New Usagi Yojimbo Bibliography

[Maka]

Nice update with the prints. Thanks Steve! Peace, maka

[John Pannozzi]

Was Netsuke in color when it was originally published in Wizard magazine #97, by any chance?

[Steve Hubbell]

Was Netsuke in color when it was originally published in Wizard magazine #97, by any chance?

Yes, it was in color originally.

[estee]

Awesome job, Steve!!

And my bank account just had a heart attack!!

[david20009]

This bibliography is amazing. A big thanks to Steve for creating it.

One of my new years resolutions to reread the entire Usagi epic. For ease of reading instead of pulling our floppies I am planning to read the two Fantagraphics Special Edition Hardcovers, the 8 Usagi Sagas (1-7, Legends) by Darkhorse and #8 when it is released later this year. I have just finished the first Fantagraphics Special Edition Hard Cover and will be moving on to the second post haste.

It did get me thinking which stories might be missing from these hardcovers and I used this bibliography as the complete list of Usagi stories. I came up with the following (I assumed Saga 8 will follow books 29-31) that are missing from these fantastic HC's:

1) Usagi Yojimbo (Fantagraphics) May/1990 - issue #22 - Usagi's Ark (featuring Miyamoto Usagi and the crew of the Space Ark)

2) Trilogy Tour 2 Jun/1998 - issue #1 - The Guardian (watercolors by Stan Sakai)

3) Nocturnals: Troll Bridge Oct/2000 - issue #1 - The Tanuki Daimyo's Candy (the “unofficial” title for a portion of the - issue long story)

4) More Fund Comics Sep/2003 - issue #1 - Ninja Hunt

5) Usagi Yojimbo Sketchbook Summer/2007 - issue #4 - Mayuni (alternate ending to Dark Horse #102 “The Killer”)

6) Usagi Yojimbo Sketchbook Summer/2012 - issue #9 - Refuge

My first comment is what a fantastic job has been done across these books to truly capture almost every Usagi story. It is almost a complete compilation. (I do realize there were a few modifications like "Snakes and Blossoms" is how “Hebi” and “Courage of the Plum” (with 4 new pages) is reprinted, "Return to Adachi Plain" is not the water color version and "Tomoe's Story" is the revised version (but many of the original pages are included in the back of Saga 5).

In regards to the above I can understand why #1 has not been included because of other creator rights. Same with #3 as "The Tanuki Daimyo's Candy" plus it is just a portion of the story (which would be a bit weird on its own).

I have never read #2 so can not comment why it is missing but am guessing because it is water colors but it would still be nice to see in black and white if possible.

I am a bit surprised that number #5 was not included as the alternate ending for issue #99 was included. I can't see it being included now as Saga 6 would have been the appropriate book.

Like #2 I have not read #6 so cannot comment why it has not been included yet.

I would think #4 could be included at some point as it is just a short gag.

Aside from Trilogy Tour 2 going through the list made me realize that only Usagi stories I have not read are in the Sketchbooks. I have only been fortunate to collect three of these books and would assume many collectors would be like me. I realize it might be a small market but does anyone think it might be possible to get a hardcover collecting the 15 or so sketchbooks produced? Sort of like how the Kabuki Reflections HC collected David Mack's equivalent of sketchbooks.

[Steve Hubbell]

I keep forgetting that Ninja Hunt has never been reprinted.

Both The Guardian and Return to Adachigahara were reprinted, in full water-color, in the 20th Anniversary Art of Usagi Yojimbo coffee table book.

As far as the Tanuki Daimyo's Candy, I would still love to see Stan do a full length Usagi story in black, white and orange, just because that story looked so freaking cool!

Glad you liked the bibliography. I recently (?) updated some of it, adding the more recent issues, but there is still lots of things I have never gotten around to adding to it.

[david20009]

Steve I have to say again that the bibliography is amazing.

I have a spreadsheet that lists all (I think) the comics/magazines/periodicals/HCs/TBPs that Stan has contributed a story to if that would be useful (I do not keep track of covers or pin ups). It is basically the same as your bibliography as I used your bibliography as the starting point. The spreadsheet also has a tab of all the HC’s that have been released and what is in them. I use it as my complete checklist/wantlist.

