USAGI YOJIMBO Volume 2, Number 3

Dear Stan,

It is great to see Usagi in such a high-quality full color format on a regular basis. To me this means that a great character is finally getting the respect and recognition that he (and his creator) so richly deserve.

Don't get me wrong - Usagi is great in any format and I've been a loyal fan since the Critters era, but for me, color just makes it so much better. The Color Specials were always a high point of my comics year. Anyway, this first issue was a lot of fun. I'm glad to see the Turtles will be taking part in the new story just like in old times.

What actually compelled me to write though was the back-up story "Jizo". I can't ever remember being so moved by a story in a comic. The image of the mother caring for the spirit of her murdered child was very powerful and it touched me deeply. The fact that she did not pray for vengeance, but only that no other child should suffer the same fate... And yet justice was served as usual by our favorite Samurai. Great story.

I am looking forward to many months of colorful adventures with Usagi. I wouldn't even mind if you reached back and retold one of the old stories from Critters if you knew one that would look nice all colored up by your Ace colorist Mr. Luth.

To wrap up this incoherent ramble, let me say thank you of the many tales already told, and let's get on with all the new colorful tales to come.

Sincerely,
Frank Hannon
Boston, MA

[Jizo Bosatsu is the Buddhist patron saint of travelers, pregnant women and children.

[The souls of dead children are doomed to pile stones in the "Sai-no-Kawara", the dry riverbed of Hell, and every night demons would come to knock down the stone piles. The children would run to Jizo who hides them and comforts them in his great sleeves and drives the demons away.

[Even today, people often leave pebbles at the base of figures of Jizo to ease the burdens of the children.]

Stan, I'm just writing to tell you how much I love reading your Usagi Yojimbo. Your knowledge of feudal Japan is beautifully translated through your storytelling and artwork. The mood of your book is so magnificent that the reader is almost in feudal Japan. thank you for your great friendship and for sharing all of your wonderful tales of Usagi with all of us. Much continued success!

Tu amigo,
Manuel Carrasco
Odessa, TX

Dear Stan Sakai,

It was 1986. I was 14 years old and an avid comic collector when I discovered Usagi Yojimbo. Here was a rabbit. No ordinary rabbit mind you, a Samurai Rabbit. I had been weaned on master martial arts turtles and they prepared me for the wonderful journey into, to quote you, "Anthropomorphic 17th Century Japan". Here was a world of rabbits, pigs, rhinoceroses, gophers, lizards, panda bears, mice, turtles, foxes...the list goes on and on, all living, working playing and existing in a real time and real place. Somewhere that I could grab onto. I followed Miyamoto Usagi on many adventures, through countless villages and many friendships, through numerous battles and overwhelming odds. I've tagged along through the pages of his world and I've learned many things about honor and respect for life. Every time I read the pages of Usagi's chronicles, I seem to learn something more. All of your stories seem to have a message, each one as real as the last.

I'm now 21 and I still feel the anticipation of becoming a part of the world of Miyamoto Usagi whenever I reach for a new copy of Usagi Yojimbo (even more so now than seven years ago). I would like to thank you, Stan, for the intriguing and always enjoyable world of my favorite Ronin, Miyamoto Usagi. Good luck with the new series. [EEP!]

Sincerely,
Jeff Timothy
Pickering, Ontario, Canada

Hi Stan!

Well it's been a while since I last wrote. But today I've received the first Mirage-published Usagi. I liked it, in the way that the old characters were brought back. I always wondered what was happening with the Komori Ninja. The color in the book was outstanding, nice and smooth, just like the coloring jobs Tom Luth has done for the past three Color Specials. The only flaw that I could find in the book was the use of the Turtles. I think that it is fine to have them in the back-up stories, but I don't really like the Turtles and I prefer it when they are left out of the main story. I know it's just my opinion, but you should realize that this is Usagi's book and not just an extra book for the Turtles.

