SUITE101.COM, APR 20, 2009

[Steve Hubbell]

CELEBRATED COMIC USAGI YOJIMBO REACHES 25 YEARS
by AARON HUMPHREY (SUITE101.COM, APR 20, 2009)

Stan Sakai's tales of a samurai bunny rabbit continue to enthrall

For 25 years, Stan Sakai has been writing and drawing the adventures of rabbit ronin Miyamoto Usagi. There are special plans for the comic book's silver anniversary.

The adventures of a samurai rabbit have been keeping readers entertained for a quarter of a century now through the pages of Usagi Yojimbo, one of America’s longest-running independent comic book series. Cartoonist Stan Sakai has written and drawn these adventure stories since 1984, a run spanning more than 175 comic books which have been collected into 23 graphic novels.

Japanese History Told With Anthropomorphic Animals

Although the series is firmly based on the history and culture of 17th century Japan, all the characters in Usagi Yojimbo are portrayed by animals. For example, Usagi is a rabbit and his best friend is a rhino.

Sakai had originally wanted to create a comic about Miyamoto Musashi, the legendary Japanese swordsman born in 1584. However, after doodling a picture of a rabbit with its ears tied back in a samurai topknot, he decided to start over with animals instead of humans. Usagi means rabbit in Japanese, and thus the historic Miyamoto Musashi became Sakai’s character Miyamoto Usagi.

Inspired by Akira Kurosawa

Yojimbo means “bodyguard” in Japanese, and in the comic, Usagi is a ronin, or masterless samurai, who sometimes works as a bodyguard for hire. Yojimbo is also the name of a classic film by Akira Kurosawa, which is among the works of Japanese cinema that have perhaps served as Sakai’s greatest inspiration in his Usagi stories.

Usagi Yojimbo's 25th Anniversary Celebration

To celebrate Usagi’s 25th anniversary, Sakai has been collaborating with his publishers on some special projects that promise to make 2009 the rabbit ronin’s biggest year yet.

In May, Fantagraphic Books, which published some of the first Usagi comics, is publishing a special edition, 1200-page hardcover collection featuring compiling all the material from the first seven Usagi books, plus new bonus material. Also in May a new Usagi story will be featured in a giveaway comic from current Usagi publisher Dark Horse for Free Comic Book Day on May 2, when comic book stores around the world offer free comics to anyone who stops in.

New, Painted Graphic Novel on the Way

In July Dark Horse Comics will release the 23rd collection in the series, “Bridge of Tears,” followed in July by new second editions of Dark Horse’s earliest Usagi collections, “Shades of Death,” “Daisho” and “The Brink of Life and Death,” featuring rescanned artwork and new story notes.

To finish out the year, a new hardcover, fully-painted Usagi graphic novel is due in November. The book is called Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai, and will be the first story that Sakai has written exclusively for a graphic novel, rather than appearing first in a comic book. The plot will revolve around the monsters of Japanese folklore.

Twenty-five years on and still going stronger than ever, Usagi Yojimbo is a masterpiece of modern comic books.