the house! Just received my contributor copy from long-time author, editor, and daikaiju enthusiast extraordinaire, Peter H. Brothers. His newest monster book is a collection of essays, articles, and interviews devoted to the original 1954 Toho classic, titled Gojira 1954: A 70th Anniversary Retrosective. This one features my little essay, "The Big Old Stomp That Rocked My World," which recounts the day I watched Godzilla - King of the Monsters and the earth literally shook. Other contributors include Mike Bogue, Bradford Grant Boyle, Mark Cerasini, Allen A. Debus & Elizabeth Russell Debus, Davide Di Giorgio, Bob Eggleton, William Tsutsui, Larry Tuczynski, and many others whose names will strike familiar chords among daikaiju aficionados. The book also features personal accounts and interviews with numerous individuals involved in the original film production, including Special Effects Director Sadamasa Arikawa, Director Ishiro Honda, Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, Art Director Akira Watanabe, and many more.

Doubtlessly because Toho is very restrictive about the use of Godzilla images, the book offers only a smattering of photos. To be sure, though, the superlative written content makes this book a true keeper.

Peter H. Brothers is a multi-Rondo Award nominee, author of Atomic Dreams and Nightmares, Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men, Sons of Godzilla, and many others. Gojira 1954: A 70th Anniversary Retrospective is available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook.

I find the autographed Raymond Burr photo pretty danged awesome.

---

Order Gojira 1954: A 70th Anniversary Retrospective at Amazon.com

---

GMK—"You Big Bully!"

I created a little diorama this morning, inspired by Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001), and added a few effects using Photoshop. Here's both the color and black & white versions. I've found myself partial to the B&W versions of most of these, as they convey a more atmospheric scene.

It always struck me as kind of shameful that Baragon is left out of the title, since he's my favorite of the monsters in the film. Here, Godzilla is the NECA 6-inch figure, and Baragon is the 4-inch figure from the smaller-scale Mezco Destroy All Monsters set.

MechaGodzilla 2 Takes a Stroll, Night Fight, and the Very Happy Angilas Family

I picked up an additional set of city miniatures the other day, as well as some miniature trees (all 1:300 scale). So, I decided to put together a couple of more dioramas and photograph them. Some of these have turned out particularly dramatic in black & white, including the one below, which I call "Night Fight." It's the SH MonsterArts 2002 Godzilla (Godzilla Meets MechaGodzilla) and the SH MonsterArts 1972 Gigan figure. I'm particularly keen on how the lit-up buildings turned out.

Also below is the color version of the Angilas family shot; I posted the black & white version the other day.

As with all of these compositions, there are numerous elements, including the miniatures—premade buildings, building kits I put together, and handmade elements such as signs, traffic signals, power poles, etc., and Photoshopped backgrounds. I've needed some diversion lately to keep from going off the rails, and this stuff has been just the ticket. Enjoy.

There's a Kaiju in the City!

SH MonsterArts 2004 Godzilla

There's a kaiju in the city! He's so big, and he's so pretty!"

A couple of new acquisitions: SH MonsterArts figures of the Godzilla: Final Wars Godzi, and the 1972 Angilas (the more technically correct name, which I much prefer; I don't give a flip that the silly suits at Toho decided to spell it "Anguirus"; I'd even go with Angurus, as it was originally referred to in the Americanized Godzilla Raids Again, a.k.a. Gigantis - The Fire Monster). Between writing projects and lots of house/yard maintenance, I've been working on some dioramas to up the fun factor with these guys.

More to come later.

SH MonsterArts 1972 Angilas taking a stroll

Had a nice visit with the Angilas family (Kayodo 1968 resin kit, Bandai 1955 figure, SH MonsterArts 1972 figure). Lots of smiles to go around.

Happy Hedorah Day

1971 Hedorah vs. 2004 Hedorah

It's the Smog Monster's birthday, so here's a double-dose for you in the photo above. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (a.k.a. Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster) came out in Japan on this day in 1971 and was released in the United States in February 1972 (and I saw it at the drive-in theater on its opening night). The photo above is a Photoshop/diorama I put together a while back using a couple of the figures I've collected. I've been on a real daikaiju kick recently, mainly because I'm kind of on a daikaiju kick all the time. I guess I've had the fever a little more than usual due to the release of friends Ed & Steve's Godzilla: The First 70 Years, which I wrote about here just the other day.

I have not been a collector of much of anything for a few decades, but when I did collect things, it was daikaiju- and anime-related goodies, mostly back in the 1980s, during my days of living in Chicago. But two or three years back, for reasons unknown, I got monster figure fever, and so, little by little, I found myself collecting daikaiju again—mostly Toho monsters. Then I decided to create some dioramas, enhanced with Photoshop. Most of the ones I've done are quick, down-and-dirty efforts so that I don't waste valuable writing time playing around. However, I can't say that I haven't enjoyed the hell out of composing some of these beasties.