I've recently acquired from a friend the Summer Special from so many years ago. Now that the second edition is out, I look back at old issues and I have to say Usagi's come a long way. I would like to congratulate you on your new series. Even though I will miss Kim, I like what you've done with your rabbit. Color is great, now if only you would see the light and have Usagi be monthly. After this story, ditch the Turtles. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Sheesh, that stuff's ridiculous.

Bye,
Matt Warren
Sherborn, MA

[This story, an homage to Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, was actually plotted out two years ago and had been simmering in my mind for a while. The switch over to Mirage seemed the ideal time to actually draw it out.

[It's changed a lot since that initial idea. For one thing, the part of Gen originally belonged to Tomoe.]

Dear Stan and New Company,

On Tuesday I picked up the brand new copy of Usagi Yojimbo published by Mirage, along with #38 of the old line and the 100th issue of my second-favourite (so there, Sergio) comic, Groo .

Like the colour specials, I found that the new Usagi was incisive and pleasing on the eye; Tom Luth as always doing a good job, though I did miss the old black-and-white. But beyond the artwork, I was quite disappointed because the plot lacked the personal quality of previous stories, and instead possessed unabashedly the kind of commercialization seen in non-Eastman & Laird TMNT .

First, Usagi is not the kind of rabbit to say: "We'll sell our lives dearly!" Gen perhaps would, because he prizes his own well-being, but Usagi has a slight fatalistic streak about him that would not permit such a mock-heroic statement.

Two: I should have smelt a rat when I was the rodent with the shadow around his eyes. (Incidentally, Kakera must mean Splinter, mustn't it?) If I could let that pass, the new issue irritated me further by having Usagi allowing Kakera to openly insult him ("I don't know about using samurai who are so unskilled," as well as "And you two are no match for their strength!"). To my mind it is needless ingratiation, and more so to imply that four turtles fresh out of the irrigation canal are better than Usagi and Gen. I don't know if those four are the four (they all wear red, but use different weapons), but whatever the case may be, they do not belong in a bunny book. The Neko Ninja , and especially Chizu, were more welcome additions.

Needless to say, I much preferred the back-up, "Jizo", for its simplicity and attention to detail. Ditto the last of the old line. At the same time, I can't believe Groo's level of sophistication also - please tell Sergio I'm similarly shocked. I've grown up with these two great comic books, and it certainly is heartstopping to read in both books in the same week radical developments that don't add much.

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,
Toh Hsien Min
Singapore, R. of Singapore

Dear Stan Sakai,

It seems ironic that my favorite American comic book title is Usagi Yojimbo. Since I have an interest in the Japanese culture, language and a bit of history, it probably helps to explain this. The well-crafted stories, interesting characters, and wonderful panel layouts that the readers know well by now are so important. Characters like Usagi, Tomoe and even Gen as well as others that we care about so much are the mark of excellent storytelling. All this and your research of Japanese stories and apparent reverence for Samurai films culminates in a truly wonderful experience.

I was a little hesitant about UY going color. I'm rather fond of black & white comics, but I certainly trust your work and Tom Luth's coloring job. especially after seeing the first Mirage issue. I showed Vol. 2, issue 1 to some friends and they also loved it. Kakera, hey? A friend had a suspicion about that name, and after I checked a Japanese-English dictionary, was pleased to see the meaning was "a fragment, broken piece"...splinter, hey? I thought that rat was suspicious.

I also really liked the notes for Book 5 in issue 38. It's these bits of information that really bring a highlight and an added dimension to your stories. The "Last Ino Story" was excellent, by the way. I'm really glad you touched the life of Ino once more. It's also nice to have seen the return of Kitsuné.

I was first introduced to Usagi Yojimbo back in the summer of '86 when Deal Whitley showed me the UY Summer Special while at the Worldcon in Atlanta. I was hooked. I think it was Deal's enthusiasm for all the comic artists he knew so well that increased my own interest in anthropomorphic comics. That, and Deal's own comics that I thought so highly of. All of us who knew Deal so well were saddened by his death last August, and I couldn't have thanked him enough for enriching our lives and the time he spent with us. I will always remember him so well when I look at an otter, his totem animal, or an issue of Usagi Yojimbo.

