Kaiju Big Battel is a

performance A performance is an act 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. Management science In the work place ...

by the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

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

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

and the ''

tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is som ...

'' ''

kaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...

'' eiga films of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

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

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

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

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produ ...

and

Gamera is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. Debuting in the 1965 film ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'', the character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's ''Godzilla'' film ...

. 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 whose humour 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. It i ...

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

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...

and

Japanese popular culture Japanese popular culture includes Japanese cinema, cuisine, television programs, anime, manga, video games, music, and doujinshi, all of which retain older artistic and literary traditions; many of their themes and styles of presentation can be ...

. 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. Spanish-inspired phrases are generally used in a humorous way, but at least one person has asserted that it could lead to unfavorabl ...

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

Engrish ''Engrish'' is a slang term for the inaccurate, nonsensical or ungrammatical use of the English language by native speakers of Japanese, as well as Chinese and other Asian languages. The word itself relates to Japanese speakers' tendency to ...

is used liberally for comedic effect.

History of Studio Kaiju

Kaiju Big Battel began as a video project by Rand Borden when he was a student at the

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 the art school of Tufts University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusett ...

. The first character created was Midori no Kaiju (Japanese for "Big Green Monster"), which Borden assembled from upholstery foam coated with latex. While the video project never came to fruition, another student suggested that more characters be created to fight Midori no Kaiju at live competitions, or, Big Battels. The first Battel occurred on

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

night in 1996 at the Revolving Museum in Boston and 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 1997 in Boston, Massachusetts at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. The earliest performances in other cities included matches with other troupes of costumed wrestlers at venues such as

Fort Thunder Fort Thunder (1995–2001) was a warehouse on the second floor of a pre-Civil War former textile factory in the Olneyville district of Providence, Rhode Island. From 1995 through 2001, the space was used as a venue for underground music and event ...

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

. Borden has created more than 120 monster costumes, which he keeps in storage. Borden formed Studio Kaiju hiring his brother, David, as manager in 2000. ''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 2017 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 co ...

, and on May 4, 2019 Kaiju Big Battel held their first European event at

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is a Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue in London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. It is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Origi ...

in London.

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 and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...

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

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to a Democrat because he needed insurance for surgery. Quotes from former American President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

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 English-language television shows 2006 American television series debuts 2007 American television series endings American professional wrestling promotions Kaiju Tokusatsu