DARK HORSE COMICS, AUGUST 1, 1998

[Steve Hubbell]

THE STAN SAKAI INTERVIEW
By SHAWNA EVAN-GORE (DARK HORSE COMICS, AUGUST 1, 1998)

When we decided to interview Stan Sakai for his upcoming Usagi Yojimbo "done-in-one" My Father's Swords, I was trying to figure out when I'd be able to catch up with him. I knew he was having a busy summer given his role in this year's Trilogy Tour of creators, and it seemed I might not get the time with him that would be needed to get a good interview. Then I realized I could catch up with him in person at Wizard's ChicagoCon, and everything fell into place.

Once in Chicago, I visited Stan a couple of times at the Trilogy Tour booth to set up a convenient interview time, and each time I waited at behind a number of people in line to have Stan sign their Usagi Yojimbo collections. The Trilogy booth was a work of art unto itself, so waiting was even kind of fun. The creators had collaborated on making a huge papier-mâché tree that was actually used as a break room during the show, and the whole booth was built up to resemble a kiddie-book forest, complete with green carpet grass and oversized foam boulders, into which some artists carved their characters. Stan's Usagi boulder turned out to be an Easter Island-ish tribute to his long-eared pal, and I was among the fans who took advantage of the opportunity to take a picture with the Usagi stone.

It was fun to watch fan after fan walk away from Stan's table grinning from ear to ear as they admired the sketches he'd done on backing boards, and it was easy to see why Stan Sakai has some of the most loyal fans in the industry. So aside from fulfilling my job duties and getting this interview done, I also got to sit and talk with Stan in person, which all of his fans should do if you ever get the chance.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Okay Stan, so what's the trilogy tour? What have you been doing for the last couple of months?

STAN SAKAI: Well the Trilogy Tour started last year with Charles Vess, Linda Medley and Jeff Smith. It was three cartoonists who were also self-publishers who toured together to three major conventions. It was such a success that they decided to expand it by inviting three other creators: Jill Thompson, Mark Crilley, and myself. We're doing four conventions this time.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Which ones?

STAN SAKAI: We started off at Charlotte at the U.S. Con and now we're at WizardCon in Chicago. Then we go to San Diego and then, let's see, late fall we're going to Mid Ohio Con in Columbus, Ohio.

DARK HORSE COMICS: What do you think of Wizard Con so far?

STAN SAKAI: Oh it's wonderful. This is my first time in Chicago.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Oh really? I've been hearing lots of how this is the best year ever, so.

STAN SAKAI: It's a lot bigger than I expected.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Yeah, I'm surprised at how huge this turned out to be. What about Heroes Con in North Carolina? I've heard that one's really fun as well?

STAN SAKAI: It was great. I loved it. I was surprised -- the people there were so polite. That's the first thing that comes to mind.

DARK HORSE COMICS: So you have fans that are southern gentlemen?

STAN SAKAI: Yes.

DARK HORSE COMICS: I was surprised to find that polite-thing really does happen in the South.

STAN SAKAI: People said please and thank you, which is nice -- though I have never gotten used to being called Mr. and sir.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Mr. Sakai.

STAN SAKAI: Mr. Sakai, yes sir (laughs).

DARK HORSE COMICS: So it's, so it's been a fun convention season?

STAN SAKAI: The Trilogy people all get along wonderfully. We've been friends before we even started the tour, so this is working out well for all of us. We spent a week together building the big tree and the rest of the display, making the standing stones, and carving things into them. I carved a big old Usagi figure.

DARK HORSE COMICS: I saw it, and it looks great. Can you pick a favorite experience out of the last couple of weeks, or since the tour started?

STAN SAKAI: Oh, I guess it's meeting new fans because the main reason I come to these conventions is to get feedback from the Usagi readers. And just meeting new fans in different parts of the country I've never been to is really interesting. I had never been to Charlotte before. I had never been to Chicago before, and it's really great to go somewhere new and meet new fans.

DARK HORSE COMICS: That's one thing I've noticed is that you're really good with your fans. Every single one of them walks away smiling and looking like you've made their day. So I'm wondering -- what's your fan theory? How do you manage to keep the fans happy and coming back?

