2019 Geek-A-Long: Samurai Jack

Gotta get back, back to the past, Samurai Jack. Watch out! Gotta get back, back to the past, Samurai Jack. Jack. Jack. Jack.

Samurai Jack is an action-adventure, dystopian, science fantasy created by Genndy Tartakovsky. He was the same guy behind Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan, and the Hotel Transylvania films. Basically, if there was cartoon you loved on Cartoon Network in the early 2000s, Tartakovsky was probably behind it or involved somehow.

If there’s a list of greatest cartoons of all time, Samurai Jack is on it. The show has little to no dialogue and relies on action and strong visuals instead, blending a cinematic and comic book style that still appeals to all ages. The premise of the cartoon is best told by the villain, Aku.

Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku the shapeshifting master of darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now the fool seeks to return to the past and undo the future that is Aku!

Aku in the original opening title sequences

In the movie event that launched the series, Samurai Jack was a young prince from feudal Japan. He is forced to spend his childhood traveling the world and learning how to become a fierce warrior in order to overthrow Aku and rescue his father. As an adult, he returns as a samurai to defeat Aku only to be flung into the distant future before he can land the finishing blow. The cartoon depicts his trials and tribulations in the retro-futuristic world filled with extraterrestrials, talking animals, monsters, and robots. Earth is now completely ruled by Aku and has become a refuge for criminals, and only Jack stands a chance at putting an end to Aku and his tyranny.

Sidenote: If you’re wondering why a samurai from feudal Japan is named Jack, he actually adopts it in the future after a bunch of youths use it to refer to him.

Side-Sidenote: When I use the word “youths,” imagine me squinting my eyes and hissing it. Youuuuuuths. It really adds something.

The series originally ran from 2001 to 2004 and was left open ended. Jack does not defeat Aku in the end. It’s just another episode and is left open-ended. I read somewhere years ago that Genndy Tartakovsky didn’t want to rush out a conclusion and hoped they’d get to return to it one day with a movie. Unfortunately, a feature film never came to fruition, especially after the death of Mako Iwamatsu who voiced Aku.

BUT!

In 2017, it returned with one more season. I haven’t had the chance to watch it myself yet, but I heard that it was more adult and just as fantastic as before. They brought in Greg Baldwin to mimic Mako’s original voice acting. He was the same guy who was took over Mako’s role as Uncle Iroh in Avatar: The Last Airbender after he lost his battle with esophageal cancer.

Also, I know this is supposed to be about Samurai Jack, but “The Tales of Ba Sing Se” (season 2, episode 15 of Avatar) was the first time a cartoon made me cry openly. The Tale of Iroh was heartbreaking and was dedicated to the memory of Mako.

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Samurai Jack pattern here. Instructions and charts for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to Instagram your squares at us @lattesandllamasyarn with the hashtag #geekalong! Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.

~Jac

I’m probably the only one who watched or remembers Genndy’s cartoon Sym-Biotic Titan, but it was fantastic and ahead of its time.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a donation to Child’s Play Charity. Here is a direct link to our official donation page benefiting the charity. Please help us raise $1,000 this year. No contribution is too small! Wanna make your donation go even further? Lattes & Llamas will donate $1 for every skein of Geek-A-Long Yarn purchased.