I can perfectly see it being a huge success in the US.
Sanda, you have built a 30-year career as a cartoonist. What kind of response do you feel for the next 30 years?
Sanda: To tell you the truth, I can already see the future perfectly. When I came to the US, I realized that the hip-hop comics I had been making were very unique. If you think about it, hip-hop originated in the U.S. and has become a huge industry, so it would not be surprising if there were hip-hop cartoons or hip-hop comics in the U.S., realistic ones. But in the end, I think I am the one who stands at the intersection where hip-hop and manga intersect.
CISCO slope, a legendary place for B-Boys in Shibuya. An illustration ("SANTA INOUE GASHU SARU"), inspired by the world view of the jacket of the hip-hop group Naughty by Nature.
Sanda: For example, there are "hip-hop-ish things," right? Dowdy pants, Adidas, skateboards, drugs, etc. I don't like people who steal those things. I don't like people who steal from me, like, "These things are popular now, so I'm going to wear dowdy pants. There are a lot of people like that. They don't love the culture, but they are willing to steal it. I don't want to be like that. The point is, I like hip-hop, I respect hip-hop, and I think I am the best person in the world who can output it in a comic book.
So, I don't have any dreams that didn't come true. Even before I became a cartoonist, I thought I would become a cartoonist and sell. Before I was successful, I had an argument with a manga editor, and I said something blue like, "No, I will be successful in the future. Then the editor said to me, "Well, you know, you can't get anywhere in a place like this if you keep farting like that. Maybe he was right, but I said, "But it's true. It's not a fart, it's a real fart. They smell really bad and make a really loud noise. So I have a picture in my mind that this time it will be made into a real movie in the U.S., and it will be hundreds of times more successful than before.
From "SUBWAY" by Inoue Santa ("Inoue Santa's Art Collection SARU").
Sanda: It's true that I've been in the U.S. now for four years, and frankly, my dreams haven't come true. But I am proud of who I am. I heard that bamboo doesn't sprout for 5 years even if you keep watering it. But in the fifth year, they finally pop up above the ground, and in five weeks, they can grow to 27 meters. But I've only been growing for three years, so even if it doesn't sprout, I'm going to hold out for another five or ten years. According to my calculations so far, there is no reason why my dream can't come true.
Mr. Sanda's workplace.
Sanda: I think we have to work hard every day to achieve that. It is impossible to go on without making efforts. So I decided to make an honest effort every day and draw manga every day. But drawing manga every day is not the same as making an effort. It is not something that I do out of pain. I should be able to draw more interesting manga! I think to myself, "I could draw more interesting manga! And when I am able to draw interesting cartoons, I think, "Wow, I knew it! and I think, "I wanted to put something like this out into the world! I'm thinking, "I'm so pumped. It's like my pussy juice is coming out of the tip. How many years has it been since you've had pussy juice? I'm talking about. How many years have you been out of love? I'm not saying that.
I remember such a drama (laughs).
Sanda: In short, "Are you living with excitement? It's not like RC Succession's "Are you in love with each other? But in the end, it's how you live your life that counts. The important thing is.
Nice story. I look forward to seeing more of Sanda in the future.
