Fuchimu Shimakura in January 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on October 5, 1940, Fuchimu Shimakura began working at Toho in the late 1950s, creating or assisting in the creation of tokusatsu backdrops for the Showa era's most notable special effects movies, including Battle in Outer Space (1959), Mothra (1961), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), … Continue reading RECOLLECTIONS OF TOHO’S GOD OF CLOUDS! Fuchimu Shimakura on Painting the Studio’s Tokusatsu Backdrops!
Toei
AN ANIMATED LIFE IN TOKUSATSU! Minoru Kujirai on His Anime and SFX Work at Tsuburaya Productions and Toei!
Minoru Kujirai in November 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on September 13, 1944, Minoru Kujirai is an animator who began working at Toei Animation in the mid-1960s, working on numerous well-known anime programs, including the kaiju-themed King Kong (1967). In the early 1970s, Mr. Kujirai transitioned to working on such Toei-produced tokusatsu programs as … Continue reading AN ANIMATED LIFE IN TOKUSATSU! Minoru Kujirai on His Anime and SFX Work at Tsuburaya Productions and Toei!
ULTRAMAN FLIES INTO HOLLYWOOD! Eric Brown on His Design and Modelmaking Work on ‘Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero’!
Eric Brown shares a quiet moment with a close friend. Photo © Eric Brown. Eric Lloyd Brown has lent his creative talents to some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters, but he got his start in show biz by serving as a modelmaker and concept artist for Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero (1995). Afterward, Mr. Brown would go … Continue reading ULTRAMAN FLIES INTO HOLLYWOOD! Eric Brown on His Design and Modelmaking Work on ‘Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero’!
THE GODFATHER OF GODZILLA’S ATOMIC RAY! Sadao Iizuka on His Optical Effects Work at Toho!
Sadao Iizuka in January 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on December 26, 1934, Sadao Iizuka joined Toho Studios in 1954 during the production of the original Godzilla, working as an assistant in the tokusatsu art department. Mr. Iizuka stayed at Toho for many years thereafter, eventually pioneering Toho’s trademark optical effects that would become … Continue reading THE GODFATHER OF GODZILLA’S ATOMIC RAY! Sadao Iizuka on His Optical Effects Work at Toho!
REFLECTIONS OF MISS AIRLIFTER! Kathy Horan Remembers Her Acting and Modeling Career in Japan!
Kathy Horan's first Miss Airlifter photo, appearing in Pacific Stars and Stripes in 1967. Photo © Pacific Stars and Stripes. Kathy Horan was born in Roswell, New Mexico, on March 5, 1948, and came to Japan in the 1960s as a military brat during her sophomore year of high school. She subsequently appeared in a … Continue reading REFLECTIONS OF MISS AIRLIFTER! Kathy Horan Remembers Her Acting and Modeling Career in Japan!
MEMOIRS OF AN ICONOCLASTIC SCREENWRITER! Fumio Ishimori on His Scriptwriting Career in Japanese Film and Television!
Fumio Ishimori in November 2020. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on July 31, 1931, screenwriter Fumio Ishimori's work has touched just about every facet of Japanese entertainment. Hailing from from Haboro, Hokkaido, he joined Nikkatsu as a screenwriter in 1963 and later signed with Shochiku in 1969. In total, Mr. Ishimori has written more than … Continue reading MEMOIRS OF AN ICONOCLASTIC SCREENWRITER! Fumio Ishimori on His Scriptwriting Career in Japanese Film and Television!
THE LAST SAMURAI: Hiroshi Fujioka Recalls His Career in Japanese Science Fiction!
Photo © Sanki Worldwide Co., Ltd. Born on February 19, 1946, actor Hiroshi Fujioka made his film debut at Shochiku in 1965, after which he appeared in a small role in the international cult classic The X from Outer Space (1967). Shortly thereafter, Mr. Fujioka rose to fame with the popular TV superhero series Kamen … Continue reading THE LAST SAMURAI: Hiroshi Fujioka Recalls His Career in Japanese Science Fiction!
BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS! Actor Jack Morris on Filming ‘The Green Slime’ in Japan!
Jack Morris circa 1970. Photo © Jack Morris. John Robert Morris was born on April 29, 1940, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Mr. Morris moved to Japan in 1967, eventually returning to Canada in 1972. In 1968, he appeared as Lt. Morris in the cult classic The Green Slime, alongside Hollywood stars Robert Horton and Richard … Continue reading BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS! Actor Jack Morris on Filming ‘The Green Slime’ in Japan!
THE WOMAN BEHIND PRINCE PLANET AND JOHNNY SOKKO! Actress Catherine Byers Recalls Her Early Dubbing Career!
Photo © Catherine Byers. Prior to her career as a successful Broadway actress, Catherine Byers worked as a voice actress who performed several starring roles in Japanese television programs at the Miami-based Copri Films International during the 1960s. Under the name Bobbie Byers, she played Prince Planet in the popular anime series Prince Planet (1965-66), Bonnie … Continue reading THE WOMAN BEHIND PRINCE PLANET AND JOHNNY SOKKO! Actress Catherine Byers Recalls Her Early Dubbing Career!
AGE OF DAMON! ‘Oriental Cinema’ Editor Damon Foster on His Fascinating Journey from Film Critic to Filmmaker!
Damon Foster poses with the remnants of Ryosaku Takayama's original Ragon mask used in the TV series Ultraman in 1985. Photo © Damon Foster. Damon Foster, the outspoken editor of Oriental Cinema magazine, has never been at a loss for words, and this Q&A with tokusatsu fandom's resident independent-filmmaking iconoclast is certainly no exception. In … Continue reading AGE OF DAMON! ‘Oriental Cinema’ Editor Damon Foster on His Fascinating Journey from Film Critic to Filmmaker!
Vantage Point Interviews 