Question for Stan

[Winghead]

Hi Stan.

i was just wondering if you have a set end for Usagi, or if you still plan on continuing for a long time. Keep up the great work

[go]

Dear Readers,
If Usagi Yojimbo is patterned after Musashi, then maybe Usagi gets old,lives in a cave, writes a book and dies.
However, I read where Boris the Bear kills Usagi with a machine gun (if I remember correctly).
Thank you all for the fun!
Best wishes,
go

[Stan Sakai]

I just answered this question for UY 131's letters page in response to a letter from Tracy Cinnamon. Here is my answer:

"Usagi was created as part of the Nilson Groundthumper epic. In it, he would have died a glorious death at the head of an army. However, that entire story line was scrapped after Usagi's first appearance in Albedo #2. I decided to concentrate on the adventures of Usagi, rather than Nilson, his European counterpart. Now, I think I would rather the final Usagi story be much smaller, more intimate. Perhaps it would revolve around saving a village or a single child, rather than at the head of a great army. Or, maybe like the real Musashi, he would retire to a cave and live the life of a hermit in contemplation and writing."

By the way, we could always use letters for the columns.

[Winghead]

But do you still plan on going for a while or is the end looming?

[tru2gzus]

I don't think Stan is near retirement age so why end a grand thing any time in the near future. When it comes, it comes. Were you the one who always found his Christmas presents ahead of time so he knew what he'd get Christmas morning?

[shaxper]

While I understand the sad fact that Stan will ultimately leave the world of comics one day, I personally hope that Usagi's world and supporting cast will be allowed to continue somehow, perhaps through Stan appointing a protege to take over. Even if Usagi were to reach the conclusion of his own journey, his world is full of such vibrant characters that perhaps a close friend or respected colleague could pen the adventures of Jotoro, Tomoe, Gen, Ishida, Sasuke, or even Motokazu with Stan maintaining the copyrights/ownership and issuing final approval over what goes into print.

Anyway, that's my hope. Even with many years of Usagi left, I'd hate to think that there will be a day when Usagi's world will come to a close. Iconic characters like Batman and Superman go on forever and throughout all ages, so why can't the world of Usagi?

[johnnyjagwani]

without sounding wrong or too gloomy, i hope usagi ends with stan passing... many years from now! with a predrawn storyarc, that can round off the series as a whole in a glorious fashion, no matter what's in his "last" published monthly.

again, i cross my fingers for stan to live to be 300 .. and still going strong.

[SHIZEN]

Yeah, i was thinking the same thing, but first you have to live as long as sensei, haha