Happy Anniversary, Godzilla!!!!

Are you prepared? Are you prepared to celebrate the King of the Monsters? Well, you better get prepared because November 3^rd is Godzilla’s 70^th anniversary! For those who don’t know, Godzilla is a kaiju (giant monster) that debuted in the 1954 film classic, Godzilla (called Gojira in its home country of Japan). Godzilla would go on to star in thirty-eight films and become a bona fide pop culture icon, featured in comic books, advertisements, toys, cartoons, video games, web series, and more. Just this year, Big G starred in a movie with longtime frenemy King Kong, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. But how did this symbol of kaiju excellence become such a huge part of the culture?

As I mentioned, Godzilla debuted in 1954 post-war Japan as an ancient reptile mutated by a hydrogen bomb test, causing him to rise from his ocean slumber and attack Japan. Do not commit that origin story to memory, because it will change several times throughout the King of the Monsters’ history. However, this does begin Godzilla’s role as avatar of society’s fears. For obvious reasons, nuclear weapons and their destructive capabilities were on post-war Japan’s mind. One of Godzilla’s more recent films, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, cast the monster as a sort of eco-warrior. His presence and the presence of other kaiju help heal the Earth’s ecosystem. A timely story for a world suffering the effects of climate change.

But Godzilla is not just a representative of destructive forces. Throughout his history, he’s also been the savior of humanity, using his brute strength and atomic powers to stop other more destructive monsters. For example, longtime enemy King Ghidorah, an extraterrestrial dragon with destructive powers on par with Godzilla, frequently has to be stopped from conquering Earth. Usually with help from Godzilla’s kaiju bestie, Mothra, the Queen of the Monsters. Mothra is a giant moth with magic powers and a movie star in her own right. Perhaps Godzilla’s ability to be a protector, destroyer, and natural phenomenon all at one time is the reason for his longevity? Or maybe giant monsters are just cool. Either way, Godzilla’s 70^th anniversary is for celebrating the big guy and the library offers some of his best work. Godzilla’s history is so long and storied the Japanese films are actually divided into eras, the Shōwa Era (1954-1975), the Heisei Era (1984-1995), the Millennium Era (1999-2004), and the Reiwa Era (2016-present). The American films consist of the much-maligned 1998 TriStar Pictures film, Godzilla, and the Legendary Pictures “MonsterVerse” films that began in 2014 and are still being made. 

Of course, MCLS has the film that started it all on DVD and Blu-Ray, 1954’s Godzilla/Gojira. Our DVD section also holds such classic films as 1971’s Godzilla’s Revenge and 1984’s The Return of Godzilla. We also have Godzilla’s first American outing on DVD, 1998’s Godzilla. Our DVD collection also features all the current “MonsterVerse” films from Legendary Pictures, including Godzilla (2014), Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong.

If you prefer to read about Big G’s adventures, we have a few graphic novels featuring Godzilla, such as Godzilla: The Half-Century War and Godzilla: Awakening. For younger Godzilla fans, there is even the children’s book, Love from Godzilla. After seventy years, Godzilla is thriving and we hope you decide to celebrate with him by checking out our Godzilla materials!

- Shanna, Lawrence Branch