Category Archives: Giant Books

Godzilla is a Sad Monster

Frank Lesser’s Sad Monsters is a collection of humorous stories about unloved ogres and lonely leviathans. The website cautions, “If a vampire broke up with you, your pet gremlin had to be put to sleep, or you regret undergoing that exorcism, reading this book may reopen old wounds, in many cases literally.”

In addition to crypto-racist Bigfoot and the Groom of Frankenstein, Godzilla struggles with ennui over his umpteenth destruction of Tokyo. “Starting to wonder, what’s the point? They’re just going to rebuild.”

ADF Bulletin: Monsters writer/director gets his hands on Godzilla

Books

*Author Arin Kambitsis emailed me to let me know that his first book, Days of Yore: Jack the Giant Killer is now available on Amazon. He describes it this way:

After killing the marauding giant Oggmagog with a devious trick, a boy named Jack is brought before the dying King Arthur who sends him on a quest to Albion, land of the giants, to retrieve his sword Excalibur and save all of Britain.

Comics

*Virtual Graphics is launching a new line of books at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France later this month. One of the comics they’ll debut is Tell, Volume 1: The Return of William Tell, “a Swiss-set sci-fi reimagining of the legend as a giant monster fighting crime and corruption.” [Bleeding Cool]

*Coming in March is Jeffrey Brown’s Incredible Change-Bots Two from Top Shelf, as well as a new printing of Volume 1.

*Not to be outdone, Marvel and Dark Horse also have giant robots coming. Marvel’s Skaar: King of the Savage Land features “giant dinosaurs, giant robots, and giant dinosaurs fighting giant robots.” Meanwhile, Hellboy fights giant robots in Dark Horse’s one-shot Hellboy: Buster Oakley Gets His Wish. Both comics come out in April.

Movies

*Speaking of Monsters, Gareth Edwards, the writer/director of that film has been hired to develop and direct the new, American Godzilla movie. Based on what I’ve heard about the lack of actual, giant monsters in Monsters, I don’t know whether to be fearful that the same thing could happen with Godzilla or hopeful about the possibility of Edwards’ finally cutting loose and having some fun.

One of the things I love about the original Gojira is its use of a giant monster to talk about real issues. We’re doing something similar with Kill All Monsters!, in fact. I expect that I’d appreciate this new film doing some of that as well, so Edwards might be just what the movie needs. I just hope there’s plenty of stomping in there with the allegory.

Crave Online offers more specific advice in 10 Things the Godzilla Reboot Must Do.

*Undead Backbrain has some screen shots and video of the Hulk fighting giant monsters from the animated Planet Hulk movie.

*And a trailer featuring the giant robots of War of the Worlds: Goliath.

*Finally, there’s a new poster for Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch featuring the adorable Pink Bunny Mech.