There are a lot of comics out there, but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week we are looking at the very long running “Usagi Yojimbo” by Stan Sakai, Stan Sakai, Hi-Fi Design, and Stan Sakai. Stan Sakai wears a lot of different hats.
Who is this by?
Why, Stan Sakai of course. If you’ve never heard of him, or need a reminder, the dude is crazy talented! Sakai was born in Kyoto in 1953. He first started publishing comics in 1984 and within a year had debuted his most famous creation, Usagi Yojimbo. That’s right, this is a comic that has been running in one form or another, since the 80s! What make’s Sakai’s work so dang impressive is that aside from colorist, he pretty much does every job of a comic creative team. He writes, draws, inks, and letters his own books. In doing so, his comics always have this rare focus. The images will lead the words, and the words will be part of the artwork. Though Sakai has a long career in comics, he is most famous for this samurai bunny saga.
What’s it all about?
Usagi Yojimbo is about an eponymous rabbit who is also a ronin. This is early Edo period, roughly the 1600s, but all the human characters are replaced with anthropomorphic animals giving the series has a sort of Ducktales vibe. What makes “Usagi Yojimbo” comics so strong is how simple and potent the themes are. Sakai has this effortless talent for weaving fairy tales, and anchoring his stories in recognizable stakes. One month, Usagi might involve himself with an innkeeper and her abusive son. The next month, maybe he’ll teach a young cat to stand up for himself. Or maybe Usagi will stand with a village against thieving marauders.
What makes this bunny such an excellent protagonist is his strong moral compass. Though Usagi is masterless, he tries to follow the rigid samurai code of honor. But he doesn’t always succeed perfectly! Part of the joy is watching someone’s code come up against the messiness of real life. Is it virtuous to steal from a thief if he original owner is dead? Could you morally profit off of his crime? Usagi always tries to do the right thing, and sometimes that means following his rules exactly, but more often it involves him thoughtfully compromising. He often has to listen to his friends and allies to prevent himself from taking his Lawful Good alignment a little too far.
So why should I read this?
Sometimes I immerse myself in prestige TV, stories about sad men making tough choices. Other times, I watch cartoons for children. But every so often I run across something like “Usagi Yojimbo,” and I curse myself for having such a narrow view. “Usagi Yojimbo” is definitely something I would hand to a kid, but it doesn’t condescend, it doesn’t talk down to them.
The simple moral tales that Stan Sakai has been telling for so long are all timeless themes, and more people should use their time thinking about them. Recently, Sakai participated in raising money for Ukraine. He wrote an “Usagi Yojimbo” story where our hero must find some way to help refugees fleeing from a terrible warlord. Usagi never leaves Japan, there are no 1:1 analogies of Vladimir Putin. But that central theme, what is the best way to help people who have lost their homes to war and conflict, is a timeless question. Clearly, there are a lot of adults making important decisions who weren’t thoughtful enough of that theme. “Usagi Yojimbo” is timeless. I’ve alternated between reading 80s stories and modern stories, and rarely can I tell the difference. Timeless!
We also need to give proper respect to the renaissance man that is Stan Sakai. He’s not the first guy ever to be a cartoonist, but he’s a strong contender for the GOAT. I love his diligence! I’m sure Stan Sakai has had many opportunities. If he wanted to do a “Superman” comic, I’m sure someone at DC in the last 40 years could have made that happen. If he wanted to make a comic about a different character or a different genre, he would have no problem finding a publisher. But unlike other contemporary cartoonists, like Jeff Smith and Brian Lee O’Malley, Sakai doesn’t deviate from his first big creation. He’s used samurai rabbit morality tales to process the happenings of our world for years, and he always finds a way to do it. There are so many shades of nuance in “Usagi Yojimbo,” he’s never had to look somewhere else to tell the kinds of stories he wants to tell.
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And the numbering might not be consistent, but how many comics have been so singularly focused for so long? Maybe a newspaper strip or two? Definitely nothing at the Big Two. Image hasn’t been around as long as “Usagi Yojimbo.” Archie has cancelled and rebooted their line. Usagi stands strong!
How can I read this?
So many ways! There are multiple collections of classic “Usagi Yojimbo,” much of it recolored. (It was originally published in black and white). If you like floppy issues, IDW reprints of “Usagi Yojimbo” feature covers by the incomparable Peach Momoko. The current series is published by IDW, and up to issue #28. There are many great ways to get into “Usagi Yojimbo!” Try your local comic shop, your library, or Hoopla to get started.
