More Info On GODZILLA MONSTER WORLD From IDW

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Pop Culture Zoo / Mark Torchia

Last October IDW Publishing announced that they had struck a deal with Toho studios to bring the world's most popular monster, "Godzilla", back to comics in the United States. According to IDW the publishing company not only secured the rights to Godzilla, but also Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah as well, characters who until now had never appeared in comic books on this side of the Pacific.

As you probably already know, this will not be the monster's" first comic book series here in America. Way back in 1977/78, Marvel Comics published the 24 issue series "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" which was written by Doug Moench and illustrated by Herb Trimpe. That series featured Godzilla fighting both brand-new monsters and some of the comic book publisher's most famous heroes like Spider Man and the Fantastic Four. Likewise in the 1990s Dark Horse Comics continued the "King of the Monsters" label, again with stories about Godzilla fighting new monsters and an elite combat unit commissioned to destroy him.

In this decade, graphic artist Todd Tennant began publishing a great online comic series called "Godzilla 94" that is based on the unused Sony movie script by Rossio and Elliott.

Efforts by Tennant, and recently Blue Water Comics, to secure the rights to Godzilla for either a "Godzilla 94" comic book or a new comic book series, were ignored by Toho (who would not return phone calls or emails on the subject) which is a strong indication that the IDW deal has been in the works for some time.

More information about this new Godzilla comic, which I forgot to mention is called "Godzilla, Monster World", comes in the form of a press release that IDW just sent out to the media:

IDW Publishing and Toho Co., Ltd. are excited to announce the return to comics for the biggest star in motion pictures! Kicking off in March, GODZILLA®: MONSTER WORLD offers fans the world over the first ongoing comic series in years. GODZILLA® will be joined by many other monsters throughout the series, including MOTHRA™, KING GHIDORAH™, RODAN™ and more that have never before been featured in an American comic book series alongside King of the Monsters™.

“Godzilla has been gone from comics for too long” said Yukio Kotaki of Toho. “And to have it return with other monsters is simply very exciting.”

Bringing these fearsome creatures back to comics is a larger-than-life creative team, led by co-writers Eric Powell (The Goon) and Tracy Marsh. Artist Phil Hester (Kevin Smith’s The Green Hornet) will capture every monster moment. The series will feature not one but two painted covers, offered on a 50/50 basis: Eric Powell will provide a gatefold wraparound cover featuring many beloved Toho monsters, and fan-favorite artist Alex Ross contributed an imposing image of Godzilla®. Powell has also painted a separate incentive cover to herald the debut issue’s launch.

“To be able to launch a Godzilla series that features many fan-favorite Toho monsters never before seen in comics is gratifying enough,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer. “But to do it with the guiding hand and brush of Eric Powell — as perfectly suited a creator as I could’ve hoped to come aboard here – along with Hester, Marsh, and Ross, is about as monstrous a line-up as I could’ve ever hoped for. What’s more, this is just the first series to come in the line. The next one out of the gates features multiple Eisner-nominees and winners handling the creative, so we’re well and truly just getting started here.”

In GODZILLA®: MONSTER WORLD, a full-scale apocalypse is brewing. The monsters are a force of nature whose attacks can be no more predicted or rationalized than a lightning strike. There will be no clean-cut heroes with perfectly chiseled chins and capes billowing in the wind; only ordinary human beings struggling desperately to survive in a world gone mad.

With an impressive cast of monsters both old and new, IDW’s series will treat fans to both familiar themes and original takes on the pop culture legends that have stomped, smashed, and fought their way across movie screens for over four decades.

Adding to great creators and a monster story, IDW is also offering killer retailer specials for GODZILLA®: MONSTER WORLD #1, including a one-of-a-kind, hand-drawn Eric Powell sketch cover. Plus, retailers will be eligible for their very own cover – featuring Godzilla stomping their comic store.

GODZILLA: MONSTER WORLD #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in comic stores in March 2011. Diamond order code JAN11 0463.

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