Usagi Yojimbo in the Haunted Bamboo Forest

This pin up of Usagi Yojimbo, was drawn for the Sakai Project ( www.darkhorse.com/Blog/1581/da… ), which is a loving tribute to Stan Sakai, and 30 years of Usagi Yojimbo.  In all honesty, I'm not sure I'll be getting into the book myself, given that there are going to be many, many, many other great and amazing artists submitting pieces for it. 

In all honesty, I don't mind, lol.  It was a lot of fun to finally take time out and draw Usagi Yojimbo.  The concept behind this pin up, was that in this bamboo forest, many years ago, a great and bloody battle between samurai clans took place, leaving only their katana behind, and forest filled with restless spirits bound to the place of their deaths.  It is, this same forest that Usagi Yojimbo must transverse through the snow and at night, in order to make haste to stop a bunch of bandits from attacking a small town, he's sworn to protect.