Earlier this year, Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai was named the 2011 Cultural Ambassador by the Japanese American National Museum. Shortly thereafter, the Japanese American National Museum opened their Year of the Rabbit exhibit—the most comprehensive collection of Sakai’s work to date.

Stan Sakai has won several Eisner Awards and has received over twenty Eisner Award nominations. Prior to Dark Horse Comics’ long run on the series, there were thirty-eight Fantagraphics issues, sixteen Mirage issues, a summer special, and four color specials.

Dark Horse’s Usagi Yojimbo #141 marks the landmark two hundredth overall issue of master storyteller Stan Sakai’s beloved series, and the rabbit ronin celebrates with a special story perfect for new readers, “200 Buddhas.” With a ruthless gang terrorizing his small town, a humble stonecutter receives a vision and sets out to carve two hundred stone figures. Just as he has finished the 199th, a long-eared stranger comes to his door seeking shelter from the rain!

 “In a perfect world, everyone would read Usagi Yojimbo.” – Greg McElhatton, Comic Book Resources

The Japanese American National Museum is the largest museum in the United States, located in Los Angeles and dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry. The founding of the museum is a story of high hopes, remarkable achievements, frustration, and, ultimately, success.

While Sakai celebrates his 200th issue, Brandon Graham, creator of King City and Multiple Warheads and writer of Prophet, one of the series in the heavily NYCC-hyped Extreme Studios relaunch, will be making his Dark Horse Presents debut in issue #7.

“A man loses his voice—his voice goes off to see the world. Years later the man dies and the voice that walks like a man hears the news and returns home. The Voice has to deal with all the personifications of the man’s doubts, secrets, and ideas that are left behind.

It’s got doubts using tuning forks like guns and ideas that smash the light bulbs over their heads like they were bottles in a bar fight,” says Graham.

Graham’s work is widely known and followed through his blog.

Dark Horse Presents #7 is on sale December 21, 2011, and also contains brand-new Age of Reptiles, Skeleton Key, and Hellboy stories.

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About the author

Claudia Sondergaard
Specialised in American foreign policy media discourse, I have a real passion for media and writing and feel comfortable in subjects such as human rights, politics, environment, social issues, movies, TV and books. Reporting from Denmark. Follow me @swirlgirlversus