Move over, Night Thrasher — there’s a new skater in town! And he shreds to the name of … Godzilla!
OK, so when I first saw the art for this pass by while scrolling through social media, I thought it was fan art, combining Godzilla with the 1980s video game “Skate or Die!” It didn’t occur to me until a little while later that hey, this is a real comic that’s going to be published by IDW.
But, thank goodness, it is indeed real. IDW will publish Godzilla: Skate or Die by Australian artist and avid roller blader Louie Joyce, who has drawn comics like A Fistful of Pain and Past the Last Mountain. Joyce is writing and drawing the five-issue miniseries, which features Australian skaters fighting kaiju.
“I am so excited to share Godzilla: Skate or Die with the world,” Joyce said. “A story set right here in Australia, inspired by all the amazing DIY spots I’ve had the privilege of skating, as well as the incredible freedom and power that comes with having wheels under your feet! All against the backdrop of an epic Kaiju showdown. It’s gonna get gnarly!”
Hell yeah it’s getting gnarly:
It’s Australian skater punks versus Varan and the King of the Monsters in this thrilling debut issue by writer/artist Louie Joyce (A Fistful of Pain)! Four years ago, four best friends and die-hard skaters found the perfect location for a DIY skatepark. After months of hard work, they created the world’s sickest spot that they could enjoy for the rest of their lives… That is, until the ferocious Varan appeared in the middle of central Australia and started making a beeline for their beloved park. Why is Varan on a rampage? Why did Godzilla just appear off the coast? What does their beloved skate spot have to do with this? And most importantly…what are these punks willing to do to save it?
Juni Ba provides a variant cover for the first issue:
Look for the first issue on June 12.