Albedo #3

History

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