Matt like Hulk

I honestly considered writing this review in "Hulk speak," but upon my first effort I realized that Hulk may not be so much simple and childlike due to mutated brain cells as he was likely MADE stupid by trying so hard to constantly refer to himself in third person...so let's just stick with regular text, shall we?
Sometime around mid-afternoon on Friday I received a text message from my hotly opinionated friend Max stating that THE INCREDIBLE HULK is, like the protagonist Bruce Banner, underdeveloped, uninteresting and a slew of other mean words basically summing up "disappointing" at the end of his capsule review.
I've always valued this particular friend's opinion, so he had validity to his argument. However, if my college years have taught me anything, it's that you NEVER take another person's opinion as your own; you'd best find out for yourself.

At the Alamo Drafthouse, my 10+ friends and I (who unfortunately couldn't all sit together) settled in for the film. In the midst of the Bill Bixby INCREDIBLE HULK projected on the screen, a game of "Smash the Hulk" (where young audience members attack a candy-filled Hulk), and "Gamma Green Sundaes," we weren't all sure if it would in any way stack up to last month's IRON MAN, but we definitely knew that giant mutated fists were going to fly and some serious shit was about to go down.

A little more than two hours later, we had found ourselves reeling from the experience. I'll never take the "opening night theatrical experience" for granted, as there's practically nothing that compares to it, ESPECIALLY at the Alamo Drafthouse. But anyway, on to the film!

...But what hasn't already been said? "It evokes the themes of the original televised series," "Extreme action and awesome special effects," "one-dimensional but otherwise basically effective characters," "plenty of Marvel fan easter eggs to boil up and nibble on," etc. etc. etc. That's the thing about writing reviews when you're not a review-writer: the most obvious facts that people actively care about have been stated, repeated and regurgitated. The only way that my review will be of any use to anyone is to strive to make points seldom or rarely made, based on my own modestly correct opinion.

First and foremost is the editing. Why make a fuss about that? Because a lot of otherwise excellent films *coughjackson'skongcough* are marred by otherwise atrocious editing, mostly because filmmakers seem to be bound by blood-oaths of making audiences sit through "character development" whether it's necessary or not. Sometimes character development can be a truly excellent thing, other times it's tacked on and does little more than pointlessly delay the actively enjoyable parts of the film. THE INCREDIBLE HULK absolutely tosses out any notion of active character development in favor of dramatic excitement. At first glance, that last sentence is a horrific cancerous growth on the backside of cinema, BUT not in the case of the Hulk. The characters of Bruce Banner, Betty Ross, Thunderbolt and Emile Blonsky are all nearly devoid of the standard character introductions or development, but they really, REALLY don't need it. The characters do what they need to do and their motivations are laid out just enough for us to know what's what. The only character that some may argue could have used more background is Blonsky, who becomes the punishingly awesome Abomination, BUT the fact that we're unfamiliar with the power-hungry little troll of a man puts the audience on guard (to paraphrase the IGn review...see what I mean?) and makes him a more unsettling villain. Betty Ross is portrayed strikingly different from what I expected, actively putting herself in harm's way for Bruce's sake to an original and refreshing extent. Thunderbolt Ross, her warmongering father (a fact that is interestingly kept out of the equation until an excellently dramatic moment) isn't the morally ambiguous weirdo of the Ang Lee flick (which I enjoyed aspects of) but a man who likes to think he has everything under control, even though the world is, quite literally, blowing up in his face.
Finally, Dr. Banner is the man on the run. Norton gets the point across and he does it well. He's not particularly strong or snarky, but he's resourceful and brilliant.

Before I get to the REAL meat of the film, I'd like to mention that it all feels very "refreshing." You generally know what's going to happen, but everything is handled so refreshingly and originally that it's hard to see what little tidbit of clever writing will be tossed at you next. From Banner's Brazilian escapades to his relationship with Betty, anything that could have been tiresomely retroactive has been thankfully side-stepped and trimmed to bypass any unnecessary fluff (more credit to the film's editing).

Finally, THE MONSTERS. Hulk and the Abomination are great fun, and the special effects themselves a sumptuous visual feast, BUT only occasionally slipping into the "CGI overload" territory so often slapped into the faces of moviegoers. Hulk looks great, there's no question about that, but he looks like he's really stepped out of the pages of a lavishly illustrated comic, and doesn't seem to occupy the same space of reality as the real actors (and he doesn't look a damn thing like Edward Norton). Still, the filmmakers were clearly going for spectacle over realism, so even though we know it's not really happening, we sure are having fun watching it.
Another thing that the Ang Lee Hulk was sorely lacking was the beastial ferocity that makes Hulk so "incredible." This Hulk roars to the sky with a foot firmly planted on a fallen nemesis, challenging the world at large for supremacy. It's this "Roaring Hulk" that I've so longed for and wanted to see for years and years now, and it's positively glorious.

As good as IRON-MAN? Probably not, but it's certainly in the top-5 superhero flicks of all time, definitely alongside IRON-MAN and SPIDERMAN 2 as one of the best Marvel films. Now we wait for the inevitable sequels and the rest of the AVENGERS films, and hopefully we'll see the the Hulk tackle the Leader and his army of plastic androids soon enough ;)

Monster motivators

It's a quickly aging internet quirk, but I thought I'd have some fun like some other bloggers.

King Kong 2005 - A look back

It's 2008, and 75 years ago (circa a few months back), King Kong premiered to captivate audiences in a way never before imagined.
Now I look at my personal favorite film, Peter Jackson's King Kong, almost 3 years after its release in theaters in 2005. It's an odd feeling, watching a film for the first time, watching it for maybe a few more times, getting it for your own collection, then let it collect dust for awhile before you crack it open once more and throw it into your dvd player (or in my case, catch it by accident on TNT).

The result is a rather perplexing experience, especially for me and Kong. I recall 2005 with great fondness, and being absolutely enamoured with the film and everything to do with it, not to mention my respect for the classic Kong (to that point little more than "Godzilla's inspiration" on a sticky note tacked to the film in my cerebral library) grew immensely. Upon viewing it, I was assaulted by an emotional experience for a giant beast that I hadn't felt since perhaps Godzilla's nuclear heart exploded from his body in 1995. For the next year or so I fervently venerated the film, calling it (not so silently) one of, if not THE best film I had ever seen. In fact I took to viciously defending it in case I met some fuddy-duddy who found it undesirable. I motioned that anyone who disliked Kong '05 had a heart made of melted shards of glass and a soul more dry and putrid than an old onion husk (much like detractors of GMK). In retrospect...and I'm quite loath to admit it, but King Kong 2005 isn't what I wanted to believe it is. Now don't concern yourself, dear reader, Kong 2005 is still my favorite film of all time, but for a plethora of reasons. All my repeat viewings have done are to give me a more rounded perspective of the film and where others come from when they express distaste for it (despite it being one of Universal's most profitable home-video sales of all time).
I'll get my undying love of the film out of the way first, so you cynical bastards can just skim over this part. The relationship between Kong and Ann is nothing short of cinematic and narrative genius, and I will slap anyone across the face who argues otherwise. The sheer, unspoken beauty of this onscreen drama cannot be evoked more beautifully or sublimely. Kong, played masterfully by Andy Serkis, wasn't just a computer-animated piece of nothing like Ang Lee's Hulk or, God Forbid, Roland Emmerich's "Zilla." Serkis was on the set for all of Kong and Ann's scenes, and he acted against and with her for all the interaction. There's REAL acting going on there, not just soulless green-screen. Not to be outdone, Ann, played by Naomi Watts, is a remarkable beauty who, like in the words of Fay Wray herself, held "Ann Darrow in good hands" (no pun intended). Naomi has such onscreen presence and is such a powerful actress that she was robbed an Oscar nomination...oh wait, nevermind, since the Oscars is a big fat idiotic scam anyway, there I said it.
And God Dammit, JACK BLACK. You sunnavabitch. Okay, granted, all the actors maintain a level between competent and excellent acting, but Jack Black just plain steals the show. He's so damn fun and interesting as this new take on Carl Denham that, rather than attempt to channel Jack Armstrong's original character, he forges his own cross between his own persona and Orson Wells.
That said, let's talk DINOSAURS and other horrific beasties on this island. Yes, okay, it's all very excessive. There's more critters on this island that should even be legal, but I just can't help but adore the design team for coming up with them all! Granted, there are many creatures from the production that I would have preferred to see over the "Wetasaurus," but the sheer spectacle that these dinosaurs embody, the ornamentation on the heart and soul that is the love story, simply cannot be beaten. The V-Rex's themselves are stars in their own right, the big, violent lot of them. The Piranhadon swamp monster and rampaging Ferrucutus (triceratops thing) from the extended edition THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THEATRICAL are two of my favorite creatures as well.

