G-FAN ORIGINAL COVER ART

The long-running kaiju fanzine, G-FAN, has had the great fortune of having a number of notable covers to memorialize its contribution to the genre.

Shown here is the original cover art for issue #36 (Nov/Dec 1988), painted by fantasy and science-fiction artist, Jean-Pierre Normand (b. 1958). The 18.25" x 13" illustration is in mixed mixed.

Incorrectly listed as an unnamed American artist by the auction house, Mssr. Normand is French-Canadian.

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW AND RECENTLY RELEASED

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW AND RECENTLY RELEASED

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW AND RECENTLY RELEASED

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW & RECENTLY RELEASED

HEY! I'M IN G-FAN MAGAZINE!

G-FAN #96 has been out for a few weeks now. This has gotta be one of my favorite issues of late as it contains an article on one of my favorite Japanese monster movies of all time. While Godzilla, Rodan, King Ghidora, and Mothra pretty much top my Kaiju favorites, it's monsters of a smaller kind that I'm talking about. The title? MATANGO, or ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE to us Westerners. Atmospheric and full of creeping doin's aboard a derelict ship being used for cover by a group of shipwrecked pleasure yachters, MATANGO is allegedly based on a short story by classic weird fiction author William Hope Hodgson ("The Voice In The Night").

There's tons of other good stuff in this issue to roll over your cortexes. So, besides an article about humans turning into walking mushrooms, what makes this issue of G-FAN any more special than another? Well . . . 'cause I'm in it! Yep, my article FAMOUS MONSTERS' COLOSSAL KAIJU INVASION appears on Page 66!

Whether or not you're interested in what I have to say about FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #256, I suggest you pick up a copy of G-FAN #96 -- Editor J.D. Lees' 'zine is the best one out there when it comes to Japanese Kaiju and related topics.



G-FAN #96 back cover image.



MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW AND RECENTLY RELEASED

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW & RECENTLY RELEASED

MONSTERS UNLEASHED: NEW AND RECENTLY RELEASED

MONSTERS UNLEASHED: RELEASING THIS WEEK

G-FAN 92

G-FAN
No. 92
Editor: J.D. Lees
Publication Date: Summer 2010
Publisher: Daikaiju Enterprises, Ltd.
Color covers/Black & White interior with some color
88 ppg. (including covers)
Cover price: $5.95 U.S.
Subscriptions: $20.00 for 4 quarterly issues (U.S. and CAN rates)

G-FAN is not just any monster magazine. It's a GIANT monster magazine. Marching towards it's 100th issue like Godzilla traipsing through Tokyo, G-FAN is one amazing 'zine. As far as I can tell, it's the longest running (North) American publication of it's kind. ASIAN CULT CINEMA recently ceased publishing and ORIENTAL CINEMA is long gone. That leaves the last monster standing, G-FAN, promoted as the fanzine of THE GODZILLA SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA.
 
I've been a fan of the Canadian-published G-FAN for about 15 issues now, and I am always pleased with each issue's contents. This issue is no exception. There's an article on "Remembering Ultraman", an interesting piece on "Why the Americanization of Godzilla Was a Good Thing", info on the French version of Godzilla, a look back at GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (done in the two-column, multi-heading style of FAMOUS MONSTERS), a nicely illustrated feature on "The Monsters of Ultraman", an article on one of my favorites -- Gamera, a Monsterpalooza 2010 report, and tons more. There is also the usual back pages feature on the latest and greatest giant monster toys with lots of imported stuff that you wouldn't otherwise easily come across.
 
G-FAN is self-described as a fan magazine, but it's enthusiastic presentation of material and lively, energetic writing makes it far from being amateurish. In fact, it's downright enjoyable. For that reason alone, I would make this 'zine recommended reading for those who find watching crazily-costumed heroes, mushroom-eating maniacs, and rampaging, fire-breathing kaijus something more than just a guilty pleasure.

MONSTERS UNLEASHED: NEW 'ZINES THIS WEEK

A bumper crop of monster magazine goodness has arrived on the newsstands this week and late last week. There's something about summer and conventions that brings out the best in what the current monster 'zine market has to offer, don't you think? Links to publisher's websites are on the sidebar!