Unused Character Design

[TheBroox]

While flipping through The Art of Usagi Yojimbo I came across this peice:



If you can't make out the caption it reads:

An unused promotional image ad for Albedo. Of particular note, the mountain scene and Usagi, which are based on the back cover to Albedo #3, have been entirely redrawn fo the ad, a practice Sakai still follows today.

Given that the art is based on the back cover of Albedo #3 and was intended to promote future issues of Albedo it feels safe to assume it was created after the art for Albedo #3 was finished and before Stan had decided to switch to Fantagraphics Books for Usagi Yojimbo Volume 1. This jives with the 1985 copyright embedded in the art itself.

That means that the only stories that would have been published at that time would have been "Usagi Yojimbo", a.k.a. "The Goblin of Adachigahara", and "Lone Rabbit and Child".

It is easy to recognize Miyamoto Usagi drawn in his early style and similarly that is an early Tomoe Ame, the mon helps identify her, but who is the other character? He kinda looks to be a proto-Sasuke but Sasuke would not make his first appearance until "Kumo" was published in Usagi Yojimbo Volume 3 #37 fifteen years after the copyright on this image, in 2000.

Curious if anyone has any insight into who is character is/was intended to be?

[Mayhem]

I think it was meant to be, and I think Stan has commented on this in the past, but I forget what was said.

[Casey Burns]

I too remember Stan saying it was an early version of Sasuke.
I refuse to believe Sasuke's been around for 20 years already! He and Ishida still feel like brand new characters to me

[Stan Sakai]

Yes, that is Sasuke. He was created that long before I actually used him.

There was a ninja named Sarutobi Sasuke, who may or may not have existed, or may have been a combination of different people. He is certainly a part of Japanese folklore. I remember seeing a movie about him in the 1960's where, as a young boy, he learned magic under a mountain hermit. He went into service under a daimyo, defending his lands against an invader who had their own sorcerer. Sasuke eventually helped defeat the enemy and married the princess. I have been looking for that movie but have never found it.

I remembered this movie (vaguely) and wanted to eventually incorporate some magic and monsters into Usagi's story. For that, I wanted a character that was knowledgeable about the supernatural to act as a sort of guide so used Sasuke.

Osamu Tezuka did a manga series about Sarutobi Sasuke as well and, I think, he has popped up in various other manga and video games.

[Steve Hubbell]

A very similar illustration was used as an ad in the mid-80's.....

[TheBroox]

Yes, that is Sasuke. He was created that long before I actually used him.

There was a ninja named Sarutobi Sasuke, who may or may not have existed, or may have been a combination of different people. He is certainly a part of Japanese folklore. I remember seeing a movie about him in the 1960's where, as a young boy, he learned magic under a mountain hermit. He went into service under a daimyo, defending his lands against an invader who had their own sorcerer. Sasuke eventually helped defeat the enemy and married the princess. I have been looking for that movie but have never found it.

I remembered this movie (vaguely) and wanted to eventually incorporate some magic and monsters into Usagi's story. For that, I wanted a character that was knowledgeable about the supernatural to act as a sort of guide so used Sasuke.

Osamu Tezuka did a manga series about Sarutobi Sasuke as well and, I think, he has popped up in various other manga and video games.

Thank you for sharing Stan!

It is very interesting that you had im planned so long before he showed up. Are there any other characters that has long gestation processes?