Well, I could go on, but I've detailed Jackson's more genius decisions in the past, especially the musical numbers in NYC at the start and end of the film, as well as some truly sublime storytelling aspects, but let's get to what I'm finally willing to agree is not so great.

First and foremost, the film is too damn long. Yes, this is an argument repeated many times, but I've finally come to truly accept it. Peter, I love you man, but get a damn editor. If you love the spectacle of the film so huggy-muggy-much (line blatantly stolen from Yahtzee), why replace that with some psuedo-man-boy story that goes absolutely nowhere? You're gonna' look me in the eye and say that you were willing to replace a big hungry piranha/sea-serpent/thingy with some bullshit about "It's not about being brave, Jimmy"? I did like Hays as part of the "Driscoll Trio" of characters inspired by the original Jack Driscoll (said burly black man, heroic writer and shallow movie-star), but everything, and I mean absolutely EVERYTHING with Jimmy and interactions with Hays feels completely unnecessary...tacked-on at best. There was supposed to be some sort of "young man learns about life" going on here, but after Hays dies, Jimmy seems to literally become dead weight or a walking hazard. There's probably a good hour of exposition that could be cut from the film, and it would be SO much tighter and more enjoyable without losing the spectacle or the real drama. I'll make a list:
1. All Jimmy/Hays crap.
2. A LOT of the scenes that drag on and on could be trimmed down immensely.
3. About half of the whole sea-voyage bull.

Something else that has finally started bothering me is the general logic that pervades several parts of the film. Yes, okay, my belief is already suspended what with the whole giant ape/way too many dinosaurs for that tiny island to sustain, but seriously, can we have a little dignity? The Brontosaurus stampede is almost universally regarded as one of the poorer spfx in the film, and I'm inclined to agree, with the exception of some truly breathtaking shots in that sequence...but raptors? C'mon, Peter. We've SEEN raptors. Why not Carnotaurs, like your first idea? Or how about those four-legged wolf-raptor things from the beautiful concept art book? THOSE would be AWESOME. Anyway, it's just how strangely fake and removed everyone is in this scene that throws me, not to mention in the Ferrucutus scene, where the SPFX guys seem to be too aware of how to work a creature AROUND the actor.
It's natural that a piece set in the 1930's will be a somewhat awkward transition to a 2005 audience without going the tongue-in-cheek route of The Mummy or Jackson's original script for Kong, but still, the spectacle is hard for some people to swallow when it takes big leaps like "How did they get Kong to New York?" and "Why are they so quick to want to kill Kong?" and "Why do they keep searching for one girl when several of them have already died?" That last bit has to do with pacing, frankly.
Speaking of The Mummy, there were elements of that film that were oddly parallel with Jackson's bizarre but wildly entertaining 1996 script that could have and should have been integrated into the final Kong product. It seemed as though when trying not to be so SERIOUS SERIOUS SERIOUS all the time is when Jackson's films have the most entertaining. Can anyone say they would have enjoyed Lord of the Rings more had they not made Gimli the comedy relief? There's a scene in the extended edition where an platoon commander is harping about a "filthy ape" in an extremely humans-are-best-and-everything-else-has-to-die manner, and then gets barreled by Kong that absolutely SHOULD have been in the final product.

Of course, with all my criticism here tonight, it would be easy to say that my opinion of Kong has lowered, and if you think that then you're a liar and a filthy horrible person, because it has not. King Kong 2005 is still my favorite film of all time, not just because I can take the spectacle and all of the best aspects of the film more to heart than any of the bad pieces that most other people let absolutely annihilate their movie experience (and as such are people who inherently must dislike cinema as a whole). One of the biggest factors is how much absolute LOVE went into this film. Yeah, remember "LOVE"? Yeah, that whole thing that people scoff at nowadays. It's the sort of thing that led to the birth of the Speed Racer film (a joyous and also overly-long experience in my humble, fiery opinion). While watching the video of Peter while he mulls over Fay Wray's death, you don't see a director; you see a man who's just learned that a childhood idol and first crush died before he could give her a last shining moment on film (a cameo at the point of Kong's death). Jackson and his army of nerds have created one big fangasm, and though it doesn't always work, it's still a great and epic cinematic experience, and I'll still defend it with tooth and claw.

Giant Monsters are SCARY again.

A Cloverfield review, if you will ;)

Monster movies, particularly of the "giant" variety, have had tumultuous tidings over the last few years. Godzilla took his third hiatus back in 2004, and things seemed bleak for daikaiju eiga. Thankfully for fans of this somewhat under-appreciated genre, a small but noticeable wave of creature features have been crawling from the darker corners of film-making imaginations, such as Peter Jackson's epic, exciting, and overly long remake of King Kong, the brief return of Gamera, and two new South Korean films: the critically acclaimed The Host and the flashy-but-brainless Dragon Wars. Finally, trailing on the success of Transformers, Producer J.J. Abrams and director Matt Reeves have unleashed the giant monster genre in a way never seen before. A jarring, abrasive, eye-popping spectacle called "Cloverfield."

Thanks to a brilliant marketing campaign primarily consisting of little tidbits and dangling carrots peppered throughout the vast internet realm, to say that this is a monster movie for the "Youtube generation" is a colossal understatement. What's truly spectacular about the film is that it breaks so many conventions of the giant monster genre, while simultaneously re-introducing time-honored traditions and elements to the teenagers of today.

The story is fairly simple, but genius in its delivery. A bunch of upper-class teens and college students from NYC are living their inane grandly insignificant drama-laden lives (part of the charm, since these are just normal shmucks and not scientists or generals), dealing with breakups, crushes, and awkward sex. In the midst of a going-away party for Rob the "hero," and "crazy horrible shit" happens. Manhattan is turned into a mass of nightmares, with horrible surprises lurking around every corner, all while Hud, our nervously comical cameraman, loyally documents the events.

The camera documentation style is absolutely what sets this film apart from any other monster film. While the Blair Witch Project gets points for inventing the concept and for subtle creepiness, Cloverfield puts you smack in the middle of the confusion, excitement and thrill of confronting a truly terrifying living force of nature, and all the chaos it brings with it. The scariest aspect, of course, is that you DON'T know what the damn thing is. It's big and terrible and it doesn't look like anything you've seen before (from a normal shmuck's perspective). You don't know why all this horror is happening, you aren't a scientist or a general, so you're on the periphery, so start RUNNING.
The human characters are, of course, the center of the story. Though Rob's decision to go on his heroic quest to save his one true love feels the most unrealistic of all...however, we can't deny that, without this "hero's quest," there would BE no real story to be involved in...and if your dearest friend called you, crying and scared, you're a horrible person for not going to their aid, and may it haunt you for the rest of your life.
Acting in general was very good. A few lines felt forced or odd attempts at sounding "hip" or "cool" but these few instances aside the dialogue was very natural and fluid. Each character was also built well enough for the one and a half hour of footage (which, by the way, is all the power the camera had. Those who criticize the camera for being "on" for 10 hours need to remember that Hud was constantly turning it on and off). Rob was a stoic leaderly character, though obsessive in his goals. Hud was disheveled and cracks wise excellently, Lilly was a supportive sisterly character, and Marlena, the sad little introvert, thankfully stayed the sad little introvert.
What's also really interesting about the movie is that no character is truly "sacred." Unlike many of its kind, Cloverfield doesn't coddle its lead teens, at least not excessively. No one is truly safe.

Okay, enough of that crap. What about the question on everyone's lips? What does the monster look like? Well, finding a little time, I worked up a really quick sketch of the beastie:



(UPDATE: I removed the old picture with something a little more updated, more accurate...I'm still a little unsure about the legs, though)
(I'm working on a more detailed pic for G-Fan magazine)

You'll need to make notes of that, because even when you get an eyeful of the big bad antagonist, it's hard to make out what's-what. The beast, designed by the masterful Neville Page, has a very unique anatomy (despite looking somewhat superficially like "Orga" from Godzilla 2000), and on top of that, moves with an awkward grace of a monster not used to walking on land. It doesn't march proudly down city streets like the mighty Godzilla, rather it shambled and crawls, "scampers," if you will, because it's really not sure how it should be moving. "Clover," is an odd mix of characterizations. When it arrives, and if you take time to dissect the events, it's really not being aggressive. It's confused and surprised by humans in general (if you check the various sites, it's never seen humans before, living underwater for thousands of years), and attacks the Statue of Liberty. It isn't until the combination of the military enraging it and the nasty mutant Parasites living on it running off and raising hell that the shit really hits the fan. Now the monster's pissed and annihilating the military where it can find them. It really is kaiju-level of invincibility, which, handled in such a refreshing way, adds to the monster's level of fearsomeness.
The scrambling, horrible parasites that act as yet another threat are a welcomed addition, if a bit superfluous, or even completely unnecessary, but then again, the impact of the film wouldn't be nearly as strong as it is. Taking cues from Starship Troopers and Godzilla 1985, these buggers create a whole new level of chaos to the camera work that emphasizes the quick, deadly nature of what's going on. Horrifying stuff.

