With Haruo Nakajima Six Years Ago This Week

Above, Haruo Nakajima autographing a fan's movie poster. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Incredible as it may seem, but it was six years ago this week that I was in Charlotte, North Carolina serving as Haruo Nakajima's "wrangler" for the Mad Monster Party convention at the Blake Hotel.

Above, the Haruo Nakjima discussion panel. Photo by Jeff Blanken.

I also was the moderator for a panel featuring Nakajima. I have a lot more respect for others who have served in this capacity at conventions. It was hard to get more questions & answers in as he loved to talk to his fans. Once he received a question, he ran with it! Luckily, we went a little overtime and managed to get more questions in.

He was a joy to hang out with. I am looking forward to seeing his daughter Sonoe this summer at G-FEST.

Condé Nast's "18 Things Hotels Could Do to Be Truly Brilliant"

Above, the Blake Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hotels, motels, motor lodges and national park lodges. I've stayed at all of them. Some were great and some were just terrible.

Last year, I stayed at Charlotte, North Carolina's Blake Hotel for the Mad Monster Party convention. It was generally a nice place, but I had to wonder about the seven-foot mirror that stood on the floor propped up against the wall instead of being mounted on the wall. I heard this was the case in every room. Hope Charlotte isn't prone to earthquakes.

Another time, we (my family) checked into a hotel late at night only to find people sleeping in the room we were assigned to. This happened another time in Sacramento. When we told the woman (who looked a lot like Beulah Ballbreaker from Porky's) at the front desk, she grabbed a machete and ran up to the room. I pitied the poor man who was sound asleep in the room over his rather rude awakening.

Condé Nast Traveler has an article with 18 suggestions for the hotel industry that would make peoples' stays much more satisfying. And they are only "the basics" at that. As an example: hotels have been acting like the airlines (or is it vice-versa?) in charging fees for every little thing. This is covered in number two on the list. I have found that Japanese hotels are not "fee-prone" as U.S. hotels.

There is one item that I am surprised isn't on the list: the overpriced food at hotel restaurants.

To view the list of 18 suggestions, go here.

Haruo Nakajima Mad Monster Party Panel Highlights

Above, Haruo Nakajima discusses his career as a monster suit-actor.
Photo by Jeff Blanken.

It has been a week since I got back to Los Angeles from the Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina.  It was a big show with plenty of people attending and having a grand time.  Fortunately, the venue that held the convention, the Blake Hotel, was more than adequate to handle the hordes of monster fans.

On Sunday, March 24, the last day of the show, the panel discussion with Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima was held with yours truly moderating.  The ballroom was huge and the panel was well-attended with about 75% of the seats occupied.

Along with Haruo Nakajima and myself, we also had daughter Sonoe Nakajima and translator Yoko Connelly.  Sonoe assisted Yoko whenever she needed help in some of the kaiju names and other aspects of the movies she was unfamiliar with.

Prior to the panel, we went over the general points of the panel that I planned to cover.  Naturally, once the panel started, with very little prodding, Mr. Nakajima ran with the discussion.

Earlier in the morning, we tested the audio and video equipment in the ballroom.  The audio equipment worked fine (with Akira Ifukube's Godzilla tracks playing) as did the video equipment (at least during the test it did) to project stills.  When we had the panel discussion, the video equipment became uncooperative at times.

Above, the Haruo Nakajima panel.  From left, Armand Vaquer, Haruo Nakajima,
Yoko Connelly and Sonoe Nakajima.  Photo by Jeff Blanken.

Some of the highlights of the discussion were:

• Katsumi Tezuka and he were both chosen to play Godzilla in the 1954 original.  But Nakajima (age 25 at the time) had better endurance than Tezuka.  Tezuka could only last for about five meters in the suit before collapsing.  Nakajijma could go on to ten meters.  He said, "Strong is better than weak."

• Katsumi Tezuka went on to play Anguirus in the first sequel to Godzilla, Godzilla's Counter-Attack (or Godzilla Raids Again or Gigantis, The Fire Monster) in 1955, according to Nakajima.

• Fighting King Ghidorah was difficult as the heads and wings were all manipulated by wires (with a man inside the suit) making it seem to Nakajima that he was fighting a machine.  He would run at Ghidorah and bounce off as if hitting a wall.

• Nagoya Castle was accidentally demolished by a crew member and had to be rebuilt at a cost of $5,000 and a month's delay while filming Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964).