Therefore, I'm gonna post a bunch of them here, just for shits and giggles. If you like giant critters, then maybe you'll find these enjoyable.

My earliest diorama(s)—Godzilla and Anguirus (or Angilas, as I much prefer), which were Kayodo resin kits I built in 1985; in 1992, I built myself a miniature city out of cardboard, and these are a couple of the photos I took back then.

MechaGodzilla, Anguirus, King Seesar, Godzilla (sort of reproducing a publicity shot from Godzilla vs. MechGodzilla, 1974)

An S.H. MonsterArts figure of Gigan (Godzilla vs. Gigan, 1972)

Godzilla and Angilas (Godzilla Raids Again, 1955)

Baragon, from Frankenstein Conquers the World, 1965), roaming about in my neighborhood!

MechaGodzilla 2, Titanosaurus, and Godzilla (Terror of MechaGodzilla, 1975)

Gorosaurus (from King Kong Escapes, 1968)

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (Godzilla vs. Hedorah, 1971)

Godzilla and MechaGodzilla II slugging it out at Ferrum College! (Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, 1993)

Shin Gomess (Shin Ultraman, 2022)

Godzilla meets Megalon for a serious talk (Godzilla vs. Megalon, 1973)

A hell of a thing to wake up to! (Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, 2002)

A diorama I created today, using 1:300-scale miniatures and some Photoshopping (Godzilla 2000, 1999)

And another one using the same miniatures as above (Godzilla 2000, 1999)

Godzilla: The First 70 Years

I've written at length, on this blog and elsewhere, about my lifetime passion for Godzilla and daikaiju in general, particularly regarding my involvement in the very early days of giant monster–themed fanzine publishing (most recently with "Early Daikaiju Fandom Strikes," June 19, 2025). It was by way of creating Japanese Giants when I was a teenager, back in 1974, that I met lots of other daikaiju fans, most notably Bill Gudmundson and Ed Godziszewski, both of Chicago. We subsequently became good friends, and they took up the torch to keep Japanese Giants alive after I discovered I did not have the financial resources to keep it going on my own. When I moved to Chicago in 1983, we three Japanese Giants Guys became officially known as "THE Japanese Giants Guys," and Ed, bless him, financed and oversaw the magazine for many years, up through the early 2000s. It was during his proprietorship that he became well-acquainted with numerous executives and staff members at Toho Studios, and he not only traveled frequently to Japan for business, he trampled his way onto the studio set on numerous occasions, including during the filming of Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) and others. (Okay, he didn't really "trample" anything, but he got there!)

Ed's passion for tokusatsu led him to become a bona fide giant monster film historian, and his scholarly approach became most evident in the last few issues of Japanese Giants. He and frequent collaborator Steve Ryfle became regular providers of commentaries on the DVD releases of numerous daikaiju films, and they also wrote the informative and downright fun documentary about the making of Godzilla, Bringing Godzilla Down to Size, which originally appeared in 2008 as a bonus feature on the Classic Media DVD release of Rodan/War of the Gargantuas. In 2017, they penned a comprehensive biography of frequent tokusatsu film director Ishiro Honda, titled Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa.

Godzilla: The First 70 Years is Ed and Steve's ultimate tribute to and study of the Godzilla films, from the 1954 original to 2023's Godzilla Minus One. This volume is truly Godzilla-sized—over 400 pages, weighing in at 6-plus pounds, featuring hundreds of rarer-than-rare photographs (many taken on the sets by consummate Godzilla fan, writer, and occasional actor Norman England), and exhaustively researched text. Director John Carpenter, a longtime Godzilla aficionado, and actress Megumi Odaka, who played psychic Miki Saegusa in six of the Heisei-era Godzilla films (1989–1995), provide forewords recounting their long experiences with Godzilla. Producer Shogo Tomiyama closes out the book with an insightful Afterword.

I have pored over the pages of this big volume, though I've barely scratched the surface of the text. It's going to take some serious time to read in detail, but I'm looking forward to it more than I've looked forward to reading anything for quite a long while. Knowing Ed and Steve and their writing styles—both informative and engaging—I can't imagine that I'll be anything other than thrilled.

 

The retail price is $75, but for the moment, it can be purchased on Amazon.com for $60. Right now, it's ranking as the #1 seller in numerous categories. For any Godzilla fan, THIS is the book for you. Get it. Get it now!

---

Godzilla: The First 70 Years
at Amazon.com

---