I am not going to completely trash the mag, because I still think there are some very interesting articles (not all contributions are "fodder" like some have suggested and it's obvious there are still some excellent contributers who work very hard for the magazine and are what keeps the magazine halfway readable), but I have to tell it like it is, and that is Gfan #67 :puke:
In fact, "stunk" I don't think is a strong enough word. I know the mag hasn't been what it use to be (as evident just by looking at the quality of the cover art for the last few issues), but 67 is a milestone in hitting "the bottom". The editorial about GMK was a big reason why it stunk. Look, I absolutely could give a rat's behind about the petty fueds among so-called "major players" in Gfandom (if I did care, I would go watch a "Revenge of the Nerds" film). I love sites like Monster Zero, Henshin, and fan mags such as Gfan and Japanese Giants, but truth be told, I was a Godzilla fan LONG before any of these existed and I would still be a diehard G fan without their existence. So while I appreciate the contribution of many in the fandom, they should never get big heads.
However, I do have a problem when these fueds start making their way into a magazine in the form of hateful lies, and JD Lee's latest rant against Kaneko was one of the worst examples of this behavior. I remember G-Con 96 when TOHO at the last minute wouldn't let them show GvsDestroyer, and J. R. Roberto made this defiant, anti-TOHO tirade speech to open Gfest and it was without a doubt one of the stupidest things I had ever heard or witnessed and set a very negative tone to open up the event. And I had the exact same type of reaction to what I read in Gfan 67 about GMK. I don't know and don't care why Lees has issues with Kaneko, etc., but when one let's the emotions take over their judgement and present lies as facts to the masses (which is a larger problem than ever with the press in general nowadays), then there is something majorly wrong with the magazine's integrity (yes, even fanzines about cult icons like Godzilla who only reach a limited audience still need integrity) and unless the next few issues do not see a dramatic improvement along with a decrease of this type of nonsense that we stomached in Gfan #67, then Lees make see Gfan sadly go the way of the Dodo bird....though that may not be so bad if all get are issues like Gfan 67.
Naturally, I hope the magazine improves and stays around (for all the recent negativity surrounding it, GFAN has overall been a good thing for G fandom during most the 90s and can still be a great thing for fandom), but I won't hold my breath for this happening. With the next issue #68 supposebly dedicated "all to G's 50th Bday", maybe it won't be so bad...it can't be any worse than #67.
Ok, now something a little off-topic :OT:
Who in the bloody hell is this Brett Tomerick person????!
Just what exactly has he done to deserve being billed in advertisements for Gfest as a "special guest" other than just being another fan??? Just what expertise/knowledge does he bring in comparison to Ed Godzisewski, Steve Ryfle, Guy Tucker, etc? Does he have inside connections, reliable sources, does he draw good Godzilla artwork, write good stories, have a huge Godzilla vintage collection, etc. etc. etc. Sorry, but someone fill me in, I haven't read Gfan again until recently and after seeing this individual's rants on AMM (and hearing he has been banned from this board), I just wanted to know why he is suddenly so "high in the ranks" with Gfan and Gfest.