IDW’sGodzillavs Los Angelesis on the horizon, and now the publisher has announced that proceeds from the book will be donated to help victims of the recent LA wildfires. IDW’sGodzilla Vsseries has seen the King of Monsters stomp his way across major American cities.Los Angeles is next, but in light of a real world tragedy, IDW has made an awesome pivot.
IGNreported on the news, which came down from IDW in a press release.Godzilla Vs. Los Angeles#1 features four different stories by some of today’s top creators, showing the monster attacking the City of Angels. The one-shot, which had been in the works since last summer, is the victim of unfortunate timing, as a series of devastating wildfires rocked Los Angeles and the surrounding area, resulting in lives lost and billions in property damage. IDW addressed the potential tone-deafness of the book in their press release, quoted in theIGNarticle:
We are reaching out to address the upcoming release of Godzilla vs. Los Angeles, the next installment in our “Godzilla vs. America” series. Planned since last July, this 40-page anthology features the work of some beloved Los Angeles-based writers and artists and is scheduled to go on sale in April 2025.
We recognize the unfortunate coincidence of our comic’s theme with the recent devastating fires in Los Angeles. “Godzilla,” as a series, has often served as a metaphor for the impact of unprecedented tragedies stemming from human actions or natural causes. It is not our intention to capitalize on these recent events but rather to continue to explore themes that resonate with and reflect the human condition.
To support our community in this difficult time, we have decided to donate all proceeds from the sales of Godzilla vs. Los Angeles to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc). This contribution will directly aid bookstores and comic shops affected by the fires, helping them recover and rebuild.
We appreciate your support as retailers and partners in bringing stories to life, even when art unintentionally mirrors reality. Through this effort, we can offer some assistance to those impacted by the events in Los Angeles.
Godzilla Is Coming to America, Courtesy IDW
IDW Did Not Forget That Godzilla Is a Potent Metaphor
As the world’s preeminent kaiju, Godzilla has left a trail of destruction across Japan and the world at large, and IDW is bringing him to Americain a new series of one-shots. So far, only Chicago and Los Angeles have been announced as future targets for Godzilla, but the prospect of the monster destroying other American cities is an exciting one. MostGodzillafilms confine the carnage and chaos to Japan, but IDW is taking him global, unleashing him on a defenseless America. The story possibilities from such a premise are immense.
While the Godzilla series became increasingly sillier as time went by, more modern interpretations, such asGodzilla Minus Onehave leaned back into this metaphor.
An aspect of Godzillathat sometimes gets lost is the strand of social commentary running through the character and his adventures.Conceived in Japan not even a decade after the first nuclear bombs were dropped on the country, Godzilla was intended as a metaphor for the destruction they left behind.While the Godzilla series became increasingly sillier as time went by, more modern interpretations, such asGodzilla Minus Onehave leaned back into this metaphor. In the case ofGodzilla Minus One, it became an exploration of the effects of wartime trauma.
Godzilla Has Destroyed In the Past–Now It Is Time For Him to Give Back
LA-area Comic Book Shops and Book Stores Are Getting a Boost from Godzilla
IDW acknowledged Godzilla’s cultural roots in their press release, and it informed their decision to donate all proceeds to charity. During the LA wildfires, several book stores and comic shops were destroyed, and IDW is doing their part to help by partnering with the Book Industry Charitable Foundation to help these businesses get back on their feet. IDW took what could have been a very awkward situation and turned it into something good. Over time,Godzillabecame something of a folk hero, and proceeds from his book help keep this heroic streak going.
Source:IGN
Godzilla vs. Los Angeles #1 is on sale April 30 from IDW Publishing!
