In its second post-pandemic year, G-FAN’s G-FEST managed to pull off one of the best fan conventions in the U.S. for 2023 – all in the name of Godzilla.

My first G-Fest was in 2014, and it’s hard to believe that was almost a decade ago. That year, Legendary gave us the first American Godzilla film since Tristar’s underwhelming 1998 effort, a development that would catapult the Big G back into pop culture stardom. So much so, in fact, that Toho would immediately begin production on their own comeback for the world’s most famous movie monster (resulting in 2016’s Japanese Academy Award-winning Shin Godzilla).

2014 felt the perfect year to (finally) make the leap from local fan to G-Fest, and it was. My wife, Brandee, gifted me tickets for my birthday, we made the trip to Chicago, and it was – clichés aside – life changing.

I’ve made some of the closest friends of my life through this convention (big shout out to Collect All Monsters‘ brothers David Eric Dopko and Kyle Yount alongside DesuGoji collector extraordinaire James Hartman, FRESH VINYL’s Rich Eso, and GojiraGirl Christine Chapin), and know I’m far from alone in this sentiment. So many of us were “that” local Godzilla kid; something that was not cool in the 90s. Toho’s kaiju films were a niche love celebrated at home in kind. Or, if you were lucky enough to have an amazing father like myself (rest his soul), you had family to experience these films with. But it was rare for my generation to grow up with “Godzilla friends.” We were few and far between.

Joining 15,000 other G-fans in Rosemont (right outside Chicago proper) changes that for anyone willing to make the journey. The experience has always been phenomenal, too. But when I say that 2023’s G-FEST XXVIII was the best one yet, it is sincere.

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I haven’t seen so many smiling faces in one place outside of Disney’s Star Wars paradise, Galaxy’s Edge (see reel above). Even there, families are subject to the typical woes of theme parks. G-Fest, however, is a place of pure celebration, appreciation, and comradery. From the Dealers’ Room to honored guests of the films, it is everything you’re willing to make it.

Yumiko Shaku-san, Don Frye, T.J. Storm, and Linda Miller elevate G-FEST 2023

2023’s guests were an all-star line-up, too. MMA legend Don Frye, the undeniable highlight of GODZILLA: FINAL WARS (2004), made his return this year and went on record (telling myself and friends) that “these are the best people around.”

Frye watched a G-Fest attendee return a dropped wallet years back, and has been looking to return ever since the pandemic wound down as a result. He is 100% Don Frye in person, and engages with fans throughout the convention. If you also get the chance to smoke a cigar with this one-of-a-kind dude, I highly recommend it.

T.J. Storm is the very same; an absolute class act who’s attention is laser-focused on every single person he interacts with. And as Hollywood’s answer to the “Godzilla suit actor” (Storm did motion capture work as the Big G for the Legendary MONSTERVERSE films), the kids who grew up idolizing him were overjoyed to shake his hand, hug him, and have thousands of items signed.

Storm stopped by our booth, Clawmark Toys, in the Dealer’s Room to meet owner Diane Dougherty (a close friend who celebrated her 25th G-Fest appearance this year with her long-running store), and took time out of his busy schedule to get to know each of us. He is the epitome of a gentleman, and we hope to have him return for many G-Fests to come after his first appearance this year.

Toho icon Linda Miller also made another post-pandemic return, and is a true delight to be around. She won countless hearts as Lt. Susan Watson in 1967’s King Kong Escapes, something I wrote about when initially reviewing the film for Skreeonk all the way back in August of 2011. To meet her in her first G-Fest appearance in 2016 felt surreal.

But that feeling was tripled by this year’s Guest of Honor, Yumiko Shaku-san. Godzilla fans know Shaku as Akane Yashiro of the Kiryu Films (Godzilla x Mechagodzilla and Tokyo SOS). I used to fall asleep to these films as a teenager, and have long held the opinion that her Kiryu pilot is one of the franchise’s best characters.

Shaku-san is still in-demand in Japan, and has had a tremendous career since those 2002/2003 G-films. So to have her make the trip to Chicago’s G-Fest for 2023 was a shock to the system. Meeting her in person, having her sign a Kiryu Marmit (vinyl sofubi figure) and the original Japanese theatre program from GXMG was even more so. She is angelic in person, truly, and seemed beyond moved by fan appreciation and hours-long lines to meet her. In some instances, these lines were more than five hours long. This was less a fault on G-Fest’s side and more a sign of the sheer demand by so many to meet her. And she did not disappoint.

And I haven’t even scratched the surface of G-Fest.

G-Fest is a Godzilla Collector’s Paradise

The Dealers’ Room is a Godzilla collector’s paradise. The largest attraction of the convention, 2023’s ballroom extravaganza gave tens of thousands of fans the largest gathering of kaiju merchandise on the planet. It’s a staple of G-Fest, and something fans from across the globe (even Japan) travel to in order to procure rare gems, vintage toys, the latest releases, and everything in-between.

I went a little crazy this year after having missed 2022’s G-Fest. But working the Clawmark Toys table with Diane, James, David, Nick Snydes, and others, was another highlight of the year (as it always is).

Seeing young collectors’ eyes light up is, by far, the soul of G-Fest. And nothing will spur this quite like Godzilla merchandise by the millions.

My dad bought me my first Godzilla toy in the early 90s: a Trendmasters Godzilla Egg figure. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Years later, he would help me buy my first Japanese Bandai on eBay: the Movie Monster Series Anguirus. And as soon as I began working jobs in high school, my disposable income was spent on expanding my collection. I have a soft spot for tagged Bandai figures to this day, but a large portion of my collection is stylized vinyls, or sofubi in Japan. I bought Marmits feverishly for decades, but sadly the company no longer produces. Their creator does, however.

M1 GO and Marusan are still creating incredible figures, though, and Marusan president/master creator Eiji Kaminaga-san made his first appearance at G-Fest this year. Taking him to dinner with friends was an absolute pleasure and has become a core memory already, as has him signing one of his Ultraman sofubi for me (above).

G-Fests past also allowed for me to become dear friends with the creators of M1 GO, who produce figures many consider to be the premiere kaiju sofubi. Their Nakajima-san Godzilla suit vinyl is perhaps the most iconic figure of our generation, and spending time with Yuji and Michi Nishikawa again after a few years was another undeniable highlight.

Watching each of these esteemed creators interact with countless fans was even more so. They are as big a fan of Kaiju Eiga as everyone in attendance, after all, and treat everyone they meet accordingly. If you’ve ever dreamed of meeting the crafters of your favorite Godzilla or Ultraman figures, G-Fest’s Dealers’ Room is the place to do it.

It’s also the best place to secure those holy grails, as we nerds call them, like the Jumbosaurus Godzilla (above) I bought from the fantastic gents at the Otaku Toys & Kaiju Days booth within.

There’s so much more to explore at G-Fest, too. From the Costume Parade to Model Room, it’s the best gathering on Earth for us Godzilla fans to meet, greet, and live our best lives. And that’s coming from someone who’s spent ample time in the Big G’s motherland, Japan.

If you’re on the fence about attending G-Fest in 2024 and beyond, don’t be. It’s worth every bit of effort.