Author’s Note – This instalment of our Gfantis vs “Guest Monster” Series features Dorugan from Christopher Martinez’s and John Clode’s comic book Night of the Fire-Beast. I would like to extend a very special thank you to Christopher for letting G-Fan use his monster. Please check out his comic and follow Night of the Fire-Beast on Facebook
Lightning streaked across the dark night sky illuminating both the city skyline and the two titans that towered above it. Gfantis, The Prince of the Monsters, roared at his opponent. The mighty Dorugan snarled then replied in a terrifying roar of his own. Gfantis swiped at the air in front of him then he leaned his head back slightly. When his head shifted forward an arc of bright yellow solar energy shot out from the crescent horn atop of the monster’s head. The beam crackled as it danced across Durogan’s chest.
Dorugan roared in pain as the solar beam burned his scales. The mighty Dorugan then stepped forward, opened his mouth, and sent a burst of flames flying through the sky at Gfantis. Gfantis walked through the flames as if they were nothing more than a gentle breeze. The two reptilian horrors lumbered toward each other crushing buildings and cars beneath their massive feet. The fact that hundreds of humans were in the buildings and cars was inconsequential to the two kaiju. Dorugan waded through an apartment complex and when he had cleared the building he roared at Gfantis and grabbed the monster. The two bipedal monsters wrestled as each creature tried to throw the other to the ground. The heavier Gfantis pushed off Durogan. Gfantis stepped forward and swiped his claw across Durogan’s face. Durogan’s head snapped to the side then back into a forward position. Dorugan pulled his clawed hand back then he struck Gfantis across the face. Gfantis shook off the blow, leaned forward, and closed his jaws on Durogan’s arm. Dorugan threw his head back as he once more roared in pain. The mighty Dorugan pulled his hand back toward his body and when he did so he tore Gfantis’ head off his body. Dorugan lifted his arm to just below his face and he stared at the decapitated head that was still latched onto his arm until he heard a voice scream, “Cut!”
Ishiro Harryhausen, shook his head in disgust and walked with determined steps through the ruins of the miniature city. His assistant director, Guillermo Edwards, was walking closely behind him as Harryhausen muttered, “Why, why did I have to try and make this a live action film? Now our Gfantis suit is ruined! It’s going to take at least three days to get the suit repaired to the point where we can shoot the big fight scene again. If I had just CGI’ed the whole thing this entire fight scene would be done! It would also be quicker, cleaner, and take a hell of lot less model work!”
Edwards gently grabbed the arms of his friend and slowed down his pace. Edwards knew that the director needed a few more seconds to calm down before addressing the actors. Edwards cleared his throat, “Come on Ish, remember why were are doing this film the way that we are. We loved the original Night of the Fire-Beast film because it was a low budget live action film that was made with great love for the kaiju genre. We are shooting this film on a shoe string budget not because we have to but because it’s what Dorugan fans love about the film series.” Guillermo side stepped on a cardboard building as he took a quick look at his friend’s face to see if he was calming down. Ish looked a little more subdued and Guillermo breathed a sigh of relief. They were about halfway across the set from Dorugan and the headless Gfantis. Guillermo was starting to think that he had averted a real meltdown until one of the plastic jets tied to the catwalk overhead suddenly swung directly into Ish’s eye.”
Ish stumbled backward and crushed two miniature cardboard buildings, before stepping onto a model car that slid out from under him. Ish then fell backward and crushed an entire city block. Guillermo put his head in his hand and sighed. In thirty seconds, Ish had destroyed more of the city than the two kaiju had in two hours of filming.
Ish was laying on his back and staring up at the catwalk above him to see two stage hands still holding the lines to two swaying model jets. The stage hands both had looks on their faces that was a combination of dumbfounded and guilty. Ish’s face grew bright red as he screamed at the stage hands, “I said cut! Cut means that everything on the set stops moving! What are you guys doing swinging those planes around?”
One of the stage hands shrugged, “We were just….. you know playing around.”
Guillermo reached down to help his friend back to his feet but Ish waved him off and stood up on his own with a loud groan, “Well, your playing around has destroyed an entire set and threw my back out!” The two stagehands dropped the strings that held up the model jets, cast their heads to the floor, and slowly backed away from the edge of the catwalk.
Ish shook his head in frustration and then he began walking toward Dorugan as the headless Gfantis took a step backwards and crushed another cardboard building. Ish screamed, “It doesn’t do any good to crush the building when half of your suit is off and the cameras aren’t rolling!”
Ish pointed toward the other monster, “Durogan, you need to wait for Gfantis to release the bite grip in his suit before you pull your hand away.”
Dorugan took a step toward Ish and his tail ripped off from his body. The tailless monster turned around to see his lost appendage hanging from a string as two more stage hands were holding the string to the tail and looking at Ish in terror.”
Guillermo walked off set as Ish lost his temper, “You have to move the tail with the costume or else it tears off!” Ish stormed off of the stage, “Everyone go home! Gfantis vs Dorugan is not happening today!” He looked around at his demolished set, “Or probably any day for the next week and a half until we get this set rebuilt!” Ish opened to the door the studio as he continued to mumble about CGI.
The headless Gfantis turned from side to side and then a head and arms holding a cell phone popped out of the opening in the top of the suit. J.D. Lees opened his Twitter app and tweeted Hi G-Fans just a heads up ha ha, Gfantis vs Dorugan may not be ready to be screened at G-fest!” JD turned his head to the actor in the Dorugan suit, “I am getting to old to climb in and out of these costumes.”