Voyage to the Bottom of the Promotional Paintings!

Nothing major for today but I wanted to share the promotional artwork (possibly concept art) done for the television version of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (1964-1968), featuring four giant sea monsters that never made it into the series proper.

Like my previous post on Tabby-Imago, I'm using self-created nicknames for the following creatures to simplify the descriptions and because I just want to (if every other Godzilla and Power Ranger fan gets to name the unnamed, why not me?).

The first creature, which I'm nicknaming The Clawed Chimera, appears to be a combination of several sea animals, but the prominent claws give the initial impression that it's a simple giant crab before noticing the rest of the aforementioned bodily features. To my knowledge, there are at least two crustacean-based monsters in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: a giant aquatic spider-like creature in "The Monster's Web" (February 27, 1966), and the titular human-sized antagonist of "The Lobster Man" (January 21, 1968).

Confusingly, the main villain behind "The Deadly Dolls" (October 1, 1967) is mockingly dubbed 'The Hermit Crab' by the show's heroes, even though the being itself is a highly advanced, energy-like machine intelligence from the distant future seeking to possess The Seaview (the show's iconic submarine) for its new physical form.

As for the second monster featured: I've always had a preference for plesiosaur-like kaiju and characters, so you know which one I like between these two otherwise nifty critters. However, the lack of two-out-of-four pictorial fins gives me hesitation about nicknaming him The Abyssal Plesiosaur, with the vague alternative of Abyssal Sea Serpent matching the odd design better.

Beyond that, the art itself is very good, especially the luminous backlighting, but I will admit the serpent's eerily calm face might turn off most monster and horror fans.

My least favorite monster in these paintings, Pink-Tooth the Sea Beast (if you can think of something better, please share), is probably my least favorite of the four, but the mudskipper-like shape and long grasping arm-like front fins positively reminds me of the Ichthyosaurus Mercurius from The Outer Limits episode "Tourist Trap" (December 23, 1963).

Last but not least is The Black Devil Dragon, who is probably the coolest-looking monster of the promotional paintings and the one that I would loved to have seen in a completed episode, possibly as some ancient and terrifying menace that The Seaview accidently awakens from an undersea volcano. Or an aboveground volcano, seeing how that's The Flying Sub firing beams at the opposing giant.

I rediscovered these paintings in my personal archives and combined the small files into slightly larger and more presentable collages above. I tried to re-locate the old Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea site I collected (stole) these from but to no avail. If I rediscover said website or stumble upon the real official names of the featured monsters, I'll gladly update this article in the future.

Cryptozoologicon Video Lectures

Despite my love for fictional giant monsters and the once VERY REAL prehistoric mega-fauna, I'm quite skeptical towards most Cryptids in my adulthood, especially since most modern examples of such conjectural creatures being blatant nonsense like the recent Slender Man and Ninjin phenomenon - Seriously, you're not even trying anymore, internet!

But as modern day culture and folklore, I find Cryptozoology infinitely fascinating and the 2013 new book entitled Cryptozoologicon, Volume I does a beautiful job of celebrating the myths while still keeping a critical eye towards it (not against it) and still being very educational in its concepts / theories - a balancing act that almost no one does anymore in science, in and out of the paranormal and realistic science fiction.

The following are two really entertaining video lectures from 2013 done for the Cryptozoologicon book launch, hosted by Darren Naish, the book's authors, and C. M. Kosemen, one of the book's two illustrators - Enjoy!

Related Link: io9 Review for Cryptozoologicon.

Kaiju Images: Snake King

Snake King; Today's Kaiju Images Honoree

There's a lot of wonderful, and equally obscure giant monsters in fiction, who deserve more attention online. And although I am not the pop culture historian that I often wish to be, I've come to the conclusion that simply mentioning these characters and subjects, even in the most simplistic of written articles, goes a long way in public awareness.

Especially after getting some much needed words of encouragement from Kevin P, the web-master of the wonderful cult movie blog Exploder Button, along with Darkrai Titanollante, one of the founders and overseers of Wikizilla.

So even if my future blog posts are lacking hard facts or extreme details (which I will openly admit to, whenever possible), the fact that I simply sharing these lesser known characters in the 'internet aether', is a worth wild endeavor all on its own.

'Jets? Where?!? I don't see any jets?'

Another, very supportive friend, fellow artist, and giant monster fanatic EarthBaragon has also been encouraging me to do more with this blog. And has even given me a wonderful variety of screen-captures from Kaiju-related television shows and films.

And like an idiot, I've yet to do anything with these valuable gifts of otherwise silly nerd trivia. Until now, that is.

The following will be the first of many Kaiju Image galleries, featuring EarthBaragon's awesome donations, along with much needed written information that he also helped write. Good thing too, because I really can't stand my own writing, as I keep finding typos whenever I revisit this site, and its past uploads. And sadly another reason I don't do more around here.

Take it away, EarthBaragon!

'Hail Cobra!'

Behold the villainous Snake King, from episode 29 of Tsuburaya Productions’ ”Mirrorman”, entitled ”Mirrorman Annihilated” (original broadcast date: June 4th, 1972)

The Invaders from Planet X (the main recurring fish-faced villains of ”Mirrorman”) send the monster Snake King into a city, to destroy the headquarters of the Monster Attack Force (MAF); the organization that helps the inter-dimensional superhero Mirrorman in his endeavors.

Snake King actually succeeds in destroying the building, and for a while, you the audience, believe that the MAF forces are all dead. Even the hero. But it turns out that they managed to get away, and have retreated to a secluded new base that is out in the middle of nowhere, really.

Realizing their mistakes, The Invaders capture Mirrorman in his human form of Kyotaro Kagami, and send Snake King to finish up the job it started.

While in their control, the aliens place a bomb inside Mirrorman, that will detonate if he is in his giant hero form for more than a few minutes. See, up until this point, Mirrorman didn't have a time limit, like most of the Tsuburaya Production heroes. The addition of this ‘Invader Bomb’ was a way for the producers add a little bit of suspense to the fights of future episodes. 

Needless to say, Kyotato Kagami escapes and transforms into Mirroman, to battle Snake King.

Unfortunately for him, another monster shows up; the hook-handed Harigojira! The two enemy beasts tag team on Mirroman, but MAF’s super jets intervene and allow the hero to kill off Snake King.

Harigorjira flees and tunnels away. Mirrorman was going to take chase, but remembering of the time limit, he is forced to let the monster run away.

EarthBaragon's Comment:

I just love the way Snake King looks! His hands are snake heads, with his feet also being snake heads! And he has eight other snake heads all long that flat body of his. The only thing that is not a snake head is his tail. And I love his coloring too. And as you can see, he can shoot fire or scalding hot gas from the snake heads on his hands, as well as his own normal head. And he can electrify people within his grasp.

More Images of Snake King Fighting Against Mirrorman:

Snake King's Saucer-Like Flying Form:

Snake King Attempting To Kill A Whole Lot of Scarecrows:

The Less Impressive, Remaining Images for Snake King:

'Damn It! My fly was open this whole time!'

In his spare time, Snake King is a peeping-tom!

Behold! The Glove-handles of Snake King!

Behold! The BIG BUTT of Snake King!