No score for the film, with the exception of the wild, monstrously powerful "Roar!" overture theme during the end credits, written by Michael Giacchino, evokes the best of Akira Ifukube and other 50's and 60's monster movie themes. This needs to be online, available for download NOW.

A few friends who had to sit back a few rows (yes, we were unnervingly close to the screen) said they could hear me shouting at the screen various obscenities, depending on what was a-happenin'. Cloverfield had indeed heralded a new era of kaiju eiga, now placed alongside the greats of Monster Movie History. King Kong, Gojira, Them, Gamera 3, Aliens, and The Host had best make way for this sucker. Now if Abrams can only resist making a sub-par sequel, we'll be all set for a Godzilla revival soon enough :D

MATT'S WORKING, HOLY HELL.

Well, it's about mid-October. Yay.

Between my classes and social obligations/a glorious girlfriend :D I've found time to continue working.

As such, here's some projects I'm working on:

Unleash the Beast Warriors!

WAHOOOO! I gots me another job!

In addition to RAY HARRYHAUSEN PRESENTS: BACK TO MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, I'll also be providing some character art for IDW'S BEAST WARS SOURCEBOOK, issues 3 and 4.

Here's some art!

Matt's Top 10 Movies

I decided to take a little time to update my list of "Top 10 Favorite Movies," just for the sheer hell of it. I've taken the last year or so to come to some finer conclusions regarding my favorite movies, and have added a few to the list ;)

You'll also note that I have not included ANY Godzilla or straight-foreward Kaiju flicks in this list, simply because they are in an altogether seperate category in my mind, and that way I can include movies that aren't just about screaming Japanese and rubber-suited stuntmen.

10. 300 (2007) -
Yeah, yeah yeah, "It's too simplistic," and "it's all machismo bullshit," but there's a consensus out there that agrees that 300 is possibly the most BADASS comic-book film out there, and certainly the most visually compelling. Ready-made movie lines and a wonderfully tasteful sex sequence make this one for the ages.

9. THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE (2000) -
Easily one of, if not the best animated comedy of all time, it's just the sort of quirky flick with some of the best characters in Disney history. Even though it's fallen victum to the "Sleeper Sequel Syndrome" (an unexpected hit has a bunch of random follow-ups/sequels made), it really holds up well. Kronk is a timelessly hilarious character.

8. THE LAST SAMURAI (2003) -
During the "Asian Invasion" of the early 2000's, this little doozy starring the now-despised Tom Cruise tore up the big screen in this somewhat Dances With Wolves-inspired period piece. I personally have a great deal of affinity for the samurai code, and while I don't particuarly agree with it, I can admire the dedication that such individuals had to a single ideal. The sheer amount of detail and emotion that went into this film is something everyone can appreciate, I believe, and Cruise really does do a bang-up job, regardless of everyone's opinion of him. As well, the film introduces us to Ken Watanabe, a FANTASTIC actor who just plain steals the show. Each character also represent wonderful archetypes that are familiar to both sides of the Pacific, but are endearing nonetheless.

7. DRAGONHEART (1996) -
A rare gem of a flick if there ever was one, Dragonheart is an exciting story in the form of a "buddy picture," between Bowen (Dennis Quaid) and Draco (Sean Connery). Building off of the FX of Jurassic Park, Dragonheart features one of, if not the absolute first totally CGI film character (with a few props here and there), and even in 1996, the effect is most impressive. While Quaid's acting ability could be called into question, Connery's vocal role as a quirky and charming dragon is just plain fantastic. The story and setting in medieval Europe are very well done, the characters are memorable, and overall it's a unique film with a lot of heart (no pun intended).

6. TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986) -
Being incredibly disjointed and full of weird plot holes doesn't stop this from being one of the most entertaining animated films ever made. I mean, sure it's little more than an hour-and-a-half commercial for new toys, but the excellent animation and wildly awesome "geekgasm" moments (from Shakespeare references to friggin' LEONARD NEMOY) solidify this on my Top 10.

5. ACE VENTURA (1994) -
Basically my favorite comedy of all time, and more of an influence on my personal attitude towards life than most adult role-models.
I can quote the movie line-for-line. 'Nuff said.

4. JURASSIC PARK (1993) -
Being a big dinosaur fan since my very early youth, I have learned a newfound appreciation for these beasts which flood our minds. Jurassic Park was such a film that brought the former lords of the Earth to a new light, and out of the campy, useless view that the mainstream public had taken them in for so long. Featuring ground-breaking SPFX and great characters with fluid storytelling and a solid message behind it, there’s little to fault Jurassic Park. As well, it features the undisputed king of movie dinosaurs, the Jurassic Park T-Rex (and NUTS to Spinosaurus or any other upstart Theropoda).

3. SPIDER-MAN (and Trilogy, 2002-2007) -
If there was a film that made me into a REAL comic book fan (and eventually an artist for said industry), the first Spider-Man would have to be it. Of course, the original also stands for the subsequent two films. The first was a nearly perfect "comic book film," the second was an excellent mix of mainstream drama and comic mentality, and the third, while a mess of good and bad, maintained many of the same moments that brought back at least some of the excitement of the first two. The original, however, stands out most in my mind for keeping the wise-cracking, smartass Spider-Man, but keeping a dorky and shy Peter Parker.

2. PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997) -
My personal favorite of Miyazaki’s films, being the first that I had seen, Princess Mononoke blew me away in my freshman year of high school. The characters of Ashitaka, San, Lady Eboshi and Jigo were all just dynamite, and the spectacular animation flew through my heart and mind. What really struck me was also the strong message against humankind’s arrogance, something that I take to heart very seriously.

1. KING KONG (2005) -
I never thought I would claim anything but a Godzilla movie as my favorite all-time flick, but I’ve made an exception for a movie of the caliber of brilliance that is Peter Jackson’s King Kong. Personally, while I do love the original, I never had the sheer devotion to it that many do. However, Kong ‘05 is on such a level that it begs for the place in my heart as my favorite movie. Sure, the battles and SPFX are all incredible, and the whimsical escapism that it embodies is wonderful, but it’s the development of such a fantastic love story that speaks to me as a human being on a level that can hardly be described in words.

I've got plenty of "honorable mentions" which are essentially in my Top 20 and Top-whatever lists:
- The SpiderMan trilogy
- Batman Begins
- LOTR
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off
- Crash
- One Million Years B.C.
The list goes on for awhile, so let's leave it at that, shall we? ;)

Godzilla Neo FAQ

What is "Godzilla Neo"?

G Neo, as I like to call it, is an unofficial, unlicensed, unapproved fan-project created by myself, Matt Frank, for the sheer, awesome hell of it. In a nutshell, the idea was born out of a desire to take the entirety of the Toho Godzilla universe and create a cohesive continuity out of it, not to mention redesign and re-imagine the characters of the universe. As stated, this project is in no way connected to or sanctioned by Toho Co. Ltd, and it is likely far beneath their notice.

Okay, so what exactly IS Neo?
Each Neo redesign takes a classic Toho character, breaks it down into what made him or her special or unique in the first place, then builds from there, while still clinging to the roots of the word "kaiju." Beyond the series of art, each piece comes with a short biography on the monsters, also lending to the overarching Godzilla Neo timeline (see below), which serves to unify and "clean up" the Tohoverse. While I'm not tackling every single one of the Toho characters, I have mixed in some of the "unmade" monsters as well as a handful from other Godzilla and Toho universes (like Zone Fighter and the Hanna Barbera series).
Originally, my mission statement included "ousting all that is cheesy or unappealing," and it took over a year to realize that such a mindset is a weak pretense. What made kaiju of the classic era so endearing and appealing was, in fact, their "cheesiness," so to deny that is to deny their handmade charm. So I should say, instead, that I'm going for "what they could do without a rubber suit," but not necessarily CGI or anything. A re-imagining with the original's spirit (more or less) may be the way to think on it.

How are the various Godzillas portrayed?
Godzilla Neo moves with "a lumbering grace, proudly holding his head high and gracefully swinging his tail (not slapping it around unless necessary)." Think of a combination of the JP T-Rex or Spinosaurus crossed with the GMK Godzilla.

