The Internet went mainstream in American homes in the mid-1990s, and so did Mark Godzilla’s Page. The brainchild of Caltech graduate student Mark Meloon, Mark’s Godzilla Page, which stomped across the World Wide Web from 1993 until 1997, is recognized today as the first major website dedicated to the King of the Monsters in Internet history. In October 2024, Mr. Meloon answered Brett Homenick’s questions about his celebrated web page in his first interview on the subject since closing the site.

Brett Homenick: Let’s begin by talking about your early life. When and where were you born?

Mark Meloon: I was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1970. I feel fortunate to have been raised there. At the time, it was one of those cities rated “best to live in” by magazines.

BH: What else do you remember about your early years?

MM: The cold winters! The humid summers. But the spring and fall were beautiful with the changing colors of the trees. We don’t get that in California. There was also a sense of being friendly with neighbors. When I moved out to Pasadena in 1992, how people treated each other was a culture shock. People had no interest in knowing or helping anyone outside their sphere of close friends.

BH: How did you become interested in Godzilla?

MM: As a kid, I was into dinosaurs — who wasn’t? — and watching giant ones fighting each other was a real kick!

BH: In the beginning, which Godzilla and other kaiju movies did you like?

MM: I was pretty indiscriminating. I remember having Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) on VHS and watching it over and over with my brother. And I remember laughing my ass off at the bizarre animation sequences in Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971). I was thrilled with my copy of Famous Monsters of Filmland with stills from Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964).

BH: Were there any movies you didn’t particularly like?

MM: I doubt it. I would even watch non-Godzilla Toho movies. I remember watching Mothra (1961) with my mother one night in the basement. And, while I thought the idea of a mecha-Kong was silly, I would watch that, too.

BH: By the time you started growing up and entered college, had your interest in Godzilla changed at all?

MM: I noticed an ad in the newspaper for Godzilla 1985 (1984) but had lost interest at that point. And, throughout college, I had no interest at all. That all changed when I entered grad school in the ‘90s. I had full access to the Internet, and then the World Wide Web took off.

BH: What led to the creation of Mark’s Godzilla Page?

MM: Before the Web, there were Usenet newsgroups and Dave Milner’s email list. I discovered that the Japanese were still making Godzilla movies as part of the Heisei series! Then I happened to stumble on Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) on HBO one day, and the special effects blew me away.

I still remember a fellow student showing me this new thing called the World Wide Web. We were viewing it on NCSA’s Mosaic browser, which was pretty much all there was back then. But I was immediately hooked on creating web pages. Usenet wasn’t user-friendly, and I realized this was my chance to help people discover the Heisei series.

BH: How were you able to promote it back then?

MM: I’m sure I started by promoting it in the Usenet groups. Then someone — maybe me — submitted it to the early search engines, like Yahoo and AltaVista. It snowballed after that. Other Godzilla pages sprung up, all citing mine as their inspiration. At one point, the Discovery Channel interviewed me and played the two-minute clip in the breaks between the ending of one show and the start of the next. Apparently, they played it a lot, and that gave me a lot of exposure.

BH: Did you have a specific goal in mind when you launched it?

MM: It started as a way of helping the public find out about the Heisei series, but I ended up making it a one-stop shop for all things Godzilla. There were win-loss stats, lots of photos I scanned in from Japanese Godzilla magazines, plot summaries of all the movies, etc.

I also provided links to individuals who sold Godzilla toys and models from Japan, like Bandai figures. There was no eBay or other means of buying toys if you lived in the U.S. These sellers would go to Japan, buy a lot of stuff, and sell it back home. But you had to know of the existence of these dealers. Anyone who visited my page found info on how to contact them.

BH: Generally speaking, how long would you work on the website in a given day or week?

MM: I was in grad school. Getting through the classes and qualifying exams is tough, but, once you stop taking classes and start conducting original research, there aren’t weekly deadlines, so you had a lot of flexibility in your schedule. I would work hard during the day, eat dinner back home, and then return to campus to work on my web page.

Again, this was the very start of the WWW, and there were no web page editors. I had to edit the HTML text file using a simple text editor — “vi” on Unix systems — save it, and refresh my browser to see how it looked. It was painstaking. I would guess I spent about 10 hours a week on it, either editing the pages, scanning in photos, or answering emails about it.

BH: Do you know how many people accessed the site when it was online?

MM: No, I’ve forgotten the numbers. But, again, this was being shown on the Discovery Channel, and nearly every other Godzilla page had a link to mine. I’m sure the visitor count was impressive.

BH: For readers who may be unfamiliar with Mark’s Godzilla Page, how would you describe it to them?

MM: It was picture-heavy! I bought a lot of Japanese magazines to scan photos from. I had a page for each monster featuring at least two color photos of it. I wanted to catch people’s attention.

BH: What did you find most difficult about maintaining the website?

