MSU Comics Forum Recap: Stan Sakai’s Keynote Address
[dc]T[/dc]he MSU Comics Forum kicked off on Friday with guest of honor Stan Sakai’s (Usagi Yojimbo) keynote address. I spent over an hour listening to the cartooning master in a small, intimate theater in MSU’s Snyder/Phillips Hall.
Warm Up Drawings
Before the keynote address even began, Sakai spent time sketching, which we were all able to watch thanks to the document projector.
Stan Sakai sketching Usagi Yojimbo. Photo by me.
The packed room was quiet as a crypt while Sakai drew character after character. The keynote address could have been Sakai sketching in silence for an hour and no one would have complained.
I paid close attention to Sakai’s drawing technique, and noticed more often than not, he started by drawing the eyes of the character. The eyes are an important part of any cartoon, so this process made sense to me. Everyone is different though: some people like to figure out the line of action first, others start with the head. Whatever works, works.
The Process
The meat of Sakai’s address was his walking us through is creative process when it comes to making comics. He stressed, several times, the importance of research—both for story and visuals. Since his comic Usagi Yojimbo, while fantasy, relies on Japanese history for its setting, Sakai devotes plenty of time to research. Sakai shared stories of fans contacting him about details he got wrong in various stories. Hey it is always nice to know someone is reading, right?
Characters
Speaking of history, Sakai said his Usagi Yojimbo characters draw inspiration not only from history, but from pop culture as well. He broke down the inspiration for several characters, both inspired those of history and those featured in films (such as, Toshiro Mifune‘s character in the films Yojimbo and Sanjuro).
Sakai’s Comic Outline
Sakai explained his stories start as an outline—written down on paper, showing the flow of the story.
Usagi Yojimbo outline. Photo by me.
As the photo shows, Sakai shared one of his own handwritten outlines for a Usagi Yojimbo story. Just, wow.
All Thumbs
Next, Sakai said he works on thumbnail drawings of the pages, which are simple small drawings of panels or entire pages. I do the same thing in my notebooks before I panel out a strip or a page. It helps me figure out placement, angles, etc.
Usagi Yojimbo thumbnails. Photo by me.
Like with his outline, Sakai showed us pages of thumbnails. He showed us the final penciled page of these thumbnails, but I didn’t get a photo. The main difference was, he changed the angle of the panel at the top of the photo, for a more dramatic look.
I don’t always stick to my thumbnails either. No matter how much prep work I do, I tend to get better ideas when I’m actually drawing. It just happens—which is fine. I trust my creative instincts. If I feel I should change my original plan, I do.
Miss Stan Sakai’s Keynote Address?
If you missed Sakai’s keynote address, you are in luck. Michigan State University recorded the entire address and is available for streaming online, free (thanks to the MSU Alumni Association).
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