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USAGI YOJIMBO LETTERS COLUMN
Send comments to: Usagi Yojimbo ~ Letters Column c/o Dark Horse Comics
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STORY NOTES The tengu are minor deities, among the oldest in Japanese mythology. Their origins are a mystery. In Shinto, they could have descended from Susano-o, the brother of Amaterasu the Sun Goddess. They could also have been derived from the Garuda, the Buddhist deities who had wings and the heads of horned birds. Or they might have been imported from Chinese folklore, as they resemble the mountain demons called t’ien-kou (celestial dog). Colonies of tengu inhabit trees in mountainous areas, particularly pines and cryptomerias, with a king tengu in charge. Some legends give them the ability to change themselves into human men or women. They are mischievous in character and enjoy playing tricks but can be vengeful if one is played on them. Tengu are born from giant eggs, a belief reinforced when Dutch traders brought an ostrich egg to Nagasaki at the end of the 18th century. There are two types of tengu. The karasu (crow) tengu are part bird, with long beaks and wings. The kohana (long-nose) tengu are red, wear cloaks and small black hats, and often take the form of mountain priests called yamabushi. They are excellent swordsmen and imparted some of their skill to Japan’s greatest hero, Minamoto Yoshitsune. Yoshitsune had been spared by Kiyomori, the rival Taira clan leader, on the condition that he become a priest. He studied the martial arts under Dai Sojobo, the tengu of Mt. Kurama. Yoshitsune eventually marched against the Taira clan, destroying them at the Battle of Dannoura in 1185 (see UY Book 12: Grasscutter). The tengu came to be regarded as the gods of the forests. If woodcutters refused to make offerings to the tengu, they often met with many small accidents. Hunters promised them gifts of food to ensure success. They were also believed to control rain and wind. They were blamed for whirlwinds and mysterious lights in the mountains. In the 19th century, notices were posted along the roads when the Shogun traveled, ordering tengu and demons to remove themselves elsewhere. References for this story came from: Japanese Mythology by Juliet Piggott, 1975, The Hamlyn Publishing Group, Ltd., London/New York/Sydney/Toronto; Japanese Ghosts and Demons by Stephen Addiss, 1985, George Braziller, Inc., New York, in association with the Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas; and Yoshitsune’s Thirty-Six Ghosts by John Stevenson, 1983, John Weatherhill, Inc. of New York and Tokyo and Blue Tiger Books of Hong Kong. |
Dear Stan Sakai,
I am Indigo Wolfe. I am 11 years old, and my mom and I like Usagi Yojimbo a lot. I have a few questions.
1. Where are the “foreign black ships” from?
2. What is this mysterious disease they brought?
Also, do you plan to have Jotaro as a major character in any later issues?
Sincerely,
Indigo Cody Wolf
Ann Arbor, MI
1. The “black ships” refer to the European trading ships, after the color of their sails. In 1543, three Portuguese sailors landed in Tanegashima, an island south of Kyushu, when their Chinese junk was blown off course in a storm. They were the first Europeans to set foot on Japan. Europeans were called “Namban” or Southern Barbarians” because they came to Japan from Macao to the south.
2. They brought many new illnesses, but the most devastating was tuberculosis.
Dear Mr. Sakai,
First off, I’d like to say how much I enjoy your Usagi Yojimbo book. It’s one of the very rare comics out now, along with Hellboy, that I read on a regular basis. You’ve been one of the influences on my art. I like how everything in Usagi’s world is well researched and seems to have a tight continuity to it.
I’ve been looking into a lot of research myself. I am hoping to share my work with others, which brings me to my question. When you first started out with UY, how did you get your work published?
I wish you continued success with Usagi Yojimbo, and I will continue to look forward to future issues from you!
Kenny Wong
kenwong310@yahoo.com
When I started, the comics industry was very different. I started small, sending a story to an independent publisher in Seattle who printed it in Albedo #1. Usagi made his first appearance in the second issue. That was 19 years ago.
One piece of advice I can give is that you should show your work around and network with other creators in your situation. If you can, attend a comic book convention. That is a good place to network, meet pros, and perhaps show you’re your work to editors who sometimes conduct scheduled portfolio reviews at the larger cons. If you can’t make it to a con, the internet can be a valuable resource where you can attend a “virtual convention,” such as at comiccon.com or comicbookresources.com. There you can interact with fans, semi-pros, and pros, and post a link to your website.
Dear Good People at Dark Horse Comics,
I just started reading Usagi Yojimbo, I can’t go to the comic-book store every month, so I’d like to know how I can subscribe to it. It’s a great comic! Is it true Usagi Yojimbo was in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons? Thank you for your time.
Joe
gunblade007@yahoo.com
[Joe - Most comic shops offer subscription services, which is where they put comics you order in a subscription box to hold for you until you can pick them up. This is often more affordable than a mail-order subscription service. Check with your local store to see if they can do this for you. - Shawna]
Usagi made guest appearances in two episodes of TMNT TV series: “Usagi Yojimbo” and “Usagi Come Home.” He and Space Usagi were also action figures in their toy line.
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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.