Request...

estee · Post by **estee** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:14 -0700

Okay I scored the Holy Grail of Usagi recently (hasn't shown up yet), so now I need a new useless trinket to pine for.

I was thinking does anyone out there know where I can score a 1st printing, Hard cover, Fantagraphics version of the Dragon Below trade? It has the Battle of Adachigahara Plain in it.

It's #3 on the Usagi Top 10 collectibles.

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:59 -0700

I have a few. I usually bring them to San Diego.

I don't know if they are as rare as Book 3, but don't spend $565 US for it.

Post by **Mayhem** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:42 -0700

There were three times as many h/c copies of book #4 printed compared to #3 (1500 vs 500), might have partly explained the price...

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:43 -0700

Mayhem wrote:There were three times as many h/c copies of book #4 printed compared to #3 (1500 vs 500), might have partly explained the price...

Yeah, after the first 3 were published as just trades, I asked my then editor, Kim, that I would like some bound as hardcovers starting from Book 4 just for my personal collection. He suggested we offer them for sale, saying that we probably would not sell more than a hundred. "In that case", I stupidly said, "I'll do an original drawing in every book."

The orders came in at 1500. It took me three weeks to do those full-figure drawings, but you would have a difficult time finding two that are exactly the same.

Nowadays, I just do head sketches when I sign the book plates, and even that is more than what most artists do.