Stan Sakai at the 2008 STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo

Post by **Steve Hubbell** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:14 -0700

Originally posted on the comicbookconventions.com/forum

Chris_StapleHead wrote:Hey everybody,

Mark your calendars!

We are back and proud to announce that the 5th annual STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo will be happening on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at the Monarch Event Center in Austin, Texas!

To commemorate five amazing years of celebrating the best in independently created comics, zines, arts, crafts and animation, we’ve arranged to bring you a very special guest. The legendary creator of Usagi Yojimbo - Stan Sakai! Stan’s been producing comics for over twenty-five years and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Eisner, Harvey, Inkpot, and the American Library Association Award. We are truly pleased and honored to welcome Stan to STAPLE! In 2009!

As usual we’ll keep posting lots of interesting interviews and podcasts to the STAPLE! website. To kick things off we’ve put up audio from Goon creator Eric Powell’s panel at this year’s show. To listen to it and subscribe to future episodes go to http://www.staple-austin.org/podcast/ and stay tuned for lots more to come! Recording services generously provided by the fine folks at Dial-a-Stranger http://dialastranger.com/

Exhibitor tables are now on sale for next year’s show! These always sell out very quickly, so if you would like to be an exhibitor at STAPLE! 2009 go to http://www.staple-austin.org/register/ to secure your spot today!

There’s lot’s more exciting announcements to come so be sure to stay tuned!

See you soon!

Chris "Uncle Staple" Nicholas
www.staple-austin.org
http://www.myspace.com/staple_austin

http://www.comicbookconventions.com/for ... pic=7048.0

Ghost9 · Post by **Ghost9** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 13:03 -0700

I'm driving down from Dallas with my 8 year old son to meet Stan at Staple. Looking forward to it! What can I expect? Will Stan sign a comic for us?

Thanks!

Post by **Maka** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 13:38 -0700

[quote="Ghost9"] What can I expect? Will Stan sign a comic for us?[quote]

Absolutely. Mr. Sakai is very generous in signing comics. They only reason he wouldn't is if he runs out of ink or his hand is injured.

Probably Mr. Sakai will have Usagi Yojimbo sketchbooks for sale ($10 each I believe - there are 5 now + a Spain edition), comics, maybe some sketches (roughs and inked) for sale, and other collectables. You can PM on this board if you have a specific issue or thing you are looking for.

Have fun with your son! A very cool father and son thing to do.

Peace, maka

Ghost9 · Post by **Ghost9** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 14:31 -0700

Thanks Maka! That's great information. I'm very excited to meet Mr. Sakai and see my son's reaction. I had heard and read great things about Usagi Yojimbo for years (and remember the TMNT action figure I had as a kid), so I rented out a few of the books from my local library. My son snagged Book 2 and subsequently flew through Books 3 through 10 in two weeks time. He got the Dark Horse vinyl figure for Christmas, and now we have bought Books 1-7 & 10. My 3 1/2 year old is now also very interested in "Osagi Ojimbo"! I added the comic to my pull list at my LCS now. I guess you could say the whole family is hooked!

Again, I appreciate the info and will be excited to meet Stan, get some pics & signatures, and buy some collectibles.

Take care!

Krogu · Post by **Krogu** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 15:04 -0700

I want a signed uy book

Texcap · Post by **Texcap** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:22 -0700

I definitely plan to be there as well.

I know you're a food connoisseur, Stan, and was wondering if you enjoy kolaches (pastries)? There's a great little
place in West, Texas called the Czech Stop (which has to be world famous by now) and I'd love to bring some of
those pastries, and maybe a fresh loaf of Jalapeno bread...

...assuming they survive the rest of the trip!

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:53 -0700

Texcap wrote:I definitely plan to be there as well.

I know you're a food connoisseur, Stan, and was wondering if you enjoy kolaches (pastries)? There's a great little
place in West, Texas called the Czech Stop (which has to be world famous by now) and I'd love to bring some of
those pastries, and maybe a fresh loaf of Jalapeno bread...

...assuming they survive the rest of the trip!

I've never had a kolache. I'm looking forward to it.

Jet_Jaguar · Post by **Jet_Jaguar** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:43 -0700

I'll probably attend and bring something for Stan to sign (I'm thinking either my copy of Space Usagi or The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy). If I wanted to commission a little sketch from Stan, could I do that? (I was thinking that it might be kind of fun to have a little sketch of Black Jack Usagi or Usagi drawn like another Osamu Tezuka character).

I don't really know Austin well enough to offer many food recommendations, but there's a little town nearby called Fredricksburg that has a little German restaurant I really like called "The Auslander." There's a pretty interesting WWII museum nearby called The Museum of the Pacific war that has a real Japanese mini-submarine and a replica of the garden and study of Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō (1848-1934).

http://www.nimitz-museum.org/japanese_garden.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiral_Togo

Jet_Jaguar · Post by **Jet_Jaguar** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 15:41 -0700

I thought of another question about this. How long is Stan going to be at this thing? Would I be able to meet him if I made it at about 2 or 3 in the afternoon?

Heero · Post by **Heero** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 22:46 -0700

There's a great "homestyle" (comfort foods) restaurant on the south side of town. Of course there's plenty of TexMex all over town. The local chinatown has recently grown a bit and there's some good restaurants in there. Whole Foods main store is downtown, and they have an AWESOME breakfast pizza. And Austin Cookie Lounge rules. Does anyone want to go in on a dojo gathering? I'd be happy to coordinate space if no one else is local.

Ghost9 · Post by **Ghost9** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 0:07 -0700

I went to The University of Texas at Austin, so I know the area very well. There's a great TexMex place just off the drag (Guadalupe) just north of campus called Trudy's. Also, can't forget about the Salt Lick BBQ. Classic. And the best comic book store there is easily Austin Books. Should be a great time. Looking forward to being back in Austin and meeting Stan with my son.

Stan, will you have Sketchbooks and other collectibles for sale?

Thanks!

Texcap · Post by **Texcap** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:58 -0700

According to the Dojo news, the 25th Anniv. Usagi poster won't quite be available at the Staple event, correct?

If not, is there a way that interested Dojo members can order them directly from Dark Horse, the Dojo, etc? I know the majority of us would be kicking ourselves if we couldn't track down one of these beauties (even at a price) to hang proudly at home.

Thanks!

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 16:44 -0700

Texcap wrote:According to the Dojo news, the 25th Anniv. Usagi poster won't quite be available at the Staple event, correct?

Hopefully, I will be able to bring a few copies to Staple. Dojo members will have priority getting them, of course.

Texcap · Post by **Texcap** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 18:12 -0700

I know we'd all really appreciate it Sensei. Thanks again!

Ghost9 · Post by **Ghost9** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 18:26 -0700

Awesome! Put me down for one, thanks!