Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment

Kaiju Crush The Norm In Monster Of The Week

Published Sun, 23 Oct 2016 13:00:15 -0500

Last updated Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:37:44 -0500

Ryan Little writes,

Giant Monsters are so freaking cool. I've thought so ever since I was a kid. Now that I'm a fully-grown, articulate man, I should be able to give you a better explanation for my adoration of them. I could probably phone in some pretentious jargon about how they "shatter our concepts of limitation" or how they are "the truest embodiment of measuring yourself by the size of your adversary", but I don't.

I just truly, deeply think they are awesome, which is exactly why I'm exhausted with the version Hollywood is putting out.

We're in the midst of what I call "The Age of Realism". Everything is grounded, gritty, and toting an enormous chip on its shoulder in an effort to make things relatable. Heck, if Raiders of the Lost Ark came out today, the Nazis would get their hands on the ten commandments at the end of the second act and use them to power some death ray and blow up Brooklyn before Indie gets them back.

That sort of "action-adventure" blow out destroys not only an obnoxious about of civilians that should make a happy ending irrelevant, but all semblances of the fun, adventure tone that made those older films great. There are certainly some merits to that sort of execution, but I'd be lying if I said these summers of morose odysseys haven't left me with a real longing for the grandeur and magic of Amblin films of old.

That's why I decided to take my Kaiju comic, Monster of the Week, to Kickstarter. I adore the freedom the platform gives writers like me to explore sub-genre and make the thing I love.

Monster of the Week is a kaiju comic in the wonky tone of Adventure Time that's made for anyone who adores giant monsters, goofy cartoons, or just simply a glorious adventure. The premise is simple, once a year a giant monster falls from the skies of the mid-western United States one day a week, every week, for three months. The later in the week the monster falls, the bigger it is. Much like with the very real tornado season that shreds through the central United States every year, the effects and ramifications of this "monster season" stay localized to the mid-west. If you don't live there, life basically goes on completely unaffected.

If you do live there, however, you are a member of a microcosm unlike any other. Modern giant monster movies are concerned with how many cities the monster can level before the heroes find a way to take it down. Monster of the Week focuses on what life is like when these creatures are a part of your world. There are armies who want to destroy them, renegade monster hunting mavericks who want to topple one all on their own, Steve Job-like scientists who specialize in making monster hunting weapons, biologists who research the monsters and many more.

We follow a Stranger Things/Amblin-esq group of fifth grades who each represent on combination of those different facets. These kids are the direct inverse of the dour veil that's toxically draped over modern kaiju works. They each bask in the wonder of these creatures and are invigorated by the possibilities these monsters could add to their life.

The Kickstarter itself is just as untraditional as the story's take on kaiju/ giant monsters. Our comic is ENTIRELY FINISHED. I wrote a book I thought was good, I found a dream team of artists, and we made it. That means no monthly delays, no endless streams of excuses. We at Monster of the Week set out to make a book that's a fresh, unique take on giant monsters in a world that's overwhelmed with reboots and spin offs. And that's what we did. We MADE the entire book. Now we're simply looking for your help to print hard copies so that we might shower the world with our glorious colossal creatures.

I'm also pleased to say that we're offering an extra incentive for any Bleedingcool readers who join team Monster of the Week. Just message me "Lonesomes" on Kickstarter following your pledge for a free hard copy of my Studio Ghibli-esq take on Pokemon, Lonesomes!