General discussion about Usagi Yojimbo, the comics, the stories, the characters, collectibles, TV appearances, Stan Sakai, Space Usagi, Nilson & Hermy, and all other related topics.
Stan Sakai wrote:Attached is a photo of a painting I just finished for Fantagraphics' Beasts book. It is an anthology written and edited by Jacob Covey, who designed the new look for the Fantagraphics UY, and visuals are supplied by various artists.
My art is of a Gaki, specifically a Jikki-niku-gaki or flesh eating hungry ghost. I've used gaki in Usagi stories before. According to Japanese Buddhist scripture there are 36 varieties of gaki, divided into two categories--"of the world" and "among me". I used Cel-Vinyl, a medium I've just started using and am having fun with.
Cheers,
Stan
COOL!
Last edited by Steve Hubbell on Wed Nov 29, 2006 23:16 -0700, edited 2 times in total.
rowdydog4444 wrote:That's soooo sweet looking! When is that book coming out?
Fantagraphics is hoping for an early 2006 release, but it hasn't been definitely decided yet. An anthology has so many different creators, and not everyone turns their work in on deadline (which was Oct 31). They're waiting for more art to be turned in before scheduling a publication date.
Since this is actually listed in the newest catalog I received from Fantagraphics, I thought I'd post an update with some of the available information Fantagraphics has posted on their blog.
Eric Reynolds (posting on the Fantagraphics Blog) wrote:
Thursday, May 25, 2006 at 10:35 AM
Preview: BEASTS
BEASTS! is a 200 page, full-color hardback coming this fall from Fantagraphics and Jacob Covey. A gorgeous compendium of mythological and folkloric creatures, the text will be accompanied by full-page illustrations of each creature created just for this book. The jaw-dropping artist list includes 90 of the most talented pop culture artistes from the worlds of skate, rock, comics, scifi, children's books, "Fine Art" etc. Each artist has selected a creature from recorded descriptions of mythological (or perhaps just elusive) beasts and rendered their vision of it.
Beasts! $28.95
Edited by Jacob Covey. To be released in November 2006. Includes work by Dave Cooper, Stan Sakai, R. Kikuo Johnson, Tim Biskup, Seonna Hong, Bwana Spoons and Colleen Coover.
Jacob Covey (posting on the Fantagraphics Blog) wrote:
Tuesday, October 31, 2006 at 12:34 PM
The much-delayed BEASTS! book will officially, at last, be available everywhere in early January. Advance copies will be for sale at the Fantagraphics store's Grand Opening on December 2nd.
Here's the full list of contributors: (also originally posted on the Fantagraphics Blog)
Adam Grano
Alan Mooers
Alex Meyer
Amanda Visell
Anders Nilsen
Andrew Brandou
Andy Kehoe
Angela Kongelbak
Anne Faith Nicholls
Art Chantry
Attaboy
Brent Johnson
Brian Chippendale
Brian Ralph
Bwana Spoons
Charles Glaubitz
Chris Neal
Chris Ryniak
Colleen Coover
Corey Lunn
Dan Grzeca
Dave Cooper
Dean Yeagle
Deth P. Sun
Don Clark
Eric Reynolds
Esther Watson
Foi Jiminez
Heiko Muller
Jacob Covey
James Jean
Jason
Jason Miles
Jason Robards
Jay Ryan
Jeff Soto
Jeremy Fish
Jesse LeDoux
Jesse Reno
Jessica Lynch
Joe Vaux
Johnny Ryan
Jordan Crane
Josh Cochran
Julie Murphy
Justin B. Williams
Kaela Graham
Katy Horan
Keith Shore
Kenneth Lavallee
Kevin Cornell
Kevin Scalzo
Lesley Reppeteaux
Little Friends
Liz Dean
Marc Bell
Martin Cendreda
Martin Ontiveros
Mat Brinkman
Maxwell Holyoke-Hirsch
Meg Hunt
Michael Slack
Mike Hoffman
Mizna Wada
Nate Williams
Nathan Jurevicius
Peter Thompson
PJ Fidler
R. Kikuo Johnson
Renee French
Richard Sala
Ron Rege
Ronald Kurniawan
Ryan Clark
Sam Weber
Sammy Harkham
Scott Campbell
Scott Teplin
Seonna Hong
Souther Salazar
Stan Sakai
Stella Im Hultberg
Stephan Britt
Steven Weissman
Ted Jouflas
Tim Biskup
Tom Gauld
Tony Millionaire
Tyler Stout
Absolutely exquisite, and it's great to see you try something so radically different from USAGI YOJIMBO, Stan. Something I've always noticed in the majority of Japanese spirits is their lack of humanity, which I guess is the point...but there's a strange sense of pathos about your painting that's unique unto itself. I can't quite put my finger on it.
I enjoy that picture alot. It looks very similar to alot of Ukiyo-e style prints. Especially the color and technique. I wonder what a strip of UY would look like using a ukiyo-e or sumi-e style.... ii kana
Actually... now that I think of it... this piece reminds me alot of a book of ghosts and obakemono i got from a student of mine in Japan. I was talking about coffee tables and the kinds of books you put on coffee tables... I was also discussing to him how I like ukiyo-e and sumi-e and how my old apartment was decorated with Hiroshige and other sumi-e tidbits... well he suprised me later that day by buying me a hardback book dedicated to the ghost legends of Japan... its a beautiful book and i think it set him back about 6000 yen... anyways, its filled like images like stan`s... If I had a scanner i would send some images from it...
It's a beautiful hardcover book, with 90 artists contributing. Some of the art is pretty literal, like my own gaki painting. Some offer a different take of the particular beast, such as Jason's humorous drawing of the Minotaur looking at a "you are here" map in the maze.
