Ha! I get to post another interview before Steve Hubbell. That's two for me, a hundred and two for Steve.
http://www.palisadespost.com/content/in ... ry_ID=4996
PALISADES POST, JULY 17, 2009
Moderators: Mayhem, Steve Hubbell, Moderators
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Stan Sakai
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Maka
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Re: Palisadian Post
Stan Sakai wrote:Ha! I get to post another interview before Steve Hubbell. That's two for me, a hundred and two for Steve.
Over the decades, 'Usagi' has been distributed by four different publishers, but the product has always been Sakai's vision.
'I own the characters,' he says. 'My publisher has no input. It's pretty rare in comic books to have that autonomy.'
So true. That's one of the keys (along with your talent and work ethic) that makes these stories so great.
Peace, maka
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Steve Hubbell
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'I showed Sergio my artwork for my kite story. He took it over to a corner and looked at it, came back and said, 'Oh it's a good story!'' After the issue came out, people told me, 'I liked how the way you drew Groo.' Sergio had secretly drawn his character into a crowd scene on one of my pages. And I didn't know until after it was published!'
Hahahahahaha this is so funny , i remember this , but i also thought Stan had drawn Groo there, crazy.
Hahahahahaha this is so funny , i remember this , but i also thought Stan had drawn Groo there, crazy.
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Texcap
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Ha, I'll have to recheck that particular story as I'm sure I must have missed it the first time. That's awesome.
Really enjoyed the interview, and thought they did a great job providing so many accurate details. Enjoy SDCC everyone, and glad to hear they'll be helping to celebrate Usagi's 25th anniversary!
Really enjoyed the interview, and thought they did a great job providing so many accurate details. Enjoy SDCC everyone, and glad to hear they'll be helping to celebrate Usagi's 25th anniversary!
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Steve Hubbell
- Taisho
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Re: Palisadian Post
FROM DRAWING PANELS TO APPEARING ON THEM
by MICHAEL AUSHENKER, (PALISADES POST, JULY 17, 2009)
For Palisadians driving down to Comic-Con International next week, the pop culture extravaganza, which showcases the latest in movies, television, video games, and, oh, yeah, comics, returns to the San Diego Convention Center July 22 - July 26. One cartoonist you'll be hearing a lot about this year will be Stan Sakai.
Sakai has been attending for 30 years, but this convention will be particularly memorable, as Comic-Con ''in the midst of celebrating its own 40th anniversary'' will honor 25 years of Sakai's comic-book series 'Usagi Yojimbo.'
Currently reaching issue #123, Usagi Yojimbo tells the tale of the titular samurai bunny; a genial book featuring an adventure-seeking warrior in the middle of 17th century Japan. Such characters as the lovely Mariko, mentor Katsuichi, Gen the Bounty Hunter, Shingen the Neko Ninja, Stray Dog, the wizard Kitsune, and Spot the Wonder Lizard have joined the 'ronin rabbit' on his journey.
“The politics and the culture of Japan had changed at that time,” Sakai explains regarding his interest in this era of the country's history. “Foreign traders coming in, Samurai culture. It was very exciting, very turbulent. Not politically, as the shogun had unified the country, but sociologically very turbulent.”
Over the decades, Usagi has been distributed by four different publishers, but the product has always been Sakai's vision.
“I own the characters,” he says. “My publisher has no input. It's pretty rare in comic books to have that autonomy.”
Sakai sets the tone of his book, which is for general audiences.
“Basically, I write for myself,” Sakai says. “These are the stories that I would like to read. It's more instinctual there are certain. The violence is toned down and it's never gratuitous.”
Since the mid-1990s, Usagi Yojimbo has been published by Dark Horse Comics, best known for such Hollywood-adapted comics as The Mask and Hellboy. Over that time, Usagi has shared some history and storyline crossovers with another anthropomorphic-hero series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, both in comic book and animated cartoon form (Comic-Con will also honor the Ninja Turtles' 25th anniversary next week). In 1991, Sakai fast-forwarded his characters for Space Usagi, a futuristic spin-off.
The Oregon-based Dark Horse will be going all out to celebrate Usagi's 25th this year. In addition to the regular series from Dark Horse Comics, this summer will see a new trade paperback collection, Bridge of Tears (collecting issues #94 through 102 of Sakai's series); and a self-contained, fully painted, 64-page graphic novel in November, Yokai.
