Usagi Yojimbo and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles question

[Spot the Tokage]

Hi,

I'm new to Usagi Yojimbo (loving it so far), and I'm currently reading volume 2. I wanted to know if the Turtles are ever main characters. Are they just in one short story, or are they important to the storyline later on in the series?

Oh, and how often do Usagi comics come out, and how much later are they collected?

thanks

EDIT: on vol. 8 now...

[Shishio]

No, the Turtles are not main characters in Usagi.

[shaxper]

The Turtles have appeared with Usagi in several stories and were featured heavily in the Shades of Green storyline, but their appearances alongside Usagi are definitely the exception...not the norm.

I believe Usagi is published every 1.5 months, but there are more knowledgable people here who will no doubt correct me.

[Stan Sakai]

Usagi comes out about 9 or 10 times a year, depending upon how many issues I can crank out during that time. There is also one, or sometimes two, book collections each year. The next collection is scheduled for the first or second week of July for the trade paperback, and the end of July for the hard cover.

[Todd Shogun]

Just to add to Shaxper's reply, Stan introduced a "version" of the TMNT in UY Vol 2 #1-3. My theory is that this was in celebration of the move to Mirage Studios and I think I remember Stan saying he wanted to do a storyline with Usagi and the TMNT previously. He re-invented the Turtles (and Splinter) so that they could fit better in UY continuity. Obviously, since they appeared in the regular UY series, it's a safe bet to say that this version of the TMNT are in fact a part of normal UY continuty. Now, most likely they won't appear again, at least not for a really long time. The TMNT, while in the UY Universe, are not part of mainstream continuity. Usagi will probably appear in future TMNT cartoon episodes however.

On the other hand, Stan Sakai and TMNT-creator Peter Laird are really good friends and a collaboration between the two on an additional storyline is most likely inevitable. As a kid I often dreamed of an Eastman/Laird/Sakai TMNT/Usagi crossover in the same spirit as the TMNT/Cerebus wth Dave Sim as guest artist crossover from TMNT #8.

[shaxper]

Just to add to Shaxper's reply, Stan introduced a "version" of the TMNT in UY Vol 2 #1-3. My theory is that this was in celebration of the move to Mirage Studios and I think I remember Stan saying he wanted to do a storyline with Usagi and the TMNT previously. He re-invented the Turtles (and Splinter) so that they could fit better in UY continuity. Obviously, since they appeared in the regular UY series, it's a safe bet to say that this version of the TMNT are in fact a part of normal UY continuty. Now, most likely they won't appear again, at least not for a really long time. The TMNT, while in the UY Universe, are not part of mainstream continuity. Usagi will probably appear in future TMNT cartoon episodes however.

Perhaps I need to read the story again, but I was under the impression that these were the regular Mirage Turtles, transported through time by a wizard that looked like (but wasn't) Splinter. Whichever version these turtles were, the foursome did include the same Leonardo Usagi had met on previous occasions (Usagi comments on this upon their meeting, if I recall).

[Todd Shogun]

You're absolutely right, they are extremely similar to the mainstream Turtles, but my take was they were modified slightly to allow them to fit better into UY continuity. Artistic license.

[shaxper]

You're absolutely right, they are extremely similar to the mainstream Turtles, but my take was they were modified slightly to allow them to fit better into UY continuity. Artistic license.

Interesting. I did notice liking the turtles better with Stan writing them, but I couldn't put my finger on the difference. What do you feel was modified?

[Todd Shogun]

In how they were able to exist in Usagi's world... Splinter (or some alternate version of Splinter, Kakera) "created" them from four small living Turtles. This makes it more feasible for them to exist in normal UY continuity. But I almost forgot about the mention to the previous non-continuity Usagi/Leo crossovers...that does pose a small dilemma, as Stan always made it clear that those crossovers were done "for the fun of it" and do not appear in normal UY continuity (like "Usagi's Ark", Usagi's meeting with Patrick Rabbit, appearance in GwimBear, etc).

Maybe Stan should chime in here on what's what!

[Stan Sakai]

I did an Usagi/TMNT pin-up for Tales of the TMNT 25. That will be coming in a few months.

I would like to do another cross over, perhaps for an issue of Tales of TMNT. I could explain the back story behind the pin-up.

[shaxper]

In how they were able to exist in Usagi's world... Splinter (or some alternate version of Splinter, Kakera) "created" them from four small living Turtles. This makes it more feasible for them to exist in normal UY continuity. But I almost forgot about the mention to the previous non-continuity Usagi/Leo crossovers...that does pose a small dilemma, as Stan always made it clear that those crossovers were done "for the fun of it" and do not appear in normal UY continuity (like "Usagi's Ark", Usagi's meeting with Patrick Rabbit, appearance in GwimBear, etc).

Maybe Stan should chime in here on what's what!

I thought the wizard used the turtles as hosts for the spirits of the TMNT to latch onto in Usagi's time period. Again, it's been a while since I've read, but I thought I recalled clues that the TMNT had existed prior to that moment of "creation", particularly in misidentifying the wizard as Splinter (who is not otherwise seen or mentioned in the issue).

[shaxper]

I did an Usagi/TMNT pin-up for Tales of the TMNT 25. That will be coming in a few months.

I would like to do another cross over, perhaps for an issue of Tales of TMNT. I could explain the back story behind the pin-up.

Now I'm very curious to see this pinup!

[Leonardo-san]

While having the TMNT visit Usagi's world was fun in the comics, and it's understandable how it doesn't exactly fit into the UY regular continuity--happily the opposite is true for the TMNT side.
Having establised super heroes, mystic elements, aliens from space, and all the other stuff--it's perfectly natural that Usagi could have made contact with the TMNT.

Some issues of Tales of the TMNT, and even some of the old Mirage issues, went into some alternate kinds of stories. Michael Zulli's Soul's Trilogy was not at all the regular continuity, but an alternate version "what if" kind of thing. I don't know if Peter considers the crossover stuff with Usagi to be in or out of "regular TMNT continuity." As I wrote, I prefer to think of it as "in continuity."

I agree with some other comments on this thread, that my perecption was the TMNT that were summoned into Usagi's world were the TMNT--but as I seem to recall Stan admitted at a convention some years ago, something about not always being able to remember which personality of Turtle went with which name--other than Leo because of the swords made it easy to remember him?

At any rate, I have enjoyed the fact there were able to be a few crossovers, and moreover, that Usagi was able to be on the new TMNT cartoon. I am looking forward to seeing the new pin-up, too.

[Steve Hubbell]

just a question: Are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in any of the "story" volumes? I know some short stories were made, but is that it?

Sorry, I never got around to replying to your inquiry over at the Dark Horse Forum. I see you have received several replies to approximately the same question here on this forum.

Your question did make me realize that my posted list of "UY Stories Published So Far" did not mention the Turtles being in the "Shades of Green" three-part story, even though it did mention Leonardo being in "Turtle Soup and Rabbit Stew" and "The Treaty". One of these days, I'll get around to editing in that information.

By the way, a late welcome to the Dojo

Abayo...

[Stan Sakai]

I guess I should revise the Usagi continuity in that yes, those were the actual TMNT that crossovered with Usagi. They've all interacted too much to dismiss the Turtles' appearances as being out of continuity. Besides, they're just so fun to draw.

I still find it difficult to deal with an ensemble cast, so that is why I've stuck to cross overs with just Leonardo (my favorite), for the most part. To this day, apart from Leo, I do not know which Turtle uses what weapon.