LOS ANGELES REGISTER, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014
BY CHRISTOPHER YEE - STAFF WRITER
PASADENA – Usagi Yojimbo, a cartoon samurai rabbit best known for fighting alongside the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, regularly matches swords with bloodthirsty bandits, tyrannical town magistrates and deadly ninja bats.
Usagi’s creator, Stan Sakai, wields pencils, pens and fine-tipped brushes and typically battles deadlines from his publisher.
But for the past three years, Sakai has been faced with the greatest challenge of his life: making sure his wife, Sharon, is as comfortable as possible as a brain tumor slowly takes away her ability to live.
The couple’s East Pasadena home has been transformed into a care unit for Sharon, who is bedridden, blind and deaf as a result of the tumor. The dining room was emptied and now resembles a hospital room, and a nurse is on hand five days a week to provide care.
Stan and Sharon Sakai visited the ancient aqueducts in Segovia, Spain, in 2004. Sharon suffers from a brain tumor, and friends and fans of Sakai have been collecting money for the family. COURTESY OF STAN SAKAI
“We prefer her at home,” said Sakai, who has lived in the same home with his wife for nearly 40 years. “We’re making the best of it.”
Sakai’s friends had known about Sharon’s condition for years, and it didn’t take fans long to notice she no longer was attending comic conventions, such as San Diego’s Comic-Con, with her husband.
Those friends, including members of the Comic Art Professional Society, knew Sakai wouldn’t ask for help – it wasn’t in his nature – even when Sharon’s medical bills began to exceed her health insurance coverage. So six months ago, they took it upon themselves to begin raising money on the Sakais’ behalf.
CAPS initially provided a PayPal link for fans to donate directly to the Sakais. Later, the group decided to auction Usagi tribute art on eBay.
Stan Sakai draws his creation Usagi Yojimbo in his Pasadena home. BILL ALKOFER , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
What began as a handful of pieces eventually became hundreds, so CAPS member and co-founder of “The Simpsons” publisher Bongo Comics Bill Morrison suggested publishing images of the artwork in a book. Sakai’s publisher, Dark Horse Comics, immediately agreed to the book and offered to donate all profits to the Sakais.
“It’s pretty common knowledge how people feel about Stan,” said Mike Richardson, founder and president of Dark Horse Comics. “Stan has always been a great guy, and people really care about him. It was no surprise at all that creators stepped up and wanted to be involved.”
Comic book artist and Pasadena resident Stan Sakai is known around the world for his creation of Usagi Yojimbo, a ronin rabbit who has appeared in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” comics. Here, Sakai poses Usagi Yojimbo in a photo illustration. BILL ALKOFER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
“The Sakai Project” – featuring more than 200 artistic tributes to Usagi from artists such as Matt Groening (“The Simpsons”), Mike Mignola (“Hellboy”) and Arthur Adams (“X-Men,” “Fantastic Four,” “Hulk”) – debuted at July’s Comic-Con. The keepsake book celebrates 30 years of the Usagi Yojimbo character.
For Morrison, art director of the animated TV show “Futurama” and a friend of Sakai’s since the 1990s, the best part of helping with the fundraising efforts has been the opportunity to show Sakai how loved he and his artwork are.
“Cartoonists spend a lot of time in a room by ourselves,” Morrison said. “We don’t get out a lot, and when we do, it’s not always in a situation like a comic convention or book signing, where we get to interact with fans.
“With something like this, I can’t imagine what it’s like for Stan and Sharon to know there are so many people who will donate their time and money to help ease their suffering.”
In his preface to “The Sakai Project,” CAPS Vice President Tone Rodriguez, who initiated the eBay art auctions, likened Sakai’s situation to the Jimmy Stewart film “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Pasadena resident Stan Sakai adds fine details to a drawing of Usagi Yojimbo, a samurai rabbit who has appeared in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” comics. BILL ALKOFER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
“Our George Bailey was in trouble, and just like at the end of that movie, the entire community looked deep inside themselves and gave,” Rodriguez wrote.
The outpouring of support from friends and fans – to the tune of $120,000 before money from “The Sakai Project” has been tallied – has been overwhelming for Sakai.
The artist said he initially was embarrassed that his friends were going to such great lengths to help him and Sharon but said he is eternally grateful for their efforts, which eventually will allow him to hire caregivers seven days a week.
“We’re so overwhelmed with the generosity of people,” said Sakai, who recently celebrated his 37th wedding anniversary with Sharon. “It’s not just readers of Usagi but so many more people we’re indebted to. I grew up in Hawaii, so it’s overwhelming to think of my work reaching people all over the world, even in countries that didn’t exist when I was growing up.”
“The Sakai Project,” released in late July, includes more than 200 tributes to Usagi Yojimbo, made famous by appearances in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” comics and cartoons. Proceeds from the book are going to cartoonist Stan Sakai's family to help with medical expenses for his wife, Sharon. COURTESY OF DARK HORSE COMICS
After taking a two-year break from Usagi Yojimbo comics, Sakai has returned to the character that helped him win four Eisner awards, the comic book industry’s equivalent of the Oscars.
He continues to draw his comics by hand, with pencil and pen, on a 40-year-old drawing table purchased shortly after moving to Pasadena from Hawaii. A few yards away from Sharon’s hospital bed, the 61-year-old Sakai is surrounded by his awards as well as stacks of samurai movie DVDs, comic books and action figures.
“I don’t have the luxury of saying, ‘Why did this happen to me?’” Sakai said. “We can’t have regrets right now. My family and I are just too busy caring for Sharon or trying to get work done. It is a strain, but we’re making do.”
Cartoonist Mike Mignola, creator of the “Hellboy” series, is one of more than 200 contributors to “The Sakai Project.,” which benefits artist Stan Sakai. COURTESY OF DARK HORSE COMICS
Contact the writer: 626-233-9821 or cyee@losangelesregister.com On Twitter: @ChrisMYee