As for the differences between the Godzillas, the first is VERY violent and aggressive. He's clearly confused and in pain, but still moves in a sinister fashion like GMK Goji. The Showa Goji fights pretty animalistically/borderline anthromorphically on through the Heisei series, and when Junior becomes the third Godzilla, he fights like his father. The GMK-style G Neo is much like the original...since he IS the original. G Unleashed Neo Goji will be Junior once more. It's a little complicated...I may make an FAQ soon. Final Wars Goji Neo will be, again, like the original/GMK version. There's another Godzilla, but I'll reveal that later :D

Where can I find the Neo monsters?
kaijusamurai.deviantart.com


Are human characters as important as the kaiju?

Yes. The kaiju and humans should have equal levels of character development.

Where are my favorite monsters?

I'm going in a semi-chronological order when it comes to my updates, so, for example, Zone Fighter gets updated before Mecha King Ghidorah.

How often is Neo updated?

I try to update once every Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and it'll either be a monster, a race or a locale.

What is the timeline?

65 MILLION YEARS AGO -
KING GHIDORAH invades Earth, begins changing the climate and destroying all life. The Earth creates GIGAMOTH to counter Ghidorah. Ghidorah is driven from Earth but not before separating Gigamoth into MOTHRA and BATTRA.

The GOJIRASAURUS MAXIMUS clan survives the great extinction.

SEVERAL YEARS LATER -
The Millenians arrive on Earth. They create the MEGANURA swarm. The resulting war against the Rodans forces the aliens into mass genetic memory hibernation.

78,000 YEARS AGO -
The Elias, a race of tiny humanoids, arrive on Earth. Creating "GIGAMASS," they intended to alter Earth's environment to suite their needs. BATTRA seeks to destroy them, but is stopped by MOTHRA. The Elias are all but destroyed, and Gigamass locked away deep beneath the Earth. Mothra takes Moll and Lora under her wing as her priestesses.

11,000 YEARS AGO -
OROCHI first appears, fights IKUSAGAMI and is defeated. From the 8 heads are born VARAN, MANDA, BARAGON, SHIIGAN, BARUKARUDON, VAGNOSAURUS, JYARUMU and BALKZARDAN. The battle gives rise to the legend of Susano-Oh's defeat of Yamato no Orochi.

10,500 YEARS AGO -
The Spawn of Orochi return, each one defeated or subdued in a particular way before they can kill/absorb each other to the point of regenerating Orochi himself.

10,000 YEARS AGO -
The great battle between AXOR and the mind-controlled BALKZARDAN and JYARUMU against MOTHRA, MANDA and the birth of KING CAESAR.
The Sinking of Mu; survivors flee to Asia, South America, Egypt and eventually Seatopia.

3,000 YEARS AGO -
Theorized date of the society that worshipped the kaiju KING KONG, ANGUIRUS, KUMONGA and GOROSAURUS, each created by the radiation of the Slab.

500 YEARS AGO -
The legend of GOJIRA begins on Odo Island.

JULY 14TH, 1945 -
The first atomic bomb test.

1954:
GODZILLA I appears on Odo Island. After JSDF attacks it with depth charges, Godzilla retaliates and destroys most of Tokyo. Later, the creature is killed by the Oxygen Destroyer compound. The creature's skeleton is gradually salvaged and taken to a base in Tokyo (over the next several decades).

1955:
GODZILLA II appears, fights ANGUIRUS in Osaka. Godzilla wins, Anguirus comatose in Osaka River. Later, Godzilla is buried in an ice berg by fighter pilots, but is later dug out by Anguirus.

1956:
RODAN I and II appear along with first wave of MEGANURON swarm. Both Rodans are killed in the eruption of Mt. Aso. Meganuron swarm scattered. RODAN III (offspring) survived.

1960:
First expedition to Infant Island, first encounter with the Shobijin. Both girls are kidnapped by Clark Nelson, but later rescued by Prof. Shinichi Chujo. MOTHRA appears, marches across Japan, cocooning itself at Tokyo Tower, where she emerges as an imago. Flies to Rolisica, where she retrieves the Shobijin.

1961:
FRANKENSTEIN officially found and cared for, until his escape and eventual fight against the DEUTALIOS.


GAIRA and SANDA are born from Frankenstein's scattered cells, and eventually fight.

1962:
Godzilla freed from the ice by ANGUIRUS and fights a recently discovered KING KONG (after the latter fights GOROSAURUS). Kong beats Godzilla, seemingly at the cost of his own life.

The GOTENGO is developed.

1964:
Mothra's egg washes ashore in Southern Japan, and Happy Enterprises buys and puts the egg on display.
GODZILLA II finally re-appears, combats Mothra and the Larvae twins. Godzilla is defeated and driven into the sea, and the larvae return to Infant Island.

1965:
The first contact with the Xillians. Astronauts Glen and Fuji make trip to Planet X, where the natives suggest a compromise to remove Godzilla and Rodan from Earth to protect from future raids by a mysterious monster. In return, the "Miracle Drug" was given to Earth...though it all turned out to be a hoax, even though no one listened to Princess Salno when she appeared in Japan, claiming to be of the planet Venus. Using mind-control waves, GODZILLA and RODAN are turned loose on Earth. Thanks to the Lady Guard tech and the aid of Miss Namikawa they are freed, but begin to fight one another, until the intervention of the larvae twins.
KING GHIDORAH appears, the Xillians only barely influencing the space monster.
The Earth kaiju band together to KILL the space monster, and the Xillians are defeated by the Gotengo.

What they were all unaware of was Ghidorah's contingency plan...

1966:
The EARTH DEFENSE FORCE is established.
Godzilla reportedly destroys a Red Bamboo base on Letchi Island. First appearance of EBIRAH.

1970:
First reports of the YOG phenomenon and GEZORA, as well as GODZUKI.

1971:
HEDORAH appears, battles Godzilla to a standstill, until the creature is dehydrated by the JSDF and killed by Godzilla.

1972:
Nebulan invasion, alliance formed with Seatopia to conquer the surface. GIGAN and MEGALON appear, battled with GODZILLA and ANGUIRUS at World Children's Land. JET JAGUAR defeats Nebulan forces at the Godzilla Tower, and gives Godzilla the time he needed to send Gigan packing.

1974:
Simeon invasion, first wave. MECHA-GODZILLA and GODZILLA do battle, Godzilla is defeated. Later, KING CAESAR awakens and aids Godzilla against MECHA-GODZILLA. MG defeated.

1975:
MECHA-GODZILLA re-appears with Simeon second wave. TITANOSAURUS and MG fight GODZILLA and KING CAESAR. Simeon forces largely defeated.

1976: Godzilla disappears from the map. Multiple sightings in the south seas, however, attest to the creature's presence.

1984 -
GODZILLA II rises from hibernation due to an erupting volcano. After attacking a nuclear sub and feeding off its power, Godzilla is attacked by a group of Soviet and US subs. He attacks Japan, and fights the GOTENGO, later dropped into Mt. Mihara.

1991 -
Godzilla reemerges, BIOLLANTE is born. Godzilla fights Biollante and the Gotengo and is infected by the ANEB.

1992 -
BATTRA's egg is discovered, hatches en-route to Japan. Battra and MOTHRA do battle, then fight Godzilla. Battra is killed.

1993 -
GODZILLA JUNIOR is born on Solgell Island. The Gimantids, KAMACURAS and KUMONGA are discovered.

1994 -
An alien crystal anomaly appears on Birth Island, captures and takes Junior to Fukuoka. Uses Junior's DNA to become SPACE GODZILLA. SG fights Godzilla and MOGUERA. M is destroyed, Godzilla defeats Space G.

1995 -
Godzilla becomes BURNING GODZILLA. DESTOROYAH is born. They fight, and the JSDF helps defeat Destoroyah.
Godzilla goes into Meltdown.
Junior mutates into GODZILLA III.

1996 -
PROJECT DT, PROJECT MG and PROJECT Y and put into effect.

MOTHRA fights GARUGARU (aka "Death Ghidorah") in Hokkaido, and is defeated. Mothra Larvae pupates, drawing energy from the Tree of Life, and metamorphosizes, defeating GARUGARU.
"Gigamass" is first discovered.

1997 -
DAGAHRA appears and attacks several island towns in southern Japan. MOTHRA intervenes, but is badly beaten, until a small piece of sentient Gigamass, called "GHOGO" uses its power to revive her and Dagahra is beaten by both Mothra and BATTRA.

