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Rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated! We’re back for our between-season intermission sabbatical miniseries covering Netflix’s Godzilla: Singular Point, a weird anime about a graduate student and a computer whiz investigating a signal from space that seems to portend the apocalypse. Lee appreciates the design of the monsters while Sarah spends too much time speculating about Shoebills. Plus; hopefully better audio quality, the foremost Godzilla experts (in town), and why Japanese technology always reminds Sarah of a pulp science fiction novel.  Find a COVID vaccine near you at vaccines.gov and order your 4 free COVID tests at covidtests.gov. Let’s all do our part to end this!

For the Showa Season finale we watched Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), Ishiro Honda and Akihiko Hirata’s last Godzilla movie. Lee wants more of Mechagodzilla while Sarah reminisces about her memories from ‘nam with our Patron of the Week. Plus; hot robot babes, FDR being a drama queen, Very Important Marine Biologist, Interpol helmet hair, and the return of Sarah’s Science Hour to discuss Artificial Hearts, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), and how Charles Limburgh might have been a Nazi? Thank you to all our patrons and listeners! We are so excited to be wrapping up Season 1 of KCB. Before we dive into the Heisei-era Godzilla films we will be taking a detour to discuss Godzilla: Singular Point, an anime currently available on Netflix! Check it out and watch along with us. See you soon!

The long wait is over! Mechagodzilla makes its debut in 1974’s Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, and hey- it’s pretty good! Lee geeks out over Mechagodzilla’s reveal while Sarah just wants to break free of the stranglehold of big candle. Plus; SPACE TITANIUM, Ryukyuan representation, Mechagodzilla’s weird scream, King Shisa just wants a nap, unnecessary sunglasses use, and the return of Sarah’s Science Hour to talk about magnets and how do they work? See also:  The Okinawa Problem: The Forgotten History of Japanese Colonialism and Ryukyuan Indigeneity (https://www.risingpowersinitiative.org/publication/the-okinawa-problem-the-forgotten-history-of-japanese-colonialism-and-ryukyuan-indigeneity/) Sarah’s Science Hour Sources: Diamagnetism and Paramagnetism (https://courses.lumenlearning.com/introchem/chapter/diamagnetism-and-paramagnetism/) The Unfiltered Truth Behind Human Magnetism, Vaccines, And COVID-19 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2021/06/23/the-unfiltered-truth-behind-human-magnetism-vaccines-and-covid-19/) Text your zipcode to 438829 or visit vaccines.gov to find a COVID vaccination site near you! Got your shot? Email us and let us know!

We’re still alive, we swear! Programming delays brought to you by the Delta variant and impending collapse of the US healthcare system be darned, we’re here and ready to talk Godzilla vs Megalon (1973). Lee is impressed by the work ethic of nudie-poster wielding truck drivers while Sarah brings the Greenpeace facts and just wants to watch Kamen Rider. Plus: Jet Jaguar’s creepy face, a bad guy pit, Godzilla owns a timeshare, sweet car tricks, and a reminder of the time when questionable LGBT representation was the best we could hope for. Text your zipcode to 438829 or visit vaccines.gov to find a COVID vaccination site near you! Got your shot? Email us and let us know! Featured Roaster: SteamDot Coffee, Anchorage AK (https://steamdot.com/)

One year of Kaiju Coffee Break! For this very special birthday episode Lee watched, and Sarah fell asleep while watching, 1972’s Godzilla vs Gigan. Lee ponders the meaning of absolute peace while Sarah has maybe had a little too much to drink to be recording. Plus; tangents galore, Sarah dabbles in character work, corn guns, 360 degree rotating bad-guy chairs, and what to do if your microwave gets infested with cockroaches. Sarah’s Science Hour Sources: Scientific American: Can a Cockroach Live Without Its Head (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-a-cockroach-live-without-its-he/) BBC: Cockroaches are not Radiation Proof and Most are not Pests  (http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160926-cockroaches-are-not-radiation-proof-and-most-are-not-pests) Smithsonian: Cockroach Genome Shows Why They are Impossible to Kill (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cockroach-genome-shows-why-they-are-impossible-kill-180968554/) University of Melbourne: Would Cockroaches Really Survive a Nuclear Apocalypse? (https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/would-cockroaches-really-survive-a-nuclear-apocalypse)

