This is a portrait of Rodan that I recently made.
Image still from the 1956 movie Rodan.
I was into building model kits as a kid, mostly army stuff, like planes and tanks, but there was the occasional model that grabbed the money out of my pocket. One of those was Rodan. I liked dinosaurs too, but Rodan was something else. I don't think I was familiar with him in any movies at the time but he WAS a gloriously huge flying MONSTER. Later when I saw him in a Godzilla movie, I could not believe it. My Rodan model had come to life like a moving statue. I had felt a real kinship with him because I had already lived with him, in fact I even made him! In the movie when I saw that he had atomic breath (as I call it) it added an invincible armament against my plastic army. Another fantastic feature of Rodan is his sonic wind crushing from his flying speed and flapping wings.....and in battling Godzilla ....... watch out.
Believe it or not, I have still not seen the Original Rodan movie of 1956. I know, I can't even believe it. It seems that I have just not come across it anywhere. So hey, if anyone out there reading this has a copy or knows where one is, please drop me a line. It will be so fantastic to see an old monster classic for the first time.
My Rodan model has been through it's battles from various moves with the occasional tumble and broken pieces. I had glued him onto a solid heavy rock and in one move, his leg snapped but his foot remained glued to the rock. He's also losing part of his horn and a wing tip, but he is still proudly always in my view.
Aurora model of Rodan built in December 1976. I was 12 years old.