“Yokai are the demons, ghosts and goblins from Japanese culture,” Sakai says. “My editor, Diana Schutz, suggested for the 25th anniversary let's do something special. I told her I'd need three months, she gave me 2 and a half months, finished it in less than that.”
In addition to Dark Horse's plans, former publisher Fantagraphics will collect all of its early Usagi comics ''seven trade paperbacks' worth'' in a massive 1200-page, two-volume slipcase special edition.
Usagi is not the only comics Sakai works on. For 25 years, Sakai has moonlighted as the letterer on MAD magazine cartoonist Sergio Aragones' long-running hit comic-book series, Groo the Wanderer. For about as long, Sakai has lettered Sunday editions of The Amazing Spider-Man syndicated newspaper strip.
“I do it mainly because I get to work with [Spider-Man co-creator and writer] Stan Lee,” Sakai says.
Sakai has many fond memories of attending Comic-Con: “I remember Jack Kirby's 70th birthday party at the basement at the Hotel San Diego, which is no longer there. And when the convention was held at the El Cortez Hotel, Sergio singing at the top of his lungs, probably Lady of Spain.”
Sakai emphasizes that he does not feel confined by Usagi's period-piece backdrop.
“I can do whatever type of story I want to: mystery, romance, horror, humor,” Sakai says. “I can do any type of genre I want. And this is without the interference of a publisher.”
The recently wrapped Traitors of the Earth story arc incorporated a Western concept, zombies, in the form of a resurrected defeated samurai army. And his process has not changed much over the years.
“With the major story arcs, I know what will happen months from now,” he says. “But figuring out what happens next month, that's the hard part.”
He relishes the research process, which can mean trips to the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, or the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachussetts, which has a wonderful Japanese wing.
“The research comes from necessity,” he continues. “I use it as part of the story.”
His upcoming story Shoyu will feature how soy sauce was made in the 17th century.
Published in 12 countries, Usagi has won every major industry award, including the Inkpot, three Will Eisner Awards, a Harvey Award, and two Spanish Haxtur Awards. Sakai is nominated for yet another Eisner this year in the Best Continuing Series category. The series was also honored in 2003 by the National Cartoonist Society. This winter, Sakai and Aragones will be guests of a convention in Finland, and Sakai will continue to Japan, where he was born but has only visited once as an adult.
Born in Kyoto, Sakai grew up in Hawaii, where he received his fine arts degree at the University of Hawaii. In 1977, his continuing study led him to Art Center College of Design, located in Pasadena, where he now calls home with wife Sharon and their children, Hannah, 18, and Matthew, 17. Sakai adds that Hannah, an artist and manga enthusiast, will attend her 19th Comic-Con this year. A photo was taken of Lee with Hannah at her first convention, age six months.
“Next time I went to Stan's office,” Sakai recalls. “The photo of Hannah and Stan was right there next to Stan and President Reagan.”
Comic-Con's 40th year will prove a landmark one for Japanese culture in comics and cartoons. In addition to Sakai's honor (and, arguably indirectly, the Ninja Turtles), revered animator Hayao Miyazaki (the creator behind feature animated films Princess Mononoke and the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away) will make his first Comic-Con appearance.
Fueled on the samurai movies and Kurosawa films he used to watch growing up, Sakai began sketching his Usagi character (loosely based on the ronin Miyamoto Musashi, a warrior, philosopher, poet and painter who lived in the 17th century) as far back as 1982. After the character debuted in an anthology comic in 1984, Sakai decided to make a series of it.
The anthropomorphic Cerebus, one of the most successful independently published comic books of all time, made waves at the time. Sakai decided to make his entire cast of characters animals: “I drew a rabbit with it’s ears up and I just loved his design.”
“Usagi's design has changed a lot,” Sakai says. “He's taller, has a bump on nose, he's not as cute and cuddly. I think the stories have become more sophisticated. I've matured as a storyteller.”
“I usually do short stories, which lead up to long story arc, and back to short stories again,” Sakai says. “Older readers prefer the longer arcs. But short stories are a good place for new readers to jump on board.”
“Everything is done by hand, even the lettering,” Sakai says. “I love the feel of the Bristol board and I love having the original art. There seems to be more of the personality of the creator in there.”
Sakai befriended MAD legend Aragones early in his relocation to California simply by finding him in the phone book. But Usagi is a solitary creation. Sakai does not tend to share his ideas or pages with his fellow cartoonists beforehand. He recalls with some mirth of a lesson learned the hard way some years back.
