Where are the Giant Monster Comics?

[NeverWanderer (Joey Cruz)]

It's not a giant monster comic per se, but Aqua Leung nevertheless has some ridiculously cool giant monsters in it.  Some of them literally go on for multiple pages. 

Aqua Leung is a book I've wanted to pick up for a long time, but it sort of disappeared from my consciousness after a while. Gonna track it down once I have the dough.

 

[Colonel Mooseblood]

That is the best monster ever.

[Rick Hansen]

While there isn't much in the way of new licensed material, the big G has plenty of awesome artists still bringing his roar in comics-style glory.

[GreenSkeletonII]

Just remember kids, Godzilla is NOT GREEN.  He's charcoal gray.

Although I believe he was a bit green in the last couple movies.

[HooHaH!]

I've always been a big fan of the kaiju, even trekking up to a few G-Cons/G-Fests.  The Atlas Era Tales to Astonish/Tales of Suspense Masterworks are currently reprinting the monster tales a few of us here first read back in Monsters on the Prowl, Where Monsters Dwell, etc back in the 70s (which were ALWAYS a top priority for me at the spinner rack, super-heroes a close 2nd).  Of course, as others have already stated, we've never really gotten the Godzilla series we've all wanted with all the kaiju.

I'm always tempted at cons to chase after the Charlton Gorgo and Konga books.  Hopefully, the Fantagraphic Ditko reprint series will get to these soon.

[Rick Hansen]

Speaking of G-Fest, here is me and Colonel Mooseblood's entry in last year's G-Fest costume contest. It's not a kaiju, but folks seemed to like it nonetheless. (this is the first costume we've ever made)

[Andy Jewett]

Shockwave... nice!

[Rick Hansen]

This one came out a year ago from Blue Water Productions. A few really good scenes of giant monster action from Matt Frank. I had to special order this at my LCS because they weren't gonna order any copies since it wasn't from the big two or even one of the mid-level publishers. It was totally worth the trouble!

[VinceB]

That is the best monster ever.

It is. And now I own one.

 

[Andy Jewett]

It is. And now I own one.

 

NICE! Might need to take a day trip to see the vinyl collection while I am in PA.

[J. R. Scherer]

One of my all time favorite single comic issues...

This book is awesome.  Godzilla vs Daimajin...  I love it so much.  In a perfect world giant monster comics would sell like gangbusters, and Art Adams and Mike Mignola would split the chores of drawing each and every one of them.

[Bill Doughty]

Though it wasn't often very good in the classical sense of the word, I always loved Marvel's Godzilla series as a kid, and finally got around getting the Essential volume a few months back (for dirt cheap, no less     ).  And as I was re-reading it after all this time, I started to notice a few callbacks to the series in more recent Marvel books - Dum Dum's helicarrier Behemoth in Incredible Hercules, and even more surprisingly, Dr. Takiguchi being recruited for Hank McCoy's X-Club in Uncanny X-Men (not to mention the doctor's familiar-looking security system).  I love how the current crop of Marvel writers keep stuff like this in continuity, even if they can't refer to it by name.

And more Godzilla is never a bad thing.

[J. R. Scherer]

Though it wasn't often very good in the classical sense of the word, I always loved Marvel's Godzilla series as a kid, and finally got around getting the Essential volume a few months back (for dirt cheap, no less     ).  And as I was re-reading it after all this time, I started to notice a few callbacks to the series in more recent Marvel books - Dum Dum's helicarrier Behemoth in Incredible Hercules, and even more surprisingly, Dr. Takiguchi being recruited for Hank McCoy's X-Club in Uncanny X-Men (not to mention the doctor's familiar-looking security system).  I love how the current crop of Marvel writers keep stuff like this in continuity, even if they can't refer to it by name.

Same here.  I always get a little giddy every time that Red Ronin shows up.

And more Godzilla is never a bad thing.

You got that right.  IDW has publishing rights to Godzilla as well as his rogue's gallery, which no other American publisher has been able to manage previously.

http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/1414/

[GreenSkeletonII]

Nice to see this thread back!

Coincidently, I just watched Cloverfield last night. 

Also, there are some giant sea creatures attacking London in my webcomic. 

http://www.oceanverse.com/?p=694

[Rick Hansen]

You got that right.  IDW has publishing rights to Godzilla as well as his rogue's gallery, which no other American publisher has been able to manage previously.

Probably already known by all, but you'll notice that in the Marvel and Dark Horse Godzilla comics, there were never any other monsters from the Toho movie series. They made up their own monsters because using them would have required purchasing the rights to each one, which are almost as costly as Godzilla himself. One of the reasons to cancel a Godzilla comic if readership drops is because of the licensing expense. It's a pointless endeavor, destined for cancellation, but hopefully IDW will come out with some good stuff in the brief time it has the rights.

On a related note, I've been a reader of G-Fan magazine for years. They used to have a lot of great Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and other monster tales created by some very talented fans. However, Toho coerced the publisher into halting all fiction and comic book-like stories using Toho-licensed characters. I guess they don't want anyone getting away with using their stuff unless they call the shots and get enough dough from it.

[NeverWanderer (Joey Cruz)]

Just found out about this comic.

I'm quite intrigued!

http://www.theenormouscomic.com/

[valance_the_hunter]

I ordered that jet jaguar plush they were soliciting in previews last month for my godson's x-mas present.  He's not going to know who he is, but that's not gonna stop me from playing with it when he opens it.

[john_k]

I've heard many permutations of:

If vampires represent the repressed lusts and yearning for hedonistic abandon buried deep in our psyches, then zombies represent the stupefaction of overindulgence, overstimulation, information overload, dumbed down into lemming-like conformity and unchecked consumption.

What do the commentators say about giant monsters? From my Googling, most commentary involves fear / misunderstanding of science (related to the rise of radio-chemistry / "atomic age" stuff) but this refers to the monster's origin only. Anybody know more about this? What literary 'baggage' comes with giant monsters? I'm guessing some sort of nihilism?

P.S. karma to Rick. Awesome thread and awesome pics!

[Lawrence]

This book is awesome.  Godzilla vs Daimajin...  I love it so much.  In a perfect world giant monster comics would sell like gangbusters, and Art Adams and Mike Mignola would split the chores of drawing each and every one of them.

Wow, I know I have that card in grandparents attic somewhere. Lots of great memories right there. I don't know how I was so entertained by staring at those cards for hours but I sure as hell was.

[NeverWanderer (Joey Cruz)]

DUDE!  I just by pure happenstance came across this AMAZING fucking comic on the Top Shelf website!

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/ts2.0/feast/

No preface. Just read it.