Usagi Yojimbo
Usagi Yojimbo is a comic book character from the eponymous comic book series of the American cartoonist Stan Sakai. The name comes from the Japanese word which literally means " rabbit bodyguard ".
The series tells the story of a stray samurai ( ronin ) who travels through the Japan of the early 17th century and various adventures exists. The figures in the series are anthropomorphic animal figures. The series addresses many issues of Japanese history, literature, mythology and history of film, such as Godzilla, Okami, Zatoichi films and Akira Kurosawa.
Characters
Over time, Sakai has developed a variety of characters for the series, partly inspired by well-known figures of Japanese history and mythology, but also from popular Japanese films and television series. However, some appear time and time again and play an important role for the series.
Publications
USA
The first stories Usagi appeared in the comic anthologies Albedo anthropomorphics, The Doomsday Squad and Critters 1984-1986. The first issue with only Usagi stories was the Summer Special # 1 by Fantagraphics Books, which older stories reissued. In July 1987, Usagi got her own series, which reached 38 editions and next to Usagi stories too short features contained by other authors, for example by Sergio Aragones, Scott Shaw, Peter Laird, Dave Garcia, Tom Staz, Tom Luth and Martin Wagner. When Fantagraphics Books published 1989-1992 also still the 4 issues of Usagi Yojimbo Color Special Issues.
In March 1993, Usagi moved to Mirage comics. The new series was published bimonthly and reached 16 issues. In contrast to the previous stapling these appeared in color. According to an environmental disaster in the publishing city, Mirage comics brought into trouble, Usagi moved to Dark Horse Comics, where now more than 100 books have been published. The third volume is published monthly and again in black and white.
The majority of the stories were republished in anthologies. Volumes 1-7 of Fantagraphics Books collect the stories of Anthalogien and the first volume. As of volume 8, the issues of the second and third volume, and occasionally even older stories ( such as the Color Special Issues ) published by Dark Horse Comics, but the reprint of the second volume is here in black and white.
When you insert the older stories is trying to find a sensible order as possible, so that the continuity is maintained. Thus, in the story " Doors" were made on pages 43 and 53 some text changes to make the story " Sumi- e " from the band 18 are considered prehistory can even in the band 22. " Doors" but originally appeared already in the Color Special 2 in 1991, while " Sumi- E" first appeared in 2004.
Was released in 2004 for the 20th anniversary of the hardcover "The Art of Usagi Yojimbo "
Since 1992, published nine books of the spin -offs Space Usagi, in which a descendant of Miyamoto Usagi lives in a futuristic version of feudal Japan. In the 8-page story " Hare today, hare tomorrow" meet the two by means of a time travel together even.
Since the rights to Usagi Yojimbo Stan Sakai and no publisher are published over time again and again stories or short performances by Usagi in other contexts, for example, some appearances at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He appeared in the comic books, two TV series and action figures series. As revenge, the Turtles were once in the Usagi Yojimbo comics on ( " Shades of Green " in Volume 8 ), and in the U.S. animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ( from 2003) have Usagi and Gen several plot -carrying guest appearances on the side the Turtles.
Germany
In German language, the comics are published only in anthologies. The first edition was launched in April 1996 Carlsen Comics, it included six issues. The stories contained mostly followed the compilations of American anthologies. The band 6 breaks in the middle of, going through several books, story from The Curse of the Dragon. An unannounced seventh volume, which would have to conclude this long story, no longer appeared.
The edition begun by the Black Tower Publishing in October 2001, the series has this story has not yet been completed. The publisher began with Volume 8, which contains a four-page introduction to the series. The anthologies seem so far at irregular intervals. In addition to steady continuation of American anthologies, the publisher has started again to reissue the previous stories. In January 2004 Volume 1 appeared The selection and order of the stories is different to the volumes of Carlsen, also a new translation was made.
Adaptations
In 1988 a computer game called Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo, which ran systems on the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC.
In 1998 appeared a pen & paper role-playing game at Gold Rush Games, which was relaunched in 2005 by Sanguine Productions.
Awards
The series has already won multiple Eisner Awards: