Albedo #3
Albedo Anthropomorphics #3 (April 1985, Thoughts & Images) delivers the second appearance of Stan Sakai's Miyamoto Usagi — the rabbit rōnin who would grow into one of independent comics' most enduring characters — while simultaneously introducing two of his most consequential recurring co-stars: the feline samurai Tomoe Ame and the young panda lord, Lord Noriyuki. The story titled "Lone Rabbit and Child" establishes the central protective dynamic between Usagi, Tomoe, and Noriyuki that would anchor dozens of later adventures across multiple publishers. As part of the Albedo anthology, a series widely credited with launching the mature anthropomorphic comics subgenre, this issue occupies a precise pivot point in the early Copper Age indie scene — the moment Sakai's world expanded from a single wandering swordsman to a cast capable of sustaining an ongoing saga.
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Albedo Anthropomorphics was created and self-published by Steve Gallacci through his own imprint, Thoughts & Images, beginning in 1983, with Gallacci — a former technical illustrator for the United States Air Force — supplying the anchor feature, Erma Felna: EDF. Stan Sakai, who was already lettering Sergio Aragonés's Groo the Wanderer, contributed Usagi's debut story to issue #2 and continued through issues #3 and #4 before the character moved on to Fantagraphics. Issue #3, published in April 1985, features a front cover by Gallacci and a back cover by Sakai, contains an Erma Felna chapter alongside Sakai's "Lone Rabbit and Child," and even includes spot art on the letters page by Aragonés — a small but telling sign of the creative network Sakai moved in at the time.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Second appearance of Miyamoto Usagi (Usagi Yojimbo), the rabbit rōnin created by Stan Sakai — his debut having occurred in Albedo #2 (November 1984).
- First appearance of Tomoe Ame, an anthropomorphic cat samurai of the Geishu clan, who becomes one of the most important recurring characters in the Usagi Yojimbo series.
- First appearance of Lord Noriyuki, the young panda daimyo of the Geishu clan, whose protection forms the central plot of the issue's Usagi story.
- The Usagi story is titled "Lone Rabbit and Child" (script and art by Stan Sakai); it depicts Usagi escorting Tomoe and Lord Noriyuki safely toward the capital while evading assassins — the foundational meeting of all three characters.
- Also contains an Erma Felna: EDF chapter by Gallacci, and features spot art by Sergio Aragonés on the letters page.
- The story was reprinted in the Usagi Yojimbo Summer Special #1 (Fantagraphics, 1986) and later collected in Usagi Yojimbo Book 1: The Ronin (Fantagraphics) and the IDW Color Classics Volume 1: Samurai (2021).
- Tomoe Ame — whose name is also a brand of Japanese candy that Sakai particularly liked — is loosely based on the historical female samurai Tomoe Gozen; she went on to appear in the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, voiced by Rachael Lillis.
Cast · 3 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
[32] Teenage Mutant Niga Tutrtles; [inside back] Army Surplus Komikz (1/2), Usagi Yojimbo T-Shirt (1/4) and Equine (1/4).
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).