{mosimage}Stan Sakai was born in Kyoto, Japan, grew up in Hawaii, and now lives in California with his wife, Sharon, and children, Hannah and Matthew. He received a Fine Arts degree from the University of Hawaii, and did further studies at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
His creation, Usagi Yojimbo, is the story of a samurai rabbit living in a feudal Japan populated by anthropomorphic animals. It first appeared in Albedo Comics in 1984. Since then, Usagi has been on television as a guest of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and as toys, on clothing, in comic books, and in a series of trade paperback collections.
In 1991, Stan created “Space Usagi,” the adventures of a descendant of the original Usagi, dealing with the samurai in a futuristic setting. Stan is also an award-winning letterer for his work on Sergio Aragonés’ Groo the Wanderer, the Spider-Man Sunday newspaper strips as well as Usagi Yojimbo.
He is the recipient of a Parents’ Choice Award, an Inkpot Award, multiple Eisner Awards, two Spanish Haxturs, an American Library Association Award, and a National Cartoonists’ Society Division Award. Usagi Yojimbo Book 12: Grasscutter was used as a textbook in Japanese history classes at the University of Portland. Stan has spoken at various venues including the College of William & Mary, Johns Hopkins University, the Connecticut Historical Society, and the Japan Tower in Brussels, Belgium.
Stan is currently published by Dark Horse Comics and Fantagraphics Books. There are over twenty volumes of his collected works in print.
Stan enjoys traveling, and has been invited to events worldwide. He was in Norway as a guest of the Raptus International Comics Festival in Bergen. One of the highlights of that trip was partaking of the local cuisine such as the abundant seafood, moose, reindeer, and even sheep’s head.
Featured books by Stan Sakai (click covers for complete product details & ordering information)
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