Avery Guerra interviews Chief Kaiju Officer and Creative Director of the World-Crushing Entertainment, Rand Borden, about the history of "Kaiju Big Battel"
Written By: Avery Guerra
Avery: Rand, how about giving us a run-down on what exactly Kaiju Big Battel is and what it consists of – by way of a little history of yourself and the project?
Rand Borden: I’m a kaijuholic. The seeds of Kaiju Big Battel were planted in 1994 when I began to build my own kaiju suit while still a student at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, aka SMFA [in Boston]. It took about a year to complete as I was working in the dark. There was not much of an internet then, so info on kaiju costume-making was hard to come by.
I’d been a big fan of Ultraman [the live-action, giant superhero-vs-monsters TV show] as a kid and this brought it all back. Creating the kaiju it was immensely enjoyable so I decided to make some more. I soon had three kaiju suits and Halloween was just around the corner. The Revolving Museum, a local gallery, was planning its annual Halloween fundraiser and my friend had connections there. Somehow we ended up on stage, beating each other up amongst a hastily constructed city made out of cardboard. The crowd loved it.
Four months later we were asked to repeat it at SMFA. There was a Printmaking symposium going on and for the opening night the print faculty wanted us to entertain. We had one problem: there was no stage. We gathered up some wood and started building one and as it went up it transformed into a wrestling ring-like structure. The ropes were weak and there was little padding, if any, but it looked the part and even better it gave the Kaiju a reason to fight.
Also in the weeks building up to the event I cranked out several costumes with stuff I had lying around. A pair or scrubs, a child’s wolverine mask, bananas-in-pajamas heads I’d made for Halloween, a California Raisin costume and a bootleg Power Rangers mask quickly became Dr Cube, American Beetle, The Plantain Twins, Silver Potato, and Powa Ranjuru. To pay for materials we printed up some T-shirts and made trading cards on the School’s presses, which we sold at the show.
From there, the show grew and evolved. In 1998 I went to Japan for the first time. As luck would have it the place I was staying was just up the road from Tsuburaya Studios, the home of Ultraman. I went to take a look and was taking pictures outside and the security guard waved me in. They were repairing suits in the parking lot and he let me get up close to see what they were doing. As I was watching, a man crossing the lot from one building to another stopped and asked if I knew Brad. I said no and he insisted I did and ran back to where he had come from. Brad Warner came out to greet me. He was the only American working there — I believe he was second-in-charge of the International Department. He took me on a tour of the place while I made mental notes on how things were made, while snapping pics. I was close in my construction techniques but I learned more that day than I’d managed in the last four years of experimenting. The way I build the suits has changed very little since that time.
Avery: It’s obvious that the show is heavily inspired by Japanese kaiju television and cinema. Which ones in general have been most influential to Big Battel’s creation?
RB: Initially Ultraman as I grew up watching it, but Ishinomori Shotaro’s huge output also inspired me in the early 90s when I rediscovered my childhood passions for monster destruction.
Avery: What goes into the making of the live shows and where do you find the experienced crew members for such events?
RB: It takes about a month of prep time. Making miniature buildings takes up most of that time. Other things to be done are suit repair, rehearsal, props and of course writing the script and lead-up stories for the Web. [Examples of what Rand is talking about here can be seen on the Kaiju Big Battel website.] A lot of the crew start out as interns that never really leave. Some people just have a love for it or for performing in front of a crowd. Also people bring others into it, their friends, and they want to have fun performing together. Very rarely do we have tryouts.
Avery: What types of merchandising based on the show have there been and has any been particularly successful?
RB: A quick list includes T-shirts, Trading Cards, Clocks, Hot Sauce, Magnets, Pins, DVDs, Vinyl Toys, Posters, Stuffed Kaiju, Menko, Greeting Cards … and I know I’ve missed others. DVDs and T-Shirts tend to sell the best overall, but one of my favorites is “REAL MEAT”. When someone “dies” in the show we cut him up into little squares and package it. The Vinyl Toys that are made by Marmit in Japan are the ones I love most. It was a dream come true for me as I collect kaiju toys and Marmit has been my favorite producer for a long time.
Avery: Would you say that the show has done well as a whole?
RB: Yes, as it’s how I make a living!
Avery: In the kaiju fan community there seems to be a degree of discrimination against Kaiju Big Battel, to the point that many are quick to dismiss it or ignore its existence altogether. Why do you think that this is? How would you address these individuals?
RB: I don’t know. I haven’t a clue but to tell you the truth: I do this for myself. I’m a kaiju fan and I try to do things that I think would be fun to watch. I don’t associate with the kaiju fan community in the States all that much. It’s not that I dislike it, it’s just that I’m a bit of a workaholic and spend all my time in the studio. The Japanese kaiju community, however, has been very supportive. Every time I visit Japan I meet new people who love it. Manga artist Naoki Karasawa went so far as to tell me I was the “True heir of Tokusatsu [live action special effects]“. It’s hard to receive a better compliment than that. If the fans of Japan can accept me and what I do, then that is enough for me.
Avery: Would you describe the show as a spoof/parody of the kaiju genre or more as a tribute?
RB: I love 70s Japanese TV and live-action kid shows appeal to me the most. I grew up in the ‘70s watching this stuff on the UHF channels. The spoof/parody is really on the wrestling side of things.
Avery: What would you like the audience to take from the experience that is Kaiju Big Battel?
RB: A trip back to childhood, bringing back those Saturday afternoons sitting in front of the TV all day. The fresh but familiar feelings of fun.
Avery: How many different kaiju have been made for this show and have any been particularly popular amongst the fans?
RB: There has been over 100 characters altogether, but not all of them are kaiju. This number includes the Heroes as well as the human cast. Fan favorites from the Kaiju category are Kung Fu Chicken Noodle, Sky Deviler, Call-Me-Kevin, Unibouzu, and in his time Midori no Kaiju.
Avery: Who is responsible for creating these characters, the designing of the suits, building of the miniature sets, and overall SPFX?
RB: I design about 95% of every thing, suits, miniatures, website, merchandising, etc. I come up with the basic story for the characters and then pass if off to someone else to make into coherent paragraphs; I am more of a visual person than anything else. In building things I maybe do 60%-70% of the work and direct the rest. The shows, on the other hand, are written by everyone involved, from the performers to the interns. Everybody puts their ideas into the pot and I just try to steer it in the proper direction. Mainly making sure things stay to character and don’t get too offensive — although sometimes things slip by. The video is edited by a crack team of interns. They work up the rough cut, then I go in and tighten it up and add effects, titles, etc.
Avery: What will the fans have to look forward to in the future from Kaiju Big Battel?
RB: The plans are always changing, so even I don’t know too far into the future. I do hope to finish the “Rogue Soup and Bug” film this summer, if money permits. [You can view the trailer by clicking here.]
Avery: In closing, is there anything you’d like to add? Perhaps something you would like to say to your fans past, present, and future?
RB: Thanks for all the support. I hope you will continue to enjoy what I do.
See Also: What Every Good Rave Needs Is Hot Girls And Giant Monsters
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