Generations of Superfans

[canofhumdingers]

Oh, G-fest attendance is another good metric. I’ve been three times (2005, 2008? Or 9?, and 2019)

I never subscribed to G-fan but I do buy an occasional copy if I see one at a comic shop or newsstand.

Also, there’s definitely more generations of fans in the wings. My kids came with me in 2019 for their first g-fest and they keep asking me when we’ll go back (spoiler, I just booked a hotel for 2023 the other day). My 8yo son also just spent the cash he earned doing a lemonade stand in the neighborhood on a Burning Godzilla MMS vinyl. And he’s already asking me to watch the Japanese versions with subtitles!

[Legion1979]

I subscribed to G-Fan the instant I knew it existed and from 1995 to around 2000 there were few things I looked forward to more when my mother would bring in the mail. But the way the editor burned so many bridges with collaborators always left a bad taste in my mouth. I stopped subscribing but still managed to get every new issue.

The last issue I bought was in 2004. By then the magazine didn't offer me anything I didn't already know or couldn't find on the internet. For anyone who still buys current issues, what's even in it aside from COVID denial, anti vaxx sentiment and blackface defense?

[UltramanGoji]

The last issue I bought was in 2004. By then the magazine didn't offer me anything I didn't already know or couldn't find on the internet. For anyone who still buys current issues, what's even in it aside from COVID denial, anti vaxx sentiment and blackface defense?

Last issue I bought was the Fall 2020 issue (I finally managed to get a subscription after so many years starting in Winter of 2019) and haven't renewed since. The only things really in it anymore are John LeMay (author of the "Big Book of Japanese Monsters" and others) articles which are generally pretty good (he did a few pieces on the Champion Festival in some of the recent issues) and a few think-pieces here and there that aren't really all that interesting. Steve Agin's still doing his pointless dealer advertisements "toy report" in every issue. It's definitely a relic at this point, I don't even see the need to buy issues as collection pieces anymore. Once the magazine stops publishing maybe I'll set a goal to get every issue but if it's gonna keep going ad infinitum, I don't really think I need to waste my money on it. There's other monster magazines out there like Horrorhound, Rue Morgue, and Scary Monster that are far more worthy of my time.

[Legion1979]

Holy crap, Agin is still doing product reports in this thing?! With all the fantastic knowledgeable collectors and dealers out there, the fact that this numbnuts is the magazine's go-to toy guy pretty much says it all.

[edgaguirus]

I only have a few copies of G-Fan, and only because they have articles I wanted, like the one on GTS.

[Creature22]

I subscribed briefly as a kid around when “Final Wars” was coming out, but it seemed like they were very quickly running out of things to write about with no new movies coming in. The article content could get a little cringe as well.

With that in mind, I’m not sure if I’m Generation 2 or 3 here. Maybe an in-between. We’re talking that post-1998 fallout when stores and retailers wouldn’t touch the franchise with a ten foot pole. Mail-order service came a little later, but until that point I really had to train myself to deal with disappointment. Best word I could describe it with is “frustrating”.

Interestingly, I didn’t get to see the 1998 or 2000 movies in theaters, but DID get to see the uncut 1954 version when it re-released in 2004. So I have my ticket stub for that.

[eabaker]

I subscribed briefly as a kid around when “Final Wars” was coming out, but it seemed like they were very quickly running out of things to write about with no new movies coming in. The article content could get a little cringe as well.

With that in mind, I’m not sure if I’m Generation 2 or 3 here. Maybe an in-between. We’re talking that post-1998 fallout when stores and retailers wouldn’t touch the franchise with a ten foot pole. Mail-order service came a little later, but until that point I really had to train myself to deal with disappointment. Best word I could describe it with is “frustrating”.

Interestingly, I didn’t get to see the 1998 or 2000 movies in theaters, but DID get to see the uncut 1954 version when it re-released in 2004. So I have my ticket stub for that.

If you were a "kid" when Final Wars came out, I'd say that puts you in Gen 3.

[GodzillaXGomoraFight]

I guess you can call me a Gen 3 but I don't share a lot of the traits listed. Here are some fun facts about me and the fandom:

1. Started in the fandom back in 1998 with my first ever Godzilla film (1985) and the GINO movie. Have some OG merch from when it came out.

2. Have both Anchor Bay VHS set and the Classic Media box set as my first sets of films. The Official Godzilla Compendium by Lees and Cerasini was my Bible.

3. Atari games and the 50th anniversary were big milestones for me as a fan. I got Final Wars on bootleg from eBay dubbed in Thai and collected all of the Sony releases.

