He studied fine Arts at the University of Hawaii and attended later the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles.
He began his career by lettering comics (notably Groo the Wanderer by sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier) and became famous with the creation of the epic saga Usagi Yojimbo, first published in 1984, which he still continues as the lone author and doing almost all the artwork himself.
For his work, including but not restricted to Usagi Yojimbo, he received several Eisner Awards, Haxom Awards, an Inkpot Award and others.