"An enormous beast wreaking havoc on a city – what an incredible concept!" The King of Monsters unleashes destruction in Godzilla vs. America: Chicago. 2455
Interview | The creative team behind Godzilla vs. America: Chicago discusses their journey of introducing the legendary monster to the Windy City
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(Image source: IDW Publishing)
Godzilla has battled many foes in its time, from Kong to Mechagodzilla to Mothra, and more (including the Avengers last year). Now the King of the Monsters is set to take on an entire country!
"Godzilla vs. America" is a limited series of four issues published by IDW, where the iconic giant monster wreaks havoc in four major U.S. cities. The inaugural issue features the colossal creature causing destruction in Chicago, showcasing three fresh tales crafted by Tim Seeley, Mike Costa, Ryan Browne, and Ezra Claytan Daniels.
Newsarama spoke with Chicago residents Seeley, Costa, and Browne to delve deeper into their new comic and explore the experience of unleashing the legendary creature in their city...
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Ryan Browne's artwork for the cover of Godzilla vs. America: Chicago #1.
Newsarama: To start, can you share what Godzilla represents for each of you and what it feels like to be working on a Godzilla comic?
Tim Seeley: I grew up on Godzilla movies in the '80s. They were some of the first easy-to-find VHS videos. When I moved out on my own (and was totally broke) I used my first video store membership to rent and watch all the movies I hadn't seen. So, I think, Godzilla is a comfort character for me. No matter what mood I'm in, I can watch one of the films... any of the films.
Mike Costa & Ryan Browne: Well, Godzilla's a cultural icon, probably next to Dracula and Frankenstien as the most recognizable monsters of all time. Grant Morrison talked in an interview once about how the legacy of Superman is like a vast cave painting, and they were just proud to smudge their little thumbprint on it, and that's exactly how we feel. Our tiny contribution to the great Cultural Record.
Could you share a sneak peek of your stories featured in this special issue dedicated to Chicago?
Seeley: A college student, trying to talk herself into asking out a guy she likes, is on the Chicago L, waiting for a sign to act. Unfortunately that sign is an attack by Godzilla.
Costa & Browne: Like the first – and all the best – Godzilla stories, our story isn't actually about Godzilla. Godzilla exists as a terrible consequence of human arrogance and hubris. We're just focusing on a specifically Chicago-centric form of hubris. Which is not in short supply in that wonderful city. Especially around their sports teams.
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Most people likely have their own vision of what a Godzilla narrative entails, but this comic demonstrates that there’s ample opportunity for diverse tones and genres to coexist within that framework. What contributes to the versatility of this character as a storytelling device?
Seeley: Well, Godzilla isn't a character per se. It's a force of nature with a cool face. All the best Godzilla stories are about people stuck in Godzilla's way, and how they deal with inevitability and catastrophe. I took inspiration from Godzilla '54 and Minus One – plus a little touch of '80s rom-com.
Costa & Browne: Godzilla has always been such an elastic character. He's been a wrathful judgement on human civilization. He's been a defender of that very same civilization. He's been a big mindless Roland Emmerich egg-laying lizard, and he's been a compassionate friend to children. But monsters are elastic. That's why we invent them – they can be whatever the moment needs them to be. And if the post-war Japanese people need him to personify and exorcise their anxieties about atomic weapons, or if Roland Emmerich needs him to step on Siskel and Ebert because they panned his movies, Godzilla is there for them, just like he's there for all of us.
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Interior art from Tim Seeley's story for Godzilla vs. America: Chicago #1.(Image source: IDW Publishing)
This topic revolves around Chicago. In what ways does this shift from the conventional Japanese backdrop influence your narratives?
Seeley: Chicago is my home, and it's a very distinct place. It's very much built around public transit (which has its problems, sure, especially of late), but which connects a lot of different people poor people, rich people, different races...everyone has to get downtown here. So, setting the story on this beloved institution made it really easy to make it feel distinctly Chicago.
Costa & Browne: We set out to tell a story about Chicago that involves Godzilla, rather than just plunk Godzilla down in a new town and have him destroy some famous midwestern buildings instead of Tokyo Tower. Chicagoans can decide how we did! But I think they will be pleased.
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This Tim Seeley variant cover showcases Godzilla rampaging through the streets of Chicago.
If Godzilla really did attack Chicago, how do you think the locals would respond?
Seeley: Chicago is a city that's used to being a target. Right-wing media tries to make people think it's a crime-ridden cesspool, and we're often glossed over by the coastal elites types. So, that makes us defensive of our town. We love it, because you hate us. If Godzilla showed up, Chicagoans would pick up beer bottles and snow shovels and fight that lizard!
Costa & Browne: Chicago's roots are midwestern industrial. Meat-packing and manufacturing. It's also one of the greatest food cities in the US. So all of that combines into a town that is proudly more blue-collar, and proudly more unhealthy, than the sexier coastal cities. It's also a town of extremely aggressive sports fans. Which means that, should Godzilla attack, he would be met by significant solidarity in the civilian resistance, more of whom would be felled by diabetes and high blood pressure than Godzilla himself. Chicago goes down swinging.
In my view, the lasting allure of Godzilla over seven decades can be attributed to several key factors. Firstly, the character embodies the fears and anxieties of its time, evolving with societal changes and reflecting contemporary issues such as environmental concerns, nuclear warfare, and urbanization. Secondly, Godzilla serves as a powerful metaphor for humanity's struggle against nature and the consequences of technological advancement. Additionally, the creature's unique design and colossal presence captivate audiences, while the blend of horror, action, and occasional humor appeals to a broad demographic. Finally, the franchise's ability to reinvent itself through various films and adaptations keeps it relevant and engaging for new generations, ensuring that Godzilla remains an iconic symbol in popular culture.
Seeley: Godzilla represents our fear that sooner or later, nature is going to get fed up with us and wipe us off the map. That's what made Godilla popular during the Cold War's nuclear saber-rattling, and responsible for its recent surge in popularity as climate change burns cities to the ground. Also – Godzilla looks really cool and beats up other cool looking monsters.
Costa & Browne: For all our high-falutin dramaturgy about the existential societal mirror of Godzilla, none of that would be of much interest without the core, irresistible premise that Tomoyuki Tanaka and Ishiro Honda created and Toho perfected: Giant monster smash city. What a perfect idea. I think seeing a story where a giant monster smashes a city is up there on the hierarchy of needs with food, shelter and security. It's simply one of the things that makes us human.
"Godzilla Vs America: Chicago" is set to be released by IDW on February 26.
