Usagi Yojimbo vs Gunichi by Mike DeCarlo

For a long time now I have wanted an Usagi Yojimbo commission. Because I don't live near normal convention circuits, and since Stan Sakai doesn't ship commissions, I don't know if I will ever be able to get one from the man himself. Still, I have always heard extremely good things about Mike DeCarlo, and now I understand why. This was my first true commission, where I told the artist what I wanted and awaited the results. I was floored when I saw what he had done.



Not to steal too much from Michael Finn's One Minute Later gallery, but that is sort of what I went for here. I didn't search far for inspiration--the very first page of Usagi Yojimbo volume 1, issue 1 has always been a favorite of mine. I love the scale and the passivity of the scene. I asked Mike for what would come next in the scene. The result is fantastic.