• Nakajima also said that the Godzilla suit did not get its head damaged during filming of Mothra vs. Godzilla (even though the upper jaw was jiggly during filming).  He said that was just a rumor originating from Godzilla fandom.

• He confirmed that he fell eight feet in the Rodan suit during filming of Rodan in 1956 when wires holding him snapped.  Fortunately, he was unhurt.

• He was so skillful in his suit performances that Toho had him choreograph the monster fights.  He pretty much had free reign while doing so.

• Before Toho went with smaller, mechanized Mothra caterpillars, he and several others were inside the caterpillar suit in Mothra (1961).  He was the lead person inside (at the head).  

• He was invited to act in Hollywood but had to turn down the offer as he was needed to make the next feature, King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).

Nakajima took some questions from the audience (we were scheduled for an hour in the room, but we went a little beyond that to take a few audience questions).  Here's a couple:

• One of the questioners asked his opinion on Hollywood's Godzilla efforts.  He said he hoped that the Legendary Pictures Godzilla (now filming in Vancouver, British Columbia) looks and acts like Godzilla.

• He was also asked what was it like to work for director Akira Kurosawa.  Nakajima said that whether one was a movie's star or just an extra, if Kurosawa didn't like his performance or felt that person didn't take the role seriously, he would tell him to "go home, I don't need you."  Then he would re-cast the role.

At the end of the panel, Nakajima received an appreciative standing-ovation by the attendees.

Fox Charlotte has a cool photo gallery.  To see it, go here.

Mad Monster Party Post-Mortems

Above, Charlotte was a nice city to hold a convention.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As I have a few more hours to kill before I head to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, I thought I'd post a few more photos and add a few thoughts.  The Nakajimas left the hotel to head back to Japan about two hours ago.

Above, the main entrance to the Blake Hotel.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Bearing in mind that this is the second convention the organizers put on, there are a few bugs that need to be addressed.  People learn from experience.  I've seen conventions improve over the years with fewer and fewer problems as organizers become more adept.

Above, the main building of the Blake Hotel.  I had a top floor room with a balcony (second from left).
The Nakajimas were in the room next to mine at left.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There needs to be better communication between organizers and the guests.  The guests need to have a printed schedule telling them where to be and at what time.  The guests were left in the dark on different events and only found out about them when their helpers found flyers with printed schedules.  Things need to be in writing and clearly communicated, especially for Japanese guests.

The V.I.P. room has to be solely for the guests and nobody else.  The celebrities had to share the V.I.P. room with R.I.P. people (who paid $200 to be first in line at events, etc.) and had no reliable meals.  They were left on their own.  What food was there was gobbled up by non-celebrities.  The celebrities are there to draw attendees, so it would be self-defeating for them to have to leave the hotel for a meal.

These are the main problems that immediately come to mind, which is a good thing since this is a young convention.

Above, the massive dealers room.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As for the Blake Hotel, I was pleased with my room with a big balcony.  I was in the original building and only the top (the 14th floor) had balconies.  Unfortunately, despite advertising to the contrary, there were no coffee makers in the rooms.  The hotel restaurant was only open for breakfast.  The only other eating place was the bar with maybe ten food items to choose from.  The prices were about the same as other hotels (a bit pricey).  The maids started knocking on doors (or just entered) starting at eight in the morning.  That is too early.  There are no racks for towels in the bathrooms.  It was annoying to try to find some place to put them.  Some people complained of mildew or musty odors in their rooms.

Above, NASCAR headquarters view from my balcony.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The ballrooms and other convention facilities were massive.  There was plenty of room.  In general, the hotel staff were very helpful and courteous.

Above, the backside of the distinctive stiff (staff) t-shirt worn by the volunteers.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Mad Monster Party Day Three: A Plus For "Team Nakajima"

Above, Haruo Nakajima with actress Lea Thompson.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Mad Monster Party 2013 is now history.  I had a lot of fun and I met a lot of great people.

First, I have to commend Eben McGarr and Joe Moe for putting on a great show.  I think they exceeded their attendance expectations by a few thousand.

Above, the Nakajima panel.  Photo by Jeff Blanken.

Next, I have to thank the members of "Team Nakajima" (translator Yoko Connelly and our volunteer stiff (staff) Jeff Blanken)  for their help in making everything involving the Nakajimas go smoothly.