MM: There wasn’t anything like good web design back then. Everyone was simply cobbling pages and images together. And, like I said, it was a matter of manually changing the HTML code, saving the file, and refreshing the browser. You could spend a couple of hours like that and still not get something you were pleased with.

There was also the nagging feeling that I shouldn’t be using university resources on this. I decided to volunteer as a Unix system administrator assistant, so I felt like I was giving back.

BH: Was the page expensive to maintain?

MM: No, because I was doing this at grad school. I had access to high-speed internet for free! I didn’t have to pay for bandwidth or storage or anything. I was very fortunate.

BH: What were your sources of information at the time?

MM: It started with Usenet and Dave Milner’s email list. But soon I discovered G-Fan magazine by J. D. Lees. I made connections with several toy dealers who regularly went to Japan, and they would come back with rumors and other news.

BH: Were you in touch with any notable members of Godzilla fandom when you had the site?

MM: It’s funny that, even though Milner helped me discover the Heisei series, I didn’t speak with him at all. I don’t know why. I became friends with Chris Scalf, a talented artist who made gorgeous Godzilla art.

BH: You also did a couple of television interviews at the time. What could you tell us about these?

MM: The Discovery Channel shoot came at just the right time. My father had just passed away, and, at the age of 25, I was stuck being the executor of his will. And there were troubling circumstances about his death that took [their] toll on me. It was a fun experience, and they did a great job with the interview.

I hope the second interview never saw the light of day; I don’t know if it did. Another TV show that I wasn’t familiar with wanted to do a feature on me. This time I decided to get official approval from campus. They were fine with it as long as it wasn’t “one of those pseudoscience programs.” This was Caltech, you see. They were afraid I’d appear as “Caltech scientist says…” to promote a conspiracy theory.

Anyhow, I laughed about that to the film crew when they arrived, and they went silent. I don’t know if that meant they did that kind of stuff, too. There was also a clip where they wanted me to play-fight with my figures, and I did. I felt bad immediately after doing it. Like I said, I hope it never aired — they never reached out to me again.

BH: Later on, other Godzilla websites started to pop up, such as Barry’s Temple of Godzilla. At the time, what did you think of these other sites?

MM: I was glad that other sites were growing. Barry was a great guy. There was a Connie Goodnow who had a site, too. I was all for others putting their spin on promoting Godzilla. I know some of them were interviewed by newspapers, too.

BH: Is there anything else you’d like to cover about your site that we haven’t already discussed?

MM: (laughs) It was primitive by today’s standards, of course. And, because I was using school computers, I had to go to my office in the evenings to work on my page. And scanners were hard to come by, so I had to go to the main computer lab for that. It’s not like I was sitting comfortably at home, building and maintaining this thing.

BH: I understand you were able to wear a promotional Godzilla suit. How did that come about, and what do you remember from that experience?

MM: One year, for L.A.’s Little Tokyo celebration, they were able to get Toho Studios to send them a promotional Godzilla suit that could be used for events. The organizers knew nothing about Godzilla, did a Web search, and realized they had an expert in their backyard — I was in nearby Pasadena.

They had someone lined up to wear the suit for public appearances but let me get in and walk around behind the scenes. It started as a dream come true, but there are only small holes in the neck, which you use to see, hear, and breathe out of. After a few minutes, I was ready to come out. I had no idea I was claustrophobic! But it was great to be part of the team that had Godzilla appear at multiple appearances. Oh, and the poor guy in the suit was sweating bullets! It’s a hot, heavy suit, particularly in L.A.!

BH: When did you stop working on Mark’s Godzilla Page?

MM: It was when I left grad school, so it was a natural time to stop. But there were two other reasons I finally stopped.

Remember the fact that I was promoting toy dealers? I was only promoting the ones I had experience with. And they were giving me free stuff as thanks. Eventually, I had another dealer I wasn’t familiar with ask me to add a link to him. I was reluctant, so he replied, “Oh, I get it. I can read between the lines. What do I have to give you?” That irritated me. I had started the page out of a desire to introduce people to Godzilla. Now, people’s finances were being dictated by whether they were on my page or not. I was uncomfortable with that.

Secondly, more and more pages were cropping up, but they all felt the need to cite me as the biggest and best. I thought I was casting too large a shadow and wanted others to have the spotlight. When I finally discontinued the page, I allowed the other pages to take bits and pieces of my page, but no one was to copy the thing verbatim. Fans complained and said they wanted the entire page to continue to exist, but I felt it was almost a monopoly, and I wanted to see what others would do.

BH: In retrospect, do you wish you would have done anything differently with the site?

MM: The thing about promoting some dealers and not others was troubling for me. Should I have listed all the dealers I knew and pointed out which I did business with? Was it OK for me to accept gifts from them? It’s hard to be impartial when you are a 25-year-old kid, and people give you awesome things for free.

BH: Looking back on it, what are you most proud of about the site?

MM: It fulfilled what I set out to do: show people that Godzilla was alive and thriving in Japan! I’m sure my page helped many people rediscover their love of Godzilla. And then they helped others. And so on. I love that I brought so much happiness to so many.

