Godzilla: The Look/Appearance Speculation

[Petezilla]

This. Godzilla always was an unexplainable being and thus he doesn't need to be designed too reasonably, that just results in another Gino, just like too many designs shown here already do. He's a monster after all. Monsters aren't realistically explainable. That's what makes them monstrous, basically. We neither want a T-Rex ripoff nor a giant Pinocchio with a huge hammer, but some kind of freaking, spikey dinosaur with humanoid stance, because that's what always made Godzilla recognizeable as Godzilla. And one can do so much with just this basic formula.

[TokyoVigilante]

That doesn't mean you can't add naturalistic or biological flourishes. I've expressed several times that I think giving Godzilla some minor webbing between his fingers and toes would emphasize his amphibious nature. One of the things I love about the '62 suit are the beefy, thick arms. If you web those, they could reasonably be seen as very primitive fins, like a transitional animal might have. The Ambulocetidae had similar arms and they were the transitional animal between land animals and whales.

This is all perfectly natural and perfectly faithful design ideas taken from information we are told in the much hailed and beloved first film.

Building a Godzilla from the ground up to be realistic is where you get stupid things like Godzillasaurus Rex; but taking the standard design and adding flourishes and justifying its current design elements with science and emphasizing those is the way to go.

[NSZ]

That doesn't mean you can't add naturalistic or biological flourishes. I've expressed several times that I think giving Godzilla some minor webbing between his fingers and toes would emphasize his amphibious nature. One of the things I love about the '62 suit are the beefy, thick arms. If you web those, they could reasonably be seen as very primitive fins, like a transitional animal might have. The Ambulocetidae had similar arms and they were the transitional animal between land animals and whales.

This is all perfectly natural and perfectly faithful design ideas taken from information we are told in the much hailed and beloved first film.

Building a Godzilla from the ground up to be realistic is where you get stupid things like Godzillasaurus Rex; but taking the standard design and adding flourishes and justifying its current design elements with science and emphasizing those is the way to go.

Just keep him away from the unnecessary tacky add-ons that are feathers and I'll be on skreeonk Cloud 9.

[Giga Kaiju]

He looks fresh, something the movie needs to show. Somethings can be changed but he looks ok
the Atomic Ray (or Electro Ray in this case) is cool but i prefer how it looks as it is a Ray instead
of volts.

[HeiseiGodzilla117]

The only thing I REALLY like about that design is the color scheme. I'd be all for those colors on LP's Godzilla.

[Petezilla]

That doesn't mean you can't add naturalistic or biological flourishes. I've expressed several times that I think giving Godzilla some minor webbing between his fingers and toes would emphasize his amphibious nature. One of the things I love about the '62 suit are the beefy, thick arms. If you web those, they could reasonably be seen as very primitive fins, like a transitional animal might have. The Ambulocetidae had similar arms and they were the transitional animal between land animals and whales. [...]

I'm very OK with adding a bit of scientific sense to his appearance, as long as it doesn't take away too much from the original character and I didn't say, that his design has to be based entirely on completely senseless principles, but... you could not REALLY want a Frogzilla to appear the new movie...?!

[Gyaos]

The thing is that I dont want this one to look like the generic Godzilla. I want atleast the dinosaur-like legs but an upright stance. A Retrosaur-style build is good. For the love of god, no more generic Godzillas.

Hence why I like Birdzilla, the Godzilla pic I recently posted, and even Stan Winston's Godzilla.

[JessPrime]

Honestly, while I do want Godzilla to look like well you know Godzilla, I hope LP is atleast somewhat creative with the design. I wouldn't mind it, but I would be disappointed if LP took the easy way out and did basically a CGI version of the 90's Godzilla.

[Tyler]

I think after GINO you need a normal looking Godzilla for an American film.

[TokyoVigilante]

That doesn't mean you can't add naturalistic or biological flourishes. I've expressed several times that I think giving Godzilla some minor webbing between his fingers and toes would emphasize his amphibious nature. One of the things I love about the '62 suit are the beefy, thick arms. If you web those, they could reasonably be seen as very primitive fins, like a transitional animal might have. The Ambulocetidae had similar arms and they were the transitional animal between land animals and whales. [...]

