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


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 ...
'' 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 ...
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 b ...
) 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 period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
setting, influenced 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 ...
' ''
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 ...
''. 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 refle ...
#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 analyti ...
'' and ''
Furrlough ''Furrlough'' is a furry comic book originally published by Antarctic Press and continued by Radio Comix. It is edited by Elin Winkler and is nicknamed (dubbed) "Your Funny Animal Anthology". First published in 1991, ''Furrlough'' originally feat ...
''. Sakai became famous with the creation of '' Usagi Yojimbo'', 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 s ...
, 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 ...
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 in Los Angeles's Little Tokyo presented an exhibit entitled "Year of the Rabbit: Stan Sakai's '' Usagi Yojimbo''" 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 #7'' and illustrated the back cover of ''Treehouse of Horror #6''. Sakai was the artist for ''Riblet'', the back-up feature in the trade paperback of '' Stupid, Stupid Rat Tails''. 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 al ...
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 know ...
Publisher Mike Richardson and with '' Lone Wolf and Cub'' 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. 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 ...
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 IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly re ...
Special Projects Editor Scott Dunbier, 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. A ...
. Sakai's contribution is an original '' Usagi Yojimbo'' 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 for "Skillful weaving of facts and legends into his work" * 1991 Inkpot Award 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 List of Eisner Award winners, prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Acad ...
for " Best Letterer" (''Groo'' and ''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 1996
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are List of Eisner Award winners, prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Acad ...
for "Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 1999
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are List of Eisner Award winners, prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Acad ...
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 (''Usagi Yojimbo'' "Noodles" panish Edition * 2000
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 Script n Spain (''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 language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
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 for "Best Letterer" * 2011 Cultural Ambassador Award * 2012
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are List of Eisner Award winners, prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Acad ...
for "Best Lettering" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2014 Inkwell Award for The All-in-One Award (''47 Ronin, DHP, and Mouse Guard'') * 2015
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are List of Eisner Award winners, prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Acad ...
for "Best Lettering" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2016 Harvey Award for "Best Cartoonist" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2018
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are List of Eisner Award winners, prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Acad ...
for "Best Lettering" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2020
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are List of Eisner Award winners, prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Acad ...
for "Best Archival Collection/Project" (''Usagi Yojimbo'') * 2020
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are List of Eisner Award winners, prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Acad ...
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
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are List of Eisner Award winners, prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Acad ...
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 publ ...
Award for Favorite Writer in 1999 and 2000. In 2020, Sakai was inducted into the Eisner Award Hall of Fame.


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


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