{"id":21129,"date":"2020-07-30T07:00:22","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T12:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/?p=21129"},"modified":"2020-07-24T08:04:47","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T13:04:47","slug":"usagi-yojimbo-and-ironclaw-an-interview-with-jason-holmgren-sanguine-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/usagi-yojimbo-and-ironclaw-an-interview-with-jason-holmgren-sanguine-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Usagi Yojimbo and IRONCLAW: An Interview With Jason Holmgren (Sanguine Games)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
From the BOOK OF CORALS for the IRONCLAW RPG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On June 1, 2020, Sanguine Games<\/a> followed up their successful Kickstarter for\u00a0USAGI YOJIMBO ROLE-PLAYING GAME 2nd Edition<\/i><\/a> with a campaign to convert the project into Spanish. Jason Holmgren of Sanguine Productions and I did an interview for that campaign but, unfortunately, the project failed to meet its goal and I did not run the article. However, Sanguine rolled with that punch and pivoted to a new opportunity, kickstarting the BOOK OF CORALS – New Options for the IRONCLAW role-playing<\/em><\/a>. To draw some attention to their latest IRONCLAW<\/em> sourcebook and to mention that USAGI YOJIMBO<\/em> is coming to Netflix as an animated series<\/a>, I decided to share the original interview with Jason about USAGI YOJIMBO<\/em> and its Spanish language Kickstarter.<\/p>\n

\n

Stan Sakai\u2019s Usagi Yojimbo<\/i><\/a> is a geek culture touchstone, the story of a r\u014dnin<\/i> rabbit in an anthropomorphic, historic Japan. It sprang up the same year as the debut of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,<\/i> and has crossed over with them at various points in their respective careers. Recently, the English-language version of USAGI YOJIMBO ROLE-PLAYING GAME 2nd Edition<\/i><\/a> debuted. From it, Sanguine Games<\/a> is funding a conversion to Spanish<\/a>. Jason Holmgren, director of Sanguine Games, talks about the game as well as the conversion to Spanish.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EGG EMBRY (EGG)<\/b>: Thank you for talking with me about this RPG. Tell us what you\u2019re doing in your current crowdfunding campaign<\/a>?<\/b><\/p>\n

JASON HOLMGREN (JASON)<\/b>: Thanks for taking time to talk with us. And yes, we\u2019re running a Kickstarter for our first Spanish-Language game, a translation of our USAGI YOJIMBO<\/i> game.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>EGG<\/b>: For those that don\u2019t know, what\u2019s the pitch for <\/b>USAGI YOJIMBO ROLE-PLAYING GAME 2nd Edition<\/b><\/i><\/a>?<\/b><\/p>\n

JASON<\/b>: USAGI<\/i> is a fantasy set in 17th<\/sup>-century Japan, the Tokugawa era where the shogun rules the land and the samurai hold sway. It\u2019s written and illustrated by Stan Sakai, who has been making these cartoon stories for over thirty years. His characters are cartoon rabbits, dogs, cats, and other animals, and the stories are rich in period detail, character development, and story-telling.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EGG<\/b>: With the second edition, you moved from the original system to <\/b>Powered by the Apocalypse <\/b><\/i>(PbtA)<\/b>. What inspired that shift?<\/b><\/p>\n

JASON<\/b>: We first made an USAGI<\/i> game back in 2005, and our audience found the game to be quite a challenge. The PbtA system is immediate and accessible, players describe what they want their characters to do and then the results are quick and immediate. Since USAGI<\/i> brings in people who may not be familiar with the war-gaming tradition of RPGs, we felt that the lighter touch of PbtA would be a better fit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EGG<\/b>: Are you planning any <\/b>Usagi Yojimbo<\/b><\/i> supplements in English or Spanish?<\/b><\/p>\n

JASON<\/b>: Our first Kickstarter was so successful that we folded our supernatural rules into the main book. We\u2019d love to expand the line, and as a licensed property, that involves negotiations with Mr. Sakai, so we\u2019re hoping that our support remains strong.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>EGG<\/b>: Correct me if I\u2019m wrong, but <\/b>USAGI YOJIMBO ROLE-PLAYING GAME 2nd Edition<\/b><\/i><\/a> was your most backed crowdfunding project<\/a> to-date?<\/b><\/p>\n

