- 18 Oct 2004
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EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS
窶ｰpﾅ津ｪ窶堙娯?怒ﾂ「窶ｰ~窶價窶ｰp窶愿ｱﾂ・窶ｰﾃｶﾂ獣窶堙固ｽg窶堋｢ﾂ」窶堙姑谷ﾆ弛ﾂー
August Ragone's debut book, EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS, is marching into better retailers near you right now (October on the West Coast and November on the East Coast) from the world-renown Chronicle Books. "Who is Eiji Tsuburaya," you might ask? Tsuburaya (1901-1970) was one of the technical pioneers of Japanese Cinema in the Silent Era, who went on to create the visual effects for GODZILLA and ULTRAMAN. This authorized and official 208-page, heavily-illustrated, coffeetable hardcover, is the first fully-authorized book of its kind published outside of Japan, and is the first biography of this important figure of Japanese Cinema ever written outside of Japan!
EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS is the first book on this legendary film figure in English, details the dynamic life and movie career of this legendary film figure, from his early fascination with with movies, aviation, and model building, to his work in he golden age of Japanese Cinema to the ingenious technical innovations that brought miniature worlds and fantastic characters vividly to life.
A must-have, EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS features hundreds of film stills, posters, concept art, and delightful on-set photos of Tsuburaya instructing monsters to crush landmark buildings, this highly visual biography also features rare profiles of the master's film collaborators, detailed information key films and shows (most available on DVD), and features on the enduring popularity of the characters he helped create.
EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS is already receiving positive reviews: "The difference between this book and other coffee table volumes that have covered daikaiju before, though, is the staggeringly researched detail that Ragone has put into the text itself. This is not just a picture book to flip through, nod approvingly at and stick on the shelf; this is a record easily in scale with the monsters Tsuburaya created—a critical and historical look at the creation and output of an industry that spanned (and has continued to span) the decades." - Tooth & Dagger.com
Tim Lucas, publisher and editor of the award-winning Video Watchdog magazine had this to say about the author, There is so much writing in English on Japanese cinema that can't be accepted at face value--not because the writers are careless, but because the differences in culture and language are just too intricate. When I see August Ragone's name on a piece of writing, it gives me permission to place my faith in it completely. Among Japanese fantasy film historians, he's the best working in English.
In the November 15th edition of The Library Journal, Blanche Angelo writes: Ragone expertly weaves biographical anecdotes into his exhaustive accounts of film productions, showing readers how a young aviator and toy designer fascinated by King Kong would, with his singular vision, exorcise the demons of postwar Japan, push the boundaries of television, and launch the careers of many talented writers and designers.
