Rogue Creators: An Interview with Katsushika Hokusai

Interviewer: Thanks for sitting down with us today, Hokusai-san. Or should I call you by one of your other 30 names?

Hokusai: Call me whatever you want. I've been through more aliases than a witness protection program. Right now I'm feeling like "Old Man Mad About Painting." Tomorrow? Who knows. Maybe "Guy Who Moved 93 Times."

Interviewer: Speaking of which—93 times? What was that about?

Hokusai: I hate cleaning. You move before the mess catches up with you. It's called being efficient.

Interviewer: Let's talk about your most famous work, "The Great Wave off Kanagawa." Did you know it would become so iconic?

Hokusai: Honestly? I just really wanted to paint a wave that looked like it was about to murder some fishermen. Mission accomplished. Mount Fuji's in the background looking all chill while chaos unfolds. That's comedy.

Interviewer: You've said you won't truly master art until you're 110 years old.

Hokusai: Yeah, and I died at 88, so do the math. I'm basically still a beginner. Everything I made? Trash. Come back when I'm 110.

Interviewer: You literally can't—

Hokusai: COME. BACK.

Interviewer: You also created a lot of... let's say "adult" artwork.

Hokusai: (shrugs) A man's gotta eat. Plus, octopuses needed representation in the art world. I'm basically a marine life advocate.

Interviewer: That's one way to spin it. What advice would you give to young artists today?

Hokusai: Change your name constantly so your early bad work can't be traced back to you. Move a lot. Paint waves. Don't die before 110. You're welcome.

Interviewer: Inspiring. Any final thoughts?

Hokusai: Yeah—if heaven has art supplies, I'm finally going to get this right.

**END INTERVIEW**