Happy Birthday G

November 3, 1954...  Dateline Tokyo, Japan (hello).  A film is released that unknown at the time would create a cultural icon that would span 28 films (and holding).  On this date, 55 years ago, Gojira was released in theaters in Japan.  It would be released two years later in a "westernized" version with the name changed to Godzilla, introducing the titular character to amazed, dinosaur starved youths across the globe.

Many of the youths have now grown up and continued to enjoy Godzilla.  Once you're hooked, it's difficult to completely let go.  In the years that I have been going to G-FEST, the annual convention of Japanese Science Fiction films such as Godzilla, Gamera and Ultraman, I have met folks from many different walks of life and ages.  Most of us continue to attend year after year.  Some of us have become involved with the convention as committee members.

I have been interviewed by several newspapers doing promotion for G-FEST over that past 8 years.  One question they always ask is what got me interested in Godzilla.  That is the question of the ages.  I was a dinosaur nut as a child.  Like most kids who grew up in the 1960s and 70s, Godzilla movies were around us at the theater and on television with regularity.  For me, Godzilla has always been there.  There was no moment of discovery that I recall. It has always been there.

Godzilla first took a break in the late 70s only to be reborn in 1985 (US).  During the down time, other things took Godzilla's place, temporarily.  It was a good time in my life for some Godzilla down time.  I discovered there were bands to enjoy outside of the Beatles and Top-40 radio.  I learned to play guitar and played in bands.  Sadly, I lost touch with Godzilla for a time but I didn't lose the love.

In 1985, the King returned and so did the attention he deserved from me.  I saw Godzilla 1985 in a crowed theater full of college students at Purdue that year.  I picked up a 6 inch Imperial Godzilla that adorned Fraternity room shelves and sat on shelf in my home in a compromising position with Gumby for years.

Then in 1995, I walked into a comic store and found a copy of G-FAN magazine, issue number 13.  This was a defining moment in my adult love of Godzilla.  I had picked up grainy bootleg videos of the early 1990s films from outfits like Video Search of Miami, that advertised in the back of movie mags, but G-FAN took things to a whole new level.  G-FAN showed me that the legion of Godzilla fans was huge and that legion was made of people who were just like me. 

The great thing was the magazine sponsored G-CON '95, the first North American convention of Godzilla fans.  Going was like a breath of fresh air.  I met people at that first convention that I still call friends to this day.  Over the years, I have met other folks at G-CON and then G-FEST.  I may not know what it is that first drew me to Godzilla but I know that what keeps me interested to this day has as much to do with the monster as it does the friends I've made as a result of the monster.

I passed my love of Godzilla to my children.  As they say the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.  I'm sure as they grow older, they will follow the same path I did and hopefully will pass on their love of Godzilla to their children.

So Happy 55th Birthday Godzilla.  You have brought so much happiness to my life and have asked for nothing in return.  That is a true friend.