HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EIJI TSUBURAYA! JULY 10, 1901 - JANUARY 25, 1970

お誕生日おめでとう、円谷英二様！


Eiji Tsuburaya, the Father of Ultraman was born 115 years ago!

The "Father of Japanese Special Visual Effects" was born on July 10, 1901 as Eiichi Tsumuraya in Sukagawa, Fukushima (according to the family register). As with his life, even his date of birth is steeped in legend — official sources have often listed that Eiji Tsuburaya was born on July 7th — a date of fortune in the tradition of Tanabata (meaning "Seven Evenings"), a Japanese star festival derived from the celebration of ancestors, know as Obon. Celebrated on July 7th or August 7th, Tanabata commemorates the meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair).

Tanabata originated from the Chinese Festival to Plead for Skills (Oi Xi), which came to Japan in the Heian Period (795-1192), and spread to the public during the Edo Period (1603-1867), where it was then combined with Obon traditions. From the Edo Period, girls wished for better sewing and craftsmanship skills, while boys wished for better calligraphy skills, by writing wishes on strips of tanzaku paper, which were hung on bamboo trees. This tradition is still practiced today.

A Japanese claiming they were born on the Tanabata, was akin to an American saying they were born on Independence Day. So, even if Eiji Tsuburaya was not born on July 7th, the myth of being born on the Tanabata certainly was apt, because Tsuburaya would become famous for his multiple artistic and practical skills, which he had in spades — and eventually, the name Tsuburaya would become world-renown with the production of GODZILLA (1954).

For more on the Old Man, order your copy of "Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters" (Chronicle Books), today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SATOSHI "ULTRAMAN" FURUYA! JULY 5, 1943

お誕生日おめでとう、古谷敏！ウルトラマンとアマギ隊員よ永遠に！


At a fit 73, Satoshi "Bin" Furuya still has the right "Ultra Stuff"!

On the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the seminal ULTRAMAN series, read more about the man who played the red and silver hero from the stars, here! This July 15th-17th, Mr. Furuya will be appearing at G-Fest XXIII in Chicago, along with his co-star Hiroko Sakurai, who played Akiko Fuji. If you're a fan, its your duty to come by and wish Mr. Ultraman a very happy ultra birthday!

Read about my thoughts on Mr. Furuya, here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EIJI TSUBURAYA! JULY 10, 1901 - JANUARY 25, 1970

お誕生日おめでとう、円谷英二様！


Goofing around on the set of FRANKENSTEIN VS. BARAGON (1965).

The “Father of Japanese Special Visual Effects” was born on July 10, 1901 as Eiichi Tsuburaya in the town of Sukagawa, Fukushima. As with his life, even his date of birth is steeped in legend — official sources have often listed that Eiji Tsuburaya was born on July 7th — a date of fortune in the celebration of Tanabata (meaning “Seven Evenings”), a Japanese star festival derived from Obon (a celebration of ancestors). Tanabata is usually celebrated on July 7th or August 7th, to commemorate the meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair).

Tanabata originated from the Chinese Festival to Plead for Skills (Oi Xi), which came to Japan in the Heian Period (795-1192), and spread to the public during the Edo Period (1603-1867), where it was then combined with Obon traditions. From the Edo Period, girls wished for better sewing and craftsmanship skills, while boys wished for better calligraphy skills, by writing wishes on strips of tanzaku paper, which were hung on bamboo trees. This tradition is still practiced today in Japan.

Even if Eiji Tsuburaya was not born on July 7th, the myth of being born on the Tanabata certainly was apt, because Tsuburaya would become famous for his multiple artistic and practical skills, which he had in spades — and eventually, the name Tsuburaya would become world-renown with the production of GODZILLA (1954).

Order your copy of "Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters" (Chronicle Books), today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SATOSHI "BIN" FURUYA! JULY 5, 1943

お誕生日おめでとう、古谷敏！ウルトラマンとアマギ隊員よ永遠に！


Alas, poor Ultraman! I knew him, Officer Amagi...

At the age of five or six, ULTRAMAN came into my life through our living room television set, my life would never be the same. While I loved dinosaurs, monsters, the space age, and having already met Godzilla kith and kin, it was the weekday broadcasts of the silver and red superhero, which drove me to obsess over science fiction and fantasy films and teleseries from the land of the rising monsters.

And the actor who brought this savior from the stars to life was Satoshi "Bin" Furuya.

Born in Tokyo's upscale Azabu Ward (now a part of the Minato Ward), Furuya was picked as one of Toho Studio's 15th Annual "New Faces" (along with his ULTRAMAN co-star Masanari Nihei), after graduating from Toho's Acting School in 1960. Cast in several small or background parts, in films such as Ishiro Honda's MOTHRA (1961), he garnered his first screen credit (as "Ken") in the Jun Fukuda crime thriller, THE HOWLING JAILBREAKERS (1962).

