Authors: Keith Aiken and Oki Miyano Official Site: kinejun.com Special Thanks to Yasuyuki Inoue On December 28th, Japanese publisher Kinema Junpo will release the book The World of Special Effects Art Design by Yasuyuki `Taiko` Inoue (?????????????). Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1923, Yasuyuki Inoue got his start in the film industry in 1953 by designing models and props for Shintoho Studios productions such as SUBMARINE RO HASN`T SURFACED (????????????, Sensuikan Ro Gou Imada Fujou Sezu, 1954). In 1954, he was recruited to Toho to work for special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya on GODZILLA (???, Gojira). Inoue created blueprints and helped build the many of the miniature sets for the film, including the incredibly detailed Tokyo locations destroyed during Godzilla`s legendary nighttime rampage. Following GODZILLA, Inoue worked on nearly all of Toho’s science fiction and fantasy pictures for the next three decades, becoming the head of Toho`s Special Effects Art Department. He and his crew— which included Akinori Takagi, Mutsumi Toyoshima, Toshiro Aoki and Naoyuki Yoshimura— created the miniature cities and landscapes depicted in such films as RODAN (????? ???, Sora no Daikaijuu Radon, 1956) and MOTHRA (???, Mosura, 1961); the forests of FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD (???????????????????, Furankenshutain Tai Chitei Kaijuu Baragon, 1965) and WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS (????????????? ???????, Furankenshutain no Kaijuu: Sanda tai Gaira, 1966); and vehicles and spaceships like the Maser Cannons, the Moonlight SY-3 (from DESTROY ALL MONSTERS), the Alpha and the Black Shark (LATITUDE ZERO) and the Super-X (THE RETURN OF GODZILLA). Inoue would also design such monster favorites as Hedorah and Ebirah, and was even responsible for the famous "Big Pool", first constructed for the WWII film THE STORM OF THE PACIFIC (?????????????? ?????, Hawai Middouei Daikaikusen: Taiheiyo no Arashi, 1960) and used in countless Toho FX productions. In Japan this style of hands-on, practical effects work is known as "Tokubi". Despite their vast contributions to Japanese FX cinema, the role of the Special Effects Art Department was largely unknown and unheralded— both in Japan and the United States— for decades. This finally began to change in recent years as Yasuyuki Inoue and Akinori Takagi were special guests of the American Cinematheque`s week-long "Godzilla 50th Anniversary" film festival in Hollywood, and in 2008 the Special Effects Art Department was profiled in the English language documentary BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE. Now Yasuyuki Inoue has written about his life and the Special Effects Art Department`s work on the classic Japanese FX films. The World of Special Effects Art Design by Yasuyuki `Taiko` Inoue also features contributions from members of Inoue`s crew as well as modern filmmakers— includingShinji Higuchi (1990s Gamera trilogy, SINKING OF JAPAN, HIDDEN FORTRESS: THE LAST PRINCESS), Hideaki Anno (NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, "Rebuild of Evangelion"), Yutaka Izubuchi (RAHXEPHON), Toshio Miike (the recent Godzilla, Gamera and Ultraman movies) and Shogo Tomiyama (Toho executive, producer of the Godzilla series from 1989-2004)— whose own work was inspired and influenced by the older generation. While the text is Japanese, the book is sure to delight fans worldwide with 48 color pages of selected production artwork. The World of Special Effects Art Design by Yasuyuki `Taiko` Inoue is now available for pre-order from amazon.co.jp and other retailers. Price: ¥3,780 (approximately $48.50 USD) Release Date: December 28, 2011 Format: B5 size horizontal type Pages: 256 Publisher: Kinema Junpo ISBN: 978-4-87376-368-2