is a Japanese-born American

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...

and comic book creator. He is best known as the creator of the comic series ''

Usagi Yojimbo is a comic book series created by Stan Sakai. It is set primarily at the beginning of the Edo period of Japanese history and features anthropomorphic animals replacing humans. The main character is a rabbit ''rōnin'', Miyamoto Usagi, whom Sak ...

''.

Career

He began his career by lettering comic books (notably ''

Groo the Wanderer ''Groo the Wanderer'' is a fantasy/comedy comic book series written and drawn by Sergio Aragonés, rewritten, co-plotted and edited by Mark Evanier, lettered by Stan Sakai and colored by Tom Luth. Over the years it has been published by Pacific C ...

'' by

Sergio Aragonés Sergio Aragonés Domenech ( , ; born September 6, 1937) is a Spanish/Mexican cartoonist and writer best known for his contributions to '' Mad'' magazine and creating the comic book ''Groo the Wanderer''. Among his peers and fans, Aragonés is w ...

and

Mark Evanier Mark Stephen Evanier (; born March 2, 1952) is an American comic book and television writer, known for his work on the animated TV series ''Garfield and Friends'' and on the comic book ''Groo the Wanderer''. He is also known for his columns and bl ...

) and wrote and illustrated ''The Adventures of Nilson Groundthumper and Hermy''; a comic series with a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

setting, influenced by

' ''

''. The characters first appeared in ''

Albedo Albedo (; ) is the measure of the diffuse reflection of solar radiation out of the total solar radiation and measured on a scale from 0, corresponding to a black body that absorbs all incident radiation, to 1, corresponding to a body that refl ...

#1'' in 1984, and they were subsequently featured in issues of '' Critters'', ''

Grimjack Grimjack is the main character of a comic book originally published by the American company First Comics. John Ostrander and Timothy Truman are credited as co-creators of the character, although Ostrander had been developing Grimjack with artist L ...

'', ''

Amazing Heroes ''Amazing Heroes'' was a magazine about the comic book medium published by American company Fantagraphics Books from 1981 to 1992. Unlike its companion title, ''The Comics Journal'', ''Amazing Heroes'' was a hobbyist magazine rather than an analyt ...

'' and '' Furrlough''. Sakai became famous with the creation of ''

'', the epic saga of

Miyamoto Usagi is a fictional character, who appears in the American comic book ''Usagi Yojimbo'', a Dark Horse Comics book created by Stan Sakai. Usagi is an anthropomorphic rabbit (''Usagi'' is Japanese for "rabbit") and a ronin now walking the ''musha shu ...

, a

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

rabbit living in late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth-century Japan. First published in 1984, the comic continues to this day, with Sakai as the lone author and nearly sole artist (

Tom Luth Thomas D. Luth (born 1954) is an American comic book artist best known for his work as the colorist for the Sergio Aragonés comic series, '' Groo the Wanderer''. Luth's work has also appeared in a number of other comics and national periodical ...

serves as the main colorist on the series, and Sergio Aragonés has made two small contributions to the series: the story "Broken Ritual" is based on an idea by Aragonés, and he served as a guest inker for the black-and-white version of the story "Return to Adachi Plain" that is featured in the Volume 11 trade paperback edition of ''Usagi Yojimbo''). He also created a futuristic spinoff series '' Space Usagi''. His favorite movie is ''Satomi Hakkenden'' (1959). The

Japanese American National Museum The is located in Los Angeles, California, and dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Japanese Americans. Founded in 1992, it is located in the Little Tokyo area near downtown. The museum is an affiliate within the Smithsonian Affil ...

in Los Angeles's Little Tokyo presented an exhibit entitled "Year of the Rabbit: Stan Sakai's ''

''" from July 9 through October 30, 2011. Sakai wrote and illustrated the story "I'm Not in Springfield Anymore!" for ''

Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror The following is a list of comic book series published by Bongo Comics based on the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. The first comic strips based on ''The Simpsons'' appeared in 1991 in the magazine ''Simpsons Illustrated'' (no ...

#7'' and illustrated the back cover of ''Treehouse of Horror #6''. Sakai2017

Sakai was the artist for ''Riblet'', the back-up feature in the trade paperback of ''

Stupid, Stupid Rat Tails ''Tall Tales: The Adventures of Big Johnson Bone, Frontier Hero'' is a prequel to the Eisner Award-winning comic book ''Bone'' by Jeff Smith. It was initially published in 1998 as a three issue mini-series before being collected in a trade paperb ...

''. In 2013, Sakai illustrated the limited comic book series ''47 Ronin'', an adaptation of the famed story of the

47 Ronin 47, 47 or forty-seven may refer to: *47 (number) *47 BC * AD 47 *1947 * 2047 *'47 (brand), an American clothing brand * ''47'' (magazine), an American publication * 47 (song), a song by Sidhu Moose Wala *47, a song by New Found Glory from the alb ...

written by

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...

Publisher Mike Richardson and with ''

Lone Wolf and Cub is a Japanese manga series created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. First published in 1970, the story was adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four plays, a television series starring Kinnosuke Yorozuya, and i ...

'' writer

Kazuo Koike was a prolific Japanese manga writer ( gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful ''seinen'' manga, notably ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' (with Goseki Kojima, 1970–6), '' Lady Snowblood'' ...

as an editorial consultant. The seventh episode of the 2012 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' animated series' fifth season, "Yojimbo", was written by Sakai and features Miyamoto Usagi, who has appeared in a few TMNT shows to

date Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner ** Group dating *Play date, a ...

