Ghost Godzilla - Spirit of the Past

Here is my contribution to the ’s October Art Jam. Here is my interpretation of the unused Toho idea, Ghost Godzilla. I do not like to draw Godzilla, but this gave me a chance to do something from Toho, and have it personalized to my taste. Yeah I know there are images of a Ghost Godzilla out there, but all they are is just a photoshoped white version of the Godzilla 1954 suit with red eyes. Not exactly all that breathtaking of an idea. So I wanted to try and make up one that was a homage to the 54 suit, and yet original in it’s idea.

I mean, when I think of ghosts….ironically I think of life. I know that might seem a bit of a oxymoron but hear me out. Ghosts are dead. They are suppose to be lifeless shells of their former self’s. Often times twisted and bent to more demonized and hellish mirror versions of their past life. This to me is a fighting and conflicting idea to what mortality is. And this is what I wanted to bring to my version of the Ghost Godzilla. Skin as pale as moonlight. Spikes upon his shoulders and legs. Dorsal plates that are twisted and jagged. A heaving chest with open gnashes that ooze and seethe with burning power that lies within the soul itself. Eyes that are like the smoking pits of hell itself. And yet he still manages to have that feral, saurian fanged face from the original 1954 behemoth. It’s all alien, but yet familiar at the same time. I don’t know, but that is the weird little idea I was going for. Not sure if I pulled it off or not. Or just alienated a lot of folks lol I just wanted to make the illustration have life, and not seem so dull. Make the unused monster into something it might have actually been. That is what is great about unused monster ideas that do not have any concept art on them. They have just kinda brief descriptions on them, which leaves the mind a whole host of ideas of how to interpret that. That’s art. And that’s fun! Man I sound like my old college professor……….eesh.

All in all I am really happy with how this came out. 2 whole days start to finish. Which is ungodly fast for me. Usually I lollygag around for a week before I figure out what kind of direction I want to go with, on a piece. This though just seemed to flow off the fingers. Not to sure why. Maybe it is cause I actually got to draw something that came from my own little mind, instead of just trying to do a faithful drawing to a monster from a TV show (looking at you Ultraman!)

Maybe some folks will get a kick out of my own twisted Ghost Godzilla. Then again some might just turn up their noses. Who knows. For me, this was a great experience. Learned out to do smoke pretty easy too from scratch. So if not for anything, at least I learned that Photoshop technique haha. Ok, it is 2 AM, I think it is time for bed. Night all and enjoy the weekend!