Above, Haruo Nakajima with a fan-made Godzilla suit.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As this was the second convention, there were a few bugs that need to be ironed out.  But, learning from experience will greatly aid in making next year's convention even better.

The day began at about one o'clock in the morning with the sound of police vehicle units pulling up to the Blake Hotel or driving nearby.  It was a bit hard to sleep with all the noise from the police sirens.  I found out  this morning that seven units of the Charlotte Police Department responded to a call involving two nude girls at the convention at that time.  I'd bet the police fought over who was going to respond.

Above, Haruo and Sonoe Nakajima going over their flight schedule for tomorrow in the R.I.P. room.
  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After breakfast, I met with the Nakajimas and went over the questions for the panel discussion.  Following this, we migrated over to the ballroom for the session.  I received many words of praise for the session which included slides (when the projector decided to work properly) and roars and music from Godzilla (1954) while people were entering the ballroom.

After the panel, we migrated over to our tables.  The line was already long of autograph seekers when we go to the tables.  I sold more copies of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan today than I did with Friday and Saturday put together (which weren't bad either).  Thanks to everyone!

Above, Haruo Nakajima and yours truly.

The Nakajimas did VERY well with their sales of autographs photos with fans.  It will probably hit them when they convert the dollars into yen when they return home to Japan.  I am very happy for them.

Above, Haruo Nakajima with our volunteer helper Jeff Blanken.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Just before the convention ended, we had a photo session for group shots of everyone who comprised "Team Nakajima."

Above, Haruo Nakajima with translator Yoko Connolly.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After the convention was over, we went over to the V.I.P. room (known as the R.I.P. room) to review everything and to make plans for other future activities.  While there, actress Lea Thompson stopped by to be introduced to Haruo Nakajima.

Above, "Team Nakajima" at Mad Monster Party.  

After we said our goodbyes, I took Jeff out to dinner at the Hickory Tavern.  We relaxed over dinner and beer.

The trip to Charlotte, North Carolina was worth it and I enjoyed what I did manage to see of the city.  Would I return to a future Mad Monster Party?  The answer is a definite yes!

Final Preps For The Mad Monster Party

Above, yours truly with Haruo Nakajima in July 2000 in Hollywood.  I had Mr. Nakajima sign it in 2008.  

Early Thursday morning, I head off to Charlotte, North Carolina for the Mad Monster Party.

Everything's been re-confirmed: flight, hotel, etc.  The hotel part was a little tricky as the Blake Hotel switched to a new reservation system about a month ago and they couldn't locate my reservations at first.  But, everything worked out just fine.

The slideshow that will be presented during the Q & A with Haruo Nakajima is completed.  The discussion will take place on Sunday, March 24 at 11:00 a.m.  All I have to do is finish up the topics I will discuss with "Mr. Godzilla."

I'll have plenty of copies of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan available at a 20% discount for convention attendees.  So, instead of paying the $15.00 cover price, they will be available for $12.00 per copy.

It appears that Sunday will be a little busier for me.  Besides the Q & A, the photo op with Haruo Nakajima in front of a green screen (that will put a Godzilla image in the photos) will also be taking place on Sunday.  This should be interesting.

If everyone who shows up for Mr. Nakajima votes (as a write-in) for him to be inducted into the Rondo Awards's Monster Kid Hall of Fame, he should win by a landslide.

It will be nice to be on the East Coast again for the first time since June 1982 (when I went to the White House for a reception).

If you are open to going to the Mad Monster Party, here's where you will find the details.

Mad Monster Party Schedule

The Mad Monster Party convention in Charlotte, North Carolina will be held this week (March 22-24) at the Blake Hotel.

The convention's official website now has the schedule up with a map of the convention (click on image to see larger):

The panel discussion with Haruo Nakajima is set for Sunday, March 24 at 11:00 am in the Carolina Ballroom.  The discussion will be led by yours truly.

To view the schedule page, go here.

Mad Monster Party Just Days Away

Above, yours truly with some of the Nakajima photos to be available
at the Mad Monster Party convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Four more days from now I'll be heading off to Charlotte, North Carolina for the second annual Mad Monster Party convention.  The convention runs March 22-24.

Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima will be attending and he appears to be on the path to making a boatload of money.  Several fans have indicated that they will be spending in excess of $300 at his table for autographs.  They will be mainly bringing their own items for him to sign.  He will have several 8 x 10s of his own for signatures.

