Here's a neat little article over at
Mark Dery's website that serves as an addendum to his 'Scary Cute' article from
I.D. Magazine. In Mark's words:
"Kaiju toys... are the coagulated essence of Japanese pop culture. Manufactured by companies such as Bandai and Toho, these collectible vinyl 
figurines are based on characters from the Japanese monster movies whose heyday was the late '50s and '60s, when tyrant lizards with conspicuous zippers ruled the earth (or, at least, the onscreen dream life of a nation trying to exorcize the post-traumatic specters of Hiroshima and Nagasaki). As well, they draw on Japanese ghost stories and folktales." And also? We love them.