JASON<\/b>: Sanguine Games has made over 18 crowdfundings, back from before \u201cKickstarter\u201d was a thing, and our USAGI<\/i> was our best showing to date. Thanks to everyone who supported us!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EGG<\/b>: <\/b>That\u2019s a major accomplishment! Congratulations. <\/b>Since 1984, Stan Sakai\u2019s comic series and character have been ingrained in geek culture. I remember playing with a Miyamoto Usagi action figure from the original <\/b>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles<\/b><\/i> toyline, the character has appeared in multiple cartoons with <\/b>TMNT<\/b>, twelve years ago I had a conversation that stuck with me when a <\/b>DC Comics<\/b> editor shared their praise for Stan\u2019s business model, there\u2019s been hundreds of comics featuring Usagi, multiple <\/b>Eisner<\/b> awards, <\/b>Rolling Stone, Empire<\/b><\/i> magazine, and <\/b>IGN<\/b> have ranked this character highly, and, of course, there\u2019s been the roleplaying games. In your opinion, what made Stan\u2019s creation such an enduring part of our culture?<\/b><\/p>\n

JASON<\/b>: There\u2019s a lot of things that make USAGI<\/i> great. I\u2019ve been a fan since the original stories showed up as back-up features in obscure comics like Albedo <\/i>or Critters, <\/i>so I\u2019ve watched the series grow into the series it is today. Sakai has always been committed to telling stories about people, and his storytelling makes it quite clear who these people are and why they do what they do. There\u2019s both long-running story arcs and one-and-done short stories, so anyone can pick up the series at any point without feeling lost. The history and the lore is presented in a way that invites you in, where you care about what\u2019s going on. I\u2019m a long time fan who\u2019s still finding something new to enjoy after thirty years. So yes, everything you heard about how great this comic is, is true. 😊<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>EGG<\/b>: You\u2019re handling the translations in-house?<\/b><\/p>\n

JASON<\/b>: We\u2019re working with translator and RPG writer Txabier Etxeberri<\/u><\/span><\/a>, who has done a lot of work for Ed Greenwood\u2019s [of Forgotten Realms<\/i>] company.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EGG<\/b>: What drove the decision to translate this from English to Spanish as opposed to licensing it to a third party publisher to translate and market in Spanish speaking nations?<\/b><\/p>\n

JASON<\/b>: Back in 2006. our first USAGI<\/i> roleplaying game was licensed to an outside company. Our involvement was minimal, so we never sure how successful the book was.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EGG<\/b>: Beyond this project, what else are you working on?<\/b><\/p>\n

JASON<\/b>: We\u2019re adding onto our flagship line, the IRONCLAW<\/i><\/a> fantasy role-playing game. This next book is an exploration of strange islands, and the effects of piracy, navies, and colonization.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EGG<\/b>: Thanks for talking with me. Where can fans learn more about the campaign and follow you?<\/b><\/p>\n

JASON<\/b>: We maintain our own website<\/a>, and you can find us on Twitter at @SanguineGames<\/a>. Our USAGI en ESPANOL<\/i> Kickstarter<\/a> is online (here<\/a>) .<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>JdR de Usagi Yojimbo 2da Ed. en ESPA\u00d1OL<\/a> from Sanguine Productions LLC<\/a><\/b><\/h2>\n

End Date: Wed, July 15 2020 11:59 PM EDT.<\/p>\n

\u201cLa fant\u00e1stica visi\u00f3n de Stan Sakai acerca del Jap\u00f3n del S. XVII, en un Juego de Rol, utilizando el sistema \u2018Powered by the Apocalypse<\/i>\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

English language pitch<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cEnter the world of Usagi Yojimbo<\/i>! Stan Sakai’s award-winning comic series tells the story of Miyamoto Usagi, a swordsrabbit with the heart of a hero, as he wanders a fantastic version of 17th-century Japan. Now, Sakai’s Japan and its cast of anthropomorphic characters come to life in stories you write yourself. Explore immense castles and humble villages; meet bounty-hunters and crime bosses; battle ninja spies and scheming lords; and encounter monsters from beyond the natural world.<\/p>\n