In this episode, we discuss 1971’s Godzilla vs Hedorah, the trippy-yet-grisly environmentalist tale of the pollution monster Hedorah. Lee still has the music stuck in his head, while Sarah envisions a future career as a trunk scientist. Plus; Shroedinger’s gatchapon, fish-face raves, eggshell coffee for homesteaders, puke-flying, and the return of Sarah’s Science Hour to talk about the use of high frequency electric currents to dry lumber. Sarah’s Science Hour References: Helmuth Resch: High-Frequency Electric Current for Drying of Wood – Historical Perspectives (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240990482_High-frequency_electric_current_for_drying_of_wood_-_Historical_perspectives) FIND A COVID-19 VACCINE NEAR YOU In the US, please check out the Vaccine Finder tool at https://www.vaccines.gov/ to find a vaccine appointment. In Canada, use http://tinyurl.com/fehrv2u4. Your vaccine protects your loved ones and community! Featured Roaster: The Green Coffee Bean Company, Ketchikan AK

It had to happen eventually: we review the clipshow of Godzilla movies, 1969’s (nice) All Monsters Attack. Lee bemoans the Toho Champion Show for its role in the loss of precious King Kong vs Godzilla footage while Sarah thinks good guy neighbor Shinpei Minami looks awfully familiar. Plus: we review New Pokemon Snap, an exciting new Patreon opportunity, accidental car theft, Japanese cowboys, and the history of the 1968 300 million yen robbery. Featured Roaster: Little Goat Coffee Roaster in Newark, DE (https://www.littlegoatcoffeeroasting.com/)  Thanks for the coffee, Chloe!

The year is 1985, and the son of North Korea’s supreme leader has aspirations of producing a kaiju movie to compete with Godzilla and to propagate North Korean values to the world. To that end, he has kidnapped a famous South Korean director and a plane-ful of Japanese effects artists. The end result is Pulgasari: a little known and completely campy cautionary tale which imagines unfettered capitalism as a literal insatiable monster. Lee fell asleep while watching but is grateful for the chance to learn more about Korean history while Sarah finds it all to be a bit of a bummer. Plus: feudal hwacha rockets, bowhead whales, tucking your kaiju in for bed, and an exciting opportunity for our listeners: donate $20 to the show or Pants Pending Studios and we’ll watch and review a movie of your choice! Thank you Austin for the listener letter! Source:  Vanity Fair: How Kim Jong Il Kidnapped a Director, Made a Godzilla Knockoff, and Created a Cult Hit (https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/04/pulgasari-north-korea-cult-hit)

It’s finally here! After COVID delays and a streaming launch, Godzilla vs Kong has arrived. And it only took us 21 hours to download it from HBO Max! Sarah rants about TV portrayal of CPR and defibrillation while Lee questions digging a hole to China. Plus: why is Ren Serizawa, whose scale is that, amazing Deaf representation, and Sarah’s Science Hour is here to tell you the whacky story of the self taught scientist who believed that Alaska is actually on the inside of the Earth. Sarah’s Science Hour Sources: Fantastically Wrong: the Real Life Journey to the Center of the Earth that Almost Was, Wired (https://www.wired.com/2014/10/fantastically-wrong-journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth/) 10 April 1818: John Cleves Symmes’s ‘No. 1 Circular', Peter W. Sinnema (http://www.branchcollective.org/?ps_articles=peter-w-sinnema-10-april-1818-john-cleves-symmess-no-1-circular)

There goes Tokyo, Go-Go-Godzilla! This episode we watched 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, the Legendary MonsterVerse’s latest offering. Lee reminisces about seeing System of a Down in concert while Sarah presents an especially asthmatic Science Hour on the emerging field of Bioacoustics. Plus: the main character is a marty-stu, pointless oxygen destroyer weapons, incorrect wolf pack dynamics, familiar lakeside cabins, and the return of the Shobijin. Sarah’s Science Hour reference: Yale: “Listening to Nature, the Emerging Field of Bioacoustics” (https://e360.yale.edu/features/listening-to-nature-the-emerging-field-of-bioacoustics)

