Thanks from a PhD student...

bwbollom · Post by **bwbollom** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 21:34 -0700

Stan,

I just wanted to post my little story and say thank you for helping me through a difficult time. This past semester I was studying for my PhD comprehensive exams...months full of long hours of reading theory and method books, journal articles, etc. taking lots of notes and just generally trying to cram my brain full of information so that I could pass my exams. At the end of the studying, the exams themselves were 4 consecutive days, 4 hours each where one professor each day would send me questions and I would answer them to the best of my ability over the material that I'd been reading. Then I had a 2 hour oral exam where I had to defend what I wrote during the 4 days of written exams.

Usagi kept me sane throughout all of this. I needed something that I could pick up each night and read. Something that, no matter what, would be good, entertaining, take my mind away from what I had been dealing with all day, and would immediately draw me in to another realm. Your books were the perfect escape!

I had read most of UY already, but in bits and pieces and never from start to finish straight through. When I started it this time, I owned most of the TPBs, but had a few holes in my collection. I was able to purchase the remaining ones that I needed from local shops along the way except for one. Luckily, you came to Austin for the STAPLE! convention this year and I was able to purchase that volume at the con and didn't miss a beat!

[Side note - You were also nice enough to sign (and sketch!) in EVERY SINGLE ONE of my TPBs at STAPLE! which was one of the nicest things any creator has ever done for me! I asked if you could sign them as you had time if I left them for you and when I returned, there was a sketch in each of them...I was blown away! I was a bit in awe so I don't really remember, but I probably just quickly said 'thank you' and left, so I want you to know that it meant a great deal that you took the time to do that for me.]

I continued to read them as I worked on my comprehensive exams, and at the end of the semester, I passed! I am officially a PhD candidate! All I have left is to write my dissertation...another huge hurdle of course, but this was one very significant obstacle which I was able to overcome. Thank you for creating such a wonderful world and an entertaining cast of characters...you gave me some joy during a very stressful period.

I had not finished reading all of my Usagi Yojimbo TPBs at that point, and I them aside briefly with a few volumes to go. At San Diego Comic-Con this year, I picked up vol. 23 from you in order to be completely up to date with my collection. Over the last few weeks I have picked up the UY TPBs where I left off and just this evening I finished vol. 23, so I have completed my journey for the moment and wanted to come here and post this.

Twenty-three volumes, slowly, carefully, over the course of several months. I have enjoyed them immensely. Thank you for the time, research, attention to detail, craftsmanship and effort you have put into each panel and page. They have been fantastic and look forward to more. I might just have to switch to single issues so I don't have to wait so long to see what happens with my favorite samurai rabbit next!

Thank you!
Brandon Bollom

Post by **Maka** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 22:21 -0700

Hello Brandon,

What a great thank you. Thanks for sharing with us as well. And congrats on being done with your oral and written exams. I guess we should call you Dr. or Mr. PhD. now.

Peace, maka

bwbollom · Post by **bwbollom** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 22:34 -0700

Maka wrote:Hello Brandon,

What a great thank you. Thanks for sharing with us as well. And congrats on being done with your oral and written exams. I guess we should call you Dr. or Mr. PhD. now.

Peace, maka

Hi Maka,

Thanks for the congrats. I wanted to share...I hope others have or will take the time to enjoy UY from start to finish (or at least what is currently in print) in a somewhat short time frame. It is such a great adventure!

Unfortunately, I don't get that "Dr." title just yet. I'm just "PhD Candidate" or "ABD" (all but dissertation) at this point. I still have to write and defend my dissertation before I am actually "doctor" anything

It would be nice if I was at that level...hopefully soon...

The exams were torture pt. 1, the dissertation is torture pt. 2 in the process

Thanks!
Brandon

Jet_Jaguar · Post by **Jet_Jaguar** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 0:19 -0700

I was at the Staple! event too (I don't think we ever met), and I agree that Stan was generous to sign all of the stuff that he signed. He even signed a couple of issues of Groo that I brought (I halfway considered also bringing a Legend of Kamui TPB since he also did the lettering for that, but I decided that that might be pushing it a little). I was also impressed by the way that Jeffery Brown took the time to do a fairly intricate little drawing in my copy of The Incredible Change-Bots.

Congratulations on becoming a PhD candidate. I know from first-hand experience what a trial climbing that academic "mountain" can be sometimes. I'm a semester away from a Master's in English, and I think that that's enough formal education for me. I guess you could say that I'm content to just get to the "base camp" of Mt. Higher Education and not the summit.

(I don't normally get on the UY board this late at night. I just got back from a late movie, and I'm probably a little too wired to sleep.)

bwbollom · Post by **bwbollom** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 16:53 -0700

Jet_Jaguar wrote:I was at the Staple! event too (I don't think we ever met), and I agree that Stan was generous to sign all of the stuff that he signed. He even signed a couple of issues of Groo that I brought (I halfway considered also bringing a Legend of Kamui TPB since he also did the lettering for that, but I decided that that might be pushing it a little). I was also impressed by the way that Jeffery Brown took the time to do a fairly intricate little drawing in my copy of The Incredible Change-Bots.

Sorry I didn't meet you. I never know who's who at places like that...would have been nice to put a face with a name. Sounds like you got some cool stuff signed for your collection!

Jet_Jaguar wrote:Congratulations on becoming a PhD candidate. I know from first-hand experience what a trial climbing that academic "mountain" can be sometimes. I'm a semester away from a Master's in English, and I think that that's enough formal education for me. I guess you could say that I'm content to just get to the "base camp" of Mt. Higher Education and not the summit.

Thanks! It can be a rough experience. Good luck finishing up your Master's! I was one of the weird ones that got to that point and said to myself "Wait...I'm done? But I was just starting to like this research stuff!" Now that I'm several years and much more torture into the PhD, I look back on that decision and wonder why I made that decision

But it's been mostly good...just a long, long road and one I'm hoping will have an end in the near future.

Jet_Jaguar wrote:(I don't normally get on the UY board this late at night. I just got back from a late movie, and I'm probably a little too wired to sleep.)

Glad you posted, hope the movie was fun too!

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 17:08 -0700

Thank you for posting your story, Brandon. I'm glad that I was even a little of help during your times of stress.

Congratulations on becoming a phd candidate!

bwbollom · Post by **bwbollom** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 16:08 -0700

Stan Sakai wrote:Thank you for posting your story, Brandon. I'm glad that I was even a little of help during your times of stress.

Congratulations on becoming a phd candidate!

Thank you for your reply! I have enjoyed Usagi so much as well as meeting you at conventions throughout the years!