Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Mr. Sakai,

I know you've said before that you plan to introduce foreigners in Usagi Yojimbo one day, but that they were not allowed among the populous in feudal Japan and therefore do not appear in Usagi thus far. What if, when they do finally appear, you chose to depict foreigners as humans? It would undo your regret about making Hikiji human (maybe he's half "gaijin"), and would even explain little things like Tomoe's dog and Groo's appearance in Albedo #3 (Groo and Usagi could exist in the same world, allowing for possible future teamups). This just seems like a FUN idea to me. I hope you'll consider it.

Personally, I don't think foreigners should be human. With a little effort the animal-people outside Japan can look different. If Stan even wants them to look different.

I agree with Estee. I think that since Lord Hikiji and others (Ocho from "Village of Fear", and a few background characters) have appeared as human characters, showing foreigners as all human might not work out too well. Plus, Stan has already done stories about European characters which share the same anthropomorphic universe as Usagi (Nilson and Hermy)...and humans have appeared there as well (Senogara the Wizard). Perhaps simply by their clothing and such, one can tell who is a foreigner in the pages of UY?

I wonder how Stan'll treat the Chinese character based on Wei Fong Hung who will make an appearance in UY...

Foreigners should be depicted as skunks - they stink and cannot be trusted. And they naturally they don't live in Japan, so they would be total strangers for the locals

<-- likes Pepe Le Pew.

If not a skunk, then another strange and non-Japanese animal could depict the foreigners.

On the other hand, rhinos don't live in Japan as well.

Robweiller wrote:Foreigners should be depicted as skunks - they stink and cannot be trusted. And they naturally they don't live in Japan, so they would be total strangers for the locals

<-- likes Pepe Le Pew.

If not a skunk, then another strange and non-Japanese animal could depict the foreigners.

On the other hand, rhinos don't live in Japan as well.

While in Granada, Sergio and I came up with a story about Usagi and a samurai skunk. It can't fit into the Usagi continuity, but it's too good a story not to use. I'm thinking of doing it anyway, and publishing it (and the events leading up to the creation of the story) in the third UY Sketchbook, out by San Diego.

Sergio also brought up the point about the rhino.

A samurai skunk - w00t! I am so looking forward to this story...

... waitasec, UY Sketchbook #3? Unless they plan to release it in Poland, getting that wouldn't be too easy for me.

What are the UY sketchbooks?

And another question: Weren't the woodcutters from book 3 also human?

Robweiller wrote:... waitasec, UY Sketchbook #3? Unless they plan to release it in Poland, getting that wouldn't be too easy for me.

I'm sure you could order it through Bud Plant (after the San Diego con). He still has copies of 1 and 2.

Sketchbook 1
http://budplant.com/product.asp?pn=USAS

Sketchbook 2
http://budplant.com/product.asp?pn=USA02S

The woodcutters have always been monkey like to me. Unless they looked more human-ish in one issue.

Sketchbooks, they are a small collection of drawings issued in limited number. Both were released at San Diego I believe (2004 and 2005), are still available from BudPlant:

http://budplant.com/product.asp?pn=USAS
http://budplant.com/product.asp?pn=USA02S

Seeing as I'll be going to SD this year, and have relied on the kindness of people to get me the previous two books, then I may just buy a few to resell to people if they want it

There was also one from Madrid 2005 as well, though I'm not sure that's available still anywhere (did you sell out of them at last year's Comicon Stan?).

Spot the Tokage wrote: And another question: Weren't the woodcutters from book 3 also human?

I've always wondered about that, myself...

I think the woodcutters are monkeys. They have monkey-like features than humanlistic features... but then again, unless they're humans that look like monkeys...I just don't know....but they look awfully a lot like monkeys to me, nyo.

Those woodcutters are indeed monkeys.

I still have those Spanish sketchbooks, and will bring them to San Diego.