I'm very OK with adding a bit of scientific sense to his appearance, as long as it doesn't take away too much from the original character and I didn't say, that his design has to be based entirely on completely senseless principles, but... you could not REALLY want a Frogzilla to appear the new movie...?!

Considering Godzilla is supposed to be a sea monster, it certainly makes more sense then being a Tyrannosaurus.

[SuperSaiyan4Godzilla]

Ryan, you brought up a good point. You shouldn't abandon Godzilla's characteristics while designing him.

Designing Godzilla takes studying. You have to study Godzilla, dinosaurs, living creatures, and science...this list is much longer. When you have a firm understand of what Godzilla is and what you want to design, you can probably create a good Godzilla.

[Gyaos]

I think after GINO you need a normal looking Godzilla for an American film.

So because they screwed up the dinosaur-ish look once means they cant try it again? Im all for a Godzilla that breaks away from the generic look. If anything, the generic Godzilla needs to be put to rest, hence why I fully support anything along the lines of Birdzilla, the Godzilla I posted, and Stan Winston's Godzilla.

[TokyoVigilante]

I think after GINO you need a normal looking Godzilla for an American film.

So because they screwed up the dinosaur-ish look once means they cant try it again? Im all for a Godzilla that breaks away from the generic look. If anything, the generic Godzilla needs to be put to rest, hence why I fully support anything along the lines of Birdzilla, the Godzilla I posted, and Stan Winston's Godzilla.

But what's the point of making changes for the sake of changes? A fresh spin is only fresh if the mass audience hasn't been familiarized with a classic look that isn't presented in a non-parodic form.

For example, Tim Burton created a wonderfully plain and classic and simple Batman suit for his films. It's a look that the public was incredibly familiar with. Nolan's aesthetic changes and differences and what those changes mean to his overall creative vision wouldn't have nearly as much impact. I look at the Burton Batman and I "get" his Batman, because I can look at Nolan's Batman and "get" it.

We have no reference yet. Only we, as fans do. Proposing a classic Godzilla isn't close-minded fanboyism, it's just wanting a fairly presented big budget version to the public to be reacquainted.

[Gyaos]

I have a very hard time imagining a "classic" Godzilla in an american film. A classic look is fine in a Toho Godzilla film, but thats not gonna fly here.

While that may be true about Batman, Godzilla's classic design is subject to the stereotype of being a man in a rubber suit, Batman isnt. Bringing in a classic design in a film isnt going to work.

Why do you think Michael Bay didnt make his Transformers identical to their G1 counterparts? Probably because the audience doesnt want to see blocky, clunky robots hence why we got the sleeker, more organic looking ones.

[TokyoVigilante]

I have a very hard time imagining a "classic" Godzilla in an american film. A classic look is fine in a Toho Godzilla film, but thats not gonna fly here.

If you told me that Marvel was going to translate the ridiculous styles of Jack Kirby's comic book architecture on film for Thor five years ago, I'd call you a fool. Same with FOX actually using classic yellow uniforms for the X-Men, considering they were horrified at how cheesy they would look and went for bland and standard issue "badass" black leather. The huge surge of fringe nerd characters who are translated basically perfectly from their sources and are completely faithful in both appearance and spirit to those sources shows that there isn't anything unreasonable about using a classic, untarnished Godzilla.

While that may be true about Batman, Godzilla's classic design is subject to the stereotype of being a man in a rubber suit, Batman isnt. Bringing in a classic design in a film isnt going to work.

And Batman was subject to the stereotypes of Adam West. The only thing that separates those costumes is colour and material.

Why do you think Michael Bay didnt make his Transformers identical to their G1 counterparts? Probably because the audience doesnt want to see blocky, clunky robots hence why we got the sleeker, more organic looking ones.

We aren't translating a 2D cell animation to a 3D construction with weight and gravity. We're bridging a gap between live effects and computer generated, but the gap isn't nearly as big.

