Issue of Usagi Yojimbo with variant covers...

[Steve Hubbell]

OK, I am a reader and collector of a very limited number of comic series, and have bought only one variant cover which was deliberately planned and made (first ever pop-up cover for Sergio Aragones' Mighty Magnor #1)

I have religously read through Diamond' Preview catalog every month for the past 7 - 8 years now and am continuesly amazed at how some series and publishers publish multiple variant covers and formats month after month, as well as all the Dynamic Forces (is that the right name?) released variants. Makes you wonder how their readers can afford to buy them all to keep their collections complete, or if they even bother to try any more.

Getting back to being such a limited reader and collector, I have to admit that Usagi Yojimbo is the only series regularly released which I collect currently, so I can afford to indulge a little bit on it. It has only had one variant cover in it's 20 year history (the first Usagi Yojimbo Color Special was published with a regular cover and a heavier stock cover on the second printing (?), with the same art used on both). Both Mirage and Dark Horse also produced advanced copy "ashcan" editions of Space Usagi vol. #2 and #3, respectively, for distribution to retailers to promote their upcoming mini-series, but those don't count.

I think I would really enjoy seeing Stan Sakai do a multi-cover release sometime, with the right story involved to make it justifiable. It could be something along the lines of one of the women in Usagi's life admitting her long held deepest feelings for him in the course of the story, with four seperate covers of Usagi with Tomoe Ami, Chizu, Inazumi, and Kitsune.

I think it could be something along the lines of a special treat for Stan's fans and regular readers since it isn't something that he would try doing every other issue like Billy Tucci does with Shi or the many others who over-exploite the use of the variant cover.

What are everyone else's opinions on variant cover editions of comics in general and the possiblity of a Usagi Yojimbo issue with variant covers in specific?

Abayo...

Cover trivia question:
In nearly twenty years of "Usagi Yojimbo" titled comics, there has been only ONE issue which featured cover art by someone other than Stan Sakai...

Can anyone provide the artist's name, as well as the date and issue number for this singular piece of Usagi history?

[Stan Sakai]

Getting back to being such a limited reader and collector, I have to admit that Usagi Yojimbo is the only series regularly released which I collect currently, so I can afford to indulge a little bit on it. It has only had one variant cover in it's 20 year history (the first Usagi Yojimbo Color Special was published with a regular cover and a heavier stock cover on the second printing (?), with the same art used on both).

And that occurred quite by accident. The printer underprinted the number of covers they needed, so they had a stack of coverless copies of the Color Special.

They offered to reprint the cover along with their next job, which turned out to be on heavy cardstock. The Special Edition's inside back cover was left blank, and I usually do a drawing on it when people ask for a signature.

That was the only variant cover, even though it used the same art. There was, however, an issue with a variant inside front cover. Does anyone know which one it was?

[estee]

I think I would really enjoy seeing Stan Sakai do a multi-cover release sometime, with the right story involved to make it justifiable. It could be something along the lines of one of the women in Usagi's life admitting her long held deepest feelings for him in the course of the story, with four seperate covers of Usagi with Tomoe Ami, Chizu, Inazumi, and Kitsune.

This idea works for me...

I'd buy all four. Of course the Chizu cover would be nice to own...hint...hint. Sheesh, check out all the women Usagi's got...the bunny is playah and doesn't even know it.

But as for varients in general...they are evil...and there should be an international ban on their use. It is a blatent money grab that hurts the retailer and the consumer in the end.

I won't go into some of the horror stories involving trying to track them down.

[Ace the Bathound]

Howdy,

Mark me down as generally against variant or multiple covers on comic books. I am decidedly not a fan of the practice, and I think they end up hurting far more than they please dedicated fans. I buy comic books to read, and while I really appreciate a good cover, I just want to read the book. I read Dynamite Entertainment's Red Sonja, but I'd really much rather they kept all those covers in reserve for a nice, long run of the comic book rather than shipping out 5 different covers for every issue (plus the double-page spread variant, the foil-wrapped variant, the double-page foil wrapped variant, the ultra-rare foil wrapped double-page hologram silver ink sketchbook variant, and the "Alex Ross Wears a Steel Bikini and Delivers This One to Your Door" super-expensive sketchbook holographic ink foil wrapped kung-fu grip variant). And I know pretty much to skip right over the Dynamic Forces section of the catalog because there is nothing there for me.

The one exception I can come up with in recent memory is the variant cover to Viper Comics' The Middleman, which had a faux-Frank Frazetta barbarian cover with big bold letters declaring it to be the "Special Completely Inaccurate Variant Cover Edition," which I'm willing to excuse because it's funny.

All that being said, you've got a great gimmick for a variant cover scheme -- possibly the first one that I've ever heard of that actually ties into the story inside -- but I buy Usagi in trades (like Bone and Cerebus, I think Usagi is way too frustrating to read in single issues because I end up just about clawing my eyes out for more once I hit the last page) and even if I bought the single issues, I'd still just buy one of them.

