Tag: lightbox

The Art and Storytelling of Stan Sakai

When I was a kid, the weekend was something to look forward to, beyond just an excuse not to do homework. The two days brought with them the excitement of reading the weekly children’s magazine delivered to my grandfather’s home. The Siruvar Malar (literally, “Children’s Flower”) and Thanga Malar (“Golden Flower”) were filled with folktales, comics, arts-and-crafts activities, and ads for local art contests.

When I was in my tweens, I graduated from these magazines to reading full-blown comics that my father would purchase on his business trips. These were the still-ongoing (mostly online now) and highly popular Tinkle Comics. Tinkle’s pantheon of characters, including Suppandi, Shikari Shambu, Ramu and Shamu, Tantri the Mantri, were my childhood heroes.

These comics were rife with cultural humor and folk inspiration. I prayed to be a lot more adept than the reckless hunter Shikari Shambu and the hilarious ignoramus Suppandi. I found inspiration in the deviousness of Ramu and Shamu in annoying my own family, and delighted in the constant failures of the evil Tantri the Mantri.

More than just a passing form of entertainment, these comics were relatable to life and Indian culture, and also helped cultivate my understanding of the English language. The nostalgia that I attributed to these stories hit me like a truck when I came across Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo in my early twenties.

As a young adult and an exam-hardened undergraduate student at university, I found Sakai’s magnum opus stacked up in a corner at the public library. It wasn’t too long before I fell in love with what Sakai had to offer. A while back, I wrote about the man who drew from memory, Kim Jung Gi. If Gi was all about the awe and spectacle of art in full flow, Sakai, for me, was the finest mix of storytelling and art in the comic form. Usagi Yojimbo, or “rabbit bodyguard,” is set at the beginning of the Edo period of Japanese history and features anthropomorphic animals in place of humans.

Our protagonist is the rabbit ronin, Miyamoto Usagi, based on the famous Japanese legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Wandering the lands of Edo Japan, Usagi sells his services as a bodyguard while going on adventures that have him fighting off his enemies. As a Japanese-born American cartoonist, Sakai draws on both Japanese and Western pop-culture elements. Usagi meets all kinds of friends and enemies, from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Godzilla. Here was someone I aspired to be in my own ambition to be a storyteller and comic book writer. Sakai’s artwork was detailed, complemented by amazing inking and lettering.

Despite being anthropomorphic, Sakai’s character lived their experiences, and you could relate to them as though they were fellow human beings. Usagi’s growth from a battle-hardened samurai to a philosophical warrior who gains a host of friends and family, whom he would go to any extremes to protect, is heartwarming. The art was further elevated by Sakai’s storytelling. Usagi’s adventures included many references to Japanese history and folklore, featuring architecture, clothes, weapons, mythical creatures, and ancient festivals. Sakai’s ability to skillfully weave facts and legends into the adventures of his samurai rabbit is a genuine masterclass in storytelling. I was (and still am) enamored by Sakai’s art and stories. Usagi’s swashbuckling adventures brought back childhood memories of Tinkle Comics and the Panchatantra (an ancient collection of animal fables). The vivid splashes of folklore, mythology, and traditional arts that span the pages of his magnum opus also made me fall irrevocably in love with Japanese culture and history. Book 41 of Usagi Yojimbo was released in 2025, and Sakai is still going strong.

Usagi is now a cultural phenomenon with an animated series that released in 2022 titled Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles. Although the comics cater to an older audience, the animated series is perfect for kids who wish to venture into Usagi’s world, albeit through the eyes of his descendant, Yuichi Usagi. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I got the chance to attend my first online (and in general) art and animation expo, LightBox 2020. Attending the event reinforced my passion for creative storytelling and for pursuing a career in writing. It has been a rollercoaster ride since, and to be honest, I have not made much progress. That may not sound encouraging, but if there is one thing I’ve learned from Usagi, it’s that the journey can sometimes be the destination. All thanks to Stan Sakai!

In the years since 2020, what was once a dream has evolved into a coherent career I’ve now fully committed to in 2026. Where the road leads from here is another adventure that beckons.

This is the Way…

It has been an exhilarating summer. A sleepless one as well, especially over the last month, as my wife and I have swung from one all-nighter to another taking care of our lovely little baby daughter.

On a positive note, the experience has bestowed upon me the gift of patience. I put it to good use, facing a hectic schedule when I had to complete my doctoral defense (which was a success) while balancing my freelance gigs, and a healthy dose of job applications.

Opportunities have come accompanied with many customary rejections but I continue to hold my head high. It wouldn’t be any fun if it weren’t a challenge to get to my goals. On that note, science writing keeps on rolling as I churn out one script after another for WatchMojo Unveiled and PBS Spacetime so keep a lookout for The Procrastinating Scientist who will be visiting very soon.

Since completing my doctoral studies, my days have revolved around diaper session and playtime. Interestingly, spending time with my baby daughter has been a wholesome source of inspiration. Just as she has begun to settle into a sleep schedule, I have found an equal opportunity in making the jump to finish my graphic novel script.