This convention will be a different system for him as the past conventions he has attended either had him sign for free or the money brought in went to Japan earthquake relief.  The money he will be making at Mad Monster Party will be his to do as he chooses (and/or use it for his wife's medical expenses).  Autographed photos will be sold for $25 each or have your picture taken with him and get an autograph for $30.  Other celebrities who are attending are charging a lot more.

He will be in for a real treat at a special "photo op" session that is planned for Sunday. Here, fans can pose with him in front of a green screen where a Godzilla-themed image will be in the finished photograph.  This will be interesting to see!  Other plans are in the works by the convention organizers to honor Mr. Nakajima.

It appears that I'll be lugging my big box of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.  At first, I thought I would be changing airlines (and not just flights) en route to the convention.  But I am staying with one airline, which makes it less likely a snafu with my luggage will occur (knock on wood).  The trip to Charlotte is with one airline as is the trip home (with a different carrier).

There is still time to plan a trip to the Mad Monster Party convention.  The organizers are planning a ton on activities, including a film festival.  The Blake Hotel is sold out, but there are other hotels that attendees can stay at.  For more information on the Mad Monster Party, go here.

Ten Days Away From Mad Monster Party, etc.

Ten days from today, I will be jetting to the east coast to the Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina.  It will be the first time in about 31 years since I've been on that side of the continent.

Lately, I've been concentrating on getting Haruo Nakajima's photos ready and working on the panel discussion questions.  This will likely be the case up to my departure from Los Angeles International Airport.

I am debating on bringing the heavy box of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan with me or ship it ahead of time.  Since I have to change planes in Cincinnati, Ohio, this increases the chance that I may arrive in Charlotte without my luggage or box of travel guides at Charlotte's Douglas International Airport.  I will see how much it would cost to ship them vs. bringing them with me.

I've only had one bad experience where my luggage did not arrive at my destination with me.  Fortunately, the airline found my luggage and sent it over to me the next morning in a taxi.  This was back in 1980 when I had to be in the Denver area for a two week work-related training class.

As I mentioned previously, I am offering the travel guide at a 20% discount off the cover price of $15.00.  That makes them available at my "usual" convention discount of $12.00/copy.  If buyers want their copy signed, I will gladly do so at no charge.

The Mad Monster Party is being held at the Blake Hotel and it is my understanding that all hotel rooms have been booked up.  I've been told that there are other hotels nearby, so if you still are thinking about attending, you may want to book your room now with one of them.

For details on the Mad Monster Party, go here.

Haruo Nakajima Mad Monster Party Prints

Above, yours truly with some of the prints Haruo Nakajima will be signing at
the Mad Monster Party at the Blake Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.

TV Balla Picks Up Mad Monster Party News

Above, Haruo Nakajima takes a break during the filming of "Mothra vs.
Godzilla" (1964).  Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

TV Balla picked up the news release on the Mad Monster Party convention that Haruo Nakajima and I will be attending (via American Banking and Market News).

TV Balla reports on the latest (and trending) news on celebrities, television, politics, sports, business and automotive.

The Mad Monster Party convention will be held March 22-24 at the Blake Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.  I will be serving as Mr. Nakajima's moderator and will be selling The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

To view it, go here.

The Free Library Picks Up Mad Monster Party News

The Free Library.com has picked up the news release on the Mad Monster Party convention that Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima and I will be attending.  The convention runs March 22-24 at the Blake Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.

About The Free Library:

Since 2003, The Free Library has offered free, full-text versions of classic literary works from hundreds of celebrated authors, whose biographies, images, and famous quotations can also be found on the site. Recently, The Free Library has been expanded to include a massive collection of periodicals from hundreds of leading publications covering Business and Industry, Communications, Entertainment, Health, Humanities, Law, Government, Politics, Recreation and Leisure, Science and Technology, and Social Sciences. This collection includes millions of articles dating back to 1984 as well as newly-published articles that are added to the site daily. 

The Free Library is an invaluable research tool and the fastest, easiest way to locate useful information on virtually any topic. Explore the site through a keyword search, or simply browse the enormous collection of literary classics and up-to-date periodicals to find exactly what you need.

I will be moderating Mr. Nakajima's convention sessions as well as selling The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

To visit the website, go here.

