23 Stan Sakai, Creator of Usagi Yojimbo

On This Episode of Japan Station

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast I sit down for a chat with the award-winning creator of the Usagi Yojimbo comic book series, Stan Sakai.

About Stan Sakai

Though born in Japan, Stan Sakai grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, before moving to California to pursue a career in comics. Once in California Stan went on to work with some of the most legendary figures in the comics industry, including Stan Lee and Sergio Aragones. Stan is best known as the creator of the long-running comic book series, Usagi Yojimbo. The series, which dates back to 1984, has won Stan a long list of prestigious awards, including five Eisner Awards. The main character of Usagi Yojimbo, Miyamoto Usagi, has also appeared in numerous crossovers with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Usagi Yojimbo is currently be developed into an animated TV series.

Topics Discussed

• Stan's parents and why he was born in Japan
• The difference between the manga industry in Japan and the American comic book industry
• His work on the graphic novel adaptation of the story fo the 47 ronin (published by Dark Horse comics)
• How Stan got into the comic book industry
• The time the late-Stan Lee surprised Stan by calling him on the phone
• Stan's relationship with Sergio Aragones
• Stan's interest in Japanese history and culture
• Stan's wife Julie Fujii Sakai
• The incredible cute-ness of Chibi Usagi
• Usagi Yojimbo being developed into an animated TV series by Gaumont
• Valuable advice for aspiring comic book creators
• And much more!

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