You take a a "Dinosaurian" Godzilla (which is apparently more realistic. But this mindset is so bizarrely ass backwards it needs its own thread to explain why) and you just create a really detailed dinosaurian model. But then you have a classic Godzilla model, but you make it breath, a heartbeat, you make it look thousands of years old, you give him ticks and twitches, you show the effects on an urban environment when he steps around, you give him and heart and a soul and personality and the "dinosaurian" Godzilla is more fake, despite being "text book" realistic.

Suspension of disbelief is more then just making it look like something out of a text book. If the audience doesn't believe that this creature is what we say he is, it doesn't matter how "fresh" or "more realistic" your design is. If you can ground it in the world in the ways above, an audience will buy it wholesale. And with that in mind, what is the point of changing the design then? change for the sake of change is pointless if it doesn't mean anything to anyone.

[SuperSaiyan4Godzilla]

People confuse "dinosaurian" with "more realistic" too often.

If I make Godzilla look like a dinosaur, it isn't for realism.

[TokyoVigilante]

Making Godzilla dinosaurian, as in look like a Tyrannosaurus makes no sense at all even a little bit. It's entirely motivated by cultural Tyrannosaurus romanticism and it completely overlooks the point that Godzilla is suppose to be an amphibious sea monster of legend.

Actually getting into the physical development of theropods; they're giant headed lanky-legged runners with tiny arms and stubby necks. Ignoring the whole horizontal deal, that's the exact opposite of what Godzilla is. He's a tiny headed, long necked thick legged and mobile armed animal that can swim and saunter around on land.

Like, I'm all for developing ideas like this for the sake of artistic experimentation; I'd love to see more of those. But to go "Look! I've fixed Godzilla. He's better and can be presented to the public. They won't laugh anymore!", is an entirely different deck of cards.

[SuperSaiyan4Godzilla]

Making Godzilla dinosaurian, as in look like a Tyrannosaurus makes no sense at all even a little bit. It's entirely motivated by cultural Tyrannosaurus romanticism and it completely overlooks the point that Godzilla is suppose to be an amphibious sea monster of legend.

Actually getting into the physical development of theropods; they're giant headed lanky-legged runners with tiny arms and stubby necks. Ignoring the whole horizontal deal, that's the exact opposite of what Godzilla is. He's a tiny headed, long necked thick legged and mobile armed animal that can swim and saunter around on land.

Like, I'm all for developing ideas like this for the sake of artistic experimentation; I'd love to see more of those. But to go "Look! I've fixed Godzilla. He's better and can be presented to the public. They won't laugh anymore!", is an entirely different deck of cards.

You also feel as though that we'd be adhering to dinosaurian features completely. You use what fits inside your design parameters.

I would never make Godzilla completely horizontal. I could make him in the traditional kangaroo pasture too. I generally take a middle path between the two. When he runs, its sort of horizontal. When he stands or walk, its sort of vertical. Oh, I know what will help demonstrate this concept. I call it Primal Rage.

Here is Sauron standing:



Now, Ryan, I know you played Primal Rage a lot as a child. Do you recall how the dinosaurs walked forward? Slightly horizontal, tail in the air?



Sorry, I couldn't find any sprites.

I could link you to some designs by other artists that manage to capture Godzilla in a dinosaurian light. However, I think I made a point when it comes to discussing the posture issue. If you want to see the other designs I'm talking about, Facebooky.

And I will never say I "fixed" Godzilla. There's nothing wrong with the designs we've been given (for the most part). I just present variations on a concept.


[I'm using "I" a lot. I'm not taking this personally. I'm discussing what I do as a designer and an artist.]

[Godzillaprime05]

Tokyovigilante certainly has my respect now, but to stay on topic I proposejust going to the original design and freshining it.up, modify it so.the that.the design.would be impossible or difficult to use a rubber suit with and.we.good.

[Godzilla 2000]

Godzilla isnt supposed to be realistic. Thats what makes him awesome in the first place.