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filbarlow — Godzilla
Published: 2011-05-31 03:47:54 +0000 UTC; Views: 18079; Favourites: 515; Downloads: 0
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Here is a poster I did to promote the Animated Godzilla TV show. It was printed in a Fox magazine if my memory serves. Once the Execs had approved the style of the humans, Tom Perkins took over the Character Design so I could focus on the monsters. Again the Executive Producer who put the concept together was Richard Raynis.Related content
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....nah, that would be one of the mutated Cryptoclidus.
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Hello. I'd like to start off by saying that I love this cartoon and all of its monsters. Godzilla: The Series is to this day one of my all time favorite animated series and its Godzilla has always been my favorite. I hope that some day we get to see a Toho Zilla similar to the animated 1998 Godzilla, especially one with a nuclear breath weapon like toon Godzilla's (btw, I also like the green color of the atomic breath in this show). Godzilla: Rulers of Earth's take on Zilla was cool, but it wasn't quite there.
There's something I've been wondering about this Godzilla for a long time, too. In the episode "Cash of the Titans," he's stated to weigh 60,000 metric tons. Is that his canonical weight in the cartoon? Was this a reference to the 60,000-ton Japanese Godzilla that came before the 1998 Godzilla?
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It is his canonical weight.
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looks amazing
i remember really liking the show as a kid
(even though i have little memory of it)
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i remember i saw this on a vhs cover for monster wars
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Yep, this design gets used alot by Sony. It was an illustration for a magazine that I did out of hours, I wasn't financially compensated and I don't get royalties for it.
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Cool lineup! You got my boys Cryptoclidus & C-Rex in there, very nice, and El Gusano too, good choices
Did Cryptoclidus survive the events of Monster Wars? I know he didn't end up on Monster Island (though he should have lol), but last we see him he was driven back out to sea by the alien spaceships, I always preferred to think he retreated to the depths but it was hard to tell since some of the other monsters were defeated in ways that made it hard to tell if the aliens had flat out killed them or just knocked them out.
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Thank you 
Sorry, I have no idea what happened to Cryptoclidus.
I've never watched the episode, and I didn't have time to read the script.
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A poster I did for the Fox Kids magazine back in 1998, while we were in production.
See the FIL logo on the lower right hand side?
That's me.
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that's all g. awesome artwork though
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Oh hey, it's that Nessie-whale-skull-thing! Loved that thing, forget what it's called.
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cryptocleidus was its name
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Lotan? From Moby Ghost? It was episode #124 in production.
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Awesome animated design, but I have them on the 1998 movie and the animated series on dvd and now I am a godzilla fan.
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Thank you, I'm glad that you liked it
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A great display of the brilliant work you did on this show!
I'm sorry you get so much uncalled-for grief over the whole Godzilla/"Zilla" thing. I hate it when people go on about this "name change". I refuse to apply it to either the cartoon or the 1998 film, for the following reasons:
- The film - and now the complete cartoon series - are still sold on DVD as "Godzilla", and the creature is still called that by the characters. I personally think it should be quite clear that their story exists in an entirely different continuity from Toho's films. I have the novelisation of the film, where it is stated that in this version, "Gojira" is originally a sea monster of Japanese myth which the sailor mistakes our mutant iguana for, and Charles Caiman later mispronounces it as "Godzilla" and the name sticks. Plus, if they were in the same continuity, wouldn't characters be comparing the situation to endless similar ones seen in Japan?!? No, this is a different world, with different events, different rules and a different Godzilla (though, of course, with some details paying homage to what came before).
- Toho fully endorsed the 1998 film while it was in production; it was only after the purists reacted negatively that they added "Zilla" into their continuity and showed it being easily killed by the Toho version. I think they were trying to calm all the angry fans down, but clearly this did NOT work; the purists still behave the same way wherever they find it, whining and throwing insults and treating Emmerich and Devlin like demons or something. Personally, I'm not impressed by what Toho or the haters have done and continue to do.
- Purists may complain about "taking the 'God' out of Godzilla" - but the whole "God" thing was originally pure coincidence. When the 1954 "Gojira" was Americanized as "Godzilla, King of the Monsters", they just wanted a name that echoed the original, but didn't sound exclusively Japanese. It was the fandom that started saying the "God" part was literal. It's true that in the recent 2014 version the characters do call the film's Godzilla a "god" - but then, haven't human beings called a lot of things "gods" throughout history, especially what they fear or can't fully understand? Call me judgmental, but I feel the whole "literal god" thing borders on religious fanaticism - which disturbs me. I want to enjoy a character without feeling pressured to worship them.
- As a kid, I enjoyed both the film and the animated series just fine when they were released, and still appreciate them today (but that's just a personal reason 
In conclusion, I think the name "Zilla" should apply ONLY when it shares the same universe as Toho's original Godzilla, and then purely for the sake of avoiding confusion. The monster in the 1998 film - and the animated series you worked on - is Godzilla (at least, a version of him) and should be recognized as such!
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Yep I'm with you, unfortunately it's Toho's fault. Toho are responsible for backing away from the Sony version and renaming it. I honestly don't care, I worked on a show called Godzilla and that's the truth, I won't be rewriting my own history. All the justifications that have come afterwards are pointless to me, it's just a fantasy character, not a real thing, and certainly not a god, it's all made up. There was never any conversation about Godzilla's "godhood" when I was working on the show.
