The mayor of Bloomington, Indiana has declared that June 12th will henceforth be known as Mothra Day!
The town will be celebrating the titanic Moth’s original Japanese release date in 1961 with screenings of several Mothra classics at the Buskirk Chumley Theater. The exciting celebration will feature guests Matt Frank (artist of the recent Mothra: Queen of the Monsters comic by IDW Publishing) and Ed Godzisewski (co-author of Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, From Godzilla to Kurosawa) as well as local community artists Jake Kujava and Jaclyn Wolf, who will be making original one-of-a-kind kaiju art for sale. The event itself is being put on thanks to the efforts of passionate kaiju fans Beth Bredlau and Chris McVillain.
The event’s sponsors are: IU Media School, East Asian Studies Center at Indiana University Bloomington, Pillar Arts, Tattoo Kaiju, Indiana Toy & Comic Expo, Camp Kaiju: A Monster Movie Podcast and the event features original weekend merchandise created by Badknees. Mothra Madness is hosted by a nonprofit, so all of the proceeds made will go to the artists and the venue!
Photo courtesy of Beth Bredlau
On Friday, June 12th, the festivities begin with a screening of the original Mothra in Japanese with English subtitles at 7pm. The event features a pre-film introduction by Beth Bredlau, a video recording of the official proclamation of Mothra Day by Mayor Kerry Thompson, and a post film panel with Ed Godzisewski & Matt Rice from Bloomington Indiana Film Festival that will feature rare behind-the-scenes photos from the production of the Toho classic. This screening will also feature a live performance by Madam McVillian and even a time to meet with Matt Frank! The event is $17, making it an affordable experience for the whole family. Kaiju fans can get tickets for the solo screening here!
Godzilla TM & ©Toho Co., Ltd.
Day two will up the ante with three Godzilla films featuring the gigantic moth! The doors open at 11am and features talks, vendors, and performances between the films! The movies highlighted at this event are three essential Mothra films: Mothra vs Godzilla (1964) starting at 12pm, Destroy All Monsters at 2:15pm, and finally Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack finishing the night at 4:30pm. All films will feature an introduction, with “GMK” getting one from Ed Godzisewski with special behind-the-scenes photographs and video taken by Ed during his time personally visiting the set of the film in 2000. Tickets cost $33 and that covers the entire Saturday event! You can get those here!
Mothra TM & ©Toho Co., Ltd.
Godzilla, Mothra TM & ©Toho Co., Ltd.
The event is sure to be a treat for any Kaiju fan that is in the area, so be sure to mark the date and head to Bloomington to see your favorite colossal insect on the big screen. This event comes after last year’s successful Godzilla Weekend in Bloomington, Indiana, in which the mayor also declared June 27th as an official “Godzilla Day” in the city. The date was picked specifically to highlight the day the original 1954 film was first screened at the host venue, the Buskirk Chumley Theater, with screenings of Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, and All Monsters Attack accompanying the festitivities.
To keep up with the latest updates on the Godzilla events in Bloomington, follow their official Instagram account for more.
About The East Asian Studies Center at Indiana University
The East Asian Studies Center is a nexus of knowledge on East Asia, building networks of scholarship, practice, resources, and discovery that enhance understanding of East Asia locally, regionally, and nationally.
Activities include supporting interdisciplinary research and teaching, linking academic resources with K-12, business, and professional communities, investing in innovative scholarship and courses, assisting students in planning their post-graduation careers, coordinating conferences and workshops, and fostering dialogue and collaboration among scholars, educators, students, practitioners, and policy makers.
About The Media School at Indiana University
The Media School at Indiana University combines a liberal arts education with hands-on, professional training to propel students into the world as leaders in the media industry. We offer our students extensive, early opportunities and cutting-edge facilities and equipment to foster a creative community both inside and outside the classroom.
About Camp Kaiju: Monster Movie Podcast
A podcast reviewing monster movies and asking if they stand the test of time: kaiju, creature features, space invaders, the supernatural, and everything in between. The good, the bad, and the downright campy!