1998 -
ZILLA appears in New York City, and subsequently killed by the Air Force. Later, "Zilla Jr." is found by Nick Tatopolous, and without G-Force's knowledge, raises the creature.

1999 -
Mothra and Battra battle the final piece of Gigamass, RAZIN.

Monster Island is officially unveiled to the world.

The Millenian UFO is discovered and is energized by solar power. Seeking out GODZILLA III, they fight.
Later they rematch in Shinjuku and ORGA is born, then beaten by Godzilla.

Zilla disappears from Tatopolous's HQ for several months, supposedly killed by the Army.

2000 -
ZILLA is discovered and nearly killed.
HEAT heads for Jamaica, and discover C-REX. Zilla reappears and destroys C-Rex. The team then heads for deep Central America, where they find EL GUSANO. Gusano is defeated by Zilla and captured by G-Force.
Finally, HEAT heads for Alaska and finds KOMODITHRAX. The two stay in isolation under HEAT's protection. KAMOEBAS appears and fights the two. Komodithrax, the eggs, and Kamoebas presumed destroyed. zilla fight GODZILLA, is defeated.

Zilla is taken to Monster Island.

2001 -
Project DT is finalized. The first experiment brings back the MEGANURA swarm.
Shibuya is flooded, and the Meganura steal Godzilla's energy to feed to MEGAGUIRUS. Megaguirus appears, fights Godzilla and Rodan in Tokyo.

2002 -
Godzilla is infected by the Project Yoshiwara serum.
The Dianii aliens appeared, chasing BAGORAH to Earth. Godzilla, Bagorah and the Dianii fight. Godzilla wins.

The SCALE attack on Monster Island takes place - MEGAGUIRUS revealed to be held on the island, kills EBIRAH during the battle. ZILLA destroys Megaguirus.

2003 -
KIRYU officially unveiled. Goes berserk after meeting Godzilla.
The Shobijin implore that Godzilla I's bones be returned to the sea. Godzilla appears, looking for Kiryu, but is intercepted by Mothra. Kiryu, Mothra and Godzilla battle.
Godzilla is defeated, but taken back to the sea by a "re-awakened" Kiryu.

2004 -
A new Godzilla (nicknamed "Ghost Godzilla") appears and rampages across Japan (somehow linked to Kiryu and Godzilla III).
The Yamato Guardians, BARAGON, MANDA and VARAN, are awoken and fight Godzilla. Admiral Tachibana destroys him from within, rendering only the heart of Godzilla. The heart is taken to "Area G" in the South Pole for isolation.

2007 -
The Crystal Incursion, and GODZILLA III reappears, and frees Monster Island from the effects of the crystals.
He then fights OBSIDIUS in Seattle, moving on to NYC, where KRYSTALAK appears and fights the monster king. Krystalak's exploding core opens a wormhole, nearly bringing SPACE GODZILLA through, but is beaten back by Godzilla and the Gotengo.

2054 -
OPERATION: FINAL WAR
A young EDF operative, Ozaki Shinichi, is chosen for an experiment to combine human DNA with G-Cells. Meanwhile, all of the monsters on Monster Island disappear and are turned loose on various cities across the planet.

Rodan attacks New York!
Anguirus demolishes Shanghai!
Gorosaurus raids Los Angeles!
Kumonga mangles Moscow!
Kamacuras pulverizes Paris!
Titanosaurus topples London!

It is discovered that the Kilaaks, a race from between Mars and Jupiter, are responsible for the attack. It is later discovered that a strange Xillian, "The Regulator" is pulling the strings.
Godzilla is reborn from the heart frozen under the ice at Area G. The Gotengo leads the monster to Tokyo, where he fights Gigan.
The Gotengo heads for Mt. Fuji, where the monster army is trying to destroy Mothra's cocoon, but King Caesar and Battra arrive to fight them. Megalon appears in Tokyo and stalls Gigan so that Godzilla can go help fight. Megalon knows that Gigan is being controlled by the Regulator, so he self-destructs and takes Gigan with him.
Ozaki fights the Regulator and defeats him, but then the Regulator becomes MONSTER X!
The Monster Army is freed, and Godzilla fights Monster X, defeats him. Monster X is absorbed by the returning King Ghidorah and becomes KAISER GHIDORAH. Monster Army plus Mothra fight Ghidorah, Godzilla defeats him with Ozaki's added G-Cell power.

2056 -
OPERATION: DESTROY ALL MONSTERS - MECHA KING GHIDORAH is revealed to the world by the EARTH UNION.
MKG destroys most of Earth's monsters, then goes AWOL.

2057 -
OPERATION: SUPER GODZILLA
The Garoga appear on Earth and created BAGAN. SUPER GODZILLA is created in retaliation.
Bagan kills Mothra and Battra, but the two then form GIGAMOTH.
Super Godzilla and Gigamoth fight Bagan in Tokyo. With MKG's help, Bagan is destroyed.
Gigamoth "dies," creates a new egg. Super Godzilla goes out to sea with the egg.

What are the main human characters?

Humans will be treated similarly to the kaiju in Godzilla Neo, in other words, they are just as important, so many characters that appeared in one film will appear in numerous events, like Chujo. Others will have their characters combined with others, such as Junko, who is no longer a bungling stereotype but rather much more capable but somewhat under-appreciated. She is not only a major character in Mothra vs. Godzilla Neo but also in the first half of the Monster Zero War (as Princess Salno's confident, if you recall).

By era, here are the main recurring characters (MANY CHARACTERS ARE BEING SUBSTITUTED FOR OTHERS TO REMAIN CONSISTENT):

Showa era (post-Gojira Neo) -

Astronauts Glenn and Fuji, Miss Namikawa, Ichiro Sakai (reporter), Junko (reporter, not as stoopid), Gyozen (Gotengo captain), (Cast of GvsH, worked on by imposterzilla), MORE TO BE ADDED, there's a damn lot :P

There's also the Calico Crew to consider, which consists of Captain Majors, Dr. Quinn, Brock, Pete, and a few new characters for that storyline.

Heisei Era -

Miki Saegusa, the Shobijin, Lt. Kuroki, the Yamane family, Yuki (that crazy SOB), Dr. Shiragami, Kazuma Aoki (hot-shot pilot of MOGUERA, replaces Koji, goes to Solgell Island etc.), (Cast of SoG), KUROKI and the other badass GONDO.

Let's not forget HEAT as well, which includes Nick Tatopolous, Elsie, Randy, Monique, Dr. Craven and NIGEL.

Millenium Era -

Yuji Shinoda, Yuri Tachibana, Yoshito Chujo, his eventual love interest, Akane Yashiro

Will Gamera or King Kong or Ultraman appear in Godzilla Neo?

No. For the sake of a more compact universe, only Toho/Godzilla-related properties and characters will be utilized. Gamera has his own plethora of monsters to contend with and Ultraman has an entire multiverse to manage. I always admired the purity of King Kong in and of its own story, whereas pulling it into Godzilla's domain outside of a light homage would prove a headache.

UPDATE! Obviously I've revoked my "No Kong" policy in favor of something that both gives fans what they want and respects the original. Still no Clover, though.

Who is BALKZARDAN and those other monsters I've never heard of?

Balkzardan, Shiigan, Barugaron, Jyarumu and Vagnosaurus are kaiju from the Godzilla Trading Battle Playstation game. These were original kaiju that were apparently intended for the film series, but have never appeared outside of said game since. Shiigan, Barugaron, Balkzardan, Jyarumu and Vagnosaurus, in Godzilla Neo, are four of the eight Spawn of Orochi, along with Varan, Manda, Baragon.
Razin is now the Final Piece of Gigamass in the Mothra saga.

What is "Gigamass"?

Indicative of the fact that I need a terminology section to this FAQ ;) Seriously, "Gigamass" was a concept invented by imposterzilla, and he has given me permission to use it in the G Neo universe. Gigamass was an organic tech created by the Shobijin's ancestors (the "weather-changing" tech mentioned in Godzilla and Mothra: Battle for Earth). More to be revealed on Gigamass in the fanfics, but it created four beasties: Ghogo, Garugaru, Dagahra and Razin.

What's up with Garugaru?

Garugaru is being combined with Death Ghidorah to make what is essentially a giant fire-breathing Gigamass-dragon. He starts out all cute and small though ^^


Will there ever be a Godzilla Neo comic?

Unlikely. Godzilla Neo works much better as fanfiction/fanart.


What is the new "Kaiju Threat Level"?

It has actually been altered into "Kaiju Classification" that will be universal for the Godzilla Neo story and effective after 1966.

TYPE 1 - "Beast Class"

These guys are survivors. Little more than giant animals, they aren't as strong as the other classes, but no less fierce and dangerous. They focus on survival and generally stay away from humans, unless their appetites or instincts get the better of them.

