History of the excellent Usagi Yojimbo logo

[Casey Burns]

I'd love to know about the creation of the Usagi logo.
It's rare to see such a solid logo present on a character's very first appearance, and then remain unchanged for 30 years.
Stan, did you design it? Did it happen quickly and effortlessly? Did you do it with brush on a textured paper, followed by typesetting? As a designer, I'd love to hear your process for the logo back in the 80s, if you have any memories to share. It's stood the test of time, and I hope it never changes.

[Gaffey]

Here's an old thread discussing it.

http://usagiyojimbo.com/forum3/viewtopi ... &hilit=mon

[Steve Hubbell]

An awesome title logo, in use from the very beginning.....

[Gaffey]

Oops!! What was I thinking????

[Casey Burns]

Gaffey, were you talking about the mon? That thread is really interesting. I had no idea the dots represented a rabbit footprint.

[Gaffey]

Gaffey, were you talking about the mon? That thread is really interesting. I had no idea the dots represented a rabbit footprint.

Yeah, I read "Usagi's logo" and thought you meant his mon. After Steve posted those pics I thought "Uh-oh, what did I do?"

Just poor reading comprehension on my part.

[Stan Sakai]

I'd love to know about the creation of the Usagi logo.
It's rare to see such a solid logo present on a character's very first appearance, and then remain unchanged for 30 years.
Stan, did you design it? Did it happen quickly and effortlessly? Did you do it with brush on a textured paper, followed by typesetting? As a designer, I'd love to hear your process for the logo back in the 80s, if you have any memories to share. It's stood the test of time, and I hope it never changes.

Yes, I did design it. The "Usagi" part was written with a sumi-e brush on watercolor paper and the "Yojimbo" was done with Chartpak rub-on lettering on a separate sheet of paper, then taped together. I wanted a look that was rustic and sharp. Rustic because it takes place in feudal times, and sharp representing the sword of the samurai.

I think I still have the original somewhere.

[Casey Burns]

That's great, I was wondering if you used Letraset or similar rubdown letters. Love to see a color scan of the original if it ever surfaces. It would also be a great addition to your next artist edition.

[Stan Sakai]

That's great, I was wondering if you used Letraset or similar rubdown letters.

Yes, this was before the days of computer fonts and photoshop.

[Spam Musubi #7]

What about the history of the Usagi Chop Logo ? Why is it called a chop? I didn't even know it was called a Chop until I joined the Dojo.

- Spam

[Steve Hubbell]

What about the history of the Usagi Chop Logo ? Why is it called a chop? I didn't even know it was called a Chop until I joined the Dojo.

- Spam

It is called a chop because it looks sort of like a lamb chop.



Actually, a "chop" is basically a carved seal used to stamp documents or other items along with or in place of a signature.



Here is another example of a chop which Stan used some years ago.....

[Spam Musubi #7]

Thanks Steve Great info and cool pic. For extra credit do you know when Sensei first started using the current Usagi Chop? If Daniel Fujii is reading this message board I really want a Usagi Chop T-Shirt !!

- Spam

[Mayhem]

Of the original pieces I own by Stan, the red stamp is present right from the very earliest (1985, and the only commissioned piece from this year I have ever seen) up until 1991. There's a bit of a "gap" in my collection, my next piece is then from 1996 and it's missing. So the stamp was probably "retired" somewhere between those years!

The pieces with the little Usagi head "chop" logo on them, the earliest piece I own with one is from 2005. None of the pieces I have from the mid to late 90s has this logo.

[Stan Sakai]

By "chop", so you mean that stylized Usagi head? It had been around for awhile, but I really started using it when I moved to Dark Horse. There was a T-shirt--red logo on black shirt--put out by Comic Images in, I think, the 1990's.

In Japan a name stamp is called a "hanko". Some are very elaborate and are used on official documents in lieu of a signature. The one that is shown on the art above is just a store bought one and shows the characters for "Sakai". There are different ways to write my name and, depending on the kanji characters used, would have different meaning. Hanko can be made of various materials--wood, stone, ivory and, now, plastic or resin.

Thanks Steve Great info and cool pic. For extra credit do you know when Sensei first started using the current Usagi Chop? If Daniel Fujii is reading this message board I really want a Usagi Chop T-Shirt !!

- Spam

[Stan Sakai]

I stopped using my hanko because the traditional ink takes forever to dry completely. I tried using faster drying inks, but they tended to clog up the stamp. Also, they would sometimes smudge or have a double image, ruining the drawing I had just done. It was easier to discontinue the practice.

Of the original pieces I own by Stan, the red stamp is present right from the very earliest, and the only commissioned piece from this year I have ever seen) up until 1991.