Kelly Goto presents 'Seattle Samurai'

Third Place Books is thrilled to welcome Kelly Goto to our Ravenna store for a discussion of her new book, , chronicling the life and legacy of her father Sam Goto and his Seattle Tomodachi cartoons. 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. This event is free and open to the public.

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This event is free to attend. Registration is required in advance.

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 trip, "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.

Kelly Goto is a global lecturer, educator and author of the industry classic, Web Redesign 2.0: Workflow That Works. Goto currently heads up gotomedia, a global leader in research-driven strategy and solutions for digital products and connected experiences. Kelly grew up as a fourth-generation Japanese American in the drizzly weather of the Pacific Northwest, starting her calligraphy and graphic design businesses while in elementary school—a precursor to her entrepreneurial future. She played Chieko in the stage production of The Gold Watch in 1977, where she learned about racism and anti-Japanese sentiment after Pearl Harbor. Kelly hopes to simplify content so the tech-addicted new generation might engage with it—hoping stories of culture, history, and wisdom might be better understood. She returned to Seattle in 2020 after three decades away, and now lives in her childhood home with her genki 85-year old mom, Dee, two teenage daughters, and a playful Bernedoodle named Suki.

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave NE, Seattle, United States