Godzilla vs. Gigan
To commemorate the seminal confrontation of Godzilla and Gigan, Topps unveils a brand-new collection of premium Godzilla NFTs that spotlights the 50th anniversary of Gigan!
Godzilla vs. Gigan NFTs
We all know who Godzilla is, but who exactly is Gigan? Gigan is another kaiju from Toho’s Godzilla franchise who first appeared in the movie Godzilla vs Gigan. Gigan’s torso houses a a huge buzzsaw, and he has large metal hooks for hands. This is why he is considered one of Godzilla’s most brutal and violent opponents – he is the first monster to make him bleed. Gigan’s ability to return time and time again with upgraded weaponry makes him one of Godzilla’s most deadly foes.
Topps, in partnership with Toho Japan, has created a mini NFT collection celebrating the 50th anniversary of Godzilla’s viscous adversary – Gigan. The new NFT collection consists of new animated Comic Covers, Rookie Cards, “Toppiscles,” Chibi art, animated Movie Posters, Lobby Cards, and Movie “Moments.” Topps enlisted me to create some special animated comic covers for the Godzilla vs. Gigan Cross-Collection Challenge NFTs.
Client
Topps NFTs
Animator
Justin Gammon
NFTs Illustrators
Feature and Header Images
Matt Frank
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth – Comic Cover #1
Illustrator: Matt Frank | Animator: Justin Gammon
Godzilla vs. Gigan Cross-Collection Challenge
Epic Collecting Reaps Epic Rewards
Topps’ 50th Anniversary Godzilla vs Gigan NFTs were a limited release, so naturally this meant a quick selling out of packs. This is good for Topps, but it can be considerably frustrating for collectors. If re-sellers and speculators buy up the packs to resell them on Topps NFTs Marketplace, it can be damaging to the marketplace and the Topps NFT community. Knowing this practice happens and seeing several packs being unopened, Topps created an incentive for collectors to open their packs and to also buy missing NFTs to add their collection – Reward Challenges. Collectors are rewarded with even more limited and sought-after NFTs for owning specific mini-collection in the Gigan series. (For example, collecting all movie posters, comic covers, etc.).
The animated Godzilla vs. Gigan NFTs I created were originally comic book covers from the mini-series, Godzilla: Rulers of Earth by IDW polishing. The artwork was created by Kaiju fanatics Matt Frank and Jeff Zornow. When breaking down these complex and epic drawings to animate them, I really wanted to stay true to original artists’ vision, but my main goal was to make fans’ jaws drop upon receiving one of the NFTs. They had to be clear reward for amount of time and money invested in completing the challenges.
The Quest for Kaiju Knowledge
Slaying the Groundwork
I took their existing Gigan-centric artwork, dissected it, then retouched and reassembled them. The challenge was to make these monsters feel “alive.” I wanted to have them, move, attack, and react like actual characters. This was enhanced by bringing atmosphere of glowing lighting, rippling heat from flames and in some cases, even emulating the slow motion techniques used in the scenes of devastation in Godzilla movies.
Another lesser-known aspect to creating these animations is the research of the characters in the Godzilla universe. I made sure to accurately depict each monster’s powers and actions to stay true to the IP of TOHO, but even more-so for the fans who know these characters inside and out and will understand them much more than I ever will. In preparation for these animated NFTs, I watched various clips of vintage Godzilla movies to see these Kaiju in action – Gigan, M.O.G.U.E.R.A., and Orga. It gave me insight to how they move and what their powers are.
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth – Comic Cover #2
Illustrator: Jeff Zornow | Animator: Justin Gammon
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth – Comic Cover #3
Illustrator: Jeff Zornow | Animator: Justin Gammon
Building Trust and Community
Godzilla vs. Gigan vs. Groupies
Topps NFTs has established its own properties and is selling NFTs in its own marketplace. After selling out of the Godzilla vs Gigan NFTs so quickly, a lot of the buyers speculated on the future value and collectibility of such a limited run. Topps incentivized collectors to actually open their packs and complete some collections by enticing them with a selection of even more scarce Rewards NFTs. The risk and reward payoff presented here only works, because Topps has established trust with its community. They stay connected and interact with fans constantly in their Discord community which brings continued value to Topps, the collectors, and the investors.
In the collecting landscape of NFTs, community if very important. Without open communication of your visison and plans with your customers, they can be more hesitant to invest and collect the NFTs you are offering. Having their trust is crucial, especially in small, specialty releases like the Godzilla vs. Gigan NFTs. It also gives me the incentive to produce something astounding and unexpected for the fans. This keeps the partnership door open to do more projects like this one. It keeps the fans wanting more and Toho wanting more.