Interviews

1. Inspirations

2. Making it happen

3. Richard Sakai

4. Works of Stan Sakai

5. His method

6. Influence as a youth

7. Manga vs. Comics

8. Reading all sorts of comics

9. Family’s acceptance

10. Styles and influences

11. Culture as a child

12. Cultural influences

Sakai,Stan

(b. 1953) Cartoonist

Cultural influences

Well my style of storytelling, I think was influenced more by cinema than it is from comic books. I try to vary the camera angles or the pacing of the story, or the composition of the pages. And I think that’s influenced more by film than by comic books.

comics identity

Date: September 28, 2010

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Lynn Yamasaki, Maria Kwong

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Stan Sakai was born in Kyoto, Japan, and raised in Hawai‘i. Sansei illustrator and writer Stan Sakai is known for his creation of the popular comic book character, “Usagi Yojimbo” in 1984. Since 1987, a series of comic books have detailed the adventures of Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai rabbit living in the late 16th and early 17th Century. Sakai is known for his incorporation of actual Japanese history and culture, once winning an award for “skillful weaving of facts and legends into his work.” An exhibition of his work was organized by the Museum in 2011. (August 2012)