Keizo Murase, Legendary Kaiju Suitmaker, Passes Away at 89

Keizo Murase in October 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Longtime kaiju suitmaker Keizo Murase passed away on October 14 at 8:21 p.m. at the age of 89. According to news reports, the cause of death was decompensated cirrhosis of the liver. 

Keizo Murase poses with an old friend in April 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Murase-san's credits in the word of tokusatsu as a suitmaker are second to none. But I'll let the master himself tell his own story in my interviews with him, which can be read here and here. Those Q&As tell Murase-san's story better than I possibly could in this blog post.

Keizo Murase in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

To the best of my knowledge, I first met Murase-san at an event in May 2013. I subsequently met Murase-san in and around Tokyo numerous times and enjoyed interviewing him at his company more than once.

Keizo Murase chats with kaiju beam animator Sadao Iizuka in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While I wasn't as close to him as I was with other Godzilla series alumni (as I recall, we spoke on the phone only once, and I received a New Year's greeting card from his company once or twice), I always enjoyed his friendly presence at the events his attended.

Keizo Murase poses with Ultra-series director Toshihiro Iijima in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I first interviewed him in April 2018, I remember he essentially showered me with gifts, presenting me with a Cast Co. bromide card set with photos from his career, as well as a copy of his book. It was a gesture I've always remembered and appreciated.

Keizo Murase in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After the interview, which was held in Murase-san's workshop way out in Mizuho, Tokyo, I still had to teach a group lesson on the 10th floor of the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building (the same structure Godzilla crashes into after his first encounter with the Super X) that evening. Murase-san, who picked my translator and me from the nearby train station in his car, drove us back to the station when we were finished. Miraculously, I somehow made it to the lesson literally in the nick of time. Had I arrived even a minute later, I would have been late. It still amazes me how perfect the timing was, given the distances (and various modes of transportation) involved. 

Keizo Murase at his workshop in February 2024. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My last encounter with Murase-san was in February of this year, just before I left Japan. I visited his workshop one more time to interview him again about his career. Even after the third interview, I still didn't get to cover all the topics I would have liked, but I was and still am grateful to have had the opportunity. The interview probably won't be published for quite a while (I have a massive backlog), but I look forward to getting it published sometime in the future.

With Keizo Murase in February 2024.

When I visited Murase-san that day, he was riding high on the fact that he had been selected to receive a special award at the Japanese Academy Film Prize on March 8 for his contributions to Japanese cinema. The timing of that award was impeccable, and I'm proud that Murase-san was able to receive such a prestigious accolade in his lifetime.

With Keizo Murase in March 2016.

While we were taking photos after the interview in February, Murase-san grabbed his phone and asked his son to take a picture of the two of us together. I've said it before, but it's always cool when a VIP asks to take a photo with you. 

With Keizo Murase in October 2020.

Murase-san created some of the most fantastic images of my childhood, and it was my privilege that I was able to spend some precious moments in his company. Rest in peace, Murase-san. 

Remembering a Toho Legend at His Final Resting Place

The grave of Sadao Iizuka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

Today (Sunday, March 24, I was invited to join a small group of Sadao Iizuka's fans and friends to pay tribute to his memory at his grave near Chitose-karasuyama Station. This day marked the first anniversary of his passing, so it was an especially momentous occasion.

I was surprised to learn that Iizuka wasn't his birth name. His last name at birth was actually Ikeda (as the grave suggests) but later took the name of his adoptive father, which is how he became Sadao Iizuka. 

The members of our group placed incense sticks in his grave, poured water on top of it, and prayed. It was very moving, and it was my first time to visit a grave and pray in a traditional Japanese way. 

Checking Out the Art of Sadao Iizuka!

Ultraman by Sadao Iizuka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A brief blog post about some artwork by Sadao Iizuka that I was able to see today. I visited Iizuka-san's friend (and manager) Kei-san today. During my visit, Kei-san brought out some paintings by Iizuka-san. He didn't know exactly when they were painted, just that they were painted a long time ago.

Toho Studios by Sadao Iizuka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Ultraman painting at the top of the blog post was especially fascinating. According to Kei-san, he painted Ultraman with a female form, which was apparently Iizuka-san's style. It certainly gives Ultraman a memorable look.

Artwork by Sadao Iizuka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There was also a painting of Toho Studios, as well as a couple of boats at a dock. Kei-san reminded me that Iizuka-san, at the end of his events, would usually leave for the bus stop about 10 minutes before the bus was scheduled to arrive. I suppose Iizuka-san was always a bit too concerned about missing his ride! 

Not a whole lot else to say -- I just wanted to share this artwork. It's quite good!

Sadao Iizuka, the Animator of Godzilla's Ray, Passes Away at 88

Sadao Iizuka in May 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

The Anime Tokusatsu Archive Centre (ATAC) has announced today that legendary tokusatsu animator Sadao Iizuka, who animated the beams of Godzilla, King Ghidorah, and Ultraman during the 1960s, passed away on March 24 at 9:10 a.m. due to aspiration pneumonia after being hospitalized in January. He was 88. The news was confirmed by Mr. Iizuka's friend and manager Tabata Kei.

