Q&A with Thomas Shubilla, author of King Kong vs. Godzilla
Q: What was the inspiration behind the book?
A: I tend to fall into topics when brainstorming ideas. Originally I had an idea to talk about “Monster Rally” films, movies with multiple monsters thrown together like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man or House of Dracula, but when I started to write I decided I wanted to focus on a singular topic and realized that no one had ever written a book about King Kong vs. Godzilla so I called an audible and shifted my focus.
Q: How long have you been a fan of monster films?
A: Always. In the book’s preface, I tell a story about as a kid being glued to the TV with monster movies taped off television by my dad and how my mom watched The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (1964), so they have always been in my life. I started writing about monster movies for Monster Bash magazine and doing so piqued my interest in researching the obscure and forgotten, which I parlayed into writing books about those very subjects.
Q: Do you feel that King Kong vs. Godzilla is the best film of the genre?
A: Certainly not! It may be the most fun to watch, however, and has the most interesting lore, hence the reason an entire book needed to be written about it. In my first two books, I avoided monsters because it was too obvious for me, and I couldn’t think of a topic that hadn’t been broached before in a book. When the idea of King Kong vs. Godzilla hit me, I knew I had something. As for the best Kaiju film? I’ll stick with the original, King Kong (1933).
Q: What is the most interesting thing you learned about King Kong vs Godzilla?
A: I’m biased, but I think everything in the book is interesting If I had to choose, I would pick the fact that the movie across the globe was marketed with a “big fight” feel akin to a pro-wrestling or heavyweight boxing match. I’m a big fan of professional wrestling and enjoyed writing about the comparisons between King Kong vs Godzilla, and professional wrestling at the time was a lot of fun. I also loved talking and learning about the unmade sequels to the film.
Q: Do you talk about the rumor that there are two endings, one Japanese and one American, to King Kong vs. Godzilla? Is it true?
A: ”I don’t think I could get away with NOT including it. I thought about leaving it out, actually, because it's been done to death, but it is a question I received whenever I brought up that I was working on this project. Long story short, it's not true, sort of. You’ll have to read the book for the whole story.
Q: You wrote two books about 1960s pop culture (James Bond and the Sixties Spy Craze and Primetime 1966–1967). What is your fascination with the 1960s?
A: Truth be told, I was born in 1984, but I’ve always had a fascination with the 1960s and 1960s pop culture. I grew up watching shows like Get Smart and Dragnet, listening to 60s rock and roll, and classic monster movies. I just think it was a really interesting time in history. I love learning more about it, and occasionally I feel nostalgic for something I never lived through.
Q: Do you have a process when you write? What inspires you?
A: I don’t think I have a process, per se. I get inspired at weird times or by unique things. I wish I had a specific example. Sometimes I find an interesting fact or piece of information, and I need to get to my computer or write something down in my notebook. Other times it is a slog looking for more information or something interesting. It usually comes in an “eureka” moment.
Q: The book includes an interview with Linda Miller, who was in King Kong Escapes (1967), not King Kong vs. Godzilla. Why did you include the interview?
A: First off, she’s an incredible interviewee and sat with me for more than an hour. She offered invaluable insights into how Toho Studios approached King Kong and the directing process of Ishirō Honda, who directed both films.
Q: How did the foreword by Dana Gould come about?
A: I’ve been on his podcast, “The Dana Gould Hour,” twice now and he’s always said that I write books for “people that are him,” so he was the natural choice. I was introduced by our mutual friend Drew Friedman, and we hit it off from there.
Q: You’re a producer on the documentary about Drew Friedman, right?
A: Yes. The Vermeer of the Borcht Belt. It’s directed by my friend Kevin Dougherty and is out now. Drew is a good friend and also my favorite artist. It was a blast going all across the country to do interviews for the doc and also screening it. It’s available on Amazon and YouTube now.
Q: Are you working on anything else?
A: It’s a top-secret project, but I am working on a book that combines my love of monsters and television. However, like I said, my inspiration can come from anywhere, and I have been known to abandon a project to chase another that I gain a passion for.