Here are about a third of a wonderful set of cards featuring the masterful kaiju artwork of artist Yuji Kaida, from a Japanese card set that came out in 1996.
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| #3 - Gamera and Gayos.....hmm, where have I seen this painting before? |
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| Oh yes, the cover of Dark Horse Comics' GAMERA #2 !! |
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| #16 - Ultraseven, some monsters, and prominently featuring the cool and bizarre alien (that's sort of a robo-Manda) that rolls up/transforms into a flying saucer, who I believe is named Nurse. |
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| #25 - The 1965 Gamera |
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| #30 - This is one of the most beautiful and moving ones, to me. It's a stirring incorporation of moth and larva from 1961's MOTHRA, even including the Mothra symbol, arranging it into a stained-glass window layout...stunning! It takes a special level of skill to depict the many details in the Mothra Larva, and still convey emotion. |
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| #2 - Godzilla! |
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| #6 - When ULTRA Q finally comes out on DVD soon, I will be able to tell you the name of this monster! |
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| #17 - I do know this one, though! It's the mighty King Joe, from Ultraseven. |
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| #18 - Ultraseven vs. Ironrocks, from episode 21 |
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| #24 - Godzilla! Front view! |
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| #28 - Son of Godzilla! |
+Ghidrah+the+Three-Headed+Monster.jpg) |
| #32 - The mighty Ghidrah is "born" of a fireball in 1964's Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster! |
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+Ultra+Q+monster.jpg)
+King+Joe.jpg)
+Ultraseven+vs+Battleship.jpg)
+Godzilla.jpg)
+Son+of+Godzilla.jpg)
+Ghidrah+the+Three-Headed+Monster.jpg)
Ah! I KNEW the name Yuji Kaida sounded familiar to me... the Gamera 1965 card (#25) also appeared as the box art for the 1/350 scale model kit from Bandai, and the little bit of English on the box's text credits the artist. I'm pretty sure his amazing artwork appeared on the whole series of kaiju kits Bandai released in the late 1980's-early 1990's. At least it's on two other kits I have: a 1/350 scale Mechagodzilla and a 1/250 scale 1954 Godzilla.
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You're so right! And also the Ghidorah one, titled "Kinggidrah" on the box. I have run into other model kits that he did the artwork for as well. Some wind-up Super-Deformed model kits from the early 1990's, for example. And the man sculpts as well, and does sculpts for action figures! I think he's my favorite Japanese kaiju artist.
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