After appearing in a number of kaiju eiga (such as GHIDRAH), Furuya's towering stature and physical proportions didn't go unnoticed by Eiji Tsuburaya, who thought the tall thesp would be a wonderful monster suit actor for the series ULTRA Q (1966). Furuya resisted, at first, but who could refuse working for Japan's visual effects wizard? He soon found himself under the wing of Haruo Nakajima, Godzilla himself. After ULTRA Q, Eiji thought that Furuya would be the perfect choice to portray the titular character of his next series: ULTRAMAN.

And the rest, as they say, is history — Furuya was the first and the best Ultraman. Shortly after the conclusion of the series, all of the young actor's efforts and suffering beneath the suffocating suit, was rewarded by Tsuburaya Productions for their next series. This time, featured — sans masks — in the main cast of ULTRA SEVEN (1967) as "Officer Amagi" of the Ultra Guard; a character who has endeared himself to a generation of Japanese fans to this very day.

But, to me, he will always be the one and only Ultraman!

SHOUTING KAIJU & STREAMING SUPERHEROES ULTRA Q & ULTRA SEVEN on Shout! Factory TV!

ストリーミング『ウルトラQ』と『ウルトラセブン』VOD !


Watch episodes of ULTRA Q online anywhere or on your TV via Roku!

Launching this past February, Shout! Factory TV is a free "premiere digital entertainment streaming service that brings timeless and contemporary cult favorites to pop culture fans," with the "highest quality video available for all titles," free-to-consumer ad supported, original videos, special bonus behind-the-scenes featurettes, and live programming (such as the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Turkey Day Marathon).


Watch episodes of ULTRA SEVEN online or on your TV via Roku!

On July 1st, the service uploaded all 28-episodes of the classic 1966 kaiju-fantasy series ULTRA Q (click link to start viewing), precursor to ULTRAMAN, and 48-episodes of the 1967 sci-fi superhero series ULTRA SEVEN (click to start viewing), which followed ULTRAMAN, produced by Eiji Tsuburaya's world-renown Tsuburaya Productions, and are fully subtitled in English!

So, for any of those of you in North America who passed on picking up the either or both of these series on DVD from the Shout! Factory label — here's your chance to see both of these classic series and find out what all the fuss is about. So, tune in and kaiju out!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EIJI TSUBURAYA! JULY 10, 1901 - JANUARY 25, 1970

お誕生日おめでとう、円谷英二様！


Tsuburaya inspecting the original Ultraman suit, 1966.

The “Father of Japanese Special Visual Effects” was born on July 10, 1901 as Eiichi Tsuburaya in the town of Sukagawa, Fukushima. As with his life, even his date of birth is steeped in legend — official sources have often listed that Eiji Tsuburaya was born on July 7th — a date of fortune in the celebration of Tanabata (meaning “Seven Evenings”), a Japanese star festival derived from the Obon (a celebration of ancestors). Tanabata is usually celebrated on July 7th or August 7th, to commemorate the meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair).

Tanabata originated from the Chinese Festival to Plead for Skills (Oi Xi), which came to Japan in the Heian Period (795-1192), and spread to the public during the Edo Period (1603-1867), where it was then combined with Obon traditions. From the Edo Period, girls wished for better sewing and craftsmanship skills, while boys wished for better calligraphy skills, by writing wishes on strips of tanzaku paper, which were hung on bamboo trees. This tradition is still practiced today in Japan.

Even if Eiji Tsuburaya was not born on July 7th, the myth of being born on the Tanabata certainly was apt, because Tsuburaya would become famous for his multiple artistic and practical skills, which he had in spades — and eventually, the name Tsuburaya would become world-renown with the production of GODZILLA (1954).

"ULTRAMAN GINGA": TSUBURAYA'S NEW HERO! Premiering on Japanese Television July 10th

新ウルトラマン登場！『ウルトラマンギンガ』！


Introducing the latest member of the Ultra Family: Ultraman Ginga!

On July 10, Tokyo TV is celebrating "Ultraman Day" with the premiere of Tsuburaya Productions' NEW ULTRAMAN BIOGRAPHIES, which will feature the adventures of ULTRAMAN GINGA, with a subsequent DVD and Blu-ray release to follow on October 25th. The July 10th date is significant, since it's both the birthdate of visual effects pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya in 1901 and the public debut of the original Ultraman in 1966. The moniker "Ginga" is the Japanese word for "Galaxy."


Click to see the first Promotion Video for ULTRAMAN GINGA!

ULTRAMAN GINGA is the first series to feature teenagers as the main protagonists, focusing on 17 year-old Hikaru Raido (Takuya Negishi), a passionate High School Sophomore, who dreams of adventure. The protagonists learn to grow as they draw "memories of summer" to help those wounded between dreams and reality. Guided by a mysterious dream, Hikaru returns to his country home where he is reunited with his old schoolmates, to await a series of mysteries.


