JAPANMINDED.COM, WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH 2005
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INTERVIEW WITH STAN SAKAI
by FRODE (JAPANMINDED.COM, WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH 2005)
Stan Sakai is the creator, drawer and letterer of Usagi Yojimbo. He was born May 25th, 1953 in Kyoto, Japan. At the age of two, his family moved to Hawaii. He lived there until he was about 24 years old. Now he lives in Los Angeles. He has a wife, Sharon, and two children, Hannah and Matthew. He received a Fine Arts degree from the University of Hawaii, and furthered his studies at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His creation, Usagi Yojimbo, first appeared in comics in 1984.
FRODE: It seems that you have a lot of knowledge about feudal Japan and the code of the samurai. Is it in your blood, maybe?
STAN SAKAI: Well, some of it is in my blood. I am half samurai. My mother is from the samurai class, and my father is descended from peasants. My father was stationed in Japan after WW2 and met the woman he would marry. Her father objected to the marriage, but not because he was an American (and the enemy), but because he was from a lower class.
I grew up in Hawaii where there is a large Japanese population, so I am familiar with many of the traditions and culture. I also do a lot of research for my stories.
FRODE: What are your influences for Usagi Yojimbo?
STAN SAKAI: I first wanted to do a series based on the life of Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai who lived during the turn of the 17th century. Much of Usagi's character is inspired by Musashi. Other influences are the many "chambara" (sword fighting) movies that I saw while growing up, and the comics (mainly Marvel) that I read as a child.
FRODE: Is Usagi Yojimbo popular in Japan?
STAN SAKAI: Usagi is not published in Japan. In fact, there is no Western comic that has ever made any serious impact in the Japanese manga market. There were a few Marvel comics, but those were rewritten and redrawn for the Japanese market. I went to Japan in 1998 as a guest of the Osamu Tezuka Studios, and I was surprised people knew who I was since Usagi is not easily available there.
Usagi is popular in Europe however. Stories have been translated in about 10 languages.
FRODE: Will there ever be a movie title called “Usagi Yojimbo - the movie” in the future?
STAN SAKAI: We frequently are approached by producers interested in an Usagi feature film or television series. There are no current plans for such a project, however Usagi and many of the characters in Usagi's world have guest starred in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle's TV series, currently on American TV.
FRODE: You told me earlier that book nr.19 will be out in a couple of months. Do you have a complete overview for our samurai rabbit’s future? Or are you taking it bit by bit to see where it ends? Any thoughts?
STAN SAKAI: I have major story arcs that I want to tell such as The Search for Hideyoshi's Gold and Tengu Wars. I space these longer stories apart, and tell shorter stories between them. So I may know what will happen in a long story arc two years from now, but I may not know what the story will be next month.
FRODE: You have worked with Usagi for over 20 years now. What is it about you that keeps you going, besides all your awards? A supportive wife, maybe?
STAN SAKAI: I really enjoy working on Usagi. My publishers do not bother me, so I have a lot of freedom in telling my stories as long as I meet my deadlines. My family, of course, has been very supportive--not only my wife and children, but also my parents who, 20 years ago, had doubts whether I could make a living as a cartoonist but still were supportive of me.
Also the Usagi readers are wonderful. I get a lot of feedback, and have gotten to meet a lot of readers all over the world. There is a fan-created website that they maintain that is amazing--much, much better than anything I could have done. The Usagi fans are terrific.
Thank you, Frode.
FRODE: And thanks to you Stan Sakai for your time. It has been an honor!
INTERVIEW WITH STAN SAKAI
by FRODE (JAPANMINDED.COM, WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH 2005)
Stan Sakai is the creator, drawer and letterer of Usagi Yojimbo. He was born May 25th, 1953 in Kyoto, Japan. At the age of two, his family moved to Hawaii. He lived there until he was about 24 years old. Now he lives in Los Angeles. He has a wife, Sharon, and two children, Hannah and Matthew. He received a Fine Arts degree from the University of Hawaii, and furthered his studies at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His creation, Usagi Yojimbo, first appeared in comics in 1984.
FRODE: It seems that you have a lot of knowledge about feudal Japan and the code of the samurai. Is it in your blood, maybe?
STAN SAKAI: Well, some of it is in my blood. I am half samurai. My mother is from the samurai class, and my father is descended from peasants. My father was stationed in Japan after WW2 and met the woman he would marry. Her father objected to the marriage, but not because he was an American (and the enemy), but because he was from a lower class.
I grew up in Hawaii where there is a large Japanese population, so I am familiar with many of the traditions and culture. I also do a lot of research for my stories.
FRODE: What are your influences for Usagi Yojimbo?
STAN SAKAI: I first wanted to do a series based on the life of Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai who lived during the turn of the 17th century. Much of Usagi's character is inspired by Musashi. Other influences are the many "chambara" (sword fighting) movies that I saw while growing up, and the comics (mainly Marvel) that I read as a child.
FRODE: Is Usagi Yojimbo popular in Japan?
STAN SAKAI: Usagi is not published in Japan. In fact, there is no Western comic that has ever made any serious impact in the Japanese manga market. There were a few Marvel comics, but those were rewritten and redrawn for the Japanese market. I went to Japan in 1998 as a guest of the Osamu Tezuka Studios, and I was surprised people knew who I was since Usagi is not easily available there.
Usagi is popular in Europe however. Stories have been translated in about 10 languages.
FRODE: Will there ever be a movie title called “Usagi Yojimbo - the movie” in the future?
STAN SAKAI: We frequently are approached by producers interested in an Usagi feature film or television series. There are no current plans for such a project, however Usagi and many of the characters in Usagi's world have guest starred in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle's TV series, currently on American TV.
FRODE: You told me earlier that book nr.19 will be out in a couple of months. Do you have a complete overview for our samurai rabbit’s future? Or are you taking it bit by bit to see where it ends? Any thoughts?
STAN SAKAI: I have major story arcs that I want to tell such as The Search for Hideyoshi's Gold and Tengu Wars. I space these longer stories apart, and tell shorter stories between them. So I may know what will happen in a long story arc two years from now, but I may not know what the story will be next month.
FRODE: You have worked with Usagi for over 20 years now. What is it about you that keeps you going, besides all your awards? A supportive wife, maybe?
STAN SAKAI: I really enjoy working on Usagi. My publishers do not bother me, so I have a lot of freedom in telling my stories as long as I meet my deadlines. My family, of course, has been very supportive--not only my wife and children, but also my parents who, 20 years ago, had doubts whether I could make a living as a cartoonist but still were supportive of me.
Also the Usagi readers are wonderful. I get a lot of feedback, and have gotten to meet a lot of readers all over the world. There is a fan-created website that they maintain that is amazing--much, much better than anything I could have done. The Usagi fans are terrific.
Thank you, Frode.
FRODE: And thanks to you Stan Sakai for your time. It has been an honor!