We sit down for a quick interview with Hector Arce, Creative Director, Toys and Collectibles at Mondo. The company has been quite prolific, though, in items related to Godzilla. This includes their diverse Godzilla Museum Line while also having a number of items lined up for Godzilla’s 67th birthday last month. A lot of this interview, though, is focused on the recent Mothra: Tokyo SOS Premium Scale Statue that Mondo released.

Thanks goes out to Jacob Haas for leading this interview!

Jacob Haas: I’d like to jump in and start talking about the 2003 Mothra statue that Mondo is releasing. The box art for the statue was quite stellar. How did you go about in finding the right artist?

Hector Arce: The box art turned out great!! It was created by the super talented Tom Whalen. He’s been doing artwork and prints for many many years. He’s also a HUGE Godzilla fan and we love his work. So, reaching out to him seemed like a no brainer. We were lucky enough to have him say yes and he totally knocked it out of the park. You can check out his stuff here: http://www.strongstuff.net/

Haas: What made you decide on the Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S (2003) Mothra over some of the character’s previous appearances in the Godzilla franchise?

Arce: We love Mothra’s look from Tokyo SOS and felt this particular design doesn’t get much love. So that was our main motivation behind choosing her look. Giving fans something that feels new and fresh is always the goal!

Haas: The accessories for this statue were phenomenal. Were there any other accessories that was being considered for this product?

Arce: Thank you! We were pretty much set on what the accessories should be. The Larva were the 1st and only choice for this one.

Haas: How did you decide on the pose for the statue and were there any iconic scenes from the movies that were considered during the creative process?

Arce: The pose was decided on what would best represent the character. There are nods to the movie of course, but in the end it was more about showing Mothra in all her glory. I think what really sets her apart from other Mothra Collectibles out there is that she is angled upward which allows a full view of her wings and body. Traditionally a lot of Mothra collectibles have her flat on her legs which limits how much you can really see.

Haas: What was the process like for Mothra (concept, design, sculpt)?

Arce: It was pretty straightforward and collaborative. The sculpting process took the longest because we were very meticulous with all her details. In the end it turned out great. Painting it was another challenge trying to interpret all her fur and wing colors in a cohesive way.

Haas: What sort of feedback did Toho provide during the creative process of this statue, if any?

Arce: Surprisingly there was very little feedback! They loved it all the way through.

Haas: This is a limited run statue. Are there any plans for a reissue in the future?

Arce: Not currently, but we have plans for some other characters in a large format like the Mothra and Godzilla 89 in 2022! A certain 3 headed monster may be heading our way soon… 😉