Last Batch of Nakajima Prints Completed

The last batch of photographs of Haruo Nakajima have been printed after being fixed and cleaned up by Grand Prints of North Hollywood for next month's Mad Monster Party convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The convention runs March 22-24 at the Blake Hotel.

To see the work done by Grand Prints, here's a "before & after" of one of the images:

Before

Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

After

Presser To Hit At Midnight

Above, Armand with the Godzilla statue at Toho Studios.

Word has been received that my news release on the Mad Monster Party convention (March 22-24) will be distributed at midnight tonight (Pacific Time) or at 3:00 AM (Eastern Time).

I will be attending to moderate the original Godzilla suit-actor Haruo Nakajima's sessions and will be selling The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

As my table will be next to Mr. Nakajima's, I will be assisting him and his daughter Sonoe with their autograph sales.

The Mad Monster Party will be at the Blake Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.

For more information on the Mad Monster Party, go here.

From Mad Monster Party...

http://www.themadmonsterparty.com/

Mad Monster Party Events Now Posted

Above, Haruo Nakajima (right) in "Seven Samurai" in 1954.   Photo: Toho Co., Ltd.

The official Mad Monster Party website has updated their Events page to show what convention-goers can look forward to.

There's a lot of fun things to see and do over the three-day weekend that begins on Friday, March 22 and ends on Sunday, March 24 at the Blake Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I will be there with Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima and will have The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan available.

To view the events page, go here.

Mad Monster Party Second Page of Guests Added

The Mad Monster Party website has added a second page of guests and yours truly is listed among them.  (Click on below image to view larger.)

To see the page, go here.

Mad Monster Party Three Months Away

Above, Haruo Nakajima and Armand in 2008.

Now that the holidays are behind us, the next item on the agenda is the upcoming Mad Monster Party convention March 22-24, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  It is three months away, which goes to show how fast time flies.

I am currently checking for flights between Los Angeles International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The convention will be held at the Blake Hotel in downtown Charlotte.  Special room rates have been arranged for convention attendees.  They are going fast, grab them while you still can.

I will be attended the convention and serving as moderator for the sessions for special guest Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima.  We will have adjoining tables in the dealers room and I will be selling The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan (shown at right at Kinokuniya Bookstores' Little Tokyo store).

To see the Mad Monster Party official website with all the information you'll need, go here.

Mad Monster Party Convention: 5 Months Away

The 2013 Mad Monster Party Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina is only five months away.  It'll be here before we know it.

They have a special rate with The Blake Hotel, which is the convention hotel of $99/night.  For information on reserving your room(s) and the promo code, go here.  I've already made my reservations.  As the number of rooms are limited, I recommend that you make your reservations as early as possible.

Note:  There are no shuttles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to The Blake Hotel.  The cab fare from the airport to the hotel is about $30.00 (according to The Blake Hotel).

The original Godzilla suit-actor, Haruo Nakajima is headlining the big list of guests (new guests are being added each week).  To view the guest list, go here.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan will be available in the Vendors' Room.

This is one convention you don't want to miss!

Mad Monster Party Convention Musings

Above, Haruo Nakajima (right) and Armand in 2000.  Nakajma signed the photo in 2008.

The Mad Monster Party Convention next year promises to be a good one.  It will be held March 22-24, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

For me, it will be the first time I've been to the eastern seaboard since I went to Washington, D.C. back in June 1982.  Charlotte is "just down the coast" from there.  It will be interesting to see what the weather will be like in March.

I will be moderating Haruo Nakajima's sessions.  His daughter Sonoe will be assisting him as will I.  I will have a table next to his for sales of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.  We'll be nice and cozy!

All of Charlotte's hotels are non-smoking.  This won't present a problem for Mr. Nakajima as he, according to Sonoe, stopped smoking.

Seeing David Hedison again will be fun.  We had a good chat when I saw him at Monsterpalooza a couple of years ago.  I am looking forward to meeting Linnea Quigley (below right).  She's been a favorite "scream queen" of mine for years.  And, I am looking forward to meeting Veronica Carlson of Hammer horrors fame.

At present, we are trying to secure two Japanese actresses for the convention.

The organizers seem to have their act together.  They will have a lounge for the guests to unwind in and a translator for Mr. Nakajima.

From what I've seen of the Blake Hotel, it looks to be a nice venue for a convention.

For more details on Mad Monster Party Convention 2013, go here.