STAN SAKAI: You have to respect the fans because they're there supporting your book. I try to be as generous as possible, and I'll do sketches if the fans want a drawing. I just try to have a nice rapport with the fans. Usagi fans tend to be really, really, really nice, nice people.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Yeah, definitely. Okay, so let's go on Usagi now. After Grasscutter, there's a one shot called My Father's Swords.

STAN SAKAI: Well after the 10-issue Grasscutter storyline, there will be a series of done-in-ones or at most two-part stories. It starts off with My Father's Swords, like you said, and we're still dealing with the aftermath of Grasscutter.

DARK HORSE COMICS: At Sanshobo's temple.

STAN SAKAI: Yes. They're at the temple, and Gen is still pretty wrecked up from the fight with Jei. And Usagi's plan is to take the sword to Atsuta temple where its replica is housed and switch the two. So first Usagi has to scout out the land because there have been disturbances because of Jei and with the assassination attempt against Lord Noriyuki. The whole countryside around the area is in an uproar. Usagi is scouting out the situation, trying to see if it's actually wise to transport the sword now, and these are just adventures that he has along the way.

DARK HORSE COMICS: So they're kind of individual tales of Usagi and his attempts to return Grasscutter (the sword)?

STAN SAKAI: Yes. The longest would be two-issue stories, but most of them will be single issues. One of these stories, in issue 25 is called Momo Usagi Taro which is a takeoff on one of the most famous Japanese folktales called Momata Peach Boy, and it's just Usagi telling the story of Momotaro with himself as the main character, Momotaro.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Oh cool.

STAN SAKAI: Yeah, I've been wanting to do the story for a long time.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Is this is a story that you grew up with?

STAN SAKAI: I grew up with it. I remember my mom telling me the story. It seemed like it would make a great Usagi story.

DARK HORSE COMICS: That sounds really neat. Let's talk for a second about this character Jei -- he's extremely popular, and he's a total enigma to your fans.

STAN SAKAI: Yes. I've heard.

DARK HORSE COMICS: He was even voted "character of the season" on the Usagi Yojimbo website.

STAN SAKAI: Oh really?

DARK HORSE COMICS: Yep. So, can you describe him a little bit? What's Jei all about?

STAN SAKAI: Oh, I haven't figured him myself. You see there's so much of him that I don't know about how he became Jei and what was he before then. I've been playing with ideas, but basically he's still a mystery to me.

DARK HORSE COMICS: He's probably going to get figured out somewhere in the series? We're going to discover who he is and where he's from?

STAN SAKAI: Yeah, exactly.

DARK HORSE COMICS: And his actions lend themselves to the beginning of My Father's Sword, the new Usagi one-shot. And this story is like a lot of your stories in that it's a sort of cautionary tale -- or more of an inspiring tale, I guess. You always have Usagi learning something about himself in the middle of all this samurai action.

STAN SAKAI: Right -- well, he tries.

DARK HORSE COMICS: And yet you manage to refrain from being didactic and telling your reader how to feel. Anyway, who is the new character Usagi meets?

STAN SAKAI: Donbori Chiaki. He's a young, innocent samurai who has come to worship the memory of his father who was a heroic warrior. His father was a huge hero and a great retainer to the clan. When Donbori Chiaki meets Usagi, Usagi is able to say yes, that was the way your father really was, a great warrior.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Usagi knew him.

STAN SAKAI: Usagi knew him, and Donbori Matsuo actually saved Usagi's life once in battle, so Usagi himself still honors him. But as the story unfolds . . .

DARK HORSE COMICS: Wait! We'll leave that for the fans. Let's not give too much away.

STAN SAKAI: Yes, I don't want to give away the ending. But there's a mutual respect between Donbori Chiaki and Usagi because Usagi sees him as a young, very idealistic Samurai, much like his father once was. Chiaki is a lot more innocent than his father at this point, but still he has the qualities of the father in him.

DARK HORSE COMICS: And at a very young age he understands bushido.

STAN SAKAI: Exactly. Yes.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Can you describe bushido for somebody who might not know what that is?

STAN SAKAI: `Bushido' means `the way of the warrior'. The warrior class was called `Bush.' `Do' means `the road' or `the path of. So bushido is like a code of chivalry. It tells you how to behave, and it teaches loyalty, honor above all things, service to your lord, never betray your friends, or your lord especially.

DARK HORSE COMICS: Or your supporters.