Usagi Yojimbo in Italian again

[Sotterraneo]

After the sad demise of King Comics and their excellent UY Italian language books, Usagi speaks Italian again courtesy of Alessandro Bottero Editore (I'm sure mr. Sakai knows hom well...). I did a review for Kaos on Line, an important Italian gaming web site with some interest in comics. You can check the review (very positive of course, albeit I'd prefer a trade paperback ) at http://www.kaosonline.it/kaos.asp?s=51&k=1&id=1449

I hope this review will be of a little help in pushing sales. The publisher wrote in an Italian forum that this first issue has VERY low orders

By the way, is there any chance to see mr. Sakai in Italy?

[Stan Sakai]

I saw Mr. Bottero when I was in France, and he told me Usagi would continue under the Bottero imprint. I am sorry to hear about the low number, though. Hopefully sales will grow. Thank you for your very nice review.

I would like to visit Italy one day.

[Sotterraneo]

I saw Mr. Bottero when I was in France, and he told me Usagi would continue under the Bottero imprint. I am sorry to hear about the low number, though. Hopefully sales will grow. Thank you for your very nice review.

It was a pleasure doing my little bit for Usagi Yojimbo. I discovered it quite by accident during a comic convention in Milan: a trader was selling the first Fantagraphics trade paperback for the equivalent of $ 3 and so, intrigued by the rabbit on the cover, I bought it. When I read it I was hooked so i bought all the trade paperbacks from Fantagraphics (and the Specials, still missing the Special #1) and Dark Horse.
About the lack of success of Usagi here, well, Italy has a long, long tradition of 'funny animals', Disney ones however. I suppose when an Italian sees a book with animal characters, thoughts go immediately to Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and such. I suppose this could hinder the success of characters such as Usagi or Bone, another favourite of mine which met with very limited success. More, Italians link 'American comics' to 'superheroes' (a kind of comic with a limited but significant audience in Italy). I really respect mr. Bottero's efforts, but perhaps a bigger publisher such as Panini Comics could have greater success with Usagi. I'm convinced that the character has a lot of potential here, considering the huge number of manga fans and the big interest in Japanese culture in many youths.

I would like to visit Italy one day.

I suppose it will be hard to be invited here until Usagi gets a higher profile. But, who knows?

[Stan Sakai]

I suppose it will be hard to be invited here until Usagi gets a higher profile. But, who knows?

I have been invited to countries in which Usagi is not even published, so who knows indeed.