Usagi Yojimbo: The Special Edition

Created in 1984 as a supporting character for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo is a perennial favorite amongst children, especially boys, and adult fans. Usagi Yojimbo chronicles the action-packed wanderings of a funny-anima; ronin in feudal Japan. In honor of his 25th anniversary, Fantagraphics is releasing a deluxe slipcase set collecting the seven first Usagi books, including the earliest stories; the origin story, "Samurai"; a full graphic novel; and literally dozens more. This is the complete, definitive Special Edition (our third in a line of repacking our most beloved classics). It will also have extra material, some from the long-out-of-print hardcover editions and some brand new: a complete full-color gallery of the more than 50 Usagi covers from that period (never-before-collected); many preparatory sketches; two "non-canon" Usagi stories by Sakai co-starring the TMNT (with whom Usagi also shared screen time in the TMNTs' TV series); and a long career-spanning interview with Sakai.