EXAMPLES: Anguirus, Rodan, Baragon, Varan, Manda, Kumonga, Kamacuras, Zilla...

TYPE 2 - "Warrior Class"

Now we're talkin'! These kaiju are bred to fight. Strong enough to level a whole city, these are the more intelligent, more powerful beasties around (and generally anthrophomorphic at that).

EXAMPLES: Godzilla, Mothra, Battra, Megaguirus, Gigan, Megalon, Krystalak, Monster X, Titanosaurus, Obsidius...

TYPE 3 - "Uber Class"

The Big Guns of the kaiju world. Conquerors and potential Planet Killers. These usually require multiple kaiju to take down. Also known as "God Class."

EXAMPLES: Destoroyah, Space Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Hedorah...

What are the races of Godzilla Neo?

Well, here's a basic rundown:

Humans, Xillian, Elias (the Shobijin), Seatopian, Nebulan, Simeon, Kilaak, Dianii, Watchuka, Millenians and the Garoga.

What's the deal with the Defense Force?

This regards all UN-supported Earthling organizations made to research and counter the rising threats of kaiju and alien forces. Established in 1965, in includes several smaller factions -

The Markalite Squadron - officially put into action around the 1970's, this group pretty much pushed the JSDF out of the picture when dealing with kaiju. Since conventional weaponry has little to no effect on daikaiju, and throwing wave after wave of soldiers at a force of nature is a waste of lives, the Markalite squad is the first wave of defense. Consisting entirely of unmanned maser cannons, tanks, jets and other weaponry, it's all controlled through automated systems and remote-control command stations.

G-Force - The real meat of the JSDF, this is where all kaiju research and countermeasures are focused, particularly emphasized on Godzilla himself. Consisting of several thousand members, G-Force's core is divided into three Sections: Search, Study and Statistics. Search represents finding and locating new monsters, Study (the largest section) researches kaiju as organisms, and Statistics calculates the impact the monsters have on society and the evacuation measures necessary to cope with a kaiju attack. There is also the Defense Force sector, which, through the aid of the JSDF and EDF, develops new and more powerful weaponry to counter Godzilla and his ilk. The first weapon was MOGUERA, and later Kiryu and the Garuda System. After Godzilla II's meltdown in 1995, G-Force was all but liquidated, but with Godzilla III's return in 1999, G-Force was quickly revived.

Earth Defense Force - As mentioned, this is the parent organization to G-Force and the Markalite squad. Created by the United Nations to counter extreme threats to world peace, the EDF has battled all sorts of xenomorphic threats to life on Earth. The literal flagship of the EDF is the Gotengo, the Earth's first true super-weapon. There are three generations of the Gotengo, starting with its first commander, Captain Jinguji, who also claimed to be its creator (for some rather unsavory reasons), but spearheaded the resistance against the Xillians and helped found the EDF. The second was Admiral Gyozen, himself a bitter man, not unlike Jinguji, who harbored a deep-sown hatred for Godzilla, eventually sacrificing himself during the Crystal Incursion. Finally, Captain Gordon took command, a former professional fighter-turned G-Force soldier who, while still an abrasive personality, enjoyed the finer things in life and found Godzilla to be a worthy adversary. To this day the EDF continues to find new and daring ways to defend the planet.

What about Monster Island?

Indeed. Monster Island was intended to be a top-secret research facility to house kaiju and mutations, but that didn't fly. The public quickly learned of Monster Island's existence through the unrelated reports of Sylvester Lyson and Audrey Timmonds. A branch of G-Force was placed in charge of the Island, which intends to house many of the world's monsters in one place for both safety and study. As of 1999, 6 monsters were publicly known to live on the island; Anguirus, Rodan, Titanosaurus, Kumonga, Kamacuras and Zilla. Ogasawara Island provided an ideal habitat, and more info is to follow.

What are the "families" or "factions"?
The monsters in Godzilla Neo are almost all in different groups or sub-groups.

SPAWN OF OROCHI - Varan, Manda, Baragon, Barugaron, Shiigan, Vagnosaurus, Balkzardan, Jyarumu
G-CELL MUTANTS - Godzuki, Biollante, Space Godzilla, Zilla, C-Rex, El Gusano, Komodithrax, Kamoebas
RYUSEI NINGEN ZONE - Zone Fighter, Jirass, Ganimes
DISASTER MONSTERS - King Kong, Gorosaurus, Anguirus, Kumonga
MILLENIAN CREATIONS - Rodan, Megaguirus (and family), Orga
FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTERS - Frankenstein, Sanda, Gaira, Deutalios
MAJIN - King Caesar, Axor
CRYSTALLINES - Space Godzilla, Krystalak, Obsidius
G-FORCE - SMG, MOGUERA, Kiryu, Mecha King Ghidorah
YOG - Gezora, Matango
NEBULAN CYBORGS - Gigan, Megalon
GUARDIANS OF EARTH - Mothra, Battra, Gigamoth, Fairy Mothra, Black Kroiga
GIGAMASS BEASTS - Garugaru, Ghogo, Barem, Dagarla, Razin

As you can see, the only monsters not specifically grouped are Ghidorah, Godzilla, Monster X, Ikusagami, Destoroyah, Kamacuras and Ookondoru.

Is there more to come?

You betcha!

Ultimate Transformers

Let's face it: Transformers continuities are negligible at best, and there basically is NO overarching continuity...merely a few universal aspects for each series.
So, in keeping with the standard "screaming fanboy" nature, I just threw caution to the wind and decided to make my own continuity. GASP, not ANOTHER one!
I don't expect everyone to agree with or even like my choices in this universe, which I've given the working title "Ultimate Transformers," which is not unlike the work of Simon Furman in IDW's current timeline, i.e. it throws out weird continuity errors and tries to tie everything together in a much neater lineage.
I'll be adding/editing this as time goes one, but methinks I'll start with "The Great War." Note that several instances are lifted directly from certain media, such as "Spotlight: Shockwave," the Transformers Animated Movie, and all 3 Beast Wars series (with Beast Machines completely removed...not due to spite, but rather differing notions of Cybertron's origin).
NOTE: The Great War, pre-Unicron Battles, will be referred to as "Generation 1." The Great War, post-Unicron Battles, will be considered "Generation 2." Huzzah for bastardization!


...GOOD LORD I HAVE NO LIFE. (doesn't care)

---------

UNTOLD BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO:
The Gods of Creation rule over various aspects of the universe, their origin unknown but to themselves. Two gods, however, find themselves at odds...and who else but the brothers, Primus and Unicron? The Chaos Bringer seeks to consume all that exists, bringing blackening dischord to the universe, whereas the Lord of Order seeks to prevent this and maintain balance in the cosmos. Thus, their battle raged from the Astral Plane to the Physical Dimension, and eventually, ended at a stalemate. Primus contained himself in a mass of metallic elements, and shut himself down. As a result, Unicron's mental link forced the Dark God to go into hibernation as well.

(Events of the 13 Transformers and the Fallen ensue...to be added later)

AFTER THE FALLEN:
Primus felt shame from the actions of The Fallen, and the Lord of Order decided that a new era must begin. He wiped the memories of the Transformers clean, so that such a one as the Fallen could never be birthed again (yeah, right), as well as remove the temptation of war and violence from his children. Then, he returned to his slumber.
As millenia passed, the Transformers replicated (ala Gen 2), and with each generation, they grew in number and intelligence, and eventually a society grew (as we ALL know). (NOTE: Cybertronians look like a combination of the classic humanoid look and the decidedly alien-looking bots from the 2007 flim. Pics to be posted...SOMEDAY)