Kong goes psychedelic as we cover 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, a star-studded homage to Apocalypse Now that reframes King Kong as an anti-war story in the shadow of the Vietnam war. Lee liked the comparatively unproblematic depiction of Skull Island’s natives while Sarah can’t remember what the villain monsters remind her of. Plus; bisexual lighting, Lee has man flu, Kong’s juicy rear end, and the much-anticipated return of Sarah’s science hour as we talk about why equatorial auroras would signal the apocalypse. With a special guest appearance by our new intern, Sen. Featured Roaster: Lone Pine Coffee Roasters, Bend, OR (https://www.lonepinecoffeeroasters.com/coffee) Sarah’s Science Hour sources: What if the Biggest Solar Storm on Record Happened Today? National Geographic. (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/110302-solar-flares-sun-storms-earth-danger-carrington-event-science) What Causes the Aurora Borealis? Earthsky. (https://earthsky.org/earth/what-causes-the-aurora-borealis-or-northern-lights) Aurora Forecast. UAF Geophysical Institute. (https://www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast)

We’re taking a break from old Japanese monster movies for a quick trip into more modern fare. This episode, we watched Legendary Studios’ 2014 popcorn-flick Godzilla, the first in their MonsterVerse series. Lee delves into the strange world of the IMDB trivia section while Sarah wishes the movie stayed truer to the source material. Plus; non-rapid rapid transit, gutsy bus drivers, Sarah thought Angels in the Outfield and Field of Dreams was the same movie, and the film’s tenuous grip on Nevada geography. With extra-special bonus content from our first listener voicemail! Featured roaster: Skyáana Coffee Co, Klawock, AK (https://skyannacoffee.weebly.com/shop.html#/) Programming note: while we make every attempt to publish new episodes every other Sunday, we are in the process of relocating to the North Slope of Alaska for work and thus there may be some disruptions in our episodes. Please be patient with us as we navigate this move and we look forward to becoming possibly the Northern-most American podcast! Also; please consider donating to one of the many mutual aid funds serving Texans during this crisis. If you are a listener affected by the blackouts, please send us a message! (https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/texas-blackout-mutual-aid-donation-1129703/)

It’s a monster mash! For this very special Valentine’s day episode, eleven Kaiju show up to help defend Earth from invading rock aliens in 1968’s Destroy All Monsters. Lee appreciates the model work while Sarah bemoans ‘dragon on dragon violence’. Plus, literally too many monsters, Post Office mayhem, Lee’s new favorite Kaiju-adjacent video game, the return of sasstronauts, and Sarah’s fallback plan of making ASMR videos on OnlyFans. Featured Roaster: Skyáana Coffee Co, Klawock, AK (https://skyannacoffee.weebly.com/shop.html#/)

Before there was Baby Yoda, there was Baby Godzilla! Episode 12 features 1967’s Son of Godzilla, which shows us a more paternal side of the rampaging terror of Japan. Lee contemplates the many Goro Makis while Sarah can’t abide bullying of Baby Godzilla. Plus: actual giant Japanese spiders are invading Georgia, when journalists are perhaps TOO intrepid, the sordid tale of our new surround sound system, and the return of Sarah’s Science Hour to talk about Kurt Vonnegut’s strange connection to weather modification history. Where to Watch: Son of Godzilla is available for streaming from Criterion Collection and HBO Max, for rent from Apple TV, or buy from Apple TV or Vudu.  Featured Roaster: Lodge Blend (light roast) from Heritage Coffee Roasting Co in Juneau, AK (https://www.heritagecoffee.com/) Learn more about Joro spiders: Like it or Not, Joro Spiders are Here to Stay, University of Georgia (https://news.uga.edu/joro-spiders-are-here-to-stay/) Sarah’s Science Hour references: Cloud Seeding, NOAA Hurricane Research Division (https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hrd_sub/cseed.html) Does Cloud Seeding Work? Scientific American (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cloud-seeding-china-snow/) China Plans Rapid Expansion of Weather Modification Efforts, The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/03/china-vows-to-boost-weather-modification-capabilities)

