It only took decades, butGodzilla’spalMothrais ready for her big comeback. IDW is expanding their line ofGodzilla-inspiredbooks withMothra: Queen of the Monsters, marking the first time she has headlined an ongoing series.While Mothra is a cult favorite,and a key ally of Godzilla, she has not enjoyed his levels of popularity with the Western movie going public, but IDW is looking to change that.
In an interview withGodzilla.com,Mothra: Queen of the Monsters’artist Matt Frank discussed the upcoming book, where he will join forces with writer Sophie Campbell to bring Mothra into a new era. During the interview, Frank had this to say about the perceptions of Mothra by Western audiences, for better or for worse:
For a long time, she’s been viewed as something of an oddity by audiences in the West, who often struggled with the idea that a “monster” could be something beautiful and delicate but also powerful and awe-inspiring. I remember snarky movie reviews decrying the idea of a giant moth being inherently ridiculous, sarcastically saying “Ooh how scary!” Now, in our shifting cultural climate, Mothra is allowed to be herself, to embody something beyond being just another kaiju in Godzilla’s roster. She’s always been more than that, having her own films and presence in Japan, but I’m beyond thrilled to help her ride that wave in American comics!
For her ongoing series debut,Mothra will face a new entry into the mythos: Antara, an anti-inspired kaiju.
From the Start, Mothra Was A Unique Kaiju
Mothra Was Not Only Female, but Heroic as Well
Godzilla’s arrival on Japanese movie screens in 1954 marked the beginning of a new-type of movie monster, called kaiju. A pop culture phenomenon from the get-go, Godzilla was soon joined by other kaiju, such as Varan, Anguirus, Rodan and Mothra. Debuting in her own solo film in 1961, Mothra would go on to star in many more of Toho Studios’ Godzilla films.From the beginning, Mothra was different from Rodan, King Ghidorah or even Godzilla himself.Not only was Mothra female, but she did not seem as hell-bent on destruction as Godzilla or the others.
Mothra’s MonsterVerse Sacrifice Permanently Changed Godzilla in 1 Huge, Unseen Way
In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Mothra sacrificed herself to save Godzilla, but it was revealed later that this changed him in a major way.
Mothra’s benevolent nature continued throughout her appearances in the remainder of theGodzillafranchise.As Godzilla’s popularity continued to grow, he became a hero to kids, but Mothra was already heroic. In movies such as 1969’sDestroy All Monsters, Mothra aided Godzilla, and the American “MonsterVerse” films continued this trend. In 2019’sGodzilla: King of the Monsters, Mothra seemingly sacrificesherself to revive Godzilla,who was humanity’s last line of defense against King Ghidorah. Mothra is, however, virtually impossible to kill, and is reborn after every death. Mothra was last seen inGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Mothra Never Seemed to Catch On With American Audiences
Mothra Has Just as Many Potential Stories as Godzilla
While Godzilla has headlined numerous movies in both Japan and America, Mothra has only been the focus of four.
Yet,despite Mothra’s popularity, and importance to the overall lore, she has not starred in as many features as Godzilla. While Godzilla has headlined numerous movies in both Japan and America, Mothra has only been the focus of four. This puts Mothra ahead of Rodan, who only had one movie, but still way behind Godzilla or King Kong. Matt Frank’s comments in theGodzilla.cominterview offer insight into why this is, and it boils down to how Western audiences have viewed her. She is not as destructive as Godzilla, and not as intimidating either.
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Okihiro Yoneda
These perceptions of Mothra are unfortunate, as her unique nature in theGodzillafranchise begs for more stories. Every kaiju in theGodzillauniverse has a cool and weird backstory, but Mothra is even more so. Mothra, unlike other kaiju, is immortal and can be potentially inserted into any era. The identical psychic twins that Mothra communicates through add another kooky layer to the kaiju. All of these fascinating elements could be explored in Mothra’s solo pictures, but instead, she is relegated to guest-star status in most Godzilla films.
If the Movies Do not Give Mothra Her Due, Then the Comics Will
Sophie Campbell and Matt Frank Get Mothra
While theGodzillafilm series appears reluctant to give Mothra a new solo project, writer Sophie Campbell and artist Matt Frank are tackling the kaiju with zeal. Frank is correct, in that audiences today are more willing to embrace a character like Mothra, who represents life and rebirth rather than chaos and destruction. IDW’s newMothra: Queen of the Monsterscontinues this shift in how Mothra is perceived by fans. Perhaps in time, as the culture continues to grow and evolve,Mothrawill one day get another movie of her own.
Source:Godzilla.com
Mothra: Queen of the Monsters #1 is on sale March 5