QUINTESSA WARS - 1.5 million years BW (Before the War):
Cybertron, as it had come to be called, was growing as a merchant state. Mighty cities were constructed, but it was not prolific enough to truly be considered a powerful state in the galaxy. Nevertheless, it was a glittering prize to the Quintessons, a race of techno-organic beings who sought to occupy and colonize a new world, due to that their home planet having been rendered a dead husk.
The Quintessons moved in on the small world, seeking to turn the Transformers into mere slaves and drones, under a banner of peace and coexistance with promises of prosperity. Such was not to be, as well all know, for somewhere in the newly created ranks of "Autobots" (workers and laborers), the seeds of resistance began anew.
At first, the Quintessons attempted to quell these uprisings with more empty promises, usually resulting in assasinations of lead dissenters, but finally, a young Autobot ventured deep into the core of Cybertron, and was granted, by an ancient robot called ALPHA TRION, a mysterious power source. That Transformer would become known in the halls of memory as SENTINEL PRIME.
Thus, the "Prime" was reborn, as not since the days of the 13 Transformers was a Prime needed again. Everything about Sentinel was upgraded, and he became a nearly unstoppable force on the battlefield. As such, he gathered the newly militaristic Autobot forces and launched an assault on the oppressive Quintessa Regime, and eventually drove their former masters away from Cybertron.
Thus, it came to pass that Cybertron was an independent state, and a new era of prosperity was within the Transformer's grasp. Nevertheless, in victory, the living machines had sown the seeds of their doom; in awakening their militaristic programming, many Autobots simply could not embrace the new, pacifistic ideals laid down by Sentinel Prime, and thus, an underground was born. Literally beneath the feet of the bustling Autobot workers and merchants of Iacon grew mass-scale gladiatorial maches between mechs looking to vent their violent nature in "peace time." The Autobot Council of Elders and Sentinel Prime himself knew of these, but allowed them as long as 1.) The mainstream public was not made aware, and 2.) the maches would continue to allow those Transformers who could not function in society to have a haven in which to practice what Sentinel dubbed "pitiful barbarism."
Of course, such was not to be, as within circles inside of circles, a threat was growing. A mysterious Transformer named MEGATRON had become master of the ring...or at least had his digits in all the little cogs of the ring. Through here, he schemed, planned and plotted, and surrounded himself with warriors hand-picked from both the ring (such as ASTROTRAIN and BRAWL) and from some more "legitimate" sources (such as STARSCREAM and SHOCKWAVE). And in the darkness, his machinations matured, until...

TO BE CONTINUED

Twilight Princess - SPOILERS

I have just finished what is easily one of the greatest videogame adventures of all the history of electronic interactive entertainment.

And that is saying something, dammit.

Zelda has always meant something to me...not merely as an enjoyable videogame, but as the game that introduced me to just how amazing an experience a videogame can be.
Most "mainstream" folks now reading this (however few there may be) will start rolling their eyes and muttering "It's just a damn videogame." True. It is just a videogame. Just like how a movie is just a movie, or a book is just a book. So, none of those could possibly insight deep emotions within us, now could they? ....Sarcasm aside, it was nothing less that the Ocarina of Time, the first ever three-dimentional Zelda title, which rekindled my love of videogames, which I assumed had left me back in the days of Sega Genesis and "Sega Channel," and so forth.
After playing and finishing the game, I was absolutely taken aback by the idea of "the journey," or "the quest." I was, to put it in such a way, undertaking a Quest of a Hero, only thought to be do-able in ancient days past, or not at all except in our own imaginations.
Did the deeds of the Hero that day help people? People living in the real, flesh-and-blood world? Not really. It didn't feed the hungry or cure the sick...it was about a week's worth of entertainment and escapism, but then again, so is a book, and a movie, and so on...

SPOILERS ABOUND. DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER UNLESS YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE GAME AND WATCHED ALL OF THE CREDITS.








But enough philosophy. Twilight Princess: how good is it? Well, look on any gaming site and you'll see for yourself. This game is easily the most cinematic and the most technically sound title of the series, perhaps even for the Gamecube and Nintendo as a whole (arguably, anyway). Character development is top-notch, knocking Wind Waker right off the top. The graphics, though at times archaic, can be so beautiful, and make full use of the Gamecube's processing power, nearing that of Resident Evil 4.
In terms of the story, it's one of the most unique concepts to date, despite Majora's Mask beating it in the originality department. There are references and influences from nearly every Zelda title, particularly from Ocarina of Time (as if anyone hadn't guessed).

The most interesting aspect of it, however, is that this isn't really a story about Link, nor is it about Zelda, nor even Ganondorf. It's a story about Midna, the little imp from the Twilight Realm who, in the end, IS the Twilight Princess. She is easily the best character in the Zelda series, and I challenge ANYONE to contest that. She goes through a truly compelling transformation, as she and Link grow closer as allies in the quest to save Hyrule and the Twilight. Oh, and there is definitely romance between the two, or at least a budding love. Of course, as the game ends, it's unlikely the two will ever be together, and thus, we have the "bittersweet ending," the sacrifice that we all know Zelda stories must entail to some extent (as noted at zeldalegends.net) (Of course, this leaves the door wide open for Link and Ilia).
The Triforce trio are indeed integral to the story, but the story isn't about the Triforce, really. We had that in Wind Waker, as well as Ocarina, so the story of the Triforce has been told. Link doesn't get a whole lot of backstory, either, especially considering that he's pretty much just THERE. He's a farm boy with no parents, no real explanation to his past, or to just "why" he's the Chosen Hero, other than that he was simply born with the Triforce within himself. Same goes for Zelda. Ganondorf himself is given little explanation, other than what's essentially the same story we heard in Ocarina.
Again, it is the Twilight that takes center stage...though, of course, it is still a Zelda game. Link has his own story to tell, his own people to protect and aid, but it ultimately comes down to the Twilight, and what must be done to separate the worlds of Light and Shadow, despite, in Zelda's own words, they being "two sides of the same coin."

Another note I'd like to mention would be the characterizations of the Triforce Trio. Link is quiet, of course, but it can be inferred that he speaks a few times (so he isn't mute). However, this Link is much more cheerful than his Ocarina counterpart....MUCH more cheerful (of one looks, you'll see that Ocarina/Majora's Mask Link are plastered with a permanent scowl). Oddly, Link is just as, if not more expressive as a wolf (which, by the way, makes for a lot of very interesting gameplay moments).
Zelda has a very interesting manner about her in this outing. We finally have a sense of her being a very calm, collected, and wise ruler of the nation of Hyrule, much more so than any other game. She's hardly emotional, but it plays to her well, strengthening her as a character with a mighty resolve. She is brave, perhaps almost as much as Link.
Ganondorf is deliciously maniacal. I'd go so far as to compare him to Megatron of Transformers fame! I do feel that he could have used more screentime...then again, we got a lot of him in Wind Waker and Ocarina again, so we know who he is, no question (a bit more backstory into his motivation couldn't hurt, though. You listening, Nintendo?)
Another character of note has to be Zant, who we all assume was the lead villain (but, of course, is not). I myself assumed him to be the all-powerful badass, akin to Sephiroth even...how wrong I was. The final revelation of Zant's past is a sight to behold.
My final thought (for this entry, anyway) would have to be the design and art direction of the game. There are some truly inspired designs here, taking from all past Zelda games, as well as various other influences in different cultures around the world (for costume and character design, anyway). The monsters and enemies are simply marvelous, my favorites being the Helmasaurus, the Bulbin (or Moblin) King, and Dark Beast Ganon.

One more thing: many will try and place this Zelda game in the context of the rest of the series, of which there is already an extremely poor continuity. The only Zelda games with solid continuities are Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and the Wind Waker (with Phantom Hourglass to be added). A few other of the titles MIGHT have continuity, but it's a fuzzy leap. Gametrailers.com presented a few options, but if one takes into account the backstory and elements of Hyrule in Twilight Princess, the only game with any connection would be Ocarina of Time, and even THAT is a stretch, considering that Hyrule's geography is totally out-of-synch between the two (not to mention that Ganon has a very different "origin") There are references to be had, however, in the form of "The Hero" from the distant past being mentioned (and even appearing) in the game. It is likely that this Hero helped to protect Hyrule and serve the Royal Family, but whether or not he faced Ganondorf is hard to say, as it's never mentioned. I would say that this is a stand-alone Zelda game. No real connection with any other Hyrules or Links or Zeldas or Ganons. But that's just my opinion.

The Hero's Quest was long (a solid week for me) but damn well worth it. A bit easy at times, a bit confusing at others, but still damn amazing. It is now neck-and-neck with Ocarina of Time on my "Favorites" list.
Why doesn't it topple that archaic, muddy-looking game? It was my re-introduction to gaming, and can never be replaced. Twilight Princess, however, can now not be replaced from it's side.

May the Triforce be with you ;)

(NOTE: Expect fanart)

Church attempts to HIDE Hominid origins

NOTE:
First and foremost, my sincere and deep apologies to anyone who may, and surely WILL be offended by this, but what's happening here is just downright WRONG. Censorship of scientific evidence to elevate one's own power is about as low as it gets.

From Livescience.com and Palaeoblog (excerpt):

"Scientist Fights Church Effort to Hide Museum's Pre-Human Fossils" -

Famed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey is giving no quarter to powerful evangelical church leaders who are pressing Kenya's national museum to relegate to a back room its world-famous collection of hominid fossils showing the evolution of humans' early ancestors.

Leakey called the churches' plans "the most outrageous comments I have ever heard."

