Junji Ito’s enchanting, grotesque, and horrific art
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IMage courtesy of Thefamouspeople
When it comes to the wide world of horror, there’s one figure that comes to mind and stands out above the rest. Junji Ito, a Japanese horror manga artist, renowned for his iconic and unforgettable works in pop culture. Born on July 1963, Ito delved into horror at the young age of four, where his sisters would read the creations of horror manga artists Kazuo Umezu and Shinichi Koga. He bought his first manga Orochi by Umezu and let his passion for the craft turn him into the horror icon he is now.
Before becoming a manga artist, Ito had a career in dentistry, but he considered changing careers because the work was difficult, and other issues were affecting him. Around that time, the Kazuo Umezu Award was launched. Ito submitted and published his first work Tomie in Monthly Halloween, a shōjo magazine, in 1987. He subsequently won the Kazuo Umezu Award.
Ito has since published numerous works, each more outlandish and horrifying than his last. Their most notable being House of the Marionettes, Greased, and Uzumaki. All of this has allowed him to grow into one of the most prominent manga artists of our time.
Works and Style
image courtesy of yokogao
What makes Ito’s manga so horrifying is how he strays from the cyclical norms of horror. His stories don’t focus on killers or monsters, but rather on the unknown and unexplained, with strange premises acting as the story’s foundation to build upon. One such example is The Hanging Balloons, one of Ito’s works where the story revolves around a surge of unexplained suicides, and reports of inflated heads corresponding to those who have died, with metal nooses swaying beneath them instead of string.
However, the story isn’t all that pulls readers into his stories. That would be his graphical style. Ito is well known for his detailed line work and ink work to present shocking and unsettling imagery in otherwise blank panels. He masterfully blends shading and texture, bringing viscous details like blood, sweat, and gore to life.
His Inspiration
When asked for his inspiration, Ito references influences such as Spielberg’s Jaws, H.P Lovecraft, and the Winchester Mystery House, as well as his hometown, which became an inspiration for one of his stories. Ito Stated that “There were a lot of narrow roads in between buildings, which looked like a maze. I would play hide-and-seek around there and around old hospital buildings that were scary, and I believe is reflected in my manga (Chik)."
Ito’s inspired works grew to such lengths that they too were able to bring inspiration to the world of horror, particularly in the horror game genre. Indie games like Ghost in the Pool and Nami are perfect examples of how much Ito has influenced the horror genre.
Adaptations of His Work
image courtesy of polygon
Over the years, there have been many adaptations of Ito’s different works. From Netflix’s anthology series Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, with each episode adapting different stories from Ito’s collection to Adult Swim’s recently released 4-part adaptation of Uzumaki.
Ito has not only gotten his work adapted onto the screen, but he has also created adaptations of classic horror stories, one such example being his adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. He captures the romantic, gothic feeling of the original novel while combining elements of his unique blend of horror.
My Favorite Works
As someone who enjoyed the original novel by Mary Shelley, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard there was a manga adaptation. During this time, I didn’t know who Junji Ito was, so this was my first impression of him. When I learned more about the adaptation, I wanted to read it and learn more about the artist.
I found the art to be an almost perfect interpretation of Frankenstein’s monster, it was like looking at the original novel through a new visual lens.
Back to Basics
Ito has been making manga for over 35 years, and last April, he published a Tomie one-shot, further fleshing out the story that put him on the map. I’m happy to see that even after so long, he is still committed to his craft, and I can’t wait to see what other horrors he creates.
Roch Graham is a 19-year-old student at Algonquin College, currently studying in its Professional Writing Program. Hailing from the small town of Embrun, Ontario, Roch strives to become the best writer he can be. While he may not look like it, he is a secret fan of horror and the disturbing world of true crime, and he is excited to tell you all about it... or get a little silly about it. Roch enjoys writing, playing video games, and reading in his free time.
