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!
Listen to Japan Station on
Apple Podcasts Google Play Stitcher Spotify Tunein iHeartRadio PodBean Overcast
Links, Videos, Etc.
You can follow Stan Sakai on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
For more information on Stan Sakai or to purchase Usagi Yojimbo merchandise, you can check out Stan Sakai’s website.
If you would like to see more of Julie Fujii-Sakai’s work, you can check out the website for her brand, Chibi Time.
Here is an image of a special Usagi Yojimbo #1 variant cover featuring artwork of Chibi Usagi by Julie Fujii Sakai (published by IDW). The issue in the image was signed by both Julie Fujii Sakai and Stan Sakai (see bottom of page). The comic was signed in September of 2019 at a comic and collectibles shop in Honolulu called Other Realms Ltd.
If you’d like to purchase The Hidden–the Usagi Yojimbo mini-series about Japan’s hidden Christians–you can do so via the Amazon link below.
If you would like to purchase 47 Ronin by Mike Richardson and Stan Sakai, a good place to visit would be the Dark Horse Comics website.
Stan Sakai drew the artwork for the cover of the August-September 2019 issue of Wasabi magazine. Jason Nobriga did the coloring. To read the article that was based on the conversation featured on this episode of Japan Station, click here or or the cover below.
To learn more about Stan Sakai, you can also check out this short documentary The Sword and the Pen by Kyle Wright below.
To learn more about Comic Con Honolulu, check out the link below.
Special Thanks
Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi)
To listen to more of Yunomi’s music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel.
Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R.
Featured image: Courtesy of Stan Sakai
Image of the Usagi Yojimbo Chibi Usagi variant cover: Japankyo
Image of Wasabi magazine: Courtesy of Wasabi magazine
Follow Japankyo on Facebook and Twitter so you don’t miss any updates!