I think the only differences primarily are a few books that have been released since the bibliography was updated:

TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo (10 different covers)
TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo Samurai Special (came with SDCC 2017 action figure)
TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo (IDW, 2018) HC
TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo Expanded Edition (IDW, 2018) HC (2 covers)
Usagi Yojimbo/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Collection TPB
Usagi Yojimbo Dojo 20th Anniversary Special (Usagi Yojimbo Dojo, 2016) (Ashcan limited to 150 copies)
47 Ronin (Darkhorse, 2012) 1-5
47 Ronin (Darkhorse, 2014) HC
Sketchbook 11-15

I generally hate alternative covers (I follow Valiant and at one point they had 500 issues but over 2,800 books because of all the variant covers) but think it is worth keeping track of them for Usagi (as long as the TMNT project with 10 covers is not the norm). The only other floppy I believe that has a variant cover is Usagi Yojimbo 136 (25th anniversary)

FYI The Nilson Groundthumper section is missing one story:

Usagi Yojimbo (Volume 1)
Dec/1989 - issue #19 - Golfer

If you wanted to add to your index of stories by HC (you already did by books 1-32, Space Usagi and Senso)

Usagi Yojimbo: The Special Edition (2009, Fantagraphics)
collects books #1–7

The Usagi Yojimbo Saga
Volume 1 (2014, Dark Horse) – collects books #8–10
Volume 2 (2015, Dark Horse) – collects books #11–13
Volume 3 (2015, Dark Horse) – collects books #14–16
Volume 4 (2015, Dark Horse) – collects books #17–19
Volume 5 (2015, Dark Horse) – collects books #20–22
Volume 6 (2016, Dark Horse) – collects books #23–25
Volume 7 (2016, Dark Horse) – collects books #26–28
Legends (2017, Dark Horse) – collects Space Usagi, Yokai, and Senso and a story from CBLDF Liberty Annual 2014 #1

Usagi Yojimbo Gallery Edition: Samurai and Other Stories (Dark Horse Comics, 2015)
How I Draw Usagi (part) (Amazing Heroes 187)
The Goblin of Adachigahara
Bounty Hunter
Homecoming
Samurai (parts 1-4)
Lone Goat and Kid
Kistune
Shi

Usagi Yojimbo Gallery Edition: The Artist and Other Stories (Dark Horse Comics, 2016)
How I Draw Usagi (part) (Amazing Heroes 187)
Usagi and the Tengu
Hokashi
Chanoyu
The Darkness and the Soul
The Outlaw
The Death of Lord Hikiji
The Artist
Two Hundred Jizo

Sakai Project: Artists Celebrate Thirty Years of “Usagi Yojimbo” (Dark Horse Comics, 2014) HC
Various pinups of Usagi by different artists

Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai
Yokai (original story)

The Art of Usagi Yojimbo HC
Return to Adachigahara Plain (watercolors)
The Guardian (watercolors by Stan Sakai)
Original content

TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo HC
TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo

TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo Expanded Edition HC (2 covers - regular and signature variant)
TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo
The Treaty

47 Ronin (Darkhorse, 2014)
47 Ronin part 1
47 Ronin part 2
47 Ronin part 3
47 Ronin part 4
47 Ronin part 5

[Jacoby]

Can't wait to read it.

[TheBroox]

Has anyone ever put this information into a spreadsheet we could all share together? I'm sure so many of us would love to be able to keep close track wholes in collections.

I'd be willing to put some time into this.

I have done something similar in a Google Sheet. That is a list of every Usagi Yojimbo story and how each one has been published/collected over the years.

[TheBroox]

It did get me thinking which stories might be missing from these hardcovers and I used this bibliography as the complete list of Usagi stories. I came up with the following (I assumed Saga 8 will follow books 29-31) that are missing from these fantastic HC's:

...

4) More Fund Comics Sep/2003 - issue #1 - Ninja Hunt

...

I would think #4 could be included at some point as it is just a short gag.

I keep forgetting that Ninja Hunt has never been reprinted.

Ninja Hunt has been reprinted. It is the first story in The Usagi Yojimbo Saga: Book Six.

[Maka]

It did get me thinking which stories might be missing from these hardcovers and I used this bibliography as the complete list of Usagi stories. I came up with the following (I assumed Saga 8 will follow books 29-31) that are missing from these fantastic HC's:

...

4) More Fund Comics Sep/2003 - issue #1 - Ninja Hunt

...

I would think #4 could be included at some point as it is just a short gag.

I keep forgetting that Ninja Hunt has never been reprinted.

Ninja Hunt has been reprinted. It is the first story in The Usagi Yojimbo Saga: Book Six.

Dear Broox, nice catch! Thanks! Peace, maka

[TheBroox]

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SAN DIEGO SOUVENIR BOOK
issue: 38 - Jul/2007 - 8.5 X 11 trade paperback
Pin-up (Groo vs Usagi: Who Would Win?)

I have been waffling on how to include this on my Usagi Yojimbo Story Spreadsheet. I don't have a physical copy of this and the images I can find online are all mostly just the cover so I am struggling with whether it is a "Single Issue" or a "Trade paperback". It looks like it is about the thickness of a magazine (point Single Issue) but as far and I can tell it is bound like a Trade Paperback, in that is glued and has a spine rather than just a crease and staples. Would be curious for anyone else to weigh in.