Author: Keith Aiken Source: Bill Kerner and Tom Tvrdik Official Site: Far East Monsters Ltd. This summer, fans and collectors can look forward to a brand-new wave of Godzilla products. The Cleveland, Ohio-based company Far East Monsters Ltd. has signed an agreement with Toho to produce a line of officially licensed collectibles starring the King of the Monsters and his many kaiju co-stars. Godzilla fans and artists Tom Tvrdik and Bill Kerner are kicking off with the “Godzilla Battlezone Figure”, the first piece of the “Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Battlezone”. The Battlezone will be a limited edition series re-creating the climactic battle from the 1968 classic DESTROY ALL MONSTERS. Far East Monsters is promising museum quality reproductions at affordable prices, all with different and unique extras. Each piece will come with features such as sound, lights and poseable parts. The bases for each figure fit together to form an interactive battle scene, something never before created in a Godzilla product.
The “Godzilla Battlezone Figure” stands approximately 7” tall and comes with a Lights and Sound sequence (batteries included). The item will be available for pre-order next month and goes on sale in July. Battlezone Figure 2, King Ghidorah, will be available in early 2008 with pre-orders starting in October 2007. Release dates for the remaining figures are to be announced, but the series will include pieces with Rodan and Mothra, Gorosaurus, Kumonga, Baragon and Manda, Varan and Minilla, and Anguirus. The initial wave of products from Far East Monsters also includes a line of Godzilla fuzzy posters and giant puzzles. Velvet Poster 1 is entitled “Friends and Foes”, and features Godzilla surrounded by the monsters Rodan, Mothra, Gigan, King Ghidorah, Megalon, Titanosaurus, Manda, Hedorah, Mechagodzilla, and Anguirus. Velvet Poster 2, “Heisei Godzilla”, is a closeup shot of Godzilla as he appeared in the films of the mid-1990s. Each Velvet Poster measures 16” x 20” and comes with washable markers. The first Movie Poster Floor Puzzle features the advance poster art for the 2001 hit GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK. The puzzle has approximately 100 pieces and measures a whopping 2’ x 3’. “Mecha-King Ghidorah with Mothership” starts off the Super Deformed Die-cut Floor Puzzle series. The monster and time machine from 1991’s GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH are rendered in the popular “super deformed” anime style on a 2’ x 3’ puzzle with approximately 100 pieces.
The Far East Monsters line will be available for pre-order in June, and will launch at G-Fest in July. At the same time the products will be available from retailers nationwide. Far East Monsters will also be on hand for the Toy Karma Art Show in Chicago, which runs September 8-30, 2007. For more information on the Far East Monsters Godzilla products, or to sign up for the company’s mailing list, please visit FEM’s official website.