thumb|Metal Wing Black vs Yarsminko, in 2009

Kaiju Big Battel is a performance by the New York City based performance entertainment troupe created by Rand Borden. The performances are parodies of both professional wrestling and the tokusatsu kaiju eiga films of Japan. These Battels are presented in the style of professional wrestling events, with the costumed performers playing the roles of giant, city-crushing monsters similar to Godzilla and Gamera. The odd spelling of battel originates in a mistake Borden made on a T-shirt design, which became an inside joke. The performances include many in-jokes aimed towards fans of professional wrestling (especially Mexican wrestling), superhero comic books and Japanese popular culture. Many of the names of the characters are in mock Spanish or mock Japanese, and Engrish is used liberally for comedic effect.

History of Studio Kaiju

While a student at School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Rand Borden and peers who grew up watching Ultraman decided to make kaiju suits for a short film. The first character created was Midori no Kaiju (Japanese for "Big Green Monster"), which Borden assembled from upholstery foam coated with latex. The earliest performances in other cities included matches with other troupes of costumed wrestlers at venues such as Fort Thunder in Providence, Rhode Island. Borden has created more than 120 monster costumes, which he keeps in storage. Kaiju Big Battel: A Practical Guide to Giant City-Crushing Monsters, a comedic history of the first 8 years of Kaiju Big Battel, was published in 2004 by Hyperion Press.

Studio Kaiju was dissolved in 2011 and Rand Borden returned to producing Kaiju on his own.

Kaiju Big Battel performed at TwitchCon 2017 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California at an event that was simultaneously broadcast on Twitch. On May 4, 2019 Kaiju Big Battel held their first European event at Alexandra Palace in London, England. On October 10, 2024, Kaiju Big Battel held their first Asian event at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo, Japan.

Notable characters

Kaiju Heroes

  • American Beetle is an American-born hero "so proud of his Mexican heritage that he only speaks Spanish".
  • Burger Bear is a half-burger, half-bear kaiju prone to violent outbursts.
  • Dusto Bunny is a monstrous anthropomorphic dust bunny. His height is "one billion dust mites", and he weighs "64 tons (mostly fluff)". A second Kickstarter for Kaiju Big Battel figurines was launched in August 2018 and successfully raised $21,396.

Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy

On October 31, 2018 a Kaiju Big Battel video game was released on PC and mobile platforms. The game was developed by Super Walrus Games and is a satire of Final Fantasy style RPGs from the '90s.

Political themes

Story lines for events are inspired by the American political atmosphere at the time. During the time when Obamacare was being legislated, the character of American Beetle switched from a Republican to a Democrat because he needed insurance for surgery. Quotes from American president Donald Trump were sometimes used in speeches made by the main villain, Dr. Cube.