Dark Horse Comics Usagi Yojimbo #8           A Promise in the Snow  December 1996 (Click on the thumbnails to view full size cover art)

USAGI YOJIMBO LETTERS COLUMN
Send comments to: Usagi Yojimbo ~ Letters Column c/o Dark Horse Comics
10956 S.E. Main Street, Milwaukie, OR 97222
[E-MAIL] jamier@dhorse.com [www] http://www.dhorse.com

Fan Art by Hannah Sakai

I am scheduled to be a guest at JohnCon '97 at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, on February 21-23. I hope to see some of you there. It will be my first visit to that area.

Sakai-Sama,

Hazime masite. I began reading your book when it was switched from Fantagraphics to Mirage. And now Usagi Yojimbo has its home under Dark Horse. Despite all these changes, UY is better than ever!

Even more, underneath the rabbit ears and exciting conflicts, there's a little something about Japan to see or learn in each issue. I think it's great how you do your homework on your story lines. The occasional but tasteful humor thrown in does wonders.

And why am I so excited about this book? I am studying Japanese language and culture at college. Just this July, I went to Japan with a group from my Japanese class. Well, we only had one year of the language, which turned out to be not enough. On our tours of Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Kyoto, we had out teacher to interpret, but for our three-week stay in Shirotori, we were a little more on our own. The stay in Japan was very awesome.

As I now flip through UY, some things look so familiar to me. My Japanese teacher was surprised I knew about soba (Vol. 3, #1) and nori (Vol. 2, #15). Finally, I came across a copy of Book 1. It truly fascinated me, the "beginning" of Usagi, and to see what he looked like years ago! One day, I may mention you to my teacher, a native of Japan herself!

Arigato gozaimasita!
Sharon Sedgley
(no address given)

Dear Stan,

Oh, boy! I've erred big.

It'd been nearly three-and-a-half years since I'd bought an issue of Usagi, as I dropped the book when you went to Mirage and the color series started. At that point I wrote you a rather scathing letter about the move which I now apologize for most sincerely.

Well, all that's changed! I've dug out all my old comics and reread them and have bought every Usagi comic I could find (which are precious few, unfortunately). I love the new series – black-and-white is best.

I was hoping you could answer some of my questions about the comic (I've missed a lot).

1) What's happened to Ino and Jei? The last time I saw them was "Dragon Bellow" and "Circles," respectively.

2) Any plans to reprint the Mirage stuff as a TPB or two? I know I'd buy it.

3) Can we have another epic story line sometime soon? The single issues are fine, but something like "Gen's Story" or "Samurai" would be great.

4) A meeting with Groo? Catnippon's okay, but we need the odd cheese dip joke now that Groo's stopped.

5) Can we have a Nilson back-up sometime soon? He's another of my favorites. Well, that's me, here for a long run.

David Radley
177 Jubilee Street
Stepney, London
England E1 3AT

P.S. I'd love a pen pal who also reads UY!

1) Ino, the blind swordspig, now has a wife, Fujiko, and a child. They were last seen in UY, Vol. 1, #38 (Book 7 collection). Jei popped up again in issues 8 and 13 of the Mirage run and will be in issue 10.

2) No plans yet, but they will be reprinted. [I'm working on it, Stan, I swear. – Jamie]

3) The 8-issue "Grasscutter" story will begin in issue 13. You want an epic story line? How about one that begins with the creation of the Japanese islands? Oh, and Jei will be in it, too.

4) Catnippon, yes. Groo, no.

5) Not anytime soon. Sorry.

Here are a couple of questions for Stan: 1) Your background information – about such topics as kite-festivals and sword-making – seems meticulous. What resource have you found most useful in researching background for Usagi stories? 2) What would your response be to people claiming comics like Usagi glorify a martial mindset that has no place in peaceful modern societies?

Fellstar
fellstar@student.adelaide.edu.au

1) I use whatever references I can find – books, videos, cultural events, etc. A great source for books about Japan is Heritage Source, P.O. Box 802542, Santa Clarita, CA 91380-2542; Tel/Fax: (805) 263-0623. They carry children's literature, reference books, novels, books of folktales, and the UY trade paperbacks. For a catalog, send a business-sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope, and tell them Usagi sent you.

2) Usagi is a creature of peace, but he lives in a time of turmoil. I try not to glorify the violence but to eliminate it would be a disservice to history. The late 16th/early 17th century was a period of upheaval. The Age of Wars was barely ended, the Tokugawa Shogunate was being established, and there were a lot of warriors wandering the land who knew only one way to make a living, but whose services were no longer required.

Hi, Jamie,

[Me? A letter to me?! Wow! But who am I, anyway? – Jamie]

Questions for Stan:

1) Stan, having an obvious interest in Feudal Japan, have you taken an interest in martial arts such as Kendo, Iai, and Kenjutsu?

2) Who was the greatest literary influence in UY?

Ben Kelly
benkelly@ozemail.com.au

1) I don't practice any martial arts, but I have friends that do and I attend tournaments and exhibitions.

2) Since Usagi was inspired by the life of 17th century samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, the answer would have to be Eiji Yoshikawa, the author of Musashi .