Godzilla in Popular Culture

Since the King of Monsters first graced the big screen in Ishiro Honda’s 1954 movie Godzilla, the giant prehistoric sea monster has become a worldwide phenomenon. Godzilla has been represented in popular culture in so many different ways throughout the years. In addition to over 30 Godzilla movies, the monster has appeared in video games, TV shows, cartoons, books, and songs.

Godzilla in Video Games

From the early 1980s to the present, there have been numerous Godzilla video games. The very first game was unofficial. It was made for the Commodore 64 PC in 1983. Three years later, Godzilla made his first official appearance as a playable character in another Commodore 64 game, The Movie Monster Game. As video games and consoles developed over the years, Godzilla developed with them. Godzilla got his own series of games on NES, like the fantastic Godzilla: Monster of Monsters. And he appeared in the Godzilla game on Gameboy. In more recent times, the Japanese sea creature has appeared in some truly fantastic games, such as Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, which is the first of a trilogy of Godzilla games.

Godzilla has also featured in Sim City, where he can be seen destroying Tokyo in 1954. And plenty of games have been influenced by the iconic giant. For instance, the Rampage series is heavily-inspired by both Godzilla and King Kong. Also, the Pokémon series features a Pokémon that is directly influenced by Godzilla. There are even Godzilla slot games available, as well as many that are set in the monster’s home of Japan. For instance, Matsuri is a fabulous Japan-themed slot, which is available at Casumo.

Godzilla on the Box

Godzilla has become an enduring stalwart of cinematic history, so it should come as no surprise to learn the dinosaur-like creature has been paid tribute to and parodied in numerous movies and television shows. Most notably, Godzilla was a frequent target in the 1980s and ’90s cult comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000. Clips from Godzilla movies have been used in other films, too. For instance, a scene from the 1989 Japanese movie Godzilla vs. Biollante can be seen in Tim Burton’s classic sci-fi comedy Mars Attacks! And eagle-eyed viewers of the sitcom Roseanne will notice that a Godzilla action figure was present in every series.

Godzilla Cartoons

Various cartoon television shows have also featured Godzilla over the years. The monster has appeared in many episodes of the stop-motion comedy series, Robot Chicken, and he had a cameo spot in the animated comedy Happy Tree Friends. In the episode called Wingin’ It, Godzilla hilariously attacks Flaky. Another cartoon worth mentioning is Bambi Meets Godzilla. The 1969 Canadian cartoon is regarded by animation experts to be one of the all-time greatest cartoons. However, it is only two minutes long.

Anyone who grew up in the 1970s or ’80s will remember Godzilla’s most successful outing on television. Although it only lasted two series, the Hanna-Barbera animated TV series Godzilla was a huge hit and was often repeated on the box.

Godzilla Novels and Comic Books

Godzilla has featured in so many novels and comic books over the years, that it would be almost impossible to list them all here. But notable ones include the young adult series of books by Marc Cerasini, such as Godzilla Returns and Godzilla 2000, and Mark Jacobson’s Gojiro, which reinterprets the Godzilla movie series. Various picture books for young children have also been produced over the decades.

And Godzilla has appeared in numerous comic books for decades. In his native Japan, Godzilla has featured in various comic books since 1954. And since the mid-1970s, various publishers in the US have released Godzilla comics. Godzilla has also appeared in Marvel and Dark Horse comics.

Godzilla in Music

Every Godzilla fan knows the monster has appeared in various books, TV shows, and movies. But do you know that he has also been paid tribute to by many musical artists? Here are some of the most notable appearances of Godzilla in music:

• Blue Öyster Cult had a major hit with their song Godzilla in 1977.
• Guttermouth has a picture of Godzilla on their album Teri Yakimoto.
• The French metal band Gojira got their name from the original Japanese name of Godzilla.