Godzilla Toho Champion Festival Perfection: New Japanese Book

Source: Kadokawa Shoten
Official Site: hobby.dengeki.com

Cover art for Godzilla Toho Champion Festival Perfection.
TM & © Toho Co., Ltd.

Rising production costs and dwindling ticket sales hammered the Japanese film industry in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Struggling to find new ways to lure moviegoers into theaters, in 1969 Toho launched the Champion Festival series, a children’s block that packaged a movie packaged along with a mix of cartoons and short features. Nineteen different Toho Champion Festivals were released through 1978, premiering during the New Year, summer and/or March school vacations.

All of the Godzilla films from ALL MONSTERS ATTACK/GODZILLA’S REVENGE (ゴジラ・ミニラ・ガバラオール怪獣大進撃, Gojira, Minira, Gabara: Oru Kaijuu Daishingeki, 1969) through TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (メカゴジラの逆襲, Mekagojira no Gyakushuu, 1975) were first released as part of the Toho Champion Festivals. With the studio looking to both cut costs and appeal to kids, many of these films featured extensive use of stock footage and presented Godzilla as more of a superhero character who encountered colorful new friends and foes like Gigan, Jet Jaguar, Gabara, King Caesar, Hedorah, and Mechagodzilla. Toho also re-released many of their older Godzilla/FX movies, edited to fit the running times of the Champion Festivals.

Dengeki Hobby Books, an imprint of Kadokawa Shoten’s ASCII Media Works, recently released a new book on the history of the Champion Festivals. Entitled Godzilla Toho Champion Festival Perfection (ゴジラ東宝チャンピオンまつりパーフェクション, Gojira Toho Chanpion Matsuri Paafekushon), the Japanese language publication features movie overviews, rare photos, promotional materials, descriptions of unproduced films, staff and cast interviews, and much more.

Godzilla Toho Champion Festival Perfection is available now from Japanese bookstores and online retailers.

Publisher: KADOKAWA / ASCII Media Works
Language: Japanese
Size: A4 Wide (28.4 x 21.2 x 1.4cm)
Pages: 176
ISBN-13: 978-4048669993
Release Date: November 29, 2014
Price: ￥3,800 (Approximately $31.80 US) + Tax