Mr. Iizuka was born on December 26, 1934, and went on to join Toho as a part-time employee in 1954 and worked on Godzilla (1954) in the tokusatsu art department. He would also work on the productions of Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Half Human (1955), and Rodan (1956) in similar capacities until being recruited by Eiji Tsuburaya to work on optical effects for The Mysterians (1957).

Sadao Iizuka in February 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mr. Iizuka would work tirelessly throughout the 1960s on a variety of effects, including the stop-motion animation used in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) and the animation used to depict the fiery birth of King Ghidorah in Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964). 

Sadao Iizuka in December 2021. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mr. Iizuka's beam effects for Godzilla, King Ghidorah, and Ultraman would help define Showa-era tokusatsu, but by the end of the '60s he would go leave Toho and eventually start his own company, Den Film Effect. (Mr. Iizuka's longtime nickname was Den-san.)

Sadao Iizuka with Toho SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was privileged to interview Mr. Iizuka twice about his career in his home. It was only intended to be one session, but Mr. Iizuka had so much to say that we scheduled a second session for a couple of weeks later. Those interviews can be found here and here.

Sadao Iizuka draws Godzilla's beam in December 2021. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mr. Iizuka was certainly outspoken about his true feelings and opinions, rarely holding back when you asked him what he thought about something. That quality made him one of the more endearing guests you would meet at such events.

Sadao Iizuka in between Tsuburaya Productions director Toshihiro Iijima (left) and kaiju suitmaker Keizo Murase in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I first met him in August 2015, and he became one of my favorite folks to meet at events. Even then, he was one of the last remaining individuals who had worked on the original Godzilla and had many memories of working with Eiji Tsuburaya.

Sadao Iizuka poses with Toho SFX director Eiichi Asada in December 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Pre-COVID, he always seemed in great health, especially for his age, and that seemed to be the case when I interviewed him in December 2020 and January 2021. However, when I met him again at an event on December 26, 2021, he seemed noticeably more frail. He seemed the same the last time I would ever see him, Christmas Day 2022. He was scheduled to attend another event in January, which was canceled due to his poor health. 

With Sadao Iizuka in December 2022.

Rest in peace, Iizuka-san.

UPDATE: I'd also like to mention that I was proud that this photo I took was used on Mr. Iizuka's official website for years.

It was truly an honor.

Christmas with Tokusatsu Legends!

Eiichi Asada (left) and Sadao Iizuka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight, I attended a special Christmas event with two luminaries of the tokusatsu world. I couldn't think of a better way to spend Christmas Day.

The event wasn't just about Christmas, of course. It also served as a special birthday event for optical effects wizard Sadao Iizuka, who turns 88 on December 26. I gave Iizuka-san a birthday card in honor of his upcoming milestone.

Iizuka-san held court and shared many stories of his relationship with Eiji Tsuburaya and his work at Toho. I was familiar with just about all of them from my two interviews with him from about two years ago. 

Eiichi Asada. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Eiichi Asada was just as fun as ever to talk with. I followed up with him on something he mentioned in our interview last year. Asada-san talked about how he would go to Ginza and buy making-of books (usually translated into Japanese) about Hollywood blockbusters made in the late 1970s and '80s. He cited the book on Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) as one book that was particularly enlightening.

Asada-san also mentioned that he read in one of the books that the American SFX crews could blow up miniature buildings and rebuild them, which Asada-san was surprised to read, as that was something Toho SFX crews couldn't do.

After that, I showed Asada-san a picture of the pro wrestling tag team Demolition, but he wasn't familiar with them. In fact, he thought they were the band KISS, so I told him they were a team of Road Warrior imitators. Since Asada-san once compared the wrestler Sting to the members of KISS, I wanted to show him wrestlers who looked a lot more like the band!

As you can no doubt see, it was a lot of fun, and a perfect way to spend Christmas Day. January promises to be a busy month for me, so I'm enjoying the slower pace of December. See you next year!

Check Out the New Content on Vantage Point Interviews!

With Sadao Iizuka in January 2021.

There is even more new content now available at Vantage Point Interviews.

My second interview with Sadao Iizuka, the animator of Godzilla's atomic ray and King Ghidorah's gravity beams, has just been published. In the interview, Mr. Iizuka talks about animating these kaiju rays, as well as the stop-motion used in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), the origins of Dogora in Dogora the Space Monster (1964), King Ghidorah's birth in Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964), and Minya's smoke rings in Son of Godzilla (1967).

Also available is my conversation with famed voice actor Alan Oppenheimer. Mr. Oppenheimer, the voice of Skeletor, Vanity Smurf, Falkor, and a host of other iconic '80s characters, played the kaiju-minded Dr. Contrare in a comedic scene from Gammera the Invincible (1966). In the interview, he talks not only about Gammera but also about a bevy of other topics regarding his life and career.

Wishing a Toho SFX Legend a Happy Birthday!

