Dark Horse Comics Usagi Yojimbo #61 Out of the Shadows October 2002 (Click on the thumbnails to view full size cover art)

USAGI YOJIMBO LETTERS COLUMN
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Hi, Stan.

I have a minor nit-pick that I was hoping you could clear up for me. Occasionally when you draw characters doing karate yoko or kesa giri style cut, the little finger is drawn raised. It is my understanding that most kenjutsu styles teach that the little finger is the most important in the cutting action and not using it makes it very difficult to make an effective cut (hence, yakuza cutting it off as a punishment). Am I expecting too much realism from a comic, or is there a reason that the finger is drawn raised?

Ben Kelly
Melbourne, Australia

The little raised finger is just an artistic touch. It acts as a visual counterpoint to the rest of the hand gripped around the sword hilt. I take a lot of liberties. Another is the position of the hands, which are really too close to the tsuba (sword guard).

Dear Stan,

It was great watching two sensei (Katsuichi and Isao) interact in Usagi Yojimbo #57 the way that they did. Katsuichi is quite wise, as he is able to concentrate on a samurai fighting match and predict the outcome. I got a kick out of watching these two sensei talk about days gone by, and mentioning the time that they both snuck into geisha houses. Both have their eyes on Jotaro, and both seem to agree that Jotaro is a fine student who needs discipline.

I wish I could have seen more of their match together. It is good that they practice the way that they do. There is no rest for Katsuichi, because as soon as he leaves, he encounters the three thugs who accosted a farmer. Now I am wondering what the cliffhanger entails. Who has Katsuichi encountered in this mysterious ending? Why does Katsuichi look so stunned? Definitely looking forward to the next issue!

Paul Dale Roberts
Silhouet98@cs.com

I've long wanted to delve into Katsuichi's past, but as he and Isao said, they cannot open up to their students. There is much more about Katsuichi that I want to tell. Perhaps Isao should make a pilgrimage to the northern mountains sometime.

Dear Stan Sakai and Diana Schutz,

I would like to thank Stan Sakai for visiting the Netherlands to promote the release of Usagi in Dutch. Unfortunately, I did not know of this until it was too late, but I was pleasantly surprised when I was presented with a drawing made for me by Mr. Sakai. This, because, during the session he gave at Comic store BeeDee in Haarlem, somebody showed my homemade comics to him. And apparently he liked them, because he took them with him and made a nice drawing of Usagi and Quinivere (my lead character).

You can already guess that I was blown away and walked around with a big smile all day when I finally found out! So, thank you, Stan Sakai, for approving of my work. Being in a comic-phobic land like the Netherlands, it's sometimes hard to keep going (small press publishing, that is). But because of things like this, I will draw another day (hmmm, that sounds quite dramatic...). So, again, thank you very much, Stan Sakai!

I had a wonderful time in the Netherlands. I wish I could have seen more of Amsterdam and Haarlem. Besides new front covers, the Usagi Dutch editions have back covers drawn by prominent Dutch cartoonists. I always like seeing other artists' interpretations of Usagi. Good luck with your own comics, André. I enjoyed the two issues of Roninja. I can't read them, but the storytelling is very clear and I like the artwork.

Dear Stan,

I thought that the duel between Koji and Katsuichi was a brilliant piece of work. So much so that when I read it for the first time, it made me cry. On rereading, it made me reflect that it was such a waste of a life. Surely they could have settled it another way - maybe not. But thanks for the issue.

I did not know how the duel would end myself until I was drawing the story. I was very unsure of the outcome. I usually don't ask for feedback, but when I sent the story to Diana it went with a note saying, "Read this now and get back to me." There were four outcomes I could have chosen from: Katsuichi would win; Koji would win; they would both be killed; or they would realize the futility of the duel and agree to a draw. I posted my reasoning about the outcome on the Usagi web site's discussion board.

[I was positive - and dreading - that Stan was planning to kill Katsuichi. When issue #60 arrived, I did something I almost never do: flipped immediately to the end pages to see who won the duel! And though I was sorry to say good-bye to Koji, I'm very glad that Katsuichi is still among the living! - Diana]

Usagi Yojimbo, 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 authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric content, is coincidental.