My understanding was that the original 1954 film makers where trying to say "Gorilla" and ended up with whatever, it doesn't matter, they were trying to knockoff King Kong anyway. It's all so blah. Toho will just redesign history as they see fit and the "fans" will support their justifications. Honestly I find the repositioning kinda gutless, they agreed to work with Sony, approved the design, script, film and TV show, so stick with that decision, yeah it happened, support it!
Have a look here for more information about the official Toho name change: godzilla.wikia.com/wiki/The_Zi…
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I'm sorry, but reading that article in the link made me SO angry. Perhaps I'm being dramatic, but it feels like Toho "betrayed" Sony purely for the sake of pleasing their crowds of rabid animals fans. They act as if NO ONE feels the way I feel. They just don't care. Original creators or not, their attitude is, IMHO, appalling - as is seeing people cheer them on. People should be condemning such behaviour from corporations, not endorsing it.
And I was surprised by how Patrick Tatopoulos had no problem with how they treated his design in that "Final Wars" film; I would have been livid if I were in his shoes!
To add insult to injury, a certain group of commenters on the page have made nasty comments about a certain - I only know him by his dArt account, but he happened to be one of the VERY few people I've found here willing to see my point of view (that group includes you, of course 
Sorry if I'm wasting your time with all this talk. I've just had feelings like these ever since I found out what Toho did, and all the buzz surrounding the new film version brought it crashing down on me all over again. I haven't been a happy bunny about it at all
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I hear you, and I am interested in talking openly with any one.
You aren't wasting my time any more than I'm wasting yours
I've said my piece on Toho in the above comment and have nothing further to add, but you obviously got my drift.
I've had a long think myself and here is where I have arrived:
A company CAN change the logic of their property's universe as much as they like, not a problem.
A company (and the fans who subscribe to the company line) have NO right to change MY history, the reality that I actually lived.
The character that I worked on was Godzilla, Toho approved, end of story.
From my position, this late in my life, the thing that I have been most wary of is peer groups. I dislike them, the ONLY reason that I am where I am as an artist is because I've never followed them, never subscribed to them. As a youth, while other kids my age were smoking, drinking, taking drugs and screwing each other I was drawing, working hard because I knew it would pay off later on, and it did. At the same time I don't look for a fight, I let them do what they have to do, say what they have to say. As long as no one tries to stop me from doing my job everything is fine.
One thing that you will see, as time goes on, is that each generation rewrites history to fit their expectations, in time this will all be rewritten again, and all you'll be able to do is roll your eyes and restate your position. It doesn't really matter though, they won't be listening. Their peers have their ears.
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Well, I just hope one day people drop this whole "worthy of the name Godzilla" thing
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I might just add that this article from Wikizilla has been removed because its contents were false and misleading, and this due to Keith Aiken having stated that "Godzilla (1998) is NOT Zilla" and that "Zilla is a variation of Godzilla (1998)". I don't remember our previous conversation, but I'm glad that you had such a great impression of me and I'm also glad to hear such supporting words from you! ^^
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Even today I miss this show, when I ever I feel nostalgic and want to rewatch I'll look it up somewhere on the internet and watch several episodes. Everything about the show, to me, was perfect, from the human characters to the monster designs and Godzilla himself. (I will never call him Zilla, maybe the movie one but not the cartoon)
I always wondered what might happen if some producer somewhere takes an interest in the design and tries to do another movie based of the cartoon, or a video game, that'd be cool.
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The "Zilla" thing is silly, nickname, sure fine, but rewriting history and permanently erasing this version as Godzilla, wrong.
Toho was all behind it, and Godzilla was it's official name, deal with the facts people. Never be intimidated out of calling this show by it's actual title.
Yeah it was Richard Raynis who was the genius behind this show, I was just following what he and Centropolis wanted, while being faithful to Patrick Tatopoulos' design. Sure I came up with the style and design of the main characters, along with the monsters, but the vision was theirs.
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It was a great vision as well.
The way I see it this Godzilla and the Japanese Godzilla needed to stay seperate. In seperate realities where they could reign as King.
The Japanese is the powerhouse, nigh indestructable, God.
The America was a big physically power lizard, it could get hurt, poisoned, it could die, it did die in one alternate future, I forget the episode, but most of HEAT went into the future. It builds drama for the creature in terms of it's a God only in terms of it's size.
Some people have to realise I think and I think Toho needs to remember. "Godzilla" isn't actually the Japanese creatures name, it's Gojira, Gojira doesn't translate into God, it's like Gorilla whale or something :I 'Godzilla' is the American invention.
I looked at some of your earlier design for the Heat crew, and while I liked your design I'm happy with how they turned out, though Nick with glasses would have been cool if he put them on every now and then for reading
Ah well. :I We can always hope the series gets picked up again or something new becomes of this Godzilla.
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I like your suggestions, I find it amusing to consider that this might be the real "Godzilla" as you suggest, and the traditional suit version is "Gojira"
When all is said and done, I very happy with this style, it suited Richard and Centropolis' vision best. However there is something in the "Milton Caniff" style that would work for some other show. We will never know, it's all in the past.
I just like to show how things could have gone had circumstances been different. I haven't shown you guys the 1st style I did which was closer to XGB. Hmm, one day I'll dig that stuff out.
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It'd be very interesting to see.
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One day for sure! Maybe in a year ... so busy
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:3 There's no rush.
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They should bring it back
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This show was a big part in my childhood. Thank you so much.
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Toho approved my design, so I wouldn't exactly call it ripping off, they made money off their franchise through everything Sony did.
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Still he should never be called Godzilla.
EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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