![]() ![]() These bittersweet adventure stories offer entertaining reading, especially for young Asian-Americans who feel excluded from mainstream juvenile literature. His movie and television work includes cameo roles in most of the Marvel Comics movies, co-creating and hosting the TV reality show Who Wants to Be a Superhero?, and voice work on many of the Marvel animated series, including Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, and Super Hero Squad Show. ![]() Stan Lee is the co-creator of many of the Marvel Comics iconic heroes, including Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Daredevil, Thor, Doctor Strange, Nick Fury, and the X-Men. He currently is an executive producer on the Netflix original CGI animated series Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, which is based on "Usagi Yojimbo". He is a multiple Eisner-Award-winning cartoonist and the recipient of numerous national awards including an American Library Association Award and a Cultural Ambassador Award from the Japanese American National Museum. In 2020, Sakai was inducted into the Eisner Award Hall of Fame. Usagi has been on television as a guest of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as toys, on clothing, in comics, and in a series of trade paperback collections. His creation, Usagi Yojimbo, first appeared in 1984. Stan Sakai is a Japanese-born American artist and comic book creator. 1 chronicles this time of settling unrest and political intrigue, told through the story of a wandering and masterless samurai named Miyamoto Usagi, aka Usagi Yojimbo! One of the great classics of the last 20 years, perfect for all ages. ![]() The samurai is the ruling class throughout the land, following a warrior's code of honor known as Bushido. This is one of Fantagraphics' very best sellers, and is also where Usagi started-don't miss out! The setting is 17th century Japan, when the age of civil wars has barely ended and the Shogun has established power. With over fifty graphic novels in print, the samurai rabbit is more popular than ever! This is the seminal Usagi book collecting all the classic original Usagi stories from Albedo, Critters, Doomsday Squad, and the Usagi Yojimbo Summer Special. It's one of the many tragedies woven into the life of the wandering ronin.This seminal book collects the classic original Usagi stories chronicling a time of settling unrest and political intrigue, told through the story of a wandering and masterless samurai named Miyamoto Usagi, AKA Usagi Yojimbo! Both love each other, but both are bound by their respective duty. There's also the fact that Usagi left his village to serve his lord as a young man and left the love of his life behind, only to find her married to his childhood rival and with a son that bears a strong resemblance to Usagi himself. The last page depicting the wife waiting with her son as day gives way to night is absolutely heartbreaking. Another story like "The Duel" can have Usagi drawn into a fight to the death with a rival swordsman who bets on himself in hopes of securing a future for his wife and infant son. One story can feature a cunning thief/street entertainer named Kistune stealing Usagi's wallet and leaving him left to wash dishes to pay for his meal. ![]() The beauty of Usagi Yojimbo lies in just how versatile the concept is: Usagi wanders across Japan and frequently finds himself caught up in events that can range from the comic to the horrific to the tragic. Usagi himself is no slouch: a master swordsman, an implacable protector of the downtrodden, he frequently finds himself faced with long odds and emerges the victor, often with the aid of loyal friends like the gruff bounty hunter Gen or the cunning Inspector Ishida. Jei has been killed many times over the course of the series, but he always comes back. Of particular note is the mysterious and menacing figure of Jei, a wandering warrior who believes he is charged to cleanse the world of evil, but kills seemingly at random and is determined to kill Usagi himself, believing that doing so will ensure his ascension to immortality. The series makes use of Japanese legend and folklore, with demonic oni, witches, and ghosts featuring in some of the more memorable tales. Other influences include Lone Wolf & Cub, Zatoichi, and even Godzilla. Usagi Yojimbo is strongly influenced by previous works of Japanese cinema: particularly the work of Akira Kurosawa (the very title is a nod to Kurosawa's Yojimbo). The series is largely episodic in nature, with subplots developing into larger narratives over the course of the series. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |