Monster Discussion #22: Kumonga (Showa)

[DoctorMafune]

Ah, well... I tried.

http://www.tohokingdom.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7318

With a tip of the hat to Robert Fulghum, these are the things I learned from this thread...

1. If you suggest that chili sometimes contains tomatoes, someone will tell you that saying that chili “is made out of tomatoes” is “incredibly silly.” (After all, everyone knows that chili is always made the same way, and it has nothing to do with tomatoes.)

2. If you object to the phrase “incredibly silly,” then you have a problem. There’s nothing anti-social about people who like to call other people’s (misquoted) ideas, “incredibly silly.”

3. Objecting to the term “incredibly silly” proves that you’re childish.

4. The way to demonstrate to a childish person the “mind-blowing” nature of objecting to words like “incredibly silly” is to use new words, like “incredibly shallow.” This is the essence of maturity.

5. If you point out, in some detail, that chili may well contain tomatoes, beans, spices and flour, and that in some chilis, the flavor of the tomatoes may add something integral to the mix, while in others, the spices or beans are probably more important, and in most, it’s the blend of ingredients that makes the chili, you will be told that your obsession with tomatoes is “incredibly superficial.”

6. If you object to being faulted by a third person — who only read what the other guys said — and who also takes issue with your apparent obsession with tomatoes, you will be reminded that they are not piling on... they’re just disagreeing with your obsession with tomatoes.

7. If you invite all these people over to a cook-off, to compare favorite chili recipes, they’ll prefer to stay here and complain about people who think that chili is based on tomatoes. “What is it based on?” “Who knows? Shut up, and let’s find some new ways to heckle the guy who’s obsessed with tomatoes.”

Enjoy the beans.

(For those who just joined us, the Great Tomato Exchange started on p. 2.)

“I didn’t start it, Councilman... but I’m liable to finish it.”
Captain James T. Kirk

“People are crazy, and times are strange. I’m locked in tight... I’m outa range... I used to care, but... things have changed.”
Bob Dylan

[Rody]

Can we please stay on topic?
@ King Caesar, I have no idea. Anyone else have an answer?

[Gojira-Fan]

Doctor Mafune, you're taking his comment way too personally.

[therealmccoy]

So about that giant daikaiju-eating spider...What's the deal with his eyes changing colors? They were when he rolled over on his back, but blueish when he was standing...seems like an intricate detail that Toho didn't normally apply to monsters.

They use that sometimes with bug type monsters, like how Battra's eyes grow dim when he dies.

They used it for Showa Mothra, too. Both when she died in Mothra vs. Godzilla and when she woke up in Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster. Plus both Showa and Millennium Kamacuras too, I think.

[King Caesar]

Man, Kumonga was the only one I noticed. Lol wow I need to see some of these movies again.

[Giga Kaiju]

Kumonga is an underated monster compared to MechaGodzilla, Gigan or Ghidorah but he makes fo it as a "Basic Monster"
not over the top powers or abilities like them just average. one of the Creepiest as well and more for whoever is an Arachcnophobic.

[Rody]

Like Kamacuras, I've been recently wondering were Toho got the inspiration for Kumonga. Is his design completely original, or is he based off of a real species?

[Berzerkgodzilla]

I always thought I her design as a mix of various spider species (And yes I called Kumonga a her, that's what I like to refer to KUmonga as due to female spider's generally being larger and more agressive)

[Destroyer]

I really like this monster. He takes the term 'spider' to a whole new level. Love the fact that he alone could take on the big G back in the day. Truly an underrated one.

[Living Corpse]

I really like this monster. He takes the term 'spider' to a whole new level. Love the fact that he alone could take on the big G back in the day. Truly an underrated one.

Yeah it's interesting that Showa Godzilla had not one but two equals, the first being Rodan and the other being Kumonga. King Ghidorah would be in hell if he had to fight all three since it's be like fighting three Godzilla's at once. I don't count Kong because he's over the place, not charged he's weaker then G, charged he's stronger then G.

[zilla103192]

You know, I have never REALLY given kumonga a thought.

I actually really like Kumonga. He is a bad ass kaiju. He is so simplistic, But really cool.

his mouth freaks me out though...

[CatfaceFourtoes]

I like Kumonga because it represents one of the great giant bug monsters in the Toho pantheon, seemingly controlling it's earthly domain while Ebirah prowls the sea and Mothra the sky. I often think of how awesome Monster Island would be as the backdrop to a Resident Evil 4/Shadow of The Colossus type of game, featuring these grisly giant arthropods, among other monsters Imagine just stumbling upon their resting place while wandering about as a human sized character. Toho really brought the competition when it came to giant bugs in movies. Kumonga is definitely the most ferocious giant bug in the roster, with the possible exception of mr. drillbits himself, Megalon, with all the electricity and napalm blasting and cockroach screaming and such.

[Living Corpse]

Ebirah's a crustacean, not a bug. =/

[Rody]

Ebirah's a crustacean, not a bug. =/

Close enough.

I always thought I her design as a mix of various spider species (And yes I called Kumonga a her, that's what I like to refer to KUmonga as due to female spider's generally being larger and more agressive)

I do wonder about Kumonga's official gender. Is "it" automatically male?
Personally I think Kumonga would be a great choice for a female kaiju, for basically the same reason as Berzerkgodzilla.

[Tyler]

I always thought I her design as a mix of various spider species (And yes I called Kumonga a her, that's what I like to refer to KUmonga as due to female spider's generally being larger and more agressive)

Well consider this... if Kumonga's male imagine a female.

[Berzerkgodzilla]

Goddamn that would be scary.

[Rody]

Well consider this... if Kumonga's male imagine a female.

YIKES!!!

[Destroyer]

Yeah it's interesting that Showa Godzilla had not one but two equals, the first being Rodan and the other being Kumonga. King Ghidorah would be in hell if he had to fight all three since it's be like fighting three Godzilla's at once. I don't count Kong because he's over the place, not charged he's weaker then G, charged he's stronger then G.

Especially Rodan, he would have beaten Godzilla in GTTHM. Love the scene where he literally picked up the big G and threw him.

With that said, I really like Kumonga's sound, very spider-like. I just love how he appeared, clobbered Kamacuras, then went to take on the big G, good stuff.

[Rody]

I actually wish there was more of a fight between the two critters. Basically, Kamacuras shows up, tries to fly away, and gets sprayed in silk. End of fight.

[Living Corpse]

Love the scene where he literally picked up the big G and threw him.

The one where Rodan drops Godzilla on a tower crotch first, dubbed the "dick drop" by James? Yeah that needs to be one of his throw attacks for a future game.

Since Rodan let Mothra climb on him so she can web up Ghidorah's heads and blind him I wouldn't put it past Rodan to lift up Konunga so it can fire rain down poison barbs on the battlefield.