It has been nearly six months since I touched the drafts. The extended break, I hope, will serve me well in providing new perspective as I compile the final version of the script. Supplementing this project is the fact that I have also registered for the Story Artist Mentorship program which promises to be one heck of a ride.

Last year’s Lightbox Expo was instrumental in helping me find inspiration toward a career in art and illustration. We are off to good start so far with my baby girl giving me the high-five on committing to a hellish schedule of writing and art work. Either way, she intends to act upon a 24/7 availability for my wife and myself, so why not use that time to get some work done as well.

Now that we are all caught up, I must now leave, as my little one seems to be chewing on something a lot more suspicious than the teether I left her with, while Mommy is taking a nap. I will be back very soon with a new post!

Follow me on Instagram!

After attending the Lightbox Expo I was hard-pressed to start an Instagram account dedicated to my artwork. Aside from The Pensive Reverie and The Procrastinating Scientist, my presence on other social media platforms is sparse.

My lack of interest in social media notwithstanding I would be a bigger fool to deny that social media can be a productive resource on its own for individuals pursuing creative endeavors. Nevertheless, I was initially reluctant as I felt my art skills were too amateurish to warrant sharing my work in a public platform.

But, the journey is always a part of reaching our goals and destinations. Thus, I have decided to start an Instagram which will record my rare successes, frequent stumbles, and hilarious fails in my journey to be an artist.

Much of what I intend to share on Instagram will revolve around my growing art skills, my brief stints of inspiration, and whatever is the ensuing result when my ideas meet paper and pencil.

For those among my readers who are also active on Instagram, I would really appreciate your support by following my adventures on this platform as well. So, with that being said, here’s to a prosperous Instagram art journey at Ajay Peter Manuel@lockeinart.

They say the pen is mightier than the sword, let’s hope my pencil is equally mighty in reproducing the worlds that flourish in my brain.

Expos, Research, Scripts, and a whole lot of Books…

The last two weeks have been a blast. Back-to-back events involving my doctoral research, comic book script, art and animation expos, and a bucket load of books that hit my purchase list have kept me on my toes.

Research during a pandemic

Most of us have had to work from home since COVID-19 introduced itself to the world. It has been the same for me for the most part of the last 5 months. September’s arrival marked the beginning of the final year of my doctoral studies and I’ve spent the last few weeks working intermittently between home and the university.

Science is a collaborative effort and I’m thankful to the support I have received from my colleagues who have assisted in my research especially during a period of time where most research facilities are running at smaller capacity. While this has generally led to a lower results yield, I count myself lucky in that the majority of my research was complete prior to the shutdown.

Nothing beats the joy of getting experimental results that work and support your paper.

Looking ahead, I have also had the chance to engage in some networking for science writing by getting a membership at the National Association of Science Writers, successful registration in a Science Write-a-thon event, submitting a few pitches to scientific journals (fingers crossed, I get to write about my research, the wait has been killing me), and starting a medium account where I also share my posts on The Procrastinating Scientist.

Lightbox

On that note, I made a giant leap in progress when it came to my efforts in pursuing a career in art and animation. Shout out to the Lightbox team for setting up an amazing expo over the course of a hyper-content loaded weekend.

The expo provided a wonderful insider look at the animation, arts, and comic book industry. Networking was also a big plus with sponsors and representatives from Disney, Pixar, etc. More than anything else, the expo provided a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Be it if you are an amateur or a professional, there were no distinctions and the event altogether served as a wonderful community experience where everyone could learn from everyone.

An awesome source of inspiration, Lightbox left me wanting more. I cannot wait for next year’s expo in an experience that I heartily recommend to anyone who wishes to pursue a career in animation or the film industry.

Script and a whole lot of books

Attending Lightbox expo with a writer’s background (as opposed to an artistic background) gave me unique insights into my own progress with my comic book script. In art, it is very common for the instructor to advise the student to step back from his piece every now and then to gain a larger perspective of his project’s goal.

My experience at Lightbox made me do the same. My recent struggles in transcribing my script into art notwithstanding, I had to take a step back and recognize that there was still much left to do in organizing the plot, not to mention the plot holes that have been creeping out of nowhere in recent days.

It has been a steep learning curve but one that I have appreciated very much. It helped to find common ground in my struggles with many professional artists and writers who attended the expo. With that being said, I have made great progress in demolishing my original draft and elevating it toward greener pastures with every passing day. My goal is to have a fully polished script alongside preliminary concept art ready by the end of the year. Whether I make the deadline is up in the air but I know I’m going to enjoy every bit of it.

This brings us to the end of my two-week adventure. I hope you’ve all had a great weekend and I will see you soon with another post. My newly bought bookshelf speaks to the volumes of reading I will be doing in the coming weeks, so look forward to some book reviews in the near future.

See you all next week!!