Artwork by Modstoon

Archive: G-FEST XXII Schedule

General events and times for G-FEST XXII are listed below.

Interview, event, and autograph sessions with our special guests can be easily found with the G-Guest icon:

Thursday, July 9th

Special double double-bill at the

Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge, IL

1:00 PM: Them!

3:00 PM: The Deadly Mantis

7:00 PM: Gamera vs. Jiger

9:00 PM: Gamera: Guardian of the Universe

Friday, July 10th Gamera 50th Celebration - Gamera the Brave (9:00 AM - 10:30 AM, Midway) Registration (9:15 AM - 5:00 PM, Concourse A) Modeling - How to Paint Godzilla! (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Love A and B) - with Black Heart and Badger Air-Brush Co. Tokusatsu Room (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Ballroom 5) - Opened to the public at 10:00 AM. Opened for sessions and observation at 11:00 AM. Gamera 50th Celebration - Gamera vs. Guillon (10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Midway) G-FEST Orientation (11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - As an aid to maximizing their G-FEST experience, fans dropped by this session and got answers to any questions they might have had from convention chairman J.D. Lees. Artist Alley (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Metro) - Opened for setup at 11:00 AM. Opened to the public for viewing at 12:00 PM. G-Pardy Game 1 (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - With Skip Peel The Monster Report: Symphonic Fury! Pre-Concert Panel (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - Once again, John DeSentis and Chris Oglio conspired to bring a full orchestral concert to G-FEST! Panelists: John DeSentis, Chris Oglio, and Nick Poling. Baragon Turns 50! (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Kennedy) - A look back at Frankenstein Conquers the World. With Kevin Horn and August Ragone. Gamera 50th Celebration - Gammera The Invincible (12:00 PM - 1:30 PM, Midway) Video Gaming Room (12:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Balmoral) - Video game tournament sign-up and warm-up. Autograph Sessions (1:00 PM - 6:00 PM, Concourse B) - Kow Otani was available to sign autographs at the Symphonic Fury! table in the Dealers Room on Friday, July 10th, from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM. G-Pardy Game 2 (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - With Skip Peel. Origins of Twisted Kaiju Theater (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - For almost 15 years, Twisted Kaiju Theater has been the Godzilla Toy Story webcomic. Fans listened to creator Sean McGuinness (a.k.a. Shin-Goji, a.k.a. That Godzilla Guy) wax poetic about the origins of Neo-Monster Island. Do You Remember Your First Time? (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Kennedy) - What was the first Godzilla film you saw? When did you first make the pilgrimage to G-FEST? When did you see your first issue of G-FAN? Fans joined an open discussion where they reminisced about key moments in their personal G-fandom! Panelists: Martin Arlt, Pam Arlt, Scott Witherall, Jeff Horne, Scrooge Jones. Gamera Display (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Haneda) - Opened to the public for viewing. Photo Scavenger Hunt (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Balmoral) Art Room (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, La Guardia) - Opened for setup at 1:00 PM. Opened to the public at 3:00 PM. Gamera 50th Celebration - Gamera vs. Viras (1:30 PM - 3:00 PM, Midway) Dealers Room (1:30 PM - 7:00 PM, Ballrooms 3 and 4) - Opened to staff only at 1:30 PM. Opened to the public for shopping at 2:00 PM. Back to Planet X - 50 Years Later (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - It’s been 50 years since Nick Adams and Akira Takarada teamed up to fight the Xians, and Godzilla and Rodan teamed up to fight King Ghidorah. Fans learned about the making of a classic G-film from the height of the Showa era! With Kevin Horn. Kaiju Comics (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - Creators discussed the process and creation of kaiju comics, specifically creator owned kaiju. Featured special guest Jeff Zornow of IDW’s Godzilla: Rulers of the Earth! Panelists: Jonathan Clode, Chris Martinez, Josh Finney, Keith Foster, and James Biggie. Creating Short Films on an Amateur Level (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Kennedy) - Fans creating their own kaiju short films are a big part of the kaiju community. Jake DeNunzio led an instructional panel that gave amateur film makers a chance to learn a variety of tips and tricks to help hone their skills in creating their own monster movies! Remembering Rulers: Kaijucast Live Show (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - After a solid, two-year run, IDW’s Godzilla: Rulers of Earth series came to an end. Fans heard the artists behind the comic discuss the series that featured just about every Toho monster ever. Panelists: Matt Frank, Kyle Yount, and Jeff Zornow. How Has G-FEST Affected Your Life? (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - Whether a first-timer or a long-time regular, fans came to this open discussion of the impact that this annual gathering has had on them. Panelists: Mike Sutton, Scott Witherall, Jeff Horne, and Scrooge Jones. Military Aviation in Kaiju Films (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Kennedy) - With Michael Little. Gamera 50th Celebration - Gamera: Super-Monster (3:00 PM - 4:30 PM, Midway) G-Pardy Game 3 (4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - With Skip Peel. Acapella Ifukube Music (4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - Fans came to learn a piece of music in this audience participation panel where Barber-shop Quartet Bass Mark Matzke and Angel City Chorale Bass Stephen Schilling led us through some of Akira Ifukube’s Godzilla music… as vocal parts. Singing experience was not necessary. Just a willingness to learn, have fun, and a mild ability to carry a tune… and count… counting was important. The music piece was the Destroy All Monsters theme as arranged by the Bukimisha Weird Secret Society. With Stephen Schilling, and Mark Matzke. Big In Japan! (4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Kennedy) - Toho actor and Big in Japan star Robert Scott Field joined author Timothy Price and artist Alan OW Barnes for a discussion on the success of Big In Japan! Panelists: Timothy Price, Robert Scott Field, and Alan OW Barnes. Gamera 50th Celebration - Gamera 2: Advent of Legion (4:30 PM - 6:30 PM, Midway) Opening Ceremonies (6:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Ballroom 2) - The official opening of G-FEST XXII introduced our special guests, as well as members of the committee that produce the convention. Gfantis: Death Game (6:30 PM - 7:00 PM, Ballroom 2) Gamera 50th Celebration - Gamera vs. Gyaos (6:30 PM - 8:00 PM, Midway) Gamera 50th Celebration - Gamera 3: Awakening of Iris (8:00 PM - 10:00 PM, Midway) Symphonic Fury! The Music of Japanese Monsters (8:00 PM, the Pickwick Theatre) Gamera 50th Celebration - Gamera vs. Barugon (10:00 PM - 11:30 PM, Midway) Godzilla vs. Biollante (10:45 PM, the Pickwick Theatre) Gamera 50th Celebration - Gamera vs. Zigra (11:30 PM - 1:00 AM, Midway)

