Those of you that have had substantial experience within the kaiju or Godzilla community have most likely heard of a particular convention revolving around gigantic, gargantuan goliaths and the movies they star in. If not, well, prepare to learn about the fantastic, wonderfully curated, and family-owned convention event, G-FEST! Starting as a gathering of G-Fan Contributors in 1993, evolving into a full public convention in 1996, and continuing ever since, G-FEST has seen itself etched into its role of being the kaiju and Tokusatsu fan gathering, and the largest ever recorded in North America. It’s clear that G-FEST is here to stay and will continue to bring joy to fans and families alike. I personally attended my first ‘Fest in 2012, at fourteen years old, and here I am covering the latest convention, in 2023, at nearly twenty-five years old!
G-FEST is uniquely and openly different from most typical fan convention fare. It has remained family-owned and operated ever since its inception in 1993. Typically seen as a large “family reunion”, over 3500 people flocked to Rosemont, Illinois to reunite with their fellow kaiju affecionados last year, and by the estimations we have heard about this year’s attendance, we almost doubled that this year!
There’s so much to do at the largest gathering of kaiju and tokustasu fans in North America, that just one article recapping it all will not do it justice. There’s the costuming and independent tokustasu productions happening at Dojo Studios, where you can see what it’s like making a real kaiju film with fan-made suits and miniatures, just like in the movies we all love and enjoy! There’s the massive dealers room, full of any kind of kaiju merchandise your heart desires. The wonderful lineup of panels ranging from the deep dive analysis, to the fun, lighthearted G-Pardy (Godzilla Jeapordy!) and new this year, Kaiju Spelling Bee!
And of course, the special guests. This year was headlined by four guests of honor, with a very special last-minute surprise guest!
The headliner, and biggest star attraction, was Yumiko Shaku, star of Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) as well as a supporting role in the indie Toku film Ike Boys (2022). This was one of, if not the first convention appearance by Yumiko, and it was a tremendous honor to have her here attending G-FEST to meet the fans, and have time to truly see how much the community loves her and her work.
Next up, the amazing, passionate, and truly down-to-earth TJ Storm, of course being the motion capture performer for Godzilla in his first two MonsterVerse appearances, being Godzilla (2014), and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). Another highly requested guest, TJ made his first G-FEST con one to remember, visiting every faucet of the festivities — playing the arcade games with fans, checking out the killer models in the model room, and giving out fist bumps galore in the hotel lobby to eager fans!
Don Frye, UFC Hall-of-Famer, and overall manly man made his triumphant return to G-FEST, too! Most known for his unforgettable appearance in 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars, Captain Gordon himself loved coming back to G-FEST, cigar and beer in hand, to meet his beloved fans.
Linda Miller, beloved star of science fiction classics King Kong Escapes (1967) and The Green Slime (1968) returned to G-FEST as well, being a fan-favorite guest amongst kaiju fans. Linda is always asking where her fans and supporters are from, and being very proud of the ones that come internationally to see her!
One of the personal highlights for me at every G-FEST is the screenings happening in Park Ridge Illinois, a nearby city, at the historic one-screen Pickwick Theater. Saved from closure and obscurity by a generous buyer, the movies played, and tradition resumed as normal, cementing the ultimate experience a kaiju fan could have — watching a kaiju movie with hundreds of other fans! The screenings are like what you’d expect out of a Rocky Horror midnight showcase; lots of applause and cheer for the most fantastical, most iconic, and most fun moments in the movies. I personally attended the Saturday late-night screening of Godzilla 2014, and it was the perfect way to cap off the weekend! TJ Storm, introduced by renowned panelist and comic book historian, Jessica Tseang, opened up the film by talking a little bit about what it was like to portray Godzilla in motion capture instead of traditional tokustasu suit effects. He went into detail about Gareth Edwards’ direction, sharing a funny story about how it was hard to just “run up and tackle the other guy”, who was playing the antagonistic MUTO creature.
Right before this screening, I should mention, was the famous G-FEST costume parade. Whether it’s adorable little kids in their homemade Godzilla costumes, or seriously legit indie cosplayers taking the stage, it’s always a memorable time. Every single one of you did an amazing job on your costumes this year, but we wanted to specifically highlight two cosplayers in this article — first off, the anime trilogy Mechagodzilla cosplayer, being fourteen years old and designing that costume with no help! That is incredible! Secondly, the Gabara costume was tremendous. We at Kaiju United are huge fans of Gabara, and are proud that such an underrepresented and underrated creature has taken the limelight in the fan community of costuming. Honorable mention, of course, to Baragon, because that’s my personal favorite kaiju of all time, and anything Baragon that is done for this fandom makes it a better place by default!
To sum up G-FEST in my closing thoughts perfectly would be a tremendous task. Year after year, it’s been put on by devoted, loving fans, doing everything they can to make a great show out of the pure love they have for the franchise. You can find almost anything your heart desires at this show — model making, filmmaking, hanging out with your online buddies after years of talking online, sharing and creating memories that last a lifetime.
It was especially great getting to reunite with community interviewee, Masonzilla, after an eight-year long absence from G-FEST. Mason and I go back far too many years, and our reunion was truly something special. Getting to spend time with him was a true highlight for me. Of course, other guests from our archives, like Adam of Thirsty Thursday Toys, and Dane G. Kroll, author of Realm of Goryo were there too! So many folks that have been featured and collaborated with Kaiju United made their appearance at this show! How exciting! I also got to meet so many new faces in the community attending their first G-FEST, such as (I’m using Instagram handles here) kaijujunkie, perrywise_teamgodzilla, and walterthe_only1! These youngsters are the future of the fandom, and I can’t wait to see them grow and develop within the kaiju community!
Also, Mary Bear was there for her first G-FEST, and it was wonderful finally getting acquainted and bonding over our love for kaiju eiga, ska punk music, and cool aquariums! Mary is a talented graphic designer, illustrator, and artist, and you will see her on the site very soon in a community interview! Look out for that shortly after Days of the Dead X All Monsters Attack LA!
Personally speaking, this was my seventh ‘Fest. One would seriously think I would get tired of going to these year after year, but that’s far from the truth. G-FEST has seen me grow from a teenager to a grown man, now actively working on Kaiju United as a way to give back to the community that has fostered me at this specific convention all of these years ago. I owe it all to G-FEST for making Kaiju United a thing, and I am grateful to be there both as a representative of KU, and as a fan myself.
May G-FEST continue for many, many more years to come, and we hope to see you next year!
Kaiju United would like to thank the following for a wonderful G-FEST:
Payton Lees — Thank you for allowing us to run the film festival article! We hope to collaborate more with you in the future!
J.D. Lees — Founder of G-FEST, thank you for all you have done over the years, and your dedication to this community.
Toku Toy Town — The best booth in town, and for being so kind and gracious to the folks at Kaiju United, and being a huge supporter of the work we do!
Jonathan Hernandez — Wonderful job running the arcade room this year!
Alex Tuinstra — Thank you for promoting the heck out of the site at your table! And thanks for landing possible contributor stuff for us!
All of the special guests for flying out to Chicago to see the passionate, dedicated fanbase that is so excited to see them!
Mary and Mason — The greatest of love for you two! You guys made my G-FEST special.
Alicio and Grant — Always the best seeing you two, and I can’t wait to hang out with you guys even more next year!
All of the amazing volunteers and folks that make G-FEST happen every single year.
It was wonderful to meet all of you for the first time, and if we have already met, it was a great reunion!
