FAMOUS MONSTERS #262: "CLASH OF THE KAIJU" OUT NOW

[August]

As a regular columnist at Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, and since the overwhelming success of the last year's special issue was so fang-tastic, the FM Grue Crew decided to put together another "All Japanese Monsters" spooktacular for 2012! Bob Eggleton returns to paint another mind-blowing cover (also available as a t-shirt!), and many of the same writers from our last Kaiju-filled spectacular are with us again as well! To read more about the new issue (which ships in June), and to order your own copy today, click on the image below — before it's too late!

[sachiel]

Very intriguing issue. For some odd reason I've never heard or read this magazine before. August is there a way to look on the website to see what kind of featured articles there are?

[August]

"Famous Monsters of Filmland" has been around, on and off, since 1957. Google it. In 1975, the legendary #114 was their "All Japanese Monsters" issue, which was the hottest selling issue of the time. We struck with lightning twice, by putting out another "All Japanese Monsters" issue last year with the award-winning #256 (where I interviewed Haruo Nakajima), and now we're back for more! If you go to the link, it will tell you more about this issue. But, I'm not at liberty to reveal all of the contents and articles, but there are articles by Bob Eggleton, Matt Frank, myself and many others — and it is an "All Japanese Monsters & Sci-Fi" issue with tons of juicy photographs!

[ebirahsmeg1]

[RaymondBurr]

[Hybrid Gojira]

[briizilla]

[Thomas]

[August]

The issue is shipping now and subscribers have already been receiving their copies — this issue is selling BIGGER and BADDER than last year's, so don't be left out and order yours TODAY! (Click on the cover in the first post!)

[Tyler E. Martin]

[August]

Here's what you'll find in the new FM #262: This time around, we've got more variety and close-up looks at films and television shows that aren't covered elsewhere. For starters, we have my feature on the new SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199 (and reviews of the recent live action version from 2010 and the animated feature film from 2009 by Tim Eldred) as well as solid features on THE SPACE GIANTS (by Roy Ware), SPECTREMAN (by Edward L. Holland), VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE (by Bob Eggleton), INAZUMAN (by David E. Chapple), MATANGO (by Jason Varney), an overview of the contemporary monster suit makers Tomo'o Haraguchi and Fuyuki Shinada (by Jim Cironella), and an in-depth comparison of the 1990s Godzilla and Gamera films (by Matt Frank). Plus pieces on THE WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS (by Richard J. Schellbach), IDW's Godzilla comic (by Holly Interlandi), Kaiju Eiga on Super 8mm (by David McRobie), an In Memoriam listing of Japanese filmmakers who've left us over the last year (by John Paul Cassidy), and a look at some upcoming Japanese toys being released in the US (not to mention an interview with Rick Baker on his retro-aliens for MIB 3). If there's anything you'd like to see in the next issue — and there will be another coming in time for Comic-Con 2013 — let us know! We're open to suggestions! Tell us what YOU want to see in the next "All Japanese Monsters" issue! We're all ears!

And, just for kicks, here's the variant "Monster World" cover of the current issue:

[MekaGojira3k]

The ladyfriend picked this up for me yesterday. I've only glanced through it, but looks amazing. Can't wait to get into the Spectreman section!

[Thomas]

Got this at the FLCBS and haven't read all of it yet, but what I have read so far is great, also I do wonder why Matt Frank left out all the Godzilla movies after GMK and the one Gamera movie after the Heisei series when comparing the two series agaisnt each other. Agenda? Time or space constraints? unnecessary in his opion? I would like to know.

[king_ghidorah]

I don't know but most discussions of the Gamera series leave out GTB. It was even left out of the previous kaiju issue if I remember correctly.

It's a shame....great film.

[August]

[MekaGojira3k]

I don't think he ever implied it ruined the magazine for him.

[Thomas]

August relax. I'm not looking for a review of all available kaiju material in every magazine that would be ridiculous. Just curious about why an article comparing Godzilla movies to Gamera movies leaves out Gamera the Brave.

Finished reading all of the articles in Famous Monsters of Film Land #262 and I have to say it is a great issue. I'm glad that they covered Space Giants and Spectreman and Inazuman, I always like to see relatively unknown kaiju genre stuff put out there for more people to discover. Jim Cirronella has the best article (imo) in the magazine with his interview/article of Tomo Haraguchi and Fuyuki Shinada suit makers for Gamera and Godzilla movies. I'm also really glad to see Jim Cirronellla writing about the kaiju genre, I hadn't heard of him since the late nineties until a convention in Indianapolis a few years ago. August's article on Yamato 2199 has me interested in checking out Star Blazers and a couple of other Yamato related items as well as checking into Yamato 2199. Matt Frank's article comparing Godzilla movies to Gamera and their influence on one another is very good (probably the second best article in the magazine), but if he was supposed to just compare like to like series then he should have stopped the Godzilla movies at 1995 or 1999 at the latest instead of bringing in GvMegaguirus and GMK followed by mentioning the next three Godzilla movies and no mention of the most recent Gamera movie. There is a strong arguement to be made about bringing up GMK what with it being a Kaneko, Higuchi made Godzilla movie, but seriously if the idea was to compare like to like series then GMK is out.

Again great magazine well worth a purchase for any fan of monster movies, in fact I'll need to get another copy.

[August]

[king_ghidorah]

[msunz27]

[August]

[king_ghidorah]

August- I sent you a copy of my article on FB. Thanks for your consideration.

[Thomas]

[mr.negativity]

[lhb412]

I usually avoid mags like these. I mean, a $10 price tag is hard to swallow in these days when info is readily available for free - but when I perused through Famous Monsters #269 at B&N it was impossible not to buy! Packed with awesome stuff! Retrospectives on Honda, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Megalon, Wolfman vs. Godzilla, Iron King, Red Baron, Kamen Rider V3, the original Japanese Shogun Warrior toyline... stuffed with stuff!