#kiyla

If you haven't heard the news, Haruo Nakajima, the original Godzilla suit actor, passed away on the 7th. I unfortunately never had the honor and pleasure of meeting him, but through years of watching kaiju films and the wonderful folks at G-Fest, I feel like I have in some way. This man did more than climb into a 200-lb rubber suit and terrorize miniature sets. He brought to life one of the most iconic film monsters ever. He made Godzilla scary. He made Godzilla a hero. He helped fuel the wild imaginations of our inner children.

Despite the sadness of someone's passing, I wanted this piece to be a little uplifting. I tried to convey the same emotion a family would have seeing their child take their first steps. Which is funny, given that my depiction of Nakajima-san is based on that photo of him testing out the half-suit for the original Godzilla film (ergo, his "first steps").

R.I.P. - Haruo Nakajima

Another pic because it still hurts that he’s gone...