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Godzilla is one of the most recognizable monsters in film, and he should be. After all, he is part of the longest running film franchise in the world, but you might be surprised to learn that his history in literature is just as prolific. Without his giant footsteps paving the way, we wouldn’t have the female kaijū Mothra, who is perhaps even more beloved.

In this episode, Dr. Zarka shows how kaijū are deeply rooted in past events in Japan including the deployment of nuclear weapons there during World War II. She explains how both Godzilla and Mothra serve as metaphors and looks at how these monsters continue to shed light on social history. #godzilla #mothra #kaiju #MonstrumPBS

To learn more about Godzilla's WWII roots check head over Origin of Everything:    • How WWII Created Godzilla & Mecha Robots  

Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Stephanie Noone
Illustrator: Samuel Allen
Editor: Derek Borsheim
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Balmain, Colette. Introduction to Japanese Horror Film. Edinburgh University Press (2008)
Godzilla: Oblivion, IDW (2016)
Godzilla: Awakening, Legendary Comics (2014)
Godzilla King of Monsters, Dark Horse Classics (1987, 1998)
Godzilla In Hell, IDW Publishing (2015)
Godzilla, Dark Horse Comics (1988)
Godzilla The HalfCentury War, IDW Publishing (2012)
Godzilla: Rage Across Time, IDW Publishing (2016)
Gojira. Dir. Ishirō Honda. Toho, 1954. TransWorld Releasing Corporation, 1956.

Godzilla, King of the Monsters!. Dir. Ishirō Honda and Terry Morse.

Godzilla. Dir. Gareth Edwards. Warner Brothers Pictures, 2014.

Igarashi, Yoshikuni. Bodies of Memory: Narratives of War in Postwar Japanese Culture, 19451970, Princeton University Press, 2000.

Kalat, David (2010). A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series(2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co.
McRoy, Jay. Nightmare Japan: Contemporary Japanese Horror Cinema (2008)
Ryfle, Steve; Godziszewski, Ed (2017). Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa. Wesleyan University Press.

Tsutsui, William M., and Michiko Itō. In Godzilla's Footsteps : Japanese Pop Culture Icons on the Global Stage, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.

http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/japan...