“I showed Sergio my artwork for my kite story. He took it over to a corner and looked at it, came back and said, “'Oh it's a good story!'' After the issue came out, people told me, “I liked how the way you drew Groo.” Sergio had secretly drawn his character into a crowd scene on one of my pages. And I didn't know until after it was published!”
Sakai will be stationed at table # 4906 in the Dealer's Room at Comic-Con International. He will also sign books at the Dark Horse table, where a 25th anniversary 'Usagi' poster will be distributed. Sakai will also appear on the following panels: Groo the Wanderer, Thursday, July 23?2:30-3:30 pm, Room 8; Graphic Novels Sense of History, Saturday, July 25, 5:00-6:00 pm, Room 8; Stan Sakai: 25th Anniversary of Usagi Yojimbo, Sunday, July 26, 1:30-2:30 pm, Room 8.
by MICHAEL AUSHENKER, (PALISADES POST, JULY 17, 2009)
For Palisadians driving down to Comic-Con International next week, the pop culture extravaganza, which showcases the latest in movies, television, video games, and, oh, yeah, comics, returns to the San Diego Convention Center July 22 - July 26. One cartoonist you'll be hearing a lot about this year will be Stan Sakai.
Sakai has been attending for 30 years, but this convention will be particularly memorable, as Comic-Con ''in the midst of celebrating its own 40th anniversary'' will honor 25 years of Sakai's comic-book series 'Usagi Yojimbo.'
Currently reaching issue #123, Usagi Yojimbo tells the tale of the titular samurai bunny; a genial book featuring an adventure-seeking warrior in the middle of 17th century Japan. Such characters as the lovely Mariko, mentor Katsuichi, Gen the Bounty Hunter, Shingen the Neko Ninja, Stray Dog, the wizard Kitsune, and Spot the Wonder Lizard have joined the 'ronin rabbit' on his journey.
“The politics and the culture of Japan had changed at that time,” Sakai explains regarding his interest in this era of the country's history. “Foreign traders coming in, Samurai culture. It was very exciting, very turbulent. Not politically, as the shogun had unified the country, but sociologically very turbulent.”
Over the decades, Usagi has been distributed by four different publishers, but the product has always been Sakai's vision.
“I own the characters,” he says. “My publisher has no input. It's pretty rare in comic books to have that autonomy.”
Sakai sets the tone of his book, which is for general audiences.
“Basically, I write for myself,” Sakai says. “These are the stories that I would like to read. It's more instinctual there are certain. The violence is toned down and it's never gratuitous.”
Since the mid-1990s, Usagi Yojimbo has been published by Dark Horse Comics, best known for such Hollywood-adapted comics as The Mask and Hellboy. Over that time, Usagi has shared some history and storyline crossovers with another anthropomorphic-hero series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, both in comic book and animated cartoon form (Comic-Con will also honor the Ninja Turtles' 25th anniversary next week). In 1991, Sakai fast-forwarded his characters for Space Usagi, a futuristic spin-off.
The Oregon-based Dark Horse will be going all out to celebrate Usagi's 25th this year. In addition to the regular series from Dark Horse Comics, this summer will see a new trade paperback collection, Bridge of Tears (collecting issues #94 through 102 of Sakai's series); and a self-contained, fully painted, 64-page graphic novel in November, Yokai.
“Yokai are the demons, ghosts and goblins from Japanese culture,” Sakai says. “My editor, Diana Schutz, suggested for the 25th anniversary let's do something special. I told her I'd need three months, she gave me 2 and a half months, finished it in less than that.”
In addition to Dark Horse's plans, former publisher Fantagraphics will collect all of its early Usagi comics ''seven trade paperbacks' worth'' in a massive 1200-page, two-volume slipcase special edition.
Usagi is not the only comics Sakai works on. For 25 years, Sakai has moonlighted as the letterer on MAD magazine cartoonist Sergio Aragones' long-running hit comic-book series, Groo the Wanderer. For about as long, Sakai has lettered Sunday editions of The Amazing Spider-Man syndicated newspaper strip.
“I do it mainly because I get to work with [Spider-Man co-creator and writer] Stan Lee,” Sakai says.
