That Godzilla Guy Goes Atomic
July 31, 2014
By Jillian Owens
Meet Sean McGuinness.
But wait…who’s his little friend?
You might know him better as “That Godzilla Guy”. You see, even if you don’t recognize the man, you’ve probably seen his work. As his moniker suggests, he’s quite the fan of Godzilla, and Kaiju (Japanese for “strange beast”). McGuinness is an artist with a focus that is very exclusive, but curiously eclectic. Whether it’s vintage over-the-sofa thrift store paintings featuring sepia-tinged nature scenes that he superimposes Godzilla into, to completely original works, satires, and parodies – all featuring his favorite icon- That Godzilla Guy’s work has been featured in local galleries and Artfields. His recent “Monsters on Main Street”, installation was the hit of a recent First Thursdays on Main. He’s been shown all over Columbia, so it would be difficult to miss his work.
Impressionable Godzilla
His affinity for this “strange beast” is rooted in childhood nostalgia. “My parents took me to Saturday matinees where I would watch Godzilla movies. One of my earliest memories is watching “Godzilla vs the Smog Monster”. The film burnt up at a dramatic scene, making me think the Smog Monster was going to fly right into the theater! Godzilla was my best friend after that.”
1954 in 1865
But how does a fascination become the entire focus of an artist’s work? Where did this begin? According to McGuinness, “It started back in 2000 when I had a whole lot of enthusiasm and not a lot of skill and common sense. I had a large Godzilla collection, and I wanted to show it off while having people return to the website I showcased them on. Inspired by Toyfare Magazine’s “Twisted Mego Theater”, I created a webcomic called “Twisted Kaiju Theater” that was one of the first and longest running webcomics on the internet. While initially juvenile and amatuerish, I eventually got better at digital photography and Photoshop, and even learned how to write better. The webcomic was seen all over the world including by soldiers in Iraq.”
One of That Godzilla Guy’s more tongue-in-cheek pieces
That Godzilla Guy’s friends and family are supportive of his project, despite having doubts at first. “In the beginning it was probably just a little annoying amusement to them,” McGuinness reflects. “Now they have seen the artistic vision as something unique. I’ve worked hard to make a positive and productive name for myself in the local community.”
Morning After
Sean’s work isn’t all lighthearted fun. In his upcoming show titled HIROSHIMA…Never Forget at Tapp’s for August’s First Thursday on Main (Thursday August 6th @ 6:00pm), he explores the deeper metaphors behind the Godzilla franchise. “I’ve been brought on to Godzillafy the Hiroshima Memorial at the Tapps’ Arts Center. So many people don’t realize Godzilla is more than a movie monster. He’s a metaphor for the nuclear attacks on Japan and the constant threat of atomic annihilation. He’s a sixty year legacy translated into almost every language around the world. So I want to show people how he came about as an icon and why he is still relevant today.”
You can check out more of Sean McGuinness’ work at Neomonsterisland.com, and you can keep up with all of his Godzilla-ing on Facebook as well.
Jillian Owens is a writer, designer, and eco-fashion revolutionary. A Columbia SC transplant, she graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BFA in Theatre and English. When she’s not gallivanting about, she’s busy refashioning ugly thrift store duds into fashionable frocks at ReFashionista.net or helping the underserved through her work in Community Impact at United Way of the Midlands. She also reviews local theater productions for Jasper Magazine and Onstage Columbia. Any comments, questions, or crude remarks can be directed to [email protected].