Artwork by Chris Scalf Saturday, July 11th Registration Resume (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Concourse A) Special Guest - Masaaki Tezuka (9:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Ballroom 2) - Interview with the director of Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. With J.D. Lees and Robert Scott Field. The Way of the Tokusatsu Fist (9:00 AM - 10:00 AM, Ballroom 1) - A look at the martial arts and training behind the acting/suit acting of your favorite Japanese media, including Godzilla, Ultraman, Power Rangers and Kamen Rider. With Scrooge Jones. G-FEST Kid’s Thread (9:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Kennedy) G-FEST Film Festival - Space Monster Numagirasu / Zella: Monster Martial Law (9:00 AM - 10:30 AM, Midway) Modeling - Build and Paint Manda Session 1 (9:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Love A and B) - Register and pick up your kit at 8:00 AM, session began at 9:00 AM. Video Gaming Room (9:00 AM - 5:30 PM, Balmoral) - Video game tournament sign-up was at 9:00 AM. Free time play was at 10:00 AM. Tournament began at 11:00 AM. Kaiju Music Challenge (10:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Ballroom 1) - Mike Sutton tested your knowledge of kaiju soundtrack music in this competitive, interactive, and very fun session. Artist Alley (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Metro) - Opened to the public for viewing. Tokusatsu Room (10:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Ballroom 5) - Opened for sessions and observation. Dealers Room (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Ballrooms 3 and 4) - Opened to the public for shopping. Art Room (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, La Guardia) - Opened to the public for viewing. G-FEST Film Festival - Madzilla! (10:30 AM - 11:00 AM, Midway) Special Guest - Noboru Kaneko (11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - Interview with actor Noboru Kaneko, star of the Super Sentai series Gaoranger. With Jim Cirronella, and Robert Scott Field. Giant Monsters by the Numbers (11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - Ever wonder which Godzilla movies caused the greatest economic impact? Interested in the pattern of monsters from Pacific Rim’s breach? Are you curious about the financing of the Jaeger program in Pacific Rim? Keith Foster (Kodoja) talked about the numbers behind our favorite giant monsters! The Space Giants / Maguma Taishi (11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Kennedy) - A look back with Lewis Austin. G-FEST Film Festival - Godzilla and His Amazing Friends: Gathering of the Kings Special Preview / Godzilla Forever: Rise of the Darkness (11:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Midway) Modeling - Build and Paint Manda Session 2 (11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Love A and B) G-FEST Film Festival - Godzilla: Heritage Preview (11:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Midway) Autograph Sessions (12:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Concourse B) 50 Years of Gamera (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - With August Ragone and Kyle Yount. Colossal Kaiju Combat: Final Brawl! (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - Audience participation helped determine the final winner of an all-out brawl between kaiju. With Simon Strange, and Matt Frank. G-Fans in Japan: Traveling Overseas (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Kennedy) - Thinking about visiting the Land of the Rising Sun on your own someday? Just curious about Western fans’ experiences in Japan? Fans asked questions of those who have made the journey, and heard their tips and advice for making the most of their trip. With Joyce Boss, and Michael Field. Gamera Display (12:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Haneda) - Opened to the public for viewing. G-FEST Film Festival - Monsters That Should Have Gotten a Sequel But Didn’t! / The Elaborate End of Robert Ebb (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Midway) Marvel Presents: Kaiju-Size Avengers! (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - Ever wonder what would happen if two of the biggest films from 2014 and 2015 collided? Marvel Comics did… in 1979. Panelists gave a live dramatic reading of Marvel’s Godzilla #23 and #24! With Keith Foster. Tributes: Koichi Kawakita and Anna Nakagawa (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - Robert Scott Field discussed his personal memories of two kaiju personalities who left us too soon. The Legend is Reborn: 30 Years After Godzilla 1985 (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Kennedy) - Nick Adam Poling of the Monster Report and Ed Godziszewski discussed the impact this film had on the Godzilla franchise, and differences between the Japanese and U.S. versions. G-FEST Film Festival - Hail To The King: 60 Years of Destruction (1:00 PM - 2:30 PM, Midway) Modeling - What to do With Your Awesome Kaiju! (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Love A and B) Tokusatsu Room - Costume Parade Orientation / Workshop (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Ballroom 5) Kaiju Music Videos (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Ballroom 2) Godzilla Raids Again: 60th Anniversary (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - In 1955, Toho released its first sequel to the immensely popular Godzilla. Fans celebrated the start of Godzilla as a series of films, the first appearance of Anguirus, and the first in a long line of kaiju vs. kaiju battles that would define the genre. Panelists: Martin Arlt, Allen Debus, Kevin Horn, Nick Polling, and Danny Tokarz. The Art of Kaiju Writing (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Kennedy) - With Neil Reibe, Timothy Price, Skip Peel, and Matt Dennion. Modeling - Battles in Outer Space (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Love A and B) G-FEST Film Festival - Godzilla: The Return of Space Godzilla / Sharkosaurus (2:30 PM - 3:30 PM, Midway) Live Monster Zero Kaijucast Commentary Recording (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - With August Ragone, and Kyle Yount. Japanese Culture the Kaiju Way (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - With Joyce Boss. Godzilla vs. Destroyah: Looking Back 20 Years (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Kennedy) - With Kevin Horn, and Miguel Barroso. Modeling - Building and Painting Styrene, Vinyl, and Resin Monsters (3:00 PM - 6:00 PM, Love A and B) G-FEST Film Festival - Kaiju Gaiden Preview (3:30 PM - 5:00 PM, Midway) Cinema Symbiosis (4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Ballroom 1) - Japanese and American monster and sci-fi, and how they influenced each other. The Lost World begat King Kong, which begat Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, which begat Godzilla. Well, sort of. This discussion explored how and where the films of both nations (and others, including England, and even Denmark) reinterpreted each other’s ideas and visual concepts, and how their different technologies brought them to the screen. With Archie Waugh, and Richard A. Pusateri. Spook Cinema Presents 8mm Monster Movie Mayhem! (4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Kennedy) - A brief trip back in time to the 60s and 70s! A time before home video, DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand! Fans joined Timothy Price and experienced the terror of 8mm Monster Movie Mayhem! G-FEST Film Festival - Extinction / Monsura is Waiting (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM, Midway) Tokusatsu Room - Green Room Preparation for the Costume Parade (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Ballroom 5) Final G-Pardy (7:00 PM - 7:45 PM, Ballroom 2) - With Skip Peel. Raffle Draws and Costume Parade (7:45 PM - 9:00 PM, Ballroom 2) Amateur Kaiju Videos (9:00 PM - 9:45 PM, Ballroom 2) Godzilla X Megaguirus (10:30 PM, the Pickwick Theatre) G-FEST Film Festival - Insectula / Cargols! (11:00 PM - 12:00 AM, Midway) - Age 17 and over.

