03/26/2024
If our exclusive preview of Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II #1 wasn't enough to make you mark your calendars for its April 3 release from IDW Publishing, we suspect hearing from series writer Cullen Bunn will do the tokusatsu comic book trick. We connected with Bunn to talk all things Godzilla, including of course, his kaiju toy collection. Spoiler: it's on the morphenomenal side. Read the full interview with Cullen Bunn below:
Godzilla.com: You’re the returning writer on Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II. Did you already have an idea in mind for this sequel series after you finished the first?
Cullen Bunn: When I was working on the original Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, there were a lot of big, wild ideas that we simply didn’t have room to incorporate into an already packed issue. Those ideas, most of which I loved simply for their audacity, fused together into what would become this new series. But, let’s face it, I’ve been preparing for this kind of book, noodling with ideas like this, since I was a little kid.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t think anyone would let us get away with the concepts you’re going to see in this book. Simply put, we took the idea of creating a Godzilla and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic and ran with the concept in the craziest directions imaginable. Power Rangers fans won’t believe what they get here. Godzilla fans won’t believe what they’re gonna get. And, on the other side, both fandoms will have something very new and cool to love.
Godzilla.com: You’ve teamed up with series artist Baldemar Rivas before on your creator-owned series Unearth. How did the two of you come together for Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II?
Bunn: I called in a few Godzilla-sized favors, I guess. Actually, though, I think our editor reached out to him first. At the time, I was living under the assumption he didn’t have the time or bandwidth for the project. He made the time, though, and I couldn’t be more excited. Baldemar is one of my favorite artists. He’s fun to work with, and I had a gut feeling that he would do something with this story unlike anything readers had seen. Little did I know he was going to create an art masterpiece on the page.
Godzilla.com: How did you prepare to write this series from the Godzilla side? Do you have any go-to Godzilla movies?
Bunn: I’m a fan of all Godzilla movies, all eras, but there are a few flicks I return to again and again. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is an evergreen favorite from the Showa era, as is Godzilla vs. Gigan (the first Godzilla movie I saw in a theater, by the way). I love-love-love the Heisei era of Godzilla movies, and I return to all of those quite frequently. I think they’re all bangers, really. And, for pure craziness, I watched Godzilla: Final Wars to get the gears turning.
Godzilla.com: This series is promising to include quite a few Godzilla kaiju. Other than Godzilla, which kaiju from the Toho canon is your favorite and why?
Bunn: As a kid, King Caesar would have taken top marks time and time again. There was just something about his design that really appealed to me. Jet Jaguar also ranked high for me. Sleek monster-punching robots have a special place in my heart. I must admit, though, that SpaceGodzilla and Battra (especially Battra's larval form) have possibly taken the top spots these days. Let’s face it. Both of those kaiju are pretty metal in terms of design.
Godzilla.com: This story pulls from two of the most beloved tokusatsu canons of all time. If Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II got a movie, who would you want to see direct it?
Bunn: Takashi Yamazaki, director of Godzilla Minus One would certainly be one heck of a choice, don’t you think? Of course, so would Shinji Higuchi of Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman. I think either of those directors would make one awesome movie.
Godzilla.com: We ask almost everyone this: What’s your Godzilla toy collection looking like these days?
Bunn: The collection has grown and contracted and grown again over the years. As a kid, I had the Godzilla Gang collection, which was mostly Ultraman monsters along with Godzilla. In the '90s, I had a pretty big Bandai Godzilla toy collection. These days, I have a handful of those S.H. MonsterArts figures, some big Godzilla and Battra figures, a handful of Trendmasters figures, and some sofubi Godzilla and Rodan figures. The Godzilla sofubi, which is a "burning" version, is one of my favorite pieces. And, yes, I still have the Godzilla Shogun Warrior I had as a kid. He’s a little rough around the edges, but I love it dearly.