Stan Sakai

Stan Sakai (スタン 坂井), is a Japanese American artist who has been writing and drawing comics since 1984. Born in Kyoto, Japan, Sakai grew up in Hawaii and presently resides and works in Pasadena, California, USA.

Biography
Stan Sakai started his comic book career as a letterer, most notably for Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier's Groo the Wanderer, and as the artist and writer of The Adventures of Nilson Groundthumper and Hermy. These characters first appeared in Steve Gallacci's Albedo #1 in 1984, and were subsequently featured in issues of Critters, GrimJack, Amazing Heroes and Furrlough. Stan Sakai is a long standing member of CAPS.

Art
Stan Sakai's art style is distinctive. Although his art style is influenced strongly by traditional Japanese Kemono, he also uses simple line designs like many funny animal cartoons, and his character's faces can go very wild during a 'take', he also includes many realistic traits; characters generally are anthropomorphic, and have at least a slight amount of biological plausibility.

However, one thing that Stan Sakai has never done is drawn a tail on any of his characters; he stated that "I don't know if any of my characters have tails. I know they should have tails, but giving them tails would make them somehow a bit too animalistic."

Usagi Yojimbo
His most famous and critically acclaimed work is Usagi Yojimbo, although he has created or worked on many comics of interest to furries, including Albedo Anthropomorphics, Beauty of the Beasts, Cutey Bunny, Nilson Groundthumper and Hermy, Ninja High School, Space Usagi, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as many well-regarded non-furry comics as Groo The Wanderer, the Sunday strips for the serial Spider-Man, the comic book Shi, and occasional covers for Marvel and Disney comics.

An award-winning artist, his accolades include multiple Eisner and Haxtur awards, as well as Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book in the Ursa Major Awards five times running for 2001-2005, with a double award in 2004 for The Art of Usagi Yojimbo.

Furry

 * 2001 - Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book or Strip"
 * 2002 - Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book or Strip"
 * 2003 - Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book"
 * 2004 - Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work" (The Art of Usagi Yojimbo) and "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book" (Usagi Yojimbo)
 * 2005 - Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book" (Usagi Yojimbo)

Non-furry

 * 1990 - Parents' Choice Award for "Skillful weaving of facts and legends into his work"
 * 1991 - Inkpot Award from Comic-Con International: San Diego for "Lifetime Achievement in the Field of Cartooning"
 * 1996 - Eisner Award for "Best Letterer" (Groo and Usagi Yojimbo)
 * 1996 - Eisner Award for "Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition" (Usagi Yojimbo)
 * 1999 - Eisner Award for "Best Serialized Story" (Usagi Yojimbo "Grasscutter")
 * 1999 - Haxtur Award for "Best Short Story (in Spainish)" (Usagi Yojimbo "Noodles" [Spanish Edition])
 * 2000 - Haxtur Award for "Best Script (in Spainish)" (Usagi Yojimbo's "Grasscutter" [Spanish Edition])
 * 2002 - National Cartoonists Society Division (Usagi yojimbo)
 * 2003 - La Plumilla de Plata (Silver Inkpen Award) in Mexico for his lifetime achievements and contributions to comic books.
 * 2007 - Harvey Award for "Best Letterer"
 * 2011 - Cultural Ambassador Award
 * 2012 - Eisner Award for "Best Lettering" (Usagi Yojimbo)

Stan Sakai and furry
Although not himself a furry, Stan Sakai has contributed art of furry interest for many furry comics and magazines. He was the guest of honor at Anthrocon 2004. Although he had been leery of attending furry conventions in the past, he and his family enjoyed themselves.

Since that first visit, he has planned other visits to other furry conventions; not as a guest of honor, but a fellow convention attendee. Stan Sakai was also the guest of honor at Eurofurence 16 and MiDFur XII.

Convention attendance

 * Anthrocon - 2004
 * Eurofurence - 2010
 * MiDFur - 2010