-- Ed

[Steve Hubbell]

That was the only variant cover, even though it used the same art. There was, however, an issue with a variant inside front cover. Does anyone know which one it was?

Can I answer this one??? And no, I don't have both variants, the one I have features Nakamura Koji, not Katsuichi Sensei.

volume #3, issue #60 - Aug/2002 - Duel at Kitanoji

[starseed]

I'm all for variant covers...if done sparingly and its not cheesey!

Most recently I bought the new Jim Lee/Frank Miller All star Batman & Robin issue #1. One issue with Batman on the cover and the other with Robin. I bought them simply because I love Jim Lee's artwork and the two issues side by side look fantastic!

Another multivariant cover that comes to mind in the past 5 years or so is Spawn issue #100. There was a cover from Frank Miller, Alex Ross, Greg Capullo and Todd Macfarlane himself. I liked both the alex ross and frank miller covers the best! They were very well done.

I'm not a big fan of die cut or foil covers, that fad kinda went out with the comic scalper craze of the early 90's.

More recently I collected Dreamwave's run on Transformers and every issue had 2 covers with either all autobots or all decipticons. While it was pretty cool, it made it confusing to look at the rack to try and remember if you had the most current issue. Mainly because the cover was different from the one you had. It seemed like they were trying to cash in on the whole 80's craze that seemed to be the trend over the past few years.

But I think the multivariant cover could be done well with Usagi as long as it makes sense within the story as a theme. The example mentioned of the women in Usagi's life would be perfect! I'm sure there are other great ideas out there as well.

Could we see a multivariant covers for issue #100??

Anyways thats my 2 cents...

Great topic Steve!

Cheers,

[Stan Sakai]

That was the only variant cover, even though it used the same art. There was, however, an issue with a variant inside front cover. Does anyone know which one it was?

Can I answer this one??? And no, I don't have both variants, the one I have features Nakamura Koji, not Katsuichi Sensei.

volume #3, issue #60 - Aug/2002 - Duel at Kitanoji

That's correct.

The variant was Editor Diana's idea, and that issue was not advertised as any sort of variant. We just thought it was a fun idea, and appropriate to show the two duelists.

[Todd Shogun]

I've got nothing against having variant covers. Perhaps for a really special occasion, like Usagi's 25th Anniversary or DHC UY #100. What would really be even cooler is if, on occasion, we were treated to double- or triple-sized issues of Usagi. The standard 24-pg size issue of Usagi just isn't long enough anymore!! I find myself reading it slower these days intentially to savor each issue. I remember back in the old FB days the issues were 28-pages long. Still not enough!

[Gaffey]

I think I would really enjoy seeing Stan Sakai do a multi-cover release sometime, with the right story involved to make it justifiable. It could be something along the lines of one of the women in Usagi's life admitting her long held deepest feelings for him in the course of the story, with four seperate covers of Usagi with Tomoe Ami, Chizu, Inazumi, and Kitsune.

Great Idea.

[MikeM]

That was the only variant cover, even though it used the same art. There was, however, an issue with a variant inside front cover. Does anyone know which one it was?

Can I answer this one??? And no, I don't have both variants, the one I have features Nakamura Koji, not Katsuichi Sensei.

volume #3, issue #60 - Aug/2002 - Duel at Kitanoji

That's correct.

The variant was Editor Diana's idea, and that issue was not advertised as any sort of variant. We just thought it was a fun idea, and appropriate to show the two duelists.

What? There was a variant cover to issue 60? Is there somewhere where I can see the two covers? The issue I have is the standard one I have seen everywhere else.

Thanks,

MikeM

[Steve Hubbell]

What? There was a variant cover to issue 60? Is there somewhere where I can see the two covers? The issue I have is the standard one I have seen everywhere else.

Thanks,

MikeM

There was, however, an issue with a variant inside front cover. Does anyone know which one it was?

Here is a scan of the Nakamura Koji variant artwork from the inside front cover of volume #3, issue #60 - Aug/2002 - Duel at Kitanoji...

Someone else might be able to provide a scan of the Katsuichi Sensei variant artwork.

Abayo...

[MikeM]

Oops, I read that wrong.
Sorry.

MikeM

[Steve Hubbell]

Oops, I read that wrong.
Sorry.

MikeM

It is only one step removed from the usual variant cover idea, but definitely a lot less noticable. I'm curious as to how they were mixed and distributed.

Maybe we could do a poll to see which variant the differant members of the Dojo own and their general location?

[MikeM]

I just checked my issue 60 and I have the same one you did and I am in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.

MikeM

[Kenshiroh]

While searching for something else I came across this old thread. Very interesting about the variant inner covers.

I am in Olympia, WA (USA) and got the Katsuichi version. I made a scan of the cover and put it (along with the Koji scan from this page) in the "Duel at Kitanoji" article in the UY wiki.