Sakai has many fond memories of attending Comic-Con: “I remember Jack Kirby's 70th birthday party at the basement at the Hotel San Diego, which is no longer there. And when the convention was held at the El Cortez Hotel, Sergio singing at the top of his lungs, probably Lady of Spain.”
Sakai emphasizes that he does not feel confined by Usagi's period-piece backdrop.
“I can do whatever type of story I want to: mystery, romance, horror, humor,” Sakai says. “I can do any type of genre I want. And this is without the interference of a publisher.”
The recently wrapped Traitors of the Earth story arc incorporated a Western concept, zombies, in the form of a resurrected defeated samurai army. And his process has not changed much over the years.
“With the major story arcs, I know what will happen months from now,” he says. “But figuring out what happens next month, that's the hard part.”
He relishes the research process, which can mean trips to the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, or the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachussetts, which has a wonderful Japanese wing.
“The research comes from necessity,” he continues. “I use it as part of the story.”
His upcoming story Shoyu will feature how soy sauce was made in the 17th century.
Published in 12 countries, Usagi has won every major industry award, including the Inkpot, three Will Eisner Awards, a Harvey Award, and two Spanish Haxtur Awards. Sakai is nominated for yet another Eisner this year in the Best Continuing Series category. The series was also honored in 2003 by the National Cartoonist Society. This winter, Sakai and Aragones will be guests of a convention in Finland, and Sakai will continue to Japan, where he was born but has only visited once as an adult.
Born in Kyoto, Sakai grew up in Hawaii, where he received his fine arts degree at the University of Hawaii. In 1977, his continuing study led him to Art Center College of Design, located in Pasadena, where he now calls home with wife Sharon and their children, Hannah, 18, and Matthew, 17. Sakai adds that Hannah, an artist and manga enthusiast, will attend her 19th Comic-Con this year. A photo was taken of Lee with Hannah at her first convention, age six months.
“Next time I went to Stan's office,” Sakai recalls. “The photo of Hannah and Stan was right there next to Stan and President Reagan.”
Comic-Con's 40th year will prove a landmark one for Japanese culture in comics and cartoons. In addition to Sakai's honor (and, arguably indirectly, the Ninja Turtles), revered animator Hayao Miyazaki (the creator behind feature animated films Princess Mononoke and the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away) will make his first Comic-Con appearance.
Fueled on the samurai movies and Kurosawa films he used to watch growing up, Sakai began sketching his Usagi character (loosely based on the ronin Miyamoto Musashi, a warrior, philosopher, poet and painter who lived in the 17th century) as far back as 1982. After the character debuted in an anthology comic in 1984, Sakai decided to make a series of it.
The anthropomorphic Cerebus, one of the most successful independently published comic books of all time, made waves at the time. Sakai decided to make his entire cast of characters animals: “I drew a rabbit with it’s ears up and I just loved his design.”
“Usagi's design has changed a lot,” Sakai says. “He's taller, has a bump on nose, he's not as cute and cuddly. I think the stories have become more sophisticated. I've matured as a storyteller.”
“I usually do short stories, which lead up to long story arc, and back to short stories again,” Sakai says. “Older readers prefer the longer arcs. But short stories are a good place for new readers to jump on board.”
“Everything is done by hand, even the lettering,” Sakai says. “I love the feel of the Bristol board and I love having the original art. There seems to be more of the personality of the creator in there.”
Sakai befriended MAD legend Aragones early in his relocation to California simply by finding him in the phone book. But Usagi is a solitary creation. Sakai does not tend to share his ideas or pages with his fellow cartoonists beforehand. He recalls with some mirth of a lesson learned the hard way some years back.
“I showed Sergio my artwork for my kite story. He took it over to a corner and looked at it, came back and said, “'Oh it's a good story!'' After the issue came out, people told me, “I liked how the way you drew Groo.” Sergio had secretly drawn his character into a crowd scene on one of my pages. And I didn't know until after it was published!”
Sakai will be stationed at table # 4906 in the Dealer's Room at Comic-Con International. He will also sign books at the Dark Horse table, where a 25th anniversary 'Usagi' poster will be distributed. Sakai will also appear on the following panels: Groo the Wanderer, Thursday, July 23?2:30-3:30 pm, Room 8; Graphic Novels Sense of History, Saturday, July 25, 5:00-6:00 pm, Room 8; Stan Sakai: 25th Anniversary of Usagi Yojimbo, Sunday, July 26, 1:30-2:30 pm, Room 8.