Kiko
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Kiko is the albino son of King Kong in the 1933 RKO Radio Pictures film Son of Kong.
Left on his own on Skull Island following his father's capture and subsequent death, Kiko was encountered by Carl Denham when he returned to the island with Hilda Petersen. The two rescued Kiko from a pit of quicksand, earning his loyalty and protection. Kiko assisted and rescued the pair on several occasions, eventually helping them retrieve the treaure of the island and finally giving his life to save Denham's when the island sank into the ocean during an earthquake.
In the 1980s, Kiko was adopted by the photography company Kodak as a mascot for its Kodacolor VR line of film products in Japanese markets.
Name
Kiko's name may come from combining the first two letters of both words in King Kong's name. A production name,[3] "Kiko" is never spoken during the film; instead, the characters call him "Little Kong" or just "Baby." However, Kiko (キコ Kiko) was fully embraced as the character's name during his time as a mascot for Kodak.[2]
Design
Kiko closely resembles his father, but stands about 12 feet tall and possesses white fur. While the exact coloration of the model used in the film is unknown, at least one theatrical poster depicts him as albino, with red eyes and fair or gray skin.[4] The later Kodak advertisements used a highly stylized ape design with gray skin and white fur. He is distinguished from other apes by a long tuft of hair on top of his head, and a yellow sweater vest with gray trim, and the Kodacolor logo printed on the back.
Personality
Unlike his father, Kiko is purely benevolent and friendly toward humans. After being rescued by Carl Denham and Hilda Petersen, Kiko became fiercely loyal and protective of the two of them. Kiko demonstrates remarkable intelligence, showing attempts to communicate with and even "talk" to Denham and Hilda on multiple occasions. He recognizes whenever they require help, and offers his assistance whenever he can. Kiko conveys a great deal of emotions through his facial expressions and body language. Kiko is so protective of Denham and Hilda that he places their safety above his own, throwing himself into danger to defend them multiple times. When Skull Island begins to sink into the ocean during a massive earthquake, Kiko deliberately ensures that Denham escapes the collapsing island before himself. Once his leg becomes ensnared between two rocks and he realizes that he is doomed, Kiko uses the last of his strength to raise Denham above the water so that Hilda and the others can rescue him.
History
- Son of Kong (1933)
- Peter Jackson's Production Diaries (web 2004-2005) [episode 49]
Son of Kong
Kiko lived on Skull Island for an unknown amount of time after his father was taken away by the crew of the S.S. Venture, and eventually stumbled into some quicksand, where he was saved by Denham, who had returned in search of treasure, and Hilda Petersen, who took pity on him. They knocked down a tree on which Kiko pulled himself out, before he was attacked by a cave bear. He fought it off, but damaged his finger, and Hilda bandaged it with a piece of fabric she tore from her dress. Kiko then befriended them, and followed them as they searched the island. He later helped Denham to open a sealed temple on the island, and fought off the Dragon that had followed them inside. After helping Denham reach the treasure, an earthquake began to cause the island to sink into the ocean. Kiko and Denham climbed out of the cave as bits of the island chipped away and fell into the sea. They managed to stay out of the water, but as their small bit of land began to crack, Kiko's leg became caught between the rocks, and he was unable to free it. As the water encroached upon them, Kiko grabbed Denham and held him out of the water at the cost of his own life. When Denham was saved by his friends, he let his hand sink into the ocean.
Peter Jackson's Production Diaries
As an April Fool's Day prank, Peter Jackson made an entry in his video production diary of himself and the cast of the 2005 film proclaiming that they were remaking Son of Kong. The described plot involved Ann Darrow, Carl Denham, and Jack Driscoll returning to Skull Island and discovering Kiko, and riding on his back at some point. Eventually Kiko would be taken from the island, and fight on the European front in World War II with two Browning machine guns mounted on his shoulders.[5] It should be noted that in the true continuity, Kong was the last of his kind, as confirmed by Carl Denham on a 1935 ecological expedition to Skull Island.[6]
Abilities
Strength
Kiko has demonstrated great strength, and was capable of defeating larger foes than himself, and toppling stone walls with a simple push. However, his skin seems less durable than his father's was, as a fight with a cave bear left his finger bleeding.
Intelligence
Kiko has demonstrated the ability to use tools; specifically, he picks up a log from the jungle floor and uses it as a bludgeon against the cave bear.
Gallery
- Main article: Kiko/Gallery.
Trivia
- Kiko predates the world's only known albino gorilla, Snowflake, by at least 31 years. Snowflake was later used as a reference in designing the 2005 incarnation of King Kong.[7]
- Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts wanted the film's opening scene to involve World War II-era soldiers killing a baby Kong, but the idea was rejected by Legendary Pictures executives.[8]
- In Peter Jackson's Son of Kong April Fool's Day prank, Kiko was portrayed through concept art by Gus Hunter, as well as a white-colored test animation model and a crude sketch by Peter Jackson.
- Kiko appeared in a Japanese ad campaign by Kodak in the 1980s.[9]
- Some concept art of Suko for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire referred to him as Kiko.[10]
See also
References
This is a list of references for Kiko. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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Bibliography
- Turner, George (August 1992). "Sailing Back to Skull Island: The Son of Kong". American Cinematographer. American Society of Cinematographers.
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