Tsuburaya's official image poster for the new ULTRAMAN GINGA!

Meanwhile, he encounters Ultraman Taro, who has been turned into a doll, and comes into the possession of the "Ginga Spark," an object of worship found in the shrine on scared Mt. Hoshiyama. Taking the Ginga Spark in his hand, and only when his courage reaches its peak, Hikaru can transform into Ultraman Ginga! By combining with a series of "Spark Dolls," representing heroes and monsters of the past, the Ginga Spark can bring them to "Ultralive" in order to combat evil!


Teaser poster for ULTRAMAN GINGA: THEATRICAL SPECIAL.

As Ultraman Ginga's battle begins, what mysteries will unfold, and what is the secret behind the Spark Dolls? While the use of Bandai's Ultra Hero and Ultra Monster vinyl figure lines may seem like one big toy commercial, it also recalls the Capsule Monsters first employed in ULTRA SEVEN (1967). The series will also be the first to not feature a scientific defense organization or the Self Defense Forces to counter the monsters and extraterrestrials that threaten the Earth.


Super Combibeast Thunder Daranbia vs. Ultralive Monster Black King!

Produced as a mini-series, ULTRAMAN GINGA will run for two months, with a theatrical film following on September 7th, and more episodes to come in the Winter. Volume 1 of Blu-ray and DVD,  streeting on October 25th, will feature Episodes 1-3 and Volume 2, streeting on November 22nd, will feature Episodes 4-6. While only containing three episodes each, there will be several special features to round out each volume. MSRP: Blu-ray 5,040 yen and DVD 3,990 yen.


DVD jacket art for Volume 1 of ULTRAMAN GINGA.

Among the special features content will be a special full-CG mini series, made up of three-minute episodes, under the banner "Giant Monster Rush: Ultra Frontier" (Volume 1 will feature "Red King Hunting," while Volume 2 will feature "Neronga Hunting"). Each volume will also contain Staff and Cast interviews, a series of behind-the-scenes making of featurettes called "Ginga Live" (tentative title), as well as clean opening and ending titles, and a six-page booklet.


Here's four minutes from Episode 1 "The Town of Falling Stars."

For more information, check out the official ULTRAMAN GINGA website (Japanese only)!

SHOUT! FACTORY UNLEASHES "ULTRA Q"! Seminal Sci-Fi Series on US DVD August 13th

伝説の特撮番組『ウルトラQ』は米国DVDで登場！


Shout! Factory's package design for the forthcoming DVD release.

THE TRUTH CAN FINALLY BE TOLD... ULTRA Q is coming to DVD in the US from on August 13th! Eiji Tsuburaya's seminal 1966 science fantasy series, which spurred the creation of ULTRAMAN, is finally receiving its long-overdue release in North America, thanks to Cliff MacMillan of Shout! Factory, who has pushed through releases of the original GAMERA film series, neglected movies such as MESSAGE FROM SPACE, and tokusatsu teleseries, including ULTRA SEVEN and JOHNNY SOKKO. Details as to the contents of this release have yet to be officially announced, but I was contracted to provide content for their momentous home video releases of ULTRA Q and ULTRA SEVEN back in 2011.

So, for those unfamiliar with ULTRA Q, here's what I wrote for the DVD package copy:

“For the next 30 minutes, your eyes will leave your body and arrive in this strange moment in time…” In the world of ULTRA Q, the very fabric of nature is warped into a state of unbalance, and all manner of strange phenomenon and unearthly creatures threaten the very future of mankind! On the scene are a world-renowned scientist and his young friends — a female photojournalist, an aviator, and his co-pilot — who investigate these supernatural menaces. When sheer military might is futile, the intrepid team comes to the rescue, armed solely with their ingenuity and scientific prowess, to quell these malevolent forces and restore the balance of nature.

The precursor to ULTRAMAN, ULTRA Q is a seminal science-fantasy television series in the monstrous mold of THE OUTER LIMITS and THE X FILES. As deeply ingrained in Japan’s pop culture as THE TWILIGHT ZONE is in America’s, ULTRA Q is available for the first time ever in its entirety on DVD! Eiji Tsuburaya, the visual effects wizard behind GODZILLA, RODAN, and MOTHRA, creates a spectacular cavalcade of bizarre beasts and mass mayhem in each and every episode of this wildly popular series. Never before broadcast in North America, ULTRA Q stars Kenji Sahara (RODAN), Hiroko Sakurai (ULTRAMAN) and Yasuhiko Saijo (SON OF GODZILLA).

