Usagi Yojimbo
By Stan Sakai |
ORDER -- Item #3318, Price $15.95
“That is so cool!” quipped by a number of fourteen-year-old boys.
I have one and I am one.
Actually, that statement works no matter which side of the equation I place
myself.
Like a lot of fourteen-year-old boys, my son shares the
usual litany of common teenaged interests with many of his friends:
hot new music, the ever-ubiquitous video games, any and all things
Japanese, and - of course, thank god - comic books. Now, since my
son is who he is and since his dad is who heis, Brennan and
his pals have access to a veritable treasure trove of the latter on a
regular and rotating basis. About a year or so ago, they all
discovered the rich and sprawling world of Usagi
Yojimbo.
With a locust-like appetite, they consumed every
available volume that I fed them - even digging up some, on their
own, that I didn't have. It was fun to see how deeply involved they
soon became in this distinctive, epic tale that pairs the disarming
style so commonly known as "funny animals" with a narrative depth
that belies that description at almost every turn. I could often
hear the boys discussing not only the individual character traits of
Usagi's wandering ronin and Jei's soul-gathering demon, but
also the artist's clever use of symbolic word balloons, evocative
dialogue, and smoothly paced action sequences.
Matt Wagner
His creation, Usagi Yojimbo, first appeared in comics
in 1984. Since then, Usagi has been on television as a guest of the
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and has been made into toys, seen on
clothing, and featured in a series of trade-paperback collections.
Stan is a recipient of a Parents’ Choice Award, an Inkpot Award, two
Spanish Haxtur Awards, an American Library Association Award, several
Eisner Awards, and the prestigious National Cartoonists Society Award
in the Comic Book Division.
Book Description From the Back Cover
In Fathers and Sons, world-renowned storyteller Stan Sakai adds a poignant turn to his award-winning chronicle of the adventures of Usagi Yojimbo. The rabbit rouin has faced many trials during his life as a samurai, but none so demanding as the one he now confronts. His travels with the young Jotaro will come to a close once they reach Kitanoji Temple, and Usagi Struggles with the knowledge that they might never meet again. Should he reveal to his “nephew” the secret that has plagued his conscience throughout their journeys together? While Usagi weighs his desire to connect with Jotaro versus the consequences of shattering the boy’s trust, the pair must first survive encounters with bounty hunters, slippery assassins, and the tenacious Neko Ninja – who are determined to murder young Lord Noriyuki! Collecting issues #69 – 75 of the internationally acclaimed ongoing series, this 19th book concludes with one of the most affecting moments of Sakai’s lauded career.
Miscellaneous Comments
“A Masterful Adaptation of Samurai Legend to Sequential Art” by
National Cartonnists Society Award Winner Stan Sakai
Excerpts from the Introduction
Fathers and sons.
About the Author
Stan Sakai was born in Kyoto, Japan, grew up in Hawaii, and now lives
in California with his wife, Sharon, and 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, CA.
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Copyright © 2005 by AACP, Inc.
Most recent revision October 29, 2005