(From the publisher, 114 words)
Between 2012 and 2018, Sam Goto drew over 250 multi-paneled Seattle Tomodachi (“friend of Seattle”) comic strips for The North American Post. These comics chronicled the lives and stories of early Japanese settlers and their American-born offspring. Through his work, he captured elements of culture, nostalgia, and history, while infusing his characters -- Shigeru Tomo and his alterego Samurai Shigeru -- with the samurai values of courage, respect, and continuous improvement and compassion. Design researcher Kelly Goto reflects on her father's legacy as she brings his work back to life in this collection so that others can be inspired and informed by his witty and wise look at the world.
(Short summary, 100 words)
Sam Goto created the character Samurai Shigeru in the comic strip "Seattle Tomodachi," telling the stories of the first Japanese immigrants and their descendants in the Pacific Northwest. His comics blend Japanese culture and tradition with his own experiences of balancing the samurai values of loyalty, honor, and honesty while pursuing the American dream. Author Kelly Goto pays tribute to her father’s artistic legacy by weaving his illustrations of history, family, and culture into an accessible narrative. For Kelly, compiling this work has been a journey of reconnecting with her cultural heritage and identity, culminating in a true coming home.
(longer summary, 148 words)
"Seattle Samurai: A Cartoonist's Perspective of the Japanese American Experience" by Kelly Goto is a deeply personal and cultural exploration through the lens of her father, Sam Goto's, comic strip, "Seattle Tomodachi." The central character, Samurai Shigeru, embodies the samurai's code of loyalty, honor, and honesty, reflecting the values of the first Japanese immigrants and their descendants in the Pacific Northwest. Sam’s illustrations not only portray Japanese traditions but also his own experiences as he navigated the balance between maintaining cultural heritage and pursuing the American dream.
The book not only honors Sam Goto’s artistic legacy but also provides an understanding of how Japanese culture and samurai values influence the newest generation’s attitudes and behaviors. The compilation of his work in this book has been a journey for Kelly, threading together family history and forming a tapestry of identity, culminating in a profound sense of coming home.