As with previous Japanese releases from Shout!, I wrote extensive liner notes on the making of the series, which will *not* be in a booklet this time, but rather on one of the actual discs, itself (which you scroll through to read). This essay contains numerous facts about the development, production, and even the lost English Dubbing, never before published in English! But, it's the fans who make these things happen — so please support these releases from Shout! — because, if you don't support them with your dollars, those "Bean Counters" in the front office will be led to believe there's no market in the US for these films and television series! So, order "ULTRA Q: The Complete Series" today!

Stay tuned for more information as it is cleared for release!

• Pre-order ULTRA Q from Shout! Factory 
• Pre-order ULTRA Q from Amazon

"ULTRA SEVEN" COMPLETE SERIES DVD BOX SET! Shout! Factory's 45th Anniversary Release!

デュア!『ウルトラセブン』DVDボックス米国で11月12日発売 !



On the eve of it's 45th Anniversary, the original 1967 teleseries, ULTRA SEVEN, the direct answer to Tsuburaya Productions' ULTRAMAN (1966), Shout! Factory will be issuing the "Complete Series" box set on DVD to North America! I was originally scheduled to make an official announcement on this release at this year's G-Fest convention in Chicago this past July, but I wasn't able to attend, so it was just decided to wait for the listing on Amazon to go up before shouting about it.

At this time, all I can say about the contents is that the set will contain the 48 available episodes of ULTRA SEVEN, not counting the "banned" Episode 12 ("From Another Planet With Love"), while the episodes themselves will be presented in Japanese with English Subtitles. The English Dubs were not considered, as the Hawaiian Dub (produced in 1975) is lost, and the Cinar Dub (produced in the mid-1980s) were prone to heavy editing, and somewhere along the way, three episodes turned up missing.

Uncut and presented in Japanese with English Subtitles, this box set will include a 24-page booklet on the making of ULTRA SEVEN, penned by Yours Truly (I also provided the package copy as well), and another special premium, but we'll save that as a surprise for later... Stay tuned for more details on the ULTRA SEVEN Complete Series DVD Box Set, as they are made available by Shout! Factory!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ACTRESS YURIKO HISHIMI! JUNE 10, 1947Star of ULTRA SEVEN and GODZILLA VS. GIGAN

お誕生日おめでとう、ひし美ゆり子様 !


As Anne Yuri on location for ULTRA SEVEN Episode 15 (1967)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SANDAYU DOKUMAMUSHI! SIA Agent Arashi: Born March 31, 1936

お誕生日おめでとう科学特捜隊のアラシ隊員、毒蝮三太夫様！


A recent headshot of Dokumamushi from his official website.

MONSTER OF THE MONTH Keloid Alien: S'PELL

被爆星人スペル星人 「ウルトラセブン」より


©Tsuburaya Productions

Height: 1.7-40 meters • Weight: 160 kilograms-1,500 metric tonnes • Origin: Planet S'pell • Original Appearance: ULTRA SEVEN (1967-68) Episode 12 “From Another World With Love" • Suit Actor: Seikichi Nakamura • Voice Actor: Isao Yasu • Design: Tohru Narita • Fabricator: Ryosaku Takayama

Exposed to intense radiation from an experimental "S'pellium Bomb," these mutated keloid beings sent an expedition to Earth to find a cure. The S'pell agents developed a device, disguised as a wrist watch, which absorbs the wearer's blood supply into concentrated crystals—and they soon discovered that the most pure blood was that of human children. When their plans were uncovered by the Ultra Garrison, one of the extraterrestrials transformed into a colossus that could emit a high-intensity heat ray from its eyes (powerful enough to kill 10,000 men), and fly at speeds up to Mach 20.

After it's initial broadcast, this episode was put on a self-imposed ban due to controversy arising from labeling this creature "Hibaku Seijin" (A-Bomb Survivor Alien)—from "Hibakusha", a term referring to the A-Bomb Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The term was coined by Shoji Otomo, a writer working feelance for Tsuburaya Productions and Akita Shoten publishing, first appearing in a 1968 pictorial in Bokura magazine. In 1970, a teenager stumbled across the term on a monster card that came in her younger brother's copy of Shogakukan's Grammar School: Second Year, and alerted her father, who was a member of the Tokyo Federation of A-Bomb Sufferers Organizations.

Even though the term "Hibaku Seijin" was changed to "Kyuketsu Seijin" (Vampire Alien), an article featured in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper turned public opinion against Tsuburaya Productions, and the episode and the alien were then banished from all subsequent publications, broadcasts and home video releases. Ironically, an English-dubbed version of the episode was broadcast in Hawaii in the mid-1970s on Honolulu's KHON-2, and was later aired on the Atlanta-based TNT cable network in 1997 (as "Crystallized Corpuscles"). In 2000, the rights to the TNT version reverted back to Tsuburaya Productions, and so it is doubtful that Alien S'pell will ever see the light of day again.