Exclusive Interview: Tom Scioli Talks 'Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre'

Through the power of comic books, Godzilla has encountered everyone from The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to historical pirates, but this October paves way for an unprecedented confrontation with high school required reading in Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre #1 from IDW Publishing.

Written, illustrated, and colored by Tom Scioli (Fantastic Four: Grand Design, Transformers vs G.I. Joe), the three-issue miniseries will pit Godzilla against none other than The Great Gatsby as F. Scott Fitzgerald's literary icon partners with the 20th century's greatest historical heroes to stop the King of the Monsters. We got in touch with Scioli to hear more about his inspirations for the book, his plans for filling each issue's 48-page format, and, of course, his Godzilla toy collection. Read on for the full interview below.

Godzilla.com: Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre kicks off in the 1920s, basically 100 years ago. What drew you to this time period?

Tom Scioli: It’s a story about the 1920’s told in the 2020’s. I’ve never seen a Godzilla story set in this era. I like the idea of Godzilla in a New York City where early automobiles share the road with horse-drawn ice wagons. It places Godzilla in the era of silent film, an era that is before comic books, before King Kong, but not so far in the distant past as to completely change the dynamics of a Godzilla story into something unrecognizable.

Godzilla.com: You’ve posted a number of unused Godzilla comic pitches online over the past year or so. What do you think pushed Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre through to publication?

Tom Scioli: This series was the end result of an ongoing conversation with a series of editors over a number of years. I knew I had a Godzilla story in me and it was a matter of finding the right one. You’ve got to strike the right balance for it to feel like a real Godzilla story and this one has that balance.

Godzilla.com: Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre will consist of three issues with 40 story pages. What made this the best format for your story?

Tom Scioli: Go big with Godzilla. I’ve done a lot of comics in the 20-page format. It’s a great format. It’s fun. It’s lean and mean, but Godzilla needs as big a stage as you can find. I think there’s a sweet spot when you go beyond 20 pages. Jack Kirby’s best comics were those 24-26 page New Gods issues. The classic Eastman and Laird Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were around 38 pages. The Dark Knight was around 45 pages. There’s room to let a story unfold. Godzilla will have time to rampage and Gatsby will have room to live his fabulous life.

Godzilla.com: A number of recent comic series, including IDW’s Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons, reimagine and Godzilla in different points of history. What do you think makes Godzilla so transcendent?

Tom Scioli: I’ve thought about this a lot. Why are we so fascinated with Godzilla, generation after generation? First off, it’s a great name. “Gojira” is an interesting word, but there’s a magical pop art alchemy going on in the series of syllables that form “Godzilla.”

You could dissect the character and take the elements apart, which I do to a certain extent in this comics series. There’s all those things Godzilla can symbolize. Godzilla is big and scary. Godzilla cannot be destroyed. Godzilla has a great sardonic facial expression. He looks angry and annoyed, but also looks like he’s having the time of his life. We like Godzilla. We fear Godzilla. There’s that alternating allegiance we have as viewers/readers which is very captivating. If I had to boil it down to one thing, it’s this: Godzilla is speaking to the reptile brain, the oldest layer of the brain, that’s buried way deep down. Everything else is built on top of that. Godzilla speaks to an ancient elemental part of our psyche. Our dark side. For that reason it’s always going to have an allure.

Godzilla.com: We ask everyone these: What’s your favorite Godzilla movie or other piece of media, and how big is your Godzilla toy collection?

Tom Scioli: I was just talking to somebody about how if Godzilla is in a movie, you know it’s going to be good. My favorite film? I love the original Gojira. That was a real revelation. Up until that point, I thought of Godzilla as cheesy fun. Then they started showing the original uncut Gojira on tv instead of the Raymond Burr King of the Monsters version, which has its own charms, but Gojira is the real deal. It’s a masterpiece. It’s probably the best film in cinematic terms but I don’t know if it’s my personal favorite. I love Terror of Mechagodzilla, especially in the opening credits where we get a dynamic recut of the previous Mechagodzilla movie (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla). For a while Shin Godzilla was my favorite, and Godzilla Minus One has been a contender for the top spot, but the first Godzilla movie I ever loved is Godzilla vs. Megalon and it’s one I keep going back to, so I have to say that’s my favorite. Jet Jaguar Forever!

I have a pretty respectable Godzilla toy collection. I always wanted the Shogun Warriors Godzilla. One of the older kids in the neighborhood had one, but I never got one. Maybe someday, but the longer I wait, the more expensive and harder to find they get. I bought the Super7 mini replica of the Shogun Godzilla and later upgraded to the larger Super7 one with the launching fist. I like the Super7 format, basically the old Kenner 1970’s Star Wars format, and I have many of those. Moguera, King Ghidorah, Jet Jaguar. The Anguirus toy is great, but you have to be careful handling it because of the spikes.

I have a few of those super-articulated Bandai Godzillas, but I don’t like them nearly as much as the clunky old-school stuff. I have the Godzilla target firing game from the '90s. I also like the recent Godzilla board game. I have one of those ubiquitous rubber Godzilla’s from the '70s. Godzilla is a well-represented corner of my collection. My Evel Knievel stunt cycle has jumped over several of my Godzillas. I have a longbox of classic Godzilla comics from Marvel, Dark Horse, etc. along with the newer books from IDW. I look forward to adding my own series to that collection.