Photos from Stan's signing in Poland

Post by **Steve Hubbell** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 20:42 -0700

At least that is where I think they are from...

http://www.aqq.com.pl/a_sakai.html

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 21:36 -0700

Yes, the photos are from my trip to Poland. I believe they were taken in Poznan. The funny thing about that particular event was there was some construction going on next to the EMPiK Megastore where I was signing. I heard that some heavy equipment cut through the power lines, and when I got there, the store did not have any electricity. Everyone was evacuated, and the store could not sell any books because cash registers were without power. Customers were lined up outside and allowed to come in just a few at a time to get things signed. Those that did not have any books were given original drawings. I also signed whatever stock the store had on hand, so people could buy a book the next day. When it got darker, I signed by candlelight.

1. The first photo shows me signing a backpack. I'm wearing my new sweater that I had bought just two days before in Cracow.

2.I posed for pictures with a lot of readers. You can see that the overhead lights were not working.

3. Signing posters that were given to the first 30 or so people in line at each store.

4. There was a crowd right outside the doors, which was allowed to enter one (or two) at a time. Sitting next to me is Przemek, the owner of Mandragora, one of my two Polish publishers. He wrote down people's names for me so everything could be personalized. The Slavic language has letters that we don't have (or at least, I don't), and pronunciations are different. For instance, the city of Lodz is actually pronounced "Wooj".

How did you ever find this site?

miyamoto musashi · Wed Nov 17, 2004 23:24 -0700

steve seems to be quite the workaholic

Post by **Steve Hubbell** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 5:47 -0700

Stan Sakai wrote: How did you ever find this site?

GOOGLE.COM

Usagi · Post by **Usagi** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 5:51 -0700

All those wonderfull people who gotto see Stan

Wonderfull!

Post by **Steve Hubbell** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 15:26 -0700

You have to check this one out!!!

http://www.gildia.pl/komiks/archiwum_ne ... /*html/640

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 17:29 -0700

Steve Hubbell wrote:You have to check this one out!!!

http://www.gildia.pl/komiks/archiwum_ne ... /*html/640

That is a promotional drawing that I did for the Poland book signing tour. It was published in the latest books from both publishers. The cities indicated are the places that I signed at (Poznan was added after the art was finished). The original was sold at a charity auction at the comics festival in Lodz. It went for 2600 PLN which pleased the organizers very much. I was later told that the average individual monthly income there is about 1500 PLN.

miyamoto musashi · Thu Nov 18, 2004 18:35 -0700

its awsome!

Sebastian · Post by **Sebastian** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 16:39 -0700

Heh, never thought that a Polish husarz could charge in one line with a Japanese samurai.

Husaria was a heavy cavalery formation, I wonder what would happen if they'd go into battle with the samurai.

Usagi · Post by **Usagi** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 6:20 -0700

That so cool..very nice!..

takematsu · Post by **takematsu** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 15:03 -0700

I wonder what would happen if they'd go into battle with the samurai.

So... MANY... variables. Was is raining the night before (problem for the Samurai bows)? Raining the day of the battle (firearms/cannons are less of an issue)? Who's travelled farthest (usually loses)? All the commanders feeling healthy? At an unit level, guys on either side will be surprised by differences in training, technique, and technology on the other (sharp & agile Japanese vs. armour & formation-trained Poles), and you can expect whichever side is learning faster that day is going to win. Individually... well, you might be samurai, but that doesn't mean you've kept your training up; any army has more and less skilled members, and in a battle like this, the survivors on the winning side will likely be at the extremes of skill-- standing on top of a pile of bodies, or hiding under it waiting for the noise to die down.

miyamoto musashi · Tue Nov 23, 2004 15:26 -0700

well, what about 1 on 1.

takematsu · Post by **takematsu** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 14:43 -0700

Just about the same answer. Remember that the Hussars were a very professional bunch, so there's less of a training advantage for the samurai than you'd think. The Katana is a superior cutting instrument, but the lack of serious hand guard works against it, and the European weapon is heavy enough that broken limbs are an issue. So, it pretty much comes down to how perky each guy is feeling, and whether he's just "one of those guys" or a REALLY GOOD "one of those guys." Lazy samurai with a head cold is in a lot of trouble.

If the samurai starts off with a yari, and they're both on foot, it slightly betters his chances. I don't recall the hussars have shields, and from personal experience, reach matters.

miyamoto musashi · Wed Nov 24, 2004 15:41 -0700

thats where that guys from, the horseman on the pictures face is the patience og the spider guy

Sebastian · Post by **Sebastian** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 15:47 -0700

takematsu wrote:(...) If the samurai starts off with a yari, and they're both on foot, it slightly betters his chances. I don't recall the hussars have shields, and from personal experience, reach matters.

You're right here, the husars main tactic was a charge, (And that combined with they're heavy armor literally crushed anyone who was stupid enough to be in the way of a charging husar cavalery.

Also don't forget that the husars had... wings! Wings attached to their armour made an indescribable sound when the whole formation was attacking.), so if the samurai started with a yari, he'd have probably a bit better chance.

There's a good article about husaria on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussars. Check also the external link's provided on that page.