Author, King Kong Versus Godzilla - The Most Colossal Conflict the Screen Has Ever Known
This week on "Ira’s Everything Bagel," Ira sits down with Thom Shubilla, author of King Kong Versus Godzilla: The Most Colossal Conflict the Screen Has Ever Known. Thom shares why diving into giant monsters is the perfect antidote to today’s stresses—and why he proudly calls himself a lifelong monster-movie nerd.
In this fascinating episode, Thom explores the origins of Kong and Godzilla—created two decades apart by different studios, filmmakers, and special-effects visionaries like Willis O’Brien and Toho’s groundbreaking team. He explains how a book on this iconic showdown had somehow never been written until he took on the challenge, digging deep into the film’s backstory, its inventive marketing, and the “monster rally” tradition that shaped it.
Thom also discusses the lost opportunities for a sequel, his interview with Linda Miller of "King Kong Escapes" (made by the same director, special-effects supervisor, and studio), and what he discovered about the creative process behind these cinematic giants. And, of course, he tackles the eternal question: What was the real beef between King Kong and Godzilla?
From urban legends about alternate endings to the surprising revelations that emerged from his research, Thom brings clarity, humor, and fresh insight to two monsters who continue to dominate screens in both Japan and America. It’s a fun, rich conversation about fandom, filmmaking, and the timeless appeal of a really big fight.
Dubbed "America's Boy Next Door" by comedian, Emmy Award winning writer, and podcaster Dana Gould (The Simpsons, Stan Against Evil, Parks and Recreation, Ted), Thom Shubilla is the author of “Primetime 1966–1967: The Full Spectrum of Television's First All-Color Season”and “James Bond and the Sixties Spy Craze.”
He is an Executive Producer of the documentary “Vermeer of the Borscht Belt”(2024) chronicling the work of artist Drew Friedman by filmmaker Kevin Dougherty.
Thom is a professor at Luzerne County Community College in the Humanities Department and resides in Plains Twp, Pennsylvania U.S.A.