4. I don't own a single autograph nor have I ever been to G-Fest (maybe I'll go for my first convention next year)

5. Migrated my collection from VHS and DVD to almost only Blu-Ray now

6. Frequent Bandai and Monsterarts consumer but I seldom buy or read the comics

7. Watch a decent amount of Godzilla YouTube to pass the time or hear some wild takes

8. Did go to the theater for every Monsterverse movie and Shin Godzilla

9. Generally lukewarm to Reiwa with the exception if Monsterverse (more of a hot take than a general fan attribute)

I would say I have older sensibilities as a fan but I am a Heisei sympathizer lmao.

[Angilasman]

I'm generally astounded by how mainstream love for these movies - and really the entire genre (with things like the entire Gamera series and most Ultraman shows being so widely available) has become. When I was younger, it felt like such a smaller cult than all those other cult followings like superheroes or Star Trek or whatever. Now, it feels like an equal to those.

I mean, yeah, we've had three major Hollywood films starring Godzilla, but the majority of memes, gifs, a great degree of the fan art, so much stuff is from the Japanese films. And somehow Toho has been better through merchandising then the Hollywood side of things ever has, which is wild!

[H-Man]

Age-wise, I'm in Generation 2. I had VHS tapes of all the films, including the Video Treasures Godzilla Raids Again before it became rare. I stayed up late to tape both Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster and Godzilla on Monster Island off of Network Television, but later upgraded to store-bought VHS. I didn't get into G-Fan until 1998 or so and only collected for a year or two. I got my Heisei films from Revok and Video Daikaiju. I still have my Trendmaster toys that I got on sale from K.B. Toys.

However, I didn't go to G-Fest the year it was held in Los Angeles (I'm from Northern California) and that is one of my big life regrets. I did, however, ask around Japantown for Megumi Odaka's album, but I'm sure it was far too obscure for anyone to remember by 2000.

So, not quite a superfan.

[Major sssspielberg!]

I guess I'm Gen 3. Feels good man, I like our clique. My first kaiju film was Mothra vs Godzilla on scimitar VHS in 1999 or 2000. Didn't find out about the larger community until I read Tsutsui's book in '04.
One of my prized possessions is a signed pack of Marb reds by Tsutomu Kitagawa, who signed my pack in return for a smoke and a light.
I also had the pleasure of taking a picture for Megumi Odaka and her partner at the Crowne Plaza!

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

Age-wise I'm probably Gen 3 but then again, I absolutely have several VHS recordings of Godzilla movies somewhere in my basement and I did subscribe to G-Fan back when it was actually good so I'm gonna go with Generation 2.5.

[MogeGoji1994]

I’m a certified (offshoot) Gen 3 Showa Snob, and I’ll wear it on my sleeve!

• Criterion Set
  Complains about SHMA
  Have the Heisei/Millennium Box set but never watch them that much.
  Watches Shin on blu ray and Amazon Prime
  Saw the anime films and SP on Netflix
  G14 was my first Godzilla cinema experience.
  Loved Godzilla: Unleashed
  Played Godzilla: Daikaiju Battle Royale

this is way too similar to me its freaking me out! Hahahahaah

[StardustGenius]

I have no idea. I'm in my late 30s, so I am an older Millenial Godzilla fan. I think the Showa era movies are the best, but I'm not exactly a Showa snob either, because folks like that are unbearable online and IRL. I'm a trained historian, and archivist by profession so my view on the franchise, and tokusatsu in general also takes into account what's going on behind the scenes and in the public in general. I'm kind of an odd one out at large, because my views don't really line up with any one particular group. I like to think I am a more researched and well learned person in the fandom, not focused strictly to Godzilla, but Asian genre films in general, but the snobbery from other folks like that really turns me off real bad. On the other hand, I think the general dismissiveness and anti-intellectualism in parts of the fandom makes me worry, not about the fandom, as people who will care will always show up and do things to make it better and create things, but worry in general about the fate of the world.

I still think the Showa era is the best era for many reasons, but "Muh Showa" posts make me roll my eyes, I think the Heisei and Millenium films are flawed, but I think there's some pretty damn good sequences in them, appreciate for the craft, and I enjoy as something to have in the back while I'm doing stuff. I think the MV films are loud Hollywood stuff, but I don't mind that. Hearing RUINED FOREVER posts forever in the Transformers fandom, has made me naturally dismissive of posts like that in tokusatsu fandom. They sound like old folks shaking their hands at clouds or whatever. I like action figures, but don't consider myself a "consoomer", and the tribalism everywhere, ESPECIALLY that god forsaken FB Collectors group is in need of a good knuckling, a few chops, and boots to the face. In the end, I'm just a fan who has a passion for this kind of stuff, and seeing the general grouchiness in parts of this fandom is a bummer of sorts. Some folks are happy Bagan shows up in some kind of media and some asshole goes "oh hooray." What a maroon! Like "how dare they be happy for something?" Gimme a break folks.