He told The Daily Telegraph (London): "The National Museums of Kenya should be extremely strong in presenting a very forceful case for the evolutionary theory of the origins of mankind. The collection it holds is one of Kenya's very few global claims to fame and it must be forthright in defending its right to be at the forefront of this branch of science." Leakey was for years director of the museum and of Kenya's entire museum system.
............
Leaders of Kenya's Pentecostal congregation, with six million adherents, want the human fossils de-emphasized....
"Our doctrine is not that we evolved from apes, and we have grave concerns that the museum wants to enhance the prominence of something presented as fact which is just one theory," the bishop said.

(end excerpt)

My thoughts:
I honestly thought I could avoid this whole arguement after a rather uncomfortable debacle a few months back that nearly cost me a friend, but this is something I feel I have a responsibility to rant and rave about.
I have nothing against religious individuals. My girlfriend is a devout Christian and a wonderful human being, and she herself believes in the Creation and Genesis. I myself take to heart that a divine force guides this universe. But she and I both agree that to hide things from people so that one can perpetuate their own "truth" is, to be blunt, disgusting. Evolution may not be the Pentecostal's belief, but to attempt to HIDE scientific evidence of another belief system from people is an excercise in an attempt to gain more power.
People, especially those who visit museums out of genuine scientific curiousity, have every, EVERY right to know all possible views and theories, be it science or religion. They, in turn, are totally capable of making their own decisions based on what they have learned or seen.
Science, and the Theory of Evolution in particular, doesn't pretend to know all of the answers. It's a flawed theory that is constantly being adjusted and improved, and is just the best we have to go off of when looking at the world in a practical view. Charles Darwin himself stated that "the Creator" instigated evolution, but himself admitted, on his death bed, that he regretted starting such a massive divide in the world, yet stood by his theory. Religion and Science can only mix in the minds of individuals, because one is based on faith and faith alone (and needs no evidence), and the other is based on tests and factual evidence (of which there is plenty to support evolution).Evolution could simply be the answer to the "how" and not the "why."
I don't want to start any flame-wars or hate-mail, but please, PLEASE just consider that which I have said without jumping to conclusions...even though I may have jumped to a few myself. Perhaps I'm wrong? Perhaps YOU'RE wrong? Perhaps we're ALL wrong? No way to tell. We just do what we can with what we're given, simple as that.

God bless.

Primal Rage retrospective - part 1

In 1994, a video game expo made its way to the then-small but still growing town of San Antonio, Texas, where, after much hype and promotion, the arcade classic Primal Rage made its debute, and a hyperactive little maniac named Matt Frank "raged" on the arcade machine for a good several hours before his brain suddenly short-circuted from overwhelming "badassitude" (a phenomenon dubbed by the various great minds of the early 21st Century scientific community).

That said, Primal Rage was a wonderful bit of "space filler" in the hectic and merchandise-flooded days of my grade-school youth, alongside Gargoyles, Street Sharks, Beast Wars and randomly reoccurring obessions with Power Rangers >_>
Primal Rage was an unconventional gaming experience (at least in America) because it made its mark by adding a whole new level of creativity to the traditional fighting game (which always invoved random martial artists and, for some reason, Panda bears).

In one of my recent "subsequent childhoods" (I do believe that I'm somewhere near my 14th or 15th), I rediscovered just how damn COOL this game's concept was...so, I decided to start a series of glamor-shots of each Primal Rage character, and even taking some liberties with each.

DIABLO -


Diablo is a fan-favorite amoungst many gamers (including his creator, Cameron Petty), being as how his character was one of pure and absolute evil. Apparently, Diablo is supposed to be a kind of Allosaur, but it's somewhat obvious in the game that he and Sauron share the same character model. So, I took some liberties here and made him a horrific fusion of allosaur, carnotaur and ceratosaur.

BLIZZARD -


The great Yeti God and main protagonist of the game, despite being so brutal, Blizzard is said to be a noble spirit who seeks to protect his home and followers. I didn't really alter Blizzard much here, sans making him more humanoid.

I'll hopefully be able to continue this series up to the chracters introduced for the ill-fated "Primal Rage 2."
UP NEXT: Vertigo and Armadon!

Primal Rage and all characters related are copyright Atari, 1994

Immortal No More

Ox-Bow experience

Here's some pictures I uploaded out of my camera from Ox-Bow.



Our class on the last day...can you guess which one is me?



My rather ill-tempered friend and his rivals in this merry-go-round called life ;) (Especially ill-tempered having being hauled out of the water by the tail...but that's another story)



Our studio, where we spent many a night up until about 2 AM...14 hour work days SUCK.



The incredible forest that surrounds the campus.



A nice parting shot.

(Stay tuned for "Immortal No More")

I STILL FUNCTION...

Oh yes, that sounds appropriate, for several reasons, of course.
First of all, I have returned from the Ox-Bow school of the arts, a small retreat not far from the shore of Lake Michigan. Secondly, I have survived a solid 2 weeks of doing ANYTHING but relaxing, and thirdly, because of my recent (re)obsession with Transformers :D
Really, the whole experience was incredibly worthwhile, being as the tiny community of Saugatuck-Douglas is not only very arts-oriented, but also very integrated with the incredibly dense and gorgeous forests in the area.
I gots me lotsa' pictures to post somewhere at some point (hopefully including myself tackling a 25 lb snapping turtle ^^ ) and I made quite a few new friends while in the class.
As for the class itself, it was RE-DONKULOUS...as in ridiculously difficult at times, but to make a 4-page comic in 2 weeks is much more demanding than one would expect.
The class itself was excellent, as taught by Jessica Abel (who herself has created the "Artbabe" series and the EXCELLENT graphic novel "La Perdita") Despite being a tad biased against the more "mainstream" or "superhero" comics, she was very supportive of our development as artists and encouraged us to pursue our personal storytelling styles.
Everyone in the class did a great job, IMO (even though a few of us didn't finish...which goes to show what kind of work goes into comics).

I plan on posting my short story, "Immortal No More" sometime tomorrow, because right now, I'm eager to veg on some comics that I didn't make ;)

(Oh, PS, the new G-Fan published my review of King Kong!)

Off to "comic book boot camp"...

(First bit of blog-exclusive art, Hannah Dundee and Hermes from Mark Schultz's brilliant "Xenozoic Tales")

I'll be taking the next two weeks "off" so-to-speak, and since I'm unsure of whether I'm bringing my laptop along with me, I decided to post a heads-up, since I won't have scanner access.

So, I'm off to the Ox-bow art school, where I'll be taking 5-hour classes, 5 days a week...yay me -_-
But seriously, I managed to procure a scholarship to the course entitled "Drawing: Making Comics." Thus, I shall be spending many finger-bleeding hours working on the techniques of panel-layout, story development, and inking techniques.
So, hopefully I'll return relatively unscathed, and then I'll be able to work on summore art, besides what I've worked on at Ox-bow.

See ya! *runs screaming out of a window*

Aaron Smith 1970-2006

The Godzilla fandom was dealt a heavy blow on Tuesday when Aaron Smith, owner of the site Monster Zero (www.monsterzero.us) passed away after a major cardiac arrest.
At only 36, Aaron was surely taken away at a young age, but did more for the Godzilla fandom in his short time than many other fans can say for themselves.

I followed Monster Zero's development since the days of "Godzilla News" back in 1999 in the "post-GINO" era, and through Monster Zero, I found myself new friends and allies in a community of like-minded individuals, and I owe that to Aaron.

"SIKESTON — Aaron J. Smith, 36, died at 5:07 p.m. May 30, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center.

Born Feb. 9, 1970, in Fort Gordon, Ga., son of the late Alex and Polly Lou Gestring Smith Jr., he was a 1988 graduate of Sikeston High School and a 1994 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. He was self-employed as a Web site designer.

Survivors include: one brother and sister-in-law, Eric and Reagan Smith of New Madrid; one sister and brother-in-law, Maria and Cliff Crowden of Sikeston; and one niece and five nephews.

A private family memorial service will be held at a later date.

Nunnelee Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements."

(From Monster Zero front page)

Support for Aaron's memory is much appreciated, so go visit MZ and leave a message or two.

Howdy ya'll!

Gettin' things of to a start here. Welcome bloggers and viewers to my blog, Matt's Screaming Brain!
I noticed that many artists have their own blogs, and I basically said "why the hell not?" and made myself a blog, dubbed from this day on "Matt Frank's Screaming Brain," mostly because my brain likes to make loud noises while THINKIN'...

So, methinks I'll post my most recent (and first) published work: the cover to G-Fan issue 75! Enjoy as I mess around with this blog's settings...