100 Most Distinguished

[Stan Sakai]

Book Expo America took place a few weeks ago. Every year they have a Best American ... book series--anthologies reprinting the best of different genres from fiction to nonfiction. This is the first year they had a Best American Comics anthology. Usagi did not make the reprinting, in fact no Dark Horse comic story did, but one of my stories did make the list of 100 Most Distinguished Stories from January 2004 to August 2005. That story was Kill the Geishu Lord! from UY: Fathers and Sons.

Frankly, that choice surprised me.

[Todd Shogun]

Usagi and the Tengu would have been my pick...an awesome story...

[Colin Solan]

WHAT?? I was at Book Expo and heard nothing about this... *$%^#!!!!

[Stan Sakai]

WHAT?? I was at Book Expo and heard nothing about this... *$%^#!!!!

One of the giveaways at BEA was a reading copy of Houghton-Mifflin's The Best American Comics 2006 by Harvey Pekar (guest editor) and Anne Elizabeth Moore (series editor). In the book is the list of the 100 distinguished comic stories.

I haven't been to a book convention since one in LA about 6 years ago. It was almost as big as San Diego, but nothing was for sale. There were were author signings where books, often hardcovers, were given away. Free books and promotions were everywhere.

It was at an American Booksellers Association convention 10 years before that I met Mohammed Ali.

[Maka]

This is the first year they had a Best American Comics anthology. Usagi did not make the reprinting, in fact no Dark Horse comic story did, but one of my stories did make the list of 100 Most Distinguished Stories from January 2004 to August 2005. That story was Kill the Geishu Lord! from UY: Fathers and Sons.

Congratulations Mr. Sakai,

Looks like that anthology is focused on more alternative comics than the major comic publishers. Looks very interesting and I may pick up my first non-Usagi Yojimbo comic related item in a long time.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6319463.html

Still, I love how your creative work is recognized by a lot of different respectable sources. It feels like validation that I have good taste.

Peace,

maka

[Spot the Tokage]

There was something similar given out on Free Comic Book Day. It was a comic-sized book issue titled the "Top 100 Trade Paperbacks Of All Time" by Wizard. It was also suprising that only one UY TPB was in the top 100, and it was book 6- Circles. It was listed as the 44th best.