by TAK TOYOSHIMA (DIG BOSTON, MAY 11, 2013)
To create a successful comic book character outside of the mainstream superhero genre is difficult. To do it for almost 30 years while steadily amassing a diehard fan base is nearly impossible. Stan Sakai makes it look easy and does it all with a smile. Sakai was nice enough to spare a little time to talk comics, samurai, and video game. Does it get any cooler?
TAK TOYOSHIMA: Education has always been a strong aspect of your work. You must be excited to couple your artwork with the MFA’s Samurai exhibit.
STAN SAKAI: Yes, I am. My mother is descended from the samurai class. I’m by no means an expert on the subject but I do have great interest in the samurai because of my work on Usagi Yojimbo. I grew up in Hawaii, and used to go to the old Kapahulu Theater which ran “chambara” movies on the weekends. I love that genre. When I was developing a comic series, I wanted to do one inspired by the life of a real samurai named Miyamoto Musashi, who lived at the turn of the 17th century.
"While doodling in my sketchbook, I drew a rabbit with his ears tied in a “chonmage”–a samurai topknot–and Usagi Yojimbo (Rabbit Bodyguard) was born"
TAK TOYOSHIMA: Why do you think graphic novels have experienced a boom in popularity in educational circles despite critics who claim they are dumbed down versions of novels?
STAN SAKAI: Just as there are a variety of movies aimed at different audiences, the graphic novels of today run the entire gamut from kids’ comics to mature and adult fare. Usagi is one of those that appeal to all ages. Those who consider comics as just for kids probably remember them from the late fifties to the sixties when they were mainly aimed at that market.
TAK TOYOSHIMA: You’ve never been one to shy away from tackling different mediums for Usagi like toys, animation, and video games. How did the video game partnership with Boston based Happy Giant Media come about?
STAN SAKAI: Happy Giant, the developer of the Usagi game is almost wholly responsible for the partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts. It was after their initial contact that I was invited to participate and do a presentation. I’m excited to return to Boston, not only to see the exhibit but to see some of the city as well. The times I had been here were for conventions, and all I saw were the hotel and the convention center. This time I made sure to include an extra day for sightseeing. As you can tell with my work, I love history and what better place than Boston to experience it?
TAK TOYOSHIMA: Do people generally come to you wanting to use the Usagi character likenesses?
STAN SAKAI: They either contact me or my US publisher, Dark Horse Comics for everything from animation to toys to clothing to props for TV and movies.
TAK TOYOSHIMA: Usagi Yojimbo continues to be the core of your work but recently you’ve been working on unrelated stories like 47 Ronin and an upcoming mini series featuring aliens from War of the Worlds attacking feudal Japan (?!). Does the project jumping keep you refreshed?
STAN SAKAI: I really enjoy working on Usagi. Because I own the property and am the writer as well as artist, I can create any type of stories I want, from adventures to mysteries to romance. I even did three Usagi mini-series with a science-fantasy theme that focused on a descendant of the original Usagi. The diversity of stories keeps me fresh.
I have known the story of the 47 Ronin since the third grade. It is regarded as the national legend of Japan. I made a pilgrimage to their grave when I was in Tokyo in 2009. This was years before the graphic novel project. When publisher/writer Mike Richardson approached me to illustrate his story, I enthusiastically agreed.
The 5-issue War of the Worlds mini-series is an Usagi tale that takes place about 20 years in his future. It is an older, more mature Usagi once again in service to a lord. Much of the regular cast is there, many with changes in circumstances. The premise of the series is:
“What if the martians had sent a couple of scout ships that landed in Japan 200 years before the full invasion of Victorian England as recorded by HG Wells?”
It will have samurai armies in full armor fighting Tripods, ninja versus martians, and giant robots ravaging Tokyo (or Edo, as it was known then). It may not be as historically accurate as many of my stories, but it sure is fun!
TAK TOYOSHIMA: Has there been any developments for the fourth Space Usagi series?
STAN SAKAI: I know what I want to do. It’s just finding the time to actually sit down to write and draw it. This fourth series will pretty much clean up any loose ends.
TAK TOYOSHIMA: You post via social media a lot about food and your hiking adventures in nature (which seems consistent with your stories and artwork). Why no divisive political statements or nationalistic rhetoric?
STAN SAKAI: I don’t like to get too personal in my public blogs, because there have been a couple of incidents with over-enthusiastic fans over the last 29 years. I avoid talking about family, politics and religion. I like to travel, eat, and hike and these subjects are pretty safe, or so I thought.
“I posted a picture of some foie gras I ate the last time I was in France, and received an e-mail calling me an evil person who condones the torture of geese.”