Goodbye Nakajima.

It is with great sadness that I bring the news of Haruo Nakajima's passing. The man who portrayed Godzilla in the 1954 classic as well as numerous sequels all the way up to 1972. He also portrayed several other kaiju such as Rodan, Varan, Moguera, and Gaira (to name a few).

Haruo Nakajima was really the first to elevate suit acting to an art, the passion he had for it during the old classic era of Toho was second to none. He was the first to breathe life into Godzilla and helped to make him the icon he is today.

I've always regarded Mr. Nakajima as the last of the creators of Godzilla. Tomoyuki Tanaka, Ishiro Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, and Akira Ifukube have all long since passed, and for years Nakajima stood as the last of those men that created Godzilla.

Normally I don't respond to these sort of events but given who it is I felt as though I must. Whether I fully knew it or not, Haruo Nakajima helped to give me the passion for Godzilla I have now, or really, even just the zeal I have for kaiju in general. Regardless of how everything has changed today, Nakajima was a pioneer that helped to start it all.

Rest in peace.