Sunday, July 12th

Artwork by Chris Scalf

Registration Resumes

(9:00 AM - 1:30 PM, Concourse A)

G-FEST Film Festival - Peter and the Colossus / It Grows

(9:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Midway)

Autograph Sessions

(10:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Concourse B)

Tokusatsu Room

(10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Ballroom 5) - Opened to the public for viewing.

Japan Update

(10:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Ballroom 2) - With Robert Scott Field.

Godzilla Battle Royale Q & A

(10:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Kennedy) - Since 2010, longtime G-fan Billy DuBose embarked on a kaiju adventure he never figured he could pull off at first. Yet after four years of filming, greenscreening, collaborating with fellow G-fans and garnering the cooperation of Robert Scott Field and Akira Takarada, Billy finally unveiled his hard fought fan-film effort at G-FEST 2014 and Big G’s 60th Anniversary. Godzilla Battle Royale is living proof that hard work and determination can make lifelong goals possible. Those who enjoyed the film or the premiere at G-FEST last year had a chance to take a deeper look into what went into it, how things were made, and ask their questions. A limited number of free DVDs and T-shirts were given out.

Artist Alley

(10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Metro) - Opened to the public for viewing.

Video Gaming Room

(10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Balmoral) - Opened for gaming.

Dealers Room

(10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Ballrooms 3 and 4) - Opened to the public for shopping. Costume prizes awarded.

Art Room

(10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, La Guardia) - Opened to the public for viewing. Ribbons on display.

Kaiju Kamishibai & Sonorama Art

(11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - With Stan Hyde.

Gamera Stories (Formerly Godzilla Stories)

(11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Kennedy) - Fans joined Stephen Schilling for an interactive session where they shared their stories inspired by and about Gamera.

Gamera Display

(11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Haneda) - Opened to the public for viewing.

Photo Scavenger Hunt Begins

(11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Balmoral)

G-FEST Film Festival - Kaiju Gaiden Preview (Encore)

(11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Midway)

Feeling the Fury: Post Concert Panel

(12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - After recovering from another stunning night of live music, fans came to hear how the people responsible for it felt, now that it was over, and got a hint of what’s to come. With Chris Oglio, and John DeSentis.

Fresh Vinyl Live!

(12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Kennedy) - Fresh Vinyl Live debuted at G-FEST XXII with the most recent toy news from X-Plus, S.H. Monster Arts, Marmit, Diamond, and NECA! Panelists: Richard Eso, Christine Chapin, David Eric Dopko, Kyle Yount, Samson West, and Jon Bumpus.

G-FEST Film Festival - Giant Spider / HellyFish

(12:30 PM - 2:00 PM, Midway)

Goohead Gamera Cinema

(1:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Ballroom 2)

Awards Luncheon

(1:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Ballroom 1)

Raki Rakugaki

(1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Kennedy) - With Lewis Austin.

G-FEST Film Festival - Gila! / Running the Gammatar

(2:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Midway)

Kaijucast Live Podcast

(2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Kennedy) - With Kyle Yount.

Autograph Sessions

(3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Concourse B)

G-FAN, G-FEST, and G-TOUR

(3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - Fans asked questions, made suggestions, and flung their slings and arrows. With G-FAN editor J.D. Lees.

For the Love of Godzilla

(3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Kennedy) - With Joey Leonard, and Aki Teriyaki.

Return For Photo Scavenger Hunt Grading and Prizes

(3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Balmoral)

G-FEST Film Festival - Hail To The King: 60 Years of Destruction (Encore)

(3:30 PM - 5:00 PM, Midway)

Kaiju Konfessions

(4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Ballroom 2) - Fans that had an ounce of energy left took part in this classic G-FEST interactive closing session. Stan Hyde was the ringmaster.

Titanosaurus Society of North America

(9:00 PM - ?, The Lobby, Food Court, Bar Area) - A.k.a. the Dead Dogzilla Party, for those who couldn’t accept that G-FEST was over again until next year.