. In 2020, it was announced that Sakai would serve as an executive producer on the upcoming

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

original

CGI animated Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the use of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, simulators, and visual effects in films, television programs, shorts, commercials, and videos. The images m ...

series '' Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles'', which is based on "Usagi Yojimbo". In April 2022, Sakai was reported among the more than three dozen comics creators who contributed to

Operation USA Operation USA (also known as OpUSA, Operation California, or OpCal) is a non profit humanitarian organization supporting health, education and relief programs at home and abroad in order to help children and families recover and thrive in the wak ...

's benefit anthology book, ''Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds'', a project spearheaded by IDW Publishing Special Projects Editor

Scott Dunbier Scott Dunbier is an American comic book editor, best known as the Special Projects Editor at IDW Publishing. Career Dunbier rose to prominence in the comic book industry as executive editor of the Wildstorm comic book line. After several years a ...

, whose profits would be donated to relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees resulting from the February

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

. Sakai's contribution is an original ''

'' story in which the main character come to the aid of refugees fleeing the invasion of their land by a warlord, themes that speak to the events in Ukraine.

Awards

* 1990

Parents' Choice Award The Parents' Choice Award was an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It was considered a "prest ...

for "Skillful weaving of facts and legends into his work" * 1991

Inkpot Award The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at CCI's annual conv ...

from Comic-Con International: San Diego for "Lifetime Achievement in the Field of Cartooning" * 1996

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

for " Best Letterer" (''Groo'' and ''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 1996

for "Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 1999

for "Best Serialized Story" (''Usagi Yojimbo'' "Grasscutter") * 1999

Haxtur Award The Haxtur Award (''Premios Haxtur'') is a Spanish award for comics published in Spain. It is awarded annually at the Salón Internacional del Cómic del Principado de Asturias (International Comics Convention of the Principality of Asturias). It ...

for "Best Short Story

n Spain N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...

(''Usagi Yojimbo'' "Noodles" panish Edition * 2000

for "Best Script

(''Usagi Yojimbo's'' "Grasscutter" panish Edition * 2001 Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book or Strip" * 2002 National Cartoonists Society Comic Book Division Awards (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2002 Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book or Strip" * 2003 Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book" * 2003 La Plumilla de Plata (Silver Inkpen Award) in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

for his lifetime achievements and contributions to comic books. * 2004 Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work" (''The Art of Usagi Yojimbo'') and "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2005 Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2007

Harvey Award The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be the successor to the Kirby Awards that were ...

for "Best Letterer" * 2011 Cultural Ambassador Award * 2012

for "Best Lettering" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2014 Inkwell Award for The All-in-One Award (''47 Ronin, DHP, and Mouse Guard'') * 2015

for "Best Lettering" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2016

for "Best Cartoonist" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2018

for "Best Lettering" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2020

for "Best Archival Collection/Project" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2020

for "Best Lettering" * 2020 Ringo Award for "Best Cartoonist" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2020 Ringo Award for "Best Presentation" (Grasscutter Artist Select) * 2020 Ringo Award for "Best Single Issue or Story" (''Usagi Yojimbo'' #6) From 1993 through 2005, Stan Sakai has received twenty-one

nominations. He has also been nominated for the

Comics Buyer's Guide ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' (''CBG''; ), established in 1971, was the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry. It awarded its annual Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards from 1983 to circa 2010. The public ...

Award for Favorite Writer in 1999 and 2000. In 2020, Sakai was inducted into the

Eisner Award Hall of Fame The following is a list of winners of the Eisner Award, sorted by category. The Eisner Awards have been presented since 1988, but there were no Eisner Awards in 1990 due to balloting mix-ups."Eisners Cancelled," ''The Comics Journal'' #137 (Sept. ...

Bibliography

''Usagi Yojimbo''

Other works

* ''47 Ronin'' (2014, Dark Horse) – collects #1–5, story by Mike Richardson, colors by Lovern Kindzierski, and letters by L. Lois Buhalis and

Tom Orzechowski Thomas Orzechowski (born March 1, 1953) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', June 10, 2005. Accessed December 21, 2010WebCitation archive is a comic book letterer, primarily known for his work on ''Uncanny X-Me ...

* ''The Adventures of Nilson Groundthumper and Hermy'' (2014, Dark Horse) – collect stories from ''

Albedo Anthropomorphics ''Albedo Anthropomorphics'', or ''Albedo'' for short, is a furry comic book anthology series which was credited with starting the furry comic book subgenre that featured sophisticated stories with talking animals primarily intended for an adult ...

'' #1 and #5; ''Critters Special'' #1; '' Critters'' #5, 16, and 27; ''Usagi Yojimbo'' (vol. 1) #19; ''Usagi Yojimbo Color Special'' #1–3; ''Usagi Yojimbo'' (vol. 2) #9; and ''

Dark Horse Presents ''Dark Horse Presents'' was a comic book published by American company Dark Horse Comics from 1986. Their first published series, it was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, r ...

'' (vol. 2) #30; colors by Ryan Hill and

Notes

References

* *

External links

*
Usagi Yojimbo's official website

Sakai's LiveJournal page

Comic Book Awards Almanac

Stan Sakai – Video interview by the Japanese American National Museum, Discover Nikkei project
(September 28, 2010) {{DEFAULTSORT:Sakai, Stan Usagi Yojimbo 1953 births Living people American comics artists American comics writers Comic book letterers Eisner Award winners Eisner Award winners for Best Letterer/Lettering American people of Japanese descent Mirage Studios People from Kyoto