In 1814 the ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai published a handbook of sketches titled Hokusai manga. Fourteen more
volumes followed over the next decades, for a series totaling more than 4,000 illustrations over 970 pages; not
only did the publication surpass its initial ambitions to serve as a reference for aspiring artists, it grew into
a bestseller and enduring favorite. Now available in a compact and reorganized but complete modern reprint, the
sketches present in concentrated form all the themes, motifs, and drawing techniques to be found in Hokusai’s art.
Delight in the spirited and richly narrative caricatures, satirical drawings, and multiple-panel “comic strips,”
and you’ll surely understand why this landmark body of work is considered one of the roots of today’s manga.
Volume 2, The Whole Earth Catalogue, brings together depictions of the wonders of nature, from water and weather
to all manner of creatures both real and fantastical.
Commentary by Seiji Nagata (Ota Memorial Museum of Art)
With an interview of manga artist Kotobuki Shiriagari
