Sean Leslie
07/06/09 12:58 Filed in: Fan Letter
Stan-
I have been reading comic books for over 20 years. When someone has been reading comic books for as long as I have, the harder it becomes to find books that excite me in ways that are exciting and fresh. It was about three years ago that I read a review on thefourthrail.com that was praising a recent issue of Usagi Yojimbo. I had discovered Akira Kurosawa when I was in college and fell in love with his films. The review mentioned the similarities between Kurosawa’s films and your books so I decided to give it a try and ordered the first trade paperback.
Usagi Yojimbo is one of those rare comics that I only discover once maybe every five years. It is one of those comics that introduce you to a new world and is so exciting you soon forget you are even reading a comic book. The story was well paced and had everything I loved about Kurosawa’s films in it and more. The art captured action beautifully and had a sense of fun about it that many comics are missing these days. I was so taken by the story that this samurai rabbit stayed in my thoughts for the rest of the week. I had to have more and I quickly ordered all remaining trade paperbacks within a month and spent many nights reading until way after midnight.
That same year I went to Comic Con and brought all my Usagi books down with me on the drive from Salt Lake City. You were extremely nice and happily signed all my books. I tried to articulate how much I loved your work but I am sure I tripped over my words and didn’t convey just how exciting I thought your books were. I even bought an unused cover to add to my comic book galley and still display it proudly today.
Books like Usagi Yojimbo remind me why I got into and still read comics. I regret I have only been around reading your work for three years out of the twenty-five you have been publishing. But you can be assured I will certainly be there for the next twenty-five. Congrats on your anniversary and thank you so much for sharing your stories with everyone. Comic books would not be the same without you.
-Sean Leslie
Salt Lake City, UT
I have been reading comic books for over 20 years. When someone has been reading comic books for as long as I have, the harder it becomes to find books that excite me in ways that are exciting and fresh. It was about three years ago that I read a review on thefourthrail.com that was praising a recent issue of Usagi Yojimbo. I had discovered Akira Kurosawa when I was in college and fell in love with his films. The review mentioned the similarities between Kurosawa’s films and your books so I decided to give it a try and ordered the first trade paperback.
Usagi Yojimbo is one of those rare comics that I only discover once maybe every five years. It is one of those comics that introduce you to a new world and is so exciting you soon forget you are even reading a comic book. The story was well paced and had everything I loved about Kurosawa’s films in it and more. The art captured action beautifully and had a sense of fun about it that many comics are missing these days. I was so taken by the story that this samurai rabbit stayed in my thoughts for the rest of the week. I had to have more and I quickly ordered all remaining trade paperbacks within a month and spent many nights reading until way after midnight.
That same year I went to Comic Con and brought all my Usagi books down with me on the drive from Salt Lake City. You were extremely nice and happily signed all my books. I tried to articulate how much I loved your work but I am sure I tripped over my words and didn’t convey just how exciting I thought your books were. I even bought an unused cover to add to my comic book galley and still display it proudly today.
Books like Usagi Yojimbo remind me why I got into and still read comics. I regret I have only been around reading your work for three years out of the twenty-five you have been publishing. But you can be assured I will certainly be there for the next twenty-five. Congrats on your anniversary and thank you so much for sharing your stories with everyone. Comic books would not be the same without you.
-Sean Leslie
Salt Lake City, UT