Usagi Yojimbo Jumps to IDW
 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/a...publisher.html

New crossover very soon?:trazz:

Sweet! I hope he gets two more crossovers with the TMNT and one of them involves him coming to modern NYC.

Huh! I wonder what drove this change?

Yeah, this probably DOES mean more Usagi/TMNT crossovers. Neat!

I doubt it would do anything to increase or decrease the amount of crossovers. Sakai has always done exactly the number of Usagi/TMNT crossovers he's ever wanted to, when he wants to.

But yeah, why jump ship at Dark Horse? Did he have a falling out with Mike Richardson? It seems like Dark Horse needs Usagi these days more than Usagi needs Dark Horse.

That was my thought, too.

As for the number of crossovers, I'm normally not in favor of any crossovers. But Usagi's one of my exceptions... but this IDW TMNT/Usagi crossover from a year or two past (whenever it was) was a little underwhelming on the Turtle half.

Dark Horse still can't catch a break

I'm more shocked that Dark Horse and Usagi are parting ways, haven't they been publishing Usagi books for over 20 years? What happened?

Dark Horse is losing everything from Star Wars to Buffy to Usagi, are they in trouble?

If they aren't now, they sure seem to be heading that way. :tsad:

It'd be really strange to see Dark Horse close up shop, Image and IDW and Archie I guess would be the only really big remaining publishers outside DC/Marvel.

Funnily enough the latter 3 all published TMNT comics but Dark Horse never did.

Crossovers aren't what interests me here. What I wonder is why he switched publishers. Does IDW offer higher royalties? Did he just find IDW's staff easier to work with? Did Bobby really butter him up when he acted as editor on the crossover?

Boom/Archaia?

I had a few ideas about what was going on (Stan had hinted something was happening) but it still caught me off guard because he’s been with DH for so long. If Stan chooses to reveal why, then I will post it here, assuming no one else gets there first heh.

I think usagi will be a recurring character along with his cast in tmnt

Dark Horse WOULD have, or would have at least reprinted TMNT comics, if the Nick deal hadn't happened. At least, that's what I've seen Andrew talk about multiple times; I've never actually gone and looked into that myself, because I hadn't come back to the 'Drome before the Nick sale and IDW started up TMNT comics.

Woulda been interesting.

I think it might be more likely that Dark Horse is really, really struggling right now. They're losing a lot of IPs the last few years.

And hey, maybe Kevin Eastman really sold Stan on IDW. One of the two TMNT creators vouching for a publisher ain't something to just ignore.

The thing about Usagi is unlike almost all other comics, it's entirely written and drawn just by Stan Sakai. You never see anyone else write Usagi stories in the book itself, and Stan himself draws every issue. It's completely different than any other licensed comic IDW has right now.

If Stan takes a break/hiatus like he's done several times before, the book stops. I wonder if IDW is used to a book written/drawn all by one person with no rotating artists or writers.

It mean a little more rigidity to the schedule, but that might just mean a bunch of limited series with space in between, rather than a monthly ongoing.

Whatever happened to Space Usagi? Was that just abandoned?

Guess so. Or maybe it'll happen under IDW.

Cool! I wonder if IDW gave Stan an offer he couldn’t refuse.

It was a mini-series that ended years ago. It was never meant to be an ongoing thing. I think he has re-visited Space Usagi with some short stories over the years.

I'm waiting for the animated show, hope it doesn't get shelved. More usagi and turtles is always cool.