A new kaiju appears! Ebirah, the shrimp or lobster monster, is here and we’re ready to talk about him in Episode 11: Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966). Lee is obsessed with Chekov’s pigeon while Sarah talks about heavy water and how 9 brave Norwegian resistance fighters helped end WWII. Plus, cannibal swords, sleeveless lab coats, ominous surfer music, and a recounting of all our favorite Japanese bathrooms. Sarah’s Science Hour sources: Nova: Hitler’s Sunken Secret (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/hydro/water.html) Atomic Heritage Foundation: Operation Gunnerside (https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/operation-gunnerside) Coffee: Holiday Blend, Skyaana Coffee Co, Klawock, AK (https://skyannacoffee.weebly.com/)

Godzilla and Rodan go to space! We watched Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965), Toho’s first foray into the extraterrestrial kaiju invasion genre. Lee pokes holes in the aliens’ convoluted invasion plan while Sarah just wants to pet King Ghidorah. Plus; sasstronauts, the world’s worst noise that only young people can hear, Signs spoilers, Godzilla’s first kiss, and highly advanced alien trapdoors. New: coffee ain’t cheap, so buy us a cup! (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/pantspending) Sarah’s Science Hour: A Ring Tone Meant to Fall on Deaf Ears (https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/12/technology/12ring.html)

Content Warning Timestamps 45:50 - 59:00 It’s a kaiju battle royale! This episode we watched Ghidorah The Three Headed Monster (1964), an epic monster crossover featuring Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and the debut of Ghidorah. Lee shops around for a Tiny Lady Box while Sarah drops Bummers™ in her science hour segment. Plus, improbable dimensional gaps, recycled Toho actors, magic flying pickaxes, and Godzilla’s filthy, filthy mouth.    NOTE: content warning for discussion of medical/psychiatric abuse and use of lethal injections between (timestamps).   Sarah’s Science Hour: “What is Truth Serum?” (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-truth-serum/)   Featured Roaster: Northwest Espresso, Heritage Coffee Roasting Co, Juneau AK (https://www.heritagecoffee.com/)

Mothra is back! That’s right, this is the second Mothra movie but the first one we have watched for this show due to ‘technical difficulties’. Released in 1964, it is widely hailed as one of Toho’s best for its pointed criticisms of exploitative capitalism and the ravages of nuclear testing. Lee still appreciates the slapstick comedy while Sarah gives Ichiro Honda a phone call to ask about a plot hole. Plus: buying a Tiny Lady Box from Etsy, Mothra’s power of attorney, the official debut of Sarah’s Science Hour, and a passioned defense of the man who simply loves eggs.  Featured Roaster: Portland Coffee Roasters, Holiday Roast (https://www.portlandcoffeeroasters.com/) Sarah’s Science Hour: Copitosoma floridanum, the parasitic wasp that can produce >3000 larvae from a single egg. (https://entomologytoday.org/2017/08/14/this-wasps-larvae-sometimes-grow-hundreds-of-soldier-clones-but-why/) 

In this episode we watched Rodan (1956) in all its bizarre, genre-bending glory; from dragonfly larvae with jangly booties to UFO dinosaurs. Lee has some unfortunate ideas about how Rodan stays in the air while Sarah discusses her favorite types of microscopes and contemplates a $160 coffee maker. Plus: our cats go completely insane, Christmas drinks at Japanese Starbucks, and the incredible true story of how we ended up the only sober passengers of a Karaoke Party Boat in Fukuoka. Featured Roaster: Topeca Coffee Roasters, Tulsa OK (topecacoffee.com)

A wild Live Episode appears!In this very special episode of Kaiju Coffee Break: Live, we’re joined by Bronwyn “Beans” Toth, host of the wildly popular book podcast ‘Trading Pages,’ to watch Godzilla (1998), the first wholly American-made Godzilla movie. Beans teaches us a racial slur, Lee talks a lot about fish, and Sarah explains parthogenesis and pregnancy tests. Plus: radiation makes earthworms ‘do it’, French-style vs American-style coffee, and the shockingly great lineup of other movies made in 1998.Featured Roaster: Death Wish Coffee Co, Cauldron Aged Pumpkin Coffee