Flame Throwing Mechagodzilla Float at this Year's Mardi Gras

Blueprint of Flame-throwing Mechagodzilla Float

In a nutshell, this is how kaiju gets introduced to Mardi Gras.

The actual word Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday". Fat Tuesday was traditionally the day when you would eat eating richer, fatty foods before you fast on Ash Wednesday. 

In New Orleans Mardi Gras has become more than that,  it has become a time to celebrate creativity and march in parades and exchange beads for a peak at women's breasts. As the Mardi Gras became larger and more commercial (and less accessible), splinter groups, called krewes, began pop up with themes and parades of their own. Enter, Chewbacchus, a sci-fi DIY themed krewe that plans on having a 10 foot flame-throwing, firework-shooting, MechaGodzilla.

Ok, I want one. 

Ars Technica has a great description of all of the Mardi Gras Mechagodzilla:

Chewbacchus’ 2014 theme is “Wrath of Kahn-ival,” and a shot-dispensing Barship Enterprise is being made accordingly. But as a tribute to traditional Mardi Gras flambeaus (kerosene flame carriers that walked with parades so crowds could see), the krewe is building a 10-foot, fire-breathing Mechagodzilla—Chewbacchus’ most ambitious centerpiece contraption yet.

Dreamed up with the help of a kaiju-themed sub-krewe, plans for Mechagodzilla call for firework outlets on its back, flame releases from its head and nose, and a mini New Orleans cityscape to terrorize on the front of its trailer. Ballard says the krewe worked closely with city and fire officials to meet all the necessary regulations, and they’ve programmed this set piece to be Arduino controlled with a killswitch enabled through radio frequencies.

SRC: Ars Technica

Below is a 3D digital model that helped with the planning and construction of the  Mechagodzilla followed by a video that was used to fundraise. If you are in New Orleans you can see the Mechagodzilla tonight (Feb 22nd).

3d model to plan the flame-throwing Mardi Gras Mechagodzilla