Kaiju Big Battel is a

performance A performance is an act or process of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Performance has evolved glo ...

by the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

based performance entertainment troupe created by Rand Borden. The performances are parodies of both

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

and the ''

tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...

'' ''

kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Its widespread contemporary use is credited to ''tokusatsu'' (special effects) director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized the ''kaiju'' ...

'' eiga films of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. These Battels are presented in the style of professional wrestling events, with the costumed

performer The performing arts are The arts, arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art ob ...

s playing the roles of giant, city-crushing monsters similar to

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...

and

Gamera is a fictional giant monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the Gamera, the Giant Monster, eponymous 1965 Japanese film. The character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' ...

. The odd spelling of battel originates in a mistake Borden made on a T-shirt design, which became an

inside joke An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or a private joke, is a joke with humour that is understandable only to members of an ingroup; that is, people who are ''in'' a particular social group, occupation, or other community of shared interest. I ...

. The performances include many in-jokes aimed towards fans of professional wrestling (especially Mexican wrestling),

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

comic books A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

and

Japanese popular culture Japanese popular culture includes Cinema of Japan, Japanese cinema, Japanese cuisine, cuisine, Television in Japan, television programs, anime, manga, Video gaming in Japan, video games, Music of Japan, music, and doujinshi, all of which retain ol ...

. Many of the names of the characters are in

mock Spanish Mock Spanish () is a loaded term used to describe a variety of Spanish-inspired phrases used by speakers of English in the United States. The term "mock Spanish" has been used by anthropologist-linguist Jane H. Hill of the University of Ariz ...

or mock

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, and

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is used liberally for comedic effect.

History of Studio Kaiju

While a student at

School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (Museum School, SMFA at Tufts, or SMFA; formerly the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) is a dedicated art school within Tufts University, a private research university in Mass ...

, Rand Borden and peers who grew up watching

Ultraman The , also known as ''Ultraman'', is a Japanese science fiction media franchise owned and produced by Tsuburaya Productions, which began with the television series '' Ultra Q'' in 1966. The franchise has expanded into many television shows, fi ...

decided to make kaiju suits for a short film. The first character created was Midori no Kaiju (Japanese for "Big Green Monster"), which Borden assembled from upholstery foam coated with latex. After about a year, he finished this first kaiju suit. The other students did not make anything, but Borden enjoyed making the costume decided to make more. On

Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...

night in 1994, the first live competition, or Big Battel, occurred at the Revolving Museum in Boston. The Battel featured Midori No Kaiju, as well as Atomic Cannon, Powa Ranjuru, Force Trooper Robo, Taro "The Mouth" Fuji's commentary, and Anthony Salbino's construction. The first full-scale Kaiju Big Battel event was held in March 1995 in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

at the

School of the Museum of Fine Arts The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (Museum School, SMFA at Tufts, or SMFA; formerly the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) is a dedicated art school within Tufts University, a private research university in Massa ...

. The earliest performances in other cities included matches with other troupes of costumed wrestlers at venues such as Fort Thunder in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

. Borden has created more than 120 monster costumes, which he keeps in storage. In 2000, Borden formed Studio Kaiju and hired his brother, David, as manager. ''Kaiju Big Battel: Terebi Sento'' was the studio's first DVD release, showcasing four matches from 2001 and several bonus features. ''Kaiju Big Battel: A Practical Guide to Giant City-Crushing Monsters'', a comedic history of the first 8 years of Kaiju Big Battel, was published in 2004 by Hyperion Press. Studio Kaiju was dissolved in 2011 and Rand Borden returned to producing Kaiju on his own. Kaiju Big Battel performed at

TwitchCon TwitchCon is a semi-annual Convention (meeting), convention for the video livestreaming service Twitch (service), Twitch. It is organized by Twitch Interactive and focuses on the culture of livestreaming, entertainment, esports and internet cultu ...

2017 in

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at an event that was simultaneously broadcast on

Twitch Twitch may refer to: Biology * Muscle contraction ** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation ** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction ** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...

. On May 4, 2019 Kaiju Big Battel held their first European event at

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports venue in North London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. A listed building, Grade II listed building, it is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and th ...

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Notable characters

*Dusto Bunny is a monstrous anthropomorphic

dust bunny Dust bunnies (or dustbunnies) are small clumps of dust that form under furniture and in corners that are not cleaned regularly. They are made of hair, lint, flakes of dead skin, spider webs, dust, and sometimes light rubbish and debris and a ...

. His height is "one billion dust mites", and he weighs "64 tons (mostly fluff)". *French Toast is a giant waffle with a French accent. His nickname is "The Awful Waffle". *Kung-Fu Chicken Noodle is a martial artist wielding a cleaver and wearing a can of soup over his torso. He weighs "120 fluid tons". *Dr. Cube is the main villain of Kaiju Big Battel. He is a disfigured plastic surgeon who wears a white box over his face to hide his scars. He uses genetic modification and mind-control to command an army of kaiju to destroy mankind and control the earth. His character was created after Rand Borden found a surgical gown and a box. *American Beetle is an American-born hero "so proud of his Mexican heritage that he only speaks Spanish" *Referee "You Call that a Knife" Dundee keeps order in the big ring.

Kickstarter projects

Studio Kaiju has run two Kickstarter campaigns. The first, 20 Years of Kaiju Big Battel Posters, was launched in June 2016 and was to be a hardcover art book featuring posters from Kaiju shows. The campaign failed to meet its stated goal of $20,000. A second Kickstarter for Kaiju Big Battel figurines was launched in August 2018 and successfully raised $21,396.

''Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy''

On October 31, 2018 a Kaiju Big Battel video game was released on PC and mobile platforms. The game was developed by Super Walrus Games and is a satire of Final Fantasy style RPGs from the '90s.

Political themes

Story lines for events are inspired by the American political atmosphere at the time. During the time when

Obamacare The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and informally as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...

was being legislated, the character of American Beetle switched from a Republican to a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

because he needed insurance for surgery. Quotes from American president

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

were sometimes used in speeches made by the main villain, Dr. Cube.

References

External links

Official Kaiju Big Battel websiteInterview with MC Louden Noxious on Late Night Wallflower (2007)
{{Professional wrestling in the United States G4 (American TV network) original programming American children's animated science fantasy television series American English-language television shows 2006 American television series debuts 2007 American television series endings American independent professional wrestling promotions based in New York (state) Kaiju Tokusatsu