Thank you so much Stan, for Usagi Yojimbo.

Phil Lipari
Rahway, NJ

[I would see Deal at a lot of the conventions we both attended. He was a great guy and a terrific artist. I had once asked him if he was interested in doing a back-up for Usagi but he declined because of other commitments. We'll all miss him.]

Dear Stan,

I have been an Usagi fan for 3 years now and I still love reading your comics. After I read it I was hooked. Now I wait each and every day at a comic book shop like Pearl Kai Jelly's on Oahu just to get the latest Usagi comic. I have read all your comics starting from #1-38, the Color Specials, Critters, and other Usagi-related comics.

Just recently, I got your new Usagi Yojimbo #1 from Mirage. It took me by surprise that Usagi was at Mirage, but after I read it, it wasn't' bad. It was great. My cousin also bought it and commented on the cover because it is a nice drawing of Usagi fending off Neko Ninja while Gen falls toward the water below, and the cover was glossy. I have to agree with my cousin about that, but I also have to comment about the appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now that is totally cool! I always thought that the Turtles wouldn't appear in the pages of UY again. I guess I was wrong. As a loyal fan, I will keep on buying your comics and worship you All Mighty One (just kidding).

Wade Watanabe
Mililani, HI

Dear Stan, et al,

Usual intro stuff: I've been reading comics for 40+ years and collecting since about '65. Throughout all this, there's been a special place in my heart for the martial arts and particularly the Japanese Samurai. Books like Lone Wolf & Cub and Meyerik's Young Master have been high spots. Imagine my delight when I (also a Barks fan) discovered Usagi (and bought them all from the start).

Your clean art style is a delight. Your sense of Bushido is clear and enlightening. I appreciated the Kite story and herein is one of my main reasons for writing. One of Usagi's main attractions are the adventures he's on. Another, however, are the insights into Feudal Japan. The Kite story was wonderful. I wouldn't suggest turning Usagi into an "educational" comic, but I would love to see more of "the life and times." How about something about the "Sword Masters" who created the Samurai's blade? How were they created? How about some description of a Samurai's armor? Or even things as simple as kites, flutes, writing, tea ceremonies, etc. I am also interested in Zen; how about something of the Zen archers? Tradition says they were able to hit the target's center even in an unlit hall, as the "center" was their own. Perhaps Usagi could visit a monastery or meet a traveling Zen monk.

I am also, more than most, a fan of B&W comics. I find your move to color disturbing. I found the cleanliness of style in Usagi to be very satisfying and coloring it feels cluttered. I enjoyed the color specials as a change, but am worried about your doing them regularly. While I'm in the mode, I also have been annoyed by regular cross-overs in mainstream comics. An occasional guest spot is fine, but extensive use of outside characters or storylines strikes me as commercialism and tends to distract from a pure character. I do like parody or spoof, as in your "Lone Goat & Kid" (that was great), but I am very worried about the sudden arrival of the Turtles. As with many books and characters, they were fine when they were fresh and innovative. Unfortunately, with their success and profusion, the Turtles have lost their credibility (a funny word to use for comic characters, I suppose). I hope this is just your acknowledgement of moving to the house that Eastman & Laird built, and that the Turtles will soon vacate Usagi's domain.

Thanks for one of the few bright spots in a usually dim medium. I enjoy comics but find their valuable contributions to be few and far between. Your work manifests the potential of the medium and keeps comics fun. Bravo.

Ted Buxton
Bristol, VT

[I'm already working on stories involving swordsmiths and umbrella makers. A couple of reasons why I don't like to center stories upon a particular aspect of Japanese life is because I feel the stories would get redundant after a while. I would much rather incorporate insights of Japanese culture into the stories as I did with Kitsuné's tops or the part of the Samurai armor in UY #33.]

Last change: 19. May 2003

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Usagi Yojimbo, including all prominent characters featured in the stories and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Stan Sakai and Usagi Studios. Usagi Yojimbo is a registered trademark of Stan Sakai. Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric content, is coincidental.