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Legend has it that the first true samurai sword was crafted by the smith Amakuni in Yamato Province around 700 A.D. In time, the wearing of the daisho <twin blades> became the exclusive privilege of the samurai class. The katana <long sword> was the main weapon, while the shorter wakizashi was used primarily for beheading an opponent or to commit seppuku <ritual suicide>. But the swords were more than a weapon. There is a saying: "Katana wa samurai no tamashii" – the sword is the soul of the samurai. They were an almost mystical symbol of the warrior class and the forging of a blade was a religious ceremony complete with spiritual cleansing rites, ceremonial clothing, and secret rituals. The swordsmith, Koetsu of Bizen Province, crafted the twin blades named Yagi no Eda <Willow Branch> and Aoyagi <Young Willow> in 1329. The daisho was awarded to a young samurai , Miyamoto Usagi, as a trophy in a fencing tournament in the waning years of the 16th century. The swords became an heirloom in the house of Miyamoto, eventually passing down to a namesake of the original Usagi. This futuristic descendant, like all samurai warriors, carries the twin swords. But these arcane weapons have been adapted to "surge." That is, with the press of a button the blade is imbued with a force that is capable of slicing through any known substance. The surge lasts only seconds and needs a few minutes to recharge, but this power makes these ancient blades one of the most formidable weapons known. |
USAGI YOJIMBO
Discoveries
by
Stan Sakai
I love to draw dinosaurs. I'm not an anatomist, and I'm not after scientific accuracy but rather my impressions of these amazing creatures. I also love drawing Usagi. Space Usagi was my way of combining my two passions.
Oh sure, I've been putting in those tokagé lizards in Usagi Yojimbo, but those weren't real dinosaurs. They actually occupy a very particular niche in the ecosystem of Yojimbo's 17th century Japan. In a world populated with funny animals, rats, cats, dogs and even coatimundis would be potential people. I needed something to fill the part of scavengers, pets, and wild animals. So I came up with these large, mostly benign lizards.
If I wanted Usagi to meet some real dinosaurs, I would either have to take him back in time to cave-rabbit days or far forward as a space adventurer exploring new worlds. The latter seemed by far the more interesting.
But even before the stories, there was the toy. Playmate Toys had released an Usagi Yojimbo action figure as part of its 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle line. It was very successful, selling 2.1 million units the first year alone. They asked if I had more characters and I, of course, showed them Space Usagi, a descendant of the original samurai rabbit. The timing was perfect, as a new space rabbit, Bucky O'Hare, was being licensed with much anticipation. Space Usagi would be the perfect counter merchandising to the green rabbit. The figure hit the toy shelves in 1991.
To say that Bucky O'Hare was not the smash it was expected is a huge understatement. It was a bomb of such tonnage that its fallout would be felt for years to come.
About this time, Mirage Studios, creators of the Ninja Turtles, with whom I had and still have a great relationship, was seeking to expand their publishing division. I brought over a Space Usagi miniseries and, later, the Usagi Yojimbo ongoing series.
Together we even attempted to license out the Space Usagi property. A series was written with new heroes, villains, a history, and plots for future stories. We went so far as to animate a three-and-a-half minute story for presentation. Turner Licensing came aboard as our agent – the first creator-owned property they'd handled. Backing was found. Licensors were interested, and we were on our way...or at least we thought we were. As different as Space Usagi was, and though many years separated the two, there was still the comparison with Bucky O'Hare, and major licensors, including toy companies, shied away from it. A bunny in space simply did not have a chance then, and the project was eventually shelved.
The shrinking comic book market and huge weather-related damages forced Mirage to discontinue their publishing division, and after two Space Usagi miniseries and sixteen issues of Usagi Yojimbo, the rabbits were looking for a new home.
Dark Horse was one of the publishers who expressed interest, and they were willing to continue the publishing schedule uninterrupted. As soon as the last issue of Usagi Yojimbo was shipped from Mirage, the first Dark Horse issue of Space Usagi was going to press, completing the Space Usagi Trilogy.
Space Usagi is fantasy, more so than Yojimbo. In the latter, I'm bound by history and the culture of feudal Japan. In Space Usagi, there are no such boundaries. Oh sure, it still revolves around the samurai but to a much lesser degree. History and culture become more a playground than a constraint. Traditional cultural icons become castles in the sky and high-tech ninja with heat-seeking shuriken.
Will there be more Space Usagi stories? Perhaps, but not in the near future. I'll probably wait until I have the itch to draw more dinosaurs and aliens. Or maybe I'll visit some of Usagi's other descendants.
Besides the three miniseries, this collection features two short stories. "Under the Same Sky" was published in the third Usagi Yojimbo Color Special from Fantagraphics Books and was the first Space Usagi story written. "Hare Today, Hare Tomorrow" was a back-up story in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #47 from Mirage. It was originally written for a now-defunct publisher, using their characters and Usagi. I never got around to submitting the story proposal, which is just as well, since it works much better with the two Usagi.
– STAN SAKAI
“Usagi Yojimbo” and "Space Usagi", including all prominent characters featured in the stories and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Stan Sakai and Usagi Studios. Usagi Yojimbo is a registered trademark of Stan Sakai. Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric content, is coincidental.