BH: What have you been up to since closing the site?

MM: I work in artificial intelligence now! I’m a data scientist and spend time on all aspects of AI models. I’m currently streamlining our model development process. Since AI is such a big thing, management wants models for everything. I need to ensure we can produce good-quality models at very short development cycles.

BH: Have you kept up with the genre since then?

MM: I am in several Facebook groups and will post occasionally. I always watch anything related to Godzilla on YouTube, like Big Action Bill’s detailed history of each movie. Of course, I was at the opening night showings of Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), Godzilla Minus One (2023), and Shin Godzilla (2016). I recently sold all my Godzilla toys and models. It felt good to get them in the hands of people who will love them.

BH: Let’s talk about some of the more notable Godzilla films that have come since that time. What are your thoughts on Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)?

MM: I was disappointed. It felt like the director wanted to make a sci-fi film and took the job simply because he’d have a big budget. I don’t think he had any interest in Godzilla. And it’s one thing to boast your movie features eight monsters, but, if they have less than a minute of screen time — remember Hedorah? — I don’t think that counts. The writer and director used Toho to make his own movie. I would have liked to have seen someone who cared about Godzilla have that budget and make a good tribute movie.

BH: The MonsterVerse started in 2014 with a series of American Godzilla films. Do you have any thoughts on them?

MM: I’m disappointed they are doing the same thing with their reboot that the Japanese do: start with a serious film and then slide into silliness. The 2014 Godzilla movie was a missed opportunity, but I appreciated that they tried to make Godzilla and the MUTOs a threat.

I know many people don’t like Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but it has a charm to it I enjoy as a guilty pleasure. I’m disappointed but not surprised that the direction they are going with these last two Godzilla and Kong “buddy” movies is less realistic and just silly monster action. Again, Toho does this, too, but it’s sad to see how quickly the MonsterVerse is devolving.

BH: Shin Godzilla proved to be one of the more controversial releases in years. What’s your take on it?

MM: I like the fact that they are trying new things. I feel like many of the films in each series are interchangeable. “Godzilla vs. Ebirah” [Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966)] isn’t really different from Son of Godzilla (1967). I can’t remember the difference between the two Mechagodzilla [Kiryu] movies from the Millennium series. I like that this movie tackles a new modern fear: the inability of the government to keep us safe because of bureaucracy.

While that was fresh in the Japanese mind because of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, I think it’s a universal fear now. The creature moves too slowly, and I wish there was more footage of him. But I think it’s a good movie that allows us to confront the fear that so many of us are wrestling with today.

BH: Godzilla Minus One made a big splash on both sides of the Pacific. How about this Godzilla movie?

MM: I loved it! The initial scene where he attacks the Odo Island garrison was scary. When was the last time you were scared by Godzilla? And I got goosebumps when he looked up at the mushroom cloud over Ginza from his atomic blast. There are some gorgeous visuals and a compelling, timeless story.

And, again, tapping into the fear that the government can’t keep us safe. When a disaster hits, we’ll all be left to fend for ourselves. This was the first time I felt a strong connection between the human drama and monster action. [I] also had a sense of pride telling my friends there was a Godzilla movie that had terrific critic ratings and won an Oscar.

BH: How do you see the future of Godzilla movies? Are you optimistic about what could be coming next?

MM: I’m not optimistic about the Hollywood Godzilla movies. I think they will continue to get sillier and devoid of any meaningful plot and acting. But I’m excited about the future of Godzilla as a whole. The Japanese are expanding what a Godzilla movie can be with the last two movies. I hope they continue to try new things.

I’m interested in where the TV show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and spin-offs, will go. I know many fans were bored by the family drama part of Monarch, but remember how unwatchable the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation was? Two seasons later, it was pretty good.

Remember that this is the first-ever attempt at a live-action Godzilla TV show. Expecting it to be awesome right out of the gate is unrealistic. And maybe the TV show will provide enough world-building for the Hollywood movies to pull themselves back from the downward spiral of poor writing that each Toho series fell into.

BH: These days, how do you feel about having the first major Godzilla website on the Internet?

MM: I’m quite proud of it! And it brings back many happy memories. All my co-workers know about my Godzilla page from 30 years ago. I think I’ve even talked about it on some first dates!

BH: Do you have any closing comments for readers of this interview?

MM: One thing that has always impressed me is that Godzilla appeals to so many people. Some fans judge the movie solely by the minutes Godzilla is on the screen. Some want the film to be campy, escapist fun, while others seek a way to explore their fears.

Back when I was friends with toy dealers, one told me about a famous ‘80s pop singer who bought frequently from him and was quite the secret Godzilla collector. You will never guess who she was, and I’m not going to tell, but that opened my eyes that Godzilla is truly loved by so many. I think nearly every movie buff can appreciate the original film. And kids love him, too.

People from all walks of life and cultures love Godzilla. He is not simply a movie monster; he’s a world icon.