Godzilla may have started off as a metaphor for nuclear devastation, but he’s become an amazingly versatile symbol over the years. Besides starring in dozens of movies, he’s become a touchstone for artists everywhere. He’s a parade float in Japan, and Susan Bartley, a middle-aged woman in the Midwest has been painting Godzillas for years. Godzilla stomps through street art and stencils, Warhol-esque pop art and Ukiyo-e-style woodprints. Not to mention the church sign that proclaims happily, “Happiness Is Submission To Godzilla.” He’s not just the king of monsters, he’s the ruler of artists’ models.
