Paul the Samurai
Encyclopedia
Paul the Samurai is a character in the Tick
series of Comic books written by Ben Edlund and published by New England Comics
Press, and later, in two spin-off comics of his own.
in the modern world. He is completely loyal to the code of Bushido
and its tenets of courage, honor and vengeance against wrongdoing, all of which he is prepared to follow to the death. His weapon is a katana
which he wields with deadly efficiency and which, once drawn, must draw blood before being resheathed. Due to Paul’s understanding of U.S. weapons laws, he regularly carries his sword baked into a loaf of French bread in order to avoid problems with local police. Paul is also a third degree fuchsia belt in the martial art of Yubiwaza. Paul has a particular contempt for ninjas.
to America
. Sagin is traveling to recover the Thorn of Oblivion, a powerful ninja artifact from the renegade ninja, Oedipus. Paul helps Oedipus and the Tick
defeat an army of ninjas, but is denied in his personal vendetta against Sagin when the Tick
inadvertently drops the Thorn from a skyscraper and Sagin plummets to his death trying to save it.
Paul decides to become a private detective in the City
, but lacking the money to start this venture or to fly home to Japan
, he ends up living in a tenement building and takes a job at as a night watchman at a local factory. Here he defeats a team of boilermen intent on taking over the world. During this time he meets the mysterious genius, Vernon Coop and becomes an employee helping Coop create powerful machines without a clear purpose. Paul becomes despondent because he is being untrue to his Samurai
principles.
Spurred on by the ghost of his dead grandfather and mentor, he leaves Coop’s employ. From then on he concentrates on battling villains in the City
. He defeats a man in a giant robot car, intent on destroying Japanese competition within the auto industry and a pack of intelligent dogs and then becomes involved in a battle between radical environmentalists and a corrupt logging company. He also travels back to Japan where he finds that Sagin is still alive and also, his half-brother. After once again aiding the Tick
in vanquishing Sagin and the rebuilt Thorn of Oblivion, Paul does finally start a detective agency, with Oedipus, now known as Ashley Stevens, as his assistant.
The Tick
The Tick is a fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston area comic stores. He is an absurdist spoof of comic book superheroes. After its creation, the character spun off into an independent comic book series in...
series of Comic books written by Ben Edlund and published by New England Comics
New England Comics
New England Comics is a comic book retail chain and publisher headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, USA. They are known for publishing The Tick comic books. They have locations in Quincy, Allston, Brookline, Brockton, Cambridge, Malden, New Bedford and Norwood....
Press, and later, in two spin-off comics of his own.
Overview
Paul is relic of medieval JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the modern world. He is completely loyal to the code of Bushido
Bushido
, meaning "Way of the Warrior-Knight", is a Japanese word which is used to describe a uniquely Japanese code of conduct and a way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and...
and its tenets of courage, honor and vengeance against wrongdoing, all of which he is prepared to follow to the death. His weapon is a katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
which he wields with deadly efficiency and which, once drawn, must draw blood before being resheathed. Due to Paul’s understanding of U.S. weapons laws, he regularly carries his sword baked into a loaf of French bread in order to avoid problems with local police. Paul is also a third degree fuchsia belt in the martial art of Yubiwaza. Paul has a particular contempt for ninjas.
Fictional History
Paul first appeared in The Tick 4, when he follows his enemy, Sagin the Wolf, worldwide head of ninjas, from JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Sagin is traveling to recover the Thorn of Oblivion, a powerful ninja artifact from the renegade ninja, Oedipus. Paul helps Oedipus and the Tick
The Tick
The Tick is a fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston area comic stores. He is an absurdist spoof of comic book superheroes. After its creation, the character spun off into an independent comic book series in...
defeat an army of ninjas, but is denied in his personal vendetta against Sagin when the Tick
The Tick
The Tick is a fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston area comic stores. He is an absurdist spoof of comic book superheroes. After its creation, the character spun off into an independent comic book series in...
inadvertently drops the Thorn from a skyscraper and Sagin plummets to his death trying to save it.
Paul decides to become a private detective in the City
The City (The Tick)
The City is the principal setting of The Tick , The Tick , and The Tick .Little information is given about the origins of the city. It also acts as a parody of the vagueness of cities in most comic books. From the little information given it can be said that the city is an urban area that resembles...
, but lacking the money to start this venture or to fly home to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, he ends up living in a tenement building and takes a job at as a night watchman at a local factory. Here he defeats a team of boilermen intent on taking over the world. During this time he meets the mysterious genius, Vernon Coop and becomes an employee helping Coop create powerful machines without a clear purpose. Paul becomes despondent because he is being untrue to his Samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
principles.
Spurred on by the ghost of his dead grandfather and mentor, he leaves Coop’s employ. From then on he concentrates on battling villains in the City
The City (The Tick)
The City is the principal setting of The Tick , The Tick , and The Tick .Little information is given about the origins of the city. It also acts as a parody of the vagueness of cities in most comic books. From the little information given it can be said that the city is an urban area that resembles...
. He defeats a man in a giant robot car, intent on destroying Japanese competition within the auto industry and a pack of intelligent dogs and then becomes involved in a battle between radical environmentalists and a corrupt logging company. He also travels back to Japan where he finds that Sagin is still alive and also, his half-brother. After once again aiding the Tick
The Tick
The Tick is a fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston area comic stores. He is an absurdist spoof of comic book superheroes. After its creation, the character spun off into an independent comic book series in...
in vanquishing Sagin and the rebuilt Thorn of Oblivion, Paul does finally start a detective agency, with Oedipus, now known as Ashley Stevens, as his assistant.