Sadao Iizuka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

December 26 marked Sadao Iizuka's 87th birthday, so I was quite privileged to be invited to attend a small gathering of Iizuka-san's friends and fans on the day. 

Iizuka-san is an SFX animator who created the beams for Godzilla, King Ghidorah, and Ultraman in the 1960s. Follow the link to read the first of two lengthy interviews I conducted with him about his life and career. It will tell you a lot more about him than I could in this space!

Shigemitsu Taguchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was Shigemitsu Taguchi. Taguchi-san is a television writer whose credits cover most of what made '70s TV as cool as it was. He wrote episodes of Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Jumborg Ace (1973), Ultraman Taro (1973-74), Ultraman Leo (1974-75), and many others. He attended because he wanted to meet Iizuka-san!

It was a great evening with two legends. It's just a shame that the temperature suddenly dropped that day! It sure made it hard on Iizuka-san, who took a couple of smoke breaks outside during the event.

Suffice it to say, Iizuka-san's 87th birthday party was a smashing success!

New Content on Vantage Point Interviews!

With Sadao Iizuka in December 2020.

The first of two interviews with legendary Toho optical effects wizard Sadao Iizuka has just been published on Vantage Point Interviews. Mr. Iizuka animated Godzilla's atomic ray and King Ghidorah's gravity beams in the 1960s, but he got his start in the tokusatsu art department with Godzilla (1954), which is where he would work through the production of Rodan (1956). This interview covers his early life and early years at Toho, prior to his career in optical effects. 

Check out the interview now on Vantage Point Interviews -- where content is king!

A Fun (But Cold!) Afternoon!

With Sadao Iizuka.

On December 16, I spent an enjoyable afternoon with Sadao Iizuka. While it was great to hear more about his career, I can't say it was fun braving the cold to do it!

Celebrating the End of the Year, the Toho Way!

Teruyoshi Nakano (left) and Takashi Naganuma. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, I was pivileged to attend an end-of-the-year party with three great Toho alums: Teruyoshi Nakano, Sadao Iizuka, and Takashi Naganuma. The year certainly zipped by in a flash, but at least its end could be celebrated in style.

 Sadao Iizuka blows out the candles on his birthday cake. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The festivities also served as an early birthday party Sadao Iizuka, who celebrates his birthday later this month. Iizuka-san turn will turn a spry 85 years old.

Teruyoshi Nakano. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As always, it was a blast hanging out with Nakano-san and Naganuma-san. The banter was mostly light-hearted and full of humor.

Iizuka-san brought a Message from Space scrapbook with him (after leaving Toho, he worked on many Toei projects), and I saw many behind-the-scenes shots of the film I'd never seen before. After browsing the photos, I asked Iizuka-san what Vic Morrow (the American star of Message from Space) was like.

Sadao Iizuka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He replied that Morrow was a very kind person. Every day, he would tell all the crew members, "See you tomorrow!" Iizuka-san got the impression that American actors were thoughtful with movie crews (whereas some Japanese actors are not).

Iizuka-san had no idea who Vic Morrow was at the time. Naturally, Morrow spoke no Japanese, and all communication was done through translators.

And that's a wrap! The year isn't quite over yet, but this certainly helped get all of us in a celebratory mood. Happy New Year!

An Animated Adventure!

Sadao Iizuka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I spent the afternoon and evening at an event with optical effects master Sadao Iizuka. I've attended similar events for years, and there's always a lot of fun.  

Let's do it again soon!

Celebrating the End of the Year!

Sadao Iizuka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday night, December 22, I attended a special birthday celebration for former Toho optical effects master Sadao Iizuka.

Iizuka-san is a gentleman I've blogged about before, but his history with Toho makes him a true VIP in the world of tokusatsu.

Keiko Suzuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was former Toho SFX script supervisor Keiko Suzuki (born Keiko Hisamatsu). Her career at Toho dates back to the late '50s (!), and it came to a close about 10 years later. It's always nice to see Suzuki-san at these events.

But wait ... I saw Iizuka-san again today for an end-of-the-year party! It's a rare treat to see such a legend in person on back-to-back days, but when you get an opportunity, take it!

See you all next year!

A Rare Look at King Kong vs. Godzilla!

Keiko Suzuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today offered a unique look at the making of a Toho classic. Former Toho SFX scripter Keiko Suzuki (born Keiko Hisamatsu) gave a presentation about the making of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), featuring a rare look at the script and storyboard drawings. One thing that was interesting to see was that the English-language lines spoken by the Western actors in the submarine set were handwritten in the script in English, and they were essentially verbatim as they appear in the film. 

As handwritten in the script, the helicopter pilot's line, "Look there," was sans "Al." So was "Al" an ad lib? I guess we'll never know, but it wasn't in the script presented today. Moreover, I got to see the storyboards for the deleted scene in which Godzilla approaches the giant Byakue Dai-Kannon statue in Gunma Prefecture. There were two storyboard illustrations, and it didn't seem like much more to the scene than that.

Overall, it was a very fun afternoon, and it was quite amusing to see the various illustrations of Kong and Godzilla in storyboard form. If only there could be events like this for all Toho movies!